April 5, 2026

Good Easter Morning!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ Has Risen, Alleluia! This is the holiest day in the Christian calendar. Christ was crucified, died, and was buried. He walked among his disciples for forty more earthly days before ascending to Heaven.

Whether a believer or not, it is a hopeful and glorious story. Jesus wasn’t on earth as a king but as a carpenter in an obscure village in a poor province of the Roman Empire. There was nothing in His life to suggest that Jesus would do anything but live and die in poverty and obscurity.

Yet here we are more than two thousand years later celebrating His resurrection.

Galilee, though not under direct Roman control was a protectorate ruled by Herod. Judea to the south where Jerusalem is located was under the Romans. Smack in the middle of the two was Samaria which practiced a form of Judaism that only recognized the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Torah.) It is today’s West Bank.

In over two thousand years Israel is still a divided land. There is still no political congruity. The fighting between the occupants for sovereignty has never ended.

Jesus lived in that world of occupation and would die because of politics. He made it quite clear that His message transcended political and territorial concerns. Christ’s refusal to be a warrior for freedom or to overthrow Rome or Herod, shows Jesus’ apolitical message.

That hasn’t stopped every nation from making Jesus’ words part of their nationalism. Christians have an obligation to live by His teachings not appropriate those teachings to fit a political narrative. Why has that been such a hard point to remember by us?

This edition has us focusing heavily on Mayor Boss Collins. He just sucks the life out of good government not only in Stuart but also at Martin County as we show in one of our stories. For most of the time he has been on the stage (and it is less than 4 years) Collins has managed to operate as if Atilla cutting through the Roman Empire. The Boss is anything but collaborative except with those he can dominate. It isn’t about policy but a warped ideology of narcissism.

Our regular columnists are all with us. In picking our contributors, I have tried to balance politics and civics, business, nonprofits, other interests, and add a bit of medicine. Sometimes readers think it is too many voices. The point is that only read those that you want. I just think you need to sample every column at least once.

I hope you enjoy your Easter or if Jewish the 4th day of Passover, “Chag Pesach Sameach” or in Yiddish from my New York days “Gut Yontif.”

Have a great Sunday Morning!

I don’t know why people are surprised to learn that a renowned chef has been accused of being abusive to employees. Copenhagen’s Noma with René Redzepi as the head chef was the culprit in the most recent abuse scandal in the industry.

The restaurant business may have been the last bastion where the boss was the boss. In many instances as was spelled out in a recent New York Times article, the abuse was blamed on the strict organizational “Brigade System” in kitchens. In the brigade system, every kitchen employee has a defined role.

Before Escoffier devised his system of cooks being classified by cooking stations such as a poissonnier (fish cook) or saucier (sauces, gravies), one person would be responsible for the entire meal. Escoffier, who was trained as a military cook, saw the benefits of specialization in commercial kitchens. It was up to the chef de cuisine to make sure every part of the dish was assembled and ready at the same time.

The brigade method is no different than an assembly line in many respects. We don’t blame a worker being abused by a foreman on the line, but it is the fault of the individual in control. The difference between the “line” in the kitchen and one in a factory is the output that must be accomplished in such a short period of time.

When I worked in that field, I worked for chefs who did nothing but make jokes during service. I had others who screamed and cursed and hollered throughout. I worked for one French chef who would yell “Opa” if a plate was dropped or some other mistake was made and then laugh. I had a German boss who would call an employee into his office, close the door, and put on the radio so no one outside could hear when disciplining someone.

Many restaurant kitchens are Moms and Pops where one cooks and the other handles the service. Even as a kid, I worked shifts where I was the only one who did the cooking. It was and probably still is routine.

What the restaurant industry attracts is a disproportionate share of loners, addicts, and problem people. How many of us want to work every night, weekend, and holiday? Many people now go to cooking school to learn the trade. But best estimates are that 50% leave the business within five years.

Even today, I have never felt as satisfied as after having finished a very busy shift in the kitchen. It is an immediate sense of accomplishment. I have never felt anything like it anywhere else.

In every profession, you have those who take advantage of underlings. Even religious clerics are not exempt. Corporate executives and assistants, police officers and prisoners, and chefs and cooks experience the mighty against the meek.

Without the brigade system in commercial kitchens, modern restaurants couldn’t exist. We haven’t closed assembly lines, churches, or offices because of abuses. Society just needs to hold bad actors accountable.

A recent essay in the New York Times enumerated all the things that didn’t work with commercial flying.

The author traced it back to a decision in the Carter Administration to deregulate the airline industry. Prior to that time where an airline flew, how much they charged, and how many flights to a destination had to have government approval. Flying was regulated much like a public utility. Even public utilities today are regulated less than the airlines were in the 1970s.

Because it was a regulated industry, flying was expensive. Since the airlines could not compete with the price of flights, they competed on providing elaborate meals, alcohol, leg room, and even live entertainment. Only the well-to-do could afford flying. And yes, men wore suits and women wore dresses with heels when boarding a flight. A return to that would make Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy happy.

Some of us today fly hundreds of times per year. I fly back and forth from West Palm to Westchester at least once a month. On my flight, there are usually several families going to see grandparents, going to Disney, or just to the beach. When I was a kid going to Florida was a 24-hour drive and sheer torture. I never flew with my parents anywhere. I did take a train and a bus a few times.

 Advocating for a return to those days of government control is crazy. One of the challenges of commercial flying is that many of us do it and do it a lot. The country is mobile.

The main problem is not the lack of regulation, but the government is not providing the services it mandates itself to provide. The air traffic control system is using radar that is 40 to 60 years old. The feds can’t pay for their screeners at TSA. Some airports facilities are still stuck in those old days of the 1950s.

We need less regulation, not more. If airports like San Francisco and Sarasota can have non-government employees manning the X-ray machines at the security checkpoints, why can’t the entire system. The government can mandate security standards but allow the private sector to operate and manage it. There is nothing magical about a government screener over one employed by a private company.

 Canada has had a privately run non-profit corporation providing all traffic control for 30 years. Why is the U.S. perpetually stuck in a system that predates any of the technological advances of the past 50 years. Wouldn’t that be an example of a 3-P partnership.

It is time to look for innovative ways to handle our air traffic control and air security systems. Doing the same old thing doesn’t work. Giving the government more control over commercial aviation will only make matters worse.

According to a PRRI poll, 67% of Americans have favorable views of local police officers. Only 33% have favorable views of ICE officers. While 76% of Republicans favor increases in funding for the agency only 29% of Independents do. 61% of Americans agree that ICE officers should not be allowed to conceal their identity with masks or use unmarked vehicles when performing enforcement.

In general, the only groups that believe ICE is doing an adequate job are Republicans, White Catholics, and White Evangelical Protestants. White Christian groups and White nationalists are more likely to affirm the so called “great replacement theory” and are much less likely to support the notion that immigration strengthens American society. Those groups also don’t believe that immigrants should have due process regardless of legal status.

It seems there is a high propensity for White Christians to be the least charitable to immigrants. In the Gospels, Jesus shows many times that He embraced non-Jews. Jesus instructs the apostles to bring his message to all nations. John tells us that God loved the world so much that He gave his only Son for our salvation.

Without doubt, the message of Christianity is inclusion rather than exclusion of anyone including the foreign born. Matthew, Mark, and Luke include the story of Simon of Cyrene, who helped carry Jesus’ cross. Cyrenaica was a city in northern Libya. Simon would have had a very dark complexion and could have been Black. He definitely would be classified as an African. The point is the Gospels are about inclusion not exclusion.

The Christianity practiced by White Nationalists is selective in its openness to all of Christ’s message. Jesus wanted everyone to embrace his message and practice it across race or nationality. Members of those groups mentioned are not adherents to all Christian teachings as much as believers that Jesus was the Son of God.

Does that mean to be truly a Christian, we must then forget about borders and allow all to come. Of course not…that would result in chaos. There are two things we can do to be both Christians and good Americans. One is to treat those that ICE detains and does deport after due process with kindness and charity. The second is to finally pass an immigration bill that allows more than a small group of lucky immigrants to legally settle in the U.S.

I have heard the argument that “my ancestors waited their turn and came to America legally.” As I have written on several occasions, there was little stopping immigration of millions of people until the 1920s. All an immigrant needed was to be healthy, have a few bucks, and not much else.

As we celebrate Easter, the holiest day in the Christian calendar, we should be mindful of the entire teachings of Jesus. Fearing those who come here with different customs and languages is not a reason to either bar people or retreat into a shell with only others that look and think like us. Most of our ancestors were once the ones with the different customs and languages.     

I have refrained from writing anything about our war with Iran because I wanted to see how it would shake out. After a month, it looks like it may be a long slog. And such an unnecessary one.

I have not been able to determine any real reason for our attacking Iran. Up until the military strikes at the end of February that started this war, Trump has repeatedly said that he had obliterated Iran’s future as a nuclear power with our earlier strike several months ago. But this month, the president claimed that he bombed them because they were two weeks away from having a nuclear weapon.

That was only one of the Trump administration’s rationales for going to war. He has had many from bombing first before Israel did to regime change to many more fantasy reasons. The bottom line is that after Venezuela, he thought the U.S. military was so invincible that dropping bombs was all that was needed.

The U.S. military is a very capable force. It can do things that other forces only dream of doing. What it can’t possibly do is the impossible…such as Iranian regime change.

The mullahs and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard are not about to disappear because of changes at the top of their leadership. There are many others who could step up and take senior leadership’s place. If the Pentagon were destroyed and the Joint Chiefs were all killed along with many generals, the U.S. military would suffer damage, but American fighting forces would still be led by other extremely competent generals that are in the field. Those that at some point in the next year or two would be the Joint Chiefs.

What did Trump really accomplish in Venezuela? He captured Maduro and his wife, brought them to New York to stand trial, and left the system in place. Is there less repression now than before? No one is claiming that. Then what was the point for Trump to reject having the Nobel Peace Winner Machado being installed as the true elected leader. Could it be that Trump’s friends would benefit from Venezuelan oil?

Trump is anything but a strategist. He knows nothing about world affairs even after being president for a total of more than five years. We have no allies except for the gulf states and Israel in the Iranian War, and that is only because they are the ones bearing the physical impact of this mashugana situation (to borrow a Yiddish word for crazy).

After a month of war, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed and over 200 injured. Though Trump hasn’t admitted it, even the Pentagon stated that we bombed a school and killed at least 204 children due to faulty intelligence. And for what?

Only Trump would come up with an idea to stop sanctions against Russian oil. It isn’t bad enough that the increase in prices will go to aid them in their Ukrainian war, it is also making Americans poorer. He is so nonstrategic that he is allowing Iranian oil to be sold with profits going where back to the Iranians. What a war!

The Iranians are blocking the Strait of Hormuz and only allowing out the ships they want. Why aren’t we setting up a blockade in the Gulf of Oman allowing no ships to enter the Strait or out of the Persian Gulf. If we are in a war, then the Iranians should not be able to receive any supplies or ship any oil.

Trump is considered a fool by most. No one takes his word seriously. He woke up in the middle of the night and like a crazed person tweeted that he would bomb Iran’s power grid. Then when they threatened retaliation in the gulf states, he came up with the nonsense that great progress was happening at the negotiation table.

There are no negotiations going on according to the Iranians. Like so much of what Trump says, it is a lie. I would normally believe our president over the Iranians, but in the entire world, the only ones who could possibly believe Trump are his MAGA supporters. DJT lies so much that news agencies have stopped counting.

A year into his second term, the United States has never been taken less seriously in the world since the 19th century. Two hundred years ago, we were a small poor nation. All the political, economic, and diplomatic muscle that the U.S. had prior to this administration is rapidly being wasted by a spoiled incompetent president that bamboozled the nation 2 out of 3 times.

The forward-facing parts of 4-H and FFA are the animals, projects, and ribbons. What may not be as simple to see is something far more lasting: the early stages of a young person’s career.

For many of these youth, the project is more than just an activity. It is a hands-on introduction to real-world skills that translate directly into future careers. Long before résumés are written or job interviews begin, these young people are already building the foundation for their professional lives.

Take, for example, a teen who raises a market animal. On the surface, it may look like feeding, cleaning, and caring for livestock. But underneath, that project is teaching budgeting, record keeping, time management, and responsibility. That same young person may go on to study animal science, agricultural business, or even pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Others may not stay in agriculture at all, but they carry those same skills into fields like finance, education, or management.

Consider the youth who enters a horticulture or gardening project. They learn about plant science, soil health, and environmental stewardship. But they are also learning patience, problem-solving, and how to adapt when things do not go as planned; skills that are as valuable in landscaping and environmental science as they are in any career that requires critical thinking.

Projects like photography, cooking, and public speaking are building blocks for future success. A photography project can spark an interest in marketing or media. A food preparation project teaches planning, food safety, and creativity; skills used in hospitality and beyond. Public speaking, often one of the most challenging skills for youth to develop, becomes a lifelong asset in nearly every profession.

Beyond their local projects, many 4-H members are also stepping onto larger stages by attending state and national leadership conferences. At these events, youth are learning how to lead teams, speak with confidence, engage in meaningful discussions, and understand the issues facing their communities and the world around them. They return home, not only more skilled, but more aware and more motivated.

What stands out most is that today’s youth care deeply about the future. They are not simply participating in activities; they are preparing themselves to make a difference. They want to strengthen their communities, solve problems, and create positive changes. They are learning to be not just participants, but leaders. They are becoming ready to step forward as change makers and change leaders.

Perhaps most importantly, 4-H teaches young people how to work with others. Through club meetings, project work, and community events, they learn how to communicate, lead, and collaborate. These “soft skills” are often what employers say are hardest to find, and yet they are being developed every day in youth programs.

Adults play a critical role in this process. Whether serving as volunteers, mentors, supporters at events, or simply taking the time to ask a young person about their project, your involvement reinforces the value of their work. When you show interest, you are telling them that what they are doing matters.

It is also worth remembering that not every young person’s path will look the same. Not every 4-H member will pursue a career in agriculture, and that is perfectly fine. The goal is not to create one specific outcome, but to equip youth with the skills and confidence to succeed wherever they go.

The next time you meet a young person involved in 4-H or FFA, take a moment to look beyond their project. Ask questions. Listen to their experiences. You may just be talking to a future business owner, educator, scientist, or community leader.

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

At the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, our staff and volunteers provide a range of innovative and engaging enrichment activities for our shelter dogs, cats, and critters to prepare them for adoption. This enrichment program encourages the animals’ natural behaviors, fosters interaction with people, and reduces their boredom and stress.

Keeping newly adopted pets mentally and physically stimulated is one of the most meaningful ways to promote their mental and physical well-being and ease the transition into your home. The good news is that great enrichment doesn’t need to be expensive. With a little creativity, you can transform everyday household items into interactive activities your pets will love.

Animals benefit from using their noses. A DIY snuffle mat for dogs can be made by tying strips of fleece through a rubber sink mat and sprinkling kibble or small treats throughout the fabric for your pet to sniff out. For a quicker version, place treats in a loosely knotted, rolled‑up towel. You can also create a “sensory box” by hiding treats in a toy bin. These activities encourage natural foraging instincts and slow down fast eaters.

For cats, cardboard tubes, empty egg cartons, and small boxes make great food‑dispensing puzzles. Hide food in an egg carton and close the lid or drop a few pieces of kibble inside a toilet paper tube, fold the ends, and let them bat and paw it to retrieve the reward.

Cats also love toys that mimic the movement of prey. You can make wand toys by tying ribbon, yarn, or feathers to the end of a sticklike item, crinkle up paper bags into balls to toss around, or use pipe cleaners as cheap toys. Just be sure to supervise playtime with anything that involves string or small parts.

Critters, like guinea pigs, love foraging and rooting around. Use snuffle mats or hay mounds with hidden treats in them. They also enjoy exercise, so you can make mazes and tunnels with cardboard materials, which double as a retreat for when they want to hide away.

Expanding your pet’s environment in small ways can spark curiosity. For indoor cats, provide a room with a view using window seats or elevated perches so they can observe the outside world. You can open a screened window for fresh scents or even place a bird feeder outside of the window for entertainment.

Enrichment projects not only benefit your pets but also strengthen your bond with them. With just a few low‑cost materials and a bit of imagination, you can create stimulating, rewarding activities that keep your pets happy, healthy, and engaged every day.

To learn more about enrichment, visit https://hstc1.org/Enrichment

And we always appreciate wish list items that provide our shelter animals with enrichment while they wait for their forever homes!

Frank Valente's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

The separation of church and state requires a delicate balance.  On one hand, I believe God belongs and exists in all spaces.  However, I also believe in the constitutional rights of those of different religions or those who do not identify with any religion.  I personally prefer that leaders lean on their faith during difficult times and when making challenging decisions.   However, recent reports of a Pentagon worship service prayer calling for “overwhelming violence” and “no mercy” toward enemies has made me questions that belief. 

As a Christian I’m not naïve about the realities of war. Governments bear responsibility for protection, and Scripture is honest about a broken world. But when prayer begins to baptize violence in the name of righteousness, something essential is lost.

Jesus does not lead with violence, rather he enters Jerusalem on a donkey.  He rebukes the sword in the garden and he forgives from the cross: “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34)

This is not weakness. This is the power of God—revealed in love.  One of the greatest dangers in times of conflict is confusing God with our side. But Scripture reminds us:

 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

We are not the righteous condemning the wicked. We are sinners in need of grace.  Prayer is meant to shape our hearts, not harden them. Even in the midst of conflict, Christians are called to pray differently—for wisdom and restraint among leaders, for the protection of the innocent on all sides, and ultimately, for the end of violence, not its escalation.

The Church’s role is not to echo the rhetoric of war, but to proclaim Christ. When Christian language is used to bless violence without mercy, it distorts that witness and risks confusing the Gospel with power.

So we pray differently:

Lord, grant us wisdom in conflict.  Protect all who are in harm’s way.  Break the cycles of hatred that divide us.  And make us instruments of your peace.  Amen.

Chad Fair's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

The motion had already been made.  And seconded.   

The board was about to vote on the annual budget when I realized something strange.

None of us had actually seen it.

Staff explained that the finance committee had reviewed the numbers and recommended approval. That sounded reassuring. But the rest of us were being asked to approve a budget we hadn’t been given.

I scanned the room, trying to catch someone else’s eye. Surely I wasn’t the only one thinking this.

No one said anything. So I raised my hand.

“Excuse me… shouldn’t we actually see the budget before we vote on it?”

You could feel the shift. Staff was irritated. A few people looked uncomfortable. But then another board member spoke up and agreed.

I suggested we table the vote, send the budget to the full board, and reconvene.

That became the new motion. And it passed.

Afterward, a few people quietly thanked me. One or two warned me that challenging staff like that wasn’t a great idea.

My response was simple.

I’m not a bobblehead.

Board members have a fiduciary responsibility. If we’re asked to approve a budget, we should probably read it first.

That meeting was fifteen years ago. I still remember it because it was the first time I recognized how often people stay quiet in rooms where they shouldn’t.

Not because they agree. Because it feels safer.

A much more recent example played out on a neighborhood Zoom call.

At one point, a participant became so agitated he shouted, “This is bullshit!” He then doubled down, arguing that newer residents shouldn’t have the same voice as those who had lived there longer.

I was furious.

But anger doesn’t move a conversation forward. So I muted. Took a breath. And waited until I could respond calmly.

Then I said, “I take offense to the idea that how long someone has lived here determines their right to speak.”

I reminded the group that we all chose this community. Whether someone moved in thirty years ago or three months ago, every homeowner has the same rights and responsibilities.

The tone shifted almost immediately. Others started speaking up. The conversation became more respectful and, eventually, more productive.

Not because I said something brilliant. Because I said something.

The third example was quieter, but just as telling.

I was on a project team reviewing a draft PowerPoint. The slides were dense, jargon-heavy, and overloaded with text. More report than presentation.

Which meant someone needed to say it.

But offering critique in a group setting, especially on a virtual call, is uncomfortable. You’re staring at a grid of faces, or worse, a grid of black squares. No body language. No easy read on how it will land.

Timing and tone matter.

When the moment felt right, I suggested we simplify. Cut the text. Use more visuals. Make it something people could actually absorb.

Once it was said, others jumped in. The presentation got better.

Three very different situations. A boardroom fifteen years ago. A heated Zoom call. A quiet project meeting.

Same dynamic every time.  People stayed quiet even when something wasn’t right. Not because they didn’t see it. Because speaking up feels risky.

You might be wrong. You might offend someone. You might be labeled difficult.

So we nod. We defer. We move on.

But strong organizations, healthy communities, and effective teams aren’t built by people who nod along. They’re built by people willing to speak up. Respectfully. Thoughtfully. Clearly. People willing to be just uncomfortable enough to make things better.

So here’s the real question.

The next time you’re in a room, or on a screen, and something doesn’t sit right…

Will you stay quiet?

Or will you raise your hand, unmute, and say what many others might be thinking? And if someone else gets there first, will you back them up?

Because courage doesn’t just show up in the first voice. It shows up in the second one too.

Speak up ... or don’t. Which one will you choose?

If you’ve had one of these moments, I’d genuinely love to hear about it.

Email me at stacy@fireflyforyou.com.

Stacy Weller Ranieri's opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

Martin County was built on open land. Orange groves, flower farms, cattle ranches — the people who worked it understood property rights. They owned them and would defend them fiercely. Property rights are real, and they have real value value to those who own it.  You did not, could not, take them from your neighbor.

Land in Martin County is still owned. It carries rights, and those rights carry value regardless of who arrived recently and who arrived long ago

If you want to retire someone's rights, you have to buy them and they have to be for sale.

Martin County has done exactly this when desirable land and money is available. Voters approved bonds in the 1990s, a dedicated sales tax in 2006, and more recent funding initiatives have kept acquisition capital available. This money has purchased land, secured conservation easements, and assembled large connected areas with a clear purpose — water first. The C-44 reservoir and stormwater treatment area accounts for tens of thousands of acres dedicated to storing and cleaning water before it reaches the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. Pal-Mar, Allapattah Flats, and Atlantic Ridge protect headwaters, recharge zones, and wildlife corridors. Local funding has leveraged Florida Forever and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, multiplying the impact of every local dollar.

The work continues too. Greg Braun, Executive Director of The Guardians of Martin County, leads the Loxa-Lucie Headwaters Initiative — a collaboration among three nonprofits working to protect nearly 70,000 acres between the St. Lucie and Loxahatchee rivers. The first parcel, 138 acres on Bridge Road in Hobe Sound, was purchased for $3.5 million, funded by more than 200 donors. Braun describes it as the keystone of a corridor connecting Jonathan Dickinson State Park south to Atlantic Ridge.

Identify the land. Organize the capital. Acquire the rights. Protect it.

"Do you live in a barn?" is an old question. It assumes you know where the door is, understand what it protects, and remember who left it open for you.

Bill West’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

 For years, the City of Stuart has been recognized as one of the most well-managed and desirable communities on Florida’s Treasure Coast - balancing growth, fiscal responsibility, and quality of life in a way that has attracted both residents and businesses.  But recent decisions at City Hall are raising serious concerns about whether that balance is now being undermined.

The warning signs are no longer subtle.

At a time when Stuart is facing real financial pressures, including multi-million-dollar budget constraints tied to shifting property values and revenue projection, current city leadership has adopted a series of decisions that appear increasingly inconsistent and, at times, outright contradictory.

Stuart, now misled by Mayor Christopher Collins, alongside Commissioners Laura Giobbi and Sean Reed, the current majority on the commission has operated in clear chosen alignment on several of the most consequential decisions facing our city’s future.  This coordinated voting bloc has reshaped the direction of Stuart’s governance, replacing prior approaches that emphasized continuity and experience with a markedly different style of more effective decision-making and a better esprit de corps.

In October 2025, the commission voted to reduce the property tax rate from 5.0 to 4.9 mills.  On its surface, a tax reduction may sound appealing.  But, in order to make that reduction work, the city was forced to eliminate up to a dozen staff positions through layoffs, vacancies, and attrition.  Departments were trimmed, capital expenditures deferred, and operational flexibility reduced.  Since, city staff members have resigned in frustration and disgust for the current commission’s lack of vision or leadership.

Yet at the very same time, the commission moved to expand fire department staffing by adding new firefighter positions, introducing permanent, long-term personnel costs into an already strained budget.

This is not a sustainable approach to governing the City of Stuart.

Reducing revenue while cutting staff and simultaneously increasing recurring expenditures creates a structural imbalance that cannot be maintained without consequences.  Those consequences are already emerging in the form of repeated budget revisions, internal strain on city operations, and growing uncertainty about future fiscal stability.

What makes this situation even more troubling is that Stuart has faced similar challenges before - and handled them differently.

In 2018, when confronted with rising costs and a budget shortfall, city leaders at the time openly explored consolidating fire services with Martin County as a way to eliminate duplication and improve efficiency.  That conversation was driven by a recognition that fire rescue, while essential, is also one of the most expensive components of municipal government.  The goal was not political - it was practical.

Today, despite even greater financial pressures, those kinds of structural solutions appear to be off the table with this commission.  Instead, the city is layering new costs onto an already constrained system while reducing capacities elsewhere?

Compounding these financial contradictions is the instability created by recent leadership decisions.

The abrupt termination of City Manager Michael Mortell in October 2025 - widely viewed as a respected and experienced administrator – which added an immediate measurable and unnecessary cost to Stuart taxpayers.  Because he was dismissed without cause, the city was required to fund a severance package estimated between $100,000 and $200,000 total?  Beyond the financial impact, the decision triggered a cascade of disruption inside City Hall, including leadership turnover in agencies, loss of institutional knowledge, and increased uncertainty within key departments.

For many residents, the concern is not just the decisions themselves, but the consistency with which they are being made, and the level of experience guiding them.  Governing a city, even one as compact as Stuart, requires careful coordination, financial discipline, and a deep understanding of how policy decisions ripple through budgets, staffing, and long-term planning.  These kinds of disruptions are magnified in Stuart.  Local government does not have the luxury of absorbing repeated instability without consequences.

The broader implications extend beyond City Hall.

Stuart plays a central role in the economic ecosystem of Martin County.  Businesses considering investment, expansion, or relocation look for consistency and predictability in local governance.  Residents expect reliable services and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.  When leadership decisions create mixed signals, cutting in some areas while expanding in others, removing experienced administrators without clear justification, the confidence that underpins a healthy local economy begins to weaken.

This is not simply a debate about budgets or staffing levels.  It is a question of direction.

Is Stuart being guided by a clear, disciplined strategy for long-term sustainability?  Or is it drifting into a pattern of coordinated decisions that prioritize short-term objectives over long-term stability?

Stuart has navigated difficult challenges before and emerged stronger because of thoughtful leadership and a willingness to confront hard truths.  Whether it does so again will depend on the decisions being made today and on whether those decisions reflect the best interests of the entire community.

Because in the end, the cost of inconsistency is not just financial.  It is measured in trust, stability, and the future trajectory of one of the Treasure Coast’s most important communities.

Andy Noble’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

There was a time when the whisper of a visit to a psychiatrist was as sensitive as making aspersions regarding sexual orientation.   The secret of seeing a psychiatrist or taking psychiatric medications could be career ending or at least impose a glass ceiling towards advancement.  The era of black and white cinema caricatured mental illness for generations.  As our society has become more enlightened about the spectrum of functioning of the human condition, it is now much more possible to admit our vulnerabilities and seek help.  This is good.  Societal pendulums do swing, however, and we now live in a time when better living through better chemistry is an expectation for many.

So, how exactly should we understand the new chemistries developed by pharmaceuticals?  Benefit has been documented.  We can treat depression, mania, anxiety, and psychosis, allowing the afflicted to return to purposeful and meaningful lives.  Does this mean that no one should have to suffer those expressions of human experience that include pain, loss, and acceptance of our limitations?  Every diamond comes in the rough and needs to be polished, and so it is with each of us.  To become the best version of ourselves, we need to experience the world in all of its complexity and danger.   There are no shortcuts.  The children of the helicopter parents and the materially very wealthy are at increased risk of not developing a realistic relationship with the world, expecting do-overs and not to be held accountable.

Value systems, ethics, and morality vary throughout the world, so it is difficult to generalize what constitutes normal and healthy without addressing cultural context.  There was once a time when primary and secondary school teachers were respected and had in loco parentis authority with our children.  Now teachers need to assume that misbehavior and even violence in school stem from immutable biological neurodiversity, whether stemming from an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, or an autism spectrum disorder.  Medications do attenuate hyperactivity and lability, but medications do not teach character virtues such as humility and respect.

In the last twenty years, the incidence of ADHD has more than doubled to approximately 11% of the population.  The National Institutes of Health documents a 40-fold increase in the diagnosis of childhood bipolar disorder in the 1990’s.  These increases were not seen in other western industrialized societies.  Concurrently with the increase in the diagnoses of ADHD and bipolar disorder in children were the secondary morbidities of obesity and increased risk for neurological disorders from the use of antipsychotics.  These children learned to attribute their dysfunction to their immutable biology and therefore did not learn to accept responsibility for their behaviors.  Moreover, many parents saw an opportunity to provide their children with a competitive academic edge by having their children diagnosed with ADHD through expansive interpretations of criteria.  In truth, everybody concentrates better on stimulants, as evidenced by the popularity of energy drinks.  A diagnosis of ADHD will get a high school senior Adderall plus extra time for the SAT.  Throughout this revolutionary period in the development of psychotropic medications, the pharmaceutical industry made billions, often from the sale of unnecessary medications leaving the over-diagnosed and over-dmedicated with unwanted long-term effects.

The benefits of pharmacotherapy in the service of sculpting a desired outcome and not the treatment of a disorder will eventually have a promethean consequence.  Stimulants are habituating and may lead to anxiety and other disorders.   I offer you a hopeful parable of human goodness and a cautionary tale of the darker side of using pharmacotherapy to enhance normative functioning.   In the 2001 movie “I am Sam”, Sean Penn plays a cognitively challenged single father who is a moral and productive citizen capable of raising his daughter despite his cognitive disability. This movie makes a distinction between cognitive abilities and emotional intelligence, and they are both important.  In the 1958 novel “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes (which has had multiple cinematic interpretations), Charlie Gordon is an intellectually disabled man who agrees to a breakthrough surgery which demonstrated remarkable success in increasing the intelligence of a laboratory mouse, Algernon, to find its way out of a maze.  Charlie’s response was also remarkable, and he became highly intelligent but not emotionally intelligent, as some learning must be experienced and not simply taught.  Algernon eventually loses the gains from the surgery and eventually dies. Soon thereafter, Charlie begins to revert to his previous state of intellectual disability.  The miracle treatment was time limited.  In both tales regarding intellectual disability, we are taught to value character over hubris and material success.  The quality of our lives comes from an internal understanding of how we matter to others.

Dr. Louis Velazquez​’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

If property taxes are eliminated, it may affect Martin County more than other counties.  Why? Because our county is so reliant on residential property taxes.   Economists will tell you that a healthy county’s economy should be only 50% reliant on residential property taxes and 50% on commercial and industrial.  Martin County has an abysmal 4% commercial and industrial combined!   The County has been “no growth” vs smart growth for so long that we have grown ourselves into a corner.   45% of our budget depends on residential property taxes.  Yet, watch any BOCC meeting dealing with a development issue and you will witness residents marching up to the Board stating that they “came here from [insert crowed city name], because it was too crowded there”.  “So please deny such and such a development”.  The same will cry out for housing that can be afforded by young people or blue-collar workers.  The hypocrisy is lost on them.  And if you are new to Martin County, MCTA welcomes you.  Please realize that you are safe from Broward or wherever you hail from because around 50% of our county is owned by some form of government…state, local, federal or the South Florida Water Management District.  That coupled with our 4-story height limit will not allow us to ever look like Broward.  A better strategy would be to relax and invite more commercial and industrial.  Indiantown, a must visit for historical purposes, welcomes growth and our C & I would be welcome there.  

Ending property taxation would go a long way toward making housing more affordable.  Insurance reforms or an insurance subsidy should also be considered.  As it is, your kids cannot afford to inherit your home!  They can’t pay the taxes on it.  Riding our children of property taxation could help create generational wealth.  Remember equity is capital.  So important to growing an economy or a generation! 

We have instituted an INSIGHTS series of events which will feature a prominent issue or speaker of importance to you the taxpayer.  And, of course, there is our monthly newsletter which will report on Commission meetings etc.  To get invitations to the INSIGHTS events or to sign up for the newsletter go to www.mctaxpayers.org.    Email us at mctaxpayers1950@gmail.com.  We’d like to hear from you!

MCTA's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

I’m sure many of you have read or heard about the ½ cent sales tax referendum associated with land acquisition here in Martin County.  You can read all the details at this web site https://www.martincountyforever.com/.  We voters agreed to pay an additional ½ cent in sales tax over the next ten years in order to meet environmental objectives as stated in the referendum.  I think it’s a great idea and happy that a significant majority of voters agreed. 

Even better news is that a portion of the funds collected get distributed to municipalities in Martin County like Stuart.  In fact, the City of Stuart already has access to almost $2.5 million from 2025.  The City Commission began public discussion about potential uses of these funds in the last month or so.  Honestly, they should have been working on this for the past year in anticipation of funds availability, but that is another story.

In the discussion and debate I heard, it sounded like there was not a lot of research or analysis into how the city and we residents can best benefit from these funds in meeting the original objectives.  What surprised me the most was what appears to be a lack of expertise in land acquisition and or environmental assessments to achieve the goals which voters requested.  It sounds to me like they have made up their minds on 2 or 3 items a bit haphazard and that’s it.  Perhaps there has been more in-depth analysis by commissioners outside of the public meetings but if so, it has not been shared with the public.  Why doesn’t the city solicit input from the public and create a panel with expertise to ensure we get the most bang for our buck?  I don’t understand the rush to potentially waste taxpayers’ money.

The city could easily access expertise from the county and its approach with an expert panel.  Surely, we could get a handful of people together who know something about the subject and conduct a proper analysis of potential land acquisitions or environmental infrastructure projects which would best serve the purpose of the tax and maximize return on the investment.  I don’t think any of the current city commissioners would suggest they are experts on this subject.  So, why would they make these very important decisions about use of our tax dollars without proper expertise, input and guidance?  It really is puzzling.

This current approach has potentially two very bad outcomes.  First is that, without a proper ranked list of uses for the funds, we risk investing in projects which are unrelated to the stated environmental goals and miss out on improving water quality in our area.  Second, we citizens get frustrated with the potentially wasteful uses of our hard-earned tax dollars and do not support renewing the program after its initial ten year period.  This is a double negative.

If you have concerns about the proper use of precious tax funds, I suggest you contact your favorite city commissioner and urge them to take a professional and serious approach to spending our money.

Clay Scherer's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

As promised in my January column, I’m excited to highlight the many programs United Way of Martin County provides beyond investing in local agencies. This month, I’m proud to spotlight Students United.

To be fair, I may be a little biased about this program. In my previous role, I had just launched Students United the year I left, and I was incredibly proud of both the results and the inspiring young people I had the privilege to meet. The program engages high school students—as early as 9th grade—throughout the school year.

Here in Martin County, we launched Students United in the fall of 2020—yes, right in the middle of COVID. Our initial group was small but mighty. The mission of the program is to educate, inspire, and develop future leaders and philanthropists in our community.

Students United introduces participants to the nonprofit organizations serving our community and the important work they do. In addition, students have hands-on opportunities to volunteer with local agencies, allowing them to engage directly with clients and gain a deeper understanding of community needs.

A key component of the program is learning about the Citizen’s Review Process. Through this experience, students gain insight into how United Way funding decisions are made and what to look for in effective, impactful nonprofits—knowledge they can carry with them as future donors and community leaders.

This year, we expanded the program to include public speaking opportunities, giving students the chance to share what they’ve learned about our community at local events. What began as a cohort of just six students has grown into a program we now cap at 15 participants due to high demand. Along the way, we’ve worked with an incredible group of young people, many of whom return as alumni to assist with programming and help lead the next generation.

Students meet once a month after school—sometimes more often when volunteer opportunities arise—and represent schools from across the county, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the program.

If you ask students about their favorite part of the program, many will quickly point to the shopping experience for our Holiday Project. Each student is given a set budget to shop for older children in need—arguably the hardest group to buy for. Who better to take on that challenge than their peers?

What continues to amaze our staff is the level of care and thought each student puts into selecting gifts for young people they have never met. It’s a powerful reflection of empathy, generosity, and the spirit of service that Students United strives to cultivate.

Last year, we added an exciting new component: scholarship opportunities for participants. Three of our alumni submitted compelling essays and were each awarded $1,500. This scholarship is made possible by an anonymous donor who shared that their own ability to attend college was made possible through scholarships. These funds are intended to support college or trade school needs and are available to students who have participated in Students United and remained actively involved for at least two years.

Being part of shaping and inspiring future leaders in our community is incredibly rewarding work. One day, we hope to expand this program into elementary schools, ensuring that even younger students are informed about the programs and services in our community—and understand their role in being engaged and part of the solution.

For anyone interested in the program, applications open in August for the 26-27 school year. We could not provide this opportunity for our youth without the support of our board of directors, Cleveland Clinic and an anonymous donor. 

For more information on Students United, please visit www.unitedwaymartin.org/StudentsUnited. To learn more about United Way of Martin County, visit www.unitedwaymartin.org or email me at chdiez@unitedwaymartin.org.

Carol Houwaart-Diez’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

Over the past few months, we have been rolling out a new, bolder vision and mission for our long-term organization, Helping People Succeed.  I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to our new focus and new look in hopes that you will reach out if you need us, refer a family member or friend our way if they need us, and help spread the word so that no one goes without services that could help them turn a challenge into a success!

We exist to serve those in our community who have either a suspected or diagnosed disability or mental health need.  We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.  Our vision is to build inclusive communities where individuals of all ages and abilities are empowered to reach their full potential and live meaningful, connected lives.  We believe that when communities are inclusive, everyone succeeds!

Our mission is rooted in this purpose: to empower individuals of all ages and abilities – and their families – through comprehensive intervention and disability support services promoting growth and belonging.  Everyone deserves the opportunity to grow, belong, and succeed.

With sharing our new vision and mission, I challenge you to think about how you can contribute to our vision of building an inclusive community or support our mission of empowering people across the lifespan to turn their challenges into success?  If you are an employer, do you have a way to employ individuals with disabilities?  If you know someone battling a mental health crisis, do you know how to gently connect them to service?  If you see someone in the community struggling with a disability, do you lend a hand?  Have you thought about connecting with us to volunteer?  We can all be a part of ensuring Martin County is a place for everyone, regardless of age or ability. 

As always, if you know someone who could use our services, please encourage them to complete an Enrollment Form via our website here.

Kara Stimpson's opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

There are a few things in life I don’t apologize for.

One of them is butter.

Somewhere along the way, butter got a bad reputation. It became something to avoid, something to substitute, something to whisper about like a guilty pleasure. Margarine had its moment. Olive oil tried to take over completely. “Light” versions of everything showed up and promised we wouldn’t miss the real thing.

But here’s the truth:

We always do.

Because butter isn’t just an ingredient. It’s a finishing move.

I’m not talking about excess. I’m not talking about drowning a dish. I’m talking about what happens when butter is used the way it’s meant to be used. Thoughtfully. Intentionally. At just the right moment.

That’s what restaurants understand that most home kitchens don’t. And it’s why even a small step like browning butter, letting it take on that nutty, almost toasty depth, can quietly elevate a dish from good to unforgettable without adding anything extra at all.

And you can taste that difference the second a dish hits the table. A piece of fish that’s silky instead of dry. A steak that glistens just a little more than you expect. A sauce that feels…complete. That’s not an accident. That’s butter doing its job quietly in the background.

And not all butter is created equal.

If you’ve ever had a really good Irish butter—like Kerrygold—you know exactly what I mean. It’s richer, a little deeper in flavor, almost golden compared to what most of us grew up with. The kind of butter you can put on a piece of bread and suddenly that’s the whole meal.

There are beautiful French butters too citrus zest, even a touch of sea salt. In French kitchens they call it beurre composé—compound butter—but at its core it’s just butter made personal.

At home, we tend to either skip it entirely or overdo it. What gets missed is the middle ground, which is where all the magic lives.

A small knob of butter added at the end of cooking can change everything. It softens edges. It rounds out acidity. It brings ingredients together in a way that makes a dish feel finished instead of just cooked.

It’s the difference between something that tastes fine and something that makes you pause after the first bite.

I’ve always believed that food should be enjoyed, not negotiated with. That doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind. It means understanding what actually matters.

And in most cases, a little real butter is better than a lot of something pretending to be it.

There’s also something else that doesn’t get talked about enough: butter slows you down in a good way. You don’t rush it. You don’t dump it in without thinking. You pay attention. You taste. You adjust. It makes cooking feel less like a task and more like something you’re part of.

And maybe that’s the point.

We’ve spent a lot of years trying to make food lighter, faster, and more efficient. But somewhere in that process, we lost a bit of the joy. Butter brings some of that back.

Not because it’s indulgent. Because it’s honest.

So no, I’m not giving it up.

I’ll use olive oil. I’ll grill, roast, and keep things simple when it makes sense. But when a dish calls for that final touch, the thing that pulls it all together, I’m reaching for butter.

Every time.

Because no one has ever said, “You know what this needs? Less flavor.”

Brent Hanlon’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

In business and in life, forward momentum makes all the difference. Fortunately for Martin County, that momentum is steadily building, especially in the all-important industrial sector, quite literally from the ground up—and, most importantly—at just the right time.

Martin Commerce Park

Tax revenues from industrial-zoned properties are very important to Martin County. It’s imperative that we do everything we can to support this sector. That’s why the Business Development Board of Martin County spends most of its time working with companies in the various industrial subsectors.

Historically, Martin County’s economic strength is rooted in legacy industries such as marine, aviation, advanced manufacturing and a variety of professional services. And there’s been a positive trend happening recently to support industries: There’s an increase in the development and construction of new industrial business parks—featuring spaces that vary in size from a little as 1,500 square feet to hundreds of thousands of square feet.

                                   Newfield Workplace District

This is great for the local economy because it provides options for the entire spectrum of businesses, from budding entrepreneurs to medium and large sized corporations looking to expand in the area. It also helps the county achieve enhanced economically resilience.

In researching this subject, I noticed that there was a scarcity of industrial park development for a significant period in Martin County—from the early 1990s well into the mid-aughts.

Sands Commerce

A notable exception was the longstanding Sands Commerce Center—a powerhouse in Palm City. Spanning 270 acres, the center maintained 1.4 million square feet at max capacity prior to recently adding its newest phase exceeding 417,000 square feet.

South Florida Gateway Distribution Center in Stuart spans more than 130 acres and currently offers 1.2 million square feet of space.

Industrial-related development in the Village of Indiantown has been very active. Venture Park, on 138 acres, houses some exciting businesses such as Green Carbon Solutions, a renewable bio-carbon manufacturing company.

Undeveloped properties hold a lot of promise for the future as well.

Ashley Capital’s Martin Commerce Park development, scheduled to begin construction by the end of 2026, has more than 100 buildable acres and will feature 1.1 million square feet of light industrial space.

And the future Newfield Workplace District spans 300 acres and will support 2 million square feet of industrial space.

Using 2025 numbers, the Martin County Property Appraiser puts the county’s total taxable value at just a little more than $39 billion. Residential, unsurprisingly, accounts for 73 percent. The next noteworthy category is commercial (e.g. retail, office and hotel) and industrial, at a combined 12 percent.

                                                 South Florida Gateway

However—and this is key—industrial amounts to only 4 percent, so there is room to increase that share as a proportion of total tax revenues.

These expanding and incoming industrial sites mean a lot to the local tax base. They also help generate what is known as tangible personal property tax (TPP)—the taxable value of business equipment and machinery.

TPP generates additional tax revenue for the county, above and beyond the building structure and actual physical land where a business is located.

All of this translates into a stronger taxbase without reliance on residential growth.

As the Florida Legislature goes into a special session this month, we should expect lawmakers to come up with some proposals that contemplate a restructuring of property taxes. If put on the ballot and approved by voters in November, the outcome could measurably reduce public coffers for numerous counties and municipalities.

That’s when the flexibility and opportunity that these industrial sites provide by way of revenue generation and diversification will hit home—and in a highly welcomed way.

William T. Corbin's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

The topic at the February 26th Rivers Coalition meeting: Muck 101.

* Mud and muck are two different things.

* Mud is the top layer at the bottom. Muck is at the very bottom.

* Mud is brown. Muck is black.

* Mud is mineral-based. Muck is organic-based.

* Mud contains oxygen. Muck does not.

* Mud is natural. Muck is not.

* Mud becomes muck via low oxygen and bacterial decomposition as organic matter settles to the bottom.

* Muck in the Indian River Lagoon almost always contains harmful contaminants. A lot of them.

* It’s extremely difficult to transform muck back into mud.

* The only real way to get the muck out is by dredging it, but the muck is 4’-8’ thick. That’s 525,000 dump truck loads of muck.

* And since the muck can contain harmful contaminants, it can’t be dumped just anywhere.

* The best way to prevent muck: underwater grass. Lots and lots of underwater grass.

Next month’s meeting topic: Ways to remove the muck.

Stay tuned…

The issue of sending water south in the midst of the drought arose. Per the 2024 Lake Okeechobee Systems Operating Manual, water is required to be sent to the Everglades Agricultural Area – Big Sugar – during the dry season. The problem is that the water never gets past the EAA/Big Sugar fields directly south of the lake and into the Everglades, where it’s really needed. (Making big contributions to both political parties has its benefits…)

Meanwhile, at the Rappaport Speaker Series that evening, Eve Samples, Executive Director of the Friends of the Everglades, gave an update on the Allegator Alcatraz lawsuit in which they are one of the lead plaintiffs, The main issue in the lawsuit: The complete lack of public input required by the National Environmental Protection Act signed by President Nixon in 1970.

Where we are now: A federal district judge issued a preliminary injunction on August 21 halting operations at Alligator Alcatraz. Two weeks later, the Eleventh Circuit Court stayed (paused) that preliminary injunction. Since then. the circuit court has been reviewing whether the preliminary injunction was issued correctly. It will issue its ruling April 7. Note, however, the ruling will only be on whether the injunction halting operations was issued properly; the lawsuit itself is still going through the legal process.

The wheels of justice grind exceedingly

Walter Deemer's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

Neurology at Martin Health
Growing neurology expertise alongside advanced stroke and neurosurgical care

You might have heard that Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital earned its designation as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center from the Joint Commission — the highest level of stroke certification awarded by the national organization. Tradition Hospital is the first hospital on the Treasure Coast to achieve this designation.

The coordinated efforts of Cleveland Clinic Martin Health’s staff from three hospitals, the St. Lucie West Emergency Department and first responder partners saved more than 800 people in stroke crises last year alone. Building a responsive team in stroke and other brain emergencies also elevates the care we offer to neurology patients affected by other conditions and allows us to recruit top talent.

Elsa Rodriguez, MD, and her neurology colleagues at Tradition Health Park 2 and the Stuart Family Health Center bring excellence in care to the community while diagnosing conditions that are difficult to pin down.  

Dr. Rodriguez treats patients with migraines, neuropathy and other conditions and also diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), neurosarcoidosis and neuro-inflammatory  issues.

While these diseases can affect anyone, as women mature, they face unique challenges, including susceptibility to sex hormone-responsive diseases (and treatments) around menopause and age-related cognitive decline later in life. (1)

How menopause can complicate multiple sclerosis diagnosis

Menopause can be a challenging transition. There are many adjustments a woman must make. When someone suspects multiple sclerosis, there are many overlapping symptoms such as cognitive dysfunction, brain fog, fatigue, mood changes, and bladder issues that may make it difficult to distinguish between multiple sclerosis activity and normal processes. In addition, changing estrogen levels at menopause can worsen preexisting symptoms, creating a diagnostic dilemma.

What doctors call vasomotor symptoms, and most people know as hot flashes, can temporarily increase body temperature, causing latent menopausal symptoms to flare up. Because sometimes symptoms are dismissed as simply getting older or going through menopause, women might not seek prompt neurological evaluation, and this may in turn delay the diagnosis.

Here’s where Rodriguez and her neurologist colleagues bring expertise to shed light on this difficult diagnosis. She wants our community of women to know that approximately thirty percent of the MS population is perimenopausal or post-menopausal. “There is a substantial overlap between menopausal and MS symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, mood disturbances, sleep disruption, sexual dysfunction, and bladder issues,” Dr. Rodriguez points out. “It's important to distinguish between MS progression and menopausal transition.”

Bring your concerns to your primary care physician, who might refer you to a neurologist like Dr. Rodriguez, who specializes in MS diagnosis and treatment. A neurologist can guide you through symptom diaries, validated questionnaires, and structured interviews to determine if or when treatment is right for you.

There are also interventions that do not involve medicines, such as exercise, weight management, behavioral therapies, sleep hygiene, and cognitive behavioral therapy. All of these can improve your quality of life and address both menopausal and MS-related symptoms. Multidisciplinary care is best, and it's something that Cleveland Clinic offers to every patient. Cleveland Clinic's team approach offers patients an experienced and dedicated team of specialists who are committed to meeting the unique needs of patients with multiple sclerosis and other conditions.

“I cherish the opportunity to help patients improve their lives and decrease disability,” Dr. Rodriguez said. “I appreciate the chance to create a relationship with my patients that can lead to a long-term partnership.”

Elsa Rodriguez, MD, a specialist in neurology and neuroimmunology, sees patients at Tradition Health Park II and at the Family Health Center in Stuart at 3801 South Kanner Highway in Stuart. She is board-certified in neurology and completed her residency at Shands at University of Florida. 877-463-2010.

Dr. Chirag Choudhary's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

There’s a quiet force at work on Martin County’s waterways—one that most people don’t see, but everyone benefits from. For 25 years, the Martin Ship Pump Out Operation Program, or M.S. POOP, has been keeping our rivers, lagoons, and coastal waters clean, safe, and vibrant for residents, visitors, and wildlife alike.

Launched in 2000 with a single boat and a part-time operator, M.S. POOP has grown into a full-scale operation, now removing over 2.5 million gallons of untreated sewage and completing more than 60,000 pump-outs. It’s a program built on innovation, dedication, and foresight. Making it easier than ever for boaters to do the right thing and protect the waters we all enjoy.

What makes M.S. POOP extraordinary isn’t just the numbers. It’s the people behind it: county staff who manage the boats, community partners who support the mission, and residents and visitors who care about the environment. Together, they’ve turned a practical service into a quarter-century-long legacy of environmental stewardship, protecting wildlife, supporting local businesses, and maintaining the quality of life that makes Martin County special.

M.S. POOP is proof that thoughtful programs, consistent effort, and community collaboration can achieve remarkable results. For 25 years, it has protected and preserved the beauty of our waterways, demonstrating that caring for the environment can be simple, effective, and rewarding for everyone involved. To learn more about the M.S. POOP and how to schedule a pump out, visit the M.S. POOP website.

To learn more about Keep Martin Beautiful and how you can get involved in projects and initiatives to protect our environment, visit the Keep Martin Beautiful website or follow Keep Martin Beautiful on Facebook and Instagram.

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

1. Economic Uncertainty & Cost Pressure 

Small businesses are broadly cautiously optimistic, but cost control dominates day‑to‑day thinking.

• Rising operating costs (wages, healthcare, insurance, inputs, tariffs) remain the top concern
• Owners are scrutinizing every expense and delaying non‑essential spending
• Cash flow predictability matters more than raw growth

Translation: “We think we’ll grow—but only if we don’t make a wrong move.”

2. Hiring, Retention & Productivity

The labor market is still tight, but the mindset has shifted.

• Many owners are hesitant to add headcount due to wage pressure and uncertainty
• Focus has moved from “Who can we hire?” to “How do we get more out of the team we already have?”
• Skills gaps persist, especially in tech‑adjacent roles
• This is where automation, process cleanup, and AI become survival tools—not “innovation projects.”

3. AI: Curiosity Turning into Urgency

AI has crossed an important threshold.

• Small businesses are no longer asking if AI matters, but how to use it safely and practically
• Key motivations:
  • Reduce Admin Work
  • Improve customer responsiveness
  • Competing with larger firms without adding staff
• Key fears:
  • Data security
  • “Buying the wrong tool”
  • Overcomplicating operations

The dominant question is:
“What’s one AI thing that actually saves me time this quarter?”

4. Cybersecurity & Risk Exposure

Security is no longer abstract—even for very small firms.

• Increased awareness that small businesses are prime targets
• Owners worry about:
  • Business interruption
  • Ransomware
  • Compliance exposure (insurance, legal, client contracts)
• Security spending is being reframed as risk avoidance, not IT overhead

Many owners feel uneasy, not informed — which creates opportunity for trusted advisors.

5. Customer Growth Is Harder Than It Used to Be

Revenue anxiety isn’t about demand disappearing—it’s about competition and attention.

• “Reaching customers and growing sales” is cited as a top operational challenge
• Businesses are feeling:
  • More price sensitivity
  • Higher expectations for responsiveness
  • Less tolerance for friction or downtime

Loyalty, experience, and trust matter more than discounts.

6. Tax Policy, Financing & Capital Access

This is a quieter—but important—background concern.

• Owners are watching:
  • Tax provisions
  • Interest rate direction
  • Access to credit without over‑leveraging
• Many firms intentionally carry less debt than pre‑pandemic levels

Stability > leverage is the prevailing mindset.

The Emotional Undercurrent (This Matters)

Across surveys, one theme repeats:

Decision fatigue.

• Owners feel like:
  • Every decision has higher stakes

• There’s less margin for error
• Technology, regulation, and customer expectations are moving faster than their time allows

This is why clarity beats complexity right now.

The answers may seem obvious, but the reality is implementing them. We have to lean on technology, specifically AI and automation, if small business wants to address where we are today. None of this is going to go away, but it can be mitigated and technology is the mitigator. Small business needs to take the plunge and make it happen, and that’s where small business shines. They can turn on a dime. The key is doing it and I hope some of you business owners are reading this and saying, I don’t know what it looks like, but I’m going to do it and I’m going to do it now.

Eric Kiehn’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

What if I told you there was a creature that provides habitat for dozens of other animals, is a keystone species, and has been attributed to be the savior of humanity?

This same creature was also described as a navigational hazard by captain John Smith as he came through the Chesapeake Bay— and its average size is just 4 inches. 

195,000 years ago Homo sapiens (the only human species found today) was just starting out— just as Earth went into a very cold and very dry cycle. Our species was nearly wiped out— and likely may have been— were it not for a sect of hominids that took up residence in a cave on the southern coast of Africa. Their primary diet? 

Oysters.  

These hand-sized critters are quite the little powerhouses. Collectively, they create reefs that provide habitat for dozens of species, and they’re  able to filter up to 50 gallons of water per day (the equivalent of a bathtub)! Dirty water? Just add an oyster (or a hundred). 

Because they filter so much, oysters are susceptible to poor water quality. In fact, due to water quality issues and over harvesting, worldwide oyster populations have been reduced to an estimated 85% of historic levels. 

Closer to home, oyster restoration efforts in the St. Lucie River have been underway for several decades. Ironically, one of the best way to save an oyster is to eat them— farmed ones that is. Farmed oysters still provide all the ecosystem services as wild caught (water filtration, habitat), but unlike wild caught, farmed oysters are replaced back into the environment after they’re removed.  

Local farms like Treasure Coast Shellfish in Sebastian offer fresh, tasty oysters year round while replacing the oysters they harvest. Win-win. 

Kara Grace Muzia's opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

We hear so much from and about our President.   Our current office-holder was preceded by 45 other presidents, some who assumed the office due to the death of their predecessor.

In honor of our nation’s 250th Anniversary,   I have decided to write about  the some of our former Presidents.  I learned that on June 18, 1910 the New York Post announced  that former President Teddy Roosevelt returned from a 15-moth journey and stopped in Norway to receive a Nobel peace prize awarded to him when he  negotiated an end to the Austrian-Prussian war.

In the good old days, they gave you prizes to end wars,  not start them to take our minds off the rise in prices as modeled on the failed policies of a prior President. They don’t give you a prize for starting wars.

In the meantime, a massive child sexual abuse horror show  now appears to be a very smart guy’s scam to blackmail very wealthy and politically connected bigwigs to provide him with confidential information regarding  financial transactions. In England they arrested the former Prince Andrew for this. Don’t get me started about the cameras and servers found locked in a storage unit that that have only now surfaced. He had his proof.  So, the  pedophile got to abuse young girls recruited by his Daddy’s girl pimp, share them with “friends” and then black mail them.

That’s reason for starting a war. Just ask Mr. Bannon, He shows up in many Epstein documents, and his defense is that he is journalist interviewing a reclusive investor. When I read them, it seems like they are determining who to hit next. But no doubt that’s my TDS talking.

So let me end on a silly note.  One-term President Jimmy Carter (who also had Iranian problems) was a former military officer, living for many years in Plains, Georgia, now  his hometown shrine. He  liked to wear old clothes that belonged in the rag basket.  I have an old shirt that I wear as my tribute to him.

May the peace of Easter greet the world soon

Nicki van Vonno’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

March Was Filled with Milestones and Meaning

The Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Chapter celebrated a meaningful Red Cross Month filled with recognition and readiness. On March 24, we were honored to receive a proclamation from the Martin County Board of Commissioners, recognizing March as Red Cross Month and celebrating the lifesaving impact of our volunteers, donors, and community partners.

A key highlight was our Thunderbolt exercise, made possible through our new facility partner, Hobe Sound Church Street Chapel. During this exercise, our team successfully activated a mock shelter—testing real-time readiness, confirming essential resources, and strengthening our coordinated disaster response. We extend sincere thanks to Martin County Emergency Management and our community partners for their collaboration. These partnerships ensure shelters across Martin County remain ready whenever disaster strikes.

Why March Is Red Cross Month: A Legacy of Service

Since 1943, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt first designated it, March has served as a national celebration of the Red Cross and its vital role in supporting service members and responding to crises. Every president since has upheld this tradition, recognizing the compassion and commitment of Red Cross volunteers. It serves as a reminder that March honors the everyday heroes who step forward when others need help most.

April: Honoring Our Volunteer Heroes

As we enter April—Volunteer Recognition Month—we focus on the individuals who make our mission possible. Red Cross volunteers respond to home fires, staff shelters during storms, support military families, teach lifesaving skills, and offer comfort in times of crisis.

More than 90% of the American Red Cross workforce is made up of volunteers. Without their dedication—and without the support of people like you—we simply cannot deliver our mission to the residents of Martin County.

Become a Hero Today

This April, we invite you to stand with us. Your time and compassion can change lives, strengthen neighborhoods, and help ensure our community is prepared for emergencies.

Calling All Youth Volunteers!

We are actively seeking youth volunteers to join our Red Cross youth groups during the 2026–2027 school year. These programs help students build leadership skills, serve their communities, and support preparedness and disaster-response efforts.

If your high school is interested in hosting a youth group—or if students would like to learn more—contact traci.mitchell@redcross.org or explore resources at Red Cross Youth Resources.

Visit RedCross.org/Volunteer to explore opportunities and sign up today. Together, we can build a stronger, safer, more prepared Martin County—one act of service at a time.

Traci Mitchell's opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

Stuart is no longer debating growth—it is reacting to it, and poorly.

Mayor Chris Collins has built his leadership around slowing development and preserving “character.” It’s a message that sounds good. But as policy, it is detached from reality.

Growth is already here. Florida is expanding, housing demand is rising, and state law increasingly protects development rights. Local governments no longer have the luxury of simply saying “no.”

Yet Stuart continues to try.

Obstruction Comes at a Cost

Policies that restrict development don’t stop growth—they distort it.

The results are predictable:

• Higher housing costs
• Fewer opportunities for working residents
• Investment shifting elsewhere
• Increased legal risk under state law

This is not preservation. It is stagnation.

Anti-Growth Is Not the Problem—Incompetence Is

Commissioner Sarah Heard is undeniably anti-growth. She has spent decades opposing and restricting development.

Developers know this well. Many have been stymied by her at every turn. And yet, many still support her.

Why?

Because she understands the system.

She knows the details—land use, infrastructure, legal limits—and operates within them. Even in opposition, there is consistency, predictability, and competence.

The same cannot be said for Mayor Collins.

Ideology Without Strategy

There is a difference between managing growth reluctantly and trying to block it outright.

One engages reality. The other ignores it.

Collins’ approach reflects a belief that local government can still control growth through resistance alone. That is no longer true. The state has shifted the balance.

Doubling down on obstruction is not leadership—it is denial.

The Bottom Line

Stuart cannot stop growth.

The only question is whether it will manage it—or be overwhelmed by it.

Chris Collins is offering resistance without results.

Sarah Heard, while firmly anti-growth, understands the battlefield—even if she fights on the restrictive side of it.

Every community needs more leaders like Commissioner Heard—but they are few and far between.

Stuart deserves leadership that knows what it’s doing.

J. Corey Crowley's opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

Stacey Hetherington is more than a commissioner.

She is a mother, businesswoman, Martin County Republican Committee Woman, churchgoer, and avid community activist. Long before she ran for elected office, she was part of the Martin County Community. She was born and raised in Indiantown with a family that goes back generations in Florida.

For the past couple of years, she has put together a calendar celebrating women in our county. I learn something new every time I look at it. Let’s face it, women are what holds society together.

Over the next four issues we will be highlighting the entire calendar. This edition will cover January, February, and March. Take a minute to read what the Martin County Difference is. It isn’t about land or politics or policy but about people. These 12 women, one for each month, is what we are all about.

Stacey is a well-rounded person.

Thanks, Stacey, for allowing Friends & Neighbors to highlight and celebrate your calendar and the women it highlights.

About the #OneToughMother Calendar

The #OneToughMother Calendar is a community-driven project created to honor and celebrate extraordinary women who demonstrate strength, resilience, compassion, and unwavering dedication to our children and  our community. The idea began during Stacey Hetherington’s 2018 county commission campaign, when she was referred to as “#OneToughMother.” The phrase stuck and has since grown into a meaningful way to recognize remarkable mothers and maternal figures throughout the community.

Each year, women are nominated by friends, family members, and community members who want to shine a light on the quiet strength, sacrifice, leadership, and love these mothers show every day. Many of the honorees have faced personal hardships or tragedy, yet continue to move forward with grace and determination while uplifting those around them.

The calendar serves as a tribute to the women who nurture, advocate, lead, and inspire — not only within their own families but across the wider community. It is also a reminder that motherhood takes many forms, and that strength often shines brightest during life’s most challenging moments.

JULY-KELLY JOHNSON

Kelly Johnson is a business leader, devoted mother, and passionate advocate for workforce development and community growth. As a leader at RV Johnson Insurance Agency, she balances professional success with deep community involvement. Following the loss of her father, Rudy Johnson, she has continued to lead with strength and purpose. Kelly works tirelessly to create opportunities for local youth and businesses, advocating for workforce development and economic growth. Her determination and leadership make her a powerful role model.

August – Stephanie Carlson

Stephanie Carlson, a 5th-grade teacher at Palm City Elementary, is a devoted mother and educator who goes above and beyond for her students. In addition to teaching, she created a cheer squad for her students with help from her daughters, fostering school spirit and belonging. Stephanie embodies the belief that it takes a village to raise a child, nurturing and guiding not only her own children but many others. Her commitment to education and community makes her a deserving #OneToughMother.

September – Claudia Adrian

Claudia Adrian is a Certified Nurse Midwife and dedicated mother who has shown extraordinary strength after the loss of her husband earlier this year. While caring for her two daughters, she continues to serve other mothers through her work with the Martin County Healthy Start Mom Mobile, bringing essential prenatal care and services to underserved women. Claudia’s compassion, resilience, and commitment to supporting families reflect the very essence of a #OneToughMother.

Harbour Ridge Comedy Night Delivers over $66,000 for SafeSpace

STUART, Fla. – The Harbour Ridge community turned an evening of laughter into meaningful impact, raising over $66,000 for SafeSpace during the 18th annual Harbour Ridge Comedy Night on March 7. Guests enjoyed chef-curated food stations, comedy performances, and a spirited live auction.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone at Harbour Ridge for their unwavering generosity,” said Jennifer Fox, CEO of SafeSpace. “Each year they come together as friends and neighbors to show their support for SafeSpace and the survivors of domestic violence in our community.”

Dot and John Coblentz

Emcees David Aguilar and Casey Peruski introduced opening act Morgan Preston followed by comedian Michael Winslow, who closed out the evening with a lively 90-minute set for our 80 attendees—all in support of a meaningful cause.

SafeSpace is the Treasure Coast’s only state-certified domestic violence center, serving survivors and their children when they need it most. Since its founding, SafeSpace has provided more than 500,000 safe nights of shelter to over 40,000 victims and children. Its comprehensive programs include shelter, legal advocacy, financial literacy, counseling, prevention education, and specialized children’s services. 

Phil Heilker and Jo Stutts

Fox also recognized the event’s generous sponsors, including Platinum Sponsors: Philip & Jo Stutts Heilker; Gold Sponsors: Dot & John Coblentz and Katie & Donald Woodcock; and 11 supporters at the Silver Sponsor level.  She also recognized the dedication behind the scenes in bringing this annual event to life, along with the Harbour Ridge community for their support in helping raise much-needed funds.

Bud and Lynn Johnson                      

“The needs keep growing across Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties,” Fox said. “It’s essential for the health, safety and future of survivors and their children that we maintain strong programs and offer hope and a path forward. Our deepest thanks to everyone who stands for survivors, and a salute to Harbour Ridge for the impact they make in our community.”

For more information about SafeSpace or upcoming sponsorship opportunities, visit SafeSpaceFL.org.

About SafeSpace

SafeSpace is the Treasure Coast’s only state-certified domestic violence center, serving survivors and their children 24/7. Since its founding, SafeSpace has provided more than 500,000 safe nights of shelter to over 40,000 victims and children. Its comprehensive programs include shelter, legal advocacy, financial literacy, counseling, prevention education, and specialized children’s services.

Promise Fund to Host Free ‘Mammography Screening Days’ in Martin County

Since 2024, nearly 470 Treasure Coast women have been screened

Stuart, FL (March 25, 2026) – Promise Fund, a South Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to increasing survivorship from breast and cervical cancer, will host free Mammography Screening Days from 8 a.m to 2 p.m on the following dates:

●       Monday, April 20 at 15858 SW Warfield Blvd, Indiantown

●       Thursday, April 23 at 11090 SE Federal Hwy, Hobe Sound

●       Wednesday, May 13 at 3441 SE Willoughby Blvd, Stuart

Since expanding to the Treasure Coast in 2024, Promise Fund has provided breast and cervical cancer screenings to more than 470 women, delivering early detection and, in some cases, lifesaving intervention.

The screening event is presented in partnership with Florida Mobile Mammography, Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, and Florida Community Health Centers, Inc.

“It’s important to take advantage of these free opportunities because early screening can catch a diagnosis before symptoms begin,” said Patricia Ferrer, Promise Fund’s Martin County Navigator. “The earlier the detection, the better chance someone has to increase survivorship and receive treatment that is less severe and invasive.”

The next free screening day after these three events is scheduled for June 17.

Promise Fund currently operates four screening programs at community health centers in Palm Beach and Broward counties and is actively seeking funding to establish a permanent presence in Martin County.

Appointments are required. To register, call 305-389-5850.

Promise Fund reaches tens of thousands of women in Palm Beach, Broward and Martin Counties who are uninsured, under insured or have limited or no access to healthcare. The organization, founded in 2018 by Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, is dedicated to increasing survivorship from cervical cancer and breast cancer by providing guided support and access to screenings, as well as early detection, treatment, and beyond. 

To date, Promise Fund has reached more than 125,000 individuals through outreach and education, and has impacted the lives of over 27,000 women through access to screenings, diagnostics, and care and Promise Fund has helped 271 women who were diagnosed with cancer navigate getting treatment.

ABOUT PROMISE FUND
Promise Fund, founded in 2018, is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing survivorship from breast and cervical cancer by providing guided support and access to screenings, as well as early detection, treatment, and beyond. To learn more, visit thepromisefund.org. Follow on Instagram @thepromisefund and on Facebook @PromiseFundofFL. 

From Storefront Beginnings to a Permanent Home

HOBE SOUND, Fla. – What began as a simple idea among a handful of families has grown into a vibrant and enduring faith community serving Martin County and beyond.

More than three decades ago, local families set out with a vision: to establish a Greek Orthodox church closer to home. At the time, the nearest parishes were located in West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce, leaving a gap for Orthodox families living in Martin County.

That vision took root in 1990, when Murad and Katherine Coury, along with John and Joanna Laskaris, began gathering interest from the community. Meetings were held, funds were raised, and momentum steadily built, often centered around the original Flamingo Restaurant in Stuart, owned by the Laskaris family.

Front row (left to right): Yanni (John) Tsouchlis, Kosta Palaskas, Fr. Andrew Mahalares, Kosta Sofikitis, and Steve Pappas, St. John’s first and current Cantor, during the Orthodox Easter celebration.

After years of persistence and growing support, their efforts were formally recognized on November 13, 2002, when Bishop Alexios of Atlanta granted approval to establish what would become St. John Chrysostom Greek Orthodox Church.

Just a few months later, on January 26, 2003, the church held its first Divine Liturgy in a modest 1,500-square-foot storefront on U.S. 1 in Stuart.

Today, that same spirit of determination and faith continues to guide the parish as it looks toward an exciting new chapter.

Building for the Future

The church has since acquired property on U.S. 1 in Hobe Sound, where plans are now underway to construct a permanent place of worship. On March 20, 2026, site plans and architectural drawings were officially submitted to Martin County for review.

“This is something our community has worked toward for many years,” said Katherine Coury, a founding member and current president of the parish. “It represents not just a building, but a home for future generations.”

Adding to this milestone year, the newly installed Metropolitan Sevastianos of Atlanta is scheduled to visit the parish on April 9, 2026, coinciding with Orthodox Holy Thursday, to offer his blessing.

A Growing Community Rooted in Tradition

As the only Greek Orthodox Church serving Martin County and surrounding areas, St. John Chrysostom has become a spiritual home for families across the Treasure Coast. The parish continues to welcome individuals of all backgrounds, offering a place to gather, worship, and connect through shared faith and tradition.

The church also remains committed to community outreach, unity among Orthodox Christians of all backgrounds, and preserving the rich traditions of the Eastern Orthodox faith.

An Invitation to the Community

As the parish moves forward with its plans, leaders say the mission remains the same as it was in the beginning: to serve, to grow, and to welcome.

“This church was built on community,” Coury added. “And it will continue to grow because of it.”

For more information about St. John Chrysostom Greek Orthodox Church, its services, or future plans, visit saintjohn.fl.goarch.org or follow  on Facebook at facebook.com/StJohnChrysostomHobeSound.

About St. John Chrysostom Greek Orthodox Church

St. John Chrysostom Greek Orthodox Church serves Martin County and surrounding areas, including parts of Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee Counties. The parish is part of the Eastern Orthodox Church under the spiritual leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Elpidophoros of New York, and Metropolitan Sevastianos of the Atlanta Metropolis. The Very Reverend Fr. Andrew Mahalares serves as the parish priest.

Established in 2002 and holding its first Divine Liturgy in 2003, the church is now located in Hobe Sound, where plans are underway to build a permanent place of worship. The parish welcomes all Orthodox Christians and those interested in the faith. Its Philoptochos ministry is active in community outreach, including feeding the hungry, supporting single mothers, providing school supplies, and assisting veterans.

For more information, visit saintjohn.fl.goarch.org or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/StJohnChrysostomHobeSound.

About Keep Martin Beautiful

Keep Martin Beautiful (KMB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 1994 as an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Its mission is to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Martin County through litter prevention, the promotion of recycling, improvement of solid waste management practices, and beautification and community revitalization activities. KMB signature events and programs include the Environmental Stewardship Awards, the International Coastal Cleanup, the Great American Cleanup, the Adopt-A-Road and Adopt-A-Street programs, and other educational and outreach activities. Find KMB on Facebook at facebook.com/KeepMartinBeautiful, follow KMB on Instagram at instagram.com/KeepMartinBeautiful, visit KeepMartinBeautiful.org or call 772-781-1222.

The Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast Celebrates a Successful Ladies Night Out Fundraiser

On Thursday, March 6, 2026, The Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast hosted its highly anticipated Ladies Night Out, an unforgettable evening of fashion, fun, and philanthropy. For years, this signature event has been more than just a night of shopping and pampering—it has become a cornerstone fundraiser supporting FREE hands-on educational programs and camp scholarships for children and families who need them most. This year, the event raised over $20,000, directly benefiting the museum and ensuring that every child has access to meaningful learning experiences, regardless of financial circumstances.

Belinda Strachan, Hortensia Mahon, Kerri Stewart, Jessica Bright

Held at Temple Beit HaYam, guests were treated to an evening filled with laughter, friends, and unforgettable experiences. Attendees enjoyed a curated selection of vendors, delectable appetizers and drinks, and a variety of pampering services including massages, hair styling, psychic readings, and stretching sessions. Creative spirits could make their own floral arrangements to take home, while memories were captured at the 360 Photo Booth, sponsored by All Area Roofing.

The evening was expertly emceed by Frances Peyton, meteorologist with WPTV, keeping the energy high and the excitement flowing throughout the night.

This event would not have been possible without the generous support of our incredible community sponsors:

Frances Peyton, WPTV Meteorologist & Emcee

• Presenting Sponsor: Marsha Cetta, longtime supporter and friend of the museum
• Vintage Sponsor: Tracy Armstrong & Chris Clifton
• Designer Sponsors: Susan Maxwell with RE/MAX of Stuart and Beth Garcia Svopa with Brown & Brown Insurance
• Media Sponsor: Baron Graphics
• Spa Service Sponsors: Donna Follmer and Napoli Orthodontics
• Entertainment Sponsor: Kendy Image Studios
• Candy Table Sponsor: Tammy Calabria
• Desserts: Sweet Intentions Fla.
• Flower Bar Sponsor: Pat Armellini with Armellini Logistics
• Decor Sponsor: Carolyn Strom, Water Pointe Realty Group

Thanks to the community’s incredible generosity, Ladies Night Out was a night to remember—full of joy, connection, and support for children’s education.

             Marsha Cetta, Norma Jean Soloff, Cecilia Berg, Betty Modell

Ladies Night Out will return in 2028 however be on the look out for Purse Party up next in 2027!

Education Foundation, Hope Center celebrate $50,000 STEM grant from FPL

• FPL Classroom Makeover Grant will fund a new makerspace designed to support students with autism

Stuart, Fla. — The Education Foundation of Martin County is proud to announce that The Hope Center for Autism has been awarded a $50,000 Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) Classroom Makeover Grant to create an innovative STEM Makerspace designed specifically to support the unique learning needs of students with autism.

Kate Cotner, FPL director of community engagement; Joanne Sweazey, executive director of The Hope Center for Autism; Chris Vaccaro, director of business development; Lisa Rhodes, executive director, Education Foundation of Martin County

The Education Foundation of Martin County, Martin County School District’s strategic non-profit partner, will serve as the fiduciary agent for the grant, partnering closely with The Hope Center to support the implementation of this transformative project.

Danielle Wertz, board member, Education Foundation of Martin County and education coordinator of FPL’s Manatee Lagoon; Kate Cotner, FPL director of community engagement; Chris Vaccaro, director of business development, The Hope Center for Autism

The surprise award was recently announced during a special presentation attended by representatives from the Education Foundation of Martin County, The Hope Center for Autism, the Martin County School District, and Hope Center students who will benefit directly from the new learning environment.

The grant, funded through a gift by the NextEra Energy Foundation, a corporate foundation of NextEra Energy, Inc. and FPL, is a statewide initiative to support innovative STEM learning opportunities in schools and educational programs. Each year, FPL awards 10 $50,000 grants to help educators modernize classrooms, introduce advanced technology, and expand student exposure to STEM education and career pathways.

With this investment, The Hope Center will launch Project Chameleon, an innovative initiative inspired by the school’s mascot, “Chamy the Chameleon.” The project will introduce accessible 3D printing, sensory-friendly robotics, and immersive virtual reality technology to create a dynamic STEM Makerspace tailored to students with autism.

These hands-on tools will allow students to design tangible projects, build personalized communication supports, and practice real-world skills in a safe, structured environment.

“As we prepare to move into our new building and expand our impact, this grant allows us to reimagine what STEM education can look like for students with autism,” said Joanne Sweazey, executive director of The Hope Center for Autism. “Project Chameleon reflects our belief that every student learns differently, and when we provide adaptive, hands-on tools, we unlock confidence, creativity, and career readiness.”

“At FPL, we are committed to empowering students through education and we recognize the limitless opportunities that STEM learning can bring,” said Kate Cotner, FPL director of community engagement. “With STEM education forming the anchor of a thriving future, these grants are designed to spark creativity, exploration and a lifelong passion for learning within our communities. As we celebrate the fifth year of this program, we are proud to continue expanding its reach and positively impacting even more students.”

Through Project Chameleon, students will gain:

• Hands-on experience with emerging technologies
• Opportunities to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• Exposure to STEM-related career pathways
• Increased independence through adaptive communication and learning tools

The project will begin implementation in March 2026 as The Hope Center prepares to transition into its new facility at 500 Indian Street in Stuart, further expanding its capacity to serve students and families throughout Martin County.

Supporters of The Hope Center for Autism gather during a $50,000 check presentation for an FPL Classroom Makeover Grant.

“We are honored to partner with The Hope Center for Autism and Florida Power & Light on this exciting initiative,” said Lisa Rhodes, executive director of the Education Foundation of Martin County. “This grant represents a powerful investment in inclusive innovation, ensuring that students with autism have access to engaging STEM experiences that support both academic growth and future career readiness.”

The Hope Center for Autism provides individualized education, support, and advocacy for children and young adults with autism, empowering students to reach their fullest potential.

The Education Foundation of Martin County and the Hope Center for Autism extend their sincere appreciation to Florida Power & Light Company and the NextEra Energy Foundation for their commitment to advancing STEM education and creating meaningful learning opportunities for students across the community.

For more information about FPL's STEM Classroom Makeover Grant and its commitment to education, please visit www.FPL.com/ClassroomGrant. 

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About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is America’s largest electric utility, delivering reliable power to more than 6 million customer accounts — serving approximately 12 million people across Florida. By leveraging a diverse energy mix, including nuclear, natural gas, solar and battery storage, FPL operates one of the most fuel- and cost-efficient power generation fleets in the U.S. and has earned the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for seven of the last ten years. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), which is one of the largest electric power and energy infrastructure companies in North America and is a leading provider of electricity to American homes and businesses. NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is advancing America’s energy future with one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of power generation and infrastructure solutions. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

Photos Doreen Poreba

Former Hibiscus Youth Shares Powerful Story
of Safety and Support at Hibiscus

Martin County, FL –  In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month this April, we are honored to share Ashlee’s powerful story of transformation.

When Ashlee first arrived at Hibiscus Children’s Center, she was frightened. “I didn’t know anyone. We were all just trying to survive,” she recalls. From the beginning, staff at Hibiscus Village surrounded her with reassurance and care, gently reminding her: “None of this is your fault. This is a safe place now. You can’t change your past, but you can change your future.”

At 15, this was not Ashlee’s first time at Hibiscus. She had previously stayed at the Tilton Family Children’s Shelter at just 9 years old, after being removed from her home due to abuse, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Like many children in foster care, she had moved between multiple homes and knew all too well that the first nights are often the hardest.

But at Hibiscus, something began to change.

“The staff were phenomenal,” Ashlee says. One night-shift caregiver offered CD players and books—sparking a lifelong love of reading. “Today, I absolutely love to read because of that staff member”.

Life at Hibiscus provided structure and moments of joy—summer school, arts and crafts, soapbox derby races, and trips to SeaWorld.  Ashlee joined her high school Flag Guard, an opportunity made possible because staff advocated on her behalf with her caseworker and judge. “They didn’t see us as foster kids,” Ashlee says. “They saw us as kids who could do great things.”

Foster care can feel overwhelming. Without consistent parental guidance, everyday experiences—like attending a football game—often require layers of approval. “It’s a maze of uncertainty,” Ashlee explains, “and for many kids, it’s excruciatingly hard.” Yet through it all, she found support at Hibiscus.

Today, Ashlee is married, a mother, and working in the medical field. “I have become someone I once dreamed of being—but never thought I could,” she says. “Hibiscus changed my life. They were there when I needed them most. Who is supporting you matters most.”

Ashlee’s journey is a testament to the life-changing impact of a safe, nurturing environment. At Hibiscus, we believe every child has the ability to rise above their past trauma and build a brighter future.

We are proud of Ashlee and her accomplishments and thank her for sharing her powerful story. Please visit HibiscusChildrensCenter.org for more information.

Tee Fore Two Golf Tournament Returns May 29 at Sailfish Point to Benefit SafeSpace and Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County

Stuart, Fla. – One of Martin County’s most anticipated charity tournaments returns May 29 as the Tee Fore Two Robert “Pops” Bauman Memorial Golf Tournament once again comes to Sailfish Point Golf Club on Hutchinson Island. Named in honor of Robert “Pops” Bauman and his lasting legacy of generosity and community impact, the tournament celebrates his commitment to giving back while bringing people together for a meaningful cause. The event will be played on the club’s renowned Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, offering participants a memorable day of golf while raising funds for SafeSpace and Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County. 

Now in its fourth year, this premier tournament brings together community leaders, generous supporters, and golf enthusiasts for a day of friendly competition, camaraderie, and community impact.

“It’s a full day of golf in an incredible setting,” said SafeSpace CEO Jennifer Fox, “but what makes this event truly meaningful is the purpose behind it – raising critical funds that help create safer futures for survivors across the Treasure Coast and greater opportunities for youth in Martin County.”

From Left to Right: Mike Demakos, Widget Webert, Jim Webert, Donald Wemlinger, Carol Webb, Carol Wagner, Jessica Malasek, Jan Malasek, Betsy Bergmann, Dean Golko. 

 Registration for foursomes and sponsorship opportunities are now open at www.safespacefl.org. The tournament day will begin with registration at 8:00 a.m., followed by a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start. With a thrilling scramble format, the event welcomes golfers of all skill levels to compete while supporting two vital organizations. The day will conclude with an awards luncheon at the Oceanfront Sailfish Club.

“Events like this remind us what’s possible when a community shows up for its kids,” said Keith Fletcher, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County. “We see their potential every day—this support helps make sure they have the opportunity to reach it.”

Visit www.bgcmartin.org and www.safespacefl.org for updates and to learn more about how support of the event changes lives.                                                                                                                    

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County

Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County is committed to ensuring all young people—especially those who need us most—have the support, resources, and opportunities to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Through Club sites, school-based programs, and community partnerships, BGCMC extends its impact beyond its walls, meeting youth where they are.

With a focus on academic support, healthy lifestyles, and character development, BGCMC helps youth build the skills and confidence needed for life after high school. Whether pursuing higher education, entering the workforce, or exploring skilled trades, members are equipped with clear pathways to success through innovative, real-world workforce experiences. As the organization continues to grow and expand its reach, BGCMC is increasing access and opportunity for youth across Martin County and beyond.

About SafeSpace

SafeSpace is the Treasure Coast’s only state-certified domestic violence center, providing support, resources, and advocacy to survivors and their children 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Since its founding, SafeSpace has provided more than 500,000 nights of shelter to over 40,000 survivors and their children, offering safety, stability, and a foundation for moving forward.

Through a comprehensive continuum of care, including emergency shelter, legal advocacy, counseling, financial literacy, prevention education, and specialized children’s services, SafeSpace works alongside survivors as they rebuild their lives with confidence and independence. By combining immediate support with long-term resources, SafeSpace is not only responding to crisis but also helping to break the cycle of domestic violence and foster safer, more resilient communities across the Treasure Coast.

Prior to the inception of Brightline, I, like many others, protested the operation. That fight was lost for Martin County in 2018. The trains were coming through. The choice was for us to derive some sort of benefit or have the trains continue to barrel uninterrupted through Martin County with nothing for Martin County residents.

The BOCC sensibly said to the rail company, “Let’s Make a Deal.” A deal was struck, and it is basically the one that exists between the parties today. Perhaps if we hadn’t fought them in the courts for years, we could have had a better one. Quite simply, Martin County lost all court challenges each and every time. The question was how do we get something out of Brightline?

In the original 2018 settlement, Martin County agreed to spend no more than $15 million dollars of county money on construction of a station. Almost a decade later, that amount is still the maximum local dollars to be spent. That money will come from local transportation funds that can only be spent on transportation. There is no ad valorum (real estate taxes) included in the amount.

Like everything else in the past decade, costs have soared. That is why the federal grants being requested will be needed for the project to be completed. The grants that were applied for are coming from the Federal Railroad Administration. The money was allocated in the federal budget for these types of projects. Either Martin County will receive the grant, or it will go to another rail project, probably in another state. Good paying jobs that would have been here will be somewhere else.

The majority of the funds will be used for safety improvements along the tracks. Opponents are saying their hatred of Brightline is worth denying new fencing, crossing upgrades, and infrastructure improvements. All things that will make Martin County residents safer.

At present there is a mandatory obligation to have two grant cycles, but that goes away in 2027. It doesn’t mean that the parties can’t agree to continue, but either one can say time to move on.

As to what entity would own the Stuart Station, it is simple. The grant states that Martin County will own it and Brightline will lease it on a long-term basis including the parking lot. It is simply wrong to say otherwise. There is no battle brewing. I spoke with executives who assured me of this.

Martin County’s visitors come from Miami, Broward, and Orlando. That is a significant number of cars on local roads. If some subset of those come by rail, we will have less congestion, not more. Our local businesses, shops and restaurants would have more customers.

Our own residents will have the option of visiting Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or Orlando without the need to use the highways. I have used Brightline several times, and there is no easier way to go south than the train. If we are going to have trains travelling on FECC tracks, I want to have a benefit. A station definitely provides us with that option.  

The title has nothing to do with President Trump. It has everything to do with Mayor Boss Collins who is now completely out of control. Apparently, he no longer secretly controls the city…it is out in the open for all to see.

During Public Comment at the BOCC meeting, he spoke to the commission regarding the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for Fire Rescue between Stuart and Martin County. Without any authorization from his commission, he went on at length about now with Station 3 opened in northern Stuart, the city no longer needs Martin County to answer any calls.

Collins even brought along the medical director for Stuart’s Fire/Rescue Department to speak about maternity calls. Of course, the director does not work for Collins. In fact, no one at Fire Rescue works for Collins. Yet he has managed to hire new employees and order around the current fire chief about how to do his job.

When Martin County Fire Chief Chad Cianciulli made his presentation to the BOCC, it covered two areas. The first was about where to take women in labor. In the past several months, Stuart Fire Rescue brought the women to the emergency department of Cleveland Clinic North in two cases. When they were told to transport the women to Tradition which has an obstetric department, they refused.

In the other two cases, the women walked into the emergency department themselves already in labor. Stuart Fire Rescue was called to take them to Tradition and again they refused. In all four cases, Martin Fire Rescue was then called, and they took them to Tradition.

When Cleveland Clinic closed their obstetric department in Stuart last year, the Stuart Commission in an open meeting was told by the then director that they could and would deliver babies at the hospital. While there would not be a department, the births could certainly happen if needed at the hospital. The real question is should our rescues (ambulances) be used to transport people to where there is an obstetrics department or just to the nearest emergency room?

Is Martin County, which has many more rescues than Stuart, using this issue to be the good guys while the city looks to be the ones refusing the best level of care? The turf war has erupted. It is unfortunate.

Driving to Tradition or even HCA in Port St. Lucie, which is 7 miles from Cleveland Clinic North will end up taking a rescue out of service for a couple of hours. If the birth happens in the rescue, is it as safe as the emergency room if there are any complications?

Cianciulli is masterful and can run rings around Collins. The county’s medical director also spoke as did Cleveland Clinic’s emergency person. Both said of course the emergency doctors could deliver a baby but what about the need for a NICU or a mother with complications?

Cleveland Clinic presented something that was patently false last year. They wanted to be seen in the best light, and a year later what they said was never true. Now the government is left to clean up the problem.

At the same time, both departments transport stroke victims and burn victims outside the county all the time to effectively treat them. Collins was so far over his head and understanding that his shtick is becoming worn even before the election for county commissioner. He needs to be the center of attention even when he doesn’t have any idea what he is talking about.

It is time for the ILA to be renegotiated. However, while I believe the level of service offered by both departments is comparable, it no longer is a bargain for Stuart taxpayers to keep their own department. For years, Stuart offered the same level of service for a cheaper price. Now Stuart pays more for the same thing.

That is entirely due to Boss Collins disregarding every rule of the strong manager form of government that Stuart has. For strictly political reasons, he stuck his fingers into Stuart Fire Rescue and has effectively killed it. It now needs to go out of business and be merged with Martin County Fire Rescue.

You can see actual financial examples of why Stuart taxpayers would be better off here

Even at this meeting, Collins wanted the ILA to be negotiated by elected officials instead of professionals. Injecting even more politics and the heavy hand of Boss Collins on the proceedings. The county wanted the fire chiefs, attorneys, financial people, and managers to negotiate. The people that understand the service.

If you want to have the Collins’ Swamp of high costs, corruption, and chaos at the county, then follow his lead and elect him. He can make Martin County the laughingstock of the state as he has Stuart.

You can see Chief Cianciulli presentation here  

At the last Stuart Commission meeting, Mayor Boss Collins, Little Boss Reed, the Ever-Faithful Giobbi, and “She Who Must Be Obeyed” Cartwright took time from the meeting to mention how bad I am.

I am so pleased to be considered their adversary. For me, they are the worst things that have happened to the city in quite some time. Their ignorance, arrogance, and complete lack of empathy for others doom any actions that they take.

To be their avowed enemy is an honor. The more they knock me, the better I know I am doing this job of keeping you informed. And that is the only reason I am doing what I am doing.

Reed, Giobbi, and Cartwright are little people. Obviously, I don’t mean that in a physical sense. In their inability to understand the issues facing Stuart, they should fade from the scene rather quickly historically speaking.

Boss Collins is a different matter. His blind ambition to take over the county and his belief that anything he can do to accomplish that is the will of God lays bare his purported Christianity. Christ was about good works and humility. I don’t know if anyone would say that about Chris.

If you are known for the enemies you have, you are also known for your friends. Commissioner Rich was castigated by the Boss for being my friend. I would consider Campbell my friend even though we only met for the first time when he was last running for commission. I don’t always agree with him, but I know he isn’t a hypocrite.  I could not say it about the others mentioned above.

I would also count Mike Mortell as a friend along with David Dyess and Paul Nicoletti. Those three were good Stuart managers. We may have had disagreements at times, but I would never say they were doing things against the interest of the city.  I also have many Stuart residents as friends. How about you, Chris…can you claim the same? And unlike you, I can’t do anything for them. If you have any Chris, let’s see how many there are when you no longer can do anything for them but shake their hand.

To the four of you I say keep knocking me. Every time you do, I sign up a hundred new readers. Petty people are just that…petty. Boss, when you go on to run for the county, let’s see if you really have the pull you think. I doubt you do.

The entire State of Florida recognizes Stuart for the costly, corrupt, and chaotic place that it has become because of Mayor Boss Collins and the Politburo. Do you think people want to replicate that for Martin County or anywhere else?

A new city manager will be hired by Stuart at the March 23rd Meeting.

I never met him. Did you? No member of the public did. It was all done without any public input.

In the past, the finalists would meet with the public at a get-together such as a town hall or even a little party. We were allowed to ask questions and express our opinions. Mayor Boss Collins was too quick to put his man in place to be bothered with that.

Collins favored expression has become “no committees or public input to slow anything down.” The entire reason that the public should be involved is for community buy-in. Shouldn’t the manager want to meet the citizens? I know I would.

The guy that is taking the job has never been involved in any aspect of our city. We know nothing about him, and he knows nothing about us. Just because someone bought a house in south county a few years ago or has come here on vacation doesn’t mean very much.

Just like Giobbi, Reed, and Collins have never been involved in anything neither has Michaael Giardino, our new city manager. He has never been involved in any Florida municipal government. Being an assistant airport manager at LaGuardia is not the same thing. Working in Florida government is different than any job in any other state.

Public records and Sunshine are key elements to local governments. Collins doesn’t worry about it so why should his man in the corner office. I can’t believe Giardino would knowingly break the law like his boss in the chain of command as Collins believes, but it is easy to do so without any other experience or an understanding of the nuances of Sunshine.

Collins pretends to be many things but what he really is…is a dictator. He tells the Politburo what to do and then he bullies all others. Why is it that we keep having 3-2 decisions? They vote as a block.

Though Giardino was hired that way. Giobbi skillfully was able to vote against her senior colleagues’ pick because Clarke was too afraid to go against the Boss. What savvy manager would take a job with a 3-2 split with an election a couple of months away?

Apparently, Giardino will take his marching orders from Boss Collins. Boss Collins has that old Chain of Command Theory of City Government. If Collins says to fire the police chief, the manager fires the police chief. If Collins wants ten more fire fighters, Giardino will hire them regardless of what he personally thinks. Chain of Command. Collins barks his orders, and it is done.

That is not the way it is supposed to work. Ask any of the past city managers, and they would laugh at that theory. Yet the Boss thinks that is the way it should work.

If an elected official wants to run a city like that, then transparency is his enemy. People aren’t able to know how bad things are at Stuart City Hall. All despotic regimes (and Collins runs a despotic regime) must hide in the dark. That is just how Giardino is coming into this job… with an unknown dark presence.

It is a shame there are such short memories on the Stuart Commission.

Mayor Boss Collins, in his complete hatred of Brightline, is intent on proving that there will be inadequate parking at the proposed station. Once again, he had his poor staff go through machinations to prove that if Brightline rents the “courthouse parking lot,” then the county would still be short 53 spaces as far as the courthouse would be concerned.

The problem with that scenario is that the station as a new entity would need 10 to 12 parking spaces according to code which can easily be incorporated on the site of the station. As for the courthouse lot, it isn’t as though those parking spaces are going away. They are not being assigned to the station either. Martin County is allowing Brightline to operate the existing parking lot. No spaces will be taken away.

There is nothing in Stuart’s code that states that a parking lot cannot be leased to another entity to manage. There is nothing in the code or in the development order with the courthouse that there cannot be a charge for parking. His deranged hatred is making no sense. It hurts the city’s reputation with the rest of the county including Stuart’s own business community.

Brightline when it was first set up as All Aboard Florida was a real estate company. It was trying to make the stations part of “transit-oriented developments” where people would live and work and use the railroad. That emphasis shifted several years ago when Brightline became a transportation company. Their current plan calls for not such a large need for parking.

Here is something else that wasn’t presented at the commission meeting. Gazebo Park is owned by Martin County. The county was going to make a courthouse parking lot there. In 1989, the city was in the midst of revitalizing the downtown area. The last thing the city commission at the time wanted was a parking lot by Confusion Corner.

The city and county came to a deal for the “Cultural Courthouse” and the surrounding area. The county had already removed the wings to the old courthouse thus freeing up vacant land when they built the new courthouse next door.  The city was to maintain the vacant area as a park and to keep the courthouse for a public use. The county retained ownership of everything.

In 2019 a new agreement was signed where the “Cultural Courthouse” reverted to the county and Gazebo Park remained with the city. The 2019 Inter Local Agreement can be cancelled by either party with 30 days’ notice.  If need be, it can become a parking lot quickly. You can see the interlocal agreement here 

Boss Collins decided to send an official letter to the Federal RailroadAdministration, FECC, the state, and others because Collins believes they should be warned about his half-baked threat. I don’t think anyone cares except Collins. If I were FECC, the first thing I would do is send a letter to the city taking back all the parking spaces along the right of way in Downtown which the railroad owns. I believe there are 197 spaces in total. FECC could install parking meters and end up with more money.

Does Collins really think he can bamboozle not only Martin County but an entity like the railroad? The increase in cost to Stuart would be sizable if he plans to go to war. Increased cost, corruption, and chaos are the results of Boss Collins and his Politburo in charge.

Haney Creek Preserve was formed from an amalgamation of county and city land. There was an additional two-acre piece abutting Federal Highway near the large electronic billboard across from the North River Shores entrance. That was supposed to be leased out to some sort of business to pay for the maintenance of the park. It never was.

Since it has never been leased, Collins believes there should be a referendum that it just becomes part of the preserve. In the many years since inception, Stuart has paid for the upkeep of the entire preserve. Is it time to forget the sham about someday finding a tenant and that anything will ever be built there and pay rent?

To proceed with that plan of putting those two acres into the preserve, the county would need to agree, and a referendum would need to be passed by Stuart voters making the change. There was a commission vote of 4-1 with Rich voting no to ask the county to agree and then hold a referendum of Stuart voters.  Once the BOCC approves that the land does not have to be developed, the referendum can move forward.

Michael Giardino, currently the Assistant Manager of New York’s LaGuardia Airport, will be the next city manager of Stuart.

In a unanimous vote for his contract, the commission approved his contract which includes compensation of $195,000 a year plus other perks such as a car allowance, 240 hours (6 weeks) PTO, medical, retirement, and a 10% qualified deferred income account. The salary is lower than the last city manager, Michael Mortell.

There were two contract items that I would not have agreed with. The first was 80 hours of PTO granted before he ever began his employment. That is like he has an extra pay period for not working. The second, which I find very unusual if not troubling, was the commission’s refusal to even second Commissioner Rich’s motion to have severance pay in the amount of 2 weeks only for an introductory period.

The way the approved contract now stands, if he is terminated right now the commission will pay him 20 weeks of severance (5 months). This is for a man who has never worked in municipal government before. In almost any instance, good management of tax dollars would dictate there is a period where that entire amount of severance would not be at risk. Almost $100,000 is not a small amount of money.

Let’s hope that will not happen. Giardino will be learning on the job. Perhaps that is why Collins picked him.

I wish the city manager luck. Changing careers when you are in your sixties is quite unusual. Being a city manager requires more than just administrative skills. It requires knowing the community. Giardino will have a steep learning curve.

I know I will give him the benefit of the doubt at least at first.

You can see his contract here 

Collins has DOGED Stuart so well that they now pay more money for Fire/Rescue than Martin County residents. It is simple numbers and nothing else. I guess arithmetic is not something that the Boss excels at.

In the examples below that I am going to show you I am not accounting for any future increases in anything. It is what you would save today by switching to Martin County Fire Rescue. We can all surmise that salaries, equipment, and even fuel will be higher next year. The charts I am giving you are based on constants known today.

I have taken several tax bills and reduced the Stuart tax rate by the amount that individual taxpayers would pay if they dropped the Stuart millage rate and substituted the County Fire MSTU. In every instance there would be a reduction. In other words, you could reduce the rate and eliminate the fire assessment fee. As you can see, in every instance a taxpayer will pay less for the same quality of service.

This huge increase is a direct result of Boss Collins trying to help his union friends at Stuart Fire/Rescue. Collins has hired so many additional employees that it is more expensive now to continue this path for the city.  For the entire modern history of Stuart, the opposite was true.

Try it with your own tax bill and see how much you will save by eliminating Stuart Fire/Rescue and merging with the county. Unless you have money to burn, I know what I will choose. It is just another example of the increased costs, corruption, and chaos the goes wherever Chris Collins goes. 

Perhaps someone should tell Mayor Boss Collins that I am not running against him in the next election in either the city or the county. He spent a good portion of his comments in the meeting denigrating me. Thin skin, Chris.

Collins has consistently needed someone to blame for his own failures. All you need to do is look at the shape the city is in to know there are deep problems. Smarmy evil is a good way to describe the Boss. Alibi Collins is always looking for scape goats.

Knocking me is not going to cure his problems. But go ahead because when he is knocking me it shows how incompetent he is. I have only the power of words, but words can be potent weapons. The Boss is finding that out.

I must be getting to him because in the past he had the Ever-Faithful Giobbi being his mouthpiece. She tried in her comments at the meeting but what she considered brilliant patter were her spewing unserious statements. How idiotic her little rambles are.

Chris, the voters will decide whether you should hold public office. Neither Facebook nor your minions will have much sway over the voters of Martin County. I would just advise the voters to beware of the serpent with a forked tongue.

It was now down to crunch time with the board having to pick which plan should be selected for the renewal of the health insurance for the employees.

Cigna, the district’s carrier, presented several options from which to choose. For the third time in three months, the Insurance Advisory Committee (I am a member) chose Option A, which was a 10% increase for each of the three plans offered. The Martin County School Board was less than thrilled with what was presented.

Member Moriarity doesn’t like it at all. He was very disappointed in Cigna. The High-Deductible Plan, which is the one with zero premium for the employees, was the only one making a profit while the other two plans were running at a deficit.

Moriarity didn’t think any increase was warranted for that plan. He was anxious to switch to Cigna from Florida Blue last year. He made a motion to buy down the increase which is roughly $363,000 to keep the no premium feature. He suggested using the self-insurance fund.

Li Roberts also wanted to use Option A but wanted Cigna to rebate half the cost of the $363,000 increase. Marsha Powers weighed in asking how Cigna could ask that the teachers pay a 10% increase while their CEO and other executives had their compensation increased by millions of dollars.

Roberts made a motion to have the board pay half the increase and Cigna pay the other half. The other two plans would each have 10% increases in premium.

The Cigna representative who was at the meeting could not agree to that without checking with his superiors. The meeting was adjourned to allow him to check. When they came back, Moriarity made a motion to have the board pay half and Cigna agreed to pay half. It was seconded by Pritchett. It passed 5-0

The other insurance question was to decide at what level to fund the Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Last year each employee received $750. Roberts suggested that it be lowered to $500. If that were the case, the district would have an overall break even with what they were contributing to the high-deductible plan.

Moriarity made a motion to leave it at $750 per employee. It was seconded by Pritchett and passed 4-1 with Roberts voting no.

Roberts is up for reelection this year. While not always agreeing with her, I do think she is the most fiscally conservative board member. Powers would usually agree with Roberts, and I am surprised she did not this time.

I believe Li Roberts consistently puts the taxpayer first. The board feels that the no-premium employee high-deductible plan helps find and retain teachers. Maybe it does. According to the school district, they have not studied whether it has that result.

The taxpayers can’t limitlessly fund benefits. It seems in this case Roberts is the one board member who recognizes that fact.

You can see all the options here 

The Jupiter Island Commission is calmly tightening the noose around what and when construction projects and renovations can be done on a property.

I don’t think the commission is doing anything with malice. They are just making it hard to do any work on a property site because they believe they are following the will of the majority of residents. In the name of peace and tranquility, even work that has been approved may take much longer on the island than the work being done in other parts of Martin County.

For half the year, construction can’t go forward. A job that would take months somewhere else takes years on Jupiter Island. It is like a big homeowners’ association with a million rules.

It is true that Jupiter Island’s construction projects are no DiVosta stick built home. They are luxurious and complicated. They use the best materials and only the most skilled craftsmen. Naturally it will take more time to complete a project. But if you can’t even work for half the year, the home being built will cost substantially more just because of that fact.

I am in favor of the commission setting the LDRs, zoning, and land use. That is the job of a government. However, when is it a good idea to make homeowners jump through many, many hoops to have a project approved and completed?

That excess doesn’t only go toward new building. It also applies to new landscaping and renovations. Deliveries of materials can be a logistical nightmare. Parking for contractors’ trucks often becomes a police matter.

When did it become Okay for commission members to denigrate tradespeople, land use attorneys, and architects? They at times make them out to be barbarians at the Jupiter Island’s gates. Their professions do not equate to being criminals, smugglers, or drug dealers.

This is the government that the people of Jupiter Island wanted. They elected this commission. I would assume that the voters knew what they were getting.

However, Jupiter Island isn’t a gated community. It must follow Florida statutes. That also means the concept of property rights is very important. So, you can bet at some point that more litigation will be on the horizon for the town to defend.

Instead of that, perhaps at the next election more people should run for office. Those who run should make clear what they intend to do if elected. And if the people elect commissioners that are in favor of limiting and making things more difficult for their residents, then the democratic system has worked.

Tom’s Articles

From Medium

"What A War"

Here

From Martin County Moments

"The Boss Believes In Transparency Whenever It Suits Him...Not Much"

Here

Other Articles

The Capitolist: "DeSantis signs bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport After Trump"

Here

Washington Post: "Portland has a wonky secret to building cheaper houses. Other cities are copying."

Here

The New York Times: "In Rural New York Some See Proposed A.I. Center as a Needless Intrusion" 

Here

Route Fifty: "Inside the first 90 days: The state playbook for modern rural health transformation"

Here

TCPalm: "Top polluters doing business in Florida: some received incentives"

Here

The New York Times: "The Single-Family Home Gets Caught in a Political Vice"

Here

Washington Post: "Trump's face on a gold coin? His hand-picked panel will decide."

Here

Washington Post: "Nobody needs over $100,000 per year in Social Security benefits"

Here

The Capitolist: "Report Projects Continued Florida Economic Growth, but at More Moderate Pace"

Here

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