Port St. Lucie could sell and/or lease cityowned land in City Center for $2 million to $4 million for the development of 1,800 apartments and nearly 200,000 square feet of business space, under three disposition scenarios formulated by a financial consultant. The City Council voted unanimously Nov. 27 to pursue a hybrid strategy of selling land for apartment construction and entering long-term ground leases on land for retail and office construction. The hybrid scenario is projected to generate $4.3 million in eight years from the city-owned land in City Center, city records show. “I’m fine with the hybrid scenario,” said Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo. “I want every option to be on the table to look at whatever project that wants to move forward. I understand what the market is VOLUME 8, ISSUE 25 YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023 A9 A14 B8 New apartment complex Huizenga heirs’ 252-unit project Robotic bronchoscopy Detects lung cancer earlier Jolly ‘Sights and Sounds’ Spirited parade in Fort Pierce SHAKEUP AT SHERIFF’S Creatures featured: Painting critters hits home for artist. P. B2 Wilson Grove seeks mixed use on Becker Road, Marshall Pwky. PETS ARTS/PEOPLE GAMES SPORTS A1-A13 A14-A21 B21 A24-A36 B20 B1-B19 B24-B26 B27 © 2023 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. IN THIS ISSUE LOCAL NEWS HEALTH ADVICE REAL ESTATE No manatee deaths reported yet in 2023, reversing trend here The latest plan for the massive Wilson Grove project in southwestern Port St. Lucie calls for the clustering of mixed-use development south of Becker Road and at the intersection of Marshall Parkway and the north-south thoroughfare that will run through the center of the 2,500-acre site. Developer ACR Acquisitions LLC of Palm Beach Gardens proposed increasing mixed-use development to 323 acres along the south side of Becker Road between Rangeline Road and the North/ South B thoroughfare. The parent company of Akel Homes also proposed increasing mixed-use development to 243 acres on the North/South A thoroughfare between Hegener Drive and Marshall Parkway. MAJOR COLD/DRY STORAGE FACILITY GETS COUNCIL’S OK BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] CONTINUED ON PAGE A6 CONTINUED ON PAGE A6 No manatee deaths were reported in St. Lucie County during the first nine months of 2023, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission preliminary mortality reports. “So far in 2023, we have not had a single confirmed carcass in St. CONTINUED ON PAGE A3 BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] The Riverland developer plans to build a commercial center featuring a Publix Supermarket, restaurants and shops on Community Boulevard, between Marshall Parkway and Sea Jewel Boulevard in southwestern Port St. Lucie. Story, Page A8. PUBLIX, EATERIES, SHOPS COMING TO RIVERLAND City Center land sales, leases could make up to $4M CONTINUED ON PAGE A10 A major site plan for a 1.87 million-square-foot cold and dry storage facility in Legacy Park in southwestern Port St. Lucie received approval Monday with a unanimous vote by the City Council. The Legacy Park North DistriPHOTO: LINDA KLOORFAIN Gov. Ron DeSantis promoted St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Lt. Keith Pearson to replace outgoing longtime Sheriff Ken Mascara effective Dec. 1. DeSantis appointed Pearson as Sheriff of St. Lucie County to ensure law enforcement operations continue without delay, according to a Dec. 1 statement issued by the Governor’s Press Office. Mascara, a Democrat who was first elected in the November 2000 elections, announced his retirement on Dec. 1, citing health issues. “It’s no secret I’ve been dealing with some health issues this past year,” Mascara BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent CONTINUED ON PAGE A4 Mascara retires after long tenure; Pearson gets post BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] Mascara. BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected]
Lucie County,” said FWC Marine Mammal Biologist Alexa Herrendorf. Fort Pierce’s Manatee Observation and Education Center recorded a population count of 252 manatees in St. Lucie County between January and August 2023: a promising figure that shows the county’s manatee population growth over the past few years. The Manatee Center previously recorded population counts of 197 in 2021 and 205 in 2022. “Numbers seem to be on the rise,” said Elyse Geraghty, volunteer education coordinator at the Manatee Center. “St. Lucie typically has lower [mortality rates] in comparison to almost all the other counties the Southeast Field Station covers, except Okeechobee,” Herrendorf said. The coverage area includes Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The absence of manatee deaths marked a change from a recent upward trend of manatee deaths in St. Lucie County, where the FWC logged 18 carcasses found in 2022, 16 in 2021 and 15 in 2020. The FWC’s records show two manatees have been found dead so far this year in neighboring Martin County waters, one in the Indian River, the other in the St. Lucie River. Martin County logged five manatee deaths in total this year after logging 14 deaths in 2022 and seeing a spike to 41 deaths in 2021. The 2023 population count conducted by the Manatee Center shows the manatee population could be rebounding after algal tide blooms in the Indian River Lagoon led to seagrass shortages and rampant starvation in December 2020’s Atlantic Unusual Mortality Event. “The number of manatee deaths from starvation has gone down significantly this year,” said Martine DeWit, a veterinarian with FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “One of the main reasons for this is some recovery of seagrass in parts of the Indian River Lagoon, a trend that started last summer.” Brett Fitzgerald of the Angler Action Foundation (AAF) posted a Nov. 2 update on the group’s website discussing seagrass restoration efforts in the St. Lucie Inlet and Indian River Lagoon. Fitzgerald reported that the foundation funded efforts by the Winter Garden-based Sea & Shoreline, LLC. to plant 20 acres of seagrass in the Lagoon as “‘Phase 1’ of a larger scope [operation]” in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Sea & Shoreline Biologist Jessica Mailliez conferred with Fitzgerald on their planting seagrass strains in Tucker Cove near Fort Pierce Inlet State Park that were grown at the company’s nursery in Ruskin. “The shallower banks were selected as the initial 20 acres for planting for just this possible scenario, but it was still a surprise,” Mailliez said. “Being so close to the inlet, I personally expected excellent water clarity. But the outgoing water has been cleaner than the incoming water lately. Thankfully, it shouldn’t have too much of an impact on the long-term success.” The FWC observes Manatee Awareness Month in November to remind boaters to steer clear of areas in local waterways where manatees congregate. St. Lucie County is omitted from entry in the FWC’s Preliminary Rescue Statistics for 2023 due to having no rescues made. The FWC recorded three manatee rescues in St. Lucie in 2022: one in a “Watercraft”-related incident, the other two from “entrapment” in man-made structures such as nets and canal locks. Three more rescues were recorded in the county throughout 2021: one labeled under watercraft, one for a calf belonging to a resTo Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS December 7, 2023 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE A4 Volunteers at the Manatee Center interact with a manatee being measured in March. PHOTO COURTESY OF MANATEE CENTER CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 NO MANATEE DEATHS
4 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com President and Publisher Milton R. Benjamin, 772.559.4187 [email protected] Creaave Director Dan Alexander, 772.539.2700 [email protected] Corporate Editor Corpo Steven M. Thomas, 772.453.1196 [email protected] Adverrsing Lisa Crawford, 516.721.0848 [email protected] Chris McIntosh, 772.485.4000 [email protected] Managing Editor Paul Keaney, 617.593.6320 [email protected] City Editor George Andreassi, 772.577.9953 [email protected] Columnist Columni : Shelley Koppel We are here to provide readers with the most comprehensive and objeccve news coverage of rapidly growing St.Lucie County. You will also find fun and entertaining features about the communiies in which you live. For our adver F rsing partners, we pledge to provide the most complete consultaave and markeeng programs possible for the best return on your investment. VERO BEACH 32963 MEDIA LLC cued mother, and another calf on its own. 2021 marked a significant decrease from 2020’s seven recorded rescues, most of which are attributed to encounters with watercraft and man-made structures. St. Lucie County’s heat wave did not account for any danger to manatee welfare, even as the National Weather Service recorded heat indices there reaching 108 degrees. FWC Communications Director Jonny Veach reported that “no recorded rescues [were made] due to hyperthermia (heat stress) throughout the heat wave.” “Manatees are subtropical, so they do much better with hot temperatures than with cold,” DeWit said. “We do not know how hot is ‘too hot,’ but we have documented a few mortalities in the past where death was probably due to hyperthermia. “In these instances, manatees are [beached] after high water recedes, and hyperthermia can develop after they get exposed to direct sun for prolonged periods of time. It is not possible to determine such cause through necropsy alone,” DeWit said. Of St. Lucie County’s 18 manatee deaths in 2022, 10 are listed as “verified; not necropsied” while three are listed under “undetermined, too decomposed” to warrant a necropsy, FWC records show. Many of these deaths did not have a necropsy performed due to carcasses being “too decomposed, usually with heavy scavenging. At that point we can’t get pertinent data nor typically determine a cause of death,” per Herrendorf. “We still tried to have a biologist, law enforcement, or an intern/trained volunteer physically respond to each one for ‘external work-up’ which may include length, gender, PIT tag scan and genetic samples,” Herrendorf said. Herrendorf defined a PIT tag – or Passive Integrated Transponder – as “a microchip which indicates the manatee was a previous rescue. Circumstantial evidence is needed in such cases,” DeWit said. “For example, a carcass beached in the mud with its dorsum (front) up and mud prints to suggest that the manatee was previously alive in that position. “One can assume heat stress has the same physiology as in other mammals,” DeWit said. “In managed care, manatees have been reported to have less of an appetite when pool temperatures are high.” Geraghty ended her remarks with comments on the Manatee Center’s continued mission as Manatee Awareness Month ended. Geraghty said the county’s manatee population is “most likely higher considering we are only able to record numbers on the days when we are open, primarily Tuesday through Saturday, and we are closed for one month in the summer.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE A3 NO MANATEE DEATHS said in a letter published on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. “In fact, I am currently out of state seeking treatment. “With a rapidly developing scenario of medical procedures on the horizon and with a heavy heart, I contacted our Governor and explained my dilemma.” Mascara said. “Gov. DeSantis gave me all the time I needed to explain my concerns, and he was nothing but supportive. “Governor DeSantis and his Cabinet members concluded St. Lucie County’s next Sheriff is Keith Pearson, a decision I wholeheartedly support,” Mascara said. Mascara had previously announced he did not intend to seek a sixth four-year term in the 2024 elections. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s job pays $211,732 during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, state records show. The sheriff oversees an office with 664 employees and a budget of $101.6 million for 2023-2024, St. Lucie County records show. Pearson has more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, the statement said. He earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Indian River State College. Among Pearson’s public achievements are the U.S. Department of Justice Distinguished Service Medal and U.S. Southern District Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. Mascara, who had previously worked as a chiropractor and Sheriff’s deputy, expressed gratitude to the Sheriff’s Office employees and the community for supporting him. “In 23 years, I’ve seen the best of humanity and the worst of humanity,” Mascara said. “Many times I would think to myself how could someone do that to another human being. The world is tough enough. Be kind to each other and watch out for each other.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 SHERIFF SHAKEUP New Sheriff Keith Pearson. PHOTO COURTESY OF SLCSO FACEBOOK PAGE
6 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 CITY CENTER DISPOSITION calling for today, but I always want to be conscious of the fact that we’ve got one chance to make this right. We can make a tremendous impact on the east side of the city. “I want to as a team be very selective over what we put on this site and make sure that it’s right and I’m not in a rush,” Caraballo said. “I’m not in a rush to sell it off, I’m not in a rush to just put a ton of housing out there.” Port St. Lucie owns 40 acres in City Center, including 21 acres obtained in 2022 from a federal receiver who had held the land since 2015 when it was seized as part of an international securities fraud case. Selling the 21 acres would generate $2.25 million within a year, city records show. Negotiating ground leases on the city owned land would generate $3 million in 12 years. “One element of the sale is you could generate dollars up front,” Kevin Plenzler, of PFM financial consultants, told the City Council. “We estimate just over $2 million, which seems to be a little underwhelming. “That’s really just a function of assessment debt that’s carried and becomes the responsibility of the property owner,” Plenzler said. “There is going to be a fair amount of exposure going forward before you can The developer proposed increasing the Becker Road and North/South A mixeduse development areas by 107 acres each and eliminating 214 acres of mixed-use development on the North/South A thoroughfare between Becker Road and Hegener Drive. The Port St. Lucie City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a future land use amendment that would shift the mixed-use development in Wilson Grove. The council also approved a preliminary site plan for the project. An early proposal to cluster the bulk of Wilson Grove’s mixed-use development south of Becker Road was rejected by the City Council on Aug. 7 because of concerns about creating traffic congestion on Becker Road. But several council members said the new Wilson Grove plan addressed their concerns about traffic congestion on Becker Road. “I will support this moving forward,” said Mayor Shannon Martin. “I do thank the applicant for the changes that were made. “I have stated many times about the importance of the two-lane roadway network,” Martin said. “As long as I am here, I am going to do everything I can to make sure the roadway network gets built out by every developer.” The issue seemed to be resolved when a lawyer representing ACR Acquisitions, Tara Duhy of Lewis, Longman, Walker, P.A., said the developer will build a twolane road network throughout its 2,500- acre site. “We are committed to building the roadway network in our project, yes,” Duhy said in response to questions by council members. “It would make no sense for us not to have connectivity for the residents in our development.” The response covered an issue raised by Azlina Goldstein, a vice president with GL Homes, the developer of the neighboring Riverland project. “We want them to develop, we want the area to succeed, but we want to make sure the benefit of the city and welfare of the residents in that area are protected,” Goldstein said during the Nov. 28 city Planning and Zoning Board meeting. The Wilson Grove development order calls for a total of 7,700 residences, 765,000 square feet of retail space, 1.6 million square feet of office space and 1.4 million square feet of industrial space on a 2,500-acre tract bounded by the C-23 Canal, Rangeline Road, the East/West 3 thoroughfare and the North/South B thoroughfare. Daniel Sorrow, a land planner representing the developer, said the reconfiguration of the proposed mixed-use development was done in consultation with the City Council and city planners. “The arrangement of these land uses closely reflects what the City Council and what your staff has been asking us and directly us to do,” Sorrow said. “This was a comment by the City Council. They wanted to see redistributed mixed use areas along all of the corridors,” Sorrow said. “We’ve redistributed it north of Hegener Drive and south of Becker Road, so it’s an even swap. “There is no net change, no net increase in mixed-use area; 566 acres are on the current plan, 566 acres are on the proposed plan.” The Wilson Grove and Riverland developers agreed to pay the city government nearly $50 million to complete the construction of Becker Road from Community Boulevard to Rangeline Road. The City Council approved the deal on Sept. 12, 2022. Riverland developer GL Homes is building 11,700 residences and nearly 900,000-square-feet of retail space on a 3,845-acre tract south of Discovery Way, west of Community Boulevard, east of Rangeline Road and north and west of Wilson Grove. CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 WILSON GROVE PLAN
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS December 7, 2023 7 generate a fair amount of revenue.” There is a total of $1.87 million per year in special assessments on the city-owned land in City Center, city records show. There is $22.5 million remaining in debt for the City Center infrastructure that will be paid off in 2035. PFM’s proposed development program called for the construction of 1,800 apartments, 100,000 square feet of retail space, 95,000 square feet of office space, 250 hotel rooms and two parking garages by 2037. Construction on the first phase would begin in 2024 and start with 300 apartment units, 20,000 square feet of retail space and 5,000 square feet of office space. PFM also recommended spending $6 million to $13.5 million on improvements to the City Center infrastructure, including $4 million to $8 million for an amphitheater, and $1 million to $4 million for the Village Square Drive Flexible Street. The city plans to demolish the Beall’s store and another vacant store in January, said Jennifer Davis, the Community Redevelopment Agency director.
8 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN RIVERLAND GETS COUNCIL NOD The Riverland developer plans to build a commercial center featuring a Publix Supermarket, restaurants and shops on Community Boulevard, between Marshall Parkway and Sea Jewel Boulevard in southwestern Port St. Lucie. Riverland Commercial Associates I LLC, of Sunrise, proposed building the Riverland Center on a 26.21-acre site south of Valencia Walk and west of Heron Preserve by Pulte Homes. The Port St. Lucie City Council voted unanimously Nov. 27 to approve the major site plan for the 61,068-square-foot project. Ultimately, the developer anticipates building up to 130,000 square feet of commercial space and as many as 261 residences on the southwest corner of Community Boulevard and Marshall Parkway. Renderings of the buildings include a 25,000-squarefoot Publix Supermarket with a pharmacy drive through and a liquor store, city records show. Other businesses identified in renderings include Chop’t salad restaurant, akitu Sushi restaurant, Tea House and Tom Reid’s Book Store. The Riverland Center is expected to attract 652 evening rush hour motor vehicle trips. The 26.21-acre site is part of a 35.12- acre parcel owned by Riverland-Kennedy II LLC that has a market value of $4,187,400, according to St. Lucie County Property Appraiser records. Riverland-Kennedy II and Riverland Commercial Associates I are subsidiaries of GL Homes. The city Building Department has issued a total of 2,667 building permits for the four subdivisions in Riverland: Valencia Cay, Valencia Walk, Valencia Parc and Valencia Grove. New home prices start at $400,000- plus, according to the developer’s website. The overall development plans for Riverland call for 11,700 residences and 892,668 square feet of commercial space and 327,327 square feet of institutional and civic space on a 3,845-acre tract east of Rangeline Road and south of Discovery Way. Riverland features a 24-acre Sports and Racquet Club with a 51,000-squarefoot Wellness and Fitness Center and a 5-acre Arts & Culture Center with a 11,550-square-foot Creativity Hub, according to the developer’s website. Riverland also boasts a network of golf cart paths and bicycle and pedestrian paths that allows residents to travel throughout the development without crossing thoroughfares. BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] PHOTO: LINDA KLOORFAIN
Huizenga heirs plan 252-unit apartment complex on Becker Road near Turnpike DDS4Vets.org for the support of our amazing veterans. Their support and contributions have made it possible to provide counseling, financial assistance and to give fully working service dogs to our veterans who were injured serving our country, fighting for our Freedom. To all the active military and retired veterans, thank you for your service. May we all remember those who will not be home this Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanking the Treasure Coast To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS December 7, 2023 9 A development company owned by the family of the late former Dolphins and Marlins owner H. Wayne Huizenga wants to build an apartment complex near Becker Road and Florida’s Turnpike in southern Port St. Lucie. VF II LLC of West Palm Beach, a subsidiary of Huizenga Holdings Inc., plans to build the 252-unit apartment complex on a 12.4-acre parcel bounded by the C-23 Canal, the Veranda Place right-of-way and 25.25 acres where Florida Coast Medical and Surgical Center Inc., of Dallas, plans to build a 54-bed hospital. The Port St. Lucie City Council voted unanimously Nov. 27 to approve a major site plan for the Arcadia at Veranda Falls apartment complex. The project will consist of four 4-story buildings with 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments, city records show. The buildings will be 48 feet tall. It includes recreation and amenity areas, including a 2,800-square-foot clubhouse, 1,380-square-foot fitness center, a community swimming pool and dog park. The apartment complex will add 98 evening rush hour motor vehicle trips to the local road network, city records show. The trips have already been factored into the Veranda Planned Unit Development. The 12.4-acre site has a market value of $2,657,900, according to St. Lucie County Property Appraiser records. – GEORGE ANDREASSI
bution Center, also known as Project Everest, will be built on a 192-5-acre tract on Village Parkway between Marshall Parkway and Hegener Drive. The City Council also voted unanimously Monday to approve a final subdivision plat for a 378.65-acre tract on the north side of Legacy Park that includes the 192.5-acre Project Everest site. Project Everest is north of a 53.66-acre site where Cheney Brothers Inc. built a 367,427-square-foot distribution facility and a 52-acre site where Amazon built a 220,000-square-foot delivery station. The identity of the developer is being kept confidential by Port St. Lucie officials because it involves an economic development project. Sansone Group of St. Louis plans to build approximately 5 million square feet of industrial space on 400 acres west of Interstate 95, north of Becker Road, east of Village Parkway and south of Marshall Parkway. The project is called Legacy Park. The plans for Project Everest call for 204,000 square feet of cold storage (Cold Depot) attached to 391,000 square feet for dry storage (Dry Depot), city records show. Project Everest plans also call for a standalone 1 million-square-foot Dry Goods Distribution Center. There will also be two future expansion areas consisting of 60,000 square feet for cold storage and 147,000 square feet for dry storage, city records show. The project will be served by the extension of Anthony F. Sansone Sr. Boulevard from Hegener Drive north to Marshall Parkway. The plans for Project Everest replace earlier plans for economic development projects dubbed Project Green and Project Apron, said Brigid Kean, a senior planner with the city. The plans called for the development of twin 1.24-million-square-foot warehouses on a pair of 61-acre-plus parcels in Legacy Park North. Port St. Lucie has started discussions with the Florida Department of Transportation about developing an interchange on I-95 between Becker Road and Tradition Parkway to serve the industrial development in Tradition Commerce Center, said Deputy City Manager Teresa Lamar-Sarno. The city obtained 1,200 acres in the commerce center in June 2018 from Tradition Land Company Ltd., which bailed out on $5 million in annual property taxes and special assessments. The city has been marketing and selling land in the commerce center ever since, with Sansone Group purchasing options on 400 acres on the south side and completing several industrial projects. 10 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com 510 NW University Blvd., Suite 106, Port St. Lucie 34986 772.281.2650 www.TraditionElectricInc.com Licensed & Insured lic# EC13003314 “High Quality & Prompt Service is our Tradition” • SERVICE UPGRADES • NEW OUTLETS & CIRCUITS • ANNUAL HOME ELECTRICAL CHECKUP • CEILING FANS/LIGHT FIXTURES • GENERATOR/HOME SURGE PROTECTION • LANDSCAPE LIGHTING • RENOVATIONS Family Owned & Operated Residential / Commercial / Service FREE ESTIMATES $50 OFF WHOLE HOME SURGE SUPRESSOR Must present coupon when scheduling for discount. Exp. 1/4/24 NEED A RELIABLE ELECTRICIAN? CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 ‘PROJECT EVEREST’ COVID-19 caused the death of three people in St. Lucie County during the last two weeks, bringing the pandemic-related death toll to 1,515 since March 2020, according to a Florida Department of Health database. The virus caused the death of two county residents during the week of Nov. 24 and one during the week of Nov. 17, the state Health Department COVID-19 database shows. COVID-19 caused the death of 131 county residents so far in 2023, the database shows. A total of 80 county residents were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week of Nov. 24 and 59 during the week of Nov. 17. That brought the total case count to 7,914 for 2023 and 100,946 since March 2020. Just 17 county residents received COVID-19 vaccinations during the week of Nov. 24, a precipitous decline compared to the week of Nov. 17 when 684 residents were vaccinated. A total of 24,260 county residents have received COVID-19 vaccinations in 2023, the database shows. Altogether, 314,767 county residents have been vaccinated. – GEORGE ANDREASSI COVID caused 3 deaths in county in late November
CONTINUED ON PAGE A12 To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS December 7, 2023 11 ‘ABOVE NORMAL’ STORM ACTIVITY PREDICTED HERE TILL APRIL The rains drenching Fort Pierce the week of Nov. 12-18 were symptomatic of an unusually high pattern of storm activity for St. Lucie County’s “dry season.” The National Weather Service’s Melbourne office recorded an average of 7.35 inches of rainfall in the northernmost parts of the county the week of Nov. 12-18. The NWS is predicting “well above normal” storminess levels in its current Dry Season Outlook from now until April. A total of 6.70 inches of rain fell in the 48 hours spanning Nov. 16-18 when the NWS issued an Areal Flood Watch for St. Lucie County. The watch was effective Nov. 16 from 2:42 p.m. to Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. The heaviest rain that week in Fort Pierce fell in the early morning of Nov. 17. Communities throughout northern Fort Pierce received anywhere between 6 to 8 inches. Two offshore buoys near Hutchinson Island also recorded wind gusts reaching 51 mph early on Nov. 16. County Spokesman Erick Gill reported that Fort Pierce’s Fairwinds Golf Course took on “more than 8 inches” that forced its closure for the day on Nov. 17 “due to the soggy conditions.” Although no road closures were reported in the region, the Holiday Pines and Lakewood Park communities took on water levels that required Fort Pierce workers to open nearby drainage canals. “Higher amounts of rainfall may have been observed in other areas of the county,” Gill said. “The water level is receding, and we thankfully are going to be in a drier weather pattern so we should see things go back to normal as the day goes on. “Staff has coordinated with Fort Pierce Farms Water District, which has opened another gate at the spillway into Taylor Creek,” Gill said. “The system simply was overwhelmed by the amount of rain and the intensity of last night’s storms.” Communities in the central part of the county, including White City, took on 4 to 5 inches of water that poured into the St. Lucie River’s North Fork. “Some of the neighborhoods in the White City area are prone to flooding,” Gill said on Nov. 16. “However, the county has been focused on adding additional stormwater treatment areas to direct water out of swales to reduce flooding and improve water quality around the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. “All pumps that should be running are running. All the infrastructure is running as it’s supposed to,” Gill said. Will Ulrich, the Melbourne NWS’ Warning Coordination Meteorologist, spoke with St. Lucie Voice on Nov. 16 and again on Nov. 29 about the storm trends experienced from adverse weather the week before Thanksgiving. “The idea that this upcoming winter/ spring season is going to be stormy appears to be taking shape,” Ulrich said. “The system that we saw in mid-November is one of, what will likely be several [bringing] heavy rainfall between now and April.” Ulrich said the county incurred 1.64 inches of rainfall between Nov. 12 and Nov. 15 as two storm systems passed over Central Florida before the watch was issued. “It is a trend that we saw with this particular event, and we continue to see some of the heaviest rainfall across South Florida,” Ulrich said. “That extended into portions of the Treasure Coast, but those amounts BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent White City and communities on the St. Lucie River’s North Fork took on over 4 inches of rain the morning of Nov. 17. PHOTOS: CHARLES CALIOA
were considerably less than what Fort Lauderdale and Miami experienced.” The storms over St. Lucie County before Nov. 17 were miniscule compared to those that hit the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area, which took on over 15 inches of rain between Nov. 15 and Nov. 16. The bulk of St. Lucie County’s rainfall before Friday morning fell the night of Nov. 15 when the Fort Pierce International Airport NWS station recorded 0.43 inches of rain before the watch’s issuance. Ulrich said that the storm system’s center that drenched Miami-Dade and Broward Counties passed about “100 miles south” of St. Lucie. “That’s what led to some of the heavy rainfall across some of the communities,” Ulrich said. “The rainfall totals we have received are too low to induce flooding in [Treasure Coast] communities,” Ulrich said. “We have been relatively dry over the past 30 to 45 days. The ground was able to absorb that rainfall that’s occurred [then]. It hadn’t been particularly heavy, either. “The system itself crossed South Florida with an area of low pressure that developed in the Gulf of Mexico, across the Keys and moved offshore into the Florida Straits. Its impacts extend well away from the center of the system,” Ulrich said. The NWS gave a range of predictions in their 2023-24 Dry Season Outlook release from Oct. 16. The outlook called for precipitation levels at “a probable range [of] 10- to-50 percent above normal” and “below normal” drought/wildfire risks in addition to their storminess predictions. The forecast placed an El Niño Advisory in effect for Central Florida as more storm systems are predicted to develop across the Gulf Stream. “The probability of seeing those bigger rainfall events does increase during El Niño winters,” Ulrich said. The release said these developments “will lower the potential for drought development and wildfire activity this winter and spring [while] it will increase the threat of heavy rain and river flooding.” Ulrich said St. Lucie County experienced a “relatively normal” wet season from May through October despite record-breaking heat indices reaching 108 degrees. St. Lucie County received 20 to 45 inches of rain across the six-month period. “[Heat] is an important topic,” Ulrich said. “Our ocean temperatures were unusually warmer and that contributed to higher heat index values and additional moisture in the atmosphere that made it feel more humid. “This year, they approached the low-tomid 90s,” Ulrich said. The Nov. 16 Areal Flood Watch warned of “widespread rainfall of 2-to-4 inches with locally higher amounts of 6 inches or greater [in] Indian River, Martin, Saint Lucie, Brevard and coastal Volusia Counties.” The flood watch was issued about an hour after the county received a Wind Advisory “with gusts up to 40 mph expected” from 12:53 p.m. to Nov. 17 at 4 a.m. 12 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE A11 STORM ACTIVITY A proposal to rezone a 391.26-acre tract near the Orange Avenue Interchange on Interstate 95 for a 1,713-unit residential project received a recommendation for approval in a rare split vote by the St. Lucie County Planning and Zoning Commission. The Planning and Zoning commissioners voted 5-2 on Nov. 16 to recommend county commissioners approve a Boca Raton developer’s proposal to rezone the Eagle Bend property for Planned Unit Development. County commissioners have final say on the rezoning to PUD from agricultural and residential uses. The project will also need site plan approval and plat approval from the county commissioners. County commissioners set a Jan. 9 public hearing date for a proposal by Whale Properties LLC, of Palm Beach Gardens to establish the Eagle Bend Community Redevelopment District to finance $33 million worth of infrastructure improvements. That includes $8 million for roads and paving, $9.5 million for water and sewer utilities, $2 million for earth work and $1.5 million each for drainage and landscaping, county records show. Construction on the infrastructure is expected to start in February 2024 and be completed by December 2028. Whale Properties plans to build 955 single-family houses, 404 townhouses and 354 apartment units on the vacant tract south of Angle Road, east of W. Johnson Pierce Road and west of Westwood Academy High School. The development site is bisected by a section of the Jenkins Road Extension, a north-south thoroughfare under development by St. Lucie County. “While, when you drive there or fly over it in an airplane, it looks like it has rural character, there is a ton of development either approved or proposed in this general area,” said Brad Currie, a land planner representing the developer. That includes the Drawdy Angle Road PUD, which envisions 405 single-family houses, county records show. Other major projects include the 1.3 million-squarefoot South Florida Logistics Center, the 658,000-square-foot Kings Highway Warehouse and the 374,000-square-foot Orange 95 Commerce Center. “One of the things I think is exciting about this project is that we’ve been working on the Jenkins Road Area Plan for many years, since 2007,” Currie said. “We’re starting to see that come to reality and I think that’s exciting. “The roads are important because this development connects all the roads in the area, which I think is very important,” Currie said. “This development is going to build two major roads. “Jenkins Road from Angle (Road) all the way down to where Jenkins is going to be improved south of us,” Currie said. “The other roadway that this project is going to build is Road G from the easternmost to western most extent. “This is the heart of the Jenkins Road Area Plan,” Currie said. “Once everything is said and done, we’re starting this development and this roadway network, all the roads will be built in the Jenkins Road Overlay. I think that’s pretty impressive.” A neighboring homeowner on Floyd Johnson Road, Dennis Fesperman, objected to the idea of building 1,713 residences in what has long been an agricultural area. “That seems like a lot of people in my backyard,” Fesperman said. “I just don’t like it. I bought out there to be out in the country. “The reason I bought it was because it was zoned Ag,” Fesperman said about his 2.81-acre homestead. “It was cows and green grass and everything all around really nice. “We’re getting surrounded by this,” Fesperman said. “On the south side an industrial park is going in and to the west is going to be another industrial park.” One of the planning board members who dissented on the vote to recommend approval, Ryan Binner, questioned a proposal by the developer for 40-acre lots with 5-foot setbacks for some single-family houses. “We just gave pushback to the building (proposal) to the west because of 5-foot setbacks on the sides and 40-foot lots,” Binner said. “That at least had a maximum unit count of how many 40-foot lots. “We’re about to vote on one that’s got 5-foot side setbacks, 40-foot lots and there’s no cap on how many 40-foot lots are in there,” Binner said. “We have 5-foot side setbacks and possibly unlimited 40-foot lots, which we hated on the last one, a quarter of a mile away.” Divided St. Lucie planning panel greenlights Eagle Bend project rezoning BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected]
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS December 7, 2023 13 772-579-8548 SPECIALIZING IN: Neck, Shoulder, Back Pain and More. LET ME KEEP YOUR BODY MOVING AT IT’S BEST WITHOUT PAIN OR RESTRICTIONS! THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE BY STEFANIE GAMBINO Located inside Balance Beauty and Wellness Center www.MassageByStef.com 525 NW Lake Whitney Place, Suite 203, PSL MA#42795 MM#43262 At Tradition Hospital, a healthy dose of growth in first decade Like everything else in St. Lucie County, Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital looks different than it did 10 years ago. In 2013, the population of the county was 418,000; by 2023 it had grown to 556,000 – with a huge percentage of that in the western areas of the county where Tradition is located. Since opening its doors on Dec. 18, 2013, the Tradition hospital has been part of Martin Health, a three-hospital system that also includes Martin North and Martin South (both located in Stuart). Cleveland Clinic Martin Health (CCMH) has added and expanded 13 specialties, including those in Cardiology, Oncology, Obstetrics, Orthopedics, Neurology and Colorectal Surgery to the hospital’s services since just 2021. Tradition Hospital itself now offers innovative technologies and procedures that include robotic lung biopsy removal, robotic total joint replacement, sleep apnea treatment, defibrillator removal, and retinal screenings for newborns. “Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital is touching more lives today than ever and our commitment is unwavering – delivering not just care, but a symphony of compassion, expertise, and dedication to ensure every patient experiences the pinnacle of quality and comfort,” said Interim VP and Chief Medical Officer Bernardo Obeso, M.D. “Our dedicated caregivers, deeply rooted in this community, not only work here but also call it home, fostering a profound connection as they tirelessly provide compassionate care to enhance the well-being of our neighbors. We are committed to transforming health care in our community and are proud to bring advanced care and innovative solutions to our own backyard, right here in Port St. Lucie.” A significant milestone was achieved in June when the hospital received certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by DNV GL Healthcare, which certifies healthcare programs for meeting or exceeding standards of clinical readiness and patient safety. Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital is the first to receive that designation in the Cleveland Clinic Florida region and first on the Treasure Coast. Florida Research and Innovation Center, located on the hospital campus, is a cutting-edge research institute dedicated to advancing medicine and saving lives through groundbreaking research, discovery and innovation. It employs 97 total caregivers in eight labs over five cores of research. When Tradition Hospital opened its doors, it brought much-needed obstetrical and maternal facilities to the area. In 2022, CCMH led the Treasure Coast with the most births and Tradition Hospital was rated high performing in 2022 and 2023 in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. The birth center focuses on routine deliveries as well as high risk pregnancy, neonatal intensive care, and vaginal births after cesarean deliveries. Several longtime Tradition Hospital employees spoke about their tenures and the sorts of changes they’ve seen in the past decade. When Mercy Fonte, Administrative Secretary II, Facilities Department, transferred her work location from Stuart to Tradition Hospital in 2013, no furniture or computers were in place. Since those austere beginnings, she has been involved in the many changes that have taken place since the hospital opened. “We are extremely busy with ordering, billing, contracts, equipment certification and much more,” she says. “Every day is different and challenging, I’m never bored, there is always something to accomplish.” Bill Wright, Nurse Operations Manager, grew up in the western St. Lucie County that no longer exists. He recalls sneaking onto the private farmland where Tradition Hospital now stands to fish with his friends. He is thrilled to be working in a new, modern hospital serving his community. Since joining then-Martin Health System (predecessor of CCMH) in 2005, Wright has worked in various intensive care roles. Reflecting on the past 10 years, he says the construction and growth have been “exciting.” He credits Cleveland Clinic with having the resources to pull the hospital through a very challenging pandemic. Walter James, Director of Environmental Services and Internal Patient Transport, began his relationship with then-Martin Health System in 2008 as an employee of Crothall Healthcare, a services vendor. “Although I initially came in as a vendor, I was treated like I was part of the family from the beginning. I became familiar with all the campuses and the people who worked there,” James said. In 2013, James transitioned from South Hospital to Tradition Hospital as general manager with Crothall. In 2020, he joined CCMH, where he works at Tradition Hospital. As the explosive growth of the region intensifies and exciting advances in health care continue to emerge, the next decade in the partnership between southwestern St. Lucie County and Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital should be even more exciting than the previous one has been. BY JACKIE HOLFELDER | Correspondent Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital has seen remarkable growth in its first 10 years. From top at left, employees Mercy Fonte, Bill Wright and Walter James have been with the hospital for the duration. PHOTOS COURTESY TRADITION HOSPITAL; FILE PHOTO, ABOVE
14 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com As with many diseases, early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer greatly increases patient survival rate, and new techniques and technologies are making early diagnosis more common, improving patient care and outcomes. Such is the case with robotic bronchoscopy, a groundbreaking advancement that has revolutionized the way respiratory and pulmonary conditions are diagnosed and treated, with the aim of stopping tumors from developing into cancer. “Bronchoscopy is a tool that pulmonologists utilize for the diagnosis of multiple pulmonary conditions,” said Dr. Diego Maldonado, a pulmonologist with Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. “It’s basically like an endoscopy – a little cylindrical hose with a camera on the tip of it and some channels that go through the hose that lets us travel through the bronchial tubes. Most of the time we introduce the bronchoscope through the mouth and then through the vocal cords and then through the trachea and into the bronchial tubes. “Forty or 50 years ago, bronchoscopy was just utilized for minor procedures such as culturing the lungs from infections and just to visualize and examine the inside of your bronchial tubes. But as science has progressed and the prevalence of lung cancer increased, technology started advancing towards a diagnostic approach of bronchoscopy. We are now utilizing bronchoscopy to actually reach those little lung BY KERRY FIRTH | Correspondent Dr. Diego Maldonado. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS ROBOTIC BRONCHOSCOPY Revolutionary in early detection of lung cancer spots or lung nodules,” to determine if they are cancerous. The new use of bronchoscopy first enabled surgeons to access and biopsy larger lung nodules, with small instruments passed through the scopes, but smaller nodules measuring only a centimeter or two were nearly impossible to reach. Through several evolutions, the technology advanced to electromagnetic bronchoscopy which utilizes and electromagnetic field and advanced imaging of the chest to create a map like a GPS system that guides the surgeon through the bronchial tubes and little branches to the exact location of the small nodules. This procedure increased the accuracy and diagnosis to about 50 percent to 70 percent. Because the lungs are constantly moving with each breath, it was still a struggle to get accurate biopsies and diagnosis. Within the last few years robotic bronchoscopy has elevated the odds of getting an accurate diagnosis of small nodules in the peripheral lungs to more than 90 percent by utilizing a robotic system with specialized instruments to navigate deep into the lungs, reaching areas that were previously very difficult to access. The new systems are equipped with high-definition cameras and real-time image processing that allow accurate visualization of the airways with the potential to perform diagnostic biopsies with great precision. “The robotic platform gives us more control,” Dr. Maldonado explained. “Basically, we hold a controller in our hands and the robot drives the bronchoscope through the airway, avoiding any unnecessary movement of the human hand. “We utilize the electromagnetic navigation system to travel through the bronchial tubes and guide us through the mapping and once we reach the nodule, we can lock the bronchoscope so it stays fixed and stable. “Once at the target, we can adjust the bronchoscope tip with precise, sub-milli-
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH December 7, 2023 15 THE HEALTHY SENIOR CHEMOTHERAPY DOESN’T ALWAYS CAUSE HAIR LOSS Q. I may have to have chemotherapy. Will I go bald? A. Hair loss is not certain with chemotherapy. Whether you lose hair depends upon the medication and dose your doctor prescribes. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment that uses drugs to kill malignant cells, bacteria, viruses and fungi. Chemotherapy drugs are used to treat cancer, bone marrow diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The drugs can be given by injection or taken orally. There are also topical creams. Chemotherapy drugs attack rapidly growing cancer cells. They also attack other rapidly growing cells in your body such as those in your hair roots. Each patient reacts differently to these drugs. Some newer chemotherapy drugs may cause fewer side effects. When it occurs, hair loss from chemotherapy may not be confined to your head. It can affect hair all over your body. In most cases, hair loss from chemotherapy is temporary. Patients usually regrow hair three to 10 months after treatment. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles. These cycles may last one day, several days, a week or more. There will usually be a rest period between each cycle. A rest period may last for days, weeks, or months. Different chemotherapy drugs may be given simultaneously or in sequence. Hair loss is just one possible side effect of chemotherapy. Others include: Nausea Vomiting CONTINUED ON PAGE A17 BY FRED CICETTI meter movements using the controller. The bronchoscope provides stability, maintaining the scope tip position during the biopsy. Prior to this technology open lung surgery would have been necessary to reach [the same] diagnosis.” More than 6 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer at some point in their lifetime according to the National Cancer Institute. In 2023, there were approximately 238,340 new cases of lung cancer resulting in about 127,070 deaths. Utilizing the robotic bronchoscopy technology for early detection and treatment will play a vital role in increasing survival rates and saving people who might therwise die. “The majority of the lung nodules are benign and this robotic procedure prevents the patient from having unnecessary surgery just to get the diagnosis,” Dr. Maldonado said. “We now have a great, nonsurgical way to diagnose these peripheral nodules for early detection of lung cancer. We are changing history by trying to decrease the long-term mortality of this cancer by catching it earlier. At the same time, we are also preventing unnecessary procedures.” Lung cancer screenings with a low dose CT scan are the most common way to identify a lung nodule. If a lung nodule is detected and it’s larger than 0.6 centimeters, then your physician may recommend that you undergo diagnostic procedures to see if you have early-stage lung cancer. “The robotic bronchoscopy is a safe, outpatient procedure done under general anesthesia and most patients go home the same day,” Dr. Maldonado said. “With the robotic bronchoscopy that diagnosis can be made early on when the nodule is miniscule. The smaller the tumor is when diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis the patient has for a five-year survival.” While robotic bronchoscopy is currently used for diagnostic purposes, the technology’s future role may be in early treatment, such as bronchoscopic tumor ablation – applying precise doses of radiofrequency energy, heat, cold or radiation to destroy a lung tumor from inside the body, without the need for incisions. Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy continues to evolve, offering patients a safe, streamlined, timely diagnosis and earlier, more effective treatment. Dr. Diego Maldonado is originally from Ecuador, where he earned his medical degree at Universidad Central del Ecuador. He moved to Miami to complete his Internal Medicine residency training, followed by a fellowship in Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital. He diagnoses and treats pulmonary conditions such as asthma, emphysema, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, sarcoidosis, sleep apnea – and lung cancer. He has been at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital for 13 years. His office is located in the Rosner Family Health and Wellness Center, 3450 11th Court, Vero Beach: 772- 794-5800.
16 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com “Caring for women of all ages and stages of their lives for over 50 years” • 10771 SW Trade St., Port St. Lucie • 501 NW Lake Whitney Pl #106, Port St. Lucie • 3498 NW Federal Hwy Jensen Beach Schedule Your Exam and Mammogram Today! 772-261-9636 3 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! • WWW.WHSFL.COM Merry Christmas & Happy New Year How would you like to suffer from a condition that causes you to have a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue when you stand up after lying down, and then discover that doctors aren’t able to diagnose the problem? That’s what most people suffering from POTS – postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome – deal with since many doctors are not familiar enough with the syndrome to identify it and there are no laboratory tests to confirm it. Dr. Enrique Polanco is on the staff of Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne and is board-certified in internal medicine, adult comprehensive echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and cardiovascular disease. He says POTS is a relatively new diagnosis, and he didn’t hear anything about the syndrome in medical school, from which he graduated in 1995. That began to change 15 years later. “Since 2009-10, information about it has exploded,” says Polanco, “and I have learned a lot from patients who did their own research as they sought answers as to what was wrong with them that doctors were missing.” Since it involves multiple systems in the body, many doctors still don’t have training in enough fields to make a diagnosis. POTS may require specialists in cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology and even immunology to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The average diagnostic delay for a POTS patient is 5 years, 11 months. Only 25 percent of patients seeking help are diagnosed within the first year of symptoms. According to Cleveland Clinic, the body’s autonomic nervous system balances your heart rate and blood pressure to keep your blood flowing at a healthy pace, no matter what position your body is in. If you have POTS, your body can’t coordinate the balancing act of blood vessel constriction and heart rate response when you get up from a prone position. This means that your body can’t keep your blood pressure steady and stable, which causes a variety of symptoms, including: heart palpitations (feeling the heart pound or race) instability (feeling like one is about to fall) lightheadedness (almost passing out; vision tunnels or goes gray or dark) dizziness fainting feeling tired chest pain trouble getting enough breath Sheena Smith, who is 37 and lives in Palm Bay, had a long and arduous journey on her way to a POTS diagnosis. “I’m 37, and my symptoms began when I was 15,” she says. During the height of the pandemic, Smith contracted COVID-19 and ended up with long COVID. One recent study found nearly 80 percent of people with long COVID had POTS. That statistic clued in Smith and her doctors. “COVID gave me the answers I was looking for,” she said. “Until then, doctors told me anxiety was causing my symptoms.” Unfortunately, far too often the input patients receive from healthcare providers undermines what they are feeling, says Dr. Polanco. “They’re anxious because of their symptoms and the fact they have no idea Hard-to-diagnose syndrome causes dizziness and racing heart BY JACKIE HOLFELDER | Correspondent Dr. Enrique Polanco. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH December 7, 2023 17 CONTINUED FROM PAGE A15 THE HEALTHY SENIOR what is causing them. When I tell them, ‘You’re not crazy – what you have is real,’ the mere fact that I’m validating that there really is something wrong is a huge relief. Sometimes they break down in tears because they finally have an answer.” When her primary care physician sent Smith to a cardiologist to check out her racing heartbeat, a correct diagnosis was missed. After she had bariatric surgery and was plagued with severe constipation, the surgeon told her it was normal to be constipated – another missed diagnosis. Eventually, her doctor suggested Smith see Dr. Polanco, who finally confirmed the elusive diagnosis by giving her a Tilt Table Test, the results of which can confirm POTS. Mayo Clinic describes the benefits of a Tilt Table Test to diagnose anyone suffering from fainting, light headedness or dizziness. The patient lies flat on a table that has a footboard and is strapped in to prevent falling or slipping. Sticky patches (electrodes) on the chest, arms and legs are connected to an electrocardiogram machine that monitors heart rate. A blood pressure monitor or cuff checks blood pressure during the test. An IV line is inserted into a vein in your arm for delivering drugs, if needed. The results of a tilt table test are based on whether you faint during the test and what happens to your blood pressure and heart rate. The presence of POTS is indicated by decreasing blood pressure that causes dizziness or fainting during the test. In Smith’s case, she also vomited. A negative result is indicated if the heart rate increases only slightly, blood pressure doesn’t drop significantly, and there are no signs or symptoms of fainting. Dr. Polanco currently has 100-plus POTS patients. “I do basic testing for lupus, scleroderma, hypothyroidism and multiple sclerosis [as part of his diagnostic procedure]. POTS is very complicated and it’s important to determine what it isn’t. I partner with a rheumatologist, a neurologist and a gastroenterologist. I’d love to add a geneticist to that group who would help with testing. “It takes a long time,” he adds. “Patients have so many symptoms. But with trial and error, the correct medication and good lifestyle choices, patients can get better.” For her part, all of Sheena Smith’s research and hard work have paid off. “I avoid caffeine,” she says. “Standing in the shower stimulates my heart rate but sitting is OK. I carry salt packets and drink sports drinks with zero sugar, but never water since it can deplete electrolytes and nutrients.” Enrique Polanco, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine, adult comprehensive echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Polanco received his medical degree from Pontificia Universidad Catolica, Madre y Maestra in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and completed his residency at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center in Michigan and a fellowship in general cardiology at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. He is accepting new patients at Health First Medical Group–Gateway, 1223 Gateway Drive, Suite 2F, Melbourne: 321-312-3487. Diarrhea Constipation Pain Fatigue Fever Bleeding Bruising Poor appetite Weight loss Mouth sores Reduced immunity Many of these side effects can be prevented or treated. Most side effects subside after treatment ends. However, there can be persistent side effects such as lung damage, heart problems, infertility, kidney problems, nerve damage and risk of a second cancer. Chemotherapy is employed in a variety of ways. It can be used to cure the cancer or just to slow its growth. It can be used alone or in conjunction with radiation or other therapies. Chemotherapy treatments can be given in a hospital, outpatient facility, a doctor’s office or at home. In adjuvant therapy, chemotherapy is used to attack hidden cancer cells after other treatments such as surgery. In neoadjuvant therapy, chemotherapy is used to shrink a tumor so that radiation or surgery are possible. Palliative chemotherapy is employed to ease symptoms of advanced cancer. Sheena Smith, who was diagnosed with POTS. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS
18 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com ‘Matter’ of fact: Why feeling you’re valued is so important Raise your hand if it makes you feel good when you know you matter to someone. Turns out you have lots of company. “Mattering” is the general belief that you are important to others. The polar opposite is “anti-mattering,” which – as the name suggests – means that you feel like you don’t matter to other people or the world. New research reported in the New York Times suggests that people who feel like they matter experience more self-compassion, relationship satisfaction and greater belief in their capacity to achieve their goals, while feeling irrelevant and unappreciated is associated with burnout, self-criticism, anxiety, depression, aggression and increased risk of suicide. Dr. Peggy Russell, professor of psychology at Indian River State College’s main campus in Fort Pierce, says that teens are especially vulnerable to feeling like they don’t matter to others. “It’s common for teens and adolescents to feel that way,” she says. “Their connection to social media heightens the feeling, especially for girls in that age group. “If you don’t have parents who make you feel you matter and you were trapped at home with them during the pandemic, you really suffered.” An article published earlier this year in Good Housekeeping Magazine concurs with what Russell says. It states that feeling like you matter is a specific thing that’s different from feeling loved. It goes on to say that adolescents who perceive that they matter are more likely to experience happiness, self-compassion, empathy, self-efficacy, resilience, academic achievement and life satisfaction, and are less likely to binge drink and struggle with addiction. On the flip side, the feeling of not mattering has been linked to higher rates of self-criticism, social anxiety, loneliness, academic stress, truancy, depression, aggression, difficulty regulating emotions and impulses and even carrying a gun. A sense of not mattering is associated with low hope, and it’s pervasive in kids who bully and exhibit other violent behaviors. Russell says that the concept of mattering has been around since the early 1980s, but the anti-mattering side of the coin is newer and has brought more attention to the subject. “It was coincidental to what we experienced during COVID-19,” she says. In early 2020, during the first, extremely stressful days of the pandemic, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto named Gordon Flett published a commentary that, among other things, stated that people need people all the time but especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. They can be a great source of comfort to others by letting them know they care and they are valued. Then in late 2021, researchers at York University created a new Anti Mattering Scale (AMS) tool to measure and assess feelings of insignificance in youth and adults. It provides clinicians a way to assess the tendency of certain people to experience a profound sense of not mattering to others in ways that represent a source of health risk, social disconnection and personal vulnerability. BY JACKIE HOLFELDER | Correspondent
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH December 7, 2023 19 Time Away From Life’s Demands Gift Cards Available for Purchase! Give the Gift of Beauty & Relaxation Quality Service, Reasonable Pricing & Relaxation MM23468, CE10040150 By appointment only. (772) 828-1599 ahmassageandskincare.com 451 SW Bethany Dr., Suite 102 (in the medical building) Massage • Skin Care • Waxing • Body Treatments • Nails Your body’s cells need oxygen to live. That’s why it’s critical to take care of your lungs, which help transport oxygen. As you age, changes to your bones, muscles and lung tissue can compromise the organ, causing shortness of breath and increasing your risk of infection. Exposure to air pollutants also can compromise your lungs, as can heart failure, which can lead to fluid buildup. Some decline in lung function is expected as you age, but exercise and other steps can help you breathe easier. Avoid pollution Environmental pollutants can cause inflammation in the lungs and narrow your airways. “Your lungs do their best to break things down and clear them away, but it’s shocking how much material the body can’t get rid of,” says MeiLan Han, chief of the division of pulmonary and critical care at University of Michigan Health. Smoking, for example – as well as secondhand smoke exposure – is known to cause longterm lung damage. Other irritants, such as dust, chemicals and air pollution, also can affect pulmonary health, Han says. She recommends wearing an N95 mask if you’re cleaning a dusty space, spray-painting or using strong chemical cleaners. And follow air-quality forecasts CONTINUED ON PAGE A20 HOW TO PROTECT YOUR LUNGS – AND BREATHE EASIER AS YOU AGE WASHINGTON POST VIA CONSUMER REPORTS The scale reflects four main components of mattering – the sense that other people depend on us, the perception that other people regard us as important, the realization that other people are actively paying attention to us, and the feeling that other people would miss us if we were no longer around. Those who succumb to anti-mattering attitudes can get them from many sources, including facing constant rejection from potential romantic partners, employers or even rude people who don’t reply to their texts. However, the most likely source can be traced to early childhood experiences of neglect by distracted and unresponsive parents. The hard shell around your need to matter begins to form when you’re young. Russell says that people tend to do what their parents did unless they make a conscious effort not to. The New York Times article mentioned above offers tips on how to bring that conscious effort into play, stating that wherever you are on the mattering spectrum, it is malleable. Although we can’t change how we were raised or whether we’ve experienced discrimination, exclusion and unfair treatment, these steps can change how we perceive our value. Identify your strengths. Think about a time when you felt useful or pinpoint areas where you’re already adding value and figure out how you can kick it up a notch. True strengths are things that we’re good at, that we choose to do and that make us feel good while we’re doing them. Assess your work life. Feeling a sense of significance at work has been tied to lower absenteeism, more readiness to share ideas, more engaged employees and better employee-manager relationships. Adjust your relationships. Tell people why and how much you appreciate them. Try something specific like, “It meant a lot to me that you took out the trash before I got home because you realized I’d be tired from work.” Volunteer your time. Fighting for a cause is one path to mattering, Express grievances and practice self-compassion. Often, circumstances beyond our control have made us believe we don’t matter. To sum up, feeling that you matter is clearly a contributor to positive mental health, while anti-mattering can you feel that you lack value to others and contribute to a sense of marginalization. Dr. Peggy Russell has a B.S. in Psychology from University of Florida, an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Florida State University. Dr. Peggy Russell.
20 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com so you can stay indoors or wear a mask outside when the quality is poor. Improve indoor air Some simple adjustments can help protect you from potential lung irritants in your home, Han says. If you have a gas stove, always run a hood vent when you use it (and consider switching to electric next time you need an upgrade). When possible, choose cleaning products labeled “Safer Choice” by the Environmental Protection Agency to help prevent lung irritation. Air purifiers can help promote better air quality throughout your home. Consider upgrading your central filtration system or using in-room air purifiers. “Prioritize them in areas with more emissions, such as your kitchen area or living room if you have a fireplace, and areas where you spend more time, such as your bedroom,” Han says. HEPA filters are best because they filter many of the tiny particles that can damage your lungs. Eat your vegetables Heart and lung health go hand in hand, says G.R. Scott Budinger, chief of pulmonary and critical care at Northwestern UniCONTINUED FROM PAGE A19 PROTECT YOUR LUNGS
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH December 7, 2023 21 versity Feinberg School of Medicine. Some evidence suggests that the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet can help promote lung function in people with lung disease. A nutritious diet can also help support your immune system so your body can fend off respiratory infections better. Prioritize antioxidant-rich foods (primarily fruits and vegetables) as well to stave off inflammation in the lungs and throughout the body. Get your vaccines At least three vaccines are available to help protect against diseases that can cause serious damage to your lungs. Pneumococcal: Those 65 and older are more likely to get pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though we don’t understand exactly why, Budinger says. Pneumococcal vaccines (in a one- or two-shot series) are recommended for this age group. COVID-19: Images of coronavirus-damaged lungs have become common in newspapers since the pandemic began, and most older adults have already received their primary vaccine series to protect against the disease. But for adults 65 and up, the CDC now recommends an additional updated bivalent booster. Influenza: Get an annual flu shot. Even when it doesn’t prevent the flu, it can make a case much milder.
I’m a lifelong, unapologetic regifter. In case you don’t know: Regifting involves giving someone something you received as a gift. And it’s about this time of year when people revisit the etiquette around regifting. What’s wrong with repurposing a gift that you didn’t want or that you can’t use? But the never-ever regifting crowd thinks the practice is bad-mannered. They argue that it’s deceitful, tacky or miserly. Some believe that you have to spend money for it to truly be a gift. “Regifting is a wonderful thing,” Mary from Crofton, Md., emailed. “I love the saying, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’ Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it. Regift, recycle, whatever you want to call it. Just don’t hoard stuff you’ll never use.” I agree with Mary. I see nothing wrong with regifting. It’s a win-win. You get to save money and still give something you think someone else may appreciate. This point is key. How many candle sets with a bath loofah do you have collecting dust in your closet because that’s not your thing? Could a friend who loves lighting candles for a hot bath be delighted to add another scent to his or her collection? Here’s a revisit of my rules for regifting. Don’t regift used items. The item should be new. Maybe you received a book you already have, for instance, or a second blender. Maybe you received a gift card to a store you never shop. The exception to this rule might be a family heirloom or something you may want to pass on for sentimental reasons. In this case, you might want to disclose that you are giving away a special item you think the person might love. Always rewrap the gift. If you truly think a person will like the regift, take the time to wrap it nicely. Or buy a nice gift bag. Make sure the item has all its original parts and accessories. And be mindful of any gift tags that might still be attached. Label gifts for regifting. You must keep track of who gave you the gift. I mean it. Don’t practice regifting if you aren’t go22 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PERSONAL FINANCE www.stlucievoice.com Seven tips for the do’s and don’ts of regifting during the holiday season BY MICHELLE SINGLETARY | The Washington Post ing to be careful. Nothing gives regifting a black eye more than stories of people getting back gifts that they have given to the recipients. Also, don’t regift something someone made special for you. Don’t be a brand pretender. Don’t put an item in a box from a highend store to make it appear that you have spent a lot of money. That’s just wrong and not in the good spirit of regifting. And what if the person asks for a gift receipt? If you don’t heed my advice and you’re cornered, then come clean, immediately. Don’t regift to an objector. There are people who hate regifting and think it’s thoughtless. I once gave a relative a nice shirt that I purchased, thinking she would like it. She thought it was a regift and complained to others in the family. (Don’t follow her example, especially if there’s a possibility you are wrong, as this person was.) If you suspect someone might be offended if they receive a regifted item, don’t do it. Regifting shouldn’t lead to hurt feelings. So proceed with caution if you are a regifter. There’s always cash. I was amused by this comment from a reader: “When it comes to Christmastime (and birthdays) I have been giving my wife, son, daughter and grandkids money for gifts. I would have no problem if they all decided to regift back to me!” Don’t ask, don’t tell. If you’re going to regift and your intention is to give something the person would truly like, don’t volunteer its origin out of some misplaced guilt. But if you are pushed, then be honest. If you suspect that you are on the receiving end of a regift, don’t ask. Don’t embarrass the person. Be gracious. Back when I was dating my husband, we surprised his mother by stopping by her place before Christmas. We wanted to drop off her gifts because we were spending the holiday with my family. After we gave her our presents, one from him and another from me, she disappeared for a bit and returned with a nicely wrapped present for my husband and something for me. When I opened my gift, which appeared rushed wrapped, there were two wooden dolls dressed in Mexican costumes. I had never expressed an interest in doll collections and was frankly perplexed as to why she thought I might like them. I suspected I was on the receiving end of a regift because she didn’t want to give her son something and have me leave empty-handed. About six months after that, before our wedding, my husband’s mother was murdered during an attempted robbery. I kept the dolls because it was the last present my soon-to-be mother-in-law had given me. Years later, I gave the dolls to our eldest daughter, telling her that they came from the grandmother she never had a chance to know. Our daughter, who collected dolls, added them to her collection. A gift that once appeared to be an afterthought turned out to be a treasure.
Light, bright Maidstone pool home ideal for entertaining 9144 Pumpkin Ridge in Maidstone in PGA Village: 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom, 2,224-square-foot pool home offered for $575,000 by Kay Rodriguez, 772-486-2126 of Lang Realty
24 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com From the moment you step inside the home at 9144 Pumpkin Ridge, in the Maidstone section of PGA Village, you notice how light and bright the home is. Tiles throughout contribute to the flow of the great room floor plan, tying the rooms together and serving to highlight the contemporary, crisp lines of each of the rooms. The kitchen in this lovely home is 12 feet by 12 feet and has been updated with the same clean, modern lines and colors. The cabinets are white, the countertops granite, and the appliances stainless steel. With pendant lighting, it looks modern and on trend, but the breakfast nook and snack bar seating ensure that everyone feels welcome. You might sit alone with your morning coffee or talk to guests while you cook. The adjacent living room, a spacious 24-by-17, is the ideal place for entertaining, whether it’s a board game marathon or a cocktail party, and hideaway slider doors take the party outside to the covered and screened lanai and pool. There is also a formal dining room (13-by14) that can be used for special occasions or can easily serve as a den or home office. The master bedroom is a sumptuous 14- by-17 and leads into a master bath with dual vanities, a separate tub and shower. There are two additional bedrooms (13-by-12 and (14-by-12), with one having its own bath, making it perfect for visitors. There is a third full bath, as well. Both you and your guests will enjoy the privacy that the bedroom configurations offer. Outside, you can enjoy the extended covered and screened lanai. There’s plenty of room to host a luncheon or book club, have a cookout or entertain friends, but you can choose to come outside alone with a book and a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and sit poolside. The view is of the preserve, so there are no rear neighbors and a lot of privacy. This is truly your own oasis, a place to unwind and relax. If you get hungry, the indoors is only a few steps away. For Kay Rodriguez of Lang Realty, the word for this home is, indeed, privacy. “This spacious pool home is on a preserve, with no rear neighbors,” she said. “You can enjoy the extended covered lanai and pool in privacy as you enjoy morning coffee or entertaining guests. Indoors, the Light, bright Maidstone pool home ideal for entertaining BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Columnist [email protected] D ™ owDecorating ecorating Over 39 Years Experience Your new home for decorating in St. Lucie West IN-HOME SERVICE - MEASURE - INSTALL Mon-Thu 10am-5pm Fri 10am-4pm or By Appointment Kathy & David Blinds, Shades & Shutters New Upholstered Furniture MADE IN AMERICA … right here in Florida! Come on in & have a seat Draperies Upholstery Beautiful Fabrics Valances & Cornices Pillows Bedspreads & More!
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE December 7, 2023 25 Medinah great room floor plan has three bedrooms and three full baths with a split bedroom concept that offers privacy for the primary bedroom. This is the perfect home for entertaining, with large hideaway sliders that bring the outside in. It’s perfect for pool parties, barbeques or just enjoying the Florida lifestyle, because this home is what that’s all about.” Of course, this is PGA Village, so there is a huge array of social and recreational activities and events to keep you as busy as you want to be. You can enjoy pickleball, tennis, golf at three PGA championship courses, as well as a fitness center, game room, library and a host of happenings to help you meet your neighbors and make new friends. You can always retreat to your own private space to relax and re-energize. This is what Florida living is all about. Neighborhood: Maidstone in PGA Village Year built: 2004 Construction: CBS Square footage: 2,224 sq. ft. Total square footage: 3,051 sq. ft. Bedrooms: 3 • Bathrooms: 3 Flooring: ceramic tile Security: manned gate, security patrol Additional features: pool and preserve views, plantation shutters, ceramic tile throughout, Medinah great room floor plan, three bedrooms, three full baths, panel shutters Community amenities: basketball, billiards, clubhouse, fitness center, game room, library, pickleball, playground, pool, tennis Listing brokerage: Lang Realty Listing agent: Kay Rodriguez, 772-486-2126 Listing price: $575,000 FEATURES FOR 9144 PUMPKIN RIDGE
26 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com TOP SALES OF THE WEEK The past fortnight saw moderate real estate activity locally, with 43 transactions of single-family residences and lots reported. The top recent sale was of the residence at 9175 SW Arco Way. This 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom sold on Nov. 30, the day it was listed, for $1,046,596. Representing both the seller and the buyer in the transaction was agent Isabelle Pollock of Lang Realty. SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES AND LOTS PORT SAINT LUCIE 9175 SW ARCO WAY 11/30/2023 $1,046,596 11/30/2023 $1,046,596 PORT SAINT LUCIE 9169 SW ARCO WAY 11/30/2023 $987,427 11/30/2023 $987,427 PORT SAINT LUCIE 8012 PLANTATION LAKES DRIVE 9/30/2023 $1,100,000 11/30/2023 $975,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 8721 BALLY BUNION ROAD 8/17/2023 $1,075,000 11/29/2023 $925,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 12117 SW AVENTINO DRIVE 10/6/2023 $914,780 11/28/2023 $915,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 8614 SW FELICITA WAY 11/30/2023 $828,360 11/30/2023 $828,360 PORT SAINT LUCIE 6083 NW EAST DEVILLE CIRCLE 10/25/2023 $750,000 11/30/2023 $750,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 10117 CROSBY PLACE 10/5/2023 $695,000 11/20/2023 $625,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11674 SW GOLDEN FALLS LANE 9/29/2023 $659,900 11/27/2023 $601,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11930 SW MACELLI WAY 12/14/2022 $621,075 11/30/2023 $600,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 14184 SW WATERFALL LANE 6/5/2023 $669,000 11/30/2023 $589,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 1513 SW MOCKINGBIRD CIRCLE 10/1/2023 $579,900 11/29/2023 $553,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 2113 SW GAILWOOD STREET 8/6/2023 $549,900 11/30/2023 $520,000 ORIGINAL SELLING TOWN ADDRESS LISTED ASKING PRICE SOLD PRICE TRADITION AND ST. LUCIE WEST REAL ESTATE SALES Stats were pulled 12/2/23 11:56 AM
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE December 7, 2023 27 Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP RECENT TRADITION AND ST. LUCIE WEST REAL ESTATE SALES 10/6/2023 $914,780 11/28/2023 $915,000 Diane Buchholz Keller Williams Realty Wendy Elias Show & Sell Realty Inc 12117 SW Aventino Drive, Port Saint Lucie 8/17/2023 $1,075,000 11/29/2023 $925,000 Gary Karwoski Atlantic Shores Rlty Expertise Gary Karwoski Atlantic Shores Rlty Expertise 8721 Bally Bunion Road, Port Saint Lucie 10/1/2023 $1,100,000 11/29/2023 $975,000 Julie Cline RE/MAX of Stuart Linda MacCormack Lang Realty 8012 Plantation Lakes Drive, Port Saint Lucie 11/30/2023 $987,427 11/30/2023 $987,427 Isabelle Pollock Lang Realty Isabelle Pollock Lang Realty 9169 SW Arco Way, Port Saint Lucie
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE December 7, 2023 29 A roughly 13,000-square-foot, fullfloor penthouse and roof at the Rosewood Residences, a 17-story condo tower designed by Peter Marino in Miami’s South Beach, could soon be the most expensive in Miami Beach’s history. It’s priced at “over $150 million,” according to project developer Michael Shvo. It is expected to be completed by 2026. The new condo tower will be part of a three-acre hotel, restaurant and luxury campus filled with amenities on 18th Street and Collins Avenue. It will be located in a compound whose best-known building, the art deco Raleigh Hotel, has been a Miami Beach landmark since it was built in the 1940s. The hotels and residences will be operated by the luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts brand. “If I told you that at 220 Central Park South they’re selling a unit at $13,000 a square foot, or at the Aman New York that we sold units at that price, nobody [would think] that was outrageous,” Shvo says in his Manhattan conference room. “We are by far the premier product building, not only in Miami Beach but in the country. And there’s no reason that people will pay less to be 100 feet from the ocean than they do to be 100 feet from Central Park.” The condominium’s 40 units will include three-bedroom residences that start at $10 million. Pricing for larger apartments hasn’t been disclosed; nor have prices for the building’s cheapest units, which are two-bedroom homes starting at 2,176 square feet. Sales, Shvo says, have already begun, though he declines to specify how many or for how much. “We literally just started,” he says. “But the interest is coming from everywhere.” On paper, asking nine figures for an apartment might seem a stretch in Miami-Dade County. The sole, roughly comparable transaction (by value) occurred last year when a four-acre compound with two mansions in Coconut Grove sold for a record-breaking $107 million. Still, appraiser Jonathan Miller says that in some respects, Shvo’s condos represent the logical conclusion of a trend that began before Covid-19 appeared. “We’re seeing prices in Miami drifting towards New York levels for luxury real estate,” he says. “It makes sense [that developers] would bring in product like the one that’s sold in New York – and attempt similar pricing.” In 2019, Shvo, in partnership with Deutsche Finance Group, purchased the Raleigh Hotel from an investment group led by the designer Tommy Hilfiger. Soon after, Shvo says he got a call from the mayor of Miami Beach, who asked that the Raleigh, a Miami icon, remain a hotel. “He said, ‘This is the most important hotel we have on the beach, so if there’s any way you could do it, it would be great,’” the developer recalls. Shvo pivoted his strategy to purchase two adjacent properties, the Richmond Hotel and the South Seas Hotel, with the aim of turning the entire three-acre site into a master development combining hotels and condominiums. Shvo and his partners paid $243 million for all three properties, according to reporting by the Real Deal. The Raleigh will remain a hotel; the Richmond’s facade will remain, but behind it five new Rosewood Hotel villas will be built; and the South Seas will be turned into a restaurant. Next, Shvo hired architect Peter Marino to come up with a plan for the site. In addition to restoring and renovating the original buildings (reducing the number of hotel rooms on the property from some 320 suites to 60 suites, according to Shvo), Marino designed the hyper-luxury condominium building that will sit just 100 feet from the water. Next, Shvo brought in Rosewood Hotels and Resorts to manage the property. The entire project is christened the Raleigh, a Rosewood Hotel and Residences Miami Beach. “It’s an unusual opportunity,” Marino says during an interview. “Michael had negotiated with the city, saying, ‘Look I’ll buy all three hotels, I’ll fix them up, but you have to give me permission to build the condo behind them to get the money back.” Because the city gave Shvo permission to build so close to the water, Marino says residents will have unobstructed views to the north and south – and over the water. The design, he continues, will be “a very simple aesthetic: white with thin black lines – super classic.” Miami Beach’s new ‘Raleigh’ tower will have $150M penthouse BY JAMES TARMY | Bloomberg CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
32 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com The Rosewood Residences’ design offers a purposeful contrast, Marino says, to what he perceives as most new Miami architecture. “Everybody down there is like, “I know, I’ll build a condo that looks like a boat,” he says, possibly referring to the Aston Martin Residences that are meant to resemble a ship’s sail. “But this is Miami, not Disneyland, last time I checked.” The competition, he adds, “is very Las Vegas-y, if I may say, where they’re looking for a theme. My theme is about quiet elegance and letting the wonderful art deco hotels sing.” The building’s five-bedroom apartments will cover as much as 7,810 square feet. Its largest penthouse – the one with a price surpassing $150 million – will cover the top floor and occupy the entire roof; it will have its own private rooftop pool, outdoor kitchen and rooftop garden for a total of 16,750 square feet of exterior space. The floors directly below it have also been dubbed “penthouses” by the developer; four such apartments will have from four to seven bedrooms. The estate will contain an additional four pools: The historic Raleigh hotel pool will be accessed by hotel guests and residents, and a pair of sunrise and sunset pools will be accessible only to residents. In addition, a private pool will be part of what will be known as the Raleigh Beach Club, a new, two-story building overlooking the beach and designed by Marino in the style of architect Oscar Niemeyer. (Each pool will have private cabanas.) At minimum, apartments will have 10-foot ceilings, something Marino says was not negotiable. “I won’t take a commission if I won’t get a 10-foot-clear ceiling,” he says. “That’s how I want to live, and that’s just my principle.” The Raleigh’s ceilings range from 10 feet to 14 feet. “Everyone should have a high ceiling,” Marino continues. “It means you get one floor less, but it also means you have an apartment you want to live in.” Marino has also designed the apartment interiors, which will feature a variety of white and black stone; many bathrooms will be clad in white and beige onyx, Marino says, “the colors of the sand and the beach.” The palette, he continues, is purposefully neutral, “but people can do whatever they want on the inside.” Sales will be handled by the brokerage Official. All apartments will be managed by Rosewood, meaning residents can receive such benefits as turndown service, a personal trainer and other hotel-style services. Additionally, the complex will feature the US outpost of the famed Milanese restaurant Langosteria; not coincidentally, the restaurant’s Parisian branch is located in the Cheval Blanc hotel, also designed by Marino. “Beyond the fact that the food is spectacular, [the Langosteria restaurant] is kind of a favorite of our customers,” Shvo says. Residents can have Langosteria’s cuisine delivered to their apartments, and the restaurant will provide cabana service on the beach. “At this price level, you expect to have anything, anytime, anywhere that you want,” Shvo says. This is a maxim that neatly encapsulates Shvo’s approach to the entire development. “I wanted to create a product that doesn’t exist in Miami, and doesn’t really exist in Florida at all,” he says. “I always find when I go to Miami that it really lacks quality and service.” Is that absence, he asks rhetorically, “because the customer who is really willing to pay for the service and true quality isn’t there? Or is the client not there because the quality doesn’t exist?” Shvo has bet a lot of money on the latter. “I don’t really care what the answer is,” he says, adding: “I believe that for the Raleigh, really elevating it to an international-level product is the right thing.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE December 7, 2023 33
34 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com Singapore and Zurich surpassed New York to become the world’s most expensive cities to live in this year, according to a new global survey. The sky-high cost of car ownership, pricey alcohol and rising grocery prices saw Singapore pull ahead of the U.S. city, with which it shared top spot last year, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide Cost of Living 2023 report. Zurich jumped from sixth place last year to joint first, thanks in part to the strong Swiss franc, as well as expensive groceries, household goods and recreation. Geneva, tied with New York in third position, and Hong Kong rounded out the list of the top five costliest places. Overall, global prices rose an average 7.4 percent year-on-year in local currency terms, slightly down on last year’s 8.1 percent increase. Chinese cities were among the biggest movers down the rankings, mainly due to the country’s slow post-pandemic recovery and subdued consumer demand. Other findings from the study were: Los Angeles (sixth place) and San Francisco (10th) were the only other US cities to make the top 10. The cheapest city remained the Syrian capital of Damascus, in spite of its costof-living basket price rising 321 percent. Mexico’s Santiago de Querétaro and Aguascalientes were the biggest global movers upwards in the ranking after the peso strengthened against the U.S. dollar. The weaker Japanese yen saw Tokyo slip 23 places to 60th place and Osaka drop 27 spots to rank 70th. While Israel’s Tel Aviv made the top 10, the survey was carried out before the Israel-Hamas war, which may have affected prices. Utility prices rose the most slowly out of the 10 broad categories of goods and services examined, increasing by 5.7 percent. “The supply-side shocks that drove price increases in 2021-22 have reduced since China lifted its COVID-19 restrictions in late 2022, while the spike in energy prices seen after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 has also eased,” said Upasana Dutt, head of worldwide cost of living at EIU. “Despite upside risks we expect inflation to decelerate further in 2024, easing prices globally.” The survey was carried out between Aug. 14 and Sept. 11 and compared more than 400 individual prices in 173 cities globally. These are the top 10 most expensive cities in the world, with their 2023 ranking. Some cities are tied. Singapore — 1 Zurich — 1 Geneva — 3 New York — 3 Hong Kong — 5 Los Angeles — 6 Paris — 7 Copenhagen — 8 Tel Aviv — 8 San Francisco — 10. SINGAPORE AND ZURICH TOP LIST OF WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES [email protected] www.JacquelineSellsFL.com 772-529-1368 Jacqueline Cohen Real Estate Agent YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR LESS STRESS WITH AN AGENT WHO CARES BY ALEX MILLSON | Bloomberg
Elise Danielian 772-418-2992 [email protected] Ingrid Hewitt 772-203-7800 [email protected] Isabelle Pollock 772-713-3221 [email protected] TREASURE COAST TRIO Top Producing Team WE’VE BEEN BUSY! Elise Danielian 772-418-2992 [email protected] Ingrid Hewitt 772-203-7800 [email protected] Isabelle Pollock 772-713-3221 [email protected] 11919 SW AVENTINO DRIVE • ESTATES AT TRADITION OFFERED AT $784,900 8813 ONE PUTT PLACE • PGA VILLAGE OFFERED AT $719,000 9012 SW TERZI WAY • VERANO OFFERED AT $789,500 8032 LINKS WAY • PGA VILLAGE OFFERED AT $775,000 8687 SW FLUTTO WAY • VERANO OFFERED AT $795,000 6091 SW BALD EAGLE DRIVE • PALM CITY OFFERED AT $584,900 10029 SW DUCCIO LANE • VERANO OFFERED AT $399,000 7039 WILLOW PINE WAY • PGA VILLAGE OFFERED AT $379,000 22032 SW TIVOLO WAY • VERANO OFFERED AT $585,000 7290 RESERVE CREEK DRIVE • PGA VILLAGE OFFERED AT $1,150,000 1852 SW ENGLISH GARDEN DR • PALM CITY - CANOPY CREEK OFFERED AT $1,520,000 9009 HOUNDSLAKE COURT • PGA VILLAGE OFFERED AT $545,000 17004 SW AMBROSE WAY • VERANO OFFERED AT $599,900 11311 SW VISCONTI WAY • VERANO OFFERED AT $449,900 9175 SW ARCO WAY • VERANO OFFERED AT $1,046,596 AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE — FEATURED LISTINGS — UNDER CONTRACT UNDER CONTRACT SOLD SOLD NEW LISTING NEW LISTING NEW LISTING BROUGHT THE BUYER UNDER CONTRACT
fun, festivities food THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023 YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SECTION PHOTOS: LINDA KLOORFAIN Noche Buena celebrates Hispanic culture Friday evening with music and dancing to salsa, merengue, balada, cumbia and more. The featured performer will be four-time Grammy Award-winning musician Tomasito Cruz. There will also be food, of course. Noche Buena runs 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, at Veterans Park at Rivergate, 2200 SE Veterans Memorial Parkway, Port St. Lucie. Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. For more information, visit PalParks. com/register and search for activity number 359914, or visit CityOfPSL.com. River Nights invites you to get a comfy chair and take it to Veterans Park on Thursday, Dec. 14, to relax under the night sky and listen to music by Rough Shot. There will be food and drinks available for purchase. The free event runs 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Veterans Park at Rivergate, 2200 SE Veterans Memorial Parkway, Port St. Lucie. For more information, call 772-878-2277 or visit CityOfPSL.com. A Special Populations Holiday Luncheon will be held 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Community Center, 2195 SE Airoso Blvd., Port St. Lucie. The luncheon is for ages 15 years and older. There will be festive music, dance, snacks, drinks, lunch, desserts and a “Meet and Greet” with Santa. Organizers urge you to register in advance since this is a popular annual event. The cost is $5 per person, with caregivers admitted free. For more information, call 772-807-4470 or visit CityOfPSL.com. CONTINUED ON PAGE B7 BY PAM HARBAUGH | Correspondent 1 Coming Up! CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC CULTURE AT ‘NOCHE BUENA’ 2 3 HO-HO HOW COOL WAS THAT! Vernon Cooper, right, conducts the students of Synergy School of Tomorrow singing Christmas songs prior to the lighting of the Christmas tree in Tradition Square. Above, Santa and Mrs. Claus do the honors, pulling the switch to turn on the Christmas lights during the annual lighting ceremony on Dec. 1.
“I was always into creative endeavors; creating things, taking things apart to see how they were made. That and animals; I also wanted to be a vet,” says Treasure Coast artist Christine Thomas. Instead, Thomas is sometimes known as the ‘critter painter’ for her natural world subjects, including the spectacular Lionfish that graces her business card. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Thomas moved with her family to Kenmore, a small town in upstate New York. She recalls that her Scottish accent was so thick at age 5, that her teacher had trouble understanding what she said. So, during free time, the teacher let her do whatever she wanted on the easels in the back of the room. “That’s really where my art side was born,” says Thomas. As an adult, she and her husband raised their family in numerous places, including Asheville, N.C., where her in-laws had a summer home. “When my kids went to a 4-H Camp, they needed a basketry teacher, so I taught myself basketry and took the job. It’s very popular in North Carolina,” she explains. While going into the woods to gather materials, she recalls finding a hornet’s nest in a vine she was pulling down, and another time a large alligator appeared. “My husband said, ‘We’re not doing this anymore. This is dangerous!’” Thomas attended Penland School of Craft in the Blue Ridge Mountains, “a really cool place,” and later had jobs as a general manager of a newspaper in Newland, N.C., and as a radio news broadcaster. “I also did a lot of faux painting while in North Carolina,” says Thomas, who initially learned the technique in Atlanta. After landing in Vero Beach, she conB2 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com ARTIST PROFILE CREATURES FEATURED tinued her study of faux finishes at Faux Effects, a company now based in Fort Pierce, that was “run by two incredible guys who had been on HGTV.” Wanting to get involved in Vero Beach’s art scene, she joined the Vero Beach Art Club around 2002, eventually serving on the board and chairing its Under the Oaks Fine Arts and Crafts Fair. Thomas taught classes at the Vero Beach Museum of Art for many years, including summer camps, once-amonth family classes, and also the evening Cork & Canvas classes. When the Art Club moved out of the museum and into its own building on 14th Avenue, Thomas began teaching classes there. “I am really happy with the Art Club. I felt like it was a really good opportunity. You can also show your work if you are a member. They are so involved with the community,” she says. Thomas teaches acrylics there, from beginner to advanced, and also offers a studio class where students can bring their current projects – in any medium other than pastels. She has also enjoyed teaching summer camp classes and participates in a free class for veterans. “We’ve had great, great groups,” says Thomas. “Wine & Design, similar to the museum’s Wine & Canvas classes, is sort of like a party. We all work on the same thing in this one-time class for each painting.” Of her own work, Thomas says, “I try and mix it up, so it’s not always the same thing.” Her paintings are often of animals, such as one of her most popular works, “I Don’t Do Mornings,” featuring a baby yellow-crowned night heron, whose animated personality fairly leaps off the canvas. Another, “The Last Hug,” is a painting of her niece hugging one of her horses. “The Rescue,” painted from a photo of a small dog being saved from fires in Australia, depicts the drama of the pup’s adventure, now safely tucked into a basket. When it was shown at the museum’s artist-teacher exhibit, Thomas recalls that a young boy started crying after looking at it, before saying to her, “I get it.” With another rescue, this time an owl named Becka, she sent the painting to the sanctuary so that it could raise money by selling reproductions on notecards. Locally, Thomas has been involved in numerous community art projects, including a mural in the Vero Beach Community Center that had been started 10 years before, which she completed with Dawn Mill and Judy Burgarella. “Many activities take place in this room which has mirrors on the opposite wall, so it almost seems panoramic. We really had fun doing it,” recalls Thomas. “Each of us did two 8-foot by 5-foot panels for a total of six more. The project, sponsored by the Vero Beach Art Club, starts with the natives and goes all the way out to the ocean, Painting nature’s critters among Thomas’ artistic passions BY DEBBIE TIMMERMANN | Correspondent Christine Thomas. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS December 7, 2023 B3 depicting different eco zones.” Thomas has also painted large outdoor murals at Indian River Academy, an elementary school in Vero Highlands; a mural at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, where she gave weekly art classes; and, with Dawn Mill, one at the bus station that matches the design on the buses. At least four times she has repainted a mural, initially created by someone else, that is featured on the concrete floor of the large main hallway of Disney’s Vero Beach Resort on A1A, after the wear and tear of heavy foot traffic. “Disney has said I pretty much own it now; I have done it so many times,” says Thomas, adding that she finds Disney “absolutely wonderful to work for. When I am working on the mural, they let children come and watch me and ask questions.” To keep in touch, Thomas sends email blasts to her now 700-plus students. “One of the best things about teaching art is the students not only learn art, but they also become your friends,” says Thomas. “I have the dearest friends here through the art world. It is just amazing; we go out to dinner, to lunch, we go down to West Palm and go to art shows, the museums.” Her advice to art students is to “just relax, put your arms down, close your eyes, take a few breaths, and just get all the monkey brain out before you start painting. And then as you get into your painting, you get into your zone.”
The Indian River Symphonic Association is offering another exceptional season of performances by renowned orchestras and musicians. Audiences can look forward to listening to two international orchestras, such virtuosos as violinist Joshua Bell and emerging star cellist Alisa Weilerstein, and a range of music that includes classical and romantic as well as modern and contemporary. One of IRSA’s newest board members is longtime professional musician Mike Block. Last year, Block assumed the position of program director and took time to give Vero Beach 32963 an overview of the upcoming season. In addition to being an internationally touring cellist and educator, Block has become a fixture of the Vero Beach music scene as the founder and director of the popular Mike Block String Camp. For the past 15 years, he has brought in celebrated artists each summer to teach musicians of all ages. Having become enamored of the area during their visits, Block and wife Hanneke Cassel, an award-winning fiddler, purchased a home here. Not long after, he was BY PAM HARBAUGH | Correspondent B4 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com WHAT A SCORE FOR ’24! From left: Mike Block, Lois Conrad and Jacob Craig. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS “Cinderella,” presented by the State Ballet of Ukraine, is coming to the Sunrise on Dec. 27. enticed to add to his already busy schedule by joining the IRSA board. “I had friends on the board, they had an opening, and I agreed to join,” he says. “By the time I had my second meeting, I filled the need of program chair.” This new gig is an exciting one, he says, because he is helping to bring some of the best orchestras and soloists in the classical music industry to Vero Beach. Moreover, he says the experience of attending these concerts is a rare one. The venue, the Community Church of Vero Beach, is one of the smallest venues in which these prominent musicians perform. “It’s unique in that you get to see them play up close. It’s a very comfortable, intimate experience,” he says. “People can rest assured they will be treated to world-class music and world-class players.” Indeed. Here is the schedule of performances presented by the Indian River Symphonic Association in its 2024 season: Friday, Jan. 19 The Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nayden Todorov, will perform an all-Ludwig van Beethoven program, including “Emperor,” Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 “Emperor,” featuring pianist Ivaylo Vassilev. Other pieces to be performed are the Coriolan Overture, Op. 62; and Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92. “That’s going to be an incredible season opener with some of the greatest hits classical music has to offer,” Block says. Sunday, Feb. 4 The Brevard Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Confessore, is “Celebrating 100 Years of Gershwin Melodies” featuring pianist Jeffrey Biegel performing the iconic “Rhapsody in Blue.” The program also features Peter Boyer’s “Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue,” a new SYMPHONIC ASSOCIATION SEASON FEATURES ‘WORLD-CLASS’ LINEUP MUSIC PREVIEW
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS December 7, 2023 B5 piece written to celebrate the Feb. 12, 1924, premier of Gershwin’s masterpiece. Block says the concert not only “looks into the past but also looks into the present as well.” Tuesday, Feb. 20 The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jader Bignamini, will feature cellist Alisa Weilerstein performing Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85. Other works include Michael Abels’ “Emerge,” and Rimsky Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” Op. 35. Block describes the Elgar piece, which he wrote as the British Empire was fading and during a time of much societal change, as one of deep pathos and passion. “It’s a really melancholy work that’s really powerful.” Sunday, March 3 The Palm Beach Symphony, conducted by Gerard Schwarz, will perform William Grant Still’s “Threnody: In Memory of Jean Sibelius”; Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier,” Op. 59 Suite; and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36. Of particular interest, Block says, is the “Threnody” piece. “Still is an African American composer who is getting a lot of well-deserved attention in recent years. It’s good to see this balancing out of old European standards on that program.” Sunday, March 10 The Brevard Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Confessore, will feature violinist Paul Huang playing Eric Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35. The orchestra will also perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to “The Magic Flute,” and “Pictures at an Exhibition,” by Modest Mussorgsky/arr. Maurice Ravel. Block says he sees a visual element running through this program, even with Korngold piece. “Eric Korngold actually made most of his money and a lot of success writing music for Hollywood.” Tuesday, March 19 The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields will feature famed conductor and violinist Joshua Bell performing Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26. Other pieces include Gioachino Rossini’s Overture from “The Barber of Seville,” and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73. “What’s so special about this is you have Joshua Bell as violinist and conductor in a smaller, more intimate group,” Block says. “This is going to feel more intimate and personal, approaching a chamber music level of interaction on the stage. It’s going to be exciting.” Monday, March 24 The Kyiv Virtuosi Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dmitry Yablonski, will feature pianist Alon Kariv performing Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major. Other works include Alexey Shor’s Overture from “Crystal Palace,” and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op 88. This will be a powerful, emotionally wrought concert, Block says. “Alexey Shor is a living composer. That is likely going to be a really personal statement from the orchestra. And the Liszt bookends the season. I think that will close out the season very successfully and very meaningfully.” All of the concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd St., Vero Beach. Season tickets range from $395 to $435. Single tickets vary in price from $85 to $125. For more information, call 772-778-1070 or visit IRSymphonic.org. Joshua Bell. Alisa Weilerstein. Paul Huang.
B6 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S WEARING BOUTIQUE The Shops at St. Lucie West 1339 St. Lucie West Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 772-245-7997 • sheswearing.com prepare to be admired The Barn Theatre is known for bringing plays and musicals to the Treasure Coast, but several times a year, they also bring in performers to put on concerts with a dual purpose: to entertain and raise funds for the theater, which, like most buildings, always needs a nip and tuck. This December, the Barn will present the Rhythm Chicks Dec. 15-17 and a Rod Stewart tribute concert – the Best of Rod Stewart – Dec. 29-31. For the latter, think New Year’s Eve, even a day or two early. The Rhythm Chicks is a trio that takes the audience through just about every vocal era of the 20th century. With gorgeous harmonies, sparkly costumes and great choreography, they pay tribute to hits from the ’40s, featuring the Andrews Sisters, to the Motown Sounds of the Shirelles and the Crystals, to the ’70s disco era of the Pointer Sisters and Donna Summer, to ’80s favorites Tina Turner, Madonna and more. With songs like “Bugle Boy,” “We Are Family,” “Baby Love,” “When Will I Be Loved” and “Proud Mary,” you’ll be tapping your feet and singing along. The Chicks include choreographer Donna Shelley, singer and dancer Erica Danielle, and musician and singer Yamila Ayala. All have many professional credits and individually have performed at venues including the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Barry Britton has been performing tributes for more than 20 years, covering more than 25 artists from the ’60s to contemporary singers of today. He has performed in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Cancun, in the Legends in Concert Show in Atlantic City, and in Europe. He encourages audience singing and dancing, and with Stewart songs like “Do You Think I’m Sexy,” “Maggy May” and “Tonight’s the Night,” you’ll be singing and remembering where you were when you first heard these tunes. Chris Mazzella, the Barn’s president, has seen the Rhythm Chicks twice. “I see them like the Andrews Sisters, with the same kind of harmony and energy,” he said. “They’re a dynamic group with tight harmonies, which I love, and upbeat. It’s a real different kind of treat.” He said that he had not seen Barry Britton live, but has watched him on his website. “I’ve seen his performance on the website and spoken to people in the business,” he said. “He looks like and sounds like Rod Stewart and women love him.” Mazzella noted that the monies raised will go to three major projects. The first is repainting the entire exterior of the theater. That’s not as easy as it sounds, because the Barn was really used as a barn to store roses and so was insulated as well as painted. “The insulation has deteriorated and it all has to be physically removed, reapplied with special foam and then repainted,” he said. “There is only one contractor in this area that does that.” The other two projects include resurfacing the entire parking lot and updating the sewer system, which frequently causes problems as it is quite old. Here’s your chance to have some special entertainment, bring guests, have a great time and raise money for a great cause. Everybody wins. The Barn Theatre, 2400 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, presents “The Rhythm Chicks” Dec. 15-17 and a Rod Stewart tribute Dec. 29-31. Call 772-287-4884 or visit barntheatre.com. BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Staff Writer [email protected] BARN TOOTIN’! Rhythm Chicks, ‘Rod Stewart’ pack entertaining punch Brarry Britton as Rod Stewart. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BARN THEATHRE The Rhythm Chicks, from left: Yami Ayala, Donna Shelley and Erica Danielle.
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE December 7, 2023 B7 CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 COMING UP Pancakes with Santa will be held next week at the Community Center. This event is for children ages 2 and older. Children can visit with Santa and parents can take some sweet photos. In addition to the hot pancake breakfast, there will also be holiday crafts, festive music and holiday fun. Pancakes with Santa runs 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at the Community Center, 2195 SE Airoso Blvd., Port St. Lucie. For more information, call 772-878-2277 or visit CityOfPSL.com. The MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center has some events to perk up the season. It begins Saturday with “The Cracked Nutcracker.” This is a modern twist on a classic tale as performed by the Level Up Dance Center. “The Cracked Nutcracker” performs 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Tickets in advance are $25 adults, $20 children and free to children 4 and younger (and seated on your lap). Tickets at the door are $30 adults, $25 children and free to children 4 and younger on your lap. Get advance tickets at LevelUpDanceCenter.com/tickets or call 772-324-7750. The PSLinLights Party “Forever Motown – A Holiday Celebration” will be held Friday evening, Dec. 15. There will be a North Pole freeze dance, a visit from Santa, a faux snowball zone, a pet contest, children’s crafts and activities, and special guests “Forever Motown” taking guests on a timeless journey of Motown’s holiday classics by musical artists including Smokey Robinson, the Jackson Five, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder. Free cookies and cocoa will be supplied by the Port St. Lucie Police Department. You’ll be invited to sing, dance and have an allaround good time. PSLinLights Party runs 5 p.m. to 9 pm. Friday, Dec. 15. Admission is free for all ages. The Hot Weelz 6th Annual Tokyo Car Show runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. Free admission and parking. CCW Wrestling runs 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. Tickets are $20 to $40. For more information, visit CityOfPSL.com. The MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center is at 9221 SE Event Center Place, Port St. Lucie. 4 5 “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” a holiday play about a family of unruly children taking over the church Christmas pageant (and the shenanigans that follow), is running at Fort Pierce’s Pineapple Playhouse through Dec. 17. Bob Bradley (played by Dan Hernandez), center left, talks to children Charlie (Adrian Martinez) and Beth (Ava Fowles) about the upcoming pageant. Above, Leroy Herdman (Elliyana Richardson) bullies Charlie over his lunch snacks. PHOTOS: LINDA KLOORFAIN CHARMING CHRISTMAS PAGEANTRY AT THE PINEAPPLE
B8 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE www.stlucievoice.com BY KERRY FIRTH | Correspondent FORT PIERCE’S SIGHTS AND SOUNDS PARADE: ‘SECOND’ TO NONE! The City of Fort Pierce, Sunrise Kiwanis and Main Street Fort Pierce joined forces to create the magical winter wonderland for the 35th Annual Sights and Sounds on Second Parade held last Sunday in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce. Local residents and visitors from neighboring towns flocked there in the early afternoon to enjoy the myriad of activities and to peruse the variety of street vendors selling their holiday crafts. Downtown merchants all decked out for the holidays welcomed their customers with warm smiles and heartfelt holiday greetings. With the streets closed to traffic, local dance groups performed in the intersection of 2nd Street and Orange Avenue. Kids licked their snow cones while waiting to talk to Santa, while mom and dad cooled down with an icecold beer from the neighborhood brewery. The highlight of the day came when the Sights and Sounds parade came through town with dozens of floats decorated in this year’s theme of Under the Sea. Thousands of spectators lined up along 2nd Street and Indian River Drive to watch the marching bands, horses, dancing girls and ornate floats snake through town. The City of Fort Pierce police led the parade in their squad cars with lights flashing and sirens blaring. But it was the Fort Pierce Central High School Marching band, always a crowd favorite, that got the party started with their dancing flag girls and rousing music. A total of 82 entrants participated in this year’s parade, each adorned with colorful seascapes and human sea creatures riding and walking the parade route. Santa arrived on the last float and circled back around after completing the parade to light the massive Christmas tree in the Marina Way roundabout. The revelers went wild when the lights came on and, like magic, all the trees in Marina Square lit up simultaneously. The crowd shifted to the waterfront to enjoy the Holiday Lights Spectacular show featuring more than 100,000 lights synchronized to holiday music. Kids danced and played among the magical lights with their own light-up necklaces, hats and swords, adding to the fun. As the day turned into night, the air was filled with the laughter and joy of families and friends spreading holiday cheer. For those who missed all the festivities this past weekend, there’s still time to enjoy the holiday light and music show in Marina Square. The light show will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily until Jan. 4. Make sure you visit Historic Downtown Fort Pierce this holiday season where all the businesses make this the most magical time of year. PHOTOS: KERRY FIRTH
B10 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE www.stlucievoice.com From left: Tommy C., frontman for the band Power of Love; the “Back to the Future” theme prevailed at the city’s Festival of Lights; and juggler Bill Nichols walks among the crowd with a conspicuous routine of neon pins. PHOTOS: CHARLES CALOIA BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent The Festival of Lights at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center last Saturday rang in holiday cheer with carnival rides and rich foods. Hundreds of visitors turned out for the free festivities, with cars filling the City Center property’s lots to capacity in anticipation of the parade, including many vendors and candidates for the 2024 election season. Port St. Lucie City Council members Jolien Caraballo, Anthony Bonna and David Pickett were on hand to light the tree and declare the beginning of winter solstice fun, complete with a fireworks display. This year’s festival was accentuated by tributes to the 1985 time-travel comedy classic “Back to the Future,” starring Michael J. Fox as aspiring rocker Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as eccentric scientist Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown. Floats paid homage to the film’s scenes in the fictional town of Hill Valley, California, in Marty’s pursuit to pair off his parents in 1955 or face existential erasure: from the “Enchantment Under the Sea” high school dance to the climactic lightning strike at the clock tower. Lounging alongside Santa and Mrs. Claus under this year’s tree was Doc Brown’s signature DeLorean DMC-12 sports car time machine. The 2,700-pound stainless-steel brick with gullwing doors has become emblematic of ’80s nerd nostalgia, complete with plutonium-powered flux capacitors. Front and center on the outdoor stage was the six-man ensemble Power of Love: the Huey Lewis and the News cover band named after the film’s hit theme song. Power of Love formed in 2021 under the leadership of Tommy C., a Detroit native who grew up intimately familiar with the sounds of the Motown Records label throughout the 1960s. “I always had the idea; I love Huey’s music, all their mega-hits from that era. They’re just a great band,” Tommy C. said. Tommy C.’s career has led him to play sideman with his idols, including a decade-long tenure as musical director and saxophonist for Chubby Checker, purveyor of the 1960 dance hit cover of Hank Ballard and the Midnighters’ “The Twist.” Tommy C. has also performed on sax as part of Chuck Berry’s ad-hoc live bands with Bo Diddley, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. “I learned a lot from those guys, when you think about bands today, they all relish those originators of rock ’n’ roll who have that fire and passion,” Tommy C. said. “When you see great entertainers today that have that, it’s really something special. “[The city] had the idea for the ‘Back to the Future’ theme, and we just fit in perfectly with it,” Tommy C. said. “I’m not really a film connoisseur, per se, but I watch [the film] all the time! I just love the way it takes you back to that time.” Another impetus for Tommy forming the band arose after Huey Lewis’s 2018 retireGET ‘BACK’! Nostalic theme adds juice to city’s Festival of Lights
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE December 7, 2023 B11 ment after suffering hearing loss from Ménière’s disease. “To some musicians, they think it’s easy, but nothing’s easy if it’s done correctly,” Tommy C. said. “That’s what I learned in my 68 short years on this earth.” Port St. Lucie High School’s marching band took to the parade with rousing arrangements of holiday favorites. Assistant Band Director Matthew Marquez led the huge group of instrumentalists, flag spinners and flaming baton twirlers. Marquez, a 2021 PSLHS alumnus, marks his second year as assistant band director as he guides musicians in his care. “I was invited to come back and help work with the band. “There’s at least 100 kids out here,” Marquez said. “These kids have been working hard since the start of marching season. Parade music and all that comes very naturally and easily to them.” The band incorporates the festival’s repertoire as they practice throughout the marching season from early August to right before the holiday season. “This is the best year’s attendance we’ve had,” Marquez said. “These kids are extremely dedicated; they’re very passionate about what they do, they make sure to be here and get the most out of everything. We have over 90 percent attendance every rehearsal because they’re so great.” Brothers Dan and Sam Chuli brought with them the mirth of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, aboard two exotic cars: a lotus-adorned Honda NSX and a ’60s Austin-Healey Sprite brimming with tea lights atop its front hood. The Chuli brothers moved to Port St. Lucie right before signing up for the festival’s parade through a city Facebook notice. Dan Chuli spoke to St. Lucie Voice on how he and his brother were made welcome to the procession around the City Center property. “This city is very eclectic,” Dan Chuli said. “We encourage anybody that’s looking to find a new home in South Florida; Port St. Lucie has it all and we like everything about [the city] so far.” The five-day religious festival of Diwali, also known as Deepawali from the original Sanskrit, lasted from Nov. 10-14. It is celebrated among three of India’s major religious denominations: Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. “[The lotus] is a very sacred flower in the Hindu culture,” Chuli said. “There are some close similarities in this Festival of Light, which pertains to Christmas, but also to Diwali.” The 100-strong Port St. Lucie High School Marching Band rehearses near the Event Center. Realtors of GBI Groza stage their own “Back to the Future” tribute in their “Enchantment Under the Sea” float. Sam and Dan Chuli bring the lights of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, on top of exotic cars including this Austin-Healey Sprite.
B12 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE www.stlucievoice.com Thanksgivin’ it their all at Turkey Trot fundraiser! PHOTOS: LINDA KLOORFAIN The annual Turkey Trot at Tradition Thursday on Nov. 23 was stuffed with runners (1,778 in the 5K race) and raised big bucks for the Treasure Coast Food Bank and New Horizons of the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee. Clockwise from left: Kia and Megan Boursiquot, 6, start off the race with a smile; Ethan Sperr, Alivia Oliver and Jordyn Guettler race to the finish line; Carter Predix, 8, sprints ahead of Julie and Kara Brinksneader, 9; and representatives from the Treasure Coast Food Bank and New Horizons of the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee each accept checks for over $10,000 collected thanks to the Turkey Trot fundraising.
To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE December 7, 2023 B13 It’s the end of another year – a difficult one for many – and I thought I’d round up some happenings that made me smile, renewed my faith in people, or just felt good. The first happened at a café I frequent on Sunday mornings. There is art for sale on the walls and one painting was a portrait of a little girl with brown hair walking on the beach. She was named “Shellie,” and while the spelling was different, I saw myself. It turned out the artist, Sally Hastings, also frequented the café and I met her. I told her I’d wanted to purchase “Shellie” as a gift to myself when my house sold, but since that was taking its time, I asked if I could pay her in two installments. She said yes and I gave her a check. I visited “Shellie” every Sunday and a few weeks later, as it approached the 15th anniversary of my husband’s death, I said I would complete the purchase and it would be his gift to me. I told Sally I would pick it up the following week and explained why. The next Sunday, when I handed her the envelope with the check, she handed it back to me and said it was taken care of. It was a gift from my husband, she told me as our eyes glistened. “Shellie” came home with me. What a generous thing that was for her to do, and how nice it was for Roy to join in the plan! The second thing happened as I was going through papers, an almost daily event this year. I found a clipping of a story in a local Long Island paper about my mother, who was doing research at Hofstra University with African-American activist and scholar Louis Lomax. They were looking into the life of Jupiter Hammond, a Black poet whose birthdate was unknown but who could have been the first African-American poet in America. APPRECIATING UPLIFTING MOMENTS THAT EMERGE OUT OF THE BLUE SHELLEY KOPPEL MY TAKE To be perfectly honest, I was in college at the time and didn’t pay a lot of attention to what either of my parents were doing. I was in the wonderful self-absorption of the college student. When I found the clipping, I started looking things up online. Louis Lomax died in a car accident in the 1970s and his papers were archived at the University of Nevada in Reno. In a short introduction to the papers, I found the following: “While at Hofstra University in 1970, Lomax conducted research and discovered that the first black poet in America was not Phyllis Wheatley, as widely held, but rather a New York slave named Jupiter Hammond. In working with graduate student Lillian Koppel, they found documents, which verified the date of Hammond’s birth as Oct. 17, 1711. Until this find, scholars had been unable to certify the time of Hammond’s birth.” Apparently, my mother went through the handwritten ledgers of slave owner Henry Lloyd in the archives of the Long Island Historical Society and found the birth date listed. I wish that my mother were alive now so I could show her the clipping and the reporting and the credit she was given. I wish I could tell her how very proud I am of her. I knew where my passion for research came from and I knew she had been a constitutional scholar, but I didn’t know – or remember – that she found a little part of history. I did get to meet Professor Lomax as he came to a Passover Seder and read Langston Hughes. It remains the most unusual Seder I have ever attended! That story sent me down a Memory Lane trip of my mother and famous people. In the 1960s, she was waiting in a posh New York apartment for my father and his client to return and go to dinner. The door opened, a woman came in, took one look at my mother, and fled, clearly upset. The woman was Greta Garbo, a friend of the client, and she had been promised that no one would be in the apartment. Everyone forgot my mother. Apparently, the famous actress really wanted to be alone. In the late 1970s, the school where my mother was the assistant principal held a program about world hunger. She sat before the program, talking to the speaker, a musician. They talked about his wife and children. When she told me about it later, she said his name was Harry Chapin. Harry Chapin! I screamed, “Do you know who he is?” He was, to her, a nice man who talked about his wife and children. Finally, I offer this little story. I was channel-surfing and came upon a folk concert on PBS, taped some years ago. First up was Judy Collins, followed by the Smothers Brothers and the Kingston Trio. My mind suddenly focused as I realized I had interviewed all of them. Telling you this is my way of thanking you for reading my stuff all these years. It has enabled me to speak to people I have admired and listened to all of my life and to ask pretty personal questions – and get pretty personal answers. This is the best gig and I have you (and my editor and publisher) to thank for it. Here’s to another year. I can’t wait! ‘Shellie.’
B14 December 7, 2023 ST. LUCIE VOICE | CASUAL AND FINE DINING www.stlucievoice.com