03/13/2025 ISSUE 06

An early-morning stroll at Jetty Park in Fort Pierce will provide more than the usual beautiful ocean view and array of swooping birds. For the next two months, visitors can also watch as dump trucks go back and forth along the shoreline, first getting filled with sand, then returning to dump their cargo on the beach. St. Lucie County’s Port, Inlet and Beaches Department began an emergency truck haul beach nourishment project at the park last week. The project will add roughly 95,000 yards (about 133,000 tons) of sand just south of the jetty from a pre-approved upland sand mine. The goal is to protect Jetty Park and adjacent infrastructure ahead of the 2025 hurricane season. The sand will be placed within the first 2,000 linear feet of the beach south of Fort Pierce inlet. “This effort will help mitigate erosion and fortify this vulnerable segment of beach until The Florida Department of Transportation’s $23.5 million project to widen Midway Road/ County Road 712 between Selvitz Road and the Milner Drive/Corporate Way/Jenkins Road intersection is nearly a third complete despite numerous delays a year into its construction. The 0.785-mile project reached “36 percent” completion as of Feb. 24, said Samantha Kayser, a Corradino Group spokesperson representing FDOT, in a Feb. 26 email. The project endured 164 days of delays since construction started last April 1, according to Kayser. This places a setback on its anticipated completion date from Fall 2026 to early 2027. “A total of 56 weather days and Prima Vista Boulevard in Port St. Lucie is slated to get a facelift from Airoso Boulevard to U.S. 1 after a project that includes the design for the construction of raised medians, landscaping and upgraded pedestrian facilities Open enrollment began last week for students who choose to enroll at Legacy High School in Tradition, the Treasure Coast’s newest high school. St. Lucie Public School (SLPS) officials announced that enrollment would be open to all students regardless of zone or county, with the enrollment window closing on March 31. Projected enrollment for Legacy during year one is 1,500 students, with 600 ninth graders, 500 10th graders and 400 11th graders, according to Deputy Superintendent Dr. Helen Wild. The numbers are expected to increase to 2,000 in the second year when seniors will be included. The school will accommodate students in grades 9 to 11 during VOLUME 10, ISSUE 6 YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025 A3 A12 B8 County felt the heat Third warmest Feb. on record Iron deficiency woes? Problematic if left untreated It’s all aboard at IRSC Don’t miss the ‘Orient Express’ CONTINUED ON PAGE A6 BOOKS ARTS/PEOPLE GAMES SPORTS A1-A11, A20 A12-A19 B18 A21-A32 B19 B1-B17 B20-B22 B23 © 2025 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. IN THIS ISSUE NEWS HEALTH PETS REAL ESTATE $23.5M widening of Midway Road over 1/3 complete CONTINUED ON PAGE A4 LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL Vegas legend Rita Rudner brings her one-of-a-kind comedy to Sunrise. P. B4 CONTINUED ON PAGE A6 1,500 students expected for new school’s first year BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent Jetty Park beach gets ‘emergency’ sand infusion BY REGINA MARCAZZO-SKARKA | Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE A2 BY REGINA MARCAZZO-SKARKA | Staff Writer BY REGINA MARCAZZO-SKARKA | Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE A7 SEASON’S GREETINGS! PHOTOS: REGINA MARCAZZO-SKARKA Jose Mejai with his flag-waving A’s team, above, and the young Mets squad, right, participate in the Southwest Port St. Lucie Little League opening day ceremonies on March 1 at Whispering Pines Park. PHOTOS: LINDA KLOORFAIN Prima Vista set for $888K facelift with ‘safer road’ in mind Appeals court sides with Cleveland Clinic in wrongful death suit 164 DAYS OF DELAYS CONTINUED ON PAGE A8 Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital has prevailed in appealing a lower court ruling, effectively ending a negligence lawsuit arising from the March 2022 shooting death of a 29-year-old Sebastian man in the hospital’s emergency department. The appellate court BY JON PINE | Staff Writer

2 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com the next federal nourishment event can be pursued,” said St. Lucie County Communications Director Erick Gill in an email. The sand renourishment will take place Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. until May 30 at the latest, based on “active state and federal permits.” Although access to the south jetty and Jetty Park will remain open throughout the process, construction activities could temporarily close segments of A1A and the beach during construction. Trucks will enter and exit the beach at the intersection of South Ocean Drive and St. Lucie Court. According to Gill, the project cost is projected at $4,057,758 or lower, depending on whether or not sea turtle and shorebird nests require relocation. Thus far, nests have not had to be moved. “The project area is monitored every morning, and no construction activity occurs until we have been cleared by the environmental staff,” Gill explained. Funding for the emergency project came from the Erosion District reserves. “Since the shoreline is so eroded, we had to perform this project to protect adjacent property and infrastructure for the upcoming hurricane season,” Gill explained. “We are hopeful that next year’s project will be federally funded.” The last federal nourishment occurred in 2023, and another is expected for this winter or spring 2026. St. Lucie County will pay for the current project and then submit an application to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for reimbursement of 50 percent. In other efforts to protect the county from storm damage, St. Lucie is updating its Stormwater Master Plan and is actively seeking public input. The current plan was adopted by county commissioners in 1992. “Technology has changed, the population has grown, water levels continue to rise, and we are constantly learning more about effective stormwater management strategies. It’s time for an update,” said Commission Chair Jamie Fowler, adding, “We welcome public input to help us structure a master plan to better manage stormwater in neighborhoods where we know flooding has been a problem and to protect other neighborhoods from future problems.” Public information sessions were held last week via webinar and in person, and more will be conducted at the end of the year, according to Marcy Frick of Tetra Tech, who hosted the webinar. “There are areas of chronic flooding. The infrastructure closer to the coast is getting older,” Frick said, as she went through different areas of the unincorporated county and their potential needs. The next steps are to identify and evaluate potential capital improvement projects. The 131 potential locations identified were “screened” down to 40. Up to 25 will be included in the master plan. Recent events such as Hurricane Milton and its aftermath, and neighborhood flooding after severe rain events, prove that stormwater affects everyone. The updated plan will be a “comprehensive road map for managing stormwater runoff and flood risks after heavy and prolonged rainfall events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms while seeking to maintain water quality in natural systems such as the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie River Estuary,” Frick said.  CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 SAND RENOURISHMENT PHOTOS: REGINA MARCAZZO-SKARKA

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS March 13, 2025 3 As another meteorological winter brought with it wavering patterns of warmth, cold and rainfall, the National Weather Service logged high temperatures throughout last month in what became St. Lucie County’s 10th warmest February on record since 1901. The NWS Melbourne office logged a warm low of 69 degrees Fahrenheit Feb. 14, which tied with a record “last set in 1949,” according to a March 5 release. They also logged a record-breaking low of 70 degrees Feb. 15 that inched past a previous 69 degrees “last set in 1982.” “Fort Pierce had a monthly average temperature of 69.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 4.6 degrees above normal,” the NWS said in the release. “This ties February 1957 as the 10th warmest February on record for this site.” The warm front arrived after a dip to the 40-to-50-degree range in January that caused St. Lucie to open a warm shelter at the Percy Peek Gym, 2902 Ave. D, Fort Pierce, from Jan. 7-9, county records show. “Temperatures varied throughout the season, with below-normal conditions in January and warmer than normal conditions in February,” said Will Ulrich, warning coordination meteorologist at NWS Melbourne, in a March 5 email. NWS also logged “above average” rainfall throughout the winter with a total of 10.97 inches, or 3.65 inches above average, according to Ulrich. The heaviest rain included a record 3.05 inches on Dec. 17 and 2.90 inches between Feb. 24-25. The zigzagging temperature and precipitation values can be attributed to the complex, varied weather patterns of the La Niña jet stream blowing eastward from the Pacific Ocean. “A continuing, but weakening, La Niña favors above normal temperatures and drier than usual conditions throughout the spring,” Ulrich said. “This would lead to the development of drought conditions and bring an elevated risk of wildfires to the area.” These new weather developments emerged as hundreds of layoffs affected the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NWS starting the week of Feb. 23. “It’s still too early to fully understand what personnel reductions to NOAA would mean for us locally,” said Port St. Lucie’s Emergency Operations Division director Billy Weinshank in an email March 7. “We do rely on the National Weather Service’s Melbourne Office for critical information related to severe weather conditions, including hurricanes, tornado warnings and significant rain events,” Weinshank said. “Until we receive more information, it is premature to speculate how it would affect our operations.” NWS’ continued outreach also extended to their SKYWARN volunteer spotting service, which gave the Melbourne office a conduit toward understanding extreme weather phenomena since holding a 60-person class last Aug. 7, city records show. “We have had discussions with the NWS Melbourne Office about holding SKYWARN training this year but have not heard any updates about scheduling,” Weinshank said. “After Hurricane Ian [in 2022], we recognized the need to share the impacts of storm surge when providing outreach to residents, offering vital information for them to better understand the dangers and how to better prepare,” Weinshank said. “After Hurricane Milton we will dedicate extra focus in our community outreach about the secondary impacts that tropical cyclones cause beyond the periphery of the eyewall,” Weinshank added. “I can say that our mission at the National Weather Service in Melbourne remains the same: to protect life and property from hazardous weather and water,” Ulrich said. “We will continue to issue forecasts as well as watch, warnings and advisories for the residents and visitors of east central Florida. “We will continue to work closely with local emergency management and public safety officials before, during and after an event, whether it is from severe thunderstorms, tornadoes or hurricanes,” Ulrich added.  BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent National Weather Service records 10th warmest February here since 1901 NWS Melbourne Warning Coordination meteorologist Will Ulrich conducts a SKYWARN volunteer weather spotting class last August. FILE PHOTO

4 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com was approved last week by the St. Lucie County Board of Commissioners. “I’m glad that they’re finally going to get the attention they deserve. It will be a safer road,” said Commissioner Cathy Townsend of the highly used stretch of roadway. The $888,000 project design will be funded by infrastructure sales tax and “will provide safe and efficient movement of people and goods along the corridor.” The county-maintained road serves as a principal arterial and strategic freight corridor, as well as an evacuation route. Raised medians will provide safe and efficient movement of vehicles. The roadway has a five-lane section, with a center opposing left-turn lane with no median from Aldea Street west to Airoso Boulevard. “While the center opposing lane can improve the flow of traffic and safety in certain contexts, it also introduces various issues such as increased collision risks, confusion for drivers, and possible disruptions to traffic and pedestrian flow,” reads a section of the project description and explanation. The medians could also restrict access to many driveways, making public participation and input important. Commissioner James Clasby, who was initially concerned about the project’s price tag, said, “I’m glad we’re investing in infrastructure specifically Prima Vista, making it safer for some of those driveways on that road.” The design contract was awarded to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. of Vero Beach. The design project is broken into four phases. Two public information meetings, both in-person and virtual, will follow the completion of the project’s first two phases. A Board of County Commissioners presentation will take place two months after the second workshop and the entire project is expected to take 20 months from the “notice to proceed.” Public involvement activities that provide information and seek input will be part of the process to ensure that the design reflects community values and needs. In addition, all property owners and tenants within a minimum of 300 feet of the project corridor will be placed on a mailing list that will be updated as the project moves forward. Kimley-Horn will prepare approximately six newsletters throughout the design and construction period and distribute them to elected officials, public officials and property owners to keep them up to date on the project. According to the project timeline, all design work will be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2026. Once the design phase is complete, the county will prepare the construction bidding process, according to Erick Gill, St. Lucie County’s director of communications. “Part of Kimley-Horn’s scope of work for the design is to assist us with preparing the construction bid documents,” he wrote in an email.  CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 ‘PRIMA VISTA’ PROJECT

6 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com the first year. However, students entering grades 10 and 11 were permitted to opt out of moving to the new school with conditions that included providing their own transportation. There will be no senior class during the first year as seniors will remain in their original high school. Approximately 200 students decided to stay at their three-zone schools – Treasure Coast High School, St. Lucie West Centennial High School and Fort Pierce Central High School – according to SLPS Chief Communications Officer Lydia Martin, noting that they were “happy there.” Asked if there was concern about traffic due to out-of-zone students having to provide transportation, Martin said in an email, “We don’t anticipate much impact with drop-off at the three high schools. Many of the 11th-grade students drive to school and the numbers are not large enough to make much of an impact. We will monitor that in the initial weeks of school.” The $93 million Legacy High School, located at 14505 Crosstown Parkway in Port St. Lucie, consists of three buildings and is equipped with nearly 2,000 student stations, 72 classrooms, a 764-seat auditorium and over 1,300 bleacher seats in the gym. Reconfigured district boundary zones will go into effect at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Legacy High School will include students in ZIP codes 34953 west of Rosser Road/Power Line; 34972; 34986 west of I-95; 34987; and 34988. Private and charter school parents in the zone are the ones asking for applications at this point, according to Wild, but that is expected to change. “The road is not open yet so people haven’t seen the school,” she said, adding, “As soon as it is open we expect that to increase.” “We expect Crosstown all the way out to Legacy to be open by mid-March,” said Terence O’Leary, chief operations officer, during a presentation at a Feb. 25 School Board workshop. Open enrollment students will be picked by lottery and notified at the end of April. School Board Vice Chair Troy Ingersoll was concerned that students from out of the district, namely those whose parents don’t pay taxes in the county, could take spots from in-county students, but he was assured that should not be an issue. Legacy will have a variety of advanced courses and programs including Advanced Placement, Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education and Dual Enrollment classes. It will have the same athletic opportunities as high schools in the district, as well as career and technical education programs including a dental aid and assistant program, CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL PSL resident will vie for City Council seat The race is on. Port St. Lucie resident Peter Overhuls has officially filed papers to run for the City Council District 3 seat that councilor Anthony Bonna will vacate when his current term is up. Bonna last month announced his candidacy for the Florida State House District 85 next year being vacated by term-limited incumbent Rep. Toby Overdorf. Overhuls, a former vice president of operations for a transportation company up north, moved to Florida in 2004 and to Port St. Lucie in 2010. He was recruited by Ad South in Boca Raton over two decades ago to serve as vice president of operations and was eventually appointed as chief operating officer. “My background in business leadership has taught me to identify multiple solutions when confronted with unique challenges. I believe the City Council needs to start thinking outside the box and developing better strategies to address the rapid growth issues facing residents here in Port St. Lucie,” Overhuls said. In his current position as district deputy director for the seven Knights of Columbus Councils in St. Lucie County, the 78-yearold Overhuls spends a great deal of time working with and talking to residents. He attends meetings three times a week and participates in many weekend activities sponsored by the different council groups. “Residents are now looking for leaders who are in tune with the residents’ needs,” said Overhuls, who believes that poor planning and decision-making have led to extensive traffic problems throughout the city. People are “overwhelmed with traffic and explosive growth.” Overhuls stressed that he is not opposed to progress growth, but feels it could be better managed. “I want to be very clear: I’m not averse to growth,” he said. He contends it’s important for the city to “work closely with the county officials.” He would also like to “ensure that developers are truly paying for and constructing road and utility infrastructure prior to building.” One skill Overhuls says will be invaluable to his campaign and work as a commissioner is problem-solving. “I truly believe I bring that ability to my candidacy.” Asked why he decided to begin his campaign now, he explained that after Bonna started his state run, he felt the time was right. “This was as good a time as any to jump in,” he said.  BY REGINA MARCAZZO-SKARKA | Staff Writer Overhuls.

agreed with the hospital that it was a medical negligence case, not simple negligence, and under Florida law, the victim’s family lacks standing to sue for medical negligence. Judges with Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal sided with Cleveland Clinic in the wrongful death case brought by Arlene Anderson, the grandmother of Zachary Anderson, a computer programmer who died after deputies shot him while he was being treated for a mental health breakdown. The hospital had asked the appellate court to review Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Cox’s refusal to dismiss the case. Lawyers for the hospital had argued that Zachary Anderson was killed during the course of his medical treatment, meaning the incident qualified as medical negligence, not simple negligence, as Anderson’s lawyers had argued. “The hospital is a medical provider and was acting in that capacity while actively treating decedent for his mental illness and physical injuries,” wrote Chief Judge Mark W. Klingensmith and Judge Cory J. Ciklin of the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Florida Statute 768.21(8), colloquially known as the “Free Kill Law,” limits who can sue for medical negligence to the victim, the victim’s spouse or children under age 25. Zachary Anderson was unmarried with no children; his grandmother Arlene Anderson, though she raised him from a young boy, does not qualify. “We believe the (appeals) court got it wrong,” said Joni Mosely, Anderson’s attorney. “We think the court ignored some important case law and relied on whether (Zachary) was receiving treatment at the time, and we don’t think that applies in a simple negligence case.” Mosely said she will ask the appellate court for a rehearing, but said rehearings are rarely granted. The Free Kill Law is not without controversy. In some cases, the law prevents doctors from being held liable for medical malpractice even when their negligence is egregious. There have been several unsuccessful attempts to overturn the law, including five bills filed in 2024. “Legislation about the Free Kill Law is set to come before the Florida Legislature again this session and I would just urge the Legislature to do something about this,” Mosely said. “You’ve got loved ones of deceased people who are in an impossible position and cannot receive compensation for the loss of loved ones.” Zachary Anderson was taken to Cleveland Clinic’s emergency room on March 25, 2022, by his aunt, Ellen Fulks, who raised her nephew with Arlene Anderson as the biological mother and father were long out of the picture. Both women describe Zachary Anderson as highly intelligent and loving, and in the midst of a brilliant career. But on that day, he was despondent and had several self-inflicted lacerations on his legs. With the help of an online nurse, Fulks was able to have Anderson hospitalized under the Florida Mental Health Act – commonly called the Baker Act – which allows a person to be held, involuntarily, for 72 hours while being assessed at a mental health facility. According to court documents, the hospital tried to transfer Anderson in the afternoon to the Neuro Psychiatric Addiction Clinic on East Torino Parkway in Port St. Lucie, but the ambulance was turned away before he could be seen as that facility does not accept Baker Act patients. He then returned to the Cleveland Clinic emergency department, but by then there were no rooms available, and he was left alone sitting on a gurney in a hallway. At around 10:30 p.m., according to hospital security video, Anderson got up from the gurney, grabbed a pair of scissors from the pocket of an emergency room nurse and started running down the hallway toward the exit. Four sheriff’s deputies, who were in the emergency room for another case, saw Anderson as he turned a corner and yelled at him to stop. Deputies and witnesses said Anderson turned toward the deputies and lunged at them with the scissors raised above his head. To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS March 13, 2025 7 CONTINUED ON PAGE A9 which is not available in the other district high schools. Besides Legacy High School, two additional schools are in the works. Groundbreaking at K-8 Western Grove was expected last week with an official groundbreaking ceremony set for March 25. The school will be located off Tradition Parkway on a new road that will be called Sundance Vista Boulevard. Given the number of golf carts in the area, the school is expected to have golf cart access. “This is actually a solution to ease traffic,” said Superintendent of Schools Jon Prince. “Everyone seemingly has a golf cart. It’s new to us.” The school, which ultimately will have a different name than K-8 Western Grove, will be set on 21.4 acres and have 1,900 student stations and space for 40 buses. It will be adjacent to a 110-acre Tradition Regional Park and just under a mile from Legacy High School. Also under construction is a new Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, set to replace the current Westwood Academy building. The new Westwood Academy is expected to open next January, while Western Grove is slated for August 2026. Prince commended those involved with the projects. “They have done an amazing job just to think that we are going to be on schedule to open Western Grove in August 2026 is nothing short of miraculous given we are currently building two high schools,” Prince said.  CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT

8 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 MIDWAY ROAD Above left: Workers digging drainage improvements along Midway Road’s south edge. Above center and right: A backhoe near the Midway Road/Milner Drive intersection, currently closed for drainage work. 23 holidays have been granted in accordance with the contract,” Kayser said. “To address utility conflicts, 85 days have been added, bringing the total extension to 164 days.” The project has incurred no added costs, Kayser noted. The Midway Road/Milner Drive intersection will be closed for drainage work through either March 31 or April 7 depending on “if weather or unforeseen circumstances arise,” FDOT said last Friday. They previously reported the closure would last until either March 17 or March 24. Traffic turning onto Milner Drive will be detoured to Corporate Way near the Larry J. Lee Public Health Building, 5150 Milner Drive, according to FDOT. Midway Road continues to support an approximate 20,800 motorists daily in the project corridor, Kayser estimated. The project supports limited pedestrian/bicycle access through ad-hoc walkways along Midway Road’s north side. One of the project’s amenities includes improved drainage along its south side and a 100,800-square-foot retention pond north of Midway Road and west of Jenkins Road. The pond will be dug 11 feet below ground level, Kayser said. The pond will hold around 8 million gallons of water at a depth of 17.20 feet, according to Kayser. It can also hold another 840,000 gallons to a high-water level of 18.14 feet under storm conditions. “The stormwater pond is currently under excavation and is expected to be completed in late 2025,” Kayser said. “Once finished, it will function as a wet detention pond and play a crucial role in stormwater management.” The project also calls for the removal of 22.9 acres of existing infrastructure and vegetation including 15.8 acres of trees and 7.1 acres of pavement, according to Kayser. FDOT has cleared “less than 0.5” acres of pavement and “approximately 13” acres of plants so far. “Most of the existing pavement remains in place and will be removed over the course of construction,” Kayser said. The current Midway Road project precedes another widening phase from Jenkins Road to Glades Cut-Off Road that will cover approximately 0.80 miles and add a partial interchange to the Florida Turnpike. Midway Road’s widening west of Jenkins Road, currently in the design phase, will cost about $71.4 million, FDOT records show. The roadway’s construction is projected to begin in summer 2027 and end March 2030. FDOT will hold two public workshops on the second Midway Road widening phase later this month, project manager James Hughes wrote in a Feb. 28 letter. FDOT’s workshops include a March 25 virtual meeting and a March 27 in-person meeting at the Bailey Auditorium in Indian River State College’s Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex campus, 4600 Kirby Loop Road, according to Hughes. Both meetings start at 5:30 p.m.  PHOTOS: CHARLES CALOIA

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS March 13, 2025 9 Treasure Coast Hospice honoring Vietnam-era vets March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Treasure Coast Hospice is marking it the day before with a private event – the inaugural Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans event at the Ardie R. Copas State Veterans Nursing in Tradition. “This is the first event we’ve held, Treasure Coast Hospice, as a commemorative partner with the Department of Defense’s Vietnam War Commemoration program,” said Lisa Gunggoll, director of volunteer services at hospice. “That group is marking the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War this year.” The Vietnam War Recognition Act of 2017 established National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The date was selected because on March 29, 1973, the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was shuttered and the U.S. combat troops left the Republic of Vietnam. After the withdrawal of combat units from Vietnam and bordering nations, the U.S. military did limited operations in Southeast Asia, such as Operation Eagle Pull, until the surrender of South Vietnam and Khmer Republic, Cambodia, in April of 1975. “(Treasure Coast Hospice has) been a commemorative partner since 2023,” Gunggoll said. Hospice is also a partner with the We Honor Veterans, a National Alliance for Care at Home program. As a part of that program, the local hospice has Veteran Volunteers. “We have 26 Veteran Volunteers in our veteran-to-veteran program,” Gunggoll said. “They go out and visit our veteran patients. They’ll go out within the community and honor veterans in the community.” Part of the We Honor Veterans program is giving military veterans lapel pins honoring their service. Last year the volunteers recognized more than 400 hospice patients with pinning ceremonies. They honored another about 450 in pinning ceremonies in the community. “Amongst our 26 veterans, about half of those are Vietnam-era,” said Gunggoll. “It’s our veteran-to-veteran volunteers at the (Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans) pinning their fellow veterans at the ceremony.” Those will be different lapel pins – they’re specific to Vietnam-era veterans. Those pins are part of the national Vietnam War Commemoration program. Gunggoll said hospice is always seeking veterans to volunteer. One often overlooked group of veterans is needed. While the overall population of veterans is declining, one segment is growing: women veterans. While Florida has the third largest veterans population in the nation – about 1.4 million – it has the second largest women veterans population. To learn more about volunteering, visit the treasurehealth.org or call 772-403- 4510. The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs – a state agency unaffiliated with the federal VA – reports there are about 423,000 Vietnam-era veterans in the Sunshine State. The state veterans department runs the Ardie R. Copas veterans home.  BY PATRICK McCALLISTER | Correspondent CONTINUED FROM PAGE A7 WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT Two deputies opened fire. Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene. Arlene Anderson filed a suit for simple negligence against the hospital on March 25, 2024. Attorneys for Cleveland Clinic argued that the case should be for medical negligence and that Anderson’s lawyers failed to comply with “mandatory pre-suit procedures” as outlined in Chapter 766 of Florida’s statutes. Among the requirements are a mandatory investigation by a medical review committee and a mediation and settlement conference. Mosley argued that Chapter 766 procedures did not apply, saying “the case is not about the medical standard of care” but rather “the duty of basic safety that premises owners owe to their invitees.” Judge Cox agreed and denied the hospital’s request for full dismissal on Sept. 3. Lawyers for the hospital appealed to the Fourth DCA on Oct. 2, and the appeals court quashed Cox’s ruling on Feb. 19. Cleveland Clinic has a policy of not commenting on pending litigation, and had no comment on the outcome. Since the March 2022 incident, the hospital has installed security upgrades as part of a $20 million renovation to the emergency department, to better protect mental health patients being treated or awaiting Baker Act commitment.  The Vietnam Service Medal, created in 1965. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE AIR FORCE PERSONNEL CENTER

10 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com

The county’s push to house young families and maintain its elderly population brings with it renewed attention to reproductive healthcare through organizations like Planned Parenthood, the largest such provider in the U.S. The organization’s Treasure Coast Health Center, 1696 SE Hillmoor Dr. in Port St. Lucie, observed a 16 percent increase in its total patient volume last year, according to a March 6 email from Michelle Quesada, a spokesperson for the state’s Planned Parenthood chapter. The clinic also saw a 6 percent increase in new patients. Among these developments, the clinic saw a 35 percent “surge” in patients receiving contraceptive care to prevent unintended pregnancies last year compared to 2023, according to Quesada. Planned Parenthood offers contraceptive treatments for women including intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and dermal arm implants that curb ovulation through the distribution of the hormone progestin. IUD installations at the Treasure Coast Health Center “nearly tripled” and arm implant installations “nearly doubled” throughout last year, Quesada noted. Additionally, the clinic reported a 55 percent jump in cancer tests including breast exams, pap smears and screenings for the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that can lead to cervical cancers among other conditions, Quesada explained. The organization promotes further screenings through their Pink Project every October: “a day of free breast and pap screening services in observation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Quesada said. More resources for the clinic’s patients range from “HPV vaccines for young people, to contraception and STI [sexually transmitted infection] testing, to prenatal care up to 14 weeks, infertility testing and basic treatment and menopause care,” Quesada said. “In addition to expanding our services in 2023 to include prenatal care and sexual dysfunction treatment, we further broadened our care in 2024 to offer infertility services.” The increased business at the Port St. Lucie Planned Parenthood clinic illustrates “a testament to the growing need for our services,” in Quesada’s words. The state legislature narrowed the window of women’s access to abortion, both in-clinic and through medication like the mifepristone pill, to a six-week gestation cycle last May 1 with the passage of Senate Bill 300, or the “Heartbeat Protection Act.” Planned Parenthood “made the difficult decision to temporarily pause abortion care” at the Treasure Coast Health Center, Quesada said. “This decision was driven by the anticipated decline in demand due to the six-week restriction.” The six-week ban succeeds a 15-week ban approved in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, state records show. Florida also passed House Bill 633 which requires that women attend two consultations at least 24 hours apart before getting the procedure in 2015. “They have to wait at least 24 hours in between to be able to move forward with medication abortion or in-clinic abortion, whatever they prefer,” Quesada said while detailing Florida’s abortion-centric legislation in a March 4 interview. “It’s only two weeks after a missed period if you have a perfect 28-day cycle, which, MORE NEWS ON PAGE 20 To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS March 13, 2025 11 Local Planned Parenthood clinic saw 16% rise in patient volume in 2024 BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent PHOTO: CHARLES CALOIA let’s be honest, most women don’t,” Quesada said. “You’re looking at someone who just found out that they’re pregnant and might be five weeks and five days pregnant. “Now, they have two days left to be able to make an appointment, get into a clinic, do their day-one consultation and then come back 24 hours later to get an abortion so they don’t go past the six-week cutoff. If you’re [arriving] six weeks and one day, it’s too late for you. “If you came into the health center at six weeks, zero days for a day-one consult, you cannot get an abortion the next day because you’re pregnant for too long before your visit date,” Quesada said. Other abortion care facilities compensate for the Port St. Lucie clinic’s halt like Planned Parenthood’s Florida Mango Health Center in West Palm Beach. That clinic “continues to provide abortion care for St. Lucie County patients,” Quesada said. In addition, consultants at the Port St. Lucie clinic bridged access to out-of-state abortion care for “over 1,200 patients,” according to Quesada. 

A recent study found that a surprisingly large number of adults in the United States – nearly 1 in 3 – may have iron deficiency, even if they don’t have a health condition like anemia, heart failure or chronic kidney disease that would trigger screening for the condition. The study, published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open in September, warns that iron deficiency may be a “widespread” and “underrecognized” public health problem in the United States. Dr. Ashish Dalal, who practices medical oncology, hematology, and hematology oncology at Health First Cancer Institute, agrees with the findings of the study. “I’m a blood and cancer doctor,” he says. “In my practice, between 35-to-40 percent of those I see have anemia and 75 percent of those have iron deficiency.” The terms anemia and iron deficiency are frequently used interchangeably but have different meanings. Anemia is a medical condition characterized by a low red blood cell count. These cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to various parts of the body. A lack of them can cause fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath. Anemia can be caused by low iron, a nutritional deficiency. Iron is a mineral the body requires to produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen. When a person lacks iron, their 12 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com Iron deficiency ‘widespread’ – and potentially perilous if untreated body is unable to produce enough hemoglobin, and they may develop anemia. Dr. Dalal explains that 80 percent to 90 percent of his patients who are suffering from iron deficiency are bleeding somewhere. “Usually, the bleeding is in the gut. However, if the patient is a young woman, the iron deficiency is usually the result of heavy periods. “It can also be caused by low dietary iron intake, although this is rare in the United States. “Gastric bypass surgery can significantly increase the risk of iron deficiency due to the surgical alteration of the digestive tract, bypassing the duodenum, which is the primary site of iron absorption,” says Dr. Dalal. “The body struggles to absorb enough iron from food after the procedure, which can lead to anemia if not properly managed with dietary adjustments and iron supplements. “Even iron pills are bypassed, so these patients who require treatment should receive iron intravenously. “Iron used to be delivered by deep injection,” adds Dr. Dalal. “But many people had a severe reaction to it. There are far fewer side effects from the IV procedure.” Cleveland Clinic outlines possible side effects, which usually are described minimal:  Bloating or swelling of your face, arms, hands, lower legs or feet.  Dizziness, faintness or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position.  Gastrointestinal pains, including nausea, cramps or diarrhea.  Problems with breathing. Discussing the symptoms of iron deficiency, Dr. Dalal says, “people crave ice and eat it voraciously.” WebMD expands BY JACKIE HOLFELDER | Correspondent Dr. Ashish Dalal. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

on this urge, called pagophagia, stating that chewing on ice helps people with iron deficiency feel more alert and mentally sharp. “Brittle nails and leg cramps are two other symptoms,” continues Dr. Dalal. They all respond to treatment, although results can take four weeks to occur. Mayo Clinic says that mild iron deficiency usually doesn’t cause complications. However, left untreated, it can become severe and lead to health problems, including the following:  Heart problems. Iron deficiency may lead to a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Your heart must pump more blood to compensate for the lack of oxygen carried in your blood, which can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure.  Problems during pregnancy. In pregnant women, severe iron deficiency anemia has been linked to premature births and low birth weight babies. The condition is preventable in pregnant women who receive iron supplements as part of their prenatal care.  Growth problems. In infants and children, severe iron deficiency can lead to anemia as well as delayed growth and development. Additionally, iron deficiency is associated with an increased susceptibility to infections. There are many ways to minimize or cure iron deficiency, according to Dr. Dalal. “If you’re a woman whose heavy periods are causing this condition, your OB/ GYN can help. If fibroids are to blame, have them removed. Because it can be a predictor of colon cancer, it’s important to find what’s causing your iron deficiency as soon as possible.” Many people take an iron supplement to treat their iron deficiency, and that can be effective, too, depending on the underlying cause. “Take vitamin C or orange juice with the supplement to help ensure you’re absorbing the iron properly,” advises Dr. Dalal. “Avoid time-release products. You should also take your iron supplement separately from meals since some foods interfere with absorption. “Start with one pill a day and each week add one pill a day until you’re meeting your recommended dose. There are also liquid forms available.” Dr. Ashish Dalal graduated from the M.S. University Medical College of Baroda in India, where he also completed a rotating internship. He was a clinical research associate in the Oncology Department at Montefiore Medical Center in New York and completed a residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Dr. Dalal is board-certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology. He works at Health First Cancer Institute in Melbourne. Call 321-253-4673 for more information or an appointment.  To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH March 13, 2025 13 Call for your annual exam and mammogram appointments today! • 10771 SW Trade St., Port St. Lucie • 501 NW Lake Whitney Pl #106, Port St. Lucie • 3498 NW Federal Hwy Jensen Beach Recent 5-star reviews for Dr. Stephanie Osorio with Women’s Health Specialists. Call for your appointment today - 772-261-9636 “Dr. Osorio was very kind, thorough, and I did not feel rushed. I did not wait long, and the entire staff was nice.” “The doctor and staff were wonderful! The front desk were extremely friendly and there was no wait time. Going to the gynecologist is always filled with anxiety, but Dr. Osorio and staff made this an overall positive experience.” Schedule Your Exam and Mammogram Today! 772-261-9636 3 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! • WWW.WHSFL.COM Oh, the joys of aging – wisdom, patience and, for many of us, cataracts. As the years pass, the once-crystal-clear lens inside your eye gradually clouds over, thanks to the oxidation of its proteins. The result? A view of the world that’s more like peering through a fogged-up window than seeing in high definition. The good news is that cataract surgery has come a long way in recent years, with better lens and surgical techniques. There now are several options that can restore sharp vision and even reduce the need for glasses. Cataract surgery has long been a life-changing procedure, restoring vision for millions of people every year, but choosing the right intraocular (IOL) lens can be difficult. Among the viable options, the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) and the Apthera Pinhole lens offer advanced features compared to the traditional monofocal lens. “There’s several different types of lens implants,” said Dr. Stephen Tate, an ophthalmologist with New Vision Eye Center in Vero Beach. “Insurance typically covers a fixed focus or monofocal implant. They are very nice, but they don’t fix astigmatism, and they only provide a single plane of focus. “For example, if you make it a focus for distance, you will still probably need glasses for reading. A lot of people don’t care, but others are very interested in not needing glasses for certain things. That’s where the specialty lenses come into play.” Standard monofocal lens seemed miraculous when they first came along and DECIDING WHICH CATARACT SURGERY REPLACEMENT LENS IS BEST FOR YOU BY KERRY FIRTH | Correspondent CONTINUED ON PAGE A14 Dr. Stephen Tate. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

14 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE A13 CATARACT SURGERY remain a tried-and-true option with decades of successful use. They are affordable and usually covered by insurance. They provide excellent distance vision but, as noted by Dr. Tate, patients often will need reading glasses for near tasks. Unlike specialty lenses, they are fixed focused and cannot be adjusted after implantation. And they are not designed to correct age-related loss of near vision or astigmatism. Light adjustable lenses provide a more tailored vision approach with their ability to be fine-tuned after surgery using ultraviolet light treatments. Patients who struggle with refractive errors or astigmatism may benefit significantly from LALs and may achieve excellent vision at multiple distances without corrective glasses or lenses. “Light adjustable lens overcome a lot of shortcomings that have always been inherent with cataract surgery,” Dr. Tate explained. “With the older style lenses, a computer takes some very sophisticated measurements of the eye and then uses those measurements to calculate what power lens would achieve the desired goal. But there are so many variables involved. It’s a biologic system and it is a prediction, so it’s not 100 percent accurate. “With LAL, the lens is put in, then after a period of about three weeks of healing, the lens can be adjusted specifically to that person’s eye. You can measure the leftover distance prescription and astigmatism and program it into a computer. The computer shines a special pattern of ultraviolet light at the lens while the patient looks into the small machine, and it imprints the prescription onto the lens so that distance vision is very clear. The astigmatism can also be fixed with the ultraviolet light adjustment.” The downside to LALs is the higher cost, which may not be covered by insurance. The treatment is longer than for the monofocal implants, and patients must follow a strict post-surgery protocol, including multiple UV light treatments to adjust vision and the use of protective glasses during the post-op period to prevent any unintended changes. “Until the final light adjustment is made, patients must wear special glasses that shield them from ultraviolet sunlight,” Dr. Tate said. “Once the final treatment is done, those glasses are no longer needed. There’s a minimum of three and a maximum of five adjustments required, so it can end up taking a fair amount of time. We generally space the treatments a week apart to give the patient a chance to really see what they think and to test drive [the adjustment], so to speak.” Another newer lens option, the Apthera Pinhole lens, is designed to optimize both near and intermediate vision. “The Apthera Pinhole lens works on a simple technology of using a small aperture, similar to a pinhole camera that a lot of people made when they were children,” Dr. Tate explained. “With a small aperture, your vision is much like when it’s bright outside during the day. The reason for that is because your pupil gets quite small, making a small aperture. So with the Apthera Pinhole lens, the patient basically has a small pupil at all times. Even in dim light when their pupil may be a little bit larger, this lens has a small pupil built in. “The patient can see both distance and close fairly well but neither one is as perfectly crystal clear as with a dedicated lens. Because it has a small aperture and you are looking through a small pupil at all times, if it’s put in both eyes, it can affect vision a very low light. That’s why it is only put in one eye and the other one is usually an eye dedicated for distance and it can be matched up with a light adjustable lens. “That way, you have a light adjustable lens in one eye that’s dedicated for high quality vision and an Apthera Pinhole lens in the other eye for a nice blend of both distance and up close.” Different eye irregularities play an integral role in determining which lens to implant. Someone with macular degeneration, for example, will still have their central vision affected, decreasing their ability to see properly even with glasses, so it may not be worth the added expense and commitment that comes with the specialty implants. No implant is going to cure the disease. “Don’t think of the different lenses as lowend, mid-tier and high-end,” Dr. Tate cautioned. “They are best thought of as different tools to achieve whatever goal the patient is looking to achieve. Just because a lens is covered by Medicare doesn’t mean that it’s inferior. It’s just a different lens. All of them are high quality. It’s often nice for somebody who has a compromised retina to just stick with the very clean, simple, fixed-focus lens.” Consulting with an ophthalmologist is the best way to determine which lens will provide the greatest benefits for your unique eye health and vision goals. Dr. Stephen Tate is an expert in cataract and lens implant surgery. He can be reached at New Vision Eye Center, 1055 37th Place, Vero Beach, 772-257-8700. 

You wake up, leap out of bed – and suddenly, the world tilts and spins around you. You’re well-rested, you didn’t have a wild night out, so what’s going on? That unsettling sensation might well be a classic case of vertigo. Vertigo affects millions worldwide, leaving them dizzy, disoriented and struggling to find their balance. It’s more than just a fleeting spell of lightheadedness – it can turn simple movements into a challenge. “Vertigo is a broad classification that includes people who suffer from dizziness, imbalance, and vestibular dysfunction or pathology,” said Jim Newton, at Treasure Coast physical therapist. “The vestibular refers to the vestibular system, which is the part of the inner ear responsible for balance and spatial orientation. “Vertigo is a common condition that comes with the aging process. The classic scenario is usually an older person will get up out of bed and all of a sudden their room starts spinning. The sensation lasts anywhere from 10 seconds to several minutes and the individual has no idea what is going on. Often, they end up going to the ER which starts the process of looking for a cardiac or neurological issue and they end up going through a series of tests. When it’s all said and done, it’s a simple thing called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).” According to Mayo Clinic, BPPV causes brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness and is usually triggered by specific changes in your head’s position. It’s rarely serious except when it increases the chance of falling. “There are crystals in the inner ear that have come loose and gone into a different part of the inner ear, disturbing the individual’s balance system,” Newton continued. “Their brain starts spinning and they literally can’t even walk while it’s happening. Generally, the patient is diagnosed with vertigo from either the hospital ER or a primary care physician and referred to us for treatment, although we do accept patients without a referral as well.” The American Medical Association states that most vertigo is caused when crystals inside the inner ear are dislodged from their normal position. With BPPV, there are tiny calcium carbonate crystals called otoconia that detach from the inner ear and move into the semicircular canals instead. The little crystals help you sense the pull of gravity and acceleration and deceleration. If the stones shift when you turn your head, it induces a sense of spinning. Fortunately, there is an effective treatment that helps patients manage and often overcome vertigo by using a combination of exercises and rehabilitation techniques. Vestibular therapy, also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy, is a customized exercise program that aims to improve the function of the vestibular system. The exercises focus on enhancing gaze stability, improving postural control and reducing symptoms of dizziness. “The first thing we do is test the patient for a phenomenon called nystagmus, which is an involuntary eye movement,” Newton explained. “I tilt their head one way or the other and I extend and lay it over a table and their eyes start moving, rotating or clicking back and forth. This is how we determine where the crystals have dislodged and where they are now. That determines the ear that’s involved and which canal is involved. “We use a simply physical therapy maneuver called the Epley maneuver to treat vertigo.” he continued. “We put the head in four different positions which causes gravity to float the crystals out of one part of the inner ear and back to where they belong. We also work on balance therapy and on habituation therapy, which is getting a patient used to moving their head and going from lying down to sitting and from sitting to standing. “The goal is to get the nervous system used to moving as it did before the onset of vertigo. Once we resolve the issue, we give the patient instructions on how to treat themselves if it recurs. Generally, it only takes two or three sessions to cure the condition.” Newton also treats patients who have recently experienced a fall with the goal of improving their balance. Dizziness can cause imbalance, which leads to falls. Environmental factors and medication can contribute to imbalance, too. Low blood pressure is another condition that can lead to falls. “Balance is based on three sensory components in our balance system,” Newton explained. “The senses we intake to keep our balance include our vision, our inner ear, and the balance system that detects where we are in space with our head, arms and body movements. Balance training helps the patient regain that balance skill set that was lost. “I advise my patients to slow down when getting up from lying or sitting down. Wait two to three minutes, because it can take that long for the body’s autonomic nervous system to re-regulate the blood pressure. Once standing, wait a minute or two, move your head and march in place a few steps. Then when it’s safe to do so, proceed. “Resist the impulsivity that is inherent in humans to jump out of bed and start walking immediately [if you are having problems with vertigo]. Just a few extra minutes may save you from a debilitating fall.” Vestibular therapy not only reduces vertigo episodes and improves balance and coordination, but also enhances visual stability through gaze exercises that enable patients to move their heads without experiencing blurred vision or dizziness. Patients often experience greater independence in their ability to perform daily activities with confidence after treatment. As a non-invasive and drug free treatment, vestibular therapy has been shown to be a safe and effective cornerstone in managing vestibular disorders and offers hope for those struggling with vertigo and balance issues. Jim Newton has a master’s degree in physical therapy and public health from Hunter college in New York. He can be reached at Sunshine Physical Therapy, 1705 17th Ave., Vero Beach. The phone number is 772-562- 6877.  To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH March 13, 2025 15 BALANCING ACT: Vestibular therapy offers quick fix for vertigo BY KERRY FIRTH | Correspondent Physical therapist Jim Newton. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

16 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com

Fort Pierce’s Florida Community Health Centers, Inc. branch, 1505 Delaware Ave., commemorated National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Monday with a free info and testing table in their front lobby. Somewhere between 10 and 20 visitors lined up for HIV testing and prevention resources that day, according to the clinic’s Infectious Disease director Lorenzo Telleria, MD. Staff handed out literature and condoms to promote safe sex and a greater understanding of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) that can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). A person can contract HIV through infected blood and genital fluid contact with mucus membranes and open wounds, and injections with infected needles, according to the HIV.gov website. The disease leads to the degradation of a patient’s immune system through killing white blood cells and antibodies. Telleria, three decades into his medical career, has spent over three years at the Fort Pierce clinic. He has also worked in his native Venezuela, Nigeria and Louisiana, among other places, in the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic throughout the 1980s. Treating HIV/AIDS patients has become more difficult for Telleria and the clinic amid recent rumblings over the federal government cutting Medicaid for poorer patients. The clinic lost “at least 5 to 10 percent” of its clientele, he estimated. “We can all feel it,” Telleria said. “A lot of patients are not coming to their consults because they’re afraid that they don’t want to get outed. They’re not coming to their follow-ups [or] first consults. “Took a lot of people that were getting Medicaid and taken care of, and now they’re not, so we’re not seeing them anymore,” Telleria added. “That affects them and the whole society, community and us as a clinic because we have less patients.” Telleria addressed an ongoing stigma of HIV/AIDS in the public consciousness as a disease chiefly spread among homosexual males. “Many times, HIV may be thought of as a disease that affects men who have sex with other men only,” Telleria said. “Even the name ‘HIV’ is the ‘Human Immunodeficiency Virus’; it’s logical to understand that anybody can get HIV. “There’s always been a big problem with this association with HIV,” Telleria emphasized. “We really want people to understand that anybody who has had sex with more than one partner or somebody they don’t know, they should be tested. Everybody should get tested at least once in their life.” HIV-negative persons may prevent the disease’s spread through safe sexual practices like condom use, avoiding sharing needles, and using medication like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). “If in the back of [a patient’s] mind they understand that they may have had some kind of exposure or they don’t feel comfortable, they should be taking PrEP,” Telleria explained. HIV diagnoses in St. Lucie ticked up from 58 in 2022 to 61 in 2023, according to the Florida Department of Health. The disease rate per 100,000 people rose from 16.5 to 16.9 in that time despite the county’s growth from 351,381 to 360,957 people in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The number of HIV diagnoses among women dropped from 11.2 for every 100,000 people to 9.8 from 2022 to 2023, state records show. This counters an increased rate of diagnoses among men from 22.0 to 24.2.  Coordinators Diana Colunga and Dominique Barthold and Infectious Disease director Lorenzo Telleria, MD, at a table with resources on HIV/ AIDS in the lobby. PHOTOS: CHARLES CALOIA To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH March 13, 2025 17 FORT PIERCE CLINIC MARKS WOMEN’S HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY WITH FREE RESOURCES, TESTS BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent

18 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com MORE THAN 15% OF YOUNG ADULTS USED E-CIGARETTES IN 2023 Over 15 percent (15.5) of young adults ages 21 to 24 used electronic cigarettes in 2023, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics. To determine trends in vaping, data was drawn from the 2019-2023 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative household survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Collected continually throughout the year by the NCHS, interviews are conducted face-toface in respondents’ homes. In the early portion of the survey period, 2019 to 2020, the percentage of adults age 18 and older who used e-cigarettes decreased from 4.5 to 3.7 percent. That trend later reversed, with e-cigarette use increasing to 6.5 percent in 2023. Overall, use decreased with age after age 25, and men vaped more frequently than women. Broken down by race and ethnicity, e-cig-

co products, contain nicotine, the report raises concerns about their increasing use among young adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nicotine use during adolescence may adversely affect brain regions responsible for attention, learning, mood regulation and impulse control. Because of those harmful effects, the survey concludes: “As 1 in 10 adults ages 18 to 20 and about 1 in 6 adults ages 21 to 24 used electronic cigarettes in 2023, continued monitoring of use, particularly among young adults, is needed.”  To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH March 13, 2025 19 arette use significantly increased from 2019 to 2023 among Black (3.4 to 5.7 percent), White (5.1 to 7.5 percent) and Hispanic (2.8 to 4.4 percent) adults. The increases seen in Asian and multiple-race adults were not significant. Because e-cigarettes, like other tobac- – IAN McMAHAN/THE WASHINGTON POST

20 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com Oil and tar have been washing ashore on North Hutchinson island beaches, mucking up the sand there for the first time in about seven years. The thick, sticky, black goo recently has been spotted sporadically all along the shoreline from south of Round Island Beach Park all the way north to Golden Sands Beach. It gathers in shallow puddles in the sand, with thicker deposits here and there where the oil clings to sand clumps or debris to form what is commonly referred to as “tar balls.” While local beaches haven’t seen these deposits in some time, it is not an uncommon occurrence around the state, said Johnathan Billings, beach operations supervisor for Indian River County. The sources are usually oil spills or leaks from vessels far out at sea, Billings said. Sometimes the oil leaks occur naturally from cracks in the ocean floor, he said. Depending on ocean currents, wind and weather, the icky stuff sometimes makes its way to shore. “It’s real spotty, just little pieces of it here and there,” Billings said. There is not enough accumulation to warrant a clean-up at this point, he said. His department has placed warning signs at each beach, Billings said. Billings first noticed the oil and tar around Feb. 20 at Round Island Park Beach, but within a week he found more at all of the other beaches in the county. Similar sightings occurred during February at beaches as far south as Pompano. Other than making a mess of shoes and clothing, or soiling one’s bare feet, the substance is not toxic or harmful, as long as it’s not ingested, Billings said. Pets should be kept far away, he added. To easily remove the goop from your skin, apply WD-40 penetrating oil liberally to a rag and vigorously wipe the affected areas. Then wash thoroughly with warm, soapy water, he said. Vero Beach Police sent its marine officers out to investigate the deposits, said Kelsea Callahan, the department’s public information officer. Officers also contacted the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and were told they were already investigating the rash of deposits up and down the coast. Staff Writer Nick Samuel contributed to this report.  OIL AND TAR WASH UP ON ISLAND BEACHES Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed five people to the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County last month, replacing four appointees whose terms had expired and reappointing another. According to Council Chief Executive Officer Sean Boyle, the appointments were part of the natural process which involves County Commissioners submitting three names for each spot and the governor choosing one of the three for each. Of the recently named are Carmine Izzo Jr., deputy chief of the Port St. Lucie Police Department, who was reappointed for another term, and Candice Loupe, senior vice president and client experience director of PNC Bank, and a previous member of the council. New members include Amy Longar, senior director of nursing at Cleveland Clinic Martin County; Andrew Treadwell, associate vice president of government and community relations at Indian River State College; and Melanie Wiles, director of parish development at St. Anastasia Church and School. The council has 10 board members, five appointed by the governor and five appointed by statute based on their position, including the superintendent of schools, a School Board member, a member of the County Commission, a juvenile judge and a member of the Department of Children and Families. The mission of the Children’s Services Council and the reason for its existence is to improve the quality of life for all children of the county. The council’s next board meeting is scheduled for today, March 13.  – REGINA MARCAZZO-SKARKA Governor appoints quintet to Children’s Services Council BY JON PINE | Staff Writer PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

Lakeside ‘Cresswind’ residence features stylish upgrades 9252 SW Miracoli Way in Cresswind at Verano: 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 1,859-square-foot home offered for $564,900 by Isabelle Pollock, 772-713-3221 of Lang Realty

22 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com The house at 9252 SW Miracoli Way, in the 55+ community of Cresswind at Verano, does not just have lake views. It is on the lake, which can be seen from virtually every room in the house. For me, anything that comes after peaceful water views is a bonus, and this home has many, many bonuses. From the moment you step inside, the house is light, bright and airy. The living room, a spacious 20 feet, 1 inch by 15 feet, 2 inches, is the perfect place for a board game challenge or for watching a big game, and it opens onto the patio. Inside or out, the views are stunning. There is a formal dining room, but you can easily imagine sitting at the breakfast nook, looking at the lake and reading the paper, drinking coffee, or just daydreaming. The adjacent kitchen, a nicely sized 12-4-by-10-1, is crisp and contemporary, with lots of cabinet and counter space, tile backsplash and stainless-steel appliances. The master bedroom is an enviable 17- 8-by-12-3, and while it may be getting redundant, there are those wonderful lake views. The master bath is elegant, with dual vanities, a Roman tub and separate shower. A walk-in closet makes storage easy. The second bedroom is 11-by-12- 3 and there is a second full bath. A den could easily serve as an office, home gym or crafts room. Outside, the covered patio is the perfect place to relax. The spacious backyard is fenced in, so you can enjoy the lake views without worrying about youngsters or pets venturing too far afield. Kids and dogs would love to romp outside while you have a snack, a chat, and enjoy the view. Verano is an amenities-rich community, with something for everyone. There are Lakeside ‘Cresswind’ residence features stylish upgrades BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Columnist [email protected] 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 • EV CHARGING STATIONS • CEILING FANS/LIGHT FIXTURES • GENERATOR/HOME SURGE PROTECTION • LANDSCAPE LIGHTING • RENOVATIONS Family Owned & Operated Residential / Commercial / Service FREE ESTIMATES $50 OFF EV CHARGING STATION Must present coupon when scheduling for discount. Exp. 4/10/25 LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE ELECTRICIAN?

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE March 13, 2025 23 indoor and outdoor pools, biking and jogging trails, tennis courts, and a clubhouse with events and opportunities to meet neighbors and make friends. There’s even a dog park to take care of your furry friends. Then, when everyone is “good” tired, you can all retreat to your own private oasis. For Isabelle Pollock of Lang Realty, this home is move-in ready, with upgrades at every turn. “This two-bedroom, den and two-bath home was built in 2022 and is brimming with practical and stylish upgrades,” she said. “From the decorative stone on the front exterior to complete impact glass windows and doors, an oversized fenced yard and upgraded lighting fixtures, attention has been paid to details large and small. Whether you are a snowbird looking to light for a few months and escape those northern winters, or someone looking for the perfect place to settle down and make new memories, this is the ideal spot that epitomizes the Florida lifestyle.” There is that old saw in real estate, “Location, location, location.” You can change things in any house, although this one really is move-in ready, but you can’t create waterfront property with million-dollar views. This is a great house, with a terrific location, in a wonderful community. That’s a trifecta in my books.  Neighborhood: Cresswind at Verano Year built: 2022 • Construction: CBS, stucco Square footage: 1,859 sq. ft. • Total square footage: 2,733 sq. ft. Bedrooms: 2 • Bathrooms: 2 • Flooring: carpet, tile, vinyl Security: manned gate, security system Additional features: 55 + community, deep lake front lot on cul-de-sac, fenced-in yard, three-car garage, two-bedroom, den, two baths, impact windows and doors, extended paver patio, upgraded light fixtures throughout, hi hat lighting in most rooms, wood-look plank flooring, upgraded bathrooms Community amenities: basketball, biking and jogging, billiards, clubhouse, dog park, fitness center, fitness trail, game room, indoor pool, library, pickleball, pool, sauna, tennis Listing brokerage: Lang Realty Listing agent: Isabelle Pollock, 772-713-3221 Listing price: $564,900 FEATURES FOR 9252 SW MIRACOLI WAY

24 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com TOP SALES OF THE WEEK A relatively strong fortnight for local real estate sales saw 42 transactions of single-family residences and lots reported (some shown below). The top recent sale was of the residence at 18705 Tranquility Base Lane. Listed last November for $925,000, this 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom airpark home fetched $885,000 on Feb. 25. Representing both the seller and the buyer in the transaction was agent Margaret Schellenger of Real Estate of Florida. SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES AND LOTS PORT SAINT LUCIE 18705 TRANQUILITY BASE LANE 11/19/2024 $925,000 2/25/2025 $885,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 10115 SW NUOVA WAY 6/10/2024 $899,000 2/28/2025 $760,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 5575 NW WESLEY COURT 6/24/2024 $790,000 3/4/2025 $720,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 10268 SW VISCONTI WAY 2/5/2025 $717,000 2/27/2025 $710,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 10462 SW AQUILA WAY 9/4/2024 $730,000 2/27/2025 $675,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 13129 SW SHINNECOCK DRIVE 5/7/2024 $843,920 2/27/2025 $665,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 12676 SW MARRITA ALLEY 8/14/2024 $824,900 2/25/2025 $650,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 12692 SW MARRITA ALLEY 10/3/2024 $830,000 2/25/2025 $639,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 5203 NW LOVOY CIRCLE 12/4/2024 $609,000 2/27/2025 $600,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 8659 SW CARRARA WAY 10/2/2024 $629,900 2/28/2025 $579,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 5794 NW DUBLIN DRIVE 10/25/2024 $609,900 2/24/2025 $570,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 20022 SW CASERTA WAY 8/27/2024 $599,000 2/25/2025 $537,500 PORT SAINT LUCIE 9991 SW CORAL TREE CIRCLE 1/5/2025 $550,000 2/28/2025 $520,000 ORIGINAL SELLING TOWN ADDRESS LISTED ASKING PRICE SOLD PRICE Stats were pulled 3/8/25 7:35 AM TOP PORT ST. LUCIE REAL ESTATE SALES

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE March 13, 2025 25 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 9/4/2024 $730,000 2/27/2025 $675,000 Sylvia Isaacs Echo Fine Properties Jeffrey Buzzella Coldwell Banker Realty 10462 SW Aquila Way, Port Saint Lucie 2/5/2025 $717,000 2/27/2025 $710,000 Leshia Johnson Jupiter Lighthouse Realty Inc Anthony Musso LPT Realty 10268 SW Visconti Way, Port Saint Lucie 6/24/2024 $790,000 3/4/2025 $720,000 Jillian Young Southern Key Realty Sophiea Marchant RE/MAX Gold 5575 NW Wesley Court, Port Saint Lucie 6/10/2024 $899,000 2/28/2025 $760,000 AnnMarie Napolitano Keller Williams Realty Diana Rodriguez Southern Key Realty 10115 SW Nuova Way, Port Saint Lucie

26 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE March 13, 2025 27 Homebuyers in the U.S. canceled purchase contracts at a record pace as economic and political uncertainty gave them cold feet. About 14.3 percent of sales agreements fell through in January, up from 13.4 percent a year earlier and the highest level for the month in data going back to 2017, according to data from brokerage Redfin Corp. House hunters face an ever-growing list of pressures, from high mortgage rates and prices to concerns about how trade wars and federal government cutbacks may ripple through the economy. The high rate of cancellations casts a pall over prospects for the key spring sales season, which is just getting underway. Redfin’s report followed data from the National Association of Realtors that showed contracts to buy resale homes slumped to a record low last month. “Widespread economic and political uncertainty” caused more buyers and sellers to pull out of deals in January, Redfin said. “Tariffs, layoffs and federal policy changes are among the factors contributing to an air of instability. Some people are choosing to stay put.” Atlanta had the highest rate of cancellations last month, at 19.8 percent. Next highest were Orlando, Las Vegas, Houston and Jacksonville, Florida, each at around 18 percent. Rising inventory in certain markets may be behind some cancellations. More supply in those areas “means buyers have license to be fickle,” Redfin said. If an issue comes up in the inspection period, buyers may back out because they see opportunity to find a better home that doesn’t have that issue. Some agents are advising buyers not to give up on homes they want, even if they’ve lost a bidding war. “It’s worth checking in with the listing agent about a week after the house goes under contract,” said Alison Williams, a Redfin agent in Sacramento, California. “Twice since the start of the year, I’ve found out the original buyer canceled the contract, and my clients were able to get their offers accepted before the home went back on the market.”  U.S. homebuyers canceled contracts at record rate for January Canceled Contracts Rise to January High More pending home sales are falling apart as uncertainty builds Jan ‘17 Jan ‘18 Jan ‘19 Jan ‘21 Jan ‘22 Jan ‘23 Jan ‘24 Jan ‘25 0% 5% 10% 15% Percentage of pending home sales that fell through BY PRASHANT GOPAL | Bloomberg

30 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com Among the more urgent tasks facing the new administration in Washington is answering calls to address the country’s housing availability and affordability crisis. First-time and low-income homebuyers are all but shut out of the housing market, foreclosing the opportunity to build wealth and put a down payment on their own American dream. The Trump campaign offered several policies to address the problem, but the centerpiece was the idea to open federally controlled public lands for housing construction. It’s a particularly attractive idea because it can skirt local red tape, and it has bipartisan support. But if it’s going to succeed, the plan has to be oriented toward transforming smaller plots of land within urban areas and on their periphery. The data are clear that the nation’s current housing crisis stems from a lack of homebuilding in the wake of the Great Recession more than a decade ago. Home construction never caught up to the demand of a growing population. As a result, the U.S. has a shortage of about 4.5 million homes, according to Zillow. Surveys published last year showed that more than half of all prospective homebuyers were unable to make a move. The federal government’s power to address this housing deficit is somewhat limited. Local zoning laws and regulations mostly dictate permitting and construction. Bureaucracy and Nimbyism are formidable obstacles in such local contexts. These roadblocks encouraged both the Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns to propose using federal property for home construction. Trump has promised to slash regulations and create low-tax zones on federal lands. He’s also floated the idea of creating a series of “freedom cities” from scratch in which new technology such as flying cars could be deployed. The trouble is that many federal lands are not attractive for development or have other important uses, including outdoor recreation, wilderness habitat preservation and forestry, as well as livestock grazing and mineral and energy extraction. Much of the terrain is too rugged for building or too far from the places where people want to live. That’s especially true of the vast expanses of arid land in the West, where most federal land is located. Many developers have made a similar point: The chief housing problem is that affordable homes are not available in the most attractive places to live, which are typically dynamic cities. Of course, building in remote areas could help alleviate housing pressure elsewhere. And it’s notable that after the pandemic, many remote workers fled cities for rural areas where opportunities for recreation abound. The idea of building whole cities from scratch in the middle of nowhere is unattractive to most homebuyers, who want to live where there are ample economic opportunities, services and cultural activities. Instead, the Trump administration should focus on identifying federal parcels of land within or adjacent to metropolitan areas that could be transformed into housing. A considerable amount of property meets this criterion. One study found that in Utah alone, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) own 217,000 acres within the boundaries of cities. Another 650,000 acres of federal land – excluding national parks, military bases and areas with other congressional protections – are located within a mile of Utah city boundaries. In a state where new homebuilding permits have hovered at 30,000 a year, that’s sufficient acreage to keep developers busy for decades. A separate national estimate, from a recent report by Senate Republicans, looks at the potential to build housing on federal land. Based on an analysis of holdings of the BLM, the report estimates that about 680,000 buildable acres of federal land near or within existing developed areas could yield 2.7 million new homes. There are precedents for using federal land to relieve housing pressures. In October, the BLM sold 20 acres at a nominal price of $100 an acre to Clark County for the purpose of building single-family homes for low-income households as part of the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. Slightly more than half of the 67,920 acres of BLM land originally marked by the Act for transfer by to the county have now been handed over. Another option involves leasing federal land to local governments for housing projects rather than selling the acreage outright. For instance, the U.S. Forest Service recently wrote out a 50-year lease on an 11-acre site to Summit County, Colorado, which is home to several popular ski resorts. The county intends to build 162 rental units for local workers. Using federal land to build homes is not going to alleviate the U.S. housing shortage overnight. The plan would likely move slowly, making piecemeal gains. The land transfers and leases should also come with stipulations limiting low-density building and mandating a minimum share of affordable housing units, as well as guidelines regarding the preservation of desirable parks and natural areas.  U.S. sitting on possible solution to housing crisis BY MICHAEL ALBERTUS | Bloomberg

fun, festivities food SECTION THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025 YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER There was no shortage of thrills at the annual St. Lucie County Fair, which ended last Sunday at the Fairgrounds. Clockwise from top left: Patrons get a scare from one of the stars of the ‘Jurassic Kingdom’ dinosaur show; Giovonni McCall and Jah’kyrie Everett go for a couple of spins in their race car; Dewayne ‘Doc Magic’ Reynolds hands a balloon animal he created to a young boy; St Lucie County Fair Queen Laila Chastine and her court are joined by staff, volunteers and elected officials to celebrate the Feb. 29 opening of the Fair; Sabrina Mann gets an assist from Nick Anderson with some delicious Fair food; and the Midway featured gasp-inducing rides. WHAT’S FAIR IS FAIR! PHOTOS: LINDA KLOORFAIN

Buckle up your galoshes and get Vero Beach’s Riverside Theatre to splash around in their joyous, visually spectacular production of “Singin’ in the Rain.” This musical title is one of the first to reverse the more usual stage-toscreen trajectory. It’s a 1985 adaptation of the 1952 movie, authored by the original screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green, using the film’s pastiche score by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. The movie starred Gene Kelly and Donald O’Conner at the peak of their fame and made a star of ingenue Debbie Reynolds. It’s to the credit of the terrific Riverside cast that, in taking on characters played by legendary stars in a classic film, they each bring their own personality and avoid any attempt to replicate or worse, imitate their Hollywood forebears in the roles. Joe Capstick as Cosmo Brown gives us the first inkling of what’s to come in “Fit as a Fiddle,” an early duet which sets him up as leading man Don Lockwood’s sidekick. But it’s not long before he brings down the house with “Make ’Em Laugh,” a one-man vaudeville routine that shows off his gift for physical comedy. In short order, Cosmo and Don team up for a virtuosic “Moses Supposes” tap duet and we know we are in excellent feet … er, hands, for the evening. The opening night audience roared its approval. Capstick wears the role as comfortably and confidently as if he’s been playing it his whole life. When these two are later joined by Sara Esty as Kathy Seldon for the “Good Morning” trio, they lift off into the stratosphere. By then, Esty’s Kathy has already led a line of chorines at a studio party, danced the “You Were Meant for Me” pas de deux, and will later dance on pointe, so her dance skills and lovely voice are beyond question. As movie star Don Lockwood, Michael Starr, an aptly named newcomer to Riverside, is utterly charming. It’s probably movie musical heresy to say it, but on MUSICAL REVIEW B2 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com BY TERRY GIRARD | Correspondent TEEMING WITH TALENT! screen, Gene Kelly never convinces one for a second that he thinks he’s anything shy of wonderful. Starr, though, gives Lockwood an appealing vulnerability. He fumbles a bit nervously when he first meets Kathy, and we believe he might actually doubt his talent as an actor when the impending threat of sound could upend his career. He and Capstick make Don and Cosmo’s friendship since childhood feel genuinely casual and candid, and they appear to enjoy nothing more than when they’re hoofing in blissful synch with each other. Of course, the major set-piece of the show is the exuberant title number that ends the first act. And yes, it rains. On stage. Given the advances in stagecraft technology, this may not be the big deal in 2025 that it was 40 years ago, but it’s still pretty darn impressive! I can’t say how closely director/ choreographer Richard Stafford’s steps adhere to those of Gene Kelly’s original, but all of the most famous moments are there – the puddle splashes, the umbrella twirls – all brought gleefully to full life by Starr, who’s a tad lankier than Kelly and, so, whose interpretation brought to mind a young Dick Van Dyke. With all his performers, Stafford has struck the right balance between recreating Kelly’s deservedly famous dances and drawing on the unique abilities of this most talented cast. Daunting as it must be for these actors to step into their roles, he has clearly guided them to confidence. When they’re so obviously having the time of their lives, it’s hard for the audience not to as well. Then there’s Lina Lamont, the silent-screen movie star whose nails-onthe-chalkboard speaking voice could end her career with the coming of sound. Erica Lee Bigelow has the comic nasality and sloppy diction that helped earn her movie counterpart Jean Hagen an Oscar nomination for the role, but makes hers even whinier and all the more hilarious. As she devolves into the show’s fullblown villainess and is even given a second act solo, her increasing stridency primes the audience for her eventual comeuppance. The supporting cast is also flush with talent, from Steve Brady as the studio Riverside’s ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ nothing short of a splash hit PHOTOS: ANGEL UDELHOVEN

head trying to keep up with changing technology; Patrick Richwood as a frazzled director comically striving to get one decent take with usable audio; and Stacia Fernandez pulling double duty as the Hedda Hopper-like gossip maven and the very funny elocution teacher attempting to get Lina to speak properly. In adapting their original screenplay Comden and Green retained the iconic bits that have taken the movie to the top of many Best Musicals Ever lists. So, the silly “love at first sight” sledgehammer they tacked on to Don and Kathy’s first meeting, rather than letting their initial friction smooth its way into romance, is a little bewildering. And the big Act Two “Broadway Melody” dance piece is as weirdly out of place here as it was in the 1952 film and certainly in the show’s 1927 milieu. But because it’s so well performed, and even the characters comment on how awkwardly it’s wedged into the proceedings, all is forgiven. A shout-out, too, to the incredibly talented ensemble dancers. The technical aspects of the show are remarkable: Cliff Simon’s scenic design – did I mention it RAINS?!; Kurt Alger’s bazillion period wigs and eye-popping jazz-age costumes; Julie Duro’s lighting; and Craig Beyrooti’s sound designs. Kudos also to the artists and technicians who produced the well-shot and edited black-and-white “silent film” segments so essential to the story. Music Director Bruce Barnes leads 10 musicians in the pit through the score of standards, many of which became hits in the wake of the movie’s release. “Singin’ in the Rain” runs through March 21 at the Riverside Theatre, 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Tickets are available online at RiversideTheatre.com or by calling the box office at 772-231- 6990.  To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS March 13, 2025 B3

B4 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com Rita Rudner’s presence is felt at weddings around the country. The comedian has one of the longer marriages in Hollywood and says that she “loves being married and finding that special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” To her surprise, that quote is showing up on napkins at wedding receptions. She is both flattered and bemused. Rudner brings her standup comedy to Fort Pierce’s Sunrise Theatre March 16, and we spoke about family and comedy, which are sometimes the same thing and sometimes not. The comic, who was named Las Vegas Comedian of the Year for nine years in a row, began her career as a dancer. She came to New York, appeared in several Broadway shows, and then stopped. She’s not sure why she stopped, but thinks it had something to do with there being a lot of female dancers and not a lot of female comedians. Still, the path was not easy. “I didn’t realize it was as challenging as it was going to be,” she said. She began doing research at the Museum of Broadcasting, where she came BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Staff Writer [email protected] LOVELY RITA! Vegas legend brings tried-and-true comedy to the Sunrise to admire the work of Jack Benny and Woody Allen. In an earlier interview, she explained why. “Jack Benny was so understated and Woody Allen was the best joke writer,” she said. “I listened to both and did a combo: Woodybenny or BennyAllen.” She was also friends with two of the female pioneers of comedy, Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers. “I liked them as people,” she said. “I admired their ability to not only do comedy, but other things. They constantly reinvented themselves. We were a different style of comedian, but the same style of person, determined and not taking ‘no.’ I always stuck to my own voice.” Rudner is a frequent collaborator with her English husband, Martin Bergman. In fact, for our first interview, I told her that my late husband was English as well, and we discussed being “bilingual”: speaking English and English. Rudner recently appeared at the Laguna Playhouse in the world premiere of “Staged,” written by the two of them. She is also the author of six books, including “Rita Rudner’s Guide to Men,” “I Still Have it … I just Can’t Remember Where I Put it,” and the novels PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SUNRISE THEATRE Rita Rudner.

“Tickled Pink” and “Turning Tables.” Her autobiography, “My Life in Dog Years,” was published recently. Rudner said that writing standup and writing books were two very different things. “When you write standup, you have to get ‘ha, ha hah’ … three jokes a minute,” she said. “It has to be steady. Last weekend I did 90 minutes. Someone asked, ‘how can you do it for 90 minutes?’ That’s my job. For an essay, I have to make people think. It’s more relaxing and less concentrated. For standup, it’s laughs all the time.” Rudner said that her comedy is about things people can agree on. She leaves politics firmly at the door, and focuses on life’s annoyances, whether it’s scanning a QR code, or keeping tabs on hundreds of passwords, or “easy-to-assemble” items that come with no directions. She has a guy on speed dial for those last things; he comes and puts together the “easy-to-assemble.” “I use my act to unify people,” she said. “I have friends who are not on the same political spectrum. Let’s try to figure it out on a personal level.” Rudner said that nothing pleases her more than making people laugh and taking people away from their lives for a bit. It’s not an easy job. “I haven’t found anything easy, and I’ve been looking,” she said. “It’s about what you enjoy. Nothing pleases me more than when I have a thought, and the audience enjoys it. I love doing my act and I haven’t worked a day in my life.” And what can audiences expect from Rita Rudner? “Me, in a sparkling gown,” she said. “I don’t (stop to) drink water and I do three jokes a minute. There are questions at the end. I talk about things everyone can relate to. I’m excited to be coming. My daughter graduated from the University of Miami, and I don’t travel as much.” What really scares her is that she’ll be driving from Boca and trying to find the theater at night. Note to Sunrise: Put out flares! You’ll want her to find the place. The Sunrise Theatre, 117 S. 2nd St., Fort Pierce, presents Rita Rudner March 16 at 7 p.m. Call 772-461-4775 or visit sunrisetheatre.com.  To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS March 13, 2025 B5

B6 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com Storytelling and music come to life in Cultural Alliance’s ‘Chapters and Chords’ exhibit Fort Pierce put out a call for artists to create a mural for the south and east exterior walls of the Florida Highwaymen Museum, 1234 Avenue D, Fort Pierce. The deadline for submissions is March 19. The project will not only showcase the legacy of the Highwaymen Artists, but help the community establish a connection with the “powerful piece of cultural history,” said Fort Pierce city spokesperson, Kaitlyn Ballard. All skilled established and emerging artists are invited to submit solo or collaborated artwork. Artists in Fort Pierce and surrounding areas are strongly encouraged to participate. Submissions must include a resume or CV, three examples of previous mural projects, three references from former clients, a detailed proposal, and an estimated project timeline. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate their understanding of the Highwaymen’s legacy, highlight their unique style and artistic portfolio, and share their passion for the project. Criteria being evaluated upon selection include past experience, timeline, budget and references. Artists will be allotted $20,000 to $25,000, which will cover artist fees, materials, installation costs and travel. “The [original] Florida Highwaymen [were] a group of African-American artists from the 1950s and 1960s [that] originated in Fort Pierce. They created vivid Florida landscapes and sold their art independently,” said Ballard. Highwaymen Artists such as Alfred Hair (1941-1970) launched a movement to share their artwork along the Atlantic coast of Florida. The Highwaymen artists’ resilience continues to be celebrated today, including through the Highwaymen Heritage Trail in Fort Pierce. The roadblocks faced during the years of racial segregation in the 1950s and ’60s were significant, but these enterprising artists were creative and persevered. With success, their number grew to more than two dozen, painting tens of thousands of works to meet the demand. They later became known as the Florida Highwaymen,” the A.E. Backus Museum website states. The St. Lucie Cultural Alliance’s (SLCA) “Chapters and Chords” exhibition is open at the Vault Art Gallery now through April 10. The gallery, located at 111 Orange Ave., Fort Pierce, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. “Chapters and Chords” features a unique twist where music, storytelling and art come together. As stated in a SLCA newsletter, “From abstract interpretations to literal depictions, the artists of the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance use their creativity to bridge the gap between music and visual expression, drawing on personal soundtracks, stories, and the profound emotional impact of both.” The exhibition offers a wide array of artwork for viewers to check out. Common running themes include tributes to famous musicians, wildlife, tropical images, cultural expressions and more. Unique musical expressions can be found in artwork such as Cathleen Sullivan’s “Dancing on Keys.” Other artwork, including J.A. Riley’s “Literary Somnium,” offers viewers a look into the calamity of storytelling. Mediums used include paint, pen and ink, pencil and charcoal, mixed media, and recycled materials. Some recycled materials used included books in Cathy Estremera’s book folding pieces, along with a violin for Debi Hedges’ “Brocks Violin.” The inspiration behind the exhibition stems from musician Justin Foley and novelist Leigh Foley. “The artists, the author and the musician, chose the title,” said SLCA art curator Terry Long. “They wanted to celebrate and depict what their art form was.” The exhibition’s opening reception highlighted the release of Justin’s newest album “Killswitch Engage’s This Consequence,” along with Leigh’s debut mystery-thriller novel “Tour Wives.” Select artwork is available for purchase. For more information on the exhibition and how to purchase artwork, contact the SLCA at 772-776-2787 or info@ artstlucie.org.  The city hopes to preserve the 26 artists’ cultural heritage, celebrate their local legacy, inspire future generations, and promote diversity in the arts. “This mural will serve as a lasting tribute to the Highwaymen Artists and their contributions to the art world. It is an opportunity to bring history to life through public art while fostering a deeper connection between Fort Pierce’s past and present,” said Ballard. “Their legacy is a testament to the transformative power of art and determination. It is a story worth celebrating and sharing.” For more information on the project, contact Audria Moore at [email protected] or call 772-467-3184. Additional information on the history of the Highwaymen Artists, visit backusmuseum.org/ highwaymen.  BY TAYLOR POSIK | Correspondent BY TAYLOR POSIK | Correspondent A call to artists to create ‘Highwaymen’ mural in Fort Pierce PHOTOS: TAYLOR POSIK

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUNRISE THEATRE To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS March 13, 2025 B7 SUNRISE SUMMER: Arts lessons plus fun equals happy campers Summer arts camps are certainly workshops for learning about the performing arts, both on stage and behind-the-scenes. Good ones, though, teach a lot more, like working as a team and building confidence. Above all, they should be fun. The Sunrise Theatre will present three summer sessions, each for youngsters 6-15. The first, “Dream Big!,” takes place from June 2-June 6, and costs $125. The second, “We’re All in This Together,” takes place June 16-20, and also costs $125. The third, “A Person’s a Person, No Matter How Small,” runs from July 14-July 25, and costs $250. The drop-off time is 8:30 a.m. and camps run until 4:15 p.m. Campers may attend more than one session. Each will offer singing, dancing and acting, and campers will help design the script and sets. At the end of each session, campers will perform for family and friends. Camps are open to youngsters from throughout the Treasure Coast. A camp day is spent rotating through acting, singing and dancing, with the goal of “sharing” at the end of the session. “This teaches them that there are no little parts, that you need a lot of little parts to BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Staff Writer [email protected] create something big and beautiful,” acting executive director Marisa Quijano said. This is the second year that Sunrise has run the summer program in-house. Quijano explained why the move was made. “Last year, we partnered with a local school and brought in a lot of local creatives to teach,” she said. “We got a lot of great feedback about the diversity and about how hands-on everyone was. I liked that aspect. We decided to do one in-house, with local theater professionals who understand the community and theater. They are diverse and care about the community as well as the theater.” The campers are divided into age-appropriate groups, the “minis” and the “midis.” Quijano said there is a place for every child. “If someone has a child who is loud and confident and has a lot of energy and they’re wondering what to do with that, it’s a great place to grow and shine and mold attributes,” she said. “For a shy child, they often open up or find an aspect they enjoy, like doing sets. The counselors are good at identifying the strengths. There’s a place for everyone in the theater. It’s very fulfilling to be a small part of something big and create with all the friends they just met.” In addition to theater, campers have the opportunity to participate in standard camp games, movie days, and other things parents may recall from their own camping days. Learning while having fun is the goal; theater is the vehicle. If you are looking for something different for your child this summer, these camps are short enough to give them a taste of what a theater camp is all about. It is geared toward every youngster, performer or not, and the life skills learned will serve them well, even if they never step on a stage. For more information about the Sunrise Theatre summer programs, visit the website sunrisetheatre.com or call 772-461-4775.  Last year’s summer camp at Sunrise Theatre.

B8 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE www.stlucievoice.com Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” is one of her best-known works. The murder on a snowbound train tests detective Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells,” and has spawned numerous films and productions. Indian River State College will present the classic mystery March 27-30, in a 2019 adaptation by playwright Ken Ludwig. The basic plot is that passenger John Ratchett recognizes Poirot as a famed detective and asks him for protection while on board the train because he has received threats. Poirot refuses as he does not care for Ratchett on sight. The train is stranded in a heavy snowfall in Yugoslavia and Ratchett is found murdered, stabbed to death with multiple stab wounds. There is no way anyone could have come on or off the train. Train officials ask Poirot to help. It is the classic closed-door murder. Someone on the train is a killer and they are all stranded together. Alex Kanter, master instructor for theater at the college, is directing the production. He knows that many people may be familiar with the outlines of the plot. “What we’re counting on for the production and what drew me to this adaptation is that even if you know the ending, the production value and opulent scenery and costumes and the deliciously unique characters truly make this a theatrical experience not to be missed,” he said. “There is a lot of dialect work and a lot for the rehearsal process is refining these dialects and also mining the humor in this adaptation. People will recognize some elements from the films, but Ken Ludwig wrote the book for the adaptation, and he is beloved for his comedy. When we are rehearsing, especially the final scenes, there are some touching moments, and I find myself tearing up.” In addition to his cast, Kanter sees the set as an important player. “The audience needs to be ready for what will be the most impressive set we’ve built since I’ve been here,” he said. “We have to create a real train, and it moves on stage. There are big ‘ooh and aah’ moments and big reveals. I think the audience will be very impressed. Everything is sumptuous in the art deco style, with lots of costumes.” I asked Kanter if the Lindbergh kidnapping, often considered a source for the novel, is being discussed by the young actors. “We definitely touched on Lindbergh in rehearsal,” he said. “We have partnered with the English department, and they have included an excerpt from Christie’s original novel in a class all associate students must take. They have read articles about the context. We have added a Friday at 10 a.m. student matinee that is open to the public so that college students who have read the original can see it on stage.” The cast includes John Whitty as Poirot, and Luis Gonzalez, Nalanie Ruiz, Luke Sipple, Anderson Vezzi, Friday Schaefer, Victoria Whitty, Laura Halicki, Avery Schmidt and Maximus Moyles as the passengers. Cole Turner is Ratchett, and Salvador Payet is the head waiter. Kanter said the range of characters has been a great showcase for all the actors. “We see Poirot a lot,” he said. “John Whitty is a veteran of many of our shows and he is doing a wonderful job as the ‘world’s best detective.’” Modesty is not a Poirot attribute. Finally, Kanter noted that staging a play on a train has been challenging for the students as there isn’t a lot of room to move and they are constantly bumping into each other in the aisles. As one of them is surely a murderer, it engenders a feeling of heightened tension. “You’re stuck with them in very close quarters,” he said. “There are lots of interesting goings-on and a lot of layers. It’s exciting for the actors to portray the characters and bring them to life.” Up next is the dark comedy “Hope & Gravity,” which will be presented April 24-27. The IRSC McAlpin Fine Arts Center, 3209 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce, presents “Murder on the Orient Express” March 27-30. Box office hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 772-462-4750 or 1-800-220-9915.  BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Staff Writer [email protected] ALL ABOARD! Expect a wild ride as IRSC presents ‘Orient Express’ Cast and crew erect the initial stages of the set of “Murder on the Orient Express.” PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX KANTER

CONTINUED ON PAGE B10 To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE March 13, 2025 B9 Fort Pierce once again welcomed environmental advocates and city workers to the latest edition of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup held last Saturday. The 2025 Great American Cleanup attracted around 484 volunteers to pick up trash at locations throughout inland Fort Pierce and South Hutchinson Island, according to city spokesperson Kaitlyn Ballard. The collection event brought volunteers to gather trash and spread fresh mulch at locations including Surfside Beach, Jetty Park, Moore’s Creek along Avenue D and Orange Avenue. The city spent “approximately $19,000” on this year’s cleanup compared to their investment of about $18,000 last year, Ballard estimated in a March 6 email. The day began with volunteers being offered spackle buckets, plastic bags, grabbers and literature at the Manatee Center’s parking lot, 480 N Indian River Dr. Students from Fort Pierce Westwood Academy high school, educators from Indian River State College and other concerned persons navigated steep escarpments on South Hutchinson Island reaching as high as 15 feet between the shoreline and beach access. Officials gathered elsewhere to celebrate Fort Pierce’s continued relationship with the Arbor Day Foundation in a 10 a.m. ceremony at Glidden Park near Georgia Avenue. The Fort Pierce Garden Club dedicated a new Royal poinciana tree in the park’s center near a dozen oak trees. Speakers there included Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson, Garden Club president Blanca Longo Rancourt and Public Works director Jason Atkinson. Officials present commemorated the new tree’s installation with the spread of a seashell cover at its base. The ceremony saw about 20 Garden Club BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent Volunteers in Fort Pierce work to keep this slice of America beautiful Clockwise from above left: Jennifer Trefelner, second from left, and family at Jetty Park; one of Trefelner’s sons holds a molted crab carapace; members of the Fort Pierce Police Department at the Manatee Center including Chief Diane Hobley-Burney, seventh from left; Public Works coordinator Marsha Commond emcees the Great American Cleanup’s opening; Jason Ramos (U.S. Army, Ret.) gathers litter along Moore’s Creek near the Avenue D ART transit depot; and Garden Club president Blanca Longo Rancourt, left, receives a plaque from Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson, center. PHOTOS: CHARLES CALOIA

to 10 p.m. Tickets range from $32 to $50, offering an elegant, immersive musical experience in a beautifully lit atmosphere. For more information, visit CityOfPSL.com. The 4th Annual Strawberry Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center (address above). This family-friendly festival will feature fresh Plant City strawberries, arts and crafts, food vendors, live entertainment, and activities such as an axe-throwing tournament, face painting, a petting farm and a pie-eating contest. Admission is $7, with kids 2 and under free. Guests can receive $1 off admission by bringing a canned good to support the local food bank. For more information call 386- 860-9902 or visit PortStLucieFest.com.  a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center. This educational session will explore how mind-body connections influence inflammation and health. Attendees will learn about anti-inflammatory diets, stress management, and foods that promote better sleep and neuroprotection. The cost for this conference is $99. For more information, call 866-652-7414 or visit CityOfPSL.com. Music lovers will have a special treat on Thursday, March 20, with two Candlelight Concerts at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center. The first, a tribute to Adele, runs from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., while the second, featuring classical compositions by Mozart, Bach and other timeless composers, takes place from 9 p.m. Enjoy music outdoors under the stars when the concert series River Nights presents the Sierra Band from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13, the Event Lawn at The Port District, 2454 SE Westmoreland Blvd., Port St. Lucie. In addition to live music, this free event has food trucks. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on. For more information, visit CityOfPSL.com. Seniors can put on their best outfits and dance the night away at the Golden Years Senior Dance. The dance runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center (address above). It includes a couples best-dressed contest, music, refreshments and, of course, plenty of dancing. Tickets are $5 per person, and space is limited. For more information visit CityOfPSL.com. The Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens will host “15 Years Blooming” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 15. This celebration marks 15 years of growth and community impact. The event will include a live radio broadcast with Scott E. Mack, in-person garden demonstrations, children’s activities such as face painting and bubble fun, live music from the Fort Pierce Jazz Society and the Valencia Allstar Band, and food vendors. Additionally, guests can enter a raffle featuring garden-curated prizes and check out vintage cars from local clubs. Admission is free. The Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens is at 2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd., Port St. Lucie. For more information visit CityOfPSL.com. For those interested in health and wellness, the Institute of Brain Potential Conference will take place from 8:15 B10 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE www.stlucievoice.com 1 6 4 Coming Up! Sierra Band will light up River Nights 3 5 2 BY PAM HARBAUGH | Correspondent Lindsay Giova and the tribute band True Rumours perform the songs of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac at the Trucks & Tributes event at a packed Tradition Square last Friday. PHOTO: LINDA KLOORFAIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE B9 KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL ‘NICKS’ HAS THE KNACK members in attendance, a portion of the 54-member club made up entirely of women, Rancourt, 68, described. “We are all-female, but we don’t have to be,” Rancourt said. “We’d love to have anybody who wants to be involved with gardening.” Christa Stone, 50, waded with her dog, Tiki, and volunteers from the One Lagoon nonprofit through the drained banks of Moore’s Creek near North 10th St. as she hauled large bits of refuse including a wicker bench and a crib. The Fresh Country 94.7 FM emcee has volunteered at the cleanup for the past 11 years. Stone began under the mentorship of county marine resource coordinator James Oppenborn, she related. The duo drained the portion of the creek five years ago in their efforts to install artificial reefs and remove trash. “[One of the] significant reasons why [is] you can look at the bank and see the sediment,” Stone said. “There was a lot of muck and debris; when we drained it originally, we were up to our chest in it.” Oppenborn’s drainage of Moore’s Creek revealed “64 years” worth of sedimentary layers freed from large amounts of waste, Stone estimated. The slippery mud that caked Stone’s waders also served as a resting place to cages filled with seagrass that she and Oppenborn monitored over time; an unsuccessful effort due to turtles devouring their samples, she said. “We personally lay artificial reefs out here,” Stone said. “What you’re seeing is a transition; the water that comes in when we normally see the creek risen is storm debris runoff water, so it’s unfiltered.” Volunteers and city employees at last year’s Great American Cleanup event collected 2.4 tons of trash throughout Fort Pierce, according to Ballard. The Great American Cleanup attracts an annual average of over 300,000 participants nationwide, according to the Keep America Beautiful website. 

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The Oxbow Eco-Center’s annual Earth Day Festival will be on Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or shine. It’s free. “This is the 21st,” said Nick Corcoran, environmental education coordinator. More than 70 organizations and businesses are slated to participate in the yearly international celebration of our planet. “Our new theme this year is Growing a Greener World,” Corcoran said. All the exhibitors will have educational activities. “They’re making it interactive at their booth,” said Corcoran. Kids will have a chance to enter the Eco-Challenge to win prizes. For musical entertainment, Joey Calderaio & the Future Buds, a South Florida reggae-rock band, will perform, and “the Treasure Coast Ukulele Club will be here all day,” said Corcoran. Also out in force: the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center’s storied animal ambassadors. The center was founded in 1974 to help injured and sick wildlife recover and return to the wild. Unfortunately, some animals are unable to go back to their natural lives, so the Palm City facility finds those who enjoy meeting the public to help educate folks about our wildlife neighbors. The animal ambassadors include some birds of prey. Also back this year is the Sustainable Arts Fair. The theme is “Speak for the Trees.” “We’re basically looking for pretty much any (art) form,” Corcoran said. Display space is limited, so art has to be submitted by Saturday, March 29. One exception: Wearable art is due at the time of the festival. Participants will be able to pick up their art after the festival up to April 19. Artists can opt to donate their work to the Oxbow Eco-Center. Physical art has to be 50 percent or more material that would otherwise go to a landfill or recycling center. All content must be family friendly and have a message about sustainability. Corcoran said literary contributions are also welcomed – poems, short stories, and the like. Proceeds from a silent auction at the event will be used for scholarships for children and youths unable to afford programs at Oxbow. Parking this year will be at Southern Oaks Middle School (5500 N.E. Saint James Dr.) and River’s Edge Elementary School (5600 NE Saint James Dr.). There will be shuttles all day, and golf carts transporting folks to the shuttle stop. Oxbow Eco-Center and Preserve is at 5400 NE Saint James Drive, Port St. Lucie. The preserve with trails is open daily. The center is open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. More information is available at stlucieearthday.com.  B14 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | COMMUNITY www.stlucievoice.com BY PATRICK McCALLISTER | Correspondent Sudoku Page B8 Sudoku Page B9 Crossword Page B8 Solutions from Games Pages in February 27th, 2025 Edition Crossword Page B9 (Back and Forth) 2025 EARTH DAY AT OXBOW: A GREENER WORLD IS THE GOAL Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties raised over $10,000 for the children it serves at its Bowl for Kids’ Sake event on Saturday, March 1, at Saint Lucie Lanes in Port St. Lucie. Stakeholders, donors, event sponsors, and BBBS staff, board members and volunteers gathered at the bowling fundraiser in support of BBBS’ one-to-one mentoring programs. The nonprofit’s mission is to create and support these one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of our youth. BBBS programs are free for all participants, making fundraisers like Bowl for Kids’ Sake crucial to maintaining a community that offers every opportunity for our youth to achieve their full potential. “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our incredible sponsors and teams who made the return of Bowl for Kids’ Sake a success,” said Debbie Hawley, BBBS chief executive officer. “Together we are defending the potential of our youth.” Visit bbbsbigs.org or call 772- 466-8535 for more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties.  BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS BOWLS ’EM OVER FOR $10K Volunteer Sophia shows event-goers a snake during Nature Fest at the Manatee Center in Fort Pierce on Feb. 22. The festival celebrated the wonders of nature, conservation, the Indian River Lagoon and the great outdoors. Above, Treasure Coast Wildlife showed off birds of prey at the event. Far right, Brittiany Turner, 7, spins the wheel for a prize as Lisa Dietderich looks on at the St. Lucie County Master Gardener booth.  PHOTOS: LINDA KLOORFAIN NATURE’S WONDERS! Left: Team St. Lucie Public Schools with BBBS Chief Executive Officer Debbie Hawley. Above: Raffle Winner Melissa Stubblefield of St. Lucie Elementary. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARYANN KETCHAM – CONTRIBUTED

Free birds at the St. Lucie County Fairgrounds? Priceless! The 28th annual Treasure Coast Exotic Bird Expo will take flight on Sunday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the fairgrounds, 15601 W. Midway Road, Fort Pierce. Maryann May, president of the Treasure Coast Exotic Bird Club, said Percy Wings Aviary will be back for the second year with an exciting demonstration. “We had free flight going on last year, where the parrots were released and flew around the fairgrounds then came back. We’re bringing that back this year,” said May. The practice of free flying birds – which are often quite valuable – is not for the faint of heart, or for the ill-prepared. The founder of Percy Wings, Chris Armstrong, is an aviculturist and animal behavioralist with 15 years of experience free flying birds. “I plan on bringing a couple of my flighted birds and letting them fly,” he said. “Let people see these beautiful macaws go fly in the air and have some fun.” Armstrong readily admits free flying even trained birds is always risky. His aves have GPS tracking just in case. “If they do happen to get spooked off, or something happens, I can find them wherever they go,” explained Armstrong. He started looking into free flying after following advice to clip his bird’s wings. “I saw how depressed my parrot became because of the clipped wings and how much it changed her behavior,” Armstrong said. “That’s when I started getting involved in animal training and behavior analysis.” While free flying the birds en- riched their lives, Armstrong said it has given him something, too. “It’s better than a (winning) lottery ticket letting these angels go up in the sky, and they come back down to you,” he said. “I love sharing it with people.” Importantly, he said those wanting to get into free flying birds first need education. Lots of education. “Without training, a lot of people try to do it themselves,” said Armstrong. “Without help, without equipment, they end up losing their birds.” Not all birds are good for free flying. Armstrong said younger birds do better than older ones that are set in their ways. As Lynyrd Skynyrd said, “And this bird you cannot change.” Additionally, Florida is home to several species of hawks and other raptors that will predate on smaller birds even in flight. Armstrong will answer folks’ questions throughout the day. “I can give some good insight into pet ownership and what makes a good flyer,” he said. “There’s a safe way to do this and resources if they have the desire.” May said there will be numerous vendors at the expo with all kinds of bird supplies. Attendees will have chances to meet with and talk to club members as well. “This year all we’re featuring is raffles,” she said. “Our grand raffles are at 11 (a.m.), 1 (p.m.) and 3 (p.m.). “We will have a food truck there if folks are looking for something to snack on.” Admission to the Treasure Coast Exotic Bird Expo is $5 for those 13 and older. Those 12 and younger get in free. The Treasure Coast Exotic Bird Club holds mixed in-person/online meetings the fourth Sunday of every month. More information about the club is at Facebook.com/TCEBC1989 or at [email protected].  BY PATRICK McCALLISTER | Correspondent To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | COMMUNITY March 13, 2025 B15 ‘SOAR’ WINNERS! Wing it to Fairgrounds for upcoming Exotic Bird Expo

B16 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | COMMUNITY www.stlucievoice.com It’s always a hard-fought hardball battle when crosstown rivals Treasure Coast High School and St. Lucie West Centennial High School meet. Clockwise from above left: the Titans’ Killian Gauthier crushes the ball during his team’s 2-1 loss to the Eagles last Friday; Michael DiDonato pitched 4.2 innings and recorded eight strikeouts to lead Centennial; Peyton Salerno makes a nifty play in the field while helping the Eagles improve to a 7-5 record on the season; and Treasure Coast third baseman Gauthier attempts a tag on a sliding Chino Romero of Centennial.  PHOTOS: LINDA KLOORFAIN RIVAL EAGLES, TITANS SPARKLE IN DIAMOND DUEL

– CONTRIBUTED To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | SERVICE DIRECTORY/COMMUNITY March 13, 2025 B17 Children’s Business Fair of PSL puts spotlight on youth entrepreneurship CHILD - TEEN COUNSELING www.JimForgan.com/Counseling 561-625-4125 Ages 5-16 In PSL w/Female Psychologist The third annual Children’s Business Fair of Port St. Lucie celebrated a remarkable showcase of young entrepreneurship on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Church of the Nativity, at 1151 SW Del Rio Blvd. The event featured 55 businesses run by eager entrepreneurs aged 5-17, drawing over 2,000 attendees from the community. The goal of the event was to give children the opportunity to launch a business and get real-world feedback. Josh Mason, director of event host Acton Academy Port St. Lucie, said, “The only entrepreneurial experience most young people get today is setting up a lemonade stand outside their house. We as adults will buy a lemonade for $1 because we want to support them, but what happens when there’s 50 other stands of charming and hopeful young people wanting your money? “Most children don’t get to experience competition, and there’s so many lessons that come from having it: branding, salesmanship, pricing, etc. The fact that there are 50 other booths provides them with that experience.” Nine of the participating businesses were given $50 cash prizes in three categories across three age groups (5-7, 8-11, 12-14): Most Creative, Highest Business Potential and Best Salesmanship. Those booths that reported their sales earned anywhere from $25 to $228 during the three-hour event. An additional $50 cash prize was created this year, the Saenz Award for Youth Entrepreneurship. It was named after Christopher Saenz, a 14-year-old who participated in previous fairs and has launched his own business. Saenz wanted to volunteer so he could be a part of the fair, so the event organizers created an award in his honor and for him to decide. The award was given to Malachi and Everly Khadij, whose business Can It Be Books sells a series of books. The winners of other awards were: Ages 5-7  Best Salesmanship: Bianca Weisskopf, Bianca’s Best Popcorn and Juice.  Highest Business Potential: Adara McBride, Palm Breeze.  Most Creative: Jaden Scalice, Jaden’s Imagination Station. Ages 8-11  Best Salesmanship: Carter Shingray, Gemstones and More.  Highest Business Potential: Asher Henneman and Everett Wragg, Dinosaur Battle.  Most Creative: Tristyn and Kalyn tittle, Tristyn’s Treasures. Ages 12-14  Best Salesmanship: Daniella Medina, Daniella’s Sweet Creations.  Highest Business Potential: Milan Taylor, The Little Lemons.  Most Creative: Micah Smith, Micah’s Creations. For more information, contact Josh Mason, director of Acton Academy Port St. Lucie, at 772-237-0377 or [email protected].  Left: Asher Henneman and Everett Wragg, winners of Age 8-11 Highest Business Potential. Above: Bianca Weisskopf, Bianca’s Best Poprocn & Juice, winner of Age 5-7 Best Salesmanship. Our directory gives small business people eager to provide services and products to the local community an opportunity at a very reasonable cost. Lisa Crawford can help you to reach this audience. Call Lisa at 516-721-0848 or email at [email protected].

Mom said the liddle kids I usta play with could come visit me. Me an Mom fell in love with each other Right Away! An I felt so safe an comf-tubble in my new house, right away, too! Ya know?” “I abso-woofin’-lootly do!” I told him. “Also,” Presley continued, “I came with a different name – Bigby – but I never ackshully FELT like a Bigby, ya know? So she gave me a new name in honor of her favrite singer. Well, officially, it’s King Presley of Three Oaks. She also named my big, fluffy toes. She calls ’em Spatulas.” “What’s your daily life like?” I queried. “Any Besties? Fave foodstuffs? Pooch pals?” “Lemme think: Well, cuz it’s just me an Mom, I go to Doggie Day Care to SO-shull-eyes. That’s pretty fun. I pretty much like ALL fellow pooches, big an small. At the dog park, I play with Enzo a lot. He’s a Golden Doodle. On NAY-berhood leash walks, there’s Leo an TiTi. “I get So Excited when my sister Jessie comes over on Windsdays. I always KNOW when it’s Windsday so I sit by the door an WAIT! “I’m very fond of my chiggen-flavored NUBZ, AN my Peanut Budder Kong. TRAY YUMM! “OOO, an Car Rides! (I’m always safely clipped in.) Every Sunday morning me an Mom drive to the beach, an we stop an see COWS on the way! Cows are SO-O PAWSOME! I’m tryin’ to learn MOO. Me an Mom leash walk on the beach an I get to play in the SAND. “I also had a fun car ride advenchur with Mom to North Care-o-LINE-uh. We had Christmas with my brother Bill an Jenna; an my neece and neff-you Henry an Caroline, an Pearl, a liddle pupper like me! An look! I got this speshull collar from the North Care-o-LINE-uh Tar Heels basketball team! I wanted to check their shoes but I didn’t get the chance.” “That IS kinda weird,” I commented. “I know, right? Anyway, THAT’S my big bin of stuffies.” He pointed. It WAS pretty big. An full of stuffies. “Got any faves?” “YEP! THIS one.” He grabbed a monkey with, I think, a banana. “I call it my Big Ka-hoo-na. An THIS one.” He dug around in the bin an pulled out a green, cylinder-shaped stuffy with a face anna tail, but no legs or arms. “This is my LIZARD stuffy. I got it from my sister Jessie. I enjoy chasin’ ACKSHULL lizards, also. Outside, around here, it’s All About the Lizards!” I was pretty sure any ackshull lizards he may have come across would be in a similar condition, but I prudently didn’t inquire. “Oh, an, guess what Mr. Bonzo? Sometimes I go to work with Mom atta place called Habitat for Hu-MAN-iddy that helps humans ackshully BUILD a house when they don’t have one. WAY Cool Kibbles. I like to think of myself as the o-FISH-ull MASS-cot. They all know me an I get to go to the Dedy-K-Shuns when the houses get all built. It’s Very Fun an Speshull. “But” (he looked at me with a Very Sincere Expression in his big brown eyes) “what’s most important is always bein’ here for Mom. I consider it my PURPOSE. I don’t bark much ’cept when there’s someone outside or at the door. I can sound fuh-ROW-shus when I want to!” “I don’t doubt it for a second,” I told him. “I ALWAYS know when Mom’s not havin’ a good day, so I sit in her lap, give her liddle nudges, kisses, stuff like that. Just hang out with her. We were so lucky to find each other, Mr. Bonzo! I know I’m right where I’m s’pose to be.” Headin’ home I was thinkin’ about how often us pooches discover our Purpose when we least expect it, maybe weren’t even lookin’. But we always know it was Meant To Be. (Then I started tryin’ to remember where I left my Kong. It’s gotta be around the house somewhere.) Till next time ... B18 March 13, 2025 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PETS www.stlucievoice.com Presley Schmitt is a heartwarming example of A Dog’s Purpose. You know what I mean: Time after time you fellow pooches tell me how you an your Furever family found each other under often unusual, amazin’ and totally unexpected SIR-comestances (sometimes happy, sometimes sad), and how you AN them came to reelize it was Meant To Be. Presley is a spruce an stylish 4-yearold, black-with-some-gold Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: warm, frenly AN a charming Master of Puppy Eyes. Presley is also one of the many (humans AN pets) whose lives got a liddle sideways back in twenny twenny one, when that Terrible duh-ZEES was happenin’. Presley was woofin’ greetings as me an my assistant approached the front door, an he bounced right up for the Wag-anSniff, then got scooped up by a nice lady who led us into the livin’ room. “Oh, Mr. Bonzo, I love your COLL-um!” he exclaimed. “I always wanted to ackshully be IN it! This is my Mom, Christine! It’s just her an me. We’re each other’s BFF! I also have a human SIS-ter, Jessie. She’s pawsome!” I flipped my notebook to a blank page. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you both! So, how did you find your Furever Home?” “Well, lemme see: So, back buh-fore me, Mom had ’dopted a rescue pooch for company. His name was George, an he was a lab/shepherd mixture. But then George hadda go to Dog Heaven an Mom was alone again. Well, Mom’s neighbor knew how sad Mom was so she kinda started lookin’ for a ruh-placement dog; one that’d be The Right Dog for Mom. One day (it was in JOON twenny twenny three), she heard about this liddle pupper whose famly just couldn’t take care of him anymore. ME! It was when all the humans were wearin’ masks an mostly stayin’ away from each other. At that time, in addition to me, my famly had sevral liddle kids so things were gettin’ Very STRESSFUL. “Mom’s fren told Mom about me an asked if she was interested. Thank Lassie she said YESS! My original famly’s gramma brought me to my new home an me an Hi Dog Buddies! This Presley ain’t nothing but a super-cool Spaniel! Presley. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS The Bonz DON’T BE SHY! We are always looking for pets with interesting stories. To set up an interview, email [email protected].