ISSUE 4
GRASS & SCIENCE
1
I
WASHED ASHORE
I
CITRUS BOWL
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VIERA VISION • VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 4
shore - Ph oto b
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t hy
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table of
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CONTENTS
ON
TH
EC
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: Wa
5
5
THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER
18 MARISOL APARTMENTS 20 GREEN DENTIST
10 ART WASHES ASHORE AT BREVARD ZOO
Offers Unique Approach
22 AROUND TOWN
12 SAVING RAIN
Dog Park | Light Up Viera
14 HAWKS TAKE VIERA ON A JOURNEY
10
To The Citrus Bowl
17 GREEN RIBBON STUDENTS
14
Embrace Recycling at Manatee Elementary
24 WHY I LOVE VIERA 25 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Feb / Mar / Apr
26 CLOSING LETTER Steve Johnson
CONTRIBUTORS PUBLISHER
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
The Viera Company with SCB Marketing
Lyn Dowling, George White, Lyle Smith, Stephanie Byrd, Laurie Widzgowski, Lexie Doyle
Viera Vision is the official publication of
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Articles and advertisements printed in Viera
SCB Marketing
Vision do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
THE VIERA COMPANY Tracy Duda Chapman | CEO Stephen Johnson | President Lauri Duda | VP of Marketing Stephanie Byrd | Marketing Manager
the publisher. The Viera Company, Viera Realty,
PHOTOGRAPHY
Inc., SCB Marketing, Space Coast Business, LLC,
Cathy Heinz, Stephanie Byrd, Lexie Doyle, Carmen Vastola
and Viera Vision assume no liability for the
SCB MARKETING Josh Field | Co-founder / President Jeff Piersall | Co-founder / CEO
ADVERTISING
or omissions.
Mark Calvert
© 2016. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Stephanie Byrd
content and shall not be held liable for any errors
PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION
permission from the publishers.
Emily King, Kenny Kozack EDITORIAL Donna Duda
Additional copy location and information:
THE VIERA COMPANY
The Viera Discovery Center
7380 Murrell Road, Suite 201 Viera, FL 32940 P: (321) 242-1200
7350 Shoppes Dr., Viera, Florida 32940 P: (321) 253-2800
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/VieraVision
Tracy Duda Chapman is chief executive officer of The Viera Company and General Counsel of A. Duda & Sons, Inc.
Viera’s Vibrant
Growth Happy 2016! The New Year is now well under way and so are our plans for continued, vibrant growth in Viera. Infrastructure improvements like the widening of Wickham Road and Stadium Parkway continue to make progress toward completion this year. The closing letter by Steve Johnson (page 26) offers more news about these and other important infrastructure improvements that will continue to make Viera easy to navigate. Equally exciting are the new residential neighborhoods and amenities that are taking shape in Viera, like the upscale apartment community of Marisol (page 18), which will add to Viera’s mix of residential offerings, and the new bark park in Addison Village (page 22), an increasingly popular amenity in Viera. As stewards of the land Viera encompasses, it is encouraging to see our community take a real interest in maintaining the environmental vibrancy of Viera as well. From our very own Duda Ranches, where they are cultivating environmentally-friendly sod varieties for Viera
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residents and beyond (page 5), to the Brevard Zoo’s conservation efforts (page 10) and Manatee Elementary’s student recycling program (page 17), Viera is a community rich with steward partners. Finally, we are a community blessed with wonderful schools and top notch businesses. Take a look at page 14 to read about Viera High School’s journey to the Citrus Bowl and page 20 to learn about Dr. Chris Edwards’ green dentistry practice. Here’s to another vibrant year in Viera. Sincerely,
THE GRASS
IS ALWAYS GREENER
Early on a hot afternoon in December, a man who looks very
It has become the preeminent sod-grower in the Sunshine State,
much like a farmer crouches beside a patch of brilliant emerald
a name synonymous with Florida lawns. It also is synonymous
green, runs his hand over part of it and then plucks a piece or
with improvements, progress; a practitioner of agricultural
two and grins.
science as well as pure agriculture, environmentally conscious
Later, in his office beyond the patch of green, Chris Leffler smiles too. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?” he asks. “This is something completely different, finer-textured and really green.” “It” is Icon Zoysia and Icon Zoysia is sod, turf, grass; the stuff
before environmental consciousness became all the rage. Leffler, sod farm manager, is a University of Florida-educated soil scientist who will talk about the chemistry of the land and the bugs that help or harm it (he also studied entomology) all day, with massive enthusiasm.
of lawns and playing fields, an advance that will lead to more
Grass is the product of good science, a crop, and he is dedicated to
Floridians having that longed-for “grass like we had up north”
the notion that not only is it pretty, it is critical to the environment,
rather than the coarser varieties so often found (and derided)
especially in hot, humid Florida.
here.
He quotes studies and papers about the cooling effect of grass
It is the product of Duda Sod, the leader in its field since
and its part in carbon sequestration, the process involved in carbon
the early 1970s, when Walter Duda took on the challenge of
capture and the long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide,
adding sod to all the other crops his family grows: citrus, sugar
which has been proposed as a way to slow the accumulation of
cane, vegetables. That’s “crops” because turfgrass is a crop too,
greenhouse gases.
developed and distributed by people whose lives are focused on the land. A. Duda & Sons is a farming company, and it farms sod.
He explains plant stomata with the fervor of a good biology teacher.
5
FINDING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS He speaks with passion about and ecological nightmares created by denuding the soil --tearing up the sod -- elsewhere, and enumerates reasons why certain forms of xeriscape may be fine for other areas, not so for here, where it only creates more heat. “You’ve
heard
the
expression,
‘Today’s
solution,
tomorrow’s problem?’” the soil scientist asks. “Our goal is to find tomorrow’s solution, today.” Along the same lines, he admits frustration that stormwater runoff, in which rainstorms wash exposed soil, landscape debris, oil, fertilizers and pesticides off the landscape and into the water system; is often confused with leaching, in which nutrients from fertilizers, including phosphorus and nitrates, leak through the soil rather than become absorbed by plants. “The public may assume that nutrients physically move, in granule form, across the surface of the landscape, during rain events but studies demonstrate that nitrates are not mobile on slopes, in the landscape where HEALTHY turf exists. Turf roots are excellent filters. Also, nitrate leaching has been the main concern in our area as phosphorus is not highly mobile,” he says. Grass, Leffler says lovingly, is a living, breathing thing, critical to land that needs life and breath. It is something to be tended, like any other crop, but wisely. “It may be your lawn, but it’s still a plant and you have to care for plants,” he says. “Plants still need food.” That does not mean they need to overeat or over-imbibe, however, and if the genial Leffler is convincing about any aspect of the science that goes into the average lawn, he is positively adamant about this: Too many people fertilize and water their lawns too often, long after they have been planted. His view of fertilization is supported by that of a long-time coadjutor Dr. Laurie Trenholm. She is an associate professor and extension turfgrass specialist in the University of Florida Urban Turfgrass Program and one of the country’s foremost experts on the subject. She wrote, “Management of home lawns often is not well understood by residents, and this can have adverse effects on turf health. Loss of turf health can render it less able to filter stormwater runoff and reduce soil erosion, which can lead to increased nonpoint source pollution. Misuse of fertilizers can result in direct deposition of granules into water bodies or increased risk of leaching into groundwater. In either case, the result can be unhealthy turf and increased nonpoint source pollution.” Leffler is a minimalist too. “I fertilize my lawn once or twice a year, tops, and I irrigate probably five times a year,” he says. “Water actually does
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more harm than good in many circumstances. Plants tell you when they need water. Listen to them. Water your lawn only when it shows signs of stress, and that doesn’t always mean a few little brown spots. Almost every variety of grass will turn brown under certain conditions; that is a plant taking care of itself . . . . Lawns are typically killed with love.” He is especially proud of the way Icon Zoysia, discovered on the rocky coast of Australia, takes care of itself, being salt tolerant and easily established. In coastal areas it fits right into the new concept of the right lawn. “Not only is it beautiful and finer-textured, it is salt tolerant,” Leffler says. That is not to say other grasses are bad, and Leffler goes through typical Florida lawns variety by variety: durable, dark green Empire Turf;
drought tolerant Celebration
Bermudagrass found in sports complexes and golf courses; the St. Augustines (Palmetto and Seville); and the turfgrass probably most often associated with Florida, Floratam.
A NEW GRASS FOR TODAY’S CHALLENGES “Floratam is everywhere,” he says. “It was developed in the early 1970s by the University of Florida and Texas A&M, which is how it got its name. Now it’s the most widely produced and purchased turfgrass in the region, very costeffective. But Floratam goes back to the 1970s and it was developed to address the issues of the 1970s. It is great; it has endured. But now we have a different set of concerns and we’re working on them.” He smiles when asked if Icon Zoysia will become what Floratam is – “Florida’s grass” – and says the lush, new variety is something of a work in progress. No, it is not being planted in communities wholesale; rather, it is catching on one yard at a time, part of a collaboration between Duda, sod installers and lawn treatment companies, which in itself is unique. In typical Duda-Leffler style, it is less installation than education; everyone involved, including homeowners, learns as he or she goes along. The man who addresses governmental organizations, seminars and civic groups about the importance of grass is very big on education, needless to say, and he refers frequently to the work of Dr. Trenholm. “She has released a series of videos about lawn care (gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/clce/media)
and
I
highly recommend them,” he says. Then he looks out his window at the patch of brilliant emerald green and explains how different parts of what looks like the office front lawn – Duda Sod is a farm and the people who run it frequently experiment with different mowing heights as way to demonstrate the possibilities of different mowing practices to their customers. “We grow things, so nothing is static here,” he says. “We look over the horizon to see all kinds of potential. We’re in agriculture, so that’s what we see. We see potential.”
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WATERING FLORIDA LAWNS According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension and Chris Leffler, sod farm manager for Duda Sod, A Duda & Sons, efficient watering of Florida lawns includes: • Designing and maintaining a yard that thrives predominantly on rainfall once sod is established. “It needs a fair amount of watering only when it is new,” Leffler said. • Watering the lawn only when it shows show signs of stress. • Calibration of sprinklers to apply a half inch to three-quarters inch of water per application, but not too often. Leffler prefers personally monitoring water to the use of timers. • If you must use a timed sprinkler system, connect an automatic rainfall shut-off device to it. Set the device to a half inch so it will override the system’s timer after enough rain has fallen. Check the backup batteries in the timer each year before the rainy season and check to see if the shut-off device is working properly. • Installing a rain gauge in the yard to track rainfall and avoid unnecessary watering. • Go tech: Consider the use of smart irrigation tools such as oil moisture sensors, evapo-transpiration (ET) controllers or other automated methods on in-ground systems.
Learn more at Duda-Sod.com
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SUPPORTING WILDLIFE FAMILIES SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2016 Save the date to join us for the 7th Annual Viera Wetlands Nature Festival. The festival will include walking tours by Wetlands Rangers, photography workshops, IBEX puppetry performances, live music, an art contest, interactive educational opportunities and much more. In addition to the interactive components for the festival, there will also be related exhibitors, as well as local vendors and a food tent.
For more information, visit VIERA.com/events
The Viera Institute is a proud sponsor of The Viera Wetlands Nature Festival.
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ART WASHES ASHORE AT BREVARD ZOO At the back of the Brevard Zoo, off its Wild Florida loop, a monstrous octopus extends pink and orange and purple tentacles toward all comers. Not far away, a 10-foot-long shark lurks above a bright green sea bed. At the front of the zoo, a volunteer named Lesley Brindley chokes up when speaking of them: “This is unequivocally the most powerful exhibition the zoo has ever had. It is having a tremendous impact on the people who see it.” Remarkable words, considering that the shark, the octopus and other sea creatures that have that impact are not real, but are “Washed Ashore,” the creations of Oregon sculptor Angela Haseltine Possi, who constructs them from debris hauled from the oceans by volunteers.
RAISING AWARENESS OF MARINE POLLUTION It is part of the Washed Ashore Project, a non-profit organization that brings awareness to marine debris and plastic pollution around the country, and until May 8 it will maintain its place at the zoo. Frank Rocco, traveling exhibit manager and marketing director of the project, said he and Pozzi are delighted with the reception Washed Ashore is receiving there. “We are getting a lot of response from people there and someone actually has offered to buy one of the pieces,” he said. That’s the idea, in the mind of conservationists. “It completely fits with our mission, which is wildlife conservation through education and participation, and it has had a major impact,” said the zoo’s marketing and communications director, Andrea Hill. “We are committed to environmental awareness, conservation and sustainability and this exhibition brings so much attention to it.” Striking though they are, the 10 sculptures do not stand alone in terms of educational value. The exhibition also educates the public about debris that remains uncollected and un-recycled; and informs visitors about stewardship, responsible consumer habits and, perhaps most fittingly, how the actions of individuals do make a difference.
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“We ask them to pledge that they will never bring a Styrofoam product or a plastic bag to the beach again. That’s all. A promise made one person at a time. That’s the way we can make a difference,” Hill said. The zoo is taking its own steps to make a difference by cutting back on the source of a major pollutant of waterways and landfills - plastic bottles. It has set up a fenced-off area into which it has dumped a small mountain of water bottles and although they will be recycled from there, for now they tell the tale of how the sheer numbers of the things affect the natural balance. “We’re getting away from single-use products,” Hill said. “The number of water bottles we get is incredible, just like the damage they do.” Washed Ashore also fits nicely with other exhibitions and activities, notably those found at its new conservation kiosk, where visitors learn about the importance of mangroves along the Indian River Lagoon and can make oyster mats to help restore shellfish to its waters. The zoo supports various other projects dedicated to clean water and the assurance that marine life is protected, as well. It relies on dedicated conservationists like Brindley, an eightyear volunteer, to get the word out too. “I tell people they really owe it to themselves to see this exhibition,” the Heritage Isle resident said. “It is a very powerful statement and visitors, especially children, are strongly impacted by it. It really gets them thinking . . . I call this exhibition ‘happy-sad’ because the sheer beauty of the sculptures can’t help but make you happy, but the sad part is what we have done to our oceans. Out of trash can come something amazing, can’t it?”
Zoo volunteers welcome guests
For more information, go to WashedAshore.org; or BrevardZoo.org 11
SAVING RAIN For a Sunny Day The longtime environmental rallying cry “Think globally, act locally,’’ often represents a worthy goal for the public at large but one that many individuals may find hard to put into action. To really put that thought into reality, and save some money on irrigation in the meantime, you might want to try a rain barrel. With the rain barrel workshop program provided for a nominal fee by the Brevard County Office of Natural Resources Management, there are actually several ways in which creating your own backyard rainwater harvesting system can help the environment. As for the impact of rain barrels on your pocketbook, irrigation of plants with free water comes to mind first but there’s another larger reason you may not have thought of in which they pay environmental dividends in other ways. “Using rain barrels can improve your own personal little slice of the groundwater equation, collecting runoff water which can harm local freshwater bodies,” said Lydia Jackson, Project Coordination Specialist, Watershed Management Program for the Brevard Office of Natural Resources. Application of rainwater harvesting in urban water systems provides a substantial benefit for both water supply and wastewater subsystems by reducing the need for clean water in the water distribution system, less generated rain water in the sewer system as well as a reduction in runoff polluting nearby ponds and canals. “One of the functions is storm water management on a small scale. You collect your personal storm water from your roof and it’s not going down into the storm water system. You’re helping a little bit by maintaining your storm water and keeping it on your property and reducing pollution overall,’’ she said. A rain barrel is a water tank—in the county’s program a 55-gallon plastic barrel—used to collect and store rainwater runoff, typically from rooftops via rain gutters. Researchers estimate that a single rain barrel system can yield 623 gallons of water from one inch of rain on a 1,000-square of surface area. Collecting rainwater for use during dry months in rain barrels or other depositories is an ancient and traditional practice. Historical records show that rainwater was collected in simple clay containers as far back as 2,000 years ago in Thailand, and throughout other areas of the world after that. With the rising price of municipal water and drought restrictions now facing much of the United States during the summer months, more and more homeowners in our own modern society are turning to the harvesting of rainwater to save money and protect this precious natural resource.
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The workshop held on February 6th at the Viera Discovery Center gave local residents a chance to learn about the program and work on their barrels.
“Brevard County Natural Resources Management has for many years offered rain barrel workshops for residents at a nominal fee,” Jackson said. “We give them everything they need. We give instruction and they can make it with us using our tools or if they prefer to take it home and build it they can do that too,’’ she said. Two versions are available: an open top version for which a screen and bungee is supplied to keep out debris and mosquitos, or a closed top version for which a downspout connection is supplied. “Open top is easier to move. The closed top you have to have gutters and it cannot be moved. You could always cut the top off later,” she said. “We give you everything you need to make either one.” The workshops are held from 10 a.m. to noon monthly except in summer, often with the help of community partners like the Marine Resources Council, Community Matters, and UF-IFAS. Workshop venues include the Viera Discovery Center, Rockledge Gardens, and Growing Crazy in Titusville with some held at facilities like environmental centers built as
A hands-on opportunity to learn and build water-saving rain barrels was provided during preparations for the Viera Wetlands Festival.
part of the Environmentally Endangered Lands program such as the Enchanted Forest in Titusville. Rockledge Gardens Information Specialist Steve Krzyston of Port St. John has used a rain barrel for 18 years and swears by it for healthy plants. “Plants benefit more from rain water than they do from being watered by city water, which has chemicals in it, or well water, which can have salts especially on beachside areas. We have the workshops here every three months and we have enough interest where we could probably do them more often,’’ he said. Residents receive instruction on how to build and use their rain barrels.
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HAWKS TAKE VIERA ON A JOURNEY TO THE CITRUS BOWL More than a few green and gold tears were shed in the stands at the Citrus Bowl on December 11 as the Viera Hawks varsity football team came up agonizingly just one game short of a State Championship this past season. But to judge the team or the team’s success based on that one day’s result is to miss the point of a journey that has seen Viera’s football program emerge as a true championship challenger over the past two seasons. If you ask Head Coach Kevin Mays if he’s disappointed, the five-year Viera veteran turns contemplative. Clearly, he and his team are disappointed in the loss in that way athletes and coaches are never quite satisfied, but there is an undeniable pride in his players and the way they handled themselves throughout a very tough season and against perennial state class 7A powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale. “They really are a close-knit group,” Mays says of his team. “They play hard for each other.”
LONG-TERM VISION Mays points to the fact that most of the seniors on this year’s varsity squad played together from the time they completed an undefeated freshman season together. Stars and standouts have emerged since then. Like receiver Tre Nixon who was named Mr. Football two years in a row; Jay Boyd who was named first team All-State as a safety and is described as a “great football player” by his coach; and quarterback Hayden Kingston who Mays calls a “great leader.” They see themselves as a team, Mays says. Whether they are stars or players who come in off the bench, they see themselves as equals. More than 6,000 spectators came out to cheer on the teams in the Class 7A State Championship game for the second largest schools in the state. It was the largest crowd of the State Championship tournament and a testament to the passionate fans of both teams. The Hawks played their way into the tournament with a decisive 38-8 home victory against Harmony High School on November 13. The team’s seven-win, four-loss record did not compare to last year’s undefeated season, but part of that was by design. Mays’ stoic face perks up when he’s asked if playing at the Citrus Bowl was a specific goal for the season. “Oh yeah,” he says. “If your goal is not to win it all, you shouldn’t be in the job.”
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BUILDING ON SUCCESS But how to turn that goal into reality is the annual riddle to be solved. And Mays and his staff have created a true program. He talks about the buy-in required of the younger kids and the fact that getting the team prepared to play at this level is basically a year-round job, not just an in-season effort. The Hawks finished the 2014 season undefeated and made it to the State Championship tournament. But after failing to win their first playoff game, the team took on an intentionally more difficult 2015 schedule designed by Mays and his staff to help prepare his players for a run at the post-season championship. The coach points to a game for which they travelled to Texas early on. The Hawks went up against Allen High School before a full house on a Friday night under the lights in front of 20,000, mostly home field fans. And there’s nothing quite like a Texas home field crowd. “Playing in Allen, Texas,” Mays said. “There are no words for it.” The Allen game was one of those experiences Mays created for his team to prepare them for what they might face in the Florida State Championship, specifically so they would understand the feeling of playing on such a large stage. “I don’t think the stage bothered any of them,” he says. “It was more a sense of the importance of the game.”
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COLLEGE BOUND But that was a theme that carried through the entire season. After his individual success last year, Nixon drew attention from more than 90 college scouts who visited Viera early in the season. And it provided an opportunity for other players to be seen. The result - no fewer than eight players will be attending college next year on some sort of athletic scholarship: Something that makes the coach proud of his program. The Hawks had eight players named All-Conference, two All-State and Nixon was again named Player of the Year. “He’s humble,” Mays says of Nixon. “You wouldn’t know he’s that guy.” But that’s how the coach speaks of all of his players. He asks them to work hard, but they expect it of themselves. Above and beyond their athletic achievement, the team has one of the highest team grade point averages in the state.
COMMUNITY EFFORT=COMMUNITY SUCCESS Mays is quick to point out, “that’s a compliment to the parents.” In fact, he’s very quick to point out how many others have had a hand in the team’s success. “You can’t do all of this without all the school pieces coming together,” he says. “The administration, band, cheerleaders, booster club… without that, you can’t have success.” And the team felt it as the season progressed. As they took each step closer to the State Championship, the community reached out to them. The team was invited to stop by each of the local community schools for a pep rally of sorts and the little kids cheered on the big guys at each venue. “It’s a feeling that grew as the season went on,” says Viera Athletic Director Chris Gallagher. “Our youth fans and parents make the best game day atmosphere in the county.” At the beginning of each season, Mays has his players list out goals for the year, for life and for football. “Each kid had ‘win the State Championship’ on his list,” he says. They famously say in football that winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. But to spend any time with this Viera Hawks team is to understand that winning is so much more than just taking home a trophy at the end of the season. It’s about becoming part of a team. Preparing for a challenge. Playing your best effort. And striving to become something better than you were before. For a school just celebrating its tenth anniversary and a football program striving to create a proud tradition, that is a win by any measure. Follow the Hawks on Twitter @VieraHawks
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GREEN RIBBON STUDENTS EMBRACE RECYCLING AT MANATEE
William Butler Yeats, the great Irish poet, once said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” The fire of doing the right things for the environment in which they live and learn has burned in students of Manatee Elementary School and their families for years; so many years, in fact, that Principal Carl Brown doesn’t really remember exactly when it started, only that it is “what we do; the right thing to do.” The U.S. Department of Education thinks so too, and last year named Manatee one of 86 institutions nationwide, including the likes of Auburn and George Washington universities, as well as entire school districts, a Green Ribbon School. And as pleased as Manatee’s students, faculty and parents are about that, they reiterate Brown’s thoughts: Bettering their environment is merely something they do. “All kids at Manatee recycle,” said fifth grader Melissa Booth, whose mother, Marcia Booth, helps moderate the school’s 18-member, highly active Environmental Club (E-Club). “We do so much,” Marcia Booth said. “For example, we used to have a pre-kindergarten and it had a playground (adjacent to the school). We changed that into an outdoor classroom. Our classes have installed seven grow boxes and kids are responsible for growing plants in there; the kindergarten kids have planted flowers. And every classroom has a recycle bin.”
STUDENTS DRIVE MEASURABLE SUCCESS She does not enumerate the effectiveness of those programs, but Brown knows the numbers and they are impressive: through its energy and recycling efforts, Manatee has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 2.9 percent and its electricity consumption by 0.32 percent per student in a year, the result of which has been an improved Energy Star rating from the Environmental Protection Agency. Its recycling program is comprehensive and it participates in programs such as Terracycle, which reduces the amount of waste it sends to Brevard’s landfill, which Brown called “a winwin.” Terracycle counts and weighs the amount of waste and donates $0.01 per unit to the school. School officials even invited representatives of the University
of Florida’s Florida School of Integrated Pest Management program to examine the way it handles pest control. According to the report issued by the examiners, Manatee earned a 95 percent grade and school sanitation was deemed “very good.” There also are the field trips with the hands-on experiences that will last with the people who have them. Manatee sends its students and teachers to the likes of SeaWorld Orlando, where students go behind the scenes, and the Brevard Zoo (third grade) to study the animals and to the Indian River Lagoon to gain a greater appreciation of all that lives there (fourth grade). Fifth graders participate in a three-day, two-night camping excursion to Boy Scouts-operated Camp La-No-Che in Paisley, where they swim, hike and study nature, among other activities. Sixth graders head to Kennedy Space Center.
BUILDING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT One goal is to involve the community as a whole, and so its volunteers have placed at the school a collection box to accept recycled waste from families, which is no great surprise in a school whose parents firmly believe that they learn from their kids. Fourth grader Eddie Burnham is proud about it, reiterating what his principal and Melissa Booth said: Environmental consciousness simply is done at Manatee, where he has learned much about the subject. “I knew a little before I went to school there but I’ve learned a lot at school,” he said. “It’s important.” His father agreed. “I wasn’t really aware of everything that could or couldn’t be recycled; I knew the basics,” John Burnham said. “Now Eddie comes home and informs me about what to recycle and what not to recycle. He is so on-board with it. He takes these efforts so seriously and no question, he always will. That’s the meaning of education, isn’t it?”
For more information about Green Ribbon Schools and Manatee Elementary School programs, go to: www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/awards.html 17
Marisol Apartments
The questions about those buildings under construction across Lake Andrew Drive from The Avenue Viera began months ago: What could it be? What will it look like? Homes? How many people will live there? That was then, and the questions keep coming. “Oh, I’ve gotten plenty of calls and emails,” Ashley Casaday, development associate for Pollack Shores Real Estate Group, said with a laugh. “There is a lot of curiosity there.” The object of that curiosity is Marisol at Viera, a 282-unit apartment complex with the look and feel of a high-end resort or timeshare. It is of wood frame construction with a stucco finish and barrel tile roofs, and so it noticeably looks Mediterranean, in keeping with homes in the area, and it has nine floor plans in one- to three-bedroom units. Each has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances as well as vinyl plank flooring and carpet, and in addition to tile backsplashes, apartments also have USB outlets and upgraded lighting. Built-in desks are also available. Community amenities include a “dog spa” and park, two poolside bars and outdoor kitchens with cedar trellises, a “pedestrian boulevard” with fire pit, and a business center equipped with iMac computers. An “event stylist” will be on the premises and fitness classes will be offered. The Avenue Viera is across the street. Duran Golf Club is in its backyard.
18
business
There is more, and all because The Viera Co. and Atlantabased Pollack Shores Real Estate Group, which also owns Polo Glen in Rockledge, saw the need for additional rental units in a burgeoning, affluent community. “We got involved in that sub-market . . . a few years ago and we really loved it,” Casaday said. We saw that the area was really underserved, and as far as a high-quality (apartment complex) is concerned, it really hasn’t seen anything like this. . . They are really nice apartments; an elevated option from other apartment communities in the area.” “The Viera Company continues to carefully evaluate the residential supply and demand across the spectrum of many housing products. The addition of Marisol at Viera helps address an underserved need for luxury rental apartments in the community while providing additional residential density in proximity to existing and planned retail as well as a variety of employment options,” said Todd J. Pokrywa, senior vice president land use planning and development. While the final touches are being put to Marisol, prospective residents speak to rental agents in offices at The Avenue Viera because even though it is not expected to open until October, the demand is high, according to Casaday. “Now that they know what we’re doing, we’ve had several businesses in the area say they’re really excited to partner with us,” she said. “But most of the calls have been from people who want to know when we will open. People want to live there.”
APARTMENTS AT MARISOL AT VIERA AVERAGE ABOUT 1,107 SQUARE FEET IN AREA. AMENITIES INCLUDE: • Pool with sun shelf, private cabanas, two poolside bars and outdoor kitchens with cedar trellises and arbor features • Paver courtyard and “meditation shrub garden” • Central “pedestrian boulevard” with fire pit • Private club room and deck overlooking pool area • Clubhouse with culinary-inspired kitchen and bar • Business center with iMac computers and conference room • Club room and lounge with TV gallery and pool table • Athletic club with free weights, resistance machines, yoga equipment and cardio machines with TVs • Event stylist and fitness classes • 6,500 square-foot dog park with dog spa and grooming station.
INTERIOR FEATURES INCLUDE: • Choice of nine floor plans • Granite kitchen and bathroom vanity countertops • Vinyl plank flooring throughout kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom (bedrooms are carpeted) • Under-mount single-basin kitchen sink • Subway tile backsplash in kitchen • Stainless steel appliances • Walk-in closets • USB outlets • Built-in desks in select units • Private balcony • Mediterranean-style Juliette balconies in select units • Upgraded lighting • Washers and dryers. Temporary leasing offices for Marisol at Viera are located at 2261 Town Center Ave., Suite 145, The Avenue Viera. After the property opens, leasing offices will be located at 2439 Casona Lane, Viera. For additional information, email info@pollackshores.com.
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GREEN DENTIST OFFERS UNIQUE APPROACH
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Late last year, as Dr. Chris Edwards was moving his practice, the Smile Design and Wellness Center, to the former home of the New Life Church in Viera, he noticed workmen piling up old lumber, ostensibly to be discarded. “It was beautiful wood, so I said, ‘Don’t throw it out,’” Edwards says. “I spent a lot of time pulling out nails, and by the time I was finished I had more than 1,000 feet of molding. That’s repurposing.” The practice uses more than just repurposed wood. The green paint was purchased locally from Richard’s and the cabinets are made by Designers Choice “also just up the street on Murrell Road,” Edwards says. The lighting is LED, “all low-energy lighting with none of those mercury bulbs that look like twisty cones,” he says. His drains are engineered to safely capture mercury from old fillings and the bits safely disposed of. Such is the way Edwards, the seafarer turned dentist, thinks: environmental activism as way-of-life, and it applies to most aspects of what he does, which is biologic, or holistic, dentistry. Biologic dentists see the mouth and its structures as part of the greater body and so they use materials they see as “biocompatible.” It also is minimally invasive dentistry and so it includes technology such as lasers, ozone and air abrasion; and when old-style, mercury amalgam fillings are removed, it is with great care.
green health
XYLITOL THERAPY A NATURAL SWEETENER Edwards also does laser therapy, nutritional therapy, aromatherapy and acupressure and uses platelet-rich fibrin processed from a patient’s own blood. And he is “Dr. Xylitol,” nationally famous for his advocacy of xylitol therapy, which uses a common, naturally-derived sweetener that proponents say stops the bacteria that cause tooth decay in their sticky tracks. It may be where dentistry will go and certainly is where Edwards is. “It’s kind of what we’ve morphed into,” he says, and much of it is neither new nor freakish. “I’ve been doing minimally invasive dentistry for more than 30 years, since before it became a buzzword,” Edwards says. “Air abrasion, I’ve been using for more than 25 years, and with it we can get pretty deep into the tooth without a painkiller.” He has become a proponent of ozone therapy as well, which he describes as a “very green O3 manufactured with medical grade oxygen and a corona discharge generator . . . so that an unstable gas is created. It is medically pure and . . . kills funguses, viruses. bacteria, protozoans, all the things that are harmful.” Used in oral surgery, root canals and periodontic treatment as well as restorative treatment, the Smile Design Center uses ozonated water in its drills, ultrasonic equipment and dental units. Still, Edwards, a graduate of Temple University School of Dentistry as well as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy who also has practiced in Hawaii and Rhode Island, is a nononsense Staten Island guy who renders “normal,” hightech, modern dental services, from low-radiation 3D cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) to cosmetic dentistry, including full-mouth reconstruction, implants, bone grafts,
veneers, crowns bridges, dentures, periodontics and, of course, root canals, fillings and extractions. He sees what he does as not just the way of the future, but the right way to do things, and Monica Parks, a resident of Indian River Colony Club, and with her husband, John, a longtime patient, agrees. “We’ve been his patients for more than 10 years and we’re very proud to be using a green dentist. Eleven years ago, most people weren’t thinking along that track, but Dr. Edwards was,” she says. Edwards is pleased to have such testimonials, but the results do count. “You cannot be a healthy person without a healthy mouth,” he says. “Biologic dentistry just makes sense.” The Smile Design and Wellness Center is located at 5445 Village Drive, Viera. Call 321-751-7775. For more information, go to smiledesigncenter.us.
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Snapshots
AROUND TOWN 2015
Residents, representatives from the local office of the Cocoa Beach Chamber, Brevard Humane Society, Fairway Management, Viera Discovery Center and the Director of Community Relations helped cut the ribbon and open the park.
VIERA’S DOGS LIVE THE HIGH LIFE The ribbon was cut on the latest addition to the Central Viera Community neighborhood recently that will certainly generate howls of appreciation from our four-legged friends. A new dog park opened to great fanfare with size-appropriate water fountains, playground-style equipment and space enough for our canine residents to run and jump and play to their hearts’ content.
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I LOVE A PARADE! The holiday season kicked off in grand style on November 28 this year with the annual Light Up Viera parade celebrating Moments of Magic before thousands of cheering, happy residents and visitors. The parade route wound through the community to Space Coast Stadium where the celebration culminated with a battle of the bands and a spectacular fireworks display.
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WHY I LOVE VIERA Name: Evan Cruz Age: 18 Community: Sonoma Parents: April and Ernie Cruz How long in Viera: Since age 5 School: Viera High School Year: Senior Grade point average: 3.8; 28 ACT score Favorite subject: Science; anatomy and physiology Career goal: Physical therapy Sport: Football Position: Cornerback, safety Recruited by: Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Davidson, Florida Institute of Technology, Yale, others. No decision yet: “I will visit more schools before I decide.” Why he loves Viera: “I just love this area. Viera basically is a big small town where people know one another. They say hello to you, by name, when they see you. They come to football games just because it is Viera, and we appreciate that. I love living in a place with such a family atmosphere.”
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Upcoming Events FUN FOR ALL Space Coast Stadium for the Washington Nationals Spring Training Games Date: March 1st – March 30th Location: Space Coast Stadium
7th Annual Viera Wetlands Nature Festival Date: March 19th Location: Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Scales, Skin, Feathers and Fur: Family Night Hike Date: March 26th Location: The Brevard Zoo
KID FRIENDLY FREEBUILDING WITH LEGOS (AGES 5-10 YRS) Date: 8th of every month (no event in June & July) Location: Suntree/Viera Public Library
FROGWATCH USA TRAINING SESSION Date: February 3rd, 12th, 20th, 27th Location: The Brevard Zoo
GOLF 10TH ANNUAL SPACE COAST AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Date: March 13 & 14th Location: Duran Golf Club
ART EVENTS
ACTIVE EVENTS
Hold Your Horses
Devereux Dash 5k
Date: March 12th – April 8th Location: Art Gallery of Viera | The Avenue Viera
Date: February 28th Location: Holiday Inn, Viera
Washed Ashore
Excalibur 10 Miler and Relay
Date: Now until May 8th Location: Brevard Zoo see story on page 10.
THEATRE / MUSIC Sugar: Based on the film “Some Like It Hot” Date: March 11th – 27th Location: Cocoa Village Playhouse
Brevard Symphony Orchestra Mahler Symphony No. 5 Date: April 9th Location: King Center for the Performing Arts
Date: March 20 Location: Viera High School
Relay for Life of Viera American Cancer Society Date: April 16th Location: The Avenue Viera
UNIQUE FINDS 20 City Dream Tour: Jill Blashack Strahan, speaker, author & CEO Date: March 17th Location: Holiday Inn, Viera
An Evening with Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton Date: March 28th Location: Melbourne Auditorium
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VIERA UPDATE
A Note From Stephen Johnson President, The Viera Company
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS
STRENGTHEN TO BENEFIT VIERA
RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS As demand for the Viera lifestyle continues to grow so must our community and the infrastructure it needs to support our residents, businesses and visitors. That’s why as you drive through Viera this year you will probably see some sort of infrastructure improvements – whether it be roadway improvements or site work for new neighborhoods. Completion of these improvements will bring ongoing benefit to the residents and business owners of Viera, as well as to those who visit us. For example, the road widening of Wickham Road (from 4 to 6 lanes), from Murrell Road to Lake Andrew Drive, has made progress in the last few months and is slated for completion by the end of the year. This road improvement project continues to be challenging. Existing utility locations and changes to accommodate future FDOT plans have required the redesign and permitting of a significant portion of the four (4) traffic signals. Unexpected utility locations have also impacted the installation of the remaining drainage facilities which, in turn, impacts the schedule for the installation of the curb and pavement for the new roadway areas. The roadway improvements, once completed, will essentially double the current lanes through the I-95 interchange.
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On Stadium Parkway, the four-laning from the Publix entrance to the existing 4-lane section at Viera’s northern border is expected to be finished by this summer. This improvement will also include a new traffic signal at the Tavistock Drive/ Stadium Parkway intersection. These internal roadway improvements, along with the recent installation of traffic lights along Lake Andrew Drive at Napolo and Colonnade are all part of The Viera Company’s master plans that ensure Viera remains a vibrant community with road systems that support it. Furthermore, in the coming year, efforts to add golf cart signage and expand our trail system for additional golf cart use will also get underway. These improvements will allow for additional alternative travel and ensure more safety measures are in place. Sincerely,
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