PALM CITY/TESORO
YourVoiceWeekly.com
“Yeah, I sing a little. Dennis Fano
VOL. 1/ISSUE 23
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013
Of bridges and elephants Veterans Memorial structure will weigh as much as a 39-mile line of pachyderms
If bridges were elephants, the under-construction Veterans Memorial Bridge would be almost 7,900 of the giant beasts. The bridge, which most folks are calling the Indian Street Bridge, will weigh about 149.4 million pounds when done. George Denti, project manager, said the National Geographic Society figures the average elephant
weighs in at about 9.5 tons. Since, he said, those elephants average 26 feet, that means it’d take a 39mile line of elephants to equal the weight of the bridge. Well, the opening’s not slated until October, but plans are under way. “We have begun monthly meetings with the local community and political groups to plan our grand opening,” Denti said. Most folks are still calling it the Indian Street Bridge. “We’ve set another span, called
beams, on the east side of the project,” Denti said. “We have removed existing and replaced the signal mast arms — out with the old and in with the new.” Those signal arms are on Mapp Road and Kanner Highway. “We are beginning the landscape work, including irrigation and pumps, concentrating on the west side,” Denti said. The Martin County Board of County Commissioners in 2011
See BRIDGE page 4
S.P.A.M.MIN’ good fun Young engineers headed to St. Louis with a Frisbee-throwing bot By Patrick McCallister Staff writer pmccallister@yourvoiceweekly.com S.P.A.M. Robotics is getting set to defend its world title. Actually, Chomper will do most of the work with some computerized brains, a few wires, and a Frisbee disk. “We had to have a robot that could throw a Frisbee,” Rich Brooks, mentor, said. “We developed a scenario where we could throw a Frisbee 50 feet. There’re not too many robots that can accurately throw Frisbees that far.” After a lifetime of working in technology, Brooks helps the youths design and build the competitive robots. He got involved with S.P.A.M. Robotics five years ago when his son, Mitchell, joined the team. Mitchell is off to Florida State University now, but Brooks continued volunteering. About 30 S.P.A.M. members will be heading to St. Louis for the FIRST Robotics Competition
See ROBOTS page 5
Local Postal Customer
These aren’t your children’s Muppets
19
Keeping dollars in the county Commissioners prep for Buy Local campaign
3
Lady Tigers lacrosse Facing some formidable foes
6
Spring Fling time
Sons of Italy gearing up for 12 annual fundraiser
Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer Daniel Dugger, 15, of Palm City makes some last minute tweaks on the SPAM Robotics Team practice machine at South Fork High School as they prepare to participate in the a national robotics competition in St. Louis. Daniel is the student lead of Electrical and the actual competition robot has been shipped ahead for the upcoming competition.
Evidence released
Witness statements, guns, drugs
10
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By Patrick McCallister Staff writer pmccallister@yourvoiceweekly.com
UNder the rooSevelt Bridge