Palmcity 4 25 2014 by Your Voice News & Views

Good time to sell?

Property management CEO: Yes

Get it off your chest

Your voice and opinions matter

Senior project

Young performer takes it to the stage

PALM CITY/TESORO

YourVoiceWeekly.com VOL. 2/ISSUE 25

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014

The gods have spoken Andrew Rogers of Palm City and Christina Reagan of Stuart take on their role of Gods of Water and Death respectively during the StarStruck Theatre Production of ‘Once on this Island’ for four shows last weekend. Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer

More opposition to All Aboard Florida rolling down tracks

Sales tax heads to voters Patrick McCallister

Patrick McCallister

Staff writer

pmccallister@YourVoiceWeekly.com

TREASURE COAST — The Save Sailfish City Coalition is more of an idea than actual organization. “The only organization we have is one cause — saying no to All Aboard Florida,” organizer Darrel Brand said. On Sunday, April 27, the loosely-formed coalition will hold its first Save Our City Flotilla. Boats will gather at the western side of the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart around 10 a.m. Captains can mon-

See ABOARD page A9 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID FORT PIERCE, FL PERMIT NO. 248 ECRWSS

Local Postal Customer

MARTIN COUNTY — After about a year of talking about it, the Martin County Commission opted to send a local-option sales tax referendum to the voters in November. That was at its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14. Commissioner John Haddox, Palm City, dissented in the 3-2 vote. However, he believes it’s important for voters to pass the local-option sales tax in the general election. “I will immediately start supporting what’s on the referendum,” he said in a telephone interview after the meeting. “I’ll explain we have to

See TAX page A11

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A2 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A3

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Guarding the parks Patrick McCallister Staff writer

pmccallister@YourVoiceWeekly.com

William Lindsey had an idea a few years back — a park watch. Sort of like a neighborhood watch — eyes and ears for law enforcement at River Park Marina, 500 E. Prima Vista Blvd., Port St. Lucie. The 12-acre park is the largest feature of an unincorporated community by the same name, River Park. “We wanted to keep it a safer park, free of crime,” Lindsey, said. Parks often become the centers of rising drug activity and associated crime in communities. Lindsey was in the Army from ‘68 to ‘70. Time in Vietnam led him to be in a post-traumatic stress disorder class at the Department of Veterans Affairs. There he met Palm City’s Jim Meehan. The Navy veteran spent time on the brown waters of Vietnam. “(Lindsey) started telling me about it, and I thought it was a great idea,” Meehan said. “Month by month, meeting by meeting,

we put it together.” What came out of the talks was the Guardians of River Park. The volunteer organization does a number of things, from regularly picking up trash at River Park Marina to notifying the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office about suspicious folks and events at there. Lindsey, who lives by the park, is the director. Meehan the vice director. “We have at least 50 to 60 members,” Maretha Lindsey, Bill’s wife, said. Those members have car magnets and T-shirts emblazoned with “Guardians of River Park” to let visitors know that someone’s keeping an eye on things. The group doesn’t have organized patrol times, but members are urged to display the magnets and shirts when they visit. “We don’t get involved if there’s a problem,” Meehan said. “If we see something, we call the Sheriff’s Office.” Lt. Stephen Sigmon, acting public information officer at the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, said that the Guardians of River Park is popular with Sheriff Ken Mascara. He said the group has

Staff photo by Patrick McCallister Palm City’s Jim Meehan talks about the Guardians of River Park, a neighborhood-watch style program that helps protect visitors to River Park Marina in Port St. Lucie, at the Palm City Chamber of Commerce’s April town hall meeting. Meehan, a Vietnam veteran, aims to expand the park watch concept to Martin County. likely ensured that River Park stays a pleasant place families want to visit. “They’ve taken a vested interest in keeping the community and marina safe and inviting for the

public to come down there,” he said. Lindsey said the park watch naturally radiates into the surround-

See PARK page A7

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A4 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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It’s a seller’s world Nicole Rodriguez Staff writer

nrodriguez@YourVoiceWeekly.com

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TREASURE COAST — Six years after the 2008 housing market crash that left the area littered with inflated homes and record foreclosures, it’s finally a good time to sell, real estate experts are saying. “It’s become more of a seller’s market. There’s not a whole lot of inventory,” said Jim Kirvin, CEO of Platinum Properties, a firm that serves Florida’s south coast from Vero Beach to Miami with an office in Port St. Lucie. The mending market is getting better because banks have changed the way they lend mon-

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ey. Lessons learned from the 2008 bust, Kirvin said. “You could get a loan for 100 percent, providing no documentation to a bank,” Kirvin said of the financial climate six years ago. The criteria to obtain a bank loan has become more stringent and incomes are verified by lenders, Kirvin said. But fear not, first-time buyers, the market has a place for you, too, Kirvin said. “It’s still a good time for buyers, though, because interest rates are still low,” he said. March home sales increased 29 percent from February, closely matching the 32-percent jump

YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A5

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witnessed in April 2013, according to the latest statistics released from the St. Lucie County Clerk’s office. There were 1,452 homes sold in St. Lucie County in March, up from 1,123 sold in February. New home construction during the first quarter of the year is up 27 percent compared to the first quarter of last year. From

January to March, there were 1,322 notices of commencement recorded with the clerk’s office. The notices are recorded when property owners want to start new construction and extensive renovations. During the first quarter of the year, there were 496 new foreclosure cases filed in St. Lucie County, lower than the 838 cases

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A6 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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pinions. Everybody has one. Or two, or several. I’m not exactly sure how opinion pages evolved in the newspaper business; but most dailies have had them as a staple for years. The editorial pages of a newspaper generally contain an editorial piece (the opinion of the newspaper); one or two first-person columns (some “expert” pontificating on a specific topic); once in a while, a guest column from a local reader who has something to say, and letters to the editor from various readers. Readers of Your Voice News & Views may have noticed we don’t run “editorials” (opinions of the newspaper). That’s typically the two-column unsigned piece running down the far left two columns of a newspaper’s editorial page, espousing one viewpoint or another, meant to weigh in as a voice of those who have the “inside scoop” and pay more attention to the inner machinations of subjects such as, say, local politics. Most newspaper staffs feel because we in the industry have a front-row seat on local news, from Indian River Lagoon press conferences to city council

meetings, we think we know better than you what’s going on, and are therefore in a better position to advise you how to think, and even how to vote. At this newspaper, we realize unlike most “ivory tower” publications, we really DON’T know better than you. We at Your Voice News & Views don’t run editorials for one main reason: Most readers don’t care about OUR opinions. Furthermore, readers don’t care for us taking the position that we “know better” than you do. If we are doing our job as a news organization, our readers should be sufficiently informed to make up their own minds and make their own decisions. In my opinion, news organizations have a duty to report the news, not attempt to influence what people think or do about it. However, I do understand the importance of providing a venue, a “meeting place” where local feedback on local subjects can be aired. The interactiveness of a local newspaper and its readership cannot be undervalued – voices need to be heard, and our editorial pages are a place where those voices can be published and shared. That’s why we leave our edi-

torial page space open to YOUR thoughts, YOUR opinions; YOUR voice. We are not going to tell you how to think, but we are interested in what’s on your mind. Recently I’ve heard through the grapevine that a few readers have objected to the opinion pieces we’ve published recently from a local reader, who happens to contribute on a regular basis. “It looks like we as a newspaper are endorsing her opinions, because we aren’t running an opposing viewpoint.” We would love to publish an opposing viewpoint, if someone would contribute one. But right now, my mailbox is empty. (You can send to this address: traits@ yourvoiceweekly.com). It does very little good to whisper an opinion in my reporter’s ear, to be passed on to me. It goes nowhere but to one person. If you have something to say, shout it to the rooftops! We, as a news organization, are not going to weigh in with our own opinions, but any and all others are welcome. By all means, please write. We welcome opinions from all sides, but if you don’t write, we can’t publish your views. It takes courage to speak one’s mind, sign his or her name

Tammy Raits and stand behind their words. I challenge you, Treasure Coast readers, to find your courage and speak your mind, publicly. You object to a viewpoint we’ve published? Send yours – we’ll publish it. A professor of mine once told me “You’ll learn a lot more from people you disagree with than those with whom you agree.” He’s right. Someone’s view I don’t agree with might make me uncomfortable, but he or she also makes me think and consider a viewpoint I may not have thought about. Let us hear from you. We will check for factual accuracy; other

See RAITS page A7

Getting into the act Your Independent Local Community Newspaper Your Voice News & Views is published weekly by MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE MEDIA, LLC. 1919 SW South Macedo Blvd. Port St. Lucie, FL 34984 (772) 204-2409 Oﬃce • (772) 204-2940 Fax Press Releases: news@YourVoiceWeekly.com General Information/Inquiries: info@YourVoiceWeekly.com Steve Erlanger

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Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer Jordan Brown, 16, of Palm City didn’t let living with cerebral palsy prevent her from dancing with the Friends Choir and the dancers of Florida Arts and Dance at Jensen Beach High School Wednesday, April 16.

YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A7

PARK from page A3 ing roads and neighborhood to keep them safer, too. Diane Meehan, Jim’s wife, said St. Lucie County seems to have picked up its interest in the park since the Guardians formed. “They have now put in a playground,” she said. “The county recognized that it’s now a safer place for children.” Now Meehan is talking up the idea of a park watch for Martin County, starting at Jock Leighton Park, 3755 S.W. Mapp Road, Palm City. He broached the idea of a park watch to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder at the Palm City Chamber of Commerce’s monthly town hall meetings, Wednesday, April 9. “I’m very receptive to the idea of any program that mobilizes and motivates citizens to be the eyes and ears for law enforcement,” Snyder said in a phone interview after the town hall.

RAITS from page A6 than that, you have the same space in our newspaper as anyone else who wants to talk about what’s on his or her mind. Deadlines are Friday prior to the next

Martin County Commissioner and Navy veteran John Haddox is also interested in seeing a park watch started in his district, Palm City. “At first glance, it looks like a really great idea,” he said in a phone interview. Haddox said he was not surprised that combat veterans started Guardians of River Park. “That’s probably why it works so well,” he said. “Veterans are mission-oriented. Veterans say, ‘This is my mission,’ and they go do it.” Meehan is planning on setting up meetings with Sheriff Snyder and Commissioner Haddox in coming weeks to get things moving on a similar program in Martin County. The Guardians have monthly meetings at River Park Marina the first Saturday of every month at 4 p.m. Lindsey said anyone is welcomed to join the group by attending.

Friday’s publication date. Spirited debate is one of the hallmarks this country was built on. We invite you to join the conversation. Tammy Raits is managing editor of Your Voice News & Views.

Staff photo by Patrick McCallister From left to right, Jim Meehan and William Lindsey display their Guardians of River Park T-shirts with their wives, Diane and Maretha. Lindsey is the director of the neighborhood-watch style program that helps protect visitors to River Park Marina, Port St. Lucie. Meehan is vice director. He hopes to spread the program to Martin County, starting at Palm City’s Jock Leighton Park.

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YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A9

Imagine Schools holding Spring Carnival The Imagine Schools — Nau Campus Parent Teacher Organization will host its second annual Spring Carnival on Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Music, games, inflatables, food, fun and more is waiting for the entire family. Enjoy watching a Bike Rodeo as well as a number of other demonstrations. Children may also have free Identity Fingerprinting cards made by the St Lucie County Sheriff’s Department. Admission and parking is free. Activity wristbands may be

ABOARD from page A1 itor VHF channel 78 for developing information. Brand said he expects 100 or more boats to join the flotilla. “I think we’re going to do a peaceful float in,” he said. “We need to make sure we don’t block any navigational waterways. We’re going to make a transit through the bridge.” Brand is referring to is the train bridge nestled between the Roosevelt, U.S. Highway 1, and the Dixie Highway bridges in Stuart. A few times a day, a siren warns boaters that the train bridge will soon close. When it does, boats on one side or the other of the very low bridge have to wait to pass. Florida East Coast Industries, which owns the rail lines running over the train bridge and through Stuart, is working to start All Aboard Florida, a 235mile, privately-owned passenger train service from Miami to Orlando International Airport in 2016. The company only plans to have stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. If current plans are realized, the service will run 32 high-speed trains a day north and south. But All Aboard Florida will have to get past a lot of opposition before carrying its first passenger. Much of that opposition is coalescing around Florida Not All Aboard, a loosely-formed activist group. “(All Aboard Florida is) going to change the fabric of our community like nothing before,”

purchased at the ticket booth for $7. Save $1 per wristband by bringing a bag of clean, gently used clothing for children (newborn to 17 years), benefitting Hope’s Closet for Children. Imagine Schools — Nau Campus is located near the corner of Becker and Port St. Lucie Boulevard at 4402 S.W. Yamada Drive in Port St. Lucie. The charter school includes students from Tesoro, St. Lucie West and Tradition. Please contact Lucine Chan, PTO president, at (941) 840-4222 or ImagineNauPTO@gmail.com for additional information.

co-founder K.C. Traylor said. “It’s going to hurt our community and not benefit us at all.” The group will host a rally against All Aboard Florida on Sunday, May 4. It’ll be at 10 a.m. at Flagler Park, 201 S.W. Flagler Ave., Stuart. Scheduled speakers are Congressman Patrick Murphy, Martin County Commission Chairwoman Sarah Heard, Indian River County Commissioner Bob Solari, and radio talk show host Joyce Kaufman, WFTL 850 AM. “We want people to know this is not a done deal,” Traylor said. “It’s by far not a done deal.” Florida Not All Aboard has traditional and online petitions it’s circulating. At press time, more than 8,300 have signed the online petition at www.change.org. Tom Rising, co-founder of Florida Not All Aboard, plans on joining the flotilla. Rising attends events such as the Palm City Chamber of Commerce’s monthly town hall meetings urging folks to sign petitions. “We’ve been averaging 750 electronic petitions a week, and 225 written petitions each week,” he said. “Right now, it’s got a really good momentum going.” Brand said those without boats who wish to show support for the flotilla can gather along the RiverWalk alongside Flagler Park. Florida East Coast Industries hasn’t responded to requests for comment. To learn more about Florida Not All Aboard, the flotilla and rally, visit www.floridanotallaboard. com. Florida All Aboard’s website is www.allaboardflorida.com.

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A10 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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Temple to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day Olga Levy Drucker, member of Temple Beit HaYam, Holocaust survivor and author of KINDERTRANSPORT, was born in Stuttgart, Germany. After Kristallnacht, during which her father, Richard, CEO and co-owner of prominent publishing company, was forcefully incarcerated at Dachau Concentration Camp, her mother, Martha, arranged for Olga to be taken to England by the Kindertransport. The rescue operation was meant to be temporary, but WWII intervened. After six years, during which she was moved to six different foster homes, Ollie was reunited with her parents and older brother in New York. A Palm City resident, has been a member of Temple Beit HaYam since 1996. Her husband, Rolf, died in 2009. They have three children and two grandchildren.

FOR YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

MARTIN COUNTY — The Holocaust ended nearly 70 years ago, but acts of intolerance continue to afflict society today. Holocaust Remembrance Day, known as Yom Ha’shoah in Hebrew, is observed to honor the 6 million Jews who were murdered in Nazi death camps, and to keep alive the memory of one of the most horrific events in human history. Temple Beit HaYam, a reform temple located in Stuart, holds a Yom Ha’shoash service at the synagogue for its congre-

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TAX from page A1 take this.” The commission opted to ask voters to approve a 1-cent local-option sales tax for four years that will be spent only on repairing existing roads, bridges and drainage infrastructure. The commission had considered options ranging from half a cent for three, to 1 cent for 10 years with various levels of usage restrictions. Haddox favored 1 cent for five years, and more flexibility for its use. “I will be a team player and will go out explaining the benefit of 1 cent for four years,” he said. Commissioner Doug Smith, Jensen Beach, joined Haddox in opposing the sales-tax referendum the commission approved. He favored 1 cent for 10 years with more flexibility in its use. He’s less certain than Haddox that he’ll urge voters to pass the referendum. Smith said the tax’s short duration keeps it from funding all the projects voters might hope and think it will. “I’m very concerned that we have shortchanged the expectations of the community who think all of their roads will get resurfaced or repaired if they pass it,” he said in a phone interview. “They won’t.” County staff figured that if voters approve the local-option sales tax it’ll generate almost $85 million for the county to put to infrastructure maintenance. Additionally, the county’s municipalities, such as the city of Stuart, will get about $11 million split among them. They’ll not be restricted to using their share of the funds only on existing infra-

structure. The county has about a $225 million backlog on infrastructure maintenance. The proposed sales tax would bring Martin’s rate from 6 cents on all to 7 cents for every $1 of qualifying sales up to $5,000 starting in January 2015. After $5,000, buyers will pay 6 cents on every $1 of qualifying sales. The commission had an opportunity to hold a special sales-tax election last year. If voters had approved a proposed sales tax in 2013, folks would have started paying it five months ago. The commission nixed that plan in August, but continued discussing sending voters a sales-tax referendum. Opposition has been steadily lining up since before the commission settled on what to send voters. “I am absolutely opposed to the sales-tax increase,” Jackie Trancynger, Jensen Beach, told the commission before it voted for the sales-tax referendum. “It’s a regressive tax that punishes the poor and middle class.” She added, “I’d rather drive around my neighborhood with the potholes there are now than for you to put the burden on the poor and middle class.” Henry Copeland, Jensen Beach, has told the commission during public comment that he’ll organize opposition to the proposed local-option sales tax. “It really is a regressive tax and really socks it to politically disenfranchised people.” Copeland said in an interview before the commission adopted the proposal. The general election will be on Nov. 4. Early voting will be from Oct. 20 to Nov. 1.

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gation every year. This year, Yom Ha’shoash coincides with the opening of “The Courage To Remember,” a 42-panel educational exhibit of the Holocaust created by the Simon Wiesenthal Center that will be featured at The Blake Library in Stuart starting on April 28. The exhibit, which has been viewed in dozens of countries across six continents contains nearly 200 original photographs, many never seen before by the general public. Jewish leaders from Temple Beit HaYam, along with other civic, educational, business, government, religious and community figures, will participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony at The Blake Library on April 28 at 5:30 p.m. “We thought this would be a perfect opportunity to reach out to the community to commemorate and honor the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and to be able to do so along with other religious and civic leaders in our area,” said

Congregation President Karen Weisberg. Holocaust survivors will provide remarks, providing powerful, compelling insight into this tragic episode of the 20th century. Temple Beit HaYam offers Hebrew and religious training for youngsters from preschool aged through confirmation ages. Currently, there are more than 130 students enrolled in the programs. Their active Sisterhood and Brotherhood plan activities and events designed to encourage social interaction and support of our Temple. Concerts, lectures and other events are offered to the Treasure Coast community at large. In addition, the Caring Community and Social Action Committee embody their commitment to tzedakah (justice and giving). Their active Junior and Senior Youth Groups provide important social and informal learning experiences for teens. For more information about Temple Beit HaYam, visit www.tbhfl. org or call (772) 286-1531.

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YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A11

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A12 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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TREAUSRE COAST — Nick Wukoson has a theme to his candidacy: accountability. “Everyone who should be held accountable will be held accountable,” he said “It doesn’t matter if you have an R, a D, or an I, you should be held accountable to us, the people, and the taxpayers to do what’s right for us.” R, D and I are monikers for Republican, Democrat and Independent. Congress has no members who identify themselves with minor political parties, such as the Libertarian Party, so all representatives and senators are branded with one of the three letters. Wukoson is one of 10 Republicans who’d announced candidacies for Florida’s 18th Congressional District, which Democrat

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MARKET from page A5 filed the same period in 2013. The reduction in new foreclosures and the increase in sales have helped balance the foreclosure case backlog in the court system, which reached a peak of 9,733 cases in 2008. There were 813 foreclosure sales held from January to March 2014. Kirvin established Platinum Properties out of his home in 2003. In 2009, the company expanded when he took on two partners. The firm now has 67 agents and generates $150 million in sales a year. Their office in Port St. Lucie is almost two years old, Kirvin said. The firm also has locations in Jupiter and Juno Beach. Kirvin likes to call his brokerage firm “boutique” rather than big, because big isn’t always better. “The big trend in the real-estate industry right now is to have a brokerage firm that has a lot of agents and they provide (clients) less services, but allows the agents to keep a higher percentage of the splits. It’s more of a landlord/tenant relationship,” Kirvin said. “We would rather have a smaller group of agents that are quality, provide them tools to help them build their business and

generate more sales than what the trend is.” The boutique model is a unique experience, Kirvin added. “We don’t take on just anybody who has a real estate license. We take on people that are dedicated to the business and understand the need for professionalism,” he said. “(Clients are) going to get an agent who’s going to listen to what they’re looking for and help them go find it.” “(Our agents are) full-time, they’re in the business every day,” Kirvin said. “It’s just going to be a higher level of customer service, plus the company invests a lot in technologies.” Some of those technologies include a state-of-the-art, interactive website, enhanced accounts on www.realtor.com and an app through www.realtor.com that allows buyers and sellers to browse every listed property in the U.S. If you’re thinking about selling, Kirvin and his team have the expertise to get a house market-ready. It all starts with little things the seller can do to increase value, Kirvin said. New paint is the easiest way to drastically improve your home’s look and value. “A fresh coat of paint without updating any cabinets can give

the buyer a huge impression when they walk in,” Kirvin said. Kitchens and flooring add value to a house, but sellers who don’t want to upgrade before leaving should invest in a good cleaning, which will maximize returns, Kirvin said. “If they don’t want to do any improvements and it’s outdated, it’s going to be about making sure it’s clean. It’s all about the first impression. Make sure as the buyer walks up, your sidewalks are pressure cleaned, your windows are clean. Make sure your house is immaculate.” It’s worth spending the extra

buck to have your house professionally cleaned. “That appearance is going to give it more value,” Kirvin said. And less is more when it comes to staging. “Make sure you don’t have too much furniture in a room. What people need to realize when they go to sell their home is, it’s no longer a home, it’s a product,” Kirvin said. “So, you need to get your product set up to market it the best way that you can.” For more information on Platinum Properties, visit www.platprops.com or call (561) 694-2220.

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A14 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A15

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A16 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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money anyways, Their funding is cut automatically and those tax funds are reinvested.” Central to the plan in an interview, Wukoson said, is making federal budgets easier for laymen to investigate and understand. “My plan brings immediate transparency to spending,” Wukoson said. “It is Common Sense 101 in a bottle.” Locally, Wukoson said the most important issues facing the 18th District are stemming environmental damage caused by the Army Corps of Engineers’ discharges of nutrient-rich waters from Lake Okeechobee that have fouled the St. Lucie and Indian rivers, and opposing All Aboard Florida, Florida East Coast Industries’ proposed 235-mile, privately-owned passenger train service from Miami to Orlando International Airport that’ll have stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. The candidate called both issues “no brainers.” However, Wukoson said that more than just the Lake Okeechobee discharges are adversely affecting local waterways. He said various agricultural and business concerns are apparently contributing to the pollution in the St. Lucie and Indian rivers. “If you’re contributing to the pollution within our waterways, then you should be held accountable for the pollution in the waterways,” he said. The candidate said he’s still investigating All Aboard Florida and what Congress’ role in opposing it might be. However, he’s convinced that it’s a bad idea for the Treasure Coast. “All Aboard Florida does not make sense the way it’s laid out,” Wukoson said. In addition to Wukoson, the state elections division lists as active Republican candidates, Carl Domino, Beverly Joy Hires, Brian Lara, Alan Schlesinger, Ilya Katz, Calvin Deon Turnquest and the latest addition Frank Lynch. Some of those candidates may

See WUKOSON page A25

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At press time, the only candidate listed as withdrawn by the Florida Division of Elections is Ellen Andel. The Palm Beach Gardens small business owner said if elected to Congress his top priority will be establishing greater accountability and transparency. “There are multiple major issues when it comes to the overreach of the federal government,” Wukoson said. “The most important change that needs to happen is to bring the size of government down.” At his campaign website, www. picknick2014, Wukoson broaches the 40/80 Accountability Plan, which “will free up over a trillion dollars a year of waste and corrupted spending.” He’s renamed it the “Accountability 101 Plan.” “It connects the dots to the programs and companies that receive our hard earned tax dollars and holds them accountable to what they promised when asking for the money,” the site reads. “It continues to track their success through annual assessments never seen before. Simply, they are presented to the public every year in a very easy to follow and understand format that gives WE THE PEOPLE the opportunity to hold government accountable to the people!” However, the site gives little detail about what the Accountability 101 Plan is. In an emailed response to queries, Wukoson said he’s keeping details of the plan close to the vest. “As you know, the more I unveil prior to the election, the more likely one of my opponents will surprisingly have something very similar,” he wrote. “As they are all desperate to even have a plan at all. “So I have referred to the plan as the 40/80 plan in the past as my plan calls for holding programs accountable to a 40 (percent) minimum effectiveness in year one and 80 (percent) in return in year 2. If not met, as they are not giving us any real return on our

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YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A17

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A18 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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Best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark gave the gift of her time and displayed her talent for storytelling in a benefit for House of Hope at the Lyric Theatre in Stuart. Thanks to the generosity of the author, the theater, the audience and many sponsors, the event raised $21,000 for House of Hope, a local nonprofit agency that provides food, clothing, furniture, financial assistance and life-changing case management services to Martin County residents in need. Billed as “A Conversation with Mary Higgins Clark,” the event was organized by House of Hope volunteers Connie Bass, Michele

Trout and Catherine Heretick, with great help and guidance from John Loesser and Kia Fontaine Hamill of the Lyric Theatre. The Education Foundation of Martin County was a special partner in the event, supporting a unique opportunity for 30 public high school students. The students who were selected to participate received a copy of one of Mary Higgins Clark’s novels and participated in a delightful backstage Q&A session with the author before the main performance on Feb. 16. Significant sponsors included the Horace and Amy Hagedorn Fund, Melvyn and Constance Bass and Robert and Carol

See HOPE page A19

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YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A19

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Photo courtesy of House of Hope Front, from left: Event co-chairwoman Connie Bass and author Mary Higgins Clark. Back, from left: House of Hope CEO Elizabeth Barbella and co-chairwomen Michele Trout and Catherine Heretick.

HOPE from page A18 Calder. After the show, Mary Higgins Clark greeted hundreds of guests and signed books for

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A20 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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STUART — John Schierbaum doesn’t think of himself as a politico. But he’s aiming to unseat Ed Fielding from the Martin County Board of County Commissioners District 2 seat, Stuart. “What got me started was Seven50,” he said. “Seven50” is shorthand for the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership and its end product, the Seven50 Southeast Florida Prosperity Plan. The planning partnership between the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning councils disbanded earlier this year as it reached the end of a $4.25 million grant from the Departments of Housing and Urban Development’s Sustainable Communities Regional

John Schierbaum Planning Grant Program. The “Seven” in Seven50 is for seven counties, Broward, Indian River,

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SCHIERBAUM from page A20 Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. The “50” is for 50 years. Last year many folks pushed for counties and cities to withdraw from the partnership, citing concerns about preserving local planning control. The Martin commission was among those that officially withdrew support. District 2 covers Stuart from Cove Road north between the St. Lucie and Indian rivers. While Martin County commissioners must live in their districts, they’re elections are countywide. Voters in Palm City will participate in two county commission races this election cycle, including District 2. The other is District 4, Port Salerno, which is held by Sarah Heard. Schierbaum, a Navy veteran who’s lived in numerous places, moved to the area in 2008 from Wellington. “The biggest issue would be, in my humble opinion, economic growth and economic prosperity,” he said. Schierbaum believes Martin can cash in on the natural resources it’s preserved through the Comprehensive Growth Management Plan, commonly called the “comp plan,” that was adopted in 1990.

He’s generally favorable toward the commission’s recent efforts to strengthen the comp plan. “I want to promote eco-tourism in Martin County,” Schierbaum said. He said that Martin has an unusual asset in that it stretches between the Atlantic and Lake Okeechobee with a lot of different natural terrain between the two. “A lot of places don’t have all of that in one place,” he said. “Eco-tourism is a very clean industry. It’s very low-impact and can generate revenue for the county.” Schierbaum said volunteer work as a nature trail guide at Florida Oceanographic Society has shown him that a large number of eco-tourists would likely stay in Martin if it were promoted better. If elected, Schierbaum said, he’d work with the Martin County Tourist Development Council to find better marketing strategies to promote eco-tourism. Additionally the candidate said, if elected, he’ll work to move firefighter training from St. Lucie County. “One of the things I would like to see is a firefighting training facility in Martin County, an academy,” he said, and later added,

See SCHIERBAUM page A23

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Sen. Joe Negron spoke to supporters making an effort as a local watchdog group to make sure that the government does its part to keep our waterways clean and free from the disastrous consequences of release of fresh water from Lake Okeechobee to the Indian River Lagoon. The meeting took place at Stuart City Hall on Wednesday, April 16.

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“They’re taking our equipment out of the county for a long time.” Schierbaum said building a firefighting training facility might be pricey at first, but it would pay for itself in quick order. “There are federal grants available that could defray a lot of that cost for firefighter training facilities,” he said. “What’s it costing us to send those firefighters out of the county?” The 65-year-old also favors revisiting the commission’s recent contract renegotiation with the Business Development Board of Martin County. The BDB serves as the county’s economic-development agency. A 2009 contract started the BDB at $625,000 a year. By 2013 it was up to $643,000, due to contractual increases. The current county commission recently pressed the BDB to ink a new contract worth $430,000 the first year. That drops to $340,000 in the second and $260,000 in the third years. Additionally, the new contract has the county matching some private funding the BDB develops in the second and third years to a maximum of an additional $100,000 a year. The aim is to ultimately remove the BDB from the county’s general-fund budget. The county gets about $260,000 in occupational license fees a year, and the commission hopes to make that the exclusive source of the BDB’s public funding. Schierbaum said it makes little sense to him to cut back on economic development investments as the nation, state and Treasure Coast seem to be making economic gains, but there are still a lot of vacant commercial spaces to fill. “I would have left (the BDB’s funding) at the $643,000, but I would have made sure there were measurable goals attached to it and said, ‘If you guys can’t do it, we’ll get somebody else who will.” At press time, the Martin County Supervisor of Elections office has only one contender against Schierbaum, incumbent Ed Fielding. Both are Republicans. The primary election will be on Aug. 26. Unless a non-Republican other joins the race, it’ll be a universal primary contest. Early voting will be from Aug. 16 to Aug. 23. The general election will be on Nov. 4. Early voting will be from Oct. 20 to Nov. 1. Schierbaum’s campaign website is www.electtrapperjohn.com.

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A24 • APRIL 25, 2014 • PALM CITY & TESORO • YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS

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Treasure Coast Music Teachers Association presents ‘The Magic of Mozart’

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MARTIN COUNTY — The Treasure Coast Music Teachers Association will present The Magic of Mozart on Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Palm City. The free concert, which honors local music education advocate Ernie Berlin, will feature a collection of Mozart’s most treasured works performed by advanced music students and instructors. “’The Magic of Mozart’ not only

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pays tribute to one of the most beloved composers of all time, but it honors local music education advocate Ernie Berlin, who has nourished and cultivated a passion for music among hundreds of Treasure Coast students over the years,” said Cindy Kessler, association president and owner of The Stuart School of Music. “The TCMTA is proud to present this free program, which features a selection of piano, violin, clarinet, voice, and flute performances

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YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS • PALM CITY & TESORO • APRIL 25, 2014 • A25

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of Mozart’s most beautiful works to the community.” Area students participating in the tribute concert include Aluren Allenberger, voice; Gregory Fedele, piano; Shannon Murphy, clarinet; Claudia Peng, piano; Kevin Pere, piano; Emily Vitale, piano; Loretta Waldrop, voice; Savanna Webber, voice; and Zuyi Zhao, piano. The afternoon of

WUKOSON from page A16 drop their bids after press time. The qualifying period for congressional races is April 28 to May 2. The district is tenuous for both major political parties. Between Martin and St. Lucie counties, there are about slightly more than 107,000 voters registered as Republicans, and about 102,600 Democrats. Some in Martin register Republican to vote in the primary elections,

Mozart favorites will also include ensembles featuring local music instructors William Borovina, Susan Callahan, Ron Corbin, Luanne Dwyer, Hillary Egan, Shirley Heifetz, Dr. Susan Joyce, Cindy Kessler, Laura Mozena and Joann Raulin. For more information about The Magic of Mozart concert, please contact Luanne Dwyer at (772) 341-5529.

since county commission races are often decided in the primary. Another 71,890 voters in the two counties are registered with third parties or no affiliation. The primary election will be on Aug. 26. Early voting will be from Aug. 16 to Aug. 23. The general election will be on Nov. 4. Early voting will be from Oct. 20 to Nov. 1. Wukoson is married to Karyn, and they have two children, a 9-year-old and 9-month-old. The Florida native is 41.

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