Swim, bike and run for kids Sailfish Splash triathlon this month
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Back to school assist
Homework helpers at the library
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Accepting a challenge
Student takes on Williams’ drama
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PALM CITY/TESORO
YourVoiceWeekly.com VOL. 3/ISSUE 41
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015
Parents Opponents get run over get the by train twice in two days 101 on new education Patrick McCallister STAFF WRITER
pmccallister@YourVoiceWeekly.com
MARTIN COUNTY — It can feel like having a child in school requires a college degree. Good news the Martin County Schools is having its second Parent University. “We started this last year after the tremendous amount of legislation that came down,” Tracey Miller, executive director of instructional services at the Martin County Schools said. “It was hard for us to understand, so we could only imagine what it was like for parents.” The Florida Legislature enacted more than 40 bills related to education that started taking effect last school year. Many of the changes were about retiring the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and heading to the Florida Standards Assessments. The only remnant of FCAT 2.0 left is the fifth- and eighth-grade science portions. Students these days are taking the Florida Standards Assessment for English language arts, grades 3 to 11, and math, grades 3 to 8. There’s a web site for teach-
See EDUCATION page 7
File photo Local protests against All Aboard Florida got St. Lucie and Martin counties to create funds to battle the proposed high-speed passenger rail service that would cut a swath through the Treasure Coast, but not stop here. Indian River and Martin counties have filed suits against the federal government for granting All Aboard Florida permission to seek private-activity bonds to fund the project. The Florida Development Finance Corp. agreed to issue the bonds at a contentious meeting in Orlando on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Patrick McCallister STAFF WRITER
pmccallister@YourVoiceWeekly.com
TREASURE COAST — The All Aboard issues continue and opponents are feeling run over by the ongoing debate. “I’m going to dust myself off and go right back to battle,” Martin County Commissioner John Haddox said. “That’s where we’re at.” On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Federal Railway Administration issued the final environmental impact
statement. It wasn’t what opponents hoped for. “…the Project is not anticipated to result in cumulative impacts that would be collectively significant and adverse,” the report reads. “With respect to transportation, air quality and economic resources, the Project would have beneficial cumulative impacts.” Then Wednesday, Aug. 5, the Florida Development Finance Corporation’s, FDFC, board gave the nod to issue up to $1.75 billion in hybrid tax-exempt bonds
— called private activity bonds — to build its proposed highspeed rail service from Miami to Orlando. “We’re pleased with the outcome and looking forward to moving ahead with the next steps in the process,” Russell “Rusty” Roberts, vice president of government affairs for the company, said. There are four members on the FDFC board, and one was absent
See ABOARD page 12
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