Giving thanks
Whitt puts ‘Sunlight’ on giving thanks
A6
Bipartisan lagoon hope
Murphy & Posey team up for H2O
A11
Reliving ‘Camelot’
Award-winning play at Sunrise
B1
ST. LUCIE WEST • TRADITION
YourVoiceWeekly.com VOL. 3/ISSUE 3
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014
It’s official: Oravec sworn in as new Port St. Lucie mayor Brandon Zeris STAFF WRITER
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Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer Greg Oravec gestures to the standing room only audience while he takes the chair for the first time after being sworn in as the mayor of Port St. Lucie Monday, Nov. 17 at City Hall. Port St. Lucie City Council memberts Linda Bartz and Shannon Martin were each sworn in for their next term by city clerk Karen Phillips Monday, Nov. 17 at City Hall. Bartz was also reappointed the position of vice mayor by newly elected Mayor Greg Oravec.
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer 14971
PORT ST. LUCIE — It was a special night for Greg Oravec and his family. After months of campaigning, his mission to get back to City Hall came to an end Monday as he was sworn in as mayor. “It was one of the biggest moments of my life. If I had to rank it, it was after marriage and having my kids but right up there with one of life’s greatest moments,” Oravec said. Tonia Oravec, Greg’s wife, said it was special for her and their children to see Greg back on the dais. “I’m beyond words. I’m just proud and elated,” she said. Outgoing mayor JoAnn Faiella gave Oravec a hug and handed over the gavel, saying “It’s all yours” before a packed crowd of about 350 at City Hall. “Thank you for believing in me and entrusting me with this great responsibility,” Oravec told the crowd shortly after testing the gavel for his first time. It was a more joyful night than most at City Hall with Linda Bartz and Shannon Martin also being sworn in as council members. “I don’t care where you come from, where you think you might be going, there is no place better than our city,” Bartz said. Oravec promised to work with the council despite perceived differences stemming from his departure as city manager last year when he entered a separation agreement with the city after he released 85 pages of documents,