PORT ST. LUCIE ST. LUCIE WEST TRADITION

PORT ST. LUCIE

ST. LUCIE WEST

@hometownnewsslc

@HometownNewsStLucie

Vol. 17, No. 51

TRADITION

@HometownNewsSLC



EARL ON CARS

Buying a car can be difficult,

especially if you have bad credit.

Earl Stewart goes over some tips

that can make the process easier

EARL STEWART

4

Friday, May 17, 2019

PRECIOUS POOCH

WHAT A CATCH!

Petey is a playful pup whose

available for his new family

and forever home through

the Humane Society.

This visitor caught a fish

while visiting the ocean

with her dad and grandpa

PET OF THE WEEK

7

CATCH

11

Making a new friend

The St. Lucie County

Fire District held an

open house at Fire

Station No. 6 in

White City on Friday,

May 10. Families had

the opportunity to

meet first responders, see the fire

trucks and learn

home safety tips.

Here, Steve Cornell

and his three-yearold son Aiden meet

¡®Camy¡¯, the St. Lucie

Fire District¡¯s K9.

Find more pictures

from the event on 6

and 10.

2018

1

R

S¡¯

D

EA ER

E

C

H OIC

AUSSIE TRAVEL

Two local readers took a

trip "down under" with

their copy of Hometown

News.

TOURING

14

School

Board

approves

Career

Academy

The St. Lucie County

School District

unanimously approves

conditional contract for

planned Port St. Lucie

campus

By Donald Rodrigue

For Hometown News

Sevin Bullwinkle

staff photographer

Final touches on Becker

Road design approved

TAKE US WITH YOU

PLANNING A TRIP?

¡®Touring with

the Townies¡¯

features

reader-submitted

photos from

travels. Let¡¯s

see how

many places

we can go! Send in your picture

or questions to

newsfp@

The majority of the Planning

and Zoning Board approve

final tweaks to design

standards while two members

express opposition

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

See

community

events on

page 2

INDEX

Classified

Crossword

Horoscopes

15

13

10

Out & About

Police Report

Viewpoint

10

5

6

By Donald Rodrigue

For Hometown News

PORT ST. LUCIE ¨C The Planning & Zoning

Board voted 4-2 May 7 to recommend approval of

an amendment to the Becker Road corridor design

standards that the City Council gave its final

approval to Nov. 13 after years of planning and

neighborhood charrettes to gather public input for

the future of the primarily residential area. Princi-

pal Planner Holly Price reminded P&Z Board

members that she had originally previewed the

proposed changes to the design standards of the

3.75-mile stretch of the road between I-95 and the

Florida Turnpike on April 2 and would only provide them a brief recap.

¡°We¡¯re proposing changes to the existing Becker

Road overlay design standards that were approved

in November of 2018,¡± she said. ¡°What we hope to

do with these design standards is create a transition between the Becker Road arterial street and

the surrounding neighborhoods, and also to provide services to the residents in the general vicinity. Some of the principal objectives for these

design standards are to create the features that

we¡¯d like to see.¡±

The changes including the placement of parking

See BECKER, page 3

PORT ST. LUICE ¨C More than 20 public speakers urged the St. Lucie County

School Board April 30 to approve a contract with Somerset Career Academy so

the charter school company can build a

planned Career Academy in the Tradition Jobs Corridor here. After a lengthy

discourse by Superintendent E. Wayne

Gent on the history of Florida charter

schools and the limited role local school

boards have in regulating them, he recommended approval with last-minute

conditions, and the Board voted unanimously to approve the conditional charter contract.

Even though School Board Member

Kathryn Hensley voted with her peers for

approval, she still expressed dissatisfaction with the Somerset proposal to

launch its new vocational-technical campus with the middle school portion.

¡°I would have thought if we were going

to do a trade school, we did not start at

sixth grade,¡± she said. ¡°I personally had

hoped there would be a secondary/

post-secondary alliance of a career college or a trade college, but that¡¯s not

what¡¯s in front of us today.¡±

Ms. Hensley admitted current Florida

law gave the District ¡°very little recourse¡±

for rejecting the proposal but hoped

accountability measures and other details

negotiated into the contract over the next

few weeks would provide the School

See ACADEMY, page 8

2

Hometown News ¨C PORT ST LUCIE ¨C

Community calendar

SATURDAY, MAY 18

? Walk n Roll to Cure Ataxia: The Treasure Coast Walk n Roll to Cure Ataxia will

take place on Saturday, May 18 at 9 a.m.

(registration at 8). The walk will take participants around the lake at 10807 SW Traditional Square in Port St. Lucie. For more

information, contact Lisa Cole at (772) 3703041 or email lisacoleataxia@

? Water Champions Basic Training: The

Oxbow Eco-Center wants every resident to

have the knowledge and confidence to get

involved. That¡¯s why the environmental education staff developed a half-day course

designed to empower those who would like

to learn the basics: What are the pollutants? Where do they come from? How do

they enter our waterways? How do they

cause harm there? And most importantly,

what can we do about it? Part of the St.

Lucie Water Champions Initiative, this Basic

Training will take place on Saturday, May 18

from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Oxbow

Eco-Center located at 5400 NE St. James

Drive, Port St. Lucie. It is free and open to

ages 13 and older. Lunch will be provided.

To register for the May 18 Basic Training,

please call the Oxbow Eco-Center at 772785-5833 or email oxbow@.

For more information about the St. Lucie

Water Champions program, please visit



Bealls supports breast

cancer awareness

FRIDAY, MAY 24

? ¡°Movies in the Fort¡±: Free Outdoor

Film Series: From January to May, parks in

six neighborhoods will host FREE outdoor

movies featuring today¡¯s blockbusters and

classic family favorites. Movies in the Fort

gives residents in all parts of the city an

opportunity to engage with their neighbors

and community. Fort Pierce is committed to

increasing access to family-friendly cultural

opportunities, and this new movie series is

a perfect example of this work. The Sandlot,

rated PG, Former PAL Center (903 S 21st

St). All movies begin at dusk. Guests are

encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or

blankets. Patrons are also welcome to bring

their own picnic dinner. Visit the City¡¯s

Facebook page for details about pre-show

activities on select movie nights. Movies,

dates and times are subject to change, Visit

.

AIRPORT AND CRUISE PORT

PRIVATE CAR SERVICE

as low as $1.25 per mile

flyride.limo

(772) 919-7788

Friday, May 17, 2019

Group pricing available.

For Hometown News

newsfp@

TREASURE COAST - In an effort to bring

continued awareness to breast cancer, Bealls

is pleased to announce the limited edition

¡°Pink Power¡± tumbler in partnership with

Florida-based artist, Leoma Lovegrove.

Inspired by her personal story and strength

as a breast cancer survivor, this special 20-oz

tumbler will feature Leoma¡¯s ¡°Flock of Flamingos¡± painting, which portrays how surviving a diagnosis is best with a ¡°flock¡± of

friends.

¡°I am honored that Bealls has chosen my

painting ¡®Flock of Flamingos¡¯ as the foundation for their limited edition tumbler to help

raise breast cancer awareness. As a breast

cancer survivor, I know from personal experience the importance of coming together

and supporting one another. Raising awareness is the key to being your own best advocate. Everyone¡¯s journey in life may be different, but we can all ¡®flock¡¯ through it together,¡±

said Leoma Lovegrove. For every ¡°Pink

Power¡± tumbler sold, Bealls will donate $2.00

to the American Cancer Society to help fur-

ther research in finding a cure for breast cancer. The tumbler is available for purchase

online only beginning on May 13, 2019.

¡°We are excited to partner with

Leoma Lovegrove to aid and support the

continued efforts to find a cure,¡± said Matt

Beall, President of Bealls Stores, Inc. ¡°This is

a cause that is near and dear to us all and one

that requires constant research, education

and testing. We are proud to support the

American Cancer Society in this mission.

We are inspired by Leoma¡¯s strength during

her fight against breast cancer and it is our

hope that the proceeds earned from the ¡®Pink

Power¡¯ tumbler will help others in their fight

against cancer. There is strength in numbers

and this is a fight that can be won together.¡±

Leoma Lovegrove is an impressionist-expressionist painter known worldwide for her

splashy, artistic depictions of the Florida lifestyle. Located in the heart of Matlacha Island

on the gulf coast of Florida, Lovegrove Gallery and Gardens is one of the most colorful

landmarks in the Sunshine State. To learn

more, visit .

To learn more about Bealls, visit

or .

SAFE CAR DEALER WITH NO DEALER FEES:

1215 US1 North Palm Beach/Lake Park

561-844-3461



Friday, May 17, 2019

Becker

From page 1

to the rear of any future businesses along

Becker Road; the requirement of a continuous landscape buffer along Becker Road

including open spaces in the form of plazas

and courtyards that incorporate features

such as benches, fountains, public art and

gazebos; the requirement for any mixed-use

projects along the corridor to be at least two

stories in height; and incentives offered to

the developers of office projects to encourage two-story development. There will be

no on-street parking along Becker Road.

¡°We want to promote the development of

buildings that have windows and other

building articulation as a means to foster a

more attractive architecture,¡± Ms. Price

explained. ¡°We want to create an interconnected system of sidewalks for both walkability, and driveways to make access to the

nearby development more convenient.¡±

The planner did have good news for some

Board members who¡¯d asked in the previous

meeting about the possibility of precluding

the future placement of assisting living and

other residential-type homes along the corridor.

¡°At our last meeting on April 2, there were

a couple of questions that the Board asked,

and one of them was if there were any legal

issues removing the assisted living facilities

and the community residential homes from

the zoning permitted uses,¡± she said. ¡°We

spoke with Legal, and they indicated they

see no problem doing this since we¡¯re

removing it from the whole entire area and

from the whole design standards. The second question was whether there were any

Hometown News ¨C PORT ST LUCIE ¨C

plans to install bike lanes along Becker

Road. At this time, Public Works does not

have any plans to do that.¡±

Ms. Price¡¯s response to the latter is what

prompted a brief discussion between her

and Board Member Deborah Beutel, who

ultimately cast one of the two dissenting

votes on the approval. Ms. Beutel had

expressed concerns during the April meeting about safety for bicyclists along the corridor and questioned the planner about the

possibility of incorporating bike lanes or

other solutions.

¡°Since you have bicycle racks already proposed, so the bicycles can just use the sidewalk for safety purposes?¡± she asked during

the latest meeting.

Ms. Price said the Public Works Department might be the best source to answer

that question.

¡°You know, I¡¯m not sure what the requirement for that is, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re

supposed to be using the sidewalks,¡± she

said. ¡°I would like to confirm and somebody

else here might know better than I, but I

think they would just need to use the street

at this time.¡±

¡°Wow,¡± Ms. Beutel responded.

Board Member John Corzine had also

expressed concerns about cyclists and

pedestrians sharing a proposed sidewalk

along the corridor April 2 but ultimately

voted in favor of the recommendations.

¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to be a mixed use of

bicycles and pedestrians sharing a sidewalk,

he said during the earlier meeting. ¡°Is 10

feet wide enough under that? I don¡¯t know.¡±

Ms. Price only responded that there

would be two sidewalks similar to the shopping area along Ocean Drive in Vero Beach,

which utilizes a narrower sidewalk along the

store fronts and a wider one closer to the

street. Mr. Corzine worried that the fivefoot sidewalk closest to the businesses might

not be wide enough with the doors opening

into the walkway, but she insisted the idea

worked adequately in Vero Beach.

¡°I¡¯ve seen it work in Vero,¡± Ms. Price

insisted. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be a heavy pedestrian area like it would be if there were parking in front of the building, but there will be

some people using it. I¡¯m sure most people

are going to enter the area from where the

cars are.¡±

Board Member Melissa Stephenson cast

the other dissenting vote without offering

any explanation or further comments. She

did express fears on April 2, however, that

the street might end up like other major

thoroughfares in the city.

¡°I live in the area and use the Becker Road

corridor daily,¡± she said. ¡°I appreciate the

time and effort that both the Planning &

Zoning Department and [Vice-Mayor]

Shannon Martin invested in 2017 and 2018

doing the presentations to let the city and

the residents who live in that area have some

input on what we¡¯d like our area to look like.

There were a multitude of comments that

we don¡¯t want a Port St. Lucie Boulevard,

and we don¡¯t necessarily want to be a St.

Lucie West Boulevard either. We want our

own identity being on the southernmost

part of town.¡±

During the same April meeting, Ms. Price

explained that city staff had determined to

limit any new commercial and residential

development facing Becker Road to one of

only two currently permitted architectural

styles to address that concern.

¡°The residents had expressed repeatedly

that they did not want Becker Road to look

like Port St. Lucie Boulevard, and in a participant survey, most residents preferred the

3

Florida vernacular or Mediterranean architectural styles,¡± she said April 2. ¡°The development on the west side of Becker Road

would be mostly Mediterranean, and the

development on the east side and at the

intersection of Port St. Lucie Boulevard and

Becker Road would be Florida vernacular.¡±

Ms. Price also explained during that

meeting that Planning Department staff had

decided to limit the faux roofing features on

flat roofs along the corridor at the request of

Mayor Gregory Oravec, who cast the lone

dissenting vote Nov. 13 on the amendment

to the Future Land Use Map changing the

zoning of the approximately 787 residential

lots along the corridor. During that meeting, Principal Planner John Finizio told the

Council that the approximately 196 acres of

single-family residential land in the area

would now be divided into 25.5 acres of limited commercial; 15.7 acres of residential/

office/institutional zoning; 83.12 acres of

office zoning; 59.28 acres of medium density residential; 7.11 acres of mixed use; and

9.84 acres of open space recreational zoning.

Upon explaining his opposition last

November, Mayor Oravec expressed a concern similar to that expressed by P&Z Board

Member Stephenson.

¡°For me, we¡¯re dealing with such a scale

and time horizon that I think it can be difficult to picture in our mind¡¯s eye and take in

all the factors,¡± he said. ¡°I continue to hope

for a road that feels more like Gatlin [Boulevard] and have sections similar to Gatlin

such as between Savona and Rosser versus

recreating elements of Port St. Lucie Boulevard. I continue to be very concerned about

this one. I hope staff will take advantage of

opportunities to create green space and

interconnect the spaces as we have done in

other areas of the city.¡±

4

Hometown News ¨C PORT ST LUCIE ¨C

Friday, May 17, 2019

Buying a car when you

have a credit problem

Earl Stewart is the owner and general

manager of Earl Stewart Toyota in North

Palm Beach. The dealership is located at

1215 N. Federal Highway in Lake Park.

Contact him at ,

call (561) 358-1474, fax (561) 658-0746 or

email earl@.

T

here are fewer things more sensitive

or embarrassing than having to

share your personal credit problems

with a stranger. Having credit problems

can also put many buyers in a weakened

and defensive position when buying a car.

Many people with bad, or too little, credit

feel like the car dealer is somehow ¡°doing

them a favor¡± by selling them a car and

getting them financed. Make no mistake

about it. A car dealer is probably making

more money selling a person with bad

credit a car than one with good credit. If

you have a credit problem, go about buying

a car with the same care and due diligence

as if you had the very best credit. Shop and

compare your financing, your interest rate,

and your trade-in allowance. Get at least

three quotes on each of these.

Lenders who specialize in lending to

those with bad credit are known as ¡°special

finance¡± lenders. Many of these lenders

charge the dealer a large upfront fee, as

much as $2,500. Legally, the dealer is not

supposed to add this fee to the price of the

car you buy but, in the real world, the price

of the car is usually higher as the result of

this fee. In addition to an upfront fee, the

interest rates are very high from special

finance lenders. Because they anticipate a

much higher amount of repossession losses, they must make more on each transaction. Don¡¯t automatically accept a dealer¡¯s

opinion that you must finance through

such a lender. There are many conventional

banks these days that loan to people with

bad credit. Their interest rates are lower,

and they don¡¯t charge large upfront fees.

There is much fraud in special finance

lending. Credit applications are falsified to

show more time on the job, higher incomes,

etc. W-2 forms and check stubs are counterfeited. Buyer¡¯s orders show accessories

and equipment that do not really exist on

the car. Hold checks, or promissory notes

are misrepresented as cash down payment.

Co-signers¡¯ signatures are forged. Confed-

ON CARS

EARL STEWART

erates pose as employers, answering false

phone numbers to verify employment.

These falsifications are performed by

finance managers, salesmen, brokers for

special finance lenders (who are paid on

commission) and the customers themselves. If you sign a credit application, be

sure that you know all the information on

that application is accurate. Be sure that

you understand and agree to all parts of the

transaction including down payments,

accessories on the car, etc. Never be a party

to falsifying information to a lender to

obtain a loan. This is a criminal offense.

Advertisements aimed at people with

bad credit usually exaggerate with claims

like, ¡°We finance everyone¡±, ¡°Wanted, good

people with bad credit¡±, ¡°No credit, no

problem¡±, and, my favorite, ¡°No credit

application refused¡± (it doesn¡¯t say your

loan won¡¯t be refused, just your application). My advice is to ignore these kinds of

ads and these kinds of dealers. Their strategy is to take advantage of people with bad

credit who they believe will buy any car,

pay any amount of interest, and any profit

to the dealers if the dealer can get them a

loan.

It is common practice in Florida to

encourage the car buyer to drive the car

home immediately upon signing all of the

papers. In some states like New York this is

not permitted until all the car has been registered with the state in the new owner¡¯s

name. The reason for this immediate delivery (commonly referred to as the ¡°spot

delivery¡±) is to discourage and possibly

even prevent the buyer from changing his

mind. Taking possession of the car is a legal

consideration making the purchase more

binding. I recommend that you not rush

the purchase or the delivery. For one thing

you want to be sure that the car is exactly

the way you want it¡­clean inside and out,

all the accessories properly installed, no

dings, dents or scratches, and that you have

See EARL, page 7

Donate A Boat

or Car Today!

¡°2-Night Free Vacation! ¡±

800 - 700 - BOAT

(2628)

w w w.boatange

sponsored by boat angel outreach centers

STOP CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN

Friday, May 17, 2019

Editor¡¯s note: This is a list of arrests, not

convictions, and all arrestees are presumed

innocent unless or until proven guilty in a

court of law.

Fort Pierce Police Department

Steven Addond, 64, of Vero Beach, was

arrested April 25 and charged with possession

of cocaine.

Corey Johnson, 47, of Okeechobee, was

arrested May 2 and charged with grand theft

larceny over $300 and less than $5,000.

Jamie Skuba, 33, of Fort Pierce, was arrested May 2 and charged with battery on a law

enforcement officer/firefighter/EMT.

Terrance Jones, 37, of Miami, was arrested

May 3 and charged with possession of cocaine.

Alex Westmoreland, 22, of Port St. Lucie,

was May 3 and charged with possession of

controlled substance, and use of drug paraphernalia.

Roger Crawford, 37, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 4 and charged with resisting officer with violence, and disorderly intoxication

causing disturbance in public place.

Jeffery Stockard, 45, of Port St. Lucie, was

arrested May 4 and charged with driving while

license suspended with knowledge (3rd or subsequent offense), and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Chris Wallace, 24, of Fort Pierce, was arrested May 4 and charged with possession of

cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Marques Lennon, 34, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 5 and charged with grand theft of

a motor vehicle.

Jonti Pizarro, 29, of Stuart, was arrested May

5 and charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, and fleeing/eluding police officer with disre-

5

Hometown News ¨C PORT ST LUCIE ¨C

Police report

gard to safety to person or property.

Isabelle Wilson, 54, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 5 and charged with throwing missile into dwelling/vehicle/building/aircraft, discharging firearm in public or residential property, possession of drug paraphernalia, and three

counts of culpable negligence or exposure to

harm as crimes against person.

Jason King, 25, of Fort Pierce, was arrested

May 7 and charged with driving while license

suspended with knowledge (3rd or subsequent

offense), and failure to register motor vehicle.

Eric Hargrave, 23, of Port St. Lucie, was

arrested May 8 and charge with fleeing/eluding

law enforcement officer with lights and siren

active, and resisting officer without violence.

Freddie Monroe, 38, of Belle Glade, was

arrested May 8 and charged with retain larceny

over $300 with coordination with others.

Timothy Nixon, 31, of Fort Pierce, was arrested May 10 and charged with driving while

license suspended with knowledge (3rd or subsequent offense).

Port St. Lucie Police

Department

Michael Fontana, 30, was arrested in Port St.

Lucie on May 3 and charged with tampering

with/fabricating physical evidence.

Audia Estevez, 29, was arrested in Port St.

Lucie on May 3 and charged with grand theft

larceny over $300 and less than $5,000.

Gabriella Gallo, 27, was arrested in Port St.

Lucie on May 5 and charged with grand theft

larceny over $300 and less than $5,000.

Melissa Murphy, (age redacted), was arrested (located redacted) on May 6 and charged

with cruelty toward child as abuse without great

bodily harm.

Marvin Craig, 22, was arrested in Port St.

Lucie on May 8 and charged with damage to

property as criminal mischief $1,000 or more.

St. Lucie County Sheriff¡¯s

Office

Antonio Simms, 30, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 3 and charged with grand theft of

a motor vehicle, driving under the influence,

leaving the scene of a crash involving damage

to property as hit and run, driving while license

suspended (habitual offender), and resisting

officer without violence.

Karolyn Griffin, 30, of Sanford, was arrested

May 3 and charged with grand theft larceny

over $300 and less than $5,000, fraudulent use

of scan device or pay card to defraud (1st

offense), and false information given to law

enforcement officer in reference to missing person as obstruction.

Miguel Perez Velasquez, 20, of Fort Pierce,

was arrested May 3 and charged with possession of marijuana over 20 grams.

Divine McDuffie, 32, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 3 and charged with possession of

a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

Taquanna Vickers, 29, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 4 and charged with possession of

a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

Vernon Evans, 23, of Fort Pierce, was arrested May 4 and charged with tampering with/fabricating physical evidence, possession of

cocaine, possession of marijuana under 20

grams, resisting officer without violence, and

driving while license suspended (1st offense).

David Johnson, 47, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 4 and charged with possession of

a controlled substance, and possession of drug

paraphernalia.

Wills, Trusts, Estates &

Elder Law

Shaun W. Wiedrick, Esq.

Attorney & Counselor at Law

Royal Palm Financial Center

759 SW Federal Hwy.,

Suite 212

Stuart, Florida 34994

772-463-4443



No matter how large

or small your estate,

living trusts and

other techniques

and strategies can be

employed to address

concerns with taxes,

probate court and

guardianships.

Learn how these

approaches may apply

to you. Learn about

Medicaid rules. These

rules can be very

important to those

concerned about

stays in a nursing

home, etc.

Connie Powell, 38, of Port St. Lucie, was

arrested May 5 and charged with aggravated

battery on a person 65 years of age or older.

Jaques Connelly, 21, of Orlando, was arrested May 6 and charged with battery by a

detained person in prison or jail facility.

Anthony Charles, 41, of Orlando, was arrested May 7 and charged with grand theft of a

motor vehicle, petty theft 2nd degree larceny

(1st offense), damage to property as criminal

mischief $200 and under, and driving while

license suspended with knowledge (3rd or subsequent offense).

Scott Hoff, 29, of Vero Beach, was arrested

May 7 and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana

over 20 grams, and introduction of contraband

into jail facility.

Jessica Wyche, 35, of Fort Pierce, was

arrested May 8 and charged with possession of

marijuana over 20 grams.

See CRIME, page 7

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2018

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Call For a FREE Consultation

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