Opening of Civic Center was truly grand

Although Monday, Dec. 1 began with a steady drizzle of rain, the sun began shining just in time, as I gathered with fellow City Council members and other local leaders to officially cut the ribbon that signified the opening of the community’s beautiful new Civic Center at U.S. Highway 1 and Walton Road.

Ribbon cutting

As I told the crowd who came that morning, this grand 100,000-square-foot building, the centerpiece for Port St. Lucie’s downtown gathering place, is your center, a facility which all residents can be proud of, and its opening has brought with it a new era to Port St. Lucie. A perfect example of this can be found in the many events that took place during the first week the Civic Center opened, including the city’s traditional holiday events. The community came out in large numbers to enjoy all the celebrations, and there was plenty of room and parking for all. Best of all, most events were free, making it even more attractive to families in these tough economic times.

Community open house

The day after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the community was invited to enjoy self-guided tours of the Civic Center. Free refreshments were served as people mingled in the expansive lobby, met up with friends and neighbors, and walked through the Emerald Ballroom, Ruby Conference Rooms, game room, fitness facilities, full-court gymnasium, children’s activities room, racquetball courts, and classrooms where belly dancers and others gave demonstrations of the many courses the Civic Center has to offer.

Green market is back

Also on Tuesday, the popular Green Market was back in town, this time in Village Square, the large outdoor area in front of the Civic Center that will host this event every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., until May. Residents strolled through the market and visited the many vendors, including fruits and vegetables offered by local farmers, plants and flowers of all varieties, baked goods, arts and crafts and even organic treats for man’s best friend. As the sun shone on the market, a live band played, making the experience even more enjoyable.

Art gallery

The Civic Center’s terrific Art Gallery then opened on Wednesday. Showcasing the incredible talents of photographer Tony Arruza and sculptress Esther Wertheimer, the opening allowed those who came out to enjoy refreshments and the soothing sounds of harpist Sarah Bartal. The Art Gallery will have continuous rotating exhibitions of new artists every six weeks, and on the opening night of each exhibit, those who attend will have the opportunity to meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments and listen to live music, all at no cost.

Tree lighting ceremony

Thursday brought the city’s beloved annual Tree Lighting Ceremony to Village Square for the first time. As the Port St. Lucie Community Band played favorite holiday tunes and encouraged the large audience to sing along, residents sat in bleachers or lawn chairs or walked about, once again meeting friends and neighbors as they enjoyed refreshments. The first 300 visitors were given a commemorative ornament depicting the Civic Center. The crowd broke into applause as the beautiful 24-foot tree lit up the night. The tree was generously donated by Mann Research Center and decorated with energy-efficient LED lights donated by Florida Power and Light. The evening would not have been complete without a visit from Santa Claus, who arrived to the delight of young and old alike on a fire truck, complete with sirens announcing his entrance.

Festival of Lights

The festivities continued that Saturday with the annual Festival of Lights. Beginning at noon and lasting until the fireworks ended after dark, the day was fun for all ages. Children enjoyed carnival rides while others visited the many food and arts vendors. The popular Parade of Lights began in the early evening, with professionally-built floats, dancers and music bringing the sights and sounds of the holidays to our city. The beautiful fireworks capped off the day, and by all accounts, everyone went home filled with holiday spirit and pride in their new Civic Center.

This is just a sampling of the holiday events that took place at the Civic Center and Village Square this season, and it was a wonderful time to welcome this gem – your gem – into the city we all call home. If you haven’t had a chance to visit this beautiful area yet and see everything it has to offer for young and old alike, I welcome you to visit as soon as you can, and see all that your Civic Center has to offer.

For more information on the Civic Center and Village Square, visit the Civic Center's Web site. The Civic Center and Village Square are located at 9221 S.E. Civic Center Place, at the southeast corner of U.S. 1 and Walton Road.

CASTLE brings information to City Hall

I decided to become involved with Exchange Club CASTLE, a local organization dedicated to preventing child abuse, when I attended a fundraiser a few years ago in the Town of Tradition. At that time, I learned of statistics indicating 170 children had died in Florida alone as the result of physical abuse the year before. I also learned that crying, toilet training and feeding are the issues most likely to trigger such abuse, 98 percent of which is at the hands of parents or someone the family knows.

Now on the Board of Directors of CASTLE, I invited several CASTLE staff members to meet with approximately 40 city employees at City Hall to spread the word about CASTLE’s good work, and their on-going need for funding. The meeting was one of several being held throughout the Treasure Coast intended to spread the word about CASTLE’s mission. According to Theresa Garbarino-May, Executive Director of CASTLE, the organization’s goals are based on two core values: Every child deserves the right to live in their own home, and every parent deserves the chance to learn.

CASTLE was founded in 1981 and now has a total of five locations in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. More than 3,000 families and 10,000 individuals were helped by CASTLE in 2007, through eight different programs that provide education and support to families in crisis. According to Ms. Garbarino-May, 50 percent of those assisted came from St. Lucie County alone. CASTLE boasts an incredible 98.3 percent success rate in preventing physical abuse.

Among the programs offered by CASTLE is “Families First,” a seminar for divorcing parents that helps children deal with the trauma of divorce. This program is utilized by 1,000 families annually.

“Valued Visits” is a supervised visitation program for parents and children in a secure environment. This program involves court-ordered supervised visits when a judge has determined a parent cannot be alone with a child who is experiencing divorce, has been abused or has witnessed abuse.

“High Hopes for Kids,” is a support group for children of divorce. Held during the school year in 60 different locations, usually schools or day care facilities, “High Hopes for Kids” allows groups of five or six children to come together and talk about their experiences at home. The discussions are kept confidential, unless group leaders suspect a child is being abused. “Our job is to give them back their childhood,” said Ms. Garbarino-May.

Future informational tours will be held in St. Lucie County at 3525 W. Midway Road in Fort Pierce beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Jan.15 and Feb. 19.

For more information on CASTLE and all of its programs, or to volunteer for events or programs sponsored by CASTLE, call (772) 465-6011 or visit their Web site.

Florida League of Cities' 48th Annual Legislative Conference

In the fall, I was honored to be selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Florida League of Mayors, and recently I became a member of the Florida League of Cities’ Urban Administration Legislative Policy Committee. Working with these groups, I get a chance to learn from other elected officials about policies and programs that have been successful in other places, and I also hear about plans that sounded good on paper, but haven’t worked well in the real world. It is my goal to take the best of these ideas and modify them for use in our city.

With that in mind, last month I had the privilege of attending 48th annual Legislative Conference in Orlando, sponsored by the Florida League of Cities, one of the largest state municipal organizations

During the conference, I attended the Urban Administration Legislative Policy Committee meeting. A wide variety of topics was on the agenda for discussion, including:

• Public participation at public meetings, including Florida League of Cities’ opposition to legislation “that interferes with municipal autonomy in determining the conduct of public meetings.”
• The release of Social Security numbers to commercial entities, which is currently authorized by Florida Statutes. The Florida League of Cities supports legislation repealing the Statutes that provide for the release of this information.
• The League supports legislation that “establishes a clear and reasonable standard for liability for sidewalk injuries.”
• The Florida League of Cities supports legislation that would do away with most wholesale fireworks exemptions as well as eliminate penalties for anyone who possesses or uses fireworks, but is not authorized to do so. The League recognized that Florida bans the retail sale of fireworks to the public “in theory,” but the reality is that they can be purchased all over the state at numerous roadside stands. However, the League’s support of this legislation recognizes that “local governments should have the authority to enforce local firework regulations to ensure public safety if municipal resources are used to respond to accidents caused by fireworks usage.”

Advanced Institute for Elected Municipal Officials

At the special meeting of the City Council held Monday, Dec. 15 in Council Chambers, I was honored to be presented with a Certificate of Completion of the 2008 Advanced Institute for Elected Municipal Officials. The certificate was awarded by the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government and the Florida League of Cities after I attended the training program in Fort Lauderdale for two days in October.

The IEMO’s purpose is to provide an intensive academic program for elected officials by presenting an in-depth overview of municipal government by top faculty who are professionals on the subjects studied.

Council helps local businesses by waiving banner fees for Holidays

Businesses looking to improve their bottom line this holiday season are getting a little help from the Port St. Lucie City Council, which on Monday suspended the permitting process and fees for temporary promotional banners outside local business establishments.

Councilwoman Michelle Berger proposed the waiver, citing tough economic times that are affecting local merchants. The rest of Council voted unanimously to approve the measure, which is in effect from Nov. 28 until Jan. 2.

The waiver applies to large and small businesses, as long as the banners are professionally made and comply with the regular city sign ordinance. The waiver does not apply to other signs, such as roadside signs placed in rights-of-way, swales, medians or on sidewalks.

The council also recommended that residents spend holiday dollars in the community whenever possible, rather than at far away companies on the Internet.

I hope every business in Port St. Lucie this year is supported by our residents, and I thank all the business owners in the city on behalf of the entire Council for

Gathering items for Hazardous Waste Collection Day

The New Year is a perfect time to start cleaning out your garages and sheds, getting rid of all those household hazardous waste items in a very safe manner.

The Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful committee is announcing its biannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, to take place on Saturday, Jan. 24 from 8 a.m. to noon. The drop-off location is at the Port St. Lucie Public Works Department, 450 S.W. Thornhill Drive, one block west of Bayshore Boulevard.

Items that will be accepted include: automotive fluids, batteries, bug sprays, compact fluorescent light bulbs, computers and other electronics, drain cleaners, fuels, herbicides, insecticides, lighter fluid, oil-based paint, mercury thermometers, propane tanks weighing 20 pounds or less, solvent and thinners, thermostats and tires.

Items that will not be accepted include water-based or latex paint, ammunition, explosives, bio-hazard/medical waste or containers larger than 5 gallons.

I hope you’ll find this a safe and convenient way to get rid of all those unwanted substances, and I thank you for keeping them out of our beautiful environment.

For more information on Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, contact: Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful by phone at (772) 873-6312, by e-mail at kpslb@cityofpsl.com, or on the Web.