When will our medical community step and do something about people getting sick and dying in the Indian River Lagoon

When will our medical community step and do something about people getting sick and dying in the Indian River Lagoon?

I just want to say THANK YOU to our TC Palm reporters and also to Eye on Miami for actually paying attention to this issue and being a supportive voice and advocate for our Indian River Lagoon.

Three years ago we were talking about this. Before I even got involved in the water but doing research for a potential documentary I read reports about people going into the water and getting sick and dying. Then when we got organized and starting talking to each even more information came forward. One of our local citizens has been collecting data but there is really nothing that is out there and a part of our hospital system and health department.

Here is Robert Lord from Martin Memorial talking about our unhealthy water at our rally last year.

Our friend, Cliff Barnes suggested we called it Lagoon water born flesh rot disease after Gov. Scott. I said “Rick Rot.” Some people said “Rick Scott Rot.”

Some one even invented this.

(Here is the website https://www.facebook.com/PrepConsultantsPC/app_410312912374011?hc_location=ufi)

Last year this happened.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/indian-river-lagoon-bacteria-killed-fort-pierce-man-in-2014_97423759

Bill Benton went swimming in the Indian River Lagoon on a Saturday afternoon. He was dead by Tuesday, a rare fatality from Vibrio vulnificus bacteria.

The bacteria occurs naturally throughout the lagoon year-round, but infections increase in summer, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce.

Benton was among seven people who died from Vibrio vulnificus in Florida in 2014. It’s unknown whether Vibrio vulnificus is to blame in the July 20 death of Port St. Lucie resident David Trudell, two days after a fin fish punctured him while fishing in the lagoon. Doctors attributed his death to the incident, but did not determine what type of bacteria it was.

Then this happened.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/bacteria-from-indian-river-lagoon-fish-fin-puncture-kills-port-st-lucie-man_79674879

We all knew what it was.

“A 65-year-old Port St. Lucie man died Monday, two days after being stuck by a fish fin while fishing in the Indian River Lagoon.

David John Trudell died from a blood infection as a result of a bacteria that entered his body because of the fin prick, said Treasure Coast medical examiner Dr. Roger Mittleman.

The type of bacteria could not be determined, Mittleman said.”

Why were there no blood cultures drawn at the time?

Then it happened to one of our own River Warriors. Because our friend Gayle posted the above article our friend Barb took her husband Bruce to the ER.

She wrote this

“Barbara Osborn

July 25 at 5:09pm · Stuart, FL

Took Bruce to the ER yesterday for an infected left leg. He had a sore on his knee on Monday, went in the IRL on Wednesday. We took several church families out on our new catamaran and anchored off Sailfish point (near the Walgreen house). Of course they all jumped into the IRL from the deck of the boat.

Yesterday Bruce’s knee and leg was black and swollen, hot to the touch and oozing. He had a fever. He NEVER complains of pain but I forced him to the ER. GOOD thing. The doctor thinks it is a blood infection from the bacteria from the IRL water on Wednesday. We will get the culture back on Monday to see what the bacteria actually is.

Gayle Ryan’s link to the TC Palm article regarding the local man who died within two days of a fish fin puncture bringing in bacteria from the IRL into his system, probably saved Bruce’s life. I wouldn’t have taken a closer second look at Bruce’s knee had I not read her article link. The doctor lanced and drained the “volcano” the size of a grapefruit on his knee. His whole leg was swollen and hot to the touch.

Today Bruce’s leg ‘s swelling is down and it is not throbbing anymore. He is on Bactrim and Keflex. Doctor said he was so correct to come into the ER when he did, could have become so dangerous to Bruce. Thank you Gayle Ryan.”

It looked like this.

Here’s is a great piece from our friend at Eye on Miami.

http://www.eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2015/07/floridas-water-crisis-impacts-compound.html

“This post on Face Book should remind Miami that the current water crisis is not just one in a series of crises: it is a cumulative event where impacts are compounded. The mismanagement of fresh water resources in South Florida is mainly to benefit the big campaign contributors to state legislators and to Gov. Rick Scott. Big Sugar.

In a just world, state legislators would be made to swim in the Indian River Lagoon, then see how much they like gambling with people’s water to benefit their patrons.”

You got that right Mista Gimleteye!

A friend of mine asked me if I would go on the news. I said no. This is not about me. What I will say is our local Health Department and People running the hospital need to read the newspaper. Then they need to come up with a plan to alert the physicians in the area and come up with some sort of tracking system and people need to be warned before they go in the water. I know that everyone has a lot on their plates but this is something we have to do. What if I didn’t know any of this and my grandson had a cut and I took him in the lagoon and he died?

You can check the salinity level

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/worried-about-vibrio-check-salinity-levels

“Water quality sensors in the lagoon and its tributaries can’t detect the deadly bacteria’s presence, but the salinity level is a good indicator of whether there’s Vibrio. The bacteria can’t live in saltwater, but thrives in stagnant, nearshore, freshwater — particularly near rainfall runoff discharges.”

Really so the millions of gallons of freshwater discharges have nothing to do with that? Really?

SFWMD and ACOE you need to be aware. After all we have begged you to fix the issue with the discharges. It comes down to one thing: Salinity of the water. So besides all the other damage that you do we can add killing people to the list.

So we know this

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/cuts-are-key-to-infection-by-indian-river-lagoons-deadly-bacteria_66884711

“Healthy people who boat, fish and swim in the Indian River Lagoon are not likely to get a potentially deadly bacterial infection, especially if they take certain precautions, according to a researcher conducting a premier study of Vibrio vulnificus.

It’s people with cuts and weak immune systems like the elderly, infants, alcoholics, diabetics and those with other long-term illnesses who are at most risk and need to take the threat most seriously.”

HEALTHY PEOPLE ARE NOT LIKELY TO GET AN INFECTION! NOT LIKELY.

But

“The people most likely to get it — in this order — are: lagoon fishermen, seafood processors and waders or swimmers.”

http://www.tcpalm.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-health-officials-must-improve-tracking-reporting-of-waterborne-illnesses_15574383

And the longer this vacuum persists, the greater the threat to Treasure Coast residents who swim, boat, wade, paddleboard and fish in the waterway.

“The bacteria, which is also found in estuaries like the St. Lucie and St. Sebastian rivers, occurs naturally and is not linked to pollution, Barbarite said. Quantities vary depending on climatic conditions.”

But it is connected to the Salinity of the water which also is what kills everything else like our oysters. So by forcing millions of gallons of fresh water down the river into the lagoon the salinity is changed.

“Most likely in spots near freshwater discharges.”

“29.5 percent of cases resulted in deaths (2004-13)”

People affected: Those with Alcohol Abuse, Liver Disease, Diabetes, Heart Disease

I can’t wait to see the spin. Because just two years ago we were assured there was nothing wrong with the water.

http://www.tcpalm.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-health-officials-must-improve-tracking-reporting-of-waterborne-illnesses_15574383

“and the longer this vacuum persists, the greater the threat to Treasure Coast residents who swim, boat, wade, paddleboard and fish in the waterway.

Two recent incidents — one fatal — have ratcheted up the importance of identifying the microbial culprits, case by case, and establishing cause-and-effect relationships between exposure to tainted lagoon water and bacterial infections.”

“Health officials and health care providers need to get ahead of the issue. Given the fact doctors don’t have a protocol for testing or reporting waterborne illnesses, it’s easy to see why so many questions remain unanswered.”

It should be standard procedure for doctors to report all suspected cases of waterborne illnesses to the Florida Department of Health.

Moreover, this information needs to be collected in a database. Over time, this knowledge may reveal trends that prove beneficial in protecting lagoon aficionados and treating those who contract waterborne infections.”

http://www.floridahealth.gov/about-the-department-of-health/about-us/mission-and-vision.html

MISSION :

To protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, & community efforts.

VISION :

To be the Healthiest State in the Nation

VALUES (ICARE) :

I nnovation: We search for creative solutions and manage resources wisely.

C ollaboration: We use teamwork to achieve common goals & solve problems.

A ccountability: We perform with integrity & respect.

R esponsiveness: We achieve our mission by serving our customers & engaging our partners.

E xcellence: We promote quality outcomes through learning & continuous performance improvement.

” Salt is the key to safe water.” by Tyler Treadway

I’ll post the link when I can find the article. According to Gabrille Barbarite death are rare but how do we even know this if no one is reporting or logging water born illnesses? So I would refraise that to ” We have no earthly idea how many people have gotten sick from the Indian River Lagoon.”

“Some areas of the lagoon are safer than others.”

You can check the LOBO and Kilroy water sensors.

http://sea-birdcoastal.com/lobo

http://www.oceanrecon.org/cfiles/kilroy_manateepocket.cfm

But keep in mind salinity can change with rain or out going tide.

What do we need now?

Our local lawmakers need to all talk to our health departments and our hospitals and doctors and urgent cares and come up with some kind of reporting system.

Warnings need to be posted for people with immune system disorders, alcoholics, people with liver diseases, diabetes, heart disease , the elderly and infants etc. We have this information now. We have a duty to warn people.

Our wonderful Dr Edie Widder from Orca said in this piece that she suspects these cases have gone unreported for years. She also said she does not think that clinics and doctors are not taking the time to culture the bacteria. How hard is that? One Agar plate zoom zoom zoom done! Or a blood culture. 2 second blood draw.

The world has gone a little wild and we have seen it up close and personal this past year with our legislators. Lets not let this happen with the people are suppose to be taking care of us. I’m sure there is a grant out there that someone can get to do what needs to be done and there are plenty of volunteers in the medical field that would be willing to help.

If we don’t speak up nothing will be done.

Where do we start? Please add your suggestions to this blog post!

Let’s make this happen.

Atrazine: It brings bad things to life!

Aug3

We spent a lot of time talking about the discharges to our rivers from Lake O. We talked fertilizer. We have a fertilizer ban.

We really don’t talk about pesticides and herbicides and they are everywhere.

Invisible to us.

Today I want to talk about Atrazine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrazine

“Atrazine is a herbicide of the triazine class. Atrazine is used to prevent pre- and postemergence broadleaf weeds in crops such as maize (corn) and sugarcane and on turf, such as golf courses and residential lawns. It is one of the most widely used herbicides in US^] and Australian agriculture.^]It was banned in the European Union in 2004, when the EU found groundwater levels exceeding the limits set by regulators, and Syngenta could neither show that this could be prevented nor that these levels were safe.

As of 2001, Atrazine was the most commonly detected pesticide contaminating drinking water in the United States.Studies suggest it is an endocrine disruptor, an agent that can alter the natural hormonal system. In 2006 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had stated that under the Food Quality Protection Act “the risks associated with the pesticide residues pose a reasonable certainty of no harm”, and in 2007, the EPA said that Atrazine does not adversely affect amphibian sexual development and that no additional testing was warranted. EPA´s 2009 review concluded that “the agency’s scientific bases for its regulation of atrazine are robust and ensure prevention of exposure levels that could lead to reproductive effects in humans.” EPA started a registration review in 2013.

The EPA’s review has been criticized, and the safety of atrazine remains controversial.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16967834

Abstract

Int J Occup Environ Health. 2006 Jul-Sep;12(3):260-7.

European Union bans atrazine, while the United States negotiates continued use.

Sass JB¹, Colangelo A.

Author information

Abstract

“Atrazine is a common agricultural herbicide with endocrine disruptor activity. There is evidence that it interferes with reproduction and development, and may cause cancer. Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved its continued use in October 2003, that same month the European Union (EU) announced a ban of atrazine because of ubiquitous and unpreventable water contamination. The authors reviewed regulatory procedures and government documents, and report efforts by the manufacturer of atrazine, Syngenta, to influence the U.S. atrazine assessment, by submitting flawed scientific data as evidence of no harm, and by meeting repeatedly and privately with EPA to negotiate the government’s regulatory approach. Many of the details of these negotiations continue to be withheld from the public, despite EPA regulations and federal open-government laws that require such decisions to be made in the open.”

PMID:

16967834

[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.nrdc.org/health/atrazine

“Atrazine: Poisoning the Well

Atrazine Continues to Contaminate Surface Water and Drinking Water in the United States

Banned in the European Union and clearly linked to harm to wildlife and potentially to humans, the pesticide atrazine provides little benefit to offset its risks. In 2009, NRDC analyzed results of surface water and drinking water monitoring data for atrazine and found pervasive contamination of watersheds and drinking water systems across the Midwest and Southern United States. This May 2010 report summarizes scientific information that has emerged since the publication of our initial report and includes more recent monitoring data.

Approximately 75 percent of stream water and about 40 percent of all groundwater samples from agricultural areas tested in an extensive U.S. Geological Survey study contained atrazine. NRDC found that the U.S. EPA’s inadequate monitoring systems and weak regulations have compounded the problem, allowing levels of atrazine in watersheds and drinking water to peak at extremely high concentrations.

The most recent data confirms that atrazine continues to contaminate watersheds and drinking water. Atrazine was found in 80 percent of drinking water samples taken in 153 public water systems. All twenty watersheds sampled in 2007 and 2008 had detectable levels of atrazine, and sixteen had average concentrations above the level that has been shown to harm plants and wildlife.

Given the pesticide’s limited usefulness and the ease with which safer agricultural methods can be substituted to achieve similar results, NRDC recommends phasing out the use of atrazine, more effective atrazine monitoring, the adoption of farming techniques that can help minimize the use of atrazine and prevent it from running into waterways.”

http://www.panna.org/resources/specific-pesticides/atrazine

Atrazine in drinking water

“Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S., and is found in 94% of U.S drinking water tested by the USDA — more often than any other pesticide. An estimated 7 million people were exposed to atrazine in their drinking water between 1998 and 2003.

The highest levels of contamination are in the Midwest where it is widely used on corn fields. USGS monitoring shows drinking water concentrations typically spike during the spring and early summer as rains flush the freshly applied herbicide into streams — and into local water supplies.

Data from the EPA’s Atrazine Monitoring Program show that atrazine levels in drinking water can spike above the legal limit of 3 parts per billion in some U.S. water supplies. Although the EPA bases its limit on an annual average (not seasonal peaks), the monitoring results reveal alarming levels of human exposure.”

In Florida

“http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/eco_risk/atrazine_geer03abs.html

To determine the distribution and concentration of atrazine at south Florida sites, multiple water samples were collected from several canals/ditches at each of two agricultural sites every two weeks from February through June, 2002 . Adult toads were collected from two sugarcane agricultural areas Canal Point (CP), and Belle Glade (BG) as well as from a University of Miami pond/canal (reference site with little to no atrazine use or agricultural input) during April-June 2002. Adult Bufo marinus were collected from these three sites: Canal Point (N=55), Belle Glade (N=50), and University of Miami (N=24). Body weight, length, and coloration were recorded, blood was collected, and gonads were removed and weighed. This species is sexually dimorphic, with females having a mottled appearance and males having a solid coloration. Sex was identified as follows: the presence of ovarian tissue and absence of testicular tissue = female; presence of testes and absence of developing eggs, oviduct, and ovarian tissue = normal male; and presence of testes with developing eggs or oviduct or ovarian tissue = intersex . Macroscopic identification of additional testicular anomalies included: segmented testes, abnormal shaped testis, twisted or curled testes, and multiple testes. Gonads from each individual that had testicular tissue were both macroscopically and histologically examined. Blood plasma was analyzed for phospho-lipoprotein (an indirect measure of vitellogenin) and estradiol and testosterone concentrations were analyzed using RIA procedures.

Children at a water park in Belle Glade directly across from a huge sugar cane field.

Playground at Pioneer Park in Belle Glade directly across from a huge sugar cane field.

Atrazine levels were highest at Canal Point during March, but were highest at Belle Glade in February. B. marinus tadpoles were potentially exposed to atrazine concentrations as high as 20ppb during development at Canal Point and 26ppb at Belle Glade during 2002. Toads collected from the nonagricultural /reference, University of Miami, site exhibited the characteristic gender-specific pattern which correlated to subsequent gonadal morphology and histology. However, all toads collected from both agricultural sites, Belle Glade and Canal Point, exhibited the distinctive female pattern, although subsequent gonadal morphology and histology demonstrated male, intersexed, and female toads. The frequency of males exhibiting “testis abnormalities” was not significantly different among sites. The frequency of intersexed animals was significantly different among sites: 39 percent and 29 percent of the individuals at the agricultural sites, Canal Point and Belle Glade. No individuals from the non-agricultural/reference site were intersexed. The types of abnormal female tissue found in association with testicular tissue varied between CP and BG. Plasma sex steroids did not differ between intersexed and normal males. However, plamsa phospholipoprotein (an indirect indicator of vitellogenin was increased in intersexed males to levels which were similar to those for vitellogenic females.

Sugar cane in Belle Glade across from Pioneer Park

The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine if animals found in sugarcane exhibit reproductive abnormalities similar to those seen in African Clawed Frogs exposed to atrazine in the laboratory. The incidence of testicular anomalies, other than intersex were similar across sites. However, the incidence of intersex was increased for both agricultural sites as compared to the non-agricultural/reference site. Nonetheless, Bufo marinus adults were active and breeding at all sites. Data suggests that agricultural exposure, including exposure to atrazine, may explain the differences in the percent of intersexed individuals and length of oocytes between Canal Point and Belle Glade sites. However, we can not conclude that atrazine is responsible for these abnormalities, since other agricultural chemcials are likely present at both sites. In addition, water quality analyses were not conducted for the non-agricultural/reference site (University of Miami) and exposure to atrazine at this site is unknown. The University of Miami site is expected to have low levels of atrazine, but is probably not atrazine free. Further research should be conducted to determine whether atrazine is capable of causing the effects we have documented in B. marinus under controlled laboratory conditions as well as expanded field studies of these and other sites. Nonetheless, these results indicate an increased incidence of intersex in toads exposed to agricultural contaminants. The implications of these data to future and ongoing restoration is unknown, however, a redistribution of water resources in the greater everglades ecosystem could result in additional exposures for amphibian populations in this sensitive ecosystem.

Contact: Timothy S. Gross, USGS-FISC, 7920 NW 71st St., Gainesville, FL 32653., Phone: 352-378-8181 Ext 323, FAX: 352-378-4956, Tim_s_gross@usgs.gov”

A Million people a day are exposed to Atrazine. Atrazine is used in sugar cane fields. Read this or watch the videos and weep.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrone_Hayes

In 1997, the consulting firm EcoRisk, Inc. paid Hayes to join a panel of experts conducting studies for Novartis (later Syngenta) on the herbicide atrazine.^[1]^[3] When Hayes’ research found unexpected toxicities for atrazine, he reported them to the panel, however the panel and company were resistant to his findings. He wanted to repeat his work to validate it but Novartis refused funding for further research; he resigned from the panel and obtained other funding to repeat the experiments.^[1]^[3]

In 2002 Hayes published findings that he says replicate what he found while he was working for EcoRisk,^[1] that developing male African clawed frogs and leopard frogs exhibited female characteristics after exposure to atrazine, first in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)^[4] and then in Nature.^[5]^[6]

In 2007, Hayes was a co-author on a paper that detailed atrazine inducing mammary and prostate cancer in laboratory rodents and highlighted atrazine as a potential cause of reproductive cancers in humans.^[7] At a presentation to the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 2007, Hayes presented results of his studies that showed chemical castration in frogs; individuals of both sexes had developed bisexual reproductive organs.

In one of the 2005 e-mails obtained by class-action lawsuit plaintiffs, the company’s communications consultants had written about plans to track Hayes’ speaking engagements and prepare audiences with Syngenta’s counterpoints to Hayes’s message on atrazine. Syngenta subsequently stated that many of the documents unsealed in the lawsuits refer to “ideas that were never implemented.”,

The Bookshelf by Darcy Flierl

Aug2

Guest Blogger. Please enjoy the incredible writing of Darcy Fileri

The Bookshelf

by Darcy Flierl

Who would think a silly, made from plywood, spray black painted bookshelf, could mean so much? I’ve had it since I was 17 years old. It was given to me when I was provided my own “half a house” in our residence. I had my own bathroom, bedroom, TV room and living room furnished with a very cool papason couch and chair. I even had a private entrance.

I can see the room in my mind’s eye. The coffee and end tables, black granite and iron décored, were heavy and stable. They had been my parents at one time. My mom had acquired them while working at a furniture store, several years before I was born. She enjoyed decorating my room with a spree at Pier 1 Imports. She found this great table with a book shelf as its base and even found a bookshelf tapestry to match it. I really miss the large green hand carved fish that sat firmly on one of the granite tables. I often wonder which move I decided I know longer needed it? I have a vague recollection of a fin breaking and being glued back on and then breaking again and just giving up on it.

Continue reading →

Fruit Stands are Ripe for Learning

Aug1

Fruit Stands are Ripe for Learning

by Darcy Flierl

It was a Saturday unlike other Saturdays in Martin County. The cool temperatures offered a relief of the summer months which extended well into our fall season. Families were moved to begin the Christmas season. Perhaps that is why so many people felt compelled to stop at my six year old daughters avocado stand she set up with her daddy.

She had been begging us for months to let her start a “We Help Animals Club” that would result in her getting “clients” that would allow her to walk their dogs on a regular basis. Of course that means, my husband and I would be walking these dogs with her on a regular basis – a little too much of a commitment when we both already have full time careers.

The idea of selling avocados was a direct result of our lemon tree not having any lemons. There we were with my daughter behind a table with a hundred or so avocados piled high and her daddy on the corner holding our homemade sign that read, “Avocados $1.00”. Car after car, people would stop to buy fresh produce from my little first grader. At times she had a line of 5 people deep wanting to purchase her goods. I watched as she would greet her customer, find out their needs, discuss the price of their purchase, take their money and extend her gratitude- which was often her jumping up and down as she would stuff the dollars into her pink fluffy piggy bank that sat on the table. Some people would stop just to see what this little girl was selling and would decline the avocados. My daughter learned so many lessons with this experience.

This avocado stand was a lesson in learning about the joy of working, how to talk with people, the art of talking about money, how to accept rejection and ultimately a lesson in gratitude. Maybe the people most grateful were her parents. These passer -byers took the time to pull over, turn around, do U-turns and walk a block or so, simply to support a little girl’s efforts. I wonder if they know that on Saturday they made our community a better place to live, that they enriched the life of a child and a family, that they took time to make a connection and develop the strengths of a young girl.

I encourage you all to build positive relationships with young people and support their ideas. You can do this by letting the young boy down the street mow your lawn, by learning the names of the kids in your neighborhood and taking the time to greet them by name or simply stop by the next lemonade stand or in our case, avocado stand.

My daughter sold out of Avocados that day and with each avocado sold-she became a stronger, more powerful, healthier and valuable part of our community.

—–

Darcy Flierl is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Addictions Professional, and Certified Yoga Teacher currently offering individual and family psychotherapy in Stuart, Florida. She also enjoys teaching in the Human Services Department as an Adjunct Instructor for Indian River State College and is Consultant for Non Profits along the Treasure Coast.

She has held board positions on for a variety of local and statewide agencies from the Department of Juvenile Justice’s State Advisory Group to CHARACTER COUNTS! and others. Darcy has received a variety of awards for her community work such as; Soroptimist’s Rising Star Award, the Community Champion Award from the United Way and for community advocacy from the Tobacco Free Partnership and was a 2013 Nominee as a Woman of Distinction.

Besides working to make Martin County a healthier place, she donates her time doing River Advocacy for the Indian River Lagoon and raising awareness about many issues effecting young people and families. She treasures her time with her husband, and children attending local events and enjoying Martin County’s recreational opportunities.

For more information about Darcy you can visit her website at: http://www.darcyflierl.com

Finding Austin and Perry

Jul29

Update August 4th DEEMI joins search and dogs are on the way! Many people up and down the coast had prayer vigils.

http://archive.wcsh6.com/video/4399393483001/1/DEEMI-joins-search-for-missing-Florida-boys?fullsite=true

Update August 3

Margaux Stephanos

22 hrs

Update: The contact numbers that we previously gave are incorrect. for the time being, anyone that is wanting to help in the search for Austin and Perry please contact findperryandaustin@gmail.com. The love and support from the community, state, and nation is above and beyond what I could have hoped, wished, or prayed for. We love these boys with all of our heart and look forward to tell them how so many people never, never, never gave up on them. Greatly appreciated from my heart to yours

findperryandaustin@gmail.com

and here is a new facebook group if you can help walk the coast!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/100354650317901/

Update August 2, 2015

BOLO these items: Shimano Tigras spinning reels, orange life vests, White Yeti Cooler 65 quart, white throw cushion, white bait bucket, white rain boots,white short sleeve that says “grand slam events”\tranulcent plane tackle box
black long sleeve tt shirt
silver grey yamaha 115 hp engine
get a date and a timestamp and call 866-750-7770 or email

AustinAndPerry@tigerswan.com

Update July 31, 2015

The coastguard is suspending the search tonight. Here is new info. Prayers needed.

#findaustinandperry

Last night instead of writing my blog I sat on Facebook with some friends listening to the Facebook Feed from JAX.

Many of you know we have two boys missing. They went out in their boat last Friday and have not been heard from since. Their boat was found way up north capsized but we are praying they had their cooler and life jackets. Last night something was going on in Tybee, Georgia. This morning the Coast Guard is going back out there.

I saw some really nasty remarks online. I know it’s hard. When something happens the first place you go is to the judging place. This is not a time for judging but a time for prayers.

Many people were upset about the Go Fund me site. As far as I know that’s to help with volunteers in boats and planes that have been searching for these kids.

The Coast Guard will be going back out there this morning. Here is the feed.

http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/18939

Last night there was about 19,000 people listening to this feed with their hearts in their mouth.

Here is the Facebook Page

Find Austin and Perry

https://www.facebook.com/groups/804437522987481/

Here is a prayer candle

If they are not found this morning please if you live along the east coast please go to the beach and see if you can find anything. Lifejackets, coolers.

Please go to the Facebook page. It is being updated constantly.

Someone Save Pahokee’s Old Prince Theater! Former Mayor was too busy obsessing.

Jul27

Someone Save Pahokee’s Old Prince Theater! Former Mayor was too busy obsessing.

When I lived in Palm Beach County Pahokee was that place way out there. I don’t even think when I worked in home health from Boca I ever went out there. It’s pretty torn up. Yet the people that live there are so nice. Real people. I’d rather spend a day in Pahokee than a day in Palm Beach. Truly.

I feel like the whole area are the forgotten people but whats so funny is they haven’t forgotten themselves. They just go on with their day. This is their life.

So if you go to downtown Pahokee you see this: An old movie theater and the base is made from coral.

Here is some info about the “Prince Theater.”

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/26826/comments

Joe Vogel on April 4, 2015 at 4:40 amThe original Prince Theatre was replaced in 1940. The April 5, 1940, issue of The Film Daily had this item:

“Dobrow to Erect New Theater Building, Refurnish Another“Pahokee, Fla. — A call for bids is being made by Abe Dobrow of the Everglades and Prince Theaters, for a new structure to replace the present building housing the Prince theater. Bids will be opened April 8. Plans also call for complete refurnishing of the Everglades theater.”

This follow-up item is from the January 3, 1941, issue of The Film Daily:

“Open New Pahokee House“Pahokee, Fla. — New $40,000 Prince theater, has been opened. The 600-seater is owned and operated by Gold & Dobrow. Don Hiller & Sons, Pahokee, were the contractors.”

Listings of the Prince Theatre in FDY’s from the 1930s consistently give it a capacity of 250, so it was less than half the size of the new house. It seems unlikely that the original Prince Theatre would have been demolished in 1940 if its building was only nine years old, so it’s likely that it was either an older theater that had operated under a different name earlier in its history, or it was in an older commercial building that had been converted into a theater in 1931.Architect Chester A. Cone was still in practice at least as late as 1985, so it seems likely that it was the 1940 rebuilding of the Prince Theatre that he designed, rather than the original house.

In 1966, the Gold-Dobrow chain leased three of their five theaters, including the Prince, to a Miami-based chain. An article about the transfer in the December 21 issue of The Palm Beach Post said that the Gold-Dobrow chain had been “…organized about 35 years ago….” That would be consistent with the 1931 opening of the original Prince Theatre, whether it was a new operation or an old house renamed by the new owners.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/pahokee-sues-business-owner-demands-teardown-of-th/nL9xX/

From 2010:

“A fight is brewing over the crumbling, pink Prince Theater on Main Street, where country music singer Mel Tillis got his start and Glades children spent countless Saturday afternoons.

But city leaders aren’t fighting to restore the 70-year-old landmark. They want to force its new owner to tear it down.

The city sold the theater to businessman Emilio Perez for $8,500 on March 1, with the understanding he would demolish the building and use the site to expand a gas station for economic development. Now the city is suing Perez for breach of contract after he started to repair the building instead.

“The bottom line is: ‘Just do what you said you would do,'” Mayor J.P Sasser said. “All we want him to do is honor his original agreement.”

In a June 29 letter to the city, Perez said he had a change of heart about demolishing the theater after residents asked him to fix and re-open it.

The 500-seat theater was built in 1940 and showed first-run movies and live performances for about 25 years until it closed in the mid-1960s. Tillis, who grew up in Pahokee, said he got his start singing at talent shows at the Prince Theater in the late 1940s

The theater sat dormant for more than a decade, and its owners donated it to the city in 1976. After residents led by Harriet Seldes raised more than $100,000 to renovate the building, it reopened in 1980 for community events and later for movies.

“We were doing this not only for the adults in the community but also the children,” said Seldes, who now lives in Port St. Lucie. “There was no other theater, nothing else for children to do but football.”

The theater closed again after a few years. Tropical Storm Fay in 2008 damaged the roof so badly that city officials decided it was beyond hope of repair, Sasser said.

Pahokee resident Larry Wright said the Prince should not be torn down. He suggested that a nonprofit theater group could be organized to put on plays there using local children.

Sasser said that before being elected this year he had worked with a group that tried to find money to save the Prince, but it was a lost cause because of the extent of roof damage and other needed repairs.”

Seriously JP you spend too much time obsessing about the septic tanks in Martin County to pay attention to your own town the wonderful place it could be. You could find a roof company and try to raise the money to fix this. You want it replaced with a Gas station?

You could fix this place out. Have a children’s theater. Show some good movies. Have some concerts. Who would want to demolish such a gem. You could have brought people to pahokee!

We need to help Pahokee!

Maybe someone from the Island of Palm Beach could invest in this. It would be awesome. We need to invest in the children of Pahokee.

Pahokee out by Lake O.
Forgotton building could be something wonderful.

Hopefully the new mayor will fix this place up!

http://florida.newszap.com/belleglade/121121-113/walkes-named-new-pahokee-mayor

“Sasser has been one of the most visible representatives of the Pahokee area on the state and federal level, taking trips to Tallahassee and Washington D.C. to argue his case for his hometown and for the Glades area. Along those same lines, it was his sharp tongue and his haranguing of other elected officials that landed him in the headlines. Sasser defended the area in a distinct way, and a harsh scolding of the county or state was one of the many cards Sasser played to get his message across.

With a convincing loss to a political newcomer, Sasser said his political career in Pahokee in over.”

Oh Goody! The water issue has got to be fixed! But looking at the old Prince theater which is a jewel that you want to tear down instead of putting effort into having something for the children of your town is beyond me. Good for the guy who bought it and changed his mind.

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/former-pahokee-mayor-dont-let-lake-o-flood-us

JP Sasser’s belief that we want to flood out Pahokee.

“He said, “The first thing Senator Negron did was to sit me down and assure me that nobody wants to flood Pahokee. I told him, ‘Oh, yes, they do. They want all the lake water flowing south. Do that and we’re done.'”

It’s very hard to deal with someone who has their own belief system and just won’t listen. I wrote this a while back. I’m so sick of rehashing this point. But you can watch the Sugarland Video and see that we all sincerely wanted to work together and it was the people that lived out on the Lake that started this whole ‘They want to flood us out thing.” I know where it came from.. That’s not what was said. You all are still in danger.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/06/10/acoe-and-the-herbert-hoover-dike-we-should-be-up-in-arms-together/

I know where it came from.. That’s not what was said. You all are still in danger. And no you can’t build giant cities out there with new Walmarts. Because you can’t have it both ways. We discharges to protect you guys. No one in their right is going to put anyone else in danger.

No one wanted to flood them out. This is just Big Sugar BS for lets change the subject and make all those tree hugging liberals look bad.

yes this is me hugging a tree.

No one wanted to flood you out JP. We wanted you to do your job and take care of the people of Pahokee. If you weren’t so obsessed with us perhaps you could have done that.

Now JP is suing the River’s Coalition.

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/treasure-coast-environmental-group-slapped-irs-deceptive-practices-complaint

It’s so absurd that I can’t post parts of the article. I read it and laughed. Seriously are you kidding me?

Why not take the money your spending on lawyers and fix the Prince theater and ask some famous local actor to come out there and have a program for the children you were supposed to represent.

Here is the new mayor of Pahokee!

http://www.colinwalkes.com/home/4575702688

Glad to see a new face and hope to see some good changes out there.

This is what the people want. I know this because I saw it painted on their store fronts.

Let’s all be aware of what is going on in Pahokee and perhaps the people of Palm Beach County which has a population of 1,397,710 – If each person sent one buck they could save the prince theater and there would be money left over to do something else for the kids out there.

We miss you Larry Hoppin!

Jul26

#orleans

Larry in Newport Rhode Island, Rock4christmas tour

I knew it was around now. I’ve been walking around thinking about Larry. Thinking about what would life be like if he was still here with us. The few days have been frantic and i finally sat and I found this.

and this

I met Larry on a crazy tour called Rock for Christmas. Somehow, I got in my mind that I wanted to go tour and I got this chance to do so and insanity prevailed. I spent a lot of time with Larry in the bus, in the van where he gave me some really good advice that probably saved my life, or at least saved me from mounds of aggravation.

Larry Hoppen at a Christmas Party somewhere in Newport RI.

It was like therapy session for the both of us but he was so proud of his girls , his brothers , his friend Tam Kallman and of John Hall who was a US congressman at the time.

Larry Hoppen performing at the Hard Rock Cafe at Foxwoods

He was a true blue Dem! He loved Obama. I think his twitter feed is still up and that’s the photo he posted. He was mortified when Trayvon Martin got shot. I know that if he was here today he’d be writing songs about our water issues and Florida issues and try to do what ever could to help.

He was so worried that no one was going to come to the Newport Blues Cafe. He hooked with the mayor and it was right before Christmas and Newport was gorgeous. We made the rounds of people’s Christmas parties and events inviting people. Then he calls John Caffferty to come too. We also had James Montgomery, and Eddie Money.

I gave my video to the main video guy and he made something but I had a lot of video from behind the scenes that i’m even sure if I have it anymore. Crazy funny but some things are better off in a giant box of tapes. Maybe one day i’ll pull them out and put something together.

Larry Hoppen with Grace Morrison at the Newport Blue Cafe, Newport, RI Rock for Chrismas

After this Larry always called me to join in. Bring my camera. SIt behind the scenes and take it all it in. When ever I showed up he would say “Cyndi Lenz is good people.”

Here is some fun video of “sound check from I think the last RPM show at weston.

Larry Hoppen with John Cafferty and James Montgomery at the Newport Blues Cage in Newport RI Rock4Christmas Tour

As I sit here and cry I miss this guy so much. He was a mensch. One of the good guys.

Here is Larry and Joe Bouchard from Blue Oyster Cult

We miss you!

Here is Tommy, Larry is playing bass. What fun! hahaha

Larry Hoppen from #orleans at the Newport Blues Cafe, Newport Rhode Island.

Stuart City Hall 5 PM monday. Support our local music.

Jul12

To the Stuart CIty Commission:

I thought it was to be a nice quiet afternoon in the hood and I could do something like read a book, finish watching my movie, clean the closet. Around here it just never ends. Now we have people threatening to sue over noise and the City Commission is caving.

We have toxic discharges. We have trains with loud horns. We can’t go swimming. The new train when it comes through is going to destroy our downtown Stuart which is a very beloved place.

We need great music and great places to go. Music is therapy is good for our mental health. We have very little in mental heath services around here so when I see lots of my friends going to listen to music I know they will leave feeling better.

I could write an entire blog post on music as therapy but I don’t want to bore everyone. I will say this Music lights a part of people brains, the nucleus accumbens, and makes them happy. It’s true. I have a friend, Dr Ed Long,who does this research down at FAU.

What I’m going to write about is decibels and noise ordinances This is a really bad idea. First of all will you insist the train turn down its horn because it not at 60 decibels I can tell you that. Secondly, if this how your going utilize your police force? This is more important that catching criminals and keeping us safe? Are the fire engines and police going to turn off their sirens? Are not going to be allow to have traffic? Are you to close the airport down? Are we banning hair driers and food processors? Lawn Mowers and Blowers? How far are you willing to go to have us live at 65 decibels. Or are we just picking on one person?

Now here in Jensen Beach sometimes on Sunday we have a very loud church service. What would you do if that was in Stuart? Would you arrest them or fine them? It’s very loud way more than 60 decibels. Wakes me up early on a Sunday morning. Would you be willing to go to a church and shut them down?

Also keep in mind that that what they proposing is worse than the Lake worth ordinance and that was called Draconian. You can’t have things both ways. You can’t have people claiming to be conservatives being draconian. Well you can but they won’t be around long. Not around here.

Sticky wickets.

When you deal with decibels it gets very sticky.

I would take it personally if this was something police would have to deal with 24 hours a day 7 days a week instead of protecting us. I would say it’s a misuse of the police department.

Here are some examples of decibels

Painful

150 dB = fireworks at 3 feet

140 dB = firearms, jet engine

130 dB = jackhammer

120 dB = jet plane takeoff, siren

Extremely Loud

110 dB = maximum output of some MP3 players, model airplane, chain saw

106 dB = gas lawn mower, snowblower

100 dB = hand drill, pneumatic drill

90 dB = subway, passing motorcycle

Very Loud

80–90 dB = blow-dryer, kitchen blender, food processor

70 dB = busy traffic, vacuum cleaner, alarm clock

Moderate

60 dB = typical conversation, dishwasher, clothes dryer

50 dB = moderate rainfall

40 dB = quiet room

Faint

30 dB = whisper, quiet library

http://home.earthlink.net/~dnitzer/4HaasEaton/Decibel.html

An aircraft takeoff is 180 decibels. Are we shutting the airport down?

Passing truck, home lawn mower, car horn @ 5 meters, wood saw, boiler factory is 100 decibels.

Average radio, normal street noise is 70 decibels.

This is cat purring at around 60 decibels.

Here is someone eating a sandwich at 50-60 decibels

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR5aRua8Mdw

They’ll have close down every out restaurant in town.

How to help. We all need to go to Stuart City Hall on Monday at 5 pm.

The fact that this was added at the last minute is total BS and total disrespect from the City.

This about people threatening to sue the city so instead of the people we elected standing up they are giving in and we are being punished.

We are done being punished. Just having filthy dirty dangerous water and trains all hours of the day and night.

Please come and help us all keep our music!

Here is the facebook page please go there.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1653563341589572/

Alzheimer’s and “Still Alice” : Caring for those who can’t care for themselves.

Jul7

@Gayle_Harrell

@FLGovScott

@joenegronfl

I’m sending this blog post to my state rep, rick scott and my state senator. None of these people actually care about anyone especially older people who are ill. They are under some kind of delusion that these people can have help. In the case of Ms Harrell she thinks people can go to a free clinic if they have no health insurance.

Right now if you call the Elder Hotline they are wonderful about getting assessments done but they have one problem. There are no funds to help. People are put on a list by need and usually people with dementia are on top of the list. I have no issues with these folks. They are doing the best they can. But no money is no money. It’s could be months before people get services.

And thats for people over 65.

What happens to the younger person who is not on Medicare that get’s diagnosed with

Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia?

Where do they go and how do they manage? What about the people who live by themselves?

This past weekend I watched “Still Alice.”

http://www.bustle.com/articles/66764-is-still-alice-based-on-a-true-story-the-tale-resonates-powerfully-with-its-audience

Still Alice, directed by Ricard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, was adapted by the pair from a novel of the same name by Lisa Genova.

Who is Lisa Genova?

Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, and Inside the O’Briens.

“Dr. Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), a linguistics professor at Columbia University, celebrates her fiftieth birthday with her physician husband John (Alec Baldwin) and three adult children. During a lecture, Alice forgets the word “lexicon”, and during a jog becomes lost on campus. Her doctor diagnoses her with early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.”

Julianne Moore won a well deserved “Oscar” for her performance.

“Alzheimer’s is a pretty brutal disease — and as Moore pointed out in her acceptance speech for Best Actress at the 2015 Oscars:

I’m very happy — thrilled, actually — that we were able to hopefully shine a light on Alzheimer’s disease. So many people with this disease feel isolated and marginalized, and one of the wonderful things about movies is that it makes us feel seen and not alone. And people with Alzheimer’s deserve to be seen, so that we can find a cure. “

http://www.alz.org/facts/overview.asp

2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures

Learn. Share. Act.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=23&v=kcI5UVwFyN0

“An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2015.

Of the 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, an estimated 5.1 million people are age 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 (younger-onset Alzheimer’s).
Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. Of the 5.1 million people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s in the United States, 3.2 million are women and 1.9 million are men.
Although there are more non-Hispanic whites living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias than people of any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, older African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than older whites to have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.”

Why is there an issue disclosing the diagnosis?

“disclosing a diagnosis

Most people living with Alzheimer’s are not aware of their diagnosis.

Despite widespread recognition of the benefits of clear and accurate disclosure, less than half (45 percent) of seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or their caregivers report being told the diagnosis by a health care provider, compared with 90 percent or more of those diagnosed with cancer and cardiovascular disease.”

I’d like to remind everyone that Alzheimer’s is a bipartisan disease. It doesn’t really care if your rich or poor, Democrat or Republican.

Let’s bring it home.

http://www.alzcare.org/statistics

In Palm Beach County there are more than 55,000 people affected by Alzheimer’s disease. In Martin County there are more than 6,400 people and close to 9,000 people in St. Lucie County affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

http://www.alzcare.org/specialized-adult-day-service-centers

Alzheimer’s Community Care operates nine Specialized Alzheimer’s Care and Service Centers with locations throughout Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties. All are licensed in accordance with the higher standards of Florida’s Specialized Alzheimer’s Day Care Act of 2012. The cost for a full-day, up to 10 hours, is $65, while half-day care plans begin at $40. The organization provides dementia-specific care for the patient and his or her caregivers.

This is great if you have 40 Bucks a day.

I’m not in any way criticizing the wonderful people from any of the organizations that do this work. I applaud them. I am however criticizing our representatives for not even having this on their radar and telling people if they have no health insurance they can go to a free clinic which btw was line item vetoed by Rick Scott.

Please watch ” Still Alice.” It’s an amazing movie. You all know someone just like Alice. My heart breaks for these people and for the people who love them who bravely take care of them the best they can every day. You are the unsung heros.

Big Sugar Summit: Keynote Address: Chairman Colley Billie, Miccosukee Tribe

Jul1

Big Sugar Summit: Keynote Address: Chairman Colley Billie, Miccosukee Tribe

So honored that Chairman Collie Billie came and he was the keynote speaker at the Big Sugar Summit.

http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2014/02/meet-native-america-colley-billie.html

Meet Chairman Collie Billie

“I would like to take this opportunity to bring attention to the plight of the Florida Everglades in the hopes of inciting awareness and support for our struggles to help, protect, and defend this unique ecosystem for the next generations.

The Everglades is our mother. Until recently, it has protected and nurtured us. In our time, the delicate balance of the Florida Everglades has been pushed beyond its breaking point, and the Everglades is dying a slow death. We once were able to drink the clean water of the Florida Everglades. We were able to swim in its waters and eat from the land. Mismanaged by governmental agencies over the past 50 years, the water in the Florida Everglades is now heavily polluted. For this reason, crucial elements of our way of life are no longer possible.

The dire situation in the Everglades is a direct reflection of the struggle of the individual tribal member. We were once people who were able to thrive independently within the sanctuary of the Everglades, and our position has always been to be left alone to live as we used to live before Columbus. Our original way of life has been made virtually impossible because the land that we used to depend on is not the same. In a sense, we have been forced to come out into the non-Indian world and learn how to be a part of it and live in it. One of our responsibilities as members of the non-Indian world is to emphasize the quandary of the Florida Everglades to create positive change. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was started around the year 2000. Thirteen years and over a billion dollars later, it has been unsuccessful in doing what it was purported to do—to re-establish the original path of water from Lake Okeechobee into Florida Bay. For example, the one-mile bridge that was recently constructed on the Tamiami Trail for the purpose of restoring sheet flow to Florida Bay has not done so. Yet there is a two-mile flyover bridge planned for the same purpose.

Historically, the problem with the restoration of the Everglades has been fragmented efforts with no solid, unifying direction. Projects have been based on the perspectives of people versus what is actually required for the Everglades to survive.

For the Miccosukee people, true restoration is to allow water to flow uninterrupted from Lake Okeechobee and wash out into Florida Bay. And that water must be clean. Only when the polluted water is cleaned can the Florida Everglades and its wildlife begin to recover.”

Here, Chairman Colley Billie is speaking to the Department of the Interior. If you follow the link you can read the whole thing.

http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP06/20140407/101763/HMTG-113-AP06-Wstate-BillieC-20140407.pdf

‘However, the Tribe strongly opposes the National Park Service’s (NPS) continued efforts to

construct a series of massive skyway bridges on the Tamiami Trail (Trail) including the currently proposed 2.6 mile bridge that will cost $193M because: (1) the bridges will not be permitted to operate as designed due to flooding and water quality concerns; and (2)there already exists a series of culverts that could effectively deliver water, during high water seasons such as if properly maintained at a fraction of the cost. At a minimum, NPS should be held to the requirements of the FY14 Omnibus with respect to securing all the should be held to the requirements of the FY14 Omnibus with respect to securing all the necessary funding for the project before being allowed to move forward with bridging.

My question is why is no one listening to Chairman Colley Billie and the Miccosukee Tribe? This goes beyond Florida to the Federal Government who apparently does not care at all and are willing to let our friends, the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida, be polluted. This is shameful.

We have a lot of priorities. This needs to be on the top of the list.

How can we get behind this and make sure that the Miccosukee Tribe has clean water? This must be done.

Please send a message to your US Congressman about this issue. Your more than welcome to use this blog post and the video. If you live in Florida send to your representatives so they clearly understand what they have done by completely ignoring all of us.

cyndi lenz

psych nurse, documentary filmmaker, photographer, crazed river warrior of the Indian River Lagoon.

Category Archives: family and friends