I’m so sorry Frances Langford!

Jan3

If Frances Langford was alive I’m pretty sure she would have been a River Warrior. She loved Martin County and loved this corner of the universe I live in.

Everything around here has her name on it. She had died a few years before I got here but she was everywhere here on the ancient sand dunes where we all share sacred ground.

This is a special place.

Frances Langford and her first husband Jon Hall In 1948, donated , 20 acres of land near her estate in Jensen Beach, Florida, to the Martin County Board of County Commissioners, which named it Langford Hall Park. Located at 2369 N.E. Dixie Highway, just south of the Stuart Welcome Arch, it is known today simply as Langford Park and is one of the county’s major parks.

After leaving Hollywood life, she kept up her pastimes of boating and sport fishing. As a nightclub singer in 1955, she married Outboard Marine Corporation President Ralph Evinrude. They lived on her estate in Jensen Beach and built a Polynesian-themed restaurant and marina on the Indian River they named The Frances Langford Outrigger Resort, where Langford frequently performed. Locals and celebrities flocked to the site. Evinrude died in 1986. In 1994, she married Harold C. Stuart, who had served as Assistant Secretary for Civil Affairs of the United States Air Force (1949-51) under President Harry S. Truman. They spent the summers in Canada on Georgian Island and journeyed to the Island from their home in Florida aboard their 110-foot yacht “The Chanticleer”, which was a popular tourist attraction when moored at the Outrigger Resort. Stuart survived Langford (who had no children) and died in 2007 at the age of 94.

Langford was a supportive member of the Jensen Beach community and constantly donated money to the community. She was a great philanthropist and her generosity to the Florida Oceanographic Society located on Hutchinson Island, Stuart, Florida was well known. The site provides education and research of the ocean, reefs and environment in the Florida area.

She died at her Jensen Beach home at age 92 from congestive heart failure. According to her wishes, she was cremated and the ashes strewn off the coast of Florida near her residence. In 2006, the Frances Langford Heart Center, made possible by a bequest from her estate, opened at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, Florida.”

Area prior to demolition and devistation

Work cleared to begin on Langford Landing development in Rio

“Once owned by philanthropist and old-Hollywood actress Frances Langford, the St. Lucie River waterfront property is zoned low-density residential with a maximum 1.4 units per acre. Other than six existing houses, the land is vacant, according to Martin County Growth Management.

Commissioner Sarah Heard on Tuesday said the project has the potential to be a “beautiful property we can all be proud of,” but urged the developers to keep the environment in mind.

“(Ten) acres is all we’re guaranteed?” Heard asked about a designated preserve area. “It would be a crime to get rid of some of these old-growth oaks and so forth.”

The crime has been committed. The developer’s have no respect for Frances, the people of Martin County, the heritage, or the history.

They are rapists of the land.

Destruction at Langford’s Landing Photo: Rebecca Fatzinger

Every tree pulled out photo by Julie Williams

Total destruction photo by Julie Williams

Here are all the amazing things she did for Martin County.

Frances Langford’s legacy: In the mood for loving Martin County

Martin Health System: $6.3 million, including $5 million for the Frances Langford Heart Center

Elliott Museum: $3 million in 2007 plus $500,000 in 2008 toward construction of new museum, which includes Frances Langford Cafe

Martin County: Land for Langford Park in Jensen Beach and the Rio Skate Park, plus beautification on portions of State Road 708, value $300,000

Martin County Council on Aging: $2.5 million for Frances Langford Theatre & Audtiorium at the Charles and Rae Kane Senior Center

Florida Oceanographic Society: Beach home that sold for $600,000 in 1989, plus $50,000 for visitors center and annual contributions totaling more than $1 million

Florida Institute of Technology: (now site of Indian RiverSide Park) Two marine science laboratory buildings and a marine research dock and pier valued $1 million.

Martin County Historical Society: $2 million plus costumes and other memorabilia

(see article for the rest)

I feel like this gorgeous piece of land should have been made into something wonderful in memory of the woman who made our little corner of the universe her home and did so much for us.

This is not just an insult. It’s a slap in the face of Frances and all of us that live here.

Nothing was honored or handled with care.

If our county cannot be respectful to one of it’s greatest benefactors I hardly doubt it can be respectful to the rest of us.

What will Martin County Become?

Dec28

I moved here to Martin County six years ago. I literally was running away from Palm Beach County. The whole place was closing in on me. The people, the traffic, the constant building way, way out to the Everglades, the traffic.

I had driven up here for years for work. I even came up after one of the Hurricanes. I think it was Jeanne. I needed air conditioning. Everyone was so nice.

I drove up Dixie in Rio and always stopped to take a photo of Mrs Peters sign. I took video of the river and the sailboats.

I always felt special driving under the Jensen Arch.

I loved it because it never changed. It always felt like old Florida to me. A place where the people who lived here knew how to keep it special.

It must be filled with special people and I was right about that!

Then I moved here. People had kayaks and paddle boards and it reminded me of Boulder, Colorado where people drive around with Kayaks on the roof of their cars. A funky downtown with so much potential. An entire area with so much potential to be funky and fun.

Downtown Stuart with all it fun shops was a great place to tell people to meet me for lunch.

It never changed.

I could live here. I can breath here. People smile here. They are polite. They care about where they live. No one was driving up your rear end and yelling and giving you the finger.

In the last few years we have been polluted, multiple trains are coming and we have 200 sober homes here. People are being court ordered here for treatment. People that can be kicked out any time of their sober home to the streets. People are driving up my rear end and giving the finger when I pull over to let them go.

And don’t even start with the NIMBY stuff. I’ll save that for another day. There is a big difference between being a NIMBY and not wanted polluted gross water and junkies. I think that both go together.

A month ago there was someone shooting up heroin at the corner store. Some guy was upset because he had to pay for his gas with his weed money.

Many motels have been sold and now they are treatment centers. Let’s not talk about this or deal with it. Let’s wait until it’s really bad.

These treatment center are not for our neighbors but for people up north. Come to Florida. You can be a junkie here. Live in Florida. You get nothing. If you are over 65 and need alcohol or drug treatment through Medicare there is one choice and that choice will probably put you on a psychiatric unit with a general population and not with the program you need.

The people in charge say there is nothing that can be done. That these homes ( and let me remind you that all a sober home is is a place where people live sober. Anything else is a treatment center and must be governed under Florida Law.) We are learning now that many of these places are just scams run by drug addicts or other scam artists to make money.

A scam in Florida can you believe it?

These places are not Switzerland. If there is something illegal going on there has to be a way to investigate. I think people are not thinking hard enough and they are being snowed.

The water I moved here for is unswimable. So many people I know have gotten sick. I cannot take my grandson or my dog there.

There seems to be no answer or any one taking responsibility for what Martin County is becoming. No one.

The junkies keep coming , the dirty water keeps coming and the trains are on the way.

Last year both our Representatives Gayle Harrell and Mary Lynn Magar refused to lift a finger to do the one thing that would have helped us. Millions of dollars are spent that will never make a difference. Someone is getting rich while we are still getting polluted. US.

We have been taxed in Martin County 75 million dollars to water storage so we don’t have to have discharges. Well that didn’t work. We begged for a reservoir with the water going south as mother nature put it in the first place. That didn’t happen.

In the election in 2006 ” The Palm Beach Post, which criticized Harrell for “too obediently” voting the party line and for having “so little clout in Tallahassee that she can’t protect her well-intentioned legislation from harmful amendments.”Ultimately, however, the conservative nature of the district proved too much for Ramos to overcome, and Harrell won re-election over him, scoring 54% of the vote to her opponent’s 46%

In 2008, The Palm Beach Post endorsed Fetterman over Harrell, praising the incumbent for closing a loophole that allowed sexual predators to avoid prosecution, and once again criticizing Harrell for her record in the legislature, where “she wasn’t known for bucking the GOP leadership.”However, Harrell was able to dispatch Fetterman with relative ease, regaining her seat and earning 56% of the vote to Fetterman’s 44%.”

We know she doesn’t buck the leadership. That’s why she refused to help her own constituents. She is also been conferring with people up north about the voluntary legislation regarding sober homes encouraging people to open them up down here as long as they do a voluntary sign up.

She should be asking herself: Why is everyone sending their junkies to Martin County?

She is no friend of ours and certainly not a friend of the water. She just had some kind of event. Invited all the Republicans , left everyone else out so she has no interest in being inclusive and getting anything done. It’s like all the people that have worked so hard for the water don’t exist.

She should be fighting for us instead of cow-towing to the leadership in Tallahassee.

On Mary Lynn Magars Wikapedia page there is nothing. She said the same thing last year. She couldn’t so anything. I can’t find anything she has actually done. I must be wrong. How can this be true? Someone please tell me she has done something.

I say this because of our ( The train is the train and we have to wait for that one) pollution we are loosing our tourist base. We certainly have more people but those people are going to requires services we just don’t have for our people that live here.

In the last election we picked our clean water candidates. They were bipartisan and they reflected the people who understand the water and have the smarts and the know all to get this stuff done. They certainly would not have destroyed the water of South Florida, continued to allow Salt Water Intrusion, discharges and everything else because of their party and because of their ego.

Last year we painted and sent solidarity fish to multiple representatives and senators. The only one that answered was Thad Altman. Not Gayle, or MaryLynn Magar or even the Democrats answered us.

altman

Yesterday, I read an article about eviscerating our ability to get Florida Government Records. No sunshine. Another bill was filed to override us saying we don’t want fracking. Who’s for fracking raise your hands! Come on higher!

In the coming year we have some big decisions to make. I hope that one of them is not voting party lines but voting for keeping our Martin County a great place to live.

We don’t need vindictiveness, stupid games, egos, grandstanding, and more of the same BS. We need to work together or else we’re gonna have a dead river and people shooting up heroin in all our corner stores. We need people that not only understand the issues but understand how to work together with people and are willing to to stand up to get things done.

June is educate your legislators in mental illness month. I said so!

Jun2

@joenegronfl

who said

http://fcir.org/2012/07/26/florida-slips-even-lower-in-mental-health-funding/

“More specifically, state Sen. Joe Negron, R-Palm City, advocated cuts to so-called soft services, which include mental health and drug-addiction programs, because many of these services address what Negon views as “a lack of willpower, a lack of discipline, a lack of character.” Negron was the chair of appropriations for health and human services in the state Senate.”

This attitude has got to change. We cannot have legislators that do not believe in taking care of our most vulnerable people and do not believe in science.

Mental illness knows no parties. It is a bipartisan disease.

Let’s educate our legislators. Let’s make a difference.

Let’s make June “Educate your legislators on mental illness month.”

Society is Judged By How They Treat the Most Vulnerable.

What does this say about us?

http://www2.nami.org/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm?ContentFileID=93487

Mental Illness Is Common

Of Florida’s approximately 18.3 million residents, close to 660,000 adults live with serious mental illness

and about 181,000 children live with serious mental health conditions.

Untreated Mental Illness has Deadly and Costly Consequences

In 2006, 2,440 Floridians died by suicide.

Suicide is almost always the result of untreated or under-

treated mental illness.

Public Mental Health Services

are Inadequate to Meet Needs

•

Florida’s public mental health system

m provides services to only 26 percent of adults who live with

serious mental illnesses in the state.

•

Florida spent just $38 per capita on mental health

agency services in 2006, or $686.6 million

Nationally, an average of 70 percent is spent

on community mental health services and 28 percent on state hospital care.

Criminal Justice Systems Bear a Heavy Burden

•

In 2006, 7,302 children were incarcerated in Florida’s juvenile justice system.

Nationally,

approximately 70 percent of youth in juvenile justice

systems experience mental health disorders, with

20 percent experiencing a

severe

mental health condition.

•

In 2008, approximately 24,600 adults with mental

illnesses were incarcerated in prisons in Florida.

Additionally, an estimated 31 percent of female and 14

percent of male jail inmates nationally live with

serious mental illness.

Many Residents Rely on Public Services for Needed Care

•

Approximately 10.1 percent of Floridians are enrolled in Medicaid.

Housing is Unaffordable for People who rely on SSI or SSDI.

•

The average rent for a studio apartment in Florida is

119 percent of the average Supplemental Security

Income (SSI) payment, making housing unaffordable

for adults living with serious mental illness who rely on SSI.

Here is an article from Science Daily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140605141946.htm

Brain circuit problem likely sets stage for the ‘voices’ that are symptom of schizophrenia

Scientists have identified problems in a connection between brain structures that may predispose individuals to hearing the ‘voices’ that are a common symptom of schizophrenia. Researchers linked the problem to a gene deletion. This leads to changes in brain chemistry that reduce the flow of information between two brain structures involved in processing auditory information.

Here is a video by ROCHE that is a simple explanation on schizophrenia.

The biology of schizophrenia.

Mental Disorders as Brain Disorders: Thomas Insel at TEDxCaltech

Where are the Pet-Friendly Shelters?

Jun1

@MartinCountygov

@TCPalm

@TCPalmAndreassi

To Our Commissioners in Martin and St Lucie County.

This past Saturday I attended our annual disaster conference. Our area includes Martin County, Port St Lucie County, Okeechobee County and Indian River County. The MRC (Medical Reserve Corp) are volunteers who assist in disasters.

The only county that seemed to have it act together was Indian River County. They have this:

It was suggested you take a photo of yourself with you and your pet so no one can show up and say that your pet is their pet.

meme selfie (you should have your face in the photo)

Do not leave your pets if you have to evacuate. If you go they go!

don’t leave us food source your our only hope!

The number for the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County is 772-388-5492. Our commissioners can call them and get info on how to set up programs in our county. I bet they would be deee-lighted to come down and show you guys how to do this.

In a storm everything east of Federal Hwy is considered an evacuation zone. That means your veterinarians in that area are in a potential evacuation zone.

We still do not have pet friendly shelters in Martin or St Lucie County.

I found this article that George

@TCPalmAndreassi

wrote in 2007:

http://www.tcpalm.com/weather/30martin-pets-canshelter-in-storm

The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast in Palm City, the county’s first pet shelter, can withstand winds of 140 mph or more and accommodate as many as 200 cats and dogs.

The offering, free for up to five days, is a temporary solution that allows Martin County to comply with a new Federal Emergency Management Agency pet shelter strategy requirement, Holman said.

The county in the meantime is working to provide a similarly secure shelter for pets as well as their owners, Holman said.

It’s 2015- what’s the plan?

We really need a plan especially for our seniors who have pets. We have a lot of people who live by themselves with their dog or cat in substandard housing. What are we going to do to help them?

In Indian River County the first pets they take are the volunteers that work the shelter. HINTHINTHINT

Here is a list of pet friendly shelters for Florida. Plan now. Many of these place require that you pre register. Your pets must be up to date on their vaccinations and you need to bring a crate, food, basically everything your pet will need.

http://www.floridapetfriendly.com/pet-friendly-hurricane-shelters.htm

We also need an update list of hotels/motels that accept pets and I am told that some that usually don’t take pets will change their policy during a storm.

After Hurricane Katrina hundreds of pets were displaced. Please make sure your pet has at least a tag with a phone number.

Here is a nice video from the AVMA.

Here is a good FEMA video that I found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUbSF_S20bE

Dolphin Ecology Project: Let’s help our Southern IRL Dolphin Family

May26

Dolphin Ecology Project

Yesterday, I caught up with Nik Mader of the Dolphin Ecology Project at Paddlefest 2015.

We have around 100 resident dolphins in the southern Indian River Lagoon. They live here like we live here.

Nik reminds us what happens to the water happens to the Dolphins.

So if this happens to us it happens to the dolphins.

We can go to our houses. This is their house.

http://www.dolphinecology.org/FindOut/

The Dolphin Ecology Project is establishing a long-term field research and monitoring program to collect these data and evaluate how dolphins respond to changes in ecosystem health. Throughout the year, Project staff, scientists and volunteers photograph individual dolphins for identification and observe their activities, along with sampling environmental parameters and identifying and measuring the abundance of important dolphin prey species. Over time the Project intends to gain a better understanding about how dolphins utilize the different habitats that comprise the Florida Keys. The Project’s educational goal is to increase public awareness about dolphins and the interrelated nature of the Florida Keys’ habitats and the importance of South Florida ecosystem restoration efforts.

http://www.dolphinecology.org/help/index.html

Volunteer to help with this exciting Project! Contact the Volunteer Stewardship Exchange of The Nature Conservancy at 305-289-9060. Become a Dolphin Ecology Project Member. Your contribution will support the ProjectÕs research and education programs, ensuring a sustainable future for humans, dolphins, and the ocean environment.

If you go to the link above there is a membership form link on the left, you can print the form and send it in with your tax deductible contribution.

They also have a nice poster with all the local dolphins on them and their t-shirts are beautiful.

Let’s make sure we support this wonderful project that supports our neighbors, the dolphins of the southern indian river lagoon.

Most of all lets support our good neighbors the dolphins of the southern indian river lagoon.

Who could blame them if this happened?

“So long and thanks for all the fish” from the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.

Volunteerism : Medical Reserve Corp : Here when you need us

May7

Volunteerism

44% percent of American’s volunteer.

I feel like all the work I do for the water is a full time job. It was great this week that I got to take a day off and do some training with my fellow Medical Reserve Corp volunteers.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/emergency-preparedness-and-response/disaster-response-resources/mrc/

The Florida Medical Reserve Corps Network was established to effectively facilitate the use of private volunteers in emergency response.

What is the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)?
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of local groups of volunteers committed to improving the health, safety and resiliency of their communities. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as others interested in strengthening the public health infrastructure and improving the preparedness and response capabilities of their local jurisdiction. MRC units identify, screen, train and organize the volunteers, and utilize them to support routine public health activities and augment preparedness and response efforts.

Program Overview

The Florida Medical Reserve Corps Network comprises 33 Florida MRC units covering all 67 Florida counties.

Florida Medical Reserve Corps units are community-based and function to locally organize and utilize health professionals and other volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to promote community health and respond to emergencies.

The following occupations represent some of Florida’s MRC Volunteer specialties.

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner
Clinical Social Worker
Counselor, Mental Health
EMT-Basic
Licensed Practical Nurse
Marriage & Family Therapist
Medical Records and Health Information Technologist
Medical and Clinical Lab Technician
Medical and Clinical Lab Technologist
Paramedic
Pharmacist
Physician
Physician Assistant
Psychologist
Radiologic Technologist / Technician
Registered Nurse
Respiratory Therapist
Social Worker
Veterinarians

Also, the MRC needs non medical people to assist. By joining I’ve been able to go to some really interesting educational opportunities and some I even get credit for. I’d much rather go to active learning then sit in a chair all day and it gives you a good opportunity to meet other medical people in your community besides the ones you work with.

The Florida MRC has saved the state over 1 billions dollars.

Here is a map of the different MRC’s.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/emergency-preparedness-and-response/disaster-response-resources/mrc/_documents/fl-mrc-network-map.pdf

Yesterday, I participated with my Martin County Medical Reserve Corp in a statewide Radiological Exercise.

Every time there is a disaster I ache to go there and help. The first time I did work like this was after Hurricane Andrew.

me in homestead after hurricane andrew

homestead after hurricane andrew

homestead after hurricane andrew

hurricane andrew medical team

The exercise was called the

Black Pearl Radiological Exercise.

cool swag t

Black Pearl is the name of the room at the really awesome Treasure Coast Public Safety Complex in PSL. The same training center the fireman complained about during the last election. Seriously great venue. I think if its good enough for the entire state to come to it should be good enough for the Martin County Firemen. Took me 35 minutes to get there from Jensen Beach

We hope it never happens but in reality we have to be ready if it does.

One of the best parts of the day is pets were included today and we had some awesome dogs.

I am pleased we are including pets and other animals. In case of an emergency we just can’t leave them and run. One of the issues we had after Hurricane Katrina is that a bunch of NGO’s went up there and created more havoc then good. One of goals of this team is to reunite pets with their families. That made me so happy.

A while back there was a huge fire in Boulder and people had relocate their horses to the fairgrounds. Once an area was evacuated there was no going back.

We have a lot different kinds of animals and they need to be dealt with. Cows, goats, chickens (I’m not sure if you can decontaminate a chicken.)

So I was really happy to see these guys there.

State Agricultural Response Team

http://flsart.org/

And so happy to see this guy.

Andy Bass

(sorry for the crappy photo Andy)

He is the Operations Assistant, Field Team Leader and Trainer for Florida State Animal Response Coalition.
Florida State Animal Response Coalition was formed by many diverse groups of highly qualified animal responders dedicated to protecting the entire family during disasters. When a hurricane, fire, tornado or other disaster threatens the state of Florida, we will be there to assist with teams of professionally trained volunteers dedicated to care for the animals that rely on us.

I felt like I was with my people! Andy made this – He called it SART Identification! LOL So good to know there are compassionate experts on the ground in case of a disaster.

I love the paw marks.

You don’t have to be an expert to be part of the team. I’m certainly not. Experts are provided. We had plenty of acronyms there today.

So if you have some time contact your local Medical Reserve Corp. I promise they will only call you when they need you.

Toxic Algae Eve : Protest: Buy the land! May 3. St Lucie Locks

May4

@JaxStrong

@SteveCrisafulli

@JoeBiden

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth #nomoredischarges #saveflwater #savetheeverglades

On May 3 we had a protest.

https://www.facebook.com/events/831962766840242/

***VIDEO CHALLENGE AND PROTEST*** DEMAND CLEAN WATER! Meet us at Phipps park and we can all stand together! Ask your elected officials to CANCEL THE DISCHARGES and BUY THE LAND! This Sunday, make a video on your phone, make sure to include those two messages in a peaceful video and submit it on to FB. Tag 3 of your friends and ask them to make their own video and do the same about why we want to stop the discharges and buy the land. Time is running out! Enough is enough!

We came! We Marched! We uploaded video all at the same time.

Why? To create awareness because apparently even after we were dumped on, had our estuary and economy destroyed, had multiple protests with up to 7,000 people, went to DC, went to Tallahassee, had dozens of events, took thousands of hours of video, took a gazillion photos, wrote hundreds of letters, emails and tweets we are at this moment in time right back where we started from at the very beginning.

Toxic Algae Eve.

Why?

Because the ACOE thinks this stuff will dissipate when it hits the brackish water because that worked so well before. We have been rejected by our own legislators, our water management district. Everyone. Poisoning us is ok with everyone. Except us.

The Speaker of House

@SteveCrisafulli

does not want to buy any conservation land. He won’t even discuss it. He won’t even let us know if he understands why this particular piece of land is important. Senator Alan Hay, the same thing. We’re paying attention.

@SteveCrisafulli

You want to make all the people behave and listen then you are responsible for the destruction of the St Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. This is on you.

@JoeBiden

We need you. Please come quickly

@JaxStrong

The lake is at 13 ft. Seriously are you kidding me.

Two years ago I bought that we had issues with dike. Millions of dollars later how can there be an issue?

This is whats coming.

This is what we need to do.

Here we are today.

Discharges stopped for the moment.

Apr24

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

So this what happened. Thursday, Kenny Hinkle Jr. and Captain Mike Connor went up to Port Mayaca and made a video and took photos showing green algae.

Then Senator Negron saw and told them to shut it down.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/possible-bluegreen-algae-found-in-st-lucie-canal_46291092

“Senator Negron Calls on Army Corps to Immediately Suspend Harmful Releases from Lake Okeechobee Due to Algae Bloom”

Stuart, Fla. – Today, State Senator Joe Negron (R-Stuart) called on the Army Corps of Engineers to immediately suspend the harmful releases from Lake Okeechobee due to the current toxic blue-green algae bloom in water adjacent to the lake.

“I have personally seen video and photos confirming that water adjacent to Lake Okeechobee is currently experiencing a toxic blue-green algae bloom,” said Senator Negron. “With the elevation of Lake Okeechobee at less than 14 feet, there is simply no reason whatsoever for the Army Corps to be discharging water at this time.”

“While releases from Lake Okeechobee are always harmful, discharging water with a toxic blue-green algae bloom is particularly dangerous to our lagoon and estuary,” said Senator Negron.

“Right now, there is zero chance of any breach or damage to the dike,” said Senator Negron. “At the same time, there is a hundred percent chance of damage to our lagoon and estuary when the Army Corps pours hundreds of millions of gallons of polluted water into our community. Why would they do that?”

The Army Corps of Engineers will suspend discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie River so state agencies can run tests on a possible blue-green algae bloom that has been found in the western end of the St. Lucie Canal.

How long the discharges will be curtailed for the testing by the South Florida Water Management District and the state Department of Environmental Protection was not confirmed.

Then this happened:

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/possible-bluegreen-algae-found-in-st-lucie-canal_46291092

today its all over the news

https://www.facebook.com/irene.n.gomes/videos/vb.1230436264/10204036954024068/?type=2&theater

Really amazing teamwork guys.

Press Release from Rick Scott’s Office: For Immediate Release, Office of the Governor, Lake Okeechobee Toxic Algae and ACOE’s Halting Releases to St Lucie River.
April 24, 2015
Contact: media@eog.myflorida.com
(850) 717-9282

Governor Rick Scott Dispatches Florida Department of Environmental Protection Team to Test Potential Algae Blooms in Lake Okeechobee
LAKE OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott made the following statement following claims of harmful blue green algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee.
Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, following reports of harmful blue green algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee, I’ve asked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to immediately dispatch a team to test water for harmful algae blooms. The Army Corps of Engineers did the right thing by halting their releases this afternoon. President Obama also needs to live up to his commitment to repair the dike and responsibly manage Lake Okeechobee.

Today Obama is managing Lake Okeechobee? Wow. Because a few weeks ago it was the state. Oh that’s right it’s suppose to be a partnership.

I want to drive this point home.

1. Even if this water was totally clean and devoid of all the nasty nutrients and toxic green algae it would still kill us because it is fresh water. So the legislature needs to know this – even the clean water will kills us. I don’t understand why this particular important point is never mentioned. NO FRESH WATER! Please find a hydrologist and ask them to explain salinity.

2. Now add on toxic green algae to the mix. been there. done this. bought the t shirt. But know this -it only happens when this stuff comes out of Lake O. So whenI hear talk in Tallahassee of not buying the land because we have enough land (Sen ALAN HAY) and how water needs to be stored north. I have to wonder what kind of information are these people getting and who are they getting it from.
Who are you getting it from?

How in the world do you recharge the aquifers if you store the water north of the lake? How do you fend off salt water intrusion if the water does not flow south?

HOW?

Just proves to me that our legislators have no understanding of what is going on here.

I know its hard but if we can understand this stuff so can you.

and why would any one push this stuff? They do because its sugar speak. Anything to avoid what would save us. We didn’t like but we lived through discharges from our own water shed which was mostly AG BTW. This is what no one tells you and big sugar wants you to believe.

What kind of person does that anyway? What kind of people distorts the truth for their own personal gain? When is enough enough?

Because this is the truth and this what happens and this has got to end. We CANNOT have another toxic summer.

Do the right thing. Buy the land. Don’t destroy us.

and stop taking money from Big Sugar. I’m sure there is lots of other corporate welfare out there.

K.c. Ingram Traylor: The Engine behind Florida Not All Aboard

Apr21

Always happy to be invited to the Martin County League of Woman Voters for lunch.

The League of Women Voters of Martin County is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Today’s speaker was K.C. Ingram Traylor who founded Florida Not All Aboard. KC is a lesson in trust your gut and never give up.