volume 2, no. 10 may, 2007 - mainstreetfortpierce.org · plan that defined specific goals,...

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

US POSTAGE

PAIDFORT PIERCE, FL

PERMIT #53

Main Street Focus122 AE Backus Ave.Fort Pierce, FL 34950

Volume 2, No. 10 May, 2007

2 MAIN STREET FOCUS May 2007

Delivering a Tradition...

Helping To Build A Better Way For Over 100 Years

YARDS - Cocoa, Ft. Pierce, Melbourne, Stuart and Vero Beach

TRUSS PLANTS - Ft. Pierce, Melbourne

1902 2007

In February 2006, theMain Street Board was for-tunate enough to haveLaura Lee Corbett, formerFlorida State Main StreetExecutive Director, cometo Fort Pierce and assist theboard in developing newgoals and strategies for the2006-2007 year. It hadbeen three years since the

board gathered to discussthe direction we weregoing to take Main StreetFort Pierce.

At this planning session,the Main Street Boarddeveloped an annual workplan that defined specificgoals, objectives and activ-ities for the next year. I amhappy to announce thatMain Street Fort Piercehas been successful inattaining the objectivesand activities we set forour goals.

First on our list wasfunding one million dollarsfor the restoration of theBackus House, MainStreet’s new home. Thisyear we have received over$400,000 for the historicstructure in grants with acommitment of $10,000for 3 years. We continueour efforts to raise theremaining funds in 2007-2008. Another goal was todevelop Sights and Soundson Second as a signatureChristmas activity whichwas realized by our additionof more children’s activitiesand more parade entries.

Main Street Fort Piercehosted the State Main StreetAnnual Conference inNovember which had over200 individuals in atten-dance that were here to seeall of the positive, construc-tive activities that have beenachieved with hard work,

planning and dedicatedgroups and elected officials… a Fort Pierce first!

In addition, MainStreet Fort Pierce receivedthe Outstanding FloridaMain Street RehabilitationProject for the SunriseTheatre and OutstandingFundraising Effort forCowboy Golf & BBQ. It isindicative of our organi-zation's spirit and accom-plishments over the lastyear and also over the pre-vious 19 years that weenjoy what we do and wedo it well together.

I believe this is aboutthe 8th year that theBoard has remained intactwith a few individualsresigning or joining dur-ing this time. What isgreat about our Board ishow we work together,have few disagreementsand when we do, we dis-cuss it, make a decisionand put it behind us. OurBoard has a supportive,hard working staff ofDoris Tillman, PamGillette, Mimi Ewan andvolunteer Joan Dodds.Thank you to all theBoard and staff for thepast 2 years I served as president. I look forwardto my 3rd year as presi-dent and our efforts tocontinue providing a valu-able asset to our area.Happy 19th year!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

May 2007 MAIN STREET FOCUS 3

2006 - 2007Officers, Board of Directors & Staff

Anne Satterlee President

Sue DannahowerSecretary

Britt Reynolds VicePresident

Dave MillerTreasurer

Doris TillmanManager

Pam GilletteMarketing Manager

Phone: 772.466.3880

Staff

Pat AlleyEdward Becht

Chris CraftPam Cully

Brenda Eaves

Nancy IngleMichelle MillerWanda SappEugene SeregBeth Williams

Anne Satterlee, President

19 Years … and Counting

Copyright © 2007 Main Street Focus. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproducedwithout prior written permission of Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc., 122 AE Backus Ave., FortPierce, FL 34950. VOICE 772-466-3880 • FAX 772-466-3917 • [email protected].

Vol. 2 No. 10 May 2007

Publisher Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc.Editor Joanne Davis

Advertising Director Delila McKennaProduction/Graphic Design Susan M. Roberts

Contributing Writers Doris Tillman, Joanne DavisPam Gillette, Sue DannahowerDan Dannahower, John CulverhouseKathleen McKee, Patty Reynolds, Leslie OlsonTamara Dourney, Tanya HarringtonThondra Lanese, Bill Cheverie, Marti Reno

Photography John Culverhouse, Art Boyd II

FOCUSMAIN STREET

FORT PIERCE


Fuller – Armfield – WagnerAppraisal & Research, Inc.

120 N. Second Street, Fort Pierce, FL 34950

Office: (772)468-0787 • Fax: (772)468-1103S. Florida: 1-800-273-7364

E-Mail: [email protected]

Daniel D. Fuller, MAIPresident

St. Cert. Gen. REA#RZ567

Wednesday, May 2nd: Main Street FortPierce Annual Meeting – 6:00 until 7:30p.m.; Main Street Fort Pierce, 466-3880.

Friday, May 4th: Friday Fest – 5:30 until8:30 p.m.; Main Street Fort Pierce, 466-3880.

Wednesday, May 9th: 2nd WednesdayWalkabout – 5:00 until 8:00 p.m.; Down-town Business Association, 465-7080.

Friday, May 18th: Coffee with the Mayor –8:00 a.m.; Main Street Fort Pierce, 466-3880.

Friday, May 18th: Spring Beer & WineStroll – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.; Main Street FortPierce, 466-3880.

WEEKLY EVENTS

Ft. Pierce Farmer’s Market – Saturdays,8:00 a.m. to Noon; Marina Square onMelody Lane; Market Manager, 940-1145.

Arts and Crafts Show & Sale – Satur-days, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; north ofdowntown Fort Pierce Library, 460-5124.

Fort Pierce Bike Night – Thursdays, 6:00to 9:30 p.m.; 2nd Street, Downtown FortPierce;Yellowfin Grill & Raw Bar, 468-7071.

FORT PIERCE COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITIES

For information, please call 462-1792.

RESTAURANT ENTERTAINMENT

The Original Tiki Bar – 461-0880; Music by“Barely Broken,” Sundays, 3 to 7:00 p.m.

Governor’s Grill – 466-6900; “Open MikeNight” on Tuesdays, 9 p.m. to closing; “Blues

Night at the Grill” on Wednesdays, 8 p.m.;“Ladies Night” on Thursdays, 10 p.m. to 12a.m.; Live Music on Friday evenings; LiveJazz with Matrix on Saturday evenings.

DOWNTOWN FORT PIERCE LIBRARY ACTIVITIES


SUNRISE THEATRE


MANATEE OBSERVATION AND EDUCATION CENTER

For information, please call 466-1600, ex. 3333.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM


BACKUS GALLERY


BACKUS GALLERY SEASON’S PREMIERE EXHIBITIONS

Through The Eye of the Camera: JuriedPhotography Show on view through May 26.Open to both professional and amateurphotographers, this show is one you won’twant to miss. The one-hundred plusimages in the exhibition have been select-ed from over 350 entries. New this year isSeacoast National Bank’s CommunityCalendar. Fifteen photos from the showhave been selected to be featured in Sea-coast National Bank’s 2008 Calendar.

SPONSORED BY JIFFY PHOTO, SEACOAST

NATIONAL BANK & CANON


MAIN STREET AND DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

CalendarDine, Shop and Enjoy Beautiful, Historic, Downtown Fort Pierce!

Event SpotlightWHO: Main Street Fort Pierce

WHAT: Annual Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, May 2nd

WHERE: Fort Pierce City HallCommission Chambers

INFO: 466-3880

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Call Delila at 772-466-3880

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A Federal Court House in theCity of Fort Pierce is on its way tobecoming reality. It has takenyears of hard work and tirelessefforts. Several trips have beentaken to Atlanta and WashingtonDC, plus countless local meet-ings. The diligence has finally paidoff. On March 14th, I receivedcalls from, Senator Bill Nelsonand Senator Mel Martinez, as well

as Congressman Mahoney, explaining that 53.8 million dol-lars needed to begin construction, had been allocated andapproved for this year’s budget. Since the property hadalready been purchased and the plans completed, this fund-ing will provide for the construction and completion of theFederal Courthouse itself. We are optimistic that the groundbreaking will commence this fall.

I would like to thank and congratulate the Taskforce,comprised of Local Business leaders, Former Mayors Dan-nahower and Enns, City and County Commissioners, aswell as the citizens who lobbied diligently for this project.

Senator Nelson and Congressman Mahoney, visitedcity hall, holding a press conference with all partiesinvolved to announce this great feat. Their support anddedication was evident, giving me great optimism thatthis project will be the beginning of greater opportunitiesfor Fort Pierce.

Also, this past month, construction has commenced onthe long awaited Downtown Parking garage, hopefullyexpanding downtown’s potential. I ask that you please bearwith us, as this project may pose a few inconveniences. The goodnews is that the completion is scheduled for late December2007. For those advocates of a parking garage located on theold JC Penney property, the city has requested proposalsfrom qualifying developers to construct a parking structure incoordination with a five star hotel. This would maintain theone hundred and twenty public parking spaces currently onthe location, with the addition of spaces needed for the hotel.

I would also like to congratulate the Yellow Tale Grille,Di’Michelli’s Deli and Jerome Ryant for their redevelop-ment projects and for being the recipients of the Mayor’sGold Hammer Awards!

Fort Pierce Acquires Federal Funding for Downtown Courthouseby Fort Pierce Mayor Bob Benton

Commercial ImprovementThe Love Center

3111 Avenue D

Commercial ImprovementDi'Michelli's Italian

Deli & Catering1409 Delaware Avenue

Commercial ImprovementYellowtail Grill & Raw Bar

101 N. 2nd Street

Winners of the Mayor's Golden Hammer Awardsat March Coffee with the Mayor

The Love Center received a Mayor's Gold Hammer award in March at Coffee withthe Mayor.


SUNRISE CITY CARPETS, INC.

127 N. Second St.Brian & Angela Campbell

Historic DowntownFort Pierce

772-489-8859In-Home Consultation Available

“Come see your next new floor!”

FEE, DeROSS & FEEAttorneys at Law

An Affiliation of Professional Associations

500 Virginia Avenue, Suite 200Fort Pierce, FL 34982

Since 1905

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FEE & FEE, P.A.Frank H. Fee, IIIFrank H. Fee, IV(772) 461-5020

JOSEPH J. DeROSS, JR., P.A.Joseph J. DeRoss, Jr.

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Fred Fee (1888-1939) • Frank Fee (1913-1983)�

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Frank H. Fee III Esq.President

Frank H. Fee IV Esq.Vice President

Wendy LoundsOffice Manager

TELEPHONE: (772)461-7190FAX: (772)461-0487


New Route for Downtown Fort Pierce TrolleyThere have been some recent changes in the Down-

town Fort Pierce Trolley Route. The Trolley operatesMonday Through Friday with two types of service on anhourly basis. Trolley stops interface with the TreasureCoast Connector to provide a wider service area.Brochures of the new route are being printing and will bedistributed soon. After a short time in operation, num-bers show that people are starting to take advantage ofthe red and green Trolley making its way through thedowntown area.

Park & Ride: Mornings, 7 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.; afteroons,4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Touring: Excursion Route to highlight Attractions &Destinations, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Saturday: Farmers’ Market, 7 a.m. – Noon.

Why not park andride? Lunchtime isalso a perfect oppor-tunity to try it out ifyou are in down-town. Hop on andtake a ride! It’s thefun way to getaround downtown, and it’s free! The Fort Pierce Trolleywill also be used for certain community related events.

For special event scheduling or more information,please contact City Hall at 772-460-2200 extension 371.

A map of the route for the Downtown Trolley serviceis also available on the City’s website at www.cityoffort-pierce.com.


J. JEFFREY COOK BRUCE D. PERRYFinancial Consultant Assistant Branch Manager

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In December 1979, newspaper columnist LoyalPhillips wrote, “On a balmy December after-

noon, we got zapped by a time machine which took usacross the Atlantic and back 500 years to 1400 A.D.”He was writing about the Poinciana Garden Circle’sAnnual Holiday House bazaar, which was held in thestriking home of Fort Pierce residents Mr. William F.Willes. Since its heyday, the home lingered in the

Willes’ estate. Time has not been kind to the home; the cheerful paint has chipped and faded, the stones havetumbled down. Facing neglect and nature’s fury during the years following the Garden Circle’s visit, the homeheld its mystery and intricacies a secret, storing them behind a facade of disrepair. Sold to Ray and Sandra Stil-well in the late 1984, the home is now undergoing a loving treatment of restoration at the hands of architectJohn Foster and the team of PVD Development, Inc.

In 1924 Franklind W. Tyler, a local architect who also made props for the Fort Pierce Little Theater, built his homehigh on a hill with the beautiful Indian River Lagoon just outside the windows. The 1930s census shows a list of

Then&NowThe Tyler House

by Tamara Dourney


neighbors that reads like a who’s who in Saint Lucie County- the Tylan-ders, the Holbrooks, the Goodwins, the McNeils, the McCartys and theRaulersons. The Tyler family was very active within the community; theywere members of the First Presbyterian Church and Mrs. Tyler was onseveral local committees. The couple is still remembered for hostinggrand events and inviting their friends and neighbors into their home.They traveled extensively and spent four years in Italy. Those travels gaveFranklind a love for Venetianarchitecture, influencing hisdesign and making the Tylerhouse quite unusual when com-pared to neighboring SecondStreet homes.

Mr. Phillips referred to theTyler house as, “a replica of aVenetian palace, of Moorish-Byzantine architecture,” and thereason is easily seen by any visi-tor. The unique style is evident

Continued on page 12 …Rocco Passero from PVD Development, Inc., is the very creativecontractor working to restore the intricate details on the Tyler house.

Local architect, John Foster, has helped the TylerStreet project become a reality.

in the home’s profile, which resembles that of a king sur-veying a court of common houses down below. A stockybuilding with an elaborate balcony overlooking a reflect-ing pool, the home draws you in, pulling you towards thewide front porch and its gracefully arched entryway.Remnants of the originally lush landscaping still peek outfrom the overgrown yard and cast their shadow on themottled stucco walls. While the grandeur of the homemight seem lost forever, one needs only to step inside tobe transported to the past.

Each room is open and airy with small details thatcarry the other-worldly theme throughout the home.Warm yellow walls reflect the natural light pouring infrom the many windows and interesting shadow patternsare cast by the intricate screens, each a work of art. Thescreens were pieced together from small cuts of wood andform patterns such as diamonds and stars in a veryMoroccan-inspired motif. A large red brick fireplace withits original metalwork screen dominates the main roomand Pecky Cypress can be found throughout the interior.

The bathrooms feature faux tiles which appear to beoriginal to the home; it is quite surprising to find out that

there is no tile in the room at all. The walls are actuallycoated in plaster and then a craftsman carves out the‘grout lines’ to create an uncanny replica of expensiveimported tile. A similar technique is used to create theelaborate crown molding which encircles each room andis easily mistaken for its wooden counterpart.

Another interesting feature is found in the dressingarea between the two front bedrooms where elaborate


… continued from page 11

cabinetry and drawers dominate the space. Seeming to becomponents of a modern closet system, they only revealtheir age in their materials and construction. Of course,it’s difficult to concentrate on such small details whenone is faced with a breezy balcony ringed by Greciancolumns and a vista that simply can not be surpassed.The inviting balcony is perched atop the front entrywayand seems to be the perfect spot for spending a lazy Sun-day with a good book.

Wandering through the home shows not only the lovewith which it was created but the true attention to everydetail as it is being restored. Numerous arched pocketdoors, each featuring a classic glass knob glowing softly inthe warm sunlight, are not only original but have beenrestored through a painstaking process that has takenweeks to complete.

The back patio is adorned with a wall-mounted waterfeature made of coquina shells that faces off with an outdoorbar created from a sales counter that dates back to the SaintLucie Plaza land boom. The tiles of the patio were cast inplace, creating a puzzle-like floor that is enchanting. Leading

off the patio is an amazing Mexican style kitchen in whichbrilliantly colored imported tiles still gleam. The workingoven bellows is still in place and the unique find of a “PineShack” sign created by local artist and Tyler friend A.E.“Beanie” Backus gives the space a time capsule quality.

Walking past the kitchen into the workroom, one isgreeted by rows of raw building materials neatly lined upas if their owner will return at any moment. Keepingwatch over them is an intricate, original wood carving,apparently abandoned when it began to crack. Skylightsthat are now covered give a hint of how the workshopmight once have been a bright, easy space to create in. Asmall doorway in the back corner of the room leads towhat was originally Mr. Tyler’s office. Here the ceilingsare low and have been painted in a now-faded mural ofthe sky.

Reclaimed materials and replica items (such as the wood-en ‘screws’) are being used in every room of the home. Carehas been taken to keep even the smallest detail authentic.

Rocco Passero, partner in PVD Development, Inc.,explained that Mr. Tyler used a lot of local materials in


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Continued on page 15 …


PAXTON & WILLIAMSATTORNEYS AT LAW

NORMAN L. PAXTON, JR.GEORGE L. WILLIAMS, III

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his home, including sand from the lot on which thehouse sits. The sand was mixed with plaster and used togive texture to the ceilings in some of the rooms. Leadarchitect John Foster chuckled as he pointed out theextent to which the team has gone in returning the hometo its original design.

“After attempting to plaster the ceilings several timeswith mixtures using purchased sand, Mr. Passero wasunhappy with the finish. He called me one day to tell mehe’d found the solution; he also mentioned he’d dug ahole in the lot to get the sand from.” Mr. Passero con-firmed it with a lighthearted grin, adding, “I just satdown and thought what would I have done if I were Mr.Tyler. It was the logical conclusion.”

The creativity shown by PVD Development, Inc. inthis restoration enhances the vision of the owners thatis the motivating force behind the home’s renovations.Ray and Sandra Stilwell moved to Fort Pierce fromMichigan in 1974. They both enjoyed employment atSaint Andrews Church, where they taught in the schooland were involved with the church music programs. Mr.Stilwell also served as the chorus master for the localOpera Society.

For several years they lived in a house they didn’town and began looking around to find a more perma-nent home. They were shown a stream of plain con-crete block residences further in town which just didnot appeal to their tastes. Their thoughts kept return-ing to the Tyler house. The couple had forged a friend-ship with Mr. Willes and had been in his home manytimes. It only seemed natural that when the homebecame available they made the decision to buy it.

During theprocess theywere givenpictures of thehome, news-paper articles,and even pic-tures Tylerhimself hadtaken whilebuilding thehouse. Theseimages havebeen essential

to their current renovations.Mr. Stilwell is thankful for the assistance of local

architect John Foster on the restoration of his home.Mr. Foster, who is well known for his active role in therestoration of many local establishments and his com-munity involvement, recommended Pete DeSantis andRocco Passero from PVD Development, Inc. for thecontractor work on the Tyler house.

“It’s very hard to find someone who has the abilityto focus on the small details like PVD Developmenthas done,” reports Ray Stilwell. “We had two othercompanies flake out on us, so we were relieved whenJohn recommended Rocco and Pete. They’ve done afantastic job.”

The Stilwell’s have an added interest in bringingthe home back from the edge; they plan on retiring tothe area as soon as it is complete. In the spirit of thosewho have owned the home before them, they havepromised to host an open house that will allow thecommunity to reacquaint itself with one of its mostunique structures.



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The Ft. Pierce Fire Department: A Rich History of Serviceby Patty Reynolds

From the great inferno, asthe Chicago Fire of 1871 was,to the headlines today aboutthe firestorms out west, eachyear the role of the firefightercaptures the imagination ofthousands of young boys andyoung girls.

I’m honored to call a few ofour own St. Lucie County fire-men and women friends andsincerely appreciate the serviceof the many I don’t know. One newfriend is retired firefighter, JackFavorite. Jack comes from a family offirefighters. His father John F.Favorite was the first fireman in theUnited States to use “wet water”designed to penetrate dense objectsand extinguish deep seated fires.

With this background and 28years of service in roles as diverse aspurchasing agent, Chaplin, dispatch-er and firefighter, Jack is uniquelyqualified to complete hisnewest project, a book detail-ing the history of the fire serv-ice in St. Lucie County.

Jack generously offered toshare both his personal recol-lections and his painstakingresearch gathered from the cityarchives, to help me documentthe colorful past of our localfire department. Last Friday,while enjoying the breeze onhis porch we took a leisurelylook back at the early days offirefighting in Fort Pierce.

Our first fire station waslocated on Orange Avenue, justwest of the railroad tracks. R.E.Mims is widely recognized as the first Chief in Fort Pierce.He owned the first Ford

dealership in town and ran both itand a blacksmith shop out of thisbuilding. The first fire trucks wereput together in the garage by ChiefMims himself. The station was runout of his shop until 1906.

On June 5th 1906 a motion wasmade and carried to build a 40’ x 20’station to house the fire engine, hosereel and supply tools. It’s interestingto note that in 1904, two years

before that resolution passed,our city fathers felt it was nec-essary to pass one erecting adog pound for unlicensed dogs.

This first official fire stationsat right next door to ChiefMims Ford dealership andremained in service until 1925when a new one was built justeast of City Hall. Jack’s researchuncovered the plumbing andelectrical bid for this buildingsubmitted by Charles E. James

offering to complete the job for$1,197. His bid was accepted andwork commenced. A more uncon-ventional bit of constructionoccurred when the Florida EastCoast Railroad agreed to allow theuse of cinders from their trains topave the street.

Chief Mims served from 1906until his death in an auto accident in1930, and while he is recognized asFort Pierce’s first Chief, Jack did turnup the election of one Chief Tylanderalso in 1906. His research of ChiefTylander has reached a brick wall andto give this man his rightful credit weare calling on our Fort Pierce nativesto ask your parents and grandparentif they knew the family or the story.Jack tells me that some cities hadFirefighter Jack Favorite, 1959


“Fat Cat the Master Copycat” has taken the People’sChoice Award at the fifth annual “Women of St. LucieCounty” show at the Lafferandre Gallery. The votingwas close with five pieces within two votes of eachother but “Fat Cat the Master Copycat” by MaureenClare Peterman won out. Perhaps it was the sense ofwhimsy that sparkled throughout the painting, ormaybe the Backus copy theme that touched a cord inthe viewing public.

This year 29 artistsentered. While it includedboth amateur and profes-sional artists, it wasdesigned to encourage ama-teur artists to come out andexhibit. The show is anopportunity for people tosee some of the great talent we have locally that theywould not normally get a chance to view. All piecesexhibited are for sale and a portion of the sales goes to BugBrothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie County.

The Lafferandre Gallery, 205 N. Second Street, Ft.Pierce FL 34950, is open Monday through Friday from10-5 and Saturday from 10-3. For further informationcall 772 489-4255.


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both a Chief and a Forman that served the same func-tion, but who was who? What a fun mystery to solve.

In 1910, a Howe Model 50 fire engine was purchasedfor $1,400. With three water cylinders and 4 powercylinders it was top of the line. By releasing acid intosoda water a gas was produced discharging the water.With enough energy to pump 350 gallons of water perminute the citizens of Fort Pierce were proud of theirmodern equipment.

A comparable model today would cost upwards of$250,000 and is capable of pumping 1,500 to 2,000 gal-lons of water per minute.

The Fort Pierce Fire Department operated as a strictlyvolunteer unit until 1913 with the first paid Chief earn-ing a princely $100 per year.

The department moved a few more time, in 1954 to437 N. 7th Street and in 1983 to 2400 Rhode IslandAve. This building was intended to meet the needs of ourcounty for 50 years, but who in 1983 could have imag-ined the explosive growth we’ve encountered.

Today, named the St. Lucie County Fire District, thedepartment boasts 3 battalions with 5 stations each.These 15 stations house 12 engines, 5 Quint/Ladders, 11Brush units, a Hazardous Materials Unit, and a ConfinedSpace Rescue Unit.

No longer just fighting fires, each station providesadvanced life support and participates in regional med-ical protocol with Martin and Indian River Counties.

Residents in St. Lucie County can rest assured they arereceiving the best care in any emergency. With the newAdministration building just opened at 5160 NW Mil-ner Dr., the St. Lucie County Fire District embraces thefuture and honors the past.

There is an important initiative in the works to expandand build a new home for a permanent display at themuseum housing this vital heritage. Jack is dedicated tocapturing our history before it fades from the minds ofthose who lived it. If you, your friends or family have oldfire memorabilia, stories or photos, Jack would love totalk with you. Please contact him at 772-461-6990 orcall Pam at the Main Street office.



Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc. Annual Meeting: “Hand in Hand – Partners and Friends” by Pam Gillette and Doris Tillman

“Partners” are people that share or are associated withanother in the same action or endeavor. Main Street FortPierce, Inc. has been fortunate to have many partners inthe community who have been with us throughout theyears to support us in our goals and events. We sayThank You to our Yearly Partners: Boca Ven Land –Renaissance on the River, Charlie’s Dodge, Nissan, Mit-subishi, & Isuzu, The City of Fort Pierce, Clear Chan-nel Communications, Coca-Cola Bottling Company,Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute,National City Bank, Paragon Entertainment, ReliablePoly-Johns, Riverside National Bank, Scripps TreasureCoast Newspapers, Southern Eagle Distributing, Inc.,and St. Lucie County.

“Friends” are people who support, sympathize orpatronize a group, a cause or a movement. Along withour many partners, Main Street Fort Pierce has 14 BoardMembers, over 150 members, and many volunteers who

work with us daily to embrace the Main Street 4 Steps:Organization, Promotion, Design and EconomicRestructuring in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce.

The cumulative success of partners and friends believingin the Main Street Approach has helped Main Street pro-grams at the State level earn a reputation to be one of themost powerful economic development tools in the nation.Since 1980 there has been over $41.6 billion dollars inphysical improvements reinvested from public and privatesources in Main Street areas throughout the Nation. A netgain of new businesses in this time frame has produced77,799 with a net gain of new jobs of 349,148.

For the State of Florida the statistics since 1986 arereported as $1,386,902,317 for physical improvementsboth public and private sources. The net gain of new busi-nesses since 1988 is 3,780 with over 11,640 new jobs.

The Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc. target area consists ofthe river front and US 1 between Citrus Avenue and

On Tuesday, April 3, 2007, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and U.S. Congressman Tim Mahoney stopped by Fort Pierce City Hall fora press conference to officially announce the allocation of federal funding for the Fort Pierce Federal Building & U.S. Court-house. The new courthouse will be situated on the southwest corner of U.S. 1 and Orange Avenue, and is expected to spurdowntown development west of U.S. 1.

As Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc. begins its 19th year as a Main Street City, we would like to invite you to take a look not only at our accomplishments and successes,

but also at our partners and friends. Without our partners and friends, we could not haveachieved the many things you see in our downtown area today.


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Fort Pierce Mayor Bob Benton; Saint Lucie County Commissioner Joe Smith; Reverend John Lee, Staff Assistant to U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings.

Fort Pierce City Commissioner Rufus Alexander; U.S. Senator Bill Nelson; Fort PierceMayor Bob Benton.


Local Artist Receives International Recognitionby Sue Dannahower

Colleen Nash Becht is on the fast track to becomingworld-class artist. Her vibrant tropical watercolors areregular award winners at the many Juried shows and con-tests she enters.

Colleen enjoys the challenge and risk of working inwatercolor. She thrills at the fluidity of the medium. “Inwatercolor there is no second chance, no painting overbecause it did not turn out right” she states. Focusing onthe vivid botanicals that flourish locally she explores themenagerie of color and contrasts that her work affords.Technically Colleen is just starting out in her career as afine artist, but her work has been received with greatenthusiasm. Her watercolors hang in homes and officesall along the Treasure Coast, Miami and throughout theUnited States.

Just over three years ago Colleen had her first artshow at the Backus Studio (currently the home of MainStreet Fort Pierce). She was one of four artists to displayartwork in the “Local Color” show. Recently her 2006show at the Backus Gallery was a virtual sellout. May2007 she will show at Lafferendre Gallery in downtownFort Pierce.

Her recent accomplishments include:2nd Place in the International Artists Magazine

“Flowers and Gardens” challenge. The April/May 2007issue is available at Barnes & Noble and Borders. Herwinning piece titled “Garden of Moonlit Mangos” wasdonated to John Carroll High School for a fundraiser.

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Avenue C and a stretch of Orange Avenue west of US 1 to10th Street. This year in reporting to the State we estimateover $82,750,000 in physical improvements both publicand private with a net of 2 new businesses and a net jobgain as 38. Yet, the most outstanding statistic for the yearis the number of volunteer hours and the value they bringto the Main Street program. This year reported hours are1,385 hours at a value of $8,518.

On Wednesday, May 2, 2007, Main Street Fort Piercewill present our Annual Board Meeting, open to the pub-lic, at the City of Fort Pierce Commission Chambers, atFort Pierce City Hall, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. There will bea brief Board Meeting highlighting the accomplishmentsof the Downtown and the approval of the Board and offi-cers for the upcoming year. The slated Board of Directorsand officers for 2007-2008 are: Anne Satterlee (President),Britt Reynolds (Vice President), Sue Dannahower (Secretary),Dave Miller (Treasurer), Pat Alley, Edward Becht, ChrisCraft, Pam Cully, Brenda Eaves, Nancy Ingle, MichelleMiller, Wanda Sapp, Eugene Sereg, and Beth Williams.

After the Board meeting Jon Ward will be available fortrolley rides through the city, to showcase the many new

projects in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce and the newlyformed Lincoln Park Main Street. Light appetizers andmusic will be provide for your enjoyment and thanks foryour support.

It takes many people, partners and friends to accom-plish great things. Main Street is lucky to have the sup-port of these people. Main Street looks forward to their19th year and working together hand in hand with ourpartners, friends, and downtown businesses. Together wecan make things happen.


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Juried into the invitation only “23rd Salute to Flori-da Artists” at the Riviera Country Club in Coral Gables,March 2007.

• 1st place Watercolor Backus Gallery JuriedShow 2006.

• Honorable Mention American Design Society JuriedShow 2006.

As a teenager, Colleen came to Ft. Pierce fromher native Chicago. She went to East Carolina Uni-versity to study Fine Art. However, it wasn’t untilfour years ago that Colleen, feeling something wasmissing from her life, decided to return to her inter-est in art. “I had to find a way to express myself.Eddie (her husband) bought me a gift certificate to acraft store. I bought a watercolor set — thinking thatif I didn’t use it the children would. I first startedpainting note cards and found that I couldn’t put thepaintbrush down. I felt fulfilled.”

Colleen took a formal class from Phil Steele at the

Vero Beach Center for Arts. Phil said she used way toomuch color and water — she was out of control. “Mywork is about color and the use of color — I would liketo be thought of as a colorist. I just want it to stay inter-esting.” I asked her why she decided on watercolor as hermedium; she stated, “I’m really not quite sure, it just feelsright, every time I wet my brush, I think to myself this isthe greatest career ever! Colleen is married to Eddie Becht(Main Street Board member, Fort Pierce City Council-man and local attorney). Together they have three chil-dren: Brian, Ali and Drake.

She consistently gives back to the community —donating her artwork to many causes including MainStreet Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County Education Founda-tion, John Carroll High School, St. Anastasia, Habitat forHumanity, Hospice, and many more.


Main Street is proud to presentBrad Brock and the Renegadesto the May Friday Fest. BradBrock and the Renegades is afamiliar band to Main Street. Theband has performed yearly at Fri-day Fest and also have played theSandy Shoes Festivals for the last few years.

Brad Brock and the Renegades consist of 5musicians who have been influenced by variousfacets of music including the Counting Crows,The Wallflowers, and Eric Clayton. BradBrock, lead singer/guitar, began singing along with GarthBrooks CD’s at the age of 11. With his parents supporthe learned he loved music and performing. At 12, hepicked up the guitar and at 14 he joined Brad Brock andthe Renegades. The original Brad Brock and the Rene-gades disbanded in 2002, allowing Brad to focus on writ-ing and recording original music. Brads pulls his musicfrom deep personal experiences and emotions to createsongs and music that connect with people on a differentlevel. In 2003, Brad formed the new Brad Brock and theRenegades and became an official member of the Amer-ican Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Joining Brad Brock and the Renegades is the Gen-tile’s family. Bob Gentile, pedal steel guitar/ keyboards/guitar/vocals, has been playing music for the past 22years. Bob has played with many different bands over theyears, but is happy to be playing with Brad Brock andthe Renegades along with his 2 sons. Bob plays a widevariety of music from country to blues, but his favorite isthe classic oldies.

Andrew Gentile, age 15, plays lead guitar. Andrew hasbeen playing the guitar for 5 years and has had the oppor-tunity to play with a number of great musicians. But hislove of music is deeply influenced by his family. Andrew’smom and dad are musicians and older brother Dan is thedrummer in the band.

Dan Gentile, drums, started playing at the age of 10.Music just came naturally to him as he watched his familyand tried to mimic their movements. Over the years healso played with many bands and musicians. He loves thefeeling of being on stage and playing the music.

Rev. Blake Miller, bass guitar, became interested inmusic when he was 9 years old. At the age of 12 he pickedup his first bass guitar and with the help of some friendsstarted a “garage band.” Blake was active with his high

school band and eventually began working with the band“MJ and the Hard Lemons”. With this band he performed

at many Treasure Coast venuesand events before joining BradBrock and the Renegades.Blake is presently an activemember of the IRCC JazzEnsemble and is a Florida Certi-fied Firefighter.

Brad Brock and the Rene-gades has the ability to capturesmall and large audiences alike

and reels them in with his electric, emotional live per-formance. Brad has played at such prestigious south Flori-da venues as the Meyer Amphitheatre, the Sound AdviceAmphitheatre, Palm Beach’s renowned Clematis By Nightand has donated talent to various not for profit benefits.Main Street is looking forward to Brad Brock and theRenegades when they perform at the May Friday Fest,Friday May 4, 2007.

For contact or booking information for Brad Brockand the Renegades: Brad Brock - 772-359-7676; [email protected]; www.bradbrock.com;www.myspace.com/bradbrocktherenegades.

Friday Fest is held the first Friday of every month. Fri-day Fest can be postponed to the following week due toweather. Friday Fest is held at Melody Lane and MarinaSquare, Fort Pierce, FL 34950.

Friday Fest is sponsored by Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc.For more information please call the Main Street office at772-466-3880.

Correction to February Edition: To contact the band“Skeezix” please call Milt Kosner @ 772-335-1505 or go totheir website www.skeezixmusic.com.


Meet the Band: Brad Rock and The Renegades by Pam Gillette

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DOWNTOWN HERO

Downtown Hero: Darryl Beyby John Culverhouse

Pictures of Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and manyother jazz greats line the walls of his office from end toend reflecting his love for jazz. He is a painting contrac-tor by trade, and as if he is not busy enough, you willroutinely find him attending community events and sup-porting the community however he can. His dedicationto uplifting the community through the “universal lan-guage” of music, and for literally bringing culture to FortPierce makes Darryl Bey this month’s Downtown Hero.

Music has always been part of Bey’s life. The Clevelandnative fondly recalls tales of “running around the house”as his parents had jazz playing in the background. Fast-forward a few years. Bey was a Music Major at the Cleve-land Institute of Music and was exposed to just aboutevery kind of music the world had to offer. After all ofthis music exposure his love for jazz prevailed over theother musical genres.

After growing up in Cleveland and living in Birm-ingham, Bey met his wife Dr. Gina Dean and movedto Fort Pierce. In 1996, Bey founded the Fort PierceJazz and Blues Society with local businessman andState Farm Agent Larry Lee. At a time when a nega-tive stigma was attached to coming downtown, theFort Pierce Jazz and Blues Society helped to initiatethe turnaround in the perception of our city by put-ting on events and bringing audiences downtown.

The Jazz and Blues Society held its first meeting atTenaj Bookstore, which was owned by Janet Mosley-

Bryant. Upon drawing crowds of 150 people, the Jazzand Blues Society quickly outgrew the Tenaj location,and began to hold their meetings and jam sessions atCommon Ground Vineyard Church when they werelocated downtown.

Lee credits community leader Margaret Benton forbringing he and Bey together. Benton introduced jazz tothe Treasure Coast by bringing an annual “Jazz Spectacu-lar” to the downtown Fort Pierce Amphitheater. The eventraised money for the Teen Center in northwest Fort Pierce.

“She had a dream that one day Fort Pierce wouldbecome a jazz mecca, and under the leadership of DarrylBey, the Jazz Society is helping to make that a reality,”Lee said.

Bey has always supported downtown causes. Heattended the first Downtown Business Association meet-

ing and has contributed to theSaturday morning downtownmarkets. The Farmer’s Marketconsists of vendors who sellitems that they have grown orbaked, such as plants, produce,and baked goods. Thanks to theFort Pierce Jazz and Blues Soci-ety, there is a venue for crafts.Adjacent to the Farmer’s Mar-ket, the Jazz and Blues Societyruns the craft market. Bey saysthat the partnership provides agood variety and that each mar-ket feeds off of one another in apositive way.

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Continued on page 27…


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Corporate:❑ Small Business (less than 10 employees . .$100.00❑ Medium Business (11 - 50 employees) . . .$250.00❑ Large Business (51 or more employees) . .$500.00❑ Patron (all others) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500.00❑ Sponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000.00

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Main Street Membership Levels

Name:______________________________________

Company/Organization:________________________

Street Address:_______________________________

City / State / Zip:______________________________

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Email:______________________________________

MembershipMain Street Fort Pierce

Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc., a 501©3 not-for-profit corpora-tion, has encouraged and participated in the revitalization efforts ofdowntown Fort Pierce for the past 18 years.The efforts of many havepaid off. Downtown Fort Pierce is now recognized as one of the mostdesirable locations to live and work on the Treasure Coast, as well as,in the state of Florida.

The Main Street program was created by the National Trust ofHistoric Preservation in the early 1980s.The program was designedto revitalize the historic commercial districts that were threatened toextinction by urban sprawl.The four-step Main Street approach isused by over 1,600 communities across the United States and itsmodel has been studied internationally.

The success of Main Street Fort Pierce over the past 18 years is due

to the faithful commitment of current and past members of the MainStreet board of directors, the City of Fort Pierce, local communityorganizations, local businesses, and general public support.Currently, theprogram consists of twelve volunteer board members and two full-timeemployees.During its existence, Main Street Fort Pierce has held approx-imately twenty-six downtown promotional events each year, educatedpublic school children about the history of the area, won numerouslocal, state, and national awards, restored historic buildings including theSunrise Theatre, recruited businesses to the downtown area, held down-town charrettes to encourage the public participation in revitalizationefforts, created outdoor art programs, and helped fund an award win-ning image campaign along with the Downtown Business Association,the Community Redevelopment Agency, and the City of Fort Pierce.

As Fort Pierce Main Street begins its 18th successful year, it isundertaking an aggressive Membership Drive. “The Next Big Thing”campaign took off in May, 2006. Please consider becoming a MainStreet Member.

Membership in Main Street Fort Pierce is open to anyone interested inhelping preserve our unique heritage. Our goal is to encourage andassist in keeping Downtown Fort Pierce a vibrant shopping and businessdistrict for future generations.

We invite you to share your expertise and contribute toward makingFort Pierce Main Street a success in historic preservation and revital-ization. Donations to Fort Pierce Main Street, a 501(c)3 corporation,are tax deductible.

Membership Benefits:

• Subscriptions to Main Street Focus and Website Links to Focus On-Line

• Advance Notice and Invitation to Special Events• Membership to St. Lucie County Preservation Association• Listed on our On-Line Membership Page

(Corporate & Private)• Networking & Volunteer Opportunities

When residents support and appreciate the business district, thebusinesses flourish. When the businesses flourish, the residents in the neighborhood prosper as well. We are all neighbors investingin each other’s success.

Complete the form below and join our growing group of committed members. By joining Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc., you are supporting the economic well being of the entire community.

Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc. • 122 AE Backus Ave., Fort Pierce, FL 34950For information call 772-466-3880 • www.mainstreetfortpierce.org


Darryl is not the only one in the family to contributeto the downtown markets. His wife, Gina, is a dentist byday and a baker on Saturdays. Gina’s Baked Goods fea-tures a tempting variety of sweets, from pound cakes tocookies and everything in between.

Darryl oversees one of downtown’s most successfulevents, the Mardi Gras Parade, which sweeps throughdowntown Fort Pierce each February. Carnival is a cul-tural icon in the Caribbean and South America, andMardi Gras is America’s version of Carnival. Fort Pierce’sMardi Gras Parade began as a modest Carnival celebra-tion, but has grown bigger and better as the years havepassed. Saint Lucie County’s Brazilian population isgrowing rapidly, and they have become a big part of thelocal Mardi Gras celebration. Bey is committed to mak-ing Fort Pierce’s Mardi Gras celebration grander and cul-turally diverse with each passing year. Bey hopes to getthe Haitian community involved, as well as otherCaribbean locals to capture a true Carnival feel.

Bey is also proud of the Fort Pierce Jazz and BluesSociety Jazz Band, which is made up of jazz enthusiastsand professional musicians from Vero to Stuart who haveretired in this area. Jazz fans can watch the band play at

Jazz Jam, Wednesdays in Port Saint Lucie at HarborPlace, and Thursdays in Fort Pierce at the Fort PierceCommunity Center. Jazz Jams take place from 7:00 PM– 10:00 PM, from the beginning of September until theend of May. The band works off of tips, but Jazz Jams arefree and open to the public and complementary refresh-ments are served. The band also plays downtown at theFarmer’s Market the first Saturday of every month. Theyroutinely play at special events around the communityand at family events, such as weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs,and even funerals.

“This organization is doing so much to bring peoplefrom all walks together,” Lee said. “The vision that wasshared that Sunday afternoon in that first meeting atTenaj Bookstore by those six original founders would notbe alive and well today if it were not for Darryl.”

Lee continues, “Darryl and the entire membershipunderstand that music is a universal language and itbrings people together from all walks of life. With somuch war and hate in the world today, music is a way toget away from it all.”

Fort Pierce is a special place to Bey, but he continuesto see the need for more culture here. He recalled attend-ing performances of the prestigious Cleveland Orchestra,founded in 1918, and other world-class institutions of itscaliber, and the positive influences they had on him as ayouth. Locally, he points to the reopening of the SunriseTheater as a step in right direction, and sees the Jazz andBlues Society as a catalyst in bringing more flavor to thearea in the years to come.

“Fort Pierce has beautiful beaches and great weather,but we lack diverse culture,” he said. “If we can furtherdevelop this, then Fort Pierce will have something evenbetter going on.”

For more information on the Fort Pierce Jazz and BluesSociety, or how you can become a member, call 772-460-JAZZ, or click: www.jazzsociety.org.

1510 Orange Ave.Ft. Pierce 466-8767

Same Location Since 1982


It’s an embarrassment of riches in May as the SunriseTheatre welcomes three stellar acts who represent the epito-me of soulful sounds from the past four decades.

Does your mother still like to shake it? If so, in a spe-cial Mother’s Day Concert on Sunday May 13th KOOLAND THE GANG stand ready to rock her world andyours. Mixing Sly Stone’s funk with James Brown’s tightas a drum soul dynamics, Kool and company remain oneof those acts whose songs have never left the airwaves andwho despite the passage of time still rip the roof off ofevery hall they play.

Most bands of a certain era (especially those whosesuccess was born mainly in the clubs) are lucky to havethree or four major hits to build their stage show around.In this band’s case, however, concertgoers are treated toan evening that features ten high energy chart toppers —Ladies Night, Fresh, Hollywood Swinging, Too Hot,Joanna, Cherish, Get Down On It, Celebration,Tonight and Jungle Boogie.

Then it’s soft soul crooner BRIAN MCKNIGHT onThursday May 17th. A chart veteran of the past 15 years,McKnight has sold over 16 million albums driven by hisvelvety smooth voice and silky style. His sound captures thevibe of vintage soul without sounding old fashioned or pre-meditated, and is best exemplified by his many hits includ-ing “Find Myself in You” from the Madea’s Family Reunionsoundtrack and the lush and instantly recognizable classic“Back at One.” McKnight stops off in Fort Pierce on hisway to creating his first talk show and tackling more sound-track assignments from filmmaker Tyler Perry.

The week rounds out with what can only be called anEvening in Paradise for every Motown fan on Saturday,May 19th. Brought back to the international spotlight bythe moving documentary film Standing in the Shadows ofMotown, the surviving members of the original Motownstudio band take the stage as THE FUNK BROTHERS.Not sure you know the name? Well, think of yourfavorite singles by the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temp-tations, Martha and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight and thePips, etc.... take away the vocal track... and that was theFunk Brothers! Having recorded more #1 hits that theBeatles, Rolling Stones and Beach Boys combined, manyhave come to call the Funk Brothers the greatest hitmaking machine in the history of recorded music.

Who better to provide the vocals for the incomparableMotown songbook on the same stage on the same nightbut MARY WILSON, founding member of the greatestGirl Group of all time, the Supremes.

Tickets for these shows are available at the SunriseTheatre box office at 117 South Second Street in FortPierce (M-F 11AM-5PM,) by phone at 772-461-4775 oronline 24 hours a day at www.sunrisetheatre.com.


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Imagine a warm spring night, walking along thestreets of downtown Fort Pierce with the softbreezes coming off the Indian River. Now addmusic, a variety of fine wines, organic beers andbeverages into the stroll. Also add shopping inunique stores and you have the perfect ingredientsfor a Friday night stroll.

Main Street Fort Pierce, Roy’s Liquors, andSouthern Eagle Distributing present the 17thAnnual Spring Beer and Wine Tasting Stroll, Friday,May 18, 2007. Main Street has partnered withdowntown businesses to have a Spring Beer and WineStroll through the downtown area. Come enjoy beautifuldowntown Fort Pierce as local businesses open their doors,partner with local restaurants, and allow Main Street topresent this annual event inside their stores.

Stops for the stroll are Lafferandre Gallery, Trew &Sons Fine Jewelry, Karen Kane Interiors – Bed, Bath& Kitchen, Coke’s Stationers, Picture Perfect FrameShop & Gallery, The Gift Horse & Jiffy Printing &

Graphics, Manatee Zone, and Brush Strokes Gallery& Framing. Restaurants partnering with these local busi-nesses at the time of print are Café la Ronde, Cobb’sLanding, Pot Belli Deli and Pizzoodles.

So join Main Street Fort Pierce for the 17th AnnualSpring Beer and Wine Tasting Stroll, Friday, May 18, 2007from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Fort Pierce. Tick-ets for the Spring Stroll are $40.00 per person. Ticketsinclude entrance into stores for wine or beer tasting, lightappetizers at each store, a commemorative wine glass anda $10 coupon good towards any purchase at Roy’sLiquors located at 720 South U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce.

Sponsors at time of print for this event include: Char-lie’s Dodge, Nissan, Mitsubishi, & Isuzu, NationalCity Bank, Roy’s Liquors, and Southern Eagle Distrib-uting. For more information or to reserve a ticket, pleasecall the Main Street Fort Pierce office at (772) 466-3880.


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Picture Perfect Presents “Growing up on the River”

Opening Wednesday, May 9, 2007 (on display through midJune): Picture Perfect, 124 North 2nd Street, Fort Pierce, (772)461-0410.

Local Artist, Jack Roberts will be displaying his series of col-orful Florida landscapes from the Backus School of Art. Mr.Roberts uses a multitude of media including: Oils, acrylic,mixed media and encaustic works using melted crayon. HisImpressionist style is well respected.

“My inspiration for painting comes from a lifetime ofobserving the beautiful surroundings we are blessed withhere in St. Lucie County. Painting landscapes affords methe opportunity to attempt to capture light, shadows andmovement while translating those elements onto canvas. Ienjoy spending time sketching on location with fellowartist: George Rowe,Don Brown andAnita Prentice.”

Educated in FortPierce, Mr. Roberts

was an illustratorin the UnitedStates Air Force,and received hisMasters andEducational Spe-cialist Degrees atNova Southeast-ern University.Married for 43years, he has 3children and 9grandchildren.

It’s Greek to me! The Greeks love to eat. (Who doesn’t?)Many Americans have a fear of going to Greek restaurantsbecause they are afraid of the food. It’s not like Mexican

food. Nothing is so spicy you can’t eat it. The seasoningsthey use are the ones you have in your own spice rack.And unlike the dreadful oil that terrorizes the hearts ofmany Americans, Olive oil is good for you.

Yianni’s Greek Café original restaurant was onUS#1 in Fort Pierce. Hurricane damage caused them toclose for almost a year. Recently they reopened in his-toric downtown Fort Pierce.

Grandma & Grandpa Diva, Mr. Diva, and friendDelila started our eating adventure with Saganaki (friedKefalograviera cheese flamed with ouzo) and Spanakopi-ta (fillo dough spinach roll with feta cheese). Entrees are


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served with warmpita breadflanked by threesauces: Skordalia(pureed potatoeswith garlic andolive oil),Ta r a m o s a l a t a(red caviarmashed with p-otatoes and oliveoil) and Tzatziki(a sauce madewith yogurt,cucumbers, garlicand olive oil). Icould havestopped here —we had eatenevery morsel andI was pleasantlyfull! But no, we

had to continue on our culinary journey!Our entrees included:

Pastitsio (a Pasta and Beef Casserole) is a Greek clas-sic baked dish that comprises layers of long perciatellinoodles, extra-lean ground beef, extra-virgin olive oil,sweetly spiced tomato ragù and a flavorful layer ofbéchamel sauce. This is my personal favorite. I had this

with a side of crisp, perfectly seasoned fried eggplant.Moussaka (Eggplant and Lamb). Perhaps the most

popular of all Greek specialties, a delectable offering oflayers of eggplant, lean ground lamb richly seasoned withcinnamon, nutmeg, tomato sauce, kasseri cheese; fin-ished with a thin layer of rich tomato ragú and kassericheese before baking. Delila was delighted with this dishserved with a side of Green Beans & Peas MediterraneanStyle and Lemon Potatoes.

Grandpa Diva, who is not much for gourmet dining,was pleasantly surprised with the Greek Salad withChicken — lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, fetacheese, topped with grilled chicken.

Mr. Diva enjoyed his Gyros — sliced gyro meat onpita with onions, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce.

We finished with Baklava, a homemade pastry withsheets of phylo rolled with walnuts, almonds and toppedwith a wonderful honey - orange syrup.

For a real cultural treat visit Yianni’s Greek Café onFriday or Saturday when they feature live belly dancingfrom 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.


Roy’s Liquors

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720 South U.S. 1, Ft. Pierce

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See page 26.

?


Ask a Professional: Gary Roberts Nursery & Landscape, Inc.QUESTION: What are the big

Palm trees on the west end of thesouth bridge downtown? Howdo you take care of them? Wherecan I buy them?

ANSWER: Those are RoyalPalms (Roystonea Regia).Sometimes these Palms arethought of as a native becausethey can be found in somenative areas, but were actually

introduced to Florida many years ago and they are notnatives. Royals grow to be large majestic palms, some-times reaching 60 feet with a beautiful gray trunk thatresembles a Greek column.

Native Palms like the Sabal or Cabbage Palms do notneed fertilizers, but Royals and other introduced exoticPalms are most often native to nutrient rich volcanichabitats and need special fertilizers, which are high inmagnesium and maganese.

Royal Palms are cold sensitive and can die in severfreezes and therefore are most often grown commerciallyin warmer south Florida nurseries. Since coastal areas areusually about 6 degrees warmer than the western part ofthe county, Royals can withstand freezes better in areaslike our barrier islands and downtown.

Royal Palms can still be purchased, however, by anylocal nurserymen or landscaper who deals with southFlorida growers.

QUESTION: What are those trees with the red berries inwinter that I see in downtown areas and why are they usedso much?

ANSWER: The trees you are probably speaking of aremost likely Holly trees (Ilex Species), probably East Palat-ka (Ilex Attenuata). They have a beautiful glossy green leafabout 2” long with a slight point on the tip, and the rea-son they are so often used in downtowns is because theyare a great street tree. There are three basic types of trees:

1) Patio tree (usually a shrub trained to be a small tree,i.e., Ligustrum and Hibiscus) that normally fits in a patiosetting and grows to about 10-15 feet maximum.

2) Shade tree (i.e.: Oak and Magnolia) which growsup to 60 feet and has a large root system to hold sucha canopy.

3) Street tree (i.e.: East Palatka and Drake Elm) whichhas a small root system so it can survive in the smallplanting sidewalk cutouts and planters and it grows toabout 20-25 feet overall with a narrow canopy requiringless water than shade trees.

You can see how street trees adapt best for downtownapplications. The East Palatka also has a red berry on thefemale tree that gives color during the winter when mostblooming plants don’t show their color. This berry addsto the traditional holiday flavor as well.

Gary Roberts has been a leader in the state and localnursery and landscape industry since 1979, when he beganco-owning, operating and developing Haupt RobertsNursery, Inc. In 1998 he sold his interests in that compa-ny and began Gary Roberts Nursery & Landscape, Inc.at 4200 Johnston Road in north Ft. Pierce where the com-pany currently operates. Gary Roberts Nursery & Land-scape, Inc. offers complete landscaping services as well ashaving a 36 acre wholesale production nursery. They alsooffer a professional design, sales and installation staff withover 100 years combined nursery and landscape experience.GRNL is a Florida Certified Horticultural Professional(FCHP) landscape nursery business, with landscape fore-man holding their Florida Certified Landscape Technician(FCLT) accreditations and our design staff is Florida Cer-tified Landscape Designer (FCLD) accredited. GaryRoberts Nursery & Landscape, Inc. was voted Best Land-scaper: 2006 News Tribune Reader’s Choice PlatinumWinner, and voted Best Landscaper: 2004 News TribuneReader’s Choice Gold Winner. More information aboutthis family owned Treasure Coast company can be found atwww.garyrobertslandscape.com.

Gary Roberts

Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer

R.N. KOBLEGARD, IIIAttorney At Law

Litigation, Business, Real Estate,Probate, Criminal & Family Law

200 South Indian River Drive, Suite 201Fort Pierce, Florida 34950

Telephone(772) 461-7772

Fax(772) 461-0226

Hooray! We have finally rolled from the gales ofMarch to the calm of April. As she does every year Moth-er Nature has decided enough with the wind and thosecalm glassy days on the water are starting to show up. Wemay still have a few fronts roll through with some windydays but we’ve recently had some very nice boating daysand more are sure to follow. My personal opinion is thatApril, May and June are the nicest time of the year on ourlocal waters. Other seasons are sometimes better fishingbut being out on the water in the spring with glassy con-ditions in the lagoon and nearly flat seas out on the oceanis a hard experience to beat.

Current reports are not much changed from the pastfew months. Offshore fishing has been reasonably goodfor Kings, Wahoo and the occasional Cobia or Sailfishwhile trolling. A good grouper bite continues on thedeeper reefs around 165 feet. A number of nice days havebeen available in the past few weeks with seas at 1-2 feetand that’s sure to increase as we move into May and June.

Inshore fishing also offers plenty of opportunity.Snook continue to be on and off in the turning basin andinlet. Trout fishing has been reported hot, particularly inthe early morning hours on the grass flats. Redfish arealso available in 1-2 feet of water on the flats and contin-ue to be very spooky. Live shrimp on popping corks andsoft plastic baits are the most productive. Sheepsheadcontinue to be plentiful around bridges and pilings.

I hope you fishing enthusiasts get a chance to get outin the next few months and enjoy our beautiful springweather. Even if you get skunked it’s an awesome time ofthe year to be on the water and get a little “unspool” time.Remember your local tackle shops and marinas are thebest bet for up to date information on when and whereto go, how to fish, and what’s biting. Patronize your localmerchants and they’ll be happy to help you improve yourchances of landing that “big one.”

Good luck and good fishing!


GLORIA ROA BODIN, P.A.Attorneys at Law

VISAS FOR INVESTORSAND

SAUSAGE MAKERSThe Immigration Law Offices of Gloria Roa Bodin, P.A.specializes in representing businesses, investors and profession-als from all over the world. Recent clients from the TreasureCoast include a German investor building luxury homes; aPolish businessman opening a sausage (brats) plant, and aFrench investor refurbishing a Bed and Breakfast.

215 N. 2nd St. – Fort Pierce, FL 34950 (Under Construction)2655 Le Jeune Rd. Suite 1001 – Coral Gables, FL 331343620 Colonial Blvd. Suite 150 – Fort Myers, FL 33912

Tel: (305) 442-1322 – Fax: (305) 444-7578 – Toll Free: [email protected] – www.gloriaroabodin.com

Before choosing a lawyer, ask for written information about the lawyer’s legalqualifications and experience.

Fishing Updateby Dan Dannahower

Doug Wile with a 47 pound wahoo caught off Ft Pierce on April 2nd.


Star-Spangled Patriotic Light Show Illuminates Downtown WaterfrontStarting in May, over 100,000 red, white and blue

lights will illuminate the Fort Pierce downtown water-front for six weeks to recognize Memorial Day and theFourth of July. The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency

(FPRA) is sponsoring the patriotic light display begin-ning Memorial Day through the 4th of July holiday atMarina Square, May 28 – July 8, 2007, from dusk to10:00 p.m. nightly.

The patriotic light display is synchronized to musicthat transforms trees and plants into moving, artistic,firecrackers. A similar light display lights up MarinaSquare during the holidays. This is the second year forthe May/June light show.

129 N. 2nd Street 461-2525

www.cokesstationers.com

Your Office Supply & Furniture Storeand SO MUCH MORE…

Don’t Forget –GRADUATION ❦ MOTHER’S DAY ❦ FATHER’S DAY

New Selection of Cross Pens & Leather AccessoriesThe Perfect Gift!

STOP & SHOPIN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN


Governor’s GrillNow Open

Monday – Friday, 11:00 a.m. to Close, Lunch & Dinner

Saturday, 4:00 p.m. to CloseDinner Only

“Blue’s Touring Act” Wednesdays from 8 – 11 p.m.Ladies Night Thursday with D.J., Ladies drink FREE 10 – 12 p.m.

DJ Friday 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.Dine & Dance with “Matrix” Saturday 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Happy Hour 4-7 Monday – Friday

122 North Second Street • Downtown Fort Pierce

772.466.6944

4302 Gator Trace Drive • Fort PierceConveniently Located 1/2 Mile East of U.S. 1 Off Weatherbee Road

“tee t imes 464-0407”

GATOR TRACEGolf & Country Club

BANQUETSOur Beautiful Clubhouse

is Availablefor your Special Function

Call us at

464-7442

Mon-Sat 11:30 a.m. to close

Thanks for years of support & friendship.

We’ll miss you all!

Mitchell. Jo Ann, Ethan and Alissa

Welcome your new owners, AJ and Lorenzo!

Located at the Northwest end of theHistoric Arcade Building in Downtown Fort Pierce

• Breakfast • Sandwiches • Subs • Catering • DeliveryMonday – Friday 6:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

465-4888 Fax 465-4969


“We overlook nothing . . .except the beautiful Indian River”

Two Avenue A • Fort Pierce City MarinaTel: 772.461.0880 • Fax: 772.461.3989 • www.originaltikibar.com

The Original In the middle of everythingthat makes Fort Pierce Fun . . .

Monday . . . . . Vodka Special . . . . . . . . . $2.00Tuesday . . . . . Domestic Bottle Special . . $2.00Wednesday . . Margarita Special . . . . . . $5.00Thursday . . . . Rum Special. . . . . . . . . . . $2.00Friday . . . . . . . Tiki Punch . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.00Saturday . . . . Goombay Smash . . . . . . $5.00Sunday . . . . . Domestic Draft . . . . . . . $1.50

Live EntertainmentFriday, Saturday & Sunday

Fort Pierce Tribune’s People’s ChoiceAward for Best Happy Hour

Drink Specials

Serving Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week

volume 2, no. 10 may, 2007 - mainstreetfortpierce.org · plan that defined specific goals,...

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