Vero Beach prosperity; Navy SEAL museum; fix schools order; Trump critiques | Letters
Time for Vero Beach to prosper like other small towns
They can do it, why can't we?
During high season, my wife and I enjoy taking short, local trips around the state. We look for small towns with a little charm and a good restaurant or two.
Our latest wanderings took us to the historical towns of Ocala and Sebring. However, sadly, I was reminded how both of these towns managed to improve their historical downtown communities without losing their charm.
Why can't Vero Beach do that? Why can't Vero find a way to solve its problems like so many other towns in Florida?
Here in Vero, we have a downtown movie theater reeking with history, yet all we do is let it sit and collect dust. In contrast, the professional community of Sebring stepped up, took charge and restored their own theater to its full glory. Why can't we do that?
Take, for example, the Three Corners project. After a well-publicized snafu during the bidding process, some local media now question the validity of the project, and, in so doing, cast a negative light on the entire effort. It's a major buzzkill with little hope in sight.
Or take, for example, the so-called failed initiative to beautify the downtown streets of Vero: We went from discussing the pros and cons of New Urbanism (smart growth with modest expansions) to silence — to nothing more than a few potted plants and a couple of artsy banners by the side of the road, where the speed limit remains an insane 40 mph.
As a community, let's not let these important issues result in failed reminders of our inability to solve our growth issues. It's time the older voters in this community pass the torch to our talented entrepreneurs and professionals and see to it we prosper like our neighbors.
Joseph Ryan, Vero Beach
End Indian River County federal desegregation order
The Indian River County School District has been under a federal desegregation order since the 1960s.
For at least the past five years since David Moore has been superintendent of the district, he and school board members have attempted to meet performance indicators jointly set by the board and the NAACP as overseen by a federal court.
The problem is local NAACP President Tony Brown does not favor resolution of the desegregation order. It would appear he thinks the school district is biased primarily because African-American students are a minority. But minority status itself does not equate to discrimination.
Apparently, he thinks a white majority of students and white teachers create a white-oriented culture that discriminates against those who are not white.
Brown told me a few years ago the segregated school system actually was more useful to the African-American students because students could relate to each other and were supportive of each other.
I favor public education and sent my sons to public schools through high school, though I could afford private schools, because I wanted my half-Korean sons to integrate into a country on every social, racial and economic level.
Most elementary school teachers are women. As a young student, I did not relate well to them. My first male teacher was in sixth grade, and I exceled as a student.
Brown would like the same percentage of African-American teachers in our school district as the number of African-American students. Moore is working hard on that. But so is every school district in the country.
Our school district is not discriminating when African-American teachers choose to teach elsewhere.
It's time for the federal court to determine the federal desegregation order has been resolved.
Stanford Erickson, Vero Beach
Victim impact panel prevents deadly DUIs in Florida county
The Florida Department of Highway Safety for Motor Vehicles reported Indian River County had no traffic fatalities due only to alcohol impairment for 2024.
This accomplishment is a result of the cooperative efforts of law-enforcement, and a DUI impact panel.
Those convicted of driving while intoxicated are ordered by the court, as a condition of their probation, to listen to the stories of those who lost family members to drunken drivers.
After thousands of attendants at the victim impact panels over the years, the outcomes are resulting in a positive impact on lives.
Those in attendance are asked what will change in their life as a result of attending the panel. Many have expressed remorse while learning of the number of lives that are affected, including their families, as a result of their choice to drink and drive.
Additionally, the consequences of taking a life while intoxicated have a sobering impact.
I receive numerous letters from the attendants expressing their willingness to employ the tools and support groups that are available at their discretion.
Predictably, the Florida Department of Motor Vehicle Safety reports close to 2,000 lives are lost in a year on our highways due to drunken driving, second only to drug overdose.
The average cost of one fatality is $3.4 million, which includes lawsuits and medical care.
Indian River County has an impressive record for saving lives on our highways due to drunken driving.
We welcome any public service safety organization within the state or nation to learn and participate in the success we have achieved in saving lives.
Benjamin Paul Zelno, Vero Beach
SEAL Museum wants to make money? Here's what it can do
If the Navy SEAL Museum in St. Lucie County wants to become an international corporate entity, simply revoke its not-for-profit status.
Bradley Deacon, Hutchinson Island
Impacts of Florida legislative silliness far-reaching
Your recent editorial on the Florida Legislature taking aim at local development regulations was a good eye-opener.
I feel the opportunity for more real estate tax that comes with development is the drug of choice for the Legislature. Maybe we should ask what land will be designated for or as the new landfill required by the new waste generation of the new development? Or, where is the money for the now-needed schools, with associated operational costs, (teachers, buses, etc.)?
Better be careful, without new development we don’t need more members of the Legislature and, oh my, how will we be able to give ourselves a raise if we don’t have more tax money flowing our way?
Let’s develop the farmland (heck, any land available), and buy our fruits and veggies, chickens, cows (milk and beef), pork, from, let’s think, from someone somewhere else.
William Merce, Stuart
Quiet Trump weekend of golf gets loud quickly
It was a pleasant weekend. President Donald Trump went to Mar-A-Lago on a Thursday for a weekend of golf and chose to do no harm to the country.
It was very quiet without bluster and hot air. There was nothing out of him until the flight back to D.C., when he mused that he wouldn’t mind sending some U.S. citizens to El Salvador.
Back to reality.
John Dietz, Fort Pierce
Can nation survive a Trump presidency?
The United States seems to be heading into a self-induced recession caused by Donald Trump.
I've lived a long time, and I never can remember a president like Trump. I still don't see his appeal to Trumpers. He lies, cheats and doesn't understand concepts.
He plays golf in Florida almost every weekend as the stock market plummets. He can't let go of grievances, even with Fox telling him to. He seems to hate immigrants, even when two of his three wives were immigrants, and four of his five children are the children of immigrants.
When did residents of Springfield, Ohio, eat cats and dogs? Did the stock market go up 88% in his first administration? I don't envy our country having to live four more years under Trump.
Rita Wolper, Stuart
Chinese land acquisition, fentanyl sales hit too close to home
As of May 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports China ownership of U.S. farmland has recorded a huge increase since 2010. This includes thousands of farms with China now owning over 350,000 acres, including thousands of acres located close to our sensitive military bases.
In Florida, the Chinese own about 20,000 acres.
Americans need to be constantly reminded China is our No. 1 enemy. China lies, cheats and steals to accomplish its sinister goal of world domination. China cannot be trusted.
The shocking facts show the Mexican cartels are handing over millions in cash from the sale of poisonous drugs to Chinese criminal groups. This same cash is then used to purchase valuable U.S. agricultural lands, according to Drug Enforcement Administration Special Operations Director Derek Maltz.
While on the subject of China, let us be reminded China quietly owns a huge commercial port less than 70 miles off the coast of Pam Beach. This serves as China's proverbial camel's nose under the tent. As a direct result, this has enabled China's quick ownership of prime properties in the Bahamas at our back door.
Hopefully, President Donald Trump has these close-to-home, obvious threats to our national security at the top of his to-do list to include a solution. Let our nation begin by nationalizing all China-owned agricultural lands and prohibit any future purchases of U.S. land by China, our foremost enemy.
If this is not done, all of us may need to quickly learn to speak Chinese. This threat does not need a study for the facts are clear and needs action.
Jack Jennings, Port St. Lucie
Hands off? Let's hope protests worked
Whatever your beliefs are as to the origin of our planet, the fact remains we are all codependent on one another to continue to exist on this planet.
This current administration mocks those who wisely believe in "climate change." Its leader mocks all who don't agree with him. He has ordered the cutting of services to raid our governmental coffers.
He has given carte blanche to the DOGE boys, led by Elon Musk, to cut necessary services and required jobs to set fire to our established norms and destroy our historically strong nation. It seems he ran for a second term so he could continue the destruction he began in his first term. Either that or the severe need to feed his insatiable ego.
The malignant stupidity of this administration works to destroy our worldwide economy with these ridiculous and dangerous tariffs, while offending our former worldwide friends in order to boost his "tough guy" image. I'm wondering how long it will take for those who voted for him to realize he is all about himself and gets misinformed voters to secure his power.
These unneeded tariffs will destroy regular working folks' way of life and cause them immeasurable harm. The people who are working paycheck to paycheck may regret they voted for this uncaring and self-centered person who is trying to become our first "forever prez."
His usage of fear tactics helped him to get elected and re-elected. By appealing to the biases and racism of some of our citizens, he has divided us in order to conquer us.
I'm hopeful the countrywide protests held April 5 will help alert those in Congress, who continue to enable him that we, the people, are fed up with their horrid shenanigans and decide to work for their constituents instead of feeding the ego of this insufferable president.
Hands off!
Sharon E. Garland, Hobe Sound
Avoid fake news: Document, show us waste fraud
So all these federal cutbacks are because of waste and fraud in the government.
When will we see some documentation of this waste and fraud?
Don't just tell us it is rampant. Show us the proof; any documentation will do. We certainly want to avoid "fake news."
Jack Siplak, Vero Beach
Trump right on Ukraine: Get money back and bolt
I recently read a letter in support of continuing America's involvement in Volodymyr Zelenskyy's war.
We have spent more on that war than we did on the Interstate Highway System, the Panama Canal and the Hoover Dam combined and adjusted for inflation. Every dollar was taken out with debt at high interest rates.
For what?
In 2010, Viktor Yanukovych won the pro-Russian eastern and southern portions of Ukraine in an election marked free and fair by the European Parliament. His opponent won the pro-European western portions of Ukraine, including the capital, Kiev, but lost nationally.
Yanukovych was then overthrown by the opposition party's violent protesters in 2014 and fled the capital. His party was dismantled, first by threats and violence, then arrests, and finally banned altogether.
The eastern portions of the country whose vote was overthrown separated from western Ukraine, and a civil war ensued. Zelenskyy (who campaigned on ending the war peacefully and has stopped having elections since) and his predecessor leveled cities in eastern Ukraine. Over 14,000 people were killed during the civil war before Russia formally entered in 2022. Russia has since occupied the areas that had their vote overthrown in the coup.
Even if the Russians left, there would still be a civil war to contend with. Are we going to arm Zelenskyy so he can conscript more unwilling soldiers to kill the people in the separatist half of the country next?
Zelenskyy nationalized the media, arrested political opponents, outlawed their church and banned their primary language ― Russian ― outside of private conversation. He doesn't represent our values, he doesn't serve our interests, and he doesn't have the support of the people.
President Donald Trump is right: Try to get the money back and get out.
John Maloney, Palm City
Harry Potter book quotation reminiscent of ... ?
What famous person are you reminded of by this quote by Lord Voldemort in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:
“There is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to use it.”
Wake up, America, before it’s too late!
Melissa Reynolds, Vero Beach