Sailfish City - Stuart Florida Community Site

FORCE - Friends of The Rivers Coalition eNewsletter - JULY 2008
P.O Box 2627, Stuart, FL 34995 ~ 772-225-6849    www.RiversCoalition.org

Candidate Tom Rooney Endorses Flowway And Buyout of Big Sugar Property!

Congressional Candidate Tom Rooney (Republican, District 16) has strongly endorsed the flowway concept that could stop most of the discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie Canal and St. Lucie estuary in wet years..

In a position paper provided to the Rivers Coalition, Rooney states:

“As the first candidate to come out definitively for a flowway so discharges would stop coming through the St. Lucie River, I too am hopeful that the River of Grass may be on its way back. In a forum for the candidates, the Stuart News reported I was the only candidate who understood the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, while good, was not going to stop the discharges from the lake in the near term every year we have storms which threaten the dike. We have to have somewhere else to put that water ( the reservoirs north of the lake alone would not suffice). And now it looks like we will.”

“Moving forward, I will work hard as Congressman to make sure the mission of the Rivers Coalition is met. Although we have good news, the work now begins. I pledge to be your advocate in Washington in completing the mission.”

More information about Rooney is available at tomrooney.com

Rivers Coalition Resolution Supports Plan For Sugarland Purchase To Protect Estuary!

Citing extreme damages to the St. Lucie estuary due to discharges from Lake Okeechobee, the Rivers Coalition has adopted a powerful resolution in support of the state’s plan to buy 187,000 acres of sugar farms from U.S. Sugar Corp.

The resolution reviews a government history of failure to protect the estuaries and warns that current projects and programs will continue to pollute and degrade the environment.

“The proposed public purchase of U.S. Sugar would make enough land available to create the necessary water storage, cleansing and flow capacity south from Lake O to the Everglades,” according to the resolution which resolves:

“The Rivers Coalition strongly supports purchase of U.S. Sugar and conversion of its 187,000 acres of farmland to environmental restoration projects that will restore wetlands, increase the water supply for the Everglades, improve safety for residents of the EAA by enabling a substantial southern outlet between Lake and Everglades, improve Lake health, and better protect the Estuaries from damaging Lake releases.”

What’s Going on at the Next Meeting?

Thursday July 24, 2008
11AM
Realtor Association of Martin County
43 SW Monterey Road, Stuart
Corner of Monterey Road and Kanner Highway

Business Matters
Chairman’s Comments - Leon Abood
Land Acquisition - Leon Abood
Special Program - Leon Abood
“Saving Our St. Lucie Estuary” DVD Ready for Public Viewings”
Legal Update - Karl Wickstrom
Special Events - Jessica Briske
Fundraising - Karl Wickstrom 
WRAC - Ted Guy/Ed Fielding

Coalition Committee Reports
Water Quality - Mark Perry
Local Issues - Mark Perry/Ed Fielding
State/Federal Issues - Kevin Henderson/Paul Gray
IRL/CERP - Kevin Henderson/Paul Gray
Martin County Updates - Paul Millar

PLENTY OF FREE PARKING! DONUTS AND COFFEE! 

“Saving Our St. Lucie Estuary” DVD Ready for Public Viewings!

“Saving Our St. Lucie Estuary” is a hard-hitting documentary that focuses on damages to the estuary caused by discharges from Lake Okeechobee and what can be done to stop them from inundating the waters in wet years. opies of the DVD are available for showing to RC member groups and civic organizations. The Rivers Coalition Defense Fund also intends to show the presentation to as many government officials as possible. 

The showing calls for increased citizen support of the campaign to stop the discharges, which includes a current lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and advocacy on local, state and federal levels.

Get your name on the Honor Roll!

Don’t forget to donate today and get your name on the honor roll.

Go to www.RiversCoalition.org to donate.

The Rivers Coalition is a non profit 501c3 organization.

WELL*Life 1st presents

“Tend Your Garden” June 7

Stuart, FL – May 8, 2008 The City of Stuart Parks & Recreation Department is committed to helping the community embrace a healthy lifestyle by offering wellness seminars and demonstrations each month. One a week, community health care specialists meet to discuss programs that will help residents of the city get fit and live healthy. The program is called WELL*Life 1st.

The WELL*Life 1st committee sponsors a monthly wellness presentation the first Saturday of each month. Saturday, June 7th - the committee is presenting “Tend your Garden Month” an awareness of mind body & community.  

The following FREE activities are scheduled for June 7, 2008 at the Flagler Recreation Center, 201 S. W. Flagler Avenue in downtown Stuart.

June 7th Special Features are:

 • An Opportunity to win a FREE 3 nights 2 day stay at a 5 star hotel by Culligan Water.

• An Organic Green Market and healthy sampler by Amy’s Organic Gourmet and the Pelican Café.

9:00 am
Tend your body:

“River*Walkers” Community Walk sponsored by Fleet Feet Sports of Stuart
Beginner Boot Camp sponsored by Rosalind’s FITNESS studios
Free Massages by “Serendipity”

10:15 am
Tend your community:

“Why Organic” By Dr. Hart Local Environment/Oceanographic Society & Surfrider Foundation

Tend your mind:

“Personal empowerment”

Tend Your Body:

How to prevent skin cancer Eat a colorful diet by Startup Nutrition

Kidz Zone including: Children’s Wellness Activities, a Touch Tank by the Oceanographic Society and Plant Stuff by the Girl Scouts.

For more information call the Flagler Recreation Center at (772) 288-5335