DeSantis, Brightline & migrants; vote on Vero Beach road; stop dog poison; butts | Letters

Support hometown businesses near courthouse in Fort Pierce

The front page of your paper introduced us to proprietors of shops in Fort Pierce near the U.S. Courthouse, where Donald Trump will face charges. Whether you are a staunch supporter of our former president or a detractor, we all know crowds will surround the building for the duration of his appearance.

I certainly will be visiting the shop pictured. The owner is an immigrant from Senegal and imports items from across the African continent. He certainly is the type of immigrant welcomed in the United States. He dresses as the businessman he is, is proud of the city in which he resides, sweeps the sidewalk daily in front of his shop, labors to educate the public and he's been here more than 30 years.

I plan a visit to his art, antiques and gift shop prior to the court proceedings and probably after. The other featured shops are also on my agenda.

Unfortunately, some of them may have to close due to parking limitations, crowd control and so forth. But I will be sure to visit each one: the clock shop, whose owner is also proud of his city; the Pot Belly Deli; The Cake Lady, and even the Mind Body Solutions. Most are in the Arcade Building.

Let's honor these hardworking individuals who are proud of their city and hope to keep it a bit of Americana.

Support them both before and after the court proceedings.

Audrey Taggart, Hobe Sound

Controversial? In dead of summer, Vero Beach council plans to cut lanes on Indian River County main road

Related: Unbalanced network news; Riverside Theatre; manatee deaths; DeSantis; Trump | Letters

Vero Beach should hold referendum on narrowing Twin Pairs

I’ve been quiet for a while, watching as things unfold in Vero Beach. After reading columnist Laurence Reisman's recent piece on State Road 60, he certainly has my support for not reducing Twin Pairs traffic lanes.

It has always been a bad idea and, no, I don’t trust our City Council to do the right thing.

A referendum would show the overwhelming support for leaving things as they are and it would cost a lot less than all these engineering studies.

Bob Grice, Vero Beach

Little hope for Three Corners if this council narrows State Road 60

I am very grateful for Laurence Reisman's voice regarding the Twin Pairs.

For the Vero Beach City Council to perceive that the community is behind it seems to be a bit naïve since only a very small percentage of the Vero Beach area's population actually lives within the city limits. Those of us living outside of the city limits are apparently ineligible to have a voice in the matter.

I am unaware of any public or private comment from a downtown business suggesting that the business would benefit from narrowing lanes or providing parking along State Road 60, nor have there been public concerns expressed by pedestrians who currently walk around downtown or would be more likely to if these changes were made.

One has to wonder just who or what is behind this unfathomable plan.

I recently had no problem crossing from the parking lot across from Jetson’s to have lunch at Kata. Hundreds of people attend Downtown Friday on Main Street and seem to find parking beyond the blocked-off streets and safely walk to the designated area.

Please continue your efforts to address this issue and guide the public on any action that might be taken to communicate opposition to the plan. If this plan succeeds, I have little or no hope for the Vero Beach City Council to wisely develop the Three Corners.

Cyndy Hazlewood, Vero Beach

Spend more time determining needs of downtown Vero Beach

Laurence Reisman had another great column on the Twin Pairs, but sadly it will probably fall on deaf ears.

It seems obvious that something is driving this huge mistake. As I see the growing population, the lanes in question may very well be needed in the future and fewer lanes means more traffic waiting at the lights, creating congestion, which will discourage shoppers. I can just envision a council down the road having to spend millions to undo this decision.

I think more time should be spent on how to bring more business downtown, solve the homeless population and the future problems with getting emergency vehicles across the tracks.

Larry Murray, Vero Beach

Pinewood Park experience shows need to restrict smoking in public places

During an annual park cleanup in March, I collected a staggering 141 cigarette butts at Pinewood Park in Fort Pierce. As someone who quit smoking more than 12 years ago, I vividly remember the cravings and addiction associated with cigarettes. If I had engaged in behavioral therapy and picked up cigarette litter like I did at Pinewood Park, it would have further reinforced my commitment to quitting.

Cigarette butts are statistically the most prevalent form of litter found on beaches and in parks. Not only do they contribute to visual pollution, but they also pose serious environmental hazards. Improperly discarded butts can find their way into waterways, harming marine life and polluting ecosystems.

Recently, I learned about the amendment of House Bill 105: The Florida Clean Air Act, formerly known as the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act. In July 2022, it was amended to give counties and municipalities the authority to regulate smoking on their beaches and in their parks. Extensive research consistently demonstrates that secondhand smoke contains toxic chemicals, including carcinogens, which can lead to respiratory issues, cardiovascular diseases and even cancer.

Parks and beaches are meant to be enjoyed by everyone, especially on pleasant days. Implementing a smoke-free and vape-free ordinance would greatly benefit our community's health and well-being. It would foster a shared respect for our public spaces and reduce the litter caused by these harmful non-biodegradable products.

Let's unite as a community, talk to elected officials and advocate for the implementation of a smoke- and vape-free ordinance in our parks and beaches. By doing so, we can prioritize the health of our community, embrace cleaner public spaces and liberate our parks and beaches from the grasp of smoking.

Anna Santacorce, Fort Pierce

Bad actors reason why silly laws impact the rest of us

I hope this will provide the answer to Audrey Taggart's recent letter in reference to Martin County's ban on selling puppies out of stores.

I believe I have the answer to this question and some others.

Very simply put, it is the bad folk who make it difficult for the good, honest, law-abiding, good folk.

Once "bad folk" do something like sell puppies from a breeding mill, then the good folk who follow the rules have more rules and restrictions put upon them. It's another knee-jerk reaction and easier than addressing the problem. So instead of a large crackdown on illegal or irresponsible breeders, we close pet shops.

A few more instances:

Too many narcotics deaths due to illegal drugs out there due to the bad folk make it more difficult for the honest folk to get pain medicine when they are in need or dying.

Bad folk kill with guns, so now the good folk have to register and follow rules to own a gun. But does anyone think the bad folk obtain their weapons legally?

Why do the honest folk get frisked at the airport? Because the bad folk don't follow the rules and have bombed planes and brought illegal weapons, animals and other paraphernalia on board.

Why is it harder for us to open a bottle of Tylenol? Because the bad folk contaminated a batch and the good folk died.

We, the good folk, need to overtake the bad folk, but the laws by which the good folk abide prevent us from doing what we would like to do to the bad folk. Ironic, isn't it?

Jan Belwood, Palm City

Get DeSantis to stop passenger, dangerous freight trains from rolling together

It’s crucial we recap what is known about the trains sharing the corridor through our region ― Brightline and Florida East Coast Railway freight.

Years ago, we found the FEC owner, Fortress Investment Group, had designs on expanding freight hauling to include liquefied natural gas for export.

FIG co-founder Wes Edens was known on Wall Street for using other people’s money to finance his businesses. Using Brightline as the enabler, he went after billions in taxpayer-supported private activity bonds for the capital to build the second track and Cocoa-Tampa port spur. Never mind, two studies showed the route to be the worst option.

With mounting deaths, Florida's rail entities continue to use federal and state subsidies to fund safety upgrades, which should be their responsibility. And the Fort Lauderdale mayor wants taxpayer funds to build a rail tunnel under the New River, while the train company wants tax dollars for a new bridge over the St. Lucie River ($100+ million).

Liquefied natural gas is carried by FEC to the ports in Fort Lauderdale and Miami and a recent Freedom of Information Act request shows American LNG Marketing (a FIG company) plans to open its Titusville production plant next year. In addition to LNG, we already have a number of highly volatile hazardous materials being hauled through our region including liquefied propane gas and anhydrous ammonia.

After what we saw in East Palestine, Ohio, from illnesses to the river contamination, it’s time Gov. Ron DeSantis declared an end to 110 mph trains sharing tracks with trains carrying hazardous materials. Stop Brightline, Phase 2.

If there’s a hazardous materials breach on the Treasure Coast along the Indian River Lagoon, we might never recover from the devastation. This was always a money play, and now it’s a Greek tragedy unless the governor can rewrite the ending.

Jack Preschlack, Vero Beach, is a board member of the Alliance for Safe Trains.

Dog poisoned: How to resolve toxic chemicals on local lawns

Recently, my dog became very sick, her paws red and inflamed, black crusted, then the skin peeled off and she had a significant stomach upset.

I took her to the vet and their first question: “Was your lawn sprayed?”

A firm “no” was my answer.

Having spent decades in the landscape profession, toxic chemicals are verboten in my garden. Experience has taught me dogs and asthmatic children are most at risk. The long-term effects of these hormone disrupting chemicals are unknown, especially on children.

Then I realized my neighbor had poisoned my dog. Inadvertently. I told him, not nicely, his lawn made my dog sick. I had wondered why her paws were so wet one morning and why she was so diligently licking them. He said it was treated with two tablespoons of toxic chemicals quarterly. That doesn’t sound too bad until you see the results firsthand.

Have you read we live on the most biodiverse estuary in the world and chemical runoff causes blue-green algae, another deadly disaster for canines? Natural lawns are biodiverse and have weeds supporting insects that pollinate plants. If fruits and vegetables are on your plate, we can thank an insect. Why are we killing the hosts of insects, polluting our river and harming our pets with these toxic chemicals?

My neighbor doesn’t believe in warning signage, which is how my dog got poisoned. Months later, her paws still get inflamed if she walks on the wetter part of his lawn. Ironically, for all the chemicals dumped, the fat, green St. Augustine lawn remains infested with herbicide-resistant weeds. At what cost?

I ask the fat, green lawn owners to make sure a sign is up warning people and pets to stay off the lawn until it is dry. Or use less-toxic products.

Amelia Grant, Jensen Beach

DeSantis right: Hire undocumented immigrants, face the consequences

I have just finished reading an article about the construction workforce being diminished after Gov. Ron Desantis' signing of the immigration bill, where hiring an illegal immigrant can cost you a fine. I assume that is because employers are now leery of hiring illegal immigrants.

When I ran a company In North Miami back in the late 1980s, I was required by law to ask if they applicants were immigrants and, if so, see their green cards and make copies for the employees' files. I can only assume that during some administration, that requirement was downgraded because of immigration advocates or political pressure because everyone wanted their lawn mowed.

At that time, I thought most businesses followed the law, so everyone was on equal footing. After a while, I learned many companies hired immigrants illegally so they could have a competitive edge against the companies attempting to follow the law. Even today, I understand that one is required to have a green card. I often wonder, when I see certain people working low-paying jobs, if that company is doing what it is supposed to as far as green cards.

What truly bothers me is that the employer that hires without a green card, then has a large competitive advantage over those complying. To me, it makes no sense to punish citizens because they are following the laws of this country, then purposely give the criminal an economic advantage over the lawful. It compares to making guns illegal for everyone but the criminals.

So I agree with DeSantis on this matter that the business, the offender, should be punished.

Edward Marasi, Port St. Lucie

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: DeSantis, Brightline, migrants; Vero Beach roads; dog poison | Letters