With each passing year, as the incoming tide of newcomers and new development threatens the Vero Beach of yesteryear, it feels as if we’re losing a little more of what makes our community the last vestige of small-town life on Florida’s Atlantic shoreline.
And, too often, it seems there’s little we can do about it.
This time, though, we can do something to restore what was once a cherished seaside jewel – the storm-damaged and later-demolished Humiston Beach boardwalk.
Just last week, in fact, one of our community’s most philanthropic neighbors, John’s Island resident Tom Corr, followed up on Vero Beach 32963’s offer to champion the rebuild-the-boardwalk cause by pledging $100,000 to the growing grassroots effort.
Corr’s generous pledge comes on the heels of this newspaper offering to contribute $5,000 to help launch the campaign last week, after Vero City Council members John Carroll and Aaron Vos announced they each would put in $3,500.
So, with an increasing number of our neighbors embracing their civic pride and the holiday spirit – we continue to hear from residents who want to contribute – there’s every reason to believe we can make this effort to preserve the coastal ambience that defined so much of our history happen.
That’s why the City Council needs to make all the necessary arrangements – identifying a local not-for-profit entity to receive the community’s contributions should be a priority – and then approve an agreement at its Jan. 14 meeting.
The fact that someone of Corr’s stature has stepped up in such a big way should send a message to other potential donors who appreciate what makes Vero Beach so special.
Let’s keep pushing until we’ve raised enough money to ensure the city doesn’t settle for a sidewalk.
That’s my No. 1 wish for the New Year.
As for the rest of my 2025 wish list:
- The County Commission needs to get serious about helping the city rebuild the Humiston boardwalk. Offering to contribute up to $400,000 for a sidewalk – under the condition that its funding be reduced by any amount the city receives in federal, state or private grant money – is insulting. The commissioners know the city came to them for help with sharing the costs of a building boardwalk, and they need to allow the money they’ve promised to be applied to that project. In addition, the commissioners should recognize that more county residents than city residents would use the boardwalk, and then double their contribution. They recently received nearly $4 million in budgeted-but-unspent funds from Tax Collector Carole Jean Jordan and Property Appraiser Wesley Davis, so they’ve got the money. They also need to withdraw their silly funding condition.
- One more thing: Boardwalk advocates need to show up in big numbers – perhaps fill the chamber – at the County Commission’s Jan. 14 meeting to make sure elected officials know the importance of rebuilding the Humiston boardwalk. Given the inflated costs of construction these days, the boardwalk is projected to come with a $2.2 million price tag. The city has budgeted $1 million. The county should contribute no less than $800,000. Tell the commissioners what you want, and don’t mince words. Be passionate about your cause. You might even want to remind them that, if they choose to run for re-election, you’ll remember how they responded to this community project.
- Since arriving in Vero Beach in early 2023, Breeze Airways has provided reliable, comfortable and convenient commercial passenger service that recently expanded to its eighth destination. We hear from local residents, however, who want to know if and when the airline might offer flights to markets in the Midwest and, at least seasonally, to the North Carolina mountains. That’s understandable. But we need to be patient and trust that Breeze’s management knows what it’s doing. We haven’t been disappointed yet.
- Some local folks have expressed concern that only two development groups submitted proposals for the much-anticipated-but-delayed Three Corners project. They needn’t worry. One of the two partnerships is headed by Clearpath Services, which produced a spectacular proposal last winter and, according to the Indiana-based firm’s founder and front man, Randy Lloyd, has submitted a scaled-back and less-expensive version of the same plan – with minor changes. Our only real concern should be: Will the council botch it again?
- Let’s all stand and applaud School Superintendent David Moore, who recently was honored as Florida’s Superintendent of the Year and more recently was named one of four finalists for the National Superintendent of the Year award. Hired five years ago, Moore has done an amazing job, transforming an underachieving, poorly run and financially mismanaged school district into one of the state’s best. In fact, Moore’s leadership has produced back-to-back “A” grades from the Florida Department of Education and lifted the district to a top-10 state ranking. The unprecedented year-over-year gains in student performance have made the district the most improved among the 67 in the state in the past three years. Earlier this year, our School Board rewarded him with a 22-percent raise. Let’s hope that’s enough – along with his affection for the community – to keep him here.
- Anyone who drives regularly along the county’s roadways, including those in local municipalities, can’t help but notice the total disregard their fellow motorists have for traffic laws. Running red lights has reached epidemic proportions. Aggressive driving is prevalent. Distracted driving has become the norm. And yet, our local law-enforcement agencies are nowhere to be found. We need them to crack down, and hard.
- Our elected officials keep saying all the right things, but another year has passed and our community still has a serious affordable-housing problem. As the county continues to grow, we need more workers to provide services – especially new teachers, law-enforcement officers, fire-rescue personnel and even nurses. But in the current real-estate market, their entry-level paychecks aren’t nearly enough to rent decent accommodations. Similarly, many young families can’t afford to buy houses here. That needs to change.
- Anyone else find it odd that Sebastian River High School was among three local schools – and 176 statewide – to receive “Purple Star” designations by Gov. Ron DeSantis for providing vital resources and programs for military families? You might remember that School Board member Gene Posca openly accused a “majority” of Sebastian River’s teachers of not standing for the national anthem during the school’s 2023 graduation ceremony. He also criticized the school’s leadership, which he said allows teachers to publicly disrespect our constitution, military and nation – to the point where they could not be trusted to be alone with students. Here’s hoping Posca stops calling anyone who disagrees with his extreme political ideology “liberal Marxists.”
- The recent improvements made at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex are laudable, but most of us have no reason to go there. So, I’m asking again: Can Major League Baseball please move one Grapefruit League game each year to what we still call “Dodgertown” – if only to honor Vero Beach’s legacy as America’s quintessential spring-training town?
Happy New Year!