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ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET

Saturday, January 14, 2023 - 6:00 PM

Gifford Youth Activity Center
4875 43rd Avenue, Gifford, FL
​
The Martin Luther King Committee of Indian River County holds this annual scholarship banquet to raise money to provide scholarships for graduating seniors.
To purchase tickets, please send checks to
P O Box 1641 Vero Beach FL. 32960, and please select either Cornish Hen or Oxtail. Ticket Cost: $35

To reserve your seat at the Democrats' table, please RSVP to Sharon Kolor [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])


[link removed]

MLK Day Parade


MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2023

*This is your opportunity to help represent the Democrats of Indian River in the Martin Luther King Day Parade!

Parade Line-up Location: Vehicles – Route will start at 37th and 18th Place to Old Dixie Highway and continue on to 45th St, commencing at Gifford Park (Victor Hart Sr. Community Enhancement Complex).
Walkers Only – Meet in the Occulina Bank Parking lot across from
MLK Plaza (45th Street).
Parade Line-up time is 8:00 a.m. ; Parade will start promptly at 10:00 a.m.

The 2023 MLK Day Parade Participation Entry Form must be received by a committee member or volunteer no later than January 6, 2023.
​
2023 MLK PARADE ENTRY FORM - Available for Download!
[link removed]
2023_mlk_particpant_entry_form_official.pdf
Download File ([link removed])




CALENDAR


Saturday, January 14, 2023

6:00 p.m. - MLK Annual Scholarship Banquet, Gifford Youth Activity Center
4875 43rd Ave, Gifford, Florida 32967

Monday, January 16, 2023
8:00 a.m. - MLK Day Parade Line-up at 37th St and 18th Place. Parade begins at 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

9:00 a.m. – Vero Beach City Council Chambers, City Hall, 1053 20^th Place, Vero Beach 32960 : For agenda and meeting information go to [link removed] You can watch here: [link removed]

Saturday, January 21, 2023

2:00 p.m. - Convention of States Town Hall Meeting at the Main Library 1600 21st St Vero Beach 32960. conventionofstates.com


Monday, January 23, 2023

6:00 p.m. - School District of Indian River County School Board Meeting at 6500 57th St. Vero Beach, FL. Speakers must arrive early to sign up with receptionist.




** Interested in Serving on a Board or Commission?
------------------------------------------------------------


The Board of County Commissioners is seeking volunteers to serve on a number of unique advisory boards and commissions that help to advise the Board of County Commissioners and staff with respect to specific governmental action by making decisions on the disposition of certain matters coming before the Board or Commission.
* Learn more about Commissions and Boards ([link removed])
* Commissions and Boards Vacancies ([link removed])
* Commission and Boards Application ([link removed])

For more information and application form please go to: [link removed]


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Democrats of Indian River

NOTICE: Democrats of Indian River Office Hours have changed. We will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. You can always leave a voice message at (772) 226-5267 and email Caryl in the office at [email protected]

Democratic Club of Indian River

Thursday, January 12, 2023 - 6:00 p.m.

Monthly meeting at the Irish Club, 1314 20th St, Vero Beach 32960. Join President Clay Wild, VP Elle Shaw Berbick, Treasurer Charlie Berbick and Secretary Caryl Zook in this TOWN HALL MEETING "What Do You Want the Club To Be?" This is your opportunity to share your concerns and ideas. We will also discuss our participation in the MLK Day events, Club Officer Nominating Committee, Democrats' office clean-up team and more.
Let's keep this Potluck simple - Finger Foods only: snacks, sandwiches, pizza, chips and dips and salsa, cheese and crackers... whatever you want to bring to share. Cash bar.

Democratic Club of Indian River and the DWC

Monday, January 16, 2023, MLK Day Parade To register to walk in the parade or register your vehicle, you can get a form online or in the Democrats office. Please wear a Democrats of Indian River t-shirt if you have one and bring signs to carry. We will carry our banners and flags, and we will have some vehicles in the parade for those who cannot walk the entire parade route. We have small flags to give to parade watchers and you can bring child-safe candy to share along the parade route.

Democratic Women’s Club

Saturday, January 14, 2023 - 11:30 a.m.
The DWC Luncheon at Bent Pine Country Club. RABBI MICHAEL BIRNHOLZ from Temple Beth Shalom will speak. Please RSVP to
** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
or Julie Barone
718-916-0682 with your meal choice: Herb Crusted Chicken
Breast, Pan Seared Salmon Filet, or Vegetarian $30.00, payable by cash or check at the door.

Friday, January 27, 2023 - 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
The Book Group will meet at the Brackett Library on the IRSC Mueller campus and discuss “The Flag, The Cross & The Station Wagon:
A Graying American Looks Back At His Suburban Boyhood & Wonders What The
Hell Happened” by Author: Bill McKibbin.


LETTER TO THE EDITOR


Could Twin Pairs change help woeful bike conditions in Vero Beach?


There has been much discussion lately about the possibility of reconfiguring the Twin Pairs in downtown Vero Beach. The proposed “traffic calming” project would potentially include, among other changes, making downtown safer and more comfortable for bicycle riders.

In his recent column on the proposed traffic calming project, ** Larry Reisman stated that people should “stick to the facts” ([link removed])
when evaluating what, if anything, needs to be done to improve the Twin Pairs. I’d like to add a fact to the discussion.

People for Bikes is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is “to get more people riding bikes more often. To make bike riding better for everyone.” One of the services offered by People for Bikes is a city ratings program, which rates cities nationwide.

Vero Beach scores a 7 (out of a possible 100). With a score of 7, Vero Beach ranks as one of the worst cities in Florida for bicycling with 50 Florida cities scoring higher than 7, and only 8 Florida cities scoring worse than 7.

While I don’t know of any data on bicycle ownership in Vero Beach, I imagine that a majority of city residents own a bicycle. Wouldn’t it be great if they could ride their bicycles comfortably in their hometown? While reconfiguring the Twin Pairs will not magically make Vero Beach a safe and comfortable place to ride a bicycle, it might be a reasonable place to start.

Vero Beach has nowhere to go but up.

Hugh Aaron, Vero Beach


To submit your letters to the Editor, go to:

** [link removed] ([link removed])

LOCAL


Indian River Lagoon gets a $19.5 million boost to cut pollution entering estuary


Millions of dollars in government spending over the two years is aimed at slowing the flow of fertilizer-laden fresh water into the Indian River Lagoon.

On Tuesday, the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board voted to approve a $19.5 million contract — awarded to Cone & Graham, Inc. — to begin construction of the so-called Crane Creek M-1 Canal Flow Restoration Project. While the district continues to negotiate some details of the project, work is expected to begin as early as March.

The total cost of the project, aimed at reducing wastewater flow into the estuary, is $22.6 million, which includes the design and any necessary land acquisition. Funding partners include the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which provided a $2.03 million grant; Brevard County, which chipped in $2.45 million through its Save Our Indian River Lagoon program; and $4.5 million in "alternative water supply funding" from federal sources through the DEP.
The project's approval comes as Brevard County is updating its annual Save Our Indian River Lagoon plan, which prioritizes some $50 million per year in revenue from a half-cent sales tax passed in 2016 for lagoon cleanups. The draft 2023 Save Our Lagoon plan update will to a county citizen oversight committee on Jan. 20 for their recommendation to the Brevard County Commission, which plans to approve the plan in February.
The M-1 Canal is as a flood-control canal carved out more than a century ago to redirect stormwater from 5,300 acres near the St. Johns River to the lagoon, to drain the land for farming and flood prevention. Along with the millions of gallons of water came thousands of pounds of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus – two key ingredients that in excess can fuel algae blooms.

The project, expected to be complete in January 2025 will restore the natural flow of the stormwater from the lagoon back west, where the water will be treated in a stormwater treatment area prior to reaching the St. Johns River.

A secondary benefit will restore 7 million gallons of freshwater flow per day to the St. Johns River, which can then be used for alternative water supply downstream. Construction includes a control structure within the M-1 Canal, including weirs; a stormwater pumping stations; two-foot-wide underground stormwater pipes.

The district estimates yearly nutrient reductions to the lagoon at 24,000 pounds of nitrogen and 3,100 pounds of phosphorus.

“The ability to significantly reduce the nutrients entering the system is essential to restoring the health of lagoon,” St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register, said in a press release. "It is critical we continue to collaborate with our partners to identify, fund and implement these high priority projects.”

To learn about the Crane Creek M-1 Canal Flow Restoration Project, visit ** www.sjrwmd.com/projects/#crane-creek ([link removed])
.

To learn about how the St. Johns River as a water supply source, visit ** www.sjrwmd.com/water-supply/st-johns-river ([link removed])
.

If you see a sick or injured manatee, call FWC's Wildlife Alert Toll-Free Number: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922), press "7" to speak with an operator.
** Jim Waymer ([link removed])

Florida Today



STATE


Elon Musk tunnel idea getting dimmer in Fort Lauderdale


A long-hyped vision that would have Elon Musk’s Boring Company building twin tunnels to whisk Tesla passengers from downtown Fort Lauderdale to the beach might be on life support.

Mayor Dean Trantalis, who has ** championed the idea ([link removed])
for nearly two years as a way to get more cars off the road, still has tunnel vision.

“The Boring Company says this project is so important to them that they might fund the whole project,” Trantalis said during a City Hall meeting Tuesday afternoon. “To me, this is a game-changer.”

Commissioner Steve Glassman echoed the mayor’s words, saying it was worth moving forward with plans to pay The Boring Company nearly $400,000 to investigate whether the tunnels can work in South Florida.

“I’m not willing to shut this down right now,” Glassman said. “We have to see if this can happen.”

But three new commissioners — John Herbst, Pamela Beasley-Pittman and Warren Sturman, all sworn in to office last month — think it might be time to call the whole thing off, even if The Boring Company has offered to pick up the $100 million tab.

The idea of twin tunnels ferrying tourists and locals from downtown to the beach has sparked a wide range of reactions from residents, from curiosity to intrigue to ridicule.

‘Cut our losses’

Vice Mayor Warren Sturman agrees with those critics who consider the project a far-fetched idea that’s not needed and not wanted by rational observers.

During the commission’s afternoon conference meeting on Tuesday, Sturman likened the tunnels to a Disney ride that will do nothing to solve the city’s real traffic problems.

“My neighborhood does not want this,” he told the commission. “I think we should cut our losses.”

[ ** RELATED: Trouble ahead for Elon Musk’s beach tunnel project in Fort Lauderdale? ([link removed])
]

On Monday night, he told residents gathered at his pre-agenda meeting on a top floor of City Hall: “I think it’s a done deal. It’s dead. … It’s stupid.”

In June, a prior commission agreed to pay The Boring Company up to $375,000 so its ** team of experts ([link removed])
could determine whether South Florida’s terrain can safely accommodate a pair of 2.7-mile tunnels and whether the project made financial sense.

City officials were counting on the geotechnical report to be completed by Feb. 1.

But in December, the city asked The Boring Company to suspend its exploration work partly because it might have interfered with holiday events.

So far, the city owes The Boring Company $50,000, City Manager Greg Chavarria told commissioners Tuesday.

[ ** RELATED: Fort Lauderdale agrees to pay Elon Musk team $375,000 to do recon on beach tunnel plan ([link removed])
]

Commissioner John Herbst torpedoed the tunnel plan.

“I think it’s more of a theme park ride,” Herbst said, wondering whether anyone would really use it.

Herbst said he was also baffled as to why The Boring Company had not bothered to come up with a business plan and pricing model — and why the company was requiring the city to pay for the research.

Beasley-Pittman referred to a scathing report by The Wall Street Journal in late November that carried the headline: “Elon Musk’s Boring Company ghosts cities across America.”

“There were news stories about how this was not being followed through in other cities,” she said. “This was a red flag for the commission. We need more information.”


For more on this report please go to: ** Elon Musk tunnel idea getting dimmer in Fort Lauderdale (sun-sentinel.com) ([link removed])

** Susannah Bryan ([link removed])

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

FEDERAL




Divided House Approves G.O.P. Inquiry into Government "Silencing conservatives"


Republicans pushed through a measure to create a powerful new committee to scrutinize what they have charged is an effort by the government to target and silence conservatives.

A divided House voted on Tuesday to launch a wide-ranging investigation into federal law enforcement and national security agencies, as Republicans promised to use their new power in Congress to scrutinize what they said was a concerted effort by the government to silence and punish conservatives at all levels, from protesters at school board meetings to former President Donald J. Trump.

On a party-line vote of 221 to 211 with all Democrats opposed, the House approved the formation of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is to be chaired by Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, the incoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a staunch ally of Mr. Trump.

Mr. Jordan, who was deeply involved in Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, has for months been investigating what he says is a bias in federal law enforcement against conservatives. Now that Republicans have the majority, he plans to use his gavel and his subpoena power to escalate and expand that inquiry, including searching for evidence that federal workers have become politicized and demanding documents about ongoing criminal investigations.

In a floor speech, Mr. Jordan said that his goal was not to target Democrats or law enforcement officers who have scrutinized Mr. Trump’s behavior. He said his interest was merely in “protecting the First Amendment” at a time when he said the right was being unfairly targeted.

For more on this report, please go to:
** House Approves GOP Inquiry Into ‘Weaponization’ of Government - The New York Times (nytimes.com) ([link removed])

** Luke Broadwater ([link removed])
and ** Catie Edmondson ([link removed])
,
The New York Times


VIDEO of the WEEK

Stephen Colbert on Kevin McCarthy's journey to becoming Speaker of the House

[link removed]



Office Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
10am to 3pm

2345 14^th Ave. Suite 7
Vero Beach 32960

(772) 226-5267

[email protected]


STAY SAFE OUT THERE!


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