Editorial: Laboring for the lagoon from A to Z
It's been an amazing several weeks for Our Indian River Lagoon; vote for the folks you think are making a difference
By Editorial Board
Sunday, September 1, 2013
This Labor
Day weekend, we recognize and celebrate the men and women who build our roads,
teach our children, protect our homes and lives, help to feed and clothe us, and
all the others who work to keep our community and our country
running.
It’s also a fitting time to recognize the many men and women on the Treasure Coast who work tirelessly on protecting and preserving our Indian River Lagoon. The following are a few of those special people we believe are making a difference in ways big and small.
Go to TCPalm.com and vote on your top five picks of those laboring for the lagoon. We’ll report back on the folks you think are making the greatest impact.
Feel free to write in the names of candidates if we missed them.
Or if you prefer to use this page as a ballot, circle your five favorites and return to us at Scripps Newspapers River Advocates, c/o Michael Goforth, P.O. Box 9009, Stuart, Fla. 34994.
LEON ABOOD: A Martin County Realtor, Abood is the longtime chairman of the Rivers Coalition, which was founded in 1998 to support and protect the health of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
RICHARD BAKER: A nationally-recognized conservationist and professor emeritus of the University of Florida, Baker is president of the Pelican Island Audubon Society and has served on the society’s board for more than two decades.
MARTY BAUM: Baum is the Indian Riverkeeper, part of a national alliance of organizations protecting the nation’s waterways. The Indian River is his focus for public education and advocacy.
CHRIS DZADOVSKY: A St. Lucie County commissioner, Dzadovsky has become a leading government voice for protecting the lagoon and has initiated efforts to reduce pollution.
GRANT GILMORE: After 32 years with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and Dyamac Corp., at the Kennedy Space Center, Gilmore founded Estuarine, Coastal and Science Inc., in 2004. A scientist, he is internationally recognized for his studies of fish communities and the ecology of Florida waters.
CHARLES GRANDE: A former St. Lucie County commissioner, Grande has been recognized for his governmental work on behalf of the Indian River Lagoon. He is a board member of the Rivers Coalition and president of the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund.
SARAH HEARD: A longtime Martin County commissioner, Heard has been an advocate for the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. The Martin County Commission created the Speak Up for the St. Lucie project to educate the public and urge support for the river.
KEVIN HENDERSON: The president of Evergreen Engineering, Henderson has been on the board of the St. Lucie River Initiative and the Rivers Coalition for many years. In May, he revealed an analysis that showed more water could be stored south of Lake Okeechobee in existing stormwater treatment areas.
MAGGY HURCHALLA: A former 20-year Martin County commissioner, Hurchalla is nationally recognized as an environmentalist for her work on behalf of the Everglades and Indian River Lagoon and has been instrumental in helping raise awareness of conservation issues in Martin County.
BRIAN LAPOINTE: A research professor at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Lapointe has been doing extensive study into the sources of pollution of the Indian River Lagoon.
JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH: A Sewall’s Point commissioner and former mayor, Thurlow-Lippisch is a member of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation and the South Florida Water Management District’s Water Advisory Committee.
JOE NEGRON: A powerful leader of the Florida Senate, Negron organized the recent Senate select committee hearing to look into state and federal policies that might reduce pollution of the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River.
PETER O’BRYAN: An Indian River county commissioner with a degree in marine science, O’Bryan has crafted a proposal for restoration of the Indian River Lagoon in Indian River County and was instrumental in the county’s adoption of a new fertilizer ordinance.
JOHN ORCUTT: A marine biologist and financial broker, Orcutt has served on the Pelican Island Audubon Society Board and currently serves on the board of the Ocean Research and Conservation Association. He is a founder of the Indian River Lagoon Coalition.
MARK PERRY: Perry is executive director of the Stuart-based Florida Oceanographic Society with which he has been associated for 35 years. He has proposed scientific plans for redirecting water and reducing discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
NAT REED: A Jupiter Island resident, Reed served as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior under two presidents, is a founder of 1000 Friends of Florida, a member of the statewide Conservation Coalition, and serves as vice chairman of the Everglades Foundation.
JUSTIN RINEY: Founder of Mother Ocean and Expedition Florida 500, Riney, of Vero Beach, is on a year-long paddleboard journey on Florida waters and raising public awareness of the health of the state’s waters, particularly the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary.
KEVIN STINNETTE: A marine science educator, Stinnette served as the first Indian Riverkeeper. He’s presently a member of the Conservation Alliance of St. Lucie County.
KARL WICKSTROM: Wickstrom is the founder and editor of Florida Sportsman Magazine and a leader on the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund. He is a frequent writer on the importance of the health of the Indian River Lagoon.
EDIE WIDDER: A former marine researcher with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” award, Widder co-founded the Ocean Research and Conservation Association in Fort Pierce in 2005. ORCA is using collection of scientific data to map pollution in the Indian River Lagoon.
TIM ZORC: An Indian River County commissioner, Zorc has made the lagoon a top priority and is creating a committee of scientists and citizens to draft a plan of action for lagoon restoration and preservation.
It’s also a fitting time to recognize the many men and women on the Treasure Coast who work tirelessly on protecting and preserving our Indian River Lagoon. The following are a few of those special people we believe are making a difference in ways big and small.
Go to TCPalm.com and vote on your top five picks of those laboring for the lagoon. We’ll report back on the folks you think are making the greatest impact.
Feel free to write in the names of candidates if we missed them.
Or if you prefer to use this page as a ballot, circle your five favorites and return to us at Scripps Newspapers River Advocates, c/o Michael Goforth, P.O. Box 9009, Stuart, Fla. 34994.
LEON ABOOD: A Martin County Realtor, Abood is the longtime chairman of the Rivers Coalition, which was founded in 1998 to support and protect the health of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
RICHARD BAKER: A nationally-recognized conservationist and professor emeritus of the University of Florida, Baker is president of the Pelican Island Audubon Society and has served on the society’s board for more than two decades.
MARTY BAUM: Baum is the Indian Riverkeeper, part of a national alliance of organizations protecting the nation’s waterways. The Indian River is his focus for public education and advocacy.
CHRIS DZADOVSKY: A St. Lucie County commissioner, Dzadovsky has become a leading government voice for protecting the lagoon and has initiated efforts to reduce pollution.
GRANT GILMORE: After 32 years with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and Dyamac Corp., at the Kennedy Space Center, Gilmore founded Estuarine, Coastal and Science Inc., in 2004. A scientist, he is internationally recognized for his studies of fish communities and the ecology of Florida waters.
CHARLES GRANDE: A former St. Lucie County commissioner, Grande has been recognized for his governmental work on behalf of the Indian River Lagoon. He is a board member of the Rivers Coalition and president of the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund.
SARAH HEARD: A longtime Martin County commissioner, Heard has been an advocate for the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. The Martin County Commission created the Speak Up for the St. Lucie project to educate the public and urge support for the river.
KEVIN HENDERSON: The president of Evergreen Engineering, Henderson has been on the board of the St. Lucie River Initiative and the Rivers Coalition for many years. In May, he revealed an analysis that showed more water could be stored south of Lake Okeechobee in existing stormwater treatment areas.
MAGGY HURCHALLA: A former 20-year Martin County commissioner, Hurchalla is nationally recognized as an environmentalist for her work on behalf of the Everglades and Indian River Lagoon and has been instrumental in helping raise awareness of conservation issues in Martin County.
BRIAN LAPOINTE: A research professor at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Lapointe has been doing extensive study into the sources of pollution of the Indian River Lagoon.
JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH: A Sewall’s Point commissioner and former mayor, Thurlow-Lippisch is a member of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation and the South Florida Water Management District’s Water Advisory Committee.
JOE NEGRON: A powerful leader of the Florida Senate, Negron organized the recent Senate select committee hearing to look into state and federal policies that might reduce pollution of the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River.
PETER O’BRYAN: An Indian River county commissioner with a degree in marine science, O’Bryan has crafted a proposal for restoration of the Indian River Lagoon in Indian River County and was instrumental in the county’s adoption of a new fertilizer ordinance.
JOHN ORCUTT: A marine biologist and financial broker, Orcutt has served on the Pelican Island Audubon Society Board and currently serves on the board of the Ocean Research and Conservation Association. He is a founder of the Indian River Lagoon Coalition.
MARK PERRY: Perry is executive director of the Stuart-based Florida Oceanographic Society with which he has been associated for 35 years. He has proposed scientific plans for redirecting water and reducing discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
NAT REED: A Jupiter Island resident, Reed served as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior under two presidents, is a founder of 1000 Friends of Florida, a member of the statewide Conservation Coalition, and serves as vice chairman of the Everglades Foundation.
JUSTIN RINEY: Founder of Mother Ocean and Expedition Florida 500, Riney, of Vero Beach, is on a year-long paddleboard journey on Florida waters and raising public awareness of the health of the state’s waters, particularly the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary.
KEVIN STINNETTE: A marine science educator, Stinnette served as the first Indian Riverkeeper. He’s presently a member of the Conservation Alliance of St. Lucie County.
KARL WICKSTROM: Wickstrom is the founder and editor of Florida Sportsman Magazine and a leader on the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund. He is a frequent writer on the importance of the health of the Indian River Lagoon.
EDIE WIDDER: A former marine researcher with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” award, Widder co-founded the Ocean Research and Conservation Association in Fort Pierce in 2005. ORCA is using collection of scientific data to map pollution in the Indian River Lagoon.
TIM ZORC: An Indian River County commissioner, Zorc has made the lagoon a top priority and is creating a committee of scientists and citizens to draft a plan of action for lagoon restoration and preservation.
