More people like Miss Yeiser must step up and preserve more environmentally sensitive land. This is a very wealthy county with many millionaires and billionaires.<\/p>\n
To my knowledge, Miss Yeiser is the first person in Martin County to do this. At the commission meeting, she urged others to come forward and do the same, especially since the Florida Legislature allocated ZERO dollars for the Florida Forever Fund.<\/p>\n
The 4.5 acres next to the East Fork Creek preserve was slated to become a storage facility. The property surrounding the Hobe Sound Scrub Preserve was slated to be townhomes and apartments. This land contained many endangered and protected species. The way the half-penny sales tax was written, these extremely environmentally sensitive lands could not be purchased by the county.<\/p>\n
My hope is people will see the need to preserve more of old Florida to protect the plants and animals and the people from overdevelopment.<\/p>\n
Jeff Wittmann, Hobe Sound<\/p>\n
Heiress donates land adjacent to Hobe Sound Scrub Preserve<\/p>\n
1 of 26<\/p>\n
The 28-acre Hobe Sound Scrub Preserve, seen June 1, 2026, is comprised of rare sand pine scrub habitat. The preserve is located on an ancient sand dune that formed when most of Florida was under the ocean over 100,000 years ago. In 2018, Martin County purchased the land using funding provided by the Florida Legislature. Pittsburgh resident Louise Yeiser donated a parcel adjacent to the preserve to Martin County for preservation.<\/p>\n
(CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT\/TCPALM)Cardiologist, patient bond over diet, prayer<\/p>\n
In April, my cardiologist, Dr. Christopher Trotter, informed me with professional severity that I needed to lose weight. At 218 pounds, I could hardly argue. At least 8 to 10 pounds had to go.<\/p>\n
I took him seriously. Over the next two months, I began a vigorous daily swimming program. On sunny Florida days, I swam laps. On rainy days, I used the elliptical. Before jumping in the pool, I often muttered half-jokingly, \u201cHere you go, Dr. T \u2014 that\u2019s for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I also reduced my portions, and the weight dropped steadily.<\/p>\n
On the day of my follow-up appointment, I stepped on the scale at 199.1 pounds \u2014 a 19-pound loss.<\/p>\n
Dr. Trotter entered the examination room dressed in medical scrubs, except for an imposing pair of cordovan cowboy boots. He had a slight Southern accent from somewhere in the Bible Belt. After the usual normal measurements, he checked my weight. His demeanor changed completely.<\/p>\n
\u201c19 pounds in two months! Man, how did you do it?\u201d he asked triumphantly, standing up for a high-five.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoc,\u201d I told him, \u201cit\u2019s you who made me do it. Every time I jumped into the pool I\u2019d say, \u2018Here you go, Dr. T.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed, genuinely pleased. Then, tough Dr. T rolled his chair next to mine and asked, somewhat hesitantly, if I would object to saying a prayer together.<\/p>\n
He placed a comforting arm around my shoulder, took my hand and lowered his voice: \u201cLord, we thank You for Nick and the discipline You gave him, for the improvement in his health, and for this good report. Protect his heart and guide him ahead. Amen.\u201d<\/p>\n
What I remember most is the atmosphere: the Vero medical office, the cowboy boots and the peculiar tenderness of an American cardiologist thanking God because a stubborn patient had actually listened to him.<\/p>\n
Nick Lerescu, Vero Beach<\/p>\n
Lake Okeechobee decline a public health issue![\"Storm](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/450f1744f5d764315d08a19a3cf9ecb3.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Storm clouds over Lake Okeechobee on April 6, 2026, in Port Mayaca.<\/p>\n
Lake Okeechobee is more than a body of water \u2014 it is the beating heart of South Florida\u2019s ecosystem and a source of drinking water for millions.<\/p>\n
Yet this heart is failing.<\/p>\n
Each rainy season brings renewed fear toxic discharges will flow east and west into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers, spreading cyanobacteria that release liver and neurotoxins. These blooms are not just unsightly; they are dangerous to people, pets and wildlife.<\/p>\n
The causes are well\u2011known: decades of nutrient overload from agricultural runoff, wastewater and stormwater; weakened wetland buffers; and warming temperatures that supercharge algae growth. The result is a perfect storm of pollution and neglect.<\/p>\n
When the lake\u2019s water is released to prevent flooding, those toxins travel downstream, threatening coastal communities, tourism and public health.<\/p>\n
We cannot continue treating this as a seasonal inconvenience. It is a systemic failure \u2014 one that demands full funding and completion of restoration projects like the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, strict enforcement of nutrient limits and transparent monitoring of water quality. Prevention is always cheaper than cleanup, and the health of our residents should never be the price of delay.<\/p>\n
Florida deserves clean water, safe recreation and a future where Lake Okeechobee is restored to life rather than feared for its discharge. The time for half measures has passed.<\/p>\n
Linda Lindquist, North Fort Myers<\/p>\n
No surprise more Hispanics face driver’s license issues<\/p>\n
Regarding your article<\/a> \u201cArrests accelerate after state tightens driver\u2019s license rules,\u201d I see no problem tightening driver license restrictions on immigrants not here legally. We have already seen countless deaths occur nationwide, including in St. Lucie County<\/a>, by non-English-speaking immigrants.<\/p>\n No undocumented immigrant has a right to be illegal, and I’ve heard it said 90% of asylum claims<\/a> are proven to be bogus.<\/p>\n It should be no surprise most arrestees are Hispanic, a larger faction of the 6.7 million illegal immigrants<\/a> allowed in by the Biden administration. Simple arithmetic is not racial profiling.<\/p>\n It should also not be shocking that most arrests for driving unlicensed are for illegal immigrants. If you are breaking one law, what\u2019s a few more? Hence, the basis of the Broken Windows Theory. Many of these illegal immigrants are violent recidivist felons, so is a motor vehicle violation really going to intimidate them? The state tightening laws regarding licensing and renewals of illegal immigrants is public safety and common sense.<\/p>\n Arrests exceeding population growth seems right given the large and sudden influx of illegal immigrants into our state. I am glad state law enforcement is required to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Normally, they do anyway, as with all federal law enforcement agencies. Gratefully, Florida is not a sanctuary state.<\/p>\n I wonder if your writer would hold the same viewpoint if one of his family members were killed in a highway crash by a non-English speaking illegal immigrant, as too many families have already experienced.<\/p>\n Our country welcomes immigrants, but if they immigrate legally and assimilate. Don\u2019t bring your abandoned country here with you, learn English and bring something else to the table besides a fork and a knife.<\/p>\n Douglas Wrenn, Vero Beach<\/p>\n Editor’s note: Several fact-checking <\/a>agencies, including Politico<\/a>, say 20% to 30% of asylum claims have been granted since 2009, “but experts said that does not mean that the remaining 70 to 80 percent of cases are invalid.” <\/p>\n Trump Jan. 6, war decisions make little sense<\/p>\n So one of your letter writers <\/a>didn\u2019t see the policeman being dragged backward down the steps of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021? While being hit with a flagpole?<\/p>\n Or the one pushed up against a marble pillar, being crushed?\u00a0Or the clouds of bear spray all over?<\/p>\n One policeman died.\u00a0Did President Donald Trump see all this on TV, sitting in the White House? It was hard to miss the wooden gallows with a noose and the sign saying, \u201cHang Mike Pence!\u201d<\/p>\n Trump has already pardoned all those convicted of crimes that day.\u00a0And then he suggests taxpayers will have to pay them compensation?<\/p>\n I remember him saying he was going to end the Ukraine war on his first day in office. Now he\u2019s started a war with Iran, who President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated an agreement with, to never make nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve read Trump tore up that agreement the first time he became president.\u00a0Why?<\/p>\n Helen Frigo, Jensen Beach<\/p>\n Join the Conversation:\u00a0TCPalm is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. Email us at\u00a0TCNLetters@tcpalm.com<\/a>. Letters are subject to editing, must not exceed 300 words and must include your name, address and a daytime phone number to confirm the letter is for publication. We only publish names and cities with the letters.<\/p>\n