Bring the family downtown for an old fashioned tree lighting celebration with an performance by the acapella Celebration Singers and  the Martin County Tigerettes, cookies and milk and do-it-yourself Santa photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painting and balloon art, a “living manger” petting zoo, ornament decorating for kids, and the official lighting of the Downtown Stuart Holiday Tree. All activities are free. Call 772-283-1077 or 286-2848 for more information

Downtown Stuart will host an official holiday tree lighting celebration, Friday, November 25from 4-7 p.m. The old-fashioned celebration will take place on the green next to Haney Circle at the intersection of Osceola Street and Colorado Avenue. The event will feature a capella music by the Celebration Singers, a performance by Martin County Tigerettes, and  a host of family-friendly activities. Parents looking to avoid the cost of traditional Santa photos will appreciate do-it-yourself Santa photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, while kids will enjoy an ornament decorating station, face painting and balloon art, a “living manger” petting zoo, and cookies and milk on the patio at Duffy’s Sports Grill.  Then just after sunset the lights go on on the official Downtown Stuart Holiday Tree. All activities are free. For easy parking, ride the free Sailfish Shuttle from Osceola, Sailfish, or Kiwanis Park. Call 772-283-1077 or 286-2848 for more information.

Today I got a to-go lunch from Ellie’s Downtown Deli in Downtown Stuart. It’s off of 6th Street in a cute little white house. Ms. Ellie herself is always there cooking up the best. My favorite is The Powerhouse. As Ellie likes to tell me—I get it without the Power because I prefer regular turkey to the cracked pepper turkey on the menu. She was kind enough to give me a sample of her pasta salad (YUM) and a container of potato salad (DOUBLE YUM) and I topped it off with a homemade chocolate chip cookie.

Next on my list is the biggest hole in the wall but the best ever the WORLD FAMOUS Whistle Stop in Port Salerno. This is one of my favorite breakfast places–I always get the egg sandwich on a kaiser. I recommend the Country Potatoes on the side rather then the home fries. Again… just my opinion.

I was treated to a seasonal favorite from Bob’s Gourmet Deli off of Kanner the other day. I got the Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. Included on this bad bay was stuffing and cranberry sauce. If you can’t wait for Thanksgiving and have a craving-try this! From what I understand Bob’s Deli has been there for many many years… I just recently discovered why. IT’S AWESOME!

You can always tell a good lunch place when you walk in there are guys sitting around in suits and ties. These guys know whats good and they are right about this place. Bog Boy’s Subs and Salads off of Albany Ave. in Downtown Stuart. My favorite at this place is the chicken salad sub. OHHHH BOOOYY!!! —The secret about this sub is you gotta call EARLY and place your order because they only make so much and they always run out! Trust me on this one!!

OK… my opinion… take it for what it’s worth. If you do try em let me know what you think!!

Over and out-roger that!

STUART, FL – October 21, 2011 – The City of Stuart Community Redevelopment Agency has won an award for its role in the Extreme Martin Makeover – East Stuart Edition. The 2011 Roy F. Kenzie Award for Management Program/Creative Partnership was presented at the Florida Redevelopment Association Awards Dinner in Orlando last night. The project is one of only 12 statewide to receive the recognition and the only one recognized in its category.

With the Extreme Martin Makeover – East Stuart Edition, the Stuart CRA maximized public-private partnerships, participation, improvements, and funds to complete exterior repairs, painting and landscaping on 17 homes in the community. The project leveraged a CRA investment of less than $7,000.00 in funds with another $18,700 in cash donations, equipment, materials, repairs and in-kind services, and over 3,000 volunteer hours. The improvements were completed in conjunction with a neighborhood-wide street cleanup and volunteer appreciation event, and was so successful that it has become an annual project.

“By partnering with Habitat Angel, Habitat for Humanity of Martin County, Keep Martin Beautiful, and the East Stuart Main Street program, as well as the City of Stuart Sanitation.

Department, we were able to dramatically increase our impact in this neighborhood,” explained CRA Coordinator Teresa Lamar-Sarno. “Even more importantly, the project renewed community pride and invested residents in maintaining the improvements.”

The FRA awards committee carefully selects the winners from over 60 entries embodying the spirit of successful community redevelopment and revitalization. “Through a lot of hard work, successful partnerships and local support, these projects are completed and have helped to rebuild that community in some way,” said Kurt Easton, FRA president.

“Once vibrant and self-sufficient, economic and social pressures have led to poor maintenance, litter, and deteriorated landscaping in East Stuart,” said Lamar-Sarno. “Cleanups have short-term success, but a lack of community investment and decreasing TIF monies set the stage for a new approach. With this project the CRA was able to maximize public-private partnerships, participation, improvements, and funds.”

The City of Stuart Community Redevelopment Agency was created in 1986 to eliminate slum and blighted conditions in its communities and re-established and expanded in 1998 and 2002. The CRA is directed by the Community Redevelopment Board (CRB) and implements the objectives, programs and projects defined in the CRA Plan adopted by the City of Stuart in NEWS RELEASE TODAY’S DATE: October 21, 2011 RELEASE DATE: IMMEDIATE CONTACT: Teresa Lamar-Sarno, CRA Administrator 772-283-2532, tlamar-sarno@ci.stuart.fl.us

August 2002. The CRB meets the first Tuesday of every month at 4:00 in the City Hall Chambers at 121 SW Flagler Avenue, Stuart. For more information, please visit www.cityofstuart.com.

Founded in 1974, the FRA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting Florida professionals and volunteers in community revitalization efforts. With its mission of “transforming spaces, revitalizing places,” FRA is committed to providing a forum for its more than 300 members to share knowledge and common experiences regarding revitalization opportunities and issues. FRA advocates for quality urban economic development and urban infill, and serves as a statewide clearinghouse for redevelopment information.

For more information about the awards program or the FRA, contact Erin Schmidt at (850) 386-9100 or visit www.redevelopment.net.

OK if you can’t find something fun to do this weekend on the Treasure Coast—don’t blame me. Here we go!

My good friends at Osceola 32 Gallery are hosting their Opening Reception of the Jensen Beach Art League Exhibition “Water World.” Friday night from 6-9. Come out and see some great art. Exhibition continous until November 19, 2011.

Friday night is the monthly Musicfest at Gazebo Park in Downtown Stuart. 6-11pm and Tom Jackson will be playing!

Saturday from 11-5 is Pet-A-Palooza 2011 at Carlin Park in Jupiter. Join Sunny 104.3 for our first Pet-A-Palooza! Make plans to bring the entire family including your pets for all kinds of fun including Splash Dogs dock jumping, Halloween pet costume contest, pet look-a-like contest, Border Patrol dog agility demonstrations, a water-skiing squirrel, pet races, doggie day care, pet adoptions at Christie’s Critters Take Me Home Zone, food, drink and so much more. We’ll have live music from Boss Groove, Tom Jackson and Stranger Danger. Plus we’ll be raising money for the National Canine Cancer Foundation! It’s all FREE!!
If you would like to be a part of this amazing event we have plenty of sponsorship opportunities and booths available! They are going fast though so don’t miss out …. contact Dale Matteson today at (561) 616-4740 or email him dale.matteson@cbsradio.com.

Don’t have a pet and like beer? Come to the 4th Annual Treasure Coast Beer Fest from 1-5pm in the Ft. Pierce City Parking Garage. Come join us for the 4th Annual Treasure Coast Beer Fest. We have moved the event to October so that we may all enjoy some cooler weather and less chance of a hurricane. Once again, we will have many American and International Craft Beers. Also joining us again are some of the finest local breweries and home brewing clubs on Florida’s east coast. This is a charity event and other than operational costs associated with running the festival, monies are given to local charities.

LOTS TO DO!!!! Get out there and get busy!

Over and out! Roger that…

Really looking forward to the Martin County High School Homecoming parade on Thursday night. We have been helping all the great kids of the DECA club build THE best float in the parade. Be sure to come on down to see it-Downtown Stuart at 7pm. The parade goes from the school board building to confusion corner.

There is still time to register or give an auction item for our friends over at The ARC

2011 Swinging Fore the ARC 5^th Annual Golf Tournament
Featuring Nancy Lopez World Hall of Fame Golfer
October 29, 2011
Piper’s Landing Golf Club – Palm City

For more info: Tracy R Howse The ARC of Martin County at 772-283-2525.

Over and out! Roger that.

Groundbreaking banjoist/composer/bandleader Bela Fleck has reconvened his extraordinary original Bela Fleck & the Flecktones line-up for a North American tour to celebrate the group’s new recording, “Rocket Science.”  On stage with Fleck will be bassist Victor Wooten, Roy “Futureman” Wooten on drums, and pianist Howard Levy on keyboards and harmonica.  The tour – and the record – mark the first time in 20 years that Levy has reunited with the band.

Fleck first formed the Flecktones in 1988, ostensibly for a single performance on PBS’ “Lonesome Pine Special.”  From the start, the four musicians – each a virtuoso in his own right – forged a special kinship through their mutual passion for creativity and artistic advancement.  “When we come together and put our separate soups into one big stockpot, it turns into a very diverse concoction,” says Fleck.

Although Levy hadn’t played with the band since late 1992, the Flecktones continued to record and tour as a trio, later adding saxophonist Jeff Coffin.  They’ve shared the stage with artists as diverse as Sting, Bonnie Raitt and the Grateful Dead, and have toured with the Dave Matthews Band.   Blue-chip musicians like Chick Corea, Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis have been guest artists on their recordings.

For Flecktone fans – and those who have never experienced the “Tones” before – this return of the original line-up offers an extremely rare opportunity to experience this vibrant, visionary and iconic band live.

((Sidebar))  About Bela Fleck

Bela Fleck is widely considered to be the premier banjo player in the world.  Beyond that distinction, he defies categorization perhaps more than any other living instrumentalist.

Although Fleck was originally inspired by the traditional banjo style of Flatt & Scruggs, he has since taken the instrument to an entirely new level, reinventing its image and sound through a remarkable career that has taken him all over the musical map.  Fleck has won 11 Grammys and been nominated 27 times – in more different categories than anyone in Grammy history – which speaks volumes about the incredible diversity of his repertoire.

Early in his professional career, Fleck took bluegrass to new limits, mixing it with fusion and jazz (i.e., “blu-bop”).  But he didn’t stop there.  His work with the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival in the 1980s featured a unique blend of bluegrass, rock and country.  He has also charted new territory for the banjo in the classical, gospel and contemporary Christian genres.  In his “Tales from the Acoustic Planet” series, he explored the African origins of the instrument.  Fleck – and his music – are true originals, not to be missed!

To buy tickets www.lyrictheatre.com

Over and out! Roger that.

Over and out. Roger that.

Speaking of shoes-Saturday some brave men of the Treasure Coast will be “walking a mile in her shoes” to benefit Safe Space. Keep your eye out for men in high red heels in Downtown Stuart.

You might have noticed the Roosevelt Bridge looking a little different the past day or so. In honor of  National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Making Strides Against Breast Cancer has illuminated the bridge with pink lights. For more information visit makingstrides.acsevents.org.

Over and out-Roger that!!

Like to fish? Come to the Michael Shields Memorial Inshore Open. Starting friday night at 7pm at The River Palms Cottages in Jensen Beach. Congrats to Jade Smith for chairing this event.

How about a little Dancing? Dancing with the Martin Stars is at The Lyric Theatre at 7pm on Saturday night benefitting Martin County Healthy Start.

I do like to play games—Monday night is BINGO night in support of the American Cancer Society. Pampered Chef will be there with great prizes. 6:30-8:30 Monday night at Harbour Bay Plaza.

Have a great weekend!

Over and Out. Roger that.

It’s been a while since my last posting-whew we have been busy. The new 2011-2012 Lyric Magazine was put to bed-and it looks the best it has ever looked!! Linda Daly from The Lyric worked so hard on ad sales and kept everyone on track with that end as far as organization. It was a pleasure to work with her. She got some new clients who we designed some cool ads for-keep your eyes out-it will hit the streets in the next week or so!

Over and out! Roger that!