Page A1 the National of Local Waterways
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EARL INSIDE PORT ST. LUCIE ON CARS Earl Stewart discusses mail advertising Page A7 Vol. 11, No. 13 Your Local News and Information Source • www.HometownNewsOL.com Friday, Aug. 31, 2012 BEST OF THE BLOTTER Two promoted to assistant chief JAY MEISEL Staff Report PORT ST. LUCIE — Two veteran Port St. Lucie Some criminal cases are Police Department unusual, humorous or just employees were promoted outright odd. And there’s 767257 last week to assistant no shortage of them on the police chief, according to a Treasure Coast. This press release. column will highlight They were Acting Assis- cases that often leave tant Police Chief William observers shaking their B. Vega Jr., who was heads. Del Toro Vega assigned the position on permanent basis and born in New York, moved K-9 unit and the SWAT ment in 1999. became an internal Making false claims Richard R. Del Toro Jr., to Port St. Lucie in 1996 team. During that time, he affairs sergeant. who was promoted from and began working that Four years later, he served on the SWAT team Promoted to lieutenant In Fort Pierce, some lieutenant. year with the Port St. Lucie became lieutenant and and worked as a commu- in 2009, he became road people are really home- The promotions came Police Department. was commander for the nity policing officer, a patrol commander and less. But then there are not long after Assistant During his career with road patrol. Later, he detective and a road patrol later SWAT team com- the fake homeless people. Police Chief John Bolduc the department, he was on became commander of the officer. mander and commander A St. Lucie County was promoted to police the SWAT team, a road special investigation unit. He was promoted to ser- of the professional stan- deputy was talking with a chief. patrol officer and then Assistant Chief Del Toro, geant in 2006 and super- dards division, which man he knew to be According to the press became a detective. 35, moved to Port St. Lucie vised the SWAT team, road includes internal affairs, homeless and the man release: In 2002, he became ser- and in 1996 and started his patrol, community orient- training, recruiting and complained about people Assistant Chief Vega, 39, geant and supervised the career with the depart- ed policing and then accreditation. pretending to be home- less while soliciting money. As if on cue, a man walked toward the area Feeling Isaac’s wrath and was holding up a sign Local that said, “Homeless Vet Please Help!,” an arrest affidavit said. man The police officer asked the man a trick question: “Where do you live?” and his reply was that he lived honored in a trailer park. One might wonder how a person can live in a with trailer park and be homeless. The report also did not say whether the man had any evidence national that he’s a veteran. The man ended up being arrested on charges award of trespass and fraud. And if you thought By Dawn Krebs [email protected] your boss was TREASURE COAST — bad……. More than a decade ago, he retired here to the Treasure A lot of people have Coast to relax and “feel the See BLOTTER, A9 Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer sand between his toes.” Josahua Capllan gets help from Edward Petros and Kim Spencer pushing his car from the flash flood brought on But his passion for the environment found Don ENTERTAINMENT B1 by tropical storm Isaac Monday, Aug. 27 off Thornhill Road in Port St. Lucie. Voss a second career, as well as national recognition BBQ FEST Small cars didn’t fare so when he received the well trying to navigate Ocean Heroes Award in July. the flooded streets of “It is quite exciting,” Mr. Port St. Lucie during the Voss said. “I was over- flash flood brought on whelmed at the number of by tropical storm Isaac people who voted for me. Monday, Aug. 27. Anytime you can get recog- A barbecue festival will nition for what you do, it’s a be held in Fort Pierce on big deal.” Sept. 1 What Mr. Voss does is clean up marine debris in STORM TRACKER A4 the Indian River Lagoon, a job he has been very busy at BE PREPARED for 11 years. The Ocean Heroes Award recognizes people who are Joe dedicated to the protection Zelenak Mitch Kloorfain discusses chief photographer See AWARD, A2 August’s hurricane season changes Police arrest suspect Burglar leaves WEEKEND WEATHER in motel burglaries warning for resident Friday: Partly cloudy; high: 86; low: 72; high tide: By Jay Meisel mont Circle, Lake Worth, Both motels are in St. Lucie By Jay Meisel unlocked in his driveway, 8:51 a.m.; low tide: [email protected] was arrested Aug. 21 and West. Master Sgt. Frank Sabol, 2:50 p.m. [email protected] Saturday: Partly charged with two counts of At Springhill Suites, a public information officer, cloudy; high: 88; PORT ST. LUCIE — An burglary of an occupied couple reported leaving PORT ST. LUCIE — For said in a press release. low: 72; high tide: 9:35 a.m.; low tide: 3:34 p.m. investigation into an aban- dwelling and grand theft. their motel room for break- years, the Port St. Lucie Master Sgt. Sabol said in Sunday: Partly cloudy; high: 88; low: 70; doned vehicle with stolen The investigation, which fast, the affidavit said. Police Department has the press release the man high tide: 10:16 a.m.; low tide: 4:15 p.m. goods led to the discovery police say is continuing, When the returned, they returned to his car in the Weather courtesy of www.weather.com worked to prevent burgla- of a plot that involved involved a burglary of a found the room ransacked ries. morning and noticed that INDEX thieves posing as motel room at Springhill Suites and numerous items miss- Now, even one of the his handgun and bullets guests and burglarizing Hotel and an apparent ing, including a laptop criminals may be support- and a knife were missing. Classified B6 Out & About B1 rooms, according to an attempted burglary of computer, binoculars, a ing the effort. But as the man was Crossword B5 Police Report A5 arrest affidavit. another room at Holiday digital recorder and several A Port St. Lucie man about to go back in his Horoscopes B1 Sports A4 Solomon Olusegun Obituaries B6 Viewpoint A6 Inn Express, both on Feb. 4, reported to police that on Brown, 31, of 5337 Oak- the arrest affidavit said. See MOTEL, A3 Aug. 21 he left his car See BURGLAR, A3 027445 Martin, St. Lucie & Indian River County (772) 465-5656 • Volusia (386) 322-5900 • Brevard County (321) 242-1013 A2 • Port St. Lucie Hometown News Friday, August 31, 2012 Don Voss, the Award recent recipient of From page A1 the national of local waterways. It is Ocean Heroes awarded by Oceana, an Award, looks over international advocacy some of debris he group working to protect and his crew of the world’s oceans. Mr., Voss received his award at a cere- volunteers mony in Virginia. removed from the “I moved to Fort Pierce 14 Indian River years ago to retire,” he said. Lagoon recently. “I’d been a SCUBA diver since 1971, and I credit div- ing and snorkeling for sav- ing my life.” A war injury he received Photo courtesy in Vietnam had doctors of Don Voss thinking he would have increasing difficulty walk- ing, but was able to heal by being almost weightless in the water for hours at a time. But while he was in the Broken Bones, water, he realized the need Bladder Stones... for cleanup in the water- Pet Dentals 027493 Don’t Panic, for 027494 Starting at ways. second opinion Call “My first cleanup dive was Atlantic Animal Clinic in the Sebastian Inlet,” he 30 years of surgical experience $ 00 We may be able to said. “When I got out of the save you money! 125 water that day I started Marine Cleanup Initiative.” “ASK DR. OZ” Since that time, the underwater cleanup organi- Call 334-5901 for an appointment zation has brought in more The Atlantic Animal Clinic than 300,000 pounds of 1315 NE Sunview Terr. • Jensen Beach trash out the Indian River Lagoon and the area water- ways. “The first official cleanup, we had six people and col- lected more than 6,300 pounds of debris,” he said. 772-781-8184 “We’ve been doing it every year, and only skipped the year the hurricanes hit.” While in the early years, his small team brought up a variety of old debris, now he operates with a volunteer 767363 team of more than 400 peo- ple. Robert H. Fier M.D. “This crew offers their Board Certified Ophthalmologist free time, using their own equipment at their own expense, week after week,” he said. “They do it to make Cataracts our oceans and waterways A cataract is clouding of the eye’s lens. The cloudy better.” lens blocks the passage of light through the eye. As a result, Even businesses help his cause. For example, Dive the image that reaches the retina, and which is sent to the Odyssea in Fort Pierce has brain, is cloudy and vision is poor. contributed by refilling the Rebecca Grunbaum air tanks Mr. Voss’ crew and Bobo M.D. volunteers for free. Trained in Comprehensive Cataracts are the leading cause of poor vision in adults. Ophthalmology Nowadays, he sees some However, the development of cataracts does not mean a things have changed, but loss of sight.