FORT PIERCE THE BEACHES LAKEWOOD PARK Vol. 16, No. 13 www.HometownNewsSLC.com Friday, August 25, 2017 TAKE US WITH YOU MEET BAXTER LAST CALL! WHAT A CATCH! Take Hometown News Would you like this great Our In Season calendars have Have you found great fish in with you when you go on space for your festivals, Treasure Coast waters? See vacation and you might dog in your family? Visit concerts, art shows, more one that didn't get away get featured in an the Humane Society from Sept. to next April. Read and see how your own prize upcoming edition how to send in info by Aug. could be in the paper soon. 31! TOWNIE 14 LOOKING FOR A HOME 7 IN SEASON 7 CATCH 13 The DISCOUNT OriginalFURNITURE Enjoying a girls night out 2822 S. U.S. #1, Fort Pierce The sky’s (772) 466-7022 LARGEST the limit MATTRESS RETAILER downtown OVER 45 DIFFERENT MATTRESSES TO Fort Pierce city CHOOSE FROM commissioners reluctant TWIN MATTRESS from $69 EA. PC. to put height restrictions FULL MATTRESS on new downtown from $85 EA. PC. construction QUEEN MATTRESS FORT PIERCE -- Any developer inter- from $99 EA. PC. ested in building a skyscraper here down- KING MATTRESS town would have no height limitations from $99 EA. PC. unless somehow restricted during the city’s site-plan review process. Planning Director Rebecca Grohall PILLOW TOP dropped the bomb on commissioners TWIN MATTRESS during their Aug. 14 Conference Agenda from $85 EA. PC. that the city has not had a building height restriction in place downtown since 2004. FULL MATTRESS “Currently there is no height restriction from $99 EA. PC. in the downtown,” she said. “We had an QUEEN MATTRESS ordinance going back to Jan. 2004 [but] it $ was removed. There was never a height from 115 EA. PC. limit put back in. Prior to that time, it was KING MATTRESS 200 feet, which is a substantial amount of from $115 EA. PC. height.” Sevin Bullwinkle/staff photographer In response to questions from Mayor EACH PIECE PRICES ARE SOLD IN SETS. Linda Hudson, Ms. Grohall explained KING SETS ARE 3 PIECES. MATTRESS ‘Cake Lady Custom Cakes’ in Fort Pierce held an Edible Succulent Class on ONLY ARE SLIGHTLY HIGHER August 7. Here, Diane Orne takes a selfie with her daughter Robin Longstreet that the tallest structure downtown at SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER! present is most likely the Renaissance and granddaughter Leighton Longstreet with their traditional chef hats. See SKY, page 9 TAKE US WITH YOU PLANNING A TRIP? ‘Touring with the Townies’ features Bank announces major acquisitions reader-submit- ted photos from CenterState Banks to become travels. Let’s see how many places we can Florida’s largest community bank go! Send in your picture or For Hometown News questions to newsfp@ [email protected] hometownnew- sol.com TREASURE COAST – CenterState Banks, Inc., the COMMUNITY CALENDAR parent company of CenterState Bank, N.A., announced the concurrent signing of two separate definitive merg- See er agreements: under one agreement, CenterState will community events on acquire HCBF Holding Company, Inc. (“Harbor”), the page 2 parent company of Harbor Community Bank, Fort. Pierce Florida; and under the other agreement, Center- State will acquire Sunshine Bancorp, Inc. (“Sunshine”), the parent company of Sunshine Bank, Plant City, Flor- ida. Upon finalization of each merger, the subsidiary bank of each of Harbor and Sunshine will merge into Staff photo by Sevin Bullwinkle INDEX CenterState Bank. Upon completion of both mergers, CenterState will Harbor Community Bank was part of an acquisition by CenterState Classified 16 Out & About 11 Banks that will make the institution the largest community bank in Crossword 15 Police Report 5 See BANK, page 7 Horoscopes 11 Viewpoint 6 Florida. 2 Hometown News – FORT PIERCE – www.HometownNewsSLC.com Friday, August 25, 2017 Community calendar SATURDAY, AUG. 26 Reservations requested - call (772) 398- fun crafts project. Parents are encouraged to Designed for ages 2-5, this interactive 2779. participate. Pre-registration is required. For program will have your young ones clapping, • Orchids, Orchids & More Plant Sale: 9 more information, call (772) 807-4499. dancing, singing and listening to stories each a.m. to 1 p.m., Port St. Lucie Botanical TUESDAY, SEPT. 5 week. For more information, call (772) 462- Gardens, 2410 S.E. Westmoreland Blvd., THURSDAY, SEPT. 7 2154 or visit http://library.stlucieco.gov or Port St. Lucie. Free admission, everyone is • Free admission to the Aquarium: 10 email [email protected]. welcome. For more information, call (772) a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Lucie County Aquarium • Writers Group: 1-3 p.m., Lakewood Park • Celebrate Recovery: 7-9:30 p.m., 337-1959 or visit www.pslbg.org. featuring the Smithsonian Marine Exhibit Branch Library, 7605 Santa Barbara Drive, Fairlawn Baptist Church, 3003 Rhode Island • 'All About Orchids' children's event: 11 offers free admission on the first Tuesday of Fort Pierce. Get together with other writers to Ave., Fort Pierce. A free, Christ-centered a.m., Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, 2410 each month. The aquarium is located at 420 read and provide feedback on each other’s recovery program offered every Tuesday S.E. Westmoreland Blvd., Port St. Lucie. Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce. For more work at this new program, scheduled for the evening. For more information, call (772) Registration requested: call (772) 337-1959. information, call (772) 462-3474 or visit first and third Thursday of each month. This 461-0814. http://www.sms.si.edu/SMEE informal writing support group is organized TUESDAY, AUG. 29 • Weekly Storytime Jam: Tuesdays at by community volunteers and is free and SATURDAY, SEPT. 16 10:30 a.m., Zora Neale Hurston Branch open to anyone interested in writing. Writers • Weekly Storytime Jam: Tuesdays at Library, 3008 Avenue D, Fort Pierce. of all genres and skills are welcome to drop • Give-a-Tree, Spread-the-Shade Tree 10:30 a.m., Zora Neale Hurston Branch Designed for ages 2-5, this interactive in and participate. For more information, Giveaway: Hosted by Keep Port St. Lucie Library, 3008 Avenue D, Fort Pierce. program will have your young ones clapping, contact the staff at (772) 462-6870, email Beautiful and the St. Lucie County Extension Designed for ages 2-5, this interactive dancing, singing and listening to stories each [email protected] or visit http://library. Office from 8-11 a.m., Port St. Lucie program will have your young ones clapping, week. For more information, call (772) 462- stlucieco.gov. Botanical Gardens, 2410 S.E. Westmoreland dancing, singing and listening to stories each 2154 or visit http://library.stlucieco.gov or Blvd., Port St. Lucie. The City will give away week. For more information, call (772) 462- email [email protected]. SUNDAY, SEPT. 10 an assorted variety of trees that are native to 2154 or visit http://library.stlucieco.gov or • Celebrate Recovery: 7-9:30 p.m., Florida. Trees are given away on a first-come, email [email protected]. Fairlawn Baptist Church, 3003 Rhode Island • River Kidz monthly meeting: 1-2 p.m., first-served basis to residents of Port St. • Celebrate Recovery: 7-9:30 p.m., Ave., Fort Pierce. A free, Christ-centered Manatee Observation and Education Center, Lucie, with proof of residence. Free, one tree Fairlawn Baptist Church, 3003 Rhode Island recovery program offered every Tuesday 480 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce. Free per household. Residents will be required to Ave., Fort Pierce. A free, Christ-centered evening. For more information, call (772) educational program for kids of all ages who visit 5 out of 7 educational booths run by recovery program offered every Tuesday 461-0814. want to help preserve and protect our local Master Gardeners, to learn how to care for evening. For more information, call (772) waterways. Monthly meetings are the second their new tree. Trees available at the event 461-0814. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6 Sunday each month. Events include t-shirt are: Gumbo Limbo, Japanese Blueberry, making, arts and crafts, beach cleanups, Pigeon Plum, Silver Buttonwood, and SATURDAY, SEPT. 3 • Pretty Princess Tea Party: 10-11:30 river seining and more. For more Simpson Stopper. For more information, call a.m., first Wednesday of each month, at the information, visit www.facebook.com/ (772) 873-6312, email [email protected], • Frog Watch: 7-9 p.m., Savannas Port St. Lucie Civic Center, on the southeast riverkidzslc/ or visit www.cityofpsl.com/kpslb Preserve State Park, 2561 S.E. Walton Road, corner of U.S. 1 and Walton Road. Meant for • 'Wacky Weeders:' 8:30 a.m. to noon, Port St. Lucie. Help collect real data on local girls ages 2-10 years old. Cost is $3 per TUESDAY, SEPT. 12 Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, 2410 S.E. toad and frog populations on a 1.5 mile child. Dress in princess attire and meet Westmoreland Blvd., Port St. Lucie. The evening hike after you learn about the frogs princesses from ‘Princess Enchantments.’ • Weekly Storytime Jam: Tuesdays at Gardens need your help! All volunteers are and toads you might see in the park. Free The party also includes a dress-up trunk, 10:30 a.m., Zora Neale Hurston Branch welcome, there are jobs everyone can do, admission, but donations are appreciated. story time, ‘tea time’ snacks, sing-a-long, and Library, 3008 Avenue D, Fort Pierce. regardless of age or ability. Bring gloves, See CALENDAR, page 7 Community notes St. Lucie County’s Code Fine their homes and/or businesses up to current codes, while generating more than Amnesty program generates 11 $34,000 in fees.