A Bike tour around Vero Beach Fl before we head north on our Island Packet 35.

The City of Vero Beach is a political subdivision of the State of Florida. The City was originally incorporated in 1919 as the City of Vero. In 1925, the City of Vero was re-incorporated as the City of Vero Beach and was transferred from St. Lucie County to Indian River County.

The City of Vero Beach consists of 13.1 square miles and is located about 190 miles south of Jacksonville and 135 miles north of Miami on Florida’s east coast. The City’s population is currently estimated at 18,160.

Popularity: 1% [?]

What: Vero Beach’s 2010 Biggest Loser Challenge is a 12 week competition geared for weight loss.

When: This program will begin on September 1st 2010 and end on November 24th.

How: Fill out our application located here on the message boards, email the event coordinator, or you may find them at many locations around Vero Beach. Once your application is processed and accepted you will receive an answer within 3 business days.

Fees: If accepted, program registration costs $10 a week for a single member, due at least 2 weeks in advance. Each additional family member is another $5 per week.

Registration fees will be used to provide you with a full nutrition and exercise program tailored to your needs and life, as well as the cost of operation and prizes.

Required Participation: The only participation that is required is a private weigh-in at a set time and place each week. Chances are if you want to win, the bare minimum won’t cut it. In addition to the weigh-in we will offer many more opportunities throughout the weeks for support. There will be a support group meeting each week to discuss diet concerns, new goals, triumphs, tips & tricks, or stumbles. That’s not all. Many other days of the week there will be exercise group meet-ups at any one of the local parks and recreation complexes.

Prizes: Each week there will be a unique challenge that offers a prize related to your healthy life efforts. That is 12 weekly prizes for participation and performance, and the grand prize for more weight lost is estimated $1000.

Event website: VBBLChallenge.webs.com.

Nicole Pierce – Program Coordinator

Popularity: 3% [?]

Vero Beach
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Where: Riverside Park, 390 Beachland Blvd., Vero Beach, FL
When: 9 p.m.
The Fireworks display should last about 15-20 minutes.
For more information, contact the City of Vero Beach Recreation Department at 567-2144.

Sebastian
Saturday July 3, 2010
The annual parade marches off in the morning down Indian River Drive, ending at Riverview Park with an all-day event featuring crafters and food vendors. Fireworks to follow in the evening.
When: 8:30 am-Parade begins. 9 p.m.-Fireworks
Where: Indian River Drive &; Riverview Park-the park is located at the intersection of US Highway 1 and Route 512, Sebastian, FL

Popularity: 11% [?]

 Former President George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State (2005-2009), will top the list of distinguished speakers at Southeastern University’s 5th Annual National Leadership Forum on its Lakeland campus next spring.

The March 8-10 symposium will feature separate addresses from both President Bush and Dr. Rice before the pair team up for a discussion that will be titled “Teamwork at the Highest Level.”

The National Leadership Forum draws some of the nation’s leading experts on leadership to the university’s campus each year for three days of challenging and inspirational teaching with a unique emphasis on servant leadership – one of the foundational principles of the university.  Servant leadership operates under the paradigm that the best leaders are those who seek first to serve and then to lead.

This will be Mr. Bush’s second appearance at Southeastern’s Forum; he and Mrs. Laura Bush were the keynote speakers at the 2010 Forum last March.

“The 2010 Forum literally took the conference to the next level with the appearance of former President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush,” remarked Southeastern Chancellor Tommy Barnett, founder of the Los Angeles Dream Center. “Our country is in desperate need of leaders who emphasize integrity, collaboration and trust.”

“The 2011 Forum continues to ignite the passion for servant leadership worldwide by bringing internationally known and respected leaders to our campus,” said Southeastern Vice President for Development James. L. Davis, whose department organizes the Forum. “To have a former president of the United States and his secretary of state in Lakeland – on our stage, at the same time, speaking about leadership – will offer incredible insights on cooperation and leading for the greater good.” 

Also scheduled to speak in 2011 are evangelist Franklin Graham; Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner; former advisor to four U.S. Presidents David Gergen; Chick-fil-A president and COO Dan Cathy; noted leadership authorities Jim Kouzes, Barry Posner, and Mark Sanborn; and Forum veterans Erwin McManus, Craig Groeschel, Ken Blanchard, Mark Floyd, Jim Blanchard and Tommy Barnett.

One unique aspect of the Forum is the caliber of the presenters. “The speakers at the Forum are the kinds of people who are the headliners for a conference. You normally go to a conference with four or five speakers and you get one of these speakers,” said Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Community Church, talking about the conference’s lineup. “The mainline speakers have been everywhere, and they can go anywhere. The fact that this many say yes to Southeastern speaks well of the school and the leadership of the school.”

The conference, which has sold out every year, is held in an intimate venue, seating just over 700, on the university’s Mediterranean-style campus, allowing audience members to connect with the speakers, to feel “up close and personal” with them.

The Forum was originally developed as an avenue for Southeastern University to interweave students’ educational experiences with exposure to the teachings of world-class leaders. However, the Forum quickly developed into much more than that. Past participants have come from across the U.S. and several countries and represent a balanced mix of corporate, nonprofit and church leaders who aspire to lead their organizations with integrity. Students continue to be an integral part of the conference and are able to earn college credit for their participation in the Forum.

Each September Southeastern University provides a webcast of the National Leadership Forum.  Davis explained, “We are committed to expanding the global reach of the servant leadership message. The Forum webcast is a collaborative effort with our presenters that broadens the scope of our core university ideals to literally tens upon thousands of viewers.”

“Southeastern University is one of the few organizations that understands how to do leadership development for both the Christian and the business community,” said Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church.

Barnett explained it this way, “The Forum is a time when we bring together the most informed people in the world to pour out that information to the hearts of people. It is not just information; it is very heartfelt. It is a time where we can stop and reflect for three days and let these men and women pour out the wonderful knowledge God has given them.”

“These are not just talented people with great content,” said Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, “but they are great people with a heart for integrity.”
Those thoughts are echoed by Ken Blanchard, author of The One-Minute Manager.  “I am a big fan of Southeastern’s Leadership Forum,” Blanchard said.  “So many leadership conferences want to get you in the head. While you have a lot of new information, what I love [about the Forum] is we are really getting at people’s hearts.”
“I don’t know how many men and women I have talked to over the past four years who have told me their life was literally transformed at Southeastern University’s leadership conference,” said Barnett. “It’s exciting to hear about the businesses and churches that have been impacted through the Forum.”

Forum tickets may be purchased at MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from “..” claiming to be www.seuleadershipforum.com. Sponsors for the 2011 Forum include APAC Southeast, Chick-fil-A, Convoy of Hope, Lakeland Automall, Peterson & Myers, P.A., The Ruthvens and Truline Industries.
In previous years, Forum speakers have included Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), Indianapolis Colts football coach Tony Dungy, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and former General Electric chairman and CEO Jack Welch.

Southeastern University, the world’s largest Assemblies of God educational institution, celebrates its 75th Anniversary this year. With almost 3,000 students and more than 400 employees, it is a private, liberal arts school accredited to offer 44 programs leading to bachelor’s degrees and eight programs leading to master’s degrees. For more information, call (863) 667-5000 or visit the website at www.seuniversity.edu.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Enduring Wildlife, a non-profit corporation, is in full gear collecting supplies, volunteers, and financial donantions to support the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Please assist this corporation do all it can to help.

Letter from the Executive Director:

On the 20th of April, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon incident occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. This event is horrific and tragic due to the loss of human life and now the beginnings of the loss of our environment. My heart is heavy and my mind constantly at work thinking of any way that I can assist with the cleanup effort currently underway. Tragic events never seem to fully sink in until it happens in your backyard. Florida is in danger of this catastrophic oil spill, both coasts now, due to the loop current that transfers water from the Gulf of Mexico out and up the East Coast of Florida, my home.

My breaking point came when I started seeing photographs taken of helpless animals drenched in oil and dying. It sickened me to my core and at that moment I knew that I had to do more than sit at my computer in tears. Because of the endless demand of urgent help, I have started a non-profit corporation, Enduring Wildlife. I felt the name was appropriate and timeless. Our environment is in dire need of help and no one knows how much time, money, volunteers, supplies, experts, etc. are going to be required. It is very scary and sad beyond words.

As of today, the oil is still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico with no end in sight. While I am not able to control when this damaged riser will be fixed, I can help clean up what has and will wash ashore. I can support local and non-local worker’s efforts to keep this disaster as under control as much as possible.
Our Oceans are home to manatees, dolphins, turtles, endless variety of fish, reptiles, birds and more. There is an amazing ecosystem within all the shorelines, they are beautiful and remarkable and it is crucial that they remain that way. This is the reason for my reaching out to you. I am asking for any donation you can offer, any amount will assist Enduring Wildlife tremendously and help it do extraordinary things.

My request is to everyone, please do what you can to donate, all proceeds go toward Enduring Wildlife’s “Saving Our Beaches” plan to assist with this disaster. Also, please visit my website at www.enduringwildlife.com. A main source of our funding right now is coming from the sale of our sandal charms, they are very popular! Our goal is to prepare our beaches and help cleanup efforts in the Gulf that currently have effected environments and wildlife. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Popularity: 5% [?]

One-Bedroom Parlour Suite

The historic Casa Marina Hotel (circa 1925) in Jacksonville Beach, Florida is the only HHA (Historic Hotels of America) property in NE Florida.  From March through July 2010, ‘TAKE A BEACHCOMBER BREAK offers an ocean view parlor suite at $159 SUNDAY thru THURSDAY that includes:
 
Two Drinks and Signature Tapas in the Penthouse Lounge
Continental Breakfast in the Main Lobby
Free Parking
Wi-Fi in each suite
 
The Casa Marina Hotel has a full-service fine dining restaurant and penthouse martini bar that serves lunch and dinner daily. Chef Aaron Webb has been at the helm of the hotel’s kitchen for 8 years, bringing their ala carte dining, weddings, corporate events and penthouse tapas menus to life with innovative dishes and desserts. Each season he is inspired to create healthy, exciting specialties – always caring about what the guests enjoy and demand.

Casa Marina Hotel History – A Grand Old Lady
 

Oceanfront Casa Marina Hotel (circa 1925)

The Casa Marina Hotel, at 84, is a grand old lady and still turning heads!  Ever since it opened its doors onto the Jacksonville beaches in 1925, when every postcard of the era announced ‘world’s finest beach’, the Casa Marina has remained an alluring landmark of Florida history.  There have been many forgotten moments in the vast drama of the 1920’s, but the mystery of the Casa Marina is that she must have seen it all. 
 
Jacksonville Beach was originally known as the town of “Ruby” (circa 1884), named by W.E. Scull, a railroad surveyor with the Jacksonville and Atlantic Railway Company, for his daughter. By 1885, the railroad and depot were completed and ‘Ruby’ was transformed into a tent city as crowds of beachgoers arrived with tents in which to live.  By then the town was renamed Pablo Beach, after the San Pablo River, a name it kept for nearly 30 years, before settling in as Jacksonville Beach in 1925.
 
The Grand Opening of the Casa Marina on Saturday June 6, 1925 was the height of Florida’s first land boom.  That same day the town was renamed Jacksonville Beach, while 200 guests dined and danced in the grand ‘salon’. Its construction and Spanish-Mediterranean design brought a ‘first’ to the beach…a fireproof building composed of stucco, concrete, tile and an automatic sprinkler system.
 
The 1920’s in Jacksonville were Hot!  The train terminal opened in 1919 and everybody who was anybody came southward to Florida, from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Al Capone. The movie industry boomed in Jacksonville long before Hollywood and the ‘greats’ like Chaplin and Pickford made appearances. 
 
The Casa Marina was two stories tall and had 60 rooms. Jacksonville Beach was the most alluring tourist town in NE Florida: its boardwalk, dance casinos, dining, amusement rides and wide beaches were known throughout America.
 
During the War Years of World War II, the U.S. government appropriated the Casa Marina for military housing.  A succession of owners followed who were passionate about restoring & remodeling the Casa Marina into private residences and an assortment of businesses…tearoom, clothing store, 37-room apartment building and restaurant.
 
The ‘grand lady’ finally took a well-deserved rest and closed until 1991.  By this time, a verandah and 3rd-story penthouse had been added to the original structure. Today, celebrating its 83rd birthday, the Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant offers 24 stunning bedrooms and parlor suites individually decorated to represent the distinctive and changing eras of its rich history.  The Penthouse enjoys its own notoriety, with one of the most stunning views of the Florida coastline.
 
The Casa Marina brings a feeling of classic glamour to Jacksonville Beach, a sultry blend of history, natural beauty and sophisticated culture.  One can still conjure up images of the ‘ghosts’ of the beach, the sounds of families and lovers laughing and a lineup of Model ‘T’ Fords as they enjoyed the best that life could imagine!   

Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant
691 N. 1st Street
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
904-270-0025
www.casamarinahotel.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Attention ” Residents of the Treasure Coast, as a result of Groucho`s Comedy Club opening at its newest location at Club Med, Sandpiper, 4500 S.E. Pine Valley Street, Pt. St. Lucie the entire Treasure Coast is now under a laugh advisory. If you find yourself at Groucho`s Comedy Club without proper cover, hold onto your funny bone and hunker down, one of Groucho`s fabulously fun staff will be with you shortly.

Groucho`s Comedy Club has featured such guests as Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Linslow, and Carrot Top just to name a few. We always try to get top notch performers. I want to make sure that when you leave Groucho`s, you leave with a smile on your face, ” said Larry Silver, owner.

Groucho`s offers a warm and friendly atmosphere that will leave you feeling like you`re a part of the golden age of comedy. The walls are covered with the Kings of classic comedy such as Groucho Marx, Abbott and Castillo, Laurel and Hardy, and little I love Lucy sprinkled in for good measure. Its candle lit atmosphere and quaint surroundings make it the perfect place for an evening filled with smiles.

Silver said he has lived in Stuart for the past 28 years. When I first came to the Treasure Coast I got my big brake in show business and landed a gig starting up a hotdog stand. You might ask yourself what a hotdog stand has to do with show business. What happened was that I overheard someone mention that the Barn Theatre in Stuart was holding auditions. So after trying out, it quickly became my newest hobby. I began doing professional theatre, commercials, open mic nights as well as numerous talent shows. ”

After several shows, Silver began to gain his confidence and decided to try his hand at directing and producing his own show. That was the spark that led to Groucho`s Comedy Club becoming a reality.

Groucho`s Comedy Club is currently the longest run comedy showcase on the Treasure Coast. Groucho`s has featured comics such as Steven Juliano Moore, Nick Arandes, as well as Jim Wiggins from The Last Comic Standing.

For more information, call 772-419-0302 or check them out on the web at www.grouchoscomedy.com.

Read Dream Reachers Featuring Judyth Piazza

Popularity: 2% [?]

In 1922, the McKee-Sexton Land Company was established in Vero Beach, Florida. This partnership purchased an 80-acre tropical hammock along the Indian River in 1929 and McKee Jungle Gardens was born.

With the help of landscape architect William Lyman Phillips, now known as the pioneer of tropical landscape architecture, the basic infrastructure of streams, ponds and trails was designed. Native vegetation was augmented with ornamental plants and seeds from around the world as Arthur G. McKee and Waldo E. Sexton set about assembling one of the most outstanding collections of water lilies and orchids.

By the 1940’s more than 100,000 tourists were visiting McKee Jungle Gardens each year, making it one of Florida’s most popular attractions. In the early 1970’s, attendance dwindled due to competition from new large-scale attractions and the garden was forced to close its doors in 1976.

The land was sold and all but 18 acres were developed. The remaining acreage, zoned for additional development, sat vacant for twenty years. In 1994, the Indian River Land Trust launched a fund-raising campaign and successfully purchased the property on December 1, 1995 for $1.7 million.

Close to $9.1 million was raised to purchase, stabilize and restore the Garden. The Garden held its formal Dedication November, 2001.

From I-95 South
Indrio Road east to US 1 North on US 1 to Vero Beach. McKee Botanical Garden is located at 350 US Highway 1 at the southern gateway of Vero Beach.

From I-95 North
State Route 60 east to US 1 and take US 1 South. Immediately past 4th Street (also known as Indian River Blvd.), McKee Botanical Garden will be on your left. You cannot take a left into the Garden, continue south until you come to where you can do a u-turn (at “The Pyramid”) and do a u-turn and head north on US 1. Our main entrance is off of US 1. The Garden will be on your right.

From the Beach
Coming over to the mainland from either the Barber Bridge or the 17th Street bridge, take a left on Indian River Blvd. Take a left on 4th Court (4th Court is immediately across the street from Velde Ford). Then take a right at the stop sign. McKee Botanical Garden will be on the left.
NOTE: There is a lot of construction so please be careful entering/exiting the Garden.

Admission Fees – October 31st – April 30th
Adults – $9.00
Seniors – $8.00
Children (3-12) – $5.00
Children under 3 – FREE
School Group*** – $1.00 per child
Tour Group*** – General Admission
Members – FREE

Admission Fees – May 1st – October 30th
Adults – $7.00
Seniors – $6.00
Children (3-12) – $4.00
Children under 3 – FREE
School Group*** – $1.00 per child
Tour Group*** – General Admission
Members – FREE

***NOTE: All group tours must be booked two weeks in advance by calling the McKee Botanical Garden office at 794-0601.

CHILDREN’S GUIDE TO MCKEE

McKee Botanical Garden’s new Children’s Guide is now available on-line.
Garden Gift and Book Shop

Come and visit our garden gift shop located at the garden entrance. We are open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm and Sunday 12:00 – 5:00pm, closed on Mondays.

Café
The Garden Cafe is open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and Sundays Noon – 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy a sandwich, salad or soup sitting indoors or out, taking in the scenic grounds at the Garden Cafe at McKee.

Accessibility
McKee Botanical Garden is wheelchair accessible. A wheelchair is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call the McKee Botanical Garden office for more information 772-794-0601 ext. 108 or to reserve.
Reference Library
McKee Botanical Garden has a reference library that is staffed solely by volunteers. It is a non-lending library and you are invited to visit during garden hours. Due to the volunteer staff, it is advised that you call the Garden at 772-794-0601 to make certain that the library is open.

SOURCE: http://www.mckeegarden.org

Popularity: 1% [?]