Comeback time
Two years of fourth-place finishes in the National League East have kept the New York Mets in a reorganizing stage, but they have the talent to begin a turnaround during their 31st spring training in Port St. Lucie.
Ray Adams
Indian River “Glorias”
Ray Adams has been conducting choirs in Vero Beach for 35 years, preparing them on several occasions to sing at New York’s Carnegie Hall for other conductors. But on Sunday, March 31 at 2 pm, as part of MidAmerica Productions’ 36th annual concert season, he will ascend the fabled podium for the first time to lead a choir of more than 140 voices – including singers from two Vero Beach groups – and the New England Symphonic Ensemble, in the exuberant Gloria by British composer John Rutter.
A life of musical clarity
Believe it or not, Fort Pierce enjoyed a golden age of opera. Beginning in 1979 and lasting three decades, this city was home to the Treasure Coast Opera, which produced three or four operas every winter season and a musical or two many summers.
‘Our Soldier Boy’ of World War I
The name Stephen N. Gladwin was a familiar one to me growing up in Fort Pierce.
Saving the abandoned
Cats running loose in the neighborhood present a dilemma for residents who feel sorry for the wild animals but at the same time need order in their communities. Feral or lost cats can procreate at alarming rates when left on their own, leading to necessary capture and eventual death in many cases.
Caleta Scott sees community gardens, such as this one on North 9th Street in Fort Pierce, as a much more practical way to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhood residents who have limited access to large supermarkets. ANTHONY INSWASTY PHOTOS
The REVITALIZATION COORDINATOR
Fort Pierce native Caleta Scott grew up in Miami and worked in Atlanta for several years after college, but now she’s back in her hometown working on behalf of the Lincoln Park neighborhood she loves.
A scientist at heart, Annmarie Loveridge takes a break from tending the gardens of the Klein estate in White City. She takes care of several properties using only natural fertilizers and usually brings her beagle, Grace, to roam the grounds. GREG GARDNER PHOTOS
The PLANT GURU
After 10 years as president of the Lakelas Mint Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, Annmarie Loveridge is hanging up her garden gloves and pruning shears.
Osmond C. “Pete” Peterson constructed more than 100 buildings during a 50-year career in Fort Pierce. A well-known craftsman in wood and metal, the 100-year-old Peterson lost part of his finger in a horseback riding accident. GREG GARDNER PHOTO
The NAVIGATOR
As a contractor, Osmond C. “Pete” Peterson was a major contributor to the construction of buildings and developments throughout Fort Pierce.
Devout Catholics, Moon Lueg and his family celebrate then-Rev. Michael Beerhalter’s 25th year in the priesthood in 1951. The jubilee took place at the old St. Anastasia School on Orange Avenue. From left are: Moon Lueg, wife Ella May, children Lana, Raymond, Irene, Lena, Oakley, Marie, Audrey and Ida. Seated second from right is the younger children’s nanny, Grandma Kohn. MCGLENN FAMILY COLLECTION
Garden of delight
A warm climate, fertile soil and the possibility of year-long farming led a young New Jersey farmer and family man to St. Lucie County back in the 1940s.
Festival-goers stop by the Navy SEAL Museum exhibit during the recent Treasure Coast History Festival on Fort Pierce’s Second Street. ANTHONY INSWASTY PHOTOS
Times to remember
It might have been more fitting to rename Second Street “Memory Lane” during the third annual Treasure Coast History Festival held in downtown Fort Pierce.
