Port St. Lucie

The Swahili word for leader is “nazhi.” Fifteen-year-old Nazhi Forrest is leading the charge in creating more awareness about sickle cell anemia while she creates healthy sweet treats in her Port St. Lucie kitchen. NICK SAMUEL

The ‘KIDPRENEUR’

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:October 2, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie People

“Kidpreneur” refers to a young person with a big idea. Nazhi (pronounced Nah-zhee) Forrest is that and more. As founder and CEO of a growing baking business, Nazhi Thee Baker, LLC, the 15-year-old hopes to raise awareness of a medical condition that her own family deals with: sickle cell anemia.

Lindsey Porth Healy went through advanced nursing courses at a fast pace and now enjoys seeing patients in her practice with Dr. Mark Pamer in St. Lucie West. A nurse practitioner in rheumatology, she diagnoses and treats patients at her office on Lake Whitney Drive. ANTHONY INSWASTY

The NURSE PRACTITIONER

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:October 2, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie People

Many young people have trouble deciding what subject to study in school or which trade they would like to enter upon graduation from high school. Lindsey Porth Healy had no such problem, realizing what she wanted to study even before entering high school. As a person with a lot of empathy for those who are suffering, she was focused on a nursing career at a young age.

CARIBBEAN FLAVORS

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:October 2, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie Dining

Refined and affordable Latin food has made its way to Port St. Lucie in the form of Dom Rico Cafe. The task to fuse the flavors of two Hispanic countries in an area that had not previously seen such a combination was a bold move. But Dom Rico’s opening has been well-received by the community.

If the sound of the waterfall isn’t tranquil enough, music can be fed to the surround sound system from anywhere in the house.

Life in the courtyard

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:October 2, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie Homes

Redesigning, remodeling and redecorating their homes are the passions of Dan and Barb Hazard. Their courtyard pool home in the Vineyards has been updated for each of the past 15 years with projects ranging from new flooring to landscaping to repainting schemes.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:October 2, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie

Many of Port St. Lucie’s residents and visitors are unaware that part of the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker was filmed on the St. Lucie River because of its similarity to the Amazon, or that the name of Elkcam Waterway is “Mackle” spelled backwards, homage paid to the three Mackle brothers whose General Development Corporation of the late 1950s sparked Port St. Lucie’s first growth spurt. GDC also put one of its model homes in Grand Central Station in New York City to entice prospective buyers for what is now River Park. The siren call of “$10 down, $10 a month” brought the initial flocks of snowbirds south.

BRIDGE ON THE NORTH FORK

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:October 2, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie

Almost 40 years ago, the Port St. Lucie City Council had a dream of a wide, smooth highway crossing the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, letting residents travel in comfort from the east to the west side of the city.

Tranquil, attractive neighborhoods dot Port St. Lucie, bringing it accolades for being a wonderful place to raise families and a great area for retirement. Safety, beautification programs, planning and environmental measures all played a role in the city’s praises. CITY OF PSL PHOTOS

Awards galore

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:October 2, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie continues to reap multiple national, state and local honors for outstanding efforts to keep its citizens happy and safe.

Steel drum player James “Jimmy G” Graham also entertains audiences with his singing several nights a week at Conchy Joe’s in Jensen Beach. He performs Caribbean standards and applies reggae renditions to popular tunes. GREG GARDNER

The STEEL DRUM SINGER

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:May 29, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie People

Seeing country singer Johnny Cash walking around his small Jamaican village, James “Jimmy G” Graham never dreamed he would sing the reggae version of “Ring of Fire” for decades.

Samantha LaCroix exposes her students to music in non-traditional ways. Participating in a lesson are Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie fifth-graders Kaleel Dennis, foreground, and from left, Jamie Ballard, Kensley Hyppolite, Devin Sanchez and Gabriella Gonzalez. ELLEN GILLETTE

The OPERATIC TEACHER

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:May 29, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie People

When Samantha LaCroix’s mother was studying piano in London, she met her future husband in Austria on holiday. “He wrote love letters every day until she returned to Vienna,” says LaCroix. Their love story set the tone for LaCroix’s element of romance.

Kristy Wheeler Conway marvels at how much her life has changed since the first scholarship she received at Indian River State College. Once a foster child, she seeks to better the lives of children on the Treasure Coast, working evenings at the GED program on the Pruitt Campus of IRSC where she helps students complete the program and apply for scholarships. ANTHONY INSWASTY

The CHANGE SEEKER

Post author:Michelle Moore
Post published:May 29, 2019
Post category:Port St. Lucie Port St. Lucie People

Her first childhood memories are of life in a foster home. She and her siblings moved from foster care back to their home only to be returned to foster care again, with the cycle repeating as her family moved back and forth between the Jacksonville area and towns in south Georgia. She remembers the plastic bag that held her clothes and the few belongings she had. “You never wanted to lose sight of that bag,” she says. “It was all you had.”