“Sandy Shoes has a homespun quality, a warm, folksy, hometown sort of feeling that bigger and plushier festivals cannot match.” — Chicago Tribune, Feb. 17, 1967

When is the last time you thought about spending time shopping or dining in Downtown Fort Pierce?

Fresh produce, seafood, plants, delicacies — along with friendship and entertainment — have all become essential ingredients of a joyous ritual every Saturday morning.

With Fort Pierce’s old-time aura, it is easy to imagine early settlers and Seminole Indians brushing up dust on the same streets.

When things are created, it is often with a plan for form over function or the opposite, function over form.

The next superstar celebrity TV chef is Scott Calhoun from Fort Pierce, but he won’t be moving to Hollywood as he plans to film his episodes on the Treasure Coast.

When Ashley Gilbert was working on her bachelor’s degree at Indian River State College, she interned at PACE Center for Girls, an alternative school for girls who are at risk of dropping out of school.

Growing up in the laidback Miami of 50 years ago, with daily access to Biscayne Bay, Jim Oppenborn lived the life of a fisherman and sailor during his youth.