4
I
f it weren’t for Eddie Enns, Fort Pierce might not be the city it
is today, and you might not be reading this publication.
It was two years ago in January that we gathered atop the
sandy knoll known as Riverview Memorial Park and walked
alongside the graves of our forefathers and others who had
helped build and settle Fort Pierce.While awaiting the arrival of
the hearse carrying Eddie, Fort Pierce’s mayor from 1996 to 2004,
we began talking about starting lifestyle magazines to serve the
region. It was a conversation that resulted in the launch of Indian
River Magazine and our other publications.
In many ways, our mission with Fort Pierce Magazine is similar
to that of Eddie, who saw one of his main roles as mayor to be
chief cheerleader. He initiated the monthly Coffee with the Mayor,
a custom now followed in Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County
governments. Eddie would let anyone make an announcement—
as long as it reflected positively on Fort Pierce.
In his eight years as mayor, he spent much of his time trying to win over critics of the city.
He petitioned the media to write more about the rebirth of the city and the many improvements
that were taking place, from the expansion of the downtown waterfront and the establishment
of new businesses, to the renovation of the historic Sunrise Theatre and streetscaping
improvements on Avenue D.
One of Eddie’s greatest heroes was Ronald Reagan, who embraced JohnWinthrop’s vision
of America as the “city upon a hill, and that the eyes of all people are upon us.’’ Eddie,
whose grandfather, Robert Reed Gladwin, arrived on these shores in 1898 and was Fort
Pierce’s first elected mayor, took a more localized approach toWinthrop’s vision. He saw Fort
Pierce as a shining city on the waterfront, and he knew the importance of establishing its reputation
Reach Publisher and Editor Gregory Enns
at 772.466.3346 or
enns@indianrivermag.com.
Reach Associate Publisher Allen Osteen
at 772.466.3346 or
osteen@indianrivermag.com.
to the outside world.
To be sure, many others deserve credit for Fort Pierce’s dramatic turnaround. But it was
Eddie, who, by example, instilled in others a vision of what Fort Pierce could be.
It is to his memory that we dedicate this first issue of Fort Pierce Magazine.
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
Publisher & Editor
Gregory Enns
Associate Publisher
Allen Osteen
Account Executive
Debbi Beach
Contributing Writers
Susan Burgess, Greg Gardner,
Janie Gould, Sue-Ellen
Sanders, Gloria Taylor
Weinberg and Camille S. Yates
Photography
Ed Drondoski, Greg Gardner
and Porfirio Solorzano
Design
Michelle L. Moore
Web Editor
Michael Burney
Cover photo
Porfirio Solorzano
To Advertise
Call 772.201.1947
or e-mail
debbi@indianrivermag.com
To subscribe
Send a $25 check with
recipient’s mailing address to
Indian River, 308 Ave. A,
Fort Pierce, FL 34950 or visit
www.indianriverstore.com.
On the Web
www.indianrivermag.com
Acknowledgement
We wish to thank Fort
Pierce historic preservation
officer Kia Powers for her
help with background on
our historical articles.
Fort Pierce Magazine is a publication
of Indian River Magazine Inc., a
locally owned company based at
308 Ave. A, Fort Pierce, FL 34950.
All material contained herein is copyrighted
by Indian River Magazine Inc.
Member of the St.Lucie County
Chamber of Commerce.
PHOTO BY GREGORY ENNS
Gladwin, left, and Stephen Enns, right, the sons of Eddie Enns, with Mayor Bob Benton March 16 at the 3rd
Annual Edward G. Enns City Championship at the Edward G. Enns Indian Hills Golf Course.
/www.indianriverstore.com
/www.indianrivermag.com
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