5 minute read
Cohen’s Optical
Need More Coupons - MyLivingMagazine.comThe Fruits of a Collaborative Community’s Labor
By Gabby Gregory
One of the most popular locations in Martin County for both residents and vacationers is the House of Refuge Museum and beach area on Hutchinson Island. With a gorgeous, scenic ocean view, the site is located along the active MacArthur Boulevard thoroughfare, which leads to Sailfi sh Point. If you drive along the route today, you’ll notice an impressive and attractive array of native Florida plants and trees that further enhance the region’s natural beauty. But, if you’ve lived in Martin County long enough, then you may remember that the area was not always so charming. When hurricanes Jean and Frances tore through Martin County in 2004, the entire roadway, including the stunning natural life there, was destroyed, ruining the environment.
Later, a year after the hurricanes’ devastation, the county was able to rebuild the road, and replanted a few trees and plants along its sides. Attorney Richard Kibbey and his wife, Dana, are longtime Sailfi sh Point residents who saw these fi rst improvements, as they drive past the House of Refuge Museum pretty much every day to go to work. Over time, the Kibbeys noticed that the county’s initial revitalization efforts were no longer prospering. The environment just didn’t look healthy, and was most certainly not an accurate representation of the area’s once stunning natural beauty. Attorney Kibbey recounts that the Summer and Fall of 2019 especially revealed the deterioration of the environment, as they were particularly dry seasons without normal rainfall.
In May of 2020, the Kibbeys, who are passionate about the environment and have extended their support to a number of other ecological improvements in the community, decided to restore the section of MacArthur Boulevard by the House of Refuge to its former glory. After communicating with the county, Richard and Dana purchased over 100 new palm trees and plants and installed them on both sides of the roadway. From there, the couple and their grandchildren, plus some hired workers and other conscientious Sailfi sh Point residents, hand watered the vegetation so that it would thrive. The Kibbeys also paid for some private water trucks to water the area at least once per week. The residents of Sailfi sh Point generously donated a signifi cant portion of their own water supply to these trucks. As heartening as this community effort was, it was also, the Kibbeys knew, not a sustainable solution.
That’s when two other long-term Sailfi sh Point residents, Rich and Marcia Hocker, stepped in and committed their time, efforts, and fi nances to the restoration effort. The Hockers, like the Kibbeys, are dedicated environmentalists. Working together, the Kibbeys and Hockers communicated with Martin County Commissioner Doug Smith to garner support and approval from the county to install an irrigation system, paid for by the Hockers, for the new plants and trees on MacArthur Boulevard. Dana Kibbey comments, “Doug Smith was very supportive in helping to get the project approved quickly and also a big help in getting the irrigation approved.”
Commissioner Smith says of his support, “When you have residents who step forward and want to do this and want to be part of making our area better, then that’s all the better for us because it absolutely provides a sense of community.”
Once given the green light by the county, the Hockers offi cially donated the generous sum for the irrigation system to the Historical Society of Martin County (HSMC), which oversees and maintains both the Elliott Museum and the House of Refuge Museum. Attorney Kibbey contacted the President and CEO of the Historical Society, Robert Steele, who was very enthusiastic about the restoration project. Mr. Steele accepted the Hocker’s donated check from the Attorney on behalf of HSMC so that the organization could then give the funds to Martin County to begin the installation of the irrigation system. Steele states that the revitalization “was a collaborative effort to beautify and restore the area. I applaud their [Kibbey’s and Hocker’s] efforts. They have done a great thing for the beautifi cation of the community.”
-Rich Hocker
With the proper funds available, the county went to work with James (Jim) Johnston, the owner and operator of American Sprinkler and Pump, Inc., a local business. Johnston’s company installed the proper irrigation system on MacArthur Boulevard. An integral fi gure in the restoration project, Mr. Johnston has returned to the area numerous times to ensure the sprinklers are operating properly and that everything is going well.
Another key proponent of the restoration was José Vera, the Field Operations Superintendent for the Martin County Public Works Department. José hooked up the irrigation to the county’s water supply, and Dana Kibbey gratefully explains that he “was very involved.”
Now, as you drive along MacArthur Boulevard by the House of Refuge Museum, you can see the fruits of a collaborative community’s labor. And, you can rest assured that this labor has extended far enough to maintain the environment’s health and natural beauty for a very long time. Richard Kibbey says of the project, “I think it goes to show you a public and private cooperative. Each side needed the other, [and] the end result worked out beautifully.”
Mr. Hocker agrees, adding, “I think we all have a responsibility to contribute to enhancing the quality of our environment. The community came together and did the work, and executed this wonderful contribution to the area.”
See the ecological improvements on MacArthur Boulevard for yourself! Take a drive along MacArthur Boulevard, heading towards Sailfi sh Point, and you’ll see the beautiful new vegetation as you pass the House of Refuge on the left and the boardwalk to the water on the right. For more information, contact A orney Richard Kibbey at 772-206-3333.
