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2 N. BREVARD CountyHOMETOWN NEWS

March 22, 2013CELEBRATE SPRING

Upcoming events throughout BrevardSPRING AHEADSpring is a special time of year,

especially in Brevard County, wherethere is no shortage of activities andhappenings.

We’ve scoured the Space Coast toprovide you with these upcomingevents, sure to satisfy all ages andinterests:

• ‘The Plants That Built Florida:’The story of Wild Florida being toldat Brevard Zoo this spring has takenon new dimensions since ProfessorWormwood’s Pioneer Gardenopened March 1, featuring “ThePlants That Built Florida.”

This exhibit is being featured aspart of the “Art of Sand, Wild Flori-da: Past, Present and Future” exhibitand will showcase that even plantswere part of the unprecedentedintermingling of old world and new.The exhibit is made possible thanksto the support of Rockledge Gar-

dens.Five hundred years ago, when the

first Spanish ships reached theshores of Florida, one of the greatexchanges of human history began.Not only did Europeans and NativeAmericans meet for the first time,but plant species mixed and min-gled, as well. Some of the plants inthe exhibit include:

• Bald cyprus: Its use, as dugoutcanoes, made this one of the mostimportant plants. Early Indiangroups from Timucua, Seminoleand Mikosukee used cypress woodfor fibers, houses, cooking tools,toys, drums, ox bows and coffins.

• Spanish moss: One legend tellsof the Spanish explorer, Gorez Goz,a bearded ruffian, who traded goodsfor a beautiful Indian maiden. Thesight of the Spaniard frightened thegirl and she ran away. Gorez chased

her, climbing after her to the top ofa tree. The maiden escaped, butGorez’s beard became entangled inthe tree branches. There he died,but we can still see his “gray beard”hanging on the tree.

• Muscadine grape: One of thefirst native plants to be successfullycultivated by the Europeans, thesegrapes were being made into wineby the French settlers at Fort Caro-line as early as 1594.

For more information about Bre-vard Zoo or “Art of Sand, Wild Flori-da: Past, Present and Future,” visitBrevardZoo.org orFacebook.com/pages/Brevard-Zoo/46784544215.

• Travis Park in Cocoa will playhost to a free Spring Carnival from10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March23.

This community event will feature

games, face painting, prizes, snowcones, cotton candy and a dunkingbooth.

Travis Park is at 790 Barton Blvd.in Cocoa.

For more information, call (321)633-1871.

• Seed saving seminar at library:Kick off the spring growing seasonwith an informative and money-saving seminar on how to save theseeds from your own garden onSunday, March 24 at 2 p.m. at theFranklin T. DeGroodt MemorialLibrary, 6475 Minton Road S.W.,Palm Bay.

Brevard County master gardenerLucia Chankersingh will teach par-ticipants the ins and outs of savingyour own seeds.

For Hometown News

See EVENTS, 3

*Manufacturer's rebate and upgrade offers valid for qualifying purchases made 4/3/2012 - 6/17/2012. A qualifying purchase is defined as a purchase of any ofthe product models set forth above in the quantities set forth above. If you purchase less than the specified quantity, you will not be entitled to a rebate. Rebateoffers may not be combined. All rebates will be issued in U.S. dollars, in the form of an American Express® Prepaid Reward Card. © 2012 Hunter Douglas. Allrights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

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3N. BREVARD CountyHOMETOWN NEWS

March 22, 2013 CELEBRATE SPRING

Learn why to save seeds, when toharvest them, how to store themand the difference between open-pollinated and hybrid seeds.

The seed-saving seminar intro-duces new participants to theDeGroodt Library seed exchange.Bring in your own labeled, home-grown or heirlooms seeds andtrade them packet for packet forseeds from the seed bank. Seedenvelopes are provided at thelibrary. Grow, save and share!

Contact Nancy Garmer atFranklin T. DeGroodt MemorialLibrary for more information at(321) 952-6318.

• Spring day camps-north: Bre-vard County Parks and Recre-ation’s North Area Parks Opera-tions is offering spring break daycamp for children in the Titusvillearea entering first grade througheighth grade from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.starting Monday, March 25through Friday, March 29.

Register for spring break camp atSandrift Community Center, 585N. Singleton Ave., Titusville.

The weekly fee is $60 per child,with reductions for additionalchildren in the same family. Camprequires a minimum of 12 partici-pants. A daily rate of $20 is avail-able when the child is attendingthree or fewer days during theweek.

Extended care is available from6:30-9 a.m. and from 4-5:45 p.m.The fee for early or late care is $15per week, or $7 per day; for earlyand late care, the fee is $30 perweek or $12 per day. Late pickupfee (15 minutes after conclusion ofprogram) is $20 per child/peroccasion. Fees are due at the timeof registration or on the first day achild attends.

Additional information aboutthese activities can be obtained bycalling Jann Faiga (Sandrift) at(321) 264-5037.

• Spring break camps: Brevard

County Parks and Recreation, Cen-tral Area, is offering spring breakcamps at three locations in CentralBrevard for children currently inkindergarten through sixth grade.The camps will be held March 25-29. Registration is now open.

Camps will be offered at the fol-lowing locations: Travis Park Com-munity Center, 2001 MichiganAve., Cocoa; McLarty Park Com-munity Center, 790 Barton Blvd.,Rockledge; and Kiwanis IslandCommunity Center, 951 KiwanisIsland Park Road, Merritt Island.

Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.The fee is $60 per child or $20 perday. For an additional fee, beforecare starting at 7 a.m. and aftercare until 6 p.m. is available at alllocations.

Pre-registration is recommend-ed by March 22, and a minimumenrollment is required to have theprogram at each location.

For more information or to regis-ter, call the Central Area Parks andRecreation Office at (321) 633-1874or visitwww.brevardcounty.us/parkscen-tral.

• Flashlight egg hunt: Childrenin first- through sixth-grades huntunassisted at this nighttime event.Bags will be provided for youreggs, but bring your own flash-light.

Arrive at DeSoto Soccer Field by8:45 p.m. Thursday, March 28. Thehunt begins at 9 p.m.

Cost is $7 per child. Purchasetickets by March 27 at the DRSCommunity Center, 1089 S. PatrickDrive, Satellite Beach.

For more information, call (321)773-6458.

• A Crafts Fair and Kid’s Spring-tacular will be held from 9 a.m. to1 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at theViera Regional Community Center.

Admission is free for the CraftsFair.

The Kid’s Springtacular is $2 perchild and free for adults accompa-nying children.

EventsFrom page 2

See EVENTS, 9

Art from the heart

F i le ar tJessica Terry, 8, of Indialantic paints her personalized flowerpot at theSpring Fling Festival at Nance Park in Indialantic. The festival had a‘going green’ theme and featured environmentally friendly products,displays and informational booths.

When the air is cool and the birdsare singing, it means it’s time toclean.

Before pulling on the yellow rub-ber gloves and breaking out thesoap, here are some helpful tips tomake spring cleaning successful.

Kelly Barber is the director of MyHome in Order and has seen hershare of messy houses.

When it comes to cleaning, shesuggests starting small.

“You don’t want to get burnedout super fast because you want tosee accomplishment,” Mrs. Barbersaid. “It gives you that momentumto continue.”

If the cleaning focus is the clos-ets, she says to start with one rackof clothing. If the kitchen is in

mayhem, start with a drawer. “If you haven’t used it in the last

six months or a year, you’re notgoing to use it,” Mrs. Barber said.“You need to ask yourself, ‘is thisan item I love? Is this somethingI’m going to use?’ If not, it needs toget removed.”

During the cooler days, the bestplace to start can be the garage.

Looking at the big picture can bedaunting and overwhelm beforethe garage door is fully open.

“Focus on one corner at a timeand work around the room,” Mrs.Barber said.

“Life can and will interrupt you,”she added. “If you don’t think youhave time, set a timer for 15 min-utes and grab a black bag for trash

and fill it with trash for the those15 minutes. The next day do thesame thing and grab a white trashbag and fill it with donations.”

Once the clutter is gone and theessentials are left, it is important totake advantage of the space in thehome or apartment. Vertical spaceis often misused or not used at all.Mrs. Barber uses clear containerswith lids because they can bestacked and the contents can beseen easily.

“You really don’t want large con-tainers, though,” she said. “Youwant 15 quarts or a shoe box size.They’re big enough for certainthings but not so big you can fillthem with clutter. For example, forshoes, if you don’t wear them on aregular basis, you can put them inthe clear container.”

The containers also give a limitto how much you may need.

Me In Order has helped familiesde-clutter and organize theirhomes from Miami to Melbourne.

On the cleaning end, TomHeveron, owner of BeachlandCleaning Service, is an expertwhen it comes to cleaning.

When cleaning your own home,the familiarity of the home canlead to missing very importantareas.

“Most people forget about theinside of china cabinets, under-neath and behind furniture andbase boards,” Mr. Heveron said.“The big one is usually the refriger-ator. People rarely pull it out andsee what is behind there.”

Once the house is cleaned andeverything is in order, mainte-nance is key.

“Once you go through and clean,make sure you have systems thatwork,” said Sarah Inman, owner ofFunctional and Fabulous Profes-sional Organizational Services.

Functional and Fabulous Profes-sional Organizational Services islocated in Sebastian and helpsthose with organizational needsfrom West Palm Beach to Orlando.

For more information aboutFunctional and Fabulous Profes-sional Organizational Services,visit Functionalandfab.com.

For more information on Me InOrder, call (866) 971-1113 or visitMeInOrder.com.



SPRING CLEANINGBy Brittany Llorente

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Published weekly by Hometown News, L.C.,5059 Turnpike Feeder Road, Ft. Pierce, FL 34951

Copyright © 2013, Hometown News, L.C.

Phone (321) 242-1013Fax (321) 242-1281Classified (321) 242-0442

1-800-823-0466Rants & Raves (321) 242-1276Circulation [email protected] B

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Voted # 1 Community Newspaper in America in 2005, 2006, 2007.

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Lee Mooty . . . . . . . . . . .General Manager/CFOVernon D. Smith . . . . .Managing PartnerFarris Robinson . . . . . .Sr. VP Sales/MarketingTammy Farmer . . . . . . .Managing EditorRobin Bevilacqua . . . .Human ResourcesKathy Young . . . . . . . . .Major/Natl. Accounts ManagerSylvia Montes . . . . . . . .Major/Natl. Accounts ConsultantChris Smith . . . . . . . . . .Regional ManagerTerence Hart . . . . . . . . .Sales ManagerMaura Dawson . . . . . .Office ManagerRick Keelan . . . . . . . . . .Senior Account Manager

Mercedes Lee-Paquette . . . . . . .Production ManagerRita Zeblin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Classified PaginatorKaren Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Graphic ArtistPatricia Snyder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Director Classified AdvertisingAnna Snyder-Vasquez . . . . . . . . .Senior Account ManagerCarol Deprey-Zelenak . . . . . . . . .Classified ConsultantHeather Donaldson . . . . . . . . . . .Classified ConsultantDolan Hoggatt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Circulation ManagerTiffany Robertson . . . . . . . . . . . . .District Circulation ManagerAmanda Hatfield . . . . . . . . . . . . .Staff WriterChris Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Staff WriterMichael Hibbard . . . . . . . . . . . . .News Clerk

HOME IMPROVEMENTSelling a home in today’s aggressive mar-

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With the warmer months being the mostactive time of year to buy and sell real estate,it’s important to ensure your home is seen inthe best light possible.

“Despite the influx of homes for sale thisseason, the process of buying and selling ahome can be simple, efficient and enjoy-able,” said Wendy Froehlich of Homes.com,one of the nation’s top online real estate list-ing and lifestyle resources.

According to Homes.com, the top fourprojects that improve home equity are:

• Bathrooms:If adding an additional bathroom isn’t an

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ondary bath improves functionality, allow-ing multiple people to use the space. Change

out fixtures like faucets and shower doors toincrease aesthetic appeal. If you’re on abudget, replace light fixtures or switchplates to help refresh the space.

When working with a small space, high-light storage options with shelving andupdate or remove wall decor, paint or wall-paper.

• Kitchen:Kitchen renovations can cost anywhere

from $20,000 to $40,000 and more. If that’snot in your budget, upgrading cabinetry andpaint does wonders to liven up even themost outdated spaces.

Add crown or decorative molding to“shape out” the kitchen cabinets and mod-ernize the space. Repaint cabinets, or addnew hardware to add visual interest andbrighten dark spaces.

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Spring is here, which means it’s time toslip those green thumbs into some garden-ing gloves.

And if you want to feel truly good aboutwhat you grow, consider upgrading your gar-den to be more planet-friendly. Here aresome ideas to consider:

• Grow Your Own Dinner:Grow the vegetables, herbs and flowers

that you would normally purchase for yourdinner and floral arrangements. Local ismore sustainable because it reduces the car-bon footprint associated with transport. Andyou can’t get more local than your own back-yard!

• Encourage Pollination:Pollination is crucial for agricultural pro-

duction and the health of the ecosystem.Unfortunately, many pollinating insects arehighly susceptible to environmentalchanges and have in recent years, sufferedmajor population decline.

You can help local pollinators thrive by

planting a variety of native species of varyingcolors and shapes and reducing your use ofpesticides.

• Be Bird-Friendly:No garden is truly complete without reg-

ular visits from birds. Encourage flying visi-tors by installing a feeder and bird bath.

According to a study published in the“Wilson Journal of Ornithology,” billions ofbirds die annually worldwide from collisionswith windows. So if you’re going to send outthe mass invite to these beautiful creatures,don’t forget to make it hazard-free for theirarrival.

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GOING GREENFor Hometown News

See GREEN, 9

Curb appeal adds immediate interest to any home’s exte-rior. According to “Remodeling Magazine,” improving out-door spaces can increase a home’s resale value dollar-for-dollar.

Frame the front walkway with items that add visualinterest, like flowers, potted plants, large rocks of varioussizes and solar-powered lights. If yard space is scarce,hanging plants are another great, low-cost option.

Extend outdoor projects to the backyard – power-washdecks or patios and clean screened-in areas.

• Basement:Basement improvements can optimize livable space and

protect the home from extreme weather, mold, moisturedamage and mites. Whether transitioning the basement toa home gym, office or family room, the basics remain thesame: insulate well and waterproof.

Maximize space by including shelving and storage units.If the opportunity exists, make the space feel open andinviting by creating an open stairwell, a trick that visuallyconnects the upper part of the house with the lower, andfilters natural light into the space.

Making homes stand out in a sea of real estate listingsisn’t always easy. More tips on increasing home values canbe found at www.Homes.com.

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The event includes take-homecrafts, games, bouncy houses,snow cones, cotton candy, pop-corn and an egg hunt at 11 a.m.

The Crafts Fair and Kid’sSpringtacular are both sponsoredby Brevard County Parks andRecreation.

Crafters can obtain applica-tions at the Viera Regional Com-munity Center, 2300 Judge FranJamieson Way in Viera.

Vendor spaces, 8 feet-by-8 feet,are $31.80 and include a 5-foottable. All spaces are indoors, andpayment must be received by

Wednesday, March 27.For more information, call

(321) 433-4891.• Fair and springtacular: A

Crafts Fair and Kid’s Springtacu-lar will be held from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. Saturday, March 30, at theViera Regional Community Cen-ter.

Admission is free for the craftsfair. The Kid’s Springtacular is $2per child, and free for adultsaccompanying children. Theevent includes take-home crafts,games, bouncy houses, snowcones, cotton candy, popcornand an egg hunt at 11 a.m.

For more information, call(321) 433-4891.

EventsFrom page 3

GreenFrom page 8

F i le ar tAudrey Hermes, 6, of Palm Bay creates her own spin art projectduring the ‘Springtacular’ event at the Viera Regional CommunityCenter.

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Shannon Perez has been captur-ing memories through her lens for13 years. She loves every minute ofit.

And with the spring seasonapproaching, Mrs. Perez is busier(and happier) than ever.

“I’m a creative type, and I alwaysknew I would do something thatwould offer new opportunities andchallenges every day that wouldkeep me excited about what I do,”she said. “Photography has neverfelt like a job. I wake up each dayexcited about the people I’m goingto meet, the new ways I can pushmyself and make beautiful imagesthat make people happy.”

Through her business, Simply InLove Photography, Mrs. Perez doesit all – she captures fine art,boudoir and editorial photographsof families, individuals and allthings beautiful. And, of course,she photographs many weddingson the Space Coast and beyond.

“I am so blessed to have the priv-ilege to be a part of the mostimportant events in the lives of mycouples,” she said. “I meet newpeople, see new places and con-stantly meet challenges that feedmy creativity and keep me just aspassionate today as I was when Istarted.”

She said she approaches wed-ding photography knowing thatthe pictures will preserve memo-ries for years to come.

“With weddings, it’s an amazingfeeling to know I’m creatingimagery that will be viewed forgenerations,” Mrs. Perez said. “Ialways shoot weddings keeping inmind that one day the grandchil-dren and beyond will be looking atthem and hearing the stories of thisspecial day.”

Mrs. Perez offered a few tips tothose looking for the perfect pho-tographer to capture the memoriesof a wedding:

• Q: When hiring a photographerfor a wedding, what factors shouldbe taken into consideration?

A: These days, almost anyonecould afford a semi-pro cameraand a website. And unfortunately,overnight someone could becomea “professional” photographer. Soit’s important to do your home-work. Your photos are all you’regoing to end up with, so it shouldbe top priority.

It’s so important to meet thephotographer in person, if you can,and chat a bit about your weddingplans and get an idea of the per-sonality of your photographer. Theway you feel is an important ele-ment of why you hire a weddingphotographer, as you’ll be spend-ing a lot of time with this person onyour wedding day and more.

Also, prepare and ask someimportant questions that wouldhelp you with your decision tochoose the right person to docu-ment the most important day ofyour life. Ask questions like: Whatkind of training and experience doyou have? What kind of equipmentdo you use, and do you have abackup camera? Do you have refer-ences of past brides and grooms?

Also, ask to see the contract to besure of the timeline that you’ll begetting your photos, how manyyou’ll be getting, and whether or

not they will have a release.These details should be outlinedin your service agreement.

• Q: What are some tips yougive to brides and grooms tomake for great pictures on theirwedding day?

A: I have a detailed question-naire that sparks thoughts andideas with our couples, as well aseducates and prepares me forthe day. I also give “tips fromyour photog” sheet I providewith little tips on hair, makeup,timeline of the day, not to talk

too much during your first dance,and fun tips like this. These aresmall one-liners that my experi-ence has told me to share with mybrides, and I think it has helped alot with great imagery.

• Q: What are two of yourfavorite spots in Brevard to takeengagement or wedding photosat?

A: The easiest answer is thebeach. Brevard beaches are sobeautiful with the dunes, grasses,old lifeguard stands and board-walks. I’m a beach girl, and I lovenatural images. But for my cre-ative/edgy side, I like to find tex-tures and different locations thatgive something fresh and new tothe image. I don’t like to shoot atone location over and over.

• Q: Why should people invest ina skilled photographer on theirwedding day?

A: Well, that is easy. Other thanyour memory, your photos are allyou have left of your wedding day. Ican’t see any more important rea-son than that to choose the rightperson to tell your wedding story.

For more information about Sim-ply In Love Photography, visit Sim-ply In Love Photography atwww.SimplyInLovePhotography.com or FloridaBeachsideWed-dings.com, or call (321) 536-3972.

CAPTURING SPRINGBy Meagan McGone

For Hometown News

Shannon Perez

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Theresa Riley’s vision for a hydro-ponic farm reached fruition afterlots of love, labor and water – but nosoil.

Mrs. Riley, who co-owns Rock-ledge Gardens with her husband,Kevin, planted the seeds at The Farmat Rockledge Gardens in January2012, after visiting the innovative“Living with the Land” attraction atDisney’s Epcot and witnessing itssimple, yet effective, hydroponicvegetable production system.

“Hydroponics means water doesthe work,” Mrs. Riley said. “All of thenutrients are carried through thewater, rather than soil. It was kind ofa dream and vision for my husbandand me.”

The couple spent more than oneyear researching hydroponic farm-ing systems, attending classes andvisiting other farms along the way.They implemented vertical towers,which are made up of stackable Sty-rofoam pots and allow for a largerproduction, while using less space.

Now, a year later, The Farm at

Rockledge Gardens is in its secondseason, producing more than 20 dif-ferent types of vegetables, and with-in that, about 50 varieties of thosevegetables. Additionally, the farmgrows fresh herbs.

“We planted our first towers inJanuary and had our first harvest lastMarch,” Mrs. Riley said. “This is oursecond season. We started our seedsin August, planted them in Septem-ber and started to harvest at the endof October.”

Another advantage to hydroponicfarming is that it uses about 10 per-cent of the water that conventionalfarming uses, Mrs. Riley said.Instead of using soil, the plantsspread their roots in a nutrient-val-ueless medium of coconut fiber andperlite, with all of the nutrientsbrought to the plants through thewater.

“The garden is irrigated threetimes per day for three minutes eachtime,” Mrs. Riley said. “It’s a veryefficient use of water – it uses about99 percent of the water. Our goal is

to not have any water run off.”Mrs. Riley said that perhaps the

greatest efficiency of the farm is theuse of space, with its vertical towersystem.

“We can grow 27 plants on onesquare foot,” she said. “If you didthat conventionally, you would needat least 27 square feet, so it’s a veryefficient use of space.

And the delicious, freshly-farmedproduce from The Farm at Rock-ledge Gardens ends up on varioustables throughout Brevard.

Currently, chefs from a few restau-rants in Brevard visit the farm topick out their produce, as well asprovide feedback on what the farmshould grow.

“It’s kind of this blossoming trendof restaurants wanting to use localfruits and vegetables,” Mrs. Rileysaid. “They’re becoming very con-scious about where their food comesfrom, which is a really good thing.”

Mrs. Riley’s first farm-to-tablerestaurant experience in BrevardCounty was at Merritt’s Table, on

Merritt Island, before she had start-ed The Farm at Rockledge Gardents.

“They list all of the local farmsthey get their food from, and I toldmy husband that my dream wouldbe for our produce to be featured ontheir menu,” Mrs. Riley said. “Then,we went, and our name was listed ontheir menu, and it was a really happymoment for me.”

People can purchase producefrom The Farm at Rockledge Gar-dens at its Farm Market on Sundaysfrom 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“That’s part of why we started thisfarm,” Mrs. Riley said. “We knowpeople are concerned about thehealth of what they eat and where itcomes from. Plus, environmentally,it’s much more sound to buy thingslocally and eat what’s in seasoninstead of having things transportedfrom country-to-country, or state-to-state.”

Rockledge Gardens is located at2153 U.S.1 in Rockledge.

For more information, visitwww.rockledgegardens.com.

By Meagan McGoneFor Hometown News

From left – Theresa Riley, who ownsRockledge Gardens with her husband,Kevin; Chris Bolton, chef and co-owner ofMerritt’s Table on Merritt Island; AmandaDavenport, chef and co-owner of PalmTree Cafe in Cocoa; and Patti Sanzone,farmer at Rockledge Gardens – all collectproduce from The Farm at RockledgeGardens.

Photo byMeagan McGone

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