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Pr - <br />APR 2 5 1989 <br />mor 76 FAGE 684 <br />NOW THERE IS A NEW OPPORTUNITY... <br />AND ALL THAT OPPORTUNITY NEEDS IS A COMMUNITY THAT WILL <br />SUPPORT IT AND HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN. <br />I HEARD IT SAID RECENTLY THAT WINNING TEAMS AND WINNING <br />COMMUNITIES DO NOT JUST HAPPEN, THEY ARE MADE BY PEOPLE WHO <br />CARE!! <br />MR. MCKEE AND MR. SEXTON SET THE EXAMPLE, LONG AGO, PROVING <br />JUST HOW MUCH THEY CARED. <br />THE JUNGLE GARDENS THEY ESTABLISHED BROUGHT PLEASURE TO FOUR <br />GENERATIONS OF VERO BEACH RESIDENTS, AND, ADDITIONALLY, TO <br />COUNTLESS VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD - A GROUP AS <br />VARIED AS THE PLANT LIFE EXISTENT THERE. <br />LAST WEEK I TALKED WITH ONE OF THE GARDEN'S FORMER STUDENT <br />GUIDES OF THE EARLY 60'S, WHO SPOKE LOVINGLY OF HIS FOUR <br />SUMMERS THERE; WHO, BETWEEN TOURS, RETREATED TO THE LOFT OF <br />THE "HALL OF GIANTS" TO IMMERSE HIMSELF IN THE PAGES OF <br />CHARLES DICKENS. HIS WAGE WAS 75 CENTS AN HOUR, AND TODAY, <br />HE STILL REMAINS GRATEFUL FOR THIS EXPERIENCE AFFORDED <br />HIM. <br />IN TODAY'SSOCIETY, WHERE WE MUST DEAL ON A DAILY BASIS WITH <br />THE LIKES OF TEENAGE DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE; THE <br />EVER-GROWING, STATISTICALLY SHOCKING INCREASE IN TEENAGE <br />SUICIDE; DEVIANT SOCIAL BEHAVIOR; AND EDUCATIONAL <br />ABANDONMENT -- ALL OF WHICH CARRY OVER TO THE ADULT <br />POPULATION -- SHOULDN'T OUR,COMMUNITY BE DOING SOMETHING <br />POSITIVE OUR CHILDREN CAN LEARN AND BENEFIT FROM? <br />LET'S RETIRE THE JUNGLE GARDENS FROM ITS ENFORCED SABBATICAL <br />AND LET THE CITIZENS OF VERO BEACH REDISCOVER THE "WORLD'S <br />FAIR OF NATURE" THAT LIES WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES. <br />THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY - ONE THAT WILL NOT LIKELY <br />PASS OUR WAY AGAIN. <br />1 WOULD CHALLENGE ANYONE TO REBUILD, IN ANY REMOTELY <br />CONVENIENT LOCATION, ANYTHING SIMILAR TO WHAT THE GARDENS <br />OFFERS EVEN TODAY FOR ANYWHERE NEAR THE COST NOW NEEDED TO <br />ACQUIRE THIS EXISTING TREASURE. <br />IT ABOUNDS WITH ALTERNATIVES ... OPPORTUNITIES... AND <br />POSSIBILITIES!! <br />LET'S ADMIT ALL PEOPLE TO THE CATHEDRAL OF THE JUNGLE . <br />WHERE THE SLANTING LIGHT SHINES THROUGH ... WHERE THE SONG <br />OF A BIRD ENCHANTS THE AIR AND FILLS THE SOUL WITH <br />TRANQUILITY <br />... WHERE EGGS OF TURTLES, FROGS, AND INSECTS ARE HATCHING <br />AND MILLIONS OF SEEDS SPROUTING <br />...WHERE THE THINGS THAT WILL NOT AWAKEN ARE GIVING LIFE TO <br />THOSE THAT DO -- AND THEREBY, SHALL LIVE AGAIN THIS SPRING <br />-- AND ALWAYS <br />...WHERE EACH LIFE IS PRECIOUS UNTO ITSELF FROM THE TINIEST <br />INSECT TO THE GREATEST TREE -- VIGOROUSLY PROTECTING ITS <br />RIGHT TO BE -- AND TO BECOME -- FOR UPON THIS ONE OBSESSION <br />RESTS THE CONTINUANCE OF THE UNIVERSE. <br />14 <br />