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DANIEL E. SHARKEY
M.D., F.A.C.S.
STUART J. SABOL
M.D., F.A.C.S.
ROBERT A. NUNEZ
M.D.
772.220.8459
2221 SE OCEAN BLVD.
STUART, FL
772.337.2393
1871 SE TIFFANY AVE.
PORT ST LUCIE, FL
772.223.8000
6216 SE FED HWY.
STUART, FL
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today!
Name: George Jones
Age: 60
Where I live: Port St. Lucie
Family: Wife Diane
Occupation: Indian Riverkeeper
Something no one knows about
me: “I played college football at
the University of Tampa with John
Matuszak and Freddie Solomon.
Eleven guys from my team went on
to play pro ball.”
Eco-friendly Eco-friendly
‘‘The Eco-biggest
friendly
raiser. We try and keep
enough money in the till to
keep operating,” Jones says.
Meeting with legislators
to lobby for river issues,
public speaking and meetings
around the state are
threat to the
river is
unchecked
pollution.”
just part of the duties of
the Indian riverkeeper.
“The river doesn’t have
an advocate except for the
riverkeeper,” says Jones.
“The river doesn’t have
highly paid lobbyists. It is
not just agriculture. Cities
and counties are part of the
problem. The biggest threat to the river is unchecked pollution.
— George Jones
We have continuing failure of both state and federal
governments to bring pollution under control.
“The economy in Florida runs on clean air, sunshine and
clean water. If we can’t control the nutrients and pollution
coming off the land, the river is going to continue
to be in bad shape. By the Department of Environmental
Protection’s own standards, every estuary in the state is
impaired,” says Jones. As a sworn law enforcement officer,
he managed John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, seeing
everything from homicides to drug interdiction. When Jones
retired he was in charge of the state’s parks from Fort Pierce
to the Florida Keys.
He is also lobbying against the bills that would strip city
and county ordinances of the ability to regulate private
companies. “It’s not as expensive as they claim,” Jones says.
“They just don’t want to do it (be regulated). I had an agriculture
guy tell me it is cheaper to buy the political process than
to change the fertilizer and the packaging.”
A huge fan of Jones, Henry Caimotto, owns Snook Nook
in Jensen Beach, the bait and tackle shop where the revolt
against not-so-green algae began after Lake Okeechobee
discharges. As a former 13-year television fishing show host,
current fishing columnist and always activist, Henry believes
in Jones’ skills as the riverkeeper.
He’s the best, and he is letting people know George Jones is
watching the river,” says Caimotto. “He worked on the other
side within government and now he has become their worst
nightmare. George knows where the skeletons are. He knows
the truth and you can’t lie to him. He makes them nervous.
He enters the conversation from the back of the class. You
can’t find a better baby sitter for the river. George Jones will
do what’s best for the river,” he says.