GEARING UP FOR FEDERAL COURT BATTLE;
MARTIN COUNTY COMMISSION BACKS LAWSUIT!

As we load our weapons for the federal court battle in Washington, the July 30 Rivers Coalition meeting is cancelled.

Attorneys for us and for the Corps of Engineers are settling on dates for two levels of hearings and we'll send out more details as the case moves forward. We're expecting a final hearing before year's end.

A number of local leaders will want to attend the hearing before the Court of Federal Claims in Washington.

Meanwhile, after years of staying on the sidelines, the newly constituted Martin County Commission voted 4-1 to file an amicus "friend of the court" petition in support of the riparian rights lawsuit by the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund.

Strong yes votes came from Commissioners Ed Ciampi, Sarah Heard, Susan Valliere and Patrick Hayes. Only Doug Smith, who has been against the Coalition's campaign all along, voted no.

It was believed that powerful presentations to the commission by Rivers Coalition leaders carried the day. Commissioner Hayes noted that not a single person opposed the lawsuit position.

The amicus action also had extremely strong support from the Stuart News, which editorialized that the county needed to "step out of the shadows and join the cause."