GUEST COMMENTARY
JIM THOMPSON
I moved to Vero Beach in 1937, graduated Vero Beach High School in 1950, spent four years in college, two years active duty in the United States Army and returned to Vero Beach in 1956 where I still reside and am a business owner. I think I can speak with some perspective on the fact that Vero Beach is a unique community. I never cease to be amazed when I ask clients why they chose Vero Beach. With very little exception I’m told they have visited cities and towns on both coasts of Florida but decided that Vero Beach is the jewel of the Treasure Coast and chose to live here.
The other night I was coming home from a meeting in Cocoa. As I pulled off I-95 at Road 60 and drove into Vero Beach it looked like every other town along Florida’s east coast as you exit I-95 and head toward the coast. There was nothing but filling stations, truck stops, motels and mobile home parks. As I approached the bridge over the main relief canal, just west of 43rd Avenue (while I was growing up that was the Go-Slo Bridge before Road 60 was changed from Road 30) it reminded me again that Vero Beach is a unique community with a great deal of heritage.
Vero Beach is obviously what Miami Herald columnist Jack Fay used to refer to as “The Pretty Little City by the Sea”. Pioneers in this area had the foresight and vision to plan a different community. You have only to drive through McAnsh Park, the Osceola Park Historic District, Downtown Vero Beach, Royal Palm Boulevard, Royal Palm Place and Royal Palm Pointe or go to the beach where the streets are named for flowers, trees, shrubs and birds to realize that Vero is unique.
We have an abundance of city parks, pristine beaches, landmarks like the Ocean Grill and the Driftwood, beautiful churches, outstanding recreation facilities and many other historic features. One of the things that makes Vero Beach unique is the number of parks throughout the city. To name a few of them: Humiston Park, Jaycee Park, South Beach Park, Bethel Creek House, The River House, Riverside Park, McWilliam Park, Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Dog Park, Summers Field, Charles Park, Leisure Square, Jacoby Park, A.W. Young Park, Piece of Pie Park, Pocahontas Park and Troy Moody Park. Add to these parks Crestlawn Cemetery and Veterans Memorial Island and there’s a legacy from the past in Vero Beach today. Unique? You bet it is!
A referendum will soon be presented for the voters of Vero Beach requesting that all these park lands are placed in the City Charter to prevent their sale without public approval. There should never be a time where three of the five City Council members can vote to sell public land such as our parks and Crestlawn Cemetery. Soon there will be another article in this forum detailing the situation with Crestlawn Cemetery. Hopefully this referendum will be passed to prevent the future sale of public parks without public approval.
I’ve lived here in Vero Beach since 1937 but I continue to be amazed at what Vero Beach is today.
Preserve Our Heritage – you bet!
Indian River Guardian 
Thank you Jim for taking the time to write this. And let us not forget some of the features at some of the parks like the fountain at Royal Palm Point, and the pool at Leisure Square and the over one hundred programs that are made available to every body, (county and city residents) for all age groups.
Jim, I’ve only been in Indian River County since 1984 (30 years) and to be honest, I sort of stumbled into living here. It didn’t take long to see and feel that this is indeed a very special place. Over the years, talking to people like you who have more or less lived their entire lives here, I’ve come to understand a bit about the history of this special place and its special people. It’s an important and impressive heritage. Although I do not live in the city of Vero Beach and therefore can’t vote on the referendum, I’ve worked here for 30 years, and I’m with you. Preserve the heritage of Vero Beach.
Like Michael Kint, I, too, ended up in Vero Beach via unplanned events. I believe my first visit here was in 1977, with permanent residence a few years later. For short periods, I lived in several locations, including McAnsh Park. It didn’t take long to realize Vero Beach was not just any small city in the USA. Parks, recreation, culture, and some kind people all contributed to the reasons I am still here.
Way to go Jim Thompson! As a native of Vero Beach (1955) I wholeheartedly agree. This is a special place. I lived away for a while with my career choices and one only needs to go live somewhere else to really appreciate the beauty and the uniqueness of our “Pretty Little City by the Sea” Let’s insure it remains that way.
The thing that is really sad is that everything comes down to the almighty dollar! In Vero we have too many chiefs and not enough indians! No one thinks of what is best for Vero, but Vero’s budget! There are too many laws and not enough common sense! The minute those in “POWER” find out there is free money somewhere they try to figure out how we can use it, which is good if it fits into the plan, but usually it is not apprapoo to now but later, but as we all know there is always a better deal out there! I know they have a very hard job, but it is just like the average person, we all have a budget, live within it! Too much of our past is gone and now the PJ is next! We are a small town. Why do we have to live like “Palm Beach”
Mr. Thompson, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am a Vero native. My family has lived in this community for over 100 years and I have grandparents and great grandparents buried in Crestlawn. It is a very special place for our families to visit and remember those who came before us. These cherished parks and places belong to the people of Vero Beach and we should certainly be involved in the decision making process.
I love what you have to say about the Parks in our beautiful city.
I hope readers will consider the harm that AAF will cause our city if it carries out its plan to run 32 high speed trains through the city daily. This will surely impact the very charm of our town.
Even though I don’t live in Vero anymore, it will always be my home. People from all over the world know and love Vero. Entrusting its safekeeping must always be upheld by those who love and cherish it. I hope and pray this will happen with the current items on agenda. Lisa Gideon Galloway
I like ur story I miss the old Vero my grandpa and dad his name was Bill Thompson and my grandpa name was flake Thompson and my brother all of us were born and raised in Vero I raised all my kids there as well but I fell like the natives of Vero r being pushed out my husband is a trucker now and it’s bad when everythang in Vero is so expensive that you can’t even afford to rent a house I miss when in Vero growing up how we used to leave our screen doors open at night u did not have to worry that someone would be barracking in and I hate how there takeing all the historic sites down