Blake Fontenay

4 weeks ago | tcpalm.com | Blake Fontenay

Brightline has spent $6 billion-plus in infrastructure along the West Palm Beach-to-Orlando stretch of the route, and the station is something that primarily benefits Treasure Coast residents. In their application for a federal grant to fund a Brightline station, Martin County officials put together a cost-benefit analysis for the project. Reduced air pollution, fuel savings, reduced traffic and faster travel times are worth $206 million to $400 million over 30 years, the analysis found.

1 month ago | tcpalm.com | Blake Fontenay

Frank Bruni, a New York Times columnist and Duke University professor, will hold a March 25 talk as part of the Rappaport Speaker Series. The talk will be held at Temple Beit HaYam of Stuart, 951 SE Monterey Commons Blvd., beginning at 7 p.m. that evening. Bruni will discuss why public confidence in the media and higher education has eroded in our country.

2 months ago | tcpalm.com | Blake Fontenay

A quick refresher course: Fort Pierce is in this position because City Manager Nick Mimms was arrested on charges of bid rigging and official misconduct last summer. The choices don't get any starker than the one Fort Pierce city commissioners will face in a few days. For much of its history, Fort Pierce has been derided — mostly by outsiders, but by some locals as well — as an impoverished backwater that would never amount to much.

2 months ago | tcpalm.com | Blake Fontenay

Rappaport speaker Juliette Kayyem says disasters should no longer surprise us. There's no need to live in a perpetual state of panic, but there is value in being ready for the unexpected. Kayyem stresses the importance of finding a balance between "tuning out and freaking out."She might not describe herself in exactly this way, but Juliette Kayyem is a professional worrier.

2 months ago | tcpalm.com | Blake Fontenay

"Animal House" isn't a film that shows college life in the best possible light. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but think about a scene from the movie after I learned Indian River State College got the state's permission to set up its own charter school district:Bluto, one of the main characters, goes through a cafeteria buffet line, adding plate after plate of food to his tray. When he runs out of space on his tray, he begins stuffing food into his pockets and his face.