The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 69

anal Remarks Should Beget Rude Responses Since there are movements for practically everything else, somebody ought to start a drive to abolish the idle and banal remarks that pass for conversation. It could be done in the name of health and temperance if nothing else. Why do people drink too much at cocktail parties? Because numbing their brains with alcohol is one way of tolerating the fixed smiles and meaningless chatter. No sane person would remain long at such a gathering if he or she had to stay sober, because they know in their innermost souls that even a Gomer Pyle rerun would be more interesting. All this occurred to me because at least three people I have encountered in the past week or so have asked me if I am going to something more is needed to discourage this sort of tiling.

What you could do, of course, is bore them to death with a tedious monologue on your plans for the holidays. Describe not only the presents you got for everybody on your list, but where you bought them and how much you paid for them. The problem with this, of course, is that it wastes not only the listener's time, but your own as well. The pyschiatric approach is shorter and causes more confusion: "Well, you gonna have a big Christmas?" don 't know. Do you think I should ha ve a big Christmas? Answer every question with a question, in other words.

You won't get paid as hand somely as a psychiatrist, but it will discomfit your interrogator. You might make a few notes while you're at it, or shove a tape recorder in his face to get his answer. Here are some other hackneyed conversation starters, each of them followed by a suggested conversation stopper You working hard or hardly working? Neitherone. I got laid off last week and my rent's due tomorrow. Can you lend me $100? What's new? "Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath already been of old time, which was before us.

That's from The Bible. You ought to read it every day. By the way, are you saved? What's the good word? lite "preposterous" myself, but "serendipity" is a good word, too. Phonetically speaking, I read somewhere that three of the most beautiful spoken words in the English language are flamingo, garbage and bellboy. How's the little woman? Compared to what? We missed you in church last Sunday.

Really? How much? Have a nice day. I'll certainly try to, but I'm afraid my mother's funeral this afternoon is going to take a lot of the pleasure out of it. What are you thinking about? was just thinking bow difficult it is to improve on the sound of silence. Steve Mitchell "have a big Christmas" this year. What do you say to that? Most of us mumble something innocuous like "Naw about average, I guess" and let it go at that.

But WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1981 SECTION The Post i ttm Trailer Park Is Rejected In St. Lucie Islanders Criticize Developer Hutchinson Plan Draws Petition 4 Xt County Sues, Being Sued Martin County Commissioners voted to oln In a lawsuit against Pocket Watch Marina in Port Salerno (above and right), brought by Charles and Phyllis Kehoe. The Kehoes claim the docks were built Illegally, and the marina is a nuisance. County officials found out, though, that marina owners Lee Ray (below) and his wife have filed suit against the county. Story, C2 StM PlwtM ky Alan Ztotfcy By Mary Jo Tierney PMt Stiff Wrtttr FORT PIERCE South Hutchinson Island residents yesterday criticized a proposal to build an 888-unit hotel and convention center just south of Florida Power Light nuclear power plant, saying the island is already overbuilt and "under serviced." Developer Hazen Kreis wants to build the hotel on 34 acres in three high-rises, one on the east side of SR A1A and two on the west side.

The project also would include a health spa and convention center which he said would draw tourists from all over the world. However, Helen Shea Wells, leader of the Hutchinson Island Coalition, said the commission should stop allowing construction within the 6-mile area of the nuclear power plant. Terrible mistakes have already been made The development is horrendous. There's nothing but one high-rise after another," she said. She said St.

Lucie County has earned the reputation of "how not to develop an island." The commission was scheduled to vote on Kreis' proposal, which would require a zoning change to allow an average of 26 units per acre. The area Is zoned for a maximum of 11 units per acre on the east side of SR A1A and five units or less per acre on the west side. Kreis asked that the public hearing be continued until Commissioner W.R. (Willie) McCain, who is ill, could be present. McCain in the past has voted for many of the developments on the island, and his vote is considered a necessary one since Commissioners Everett Green and Maurice Snyder recently rejected some island developments.

Kreis said the hotel would provide jobs and money for the county, but Mrs. Wells said locating a convention center so close to a nuclear power plant was "ridiculous." After complaining that the county has not provided the needed public sen ices for the island residents, Commissioner Bill Palmer pointed out that the county is expected to soon build a new fire station, with money and property donated by developers, and a substation for sheriff's deputies. He said a proposed bond issue also might solve the problem on how a new bridge to the island will be financed. But Mrs. Wells, who curried an 18-page petition against the development, said construction of another bridge "is still at least 10 years away." "We need to put a population cap on the island and stop the building now," she said.

Commissioners voted to continue the hearing on the project until Jan. 19, when they said they hope McCain will be able to vote on the issue. 1 By Mary Jo Tierney PMt Stff Writer FORT PIERCE After five hours of debate, St. Lucie County commissioners yesterday rejected a controversial proposal to build a mobile home park near the Savannahs wetlands. Conservationists opposed the plan to build the park on 783 acres on the east side of U.S.

1, saying it would cause environmental damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Savannahs. The developers, Waterwood Homes Inc. of Stuart, had promised to restore any wetlands it damaged, but environmentalists said the restoration was impossible. "Mother Nature makes wetlands, God makes wetlands," said Sandra Beasley. Others said they also were concerned about the wildlife and vegetation that might be destroyed.

However, commissioners seemed more concerned that the county would not have enough power to impose county property taxes on each unit. They said they feared mobile home owners would instead just purchase a mobile home tag, which could mean the county could lose as much as $700,000 in property taxes each year. Jon Moyle, the attorney representing the developers, assured that the deed restrictions for each unit would require that the property owner would pay property taxes, but some commissioners feared they could not enforce the deed restrictions. Although the commission did not have enough votes to approve the project, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council Director Sam Shannon said the commission must either deny or approve a development of regional impact order (DRI) within the next 30 days. Commissioners also expressed concern about the ability to evacuate residents of the mobile home park during a hurricane, nuclear accident or other disaster.

County Director of Disaster Preparedness Phil Rodi said the county can now only handle housing 14,000 people who would be forced to evacuate. He said he would order all residents of the proposed mobile home park, called the Savannah Club, to be evacuated during a hurricane. Moyle said developers were prepared to use the recreational buildings on the site as shelters and donate. $65,000 to the county to improve other shelters. He also noted that the developers were providing! money for beach access improvements and a fire station, -and were donating 120 acres of their property to the state which would become part of the Savannahs State Park.

The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council earli- er this month approved the project, and County Commissioner Ed Enns said that although he was against mobile home parks, he was pleased to see that the developers had complied with all of the recommendations made by the planning council staff in its DRI study. Commissioner Bill Palmer also endorsed the proposal, saying it was one of the best plans for a mobile home park he had seen. Commissioners Everett Green and Maurice Snyder voted against the Savannah Club because they said they were upset about the environmental, traffic and financial impact it would have on the county. Moyle said he plans to ask the board to reconsider its decision at a later date. Commissioner W.R.

(Willie) McCain, who would have been the swing vote on the issue, was absent from the meeting. IR Sheriff's Office Uncovers Asbestos By Elliott Jones PMt Staff Wi II VERO BEACH Indian River County officials have called for medical examinations at county expense for former and current Sheriff's Office employees exposed to an unusually high concentration of asbestos fibers in the department's radio room, according to the county personnel director, C.B. Hardin. The fibers, inhalation of which has been linked to cancer, were found last week in ceiling insulation in the building. A contractor worked over the weekend to remove the material after state health inspectors said Friday that it must be removed immediately.

Hardin could not say how many workers would under-; go medical exams, noting that the building was construct- ed In the mid-1950s and many employees have come and gone since it opened. "We are going to have to do some work to find out what employees worked in that area," he said. Officials said they could not determine the degree of risk to workers. "No one has established the safe exposure limit," said Mattie Chanley, a state hygienist. "But my recommendation was to get it out of there as soon as possible." The ceiling insulation was crumbling and the asbestos fibers easily could have been inhaled, officials said.

Asbestos insulation was used widely until the federal Environmental Protection Agency banned it 10 years ago. No other problems were found during the state's inspection of county buildings, Hardin said. The county requested the Inspection to ensure that it is complying with state health and safety regulations. "We are just trying to make sure our buildings are safe. We don't want any more problems like we had with fumes at the court house," Hardin said.

Formaldehyde fumes from newly installed shelving has been blamed for County Court House employees' complaints of headaches, nasal Infections and upper respiratory discomfort. Oil I ''4 i ,4. Warming Friend Dogs Snuggle Next to Their Stranded Master During Two Chilly Nights we hunt in the Big Cypress. I knew those people must have heard me. I hollered to 'em, 'Somebody help They must have been strangers and it frightened them away, because they left when I started hollering." Hancock said he believed he was going to die when he heard the car pulling away.

"They couldn't have been 50 yards away," he said. "I guess they thought they was intruding when I went to hollering and they left. That's when I got spooked." Hancock continued to yell when he heard cars go by on SR 70, but no one came. Misty and Bozo curled up next to him again as the dark overcame the light Sunday. It was no consolation, Hancock said, that the temperature did not drop below 40 degrees.

"It felt just as cold," he said. "The dogs must have known it, too." And the sounds of a nearby rattlesnake made it all the more chilling, Hancock Turn to RESCUE, CI him, Hancock stayed in the barn all night Saturday. He said he didn't sleep and waited for daylight. "My dogs stayed with me all night both nights," Hancock said. "They got real close, almost too close for me to budge, but I didn't bother them.

1 figured I was keeping them warm, too." Hancock said death was on his mind throughout the cold night with only the dogs and a light jacket to keep him warm. Sunday morning he began rolling toward his house. He made it another 50 yards before he got stuck in an old garden filled with weeds and twigs. "You wouldn't believe how a little, tiny twig can hold you up," Hancock said. Lying in the old garden spot, Hancock called or help when he heard someone in his front yard Sunday afternoon.

"It sounded like they were changing a tire," Hancock said. "It's funny, my old hunting buddies used to tell me they could hear me hollering twn warn; awnv one of them hit him and knocked him to the ground unconclous. "I can scratch every one them," said Hancock, who has lived alone on his 73-acre cattle farm for 20 years. "They're Just like pets, but they're bad to fight over the feed. I don't know which one it was.

I must have got in the way." Hancock, a 6-foot-l, 220-pounder, said his first thought when he regained consciousness to wa iu get out of the way of his cows, who had not finished eating their hay. "But I couldn't walk. My legs didn't work," he said. "So I just rolled like a barrel." After several hours, Hancock said, he made it to his barn about 50 yards from where he fell. "I figured if I could get that far, when I got my chance, I'd make my way to the house," he said.

Jisty and Bozo nestled on each side of By Ken McKinnon PMt Staff Wrtttr OKEECHOBEE Okeechobee native Jerry Hancock said yesterday he's planning a big Christmas for his pit bulldogs, Misty and Bozo. "I'll kill a beef for them if I ever get out of here," said Hancock, who was in Rauler-son Memorial Hospital recovering from 44 hours on the cold ground behind his home on SR 70 east of Okeechobee. "I sure ain't going to get rid of them," said Hancock, who said he has received $150 by selling other pit bulldogs. Misty, a 4-month-old female, and Bozo, a 1 year-old male, snuggled close to their master Saturday and Sunday night while temperatures dropped to freezing and Hancock shivered and pondered death. Hancock, a 72-year-old cattleman who has needed a cane, crutches or a walker for five years because of arthritis in his back, was feeding his cows in the pasture behind fiis house afternoon.

He thinks.