Our Village Voice www.seabreezepublications.com
VOL. 36 NO. 3
Town Of Jupiter News By Jim Kuretski, Mayor, Town of Jupiter The Town Council works with our town manager, staff and others to address issues affecting our residents and businesses. The following provides a summary of actions and achievements since last month’s community newspaper report: Town Parks: Playground Upgrades Exciting playground upgrades are coming! The town is on a journey to revamp all of its playgrounds. At our Feb. 4 meeting, the Town Council approved construction on the first three—Indian Creek Park, Jupiter Community Park, and Maplewood Park. But that’s not all. The town has a roadmap to renovate all 11 parks over the next 5 years and we would like your help in building the future of Jupiter’s playgrounds. We’re gearing up to design the playground at Abacoa Community Park, and we want your input. What cool features would you love to see? Town staff are reaching out through various channels to secure your ideas.
Jupiter Jubilee 2025 The Feb. 8 Jupiter Jubilee event was returned to the town’s governmental campus. It was held offsite in Abacoa Community Park the past two years due to construction of our new Town Hall. This year’s Jubilee was extra special because we celebrated a truly historic milestone—Jupiter’s 100th year anniversary! This year should and will be all about honoring our rich history, the people, places, events, stories, and moments that have made Jupiter the incredible place and community that it is today. A little history lesson – our annual Jupiter Jubilee was created to be a community event that brings us together to perpetuate our small town feel in a uniquely Jupiter way. It began 25 years ago and commemorated our town’s 75th birthday. It has always been our annual birthday bash, but the celebration was bigger this year because the very next day, Feb. 9, marked Jupiter’s official 100th birthday! Jupiter’s Centennial Celebrations We have a full calendar of exciting events planned throughout the year. We encourage each of you to join in and actively participate in this once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Find the complete schedule of events at the town’s website at Jupiter.fl.us/Centennial. Stay tuned.
Northern Notes Loggerhead Shrikes – Nature’s Butcherbird By Katie Roundtree, Director of Finance and Administration, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District The Loggerhead Shrike is a gray and white bird that resembles a Mockingbird at first glance. Both are types of songbirds with a similar overall gray, black and white pattern and are about the size of a cardinal or robin. The shrike has blacker wings, a larger head, a black mask, and a heavy, hooked bill, unlike mockingbirds that have grayer wings, a smaller head and a thinner bill. The Loggerhead Shrike’s black mask acts like the black paint athletes wear to keep the sun’s glare from impeding eyesight. Where they truly stand out is in their unique hunting techniques. The shrike, a carnivorous bird, has a preference for lizards, bugs, and small animals, unlike the seeds and berries that mockingbirds enjoy. Their hunting style is both fascinating and terrifying for their prey. Shrikes hunt from above, diving down to snatch their prey in their hooked bill. The upper part of the shrike’s hooked bill features a pair of built-in projections called “tomial teeth.” These
specialized “teeth” are used to dispatch rodents by striking the nape of the neck, instantly paralyzing them, and then shaking them with enough force to break their necks. They are quick and efficient hunters, earning them the nickname “butcherbirds.” Their genus name, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word “butcher.” Shrikes can also hover over prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. These remarkably intelligent birds then impale their prey on barbed wire, thorns, tree branches, or other sharp objects to immobilize and kill it, if their beak hasn’t already done the job. This practice, akin to a human’s pantry or larder, also helps them store food for days if food is scarce. A large pantry can serve to attract mates or feed juveniles. This practice can also help remove toxins, making the prey safe to eat after a few days. For instance, impaling a toxic monarch butterfly helps break down toxins, making it safe to eat after a few days. Another reason for their macabre tendency to impale their prey is due to their Northern Notes on page 3
MARCH 2025
Bill’s Box By Bill Thompson Deadline The copy deadline for this issue was Feb. 11. That is damn close to one month before the paper hits your mailbox. That makes it hard to address topical subjects that are the slightest bit current. The “news” already happened. That has always been the case, but as fast as events occur these days crafting timely prose is a little more challenging. Easements You will remember from last month’s “Northern Notes” about easements on our properties. Katie Roundtree of Northern Palm Beach Improvement District explained it has easement rights at certain locations along side of our homes to give it access for maintenance of areas for which it is responsible such as drainage and lakes. For instance, there is a curbside stormwater grate between my house and the one next door. An underground duct runs from the street to our lake’s catchment area engineered to drain through interlocking piping out to the C-canal and eventually out to sea. A project is now underway to replace deteriorated drainage ducts which will involve access through the easement by your home, the town and district will take every precaution not to disturb landscaping wherever possible. Bill’s Box on page 3
March 17 REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY TO THE JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT
(561) 799-4445
Use 911 for emergencies only. Lock car doors. Do not leave valuables in the car.