For his family, the citizens of Lee County and the wounded soldiers he evacuated during the Vietnam War, Fred Bartleson was the right person at the right time.
Environmental groups and political leaders are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to maximize flows south from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The clock is ticking as different groups push for the Army Corps to get Lake O’s management right. They see it as a chance to send more water south to […]
U.S. Rep Brian Mast joined a coalition of Florida environment groups at the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam Tuesday to convey support for a revised Lake Okeechobee plan which sends more water south to the thirsty Everglades and eliminates discharges from the lake to coastal estuaries.
Now, the Palm City Republican and fellow Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Naples) are publicly calling on the Corps to adopt an improved version of one of five final Lake O plans they hope will:
Eliminate Lake O discharges to the St. Lucie River
Increase dry season lake flows south to the Everglades
Eliminate discharges to the Caloosahatchee River while keeping beneficial dry season releases between a weekly average rate of 484 million and 1.4 billion gallons of water per day at the W.P Franklin Lock and Dam
For his family, the citizens of Lee County and the wounded soldiers he evacuated during the Vietnam War, Fred Bartleson was the right person at the right time.
“A man of unquestionable integrity” is how Bartleson’s one-time executive assistant, Mike Everett, describes the retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, who’d been working as commercial fisherman when then-Governor Bob Graham tapped him to replace former Commissioner Ernie Averill. Averill had lost his seat following a corruption scandal.
Fred Durant Bartleson Jr., known to most as Bud, died at his Melbourne home last month. He was 90.
During his all-too-short commission tenure, Everett says, “Fred was a steadying influence during turbulent times. His roots ran deep in this community and he loved Lee County. He was no politician and never would have run for County Commissioner but, when he was asked (he) accepted the challenge as a call to duty. I never heard an unkind word or criticism spoken about Fred. He treate