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Stuart turns 100

Hey, Stuart!  Happy 100th birthday!  It was on May 7th, 1914, that you were incorporated as a town.  Years before, you were named Potsdam by German settlers.  Then, after the Florida East Coast Railway came through, you were renamed Stuart in honor of local landowner Homer Stuart.  You are on the St. Lucie River where it joins the Indian River Lagoon at the St. Lucie Inlet.  Great location for fishing and boating.  In fact, in the 1940s so many sailfish were caught off shore that you were proclaimed “Sailfish Capital of the World.”  For a while, you were known for your crops of pineapples and flowers.  Now you are known as a low-key tourist destination and a wonderful place to live.  On Wednesday, when you turn 100, a time capsule will be dedicated at 9 a.m. at the Riverwalk Stage at the end of St. Lucie Avenue.  It will contain items donated by students in Stuart schools in grades 4 through 7.  On Saturday at 10 a.m. a centennial parade will proceed down High School Avenue to Memorial Park, where there will be a birthday party.  What do I like best about Stuart?  Hmmm.  I’d say strolling at sunset on the downtown Riverwalk along the St. Lucie River and stopping at a restaurant for fresh seafood and a glass of something.  For 88.9 FM, this is Paul Janensch.