Memoiries of growing up in St. Lucie

[James]

OK so after Kristine and I posted briefly in her thread about the overpopulation in PSL, I thought it would be a good idea to reminisce. talk about a time in the 70s and 80s growing up in PSL or St. Lucie County for those growing up in Ft. Pierce. What did you do for fun, where did you hangout? That sorta stuff.

I remember every September the St. Lucie Marina had the Great American Raft Race and going to the rope swing under the marina's bridge for a dip in the old river. The marina also use to have a community pool that was also a great way to cool off in the summer. It has been filled in since 1980 I think.

[Bob Lombardi]

Okay, here's a couple of good ones. I am pretty sure that things have changed quite a bit, so please fill me in on the changes!

• Racing on the end of I-95
  
• Partying under the overpass on c-24 canal.
  
• Going to 'The Pines' to party
  
• Yes, the tire swing at the marina and didn't a kid get eaten by a gator over there too?
  
  
  

And here's some other weird things I remember:
Rubiks cube - although that was more in middle school.
Being the parts runner for auto mechanics gave me the opportunity to smuggle kids out of school in my trunk. It also gave me the ability to make soda runs at 7-11, but what I actually did is put a can of beer in the big gulp cup, pack it with ice and fill it to the top with soda. I think I owe 7-11 a few cases of beer, but it was worth it!

[tammi86]

Wow Bob, that's PURE genious!

I think we've already covered this one, but I remember hanging out in the old "Searstown" parking lot.

Senior skip day, getting busted by Bessie Webster (aka Torpedo Tits) for wearing short skirts, really bad hair cuts (both the boys AND the girls), braces, neon clothing, when girls wore neckties, bringing my vinyl albums to a school dance in the cafeteria(sadie hawkins?) when DJ Linda Hendry from WOVV showed up drunk and we had to play our own records, Bubba Pittman pulling down the P.E. teacher's gym shorts......wow, I could go on and on but alas I'll let some others get some memories in!

[Kelly Hampton]

Of course we've all mentioned the mall in other threads. Did anyone else try to do 88 mph around the mall after seeing "Back to the Future"? We used to go to Taco Viva ater school and get burritos. The Old Sunrise Theater is now reopened as an entertainment venue. It used to be horrible leaving there at night because all the inmates in the jail would whistle at you. The old JC Penney's. Cruising through Searstown on the weekend. I thought it was so cool to drive to Stuart to go the teen club "Downtown". Does anyone remember when Dennys used to be Sambos? When Jefferson Plaza actually had a store?

[Lisa]

Very cool thread! I loved going to the causeway, Indian burrial mound, round island (could actually clam then), and dynamite point (where I learned to swim plus loved crossing over to that island).

Yep Kelly I remember Denny's being Sambo - wasn't there also a Clock restaurant too? Also I remember the Jefferson Plaza having JM Fields and then a Service Merchandise.

Ah Searstown....where I used to hang out was at that laundromat that had a Galaga game in it.

I loved going to Skatetown and to the Cobb Theater (by the ice cream shop in Searstown).

Man I see what you mean about how I could go on and on!!

I remember parades being on US1.

As far as school goes I remember one hilarious day when Lisa Denning actually came to school without any shoes on. I had to 'hide' her feet the best I could by walking very close to her plus trying to cover them in class.

You guys remember the PE teacher - MIke Green - and what he did? Got fired and I think jailed for having sex with one of the girls on his softball team he coached.

I remember jumping on Terry's trampoline and being amazed that his family put a sun deck on the top of their porch. I always thought they were so rich!

My best friend back then was Lorna Biegner and we got into so much mischief....

Well I better stop there for now.

[Kelly Hampton]

Remember the parade used to called "Sandy Shoes Parade"?
My sister married Lorna's brother Mark.

[Lisa]

Yes Kelly, thats the parade! That is so cool that your brother-in-law is Mark. I'd love to have contact with Lorna again one day. I was her Lamaze coach when she had her son and the last time I saw her was right after she had the little girl - I drove to Jensen to bring her a gift.

I remember walking to school everyday (high school that is).

I remember going to Foghat concerts. And how strange was it that we had to many schools?
Ft. Pierce Elementary for Kindergarten, Lawnwood Elem. for first thru third, White City Elem. for 4th and 5th, St. Lucie Elementary for sixth, Dan McCarty 7th, Lincoln Park 8th, then Central.....!! Wow, now that I look back that just seems strange. I guess because I now live in a 'Village' with population 1,900 and the boys attend here in a grouping of building. Basically its a K-12th school.

These are fun memories.

[Kristine]

I also remember going to the 7-11 at US1 and Prima Vista to get a Slurpee, and I remember being able to do that by myself at the age of 9. My, how times have changed. My daughter is almost 11 and I won't let her out of my sight for a second. Anyway, I digress...I also remember "the tree" over by the marina that everyone swung off of, although I was never brave enough. I think the kid that was killed over there was hit by a boat when he tried to play chicken with it, but I'm not 100% sure. I think most of my favorite memories are of Sportsman's park. I played softball for so many years and I spent so much time there. I remember many nights of playing "cupball" with friends. I remember getting my first real kiss behind the bathrooms (how romantic!) at Lyngate. I remember buying my jeans from Kick in the Pants in the old Winn Dixie shopping center. I remember spending many Friday nights at Super Skate (and then it became the Oddessey Room). Remember one of our schoolmates died on the dance floor of the Oddessey Room? I don't remember his name though. I remember parachute pants, bandanas around our thighs, breakdancing, and the one time in my life I skipped class and hung out in the bathroom I was crapping twinkies the whole time because I was afraid I was going to get caught! I know, I know, call me a square! James, what a great thread you started!

[margarita]

DJ Linda Hendry.... wow I remember her hosting a fashion show at the school. I went just to get out of class.

The teacher that Bubba pulled the shorts down on if I'm not mistaken was Vera Burns.

You mentioned Skatetown, don't forget Skateland on weatherbee rd. not sure what it isnow but the sign i see on Oleander says its a daycare.

Bob, sorry to tell ya, the Pines are no longer there :-(

I was talking to my husband about how much the county has changed, at the time we were just crossing over the bridge at Gatlin where I95 ended so many years ago... :-)

[Clark]

wow this thread has been a trip down memory lane, at the age of 9ish I had free reign to go to "searstown", it was a five minute walk from where I lived... I would get an ice cream from Dipper Dan's watch a movie, play the video games at the laundry mat and the tape deck, there was also a place that sold magazines/comics and tobacco that's still there, called the "Brass Pipe", I loved the way my comics smelled when I bought them there. i remember before everypne owned Atari 2600 the line to play it in Sears in that plaza was about 15 minutes long because the big kids came there to play video games for free..

[Lisa]

It looks like most of my memories circle around water and water activities.

That is one thing that I sincerely miss -- the ocean. Here we have Lake Eerie (yuk) and the Ohio River (double yuk).

I also remember going to White City Park to cane pole fish with bread! I remember having a field trip to that park. Counting the alligators there was so cool to me.

Another thing that really stands out for me was NASA. Everytime there was a launch my parents would try to always go up N. US1 and get a great view. My favorites were watching night space shuttle launches from just across the river in Cocoa (or whatever town that was - about as close as you could get due to security). That was just too cool. Watching the reflection of the flames on the black river waters and noting that the shuttle is way up in the air THEN the sound hits you...a delayed sound of sorts.

I remember doing the snake dance on Homecoming or something like that. Bonfires. Huge Westwood vs. Central FB games. So much nostalgia. So many memories.

[Kelly Hampton]

You know they dont do the Snake Dance from Pizza Hut anymore? (Pizza Hut was damaged by the Hurricanes and never reopened) Real Nostalgia - Santa Claus used to land in a helicopter in Searstown when we were little and we usually bought our tree there too from the kiwanas. My mom used to drop me off at Skateland every Saturday morning. They had this drink I believe was called the graveyard that was a mixer of all the sodas. Everybody went to Dipper Dan's after the movies let out. That place was so tiny, they only had about 3 small tables up against the wall.

[tammi86]

Wow, Dipper Dan! Clark, you and I lived in walking distance of Searstown so it seemed we were always hanging around there. I remember when Woolworth's was there and they the little luncheonette in the store. Buying clothes at the "kick in the pants", which some referred to as "dick in the pants" (yes, mature weren't we?). We bought those lightning bolt jackets there that EVERYONE seemed to own. Remember when the old Cobb theater had like 2 movies back then and we thought it was so bad ass? Saturdays at skateland were the best, but I remember the Super Skate place too, and of course Skatetown. Life seemed so much simpler in those days.

Also, the football games that we went to, the pep rallies in the gym, the bonfires...man, I feel so old and young both at the same time!

[Bob Lombardi]

Hey, here's one thing I will never forget. I thought it was one of the funniest things in high school. I think it may have been Clark, but not sure who said it. In Chemistry class, the teacher, Ms. Johnson as I recall, was the leader of the Beta club. Someone asked Ms. Johnson if she liked being the Master Beta. I never laughed so friggin hard in my life. Does anyone remember that?

[Rochelle]

I remember that, Bob! I also remember that I didn't get it at first. Someone had to explain it to me. Oh, well. I guess I was a little sheltered........