🌅🎄Holiday Lights Around Town

It’s Monday! After some hours of deep work, a few café mistos, and some stress, the newsletter has gotten a bit of a facelift. Speaking of which, a quick programming note: we’re making a slight schedule change for Sunland News.

After some feedback and testing, the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday newsletters will still go out at approximately 7:27 AM, while our Tuesday and Thursday editions will now be sent at 2:27 PM. (772 is not a real time, so I’m aiming as close as possible. 😭) This change will allow for a higher-quality newsletter and give your inbox a bit of a break in the mornings.

I’ve also written up a detailed breakdown of what you can expect from each weekday edition. Check it out here.

Oh, and lastly—since it’s the week of Thanksgiving, I’ve decided to forgo sending out the newsletter for the rest of the week. I’ll be sure to catch you up on any important updates next week, but I’m taking this time to focus on some exciting projects for the newsletter. It’s all for the better in the end. Alright…

📬 A Look Ahead in 5 Seconds:
Christmas Lights Showcase! 🎄
Food Bank Giveaway 🦃
School Board Recap 🏫

Really Quick 👀: If you haven’t tried it yet, check out the latest Sunland Crossword here.

What’s Your Favorite Thanksgiving Food?

🎶 What It Sounds Like: "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind & Fire

☀️ Day: High of 79°F with sunny skies. Winds NNE at 5-10 mph. 4% chance of rain.

🌙 Night: Low of 58°F with generally clear skies. Winds light and variable. 11% chance of rain.

🌡️ Check Full Weather Report Here 
🚗 Check The Traffic Before You Leave

Treasure Coast Food Bank Gives Back: Holiday Mobile Pantry Events This Week

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, the Treasure Coast Food Bank is ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry. This week, they are distributing Thanksgiving meal essentials to families in need through their Holiday Mobile Pantry program.

If you or someone you know is in need of food assistance this Thanksgiving, here’s where you can find the Holiday Mobile Pantry:

• Nov 25 – Clover Park (Mets)
  31 Piazza Drive, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
  8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

• Nov 26 – Treasure Coast Mall
  3174 NW Jensen Beach Blvd, Jensen Beach, FL 34957
  8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

• Nov 27 – Vero Beach Outlets Mall
  1824 94th Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32966
  8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

These events are part of the Treasure Coast Food Bank’s holiday outreach program, in collaboration with local community partners. The food distribution is available first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early! Approximately 500 turkeys and holiday meal boxes will be distributed at each location, while supplies last.

For the full list of locations and more details, please visit the Treasure Coast Food Bank’s full holiday schedule here: Holiday Mobile Pantry Schedule

Important Details:

• Who can come: Anyone in need of food assistance.

• What’s available: Turkeys, holiday meal boxes, and other essentials for Thanksgiving dinner.

• No cost: This event is free, and it’s open to anyone in need.

School Board Recap: Key Takeaways

Talking to my friend and collaborator J'qwan yesterday, we realized that the school board meetings don’t get enough coverage from our perspective. So, here are some quick updates from last week's meeting that you should know:

• Oaths of Office: Theresa Aronson and Jennifer Richardson officially sworn in to continue serving on the board.

• Leadership Changes: Dr. Donna Mills is the new Board Chair; Mr. Choi Ingersoll takes over as Vice Chair.

• Construction Progress: Both Legacy High and Fort Pierce Westwood are on track for opening, with Legacy scheduled for August 2025.

• GED Policy Update: Board passed an amendment to policy 5465 concerning the GED test.

Want more details? 🎥 Watch the full video from the meeting here to dive into all the discussions and updates!

Weekday Events Ahead 🎉

Monday, November 25

Sailfish Fort Pierce Bingo Night
🗓️ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
📍 130 N 2nd St, Fort Pierce
Free Bingo card with every beer and pizza purchased. Fun for everyone in the family with house cash and Sailfish swag prizes.
👉 [Learn More]

Cousins Maine Lobster at Bass Pro
🗓️ 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍 2250 SW Gatlin Blvd, Port St. Lucie
Maine lobster dishes straight to your plate.
👉 [Learn More]

Tuesday, November 26

Thanksgiving Floral Arranging
🗓️ 6:30 PM
📍 3200 ST LUCIE BLVD, Fort Pierce
Design your holiday centerpiece! Includes fresh florals, arranging tools, vessel of choice, and a beer for $25. Food truck on-site.
👉 [Learn More]

Music Bingo at Hop Life
🗓️ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 679 NW Enterprise Drive suite #101, Port Saint Lucie
Join us for a fun night of Music Bingo! Prizes for winners of every round. First come, first serve seating.
👉 [Learn More]

Wednesday, November 27

Thanksgiving Eve Bar Party
🗓️ 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 1500 NW Courtyard Cir, Port St Lucie
Food & drink specials including $5 Jameson, Tito's, Sauza, and Shooters! PLUS half-priced appetizers.
👉 [Learn More]

Thursday, November 28

7th Annual Turkey Trot at Tradition
🗓️ 8:00 AM
📍 10301 SW Innovation Way, Tradition Square
Join us for the 7th annual Turkey Trot! Registration is now open for this Thanksgiving morning 5K.
👉 [Learn More]

Fairgrounds Festival of Lights
🗓️ 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 15601 West Midway Rd, Fort Pierce
Drive-thru lights, real reindeer, petting zoo, Santa's Village, photo ops, and more! The biggest light show on the Treasure Coast.
👉 [Learn More]

Ladies Night Out
🗓️ 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
📍 44 Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Beach
Join us at Sweet Desires Dessert Lounge for Ladies Night with 1/2 off bottle wine every Thursday.
👉 [Learn More]

Friday, November 29

Heathcote's Garden of Lights
🗓️ 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 210 Savannah Rd, Fort Pierce
Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Garden of Lights at Heathcote Botanical Gardens, starting Thanksgiving weekend through early January.
👉 [Learn More]

PSL in Lights
🗓️ Dusk - 9:00 PM
📍 2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd, Port Saint Lucie
Stroll through The Port District from the Event Lawn to the Botanical Gardens with light displays on a self-guided walk.
👉 [Learn More]

If you have an event, send it to me here

Photo by J’Qwan! 📸

Thank you all for being here! I hope you have a good time sitting around and kicking it with family. I can’t wait to see you back here next week. In the meantime, I’ll be busy in Photoshop, designing who-knows-what, and working on making this newsletter the best thing out there!

Alright… see you next Monday!

With love,
Ja’Min

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