Indiantown's newfound independence poses economic opportunity | Guest column

Guyton Stone
Guyton Stone

For many Martin County residents, Indiantown is easy to forget about. Some people don’t even realize Indiantown is in Martin County.

As folks who love the rural life, we’re fine with being overlooked — unless we’re talking about opportunity.

Lost opportunities played a major role in residents’ historic November vote to make the village of Indiantown Martin County’s fifth municipality — the county’s first new municipality in almost 70 years.

The community is extremely excited about the event-rental company TentLogix purchasing the Louis Dreyfus Citrus plant. Without a doubt, this is a direct result of Indiantown’s incorporation and the community’s recognition of the need to chart our own course and create our own rules to attract business.

TentLogix’s investment was especially encouraging because the citrus plant closed a little more than a year ago, costing 300 jobs. Not only was this another reminder of the struggling state of citrus in Florida, it was another discouraging sign for Indiantown, which has endured decades’ worth of opportunities promised, hoped for and later lost.

The memory of EcoGen — an energy company that wanted to build a biomass facility on 78 acres of fallow citrus groves in Indiantown but lost faith after frustrations with the political climate of the last Martin County Commission majority — is still fresh.

During the economic boom of last decade, major home builders planned large residential communities and much-needed services would surely have followed for Indiantown. The bust occurred before those plans could come close to fruition.

Big dreams, and big disappointments, go back even further. I recently saw an old Indiantown Journal quoting the late, great Timer Powers, who represented Indiantown on the Martin County Commission, looking forward to “stable, positive growth” for Indiantown. That was in 1981.

Scott Watson, of Indiantown, (center) receives a hug from Ande Bauzenberger, of Indiantown, (left) as he celebrates with members of the Indiantown Independence Group after Indiantown's incorporation vote passed, at JR's BBQ and Saloon on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017, in Indiantown.

After all that lost opportunity, it’s fitting that opportunity is exactly what Indiantown finally got when we passed the referendum to incorporate. The addition of TentLogix is a strong indicator of the opportunity to come. What we do with these opportunities is what matters.

Not every job we will be promised will produce the future we need. If those jobs are short-term and short-lived, they won’t provide much future at all. We need to continue to attract manufacturing jobs, which are durable and provide working families with a good living.

We need a trade school to provide training, increase educational opportunities and empower people to offer our children a better life. We need housing options that local families can afford and that fit our community so residents can invest, improve and move up. That’s what opportunity is all about.

Nineteen years ago, at age 14, I got the opportunity I’d been dreaming about — the chance to live in America.

Growing up in Jamaica, poverty was everywhere. But the cruise ships reminded us that a better life was out there. My love for my family and my dream of one day living in America gave me the hope I needed to remain strong.

Thanks to my granddad, who handled my immigration request, my first American hometown was Indiantown. I’ve never left and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Today, I’m not only proud to live in Indiantown, I’m proud to be an American citizen.

At South Fork High School (go Bulldogs!), I took a construction class and discovered my love for woodworking. Today, in addition to raising my family here, I own a business in Indiantown and employ four locals. Thanks to the opportunity I’ve received, I’ve been able to create opportunity for others.

Casting a vote to incorporate Indiantown was one of my most exciting moments since becoming an American. Now, the genuine, good-hearted and fiercely independent people of Indiantown will have direct, accountable representation.

As a candidate for the village council, that’s exactly what I intend to provide.

Guyton Stone is a candidate for the Village Council of Indiantown and the owner of Guyton’s Custom Design, Inc., which is based in Indiantown and does custom woodwork, outdoor kitchens and more.