Hey on the towners, I'm Frank Licari from an exhilarating airboat ride in the Everglades.

To reeling in my passion for fishing.

I'm enjoying down home cooking that's good for the soul in the wild, wild western communities where I'm about to take the leap of a lifetime.

So join me as we go on the town in the Palm Beaches with me.

Frank Licari.

Ah.

All right, I'm all set.

Let's do it.

Ready?

Yep.

This program is brought to you by Discover the Palm Beaches.

Visit the Palm beaches.tv for more information.

We're checking out the westernmost communities in the Palm Beaches known as the Glades, which includes Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay.

The Glades offers that perfect mix of industry and a relaxed atmosphere where everybody knows your name.

Welcome to Tory Island.

Located on the southern shores of Lake Okeechobee, the largest freshwater lake in Florida, where I'm meeting up with Captain Steve for a private airboat tour.

Just me and the alligators.

Well, yeah.

That big gator.

Oh, yeah, I see him, big boy.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm in the boat and we're heading towards what looks like I'm hitting into a forest.

Right?

And then this boat just goes and sails right over it and moves everything out of the way.

And you're in the middle of it all.

You're not just on waterways, which is incredible.

So the vegetation that you see out here is, is floating, except for the canna lilies that you see and the willows, everything else out here is floating on top of the water.

It's amazing.

I can run over that.

It pushes it down and it comes right back up.

It's an amazing.

So running it right over is a smooth operation.

See all those bird nests in there?

I call that a condo association.

I've lived in Loxahatchee since 1987, and I've been riding the lake since 1982, just out here air boating and enjoying the scenery and having fun and fishing and all the stuff that goes along with it.

Did you always like you're like, okay, I'm an adventure guy.

So in the Marine Corps, they called me Gator because of all the alligator hunting stories and pictures that I showed them back when I was growing up.

So you were doing that when you were young?

I was doing that very young.

That was one of the first dates I ever took my wife on.

What?

Yeah, she enjoyed it, so I kept her.

I've been married 43 years.

That's a special woman.

There might be a nest right over here.

Over here.

Look, she's going back to it.

You see her?

Yeah.

You can hear her.

Screaming at you.

Yeah.

I've been doing air boating my whole life.

The wife and I are out all the time on our personal boat.

And one day, this was six years ago.

We're driving along and we see this every time we come out.

It's just beautiful.

Okay?

And I said to her, I said, you know, I would like to take people out and show them what we see because nobody gets to see this.

Everything is private.

So when you make the tour, this is where I bring you.

This is the things I tell you and show you what we do, what we see.

I show you the actual lake.

This is just what I do.

90% of the people I take out are family.

When they come out here, they all are just like, oh my God, that was amazing.

And sometimes when I take them out and I go, wow, I don't think that was a great tour.

Everybody gets off and goes, that was amazing.

That was amazing.

Yeah, but it's because I see it every day.

So I'm thinking, I didn't show him enough or I didn't, you know, get that one good shot for them, you know.

But everybody's like that's amazing.

It's amazing.

And what I want to stress is this is the smoothest ride on a boat I think I've ever had.

Yeah.

You're not getting seasick on a boat like this.

Yeah, we're out here.

It's a flat bottom boat.

I'm running over.

You know, the plants, the vegetation and stuff like that out here.

And it's just a smooth operation.

The knowledge you have about the different bird species.

Is that just from growing up here or that's from.

From growing up here, growing up down in area two, down in the South Florida Everglades.

So you learn the birds, you learn the gators, you learn the habitats.

You learn their movements.

Yeah.

You like this little guru.

So you just watch what the wildlife does and you can pretty much tell what what's going on.

We have a vast variety of birds out here.

I can't name them all.

I can name a lot of them, but there's so many birds that are.

So for a birder to come out here and see the things that that we see out here, the eggs, the the purple gallinule, the the coots, the snail kites, that's just the spoonbills.

I mean, we just have so many birds out here and you never know what you're going to see.

I don't see the exact same thing every time.

Oh, I see him.

Oh, he's about 11 foot.

Yeah, that's a big one.

Wow, that is a big boy.

Next, I'm dropping a line into Lake Oh to try my hand at fishing with a bell Gladion.

Who knows these waters well?

This is your backyard.

It's the backyard.

Literally.

What was it like growing up in Belle Glade back then?

You were outdoors.

Come in before the streetlights come on for dinner.

That was it.

That was the rule.

You've probably been fishing.

What?

Fishing for 60 years, I know.

Unbelievable.

And the fishing of choice here is bass fishing.

It's bass speckled perch.

Okay.

Warmouth and cichlids.

So there's a multitude of fish.

This is called a bait caster, not a spinner rod.

Gotcha.

And then we're fishing with an artificial frog.

Yep.

All you do is you're going to get it out there, let it sit, and I can pop it just like a frog.

Yeah.

And if it if something hit it, it will come up from the bottom and just knock it down.

And then you got to get ready.

Yeah.

Now how big are the bass getting in here.

You.

It's easy to catch a £10 bass.

Really.

When I say easy if you fish enough.

Yeah.

Yeah I mean but you can go out and catch 40 and 50 bass in a day.

You can only keep five per license.

Gotcha.

Okay.

We have guides that can take you out for whatever type of fishing you want to do, and it's a really good adventure out here for kids because it's pretty private compared to what is in the city.

Pretty much just simple fishing.

It's called fishing, not catching.

That's right.

And you go out a lot.

And some days are epic.

Some days are, gosh, I could have caught more.

Right.

And it's relaxing.

Yeah, it sure is.

Belle Glade's Black Gold Jubilee draws thousands of locals and visitors to enjoy the delicious food, great entertainment and fun rides.

We caught up with Mayor Steve Wilson to learn more about how this tradition got its start, and what makes this city so special.

The Black Gold has been around for maybe 46 years.

I mean, it started back in 1976, I do believe.

Um, it was at the end of the year harvesting season where the farmers would get together with the community stakeholders and they go out and celebrate, talk about the good, the bad and the ugly.

It's a time where everybody Jubilee, where everybody is coming out to have a good time to talk about what they did and what they plan to do for the next year.

What's entailed in the Jubilee?

A lot of things from five K 10-K. Ron, you have the golf tournament, you have the Miss Black and Gold pageant.

It's a whole thing where everybody food, music, just a good time.

Well, black gold.

Where did that came from?

And it actually refers to the muck.

The muck out here is like a rich color of black.

And you cannot get any richer, more fertile soil.

And that is what the Black Gold Jubilee is all about.

This small community come on one accord.

And that's you never seen anything like it.

It's one of the signature events.

The 4th of July here is apparently a big deal too.

It's only the big 4th of July, which is we have for the third year rodeo.

We have a lot of folks come out.

We do so many events in this community where we offer opportunity to folks.

And guess what?

Most of it is no charge at all to this community.

Wow.

So they're all free events.

Majority of them are.

That's amazing.

Yes.

Let me ask you a question.

Do you ever get, uh, do you ever do the rodeo?

Do you ever get on?

No, I do the, uh, mechanical, uh, bull.

Do you really?

Yes, yes.

Whoa.

That's impressive.

What's your what's your what's your, uh, time?

Uh, how long are you on?

Probably about three seconds.

Okay.

That's probably about three seconds more than I could do.

Belle Glade, this area very, very important in the farming community for the entire country.

Yes.

We take pride to say that we're part of a community that feed America in some parts of the country.

That means more to me and people in this community than anything else in the world.

But I could tell you, this community, there's no place like the Glades community.

Why?

Because it's all about the love.

If you're looking for a restaurant with the most eclectic menu in Belle Glade, you need to try the Banyan Tree restaurant.

I'm about to try some down home cooking.

Mhm.

Everybody no matter where we went, said you got to go to the banyan tree.

Isn't that exciting.

It's a true story.

It's a true story.

We've been in business over 20 plus years.

What?

Yes.

It's a family owned and operated business.

Wow.

Yes.

My uncle, he started it.

It was a small cafe.

He created the recipes for the soul food.

Gotcha.

And it just grew into what it is today.

What makes you get into this?

My parents, they were running it.

Um, I was in college.

I always had my own career.

So once my parents got older and, you know, I'm like, okay, it's time for me to come back and help.

So I continued with my own career as well as manage the rest of my.

I'm a graduate of Florida A&M.

I have a bachelor's in health care management, and I also have a master's from Nova University.

So.

But I never thought I would be in the restaurant industry.

Sure, I also used to be a teacher, so I was teaching as well as managing the restaurant and what.

Doing surgeries as well.

Are you doing everything?

That's incredible.

How has the menu changed over the years?

Is it because does it start with changed tremendously?

Right.

We started as like a small selection.

Now we have a huge selection for breakfast as well as lunch.

Anyone?

Whatever appetite you have, you'll find something on the menu.

So we have breakfast, lunch, soul food.

We have salads, burgers, sandwiches.

We sell a lot of chicken wings.

If I was to come in first timer, what's a signature thing that you think?

Okay, what's going to get people to come back?

What's a lot of signatures?

Yeah.

Definitely oxtail okay.

I'm in for that.

Meatloaf in for that.

Um, our candied yams are really good.

All right.

We have smothered pork chop.

Speaking my language.

Um, I like that.

All right.

The Everglades Research and Education Center opened over 100 years ago in Belle Glade to study the challenges and benefits of this unique area.

You'd be surprised to know that some of the most important research that's dealing with food sustainability across the country is happening right here in the Glades, and I'm about to find out all about it.

We are about education, research and extension, agricultural production, sustainable practices, improving soil sustainability, regenerative agriculture, putting back to the land what we take from it, and protecting natural resources.

Water quality is very important to us, of course, and also wildlife that we, you know, we do have here.

Let's talk about the wildlife.

What's going on with that?

So barn owls are used for managing rodents, especially sugar cane.

Yeah.

They're like the bouncers at the club, right.

Like they keep the rodent sound.

Yeah, yeah.

So there are a lot of rats.

It's a more sustainable way of managing them instead of using, say, rodenticides and all that.

Once you build these boxes and put them on the farm, a barn owl comes in.

They made they produce all these kids and they have to feed them, all right.

So they kill a lot of good luck.

Rodents.

We have two webcams, live webcams that stream.

There's a lot of people that watch them.

We now have the highest concentrations of barn owls in any place in the United States in this area.

Wow.

A lot of people don't know how much AG is in Palm Beach County.

Like.

I like your little slang there.

Yeah.

The ag.

What do you mean it is ag?

I gotcha.

Um.

Because we grow a lot of important crops, not only sugar cane for sugar production, but we have a lot of vegetable production.

Lettuce, sweet corn, uh, celery, sod, flooded rice in the summer.

So very important crops.

And we don't want diseases to decimate an industry.

Most of the lettuce that is grown here are in the winter.

Time is what is mostly sold, you know, along the East.

Coast, right?

If you guys aren't doing good, good.

Good job.

I'm not eating lettuce in New York.

Even the sweet corn that you're probably eating in New York here.

Oh, I love my sweet corn, Calvin.

Yeah.

All here.

Yes!

Amazing.

We are lucky in this area that a lot of the farmers here are second, third, fourth generation Floridians.

They're very connected to the land and they're really land stewards, and they want to be here.

But the pressure on making money from a farmer is very strong.

And then also the new generation doesn't want to be in agriculture.

Right.

So this is part of what we like to do here at the center, because we want to educate the next generation of scientists.

We like to host a lot of local interns from this area.

It is a way for us to introduce them to the diverse jobs that agriculture has to have.

It's not just about being in the field and cultivating or harvesting.

It's there's a lot of computer work, there's a lot of AI work.

There is quite a bit diverse jobs.

Agreed.

That's all agriculture or AG, as we like to.

Say in the business.

From lush fairways to breathtaking views, I'm teeing off at one of the Palm Beach's best kept secrets.

The Belle Glade Municipal Golf Course is a great place to bring the whole family.

It's fun, it's affordable, and it's challenging.

The unique thing about this course is it's it's city owned.

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

Municipal golf course.

So how does that differ from a normal public course per se?

We do have memberships, but our rates are a lot less than private course.

So we are really dependent upon our citizens.

And in Belle Glade, we have a season.

And all of the winter people that come to visit South Florida.

We're blessed to have some of them flock over to the city of Belle Glade.

That's great.

That's great.

So you're making it accessible, more affordable.

You got to keep your eye on the ball.

I got you, I got you.

Oh.

Look there.

Oh, right over the bunker.

Nice shot.

Come on.

Man.

Thank you, thank you.

This is a pretty much lax course.

Yeah.

It's open, very open.

And that's one of the reasons why a lot of people like it.

Because you're not in a neighborhood, you're not hitting houses you don't got.

We have trees, but we don't have a lot of trees.

So the openness of the course is nice.

The margin of error is a little bit broader.

Yes.

It's a little broader, a little bit more forgiving as they say.

Yes.

And I feel like the area is a little bit laid back.

Right.

The, the whole area has kind of got that.

Everything's going to be just fine.

Relax.

If you need to reduce your stress, you need to relax.

Belle Glade is where you need to come, I like that.

I've worked up an appetite and I'm ready for a good old fashioned fish fry at a family owned and operated Cajun style restaurant.

It's a staple of the community.

But tell me how it started.

So my parents, they moved here from Louisiana.

They wanted to bring a little piece of Louisiana with them.

So they started Mr. Sherm Market.

So it started out as a market.

That's why you see like the showcase with all the fresh seafood and stuff.

They sold shrimp and other seafood, but they only cooked the shrimp.

And it was that cup of shrimp you see everywhere.

That's the.

Yeah, just the cup of shrimp.

That was literally all all they sold.

And then they started putting crab in different kinds of shrimps.

And uh, now they fry food and we do the bowls and that's that's cool.

Now, can I still get fresh fish.

If I come in?

You can.

Yes.

They still sell.

Everything by the pound.

Fresh.

Wow.

So you're a fish market and a fish fry?

Yep.

Is this the first location?

This is the first location?

Yes.

Amazing.

It's a landmark here.

Yeah.

So, wait, you have four locations now?

And a.

Food truck.

A food truck?

That's amazing.

Yeah.

I'm Mr. Shrimp, like, just blowing it up all over.

He's always been a dream of all of us.

We're six kids.

Yeah, we grew up here.

We're in the back assembly line peeling shrimp because we couldn't buy already peeled shrimp.

Right.

And nobody even delivered to Belle Glade like we.

It was a weekend thing or like a Friday thing.

We'd go with my dad to Miami and pick up all of the product.

Wow.

Because they nobody delivers.

So you're making fresh fish runs with pops?

Yes.

Come back here.

And now we're peeling shrimp.

And then we're peeling shrimp.

Assembly line in the back.

Of the store.

All of us.

Yeah.

So that's cool to kind of have grown up in it.

And then you come back home and now you can continue dad's legacy, right?

Yes, yes.

My mom works.

Here.

Mom works here?

Yes.

Uh, we we try and get them to retire, but they don't want to.

So.

Yeah.

This is their baby.

Sure.

So the signature is obviously shrimp?

Yes.

I'm coming in and I'm getting a basket of shrimp.

Yeah.

Serving it with some fries.

Yes, yes.

Shrimp and fries.

Classic.

Yeah.

But you also do some Cajun stuff.

You do.

So.

Yeah.

So the shrimp in the cup is the original classic Mr. Shrimp.

Yeah.

Just a little bit of seasoning and some butter and like, best thing you've ever eaten.

They're very particular about our shrimp for sure.

Yeah, well, you'd have to be.

Yeah.

Like Mr. Shrimp.

Yeah.

The Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center, located at the Palm Beach State College Glades campus, is the pride of Belle Glade.

They present plays, music, and ballets.

Let's meet two of the stars that work behind the scenes.

I think the theater in a community is one of the most important things to have.

And I would imagine in a community like Belle Glade, which is tight knit, closer, smaller.

Very important.

Yes.

Yes, absolutely.

And I agree with you with theaters are a place for everybody.

They're a place to congregate, come together to experience the magic that happens on theater, whether it's, you know, something that is pure joy from, you know, a kids show and kids performing, or if it's a concert of music that you know and love, or even if it's a theater piece that just challenges you to think about something differently.

It's really it's a special place that we have here and theaters and community cultural arts centers.

You know, they play a really important role in our in our community.

Cultural arts for education.

So we do field trips for kids here in the Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee County.

We do provide things from as far as pre-K to I want to say eighth is our niche, but we do provide outreach here at the lobby, and we do things for families and the kids, whether it's art, dance, Zumba, anything you can think of, art related when.

The theater is shut down, closed.

Like, do you guys ever just get up on the stage and do a little soft shoe to do a little thing?

Do you ever get up there and just belt out a song just for fun by yourself?

I never shy away from a microphone.

Of course.

Yeah, that's what I want to hear.

I do it every.

Every time I walk into a theater, I see the ghost sled.

I'm like, ah, maybe I could do a little.

I've given a concert whether anybody is there to listen or not.

Yes, yes.

Very nice, very nice.

As you can see, there's no shortage of activities out west, including skydiving.

My friends at Skydive Palm Beach say the freefall at 120mph is pure bliss.

It's just a lot more slower than you think it's going to be.

You think you're going to accelerate really fast, but it honestly feels like you're like swimming in the sky, in my opinion.

Really?

Yeah.

Wow.

That makes it sound peaceful.

Yeah.

Palatable.

Almost.

Uh, we have what's.

Called a drogue that keeps us stable and it slows us down behind us and freefall.

So it's like you go out and you just feel like you're floating.

You're swimming super peaceful.

I'll go over on my back, have my hands behind my head and just relax for a minute.

From a lot of people.

They come out, it's a carnival ride and it's just something to do, something to cross off their bucket list.

But every now and then you get that person that comes in and they're super scared.

They want to do it, but their body's telling them no.

And so you, you know, you got to I don't know why my.

Yeah I don't know why my handles are just I got to find.

With what you're describing.

There.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And it scares a lot of people.

But to share that experience with them, to get them to come out, help them conquer that fear.

Because I conquered that fear growing up.

Um, that's the most, like, rewarding part about doing tandems and doing skydiving is sharing that with people.

And then it's also a lot of fun to just go out there and jump your own gear and have a good time and mess around and do fun stuff.

Are you ready to do this?

Yep.

Nope.

This is what we're going to strap you up with.

This is how you connect to me.

All right.

Okay.

We got four points of contact one, two, three and four.

Yep.

It's gonna make sure you're not going anywhere without me.

Yep.

Okay.

Yep.

Pretty solid.

All right.

We're going to turn around and step one leg through each loop okay.

Here.

One gosh.

And two.

And then put these up on your shoulders.

Just like a harness.

Bada bing bada boom.

Man.

You look good in that.

Dang.

Okay.

All right.

Yeah a moment before we jump, I just tell them, like, if you're scared, the best thing you can do is give me three seconds of courage.

That's it.

Oh, that's all it is.

As soon as that door opens up, count one.

Right.

Two, three.

And then we're jumping out.

And at that point, you're committed.

Most people.

The scariest part is the moment the door opens.

Sure, it's that threshold where you don't know what's on the other side of that, of that fear.

Right.

Well, there's there's that.

Yeah.

There's jump.

You don't know what to expect.

But once you jump out and you realize you kind of tumble for like a second and then you're stable and then you feel the wind on your face and you feel free, right?

And like it doesn't matter what's going on with work or family or anything.

Um, as soon as you do that skydiving, you come down like you feel like you can accomplish anything and you feel like you're not worried about anything.

Don't stand up nice and tall and proud for me.

Like you're about to go skydiving.

Yeah.

There you go.

Chest out.

Looking strong.

Yep.

Okay.

Nice and tight.

Yep.

This is looking pretty solid.

This is fine here.

Oh, yeah.

You're good again.

All right.

Those are weird looking, aren't they?

Skydiving is about being stylish.

Wow.

Okay.

Yeah.

There you.

Go.

How's that?

You look ready.

Yeah, sure, I feel ready.

Obviously.

Ideal location for this, right?

This area specifically.

Lots of land, lots of open sky.

Yes, absolutely.

That's why you're here.

Am I getting great views of Lake Okeechobee when I'm up there?

Absolutely right.

You must have an amazing view up there.

How high are you going up in the plane?

Anywhere from 9 to 10,000ft.

So you're getting a really good bird's eye view up there?

Absolutely.

And that would make this that what makes the area ideal.

You can see all the way the other side of Lake Okeechobee on a clear day.

You can also see the coast as well.

Is that.

Right?

Yeah.

That's the.

Coast.

Yeah.

Oh, cool.

I'll check your harness.

You're gonna double check mine, right?

Sure.

Yeah.

All right.

Perfect.

I'm the last one you want.

Checking for safety, but.

All right.

And you call it diving, not falling, right?

Yeah.

It's diving.

Yeah, well.

Because it's controlled fall.

Controlled fall.

Dive.

It's a dive.

Gotcha.

Okay.

You went to the Olympics and you were watching the the Olympic falls, right?

It wouldn't be as as exciting.

As exciting.

Yeah.

All right.

You ready for this, I guess.

All right.

Beautiful.

We've had a great time exploring the relaxed and friendly lifestyle here in the Glades, with scenic views from the water, the greens, great food and some new friends along the way.

We hope you get out to enjoy everything the Palm Beaches has to offer.

The next time we go on, the town and the coffee shop would be great to.

Wow.

Wow.

That was.

Yeah, that was, uh, that was a lot easier than than you made it out to be.

I didn't feel nervous at all.

You were a.

Perfect student, man.

Congratulations.

Thanks, man.

Yeah, that was great.

You're a great teacher.

That was.

Wow, I mean, I yeah, I didn't feel anything like it almost didn't even happen.

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