Abacoa & Alton Neighbors May 2020

22 Abacoa &Alton N E I G H B O R S | M a y 2 0 2 0 Beach County Ocean Rescue before retiring—Cameron learned early on in life that Jupiter, above all else, is a vital South Florida community to preserve, protect and grow. Perhaps the backdrop of his favorite childhood book, A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith, that shares fictional pioneer tales about historic Florida, purposed May to maintain “the Cracker life,” as the author describes it. Or the similar paths he and his older brother Lex, followed as their footsteps lead them to be junior life guards for Palm Beach County, similar to their father. He and his brother loved sports and were very active on land—and in the water. “I’m a much better swimmer than a football player,” he said, explaining he would play for JTAA Flag Football in the Summer, and JTAA basketball in the Winter. May also swam as Jupiter High School Varsity Warriors team member for four years and for the Jupiter Dragons in the off season - where practices and meets were held at the North County Aquatic Center. Today, May, a 32-year-old firefighter/ paramedic with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, met 30-year-old Magen Brabham when she was babysitting for a neighbor of his parents in their neighborhood. Several years later, Cameron was attending Palm Beach State College for paramedic school and Magen was home for the summer doing an engineer internship between semesters at the University of Florida. They were reintroduced through friends at J.J. Muggs Stadium Grille in Abacoa Town Center. “We hit it off instantly,” he said. Cameron asked her for a date. “She said yes,” and explained they went to Dune Dog, followed by the Square Grouper to listen to some music by the water for the evening. “I am a Jupiter boy. She is a Jupiter girl. Since then, we have been together and never looked back—even during the time our relationship was long distance.” The couple married in March of 2014. In addition to serving as a Firefighter/Paramedic, May also serves as a certified instructor at the Palm Beach County Fire Academy. Magen is a Senior Engineer at NextEra Energy. The preservation of family and the memories being made in a laidback town close to the beach is as critical for these Jupiter hometown residents as are the needs to manage economic growth and redevelopment now that May is on the Town Council. “We do not want to be a large South Florida city, people move here to get away from that,” as May noted the Jupiter he and Magen grew up in held a slower pace. “We are raising our kids here and want them to be afforded the same opportunities and lifestyle we grew up with. It is the reason I wanted to be elected.” RESIDENT FEATURE