02/27/2020 ISSUE 09

Unsheltered homeless here
highest in country. P10
Could teachers find
a home at the mall? P11

Accused island fraudster said
to violate long-standing trust. P11

EDITORIAL For breaking news visit

Brian Barefoot is what Sheriff gives pass
the School Board needs to local arcades
on illegal slots
This one is easy.

Indian River County vot- BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ
Staff Writer
ers should be thrilled that

someone of Brian Barefoot’s

stature and accomplishment In Indian River County, ar-
cades conducting illegal gam-
cares enough about our com- bling operate in plain sight in
strip malls and gas station pla-
munity to want to step out of zas without interference from
law enforcement, a Vero Beach
retirement and serve on the 32963 investigation has found.

Indian River County School As part of an agreement
with the Seminole tribe in
Board – an often-thankless, 2013, the Florida Legislature
passed a law clearly prohibit-
$35,000-per-year position that ing adult arcades from oper-
ating slot machines or other
requires a great commitment games of chance and paying
winners in cash or expensive
of time and energy. prizes.

We should celebrate Bare- Under the law, adult arcades
– there are 18 in Indian River
foot’s decision to run and fully County – are only allowed to
operate games of skill, and can
embrace the knowledge, expe- only give out non-cash prizes
valued at no more than $6.
rience and professionalism he
But 32963 found numer-
would bring to the sometimes- Several women try their luck at slot machines last week at the Palm Arcade on U.S. 1. PHOTO BY KAILA JONES ous arcades operating illegal

contentious, occasionally Island sees boom in new home construction CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

chaotic, five-member board –

especially at this important in-

flection point, when the school

district has a new, blue-chip BY STEVEN M. THOMAS any time since the real estate projects in the planning and
Staff Writer downturn in the mid-2000s. permitting stages are expect-
superintendent who has hit ed to bring another 100 or so
Homebuilding has ramped Ten active subdivisions homes to market.
the ground running and is de- up dramatically on the island on the island will deliver ap-
and buyers have more new proximately 220 new homes Prices range from about
termined to make the changes home choices today than at over the next few years, and $600,000 up to $8.5 million,
three more major residential
necessary for our school dis- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

trict to reach its potential.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Lawnwood’s new Emergency Room Retired asst. fire chief
battles Cleveland Clinic for patients headed for trial by tire

BY MICHELLE GENZ Room – signage that didn’t PHOTO BY KAILA JONES BY LISA ZAHNER
Staff Writer clearly indicate the facil- Staff Writer
ity is owned and operated by
Indian River County’s first Lawnwood Regional Medi- Last week, Indian River
freestanding emergency room cal Center, located 12 miles County Fire Rescue’s former
opened on South U.S. 1 last south in St. Lucie County. second in command, Brian
December under the ban- Burkeen, was rumored to
ner Vero Beach Emergency For weeks after the Lawn- have signed a plea deal. Then
the plea deal was mysteri-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

February 27, 2020 Volume 13, Issue 9 Newsstand Price $1.00 Windsor Polo Cup
runneth over with
News 1-12 Faith 80 Pets 79 TO ADVERTISE CALL excitement. P 17
Arts 39-46 Games 57-59 Real Estate 83-96 772-559-4187
Books 56 Health 61-66 St. Ed’s 67
Dining 72 Insight 47-60 Style 68-71 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 54 People 13-38 Wine 73 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2020 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

New home construction boom “This is the most we have seen in at broker-associate at ONE Sotheby’s, average 8,500 square feet and can ac-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 least 10 years,” says Sally Daley of Daley who represents the property along commodate single-story homes up to
& Company Real Estate. “The delta be- with his wife, ONE Sotheby’s broker- 3,400 square feet or two-story homes
but most of the homes – which include tween the cost of new construction and associate Kim Thorpe. A furnished up to 5,100 square feet.
townhouses and ultra-luxury condos – what it costs to buy an older home and model will be open soon. Prices range
are priced between $800,000 and $2 fix it up has narrowed and that makes from $900,000 to $1.1 million, with the Orchid Cove is next in line. Located at
million, with another sizable number new homes more attractive to buyers.” 2,500-square-foot West Indies-style the eastern end of the Wabasso Bridge,
in the $2 million to $4 million range. model currently listed for $1 million. the 31-acre subdivision is the second-
The northernmost active subdivi- largest active development underway
“This is the largest number of new sion on the island is The Reserve at Next comes Magnolia Beach, a small on the island and two builders are rap-
homes we’ve seen at once in a long Pelican Island, a 10-home, 3.71-acre subdivision adjacent to Summerplace idly erecting single-family houses.
time,” says Premier Estate Properties enclave tucked into the side of the Pel- that is an outlier in the group, offer-
broker-associate Cindy O’Dare, “but I ican Island National Wildlife Refuge. ing lots for builders or homeowners to Parkwood Distinctive Homes is
think our market can handle it. More build on instead of finished homes. building 20 waterfront homes in the
and more buyers are coming to Vero Two inventory homes built by Mark community, including seven that are
because of our wonderful lifestyle.” Ezzard of Southcrest Homes are com- The lots, according to Claire Som- direct riverfront and come with docks.
plete and a third will be finished by mers, an executive with the develop- Its one-and two-story models range
May, according to Michael Thorpe, ment group, are priced at $189,000, from 2,100 to 4,000 square feet and are
priced from $675,000 to $1.4 million,
according to listing agent Janyne Ken-
worthy of ONE Sotheby’s.

Several spec homes priced around
$800,000 and a model are under con-
struction and Kenworthy has sold
three houses.

GHO Homes purchased the other
37 lots in the 57-home subdivision
last year and has sold several homes,
according to company president Bill
Handler. GHO has a furnished model
open and spec homes under construc-
tion. Handler said the first residents
will arrive in March.

GHO is offering four models that
range in size from 2,050 to 2,520
square feet and in price from $560,000
to $800,000 according to Handler.

Community amenities include a
clubhouse, pool, fishing pier and com-
munity dock.

Back over on A1A, just south of the
Disney resort, two home-buying op-
portunities remain at the Northshore
Club subdivision, a small enclave
of oceanfront estate homes. Devel-
oper Yane Zana says he will start a
5,300-square-foot spec home on a
1-acre lot in the next 60 days. The
house will be listed for $5.5 million.

Also remaining at Northshore is a
massive 3-acre lot where Zana is of-
fering an 8,500-square-foot home that
will be priced at $8.5 million.

About two miles south of North-
shore Club in Indian River Shores,
four substantial subdivisions are un-
derway.

The Strand is the largest, with 21
townhouses and 47 single-family
homes laid out on a magnificent piece
of land between A1A and the Indian
River. The Beach Cottages – a five-
building, 21-unit, Key West-style town-
house community – occupies the front
4.7 acres of the 34-acre development.
One- and two-story townhomes rang-
ing from 2,300 to 3,000 square feet are
priced from the high $800s to $1.1 mil-
lion. One four-unit building is complete
and two more are under construction.
Two townhouses have been sold and
two more reservations taken, according
to sales director Shari Goodner.

Infrastructure is complete in the sin-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 3

NEWS

gle-family home section of The Strand, Several miles further south, adja- to 3,300 square feet and are priced and plans to break ground on the con-
where Lennar has 44 lots and GHO cent to Tracking Station Park, Lutgert, from $2.5 million to $3 million for a dos this summer.” Dale Sorensen Real
has three. Handler says he plans to a Naples developer with a 50-year 3,300-square-foot home on the top Estate agent Megan Raasveldt, the
begin construction by April, building track record of impressive projects in floor. Three single-family home mod- project sales leader, says one condo
2,900-square-foot homes with three Southwest Florida and North Caroli- els range from 3,000 to 3,500 square has already been sold.
bedrooms and a den. Pricing has not na, is building Surfsedge, a beautifully feet and are priced from $1.6 million
been finalized. designed 24-home community with to $1.85 million. The final active subdivision on the
12 single-family homes and 12 ocean- island is Sandy Lane, a single-street
Lennar has a model home under front condos. Lutgert executive Mike Hoyt says subdivision south of Castaway Cove
construction, but executives were un- the developer “will start two single- that is the work of developer Dolf
able to provide a construction timeline. The condos range from about 3,000 family homes in the next few months
A year ago, a Lennar executive said he CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
expected homes to be priced from $1
million to $2 million or more, with the
most expensive homes on the river.

Directly across A1A from The Strand
is Blue at 8050, a 20-to-24-unit, four-
building luxury oceanfront condo-
minium project with clubhouse, pool,
fitness trail, putting green and other
amenities being developed and built
by Zana.

Thorpe, who has the listings, says
3,300-square-foot oceanfront condos
are listed from $1,645,000 to $2,095,000,
depending on floor level in the four-
story buildings, which have parking on
the first level. Double units with 6,600
square feet of air-conditioned living
space will be priced from $3.1 million
to $4.1 million.

Zana says he has sold five homes so
far in the first two buildings, including
one double unit, and expects to have
two or three more sold by the end of
March. He plans to go vertical with the
first two buildings in April and deliver
finished homes in May 2021.

Back on the west side of A1A, adjoin-
ing The Strand on the south, the Court-
yard Homes, a neighborhood in Palm
Island Plantation, is just about sold
out. Work started on the 20-home, five
-building project in 2017 and only three
units are left. The courtyard homes
range in size from 2,325 to 2,640 square
feet and are priced from $900,000 to
$924,500.

“It has been a big success,” says Palm
Island broker Steve Owen. “If we had
the land, we would do the same project
again. The market for new homes right
now is about as good as you are going
to get. Every spec house we build, we
sell before it is done.”

Besides the three courtyard homes,
Palm Island is starting four single-
family spec homes elsewhere in the
nearly built out 131-home communi-
ty. Those homes will range from 3,000
to 3,500 square feet and be priced be-
tween $1.36 million and $1.55 million.

Just south of Palm Island Plantation,
South Shore, a 30-home, single-family
subdivision being built by Beachland
Homes as the final phase of River
Club, has 17 lots left. Large single-
family homes loaded with high-end
finishes are available from about $1
million to $2 million, including land,
and take about 15 months to deliver.

A model home which has 3,385
square feet is priced at $1.2 million.

4 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

New home construction boom downturn are now dated and in need it, who has a reputation as a reformer “So why, when everything else
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 of expensive upgrades. and who sees an opportunity here. around here is positive, do we settle
And he’s going to push his agenda. for a mediocre school system? It’s em-
Kahle. Two houses and one lot are still “I have had a number of clients I want to make sure he doesn’t get barrassing.”
available for purchase. who started down the path of buying bogged down by the board and that he
and renovating an older home but gets what he needs to do the job.” That embarrassment is why Bare-
“We have two spec homes finished changed their minds and started look- foot – at age 76, after a wildly success-
and ready now,” says Kahle. “They are ing at new construction when they He paused for a moment before ful career in investment banking at
3,600 square feet under air in the main calculated the cost to bring an older adding: “A lot of people, including Paine-Webber International (where he
house and 600 in the guest house, house up to code and make it the way several Vero Beach political types, say was an executive vice president) and
priced at $2.4 and $2.5 million.” they want it,” Daley says. this is a much more important elec- Merrill Lynch (where he retired as a se-
tion than the ones for sheriff or county nior vice president and managing di-
The one remaining lot is listed at “There is a real preference for new commission.” rector), followed by a seven-year stint
$550,000 and is available as a lot/home construction that meets current as president of Massachusetts’ Babson
package for as little as $1.75 million, building codes and has all the latest They might be right. College – didn’t immediately reject ef-
depending on the size of home built. Electing sheriffs and county com- forts to recruit him as a candidate for
features,” Thorpe added.  missioners always impacts the com- the School Board.
The three subdivisions in the pipe- munity, but the next few years – if
line are North Village in Windsor, We endorse Brian Barefoot Moore fulfills his promise – will be a Among those who approached him
which is slated to break ground next CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 gamechanger for our school district, was Indian River Shores Vice Mayor
fall and will bring approximately 35 which under former superintendent Bob Auwaerter, who served as chair-
new single-family homes to market, We should elect Barefoot to the Dis- Mark Rendell was plagued by poor man on the school district’s Audit
according to Windsor; a 26-acre GHO trict 5 seat now occupied by Tiffany morale, too much teacher turnover, Committee, where he saw a glaring
development at route 510 and A1A Justice, who, as of Monday morning, mishandled finances, unnecessary in- need for strong leaders with business
across from the Disney resort that will hadn’t yet filed to run for a second vestigations and costly lawsuits. expertise on the board.
offer “single-family and attached vil- term. “If you live here, you want all as-
las ... starting under $1 million,” with pects of Indian River County to be a Auwaerter, who is running for the
sales beginning in 2021; and a multi- Then we, as a community, should plus,” said Barefoot, a former Indian District 5 seat on the County Com-
family oceanfront project tentatively strongly urge the other board members River Shores mayor. “We’ve got Cleve- mission, was aware of Barefoot’s
named Indigo that will be developed to elect Barefoot chairman, because land Clinic, one of the top two medi- outstanding work as a member of
by Zana on the site of the old FIT ma- the district would benefit mightily cal centers in the world, acquiring St. Edward School’s Board of Trust-
rine lab. from the sure-and-steady, solution- our local hospital. We have a theater ees, as well as his years serving on
driven leadership he would provide. that is recognized as one of the best boards of numerous public and pri-
Thorpe, Daley and others say new off-Broadway theaters in the country. vate schools, education-related com-
homes are attractive to many buyers “Now is the time,” Barefoot replied We’ve got the Vero Beach Museum of mittees and education-focused non-
because the last batch of homes built when asked why he decided to run. Art. I could go on and on. profit organizations.
on the island before the real estate “We’ve got a superintendent who gets
He also sat with Barefoot on the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 5

NEWS

Shores’ Town Council and observed ing,” Auwaerter added. “Brian is a very at the right time, so I began recruiting more impressive, but Justice doesn’t
the efficient way he ran meetings. intelligent man, and he would bring to him to run.” deserve another term. She has been
that board a depth of knowledge and at the center of much of the board’s
“A school board can potentially create combination of educational experi- As of Monday, Barefoot was run- acrimony and showed poor judgment
a lot of obstacles for a superintendent ence, financial expertise and business ning unopposed. But even if Justice in relentlessly supporting and defend-
and having someone like Brian there to acumen that’s not there right now. seeks re-election, Barefoot shouldn’t ing Rendell, even after his failings had
support his efforts would certainly en- be concerned.
hance Dr. Moore’s chances of succeed- “He just seemed to be the right guy CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Not only are his qualifications far

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

We endorse Brian Barefoot However, Zorc did say she doesn’t lion dollars in tires purchased using “The county has been monitoring
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 plan to seek a third one-year term taxpayer money. If the trial goes for- this case closely. We are hopeful that
as chairman if re-elected to her seat, ward, it will make the county govern- the courts will deliver a strong mes-
become so obvious that his departure which helps clear a path for Barefoot, ment, not to mention Burkeen’s old sage that anyone who steals from
last year became inevitable. who would be – by far – the best choice boss, retired Fire Chief John King, look government will be prosecuted vigor-
to succeed her. either incredibly corrupt or incredibly ously and punished heavily for their
“A lot of people in and around the stupid – or maybe both. crimes,” County Administrator Jason
district are very excited about his can- He’s already met with board mem- Brown said Monday.
didacy,” one high-ranking school of- bers. He observed the meetings at Investigators say Burkeen presented
ficial said, “because this is a very cru- which they interviewed Moore. He has Goodyear with $288,000 in county pur- On top of what would amount to a
cial time for the district, and we need made himself familiar with the issues chase orders for more than 1,400 tires theft from county taxpayers, state cof-
someone with his credentials.” confronting the district and is eager to that the county did not need, carried fers were allegedly also robbed of sales
get to work. tax on the purchase price of the tires.
Certainly, we don’t need another the tires off by hand, transported them That’s another $20,000 if all the charg-
educator. There are currently three of “I like challenges – finding solutions in his county-owned work truck and in es against Burkeen are proven. When
them – Mara Schiff, Jackie Rosario and to problem, fixing something that’s a county-owned trailer to his personal he was charged with a felony, Bur-
Teri Barenborg – on the board, and for- broken,” Barefoot said. “The first thing barn in Fellsmere, and sold them to keen lost his pension payments and
mer principal Peggy Jones is challeng- for me to do, though, is get elected.” people he knew though Facebook. his county health insurance subsidy,
ing board Chairman Laura Zorc, an ac- pending trial. If convicted, Burkeen
countant by trade, for the District 3 seat. Vero Beach 32963 wholeheartedly He allegedly got away with doing would lose his pension totally.
this for nearly four years. The allega-
While there’s value to having an edu- endorses his candidacy.  tions, if true, make the leadership of “Mr. Burkeen and his family are no
cator or two on the dais, Barefoot said, the Indian River County Emergency longer members of the county’s health
“strong boards bring together a diversity The above endorsement editorial was Services District appear clueless. insurance program,” Brown said.
of backgrounds,” adding that the school written for Vero Beach 32963 by colum-
district “is a $300 million business.” nist Ray McNulty. Members of the County Attorney’s It’s tough for any “reasonable per-
Office have reportedly attended all son” to think no one knew what Bur-
Zorc, who is in her second year as Tire trial the depositions leading up to the trial, keen was (allegedly) doing. But it took
chairman, said Barefoot “has a lot of so politically, they know exactly what the fresh eyes of Assistant Fire Chief
strengths that would complement CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 is coming – an old-fashioned drag Tad Stone, hired in August 2017 from
the board’s other members,” but she through the mud. Seminole County, to see something
refrained from commenting further ously called off, and the March 9 trial amiss with the accounts and ask ques-
because the Florida School Board As- was back on. tions that prompted a full audit of the
sociation has advised the panel to stay purchasing records.
neutral during the board races. Burkeen could make an awful lot of
people happy by entering a guilty plea King called in Sheriff Deryl Loar’s
on charges of stealing a quarter mil-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 7

NEWS

detectives to report some suspicious carrying out the door was odd, so They, too, would probably love it if “I’ve come in here with 10 bucks and
activity – conveniently three weeks they asked. Burkeen decided to take a plea. walked out with $120 in 30 seconds,”
after Burkeen retired in February 2018 said Christian Luke, a patron of New
with 30 years of service. Then King re- “Burkeen told them that he buys But it’s probably better, in the long Skillz Arcade, 4113 U.S. 1.
tired and Stone was tapped to be the extra tires that will be given out to cit- run, for public trust in government
new fire chief. izens who filed lawsuit claims when if Burkeen goes to trial. A jury made A patron at the popular Palm Arcade,
their vehicle tires are damaged due to up of Indian River County taxpayers 740 U.S. 1, said she won $150 on a pre-
Auditors found that a serious lack of poor county road conditions (hitting would then decide whether Burkeen vious visit. A sign inside the arcade
internal controls left the county wide a pothole),” the arrest warrant affi- is guilty of stealing from their pock- states the maximum payout is $5,000.
open to the type of theft and loss po- davit states. County officials told in- etbooks and any flaws in county gov- Pirates Arcade, 833 8th Street, also pays
lice say occurred. Kudos to the audi- vestigators there is no such program, out a maximum of $5,000. Representa-
tors and to Chief Stone for exposing and that Burkeen had nothing to do ernment would be exposed.  tives from both arcades declined to
the issue. It’s not easy to walk into a with lawsuits filed against the county comment for this story.
job and have one of your first official for pothole damage. Illegal slots at local arcades
duties be to recommend turning a CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Attendants at Vero Beach Arcade
colleague over to the cops. What about all the people who alleg- and New Skillz Arcade, however, ad-
edly got sweet deals on more than 1,400 games of chance, including penny slot mitted to paying out cash and giv-
Burkeen was a well-known guy tires purchased from Burkeen? Appar- machines similar to those found in ca- ing winners expensive prizes such as
long before making headlines for be- ently, they believed one of two stories sinos, and openly offering and paying Google Home, an electronic entertain-
ing arrested, and he allegedly oper- – that Burkeen got the tires at cost from out large cash prizes, which multiple ment device valued at more than $50.
ated his scam on a large scale in plain his brother-in-law, or from his brother. sources said sometimes amount to
sight. So why didn’t somebody blow Numerous people who purchased sto- thousands of dollars. Patrons at the Vero Beach Arcade
the whistle on him? len property are set to testify, includ- could win up to $2,000 on a machine,
ing county employees. So far, none has At five arcades visited by two report- one patron said. Another said she
County Commissioner Tim Zorc re- been implicated in the scheme. ers, multiple players reported winning wins $50 on a good night and has lost
ceived an anonymous tip when Bur- cash prizes on slot machines, employees hundreds of dollars on other days.
keen was arrested that became pub- “The county turned this over the admitted paying out cash prizes and, in
lic record. “There was a very real fear Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement. some cases, signs were posted inside Karen McGuinness, lead customer
of retribution among the firefighters, They charged Mr. Burkeen with and even outside in front of arcades representative at Vero Beach Arcade,
so no one turned Burkeen in, though crimes, but no other County employ- promising cash prizes up to $5,000. said she believes her machines are le-
it was pretty widely known what he ees were charged or determined to gal, but added state law on the matter is
was doing,” the message said. be involved based upon the inves- Attendants at every arcade said that murky. A sign outside the storefront in
tigation,” Brown said when asked if machines in their establishment were the Publix plaza states,“We pay in cash.”
The guys at Goodyear who sold any employees have been disciplined games of chance, not games of skill.
Burkeen $288,000 worth of tires for buying tires from Burkeen. “Some people say it’s illegal and
thought the volume Burkeen was some say it’s allowed. There are state-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

8 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Illegal slots at local arcades In fact, state law clearly states “Ar- that he had no intention of raiding payouts was enacted, Loar’s deputies
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 cade Amusement Centers” can only adult arcades in the county because arrested three people for allegedly
pay out non-cash prizes worth a mini- state law was unclear in his mind, and manipulating machines in several
ments that are contradicting. It’s cer- mal amount and are prohibited from because the establishments rarely arcades in the county to cheat the ar-
tainly not clear,” McGuinness said of operating games of chance, and makes pose a physical danger to the public. cades out of thousands of dollars in
the law. it a misdemeanor to violate the statute. cash.
However, in 2016, after the cur-
But Sheriff Deryl Loar said in 2012 rent state law clearly prohibiting cash The arcades have continued to op-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 9

NEWS

erate since then, some with signs in complaints or tips about crimes oc- cently shut down by the city due to to report these [illegal arcades] when
front promising cash. curring within the arcades are re- high crime at the establishments. they become aware of them,” Zorc
ceived, we always follow up on them.” Nassau County, which adjoins Jack- also added.
On the public danger front, the Vero sonville, has also followed suit.
Beach Arcade was robbed last week Loar went on to state that, “in con- Two of the candidates seeking to re-
by a man armed with a tire iron who cert with the State Attorney’s Office, we County Commissioner Tim Zorc be- place Loar, Charles Kirby and Richard
made off with an undisclosed amount continue to monitor the activities in lieves the law must be enforced here, Rosell, say if they are elected, they will
of cash. No injuries were reported, but the arcades and their compliance with too. take a close look at the issue. If the law
a clerk was forced to the ground at one state law . . . [but] we cannot comment is being broken, the establishments
point, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Maj. on any active investigations.” “Since the one sheriff is outgoing, should be warned to comply with the
Eric Flowers said. whoever the new sheriff coming in is state statutes. If they don’t, they should
The State Attorney’s Office did not needs to address all levels of crime,” be shut down, both men say.
“While we rarely get complaints as- respond for requests for comment be- Zorc said, referring to Loar who is not
sociated with adult arcades, we are fore deadline. seeking reelection this year. No arcades are located in the city
committed to enforcing the law,” Loar of Vero Beach, which has no land use
wrote in an email last week. “When In Jacksonville, all the arcades in “There has to be equal enforce-
the city, approximately 200, were re- ment and the community also needs code that allows them. 

Emergency room battle tion] to take care of the residents in our ioral Health Center, the only designat- understands that. I think a lot of people
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 county,” she said. “You cannot bring an- ed receiving center in the county, ac- think it’s Cleveland Clinic. They do.”
other county organization” – fire rescue, cording to a DCF official who emailed
wood ER opened, residents south of which handles ambulances – “and have the county in response to the hospital “And it’s making it harder on pa-
8th Street with lower-level emergen- them be automatically taking people” district’s query. tients,” Jones continued.
cies were automatically taken to that to the freestanding ER that could then
new facility when they dialed 911 for transport patients to Lawnwood. But county administrator Brown says To remedy any confusion and drive
an ambulance. Only if they requested Lawnwood continues to dispute the the point home, Cleveland Clinic In-
to go to Cleveland Clinic Indian River “In south county, there are a num- matter. A Lawnwood spokesperson said dian River is mailing out 60,000 wal-
Hospital were they taken there. ber of people who would qualify for the hospital was not able to comment let-sized cards saying, “Take me to
Cleveland Clinic’s financial assis- on the matter by press time Monday. Cleveland Clinic Indian River.”
That policy was enacted by county tance program,” Cunningham said.
emergency management officials after “If they get taken to the [Lawnwood For their part, some hospital district The cards are going out to neigh-
meeting Lawnwood’s CEO, Eric Gold- freestanding ER], they’re not going leaders believe Lawnwood is inten- borhoods within a 10-mile radius
man, and touring the freestanding ER to be able to get that. If they are then tionally trying to confuse the public. of the freestanding ER, including
just before it opened. transported to Lawnwood, you’re dis- some homes in Fort Pierce. Hospital
advantaging the residents.” “I think the purpose of putting that spokesperson Angela Dickens says
Now that policy has changed, fol- unit where it is – and not identifying another batch of cards is expected to
lowing protests by the Indian River County officials quickly saw her point. who it is – is to disrupt,” Trustee Allen go out in the months ahead to house-
Hospital District. “The next day, they changed the poli- Jones said. holds in and around Sebastian.
cy,” Cunningham told the board. “I give
When EMTs pick up South County Jason Brown a lot of credit for this.” Cunningham agreed.“Oh, [Lawnwood] CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
patients, they will explain ER options The change in policy “appears to be
and let patients choose where they working properly,” she added. “[EMTs]
want to go whenever feasible, with will ask for a choice, and if somebody’s
Cleveland Clinic – not the new ER – be- unconscious or it appears somebody
ing the default. is going to be admitted, they will go to
Cleveland Clinic. Period.”
Residents will also get an explana- But the ER debate wasn’t over. The day
tion from ambulance drivers of just after meeting with Brown and Reingold,
who owns the freestanding ER: Lawn- the two hospital district leaders headed
wood. As it is, patients must squint to to the Sheriff’s Office to talk about an-
see the very fine print that explains other source of patients for the free-
that Vero Beach Emergency Room is a standing ER – those taken in for mental
“campus” of Lawnwood. healthcare under Florida’s Baker Act.
Word had reached the hospital district
Indian River County taxpayers con- office that deputies were taking those
tinue to own the Indian River hospital, patients to the south Vero ER after being
though Cleveland Clinic Florida now told by Lawnwood that the freestanding
has the long-term lease on the property. ER was a designated Baker Act receiving
facility, a determination issued by the
Marybeth Cunningham, chairwom- state. According to Cunningham, the
an of the hospital district board, is the ER was immediately transporting Baker
one who intervened in late January, Act patients to Lawnwood Pavilion on
along with the board’s executive di- the Lawnwood campus.
rector, Ann Marie Suriano, to have the District executive director Ann Marie
EMS policy changed. Suriano wrote to the Division of Chil-
dren and Family Services, the agency
“As soon as we heard about it, we set overseeing Baker Act receiving facili-
up a meeting,” Cunningham said. ties, and was told the freestanding ER
is not a receiving facility, though Lawn-
The two met with County Admin- wood itself is, and by virtue of proxim-
istrator Jason Brown and Dylan Re- ity, Lawnwood Pavilion.
ingold, the county attorney, Jan. 28 to Today, law enforcement is no lon-
discuss the ambulance policy. ger taking patients to the freestanding
ER, Cunningham told the board. Bak-
“We are here because it’s our job to er-acted patients are being taken to
support the county hospital that we Cleveland Clinic Indian River’s Behav-
have, and the county hospital is Cleve-
land Clinic,” Cunningham told county
officials, as she relayed the conversa-
tion to district trustees last week.

“We just spent two years to bring in
the No. 2 healthcare [system in the na-

10 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

HUD report: Unsheltered homeless here highest in the country

BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ 2019 Point in Time Count taken turbed by the federal figures for the A recent analysis by the group
Staff Writer on Jan. 29, 2019, revealed a total of Treasure Coast. found there are currently no new
1,499 individuals – 1042 adults and single-family home or townhome
“This is something we desperate- 457 children – are homeless on the “That’s shocking data that reaf- purchase options for households
ly need to look at,” said Vero Beach Treasure Coast, a 3 percent decrease firms we need to continue to work with annual incomes below $65,000
Vice Mayor Tony Young when he from the previous year. hard in providing solutions that will and no market rate rental apartment
learned that the Treasure Coast, in- help agencies such as The Source,” options for households earning less
cluding Indian River County, has the Homelessness in Indian River Indian River County Commissioner than $50,000 to $55,000 per year.
highest percentage of unsheltered County, however, climbed from 447 Tim Zorc said.
homeless people of any suburban individuals to 486 last year. Several committee recommenda-
area in the United States. The Source is a nonprofit organiza- tions adopted by the commission
Four-hundred of that number tion that provides cold night shelter, last week included setting a five-year
The dismal distinction was in- were unsheltered, according to the emergency hunger relief, counseling county-wide target of adding 1,500 af-
cluded in the U.S. Department of report. and benefit referrals to the county’s fordable housing units produced and
Housing and Urban Development’s growing homeless population. The secured through assistance by pri-
2019 Annual Homeless Assessment “It’s something we need to study group is currently fundraising to vate sector and public sector efforts,
Report to Congress, which found and explore, because it’s appalling construct a $2.7 million Dignity Vil- eliminating impact fees for very low
that 93 percent of homeless people that we have people that are home- lage on an undisclosed 25-acre prop- and low income single-family hous-
in Indian River, St. Lucie and Mar- less and do not have shelter in our erty in the county that will consist of ing of less than 1,000 square feet, and
tin counties are unsheltered, sleep- city,” said Vero Beach City Council- 100 500-square-foot homes for the developing regulations that would al-
ing in the woods, in cars or on the man Joe Graves when Vero Beach homeless. low for smaller 36-foot wide lots with
streets. 32963 informed him of the report’s smaller less expensive homes.
findings. Graves said the city could “There are no emergency over-
The Treasure Coast Homeless Ser- potentially partner with local home- night beds in the city or county,” said In December, the Vero Beach City
vices Council, which is the lead or- less nonprofits and the private sec- Anthony Zorbaugh, executive direc- Council approved a zoning variance
ganization here to report homeless tor to provide shelter for the home- tor of The Source. that cleared the way for a 20-unit af-
statistics to HUD, conducts an an- less. fordable housing complex at 1055
nual survey to determine the area’s A lack of affordable housing is one Royal Palm Blvd. to help homeless
homeless population. The agency’s County officials, who last week cause of the problem, according to
approved several initiatives to cre- the county’s Affordable Housing Ad- veterans. 
ate affordable housing, were dis- visory Committee.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 11

NEWS

Could teachers find a home at the Indian River Mall?

BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ tricts’ teachers union, could not be cy’s is in the final days of a going-out-of- shopping center space into “a com-
Staff Writer reached for comment. business sale, and board members say plex of micro apartments so popular
the massive spaces could be renovated that 4,000 people are on the waiting
Does it make any sense to attempt Superintendent David Moore, who and turned into apartments. list to move in,” according to Busines-
to convert vacant retail space at the expressed support for the idea, said sinsider.com.
languishing Indian River Mall into the issue of affordable housing for Each store is around 140,000 square
apartments for teachers? teachers is one many districts are fac- feet in size, and could conceivably Moore and board members said
ing. Moore said his previous employer, be redeveloped to include two levels, they have not yet discussed their idea
That’s one possibility being con- Miami-Dade School District, created which would double the square footage. with the owners of the empty depart-
sidered by the Indian River County housing for teachers that has been ment stores, and mall officials could
School Board, which believes creating very successful. And it is not an untested idea. In
more affordable housing in Vero Beach Rhode Island, a developer revamped not be reached for comment. 
would help the district recruit new “This could be a unique way to at-
teachers and retain current instructors. tract new, young individuals who will
invest in the community,” Moore told
The board recently agreed to form a the board.
committee, which will include board
members, teachers and community The idea of creating teacher hous-
representatives, to explore different af- ing is growing more popular across
fordable housing options – including the country as districts located where
building apartments in the former de- housing is pricey struggle to attract
partment store buildings vacated, or and retain teachers, Moore and Baren-
soon to be vacated, by Sears and Macy’s. borg said.

“Finding affordable housing in Vero Only a handful of districts in Flori-
Beach can be very difficult, especially da already have some sort of teacher
for someone on a teacher’s salary,” said housing, but in other parts of the
board member Teri Barenborg, who country, the strategy is common and
proposed the idea during the board’s has worked well.
Feb. 11 work session. “Many teachers
can’t afford to live and work here.” Moore and the board noted that creat-
ing apartments at the Indian River Mall
Liz Cannon, president of the dis- isn’t as far-fetched as it might sound.
The Sears store is now closed, and Ma-

Accused island fraudster said to
have violated long-standing trust

BY LISA ZAHNER mother Rita Hawxhurst met Delaney
Staff Writer through a cousin who had been a cli-
ent of his in New York. Before branching
The son of one of accused fraudster out to Vero Beach via a series of invest-
Christopher Delaney’s alleged victims ment seminars held for high-net-worth
says Delaney violated a trusted rela- clients, Delaney worked as a financial
tionship built up with his family over advisor out of White Plains, N.Y., offices.
three decades.
“We have known him for at least 30
Michael Hawxhurst said he and his
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

12 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Accused island fraudster In the first case, he’s charged with the elderly woman to put her savings. which Delaney replied that the TCCT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 bilking clients out of nearly a half mil- Previously, the Hawxhurst family had product was “comparable to a CD.”
lion dollars invested in a reality tele-
years,” said Hawxhurst, who recalled vision show called “Jet Set” that was only given Delaney money for invest- “He had always done what he said
meeting numerous times at his moth- never produced. In the second, he ments for which he could provide docu- he was going to do. Based upon the
er’s home with Delaney to discuss her is charged with defrauding Hawx- mentation from a separate corporation, history with him and the trust, it
investments, plus corresponding with hurst’s mother, an 85-year-old New such as bank statements for mutual seemed like everything was fine,” Mi-
him by email over the years. Hawx- York woman, of $188,000 she invested funds or an insurance company certifi- chael Hawxhurst said. “There were
hurst said Delaney had always been in Delaney’s company, Treasure Coast cate for an annuities investment. This never any issues getting in touch with
very professional and personable, and Capital and Trust, which operated out new investment was different. him before. He was a real operator
said he even invested some of his own of a Vero beachside office. with real companies at that time. He
money with Delaney at one point. Court documents allege “Christo- worked with a lot of families.”
The money was supposed to have pher Delaney represented the Treasure
Today, Delaney, 64, sits in the Indian been invested in a fund of Delaney’s Coast Capital and Trust product as be- Because she’d invested money with
River County Jail awaiting trial in two that was called Alliance Capital, ing a safe investment with a better rate Delaney for decades with no problems,
different theft cases. which charging documents say Del- of return” and Rita Hawxhurst “recalled Rita Hawxhurst did not demand month-
aney purported to be a safe place for telling Christopher Delaney she did ly or quarterly statements. But in January
not want to invest in risky products,” to – a time when financial advisors typically
check in with clients and provide needed
tax documents – she was unable to reach
Delaney when she tried to contact him.

His phone had been disconnected,
and Michael Hawxhurst found out via
his social media network that Delaney
was in jail.

The longest it had ever taken for his
mother to get a response prior to Janu-
ary was two days. In that instance, in
2019, “he called back on the second
day and said he was going in for can-
cer surgery. He’d been running this
cancer thing with her for a while.”

Michael Hawxhurst said the loss of
funds has been a huge blow to his moth-
er, who wanted to live out her retirement
on funds she had saved for her golden
years. “She is 85 years old and that mon-
ey was to live on in her retirement. That
money was to protect her in case some-
thing happened,” Michael Hawxhurst
said. “It was her peace of mind.”

He said the family very much wants
to see justice served in this case. “As of
now, my mother is in good health and is
willing to come down and testify against
this guy,” Michael Hawxhurst said.

Michael Hawxhurst said he had
been unaware of Delaney being in the
reality TV business, and that Delaney
had never asked his family for money
to invest in the “Jet Set” show.

Assistant State Attorney Lev Evans
since August has been pushing to get
the trial underway on the half-million
in funds allegedly stolen by Delaney
under the “Jet Set” scheme, as those
two victims are also elderly.

No court date has been set, and now
the second case involving Hawxhurst is

on a parallel track for prosecution. 

Emergency room battle
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

“We want patients to be aware that
they do have a choice of where they
want to go,” she said.

Dickens added the caveat that with
stroke or chest pain or some other se-
rious conditions, patients should go
to whichever ER is the closest. “Obvi-

ously we don’t want to delay care.” 

WINDSOR CUP
RUNNETH OVER WITH
EQUESTRIAN EXCITEMENT P. 18

14 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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Windsor Polo Cup reception was a galloping success

Galen and Hilary Weston with Galen Weston, Jr. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Maria and Chris Whittle with Mary Mullan.

Tiffany Thompson, Ted Habiger and Sheryl Herrema. Nicole and Cressman Bronson. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Converse Roberts, Melissa Rivkin and Jane Carter-Ortiz.
BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Sponsors and beneficiary repre- Jessica Schmitt, James Michael, Elizabeth Thomason and JoAnn Hitt. Laura Mathieux and Wendy Johnston.
sentatives of the Windsor Charity
Polo Cup were feted at a Player Re- sor in 1989, the Windsor Charitable Indian River County, and the Humane sociation was a beneficiary in 2016
ception the Friday evening preced- Foundation’s signature fundraising Society of Vero Beach and Indian River and 2018, along with a different na-
ing the main event, at the stunning event in its current format as the bi- County, and Whittle had high praise tional charity each of those years.
Weston Guest House at Windsor. The annual Windsor Charity Polo Cup for the organizations’ executive di-
reception was sponsored by Windsor was founded in 2012. rectors, Elizabeth Thomason, Jessica “But the Foundation chose to go
residents Manley and Mary Johnson, Schmitt and Kate Meghji, respectively. with all local charities from now on,”
Tim and Mary Mullan, and Chris and “We wanted to do a polo event for said Whittle. “I agree with them, be-
Maria Whittle. The Polo Cup was pre- the Humane Society,” explained the Whittle explained that the charities cause I think it makes more sense.
sented by PNC Bank. delightful Maria Whittle, event co- are ultimately chosen by the Wind- There are so many wonderful orga-
founder with Mary Mullan. “It’s been sor Charitable Foundation, with input nizations here that, I think, really
Guests mingled over cocktails and an experience, and now more and from Windsor residents. suffer when the rest of us go north or
hors d’oeuvres, while enjoying the more people are getting involved. It’s wherever we go for the summer, and
jazzy sounds of Ella & the Bossa Beat, just gotten so exciting. Everybody is “So many of us are involved in vari- they’re left to really do an awful lot of
perusing the sparkling Paul Morelli looking forward to it, and the chari- ous organizations throughout Indian work. I think now that it’s all focused
Collection, offered by Belle Cose at ties are great.” River County; I’m involved with the locally, it’s going to make a bigger dif-
the Village Shops, and purchasing Humane Society,” said Whittle. “We ference.”
raffle tickets in hopes of winning fab- This year, the event was support- ask our charities to submit an applica-
ulous prizes, including a lovely gold ing the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indi- tion.” For more information visit windsor-
equestrian necklace donated by Mo- an River County, Literacy Services of charitypolocup.com. 
relli and Belle Cose. The Alzheimer and Parkinson As-

The evening was a great way for
sponsors to meet some of the polo
players, thank Hilary and Galen
Weston for their gracious hospital-
ity, and learn a little more about this
year’s beneficiaries.

While philanthropy through polo
matches began almost immediately
after the Westons founded Wind-



16 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 John Walsh, Galen Weston, Jr., Hilary Weston and Max Secunda. Jose and Tracy Sorzano with Connie and Dennis Satyshur.
Mike and Sara Whiting with Betsy and Mike Hanley.

Gary Gates with Kimberly and Zeth James. Nicky Szapary, Alexandra Weston and Peter Schmidt. Shaun and Samantha Hurley.

Linda and Don Proctor with Hilary Weston.

Corey and Elizabeth Whiting with Jackie Randell and Maddy and Nate Rusbosin.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 17

PEOPLE

Windsor Cup runneth over with equestrian excitement

BY MARY SCHENKEL Mariano Obregon (3) and Nachi DuPlessis (4). PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 John is not playing this time. I hope
we can put up a good game for you.”
Staff Writer my grandson, who is only 10, scored Christine Schmidt and Hilary Weston.
his first goal,” said Hilary Weston, Match director Max Secunda
Following the Friday evening Play- referencing the Junior Player Demon- years ago with polo and equestrian pulled together another impressive
ers Reception, a record crowd of about stration prior to lunch. pursuits at the very heart of our com- roster of world-class players, all of
2,000 people turned out for the Satur- munity. I hope that everyone here whom donated their time for this pre-
day main event, the Windsor Char- “It really is a pleasure to have so will agree that Vero Beach is a very mier, high-goal, charity polo match.
ity Polo Cup, co-chaired by the Hon. many members of Windsor, our special place, and that volunteerism Ferragamo did captain the winning
Hilary M. Weston and Salvatore Fer- neighbors and visitors and, of course, is alive and well here.” team this year, with Henry Porter,
ragamo and presented by PNC Bank. the polo community together once Mariano Obregon and Nachi Du Ples-
again for this very special sporting “I feel incredibly privileged to sit sis, the game’s MVP. The talented
This fifth biennial event, the Wind- event,” she said. “As you may know, as the honorary co-chairman to this players on the other team were Justin
sor Charitable Foundation’s signature Galen and I founded Windsor 31 wonderful charity,” said Ferragamo, Taylor, Whistle Uys, Oliver Hipwood
fundraiser, supported three local before adding with a laugh, “I am, and Freddie Mannix.
charities: the Boys and Girls Clubs maybe I should say fortunate, that
of Indian River County, Literacy Ser- Brady Roberts, Vero Beach Mu-
vices of Indian River County, and the seum of Art executive director/CEO;
Humane Society of Vero Beach and Stellene Volandes, Town & Country
Indian River County. editor-in-chief; and Alex Papachristi-
dis, Everyday Elegance interior deco-
A glorious day filled with first-class rator, served as the judges of year’s
activities was presented to all attend- Famous Paintings-themed tailgate
ees, whether they had opted to pur- competition.
chase grandstand tickets, participate
in the tailgate competition or go all First Place, for Best Abstract Ver-
out with top-tier luncheon tickets. sion of a Painting, was awarded
to Leslie Bergstrom for “The Last
Prior to the match, tastefully attired Tailgate,” based on Leonardo da
guests strolled among the Porsche Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Second
People’s Choice Concours, where 55 Place, Best Reproduction, went to
gleaming models were on display by Val Kratky for the South African
the Space Coast Region of Porsche Paintings of Marianne North. The
Club of America. People’s Choice award went to Katy
and Jim Dyreby for their interpreta-
In the Specialty Retail Village, a tion of Renoir’s “The Luncheon of
percentage of sales from the must- the Boating Party.” 
have array of products was donated
to the charities, which each had rep-
resentatives on hand to speak about
their organizations. Attendees also
bid on artist Carrie Nygren’s com-
memorative poster artwork and pur-
chased last-minute raffle tickets for
an assortment of fabulous jewelry,
wine and travel packages, including a
stay at Ferragamo’s Il Borro property.

Guests in the tented pavilion dined
at tables with centerpiece baskets of
luscious lemons, bright yellow daffo-
dils and tulips, on elegant tenderloin
and poached lobster salads, created
by Executive Chef Robert Meitzer and
impeccably served by Windsor’s effi-
cient staff.

Event emcee John Walsh acknowl-
edged a litany of sponsors for their sup-
port, before sharing that he would not
be playing in the match.

“Unfortunately, I’ve hurt my hand
this year, but I’ve played in every game
in the previous four Windsor Cups, and
I’m bragging, because my team won all
four of those games,” said Walsh.

He noted that the philanthropic
Weston family has had a “long love of
horses and a tradition of polo,” with
Galen Weston, their son Galen and
grandson Braden all enjoying the
sport.

“I’m full of excitement, the fact that

18 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Tiffany Thompson and Ted Habiger. Jason and Lisa Godin.
Salvatore Ferragamo, Mariano Obregon, John Walsh and Dr. Johnson Hagood.

Erin and Harley Henning. Carol and Peter Coxhead with Kim Franco. Marylynn and Jay Hall with Betsy Hanley.

Christine and Salvatore Ferragamo. Mark and Tetiana Pieloch.

Mike and Cathy Curley. John and Margaret Larlee.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 19

PEOPLE

Corey Whiting, Nate Rusbosin and Mike Whiting. Andrew Bigbee, Karen Richardson and Mary Bigbee. Beth Stattman, Cindy O’Dare and Lily O’Dare.

Aaron and Nicole Martin. Leslie Bergstrom and John Campione. Dr. David and Orly Diamond. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
Susan Chesney, Lawrence Wentworth and Melonie Ferrell.

Valia Francheschi, Astrid Torres, Anjelly Castro, Christina Rosero, Maria Davila, Olga Henriquez and Luisana Prato.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Terry Marks and Mimi Stickley.
Elizabeth Skoda and Stephanie Smith.

Zulu and Susannah Scott-Barnes with daughters Josephine and Willow. Dr. Monika Srivastava and Kunal Shah. Kathy Riedy with Jerry and Lin Quinn.

Charlie Piermarini and Jamie Thorsen with Veronica and Peter Krivkovich.

Eilias and Jeff Powers with Wendy Trimarche and Susan Schuyler Smith.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 21

PEOPLE

Ali Jaffe, Paige Thacher and Rebecca Liu-Doyle.

Ivan and Wade Baxley. Adrian Tauro and Sloan Mauran.

Dr. Carrington and Kari Mason. Ray and Jean Oglethorpe.

Harrison Reischer, Lucio Francesci, Finn Secunda, Max Scott-Barnes.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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Moorings, Habitat building on something beautiful

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Habitat for Humanity. Weekend fit-
Staff Writer ness events had included golf, ten-
nis, pickleball, croquet, putt-putt,
Members of the Moorings com- bridge, Mah Jongg and a 5K run/
munity partied with a purpose walk/bike.
last Monday evening at the Moor-
ings Yacht & Country Club, as they During their 20-year relationship
closed out the 21st annual Moorings with Habitat, the Moorings com-
Habitat Classic Weekend – a multi- munity has raised more than $9
day event to benefit Indian River million, resulting in the construc-
tion of 72 homes, numerous home

PHOTOS & STORY CONTINUED ON PAGES 24-25 Putt-Putt
Sheryl Vittitoe with Randy and Karen Sones. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

Peter and Jan McLachlan with Bob Gruber. Cheryl and Chris Johns with Beth and Joe Rogers.

WASHBURN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. revitalization projects and scholar- you all as a community is, you are
is pleased to welcome our newest team member ships, enabling low-income work- extraordinarily kind people,” said
J. Earl Morgan, III ing families to have safe, affordable Sheryl Vittitoe, IRHH president/
Client Relationship Manager homes. CEO. “This community is extraordi-
narily generous. Mr. Rogers taught
Earl has worked in the Vero Beach financial services industry for the last 25 years. His As a glorious sun set over the la- us that we can count on our neigh-
wealth management experience includes 18 years at Northern Trust, followed by his goon, more than 450 guests gath- bors. And we have definitely count-
service as a registered representative for TD Client Service, LLC and LPL financial, ered in the Governor’s Lounge for ed on the Moorings to help Indian
LLC. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of the South (Sewanee) cocktails, perusing silent-auction River Habitat for 20 years.”
and a master’s degree in economics from Baylor University. He has demonstrated items and comparing weekend
his devotion to our community through a quarter century of tireless community scores before heading into the din- In a video interview, Bob Samuels,
leadership for more than a dozen local nonprofit organizations. ing room to feast on an extensive a founding member of the Moor-
buffet of seafood, pasta and fi- ings-Habitat collaboration, chatted
Washburn Capital Management, Inc. is a fee-based investment advisory firm let mignon prepared by Chef Ben with Roseline Civil, his caregiver
registered with the Securities Exchange Commission. The firm was founded 23 Tench and his staff, followed by and a Habitat homeowner.
years ago and is distinguished by its client centric, open, collaborative approach and live-auction bidding and a bid from
is committed to helping clients with their individual investment goals. the heart. “Housing is a huge issue to all of
our society, and so much of the de-
70 Royal Palm Pointe, Suite C Event chairs Karen and Randy velopment of people depends on
Vero Beach, FL 32960 • 772.564-7291 Sones thanked sponsors, Moor- where they live and how they live,”
ings staff and event participants said Samuels, recalling the first year
for another successful year, say- that members had raised enough
ing, “You’re the ones who make it money to sponsor a Habitat home.
possible for Indian River Habitat to “No one could predict the success.
build affordable new homes, award It’s hands-on giving to people who
scholarships and make critical have to work. They’re not given
home repairs for deserving Indian the chance; they have to earn that
River County families. This is a spe- chance through their sweat equity.”
cial community, and we couldn’t be
more proud or grateful to be a part As the first private country club to
of it. You are simply the best.” collectively recruit volunteers and
raise funds for Habitat programs,
“What I have found over the last the Moorings laid the groundwork
couple of days and the last couple for others to follow suit, with the
of years that I have gotten to know goal of helping families become



24 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Chris and Kathleen LaCroix with Katherine Robertson and Peter Gilson. Eileen Snowberger and Mike Baron.
Linton Young, Mike Simmons, Richard Marcus and Peter Haeffner.

Golf Sue DePalma and Ann Hill. Sharon Kendall and Carrie Adams. Miriam Mugford and Kathleen LaCroix.

Jane Beattie and Kathy Smith. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Tennis
Sheryl Vittitoe.

Joe Carter. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
Richard Brett.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 25

PEOPLE

stronger through homeownership years. It wasn’t just golf and ten- changer in other people’s lives, give $500,000, which would hopefully
and education, so they can fully nis or boating, it was giving back to Habitat,” said Samuels. fund at least four Habitat homes
participate as members of the com- in a meaningful way to people who this year.
munity. are most deserving, and the least “We are confident that we’ve
served in the country. If you want raised more money than ever be- On March 14, a Habitat Island
“It’s a blessing that I found some- your money and your time to go fore,” said David Sommers, Moor- Gala fundraiser will take place at
thing so meaningful to give to and to something that can be a game- ings Habitat Partnership chair. Grand Harbor Beach Club. For more
be part of through my retirement He said they expected to exceed information, visit irchabitat.org. 

26 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Pat Schulke and Kathleen Schulke with Alice and Rene Donars. Ginger and Dick Winkler with Shirley Becker.
Karen and Randy Sones with Eve Kyomya.

Kerri Mazzarella, Anne Giordano and Mary Hassell. Regina Moran with Dick and Susie McSorley. Les Carter, Mary Ellen McCarthy and Suzanne Carter.

Ursula Gunter and Marsha Sherry. Dr. Ralph and Kati Rosato.

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 27

PEOPLE

Cheryl Beam, Jim Suglia and Cynthia Bennink. Kathleen LaCroix and Lorena Cook. Daina and Mike Bertrand with Jane Beattie.

Jane Nissi with Bill and Andrea Stanley. Steve Lauer with Julie and Matt Hauf. Keith and Sheryl Vittitoe.

Sarah Whitelock and Megan Knurr. Tammy Glaser and Chris Manning.

28 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Shared values inspire ‘Livable Indian River’ initiative

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Indian River County officially Peggy Cunningham and Richard Baker. Jeff Johnson, Karen Deigl, Susan Adams and John Moore. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE
launched Livable Indian River at an
event last Wednesday afternoon at the learn from one another. In Florida, unteer their skills; of the Age-Friendly Network.
IRC Intergenerational Center, joining there are currently 35 cities/counties • Communication and Information, “Indian River County is such an
roughly 450 communities nationwide in the Age-Friendly Network.
as a member of the AARP Age-Friendly recognizing that not everyone has ac- amazing place, and having this dis-
Network – the United States affiliate of “The goal of this work is really to try cess to the Internet; tinction is just another feather in our
the World Health Organization Global to make this a great community for cap,” said Adams, adding that a com-
Network of Age-Friendly Cities and people to live at any age,” said Johnson. • Community and Health Services, munity that is welcoming and livable
Communities. ensuring care is accessible and afford- for all ages is also an economic devel-
He explained that there are eight do- able. opment driver.
Recognizing that residents aged 60 mains of livability:
and above represent around 38 per- Of the five-year implementation “This launch is a hallmark for our
cent of the county’s adult population, • Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, process, Johnson said, “What happens county,” said Karen Deigl, Senior Col-
the Indian River County Commission such as intergenerational indoor and next is to listen to your residents. If you laborative chairman and president/
and the Senior Collaborative of IRC outdoor public gathering spaces; don’t stop and ask everybody, then you CEO of Senior Resource Association.
have committed to a five-year process have a chance of having a really signifi- She said the County Commission vot-
to create a more livable community for • Transportation, including public cant blind spot.” ed to join the Age-Friendly Network in
all ages, by developing supportive fea- transit and safe walking/biking areas; June 2019 and asked the Senior Collab-
tures and services. He stressed that through needs as- orative to be its lead agency.
• Housing, with safe and affordable sessment surveys, the first year is all
“Over time this county has grown, options for differing incomes, ages and about listening. Based on those results, “That means that our county lead-
and done remarkable things,” said at- life stages; the next year is focused on develop- ers are committed to creating a change
torney John Moore, event emcee. ing an action plan, and years three that makes our community safer, more
• Social Participation, making ac- through five are dedicated to imple- accessible, more supportive and more
He noted that according to sociolo- cessible opportunities to socialize in mentation and evaluation. livable for people of all ages, especially
gists, communities grow in four phases affordable activities; older adults,” said Deigl.
of development: chaos, infrastructure, Johnson presented Susan Adams,
vision and mature. Locally, he said, the • Respect and Social Inclusion, chair of the Indian River County Com- For more information, visit ircsc.org
1880s to the 1920s marked our chaos where young and old can learn from mission, a formal certificate recogniz- or AARP.org/livable-communities. 
phase; major infrastructure was devel- and honor each other; ing Indian River County as a member
oped through the 1960s; philanthropic
efforts began through the 1980s during • Work and Civic Engagement, en-
the vision stage, leading to today’s ma- couraging older people to work or vol-
ture phase.

“This effort here today, represents a
step forward as a mature community,”
said Moore, adding that by joining the
network, we can determine what more
can be done to continue developing a
community as vibrant, special, wel-
coming, positive, helpful and giving as
it is today.

Jeff Johnson, AARP state director of
Florida, said the goal of AARP is to con-
nect communities with similar chal-
lenges and opportunities so they can

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 29

PEOPLE

Meredith Egan, David Jackson and Amber Batchelor. Kelly Wilson, Samantha Ramlall and Sabrina Sampson. Marybeth Cunningham and Durga Das Hutner.

James Hughes, Beth Mitchell, Linda Barker and Ryan Hnatiuk.

Angela Bosma, Chris Stephenson, Emily Wilcox and Maj. Milo Thornton.

Sarah Tippet Ruwe, Brett Hall and Frida Flores.

30 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Getting their fill was a thrill at ‘Craft Brew & Wingfest’

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF
Staff Writer

A ‘brew’ haha of epic proportions PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
erupted on Royal Palm Pointe recent-
ly, as thousands of wing and beer fans Cold refreshments were scattered
turned out to eat and drink their way strategically along the route to ac-
from one end to the other at the ninth company the hot, mild, Carolina, gar-
annual Florida Craft Brew & Wing- lic, peach habanero chicken wings, in-
fest, hosted by Sunrise Rotary of Vero cluding one aptly named Stupid Hot.
Beach.

Folks stopped and chatted with
friends amid all the finger-lickin’ and
keg tappin’ – often to recommend
their personal favorites from among
the grilled, fried and smoked chicken
wings, along with endorsements for
the perfect beverages with which to
chase them down.

Brewskis flowed from the taps of
70 beer tents and, according to Kevin
Rollin, chair of the planning commit-
tee, with between three and five craft
beers, wines, hard seltzers and ciders
at each of the tents, those visitors
who anted up for the tasting brace-
lets would have had to consume more
than four gallons to sample them all.

Joe and Maura Guadagno with Daniel and Peggy LeBlanc. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

A variety of non-poultry items, for improvement through service to
anyone not wanting to wing it, in- our local community and interna-
cluded fried shrimp, hush puppies, tionally,” Rollin said Sunrise Rotary is
dirty oysters, pizza, pasta and gour- unique because “we’re really focused
met grilled cheese. on having fun.”

Sunrise Rotary really stepped up When he moved here about nine
the entertainment this year, with years ago, Rollin said he wanted to get
two bands performing on stages at to know Vero Beach, adding, “Rotary
each end of the green, digital bill- for me was a way to meet like-minded
boards, better sound quality and people with high ethical standards
louder music, ensuring that every- and very involved in the community.”
one could enjoy the entertainment
no matter where they chose to settle Proceeds from the festival benefit
in for the afternoon. various charitable projects of Sunrise
Rotary. Among them: Adopt-A-School,
The Chef’s Award in the Individu- Rotary Youth Leadership Awards,
al Division went to Huff N Puff and Growing Healthy Kids, Backpacks for
in the Restaurant Division, Hurri- Children, Pre-K Book program, schol-
cane Grill & Wings. Both the Peo- arships, visits to retirement homes
ple’s Choice and Spirit Awards were and the club’s annual visit to the Do-
presented to the Vero Beach Little minican Republic where they fund
League. bio-sand water filters, aqueduct sys-
tems and books for schools.
While the motto of Rotary Clubs
is “Service above self,” and its mis- For information, visit sunriserota-
sion is directed toward “continuous ryverobeach.org. 

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32 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 Darlene Geidner and Patti Yount. Junior Bedolla with SoFlo Bistro.
Marty Lewis and Kevin Rollin.

Pat Peerless, Larry Benning and Karen Ferrando. Nils Nedrelid XIV and Nils Nedrelid XIII. Samantha Lavery.

Patty and Joe Colasuonno with Patty and Lee Brown.

Lauren Pfisterer, Carmel Brecht, Rachel Sevilla and Ann-Marie Matzinger.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 33

PEOPLE

Arianna Soto.
Lyn Kenney.
Samantha Curatalo, Cody Cook, Eric Gonzalez and Amy Munoz.

Kevin Ciarlelli, Elisabeth Schuler, Amy and Squeegie Jenkins.

34 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Wonder woman: ‘Eleanor Roosevelt’ wows Vero audience

BY SAMANTHA BAITA The event was a hands-down ing the former First Lady herself. might already have had a woman
Staff Writer success, from the postcard-perfect Prior to the show, in the Guild’s president.
weather to the seamless coordina-
An appreciative audience of tion of the AAUW; the Florida Eye pleasant, outdoor patio, guests According to Manning, AAUW
about 300 was treated to an unfor- Institute, which graciously provid- mixed and mingled, enjoying the member and Vero resident Bar-
gettable afternoon, as Eleanor Roo- ed refreshments; VanBoskirk and sumptuous array of refreshments, bara Zitz knew the famed political
sevelt, one of the most fascinating, her crew, who arrived only an hour as excitement mounted in anticipa- figure, diplomat and activist well.
admired and significant women of before show time; and the Guild tion of the performance to come. Zitz’s parents and sister worked on
the 20th century, was wonderfully staff, which accurately set lights, the Roosevelt estate, Val-Kill, when
channeled by actress Jane Van- sound, props and music in a New VanBoskirk initially took the the Roosevelts lived in Hyde Park,
Boskirk in “Across a Barrier of Fear.” York minute. stage as herself. Then, with mini- N.Y. When newly married, Zitz and
The presentation, sponsored by the mal props and on-stage “costume” her husband lived in the gatehouse,
American Association of University And, of course, the performance, changes (mostly hats), she por- and she remembers Eleanor as be-
Women, took place recently on stage which, based on the excited after- trayed not only Eleanor, but also ing very gracious with a warm sense
at the Vero Beach Theatre Guild. show chatter, was absolutely ter- some of the individuals who had of humor.
rific. greatly impacted her life.
The one-performance-only tour- Zitz had looked forward to Van-
de-force was chosen, said event “We were lucky to get (Van- “She was awesome,” said Barker, Boskirk’s performance, but her hus-
chair Sally Fitzgerald, as some- Boskirk),” Fitzgerald said. She add- “the hat, the stance, the voice (gut- band fell ill and she was unable to
thing “different but still literary.” ed that the actress had requested tural when she portrayed a man) – attend, explained Manning.
The afternoon took the place of Roosevelt’s favorite yellow roses, thrilling!”
the AAUW’s annual book-author and was delighted to see they had Focusing principally on women
luncheon, which has been the non- been provided. PR coordinator Rebecca Manning and girls, the AAUW provides sup-
profit’s main fundraiser for the past commented that Roosevelt, a shy, port via scholarships, a Senior
four decades. So convincing was VanBoskirk’s homely, highly intelligent woman Expo, tutoring, summer camps,
pitch-perfect portrayal of Roosevelt, from a wealthy family who would and “Little Libraries,” strategically
“We needed something different,” that during the post-show Q-and-A have preferred a pretty, frivolous located kiosks where children can
said development director Linda session, when audience members daughter, had herself stated that borrow books.
Barker, who had posed the idea after asked VanBoskirk about Roosevelt’s “everything I did was across a bar-
hearing good things about the show. own experiences and feelings, it rier of fear.” For more information, visit vero-
was almost as if they were address- beach-fl.aauw.net. 
Manning observed that, had Roo-
sevelt been born a century later, we

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 35

PEOPLE

Linda Barker with Don Croteau and Cindi Green. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Gail Helgerson with Carla Flournoy and Eva Lundberg. Jane Howard with Donna Nesbitt and Janice Sly.

Larry and Carole Strauss with Sally Fitzgerald. Sam Gagliano and Linda Sposato with Gretchen and Nelson Cover. Kaydian Wehrle and Colleen Bruno with Edie Monaghan and JoAnne Finnegan.

Patricia Ross and Jonnie Mae Perry. Joan Edwards and Tammy Bursick. Marilyn Soward and Lynda Merrill. Margot Brill and Emily Keith.

36 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Admiral regales with inspiring tales in support of SEALs

BY KERRY FIRTH
Correspondent

Adm. William McRaven, the ninth Ros Evans and Kathy Mulvey. Don McClure, Rick Kaiser and Adm. William McRaven. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE
commander of the United States
Special Operations Command, was started 75 years ago.” morial wall each year. Our wall is the McRaven said his first role model
the honored guest speaker at an Noting that the museum is con- only one in the United States that was his father, a World War II fighter
exclusive dinner at the Quail Val- names all of the fallen frogmen from pilot who taught him an early lesson
ley River Club this past Presidents tinually evolving, Kaiser said “we the NCDUs (Naval Combat Demoli- in honesty and integrity.
Day. The invited crowd of nearly 200 get new artifacts every day. Unfortu- tion Units) in the 1940s to the UDTs
gladly contributed a hefty donation nately, we also add names to our me- (Underwater Demolition Teams), to “In 1967, we were living in an Air
for the privilege of mingling with current-day Navy SEALs.” Force base in San Antonio, Texas,” said
some of the greatest U.S. Navy SEAL McRaven. “My friends and I decided to
warriors of our time, while support- Raven, the museum’s mascot and raid an ammunition storage facility, so
ing the Navy SEAL Trident House a military working dog, wowed the we took our BB guns and my Roy Rog-
Charities and the men and women crowd with a performance of agility ers pearl-handled toy pistol and set out
who serve. and discipline, climbing a ladder and on Operation Volcano. We didn’t make
commando-crawling through a tun- it far before the military police were on
“Our mission is to preserve the nel. Military dogs begin their train- to us, so we ran home.”
history and legacy of the Navy ing as early as 5-weeks-old and serve
SEALs,” said Master Chief SEAL for 10 to 12 years, health permitting, When questioned by his father,
(Ret.) Rick Kaiser, executive direc- as invaluable members of the team, McRaven said he lied, replying he
tor of the National Navy UDT-SEAL willing to fight to the death if com- didn’t know anything about it. His
Museum. “Sometimes I’m asked why manded to do so. father left without a word, but later
the museum is in Fort Pierce, and I placed the Roy Rogers pistol on the
respond by saying that you can’t McRaven regaled guests with per- nightstand. It had been found at the
move the Alamo and you can’t move sonal stories about the people, in- scene of the crime.
the museum from the birthplace of cidents and soldiers with whom he
the Navy SEALs. This is where it all served, as taken from his best-sell- “He kept his silence, but I carried
ing memoir “Sea Stories – My Life in the burden of lying for the next 57
Special Operations.” years. That was the first and last time
I lied.”

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 37

PEOPLE

McRaven credited a high school ened his character and changed the “Never ever pass up that opportu- sacrificed their lives; military fam-
football coach, for helping him achieve course of his life. nity.” ily support; scholarship and educa-
a record-breaking track time, and Navy tion programs; and a canine project
SEAL training classmates, who stood “Each and every one of you will have Event proceeds went directly to such that pairs working dogs with veterans
strong with hope and solidarity in the the opportunity to inspire someone Trident House Charity programs as of the Special Forces community to
face of extreme adversity. Each incident and change their lives and the lives of Trident House, which offers a reprieve help them assimilate back into civil-
and word of encouragement strength- those they touch forever,” McRaven to active duty Special Operations forc- ian life. 
concluded. es and the families of Navy SEALS who



MUSEUM’S ‘HOMER TO HOPPER’:
MUST-SEE MASTERPIECES

40 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Museum’s ‘Homer to Hopper’: Must-see masterpieces

BY ELLEN FISCHER PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE
Columnist

February 20020 ushered in two mo-
mentous events at the Vero Beach Mu-
seum of Art: the hiring of a new chief
curator, and the opening of “From
Homer to Hopper: American Art from
the Phillips Collection.”

The latter fills both the Holmes and
the Titelman galleries at the VBMA,
and is on view through May 31. The
former is Anke Van Wagenberg, Ph.D.,
who came to Vero from the Academy
Art Museum in Easton, Md., in late
January. It is expected that Van Wa-
genberg will be at the museum for
some time to come.

VBMA executive director/CEO
Brady Roberts describes the muse-
um in Easton as “very similar to Vero
Beach in that it’s a wonderful art mu-
seum with an art school.”

Roberts praised Van Wagenberg
“as an accomplished scholar and an
expert in Dutch masters, and also in
contemporary art.”

Van Wagenberg served as chief cu-
rator at the Academy Art Museum for

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 41

ARTS & THEATRE

can Phillips in many ways,” she said. than two-thirds of the collection.
Van Wagenberg explains that Phil- Von Wagenberg says “that was

lips was the foremost collector of a very strategic idea by Duncan
contemporary American art of his Phillips. He thought that (collect-
time, acquiring everything from ing known European artists) would
American Impressionism to Abstract draw in a bigger audience” to his new
Expressionism. Phillips also collect- American art museum.
ed some important European works,
including Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Born in 1886, Phillips was named
“The Boating Party,” a key painting after his father, a wealthy window
not only in the Phillips Collection, glass manufacturer; his mother in-
but also in Renoir’s oeuvre. herited part of a steel fortune. A fam-
ily trip to Japan, Korea and China
Phillips did not allow himself to be afforded Duncan Jr. and his elder
distracted by the siren call of Europe- brother, James, an appreciation of the
an masters, however. At his death in material culture of Asia. The broth-
1966, American art comprised more
CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

over eight years, during which time the National Gallery” in 2013, and
she oversaw the presentation of ex- “James Turrell: Perspectives,” also in
hibitions that featured some of the 2013.
best-known contemporary artists of
the 20th century. Van Wagenberg’s resume includes a
Masters in Art History and Archaeol-
Just last year she oversaw the ogy, as well as a Ph.D. in Art History
Academy Art Museum’s presentation from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
of “Diebenkorn: Beginnings,” an ex- A speaker of four languages, Van Wa-
hibition of 106 early works organized genberg recently wasted no words in
by the Richard Diebenkorn Founda- getting to the point of the “Homer to
tion. Other notable shows during Van Hopper” exhibition.
Wagenberg’s tenure there were a Bill
Viola video and sound installation in “The main message from this show
2015, “Mark Rothko: Selections from is that it shows the journey of one col-
lector. It’s the personal taste of Dun-

42 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 ARTS & THEATRE

ers were encouraged not only to value museum the Phillips Memorial Art
art, but also to purchase it. By means Gallery in tribute to his father, who
of an annual stipend of $10,000 to died in 1917, and his beloved broth-
each of their sons, their parents af- er James, who succumbed to Span-
forded Duncan and James the means ish flu during the pandemic of 1918.
to collect art for the family’s private James Phillips was 34 years old and
enjoyment. newly married when his life ended.
Because of the Phillips brothers’ mu-
The brothers took art-buying seri- tual love of art, the museum built as
ously; together they developed a taste a memorial has celebrated the art of
and the eye for the contemporary art the living for nearly 100 years.
of their day.
Says Van Wagenberg, “You have to
Tragedy was the impetus for Dun- keep in mind that in 1921 there was
can Phillips to add an addition to his no National Gallery of Art in Wash-
parents’ mansion in Washington, ington yet. There was no Museum of
D.C. and open it as a public muse- Modern Art in New York, there was
um in 1921. He originally named the

no Whitney Museum of American museum’s collection, but also to fi-
Art. None of them had opened yet.” nancially assisting artists in need. He
collected multiple examples of work
Duncan Phillips devoted his life by artists he felt strongly about, and
not only to purchasing art for his

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 43

ARTS & THEATRE

gave many artists their first solo mu- Phillips’ acquisitions and belies the with more clothes. Thomas Eakins’ “The Road Roller” is one of the most
seum exhibitions. Phillips infused show’s title, ”From Homer to Hopper.” circa 1891 portrait “Miss Amelia Van colorful monochromatic paintings
cash into the lives of Arthur Dove, The works are grouped, sometimes a Buren” is also in this section. As im- in the show. It depicts several men
Rockwell Kent, Ernest Lawson and bit loosely, into 11 thematic sections, mortalized by Eakins, Miss Van Bu- atop a giant steel roller drawn by six
John Marin; he awarded solo shows each with an accompanying text pan- ren’s pensive, sidelong glance makes powerful horses. Silhouetted against
to (among others) Marin, Preston el written by Susan Behrends Frank, her face one of the most recognizable a bright winter sky, the remarkable
Dickenson, Jacob Lawrence, Milton curator at the Phillips Collection. in American art. To her right, Win- group is shown tracing a route be-
Avery and Sam Gilliam. All of the slow Homer’s somber “To the Rescue” tween somewhere and someplace in
above are represented in the current Turning right as you enter the gal- of 1886 follows two women and a man the rural New Hampshire country-
VBMA exhibition. lery, the earliest paintings in the as they walk along the edge of an an- side, leaving a swath of hard-packed,
show are grouped under the heading gry sea. With their backs to us, the trio traversable snow behind it.
The exhibition’s offering of 65 art- “Realism and Romanticism.” They is intent on arriving at a disaster that
works by many of the greatest names include George Inness’ 1869 Italian is implied, but not shown, beyond the In addition to the Grandma Moses
in American art history – from George idyll “Lake Albano,” a painting whose picture’s edge. painting in the show, “Hoosick Falls
Inness’ “Lake Albano” of 1869, to Hel- dancing, picnicking, and canoodling in Winter” of 1944 (in the “Memo-
en Frankenthaler’s “Canyon” of 1965 holidaymakers recall Nicolas Pous- In the “Forces of Nature” section, a ry and Identity” section), the most
– exemplify the range and diversity of sin’s 17th century bacchanals, except 1909 painting by Rockwell Kent titled popular picture in the exhibition is
bound to be Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Ran-
chos Church No. II, NM” of 1929.

“This, to me, is one of the masterpiec-
es in the show,” says Van Wagenberg.

The Titelman Galley holds the most
up-to-date pieces in the exhibition.
Helen Frankenthaler’s “Canyon” exem-
plifies of the breath of expression New
York School took in the 1950s and 1960s.
California painter Richard Dieben-
korn’s works, like “Interior with View of
the Ocean” of 1957, made the New York
art world sit up and take notice.

“This is a show that you will want
to come back and see several times,”
Van Wagenberg says, summing up the
embarrassment of riches currently on
display at the VBMA. 

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44 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! Ballet Vero in step with composer Paul Gay

BY PAM HARBAUGH Feb. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 29, at the
Correspondent Vero Beach High School Performing
Arts Center, 1707 16th St. Tickets are
1 The musical works of local $10 to $75. Call 772-905-2651 or visit
composer Paul Gay will be put BalletVeroBeach.org.

to “the dance” this weekend when

the Ballet Vero Beach presents its 2 The actual “Fat Tuesday” may
have come and gone, but you
second program in its “Compos-

er’s Notebook” series. Gay’s lyri- can still laissez les bon temps rouler

cal and classically informed works

will serve as the backdrop to the

ballet company’s program explor-

ing love and loss. Featured will be

artistic director Adam Schnell’s

romantic take on “Madama But-

terfly” in which Cio-Cio San goes

with Pinkerton rather than staying

behind. The program also includes at the 6th Annual Mardi Gras Cele-
bration. Guests will enjoy a Bourbon
“Divertissement Nostalgique” by Street buffet, casino games and samba
dancers. There will also be stilt walk-
choreographer Camilo A. Rodri- ers, beads, prizes, a magician a 50/50
raffle and an open bar. Proceeds ben-
guez, who sets the history of the efit the We Care Foundation. Tickets
are $175. The fun runs 6:30 p.m. to
ballerina from the Romantic to con- 10:30 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 28, at the
Oak Harbor Club, 4755 South Harbor
temporary eras. That work is set to Drive, Vero Beach. Call 772-562-0123
or visit WeCareOfIRC.org.
the composer’s “Beethoven Vari-

ants.” And, as a variant on a dance/

music theme, Schnell and Rodri-

guez teamed up to create dance to 1 Paul Gay with Ballet Vero Beach Friday and Saturday at
Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center..
Gay’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano.”

The program begins 8 p.m. Friday,

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 45

ARTS & THEATRE

with the museum’s current exhibition,
“From Home to Hopper: American Art
from the Phillips Collection, Washing-
ton, D.C.” Admission to the museum
galleries is $12 general, $11 seniors
and $5 for students with I.D. Call 772-
231-0707 or visit VBMuseum.org.

5 From pop to Sergei Rach-
maninoff to Paul McCartney,

there is bound to be some music that

will fill out your week. It begins Friday

3 Learn about the new state-of- ton Submarines, 10055 102nd Terrace,
the-art submersibles, see a video Sebastian. Tickets are $200. Proceeds
benefit ORCA. Call 772-467-1600 or
of a giant squid, talk with explorers email [email protected].

and sip glow-in-the-dark cocktails at and Saturday at “How at the Moon:
Mardi Gras Nights” at Riverside The-
ORCA’s Explorer Experience Saturday atre.With plenty of festive decor, a New
Orleans style menu, non-stop upbeat
evening. This rare event is sponsored 4 Learn something new about music and plenty of opportunity to
American artist Georgia O’Keeffe dance, this should more fun than you
by the Ocean Research & Conversation can stand. It runs 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 29.
Association and Triton Submarines. at a lecture scheduled for Monday at 4 Georgia O’Keeffe lecture Tickets start at $12 for side seats and
at VBMA Monday. go up to $22 for table seating. River-
There will also be a silent auction with the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Wanda side Theatre is at 3250 Riverside Park
so popular that they are simulcast in
some amazing items like a dive in a M. Corn, professor emerita in art his- the Leonhardt Auditorium. Tickets CONTINUED ON PAGE 46
start at $80. The museum is at 3001
Triton submersible. There’s also going tory at Stanford University, will turn a Riverside Park Dr. The talk coincides

to be an auction for a deluxe under- keen eye onto the blurred line between

water excursion in the Bahamas. This the artist’s work and her personal style.

event benefits ORCA. It runs 6 p.m. to This is part of the museum’s popular

10 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 29, at Tri- International Lecture Series. They are

MusicWorks and Paris Productions

PRESENT

LIVE AND LET DIE––– THE MUSIC OF PAUL McCARTNEY –––

Live!VEROFROBMEASMC HTHURSDAY, MARCH 5 7:00 PM

The Emerson Center · 1590 27th Avenue, Vero Beach

Doors Open at 6 pm, Seating at 6:30 pm

Tickets: www.MusicWorksConcerts.com (800) 595-4849

PRESENTING SPONSORS: Cindy O’Dare & Fenia Hiaasen

SHOW SPONSORS: The Audiohouse · CenterState · Joe and Denise Corr · Harmony Reserve
Springhill Suites by Marriott · Catherine Sullivan

NON-PROFIT PARTNER: Grand Harbor Community Outreach

46 Vero Beach 32963 / February 27, 2020 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

6 Jamila Tekalli with Space Coast Symphony March 1 at Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45 Symphony.org.

Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-231-6990 or 7 The multimedia tribute show
visit RiversideTheatre.com. “Live and Let Die: The Music of

6 It begins Sunday when the Space Paul McCartney” takes the stage 7 p.m.
Coast Symphony presents “The
Thursday, March 5, at the Emerson

Romance of Rachmaninoff” with vir- Center. The show stars a Paul McCart-

tuoso pianist Jamila Tekalli and under ney look-a-like, singer/musician Tony

the baton of Aaron Collins. The pro- Kishman, who starred in the national

gram begins 3 p.m. Sunday, March 1, and international tours of the Broadway

at the Vero Beach High School Per- show “Beatlemania.” He’s been doing

forming Arts Center, 1707 16th St. this show for years. Tickets are $30 to

Tickets are $25 and $30. Those 18 $95. The Emerson Center is at 1590 27th

years and younger are admitted free. Ave., Vero Beach. Call 800-595-4849 or 7 Tony Kishman at the Emerson Center, March 5.

Call 855-252-7276 or visit SpaceCoast- visit MusicWorksConcerts.com. 







GALILEO SPACECRAFT

KEPLER PROBE

FOUR OF THE SIXTY FOUR TOTAL ANTENNAS OF THE ALMA RADIO TELESCOPE, AT THE ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER ARRAY (ALMA)