06/16/2022 ISSUE 24

Longtime Shores staffer takes on
interim duties. P9
Dog owners

unleash criticism. P12
Painter Schwarze strives
to capture ‘the awe of the view.’ P48

For breaking news visit

Rosario cleared by PHOTO BY ROSS ROWLINSON COVID cases
state ethics panel PHOTO BY KAILA JONES here seem to
of any violation be leveling off

BY RAY MCNULTY BY LISA ZAHNER
Staff Writer Staff Writer

A Florida Ethics Commission PHOTO BY ROSS ROWLINSON The Centers for Disease Con-
attorney said School Board trol and Prevention said 415
member Jackie Rosario didn’t Local vets planWWII tribute on Memorial Island new COVID-19 cases were re-
violate any policies, proce- ported locally in the seven days
dures or ethical standards by BY MARY SCHENKEL a tribute to the “Greatest Gen- lives during WWII, and the preceding Monday press time,
using her district-provided Staff Writer eration,” the men and women county has been home to with hospitalizations remain-
digital calendar to schedule who served in World War II, to many more who served in ing about the same as the pre-
and keep track of political Members of the local chap- be located in Vero’s Veterans that war. vious week and testing down
activities related to her re- ter of the Military Officers Memorial Island Sanctuary. 12 percent.
election campaign. Association of America are “We like to take the lead on
spearheading the creation of Forty-two Indian River things; we’re the officers and The CDC data is always in-
That’s what Schools Super- County residents lost their complete on the weeks that
intendent David Moore told CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 the Florida Department of
board members after School Health does not report coun-
Board Attorney Molly Shad- ty-by-county numbers, but the
dock contacted the commis- 415 new weekly cases is fairly
sion at the request of School comparable to the June 2 state
Board Chair Teri Barenborg. report showing 433 new week-
ly cases.
“The board’s attorney called
and spoke to the Ethics Com- Hospitalizations also re-
mission attorney strictly as a mained about the same this
consultation – not to report week – the CDC reporting 20
anything, just to make sure
we were taking the appropri- CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
ate steps,” at the May School
Board meeting. “We were told Will new law help
there was no violation. curb rate hikes for
property insurance?
“I don’t think any further ac-
tion needs to be taken.” BY LISA ZAHNER
Staff Writer
Moore said there was no

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Million-dollar mainland: Island real estate price surge crosses the lagoon

BY STEVEN M. THOMAS along for the ride, topping the of $1.36 million, and as of last at least eight in Grand Harbor Whether a new state law
Staff Writer million-dollar mark more and week there were 15 $1 mil- and its sister community Oak passed during a May special
more often. lion-plus homes listed for sale. Harbor. session of the legislature will
As island home values con- do anything to bring rate relief
tinue to climb, pushing many During the last week in These included three in Vero “People are blown away by to island homeowners facing
buyers out of the 32963 mar- March alone, four homes on Isles, two in the Vero Beach the prices we are getting,” said soaring property insurance
ket, mainland prices have gone the mainland sold for more Country Club neighborhood, Stacey Morabito, broker-asso-
than $1 million, with a top sale two in Amelia Plantation and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

June 16, 2022 Volume 15, Issue 24 Newsstand Price $1.00 May Pops ends
2022 season on
News 1-12 Editorial 36 People 13-30 TO ADVERTISE CALL highest note. P14
Arts 47-50 Games 43-45 Pets 42 772-559-4187
Books 40 Health 51-57 Real Estate 67-76
Dining 62-65 Insight 31-46 Style 58-61 FOR CIRCULATION
CALL 772-226-7925

© 2022 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Property insurance clauses in the new law for insurance
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 companies is the part that says they
can’t deny coverage to a homeowner
premiums is still unknown, but local with a roof younger than 15 years old.
insurance professionals are cautious- The companies did not want to have
ly optimistic that the reforms – when to cover roofs more than 10 years old,
they kick in – will make a meaningful Howle said.
difference.
“It’s a process, and there are those
The law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSan- working against you, so what ends up
tis on May 26 and set to take effect July passing is watered down. We saw that
1, attempts to tackle some of the main with the Vero electric issue. This is a
causes of recent premium hikes, while step in the right direction, but much
providing a $2 billion “reinsurance more needs to be done to make Flor-
fund” to offset insurance companies’ ida a more hospitable place for insur-
hurricane losses. ers to do business,” Howle said. “The
way things are, it seems like they’re
The law also protects property own- pushing people into Citizens.”
ers from getting their insurance can-
celed for having a roof newer than 15 In 2020 and 2021, more than 200,000
years old, while aiming to limit court property owners per year had to opt
awards for attorney fees and fraudu- for what’s known as the “insurer of last
lent claims made by unscrupulous resort,” the state government-backed,
contractors. nonprofit Citizens Property Insurance
Corporation, and that number report-
Former Vero Beach Mayor Harry edly is growing by roughly 7,000 new
Howle, a partner at Gottzmann In- customers each week.
surance Group on Ocean Drive, has
closely followed the various bills that Citizens is viewed as a last resort
have been proposed over the past few because it takes so long to pay claims.
years to alleviate Florida’s insurance Howle said he had a client wait near-
crisis. Howle wrote a letter to the Re- ly four years for a hurricane damage
publican Majority Whip in the Florida claim to be paid after 2005 brought
House, Rep. Chuck Clemons, urging storms Frances and Jeanne to Vero’s
against piecemeal reform, or a simple doorstep.
rate freeze.
Roger Lynch, a risk advisor with
“As an insurance agent of 23 years, I Brown and Brown Insurance on Beach-
have not seen such difficult times with land Boulevard, said he also sees buy-
the status of this industry. Companies ing insurance from Citizens as a mea-
are leaving, underwriting guidelines sure to be avoided if at all possible. So
are impossible, and almost every in- far in his eight years in the insurance
surance company represented in Flor- business, he said he has never had to
ida is operating in the ‘red.’ Something write a Citizens policy. “We’ve always
must be done to prevent further dam- been able to find a solution,” he said.
age of what will surely be a catastroph-
ic change in the economic landscape By insuring their northern or non-
of Florida,” Howle wrote to Clemons. Florida homes and their Vero beach-
side homes with the same company,
Some of the bullet-point items and even including their auto insur-
Howle pointed Clemons to are pretty ance in the package as well, Lynch said
esoteric, but in general he wanted a clients sometimes can get insured by a
change in the way roofs are valued, company that would not write a policy
plus several changes that need to take for the Florida home alone.
place in the civil courts on a case-by-
case basis as lawsuits are waged. Time Even if they’re desperate, many is-
will tell if the law is bulletproof in rein- land homeowners can’t sign on with
ing in judgments on insurers that are Citizens because the state-backed in-
four to five times the dollar amount of surer has a cap of $750,000 in insured
the original claim due to one sided le- value.
gal fee awards, or full of loopholes to
exploit. Lynch said he and his colleagues ap-
preciate the attention state lawmakers
Howle said the law that goes into have given to Florida’s property insur-
effect July 1 was a compromise which ance problems. “The fact that people
took aspects of competing bills and are paying attention and Gov. Ron De-
attempted to meld them into cohesive Santis called for the special session is
solution. He’s skeptical that it’s a fix, positive. The fact that the legislature
and lots of practical aspects of the law got something passed and there seems
are still being analyzed. But he hopes to be bipartisan support is positive,”
it will at least help stop the bleeding Lynch said.
for insurers and for his island clients.
Even since the law was signed, more Insurance premiums are not only
insurers have folded, stopped writing the talk of Tallahassee, but the topic
new policies in Florida or put strict of conversation at clubs, on the golf
conditions on them. course, or when island residents are
at a function or out to dinner with
Howle said one of the most painful friends.

“It’s what everyone is talking about,
and they’re asking each other, what are

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 3

NEWS

you paying, and they compare,” Lynch of the island and are seen as an alterna- New construction is another fre- or fully renovated home on the main-
said. tive to Central Beach,” said Douglas El- quent feature of million-dollar homes land that is the same price as a fixer-up-
liman agent Joseph O’Neill, who has a on the mainland. Nearly 40 percent of per on our island,” said O’Neill.
But even two similar homes next 4-bedroom, 3-bath, 2,850-square-foot the houses sold for a million or more
door to each other can have vastly dif- home in the Country Club neighbor- on the mainland in the past year were Lily’s Cay, where a house sold for
ferent insurance rates, so trying to hood listed for $1,595,000. built since 2012, according to O’Neill. over $1 million last week, perfectly il-
compare can be frustrating. Lynch said lustrates the trend of rising mainland
what’s inside the two houses could be “Usually, the homes are either in a “Due to higher insurance costs on prices, with some homes doubling in
very different, or one home could have gated community with some ameni- older homes and the increased costs value since the builder sold them a
upgrades to electrical or plumbing, re- ties, on the water, or by a golf course,” and time it takes to renovate a home few years ago.
ducing the risk of costly damage claims. O’Neill said. nowadays, buyers are choosing a newer
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
A neighbor could have other insur-
ance or other homes insured with the
same carrier, or a very long-standing
relationship with an insurer, which
typically results in lower premiums.
Every homeowner also has a personal
“insurance score” which is much more
than a credit score. It’s a sort-of risk
report card on that person, which in-
cludes their claim history, how much
insurance they have and what types of
property they have insured.

“Typically the high-value clients I
deal with are not paying a whole lot
of attention to their renewal notices
because the renewals have been so
nominal, but now the difference can
be thousands of dollars,” Lynch said.

Clients are also wondering what im-
pact the new law will have on their next
renewal notice, or on their chances of
getting cancelled altogether and having
to go out to a quite-hostile insurance
marketplace to find new coverage.

Unfortunately, there are no defini-
tive answers to those questions yet.
Agencies and courts must develop
rules and processes to carry out and
enforce the new legislation, while
evaluating the financial stability of
insurance companies and enrolling
the solvent insurers in the $2 billion
reinsurance program.

“It’s still unclear exactly how quick-
ly relief will come, and how soon
the changes will start to take effect,”
Lynch said.

The new law also provides match-
ing grants to low-income people
and owners of homesteaded single-
family homes with an insured value
of less than $500,000 to harden their
homes against storms and other mis-
haps – a program unlikely to benefit
many island dwellers with today’s
home values. 

Mainland home prices soar
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ciate at Dale Sorensen Real Estate who
closed a $1.4 million sale in Oak Harbor
last week and has a $1.45 million clos-
ing coming up in the same community.

“These are absolutely record-break-
ing prices,” Morabito said, adding that
both Oak Harbor buyers are from the
island.

Most of the gold-plated mainland
properties “are within a short distance

4 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Mainland home prices soar and California, along with overflow land, material and labor costs, accounts benefits of the Country Club neigh-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 island buyers, have bid prices up dra- for much of the increase in prices in borhood plus the virtues of new con-
matically in the past three years. subdivisions like Lily’s Cay. struction. Built in 2019 it is on offer for
Built by GHO Homes between 2017 $1,595,000.
and 2019, the 45-home community Of the three homes sold in Lily’s Cay As new homes become more costly,
at 41st Street and Indian River Boule- in the first five months of 2022, two existing homes gain value by osmosis. “I consider the Country Club neigh-
vard has the good fortune to be a mere went for close to $900,000 – $870,000 A buyer who cashed out in New York borhood the new Central Beach for
5-minute drive from the island. It is and $880,000. And then there is that looking to buy new in Vero discovers locals,” said broker associate Alex
equally close to Cleveland Clinic In- million-dollar listing. it will take a long time for a home to MacWilliam IV, whose family operates
dian River Hospital and Miracle Mile, be delivered and decides to pay the AMAC Alex MacWilliam Inc., the oldest
and the concrete block houses are Located on Lilly’s Cay Circle – the asking on an up-to-date resale home brokerage on the island.
built to current codes and incorporate only road in the compact, gated com- instead.
modern features and layouts. munity – the 3-bedroom, 3-bath, MacWilliam said he first noticed the
2,616-square-foot house was sold by “It is all one big market,” said Han- million-dollar mainland trend early in
There were 18 sales in the subdivi- GHO in 2018 for $525,000, according dler, who added that the price of new the year.
sion in 2019, with prices ranging from to county records. homes is increasing apace with desir-
$494,000 to $626,000 – which seemed able existing homes. “I started seeing more of those list-
like a lot at the time. Just four years later, on May 20, it ings pop up on the hot sheet and
was listed for $1.1 million by Dale So- GHO has sold homes for $900,000 thought, ‘Wow, what is going on here?’”
“In 2019 those were very high num- rensen realtor Lynn O’Malley. It went in Lucaya Pointe, a community under he told Vero Beach 32963.
bers,” said Berkshire Hathaway agent under contract four days later accord- construction on Lindsey Road that
Chip Landers. “Agents around town ing to the Realtor Association of Indian Handler said is comparable to Lily’s “There have always been occasional
were like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ If you River County, when Matilde Sorensen Cay, and has closed deals over $1 mil- sales of houses with acreage for over a
had told me the values would go up brought a willing buyer, and it closed lion in Bent Pine Preserve adjacent to million but what is happening now is
like they have, I would have laughed on Friday for $1,015,000. Bent Pine Golf Club. new. It is simple supply and demand.”
at you.”
“It is a highly desirable community The value of modern materials and “Just in the last six months, we have
For all their quality and great loca- and that was the only house avail- design is seen, too, in Amelia Plantation seen million-dollar sales on the main-
tion, the houses aren’t massive and able,” said O’Malley. at 41st Street and 66th Avenue, where a land expand beyond Vero Isles and
don’t sit on much land. Most are about 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom, 3,200-square- Grand Harbor to Bent Pine, Vero Beach
2,600 square feet on postage stamp, “The buyer paid a premium for foot home built in 2017 was listed for Country Club, Pointe West, Country
0.11-acre lots with patios but very little the convenience of a move-in ready $1.35 million in March and is now un- Club Pointe, Lily’s Cay, Riverwind,
yard. house,” said Bill Handler, president of der contract, even though it is miles Hunters Run, Indian River Farms, Ame-
GHO Homes. “They wanted to get in from the beach. lia Plantation and beyond,” said O’Neill,
But those initial purchasers are the without the delay” of remodeling an who doesn’t expect prices to stall.
ones laughing now, as pandemic buy- older home or waiting for a new one But mainland houses don’t have to
ers from South Florida, the Northeast to be built. be new, or “newer” to possess million- “We have seen record sales and
dollar values. Location and amenities higher prices even in the last 45 days,”
Handler said the increase in new also can be determinative, as seen he said. “If we continue to see a lack of
home building costs, due to higher in Grand Harbor, where a number of inventory, our volume will continue
older homes have been sold for more to stay low, and prices should remain
VERO BEACH’S PREMIER than $1 million this year. at or above where things have traded
COUNTRY CLUB COMMUNITY in the last 3-6 months.”
Number 5544 N. Harbor Village
Every luxury and amenity imaginable awaits you inside of Oak Harbor’s Dr., for instance, was built in 1999, Landers agrees: “Price apprecia-
clubhouse. Join us for a wide range of social and wellness programs which normally would pull down its tion is moderating, but values are still
value, but the 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath, increasing. We have seen 20 percent
as well as our award winning cuisine in our richly appointed dining room. 2,900-square-foot home is right on the increases in the past couple of years.
Enjoy golf on our Joe Lee designed golf course with no greens or cart harbor. It has a boat dock, both river This year it will probably be more like
fees. Tennis, Croquet, Bocce, Pickle Ball and a heated pool and golf course views, and is close to a 10 percent increase, but from what
are just a few of the other outdoor activities. the island, hospital and Miracle Mile. I am seeing, I think the million-dollar
sales will expand to even more main-
Fully licensed On-site Assisted Living Facility and In-Home Healthcare. It sold for $1.5 million in April and land neighborhoods.”
Transportation, Housekeeping and Maintenance services available. has since gained another $56,000 in
value, according to Zillow.com “I have been saying for 30 years
4755 S Harbor Drive • Vero Beach, Florida 32967 • www.oakharborfl.com • 772.562.3808 that Vero Beach is undervalued,” said
The Country Club neighborhood, Morabito. “When I first came here
where there are two homes listed for from South Florida, I was like a kid in
more than $1 million, likewise shows a candy store, the prices were so low
the value of ambiance and amenities. compared to where I came from. We
are finally getting the numbers we
The 3-bed, 2-bath, 2,400-square- should have gotten all along, but we
foot house at 3000 Nassau Dr. was are still way more affordable than Bro-
built in 1956, but it is on a navigable ward and Palm Beach.” 
canal leading to the lagoon, has a dock
and swimming pool, and is closer to Rosario cleared
the Miracle Mile shopping and dining
district and the island than the Grand CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Harbor house.
evidence of ill intent, explaining that
The country club at the heart of Rosario simply had synched her per-
the community recently added new, sonal and work calendars, which is
family-friendly facilities, and the area a common practice in the business
around it has some superb historical world.
architecture and a great, Old Florida
feeling. In an ironic twist, Rosario had said
earlier that she did not synch her cal-
The home was listed for $1,215,000 endars.
at the end of May, a month after a dry-
lot house two blocks away sold for Still, three of the other four board
$999,000. members said they were satisfied with

Meanwhile, O’Neill’s listing on 3470
Buckinghammock Trail enjoys all the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 5

NEWS

Moore’s conclusion and would not for- know who’s going to do it,” Board mem- it wouldn’t go anywhere, anyway.” “We all went through ethics train-
ward the complaint – sent to the board ber Brian Barefoot said. “I’m not going Barenborg and Vice Chair Peggy ing, where we were told that whenever
by Michael Marsh, a local community to do it. you’re accused of an ethics violation,
activist – to the Ethics Commission. Jones said they wouldn’t pursue the the determination should be made
“As far as I’m concerned, it was an matter further, though both said Ro- by the Ethics Commission – not the
“For this to go any further, somebody innocent mistake,” he added. “It’s re- sario should have contacted the Eth- school district,” Barenborg said. “And
would have to file a complaint with the ally not a big deal. Besides, based on ics Commission after the complaint
state Ethics Commission, and I don’t what the commission’s attorney said, became public. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

A SELECTION OF OUR ULTRA LUXURY

LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES

OPEN HOUSE 675 Beachland Boulevard

Thursday and Sunday, 1-3 pm 772.234.5555

Pristine Central Beach Retreat Premierestateproperties.com
$1.395 Million

Lange Sykes 772.234.5034
Video | Info: v254098.com

Our Unrivaled Global Network

Somerset Bay Riverview Residence $1.525 Million Modern Chic Oceanfront Condo $1.095 Million Charming Castaway Wave II Pool Residence $1.095 Million
Bob Niederpruem 772.257.7456 Info: v256809.com Brown/Talley 772.234.5148 Info: v256810.com Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 Info: v256885.com

6 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Rosario cleared and contacting a local political activ-
ist about canvassing.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
Rosario objected to the release of
in those situations, it’s always better to Marsh said he “probably” wouldn’t School Board member the campaign-connected entries, ar-
self-report, especially if you’re an elect- file a complaint with the commission, Jackie Rosario. guing they should have been redacted
ed official, so it doesn’t look like you’re claiming it would have carried “more because they were personal and not
trying to hide something.” weight” if a board member did so. last month of Rosario’s calendar en- connected to school district business.
tries, including those referring to her
Barenborg said she never believed Rosario did not respond to mes- political activities, in response to the Moore, after consulting with Shad-
Rosario committed a violation, but she sages requesting comment on Moore’s request, which Marsh filed in April. dock, initially agreed with Rosario
asked Shaddock to call the Ethics Com- handling of the complaint – or the and instructed the district’s public
mission “just to ease people’s minds.” controversy surrounding the release of Those entries prompted his com- information officer, Cristen Maddux,
her calendar to accommodate Marsh’s plaint. to explain the error to Marsh, ask him
Jones said she initially wanted Moore public records request. not to share the information provided
or Shaddock to forward the complaint Moore said he approved the release and advise him that he would receive
to the commission, “just to make sure Moore defended his staff’s release of the calendar entries after Shaddock a redacted version of the records he
we knew it had been reviewed” and conferred with public-records experts requested.
there was no violation. But she’s com- at her West Palm Beach-based law
fortable with the actions taken. firm. She was told the entries could not After Rosario voiced her complaint
legally be redacted. at last month’s School Board meet-
“If it had been me, though,” Jones ing, Shaddock contacted the public
said, “I’d have reported it myself to Rosario’s calendar entries included records experts at her firm. When told
make sure I wasn’t in violation of any- references to: a fundraiser; picking up the political entries on the calendar
thing.” petitions; submitting petitions to the should not be redacted, Moore ap-
Supervisor of Elections office; serving proved the re-release of the records
Board member Mara Schiff could as a judge for a contest organized by last week.
not be reached for comment. a local political group; candidate vet-
ting by another local political organi- “There’s nothing wrong with getting
When Marsh’s written complaint zation; arranging for a booth at Main a second opinion,” Moore said. “My
against Rosario was first brought to Street Vero Beach’s Downtown Friday; job is to protect the board and the dis-
their attention, all four of the other three campaign financials sessions; trict as a whole, and I wanted it to be
board members said the matter should appropriately reviewed. And when it
be submitted to the Ethics Commis- was reviewed by expert legal counsel,
sion for review. it came back a different way.

“Any citizen can submit a complaint “At the end of the day, we didn’t pro-
to the Ethics Commission,” Moore vide anything to Mr. Marsh that we
said. “Any board member can do it. Mr. shouldn’t have.”
Marsh can do it.”
Rosario might disagree: She also
PROVEN LEADERSHIP complained during the board meet-
ing that Moore’s staff initially turned
over calendar entries beyond the six-
month period Marsh had requested.

Moore, though, said the additional
months were inadvertently included
in the records released because his
staff’s search of Rosario’s digital cal-
endar turned up all entries that per-
tained to that six-month period. 

DERYL LOAR COVID cases tive for the virus each week, those who
★ FOR ★ are concerned about avoiding serious
COUNTY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 COVID-19 illness and hospitalization
are now encouraged to seek an early
COMMISSION people newly hospitalized with COV- treatment which is administered in pill
ID-positive test results, compared to form.
PAID BY DERYL LOAR, REPUBLICAN, FOR INDIAN RIVER COUNTY COMMISSION, DISTRICT 4 21 the previous week.
Treasure Coast Community Health
As of Monday, Cleveland Clinic In- is offering this oral treatment to CO-
dian River Hospital had two fewer CO- VID patients without an in-person
VID-positive patients than one week doctor visit.
earlier. “We currently have 15 patients
with COVID this morning in-house: “The process is very simple, if some-
two are in the Intensive Care Unit,” one suspects they are COVID positive
hospital spokesperson Arlene Allen- they should get tested as soon as possi-
Mitchell said on Monday. ble. If they have received a positive test
result (including if it is from an outside
The CDC reports that COVID-posi- commercial pharmacy), they can call
tive patients occupy about 5.5 percent TCCH to schedule a telehealth visit,”
of staffed hospital beds countywide, Treasure Coast Community Health
and 3.4 percent of intensive-care beds. Community Relations and Outreach
Despite the high levels of community Director Colette Heid said.
transmission, with hospitalizations re-
maining relatively low, conditions have Expect the telehealth visit to be the
not warranted any tightening of the same day, as it’s considered an emer-
hospital’s visitation policies. gency appointment. “The medical
provider will assess the situation and
For the 400-plus people testing posi-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8



8 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

COVID cases main number 772-257-8224 and re- (12 years of age and older weighing at 160,000 residents have been seeking
quest to be seen for COVID. At that least 88 pounds [40 kg]) with a posi- shots each week.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 point, the telehealth visit will be sched- tive test for the virus that causes CO-
uled,” Heid said. VID-19, and who are at high risk for As of Sunday, 76.6 percent of adults
if warranted prescribe Paxlovid,” Heid progression to severe COVID-19, in- in Indian River County are fully vacci-
said. If treatment is prescribed, the pa- cluding hospitalization or death, un- nated, but only 49.4 percent of adults
tient can simply drive up to the clinic der an EUA.” have had at least one booster dose.
Time is of the essence to get evalu- and TCCH staff will bring the Paxlovid And while 95 percent of local seniors
ated and treated. “Paxlovid must be out to the vehicle for added safety and Despite the number of new infec- age 65 and older are fully vaccinated,
administered in the first two days of convenience. tions increasing roughly 50 percent only 63 percent of the county’s seniors
onset,” she said. countywide so far in June compared have had a booster. Taking all age
Pfizer says of its product: “The FDA to May, this latest COVID-19 surge has groups into account, approximately
Those seeking treatment do not has authorized the emergency use of not yet translated into an increased one-third of county residents are fully
need to be established Treasure Coast PAXLOVID, an investigational medi- demand for vaccine shots as only a vaccinated and have had at least one
Community Health patients to use this cine, for the treatment of mild-to-mod- few dozen of Indian River County’s booster dose of vaccine. 
service. “The patient should call our erate COVID-19 in adults and children

Memorial Island
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

we lead. We did very well with the World “We had all kinds of ideas, and we fi-
War I monument. We’re very proud of nally narrowed it down. We were miss-
that,” said Lt. Col. Carroll Oates, trib- ing something with World War II on
ute committee co-chair with Col. Tony the island and we were also missing a
Young, USA Ret.

The group previously spearheaded
the World War I “Dixie Doughboy” stat-
ue, which was dedicated on Veterans
Day 2021. That project was chaired
by Col. Michael DiScipio, USMC, Ret.,
and Col. Carlos Halcomb, USAF Ret.

Oates explained that rather than
constructing a traditional monument,
this tribute is planned as a permanent
Parade Reviewing Stand to replace
mobile event staging. Memorial Island
serves as a gathering place for ceremo-
nies to honor the men and women
who served our country in all branches
of the military.

Oates said they have already re-
ceived the support of the city’s Veter-
ans Memorial Island Sanctuary com-
mittee, city and county leadership, and
are now fundraising to make the proj-
ect, which is expected to cost roughly
$400,000, a reality.

“The Veterans Council is made of
about 24 veterans organizations, and
this is a very patriotic community. We
want everybody involved,” said John
Michael Matthews, Veterans Memo-
rial Island Sanctuary chairman.

Parade Reviewing Stand. So, we zeroed Beach Naval Air Station Logo and the
in on that,” said Oates. Honorable Discharge Pin, with WWII
Campaign Ribbons from the Ameri-
The 30-inch-high Parade Review- cas, Asia Pacific, European Africa and
ing Stand would incorporate four the Victory Medal. The tributes will all
pillars in the front to display the Vic- be tiled, making them waterproof and
tory Medal (front and back), the Vero

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 9

NEWS

weatherproof. Future WWII tributes, Longtime Shores staffer takes on interim town clerk duties
such as to Normandy and Iwo Jima,
are also a possibility. BY LISA ZAHNER for her unflinching dedication to the each council member met with Rutan,
Staff Writer town.” “Council authorized the town manager
Their proposal would shift the cur- to discuss terms of employment and a
rent view of the stage area some 20 A longtime, trusted town staffer, Eliz- After narrowing down the list of prospective start date. Once complet-
degrees west, so that audiences no abeth “Liz” Scheidel, has stepped in as town clerk applicants, council mem- ed, this will come back before Council
longer face the sun. To enhance the interim town clerk until the Indian Riv- bers chatted with the most qualified at the June 23 Town Council meeting
site and provide shade, a Contempla- er Shores Town Council can finalize the in-state candidate first. “Town Council for final approval,” Harpring said.
tion Grove would be planted behind hiring of Janice Rutan as permanent conducted individual interviews with
the Reviewing Stand and additional town clerk later this month. candidate Janice Rutan last week,” Harpring said Rutan will be present
trees would surround the seating area. Harpring said in late May. Individual at the June 23 meeting and, provided
Sight lines would radiate out to those Former Town Clerk Laura Aldrich’s meetings with each council member the council votes yes, she’s scheduled
monuments on the island, with views retirement, followed by the sudden separately were necessary due to Flor- to start Aug. 1, giving her five weeks
to the lagoon. death of Interim Town Clerk Chelley ida’s open meeting laws. to work out her notice to Haverhill,
Pallo-Darnell in May, left the Shores and to relocate.
Matthews noted that work will have with no designated person to serve in Rutan, 64, serves as town admin-
to wait until the city replaces the bridge the official position mandated by the istrator for the Town of Haverhill, in Haverhill is located just west of
to the island, which is scheduled to Florida law and the town charter to Palm Beach County, and has extensive Palm Beach International Airport and
take place sometime between Veterans complete certain government func- training in and knowledge of Florida’s has an estimated population of 2,200.
Day 2022 and Memorial Day 2023. He tions. Scheidel, the town’s building of- open records and open meetings laws. The median age of Haverhill residents
added that the $1.3 million needed for ficial assistant for 18 years, agreed to She holds both the Certified Munici- is 37.7 years, and the town has grown
the bridge has already been set aside. serve during the transition. pal Clerk and Master Municipal Clerk by about 330 people since 2010. The
designations, which the council de- median household income is $80,500,
Committee member Barbara Ruddy “After the tragic loss of Chelley Pal- sired after Aldrich, a Master Municipal according to the American Commu-
said she would like to see theWWII trib- lo, Liz immediately offered to assist Clerk, retired. nity Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau.
ute dedicated on Veteran's Day 2023. in any way. When asked to step in as
interim town clerk, she did not hesi- Rutan is also a licensed Realtor with Once hired, Rutan initially will an-
“We all know that these living vet- tate,” Town Manager Jim Harpring the State of Florida. The town had an- swer to the Town Council, but if pro-
erans from World War II are dying at said. “The Town Council is very ap- other qualified applicant from out of posed changes to the town charter
a very high rate of speed. They're in preciative of her willingness to serve state, but Florida’s broad Sunshine are approved by voters in a special
their late 90s, early 100s, and so for me, in a dual role until a new town clerk Laws would have been something new mail ballot early next year, the town
speed is an essential item,” said Ruddy. is hired. And I am personally thankful to learn. clerk would then report to the town
manager. 
Contributions to the project are be- At the May council meeting after
ing funneled through the Cultural
Council of Indian River County, so
checks should be made out to CCIRC-
WWII Tribute. 





12 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Dog owners unleash criticism of new beach restrictions

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA ing the pandemic, but town staff kept
researching how other coastal com-
Staff Writer munities had solved their own dogs-
on-the-beach dilemmas.
The new dog ordinance in the Town
of Orchid is only seven pages long, but After public input, the matter came up
two years of background on the conten- for discussion at the March 2 town meet-
tious issue includes hundreds of pages ing. Gibbons was disappointed that few
of emails from residents supporting residents showed up, so the public was
and opposing canines on the beach. given additional opportunities for input
in March, April and May.
Some dog owners in the upscale north
island community of 450 people are an- Orchid resident David Newman
gry over new license requirements and wrote to the council in February advo-
limits on the hours they can walk their cating the then-status quo.
dogs off leash on the beach.
“I believe the current rules for dogs
A 2007 ordinance, now repealed, al- on the beach are fine. I regularly take
lowed unleashed dogs on the beach at my dog to the beach and we careful-
any time of day under voice control. ly operate within the confines of the
rules outlined. I see others operate
Under the new ordinance, dogs are with the same degree of care and cau-
now allowed on the beach “on-leash at tion, although dogs are rare in general
any time of day, as long as the leash is no to see on the beach,” Newman said.
longer than 8 feet in length. They may
be off-leash between sunrise and 9 a.m. Bryan Davidson wrote to the council
and between 5 p.m. and sunset as long twice – once in the spring of 2020 when
as they are licensed through the Town he was closing on his Orchid home
($50).” and moving in with his beach-loving
yellow labrador, and again in February
Off-leash rules apply to dogs on leash- – restating his position for lenient dog
es that extend more than 8 feet. regulations.

Town officials say they were respond- “I feel somewhat betrayed when
ing to health and safety concerns rang- your real estate web site and your bro-
ing from dogs romping on the dunes kerage office clearly state that dogs are
or disturbing turtle nests, to aggressive welcome at Orchid and that you can
dogs and irresponsible dog owners fail- let them play on the beach. Orchid
ing to clean up after their animals. Island Golf & Beach club is a lifestyle
community and having my dog on the
Mayor Bob Gibbons has become beach is clearly one of the lifestyle ac-
the lightning rod on this issue, taking tivities that influenced our purchase
much criticism from the pro-dog, anti- decision,” Davidson wrote.
leash contingent led by Orchid resi-
dent Robert Breadner, who launched “We previously lived at Palm Beach
a letter-writing campaign that resulted Polo Club. Ownership management
in 65 of his neighbors requesting that there systematically closed amenities
the looser 2007 ordinance stay in place. there which prompted us to move. I
sincerely hope that Orchid Island Golf
Breadner claimed in an email the & Beach Club is not headed toward
new regulations, which took effect June the same path.”
1, “are the most restrictive in all of In-
dian River County,” and were passed by Breadner’s claim that Orchid’s new
the Town Council “despite overwhelm- dog rules are the most restrictive in
ing support to not change the existing the county, however, is incorrect.
ordinance.”
Orchid’s ordinance is much like the
He asserted that “in a club of only 375 Town of Indian River Shores’ rules,
members, 83 residents wrote letters to which also allow off-leash dogs (and
the town [and] 65 said do not change.” those on more than 6-foot leashes) on
its beaches within the same sunrise-
Vero Beach 32963 reviewed more sunset hours – also with a license.
than 200 emails and photos on the sub-
ject sent to Orchid town officials, mostly The City of Vero Beach does not al-
during 2021 and 2022, voicing strong low any dogs on its beaches, with the
opinions on both sides of the issue. exception of a very few small “pock-
ets,” such as from the Costa d’Este
Gibbons said “more than 30 resi- hotel, which is private property, to
dents … indicated their support for Sexton Plaza, and those dogs must be
either a complete prohibition against leashed.
unleashed dogs or the compromise
adopted by the Town Council to permit Indian River County does not allow
dog owners to have their dogs on the any dogs in its beach parks at all, so Or-
beach without leash before 9 and after chid’s new rules – though more restric-
5. A significant number who wrote in tive than the town’s 2007 ordinance – are
opposition to the change, did not sim- still among the least restrictive of those
ply say no change; but, instead, sug- governing the county’s 22-plus miles of
gested other forms of compromise.” beach. 

Action was postponed in 2020 dur-

Laurel and Griffin Arendell
with Marlon and Alva Arendell
and Olive Allenbaugh.

MAY POPS AT WINDSOR

ENDING THE SEASON ON ITS HIGHEST NOTE

14 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘May Pops’ at Windsor ends the season on its highest note

Ron and Roxanne Hall. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF Gail and Dan Shepherd. Randy and Sandy Rolf.

Liz Cundari, Helen Post and Les Gwyn-Williams. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Ron and Nancy Rosner with Gay and Fritz Blaicher. Brent Bishop, Linda Aronberg, John Jaeger and Marilyn Wallach.

BY MARY SCHENKEL ern side of a low picket fence, general
Staff Writer admission concert-goers picnicked in
their own, equally grand, style.
After two years of COVID cancella-
tions, and two rain-challenged years “Over the years, Bill and Marlynn
before that, supporters of the Cleveland have been extremely generous to the
Clinic Indian River Foundation were hospital and have helped fund many
thrilled to be back at the Windsor polo initiatives, most notably the Scully-
field on a picture-perfect afternoon for Welsh Cancer Center and the Scully
the 31st annual May Pops. Presenting Endoscopy Center. We are immensely
sponsors this year were Marlynn and grateful for their support,” said Dr.
Bill Scully, in honor of the Post family, Gregory Rosencrance, president of
who had sponsored the event its first Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital,
30 years. welcoming and thanking everyone for
their support.
Once again, the Brevard Sympho-
ny Orchestra, under the direction of “Lastly, but certainly not least, many
Maestro Christopher Confessore and thanks to all of our volunteers and sup-
joined by celebrated vocalists Dee Ro- porters for their personal dedication to
scioli and Ben Davis, dazzled as folks making this beautiful event possible.
celebrated “with good friends for a Everyone associated with the hospital
cause,” at what has long been consid- and the foundation appreciates what
ered the traditional end-of-season fi- you do.”
nale. Proceeds from the annual event
help to enhance the technology, facili- Tony Woodruff, chairman of the
ties and patient care at Cleveland Clin- board at the Cleveland Clinic Indian
ic Indian River Hospital. River Foundation, paid tribute to Helen
Post and her late husband Dick, point-
VIP ticket holders enjoyed a lav- ing out that many of the gentlemen in
ish buffet luncheon sitting at elegant the audience had continued the cus-
sponsor tables in cabanas at the north- tom that began in 2014 by sporting the
ern end of the field, while on the south- jaunty bow ties Dick was known for.

Thanking Windsor as the venue

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 15

PEOPLE

host, Woodruff noted, “It’s just a mag- to support the hospital. Your time and be here in support of Cleveland Clinic,” Williams celebrated his 90th birthday
nificent place to have a party like this. I effort and generosity truly means so said Confessore. back in February. Mr. Williams is still
also want to thank the Cleveland Clin- much.” actively writing music, still conducting
ic Foundation itself, the board, and “While the majority of our program orchestras around the world, and so
all the work they’ve done, and all the “We’re blessed to have such a beauti- today is music from Broadway, we’d we’re happy to pay tribute to him at the
people that are part of the Malloy and ful day today to be back here at Wind- like to get things started by paying top of the program today, with a collec-
Eagle Society members and continue sor for the May Pops concert. The Bre- tribute to one of the greatest compos- tion of some of his greatest hits.” 
vard Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to ers of our time. Film composer John

16 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Chuck and Marybeth Cunningham with Carol and Dr. David Peter.
Jeff and Casie Mennen with Tony and Sally Woodruff.

Ari Ernst, Shirley Becker, Alice Brady, Warren Schauer, Marcia DuRie and Barbara Bryant. Don and Meg Steiner with Nick and Sara Connors.

George and Marlen Higgs.

Mike and Ashley Watson with Karen Franke. Virginia and Warren Schwerin with Marianne Chaikin.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 17

PEOPLE

Kristen Yoshitani, Hope Eisenman and Dina Jennings. Rosemary Kotkowski, Emily Sherwood and Julie Guthrie.

Nick Bruce, Bob Cairns and Rusty Cappellen. Dee Roscioli and Ben Davis. Jim Marver and Shirin Kaufman.

Richard and Barbara Netzler. Suzanne Curry and Kirsten Kennedy.

Mike and Kathy Clarke. Fred and Paula Knier.





20 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Chips fall in favor of ‘Outreach’ program at golf fundraiser

Jay Hoder and Liz Crowther with Carolyn and Tom McAnallen. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Steve and Jules McKinney with Bill King and Linda Bradley.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF to $25,000 presented to agencies
Staff Writer last fall, more than $400,000 was
awarded to local nonprofits this
Members of the Grand Harbor Catherine and Jerry Reichert with Kathy Tonkel. spring, bringing the season’s cumu-
Community Outreach Program lative disbursement to more than
closed out their fundraising season $425,000.
with an ace during their 18th annual
Outreach Charity Golf Classic and 9 Since its inception 20 years ago,
Hole Fun Frolic to fund grants dis- GHCOP has distributed more than
tributed to local charities through $7.5 million to support nonprofits
the philanthropic program. that address unmet needs in the ar-
eas of health, education and human
Returning from a three-year hia- services, with a focus on the neigh-
tus, golfers happily putted, drove boring Gifford community.
and chipped their way through ei-
ther 18 holes on the Grand Harbor Recognizing that more than half
Pete Dye course or nine holes of the of local residents live below the fed-
Oak Harbor course, a first for them. eral poverty level or are among the
working poor, the grants committee
After a long day on the course, this year focused on nonprofits that
golfers rolled up for a novel take aid at-risk youth, the homeless and
on the standard closest to the pin veterans.
competition, which saw 40 bottles
of wine and liquor strategically This year’s grant recipients in-
placed on the putting green behind cluded: Alzheimer & Parkinson As-
the clubhouse. Those lucky winners sociation, Big Brothers Big Sisters,
who clinked a bottle with their golf Camp Haven, Childcare Resources
ball took it home to enjoy its con- of Indian River, Children’s Home
tents at their leisure. Society, Crossover Mission, Eco-
nomic Opportunities Council, Gif-
“Thank you for participating in ford Youth Achievement Center,
this event today and all the other Indian River Habitat for Humanity,
Indian River Healthy Start Coali-
Orchid Travel outreach programs during the sea- tion, Hibiscus Children’s Center,
son. Because of you, we are able Hope for Families Center, Literacy
14 night Seven Seas Cruise to continue our great tradition of Services of Indian River County,
transforming lives, strengthening Mental Health Association, Our Fa-
New York to Miami with families, and improving the com- ther’s Table, Samaritan Center, Se-
Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao munity,” said Jerry Reichert, tour- nior Resource Association, Special
nament co-chair with wife Cath- Equestrians of the Treasure Coast,
The All Inclusive Regent Experience with Free erine. Substance Awareness Center of In-
Roundtrip Air, Unlimited Excursions, 1 Night Pre dian River County, Sunshine Reha-
Cruise Hotel, Open Bars and Unlimited beverages. Reichert stated that sponsorships bilitation Center, The Arc of Indian
Paid Gratuities, Specialty Restaurants, WiFi, Valet from local businesses had covered River County, The Learning Alli-
Laundry Service and Free Airport to Ship Transfers. all of the administrative charges ance, Tykes & Teens, United Against
2 for one, all Inclusive Fares from $8099. incurred in running the Outreach Poverty, Veterans Council of IRC,
Program so that: “Every penny that VNA and Hospice, and Youth Guid-
[email protected]  772-226-5790 you donate goes to the charities that ance Mentoring Academy.
we support in Indian River County.”
For more information, visit ghcop.
During their annual Awards org. 
Breakfast, GHCOP awarded 28
grants to 27 agencies. In addition

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 21

PEOPLE

Marcia Zanger and Barbara Schwin. Bonnie Walker, Dan Schaffer and Rebecca Rosier. Ruth Farrell and Mary Potter.

Susanne and Doug Sweeny. Tina Wilcox and Helen Evans. Pat and Roger Andrus with Mike Evans.

Jan Garrison and Kathy McGinnis. Doug and Mary Wright.

Kate McElwee and Chris Rud. Rick and Maureen Kahrmann.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Paying heartfelt respects at Victims’ Rights Coalition Vigil

Corbin Douglas and Terry Clickner. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Sharon Correa and Arnie Flannery.

Michelle and Bill Long with daughters Madelyn, Lillian and Evelyn. Rev. Dr. John Vacchiano and Paul Zelno.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF “We are gathered here today to cel- damage in a homicide case.
Staff Writer ebrate the lives of those that we lost to “While we have a victim who has
crimes and honor their memory,” said
A solemn crowd gathered at Veter- Paul Zelno, Indian River County Vic- lost his or her life, we have a family
ans Memorial Island Sanctuary dur- tims Rights Coalition president, fol- that must endure. That must continue
ing National Crime Victims’ Rights lowing the presentation of colors by a to go on in the absence of somebody
Week to remember loved ones who multi-agency Color and Honor Guard. so important to them. What’s more
perished as a result of violent crimes painful and more difficult is the lost
in Indian River County since 1981. The coalition hosted the annual future potential. The events in the
Family members were joined by com- tribute as part of its mission to increase future that you’ll no longer get to ex-
munity leaders and local law enforce- awareness of victims’ issues and the perience. The marriage, the birth, the
ment representatives to pay tribute to services and support available to all walking a daughter down the aisle,
those lives and the loved ones they left victims of crime and their families. watching your child graduate, seeing
behind. your grandchild for the first time,”
“I had the honor of being with you said Bakkedahl.
last year and reading the names,” said
Thomas Bakkedahl, state attorney for Adjacent to the lectern was a wall
the 19th Judicial Circuit, sharing that filled with the photographs of the
it had been “one of the most difficult 170 crime victims who died in Indian
things I’ve ever had to do as a profes- River County. Their stories cut short.
sional.” Ranging in age from 2 to 85, they were
the victims of homicide, manslaugh-
According to statistics, Bakkedahl ter, and DUI deaths by reckless en-
said, 21,571 citizens lost their lives to dangerment.
violence in the United States during
2020. After Ray Neville, City of Vero Beach
vice mayor, read the name of each vic-
“It’s a really shocking number. tim whose life was lost to violence, a
When you think of the number that bell rang out sharp and clear against
I just mentioned in just the course of the somber quiet permeating the is-
the year, we must always keep in mind land.
that they’re not just numbers. They
were human beings.” Duke Scales closed the ceremony
with “Taps,” a final bugle call of re-
Bakkedahl noted that while the vic- spect and remembrance.
tim should be at the center of the in-
vestigation and prosecution, society For more information, visit 19JCVRC.
doesn’t always consider the collateral org. 

JUST LISTED  CUSTOM HOME  2019 BUILD  3470 BUCKINGHAMMOCK TRAIL

JOSEPH O’NEILL CHRIS MICKLEY JOSEPH SCHLITT

Joseph O’Neill, Joseph Schlitt, and Chris Mickley have over 45 years
of combined experience as full-time Realtors and have a comprehensive understanding of the local market.

We have represented Buyers and Sellers in over 100 real estate transactions in 32963.
If you are considering BUYING or SELLING, we can help.

5665 61ST  EAGLE TRACE  $699K 2038 OCEAN RIDGE  $1.45M 18 SEAHORSE LANE  $1.25M

CONTINGENT SOLD SOLD – REP. BUYER

772.643.6824 772.473.9691

3001 OCEAN DRIVE  VERO BEACH, FL 32963  772.231.9938

24 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Storybook finish to Literacy Services’ 50th celebrations

Jane Bentley and Marilyn Gartner. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Linda Barker, Sandy Mann and Mimi Hirstein. Cecily and Dennis Dunlap.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF mer tutor social at Walking Tree. It fet-
Staff Writer ed its students in Fellsmere and hosted
a glorious Stories by the Sea fundraiser
Literacy Services of Indian River at the Sea Oaks Beach Club. This grand
County closed out a year filled with finale was, appropriately, held among
50th Anniversary Celebrations, host- rows upon rows of books, as donors,
ing its Donor Reception among the tutors and students reflected on the
stacks at the Vero Beach Book Center. nonprofit’s 50-year history.

The nonprofit had kicked off its “This donor reception is our chance
golden jubilee with a Launch Party at to express our gratitude to you, our
Brackett Library, followed by a sum- loyal supporters,” said Jessica Schmitt,

Karin Freiss, Pam O’Donnell, Chris Steinkrauss and Margie Zunk.

Vero Beach local bestselling author, Gretchen Literacy Services executive director. chair with wife Sandy. “I don’t know of
Rose’s second in her “Very Vero” series now “Without you, we wouldn’t have been any organization in this county that
available at the Vero Beach Book Center and able to serve the hundreds of students did such a thing. Our budget is tiny.
wherever you purchase books online. with English language literacy skills We’re tiny. That’s what attracted me
so they can thrive in our community. 22 years ago to Literacy Services.”
Please know that your generosity truly
changes lives.” Mann shared that their approach is
to “do what the students want.” Their
A highlight of the evening was when goal is to empower all adults with the
two Literacy Services students read literacy skills they need to thrive in a
from “Stories by the Sea,” a collection way that meets each student’s needs
of more than 50 stories written by stu- – whether it’s the ability to speak Eng-
dents, tutors and community leaders, lish, learning to read well enough to
and compiled by a committee of vol- obtain a driver’s license or GED, or
unteers. The book is available for pur- needing help writing a job application
chase at the Vero Beach Book Center. or college entrance essay.

Last year’s student of the year, “Our tutors work tirelessly with
Marisela Kempf, read her inspiration- these students who now recognize
al story that chronicled her struggles the value of education. My favorites
from first arriving in the United States are those students who want to be-
to recently obtaining her U.S. citizen- come citizens of the United States of
ship. America. They come and study and
learn. It’s a very gratifying thing,” said
This year’s student of the year, Yuxia Mann.
Simmons, spoke of how Literacy Ser-
vices had helped her along the way, “We do it with an incredible staff of
during her journey to become a U.S. tutors who not only give of their time
citizen. and their expertise. But, as a tutor, it
is just as important to give of your
“Who would have thought such a friendship. That really builds the self-
mighty little organization could not confidence of the students.”
only have six events to celebrate our
50th anniversary but publish a book For more information, visit Literacy-
as well,” said Don Mann, committee ServicesIRC.org. 



26 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Children’s Art Festival at Museum: Big fun for little ’uns

Owen Polackwich, Mallory Wake and Mara McDaniel. Ryan Troester, Liz Boulter, Aaron Collins, Elise Curran and Melissa Kindy. Maryanne Bohlinger, Kate Walsh and Susan Burns.

Piper Sweeney. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Sofia and Melissa Brown.

BY MARY SCHENKEL As the concerts were meant to be
Staff Writer experienced and enjoyed by young
children, Collins reminded the audi-
The Vero Beach Museum of Art was ence that they could get up and dance,
abuzz with activity during its annual adding, “You don’t have to be quiet.”
Children’s Art Festival which, follow-
ing several years of modified versions, VBMA docents engaged youngsters
returned to a full day of glorious cre- in the galleries with various activities
ativity. inspired by the Vero Collects: Hidden
Treasures Revealed exhibition.
In the studios, budding artists
poured over their work with intense Referencing the Thomas Hart Ben-
concentration, assisted by museum ton painting “Shooting the Rapids,”
staff and volunteers on a variety of Sue Sharpe had viewers making up
projects, including ‘A-Door-Able’ de- stories about what adventures the ca-
signs, inspired by the painting “Sur- noers might face; Cynthia Callander
rounded by Others” by the late Francis tasked young artists to sketch their
Sprout, where youngsters decorated own versions of an abstract by Charles
cut-out doors, complete with spar- Joseph Biederman; using colorful
kling ‘gemstone’ doorknobs. scarves, Maryanne Bohlinger, Kate
Walsh and Susan Burns promoted
Giggles of laughter emanated from music and movement with art; Toni
the interactive Children’s Art Zone, Hamner encouraged children to view
as little ones drew their own designs paintings through ‘telescopes’; and
for the Sketch Aquarium and glee- Marion Berry showed youngsters how
fully followed their creations as they to make mobiles.
‘swam’ across the lifelike aquarium.
Throughout the day, visitors could
Clarinets – two B-Flat and one each view the IRC Student Art Exhibit, and
Bass and E-Flat – were the featured in- local youth groups – including Pan-
struments in two ‘Once Upon an Or- ther Performers, Imagine South Vero
chestra’ performances by members of Tangerines, Moonshot Academy, the
the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra. Osceola Singers and Explorer Ensem-
ble, Vero Classical Ballet, and Rhythm
“I wanted to feature local compos- and Soul Dance – performed for ap-
ers, so I started commissioning them preciative audiences.
to write music for ‘Once Upon an Or-
chestra’; short, small pieces with mu- “I think we’re going to break the
sic and narrative,” said Aaron Collins, 1,200 or 1,300 record,” said Alicia
artistic director and conductor. The Quinn, watching the steady stream
piece they played that day was “Gold- of visitors wandering about the mu-
en Goose,” composed by Vero resident seum. “There are good crowds, lots
Michael Daugherty and based on the of things happening, and everyone is
fairy tale. engaged. That’s what it’s all about.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 27

PEOPLE

‘Boot Campaign’ kicks up support for vets’ health, wellness

Shelly Kirkland and Lindsey Lott. Tori Barnett and Jean Ueltschi. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Linda and John Colontrelle with Kristen Kennedy.

PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Tom Corr and Kelley Della Porta. Sandy and Nancy Wolcott with Betsy and Rory Smith.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Rikki Bischoff and Abby Donohoe. “It’s the one organization or group cause somebody saw something in
that throughout the last 12 years of us worth investing in, and we even-
Staff Writer the Health and Wellness vertical my life without legs, if I had broth- tually recognize that for ourselves.
that the organization has, is re- ers and sisters that came to me and I like to think it’s a pretty American
Invited guests filled the Quail ally curated. It’s just very specific needed help, I knew I could send thing. I think we live in the greatest
Valley Boat House, where they to each and every veteran that we them there and they would get it,” country in the world. What makes
learned about Boot Campaign, a come across,” said Barnett, before said Jones. this such a beautiful and amaz-
Texas-based nonprofit founded in introducing Jones. ing country is that we’re resilient,
September 2009, whose current “The staff there has devised, cul- and we’re resilient because at some
CEO, Shelly Richardson Kirkland, “This is an organization that’s tivated, created, nourished and point through the years we all came
is a Vero Beach native and Saint Ed- close and near and dear to my grown it to where I could send a vet- from somewhere else,” said Jones.
ward’s graduate. heart,” said Jones, who became in- eran to Boot Campaign who is strug-
volved in 2011, a year after losing gling with something, and he or she “We all spoke different languages,
The reception, sponsored by Tori both legs while serving in Afghani- cannot really put into words what it we eat different food, pray different
and Andrew Barnett and Jim and stan. He was impressed that it was is that they’re struggling with. They prayers, vote for different people.
Jean Ueltschi, featured speaker created by a group of civilian wom- know life is not fun anymore,” said But there are some human things
Joey Jones, a Marine Corps veteran, en to say thank you to veterans in Jones, adding that the organiza- that stay consistent. When we walk
news contributor and Boot Cam- an apolitical way. tion can put them on a path toward out our doors in the morning and
paign board member. Jones spoke healing and moving forward. someone falls down, we don’t ask
about his own relationship with ourselves about all those things be-
Boot Campaign, which provides Jones shared stories of being fore we pick them back up. That’s
holistic, individualized programs raised in rural Georgia where his fa- the model. We help each other out.
to veterans and families to support ther, a brick mason, told him that he That’s what we do. That’s how we do
their physical, cognitive and mental had a responsibility to provide and it, together. This is not a political,
health. protect. He joined the Marine Corps partisan thing,” he explained.
in 2005, right out of high school,
In his welcome, board member and five years later, at age 24, lost Although proud to have served
Andrew Barnett said Boot Cam- his legs while part of an EOD (Ex- as a Marine, Jones said he is most
paign served 1,100 veterans and plosive Ordnance Disposal) team. proud to be part of a community
their families across 43 states last that stretches from coast to coast,
year, adding that while many veter- He said he considers himself “a community of Americans who
an organizations focus on specific fortunate to have had people who believe in something.”
military branches or eras of service, loved and supported him through-
Boot Campaign does not. out his recovery. For more information, visit Boot-
Campaign.com. 
“The care that we provide, and “We can make it through this be-





30 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Tyler and Katie Guettler. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27
Joey Jones with Petra and Sebastian Blackman.

Rob Greenfield, Elizabeth Sorensen and Mike Curley. Dave and Monica Collins.

Christina and Nick Bruce. Stephanie Knapp and Wayne Grimditch.

Linda and Buford Sims with Sallie Ann Ueltschi. Jim Linus with Shelly and Keith Kirkland and Laura Bass.



32 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

BY SOPHIE ALEXANDER | Bloomberg ultra-high-end restaurant chain. (“In- knew the newspaper industry was dy- your home, too. Under Ellison, 30-day
edible,” he’s said of the cuisine he first ing – “No offense” – but he didn’t ex- leases have become the norm for La-
In hindsight, Chris Andrus says, the found on Lanai.) Andrus was invited to pect to be in the dire financial straits he nai’s small businesses.
Nobu opening was a bad sign. the soft opening because Lanai Wood- is today.
workers had helped build the place. Ellison has invested serious money
It was 2012. Andrus, a bald, goateed, He says that shortly after he took over in renovation and construction proj-
self-proclaimed hippie, was living on He met Ellison on his way to the bath- the paper route, Ellison’s hotels can- ects on the island, and many residents
Lanai, a Hawaiian island of about 3,000 room and introduced himself by way of celed the 150 newspapers they’d been have come to accept the trade-offs.
people, helping an old friend start a his handiwork, pointing to the hostess having delivered each morning, cut- (“He has the right to do whatever the
woodworking company. Paradise was stand and wooden walls. Ellison shook ting Andrus’s business in half. The ho- hell he wants with what he owns,” An-
treating him well: The business was his hand and told him, “We’re gonna tels were getting iPads for their guests drus says.) Yet the extent of Ellison’s
growing rapidly, and Andrus was in do great work together,” he recalls. That and didn’t need hard copies anymore. control has left them with little say in
love with Lanai’s tightknit community. was the last time they spoke. Two weeks With his business continuing to suffer, Lanai’s future or their place in it.
later, Andrus was out of a job. he fell behind on his utility bills, and
Then Larry Ellison, the eccentric co- this January he received a notice from Lanai has largely been in private
founder of Oracle Corp. and the 11th- See, the space the woodworkers were Ellison’s holding company, Pulama La- hands since the 19th century, but Elli-
richest person in the world, bought it renting came with Ellison’s purchase of nai, terminating his rental agreement. son, with a net worth of about $90 bil-
– the island, that is. the island, and the billionaire’s agents Eventually, he turned to Catholic Char- lion, is far wealthier than its last owner,
told Peter Franklin, Andrus’s friend and ities to help him stay in his home. fruit and vegetable magnate David Mur-
The $300 million purchase came the owner of Lanai Woodworkers, he dock, who has roughly $2 billion. “Two
with 98% of Lanai’s 90,000 acres, plus would have to either clear out or sell So it goes on Lanai, where Ellison is different animals,” says Butch Gima, a
the two Four Seasons resorts that the company to Ellison. Franklin de- a modern American king – incompre- soft-spoken retired social worker with
provide most of its jobs, a significant cided to sell so the shop would at least hensibly wealthy and powerful. Many spiky graying hair. “Larry’s pockets are
chunk of its homes, and practically all survive in some form, and the deal residents both rent from him and very, very deep, and he has many pock-
its commercial properties. Overnight, came with a job for him. There wasn’t work for him, and a provision in his ets, whereas Murdock, I think, had two.”
Ellison became almost everyone’s boss, one for Andrus. residential leases states that if you’re
landlord, or both. terminated from a job with any of his Over the past decade, and especially
At age 64, Andrus became Lanai’s companies, you can be kicked out of since the pandemic began and Ellison
One of the first things Ellison did paperboy instead. Andrus says he moved to Lanai full time, Gima and
was build a Nobu, the definition of an

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 33

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Beachside at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai.

his neighbors have begun to see what hotel. Ellison’s development plans tend questing comment for this story. Pu- seems to know everyone else, kids re-
$90 billion can do. Their once-sleepy to be secretive. Most locals have only lama Lanai declined to comment or fer to adults with no blood connection
island is now a common destination heard that he intends to make the is- make its president, Kurt Matsumoto, as aunties and uncles, and enormous
for yachts and private jets, as Ellison land “sustainable,” with little explana- available for an interview. Ellison’s sup- birthday barbecues are a weekend rite.
buddies such as Elon Musk drop by to tion of what that might mean. porters say Murdock let much of the
visit. (Ellison sits on Tesla Inc.’s board island go to seed and the new owner Murdock acquired the island via
and is one of the biggest outside back- Most of the more than 30 Lanai resi- is building it anew, shinier than ever. Dole Food Co.’s corporate parent in
ers of Musk’s rocky effort to buy Twit- dents interviewed for this story say Others are afraid that there’s no clear 1985. He’s the one who oversaw the
ter Inc.) Tom Cruise has visited, which that because there are no real alterna- way to stay on Ellison’s good side and closure of the struggling plantation
still gets people talking, and former tives to Ellison’s control, his decisions that their way of life is ending. and the construction of the two hotels
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- carry the force of law, with a minimum that are now Four Seasons resorts. For
tanyahu took a Pilates class at the Four of discussion and hardly any due pro- Lanai’s unusual ownership struc- many people, the transition was diffi-
Seasons last year. cess. ture originated with a Mormon mis- cult. Murdock was a polarizing charac-
sionary who bought huge chunks of ter – impatient with pineapple pickers
On one hand, Ellison’s wealth means Lanai’s small businesses are sput- the place starting in the 1860s. Control who were retraining as waiters, bell-
he can invest more in the community tering, and even by U.S. standards, the of the island passed from one family to hops, or maids, and known to get into
than Murdock did. He’s renovated the island’s housing shortage is extreme. another until 1922, when James Dole screaming matches with people at
pool and the movie theater, and he There’s only one home for sale as of bought it for $1.1 million and began community meetings. Murdock didn’t
kept much of the island on payroll for early June: a beachfront estate for $7.9 transforming it from a small ranch- respond to a request for comment.
months during the pandemic. On the million. ing community into the world’s largest
other hand, his control has steadily pineapple plantation. In the end, even he couldn’t afford
tightened. Locals whose families have lived the island. Over his decades in charge,
on the island for generations, of- The seven-decade pineapple era the hotels grew run-down, the commu-
Since the purchase, he’s bought up ten sharing homes with parents and left a legacy of strong community ties. nity pool began to look uninviting, and
dozens more homes and businesses, grandparents, are leaving as Ellison’s Workers, many of them Filipino and a last-ditch play to install hundreds of
including the island’s main grocery construction workers and Four Sea- Japanese immigrants, would lean on energy-generating wind turbines went
store and its lone gas station, commu- sons employees fill practically every one another during their long days un- nowhere. Then came Ellison.
nity newspaper, and non-Four Seasons available bed. der the hot sun. Even today, everyone
CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
Ellison didn’t respond to emails re-

34 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 INSIGHT COVER STORY

New housing under construction; the island’s housing crunch is so extreme The remains of a church and schoolhouse that looked out over Lanai City.
that as of early June the only home for sale cost $7.9 million.
Butch Gima says Lanai
Chris Andrus was almost Michelle Fujie grew up was much different
kicked out of his home on Lanai and worries when its owner
in the past year. about what the had a mere
island’s future $2 billion.
holds for
locals.

The Oracle co-founder, now 77, In one of his early interviews about A decade later, residents tend to treat want to hear,” she says. “You could start
built Oracle into a roughly $200 bil- buying Lanai, on CNBC’s Closing Bell these promises as punchlines. “Ha- a small business, but where are you
lion software company. He has spent in 2012, Ellison said his commit- waiians have a word, it’s called waha gonna put it?”
almost the price of Lanai on a year’s ment to the island’s community was – bullshit,” says Alberta de Jetley, laugh-
worth of financing the America’s Cup strong. ing. De Jetley, a retired journalist who’s Ellison hasn’t offered the public
yacht race. lived there on and off since 1951, sold many details of his master plan. Agus,
“What we are going to do is turn the community newspaper to Ellison in his partner in Sensei, says “he wants to
In the business world, he’s known Lanai into a model for sustainable en- 2019 and now gives private island tours. take the island and make it remarkable
for his ruthlessness and ego. He’s so terprise,” Ellison said. “We are going “You’re just patting people on the head for the people who live there, and also
fond enough of repeating the quote to support the local people and help and giving them what you think they for the people who visit.”
“It is not sufficient that I succeed—all them start these businesses.”
others must fail” that it’s often misat- Ellison has never made himself
tributed to him instead of its generally available to the community to discuss
accepted originator, Genghis Khan. the island’s future or their concerns,
so most Larry sightings these days
Ellison’s love of Hawaii dates to his amount to glimpses of his orange Cor-
childhood, when he flew over the is- vette.
lands and found himself enthralled by
their beauty, says David Agus, a doctor “I’ve been waiting now for 10 years
and partner with Ellison in Sensei, a to have a conversation,” says Solomon
nascent chain of wellness resorts. Pili Kaho’ohalahala, a native Hawaiian
and seventh-generation Lanaian who
Other Silicon Valley billionaires, in- represents his island on the advisory
cluding Mark Zuckerberg and Sales- council for Hawaii’s humpback whale
force Inc. co-Chief Executive Officer marine sanctuary. He’s unimpressed
Marc Benioff, have also invested heav- with what Ellison has done so far, not-
ily in Hawaiian real estate, but Ellison ing that the out-of-control deer popu-
is the only one who owns an island lation is damaging the local ecology
outright. and that surrounding coral reefs are

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 35

INSIGHT COVER STORY

taking serious damage as mud from lot. Eight residents recounted the sto- feared that Murdock would sell the is- few years ago, the island didn’t feel like
the island slides into the Pacific. ry of when Cruise visited as a guest of land to multiple people, in which case home anymore.
Ellison’s son, David, whose production each owner might have developed in-
When locals complain about Elli- company, Skydance Media, produced dividual parcels, oversaturating Lanai Michelle Fujie, a high school math
son’s influence on community busi- the current blockbuster Top Gun: with development and tourists like the teacher who grew up on Lanai, said she
nesses, they’re usually telling two Maverick. They say Cruise flipped and rest of Hawaii. Or if Ellison had wanted and her fiancée don’t live together be-
kinds of stories. In the first kind, he totaled one of Ellison’s cars, a Toyota the whole place to himself, he could cause they can’t find an affordable house
uses his influence to shrink or shutter Land Cruiser, while driving on some of have simply closed the hotels and let big enough for them and their three kids.
without explanation the businesses Lanai’s mostly unpaved roads. (Calls the economy run dry.
that rent from him. The other kind of and emails to Cruise’s and David El- She does believe Ellison has been
story involves an Ellison property in- lison’s representatives, including to a While this doesn’t seem like the good for the community overall. “But
troducing its own version of the small spokesperson for Skydance, weren’t plan, many residents worry that their my biggest worry, worst-case sce-
business’s service and burying the returned.) time on Lanai is growing short. A nario, is that the island becomes this
mom and pop. handful of young families recently playground for only the rich,” says
Even with all that’s happened over moved away. Those who’ve left tend Fujie. “You would think that we would
Few residents whose small busi- the past decade, locals mostly agree to say they made the decision in want our students to graduate and as-
nesses have suffered one way or the that it could be worse. Many had part because even compared with a pire to be more than just somebody’s
other will speak on the record. Some servant.” 
cite nondisclosure agreements in
their leases.

The 30-day lease policy for commer-
cial tenants, besides making things
scary for existing small-business own-
ers, has sharply limited the ability of
new businesses to open on Lanai. No
bank that serves the area will lend
startup capital to a business with a 30-
day lease.

Most months, Pulama holds a com-
munity meeting via videoconference
to update islanders about various is-
sues or projects, including the latest
on deer overpopulation, or in April,
plans for a new Montessori preschool.
The community meetings aren’t
framed as dialogues. In most cases,
company representatives just tell the
assembled residents what they’re al-
ready doing, followed by a Q&A.

It can be hard to pin down how re-
sponsible Ellison is for the shifts on
Lanai. But he does, of course, own the
place, and some residents are happy if
he’s taking it upscale.

The change in tourists might be the
most striking. Ellison has given his
two Four Seasons resorts a $75 million
face-lift, and the suites at the oceans-
ide resort, which can run tens of
thousands of dollars a night, are now
straight out of White Lotus, the HBO
series about uber-wealthy, high-main-
tenance guests at a luxury Hawaiian
hotel. There are tiki-torch-lined walk-
ways, cocktail-fueled sunset cruises,
and healing spa treatments that cost
as much as $750 a pop.

Up at the Sensei spa retreat, clos-
er to Lanai City, there’s a Jeff Koons
sculpture in a lobby whose bathrooms
feature heated toilet seats and high-
tech bidets. There’s a second Nobu
just past the sculpture. This is the first
of Ellison and Agus’ Sensei resorts,
which focus on wellness and living
longer. The hotel that Sensei replaced
was once a local hangout, but now
employees are the only residents typi-
cally found there.

Hotel guests, on the other hand,
sometimes find their way into locals’
space.

Tom Cruise’s visit, shortly after Elli-
son bought the island, still comes up a

36 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

BY DAVID IGNATIUS sia last month of conducting “malicious cyber activity” Russia’s view of the internet is fundamentally dif-
against Ukraine, including an attack on a commercial ferent from that of the United States, the senior State
As the war in Ukraine rages, a long-standing battle be- satellite communications network that damaged sys- Department official said during an interview. Whereas
tween Russia and the United States over cyberspace is tems in other European countries. The State Depart- the United States seeks an open, free and interoper-
also heating up, with a top Russian diplomat warning ment condemned Russia’s cyber-meddling, but the able system, Russia wants “an internet with sovereign
of “catastrophic” consequences if the United States or senior official said the United States hasn’t seen the borders,” where it can suppress speech it doesn’t like.
its allies “provoke” Russia with a cyberattack. “huge attacks” some were expecting, perhaps because
the Russians “don’t want a war on two fronts.” Russia’s obsession with cyberspace partly reflects
The “information space,” as the Kremlin likes to Moscow’s view that the United States controls the in-
call it, has been a growing domain of U.S.-Russian Krutskikh contended that a “freeze” by the Biden ternet and its governance. A favorite Russian target is
conflict, not only in the Ukraine war, but in Russia’s administration in developing a common approach a group of experts known as ICANN, which oversees
hacking attacks against the presidential campaigns to cybersecurity had reversed progress made last the internet’s system of domain names. ICANN used
in 2016 and 2020 as well as the congressional elec- year at the United Nations. U.S. and Russian officials to operate under a Commerce Department contract
tions in 2018. The two countries briefly seemed to be had endorsed a joint U.N. resolution in October out- but has been fully independent since 2016.
working together for common rules for cyberspace lining a framework for discussing cybersecurity is-
last year, but that cooperation has now exploded. sues. Krutskikh called it a “historic moment.” Last week, the group published a compendium of
Russia’s attempts to rewrite internet rules, through
Andrei Krutskikh, the top cyber expert at the Rus- But at that time, the Russians were already preparing the United Nations or other international regulatory
sian foreign ministry, charged in an interview with the their invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24. Even bodies it seeks to control. From President Vladimir
Russian newspaper Kommersant last week that the so, contact between the two countries on cyber issues Putin on down, the Russians quoted in the ICANN
United States had“unleashed cyber aggression against has continued, with two meetings since December and report resent the United States’ digital dominance.
Russia and its allies.” He claimed that Washington was another scheduled in July, the senior official said.
using Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and The U.S.-Russian contest over cyberspace will play
“the IT Army created by him to carry out computer at- The Kremlin’s cyber chief said last week Russia was out in this September’s election for a new secretary
tacks against our country as a battering ram.” still ready to negotiate “appropriate legal agreements general of the International Telecommunications
with all states that soberly assess the threat of cyber- Union, a U.N. agency that could, in theory, take over
Krutskikh continued ominously: “We do not rec- warfare.” But that same day, Russia included Michele internet governance. Two leading candidates are Do-
ommend that the United States provoke Russia into Markoff, the State Department’s cyber security coordi- reen Bogdan-Martin, an American who currently runs
retaliatory measures. A rebuff will certainly follow. It nator and the main channel of contact, on a new list of one of the ITU’s bureaus, and Rashid Ismailov, a Rus-
will be firm and resolute. However, the outcome of sanctions permanently banning travel to Russia. sian who has worked in his country’s communications
this ‘mess’ could be catastrophic, because there will ministry and for Huawei, Nokia and other companies.
be no winners in a direct cyber clash of states.”
The internet confrontation is a microcosm of Rus-
To back up Krutskikh’s claim that the United States sia’s larger standoff with the West. Russia yearns for
has attacked Russian cyber targets, Kommersant cit- recognition as a great power and global standard
ed a June 1 comment by Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, setter. But as the war in Ukraine grinds on, Putin
head of U.S. Cyber Command. has become ever more prickly, isolated and angry at
his foes. He is severing Russia’s connections to the
Speaking about Ukraine during a visit to Estonia, world, even as he seeks to dominate cyberspace.
Nakasone told Sky News: “We’ve conducted a series
of operations across the full spectrum: offensive, de- Putin’s computer is crashing, and he doesn’t seem
fensive, [and] information operations.” A Cyber Com- to know how to reboot. 
mand spokesman had no comment. A senior State
Department official said Krutskikh’s allegations were A version of this column first appeared in The
“nothing new” and a “rehash” of past statements. Washington Post. It does not necessarily reflect the
views of Vero Beach 32963.
The Biden administration, for its part, accused Rus-

During the coronavirus crisis, our Pelican Plaza office is closed to visitors. We appreciate your understanding.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 37

INSIGHT OP-ED

I booked a pricey nonrefundable hotel room by accident. How do I fix it?

Carol Egan accidentally booked an expen- We thought the rate was high, but we the wedding block rate of $149. We got a nonrefundable rate (even if it's with
sive and nonrefundable room at a Hamp- followed the wedding party's instruc- nowhere. your family's apparent blessing). Ho-
ton Inn. Is she stuck with a $264 bill? tions. Two days later, we got a call from tels love nonrefundable rates because
the bride's mother informing us that our But they did offer to cancel the res- it means they get to keep your money
QUESTION: room rate was supposed to be $149 and ervation, and give us 12 months to use no matter what happens. Want a re-
instructing us to call the manager at the the $264 for a booking at another Hilton fund? Tough luck – it's nonrefundable!
My grandniece is getting married Hampton Inn to get it straightened out. property. We did not accept that offer.
soon. We used the travel information We don't plan on booking any $264 per Never, ever book a nonrefundable ho-
she provided online to book our room In that call, we were told the block of night rooms during the next 12 months. tel rate.
at a Hampton Inn. $149 rooms allocated for the wedding Can you help?
party must have been filled when we The solution is a case study in self-
When we clicked on the link, it opened used the website, so it quoted the $264 ANSWER: advocacy. I gave you the executive con-
up a webpage listing the rooms available price. The manager said he could not tacts for Hilton (which owns Hampton
for the wedding dates with a nonre- modify the reservation since I made You're right – $264 is a little high Inn) and recommended you send a
fundable rate of $264. it on the Hilton website. He gave us a for a night at the Hampton Inn. When brief, polite email to them. You did,
number for Hilton and said they could you see a rate like that, don't click on and you received a quick response.
cancel or change our reservation. it, even if your family has arranged the
rate. You're better off calling the hotel "I apologize for any inconvenience
We called Hilton and requested that and asking for a better rate. and how you stated your concerns
they modify the reservation to charge were addressed," a representative said.
Also be extra careful when you book "Kindly note that there are specific can-
cellation policies in place for Advance
Purchase Non-Refundable reservations.
Our customer service and hotel agents
could not modify or refund as per pro-
tocol."

However, as a "one-time exception
and gesture of good faith," Hilton re-
funded the full $264. 

Get help with any consumer prob-
lem by contacting Christopher Elliott at
http://www.elliott.org/help





40 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

Andrew Scull’s “Desper- ten bone-breaking version) and lobotomies (the removal with a patient while delivering the innocuous sugar pill,
ate Remedies” tells the story of psychiatry in the Unit- of portions of the brain’s frontal lobes with a modified the more robust the results. As the neuroscientist Fab-
ed States from the 19th-century asylum to 21st-century version of an ice pick) as cures for mental illness all de- rizio Benedetti has argued, placebo effects crucially in-
psychopharmacology. His lucid prose and urgent nar- serve their current status as grotesque violations of hu- volve the physiology of the doctor-patient relation. At the
rative style take the reader through psychiatry’s dubious man rights. I knew nothing of Henry Cotton, however, very least, these findings complicate Scull’s critique of
characters, its shifting conceptions of mental illness and whose career was founded on the conviction that low- psychodynamic thought.
fluctuating diagnostic categories, the often gruesome grade bacterial infections lurked inside the bodies of
treatments visited upon patients and their families, and mental patients and the affected parts required excision. By skirting the philosophical mind-body problem,
the ultimate demise of public mental hospitals for “com- Whole sets of teeth, tonsils, cervixes and colons were lost Scull avoids psychiatry’s crucial dilemma. The medi-
munity care,” which, as he explains, meant no commu- or mutilated in this pursuit. Almost half of Cotton’s pa- cal discipline has never known and still does not know
nity and no care. Instead, severely ill patients were aban- tients died. what it is treating. Can the mental be reduced to the
doned to fend for themselves, ending up on the streets or physical? Are mind and brain identical, or is the reduc-
in prison, where many of them remain today. The victims of these ferocious remedies were far more tion of feelings and thoughts to genes, brain regions and
Scull describes how doctors, driven by hubris, greed often women than men. Scull cites research finding that neurochemicals a mechanistic fantasy that has haunted
and flimsy theoretical assumptions, embraced invasive, female patients were also far more likely to be restrained, science since the 17th century? If human development
brutal techniques as solutions to insanity and then sum- straitjacketed, and strapped to beds and chairs. Scull and its dynamic biological processes (including brain
marily pronounced them effective, often protected by freely acknowledges the sexism at work in both treatment development) are at once genetically constrained and
the profession as a whole. These purported “successes” and ward discipline but leaves it to the reader to deduce experience-dependent, then a new understanding of
depended not only on a gullible public but on a press ea- the sadistic sexual misogyny that was played out on the “the mental” in psychiatry and in popular culture is vital
ger to tout the most recent medical miracle. bodies of unwilling patients. to negotiating the future.
Some of Scull’s horror stories are well known. From the
late 19th and well into the 20th century, a host of condi- “Desperate Remedies” documents the rise of psy- As a sociologist, Scull is attuned to the broad upheav-
tions, which included lunacy but also feeblemindedness, choanalysis and its hold on psychiatrists for decades in als that transform societies. He is also sensitive to cultural
epilepsy and pauperism, were believed to be caused the 20th century. Intellectuals, artists and Hollywood repetitions. He quotes William Laurence, a science re-
by an inborn hereditary taint impervious to any and all reinforced the fashion for the unconscious and sexual porter for the New York Times, who, in 1937, celebrated
treatment. Eugenic-genetic science fueled arguments for repression. Scull cites the dogmatic schisms inside psy- lobotomy as a procedure that “cuts away the sick parts
the isolation of “defectives” in institutions, for the highly choanalysis, the professional arrogance and the fact that of the human personality.” For readers who believe that
restrictive 1924 immigration law and for the legalization psychoanalytic institutes were not associated with re- such crude thinking belongs to a bygone era before
in America of involuntary sterilization directed at “the search universities (which would come to benefit from neurobiology and genetics came along with answers, I
unfit.” Induced coma, electroshock (in its earlier and of- massive government science funding) as reasons for recommend “Desperate Remedies” as a tonic for your
the demise of psychotherapeutic psychiatry, but most optimism. Headlines declaring depression “a chemical
important, the talking cure lost its status as a science. It imbalance,” announcing Prozac as its magical solution
could provide no hard evidence for its efficacy. and touting the discovery of genes for schizophrenia are
no more or less absurd than Laurence’s boosterism for lo-
Scull is well aware that psychiatry has vacillated be- botomy. Scull directs the reader’s attention to the fact that
tween treating “the mind” with therapeutic dialogue and after decades of research and billions of dollars spent, not
treating “the body” with surgery and psychotropic drugs. a single biomarker for psychiatric sickness has been dis-
At the peak of its power, psychodynamic psychiatry, Scull covered.
writes, claimed “that psychological factors loomed large
in the genesis of illnesses that had traditionally been seen “The phenomenological and social dimensions of
as rooted in the body.” He mentions ulcers, asthma, au- mental illness have all but disappeared as questions wor-
tism and schizophrenia. Smothering mothering is not thy of serious and sustained attention,” he writes. On the
responsible for asthma, but strong emotions do trig- whole, this dismal assessment is accurate. I will add only
ger asthma attacks. Ulcers, as Scull points out, are now that inside psychiatry, there are many people, and the
known to have a bacterial origin but were once ascribed numbers are growing, who like Scull believe that a com-
to “Type A” personalities and stress. plex biopsychosocial model is the only way forward. The
suffering of millions of people depends upon it. 
What Scull misses is that recent research makes it clear
that the immune system is highly sensitive to psychologi- DESPERATE REMEDIES
cal stress and that a lowered immune response creates
vulnerability to a host of illnesses, including those caused PSYCHIATRY’S TURBULENT QUEST TO CURE MENTAL ILLNESS
by bacteria. “Mental” stress also affects gene expression,
as many recent epigenetic studies have shown. Despite BY ANDREW SCULL | BELKNAP. 494 PP. $35
the fact that it is an inert substance, a placebo has potent REVIEW BY SIRI HUSTVEDT, THE WASHINGTON POST
physical effects, and the more time a physician spends



42 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PETS

Bonz says there’s ‘Rotts’ to like about cool Koko

Hi Dog Buddies! didn’t ree-lize you’re a rescue. I’m ’em! I knew how to ‘Zitz!’ an Plotz!’ an
‘Hee-r!’ an ‘Foos!’ And I didn’t even
When I first learned this week’s in- eager to hear your story. So, shall have to think about it! isn’t that so
nerview was with a Rottweiler, I was Cool Kibbles?”
just the teeniest bit intimidated, sight we begin?” I opened my note-
unseen, cuz, well, you know, after all, “Woof! The coolest! I even have to
Rottweilers aren’t known as meek, petite, book, an Koko promptly nose- think about it when it’s in English!”
lap dogs. But half a second after we met I
ree-lized you can’t, as humans say, judge bumped it an daintily drooled, We laughed.
a book by its cover. “Probly my favrite thing is,” she
just a liddle, on the blank page. continued, “after my bath, getting
Soon as the front door opened, Koko dried off with a towel! That’s the best! I
Henry came bounding up happily, wag- My assistant produced a duh- love goin’ out in the rain so I can come
ging and nudging and doin’ some frenly back in an get dried off.”
woofin’. Bein’ 105 pounds of muscle, me licious yoghurt-an-apple snack “So, you probly like swimming
an my assistant hadda brace ourselves as then?” A no-brainer, I figured. But,
we made our way to the sofa. The Wag- from The Satchel, which Koko nope.
an-Sniff was more of a Wag-Wobble (on “Ackshully NO! Not even a liddle. I
my part)-an-Sniff. gently accepted, then began her swim like a rock. I don’t even get NEAR
our pool.”
“Hi! Mr. Bonzo!” (Bump.) “Oops, Sorry. tail. “Any favrite foodstuffs?” I inquired.
I’m just so glad to meet you,” she said in “Oooo, yes: chiggen jerky! An PIE-nap-
a very frenly, enthusiastic way. “I heard “Dad already liked Rotties ple chunks! Duh-LISH!”
about your coll-um from some pooch “Where do you sleep?”
pals, but I never ackshully SAW it. I’m (that’s what humans call us), “With Dad, of course, on our king bed.
Koko Henry, of course. My Dad – this is Buster Brown has his own ch-weenie-
him – his name’s Mike. An this is my big cuz his famly, who live nearby, Koko. sized bed so I don’t accidently smush
brother, Buster Brown.” have one called Ranger, who him. Before bed, me an Dad snuggle an
watch TV. Mostly ‘Animal Planet’ or ‘Se-
“Good morning, Miss Koko! A total they got from Gulfstream crets of the Zoo.’”
pleasure. Lovely coat you have!” Heading home, I was thinkin’ about
Guardian Angels Rottwei- large, charming Miss Koko and little
It was! Thick, shiny, an wavy black with in-charge Buster Brown and their big
dark gold places. She also had brown eyes ler Rescue. Well, when Dad’s buh-loved Fluffy Girly Grrrl. Honestly, Mr. Bonzo, I happy famly mixture of humans an res-
anna lovely smile. But, Buster Brown? cue pooches. It warmed my heart. I was
Who the woof was that? I looked around. Golden Re-TREE-ver, Harley, hadda go to love ridin’ in the car with Dad an I think, also thinking that one or two nice cold
Then, glancing down, I spotted this itsy PIE-napple chunks would be lovely in my
poocheroo, about the size of Koko’s head, Dog Heaven in 2018, even though he was if I were a human, I’d be – a truck driver.” evening dish of yoghurt. 
fluffy hair goin’ in all directions, pointy
ears, sitting straight an tall (relatively only 2 (cuz he hadda duh-ZEES), Dad was After a brief pause while I pondered The Bonz
speakin’) with head tilted to one side,
sizin’ me up. feelin’ Totally Dismal Dog Biscuits. how to respond to that and decided to Don’t Be Shy

“Why, thank you, Mr. Bonzo,” Koko re- “So, his famly decided to cheer him up just change the subject, I asked, “How’d We are always looking for pets
plied, then, seeing that I had spied Buster with interesting stories.
Brown, added, “Yep, Buster Brown’s the with the Best Christmas Present EVER: you an Buster Brown get along at first?”
boss of the house, an the best big brother To set up an interview, email
a girl could have. I’m gonna be 5 pretty ME! It was a Total suh-prize. They ob- “Great,” Koko replied, “soon as I fig- [email protected].
soon. He’s 13. He’s a Chi-weenie: 8 whole
pounds. He’s a rescue like me.” tained me from the same Rottie rescue as ured out he’s in charge.”

“Mr. Brown, honored to meet you,” Ranger after I was found as a stray won- “Woof, what a terrific story, Miss Koko.
I said with sincerity. Then, to Koko, “I
dering the streets of My-AMMEE, lost an So, what’s life like these days?”

scared to bits. Well, I totally lucked out; “Way fun, Mr. Bonzo! Me an Buster

Dad’s famly is grrreat, and me an Rang- Brown play all the time. I sometimes

er hit it off right way. So, at Christmas, send him tumbling but he bounces right

everybody piled in the car and drove back up. Me an Ranger stay at each oth-

over to Dad’s, including me, an ador- er’s houses when our humans are else-

able 1-year-old pupper with a Christmas where. I have neighborhood pooch pals,

wreath around my neck. too: Vader, he’s a German Shepherd, an

“When Dad opened the door ev- Abby, a black Lab. Also, I play with two

erybody hollered ‘Merry Christmas’ a human liddle grrrls from across the

buncha times. At first Dad thought I was street. I LOVE liddle kids. Even though

Ranger. It took him about 30 second to I’m, well, BIG (some people who don’t

figure it out. Then he hugged me and know me think fuh-ROW-shus), I’m real

just kept smilin’. An maybe shed a cou- gentle with Liddle Kids.

pla tears, like humans do. He was totally “I could play Tug-an-Grrr with Dad all

speechless, an I just snuggled into his lap. day, or Fetch (both parts).

I still do. I don’t care what anybody says. “An here’s something kinda odd.

I’m a lap dog at heart an a Total Daddy’s The lady at the rescue thought she’d try

Grrrl. something for fun, Rotties bein’ German

“I do have a pink cammo coat for chilly an all, so she gave me some commands

weather, but I’m not what you’d call a in German an, guess what, I understood

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 43

INSIGHT BRIDGE

YOU’VE GOT TO DO WHAT YOU’VE GOT TO DO WEST NORTH EAST
KQ92 J85 10 7 3
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist K9 AQ62 J 10 7 5
J 10 6 85 K432
At the bridge table, sometimes you are faced with a situation that looks like a lost cause 10 9 6 5 A742 J8
— because partner overbid again! But maybe you can ride to the rescue. Welsh crime
novelist Ethel Lina White wrote, “Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.” SOUTH
A64
In this week’s deal, South is in three no-trump. It is hard to blame North for his bidding, 843
using Stayman to try to uncover a 4-4 heart fit, then jumping to game. But the hands do AQ97
not mesh well, and the spade lead does not augur well, either. How should South plan KQ3
the play?
Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Neither
Declarer begins with only six top tricks: one spade, one heart, one diamond and three
clubs. Maybe clubs will be 3-3, and perhaps a red-suit finesse or two will work. Also, The Bidding:
from the spade-two lead, that suit is splitting 4-3, not 5-2.
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
The key play comes at trick one — South should put up dummy’s jack. It is his only 1 NT Pass 2 Clubs Pass
legitimate chance for taking two spade tricks. If he plays the five or eight from the board, 2 Diamonds Pass 3 NT All Pass LEAD:
only a neophyte would put up the queen or king instead of the nine or 10. 2 Spades

In this deal, the jack does hold the trick. Now declarer should try for three heart tricks.
He plays a club to his king, then leads a low heart and ducks in the dummy.

East will win and continue spades. South takes the third spade and leads another heart:
king, ace. After the heart queen, a club to the queen and a club to the ace, declarer exits
with the last club to endplay West if he has the diamond king. South takes two spades,
two hearts, two diamonds and three clubs.

Established 18 Years in Indian River County

(772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com
3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960

44 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (JUNE 9) ON PAGE 62

ACROSS DOWN
7 Resilience (7) 1 Dust storm (7)
5 Strong point (5) 2 Warning signal (5)
8 Kingdom (5) 3 Submerge (7)
9 Accomplish (7) 4 Indifference (6)
10 Understanding (13) 5 Pallid (5)
11 Type of mollusc (6) 6 Important (7)
13 Culinary bulb (6) 7 Woodenware (5)
17 Questioning (13) 12 Delay (7)
20 Spectacles (7) 14 Leave (7)
21 Motivation, energy (5) 15 Elements (7)
22 Symbol (5) 16 Type of bodice (6)
23 This evening (7) 17 Metal block (5)
18 Elemi, for example (5)
19 Cake topping (5)

The Telegraph

How to do Sudoku:

Fill in the grid so the
numbers one through
nine appear just once
in every column, row
and three-by-three
square.

The Telegraph

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 45

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS (TV request) 42 Nabokov novel The Washington Post
1 Restless one 81 Clashers on the set 43 Be polite
6 It has a peel 82 As, in French 44 Thai, for one THREE LITTLE WORDS By Merl Reagle
10 Invisible attractions 83 Clan emblem 45 Spindle
16 Recede 84 Has a pressing job 46 Great gap Select Auto
19 The end of LSD 85 Little bit 48 Not topside
20 City on Hawaii 88 Start of a plaint 49 Cautious STORAGE
21 California county 89 Jazz style 50 Words before king
22 Sine ___ non 90 By and by 51 Being homesick, CLASSIC, HIGH-END & EXOTIC CAR STORAGE
23 Snippet from Miller’s “King of 91 Heavy-sounding Tennessee
in a way Convenient, Secure, Practical l Like Long Term Valet Parking
the Road” county 52 Available, DRIVE UP AND DROP OFF l DETAIL SERVICE OFFERED
25 Servings of strong coffee: 93 Old questionnaire $299/MO. - LONG TERM SPECIALS
as produce 530 2ND ST. SW, UNIT C 32962 l (772) 643-4922
slang question 53 Proximity SELECTAUTOSTORAGEVB.COM
27 Object 97 Jay’s ex-announcer, ___
28 Bout site 56 States positively
29 Bandleader Xavier Hall 57 Grow together
30 An embargo may 100 Book after Jonah 59 Off the deep end
101 Requires 60 Conjure up
stop it 103 Hardwood tree 62 Change
31 Sugar Loaf Mtn.’s city 104 Robin Hood, for one 65 Kind of binary compound
32 Query to warriors, 105 Be very irritating 66 Moronic
107 Mother’s Day time 69 “In excelsis ___”
“Are we ___?” 109 Social ending 75 Parts of specs
34 Bouncer 110 Make fun of 76 Remove from the roster
36 Competed 111 People in the back may not 77 Flying prefix
38 Number suffix 79 Philippine weapon
39 Fiber source do it 80 Excellent
40 Printing measures 112 Geneva’s river 82 Battery terminal
41 Some tournaments 113 Crossed (out) 83 Ready the romaine
43 Donny’s sister 114 Chief Christian feast 84 “Summarizing ...”
46 Crescent moon’s horns 115 Frogner Park’s city 85 Early cowboy star
47 Picnicking place 116 Entertainer with a whip 86 Emulate Beryl Markham
48 Great American beast 87 Floored
49 Daphnis loved her DOWN 89 Sotheby’s participant
50 Notorious African 1 One who appoints 90 Curve up, as one’s back
54 Money for the poor 2 Liver in the Middle East? 92 Actress Charlotte
55 Oklahoma city 3 Positive thinking 93 Union general
56 Payment rate, 4 Commotion 94 Some woodwinds
5 Maligns 95 Of the kidneys
time and ___ 6 Post-shampoo effect 96 Paris subway
57 De-Lovely star 7 Ashkenazy’s instrument 98 Sam’s love,
58 Meadow 8 Of a certain bone
59 Pierce portrayer 9 Two in Tijuana on Cheers
60 Peron et al. 10 The same in quantity 99 Apartment convenience
61 Jack Dempsey, “the ___ 11 Kind of makeup 102 Send out
12 First name in gymnastics 106 Museum funding org.
Mauler” 13 Big-time wrestlers, the Three 107 Conductance unit
63 Salamander 108 The Loan Arranger?
64 Song about a resort city Stooges, etc.
67 Pastor’s preparation: abbr. 14 Guillermo’s year
68 Type of dinner 15 Mutes
70 Chromosome choice 16 Treat as identical
71 Tomsk turndown 17 Eric of The Animals
72 Actor Holm 18 Napoleon makers
73 Fishing spot 24 Equine with lines
74 Satie et al. 26 Perry Como, familiarly
76 Sammy of “High Hopes” 29 Adduce
33 German possessive
fame 35 Play tricks
77 The father in Faulkner’s 37 Signs (a contract)
39 Papal decree
As I Lay Dying 41 Be iridescent
78 Architect Saarinen
79 The “backed with” song
80 “Stay ___”

The Telegraph ALanPdscOapeL& DLesOign

of the Treasure Coast

CUSTOM MASONRY WORK AND
COMPLETE LANDSCAPE DESIGN

PAVER INSTALLS
LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING ASSISTANCE

IRRIGATION
DRAINAGE REPAIR AND INSTALL,
GRADING/SITEWORK AND MUCH MORE

772-766-0993
apollolandscaping.net

46 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Girlfriend thinks hugging other women is ‘inappropriate’

BY CAROLYN HAX ed, reconcile. It is strictly a matter of who has
Washington Post a say in whose behavior.

Dear Carolyn: I’ve been in a com- Every relationship is a matter of trust. We
tend to think of it as trusting another person,
mitted and monogamous rela- but really, it’s about trusting ourselves. Trust-
ing our ability to judge someone’s character.
tionship with a woman for about Trusting that what we think is good for us re-
ally is, and will last. Trusting we will be able
a year. to tell how it’s going and to read things accu-
rately. Trusting we will be able to handle it and
She has been in three significant eventually be okay if something goes (even
terribly) wrong.
relationships (one marriage and two
By your description, your girlfriend is O-fer.
long-term boyfriends), and each one ended because of And that is the fundamental problem. Some-
one unable to trust herself is unable to sustain
the man’s sexual infidelity. her part of an equal partnership, because the
very foundation of intimacy is for both of you to let
She gets really upset when I hug other women. She be- each other be yourselves.
Instead, she is doing the opposite, reaching into
lieves that the hugs are inappropriate because I am in a your business to try to change who you are and what
you do in a joyless – and, always, self-defeating – act of
relationship with her, and that I should stop the hugs if I protection.
It is on her to establish for herself some sense of
care about her feelings. control over her feelings, judgment and circumstanc-
es through her own choices, not yours.
Of course I care about her feelings, but this feels like For this entire column’s worth of reasons, you can’t
make her do that. But you can ask and suggest warmly,
control to me, so I am resistant. I am totally confident And if you say no, she is not entitled to manipulate for her own peace of mind, that she talk to a therapist
or guilt you or otherwise chip away at your peace of about it. And if she holds firm to her belief that she is
in my ability to be monogamous and sexually faithful. mind until you change your answer. right to shame, cajole and cry you into doing her bid-
ding, then you can say a gentle goodbye and go. 
Please help unravel this issue for us. When you decided you would not change your
behavior for her, her only valid, appropriate, healthy
– C. choices were to accept you on those terms or end the
relationship. Just as you can do now with her.
C.: I wish I could.
The choices she made are not valid: to keep getting
But the work that needs doing is within her. “really upset” and blackmailing you emotionally (“You
don’t care about my feelings!”), as well as threatening
I say this with great sympathy; she has been through you but not making changes herself. You are exactly
right to identify that as control.
enough pain to make anyone flinch.
This has nothing to do with whether hugging other
But that doesn’t give her license to control you or women is “inappropriate.” That’s an eye-of-the-be-
holder standard for each of you to have and, as need-
make her pain someone else’s problem. She can ask

you to do X or Y because she feels Z – we’re all entitled

to ask – and, sure, you can agree to that willingly if that

feels right to you and you want to. But you are likewise

entitled to say no to her request. It’s your body, your

behavior, your call.

Painter Schwarze strives to capture

The awe of the view

48 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

BY DEBBIE TIMMERMANN
Correspondent

Evan Schwarze says he was blessed Painter Schwarze
with the perfect set of parents, who strives to capture
guided him in ways that would ulti- ‘the awe of the
mately enable him to always make a view’
living doing what he loves most – art.
Artist Evan Schwarze. PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES
He recalls being enrolled in Saturday
art classes with his three siblings from LAYING LOW
the time he was 5 years old. Schwarze
also learned to play piano, the cello lustration company in Chicago and, as of the job, he was not happy sitting in in a harsh and deadline-driven envi-
and the trombone, none of which took the company and the art world began front of a computer all day. ronment without getting flustered.
hold long term, as he preferred being to evolve into digital formats, he was
outdoors. able to adapt and learn. And while he His clients were high-level ad execu- However, the cutthroat nature of the
enjoyed the tangible and fiscal aspects tives from the corporate world, includ- business and the ups and downs of
“We were always enrolled in pro- ing Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Disney and working either 18-hour days or not at
grams that taught us how to do things. Hyatt Hotels. all were beginning to take their toll.
I grew up in a very cultural household,”
says Schwarze, adding that his father Schwarze gained the distinction of He and wife Stephanie had been reno-
was an art and music critic, and his being one of only 25 people in the world vating a row house outside of Chicago
mother was an English teacher. (outside of Disney employees) licensed when they decided they were ready for
and qualified to reproduce Disney char- a change. They sold the row house and
“Growing up in Ohio, we regularly acters such as Pinocchio andWinnie the moved to Culebra, a tiny island [3 miles
visited the Dayton Art Institute, the Pooh, formatting the figures to the com- by 7 miles] just 12 miles west of St.Thom-
Philharmonic Orchestra, and all the pany’s promotional needs. He would do as, and technically part of Puerto Rico.
ballets and things that went along with the same with Ronald McDonald, such
my father’s career. My father was a con- as placing the character on a surfboard There, he had a small gallery, and he
cert pianist,” says Schwarze. to promote Milk Jugs or Happy Meals. and Stephanie continued to work digi-
tally in their respective businesses, as
“Up to high school I was still taking Schwarze became an independent/ reliable Internet connections allowed.
the Saturday art classes. Even when freelance artist, preparing artwork for
my attention turned to sports, my par- other artists, and later created ads him- Living in the Caribbean made Schwar-
ents forced me to stay with art in high self, such as for Gatorade. He and his ze more aware of the horizons in his
school, encouraging me, seeing an sales rep eventually started their own paintings, pointing out the enormity of
ability in me.” Art Rep business. He learned the pro- the view.
fessionalism needed to function in the
He received a scholarship to the Co- sales aspect as well as creatively, coping “It is amazing to always see the hori-
lumbus College of Art and Design in zon wherever you look. Capturing that
Ohio, and halfway through realized that depth of field is most important.”
art was how he wanted to make a living.
He majored in commercial illustration
with the intention of moving to the Chi-
cago area.

By then, he says, the creative outlet
was very much a part of him, and he
realized that he was on the right path.

“I’m a very calm person. I pursue things
with a quiet passion,” says Schwarze,
describing himself as quietly driven.

“I’m not interested in flamboyance and
the image that some creative people have,
in part because of my commercial back-
ground. [Art] has always been a career,
a profession. It’s never been a hobby.”

Schwarze joined a commercial il-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 49

ARTS & THEATRE

His aerial paintings began to take making it convenient for art shows, and “It is important to me to feel as well the larger canvases, so I don’t paint
shape during this time period, as life on Stephanie’s work as director of finance as see the painting.” many smaller paintings.”
a tiny island meant many short flights at Kimpton Vero Beach Resort and Spa.
to get supplies. Out of these flights for Translucent layers allow light to pass To accommodate a more affordable
necessities came inspiration, studies “Vero Beach is big enough to get ev- through and bounce back, while the price range, he also creates embel-
and, ultimately, paintings, offering a erything you need and small enough opaque layers bounce light off it in a lished giclées, which offer the flexibility
different perspective and variety to his to feel small in the good ways,” says delicate balance that brings the whole of printing smaller or larger versions.
repertoire. Schwarz, appreciating that it is a canvas alive. All of the prints are then top painted,
close-knit, environmentally sensitive or embellished to add texture, brush-
They lived there for 10 years, but by community. “It gives levels within a two-dimen- strokes and color, and are finished in a
2009 the housing market crash made sional canvas, to achieve depth of field UV coat of varnish.
life on Culebra less tenable, so the “It’s my understanding that Vero to make it feel real and alive without
couple transitioned back to the United Beach has one of the largest and most being photo-realistic,” he explains. Schwarze has participated in the
States, living in several areas in Florida active land trusts in the country, pur- Vero Beach Art Club’s Under the Oaks
before zeroing in on Vero Beach in chasing things for non-development.” His oil paintings tend to be large, Fine Art & Craft Show since 2016, as
sometimes painted as a diptych for well as a handful of shows throughout
2018. Logistically, the location was an “My work very much focuses on the ease of travel, and he generally com- Florida. He also shows in a gallery in
easy drive to larger towns and cities, natural environment, and Vero has a pletes eight to ten originals each year. Coconut Grove, south of Miami. 
strong land preservation ethic. We are
“I have found people are drawn to

KEY WEST SUNSET

TIME TO SHINE buffered from so much,” he explains,
INTO THE DAY mentioning the forward-thinking deci-
sions of long ago to limit the height lev-
CHILLIN els of buildings and focus on the natural
environment.

“I enjoy being by the water. It’s inspi-
rational, it’s calming and soothing, and
the colors of the water are very impor-
tant to me, [especially] the turquoise
and deep blue colors of the Caribbe-
an,” says Schwarze. The ever-present
water in his paintings have a sense of
depth; the darker areas feel cooler and
deeper than the lighter shallow areas,
offset by currents sweeping by.

“Capturing the awe of the views as
you come over a ridge and see these
spectacular images and landscapes
and seascapes, and the way we interact
with them; my work ultimately is about
adventure and inspiration and captur-
ing the awe of the view,” he explains.

“When near the water, you are gen-
erally away from the clutter of every-
day life. It separates us from respon-
sibilities and gives us a reprieve from
that sort of necessity.”

Oftentimes the few manmade ob-
jects in his paintings are there simply
to set scale to the overall composition
of the work, so the viewer can relate
to the space and picture themselves
within it.

Schwarze says that when starting a
new piece, his initial layer is a substan-
tial underpainting of glazes, similar
to watercolor techniques, before ulti-
mately adding layer after layer to gain
the depth and clarity desired.

50 Vero Beach 32963 / June 16, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

BY PAM HARBAUGH “Unforgettable Musical Memories
Correspondent Through the Years,” will showcase the
area pianist’s wide repertoire. Dimas,
1 Enjoy the kind warmth of a Flor- who was born in Havana, Cuba, re-
ida morning by heading to the ceived a full scholarship to the Uni-
versity of Miami’s prestigious music
“Annual Waterlily Celebration” run- program. After getting his B.A., he
went to the University of Michigan
ning this Saturday morning and early where he was awarded a double mas-
ter’s degree in piano pedagogy and
afternoon at the McKee Botanical Gar- performance. The concert begins 4
p.m. Sunday, June 19 in the sanctu-
den. At this event you’ll see more than ary of the First Presbyterian Church,
520 Royal Palm Blvd., Vero Beach,
300 potted and 100 free-range plants Fla. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at
the door. Tickets are $15 for children
adorning the McKee ponds and water- under 12 years. Call 734-377-8033 or
visit FirstPresVero.org.
ways. There are more than 80 varieties
4 This weekend’s laughs at the
of water lilies including both night-
Comedy Zone will be served up
blooming and day-blooming kinds. by headliner Jim Holder, feature act
Bob Lauver and emcee Jim Harpring.
But this is more than something pretty Holder has been a standup come-
dian for 18 years. He kick-started his
to look at – these plants help oxygenate career at the Comedy Workshop in
Houston. That club is the home of
the water. Moreover, they provide food the so-called “Texas Outlaw Comics,”
whose most famous member was the
and shelter to fish. During your visit, late Sam Kinison. Holder has head-
lined from coast to coast. His obser-
be sure to head to the Historic Hall of vational humor has been described
as ranging from “silly” to “hard-hit-
Giants to view the “17th Annual Water- ting.” A Pennsylvania native, Lauver
does comic takes on work and family
lily Photo Contest.” The categories of the McKee’s website. Admission to the hours for the McKee Botanical Garden and the Navy. Harping is a Vero Beach
McKee is $15 general, $13 for seniors are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through resident whose career includes trial
photos include color, black and white, and youth 13 to 17 years, and $10 for Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. attorney, law enforcement officer
children 2 to 12 years. Of course, McK- The McKee Botanical Garden is at 350 and bass player. The Comedy Zone
and manipulated. Visitors to the photo ee members as well as children young- U.S. 1, Vero Beach. Call 772-794-0601 performances are 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
er than 2 are admitted free. The Annual or visit McKeeGarden.org. June 17-18. Tickets are $23. Get to the
contest exhibition will have the oppor- Waterlily Celebration runs 8:30 a.m. to venue ahead of time and enjoy the
2 p.m. this Saturday, June 18. Regular 2 If heading indoors to see some- “Live in the Loop” free outdoor con-
tunity to vote for the “People’s Choice” cert. There’s also a bar and grill where
thing beautiful is more to your you can relax even more. The Comedy
award. Winning photos, including the liking, then consider the Summer Art Zone and Live in the Loop are at Riv-
Show running 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this erside Theatre, 3250 Riverside Park
People’s Choice and those chosen by Saturday, June 18, at the Emerson Cen- Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-231-6990 or
ter. You will find original art, jewelry visit RiversideTheatre.com.
a panel of judges, will be featured on and crafts created by area artists. In
addition to seeing the beautiful prod-
ucts of their creativity, you can also get
inspired by artists demonstrations of
how they get ideas and how they forge
those ideas into something concrete.
Works on view, and available for sale,
include photography, jewelry, draw-
ings, fabrics, clay, woodwork, hand-
crafted gifts and more. The Emerson
Center is on the campus of the Uni-
tarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero
Beach, 1590 27th Ave., Vero Beach. Call
772-778-5880 or visit ArtAtTheEmer-
son.com.

3 Award-winning concert pianist 5 The Vietnam Veterans of Indian

Dimas Caraballo will perform River County have a couple of
in concert Sunday evening at the First events coming up this weekend. First
Presbyterian Church. The concert, is the Mary Snyder Golf Tournament,
which begins with a shotgun start 7
a.m. Saturday, June 18, at Sandridge
Golf Club, 5300 73rd St., Vero Beach.
$75. Call 772-794-0005 or visit VVIRC.
org. Then, there’s the Father’s Day Car
Show running 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun-
day, June 19, at the Elks Lodge, 1350
26th St., Vero Beach. Call 772-299-
6225. Both events benefit the Vietnam
Veterans of Indian River County. Visit
VVIRC.org for more information. 