06/17/2021 ISSUE 24

Teel wrongful death suit now
set for July. P6

Mediation on utility
territory seen likely. P12
Island resident who worked
in JFK’s White House dies at 88. P4

For breaking news visit

MY VERO Tragic death of ‘the kind of person people just gravitated to’ Potentially toxic
algae in lagoon at
BY RAY MCNULTY Oslo boat ramp

Dodgertown looks great, PHOTO BY BRENDA AHEARN BY SUE COCKING
worthy of its glorious past Staff Writer
BY LISA ZAHNER AND BRENDA AHEARN
For about 30 minutes last Staff Writers An ugly outbreak of lyng-
week, I was back in my base- bya, a potentially toxic blue-
ball-writing past, chatting More than 70 people gathered on South drugs being found near the car that struck green algae, has the summer
with former All-Star outfielder Beach Sunday evening to celebrate the life Gianfrancesco, and the alleged driver of the off to an ominous start at the
Ken Griffey Sr. on the Holman of 57-year-old Michael Gianfrancesco who, vehicle in violation of his probation on felo- Oslo Road boat ramp.
Stadium concourse at the with his terrier mix Molly, was struck by a ny charges?
once-sacred ground many of speeding car and killed while walking along Arriving at the ramp at the
us still call Dodgertown. A1A near his home in The Dunes. Three Indian River County Sheriff’s Office end of a long, narrow shell
deputies who worked that stretch of A1A in road in southern Indian Riv-
“I made every trip here from For a couple of hours, the good memories South Beach that evening described a dev- er County last Friday with a
Tampa,” Griffey said, recalling shared by family, friends, fishing buddies astating scene that quickly turned from a group of summer camp kay-
the spring-training memories and neighbors – toasted with a shot glass of akers, Dr. Richard Baker was
of his youth, when he was a Scotch – eased the pain. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 shocked by what he saw –
fixture in the Cincinnati Reds large mats of green and white
lineup that won back-to-back Former pastor of Christ by the Sea United goo blanketing the surface of
World Series in the mid-1970s. Methodist Church Rev. Cliff Melvin, a fam- the shallow lagoon.
ily friend, described Gianfrancesco as being
“It took us three hours to get on top of the world prior to his death. “He “It was awful looking stuff,”
here, and then we had to sit in retired a few years ago and everything he said Baker, president of the
the hot sun for another three wanted was right here,” he said. Pelican Island Audubon So-
hours because the dugouts ciety. “I said, ‘No way we’re
weren’t covered,” he contin- But Sunday night’s respite from the cir-
ued. “There was no outfield cumstances surrounding Gianfrancesco’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
fence, either – just a berm – so death was short. Huge questions remain.
Environmental groups
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 The biggest one: Why has no one been ask Gov. DeSantis to
arrested yet, despite a loaded gun and declare an emergency
County public school
students to be issued BY SUE COCKING
high-tech ID cards Staff Writer

BY GEORGE ANDREASSI The Clean Water Coali-
Staff Writer tion of Indian River County
– joined by the Indian River
High-tech identification Land Trust, the Environ-
cards will be issued to Indian mental Learning Center and
River County’s 17,000 public other environmental groups
school students for the upcom- – is urging Gov. Ron DeSan-
ing school year that will enable tis to declare a state of emer-
educators to upgrade security gency to battle pollution in
on campuses and buses.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
The new ID cards will also
be part of a new system that

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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2 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Celebration of life east of the deceased dog, I observed a
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 shoe. It was at this time that I informed
Deputies to secure all occupants of the
traffic crash with property damage to a Impala and requested assistance for
vehicular homicide investigation. searching the woods for a possible vic-
tim,” he wrote.
Deputy Jacob Curby headed to the
South Beach area in response to an Sgt. Doug MacKenzie located a de-
alert that a Chevy Camaro related to a ceased male “deep into the woods,”
shooting at Pepper Park Beach – in St. Curby said. “The male was clearly de-
Lucie County at the southern end of ceased and had severe trauma which
the island – was possibly headed north was consistent with being struck by a
into Indian River County. vehicle.”

Driving south, Curby clocked three Florida Highway Patrol was called in
vehicles racing northbound on A1A and became the lead agency handling
which he captured on radar at 108 the case. According to Sheriff’s Office
miles per hour. When he wheeled his Deputy Chief Milo Thornton, FHP will
K-9 unit around to pursue the reckless handle the filing of any charges and
drivers, he noted the first signs of the obtaining of any warrants directly with
unfolding tragedy. State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl’s office.
When FHP showed up, that was the
“I observed a cloud of dust and that end of the Indian River County Sher-
the second vehicle in the pack (a Chevy iff’s Office’s involvement in the case.
Impala) was crashed on the side of the
road,” Curby wrote in an incident report. When asked why no arrests were
“As I pulled up on the crash, I observed made on scene related to the firearm
bystanders removing a damaged road or the bag of marijuana, Sheriff’s Capt.
sign from the middle of the roadway.” Kent Campbell said, “FHP is the state
agency and it’s FHP’s case. It’s their
When he stopped, Curby discovered case and it has to be done their way.”
two Black males outside the vehicle,
marijuana and a loaded .40 caliber The second officer to file a report
handgun on the ground, and a pas- about the crash was Deputy Zachary
senger pinned in the front seat of the Seldes, and his account provides addi-
car due to heavy damage to the vertical tional details.
support structure between the front
and rear doors – known as the B Pillar Seldes was present while firefight-
– on the passenger side, requiring ex- ers extracted the trapped passenger
traction by firefighters. from the Impala. After the passenger
was removed, Seldes found blood on
The men in the vehicle said they had the front passenger window and hand-
only struck a sign, but “the heavy dam- cuffed the driver and the rear passen-
age to the passenger B Pillar was unac- ger and put them in the back of patrol
counted for,” Curby noted. vehicles until FHP could arrive.

Curby examined the area to see Seldes called paramedics to collect
what or who else the driver might blood from the driver, 28-year-old Ja-
have hit. “Just north of the entrance mie Jarvonte Williams of Fort Pierce,
to The Dunes on the east side of the who also consented to have a DNA
road, I could see tire marks in the swab performed.
grass where the vehicle left the road-
way,” he wrote. “Near the tire marks When the state police arrived, those
I observed a small deceased dog, a who had been detained were released.
broken leash and a pair of eyeglasses.
“FHP instructed me to release Wil-
“Looking into the bushes directly liams and Williams requested to be tak-
en to the 7-11 just north of us on A1A,”
Seldes wrote. “I dropped him off at the

Rev. Cliff Melvin speaks at
the Celebration of Life for
Michael Gianfrancesco.

PHOTO: BRENDA AHEARN

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 3

NEWS

7-11 and returned his property to him.” and Gianfrancesco’s fishing buddy Jim toast Lisa made to her husband. ter and niece who their grandfather
Court records show that Williams is Kerr sent out one final cast in honor of In addition to wife Lisa and For- was. “I’ll tell them that when their Papa
his friend during the ceremony. walked into a room he filled it with in-
serving a sentence of 24 months’ pro- tin, Gianfrancesco is survived by his fectious light. My dad was the kind of
bation after pleading no contest in July “We’d be out here every fishable day,” sister Michelle; his daughter Christa person people just gravitated to.”
2020 to carrying a concealed firearm, said Kerr. “I’m going to just throw this Youngerman; sons in law Matthew
attempted tampering with evidence out there for him. If he catches some- Fortin and Brett Youngerman; grand- For Fortin, one source of comfort at
and resisting arrest. thing, good for him.” daughters Annie Fortin and Lina this time has been the knowledge that
Youngerman, plus extended family. her father “spent his last years here in
Conditions of his probation include As the ceremony wrapped up, shot this place that he loved with my moth-
remaining in St. Lucie County, not pos- glasses of scotch were passed out Remembering her father, Fortin de-
sessing a firearm, not breaking the law so that everyone could share in the scribed how she will teach her daugh- er, his soulmate.” 
and not associating with criminals.

The man in the back passenger seat
suspected of tossing two bags of mari-
juana in the bushes, Joe Fletcher Bai-
ley, has been convicted three times on
drug charges. However, “Florida High-
way Patrol did not desire charges for
Bailey, and he was released at 7-11 at
1400 A1A,” Deputy Matthew Schwarz
wrote in his report.

Schwarz had driven from 38th Lane
and U.S. 1 to help Curby and the other
deputies, traveling across the Merrill
Barber Bridge and looking for the lead
car in the racing group, a Camaro, on
his way.

When he arrived at the scene of the
fatal accident, Schwarz turned his at-
tention to two vehicles parked across
the street from the crash.

Schwarz got the names of the people
in one of the cars, Sarina Jackson and
Anthony Mathis, and issued a verbal
warning for littering because “Mathis
stated he pulled over to urinate and
dumped a plastic cup and two paper
towels on the ground.”

“I inquired about the shooting in Ft.
Pierce which they said they acknowl-
edged they were aware of but denied
any involvement,” Schwarz wrote.

St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Public In-
formation Officer Bryan Beatty said on
Monday that investigators have found
no connection between the Pepper
Park shooting and the high-speed run
northward that led to the fatal crash.

No reports from the crash investi-
gation are available from FHP as of
Monday, with the records department
stating it could take months for the
traffic homicide investigation to be
completed. FHP Corporal Zion Todd
did not return a call and an email as of
press time.

Michael and Lisa Gianfrancesco
spent time in both Vero Beach and
New Jersey, but they had recently sold
their Jersey home to live full-time on
the island.

Among the attendees at the ocean-
front ceremony was friend and neigh-
bor Indian River Shores Town Manager
Jim Harpring, who offered his condo-
lences to Gianfrancesco’s daughter Ni-
cole Fortin.

“I used to see your dad walking. We’d
always discuss fishing, his wife, his
kids and grandkids, but not always in
that order.”

Fortin guessed that fishing probably
was normally on the top of that list,

4 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

you could run up the hill and catch a PHOTOS BY BRENDA AHEARN Even though most people haven’t Other than the annual Jackie
fly ball.” visited the complex since the Los An- Robinson Celebration Game on
oping elite young players] on and off geles Dodgers ended the six-decade April 15, when the St. Lucie Mets
He paused for a moment, then the field through seminars, mentor- marriage between the team and Vero move one of their Florida State
added: “Yeah, this place brings back ship, gameplay, scout evaluations, Beach 13 years ago, when they moved League home games to Holman
a lot of memories.” video coverage and the highest level their spring-training headquarters Stadium to commemorate Rob-
of instruction, all while providing a to Arizona, what we still think of as inson becoming Major League
That’s why it’s still here – and still platform for the players to perform Dodgertown remains a special place. Baseball’s first Black player, there’s
something Vero should be proud of. for scouts and collegiate coaches,” not much reason to go there.
according to mlb.com. “It means something because, for a But we should still be thrilled that
Simply put, the place looks great long time, the Dodgers and Dodger- the Jackie Robinson Training Com-
– thanks to upgrades made since Players at last week’s event – which town were a big part of Vero Beach’s plex is here.
Major League Baseball took over the was free for participants, paid for by identity,” said Craig Callan, who Even if the complex’s upcoming
lease in 2018, changed the name to USAB – were sophomores and ju- ran the complex for more than 40 youth sports tournaments and train-
the Jackie Robinson Training Center, niors from high schools around the years and still lives here. “Under the ing sessions don’t necessarily excite
and began to operate it as a place to country. O’Malleys’ leadership, the Dodgers you, it’s worth driving over for a visit.
develop young baseball and softball were a family, and Vero Beach was a Walk around. Take in the decades
players. Besides hosting MLB development part of that family. of history that reside in the park-like
camps, the Jackie Robinson complex surroundings, where Robinson’s lega-
It wasn’t too long ago that Holman has become the official training facil- “The Dodgers weren’t just the cy is celebrated at every turn. Let your
Stadium had become an eyesore. ity of the U.S. Women’s National Soft- hometown team,” he added. “They mind drift back to the Dodgertown of
Now, though, the 6,500-seat ballpark ball Team, which conducted a train- were embedded in the community.” yesteryear – a place that baseball po-
again is worthy of its glorious past. ing camp on the premises in April ets, in print and over the airwaves,
The fields are finely manicured, the as part of its preparations for next To be sure: Thousands of newcom- once called America’s quintessential
property is beautifully landscaped month’s Tokyo Olympics. ers have moved here in the years spring-training home.
and the buildings on campus have since the team left town and hardcore That’s what I did last week.
been, or are being, refurbished. The complex also continues to Dodger fans are a dwindling group as That’s why I’m thankful this place
serve as a training site for a wide range spring training in Vero Beach has be- is still here, still home to baseball, still
And there is a brand-new addition of youth sports teams that come to come a distant memory. reminding us of a very special time in
– Building 42. bask in the ambiance of the historic Vero Beach.
facility while sharpening their skills. It is an honor to have Robinson’s
Named after the iconic uniform name so prominently connected to
number of Major League Baseball’s our community, helping keep our
first Black player and scheduled to link to baseball history and our own
open next month, the still-under-
construction facility will include an past alive. 
indoor infield, batting cages, class-
rooms and meeting rooms.

“Major League Baseball is doing
a heck of a job with this place. Just
look around,” said Griffey, who was
in town along with a dozen other for-
mer MLB players and managers for
the MLB Boys Breakthrough Series,
June 7-11.

“Established in 2008, the Break-
through Series is a joint effort on
behalf of USA Baseball and Major
League Baseball ... [aimed at devel-

Island resident Helen Westbrook, who worked in JFK’s White House, dies at 88

BY STEPHANIE LABAFF as a Secretarial Assistant in the Office Jacqueline Kennedy’s employ to start Sen. Kennedy recalled the occasion
Staff Writer of the President. her own family. of Westbrook’s initial meeting with his
brother, JFK, then a senator, during an
Island resident Helen Westbrook, Westbrook later worked following After raising her children, Richard address in Chicopee, Massachusetts,
88, who worked for many years in Kennedy’s death as executive assis- and Catherine, Westbrook returned to where Westbrook was born and raised.
politics and government, including tant to Jacqueline Kennedy, where she the federal government, where she be-
serving on the White House staff un- became close to the family’s children, gan a career with National Oceanic and “Like many other Americans of that
der President John F. Kennedy, passed John and Caroline. Atmospheric Administration. time, Helen heard and heeded my
away on June 4. brother’s call to public service,” said
Her closeness to the Kennedy fam- So intertwined with the Kennedy Kennedy,.
Inspired by a speech given by then ily was illustrated at a 2015 auction family was Westbrook, JFK’s brother,
Sen. John F. Kennedy in her home- featuring articles related to President Sen. Ted Kennedy took time to recog- He added, “Helen Westbrook is a
town in Massachusetts, Westbrook, Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline nize her years of service during Con- kind, thoughtful person who truly
then 23, moved to Washington, D.C. Kennedy during their time at the gressional proceedings in November cares about people.
in 1956 to serve on Kennedy’s senato- White House. 1999, just prior to her retirement from
rial staff. NOAA. “She has brought professionalism,
Among the items were a gold ver- wisdom, and dedication to each po-
She later worked on his campaign meil over sterling cigarette case from Noting her distinguished service to sition that she has held. She is a val-
for president in 1960. When Kennedy Tiffany & Co. gifted to Westbrook from the country, Sen. Kennedy said, “This ued and loyal friend of the Kennedy
won, he asked Westbrook to join his Jacqueline, along with pictures drawn is a special occasion for me and the family. We don’t have enough Helen
White House staff, where she served by Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr. to Kennedy family, as Helen is truly one Westbrooks in government and in the
bid Westbrook farewell when she left of our own.”
world.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 5

NEWS

Algae in lagoon back up the shell road and went else- ing the alarm. Researchers from Har- Harbor Branch’s Center of Excellence
where to launch their colorful kayaks. bor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Biomedical and Marine Biotech-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 in Fort Pierce went to the boat ramp nology.
Baker took photos of the foul- and kayak launch and collected sam-
going to have our kids going in this.’” smelling gunk and fired them off to ples, then conducted an analysis in The verdict: a cyanobacteria, or
The group turned around, headed Vero Beach 32963 and other news the lab of Dr. Amy Wright, head of blue-green algae called lyngbya, ac-
media and conservation groups, rais-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

TEEL WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT Algae in lagoon said it’s not usually seen here “in
AGAINST SHERIFF’S OFFICE, these big, evil-smelling mats.”
DEPUTY NOW SET FOR JULY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
“This grows on the bottom.
BY RAY MCNULTY ing and the wearing of masks in the cording to Wright’s colleague, re- When it gets really abundant, it
Staff Writer courtroom. search associate Dr. Malcolm Mc- floats to the surface in these big
Farland. mats,” he said. “This year, there
A $10 million wrongful-death law- “I think you’ll be allowed to remove has been a lot of it.”
suit filed against the Indian River your mask when you’re speaking, and “It has the potential to have tox-
County Sheriff’s Office – and Deputy masks may be optional for jurors,” ic compounds in it, but we have Similar to a plant, lyngbya needs
Jonathan Lozada, who fatally shot a Norbraten said. “This is all new, and not measured that,” McFarland nutrients like phosphorus and ni-
Vero Beach doctor’s wife in 2017 – has the judge will have some discretion. No said. “People should avoid com- trogen to grow, the scientist added.
been selected by a U.S. District Court one can anticipate everything that can ing into contact with it if possible.
judge to serve as a “pilot” for resump- happen during a trial. Hopefully, it won’t last long.” The lagoon has been flooded
tion of jury trials in this area. with nutrient pollution in the past
“This will be Judge Middlebrooks’ He said lyngbya is known to decade with chemicals coming
The pilot trials are the latest phase first pilot jury trial, but another judge cause skin irritation if handled. from lawn and agriculture fertiliz-
in the federal court system’s reopening has scheduled one before ours begins,” er, leaky septic and sewer systems,
plan as the nation recovers from the he added, “so I’ll probably take a peek Potentially toxic algae showing and stormwater discharges, caus-
COVID-19 pandemic. at that one, so we know what to expect.” up at the Oslo boat ramp is dou- ing repeated algae blooms that
bly troubling because the water in have degraded the ecosystem.
Earlier this month, Judge Donald In a related matter, Norbraten last that area typically is some of the
Middlebrooks notified the parties that week filed a second lawsuit against the cleanest in the lagoon. “We are stimulating their
the trial, set for July 6 at the federal deputy in the Teel case – this one al- growth,” McFarland said.
courthouse in Fort Pierce, was exclud- leging the use of “unnecessary, unrea- Baker visited the site on Sunday
ed from a previous order continuing all sonable and excessive” force against and observed dark water, but no With the onset of the rainy sea-
jury trials in the U.S. Southern District his client, Luciano Paternoster of Vero gunk remaining at the boat ramp. son, he said, we may see more of
of Florida until July 19. Beach, during a traffic stop. However, he said it was still pres- the stuff pop up in various parts of
ent at the adjacent kayak launch. the lagoon.
According to Todd Norbraten, one of The traffic stop occurred seven He theorized boat traffic may have
the Stuart-based attorneys represent- weeks before Deputy Lozada respond- broken up the mats at the ramp. The algae outbreak at the ramp
ing the plaintiff Dr. Dudley Teel, the pi- ed to an attempted-suicide call at the No warning signs have been post- comes as the Clean Water Coalition
lot trials will require physical distanc- Teels’ Carriage Lake home and shot Su- ed in the area. of Indian River County, the Indian
River Land Trust, the Environmen-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 McFarland said lyngbya is native tal Learning Center and other envi-
to the Indian River Lagoon and is ronmental groups are urging Gov.
sometimes observed during the Ron DeSantis to declare a state of
hot, rainy summer months. But he emergency to restore water quality

in the lagoon. 

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8 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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Wrongful death lawsuit gument against the agency is that the to make a strong-enough argument holic beverage” on the man’s breath
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Sheriff’s Office should’ve taken Lozada against the agency to survive a defense and that he spoke with “slurred
off the streets after the incident with motion for summary judgement.” speech.” He also detected the “odor of
san Teel three times in the chest. Mr. Paternoster,” Norbraten said. marijuana” inside the car.
Norbraten said Lozada would not Lozada wrote in his report on the
“In the Paternoster case, the agency June 8, 2017, incident that he was Paternoster, who denied he had
have been on duty the night the Teel did what it was supposed to do: It con- on patrol and cruising through the been drinking, refused to take a road-
family called for help if then-Sheriff ducted an internal investigation and Wawa parking lot – at the intersec- side sobriety test or even exit his car,
Deryl Loar had “taken the appropriate suspended Lozada for using excessive tion of U.S. 1 and 12th Street – shortly prompting Lozada to pull him from
steps” after the deputy used excessive force,” he added. after midnight, when Paternoster the vehicle and arrest him.
force against Paternoster. left the store, got into his vehicle and
“The Sheriff’s Office’s own reports quickly backed out, nearly hitting the Lozada wrote that during the arrest,
Paternoster’s lawsuit names only Lo- say the deputy wasn’t trained to re- deputy’s car. the right side of Paternoster’s head
zada as a defendant – not the Sheriff’s spond the way he did and that his ac- “hit the concrete ground” and that the
Office. tions were improper. According to the report, Lozada suspect “immediately lost conscious-
stopped the driver at the gas pumps ness,” suffering a cut on his eyebrow
“In the Teel case, the strongest ar- “Therefore, based on the facts as and noticed a “strong odor of an alco- and bruise on his cheek.
I know them, it would be difficult
Paternoster, who was 22 at the time,
was taken by ambulance to Cleveland
Clinic Indian River Hospital, where he
was diagnosed with a concussion. Af-
ter being discharged, he was arrested
and charged with four drug-related
offenses, DUI, resisting arrest without
violence and driving an unregistered
vehicle.

The State Attorney’s Office later
dropped all the charges because of
concerns regarding the circumstances
that led to Paternoster’s arrest.

The Sheriff’s Office suspended Lo-
zada for 40 hours for his behavior in
the Wawa arrest, but the punishment
was not imposed until the agency’s
Internal Affairs detectives completed
their investigation – three months af-
ter Lozada’s highly publicized shooting
of Susan Teel.

The Teel incident occurred shortly
after 8 p.m. on July 26, 2017, after Su-
san Teel attempted to commit suicide
by slashing her wrists.

Lozada responded to the 911 call
and, after speaking briefly with Dr.
Teel, pulled his gun as he climbed
the stairs and confronted the petite,
62-year-old woman in a second-floor
bedroom.

The Sheriff’s Office report stated
Susan Teel was holding a knife and
lunged at Lozada, prompting him to
fire his gun.

In January 2018, a grand jury de-
clined to indict Lozada on criminal
charges. Eight months later, however,
Dr. Teel filed his lawsuit, which pro-
duced testimony that called into ques-
tion Lozada’s actions and his account
of the shooting.

Judge Middlebrooks initially tossed
the case, saying the shooting was jus-
tified, but Dr. Teel appealed to the
U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals,
where a three-judge panel issued a
strongly worded, 22-page opinion re-
instating the lawsuit and describing
Lozada’s lethal actions as “wholly un-
necessary.”

In April, attorneys representing Lo-
zada filed a 33-page petition asking the
U.S. Supreme Court to review the 11th
Circuit’s ruling.

As of Monday, no decision had been

announced. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 9

NEWS

High-tech student IDs UPSCALE RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS PROPOSED FOR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 VACANT LOT BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND MIRACLE MILE

alerts parents when their child’s BY RAY MCNULTY 12,000-square-foot commercial devel- Moss said he was not permitted to
school bus is approaching a nearby Staff Writer opment featuring upscale restaurants identify the buyer at this time, but the
stop to pick up or drop off students, and retail stores. working name of the planned dining and
said Deputy Superintendent Scott A vacant lot that covers a full city shopping area is Vero Central Station,
Bass. block – on the south side of eastbound Billy Moss, a broker with Lambert which would include two outparcels.
State Road 60, east of the Vero Beach Commercial Real Estate, said the sale of The development would not include a
In addition, students will be able Police Department – is under con- the 3.75-acre property, located between hotel or big-box stores, Moss said.
to use the new ID cards to borrow tract to a buyer who wants to build a 9th and 10th avenues, is expected to be
and return items at their school’s li- completed “in the next few weeks.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
brary and media center, and to pay
for meals in the cafeteria, Bass said.

“We needed to take one more step
to keep our students safe,” Bass told
the School Board during the May 25
business meeting. “This is so long
overdue. It is used in many other dis-
tricts. It really will bring us to where
we need to be.”

The School Board voted unani-
mously May 25 to approve an agree-
ment to pay CI Solutions, of Seattle,
$65,820 for the ID cards, breakaway
lanyards and a service agreement for
the 2021-2022 school year.

“First and foremost, this ID card
system is going to keep kids safe by
using the card to be able to identify
who is on campus and what campus
they should be on,” Bass said.

The cards will also help educa-
tors track down young students who
get on the wrong bus or get off their
school bus in the afternoon and don’t
show up at home, Bass said.

“This will give us that confirma-
tion that the kid got off the bus,
where they got off the bus and what
time they got off the bus,” Bass said.
“It’s a huge safety measure here for
our students and their families.”

The electronic system will also
help administrators more accurately
track bus ridership, Bass said.

In addition, the system alerts
families when the school bus is ap-
proaching their bus stop, Bass said.

“You can set your phone to the
parent app for ZPASS that will allow
you to set up a geofence anywhere
from 50 meters to 500 meters that
will ping when your child’s bus is
coming to pick up, or when they’re
getting dropped off,” Bass said.

As a result of the advanced warn-
ing, fewer students are expected to
miss their school bus in the morn-
ing, Bass and other officials said.

Several School Board members
said they believed the high-tech ID
cards were an overdue security mea-
sure.

“This has long been missing from
our district,” said School Board
member Mara Schiff. “We have not
had ID tags for students, so we know
who is supposed to be on campus,
where and when. In the context of
safety and security, this could not be

more important.” 

10 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Lagoon state of emergency many of them in Brevard County la- tial losses of sea grasses, fisheries, trict’s millage rate by one-tenth of a
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 goon waters where veterinarians say and now a record death rate of its mill would generate about $45 mil-
they’ve starved to death because of beloved manatees,” the coalition’s lion per year for that purpose.
the Indian River Lagoon. a lack of seagrass to eat. Federal and letter to the governor reads.
The alliance’s appeal comes as state officials declared an “unusual Water management budgets were
mortality event” and increased ef- “Our call is for a sustained long- slashed by former governor/now
manatees are dying in record num- forts to rescue and rehabilitate the term funding expansion to restore Sen. Rick Scott around the time of
bers, and follows the release by protected mammals earlier this the IRL and the state’s other wa- the 2011 algae ‘superbloom’ that
the Marine Resources Council of year, but deaths continue. terways as soon as possible to en- devastated the northern lagoon,
its fourth annual environmental sure the health of our economy, the killing manatees, dolphin, fish and
health report card for the Lagoon, Meanwhile, Gov. DeSantis and health of our citizens, the health other marine creatures. Those cuts
assigning the waterway an overall the Legislature this past session of our manatees, and the health of have persisted ever since.
grade of F-plus. agreed to dedicate 5.4 percent of Florida’s waters.”
taxes on real estate transactions, or If restored, Fafeita says, those
The Clean Water Coalition and $111 million annually, to wastewa- In response, Dee Ann Miller, a funds could pay for cultivating sea-
groups aligned with it are calling ter improvements throughout Flor- spokeswoman for the Florida De- grass meadows in the lagoon; con-
for the state to dedicate millions of ida. The state also distributed $500 partment of Environmental Protec- verting septic systems to sewer; up-
dollars more to stopping the flow of million from the American Rescue tion (FDEP), wrote in an email to grading sewage plants to advanced
pollutants from homes, businesses pandemic relief act to pay for sep- Vero Beach 32963: “Thanks to the wastewater treatment; improving
and farms into the lagoon that kill tic to sewer conversions and sewage Governor’s leadership and the swift stormwater treatment and remov-
the manatees’ primary food source treatment plant upgrades. response of state agencies, as well ing muck.
– seagrass – and harm other marine as the continued coordination be-
life, including bottlenose dolphins. But Fafeita and fellow conserva- tween local governments and citi- His group also wants tougher pol-
tionists say it’s just not enough. They zen support organizations, we are lution control regulations such as
The environmental organizations cite a recent report from the well-re- able to support existing resource banning the use of the herbicide
also want to get rid of years of muck spected Indian River Lagoon Nation- needs and a declared state of emer- glyphosate, which kills seagrass and
deposits and blankets of harmful al- al Estuary Program that estimates gency is not necessary at this time.” has been linked to cancer in people;
gae choking the 156-mile-long estu- it will take $5 billion in clean water beefing up fertilizer restrictions;
ary. infrastructure projects to restore the Said Fafeita: “Politicians and ev- stopping large discharges from
waterway over the next 20 years. erybody have given funding, but it’s Lake Okeechobee that cause algae
“If you had a leaking roof, you’d not enough.” blooms in the southern lagoon; and
fix it,” said Coalition president Paul “The evidence is overwhelming requiring advanced-technology
Fafeita, a Vero Beach charter fishing and indisputable that the Indian He repeated the Clean Water Co- septic systems where sewer hook-
captain. “We’ve got 156 miles here of River Lagoon, one of the most bio- alition’s call of two years ago to in- ups are not available.
serious trouble.” diverse estuaries in North America, crease the St. Johns RiverWater Man-
has become an unhealthy, algae- agement District’s share of property “It’s been an uphill battle and now
This year some 750 manatees dominated ecosystem with substan- taxes to pay for lagoon restoration. the hill is getting steeper,” Fafeita
have been found dead in Florida – His group estimates upping the dis-
said. 

Commercial development According to the Indian River Coun- agent. He said he was not authorized to other inquiries about changing the zon-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 ty Property Appraiser’s Office website, discuss the LLC or the transaction. ing to allow multi-family residential
the current owner of the parcel, which development there,” Jeffries said, “but
“We’ve been working on this one for has a market value of $1.18 million, is Vero Beach Planning and Develop- nothing like this.”
a while, and it’s going well, but we’re TV 20 LLC. ment Director Jason Jeffries said he had
not there yet,” said Moss, a prominent not been contacted by the buyer or seen The commercial development de-
commercial realtor who specializes in The Florida Division of Corporations a conceptual plan for the property, but scribed by Moss would require at least
selling and leasing restaurants locally. website lists Dillon Roberts – an attor- the parcel is currently zoned to accom- 48 parking spaces, Jeffries said, and the
ney with the Gould Cooksey Fennell law modate restaurants and retail stores. site plan would need to be approved by
firm in Vero Beach – as TV 20’s registered
“The past couple of years, we’ve had the city’s Planning & Zoning Board. 



12 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Vero, county seem headed to mediation on utility territory

BY LISA ZAHNER and practical to terminate the town’s been unable to execute a new franchise be required.
water-sewer service with Vero, and agreement for South Barrier Island cus- City Manager Monte Falls said the
Staff Writer hook up to the county system in 2027 tomers who live in the county but are
when the current franchise agreement served by Vero’s utility system. city has not received any complaints
The City of Vero Beach and Indian expires. about its utility service that have not
River County have one more chance Residents of the unincorporated been resolved, and that Vero provides a
to resolve their dispute about whether County Attorney Dylan Reingold said South Beach area and the Moorings quality service at a reasonable rate. City
a 1989 territorial agreement can be en- the county is in the unenviable position have been without a franchise agree- Attorney John Turner said the Shores
forced to keep Indian River Shores and of being sued by the city if it denies the ment for several years, while continu- has benefited greatly from being in the
South Beach water-sewer customers permanent territory Vero claims or be- ing to receive service and utility bills city’s water-sewer utility territory and
chained to Vero’s utility service until the ing sued by the Shores if it affirms the from Vero. having the ability to expand and de-
end of time. city’s claim to a permanent service ter- velop as a town.
ritory. “It really boils down to us coming to
If the parties come out of a June 24 an agreement on whether or not that Indian River Shores Town Manager
meeting not having budged from their Reingold wants to facilitate some territorial map exists, or not,” Mayor Jim Harpring said last week that the
corners – Vero saying it has a perma- sort of solution or settlement between Robbie Brackett said. “We believe it town will be monitoring the dispute
nent territory and county officials say- Vero and the Shores, but city officials does. We believe it is in force.” resolution process between the city
ing the territory is not permanent – the don’t seem excited about that idea. and the county closely and may find a
two sides will enter formal mediation, Figuring out what customers Vero way to participate in the talks. Should
with the next step being a joint meeting County Administrator Jason Brown will be serving going forward is urgent the case go to court, he said, the Shores
of all five Vero council members with all questions the validity of the territorial because the city is planning to build would formally file to intervene, or join
five county commissioners. agreement because Indian River Shores a new sewer plant at the airport and
did not have a say in it, but he made it needs to know how much capacity will the lawsuit. 
The Vero Beach City Council voted clear that the county has enough on its
to launch the mediation process, out- plate with 65,000 water-sewer custom- SOUTH FLORIDA WOMAN ARRESTED
lined in Florida Statute, Section 164, as ers, and that he is not going after Vero’s AFTER GETTING TOSSED OUT OF
required whenever two municipalities customer base.
have a dispute that could land in court. MULLIGAN’S AND THE HOLIDAY INN
“We have not made any determina-
Vero got upset when county officials tion on the county’s part that we can or
agreed to devote staff time to help In- will serve the town,” Brown said.
dian River Shores complete a feasibility
study of whether it would be possible Underlying this new dustup is the
fact that Vero and the County have

BY LISA ZAHNER When the officers tried to put the
woman into the patrol car, “Ms. Mul-
Staff Writer berry became limp and refused to go
sit inside,” the police report said. Ofc.
A night out for a visiting South Flor- Zachary Matson “had to pull Ms. Mul-
ida woman turned into a night in jail berry from the opposite side of the
after she managed to get kicked out of prisoner compartment, as I lifted her
Mulligan’s Beach House and the Sex- legs and placed her inside the rear of
ton Plaza Holiday Inn lobby for being my patrol car.”
drunk and disorderly, and was literally
carried off to jail – all before 11 p.m. “After several attempts to help Ms.
Mulberry failed, I placed Ms. Mulberry
Mona Kaye Mulberry, 53, of Fort Lau- under arrest for disorderly intoxication
derdale allegedly created enough of a and creating a public disturbance,” Of-
fuss Sunday night that hotel security ficer Giovanny Fonseca wrote.
called the Vero Beach Police Depart-
ment to remove her from the premises Things didn’t get much better en
of the hotel on Ocean Drive. Two offi- route to the Indian River County Jail,
cers responded at 9:57 p.m. The hotel according to the arrest report. “Ms.
did not know the woman’s name but Mulberry continued to yell until arriv-
told police they could find her wearing ing at the jail. Once inside the jail, Ms.
a cardigan sweater. Mulberry continued to yell towards
deputies and myself. Ms. Mulberry
“Upon making contact with Ms. also began tensing and pulling away
Mulberry, I could smell a strong odor from deputies,” Fonseca wrote.
of alcoholic beverage emanating from
her person. Ms. Mulberry was unable Before leaving the Holiday Inn, the
to complete sentences and had slurred officers contacted hotel security and
speech while attempting to speak with were told that Mulberry had been
her,” the report states, then going into kicked out of Mulligan’s “due to her be-
detail about the R-rated encounter. ing intoxicated and unruly there earlier
in the night.” Kirt Ferguson provided a
According to the police report, offi- witness account to go with what the
cers asked Mulberry if she knew any- police observed at the hotel.
one who could come and assist her and
she yelled obscenities. They asked her Mulberry, who was listed as unem-
if she knew where she was staying and ployed on her booking, had her first
she called the police offensive names. appearance Monday morning before
At that point, the officers escorted her Judge Nicole Menz and was released
out of the lobby and to the patrol car, on $500 bond and ordered not to re-
attempting to get identification from turn to Mulligan’s Beach House Bar or
her, but she refused.
the Holiday Inn. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 13

NEWS

STAR SEBASTIAN SWIMMER
ONE OF 10 FASTEST ALL TIME
IN AGE GROUP FOR BUTTERFLY

BY MICHELLE GENZ Ledford, cheered him on from the
stands, along with two of his three
Staff Writer older brothers and their wives, and
another coach who came from Texas
Mitchell Ledford, the 16-year-old to see him.
swimmer from Sebastian, may not
have made the Olympic team last ESPN’s West Palm affiliate radio sta-
weekend in Omaha. But he made his- tion was also paying attention, inter-
tory by becoming one of the top 10 viewing Mitchell via Zoom last week.
fastest swimmers ever of the 100-me-
ter butterfly in the 15-to-16 age group. Also watching closely were college
swim coaches. Several already have
In a pool built in a week on top of their eyes on Mitchell, a rising junior
a basketball court in a stadium that at Sebastian River High School.
seats 18,000, Mitchell won his race
among some of the fastest swim- As of June 15, college scouts can
mers in the country. But he was still a finally start to talk to him directly,
couple notches behind the speed he according to NCAA rules. Consider-
needed to make it to the Wave 2 Olym- ing Mitchell now has a coda by his
pic trials this weekend where the most name – 10th fastest in the butterfly in
elite U.S. swimmers will compete for his age group – he could find himself
spots on the Olympic team. talking to some big-name schools as
he debates his future in the coming
Because of COVID-19, organiz- months. Mitchell, like his brothers be-
ers split the Olympic trials over two fore him, is as strong in academics as
weekends. Ledford’s qualifying time he is in athletics.
last March in St. Petersburg – where
he beat Olympic gold medalist Ryan The Omaha experience offered a
Lochte – only got him into Wave 1 tri- taste of what may lie ahead for Mitch-
als. ell.

At the Omaha event, Ledford had “The pool itself and the facility is so
one more shot at making it to Wave 2. amazing compared to any other pool
He needed to finish in the top two of I’ve been to,” Mitchell said.
the A-finals in his stroke. But to swim
in the A-finals, he needed to finish in The more than 800 swimmers there
the top 8 in prelims; he missed that by for the eight-day competition got star
one, finishing ninth. treatment, Mitchell said, with their
own lounge and amenities.
Still, the race he won was thrilling
as Ledford pulled in front of the pack “It was like you just belonged there,”
in the final 50 meters and touched he said. “I don’t think I’ll be able to
first, with his final reach for the wall match that experience with anything.”
highlighted on NBC’s overhead shot.
Unless, of course, he makes it to the
Mitchell’s local coach, Scott Bar- Olympics in four years.
low, was watching from the pool deck.
Mitchell’s parents, Carrie and Patrick This summer, when he is not in the
water, it seems a safe bet his attention
will be riveted on the swimming ac-

tion in Tokyo. 

FILE PHOTO BY BRENDA AHEARN



Crew from Legal limit
with their Amber Jacks.

A LOT ON LINE FOR ANGLERS,
EXCHANGE CLUB AT BENEFIT TOURNEY

16 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

A lot on line for anglers, Exchange Club at benefit tourney

Larry Moltz, Michael Natale and Larry Cocken. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Eva Chapman and Wesley Davis.

Lisa O’Connell, Mac Amos and Jen Amos. Alyssa Masone. Mindy Mier and Chris Ledington.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF WINNERS:
Staff Writer

COVID may have curtailed last year’s All needed to be ready to drop their “Fifty percent of what we raise goes Dolphin: 31.38 pounds
Blue Water Open fishing tournament, lines bright and early Saturday morn- specifically toward the prevention of The Other Woman
hosted annually by the Exchange Club ing in the hunt for the biggest dolphin, child abuse,” said Eva Chapman, event
of Sebastian, but not even rough seas wahoo, kingfish, amberjack and grou- chair. “The other 50 percent goes to Kingfish: 46.49 pounds
could keep anglers ashore this time per. Americanism programs, other youth Easy Drinkin’
around. activities and community service.”
Having done their utmost, anglers Grouper: 20.63 pounds
A fleet of boats carried hardy fishing returned their boats and their catch- Over the years, the tournament has Signed In
enthusiasts out for an adventure on the es to Capt. Hiram’s for the afternoon raised more than $750,000 to sup-
high seas during the 27th annual Blue weigh-in, lining up along the dock. port charitable organizations. The Ex- Top Boat: 43.97 pounds
Water Open Charity Offshore Fishing They were cheered on by a crowd gath- change Club also offers scholarships Knot Scared
Tournament to benefit various chil- ered along the shoreline, who watched to local students and contributes to
dren’s charities supported by the Ex- as the fish that had been landed were school programs and such nonprofits Chapman noted that the programs
change Club, many of which focus on weighed and measured, each angler as Youth Guidance, Boys & Girls Club, they support highlight the Exchange
the prevention of child abuse. hoping to claim their share of the Yellow Umbrella and Sebastian Youth Club’s four pillars of service – Ameri-
$20,000 purse. Soccer. canism, community service, youth
An enthusiastic crowd of anglers programs and child abuse prevention.
and sponsors had gathered the night
before for the Friday evening Captain’s “We’re having a banner year with
Meeting in the Ramp Lounge and Sand sponsors. Everybody is trying to make
Bar at Captain Hiram’s. In addition to up for last year,” said Chapman. “There
gearing up to challenge the fish and was so much need last year, but people
the elements, participants purchased weren’t able to help. We had a lot of
50/50 chances and raffle tickets, drop- generous people donate, but nothing
ping the latter into buckets in hopes of like what we get through the tourna-
winning a sea of prizes, and bid on live- ment, so we weren’t able to give away
auction items, including a trip valued the money we normally do. The people
at $4,600. that we help are hurting, and there’s
more need than ever.”
Anglers also shared fish tales – some
increasingly growing taller – while For more information, visit fishing-
enjoying drinks and live music before forcharity.org. 
heading home for a good night’s sleep.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 17

PEOPLE

Terry Gardner, Kim Sviben, Georgia Irish, Kim Prado, Ellen Smith and Leigh Swanson. Monica and Charles Fischer.
Kneli Spencer and Miranda Ramsey.

Kenny P.
Mikayla Lamb and Laura Lamb.
Chris Ahlgreen and Ron Stamm.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

4-H supporters all in at festive ‘Casino Night’ fundraiser

Brooke Benzio, Dawn Hass and Kimberly Taylor. Kaylan Keathley and Jennifer Penn. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Autumn, Tony and Susan Consalo.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF hosted by the foundation, which was
Staff Writer established in 2008, and has raised
more than $100,000 to benefit local
High rollers doubled down during 4-H activities.
a Viva Vero Beach Casino Night, held
recently at the Intergenerational Cen- Using fun money, gamblers tried
ter to support Indian River County their luck at blackjack, roulette, craps
4-H Foundation programs. The eve- and poker. Later in the evening, any-
ning was the 12th annual fundraiser one fortunate enough to have had
Lady Luck on their side could “cash

Established 18 Years in Indian River County in” their chips for raffle tickets and her return from school, she picked
take their chances at winning an im- up the gauntlet as a volunteer.
(772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com pressive array of donated items.
3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960 Citing the 4-H motto “To make the
Proceeds from the event will en- best better,” Penn said that the wide
able the foundation to offset ex- variety of clubs, which range from
penses incurred by 4-H youth as leadership and public speaking to
they endeavor to complete a vari- animal projects and nutrition, en-
ety of hands-on projects. Working ables children to pursue their inter-
alongside the University of Florida ests on many levels.
Cooperative Extension Office, 4-H
programs broaden youth develop- “4-H is about building friendships
ment using a “learning by doing” ap- and relationships, teaching them
proach. the importance of giving back to
their community and about being
Participants, ranging in ages from more responsible. It’s about teach-
8 to 18, take part in a variety of 4-H ing them good life lessons and build-
clubs, and attend camps and educa- ing a better citizen,” Penn explained.
tional events at the local, state and
national levels. The financial support of the foun-
dation, she added, allows the stu-
“We try to encourage them to par- dents to “spread their wings,” and
ticipate in events that are going to that expanding their exposure to the
help them better themselves and world through events, clubs and ac-
become better citizens,” said Jen- tivities encourages them to “do more
nifer Penn, current 4-H Foundation and to get out and explore more op-
board president. “The organization portunities through the 4-H.”
focuses on citizenship and volun-
teering, as well as becoming a better Penn shared that while the 4-H
person. We try to raise good kids, so participation at the Firefighters Fair
they turn out to be awesome adults.” and horse shows are among its more
well-known programs, members
Penn said her involvement with also participate in summer camps,
the 4-H began at age 8 and continued leadership adventure weekends and
until she went off to college. Upon civic education engagements. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 19

PEOPLE

Becky Seton and Kari Cundiff. Dillon Lowery and Lizzy Brewster. Richie and Jimmy Giampietro.

Debbie Webb and Jenny Flood. Matt and Sarah Erpenbeck with Lindsay Black. Eric and Katie Smith.

Samantha Simigran and Travis Bass. Levi and Jennifer Lueken.

Kaleigh Patteson, Jamie Bishop, Alycia Radatz and Karolyn Conley.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

New ‘Community Foundation’ tool uses data to ‘make a difference’

BY MARY SCHENKEL their charitable giving. With assets “It’s a Top Ten list you don’t want provides a table of contents and an
Staff Writer approaching $100 million and an- to be on,” said Pickering. “That’s overview of the community that in-
other $100 million in planned gifts, troubling when you think about cludes everything from total popu-
With the launch of Indian River the IRCF continues to be one of the what needs to be done in order to lation to life expectancy.
Indicators earlier this month, the fastest growing community foun- help people live healthy, prosper-
Indian River Community Founda- dations in the country. ous lives.” Beneath that, sections are broken
tion has added a new tool to its ar- down by the Health and Prosperity
senal of community resources that “Indian River Indicators supports Overall, he said, the Needs As- of Children (0-18) and Adults (18+;
can be utilized by the nonprofit our mission of building a better sessment showed where the coun- and 65 and older), and each of those
sector and philanthropists as well community through donor advised ty has been making progress and are further broken down by Educa-
as community leaders and policy philanthropy,” said Pickering. “And what areas of concern needed to be tion, Economic Opportunity and
makers to aid them in their deci- it’s a program that originated after addressed. Housing & Safety.
sion-making processes. the publication and distribution
of our Community Needs Assess- Indian River Indicators, which “What’s nice about this is that it
“We believe that data can be used ment.” was financed by philanthropic con- will show you the data source. Ev-
to make a difference,” said Jeff tributions to the IRCF, takes that ery single one of these data points
Pickering, Community Foundation The Needs Assessment, pub- data considerably further in an in- has the source cited here, and when
CEO. “We live in one of the most lished in 2020, reflected data col- teractive, multi-sourced design. new data becomes available, the
generous counties in America. And lected throughout the county from site will be updated,” said Picker-
people are compelled to give be- June through August 2019 in five Pickering explained that this new ing. “We hope this data makes a dif-
cause they’re caring and they’re areas – children, economic oppor- resource, which will be updated ference for the people who choose
thoughtful and intelligent. We tunity, health, housing and seniors. at least annually, tracks key data to use it.”
want to continue to promote more and information about community
of that. And more of that at a higher Among the takeaways from the needs that can be used to support While what is currently shown is
level, oftentimes requires better Needs Assessment is that the com- and sustain proven programs. what they felt illustrated some of
data and more information.” munity is growing, particularly the most critical data, he said they
the senior population, and it is be- “It can also be used by commu- can accommodate requests to have
Pickering said the Community coming more diverse. However, the nity leaders to develop policy and areas broken down further using a
Foundation has built its reputation wealth gap – the difference between promote promising practices, or data library that has thousands of
on providing excellent client ser- the top 1 percent and the other 99 even inspire innovation that can data points.
vices and helping people carry out percent – is among the 10th largest lead to solutions that are pertinent
in the country. to the community challenges that Among its takeaways, Picker-
persist,” said Pickering. ing said progress has been made
on some fronts, such as a rapidly
IRCF partnered with a technolo- declining infant mortality rate,
gy firm to produce Indian River In- but there is still more work to do.
dicators. Pickering explained that For example, while more children
it uses publicly available data from are going to school kindergarten-
various sources, including local, ready, there are far too many Black
regional, state and federal open- students who are not proficient in
sourced data. eighth-grade math.

“It would take us weeks to go “What that means is, if they don’t
track it down, but because it’s get into Algebra 1 by ninth grade
open-sourced the programs are and complete their math require-
written to point to those indicators ments, they don’t graduate. It’s a
and then pull the data in as soon big problem that needs to be ad-
as they’re indicated; at least annu- dressed,” said Pickering.
ally,” said Pickering.
Homelessness continues to be a
Indian River Indicators, acces- big challenge, and our county has
sible from the IRCF website, has a almost double the state average
wealth of information, illustrated for binge drinking and heavy-use
through charts, graphs and cen- smoking among seniors, particu-
sus track maps. The IRI dashboard

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 21

PEOPLE

Jeff Pickering and Chiaka Nwosu.

larly women living alone. “This is a resource for anybody
And while access to healthcare who wants to be more effective with
their philanthropy,” said Pickering.
has increased, Indian River County “They can use this data to make a
does not have a service for teens difference in our community, with
and adolescents needing intensive an organization or with a specific
outpatient treatment for substance population that they care about. If
abuse or mental health. you want to truly treat your giving
like an investment, the data and the
“Where philanthropy is going to information about our communi-
play more of a role, in closing the ty’s needs and the areas where you
gap on some of these challenges, is can make more of a difference, are
really two-fold. on Indian River Indicators. They
can do this on their own, or they
“One, bringing promising prac- can contact us to do that.”
tices that exist other places to In-
dian River County. The other one For more information, visit
is creating the environment where ircommunityfoundation.org. 
more public dollars can be directed
toward bigger picture community
issues,” said Pickering.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Authors! Authors! galore at ‘La Maison’ book signing event

BY MARY SCHENKEL “I actually wrote my first book
Staff Writer about 11 years ago, ‘Gemini Joe,
Memoirs of Brooklyn,’ about my fa-
Local author Janet Sierzant re- ther growing up in Brooklyn, and I
cently hosted a book-signing event went to New York and tried to get a
at the Heritage Center with some publisher,” said Sierzant.
of the Treasure Coast authors she
represents through La Maison Pub- Finding no takers, she decided to
lishing, which she founded about 10 start her own publishing company.
years ago.
“Once I did that, I couldn’t stop
writing. I’ve written about 14 books

PHOTOS & STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
Lucy Church, Margo Hamilton,Janet Sierzant .and Diana Tremesani. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

since then,” said Sierzant, noting den of Eden Story from the perspec-
that her genre includes children’s tive of the first mother bear,” that
books, poetry, fiction and nonfic- she said has a lesson about trust in
tion, and, after learning that she the face of adversity that can help
had 100 cousins in Sicily, a book children deal with their own trust
about her ancestry. issues.

Other authors began to approach A 27-year resident of Vero Beach,
her for help, and she now has about Barbara Hoover, author of “Let’s
75 clients, spanning a broad range Have a Conversation: Respect,
of genres. She also started Writer’s Truth, Trust Matter,” said she in-
Windowpane, a writers’ critique terviewed 800 people and “settled
group that meets at the main li- on 500” of those for the book. “We
bra r y. had conversations; it’s all conversa-
tions about all kinds of interesting
“They trust me. I’m here in Vero things.”
and I make house calls, because a
lot of my clients are older,” she said. Gene Hull, a prolific Fort Pierce
author, had an impressive 30-year
Her advice to budding authors: career as a professional musician,
“Don’t ever give up. Write because and later as music director for Roy-
you love it and you have a story to al Caribbean Cruise Lines. “After
tell.” 15 years I got bored with that and
started writing,” said Hull, whose
Two nonprofits were also at the books includes fiction, poetry, short
event: Literacy Services of Indian stories and memoirs. He said his
River County, which is seeking ad- latest, “Brainwaves,” is “by far the
ditional tutors to reduce a wait list best one.”
of some 80 students seeking to learn
the English language and/or im- Sebastian author Karen Hiltz,
prove their literacy skills; and the Ed.D., writes nonfiction books
Indian River Genealogical Society, about education. “The Apple Re-
which can assist potential writers, port: Diary of a Public School Board
or anyone else, to research their an- Member” was initiated as a way to
cest r y. communicate with her constituents
while serving on public and private
Among the authors at the book Virginia school boards. “The Case
signing, Ellen Gillette of Fort Pierce for Choice: One Size Fits All,” she
wrote and illustrated “She-Bear in said, is a compilation of 12 inter-
the Beautiful Garden,” which she
described as a “retelling of the Gar-



24 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS & STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Marilyn Case and Janet Hunter. Karen Hiltz and Beth Siebert.
Linda Barker and Pamela Larsen.

Robert Fisher. Etta Schaller and Ellen Gillette. Peter Haase.

views relating difference perspec- vived the post-war years, and the
tives about the education system. reunification of Germany 50 years
later.
A Vero Beach resident since 1987,
Jerry Nashel’s memoir “Subbing” A writer of nonfiction books, Ron
relates to his time as a substitute Chicone of Hutchinson Island said
teacher, including 22 years in this his most acclaimed book is “Win-
district, primarily at the middle and ners and Losers: Secrets of the
high school level. And while stu- Roaring Twenties and the Prodigal-
dents and teachers may recognize ity of the Gilded.” “It’s nine separate
themselves, Nashel said “there are chapters of people who made it big
no formal names in this book; not and lost it big.”
even the word Florida.”
Robert Fisher of Jensen Beach
Another prolific author, Peter writes action thrillers. His “Shadow
Haase of Stuart, has written in a World” series – his fifth book is due
variety of genres. Several books to come out later this year – pays
describe his own experiences and homage to spy thrillers such as the
those of his family during the World early James Bond movies. “I’ve al-
War II Nazi regime, how they sur- ways liked those kinds of stories

SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION and I decided to pen my own ver- Looks Back over 59 Years” chroni-
DRYER VENT & DUCT CLEANING sion of those.” cles the experiences of former Del-
ta Airlines pilot Jerry Farquar of
Passionate About Customer Service A writer of historical fiction, Den- Okeechobee, whose late wife was
nis Kennelly of Port St. Lucie has a captain with Miami Air. He said
772-785-8080 written the “Nelson’s Men” trilogy, his logbook shows that “there were
MILLERSCENTRALAIR.COM about the first 17 days of the Korean at least 2.5 million people that I
War. “The timeline is based on fact, carried and every one of them was
673 SW CARTER AVE but I fill it in with fiction to make it delivered without a scratch or a
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL 34982 interesting.” bruise.” 

LICENSE CA - C058675 “In the Sky: A Retired Captain



MARGARITAVILLE26 VeroBeach32963/June17,2021
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

BY AUSTIN CARR | BLOOMBERG Liberty, hoisting a margarita to the
blue skies ahead.
Down the street from
the Red Lobster and the The development, which cost al-
shuttered Broadway the- most $370 million and will have
aters, a large model of Jimmy taken more than three years to com-
Buffett’s seaplane, Hemisphere plete when it opens in July, is a trea-
Dancer, was being uncrated inside sure map of Buffett brands.
his brand-new 32-story hotel.
It was 14 weeks before the grand Up the lobby escalators, tour-
opening of the Margaritaville ists and curious locals will find the
Resort Times Square, and there 5 O’Clock Somewhere bar and the
was much to do. Many of the 234 License to Chill cocktail lounge.
guest bathrooms were still waiting A Margaritaville restaurant, gar-
for their whale-tail faucets. nished in tikis and surfboards, will
“Ahoy!” shouted a masked worker serve Cheeseburgers in Paradise,
rolling a giant compass toward the and, by the heated outdoor pool,
lobby where, hiding under a tarp, bartenders at the LandShark grill
was a 32-foot replica of the Statue of will be pouring LandShark Lagers,
the beer Buffett brews with Anheus-
er Busch InBev SA.

MEETS MANHATTAN:YourVeroBeachNewsweekly™
Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 27

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Can Buffett the brand
make it in the Big Apple?

Even those who aren’t fanatics and soothe the savage beast, you got ricane vape pen goes for $35 and can appeal. Margaritaville is moving
of Buffett’s music probably have problems.” “bring sunshine to your stormy day ahead with new developments ev-
some vague sense of the Margarita- with significant euphoric effects.”) erywhere from San Diego and Palm
ville lifestyle, which refers to both In the 24 years since Buffett Springs to Nassau and Belize, even as
the hit song – No. 1 on Billboard’s founded Margaritaville Enterprises It may sound counterintuitive for a string of other properties have suf-
Easy Listening chart in 1977 – and LLC, the company that manages his a 74-year-old crooner whose songs fered or closed down during the pan-
its steelpan-inflected vibe, synony- brand and intellectual property, he’s include Too Drunk to Karaoke and demic. The Times Square location,
mous with slightly baked Floridians offered Parrotheads, as his disciples Math Suks, but the branding baccha- though, is by far the most ambitious.
searching for that lost shaker of salt. are known, as well as the Parrot- nalia puts Buffett at the cutting edge
curious, an ever-increasing menu of of so-called experiential marketing. Buffett has always viewed Man-
That this mindset also happens savage-beast-soothing options. hattan as the toughest nut to crack.
to be the antithesis of the pandemic The buzzy trend is all about trying He found this true, first as a musi-
lifestyle is why Buffett is so excited There are luxury resorts, retire- to get consumers not merely to shop cian struggling to win gigs early in
about the project, even after a year ment villages, $500 daiquiri makers, or admire a brand, but to swig a dou- his career and now as a marketing
of quarantine-related delays. “On Growing Older But Not Up pickleball ble shot of it. It’s why you can now tycoon betting his beachy cachet
the island of Manhattan, as we’re paddles, lime-wedge-shaped pool literally order breakfast at Tiffany’s. will captivate in one of the world’s
coming out of the pandemic, this floats, salad dressings, casinos, wa- largest cities. The risk reminds him
is a lucky charm that says it’s time ter parks, RV camps, and, where le- And why not – especially in 2021? of what an actor friend once told
to go back out and have fun again,” gal, a line of cannabis goods devel- After the interminable tedium of him: “If you don’t take New York,
Buffett says. “When you can’t go out oped with an heir of the Wrigley’s stay-at-home orders, in-person at-
gum fortune. (The Surfin’ in a Hur- tractions, even ones that seem ex- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24
tremely kitschy, have an undeniable

28 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 INSIGHT COVER STORY

Buffett, you ain’t s--t.” Buffett was spending a lot of time Yet he also wrote of the big money in Buffett’s transition into upscale hos-
The headquarters of Margarita- in South Florida, surfing and deep- packaging these experiences in an pitality took off with his move into re-
sea fishing, when not on tour. Coh- authentic way. sorts, where consumers could live the
ville Enterprises sits in an office park lan met Jane Buffett through mutual Margaritaville lifestyle in a manner be-
in Orlando, just across the street friends, who introduced him to her Cohlan’s first significant opening, yond tchotchkes and frozen food.
from the twisting waterslides of the husband, Jimmy. They hit it off. Lat- a Margaritaville restaurant at the
Universal Studios theme park. Pic- er, at one of Buffett’s sold-out shows, Universal CityWalk retail plaza in A Florida developer licensed the
tures of the man himself are every- an idea bonked Cohlan over the Orlando, came in 1999. It helped Uni- brand to introduce a $50 million
where, but Buffett leaves day-to-day head like a tequila bottle. “I said to versal erect a tropical, nachos-heavy oceanfront hotel at Pensacola in
operations to Chief Executive Offi- myself, ‘Wow, this could really be a shrine to Buffett, with music videos 2010, which promised “barefoot el-
cer John Cohlan, who calls Margari- brand. Forget Arby’s.’” playing on a loop, an apparel shop, egance.” Five years later, another de-
taville a “real ecosystem” that he es- and a volcano that reaches to the ceil- veloper opened Margaritaville’s cur-
timates was facilitating $1.5 billion In fact, Buffett was already in- ing, erupting periodically with mar- rent flagship, a 369-room resort in
in annual sales prior to COVID-19. tensely aware of the branding power garita mix. After eruptions, it makes Hollywood Beach, not far from Fort
(The company declines to share ac- of Margaritaville, having previously a booming burp sound effect. Lauderdale, which real estate invest-
tual revenue figures.) fought the Mexican-food chain Chi- ment firm KSL Capital Partners LLC
Chi’s for the rights to the name. He Cohlan says the spot did $18 mil- bought for $190 million in 2018.
Although its brand appears on had dabbled in T-shirt shops and a lion in sales during its inaugural
countless products and hotels, the few eateries, and an up-and-coming year, a bounty that’s only risen. The The $400-plus-a-night property,
company doesn’t actually sell or own beer called Corona even sponsored original Hemisphere Dancer, its bul- which is pretty much the opposite of
much besides its intellectual prop- his concerts. But Cohlan had larger let holes mended, is docked outside, a burping volcano in Orlando, fea-
erty. The New York real estate firm plans, and the pair entered a formal as if Buffett might swing by and take tures an 11,000-square-foot spa, a
Soho Properties, for example, over- partnership in 1997. some lucky customers “treetop flyin’ surfing simulator, and eight bars and
saw financing and construction of movin’ west along the coast.” restaurants, including JWB Prime
the Times Square resort. The busi- The next year, Buffett released his Steak & Seafood, where Buffett has
ness model, as Cohlan explains it, autobiography, “A Pirate Looks at The aughts brought more outposts dined with the pop star Pitbull.
involves searching out hospitality Fifty,” a salty travelogue of his Carib- in Las Vegas and Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
ventures and consumer goods to Buf- bean fishing jaunts and seaplane ex- a SiriusXM radio station, a line of fro- It’s not all posh – the gift shop sells
fettize, enforcing strict design and peditions. The book references the zen shrimp, and LandShark, which $39 “Trespassers Will Be Offered a
quality standards, training staff, and time he and U2’s Bono flew to Negril, supplanted his Corona sponsorship. Shot” signs – but it’s remarkably well
earning fees licensing the brand. Jamaica, for jerk chicken and, after Chris Blackwell, the Island Records designed. Sacred Jimmy lyrics (“it’s
safely landing, were shot at by local founder and hotelier who was with a fine line between Saturday night
Buffett takes a single-digit per- police, who thought Buffett’s taxiing Buffett and Bono when the mistaica and Sunday morning”) adorn hall-
centage in royalties on portions of twin-propeller Hemisphere Dancer was made in Jamaica, struggles to way walls, and the lobby boasts a Jeff
partner revenue, which means every was smuggling drugs. (Nobody was explain how Buffett so successfully Koons-style sculpture of a flip-flop. “I
Margaritaville hotel suite booked and hurt. The incident inspired his song sold out without ruining his image. could argue that’s our Mickey Mouse,”
every “Fins Up Mon’” T-shirt sold. Jamaica Mistaica.) Cohlan says of the giant blue sandal.
Bono probably couldn’t get away
The company got started in the Ironically, much of the book de- with hawking $5.32 Calypso Coco- The scope of Margaritaville’s eco-
late 1990s, after Cohlan, who was se- picts Buffett avoiding corporate nut Shrimp with Mango Chutney system is evident everywhere in
nior vice president of finance at the tourist traps and bemoaning how, Dippin’ Sauce at Walmart. “But Jim- Florida. Dispensaries around the
investment firm that owned Arby’s as he puts it, “Taco Bells and Burger my is a fisherman,” Blackwell says. state sell Buffett’s Coral Reefer THC.
and Long John Silver’s restaurants, Kings permeate the lower latitudes.” “He just loves the sea. He has such There are Margaritaville vacation
moved to Palm Beach for work. width in so many different areas.” cottages and an associated water

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 29

INSIGHT COVER STORY

park in Kissimmee. At the $1 billion CEO John Cohlan and more chill than the businesspeople
Latitude Margaritaville retirement Jimmy Buffett. who manage his affairs, but he is
village in Daytona Beach, Terry aware that the brand has taken on
Bradshaw-lookalikes zoom around a life of its own. He doesn’t really
in souped-up golf carts, including drink margaritas that often anyway
one shaped like a cheeseburger. these days. “I’m not a big pot smoker,
but I like to get a little buzzed every
In the spring of 2020, the pandemic now and then, of course,” he says.
came. Construction in Times Square
was halted by state order, and Margar- He again compares the situation
itaville hotels around the globe soon to life at sea, where you need a good
closed temporarily. Hotels in Grand crew to stay the course.
Cayman and Vicksburg, Miss., shut
down for good. But Cohlan says Mar- “How much further can you go
garitaville’s revenue dropped only with this? I don’t know. I’m pretty
30% in 2020, buoyed by soaring sales happy with where we are right now.
of daiquiri makers and branded bicy- Do I want to start an airline? No.” 
cles, as well as purchases of $300,000
Latitude retirement homes, which
doubled during the pandemic.

The pandemic wasn’t the first time
the company had hit choppy waters.
A humdrum Cheeseburger in Para-
dise restaurant chain changed own-
ers several times before Buffett sev-
ered his association in 2012.

Executives chalk up the stum-
bles to the unforgiving real estate
business. The disputes serve as a
constant reminder that Buffett’s
team has to be ever-vigilant with
whom they jump in a hammock, be-
cause it’s Buffett’s reputation that’s
harmed if anything goes wrong.

During quarantine, Buffett mostly
hid out at his Malibu home. He spent
the pandemic surfing and making
two albums, comparing the self-
isolation to the sea voyages he used
to charter from Newport to Bermuda
and the Virgin Islands. “Inevitably,
you’d be hungover, something would
break, a storm would come, and sud-
denly you’d have this thought, What
am I doing out here?” Buffett says.
“Then you’d just have to take your-
self aside and go, ‘Hey. Settle in.’”

With the storm finally passing,
at least in the U.S., Buffett says he’s
preparing to head to New York for
a media event ahead of the Times
Square grand opening. He’d had bad
luck during his last journey there.
His 2018 Broadway musical, “Escape
to Margaritaville,” closed quickly af-
ter blistering reviews. (“If you’re not
drunk or a Parrothead,” wrote the
New York Times, “you’re in trouble.”)

In many ways, the Manhattan ho-
tel symbolizes Margaritaville’s post-
Parrothead ethos – and its inevitable
post-Jimmy future. After all, the pi-
rate is now looking at 75. “It’s legacy
time for me,” he says.

Visitors to Buffett’s newer proper-
ties will see fewer and fewer photos
and videos of the white-goateed per-
former, and Laskin makes a point of
clarifying that Jimmy’s weed ven-
ture is completely separate from
Margaritaville Enterprises.

Buffett is, as you’d expect, a lot

30 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT WORLD NEWS AND OPINION

THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER OF THE WEEK IS $25.6 TRILLION

To say the pandemic has turned traditional eco- and 2004. Or how the same thing happened in 2000 af- The housing market says a lot
nomic theory on its head would be an understate- ter net worth swelled by more than the amount in the
ment for the ages. previous three years. And let’s not forget how inflation about recovery and inflation.
rates went from 1.1 percent in 1986 to 6.3 percent in
No economist can say with a straight face that he or 1990 after the big buildup in wealth in the late 1980s. pensive single-family homes, according to the National
she predicted that the sharpest contraction since the Association of Realtors. Never before have condomini-
Great Depression would just as quickly turn into boom There’s a very important wrinkle to all this, which ums trailed by so much.
times not seen since the 1980s. Likewise, no market is that income inequality has become greater over
strategist can say he or she predicted the historic rally time, resulting in what has become known as the “K- And if future inflation becomes K-shaped, it’s more
in stocks or appreciation in home prices that accompa- shaped” recovery. There’s strong evidence that the likely that the Fed will keep monetary policy looser for
nied the pandemic. increase in household net worth has been concen- longer than many anticipate to support lower-income
trated at the upper end. households and address inequities in the economy.
Last week brought some more news that no one When asked last year whether the Fed’s policies have
thought would be possible during a pandemic, which Of the $5 trillion increase in the first quarter, Fed contributed to wealth inequality, Chair Jerome Powell
is that U.S. household net worth ballooned by $25.6 data show that some $3.2 trillion came from gains had this response, according to Axios:
trillion in the 12 months ended March 31, bringing the in the stock market, and $968 billion came from real
total to $136.9 trillion. To put the rise in perspective, estate holdings. So, if you don’t have exposure to the If the Fed pulled back its support for the economy
consider that the average annual increase in the 10 stock market or aren’t a homeowner, you missed out. because it was worried about its impact on equity pric-
years through 2019 was a measly $5.35 trillion. That’s no small part of the population. es, “What would happen to the people that we’re actu-
ally, legally supposed to be serving?” Powell huffed.
There are a few of ways to think about this develop- In 2020, about 55 percent of Americans owned some
ment.The first is that it’s a testament to the swift actions form of stock, down 5 percentage points from 2000, Recent moves in the bond market may be reflect-
by the government and Federal Reserve to support the according to the Visual Capitalist website. Also, stock ing that sentiment. Yields on benchmark 10-year U.S.
economy by injecting trillions of dollars into the pock- ownership seems to be strongly linked to household Treasury notes fell last week to their lowest since early
ets of consumers and into the financial system. income, the website notes. Last year, 84 percent of U.S. March even though the government said its consumer
households earning $100,000 or more owned stock, price index rose 5 percent in May from a year earlier.
Those moves should help underpin the economy compared with just 22 percent of those making less
for years to come. The latest monthly survey of econ- than $40,000. If bond traders thought that faster inflation would
omists by Bloomberg News was released last Friday, induce the Fed to tighten monetary policy, then yields
and it showed that the chance of a recession over the The rate of homeownership is also down, dropping would have risen, and not just by a little.
next 12 months is 10 percent, matching the lows for to 65.6 percent as of the end of the first quarter from a
the series started in 2008. peak of 69.2 percent in 2004, according to the U.S. Cen- The economy’s reaction to the pandemic and the
sus Bureau. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, the rate unprecedented measures taken by the government
It’s not all good news, though. For one, it’s possible for those in their prime buying years, or 35 to 44, is down and Fed have been impossible to predict, and there’s
that all this wealth creation could lead households to even more, to 62 percent from 70.1 percent in 2005. no reason to expect that will change soon. If anything,
become more tolerant of higher consumer prices on expect the unexpected. 
a sustained basis. After all, what’s a few extra hundred So, just like the K-shaped recovery, could inflation
dollars on the cost of a backyard grill when your net become K-shaped as well, with upward pressure on A version of this article by Robert Burgess first ap-
worth has gone up by many multiples of that? prices felt most for goods and services favored by peared on Bloomberg. It does not necessarily reflect the
higher-income households? Once again, look to the views ofVero Beach 32963.
If that way of thinking comes to pass, it would upend housing market for possible evidence that this may be
the idea that the current spike in inflation rates is just happening already.
transitory and largely due to supply chain disruptions,
as the Fed suggests. The price of condominiums, generally targeted to
lower-income households, has risen 13.8 percent since
Recall how inflation rates jumped in 2005 after house- March 2020, trailing the 23 percent gain in more ex-
hold net worth grew by some 25 percent during 2003

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

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 31

INSIGHT WORLD NEWS AND OPINION

My annual travel insurance policy was useless. Help!

After the pandemic hits, Durndord came useless. Allianz travel insurance plans offer understandable.
King can’t use his annual travel insur- I asked Allianz if we could transfer coverage for any trips that are more Travel insurance companies have
ance policy from Allianz. Can he get his than 100 miles from your home and oc-
money back? our policy to next year when travel cur during the policy’s effective period. some flexibility when it comes to re-
appears to be coming back. The com- So it would have also applied to your quests like yours. You could have ap-
Question: pany offered a 90-day extension, but trips within the U.S. to visit friends and pealed to Allianz online (I recommend
Before the pandemic, I paid $1,025 it's clear that there will be no travel family during the summer and holi- a written appeal with any documenta-
for an annual travel insurance policy for us during those 90 days. I'd like days. If you want to cancel your annual tion). You could have also appealed to
through Allianz for my wife and me. your help to either get a refund for travel insurance, you can do so for any an executive at Allianz. I list their names,
She’s in her 70s, and I’m in my 80s. the useless travel insurance or have reason and receive a prorated premium numbers and email addresses on my
Then COVID-19 came along, and we the policy extended for another year refund. consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
had to cancel everything we planned when it appears we will actually be
to do in Europe. So our policy be- able to make use of it. It appears you asked for an exten- By the way, I have the same annual
sion of your policy. Allianz was offering policy that you do. It makes a lot of
Answer: extensions during the pandemic on a sense for travelers who take multiple
I'm sorry you had to cancel your trip case-by-case basis, so it offered you an trips in a year.
to Europe. You would think that your extra 90 days of coverage. But you told
travel insurance would be refundable, an Allianz representative you couldn't Unfortunately, the time for a prorated
but it usually isn’t. use the extra 90 days, which is totally refund had already passed by the time
you contacted me, and a 90-day exten-
sion wouldn’t have been useful. The
terms of your travel insurance purchase
were clear, but you were asking the
company to bend a rule during a pan-
demic. I think that was a fair request.

I contacted Allianz on your behalf. A
representative said that as a “one-time
consideration” it would refund your
plan in full. 

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

32 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

George (Montgomery Clift) is an upwardly own game, but, as Charles Casillo’s touching “Eliza- less employable and more alienating.
scrambling young man, embarrassed by his ori- beth and Monty” underscores, theirs was a relation- Work and hope fell away, and in 1966,
gins, dipping a toe in wealth’s pool. Angela (Eliza- ship of equals. Not a screen romance, exactly – he he died of a massive heart attack in his
beth Taylor) is the rich, indolent young woman who was gay, and she was ardently and serially heterosex- Manhattan townhouse. He was 45.
strolls into the billiard room just as George sinks a ual – but the longing was mutual, and that truth still
shot. They gaze at each other with perfect helpless- shines out from those long-ago close-ups. It’s a sad and brutal story, still com-
ness, and why not? They’re two of the most beautiful pelling after all these years, and if I
people ever to share a screen. In the years after “A Place in the Sun,” their ca- hold any reservations about the equal
reers and friendship would intertwine, but their lives billing in Charles Casillo’s title, it’s that
The origins of their story lie in Theodore Dreiser’s would converge most unforgettably around tragedy. it demands equal time for Taylor’s am-
“An American Tragedy,” which makes the unassail- On the night of May 12, 1956, Clift, driving home from ply documented scandals. Like a mil-
able point that people do bad things for money and a party at Taylor’s, wrapped his car around a util- lion gossip columnists before him,
status. The movie version, “A Place in the Sun,” does ity pole and smashed his head into the dashboard. Casillo weaves through the archipel-
to that social critique what movies do to social cri- Taylor rushed to his aid, and she pulled two broken ago of Liz’s lovers and husbands and,
tiques – and makes us complicit. We cease to care teeth from his throat to keep him from choking. But on occasion, lapses into cheesy scene-
what crimes George has to commit to keep Angela the face, with its crushed bones and severed nerves, setting. (“‘Damn you, Monty!’ she re-
because, having seen them together, we only want could only be reassembled, not restored. torted angrily. ‘You said you would
them to stay that way. No two lovers have ever hun- always be close with me! That you’d
gered for each other more, and no one else deserves The Clift who emerged from that wreck was a dis- always be my best friend!’ With that,
them. quieting sight: an aged sarcophagus of his former she slammed down the phone.”) But if
self, with a glint of terror in the eyes. In movies like you persevere through the hyperbole
Taylor and Clift were both ascendant actors when “The Misfits” and “Judgment at Nuremberg,” we can and repetition, you’ll be rewarded with
they were cast, but their trajectories couldn’t have still feel him in touch with his art, but the loss of his a new respect for Taylor, who was as
been more different. She was an MGM child star, beauty and expressive power and the permanent loyal and doughty a friend in life as any
trained from an early age to perform on cue. He was damage to his spine sent him into a slow death spiral she played on screen.
a child of the New York theater, a searching, deeply of alcohol and painkillers, supplemented at intervals
intelligent talent who, along with Marlon Brando, with heroin and self-injected liquid codeine. (Mari- The night of Clift’s accident, she
helped revolutionize American acting by turning it lyn Monroe, a “Misfits” co-star, allegedly said he was cradled his bleeding head until the ambulance came
inward. His example inspired Taylor to deepen her “the only person I know who is in worse shape than for him. Then she coaxed him back, still racked with
I am.”) As his addictions deepened, he became both pain, to the film set of “Raintree County.” She insisted
that he be cast with her in “Suddenly Last Summer,”
threatening to quit if the director replaced him with
another actor. When producers balked at hiring such
an unhealthy specimen to be her co-star in “Reflec-
tions in a Golden Eye,” she put up her own million-
dollar salary as insurance. (The movie was filmed
after his death with Brando in the Clift role.) “When
Elizabeth loved,” Casillo writes, “she loved big.”

Casillo makes a persuasive case that Taylor’s gutsy,
unapologetic AIDS activism, dating back to the ear-
liest years of the epidemic, was inspired by Clift’s
memory. The final testament belongs to Taylor her-
self, who, shortly before her own death, recorded
a moving tribute for Turner Classic Movies: “I miss
talking to him, exchanging thoughts and ideas. I miss
laughing together and doing silly things together.
He was the best friend I’ve ever had – and I think he
would say the same about me. … Oh, I loved him!
And I still do.” 

ELIZABETH AND MONTY

THE UNTOLD STORY OF THEIR INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP

BY CHARLES CASILLO | KENSINGTON. 352 PP. $27
REVIEW BY LOUIS BAYARD, THE WASHINGTON POST

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 33

INSIGHT BRIDGE

WITH VOIDS, WIN MANY TRUMP TRICKS WEST NORTH EAST
— J9765 432
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist K Q 10 8 — AJ64
K9762 QJ843 A 10 5
Ronald Reagan said, “The government’s view of the economy could be summed up 8743 K 10 2 J96
in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops
moving, subsidize it.” SOUTH
A K Q 10 8
Bridge players’ economies may improve with a well-placed short suit. If you have a good 97532
trump fit, a singleton opposite only the ace, or a void opposite low cards, you will win —
more tricks than your combined point-count would suggest. AQ5

In contrast, it is usually bad news to have singletons and voids opposite lots of honors. Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Both
However, diagnosing the position may be problematic.
The Bidding:
In today’s crazy deal, how do you think the auction should proceed?
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
North’s four-spade raise is pre-emptive, known as a weak freak in some quarters. It 1 Spades Pass 4 Spades Pass
shows lots of trumps and offensive, not defensive, values. Since a weak freak usually 5 Clubs Pass 5 Hearts Pass LEAD:
contains a singleton or void, South hoped it would be in hearts. So, he control-bid five 6 Diamonds Pass 6 Hearts Pass K Hearts
clubs. Then, when North could control-bid in hearts, South should have settled for six 7 Spades Pass Pass Pass
spades. However, he control-bid in diamonds and, after North confirmed a heart void (or
bare ace), South jumped ambitiously to seven spades.

After West led the heart king, how did South play?

Declarer had 10 tricks available with a red-suit crossruff. But he also needed three club
tricks. When planning a crossruff, always cash your side-suit winners first. So South,
after ruffing at trick one, took those three club tricks. Then he merrily crossruffed home
to his grand slam, leaving West to rue that he had not held a trump to lead.

34 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (JUNE 10) ON PAGE 58

ACROSS DOWN
1 Tooted (4) 2 Shelf (5)
4 Lovely woman (5) 3 Sin; incorrect (5)
9 Used to (5) 4 Combats (7)
10 Autumn month (7) 5 Unpaid pet project (6,2,4)
11 Frozen lump (7) 6 Dirt; planet (5)
13 Chuckle (5) 7 Possessing (6)
14 Stuck (6) 8 Muskrat peers (anag.)(12)
16 Onto the beach (6) 12 Free (3)
18 Poetry (5) 15 Foes (7)
19 Outcomes (7) 16 Expert; card (3)
21 Breed or breeds(7) 17 With comfort (6)
22 Flat; height (5) 18 Be a guest with (5)
23 Elephant teeth (5) 19 Thorned flowers (5)
24 Flower stalk (4) 20 Do a crossword (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 17, 2021 35

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 79 Cartoonist Groening 37 More of what Wifey has in The Washington Post
1 Subside 80 Hose content mind for Hubby
6 Highway sight 81 Certain runners AH, LABOR DAY By Merl Reagle
10 No way to be equipped? 82 Battery’s kick: abbr. 38 More of what Wifey has in
13 Radiator sound 83 More of what Wifey has in mind for Hubby THE Art & Science
17 What Hubby has in mind for mind for Hubby
85 New York team 39 Jazz singer Laine and the of Cosmetic Surgery
Labor Day 86 Millennia goldfish in Pinocchio
19 What Wifey has in mind for 88 Rosemary portrayer SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
89 Reconciling question 40 Q-tip target, often • Minimal Incision Lift for the
Hubby on Labor Day 90 She was Ann in King Kong 41 More of what Wifey has in
22 More of what Wifey has 93 Minaret structures Face, Body, Neck & Brow
96 Small, precise model: abbr. mind for Hubby • Breast Augmentations
in mind for Hubby 97 Parisian “present” 42 More of what Wifey has in
23 More of what Wifey has 98 Therefore & Reductions
99 More of what Wifey has in mind for Hubby • Post Cancer Reconstructions
in mind for Hubby mind for Hubby 43 Totem pole bottom • Chemical Peels • Botox
24 Canaries and 101 More of what Wifey has in 45 Philadelphia’s founder • Laser Surgery • Tummy Tucks
mind for Hubby 46 Actor Wallach • Obagi Products • Liposculpture
canines, e.g. 104 More of what Wifey has in 48 Wrist bone • Skin Cancer Treatments
25 Contents of la mer mind for Hubby 49 Interminable
26 Some are workers 105 Hubby’s condition when 50 Musketeer set-tos
28 Orchestra percussion Labor Day finally ends 53 Refill fluid
29 Hosp. staffers 106 As I Lay Dying husband 54 Have something in common
30 Proceeded (anagram 56 Stars, in Latin
31 Maverick of a sort: abbr. of 16 Down) 57 Playful talk
32 Rock discoveries 107 Freudian concept 61 Some trains
33 Drs.’ certificates 108 Deli breads 62 Roast need
34 More of what Wifey has 109 “___ you ready yet?” 63 Creepy sensations
DOWN 64 Get louder, in mus.
in mind for Hubby 1 Wizard of Oz music man 65 TVs
37 Certain enlistee: abbr. Harold 69 The Hula Hoop,
40 Compositions of a sort 2 Borscht ingredients
43 Spanish article 3 Sadly, to the Bard for one
44 “No thanks, ___ already” 4 Basker’s goal 70 Barbarian
45 Risk 71 Prompt
47 On ___ (capriciously) 5 Goes beyond 72 Cools one’s heels
48 Machinery part 6 Ale relative 73 Abbr. in a
49 “Orinoco Flow” singer
50 Of extra fine quality 7 Ice, to a German Nolte-Murphy title
51 The Cloister and the Hearth 8 Mathematician of 75 “Silent” prez
one-sided strip fame 79 Letter
author 9 Purpose 80 “... in ___ far, far away ...”
52 Storefront shades 10 Nicknames for tunesmith 81 Singer Etheridge
54 Meet by chance Berlin and author Wallace 83 Limit: ___ a customer
55 Aussie avian 11 Poetic meadow 84 Dog on RCA labels
56 Assante or Hammer 12 Milk sugar 85 Incan ruins, ___ Picchu
57 “I’ve ___ had!” 13 Foam or froth 86 Peter Shaffer play
58 Dawn goddess 14 Fools, for short 87 Beyond propriety
59 Very, very softly, in mus. 15 Humane org. 89 Newsroom measures
60 More of what Wifey has 16 Tippi’s costar in Marnie 90 Auto air-conditioner fluid
18 Alda and Arkin 91 Representative
in mind for Hubby 20 Naturalist John and family 92 Not hither
63 Part of a dance 21 ___ Lanka 93 Booker T’s band
64 TV oldie, ___ Sharkey 22 Resuscitation skill: abbr. 94 Killer whale
65 Star Trek phaser setting 27 Fringe, e.g. 95 Part of ASAP
66 Actress Verdugo et al. 30 Born loser’s cry 96 Casino city
67 Chiffons hit, 33 No longer in debt 98 A canal
34 French brandy 100 Slit-skirt revelation
“___ So Fine” 35 Sunlight 102 Start of many titles
68 Workers with shingles 36 ___ standstill 103 Building complex: abbr.
70 An Officer and a Gentleman

Oscar winner
72 Shoe size factor
74 Flubs in print
75 Debate points
76 Born
77 Mr. Hiss
78 Gulf War missiles

The Telegraph Proudly caring for patients over 28 years.

3790 7th Terrace, Suite 101, Vero Beach, Florida

772.562.5859

www.rosatoplasticsurgery.com

Ralph M. Rosato
MD, FACS





38 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

How to tell your incessantly yakking pals to get to the point

BY CAROLYN HAX It’s never too late to build some, though – you
Washington Post just need to embrace the idea that you can. That
you’re allowed to keep yakkers at bay and still be
Dear Carolyn: Please help me considered polite. That you will be happier if you
keep yakkers at bay.
deal with two friends who talk
I realize these are not universal preferences.
incessantly. Both feel the need to You might prize your definition of polite. It might
be your own, not some overbearing-family resi-
dominate conversations by shar- due. You might prefer yourself as the lovably
long-suffering ear to these navel-lint scientists.
ing every single detail of their
So that’s the first part of my advice: Decide who
days. They rarely ask about me. I you want to be, how you want to see yourself.

can’t spew out details of my life quickly – it takes You are asking how to get them to cut it short,
yes, which means you’re obviously not content
me some time to warm up and share. During that with the status quo.

time, they interrupt and change the topic back to But you want them to change, not you – and
besides being impossible, could that also mean
their lives. A typical phone call takes an hour, dur- you value being the one they all call? You just
want some handy phrases to shave off the last 15
ing which I hear details of the dog’s eating activities minutes?

and conversation with waiters at restaurants I don’t If it’s just that, then there isn’t (and hasn’t been,
all along) anything stopping you from thinking
frequent. I am bored to death! some up. “I have to go” – for chores, errands, other
calls, “this and that.” Not because you owe people
We are all retired, so they know I can answer the reasons, but because you seem to want them.

phone when they call; they know my volunteer If you’re really ready to reclaim your time from
grabby people, though, then go back to the foun-
schedule and don’t phone during those hours. They dation. Your time is yours, you give it as a gift, gifts
are the giver’s prerogative, and any time is a good
know my cellphone is nearby. I cannot ghost them. time to screen non-emergency calls. Good luck,
and let us know how the kibble saga works out. 
And I can’t come up with any good excuses to get off

the phone! If I say I “have to go,” I am asked, “Oh, Metaphorically. Of course.
You don’t need excuses to get off the phone! “I’m
what are you doing?” going now – talk later.” [End call.]
You don’t need to be busy to decline a call! [Decline.]
Please tell me how I can politely tell them to get You don’t need to explain what you were not
busy not doing when you decline a call! [“Nothing
to the point. interesting. What’s up?”]
It’s no wonder you have friends talking kibble to
–Bored to Tears you for an hour – you have no working defenses
against them.
Bored to Tears: Maybe I will, but first I want to
find a wormhole to go back to your childhood to
slap the person who installed your current operat-
ing definition of “polite.”

LET’S PLAY!

SPRUCED-UP THEATRE GUILD
SET FOR 2021-22 SEASON

LET’S PLAY!set for 2021-22 season40 VeroBeach32963/June17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Spruced-up Theatre Guild

BY PAM HARBAUGH | CORRESPONDENT

With all the recent audition and Jeff Barkwell, one of the
design activity at the Vero Beach cast members of “One Flew
Theatre Guild, one would never
guess that a global pandemic took a Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
bite out of its last season, with can-
cellations and postponements dis- PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES
appointing audiences and partici-
pants alike. signers to discuss scenery, lighting,
costumes and props.
Now, though, thanks to vaccines
and smart anti-virus practices, the From classic and contemporary
Vero Beach Theatre Guild has an- comedies and dramas to thrillers
nounced a 2021/2022 season full of and original works, the upcoming
entertainment, just in time to ac-
commodate a broader community
eager to return to the theater.

“We’re really excited to be opening
up and welcoming more and more
people with each show,” says VBTG
president Lisa McNamee.

“I feel that we made a diamond out
of coal.”

McNamee says that they took ad-
vantage of the downtime during the
pandemic to create a more open and
welcoming theater, “so that the Vero
Beach Theatre Guild can become a
pure community cultural center.”

During the seven months that the
theater was “dark,” it underwent a
facelift, with seating meticulously
cleaned and spaced further apart,
aisles shifted, and the building’s
original terrazzo floors restored.
The lobby was expanded, air condi-
tioning was improved, and the box
office was made more efficient.

The Theatre Guild drew audi-
ences back at a limited capacity last
November. And now, a giddy excite-
ment permeates the theater with up-
coming shows almost fully cast and
directors already meeting with de-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 41

ARTS & THEATRE

season is set to thrill the entire the- Mason Harvey.
ater-loving community.

The season begins next month
with the presentation of the elec-
trifying drama, “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest,” July 14-25. Adapted
by Dale Wasserman (“Man of La
Mancha”) from the book by Ken Kes-
ey, the drama revolves around rebel-
lious Randle McMurphy, who gets
transferred from a prison farm to a
psychiatric ward, where he engages
in a battle of wills with the none-
too-nice Nurse Ratched.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

Micki Mihich, Corey Koepke,
Will Commerford, and Phil Markley.

Jenelle DeLuca, Eleanore Dixon,
and KJ Johnson.

Michael Naffzinger.

42 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 ARTS & THEATRE

tion, so do property lines. “There are
very few plays that make me laugh out
loud and this is one of them,” Putzke
says. By the way, this is one play that
has not been completely cast. The the-
ater still needs to fill the spot for the
characters of the Hispanic lawyer and
his wife. Auditions for those roles will
be announced in January 2022.

In a nod to the spooky season of Mixing it up with some lightheart- A British farce takes center stage Longtime supporters of the The-
Halloween, the theater will present ed fare is “Calendar Girls,” Jan. 12- with “See How They Run,” March atre Guild may notice that there are no
an original production of “Dracula,” 23, 2022. While the backstory is se- 16-27, 2022. Written by Phillip King, Apron Series this coming season. That’s
Oct. 6-17. This production is written rious – a major character’s husband the fast-paced romp takes place in an because something even better has
by its director, Alex Martinez, who dies of cancer – the rest of the show English vicarage, where the Ameri- been created – a flexible performance
is a favorite VBTG actor. The play is filled with mirth as the widow and can wife of a young vicar meets up space called the Studio Theatre, in the
follows Professor Van Helsing and her mature girlfriends join forces with an old American acting chum. former downstairs green room.
his team as they go to Transylvania to raise money for the cancer ward. Throw in a snooty matron, a bawdy
to hunt down the bloodthirsty vam- Their solution is to all pose nude for cockney maid, a Russian spy and a Plans are for this new little spot to
pire Count Dracula, who terrorized a calendar. The show is not especial- two more clerics, and you have the seat 38 people in a traditional audience
London. ly naughty, but it is uninhibited and palette for fun. “I know our audienc- configuration and 60 people in the
filled with British humor. es do like farces,” Putzke says. “And round. The idea there is to have more
One of the theater world’s favor- this is a good one, a classic.” gutsy dramatic works, which should
ite whodunits comes next, with With Valentine’s Day in its midst, draw new patrons, especially younger
“Sleuth,” Nov. 10-21. This witty cat- the theater will present the musical The season closes with the contem- ones. Shows in the Studio Theatre will
and-mouse game takes place in an “I Do! I Do!” Feb. 9-27, 2022. The porary comedy “Native Gardens,” be announced at a later date.
estate on the English countryside. musical, by Tom Jones and Har- May 11-22, 2022. Written by award-
Betrayal, lust, murder, revenge … vey Schmidt (“The Fantasticks”), is winning playwright Karen Zacarias, It can also be used as a place to gather
the Anthony Schaffer play has it all. based on Jan de Hartog’s play “The this new work takes a warmhearted, for master classes, lectures and staged
“It’s clever, with major twists throw- Fourposter.” It begins in the 1890s funny look at taste, class, privilege readings, coinciding with month-long
ing you completely off from the path and follows newlyweds as they go and entitlement. In it, a retired couple festivals honoring select playwrights.
you think it’s going to lead,” says the through life raising children, hav- maintains a prize-winning garden
Guild’s artistic president, Jon Putz- ing quarrels, making up. “It’s one within a perfectly manicured lawn. “My goal was to have a large vari-
ke. “I wanted to do something with big valentine,” Putzke says. “It’s a A young Hispanic couple moves in ety of choices to broaden audience
a true mystery element to it. This is charming musical and it’s perfect for next door and decides to grow native appeal,” Putzke says. “Between this
one of the best out there.” the Guild audiences.” plants. When a fence comes into ques- season and what we will be adding
with the new Studio Theatre, we’ll see
a goodly amount of new people com-
ing to the Theatre Guild, not only to
be audience, but performers as well.”

Curtain for all the main stage shows is
7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays,
and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Single tickets for non-musical shows
are $30 for adults, or $15 for students 18
years and younger. Save money by buy-
ing the four-show (non-musical) Flex
Pass which costs $100 for adults, and
$50 for students ages 18 and younger.

Musicals are $35 for adults, and
$17.50 for students ages 18 and
younger. Handling charges apply.

The Vero Beach Theatre Guild is lo-
cated at 2020 San Juan Ave. Call 772-
562-8300 or visit VeroBeachTheatre-
Guild.com. 



44 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! Unite and delight in Gifford’s ‘Juneteenth’ fest

BY PAM HARBAUGH citing to have him that close in our
Correspondent little town.” Interestingly, Chesnutt
had originally planned to perform
1 The entire community is invited at the Indian River County Firefight-
to “Juneteenth, a Day of Celebra- ers Fair, which is held in the spring.
However, due to the pandemic, he
tion,” running Saturday at the Victor had to postpone. Now, though, orga-
nizers have taken advantage of the
Hart Sr. Complex in Gifford. Organiz- change and created a second festi-
val, which they intend to make into
ers from Community United IRC say an annual summer country music
event. Funds raised at both festivals
everyone should enjoy the jubilant day. go to the Indian River County Fire-
fighters’ Burn Fund, scholarships
There will be food, bounce houses, and a special program that helps
people displaced by fires. In addi-
music, more than 30 vendors, a “seven tion to enjoying the musical line-
up, patrons should have fun at the
on seven” football game for the grown- bounce houses, vendors, food trucks
and more. Tickets to the Country In-
ups, arts and crafts, and more. Also ferno Music Festival are $40 general
to $200 for the all-access pass (there
known as “Freedom Day,” Juneteenth are good discounts for advanced
sale tickets). The all-access pass
commemorates June 19, 1865, when will get you in special VIP seating,
a meal, and VIP bathrooms as well.
word reached Texas that the Civil War “The top ticket gets you special seat-
ing, upon a stage close to the main-
had ended and so, too, did slavery in stage,” Raynor said. “The only thing
they can’t do is get up on stage and
the United States. Organizers of Gif- sing along into the mic.” Wes’ Back-
yard BBQ will be supplying the VIP
ford’s Juneteenth celebration hope the stage food and Southern Eagle Dis-
tributing is sponsoring VIP drinks.
festival will grow into an annual one There’s also camping, with reserva-
tions available online. The Country
and that everyone will come celebrate Inferno Music Festival opens 11 a.m.
Saturday at the Indian River County
this important part of American his- Fairgrounds, 7955 58th Ave., Vero
Beach. To purchase advance sale
tory. “We’re trying to unify the com- United IRC members Chester Don- Now, though, it looks like it’s gathering tickets, or to make camping reserva-
ley, Constance Peterson, Javon Green, steam. “We never expected it to get to tions, go to CountryInferno.com.
munity,” says organizer Javon Green. Merchon Green, Ronshaun Jones, Tan- this point,” Green said. The event runs
ya Robinson, Raine Rose and Teearka 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in the large
“We’re open to every race. I would love Phinizee. They had to cancel the event park at the Victor Hart Sr. Complex,
last year because of the pandemic. 4715 43rd St. Admission is free. Funds
to see a nice large crowd.” The event raised from vendor fees will go to the
community’s efforts in getting chil-
came together loosely a few years ago dren needed supplies when they re-
turn to school. For more information,
on a Facebook page of Community call 772-501-7632 or go to the Facebook
page of Community United IRC.

2 Country music icon Mark
Chesnutt comes to town Satur-

day evening to perform at the Coun-

try Inferno Music Festival, which

is presented by the Indian River

County Firefighters. While he takes

3 Learn about the care, feeding
and beauty of aquatic plants

at the 16th Annual Waterlily Cel-

ebration, taking place Saturday at

the McKee Botanical Garden. The

focus will be on one of McKee’s col-

Mark Chesnutt. lection of more than 80 varieties of

the stage in the evening, the festi- waterlilies – potted and free range –
val presents a full day of music. The
performance schedule is: King Tide, with both night-blooming and day-
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Whiskey Trip,
2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Randy McNeeley, blooming varieties. It is one of the
3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.; Kurt Stevens, 4:15
p.m. to 5 p.m.; Pryce & Lee, 5:30 p.m. state’s largest collection of waterlil-
to 6:30 p.m.; and Chesnutt, who per-
forms 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. “Having a ies. In addition, there will be repot-
national music icon like Mark Ches-
nutt is something that everyone ting demonstrations and aquatic
should come out and experience,”
said Jeff Raynor, the festival’s as- plant experts and vendors on hand.
sistant manager. “It’s just super ex-
The event runs 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday at the McKee Botanical

Garden, 350 U.S. 1, Vero Beach. Ad-

mission is $15 general, with dis-

counts for seniors, teens, children,

first responders and military, both

active and veteran. For more infor-

mation, call 772-794-0601 or visit

McKeeGarden.org. 

PROPER FOOTCARE ESPECIALLY
CRUCIAL FOR DIABETICS

46 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Proper footcare especially crucial for diabetics

BY KERRY FIRTH Dr. Keith Kalish. ropathy where they can’t feel their until the callous progresses
Correspondent feet as well as they should. Where a to a more severe problem like
PHOTOS: KAILA JONES non-diabetic will have a callous and an ulceration.
The average person walks hun- feel pain, the diabetic may not feel
dreds of miles a year and many formations in a diabetic are more the pain and continue to ambulate “The ulcer is basically a
thousands of miles in their lifetime. problematic because they may have hole in the skin and the skin
That’s a lot of wear and tear on the vascular problems where they don’t is the No. 1 barrier against
feet. Since there is no such thing as have adequate blood flow to their infection,” Dr. Kalish contin-
switching them out for a new set, lower extremities, or they have neu- ued. “An open ulcer can lead
it is important to get treatment for diabetics down a cascade of
disorders of the feet so they can events that lead to more se-
continue carrying you through life’s rious problems like a bone
journey. infection. In severe cases, it
can lead to amputation, and
Dr. Keith Kalish, a Vero Beach po- if you get one amputation the
diatrist, has treated just about every chance of getting additional
foot problem imaginable, including amputations goes up. If we
the special problems diabetics face can prevent these problems
with foot diseases and disorders. from the start, we can save
them more problems down
“Diabetics are more at risk of de- the road.”
veloping severe foot problems than
the general population, so it’s very A little more than 10 per-
important that they pay close atten- cent of the U.S. population
tion to their feet,” Dr. Kalish said. – 34.2 million people – have
diabetes, according to the
“A lot of what we see with diabet- Centers for Disease Control and
ics starts with something as simple Prevention, and about half of them
as a callous. Callous formations are have some kind of nerve damage.
nature’s defense mechanism and While you can experience nerve
usually caused by a bony abnormal- damage in any part of your body, the
ity underneath that area. Callous

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 47

HEALTH

nerves in the feet and legs are most tance of wearing socks,” Dr. Kalish Dr. Kalish treats “everything from spurs and diabetic foot care.
often affected. Some people with continued. “Living in Florida socks skin problems to bone problems, Dr. Kalish received his medical
foot nerve damage have numbness, are even more important than to muscular problems to neuro-
tingling or pain, but others have shoes because they cut down on logical problems with the foot and degree from the Ohio College of Po-
no symptoms at all. This damage, bacterial and fungus infections by ankle. We do everything from wart diatric Medicine in Cleveland and
called peripheral neuropathy, can lowering the moisture content on removal to reconstructive surgery attended Straith Memorial Hospital
literally cause a diabetic to lose all your skin and nails. that takes care of anything that is in Michigan for residency training.
feeling in their feet. a bony problem. We basically take He is board certified with the Amer-
“The hotter it is, the more impor- crooked bones and make them ican Board of Podiatric Surgery and
While living without pain in the tant socks are because you sweat straighter. Pain is not normal. If the American Board of Podiatric Or-
feet may sound good, it comes at a more. You can remove a sock and your feet don’t work properly, you’ll thopedics.
high cost. Pain is the body’s way of put on a fresh sock, but you can’t do go nowhere fast.”
telling you something is wrong and that with sandals. Any sock is better Dr. Keith Kalish established his pri-
needs to be addressed. Small prob- than no sock and white socks are Some of the more common issues vate practice at Kalish Foot Care in
lems like a cut, blister or sore can preferable to colored socks, which he treats include orthopedic/bone is- Vero Beach in 1987 and prides him-
escalate to a serious problem if not have dye in them. Take care of your sues such as fractures, pain and bone self on having long-term, personal re-
treated early. feet and they’ll take care of you!” deformities associated with bunions, lationships with his patients. He can
hammertoes, metatarsal pain, heel be reached at 772-567-0111. 
“I tell my patients with neu- Besides diabetic foot problems,
ropathy to trust what you see and
not what you feel,” Dr. Kalish said.
“What you feel may not register, but
if you see redness or drainage or
something that looks unusual, you
should see your foot doctor. This is
especially true if you have a wound
that will not heal.”

One of the most important things
doctors do to get diabetic wounds
to heal is offload the patient by uti-
lizing a boot or surgical shoe to take
the weight off the affected area. You
can put a wound care product on
the affected area, but if someone is
putting a lot of weight on it, an ul-
cer or other wound will not heal. By
getting the pressure off, the wound
will heal quicker.

Once the ulcer is healed, your
doctor can fit you with a diabetic
shoe and schedule diabetic foot
care on a regular basis to prevent
a reoccurrence. Medicare has a
diabetic shoe program that covers
most of the cost of diabetic foot-
wear.

Most people with diabetes can
prevent serious foot complications
with regular home care and occa-
sional podiatric doctor checkups.

Interestingly enough, foot doc-
tors oftentimes are the first ones to
notice a patient may have diabetes.
The foot is the furthest body part
from the heart, so if there is a prob-
lem with circulation, that often is
where it first appears.

That said, proper foot care is im-
perative for everyone, not just dia-
betics. Check your feet every day
for cuts, swelling, sores, blisters,
corns, calluses or any changes to
the skin or nails. Wash your feet
daily and dry them completely.
Never go barefoot.

Wear shoes that fit. Trim your
toenails. Don’t remove corns and
callouses yourself since some over-
the-counter products could burn
your skin. Get your feet checked
at every healthcare visit. Keep the
blood flowing with exercise and
proper diet. Avoid smoking.

“I can’t stress enough the impor-

48 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

FDA approves first drug intended to slow Alzheimer’s

BY LAURIE MCGINLEY mark of the disease. It ordered the If the medication does not provide and Research, said officials believe it
The Washington Post drug’s maker, the biotech giant such a clinical benefit, the FDA’s ap- is “reasonably likely” that the reduc-
Biogen, to conduct a post-approval proval could be withdrawn. tion in amyloid clumps will confer
The Food and Drug Administra- study confirming the medicine ac- “important benefits to patients.”
tion last week approved the first tually slows cognitive deterioration. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the
Alzheimer’s treatment intended to FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation Last week’s FDA decision was the
slow cognitive decline, a move hailed most contentious in years and fol-
by patients and advocates but sharp- lowed prolonged debate among re-
ly criticized by others who argued searchers, doctors, patients and
there was not sufficient evidence advocates about whether the medi-
that the drug works. cation works – a consequence of the
drug’s complicated history. One of
The medication, called adu- the biggest points of disagreement is
canumab, is the first drug cleared for whether a reduction in amyloid beta,
Alzheimer’s that is designed to alter a sticky compound that many scien-
the course of the disease by slow- tists believe damages communica-
ing the deterioration of brain func- tion between brain cells and eventu-
tion – not just to ease symptoms. ally kills them, results in a slowdown
No Alzheimer’s treatment has been in cognitive decline.
approved since 2003, reflecting the
extraordinarily high failure rate of Advocacy groups and patients
drugs developed for the illness. praised the FDA decision, citing the
paucity of drugs to help patients and
But in an explicit acknowledgment saying the approval would stimulate
of the uncertainties about the effec- newfound interest and investment
tiveness of the drug, the FDA did not in researching therapies for the pro-
grant the medication full approval. gressive, terminal illness and give
Instead, the agency cleared the drug patients valuable time to be with
– its brand name will be Aduhelm – their families and perform everyday
based on its ability to reduce clumps tasks.
of amyloid beta in the brain, a hall-
The decision “is a victory for peo-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 49

HEALTH

ple living with Alzheimer’s and their regulatory standards, and my con- shown to improve cognition – a point Public Citizen, a watchdog group
families,” said Harry Johns, presi- cern is that in this instance they may disputed by FDA officials, who said and frequent critic of the FDA, said in
dent and chief executive of the Al- have.” an internal agency study indicated a statement last week that the agen-
zheimer’s Association. that eliminating amyloid clumps cy’s close collaboration with Biogen
Alexander also noted other amy- could be helpful to patients. before and after the company’s ap-
Jeff Borghoff, 57, who was diag- loid-reducing drugs have not been plication seeking approval “danger-
nosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s ously compromised the integrity of
five years ago and has received adu- the agency’s review.”
canumab in clinical trials, expressed
elation about the FDA decision. The FDA’s Cavazzoni said she was
satisfied the interaction between
“This is epic news,” said Borghoff, the staff and the company “was ap-
a resident of Forked River, N.J., who propriate and necessary,” given the
credits the drug with keeping his FDA’s questions and the complexity
condition stable. “Now, I may have of Biogen’s application.
time to watch my kids get married.
My wife said, ‘I have more time with The intravenous treatment does
you now.’” not cure Alzheimer’s disease or re-
verse it. Last week, Biogen said it
But critics assailed the decision, would charge $56,000 a year per pa-
arguing that data on the drug’s ef- tient, making it a blockbuster prod-
fectiveness is weak and that the FDA uct for the company and adding bil-
approval represents a dangerous lions of dollars to the nation’s health
lowering of standards in response to tab. Its stock rose 38 percent.
pressure from patients and advocacy
groups. A Boston group that assesses the
value of treatments – the Institute
“I’m surprised and disappointed,” for Clinical and Economic Review –
said G. Caleb Alexander, an inter- said this year that aducanumab, to
nist and epidemiologist at the Johns be cost effective, should be priced at
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Pub- $2,500 to $8,000 a year per patient.
lic Health and a member of the FDA
advisory committee that last fall re- Medicare is likely to shoulder much
soundingly rejected the drug. of the cost of the drug, given the age
of people with Alzheimer’s, but it has
“I think this product was driven not indicated its plans for coverage.
across the line by the magnitude of Private payers will be under intense
unmet need, which is enormous,” he
said. “But unmet needs can’t trump CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

50 Vero Beach 32963 / June 17, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45 HEALTH

pressure to pay for the treatment but reason” why the reduction of amyloid to a complicated situation.” He said the drug would not have been avail-
may push back on the price. It’s not clumps would benefit patients at one the decision means patients will be able to patients outside of studies for
clear yet how much patients on gov- stage of the disease and not others. able to receive the treatment outside another three to five years, an out-
ernment or private insurance will He said physicians should discuss of clinical trials, but because of the come he viewed as undesirable. He
have to pay in cost-sharing. the medication with their patients “equivocal nature” of the efficacy also predicted Aduhelm will be just
and decide on the best course. data, the company will have to con- one element in an anti-Alzheimer’s
The medication is a monoclonal duct another trial proving the ther- arsenal in coming years, as research-
antibody, a protein made in the labo- Ronald C. Petersen, director of the apy works. ers develop combinations that are
ratory that can bind to substances – Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Re- more effective than single medica-
in this case, clumps of amyloid beta. search Center, called the FDA’s con- If the FDA had required such a trial tions.
It is designed to trigger an immune ditional approval “a good outcome before granting approval, he said,
response that reduces the plaques. Jason Karlawish, a neurologist
at the University of Pennsylvania’s
About 6.2 million Americans have Perelman School of Medicine, had a
Alzheimer’s, a number projected to starkly different view. He wrote in a
more than double by 2050, barring May 30 column for Stat, a news site
breakthroughs in treatment, accord- that covers medicine and health, that
ing to the Alzheimer’s Association. he would not prescribe aducanumab
if approved, because the data were
The drug was tested in people incomplete, and the therapy had not
with the earliest stages of disease been properly studied.
– those with mild cognitive impair-
ment or early-stage dementia who The FDA has used its accelerated
had undergone testing to confirm approval program many times for
the presence of amyloid clumps in cancer drugs, clearing therapies, for
their brains. Several doctors said last example, that shrink tumors and
week they were preparing to offer the then requiring a follow-up study
drug to their patients and would fo- showing whether the drug improves
cus on that population in using the survival. But getting pharmaceutical
drug. Biogen said that up to 2 million companies to comply with mandates
people in the United States might be to conduct the post-approval studies
eligible for the treatment. has at times been difficult, and the
agency has sometimes been slow to
The FDA did not restrict which pa- yank approved drugs from the mar-
tient groups could get the drug. Peter ket, even when the follow-up studies
Stein, director of the Office of New fail or aren’t completed. 
Drugs at the agency, said in an in-
terview that there was “no particular

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