03/16/2023 ISSUE 11

This week marks three years since the abrupt closing of local bars and gyms over concerns that both types of indoor gathering places could spread the COVID virus, and though Vero bars and gyms are back open and thriving, unfortunately we are still trying to keep an eye on COVID-19 trends and statistics. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 illness were way down this week compared to last week, but we have no clear fix on what’s happening with new infections locally News 1-14 Arts 51-58 Books 44 Dining 74-77 Editorial 42 Games 45-49 Health 59-67 Insight 37-50 People 15-35 Pets 36 Real Estate 79-92 Style 68-73 March 16, 2023 Volume 16, Issue 11 Newsstand Price $2.00 TO ADVERTISE CALL 772-559-4187 FOR CIRCULATION CALL 772-226-7925 CardioMEMS device can detect heart failure earlier. P60 Charity tourney helps seniors. P32 Embattled sheriff restructures his top staff. P14 New homes at heart of Moorings fundraising. P16 © 2023 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. For breaking news visit Don’t be surprised when county commissioners Joe Earman, Susan Adams and Laura Moss launch their 2024 re-election campaigns by talking about the importance of their deep roots in the community – home-grown knowledge of what makes this place so special. Don’t necessarily believe them, either – because they’ve made it obvious they place little value in those qualities. Two Fridays ago, in fact, none of the three voted to include Phil Matson among the top two candidates for the recently filled county administrator’s position. Neither Adams nor Moss put him on their list of five finalists. The reason? They wanted an outsider. That’s right: Matson’s 20 years as the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization’s staff director and the past two as community development director ac2 Vero lawyers on short list for judicial vacancy Vero Beach attorneys Jeff Battista and Bill Long, along with three other Treasure Coast residents, are now on the short list of candidates to replace retired Judge Dan Vaughn on the bench. Also moved forward by the 19th Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee were Martin County lawyer Brennan Keeler, who represents a Palm Beach County police union, plus two St. Lucie County residents — Lillian Ewen, who serves as a 19th Circuit General Magistrate, and Anastasia Norman, a major crimes prosecutor for State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl’s office in Fort Pierce. Of the two Vero hopefuls, longtime criminal defense and divorce attorney Battista definitely has more, and more varied, experience. Battista, 52, has practiced BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 The first phase of a new Twin Pairs traffic study to ascertain the feasibility of reducing State Road 60 to two lanes in each direction through downtown Vero was scheduled to There has been a revolution in 32963 listing prices this season. In five short weeks, between the end of January and beginning of March, four homes came on the market that have a combined asking price just shy of $190 million. Between them, the houses have 34 bedrooms, 44 baths, 36 garage spaces, six swimming pools, 850 feet of ocean frontage and more than 70,000 square feet under roof. BY STEVEN M. THOMAS Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Twin Pairs traffic study gets green light Another $40 million island listing to attract world’s wealthiest begin this week and take three months to complete. Vero Beach City Manager Monte Falls said the study’s initial phase, which will cost more than $50,000, will involve collecting and analyzing traffic data with a goal of providPHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS MY VERO BY RAY MCNULTY Commissioners: Who needs local knowledge? BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS 3 years later: Covid lingers, but in Vero life has moved on Patrons at Bobby’s Restaurant & Lounge on Ocean Drive.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ law for 23 years as an assistant state attorney, a private criminal defense attorney and a family law attorney, handling divorces and custody disputes. Battista also serves as a hearing officer for traffic court when local citizens fight a citation. He joined the Grall Law Group after his former law partner Nicole Menz was appointed a county judge. This is Battista’s sixth time in the running for a local judicial seat. Assistant State Attorney Bill Long serves as attorney in charge of State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl’s Vero office, overseeing all Indian River County criminal cases and prosecuting hundreds of cases in his own felony caseload. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 2009, Long, 40, served as a teaching assistant while attending Stetson University College of Law, but has no civil, family or criminal defense trial experience. NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Judicial short list

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 3 tually worked against him. Ignored was the fact that Matson possessed years of institutional knowledge, repeatedly demonstrated his loyalty to the county and contributed mightily to local efforts to maintain the quality of life we enjoy. And it didn’t matter that his field of expertise covers planning, development and managing growth – three of the most compelling issues the county will face in its immediate future. Matson never had a chance. Because he works here. “Phil is really good at what he does, but after all his years with the county, he’s ingrained in the system,” Earman said. “I felt we needed to look outside and get a different perspective from someone who can view things from 20,000 feet instead of from down the hall.” Adams said she, too, was “looking for a fresh set of eyes,” because “with new people, you get new ideas and NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 If either Long or Norman is appointed a judge, that would be a great loss to Bakkedahl’s dwindling stable of skilled prosecutors, as the agency has lost its best and brightest to retirement, judicial appointment or other careers. Nine people applied and were interviewed in Stuart last week by a nine-person panel chaired by Adam Schwartz, a Martin County attorney. A third Vero applicant, prosecutor Robby Stone, was not nominated by the committee. The five chosen by the panel were then forwarded to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office. As a rule, DeSantis tends to announce political and judicial appointments on Friday afternoons, so he could decide who he wants to serve the people of Florida’s 19th Circuit by the end of this week. Vaughn, who retired in January after serving 32 years as a county or circuit judge, has been watching the selection process for his replacement closely from home. Though he wouldn’t reveal his top pick on the record, Vaughn did offer some wisdom about what type of man or woman has the potential to be a good judge. “Some needed qualities are a serious work ethic – it’s not a part-time job. Treat clerks, bailiffs and others with the utmost respect and appreciation. Try to thank them every day. They are not a judge’s servants, although judges treat them that way,” Vaughn said. “A lot of patience. Never lose your cool or temper in front of people, especially in court. Go back to your office and blow steam if it’s needed. Treat parties with patience and give them your undivided attention. They expect and deserve that.” Vaughn continued, “Take your job very seriously as every decision, even the small seemingly insignificant ones, will affect someone’s life. But, on the other hand, don’t take yourself that seriously. Always try to explain your reasons why you made a decision the way you did. Thoroughly explain. The losing side will not like it or agree, but at least if you do a good job explaining, they will understand why you decided the way you did, and will appreciate you explaining it to them and respect you for it.” He said a good judge should be open-minded when approaching a case. “But not so open minded your brains fall out,” he added. “Be firm, so people respect you (and fear you a bit), but also fair. Be available at all times to help clerks and parties in case something needs to be fixed quickly, and to sign arrest and search warrants for law enforcement.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 My Vero

4 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ new directions,” rather than “being tied to how we’ve always done things, which is not necessarily the best way.” Moss defended her choices by citing the nearly 20 years the county has operated under administrators who rose through the ranks here. “When you go for decades and it’s all internal,” Moss said, “you can benefit from bringing in someone who sees things from a different point of view.” For the record: Commissioners Joe Flescher and Deryl Loar staunchly supported hiring Matson, whom they believed was well-qualified to become the administrator and had earned the opportunity to do so. They also expressed concern about the message the commission was sending to younger department heads and staffers by not giving Matson a shot. “We’ve got a guy who excels at his job, has been loyal to the county, knows the area and the people, and who has been instrumental in making this county what it is,” Loar said. “Now, we’re telling him, ‘Sorry, we’re going to get someone else from the outside.’ “What does that say to the other department heads and the younger staffers who might want to build their careers with the county?” Loar continNEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 My Vero

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 5 NEWS ued. “It tells them they might want to consider the private sector, because you’ll never get to the top here.” Loar said he was “embarrassed” by what he called a “flawed” search process, adding that, after the list of finalists was whittled from five to two, he wasn’t sure either was “what we’re looking for.” He noted that four of the five finalists heaped praise on the department heads they met during their tour of the county. “Well, Phil is one of those department heads they said were outstanding,” he said. “Now I’m afraid we might lose him.” Matson did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment on his bid for the administrator’s job and his future with the county. Flescher said he, too, was dissatisfied with the search process – which produced a tumultuous and sometimes-contentious discussion at the commission’s March 3 meeting – but he knew he didn’t have the votes last week to scrap it and start over. “There wasn’t support for that,” he said, even though he believed “everyone but the internal candidate had some reason to give you pause.” Ultimately, Flescher pushed for and received a unanimous vote to offer the job to John Titkanich, a former Cocoa city manager who has served as St. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ NEWS The Finest PreOwned Rolex Watches Le Classique Jewelers and Watchmakers Every Rolex Watch comes backed with our 1 year Warranty. All Rolex Service and repairs are done on premises. Prices Upon Request 3001 Ocean Drive # 105, Vero Beach, FL 32963 772-231-2060 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 My Vero Lucie County’s innovation and performance director since 2020. Flescher said he did so because he wanted to avoid a split-vote that might’ve given Titkanich, who was qualified for the job, some doubt as to the level of support he’d receive from the commission. “When you accept a job like that,” Flescher said, “you should know you’re the guy they wanted.” To be sure, Titkanich, 57, brings the credentials, experience and people skills the commissioners were seeking when they embarked on the process. He began building a home here before he got the job, so we know he’s not going anywhere. All of us should root hard for him to succeed. This is a pivotal time for the county, and the challenges we must confront as our population continues to grow are formidable. Titkanich will have plenty to keep him busy and surely will earn the $200,000-plus annual salary he’s expected to get. But he was never the top pick of two of the five commissioners. Was he the best of the 58 candidates who applied for the job? Was he the obvious choice? Was he a better pick than Matson? Earman, Adams and Moss said Titkanich was their No. 1 choice from the outset, with Moss adding, “He’s special.” Each of them said they believed Matson lacked some of the qualifications and experience they were seeking. Certainly, Titkanich’s background is broader and more diverse. But does anyone here want to move to Cocoa, which you won’t find on anyone’s list of “Best Places to Live in Florida? How about St. Lucie County? Matson knows this county and community, and he knows them well – better, perhaps, than anyone else in our local government. He made his bones here. He deserved a shot. He didn’t get it because he spent the past 22 years working here, for us, trying to manage the growth to make this a better place to live. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 $40 million listing They include a $60-million spec home being built by a star team out of Miami; another grand $60-million house in the estate section that comes with 5 acres of land; a $29-million home in Sandpointe with more than 300 feet of ocean frontage; and now, just listed by Sally Daley at Douglas Elliman, a $40-million estate across from St. Ed’s that includes two 2,000-square-foot guest houses, along with a 13,050 main house and 155 feet of ocean frontage. This flurry of mega-listings has pushed Vero Beach quite suddenly into the highest echelon of the global real estate market, catching the eye of UHNWIs (ultra-high net worth individuals) across the country and around the world who are looking for trophy properties to park their wealth or enjoy a seaside lifestyle. Many of those elite buyers had not looked at Vero before, but they and their representatives are paying attention now as 32963 trophy properties keep popping up on their radar. Daley said her phone started ringing as soon as she listed the $40-million home at 1925 Sears Cove, sending the offering out through the Douglas Elliman and Knight Frank networks. “I have heard from people in England, Germany, South America – and right here in Vero,” Daley said. “We are talking to several family offices. It is such a rare opportunity.” The home’s virtues include the two large guest houses, the width of the ocean frontage on a wide beach, and the newness of the house – which was completed in 2018 and is up to all the latest codes. Other pluses are the location across from St. Edward’s School and just 4 miles south of Sexton Plaza, and the huge 4.85-acre parcel, which caters to wealthy buyers’ post-COVID desire for privacy and space – and has an interesting story behind it. According to Daley, the land once was plated and approved for a subdivision called Sears Cove that would have had “eight or nine homes,” but the houses were never built and the land lay fallow for decades after that stretch of oceanfront land was built out with other small subdivisions. “It was a unicorn,” Daley said. “Because it was right by St. Ed’s, squeezed in between other subdivisions, people noticed it and asked, ‘How can it be that this hasn’t been developed?’” The earliest deed for the property shown on the Indian River County Property Appraisers website is dated Sept. 14, 1979. The subdivision had already been plated by that time, apparently named after the seller. The deed states that “Sherman N. Smith, Jr., as personal representative of the estate of Ruth K. Sears, deceased,” was selling the property to Josephine CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

8 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ NEWS Sturgis, member of a prominent Vero family. Jack and Josephine Sturgis moved to Vero Beach in 1955 and started Sturgis Lumber & Plywood Company, which still operates at 4645 U.S. 1. According to the company website, the couple devoted themselves to the community while also running their business and raising a family. Josephine Sturgis taught second grade for 29 years and Jack Sturgis served as mayor of Vero Beach from 1961 to 1965. Fourteen years after Jack Sturgis flipped off the light in the mayor’s office for the last time, Josephine purchased the Sears Cove site – and held onto it for 40 years, leaving it more or less untouched while subdivisions sprang up all around it. Daley got involved with the wooded parcel in 2015, when a client called and told her they were looking for land to build a new oceanfront home but felt like “there was nothing out there.” Daley, who lives on the south island and whose daughter went to St. Edward’s, knew about the Sears Cove site, which wasn’t listed for sale. “When I asked colleagues about the property, they were discouraging,” Daley said. “They told me the land had been in one family for a long time and that a number of people had approached them over the years about a purchase without success. “I started poking around and got in touch with the Sturgises and we had a good conversation over a period of time and, long story short, I brokered the deal for the land.” Daley declined to name her clients but public records identify them as Denis and Jennifer Manelski. At the time of the sale, the couple owned an oceanfront home in Riomar but wanted a wider lot with more privacy. They paid $6 million for the Sears Cove property. Denis Manelski is head of global fixed income, currencies and commodities sales at Bank of America, according to Bloomberg and Bank of America Corp. “We signed a purchase contract in late 2015 and closed in August 2016, after the buyers completed their due diligence, to make sure they could build what they wanted to on the property,” Daley said. The three-building compound was designed by Tequesta, Florida-based Village Architects and completed in 2018. The 13,050-square-foot main house, which is Transitional Georgianrevival in style, has the fine materials and features you would expect in an estate of its magnitude, along with unexpected pleasures such as the matching glass staircases that connect the first and second levels. Between the main house and the two guest houses, there are nine ensuite bedrooms, 10 full baths, four half-baths, two wine cellars, three fireplaces, six airconditioned garage bays and a 40-foot by 20-foot swimming pool overlooking the ocean. The handsome, highly symmetrical compound is set back from the flood zone, just beyond the coastal control line. “They kept the Sears Cove name instead of having an A1A address and preserved as many mature trees as they could out of respect for what was there before them,” said Daley. The long driveway leading from A1A has a roundabout halfway to the house where it circles a stand of live oaks the family saved. After four years in the home, with their children now grown, the sellers decided to make a move and listed the house with Daley for $40 million. Besides the home’s inherent quality and exceptional site, which are likely to give it wide appeal, Daley is banking on an X-factor to bring a buyer. “There is very little to choose from if someone is looking for a home of this quality that is relatively new,” she said. “I did some research and there are only three other oceanfront houses on the east coast of Florida, between here and Key West, that sit on acreage and were built since 2016. “There’s one on Ocean Boulevard in Highland Beach for $32 million, that has 2 acres, 100 feet on the ocean and no guest house; a new-build in Stuart for $49 million, also on 2 acres with no guest house; and the $60-million spec house in the estate section here in Vero that won’t be done for two years. And that is it. There might be other properties that are quietly available, but those are the only ones publicly for sale.” The highest price ever paid for a house in 32963 up till now was $27 million in 2021, but according to Barrons there are nearly 400,000 ultra-high net worth individuals – those worth $30 million or more – in the world these days. If one or more of them is looking for a big, beautiful, relatively new home on a large piece of oceanfront property in Florida, as seems likely, they or their reps will certainly spy 1925 Sears Cove as they scroll property sites, even if they have never heard of Vero Beach. And the $40-million price tag won’t shock them. “We are almost at a point now where it is like real estate without borders,” Daley said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 $40 million listing

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 9 NEWS as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported receiving no case information for the week ending March 9 from the Florida Department of Health. “There are five COVID-positive pa - tients at Indian River Hospital this morning, none in ICU,” said Cleve - land Clinic spokesperson Erin Miller on Monday. That is down by more than half from the 12 people hospi - talized at the same time the previous week. The number of Influenza cases causing hospitalization also has de - clined statewide this month, though for the past two weeks, serious cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (or RSV) have been increasing in Indian River County. It’s believed RSV spreads the same way as COVID, and patients typically become ill two to eight days after ex - posure. People with RSV are conta - gious while they are symptomatic. The American Lung Association says “most children contract RSV be - fore age 2 simply because of contact with other children,” and that the viral illness is most dangerous to prema - ture babies, those age 5 and younger, those born with congenital heart and lung disease, weakened immune sys - tems or neuromuscular disorders. Being in crowded places with peo - ple who may be infected or having exposure to other children or siblings who may be infected are common ways to pick up the virus. Others who should be wary of RSV are “older adults suffering from lung or heart disease, such as asthma, con - gestive heart failure, or chronic ob - structive pulmonary disease (COPD), people with immunodeficiency, such as organ transplant recipients, che - motherapy patients or HIV/AIDS pa - tients.” Bar patrons at Bobby’s on Ocean Drive in Central Beach, however, don’t seem to be afraid of catching COVID, flu or RSV while sipping their brews and cocktails. Manager Kristy Pomar said the bar’s regulars haven’t budged – except when the bar was ordered to close in 2020. “It was not long at all as soon as the bar opened back up after those eight weeks we were closed that everyone came back,” Pomar said. “It’s full most of the time. I have a full bar right now on a Monday, there’s only one barstool open.” Pomar, a 12-year Bobby’s employ - ee, said the establishment kept all of its staff through the pandemic lock - downs and closings. She attributes the patron and employee loyalty to one thing. “It’s our owner, it’s been the same owner for 40 solid years and he runs a great business,” she said. Nationwide, though, people are not lingering in indoor bars and restau - rants like they did before the pandemic, according to a Washington Post report this past weekend. Nearly 40 percent of all restaurant traffic is takeout or drive-through. “About two thirds of adults surveyed said they were more likely to order food to-go than they were before the pandemic,” the Post report said. The Post reported that nationwide, the number of people visiting a gym at least once per month was up 9.2 percent in January over January 2020 levels. Numerous local residents who don’t live in a club community frequent Christi’s Fitness on Old Dixie Highway south of downtown Vero Beach for workouts and fitness classes. General Manager Ron Gochee has worked in the fitness industry for 28 years, but lost his job in Wisconsin when the pandemic lockdowns hit and moved to Vero for better career prospects. Just looking at the numbers for Christi’s, he says gym attendance has nearly crept its way back to pre-pan - demic levels, as some protocols have become permanent. “Everything was spaced out with more room between the equipment and it’s stayed that way. It hasn’t been put back, and it’s definitely increased everyone’s awareness of disinfection and made people more careful over - all,” Gochee said. Closed-quarter facilities like the kids’ center get less utilized now. “Our biggest drop-off has been parents of elementary school age children who used to come in and leave their chil - dren in the kids’ room. But our kids’ gymnastics program is doing better than ever.” Christi’s hasn’t added outdoor pro - grams or classes. “We really can’t be - cause of the heat,” Gochee said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 COVID, three years later

10 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ NEWS ing enough information to determine whether further evaluation is needed. Falls said splitting the study into two phases could identify a “critical failure” early in the process and render the more-costly latter phase unnecessary. “If the capacity was not there to support the lane reduction, it would be highly unlikely” the Florida Department of Transportation would allow such a change, Falls told the Vero Beach City Council at last week’s meeting. The City Council voted 4-1 to spend up to $165,000 for the new traffic study, but acting on Falls’ suggestion, the members committed to only the first phase of what otherwise would be a comprehensive evaluation to determine the impact of reducing the heavily traveled, east-west corridor to four lanes – two in each direction. Vice Mayor Linda Moore and council members John Carroll and Rey Neville have voiced their support for reducing lanes of traffic along the parallel oneway roads, arguing that doing so would make the area safer and more walkable – two ingredients they say are necessary to revitalize the downtown area. FDOT, which has approved a $6.7 million project to repave State Road 60 in 2026-27 and is scheduled to design CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Twin Pairs traffic study

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 11 NEWS the project later this year, needs a firm decision from the city to accommodate any restriping. The state agency also requires a traffic study, City Council resolution endorsing the proposed lane reduction and proof of community support. An executive from the local office of Kimley-Horn & Associates, the engineering firm that will conduct the traffic study, said FDOT wants to avoid any further delays to the project and is urging the city to decide as quickly as possible. Kimley-Horn conducted a similar study in 2012, and then updated it in 2017. That study found the lane reduction was feasible, but the City Council opted against spending the nearly $1.5 million the project would have cost taxpayers. Now, though, FDOT would cover the costs of the lane reduction because it would be incorporated into the agency’s regularly scheduled resurfacing of the roadway – something done every 20 years. Kimley-Horn’s Brian Good agreed to split the new study, saying of the lane-reduction proposal, “If it’s not viable, we’d rather spend our time doing something else.” Mayor John Cotugno voted in favor of funding the study, despite remaining noncommittal about the project. He CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

12 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ NEWS said he was reluctant to allot more tax dollars for yet-another Twin Pairs traffic study, but wants to see actual data. “Everybody has an opinion on this, but nobody has produced any recent data,” Cotugno said after the meeting. “I don’t want to make decisions that are not data driven. Let’s see what we get from the first phase of this study.” First-term council member Tracey Zudans, who voted “absolutely no” to the motion to fund another study, said the lane reduction should not be considered until the city adopts a master plan to revitalize downtown. “It’s a cart-before-the-horse situation,” she said. “I really think it’s a waste of taxpayer money to move forward on a study without having a master plan done.” Zudans said “it would make sense” to proceed with the safety improvements approved by a previous City Council in 2021, when members received a study that showed the Twin Pairs were safe and speeding wasn’t a significant problem. Rather than cave to a vocal minority that pushed for lane reduction, those council members agreed to less-draconian measures, opting to reduce the speed limit to 35 mph, narrow driving lanes, widen bicycle lanes and add crosswalks. Besides, Zudans warned, “Once we do the lane reduction, then you have to wait 20 years to undo it, if it proves to be a nuisance.” Zudans questioned the wisdom of reducing traffic lanes along a strategic, half-mile stretch of State Road 60 as the county’s population surges toward 170,000 and challenged the logic behind the belief that creating a bottleneck will draw more people to downtown. She also expressed concern about the “collateral damage” a lane reduction likely would have on residential neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown area. In fact, Zudans said, “90 percent” of the feedback she has received from the community – city and county residents, and local business owners, including some that operate downtown – is opposed to the proposed lane reduction. She said she doesn’t believe FDOT will get the “community buy-in” it requires to embark on such a project. Moore disagreed, saying the “vast majority” of the responses she has received are in favor of the reducing lanes. Neville suggested that reducing lanes along the Twin Pairs might not create the expected traffic backups, citing the county’s plans to widen and extend 26th and 41st streets, east-west roads to the north of downtown. But Good said his firm’s traffic study would include only county and FDOT projects that have been planned and funded for construction within the next five years. Brian Freeman, staff director for the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, said widening the 26th Street/ Aviation Boulevard corridor and extending it to 66th Avenue is included in the county’s long-range plan – but the project hasn’t been funded and it could be 10 to 20 years before even the design phase begins. Currently, the MPO has no firm plans to widen and extend 41st Street, Freeman said. Good said the new Twin Pairs study would anticipate population growth and “make educated projections” to ensure that the roadway has the capacity to “handle these increases.” Reducing the Twin Pairs to four lanes has been proposed several times throughout the past 30 years, but there was never enough community support to become a reality. Now, though, there’s a City Council majority – which includes Moore, who co-owns the Kilted Mermaid, an eclectic craft beer and wine bar just off the Twin Pairs in downtown Vero – that appears ready to push the project forward. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 Twin Pairs traffic study

14 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Responding to two sudden resignations in his command staff, Sheriff Eric Flowers restructured his leadership team with a flurry of promotions, including the appointment of two new deputy chiefs. Deputy Chiefs Kent Campbell and Kyle King are now the No. 3-ranked members of the Sheriff’s Office, serving beneath only Flowers and Undersheriff Thom Raulen. King replaces Lonnie Rich, who retired two weeks ago – just days after being suspended with pay. Campbell, who rejoined the agency last year after retiring in December 2021, filled the position vacated last April when Milo Thornton was inexplicably demoted to captain after an 11- week, in-house investigation cleared him of alleged wrongdoing. Among the 15 other deputies promoted were four new captains and four new lieutenants. The shakeup included the demotion of Capt. Tony Consalo to lieutenant, but, according to agency sources, Flowers rescinded the demotion after Consalo offered to retire at the end of the month. Consalo, 59, will become the third member of Flowers’ upper echelon to retire in the past six weeks. He’ll join Rich, 52, and Capt. Pat White, 46, who turned in his papers in early February. Sources within the Sheriff’s Office who agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity said the departures of Rich and Consalo were connected to remarks made last month at White’s retirement party. Not only did White suggest he might run against Flowers for sheriff, but many of the deputies who attended the affair enthusiastically embraced the idea and made unflattering remarks about their boss. The sources said Flowers did not attend the gathering, but he was told of the remarks later that night and, feeling betrayed by his most-trusted confidants, began making phone calls at 7:30 a.m. the next day. Rich, White and Consalo could not be reached for comment. Documents provided by the Sheriff’s Office did not include a reason for Rich’s suspension, but sources said it was related to him authorizing use of an agency helicopter to give White a ride to Fellsmere home after his last day on the job. Flowers did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment on Rich’s suspension, the retirements of Rich and White, the remarks directed at him during White’s party, and last week’s restaffing of the Sheriff’s Office’s upper tier. However, Vero Beach 32963 obtained from sources the email in which Flowers announced to his employees the latest round of promotions and the criteria he used to rebuild his hierarchy. In the March 7 email, the sheriff wrote that the new promotions were “based on high-quality law enforcement practices, in many forms, and a combination of dedication to the agency, professionalism, and a team approach.” He continued: “I am optimistic that we are fostering a healthy culture where all voices matter and we unite as one team, one agency, against the evil that wants to break us down and cause harm to the community we have sworn to protect.” Flowers closed by urging his deputies to “keep doing a great job of serving our citizens, putting the right people in jail and building each other up as we move forward with this new team of professional leaders.” The new captains, whose promotions were effectively immediately, are: Ross Partee (Criminal Investigations); William Luther (Special Operations); Joe Abollo (Professional Standards); and James Hare (Corrections Operations). The promotions of the new lieutenants and sergeants are scheduled to take effect Monday. The new lieutenants are: Mike Pierce (Criminal Investigations); David Bailey (Community Affairs); and Jesus Cirino Jr. (Corrections Support). Adam Vecchione was promoted to “acting lieutenant” in the Corrections Operations section. Seven deputies were promoted to sergeant: Greg Farless (Law Enforcement Patrol); Charlie Clark (Criminal Investigations); Chris Rodriguez (School Resource); Eric Sesack (Forensic Services); and Raymond Plasse, David Dufresne and Joe Jenkins (Corrections Operations). NEWS Embattled sheriff restructures top staff after resignations BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer 710 15th Pl., Vero Beach, FL 32960 I 772.999.3292 VBAutoSports.net Hours: Mon-Fri: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm Saturday: 10am - 4pm I Closed Sunday Buy I Sell I Trade I Consignment I Financing 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, 8K Mi. 2007 Mini Cooper, 41K Mi. 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450, 15K Mi. 2002 Ford Thunderbird, 46K Mi. 2018 Audi S5, 59K Mi. 1999 Porsche Boxter, 43K Mi. $13K $20K $18K $58K $68K $36K Family Owned & Operated NOW OFFERING Vero’s Exclusive Destination for Exciting Automobiles Specializing in Exotic, Luxury & Collectible Automobiles RECONDITIONING | DETAILING

MOORINGS HABITAT CLASSIC WEEKEND NEW HOMES AT HEART OF FUNDRAISING FLURRY David Becker.

16 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Moorings residents swung, hit, tapped and played their best hands to support the 20th annual Moorings Habitat Classic Weekend, with activities that included golf, tennis, pickleball, croquet, putt-putt, bridge, mah-jongg and other fitness activities. To close out the five-day fundraising event to benefit Indian River Habitat for Humanity, a happy crowd of Moorings club members gathered for the Habitat Celebration Gala at the Moorings Yacht & Country Club. There was much debate over the weekend’s gameplay as attendees mingled over cocktails in the Governor’s Lounge, before going into the dining room for a lavish dinner and the much-anticipated live auction. As a result of their efforts, $800,000 will be gifted to Habitat from the Weekend fundraiser and the Moorings Club’s Community Contribution Tax Credit Program contribution, a Florida sales tax incentive program targeting affordable housing organizations. Funds will help build six new homes, repair 15 others and provide 15 scholarships to Habitat homebuyers and their children. While the genesis for the fundraiser began 25 years ago with Paul Field and Brad Burnham, and has grown over the years with the support of a number of other Moorings members, David Sommers, Habitat Partnership chair, recognized Dick Winkler as the “man who made the weekend what it is.” Although Winkler was unable to participate for health reasons, he remained at the forefront of everyone’s mind. “Under his leadership, the weekend expanded to include virtually all the activities in the club. For a decade, Dick recruited club members to join in the Habitat weekend effort with his wit, charm and enthusiasm. Without Dick Winkler, we would not be here tonight, said Sommers, adding that without his efforts, the county would have far fewer Habitat homes. “On behalf of all the Moorings Habitat volunteers and sponsors he inspired, thank you Dick, for your leadership, compassion and dedication to both the Moorings Club and Indian River Habitat. May the wind always be at your back,” said Sommers. A video featuring Habitat homeowners and Moorings volunteers showcased the importance of the longstanding relationship, especially now, when it is more difficult than ever for anyone, let alone low-income families, to become homeowners. Trevor Loomis, IR Habitat president/CEO, said that over the last several years, Florida’s population has increased by as much as 500,000, resulting in an exponential rise in housing costs. “The cost is spiraling out of control. People’s rents are doubling year over year,” said Loomis. “The only thing that will make this situation better is more housing. It is of utmost importance that everybody who lives here understands that this issue is a crisis.” Loomis said the collective impact of the Moorings community had resulted in the construction of 90 homes, with hundreds more repaired through their Home Preservation program. “You should be very, very proud of what you’ve accomplished here. That impact is greater than any other community in any other city I’m aware of, with any other Habitat affiliate,” said Loomis. “But we’re not done. The need here is greater than it has ever been,” said Loomis, noting that a recent study indicated that Indian River County residents pay a higher percentage of their income to rent than any metro area in the country. “This beautiful place where we all live is becoming less and less accessible and less and less affordable for the people who already live here,” Loomis added. Loomis shared stories of teachers sleeping in their cars and showering in school locker rooms, before heading in to teach our children, and of railroad workers living in homeless shelters with their families. “I can give you stories for the next 45 minutes,” said Loomis. For every one person they have assisted, he said there are hundreds more that are desperately in need of help, and stressed that they are individuals we interact with every day such as in restaurants, the pharmacy or grocery stores. “They are real people that are struggling more than ever,” said Loomis. Rising to the challenge, he said IR New homes at heart of Moorings Habitat fundraising flurry BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Staff Writer Pam Spellane, Maureen Tully, Trish Walker and Sharon Paff. Peter McLachlan, Bobbee Larsson, Essie Humphrey and Bonnie Bowie. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS Trevor Loomis, Ardi Schneider, Maureen Watson and Scott Schneider. Karyn Carter and Bruce Humphry. Moorings Croquet & Tennis PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 17 Habitat has committed, over the next five years, to double its output of new houses every year and to repair more than ever. “A house is just a place. It’s not special on its own. What that house does is provide opportunities. It’s a launchpad. When you give somebody housing stability, when you give somebody the gift of homeownership, they have the opportunity to create a better future for themselves. To have a life where their kids can do better than the parents. And where those people can grow into all that is possible and fulfill all of their potential,” said Loomis. “It’s a simple thing, housing security. All it does is unlock the door, but it gives people the chance to walk through those doors to do more than they could have done before.” For more information, visit irchabitat.org.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Dick and Kim Standish. Chip and Janet Otness. Janet Otness and Susan Buza. David Sommers and Ann Hill. Janis Collins and Beth Tucker. Moorings Croquet & Tennis

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 19 Lynn Green Tom Flaherty. Rick Oman. Susan Young Moorings Croquet & Tennis

20 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The Republican Executive Committee of IRC invites you to our LINCOLN DAY DINNER In celebration of our November 2022 Victory And anticipation of the Presidential Victory 2024 Wednesday, April 19, 2023 Oak Harbor Clubhouse 5:00 p.m. 4755 S. Harbor Dr., Vero Beach, FL. 32967 Cocktails 5:00 p.m. (cash bar) Dinner 6:00 p.m., $150.00 per person (Your payment is your reservation) Make checks payable to the: Republican Executive Committee 865 20th Pl Vero Beach 32960 For More Information: 772-584-4775 or [email protected] Chairman Rev. Dr. John A. Vacchiano: 772-532-6400 or [email protected] Paid for by the Republican Executive Committee of IRC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee Betsy DeVos is a champion for school choice, charter schools, and educating, not indoctrinating, students. Her efforts are fully aligned with the transformation reforms Governor DeSantis achieved in Florida. Keynote Speaker THE HONORABLE BETSY DEVOS Karen Sones, Ann-Marie Suglia and Cheryl Beam. David Sommers and Peter McLachlan. Kerri Mazzarella, Tricia Boyle, Rikki Bischoff and Gali Dupay. Daina Bertrand, Cynthia Bennink and Gene Ross. Moorings Gala PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 21

22 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Belinda and David Becker with Olivia and Marlie, Shirley Becker, Alex Becker, Donna and Randy Becker, and John and Cheryl Becker. Sylvia and Bob Larsen with Ken and Linda Miller. Bill and Becky Hughes. POOL DECKS • DRIVEWAYS • WALKWAYS FIREPLACES • RETAINING WALLS STAIRS • ASTROTURF & MORE! 634 Old Dixie Hwy. SW Vero Beach, FL 32962 O: (772) 999-5136 C: (772) 563-8377 Licensed & Insured LIC #16674 INSTALLATIONS • CLEANINGS REFINISHING • REPAIRS Committed To Exceeding Expectations Moorings Gala PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 23

24 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Tom and Michelle Flaherty with Ann-Marie and Jim Suglia. Mary Ellen McCarthy and Barbara Gervais. Moorings Gala PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Trevor Loomis and Sandy Parent. Helen and Andy Bowler. Jeb Bittner and Craig Lopes.

26 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ George and Marie Lumenti with John Brady. Duncan and Janet Anderson. Kevin and Rhonda Spellacy. John Payne and Katie Raynor with Joan and Bob Davidson. Katie Nelson and Annette Krasnow. Moorings Gala PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 27 Proponents of early childhood education enjoyed luncheon or dinner options at this year’s Starfest fundraiser at the Quail Valley River Club to benefit Childcare Resources of Indian River. Each featured guest speaker Dana Winters, Ph.D., executive director of the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College. After welcoming everyone, Shannon McGuire Bowman, who has been Childcare Resources executive director for the past 10 years, recognized the nonprofit’s founders, Sandy Kahle, Kathy Marshall and Sherry Waddell, Starfest co-chairs Barbie Horton, Trish Essick and Mandy Robinson, and the event’s sponsors. Bowman thanked supporters and board members for their financial investment and advice, and for spreading the word of about what they do, calling it the fuel that makes the organization run. Childcare Resources has continued to grow and evolve since 1994, when they served 25 children. Today, their overall programming reaches nearly 3,000 children a year, from their NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) certified high-quality early education programs, to numerous outreach programs for teachers. “Every decision that we make is made with what is best for the child,” said Bowman. “We are working so hard every day to get little children the services that they need, so that they are ready when they go to kindergarten.” Bowman gave guests a sneak peek at major projects underway as they head into their 30th anniversary year, including a transformational gift that has enabled a partnership with the University of Florida to fund an 18-month Proof of Concept review of their programming. Even more exciting, Childcare Resources will soon own the facility where they have rented space since 2016. “I am excited to announce that this morning we finalized a contract to purchase this building for $11 million. It’s seven acres and we will be able to expand our programming to really create a state-of-the-art school and training program for teachers and all of that to come,” said Bowman. “We will be able to serve children and serve the early education community here in Indian River County and beyond for years to come.” Winters had high praise for Childcare Resources and its compassionate staff, calling them, as Fred Rogers used to do, helpers. “You have marvelous helpers in this community. Not only are your helpers incredibly talented, but those who work in support of your helpers share that same passion,” said Winters. She said the institute is focused on advancing Fred Rogers’ legacy by supporting the families, educators, coaches, mentors and caring adults who support the healthy development of children. “We don’t work directly with children, surprising to some people because Fred spoke directly to children for over 35 years,” said Winters, referencing the long-running television show “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” “The foundation of what we do at the institute is, we listen first.” She said equally as important as reading, writing and learning numbers are Rogers’ six basic necessities At Childcare Resources’ Starfest, a shout-out to ‘helpers’ BY MARY SCHENKEL Staff Writer PHOTOS, STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

28 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Linda Adams and Wanda Lincoln. Elke and George Fetterolf. Megan Knurr, Donnamarie Jarosz, Marybeth Cunningham and Jennifer Peshke. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS PHOTOS, STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 29 of learning: a sense of self-worth, a sense of trust, curiosity, the capacity to look and listen carefully, the capacity to play, and times of solitude. “These six things that are really hard to see, that sometimes are invisible, but truly are essential to the development of young children, are only possible because of the human relationships around them. And that is the foundation for all learning and growing. Not just to the age of 8, but for all of us.” Later at the luncheon, Kahle, Marshall and Waddell provided a history of the organization, before presenting this year’s Founders Award for Volunteerism to Karla Spooner. Spooner, who created the Starfest fundraiser, has served the organization in numerous capacities, as a board member and on myriad committees. For more information, visit ChildcareResourcesIR.org.

30 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Peggy Martin and Kathy Marshall. Sandy Kahle and Shannon McGuire Bowman. Bob Schlitt and Jeff Schlitt. Barbie Horton, Trish Essick, Mary Sue Brown and Karen Campbell. Claudia McNulty, Sue Curtis, Joyce Parent and Carmen Stork. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 31 Melisa Sweet, Lynn Rummel and Livya Barreirinhas. Jim Beindorf and Michele Harr. Linda and Sam Block. Carol Kanarek, Gerri Smith and Barbara Ruddy. Judy Drexel, Susan Friesell and Lauriann Kloppenburg. Ryan and Jamie Bloss.

32 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The seventh annual Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament and Dinner at the Riomar Golf Club to benefit the Senior Resource Association drew generous sponsors, golfers and diners, along with some particularly spirited liveauction bidding, all to fund the multiple services SRA provides to local seniors. “I can honestly tell you that the enthusiasm for this event is unequivocally greater than it was even seven years ago,” said Mike Smith, event co-chair with wife Sassy. “We continue to be humbled by the generosity we experience every year through the golf tournament and dinner here at Riomar,” said Karen Deigl, SRA CEO. “Thank you for making it your personal priority to help seniors who count on SRA each and every day for food, for respite care, for health at home, and with simple tasks that they can no longer manage on their own,” said Deigl. Deigl gave special thanks to the Smiths and their “small but mighty” committee, Susan Oglesby, Trudie Rainone and Hope Welles, and had high praise for the entire Riomar team. Meals on Wheels volunteers Laurie Wykoff and Linda Triolo shared insight into the types of seniors they encounter during their Monday deliveries. “I wanted to find something that I could really get passionate about, and I did,” said Wykoff. Relating that their visits are considerably more than just meal delivery, she recalled one woman who had a big bruise on her face and all down her arm, but she hadn’t even remembered falling. Her family lived up north and she always told them that she was fine, when clearly, she wasn’t. After SRA informed the family, they brought her up there and she is doing well now. Wykoff recalled a man whose face lit up when they told him how handsome he looked and how good it was to see him. “I tell you what, the smile on that man’s face was worth everything for that day.” Triolo spoke about 95-year-old Randy who, like many they serve, is a shut in. “We are the only human contact they have all day. And they don’t get deliveries on weekends, so Monday is the first day that they start this new week,” said Triolo. At charity golf tourney, driving for dough to help needy seniors BY MARY SCHENKEL Staff Writer Ted and Dawn Michael with Sherry Ann and Ned Dayton. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS Laura and Rick McDermott.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 33 Trudie Rainone and Michelle Borisenok. Mike Schuette with George and Leigh McLean. Tom Wheeler, Mark Bixler, Brian Holzinger and Rob Moss. Kendra Haines and Jerry Hobbs. PHOTOS, STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 34 Sassy Smith and Tom Atchison.

34 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Susan Wright, Susan Levy, Will Grady and Shawn Smith. PHOTOS, STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 Dr. Michael Munz, Elke and George Fetterolf, and Barbara Diemer. Drew Disesa, Ross Goodson and Ron Radcliff. Lisa and Chris Garrity with Sean Thacker and Randy Hedgecock.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 35 2022 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SVR • 8,995 Mi. 2021 AUDI RS6 WAGON • 24,502 Mi. 2023 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 3LT CONVERTIBLE • 6 Mi. 2023 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON 392 • 646 MI. 2022 BMW X4 M COMPETITION • 10,968 Mi. 2021 BMW X5 AWD • 11,359 Mi. 2019 MERCEDES BENZ E450 • 24,117 Mi. 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO • 22,333 Mi. 2017 MINI COOPER S • 23,092 Mi. $55,750 $39,750 $22,750 $132,750 $115,750 $109,799 $93,750 $85,750 $60,750 SELL US YOUR CAR. WE PAY TOP DOLLAR. IMMEDIATE PAYMENT. STATE OF THE ART SERVICE FACILITY • WE SERVICE ALL MAKES AND MODELS • FINANCING AVAILABLE WINTER HOURS Monday - Friday: 9:00AM - 5:00PM • Saturday: 9:00AM - 4:00PM • Sunday: Closed Service Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00AM - 5:00PM ROSNER MOTORSPORTS Contact Us Sales: (772) 469-4600 rosnermotorsports.com 2813 Flight Safety Dr., Vero Beach, FL 32960 TREASURE COAST’S LUXURY DESTINATION SHOP 24/7 AT ROSNERMOTORSPORTS.COM 52 Years In Business! While they were chatting, he told them, “I really need a hug,” before hugging each of them in turn to get that human contact. “He gave us this hug and it was so very heartfelt. That’s what Meals on Wheels is really about,” said Triolo, calling it an honor and privilege to deliver meals to these very special people. “Your participation helps save and improve lives here in our community. You make it possible for SRA to offer hope to struggling people. There are so many seniors that are struggling in so many ways,” said Smith. He said Meals on Wheels currently serves some 480 meals a day. There is also a Pets on Wheels, so that recipients don’t give their own food to their furry companions. Stressing the need for volunteers as well as donations, he said another 10 people are added to the long waitlist each month. “I want to leave you with one chilling fact. On any given day, 650 seniors in Vero Beach are on a wait list for varying services such as food, laundry, proper medication, bathing, alert systems for falling, and Day Away service for caregivers,” said Smith. For more information, visit SeniorResourceAssociation.org.

PETS 36 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ This week I innerviewed a pooch I was ’spose to meet earlier, but he decided to investigate his Dad’s new Christmas present, a pizza oven. It took weeks to remove the soot and cheese from his thick white coat. He’s an impressive poocheroo, a Samoyed (suh-MOYuhd), an one of the Baa-LAY Vero Beach pooches, so his baa-LAY pooch pal, Neville, gray-shushly agreed to step in. (High Paw, Neville!) First off, his full name, Lord Beerus, God of Destruction Eppink-Coner, wudda been intimidatin’ enuf but THEN … A nice lady opened the door, an there was this man, practically hidden, with his arms wrapped around what looked like a gi-NORMUSS, white puffer coat. But then I noticed it had a tail. Anna nose. He set the huge fluff ball down: a big, hansome snowbank of a pooch, smiled an sauntered over For the Wagan-Sniff! “You must be Bonzo! Welcome! This is my Dad, Zack, an my Mommy, Katherine! I’m Bear!” “Yes! Of, course! Bear! Great name! I thought ...” Bear laughed. “Ahhh! You heard my full name. My Dad an Mommy picked that name because I was an EXCEEDINGLY ram-BUNK-shus pupper: I chewed, well, pretty much everything, an apparently reminded them of a character from one of those giraffe-ick novels (I think they’re called), Lord Beerus, God of Destruction. Ackshully, my breeder named me Tundra Puppy 3, cuz my pooch Mommy’s name was Tundra an I was third out. Thank Lassie, Mommy an Dad always call me Bear since, when I was a tiny pupper (well, tiny for me, 12 pounds), I looked like a polar bear cub. That big ol’ name’s jus for my Offish-ull PAY-pers, being a purebred an all. But I feel like a plain ol’ pooch.” “Well, Bear, you gotta admit, you do kinda look like a king or somethin’,” I observed. “Yeah. Us Samoyeds are from Siberia (not me, I’m from Iowa) but my ancestors were. They were sled dogs. We’re cousins of the Siberian Huskies. We all have double fur coats, but us Sammies are more ruhLAXED an low KEE.” Bear may have been relaxed an low key, but he was also eager an animated. Before settling in to tell his tail, he zipped over to the fridge, gave a few low woofs and a couple of wags an looked hopeful toward his Mommy. She reached into the freezer, tossed something to Bear. He grabbed it, crunched happily, then trotted back. “Would you care for a Water Cookie?” he asked puh-lightly. “They’re duh-lichus!” “Oh, thank, you no. I’m ready to take notes,” I replied. “So, how’d you find your Furever Famly?” “Mommy an Dad lived in an apartment in OH-muh-haw an they wanted an easy-goin’ pupper. They found me at the farm an knew I was Their Pooch right away. I was shy at first: I’d only been onna farm, so I was use to dirt an grass, but NOT cement, which I didn’t like. And then there were the Scary Stairs. I hadda be carried up an down for a while till I figured it out. I’m good at figurin’ stuff out. For example: the trash can. I’d get into it an root around. So Mommy an Dad put a lid on it. I figured out how to remove the lid. So they put it in the cabinet. I figured out how to open the cabinet door. Now they put it on top of the fridge. “I love playin’ soccer with Dad! I’m the goalie. I get two leash walks a day. Everybody knows me!! I never had regular toys my whole life cuz I’d chew ’em to tiny bits in 2 seconds. When Mommy an Dad first got me, they bought a book called ‘Training Your Dog for Dummies.’ I ate it. They thought that probly wasn’t a good sign. But everything’s worked out fine!” I managed to stifle a small laugh. “Anyhow, Gramma Kim got me Bark Box Extreme Chewer. I get one in the mail every month, full of chew toys. No matter how much I chew, they just bounce back!” “Do you like traveling?” I inquired. “Love it! The road trip down here in 2020 was PAWSOME. We had the a/c blasting an the wind was blowin’ my ears! I used to go to work with Dad when he hadda work crew. That was fun. And I had my own landscape business for a while. It involved gathering sticks and depositing them in holes in the backyard. Lotsa sticks in lotsa holes. I felt it lent a certain feng shui. I’ve had to retire recently, however. Now I mostly dig on the beach.” “So, do you have lotsa famly an frens?” “Oh, woof, yes! Grampa Curtis; my pupper cousin Zeus an his human Tyler; Gramma Kim an Grampa Jeff; Gramma Jane; an my across-thestreet pooch pal Rascal, he’s a liddle mixture; an my Ballet Besties, Frankie an his humans Adam an Camilo; an Neville an his humans, Alyssa an Kyle. “Because my Mommy and Neville’s Mommy are baa-LAY dancers, an Camilo’s what’s called Ballet Master an Adam’s In Charge, me an Frankie an Neville are always practicin’ Just in Case a Performer of the Canine Persuasion is ever required. Me an Neville have playdates; Frankie’s farther away, but we try to practice whenever we can. Neville’s GREAT at leapin’ so I’m tryin’ to stand still so he can leap over me. Then, if we both twirl that’d be a paw-did-OO, I think. An, if Frankie was there an jumped over me also, then we all twirled, it’d be a pawdid-THREE, I’m pretty sure (which is RARE). “You should see my Mommy dance. She’s a-MAZE-ing. It’s like she’s floating or flying. When Dad’s away, it’s my Duty to Protect her. I have a fuh-ROWshus bark when I want to! I have the Best Furever Famly!!” Heading home, I pickshured totally charming, easy-going Bear, joyfully practicing baa-LAY with his pooch pals, snuggling with his Mommy an Dad an happily munching a Water Cookie. I only got a glimpse, but it looked quite a bit like an ice cube to me. The Bonz Hi Dog Buddies! Don’t Be Shy We are always looking for pets with interesting stories. To set up an interview, email [email protected]. Bonz meets big Bear, a furry, fun-loving Samoyed Bear. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS HOLDING THEIR HISTORY IN THEIR HANDS

LUXOR, Egypt – On a mild, late November morning, almost completely hidden behind the 5-foothigh walls of a sprawling, yellow-gray mud-brick city rising from the ground, a dozen members of an archaeological team survey and brush away soil. In a nearby tent, carefully holding jagged pottery shards in one gloved hand under a lens, Asmaa Ebrahim painstakingly scribbles down notes on the 3,000th piece of pottery. Traditionally, in this valley, rich with ancient Egyptian history and iconic archaeological sites, the role of ceramicist was filled by a foreign archaeologist with credentials from Cambridge or Princeton, not an Assiut University graduate from upper Egypt. Here in the Valley of the Kings, the BY TAYLOR LUCK CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR names of foreign archaeologists still echo from history, such as Howard Carter, the Briton who excavated the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 and whose residence in Luxor is a top tourist destination. Today, in Aten, the recently discovered city at the foot of the Valley of the Kings, Ebrahim and a new generation of Egyptian archaeologists and specialists are uncovering fresh details of daily life in ancient Egypt and with them, newfound feelings of professional pride and overdue respect. The discoveries are thanks to a new generation of Egyptian archaeologists trained and encouraged by Zahi Hawass, who is leading the dig at Aten. The colorful and bombastic former director of Egypt’s department of antiquities used his public persona as “godfather” of Egyptian antiquities to bring along 500 young specialists to staff all-Egyptian excavation teams. Ebrahim is one of dozens who studied archaeology and Egyptology in Egypt and then, at Dr. Hawass’ urging, went abroad in the 2010s to work and train to gain technical expertise that Egypt lacked – in restoration, conservation, pottery analysis, carbon dating, and surveying. Now they are back leading digs like this at Aten, grabbing headlines and changing the way the world looks at ancient Egypt. For decades here, Egyptians were the laborers, never the discoverers. But not on this dig. “For once, Egyptians are the leading Egyptologists,” Ebrahim says, smiling. On Jan. 26, Dr. Hawass’ Saqqara team announced the oldestdiscovered mummy covered in gold, a nonroyal named Hekashepes buried CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 Members of an all-Egyptian team excavate one of the seven districts in the ancient city of Aten, in Luxor.

40 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT COVER STORY 4,300 years ago. Despite their homeland’s wealth of historic sites that have captivated the world’s imagination for generations, archaeology is not a career of first choice for most Egyptians. Of the few that pick up a trowel, even fewer specialize. The obstacles are many: There is little funding, and access to texts, journal articles, tools, and even software is difficult. Credit has long gone to foreign experts. “It is not a job, it is a passion,” she says. “You have to be inspired to pursue it.” It was a chance trip to the Cairo Museum with her family as an 8-year-old that sparked the Assiut native’s fascination with ancient Egypt, particularly the golden sarcophagi and ceramic vessels that had seemingly outlived the sands of time. “When I saw these artifacts, I knew I wanted to study archaeology and help make rare finds, to hold the history in my hands,” Ebrahim says. Her Assiut university didn’t offer any pottery courses, so Ms. Ebrahim learned by volunteering with French and German excavations in Dahshour and Assiut. Those experiences taught her the importance of pottery analysis in excavating, interpreting, and dating sites and artifacts. Inspired, she spent a decade relying on self-study, volunteer work, and foreign research institutes to develop an expertise in Middle and Early Kingdom pottery. Today, she is one of a handful of Egyptian ceramicists and the only one piecing together the largest town ever unearthed from ancient Egypt. “Pottery gives us a lot of information – it tells us the story, how old something is. When you piece together pottery, you piece together a people,” she says. The story of daily life in ancient Egypt is coming together in Aten, the so-called Golden City. Aten was the residential, administrative, and industrial center of ancient Thebes, dating back to the 18th dynasty and the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III – the golden age of ancient Egypt. Discovered by chance while this rare all-Egyptian team was searching near Madīnat Habu for the mortuary temple of the “Boy King” Tutankhamen in 2021, it is now providing an ever-widening window into the daily life of ancient Egyptians. Aten was abruptly abandoned by Amenhotep III’s son Akhenaten, when he transformed ancient Egypt’s religion and moved the capital 240 miles north of Thebes. That means much of the city was left intact as if life was suddenly frozen three millennia ago – Egypt’s own Pompeii. Bread remains in clay ovens, precious stones are scattered in the jewelry workshop, and sun-dried bricks are neatly stacked in a tiny pyramid waiting to be carted off to build a temple or a palace. A serpentine wall that experts believe was designed to limit Nile floodwaters cuts through the north of the city. “We have bread in an oven; we have preserved meat, a sandal workshop. A complete residential life is depicted here in Aten,” Ebrahim gushes with enthusiasm, as she holds up a rare four-handled jug, “and it is not so different from our daily life today.” Already the team has uncovered seven districts containing homes, a bakery, kitchens, a tailor’s shop, a weaver’s loom, a tannery, a metalsmith’s workspace, a sandal cobblery, and a butchery complete with dried meats in jars inscribed with the butcher’s name, Luwy. The team is also uncovering technical clues about how ancient Egyptians built and furnished some of the wonders of the ancient world. Its discoveries have included preserved amulet molds; a jewelry workshop; a brick factory; and granite, basalt, and pottery workshops. All of these, the team believes, were used to build and decorate Luxor’s lavish temples and palaces – and craft the ornate treasures buried in King Tut’s tomb. Lowering the brim of his trademark olive-green feCONTINUED FROM PAGE 39 INSIGHT COVER STORY Top: Asmaa Ebrahim, one of Egypt's rare pottery specialists, is one of the some 500 archaeologists helping rediscover daily life in Aten on the first Egyptian dig. Middle: Ebrahim holds up a recently uncovered pottery vessel at a tomb-turned-storage room. Bottom: This blue two-headed gazelle vase was uncovered at the ancient city of Aten in Luxor.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 41 dora to shield his eyes from the rising Luxor sun, dig leader Dr. Hawass oversees the late morning progress in Aten – the discovery that is becoming a career-defining achievement. His previous discoveries include two tombs in the Valley of the Kings and a workers’ necropolis at Giza, proving once and for all that Egyptians did build the pyramids. But it is here, among bakeries and lost sandals, where the 75-year-old godfather of Egyptian archaeology is steering Egyptology into new horizons. Although recent years have seen more joint internationalEgyptian teams, his excavation is one where every role – from extracting and sorting soil to analysis to conservation – is filled by Egyptians. After a Fulbright scholarship allowed him to complete his Ph.D. in Egyptology at the University of Pennsylvania – and see the vast libraries and resources Western scholars have access to – he returned to Egypt determined to develop archaeology back home. The needs, to this day, are many: ceramicists, bioarchaeologists, archaeobotanists, surveyors. But Dr. Hawass’ longrange plan is slowly filling in the gaps. In the early 2000s, he began a field work school to teach the basics of excavation techniques. His Fulbright experience inspired him to urge hundreds of Egyptian archaeologists and students to study, research, and volunteer abroad to gain the technical skills the country lacked. Ebrahim was one such student, traveling to Germany and Poland through a scholarship from the Goethe Institute, where she learned digital database systems for recording artifacts, which she now uses to catalog finds from Aten and those at The Egyptian Museum. “I always know they will come back. Who can resist this history in our homeland?” Dr. Hawass says as he stretches out his arms, Aten to his right, the Valley of the Kings to his left. “We have so much left to discover!” Another core team member recruited by Dr. Hawass is Siham el-Bershawy, a Luxor native who grew up a few miles away from the Valley of the Kings and now preserves and restores everything from papyrus to mummies at Aten. “That feeling when you take items out from the ground in your own site, in your own country, in your own community with your own two hands – you feel a sense of pride as an Egyptian,” Bershawy says as she adjusts the humidifier on a child mummy encased in glass in a tomb-turnedstoreroom. “It is your ability and skill that unearthed this item, and now you are the responsible one to protect it for future generations,” she says. “It is an awesome feeling.” In Aten, this all-Egyptian team is expanding a discovery that many say rivals King Tut’s tomb, one that is earning accolades from academics and is listed as one of the top 10 discoveries of 2021 by Archaeology magazine. Among the details of ancient Egyptians’ daily lives in Aten, Dr. Hawass’ team has uncovered a royal clue, a name he believes may lead them to the lost tomb of Queen Nefertiti. “Smenkhkare,” the name of a mysterious pharaoh who ruled briefly between Akhenaten and King Tut, was found on multiple inscriptions. Egyptologists are divided on the figure. Some believe Smenkhkare may have been a brother to Tutankhamen or a hitherto unknown coregent with Akhenaten. Dr. Hawass is among those who believe Smenkhkare was a name assumed by Nefertiti after her husband Akhenaten’s death, when she ruled for three years as pharaoh. While a separate BritishEgyptian team is guiding a search for the lost queen’s tomb farther west in the Valley of the Kings, Dr. Hawass’ team believes that by following this clue, they may find it one day near Aten. To Dr. Hawass, it would be a crowning achievement for Egyptian archaeologists, permanently etching their names in the pantheon of famous Egyptologists. INSIGHT COVER STORY Top: A child mummy uncovered at the rediscovered ancient city of Aten is encased in glass. Middle: Zahi Hawass, “godfather” of Egyptian antiquities, who has brought together the country’s first all-Egyptian archaeology teams. Bottom: A worker helps excavate the ancient city of Aten.

42 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT EDITORIAL During the coronavirus crisis, our Pelican Plaza office is closed to visitors. We appreciate your understanding. Europe is witnessing its bloodiest cross-border war since 1945, but Asia risks something even worse: conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan. Tensions are high, as American forces pivot to a new doctrine known as “distributed lethality” designed to blunt Chinese missile attacks. Earlier this month dozens of Chinese jets breached Taiwan’s “air defense identification zone.” Last week China’s foreign minister condemned what he called the U.S. strategy of “all-round containment and suppression, a zero-sum game of life and death”. As America rearms in Asia and tries to galvanize its allies, two questions loom. Is it willing to risk a direct war with another nuclear power to defend Taiwan, something it has not been prepared to do for Ukraine? And by competing with China militarily in Asia, could it provoke the very war it is trying to prevent? No one can be sure how an invasion of Taiwan might start. But since Taiwan could resist an attack on its own only for days or weeks, any conflict could escalate quickly into a superpower confrontation. The economic fallout would be devastating. Taiwan is the world’s essential supplier of advanced semiconductors. America, China and Japan, the three largest economies, and among the most interconnected, would deploy sanctions, crippling global trade. The U.S. would urge Europe and its other friends to impose an embargo on China. War is no longer a remote possibility, because an unstated bargain has frayed. Since the 1970s, the U.S. has been careful neither to encourage Taiwan formally to declare independence nor to promise explicitly to defend it. While not ruling out force, China has said it would favor peaceful reunification. But those positions are changing. President Xi Jinping has told the People’s Liberation Army to be ready for an invasion by 2027, says the CIA. President Biden has said that America would defend Taiwan if China were to attack (aides say policy is unchanged). The military balance no longer so clearly favors America as it did in the 1990s. And public opinion has shifted in Taiwan, not least because of how China has snuffed out freedoms in Hong Kong. Only 7% of Taiwanese favor reunification. Both sides are shoring up their positions and trying to signal their resolve, with destabilizing consequences. Some acts generate headlines, as when Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taipei last year; others are almost invisible, such as the mysterious severing of undersea internet cables to remote Taiwanese islands. Diplomacy has stalled. Top American and Chinese defense officials have not spoken since November. During the recent spy-balloon incident, a “hotline” failed when China did not pick up. Rhetoric aimed at domestic audiences has grown more martial, whether on the American campaign trail or from China’s top leaders. What one side sees as a defensive act to protect its red lines, the other sees as an aggressive attempt to thwart its ambitions. Thus both sides are tempted to keep hardening their positions. It is unclear how far America would go to defend Taiwan. The island is not a domino. China has some territorial designs beyond it, but does not want to invade or directly rule all of Asia. And it is unclear how many Taiwanese see China as a real threat, or have the stomach for a fight. The Taiwanese, like the Ukrainians, deserve American help. The island is admirably liberal and democratic, and proof that such values are not alien to Chinese culture. It would be a tragedy if its people had to submit to a dictatorship. If America walked away, the credibility of its security umbrella in Asia would be gravely in doubt. Some Asian countries would accommodate China more; South Korea and Japan might seek nuclear weapons. It would boost China’s worldview that the interests of states come before the individual freedoms enshrined in the UN after the second world war. But the help Taiwan receives should aim to deter a Chinese attack without provoking one. America needs to consider Mr Xi’s calculus. A blanket American security guarantee might embolden Taiwan to declare formal independence, a red line for him. The promise of a much larger American military presence on Taiwan could lead China to invade now, before it arrives. A botched invasion, however, would cost Mr Xi and the Communist Party dearly. America needs to calibrate its stance: reassure Mr Xi that his red lines remain intact, but convince him that aggression carries unacceptable risks. The goal should not be to solve the Taiwan question, but to defer it. Taiwan has avoided provocation. Its president, Tsai Ing-wen, has not declared independence. But it needs to do more to deter its neighbor, by boosting defense spending so that it can survive longer without American help, and by preparing its citizens to resist greyzone tactics, from disinformation to vote-rigging. For its part, America should try harder to reassure China and to deter it. It should avoid symbolic acts that provoke China without strengthening Taiwan’s capacity to defend itself. It should keep modernizing its armed forces and rallying its allies. And it should be prepared to break a future blockade, by stockpiling fuel, planning an airlift, providing backup internet links and building an allied consensus on sanctions. America and today’s Chinese regime will never agree about Taiwan. But they do share a common interest in avoiding a third world war. The first 15 years of the American-Soviet cold war featured a terrifying mixture of brinkmanship and near-catastrophic mistakes, until the Cuban missile crisis prompted a revival of diplomacy. This is the terrain the world is now on. Unfortunately, the potential common ground between America and China on Taiwan is shrinking. Somehow, the two rival systems must find a way to live together less dangerously. A version of this column first appeared in The Economist. It does not necessarily reflect the views of Vero Beach 32963.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16, 2023 43 INSIGHT OP-ED Celeste Rubanick booked a hotel in Scotland using points, and then was told the points had already been used. Not by me, she said. So why won't Marriott restore them? QUESTION: I made reservations at the Residence Inn, Edinburgh, Scotland, for two nights, using 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. I subsequently received a notification from Marriott claiming that I had used the points for a stay almost three weeks earlier. I called Marriott, and they assigned me a case number. I have been going back and forth with the company ever since. I was on the phone for more than two hours speaking to several agents, one of whom told me, "You're not going to get these points back until we find out who took them." I have tried the executive contacts on your website but have received no reply. It's been 10 weeks since Marriott took my Bonvoy points. Can you help me get them back? ANSWER: Marriott deducted points from your account for someone else's stay. It should have quickly restored your loyalty points when you pointed out the problem – not strung you along for 10 weeks. What happened to your points? It appears an unauthorized party gained access to your account. It's unclear how that happened. There are certain things you should do for any online account, like Marriott's Bonvoy program. You can enable two-factor authentication (you can do that in the settings of your Bonvoy account). Also, consider using a complex phrase as a password and updating it frequently. I'm not comfortable with Marriott's assertion that it needed to find the points before it returned them to your account. That could happen tomorrow or next week – or never. Marriott needs a better system to verify if someone fraudulently used points, and the process should be quick. You blazed a paper trail, which included contacting Marriott's executives in writing after all other efforts failed. I'm surprised the executives didn't bother responding. Usually, they will delegate an assistant to help facilitate a fast resolution. Marriott also has a reputation for great customer service – although it has faced some criticism from travelers about its Bonvoy loyalty program. Unfortunately, there's no other place to appeal this type of problem. If the executives don't respond, you're out of luck. Unless you get me involved. I reviewed your case, and I agreed that 10 weeks is far too long to wait for a resolution. I contacted Marriott on your behalf. In response, Marriott sent you an email acknowledging "unauthorized activity" on your Bonvoy account. "Evidence shows unauthorized account access with data compromise of unknown source," the email said. Marriott recommended that you change your password and enable two-factor authentication. It also restored the 80,000 missing Bonvoy points. Get help with any consumer problem by contacting Christopher Elliott at http://www.elliott.org/help BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT

44 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16 ,2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Seldom has failing done as much for a man’s reputation as it did for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s. Leading an expedition that lasted from 1907 to 1909, the Anglo-Irishman tried to discover the South Pole and failed – but wisely, even nobly, so. A hundred miles shy of the goal, he put the safety of his men ahead of his ego to make a tough call: The food supply was too dangerously low to justify continuing. In 1911, Roald Amundsen grabbed the distinction that had eluded Shackleton. Three years later, however, Shackleton was back in the polar south, going for a consolation prize: the first crossing of the Antarctic continent. He failed at that, too, and this time it was a complex and perilous rescue effort that brought him glory. Rescue became necessary after the expedition’s ship, the Endurance, became trapped by ice in the Weddell Sea, which lies between the Antarctic Peninsula and the continent’s mainland. The Weddell’s ice pack is vast and notoriously restless, and the imprisoned Endurance drifted northward for 10 months. By October 1915, she was being squeezed so hard that everyone on board had to disembark and camp on stable ice. The abandoned vessel withstood the pressure until Nov. 21, when it sank. Thanks to brilliant improvisation and greatness of spirit, Shackleton saved not only himself and his immediate company, but also a support group awaiting them on the other side of the continent. Not a life was lost. (One of the best accounts of this episode can be found in Roland Huntford’s biography “Shackleton.”) Jump to 2019, when a shipload of archaeologists, ice experts, engineers and masters of several other disciplines set out to find the Endurance. In “The Ship Beneath the Ice,” the group’s commander in chief, Mensun Bound, tells their story, and that of a follow-up mission two years later, with passion and flair. Bound grew up in the Falkland Islands, not far, relatively speaking, from Antarctica. “I was born of the sea,” he writes, “so it’s perhaps no surprise that I became a marine archaeologist specializing in shipwrecks and lost underwater worlds.” Bound sums up Shackleton’s management of the miraculous 1916 rescue as “arguably, the greatest story of human survival in recorded history” and the lost Endurance as “the Ultima Thule of shipwrecks.” By its end, “The Ship Beneath the Ice” has amply justified those superlatives. The book’s first half chronicles yet another failure, incurred by Bound and company in their first attempt to locate the Endurance. They were relying on coordinates of the ship’s last position taken by its captain, Frank Worsley, and converted into a theoretical “survey box” on surface ice. Unable to see the wreck, they hoped to detect its presence from signals sent by unmanned submersibles. Unfortunately, the technology they’d been able to afford failed them, and the allotted time ran out. But Bound made a farewell prediction: “Other suitors [of the Endurance] will follow and one of them will succeed.” Meanwhile, the experience had elicited some evocative prose from the note-taking author, such as this description of a splendid Antarctic sunset: “There was about it something so otherly and beyond that you wondered if you were really supposed to be here. It seemed almost as if we had trespassed into some hidey-hole where the gods go to drain their rainbows.” On another occasion, Bound wrote more succinctly of being “locked within the hard crust of the most deranged sea on earth.” During the next two years, Bound raised enough money to return with better instruments and a mostly new cadre of experts, including deep-sea divers. Again, however, the clock was ticking, and Bound had to decide how much faith to put in coordinates recorded by Worsley at a time when a whiteout had been obscuring the horizon – a necessary reference point for an accurate sextant reading. With only hours to spare, Bound’s divers, with help from submersibles scanning the sea floor, not only located the Endurance 9,842 feet below the surface, they could see “the seams between the planks and even the nails that fastened them.” The ship sat largely intact on the sea floor, looking “as if someone had laid her out gently on the silt and said, ‘Wait here now, wait until somebody finds you.’” Declaring that “our mission was to find, record, educate and disseminate through publication,” Bound leaves the question of what will happen next to the Endurance for future adventurers and archaeologists to answer. Shackleton’s overriding concern for saving lives has made him a business-school exemplar of enlightened leadership. Bound’s ability to learn from a near miss may turn out to be an object lesson, too. In any case, all hail to him and his comrades as the Endurance’s successful suitors. THE SHIP BENEATH THE ICE THE DISCOVERY OF SHACKLETON’S ENDURANCE BY MENSUN BOUND | MARINER. 377 PP. $35 REVIEW BY DENNIS DRABELLE, THE WASHINGTON POST INSIGHT BOOKS

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16 ,2023 45 INSIGHT BRIDGE THE MYSTERIOUS NEGATIVE DOUBLE By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist In 1957, Al Roth and Tobias Stone introduced the Sputnik double, named for the Russian satellite. It was renamed the negative double, and the original version was modified so that now its primary aim is to locate a 4-4 major-suit fit. For example, you have the North hand in today’s diagram. After your partner opens one club and West unkindly overcalls one spade, what do you do? If playing penalty doubles, you are in an untenable position. You have the points to bid, but you have no sensible call available. Enter the negative double. It shows enough points to contest at the level the auction has reached and, in principle, four cards in an unbid major. (However, in this position, North might have five or six hearts when holding too few points to bid a forcing two hearts.) No length is promised in the second unbid suit, though the doubler will usually have length there, or length in partner’s first suit, or the values for a no-trump rebid. South made a value rebid when he jumped to game. If North were very strong, he could move higher. Against four hearts, West cashed his two top spades before shifting to the diamond jack. Having lost two tricks, declarer had to play the trumps for only one loser. This required finding an opponent with ace-doubleton. Judging that East would have one top honor for his two-spade raise, declarer won trick three with dummy’s diamond queen and led a heart to the queen. When that won, he returned a low heart and ducked in the dummy. The appearance of East’s ace was a pleasing sight. Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Both NORTH Q 4 K 8 4 3 Q 8 4 3 8 7 4 WEST A K 10 9 3 J 9 5 J 10 7 6 2 SOUTH 7 2 Q 7 6 2 A K 2 A K Q J EAST J 8 6 5 A 10 9 6 5 10 9 5 3 The Bidding: OPENING LEAD: K Spades SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 1 Clubs 1 Spades Dbl. 2 Spades 4 Hearts Pass Pass Pass

48 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16 ,2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT GAMES 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 SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (MARCH 9) ON PAGE 78 ACROSS 1 Exhaled audibly (6) 4 Grassy plain (6) 9 Hooded garment (5) 10 Foolish (7) 11 Loud noise (3) 12 Illustrious (5) 13 Thin and bony (7) 15 Science fiction hero (5,6) 19 Prickly plant (7) 20 Fertile patch in a desert (5) 21 Viscid substance (3) 22 No longer existing (7) 24 Male duck (5) 25 Hypnotic state (6) 26 Burial places (6) DOWN 1 Lying on one’s back (6) 2 Currant biscuit (9) 3 Artfully dodge (5) 5 Set in motion (7) 6 Coalmine (3) 7 Armed guard (6) 8 Salad dressing (11) 14 Hurry up (4,5) 16 Supremely evil (7) 17 Thoroughfare (6) 18 Evaluate (6) 20 Command (5) 23 Beverage; meal (3) FORTIFIED STORAGE CENTER 1500 SF Units 25 FT Wide x 60 FT Deep AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY Exclusive 15 Unit Private Luxury Storage Condominium for Boats, Motor Coaches, Fine Automobiles, and More Fenced & Gated Video Security System 70 FT Drive Aisles 14 FT x 14 FT Garage Door Designed For 170 MPH Wind Speed 421 3rd Lane SW Vero Beach, Florida fortifiedstoragecenter.com Telephone 772-258-6636 PRICING Starting at $299,000 ONLY 3 UNITS REMAINING

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 16 ,2023 49 INSIGHT GAMES ACROSS 1 Gab 4 Linger in the tub 8 Like some poker hands 11 Unix units 14 Fussy bustling 15 Port named for a fur merchant 18 Over-50 grp. 19 Drop heavily 20 DVD musical of 1964 22 DVD comedy of 1990 24 The Green Hornet’s houseboy (played on TV by Bruce Lee) 25 Gary Cooper role 27 Candle part 28 Wet, in a way 30 DVD comedy of 1968 37 Benz ending 38 Body of knowledge 39 A driving concern? 40 Busy as ___ 41 DVD musical of 1963 46 Egg part 48 Apple of Popeye’s eye 49 Assume control 50 Deli sandwich 52 Electrolysis mover 54 It’s OK on a boat 55 Of the service: abbr. 57 Start of a question 60 Like wood before it’s paper 64 DVD comedy of 1967 70 Prez during Lindy’s flight 71 Letters on Toleration author 72 Stars, in Latin 73 Off somewhere 74 DVD musical of 1968 80 Streamlined 81 ___-Tiki 82 Language finish 83 My relative? 84 Com preceder 86 Received 88 Habitual denier 93 Hampshire hangout 96 Mushy 99 DVD comedy of 1964 102 “Somebody needs ___” (Mom’s remark) 104 Jane Grey’s lasted nine days 106 Eater of invisible bananas 107 Actor Tognazzi 108 DVD comedy of 1966 112 Mr. Bones of Sleepy Hollow 113 Slots mecca 114 Ruined 115 Ms. McClurg 117 DVD comedy of 1967 120 Theme of this puzzle 126 Lofty legend 127 Costs of doing business 128 Like a rock 129 Go into a dive? 130 Ms. Lupino 131 Glum 132 Chill to the bone 133 A Chaplin DOWN 1 Predicament 2 Nabokov novel 3 Time at one’s job 4 Engine additive 5 Alley ___ 6 Onassis’s nickname 7 Very similar 8 Ornate, as some fabrics 9 Circle part 10 Toll rte. 11 Sugar pill 12 Certain Londoner 13 Bond, for one 15 Likely 16 In a jiffy 17 Sailing 18 Figure 19 Jazzy Louis 21 “___, team!” 23 Honeymoon quorum 26 Ford flop 28 Credit card buildup 29 “Orinoco Flow” singer 31 Dresden’s river 32 To see, in Paris 33 Transgress 34 Zodiac sign 35 1551 36 Pt. of AT&T 42 Young Cleaver, for short 43 String toy 44 Singer Don or Phil 45 Ed ending 47 Keystone ___ 51 Pyramis’s love 53 Brazil, e.g. 55 Earning 56 “That was before ___ you” 58 8 starter 59 Admonish 61 Sue who played Lolita 62 Outlet insert 63 So far 64 Author who wed 111 Down 65 Netter Nastase 66 Pull back the hammer of 67 Sound effect 68 Sunbeams 69 Japanese city 70 Hypo units 75 Baxter of TV station WJM 76 Ring stats 77 Hebrew letter 78 Occupied 79 “I smell ___” 85 Ms. Spelling 87 Admit 88 Killer whale of filmdom 89 Overwhelms 90 “___ are like pools ... cesspools” (old gag line) 91 Waffle brand 92 Live (with) 93 Buddy 94 Not tested 95 Robert Blake TV series 97 Swampy area 98 ___ pink 100 File ___ (take legal action) 101 Cravat 103 Charles for whom a scheme is named 105 Gets older 109 Violinist’s buy 110 Foam 111 Actress Patricia 112 Sotheby’s signal 116 Abbr. after Senator Schumer’s name 117 Memo abbr. 118 Unknown factors 119 Meadow 121 Mr. Gulager 122 Ms. Novak 123 Abbr. on rare pennies 124 Ms. Starr 125 Airport info: abbr. The Telegraph The Washington Post DVD MOVIES By Merl Reagle

50 Vero Beach 32963 / March 16 ,2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT BACK PAGE Dear Carolyn: My parents had a child before they were married and gave her up for adoption. My parents are divorced, and my father told me about this six years ago, a few years before his death. He and his daughter had been in touch, exchanging letters and photos but not mentioning anything to me or my brother. I told my mother I knew and she refused to discuss it, saying neither her extended family nor her current husband knows and I must not tell them. I haven’t met my sister but we are in touch and do plan to meet. My mom doesn’t know about the upcoming meeting but obviously would not want me to put anything on social media where other family members could see it. And even if I do not post anything, if my sister does and tags me, then my family members will still see it. Am I obliged to censor what I share about my life because my mom wants to keep this a secret? – Anonymous Anonymous: First, a clarification of terms. To “censor” is not the same thing as “not use social media.” You can both choose not to use social media and be a living, breathing, ambulatory fire hose of free expression. At the very same time. Are you asking me whether you have to censor yourself? Then I say no. Your sister is a fully autonomous person, not some secret your mom gets to hide. Are you asking me whether you have to keep your sister encounter off social media? Then I say not posting/tweeting about it is the very least of the kindnesses you have available toward your mom and the rest of your family as this story breaks. Please know I make no value judgments when I say this: You, your sister, your brother, your mom, your extended family, your mother’s current husband, your sister’s adoptive family, and a few strangers who are only reading this in the paper will have a lot of feelings about the situation. The best way to handle sensitive things is to put your best judgment at the controls throughout the entire process. That is not possible with posting online: Posting is one decision and done. After that, it’s out of your hands, and your judgment can only watch in horror if things go wrong. You didn’t ask, but here’s what I suggest. Kindly tell your mom you plan to meet your sister soon. Say you don’t intend to announce anything on social media but also won’t go out of your way to conceal anyone. It’s simple: You won’t deny your sister’s existence. Also remind her that what your sister posts is out of your hands and your mom’s (though you can opt or ask out of tags). Therefore, you humbly suggest your mom recognize that her Plan A, keeping the secret, will eventually unravel no matter what she does. That means her best chance of telling her own story, her way, is to get out front with a Plan B – soon, soon. A conversation like this, or a series of them, is an example of how you can put your best judgment to work continuously as you go. You don’t even need your mom to take part; she can keep “refus[ing] to discuss it” as you apprise her of your plans and her options. I hope she comes around, though. Your parents gave their daughter what they felt was her best chance in life. There’s only courage in that. BY CAROLYN HAX Washington Post Is a daughter sworn to silence on mother’s secret child?