06/02/2022 ISSUE 22

Sheriff’s budget would give
staff 7 percent raise. P8
Shores hoping to
overturn ruling. P8
Education Foundation

Charity Shoot hits target. P14

For breaking news visit

MY VERO Little optimismPHOTOBYKAILAJONES
at start of third
BY RAY MCNULTY summer of Covid

Driver of car that killed
A1A cyclist gets small fine

A year has passed since that More railroad crossings closing for Brightline upgrades BY LISA ZAHNER
tragic Saturday morning when
Carl Cutler was struck by a BY GEORGE ANDREASSI Beach before construction Street railroad crossing this Staff Writer
passing car and killed while Staff Writer begins this week upgrading past Tuesday for three weeks
bicycling along North A1A, the railroad and eight cross- for the installation of a sec- This summer is not last
near the Pelican Island Wild- Brightline established a ings for high-speed passen- ond track and new safety summer.
life Sanctuary. second track bed alongside ger trains. features for high-speed pas-
the Florida East Coast Rail- senger train service. A year ago as vacation time
And as one of his many way tracks in downtownVero Brightline was set to fully arrived, an air of optimism
John’s Island friends and neigh- close the westbound 20th CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 was beginning to take hold.
bors put it: “The community is
still reeling from Carl’s death.” New COVID-19 cases here
had dropped to the lowest
More than a few of those point since the start of the
friends and neighbors are also pandemic, and local residents
confused, disturbed and even were lining up by the thou-
angry – because they can’t sands to get vaccinated.
understand how the driver
of the northbound car that Maybe a combination of
veered into the bike lane and immunity from the 2020-2021
crashed into Cutler has man- winter infections, plus the in-
aged to evade any serious con- creasingly widespread avail-
sequences. ability of vaccines, was finally
going to end the pandemic.
According to the Florida
Highway Patrol’s Traffic Ho- A year later, the hope of jetti-
micide Report, which was fi- soning COVID-19 has given way
nally made public 10 months to the mundane reality of “liv-
later, John Rampp was cited ing with” the virus.
for “careless driving,” a non-
criminal infraction resulting New infections here are at
in a $148 fine. least triple what they were last
May; the number hospitalized
That was it. here is once again climbing
week after week; and few local
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 residents are getting vaccine

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Island housing market still strong, but is Vero City Council to set rates next week for stormwater tax
‘the great deceleration’ coming to Vero?
BY RAY MCNULTY Beach property owners. annually to fund the city’s new
BY STEVEN M. THOMAS changes in the housing mar- Staff Writer If council members endorse stormwater utility.
Staff Writer ket as a nationwide phenom-
enon Fortune.com last week The Vero City Council will the proposal – the public is in- The City Council is sched-
Real estate Jedi are feeling a labeled “the great decelera- decide next week whether vited to provide input at Tues- uled to vote July 19 on wheth-
disturbance in the force. tion” comes to Vero. to approve an initial rate day’s meeting – the affected er to adopt the stormwater as-
structure to fund stormwa- property owners will be noti- sessments, which would take
Island brokers say they’re More houses are coming on ter management projects fied by mail later this month, effect in October with an ex-
seeing subtle but significant by levying a new tax on Vero when they’ll learn how much pectation of generating more
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 they will be required to pay
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

June 2, 2022 Volume 15, Issue 22 Newsstand Price $1.00 Wheels & Keels
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2 Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Brightline railroad crossings in downtown Vero Street to start on Tuesday, Aug. 9 and questioned how Brightline expects to
Beach to prepare for the upgrades be completed by Saturday, Aug. 27. start high-speed passenger train service
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 for high-speed passenger trains. The between Orlando and South Florida in
small white rock base of the second The final downtown railroad crossing 2023 when it took two years to build the
Westbound 20th Street traffic is be- railroad bed dug through downtown – 21st Street – will be under construc- first of two replacement bridges and
ing directed to travel north on 11th Av- Vero Beach appeared slightly lower in tion from Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Sun- work just started on the second.
enue to 21st Street, turn west onto 21st elevation than the gray gravel FECR day, Sept. 25, Brightline’s construction
Street to 14th Avenue, turn south onto railroad bed. advisory says. “They finished the one side. They
14th Avenue to 20th Street. put in all new tracks,” Leclair said.
Downtown Vero Beach businesses A key component in the overall proj- “Now they’re starting the second phase
Brightline plans to rebuild eight rail- and patrons will get a break from the ect is the $33 million replacement of the going across. I still don’t know how
road crossings in downtown Vero Beach railroad construction from June 20 – 96-year-old St. Sebastian River Railroad they’re going to finish it by January. It
by Sept. 25 as part of the $2.7 billion when work is due to be finished on the Bridge linking southern Brevard and took them over two years just to do the
construction of high-speed passenger 20th Street crossing – until Tuesday, northern Indian River counties. other side.” 
train tracks between South Florida and July 5, when work starts on the 19th
Orlando. Place eastbound railroad crossing. Roseland homeowner Maria Leclair neighbors disillusioned and frustrated.
They’re also puzzled.
Brightline is scheduled to complete Brightline expects to finish work at My Vero They want to know why there’s no
construction of high-speed passenger 19th Place on Saturday, July 23.
train tracks between Orlando Interna- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 mention of Rampp’s mobile phone or
tional Airport and West Palm Beach by It will overlap with the reconstruc- distracted driving in the FHP’s 18-page
the end of 2022. tion of the Aviation Boulevard railroad That was the penalty for causing the FHP report on a fatal crash in which a
crossing, which is to start on Saturday, May 29, 2021, crash that took the life of car traveling 50 mph – at 10 a.m., on a
Starting in 2023, Indian River County July 16 and wrap up by Saturday, July 30. a physically fit, active, 63-year-old re- clear day, on a dry road – inexplicably
residents can expect to see 32 Bright- tired investment banker who divided veered into a bike lane.
line trains per day traveling at speeds Railroad crossings at 17th Street, his time between the Greater Philadel-
of up to 110 mph in addition to 15-to- 23rd Street, 14th Avenue and 26th Street phia area and the 32963 island, where One of Cutler’s John’s Island neigh-
20 FECR freight trains traveling 40-to- will also be upgraded for high-speed Cutler enjoyed his regular bicycle bors went so far as to provide statistics
60 mph. passenger trains in August, with all rides along the seaside highway from that reveal distracted driving was cited
four under construction between Aug. his John’s Island home to Sebastian In- as a contributing factor in 56,571 crash-
Brightline also announced plans 9 and Aug. 18. let State Park. es that resulted in 2,726 serious injuries
to close the Highland Drive railroad and 343 fatalities in Florida in 2021.
crossing in South Vero at 7 a.m., Mon- Brightline plans to start construc- It didn’t matter that the lone witness
day, June 13 through 7 p.m., Wednes- tion on the 17th Street railroad cross- to the accident didn’t mention the car He called distracted driving an “un-
day, June 29. Traffic will be rerouted to ing on Tuesday, Aug. 2 and finish work Rampp claimed had passed him just bridled and dangerous trend that rid-
9th Street and Old Dixie Highway. by Thursday, Aug. 18. before the crash and, instead, told the dles our streets and highways,” noting
FHP investigator Rampp simply drift- the FHP’s campaign against such be-
Brightline mobilized construction Meanwhile, Brightline scheduled ed into the bike lane. havior.
equipment and materials near several construction on the railroad crossings
at 23rd Street, 14th Avenue and 26th It didn’t matter that a Vero Beach “In the context of this case,” the neigh-
32963 investigation into Rampp’s driv- bor said, “that campaign now seems a
ing record revealed last fall that he had hollow effort.”
a long history of traffic offenses dat-
ing back to 1988 and twice had his The neighbor, by the way, said he
license suspended, or that he refused was speaking for many of Cutler’s
to consent to a blood test. John’s Island friends, but he asked that
he not be identified.
It didn’t matter that Cutler was wear-
ing a helmet, pedaling in the bike lane, The reason?
had flashing lights on both the front “I’m a little concerned about be-
and back of his bicycle, and did noth- ing quoted with negative comments
ing to cause the violent crash that about a guy who ... owns a shotgun,”
knocked him onto the grassy shoulder he said, referring to Rampp’s arrest in
alongside the highway. April in Brevard County on weapons
charges filed in Indian River County.
The fact that Cutler died wasn’t a Rampp, now 50, has been charged
factor, either. with two counts of aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon, a third-degree
After months of investigation and felony punishable by up to five years
reviewing the final report, the FHP in prison and a $5,000 fine.
determined the crash was an accident The Sheriff’s Office report on that
and handed Rampp a traffic ticket case, which is unrelated to last year’s
– something he has experienced nu- crash, states that Rampp was involved
merous times before. in a March 19 disturbance at the Vero
Lake Estates home he shared with his
In Brevard County, where he lived then-girlfriend, Tracey Ann Pearson.
for more than 30 years before moving According to the arrest affidavit:
to Vero Lake Estates, Rampp was cited  Pearson discovered that Rampp
twice for driving without knowledge was still married and living with his
that his license had been suspended, wife in the Melbourne area on a part-
five times for speeding, three times for time basis, prompting her to break off
operating an unsafe vehicle, twice for the relationship and ask him in a phone
running a stop sign or signal, twice for conversation to leave their home.
not wearing a seatbelt, and once each  Rampp became upset, told Pear-
for careless driving, failure to yield, and son she would need to have him legal-
defacing or driving around detours. ly evicted and threatened her life.
 Fearing for her safety, she asked
Legally, however, those past infrac- a friend and her friend’s fiancé, John
tions had no bearing on the FHP’s in-
vestigation or findings, which have
left Cutler’s John’s Island friends and

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 3

NEWS

Wirth, who was also a contractor do- sociate Sally Daley, “anyone who thinks some relief to buyers and be the begin- ago,” the first time in a long time in-
ing work on the house, to accompany this is the same market we were in dur- ning of balance returning to the mar- ventory was up year-over-year.
her to the home so she could collect ing January and February isn’t paying ket.
some of her belongings. attention. ONE Sotheby’s broker associate
The shift came suddenly. Hank Wolff first noticed something
While at the home, the affidavit states, “There’s still a ton of excess demand Inventory rose 12 percent nation- was going on in mid-April when the
Pearson saw Rampp come through the but it is like we have gone from rac- wide in April compared to March, local “hot sheet” got longer.
front door and grab a shotgun that was ing down the highway at 150 miles an according to cnbc.com and other
leaning against a living-room wall. He hour to going 120.” sources. By the third week in May, “the “Throughout the first part of the
then refused Pearson’s request to leave supply of homes jumped 9 percent year the market was generating about
the premises and threatened to kill her. The change – if it continues and be- compared to the same week a year 20 new listings a week [countywide],
comes more pronounced – could bring
Having heard the threat, Wirth in- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
tervened, followed by two men, Beni-
to Cardenas and Julio Cruz, he had
brought with him to change the locks
on the house.

Wirth told deputies that he pushed
Rampp against a wall and tried to dis-
arm him, adding that Rampp pulled
the trigger several times but the gun
didn’t fire. The two other men, Carde-
nas and Cruz, joined the fray, strug-
gling to take the gun from Rampp and
hitting him “numerous times” before
he finally let go and left the house, the
affidavit states.

Wirth, Cardenas and Cruz each told
deputies that Rampp pointed the gun
at them and threatened to shoot.

Rampp was arrested in Brevard
County on April 11 and transported to
the Indian River County Jail, where he
was charged with four counts of ag-
gravated assault with a deadly weap-
on and two counts of misdemeanor
battery.

Court records show that two of the
aggravated assault charges and both
battery counts were dismissed by As-
sistant State Attorney Patrick O’Brien
on April 29, and that Rampp, who now
uses a Melbourne address, is out on
bond on the two remaining aggravat-
ed assault charges.

O’Brien said the case is “early in the
proceedings.”

Jim Kontos, Rampp’s Melbourne-
based attorney, did not respond to
a message left at his office. He’s also
representing Rampp in contesting the
careless-driving citation issued by the
FHP after the crash that killed Cutler.

A hearing on the traffic ticket is
scheduled for June 29 in front of Coun-
ty Court Judge Nicole Menz.

“Bikers and drivers beware,” Cut-
ler’s John’s Island neighbor said. “This
guy still drives our streets.” 

Island housing market
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the market, and some are lingering lon-
ger, pushing inventory slightly higher
and leading to price reductions, some-
thing seldom seen in 2021 and the first
couple of months of 2022.

The market isn’t crashing. Demand
for homes in Vero still far outpaces sup-
ply and prices are still rising. But, ac-
cording to Douglas Elliman broker as-

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

NEWS

Island housing market ing interest rates and “psychology and account today and sees $860,000, that able or one that needs other work be-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 sentiment. A lot of our island clients would have to be factored into their cause they don’t know how much the
are wealthy, second and third home mindset. Sellers might be trying to get projects will cost.”
but in the last two weeks of April that buyers who have seen a diminishment ahead of that scenario and take ad-
jumped to 45 per week,” Wolff said. of their equity assets. vantage of the today’s market.” Berkshire Hathaway agent Chip
Landers agrees.
When the May numbers for Indian “That gives them pause and might “Home sellers are in a hurry to find
River County come out, they will al- cause them to put off buying that third a buyer before demand weakens fur- “Buyers will still pay a premium for
most certainly show the first year-over- home or condo. For the first time in ther,” Redfin chief economist Daryl houses in perfect condition with fea-
year inventory increase in since 2020. years, some of them are starting to Fairweather said last week, according tures they like, but if it is just an ordi-
watch and wait instead of rushing to to a cnbc.com article. nary house and needs updates, there
On the barrier island, new listings purchase.” is no way they are going to overpay,” he
increased from six in February and “Higher home prices and sharply said. “They just won’t do it at this point.”
eight in March to 31 in April, according “So much of real estate is about con- higher mortgage rates have reduced
to figures provided by Wolff. The trend fidence,” said Daley. “Some of what buyer activity,” said National Associa- Landers said price reductions are
continued in May, with 26 homes has been happening in the world has tion of Realtors chief economist Law- also due to sellers getting “overly opti-
coming on the market by May 25. shaken buyers’ confidence a little bit. rence Yun. “Housing supply has started mistic” after many months of dramat-
A buyer who’s been hurt in the equi- to improve, albeit at an extremely slug- ic price gains.
Even with more new listings and ty market who was thinking about a gish pace.”
longer days on market for some prop- $600,000 purchase, may now be think- “If you tell them the house is worth
erties, standing inventory on the is- ing $500,000.” One paradox that jumps out of the between $500,000 and $525,000, they
land inched up only slightly, but other current real estate picture is the phe- want to list at $600,000. A lot of times
stats reinforce the sense that sellers The same factors giving buyers nomenon of many more price re- that price ends up being adjusted
are losing some of their power. pause are pushing more sellers to list, ductions during a time when overall when there are few showings and no
according to Wolff. home prices in Vero Beach continue offers.”
“The biggest shift we are seeing is to increase.
that 25 percent of the active listings “Perhaps sellers and their listing “Some people have gotten a little
have had price reductions,” Daley told agents viewed the interest rate hike The median price of a single-family too heady about asking prices,” Daley
Vero Beach 32963 last week. and stock market correction as the detached home in Indian River Coun- said. “Analysts are now advising sell-
first indication in a long time that buy- ty jumped from $320,000 in April 2021 ers not to try and put a ‘no-invento-
“My staff tells me that for the first ers may lose some momentum or per- to $390,000 last month, according ry price’ on their homes, especially
time, more inventory is trickling in, haps lower their budget,” he said. to the Realtors Association of Indian homes that are livable but not of the
there are more price reductions, and River County, and Wolfe said the me- moment.”
some listings are expiring unsold,” “The island has a large percentage dian price on the island was up from
agreed ONE Sotheby’s broker associate of cash deals, so the interest rates are $750,000 to $880,000. Despite the tangible market shift, is-
Mike Thorpe. less of a factor [than on the mainland], land agents all say the housing market
but the S&P 500 is down 14 percent Daley said price reductions are in here remains unusually strong due to
Thorpe said the slowing market is year to date. If a buyer with $1,000,000 a specific band of the market where the fundamental dynamic of supply
due to a range of factors, including ris- stock portfolio in January looks at that buyer pullback is showing up first. and demand.

“It transcends price point,” Daley “The good news is [deceleration]
said. “It has to do with the condition ... hasn’t affected us too radically be-
of the home and its amenities. Houses cause it will take a long while to work
in great condition, that are up-to-date through pent-up demand and replen-
and of the moment, and have ameni- ish our inventory,” said Thorpe.
ties like being on deep water or be-
tween the bridges or having a beauti- “Serious buyers are still out there in
ful pool still go instantly, but houses big numbers ready to pull the trigger
that lack amenities or aren’t in such as long as the price is somewhat rea-
great condition aren’t moving as fast sonable,” said Landers.
or selling as high.
Experts say the housing market here
“Those houses were flying off the will continue to be supported by pan-
shelf at the height of the market but demic-era migration patterns, which
now homes that are lacking in some are bringing some 900 new residents
way or need upgrades aren’t attract- to Florida each day.
ing buyers to the same degree, in part
because of ongoing uncertainty about Ten of the top 15 fastest-growing
remodeling costs and timeframes. places in the Untied States are in Flor-
People don’t want a house with a ida, according to U.S. News and World
15-year-old roof that may be uninsur- Report’s latest analysis, including two
markets that bump up against Indian
River County – Port St. Lucie at No. 7
and Melbourne at No. 12. 

Stormwater tax than 6,500) – and the tax increases with
the size of the home’s footprint.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The owner of a medium-size home
than $1 million in revenue. Another would pay about $75 annually, or just
public hearing will precede that vote. over $6 per month.

According to the proposed rate Commercial property owners could
structure, owners of the city’s nearly pay nearly $50,000 per year, with the
5,000 single-family residential proper- exact amount determined by the size
ties would pay between $30 and $239 of the parcel and how much of it is
per year, depending on the size of paved. Government-owned land also
their homes. would be assessed.

Four categories were established, If the assessments are approved, the
based on square footage – small (100 to city government would be required
1,300), medium (1,301 to 3,400), large to pay nearly $155,000 in stormwater
(3,401 to 6,500) and very large (more taxes for its own properties.

Consultants hired by the city based

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 5

NEWS

the assessments on the amount of Different calculations were used for while the county government would be cil postponed implementing the tax
pavement or other impervious sur- the city’s nearly 3,400 condominium taxed about $30,000. because the community was still re-
faces on a property. For the owners of homes and 2,000-plus general parcels, covering from the economic damage
single-family homes, the assessments which include commercial and govern- The new utility was created last done by the COVID-19 pandemic.
were based on the average amount of ment-owned properties. year with the purpose of managing
pavement on more than 400 residen- stormwater to reduce runoffs into the The city opted instead to use $500,000
tial properties. For example:The School Board would environmentally troubled Indian Riv- in American Rescue Act funds to cover
be assessed about $36,000 annually, er Lagoon. However, the City Coun-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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

NEWS

Stormwater tax “Until you levy an assessment,” Law- day – at least five times higher than this into the Memorial Day holiday week-
son said,“it’s a utility without any money.” point last year. The local statistics tell an end, Cleveland Clinic Florida spokes-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 equally discouraging story. person Arlene Allen-Mitchell said “we
The city currently funds its storm- have 16 COVID patients in-house plus
the costs of drainage projects. water management operating costs Last May, an average of 16 people one infant. Two of the 16 (adults) are
Mayor Robbie Brackett, who has – approximately $875,000 annually – per day here were testing positive for in ICU, both ventilated.”
through its general fund and will con- COVID-19, and there were no off-the-
steadfastly opposed the stormwater tinue to do so. books home tests so that was probably But as the virus morphs and the sci-
assessment, has questioned the wis- a pretty accurate number of new infec- entific understanding of how it oper-
dom of imposing a new tax at a time The new assessment, which has been tions. This May, about 40 people per ates shifts with each variant, even the
when raging inflation has driven up endorsed by the Indian River Neighbor- day were testing positive for COVID-19 vaccinated and boosted now grudg-
prices to a point where some consum- hood Association, would be used for at testing centers, pharmacies or medi- ingly accept that the coronavirus is
ers are struggling to keep pace. only stormwater-related capital proj- cal offices that report positive tests to here to stay as governments abandon
ects, particularly those focused on re- the Florida Department of Health – measures to contain it.
He also has argued that city property storing the health of the lagoon. plus the unknown number of people
owners essentially will be paying for testing positive on home tests kits who And local residents – like millions of
stormwater management twice – be- Proponents of the stormwater as- never seek medical treatment. Conser- Americans – are drawing their own lines
cause a portion of their city property sessment say having a dedicated rev- vatively, the local new infection rate is for what they feel comfortable doing.
taxes, which go to the general fund, will enue source will enhance the city’s three times what it was in May 2021.
be used to pay the city government’s chances of being awarded federal, Nearly three-quarters of Americans
share of the stormwater assessment. state and even private grants, many In April 2021, more than 20,000 In- say they hope to vacation this summer,
of which require the city to provide dian River County residents got vac- and fewer than a third say coronavirus
“I have some problems with the plan matching funds.  cine shots, followed by another 7,500 is a major factor in their plans, accord-
in general,” Brackett said at the City that May. During the same period this ing to a recent Washington Post-Schar
Council’s special call meeting on April Third summer of Covid year, fewer than 40 people were being School poll.
26. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 vaccinated each week, meaning an
awful lot of “fully vaccinated” people Parents of unvaccinated children
The other four council members booster shots. are counting on shots they got maybe are making cross-country travel plans.
seemed to embrace the plan, how- Indian River County residents are eight months ago during the Delta Senior citizens are venturing to bars.
ever, especially after City Finance Di- surge – or even a year ago – to still of- Graduations, proms and weddings
rector Cindy Lawson reminded them among the half of the U.S. population fer some protection. have also returned after being can-
that this assessment will provide the now living in areas classified as having celed in earlier stages of the pandemic
only dedicated funding source for medium or high COVID-19 levels by the Hospitalizations here also have been when cases were lower than they are
stormwater-related capital projects. Centers for Disease Control and Pre- rising steadily each week. On May 23, now. And families are celebrating with
vention. The United States is record- Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospi- throngs of mostly unmasked revelers.
Otherwise, she explained, stormwa- ing more than 100,000 new infections a tal reported 14 people in the hospital,
ter management projects would need none in the intensive care unit. Going “Over the Memorial Day holidays, if
to compete with the city’s other capi- you are in settings where you are in-
tal projects for funding.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8



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

NEWS

Third summer of Covid The dominant strain of the virus a replication rate of 1.2 and 1.5 right fades after several months, said Celine
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 right now has been recently shown to now. That means for every 10 people Gounder, an infectious-diseases spe-
have a replication rate of 1. That means infected with those variants, those cialist at Kaiser Health News.
doors with large numbers of people every 10 people infected will, in turn, people will go on to infect 12 people,
without masks … there is a good like- infect another 10 people. or 15 people – depending upon the For those wanting extra protection,
lihood you will suffer a breakthrough variant. the good news is the long lines and
infection,” said Peter Hotez, dean of But there are two emerging strains wait times for vaccine – or a booster
the National School of Tropical Medi- gaining steam this summer in the Experts say vaccines are still showing shot – are a thing of the past.
cine at Baylor College. United States, causing nearly 15,000 durability in protecting people against
of the daily 100,000 cases. Those two severe illness. But the initial burst of Fenit Nirappil, Craig Pittman and
variants, dubbed BA.4 and BA.5, have antibodies from shots or infections Maureen O’Hagan of the Washington
Post contributed to this story. 

Proposed budget would give Sheriff’s employees 7 percent raise

BY RAY MCNULTY ster the all-time-high $71 million budget 32963 to speak with him or a member ing that the Sheriff’s Office would uti-
Staff Writer he has proposed for fiscal 2022-23. of his command staff about the specif- lize other monies available to law en-
ics of his budget proposal and reasons forcement agencies, such as the Law
Sheriff Eric Flowers wants to give Flowers’ 13-page proposal, which such an increase is needed. Enforcement Trust Fund and Inmate
his 500-plus employees a 7 percent he submitted to County Administra- Welfare Fund, “in an effort to reduce the
pay raise and begin implementing a tor Jason Brown last month, seeks an Flowers wrote in his one-page letter pressure on the county’s General Fund.”
scheduled 2025 increase in the feder- 18.27 percent increase over his cur- that the new deputies would be “spread
al minimum wage to help his agency rent $60 million budget. amongst the patrol, corrections and Those additional funds might help,
keep up with inflation and remain school-resource divisions,” adding that but probably not enough.
competitive in the local job market. If approved by county commission- those hires would account for $2.9 mil-
ers, the $11 million budget increase lion, or 26 percent of the increase in his Unless property-tax revenues are sig-
He also wants to add 35 new deputies would be the largest given to the Sher- proposed budget. nificantly higher than projected, county
he claims are needed to keep pace with iff’s Office in the county’s 97-year his- commissioners would need to raise tax-
the growth in the county’s population, tory. Percentage-wise, it would be the More than 7 percent of his requested es – or reduce funding to other agencies
which has surpassed 160,000, as well as biggest jump in at least 20 years. budget increase, Flowers wrote, would and departments – to pay for the sher-
a noticeable increase in seasonal visitors. cover the cost of the agency’s new con- iff’s proposed budget.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Debbie tract with Treasure Coast Community
The sheriff shared his plans in a letter to Carson provided Flowers’ May 24 let- Health to provide “dedicated, profes- Currently, county staffers are prepar-
the County Commission last week to bol- ter to the commissioners in response sional and experienced oversight of ing a fiscal 2022-23 budget based on a
to multiple requests from Vero Beach the medical welfare” of jail inmates. projected 7 percent increase in proper-
ty-tax revenues, which would result in
The agreement, which went into ef- an additional $5.5 million.
fect on May 1 and eliminated the agen-
cy’s full-time nursing staff, accounts “The sheriff is asking for an $11 mil-
for $750,000 of the proposed increase. lion increase,” Brown said.“So unless the
revenues increase considerably more
Flowers wrote that his proposed bud- than we’re projecting, I don’t know where
get includes increases in capital spend- that money would come from.”
ing on additional information-technol-
ogy security and storage, and software County Property Appraiser Wesley
conversions to improve efficiency. Davis predicted the increase in property-
tax revenues to be between 7 percent and
He also cited projected pricing in- 10 percent, saying the final number is like-
creases for fuel, ammunition, uniforms/ ly to be “closer to a double-digit number.”
body armor, equipment repairs and soft-
ware. Davis was expected to provide Brown
with a preliminary tax roll yesterday, with
Flowers concluded his letter by stat- the final tax roll coming next month. 

Shores hopes to overturn reuse water ruling

BY LISA ZAHNER court, so the city won’t need to reduce
Staff Writer the rate, or pay town residents dam-
ages for three years of incorrect rates.
Indian River Shores is determined
to see Florida’s Fourth District Court of Judge Janet Croom ruled that Vero
Appeals overturn a lower court ruling Beach could not have legally matched a
last month that could create uncertain- cheaper Indian River County rate for re-
ty for the town’s water-sewer utility bills, use water because the city cannot cover
butVero’s staff attorney is confident the its costs of providing pressurized, on-
city will prevail at the higher court. demand irrigation water to Indian River
Shores customers for the 21 cents per
The town had sued for breach of 1,000 gallons that the county charges
contract after Indian River County de- for non-pressurized reuse water service.
creased its reuse irrigation water rate
by 46 cents and Vero did not match From the town’s perspective,
that rate, as the town’s franchise agree- Croom’s ruling narrowly addresses
ment includes a rate-match clause. No only the reuse irrigation rates, but if
breach of contract was found by the not overturned on appeal, the rul-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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

NEWS

Reuse water ruling again to sue for breach of contract. section of the town’s franchise agree- want to speculate on the other rates at
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 In her order, Croom cites state law ment unenforceable, Vero City Attor- this point.”
ney John Turner hedged a bit.
ing could prove problematic if Vero affirming the city’s power to make Turner, as the victor, naturally praised
imposes new, higher water-sewer rates that cover the utility’s costs, plus “Your question is a good one and the decision’s wisdom, while the town
rates on the Shores and the town tries a fair rate of return. logic would support the conclusion, has characterized the court order as
but the issue only involved reuse rates “clearly erroneous on both the facts and
When asked if he thought the ruling as you know,” Turner said. “I don’t the law.” 
might render the entire rate-match

Cindy Eddy
and Lily Lynn.

WHEELS & KEELS
ACING IT WITH AN AWESOME
‘CAR AND BOAT’ SHOW P. 18

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

PEOPLE

Float Hope’s ‘Minnows School’ program off to splashy start

Elizabeth Thomason and Virginia Schwerin. Christian with Sherry Ann and Ned Dayton. Jalicia Gachelin and Bridget Queally.

Judy Zern with Jahzara and Ma’Kayla and Mary Grimm McClellan. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Jeff and Elise Powers with Sara Carter and Rick Frey.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Achievement Center and the Boys and Barlow and Holly McClain, and to pay fully propelling them onto varsity
Staff Writer Girls Clubs in Vero Beach, Fellsmere for such expenses as pool time, bath- teams in high school and college.
and Sebastian. Upwards of 70 percent ing suits and other equipment, USA
Float Hope of Indian River County of their students are enrolled at GYAC, Swimming registration and competi- “I really like Jeff’s program; it’s giving
supporters were welcomed to a cock- and the remainder from the three Boys tion entry fees. kids a skill,” said Elizabeth Thomason,
tail reception at the John’s Island Club and Girls Clubs. The students swim at the former Boys and Girls Clubs ex-
by founder and CEO Jeffrey Powers, the North County Aquatic Center and With the Minnows program, the ecutive director. “This is a very unique
to acquaint them with the nonprofit the Gifford Aquatic Center. number of swimmers will increase nonprofit. There are no other nonprof-
organization’s new summertime Min- from about 70 to more than 200 this its, that I know of, that provide this
nows School program. “After COVID, we were trying to fig- summer. Ideally, Powers said they service free of charge. Everyone needs
ure out how to grow the program, and would like the Minnows to learn to to know that they’re giving the gift of
Powers founded Float Hope in 2017 someone who works at one of the clubs swim in as little as a few weeks and, at swimming.”
after discovering that nearly 80 percent said to me, ‘If you started a Minnow the end of summer, to continue on to
of children from low-income families program, something for beginners just become intermediate and advanced Freddie Woolfork, Gifford Youth
were unable to swim. Little wonder for the summer, it might help a lot of swimmers. Achievement Center director of public
that drowning is a leading cause of kids,’” said Powers. “We’ve got 130 new relations, said he appreciated the non-
death among children in our watery kids swimming this summer.” “Our advanced swimmers learn dis- profits’ partnerships.
state. cipline, friendships and a sport; some-
Commenting that the program thing that as a donor we may take for “I love when entities can come to-
Since then, the program has intro- would not exist without donor support granted with our own children,” said gether and work together,” said Wool-
duced the joys of swimming to chil- he added, “That’s all going to good use.” Powers. He added that the students de- fork. “We are not afraid of change.”
dren starting at ages 6 to 8 who are en- velop a sense of self-worth, increased
rolled in programs at the Gifford Youth Funding enables Float Hope to hire social skills and self-confidence, hope- For more information, visit Float
highly qualified coaches, led by Scott HopeNow.org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 13

PEOPLE

Jackie Smith, Holly McClain and Scott Barlow. Wendy Stowe with Duke and Gael Habernickel. Seth and Annie Milliken with Marian and Dick Barnard.

Tim and Cindy Hultquist.

Peggy Callinan and Freddie Woolfork.

Trish and Phil DeSantis.
Meg Lyons and Peggy Lyons.

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

PEOPLE

Education Foundation Charity Shoot hits fundraising target

Stewart and Megan Massey with Matthew Massey. Charlie Piermarini, Dede Snowden and Ben Bailey.

Doug Herron and Nicky Szápáry. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Ben Bailey and George Fetterolf.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Shoot, testing their skill in a friendly instruction needed and monitored community’s investment in local
Staff Writer team competition, while supporting the overall safety of the shooters, a schools and achieve excellence for
the various programs of the non- randomly drawn mix of newbies and students and educators.
The weather was ideal for the profit Education Foundation of In- experts. Szápáry, Windsor Gun Club
shooters who gathered at the Wind- dian River County. director since 2002, competed in the Registration is currently open for
sor Gun Club at Vero Beach Clay 1980 Olympics in Moscow and the its free STEP into Kindergarten pro-
Shooting Sports for the 20th an- Traditionally the last shoot of the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles. gram, which promotes school readi-
nual Education Foundation Charity Windsor season, its gun pro Nicky ness for eligible students who have
Szápáry once again provided the Scores for the three-person teams completed a Voluntary Pre-K pro-
were based on combined results in gram and will be attending kinder-
the Driven Game Simulation – shoot- garten at one of the county’s 10 Title
ers have 40 shells and about 4 min- I elementary schools.
utes to hit 100 clay discs launched
into the air by mechanized traps Other programs include High Im-
– and Quadruple Three Stand com- pact Grants, funding innovative
petitions – with 30 targets launched school or classroom initiatives; the
in sets of four. Mulligans, always a Indian River Regional Science and
popular option, helped participants Engineering Fair, open to all K-12
with their scores and served as a students in the county; the Sneaker
great additional fundraising tool. Exchange, which ensures that eco-
nomically disadvantaged students
Once scores were tallied, winners have socks and sneakers; and Vision
were announced during a rustically for Reading, a vision screening pro-
elegant BBQ lunch catered by Windsor. gram for children identified by the
school district’s health services co-
The Education Foundation oper- ordinator.
ates as a funding source and as a
service provider for public, private For more information, visit Ed-
and homeschooled students as well FoundationIRC.org. 
as teachers, working to enhance the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 15

PEOPLE

Dave Kaytes ad Sven Frisell. Louise Kennedy and Jan Hagemeier. David Martin and Stanley Ingvaldsen.

Linda Martin and Brenda Ingvaldsen. Roger Hinds and Tom Danis. Jim Gerwein and Laica Gerwien-Moreta with Mike Rankin.

Kyle Miller with Jennifer and Michael Sylvester.

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

PEOPLE

‘Eco’ reverberates at Sebastian’s Arbor Day and Earth fest

BY KERRY FIRTH
Correspondent

The City of Sebastian and the City’s Tai chi demonstration. PHOTOS: KERRY FIRTH
Natural Resources Board recently
hosted its annual Arbor Day and efforts to protect our environment.”
Earth Celebration in Riverview Park, The Sustainable Sebastian plan
offering families a chance to spend
the day learning about the environ- supports the overall reduction of
ment while participating in a vari- single-use plastic usage by the city
ety of children’s activities, scavenger and its business community, and pro-
hunts and dancing to live entertain- motes programs focused on the use of
ment. alternative products. It also supports
landscaping practices that foster a
The free community outreach healthy ecosystem and provides rec-
event was designed to educate the ommendations for city policies and
public about the fragile condition of codes related to natural resources.
our local waterways and what they
can do to help save it. The City of Se- Kimberly Haigler, environmental
bastian, which is celebrating 20 years planner/GIS specialist, said the Nat-
as a “Tree City USA,” was also cel- ural Resources board is comprised
ebrating its partnership in the Sus-
tainable Sebastian Initiative.

The park was filled with informa-
tive booths from such environmental
organizations as Keep Indian River
Beautiful, St. Sebastian River State
Park, Pelican Island Audubon Soci-
ety and FDEP Aquatic Preserves Pro-
gram. Art vendors showcased their
creative, environmentally themed
art, and there was even a Tai Chi
demonstration in recognition of
World Tai Chi Day.

In the early afternoon, a group of
hardy volunteers waded into the river
to help wrap oyster mats around city
dock pilings, creating a living dock
where marine life can thrive.

“Sebastian is in the forefront of
other cities our size, and the natural
resources board are moving forward
in trying to become a city that is sus-
tainable in everything,” explained
City Councilman Ed Dodd.

“We’ve integrated pest manage-
ment plans that are unique to our state
and we’re proud of our continued

Learning about recycling. April Price.

of residents of the City of Sebastian.
“We have nine members who meet

the first Tuesday of every month in
the city chambers and our mission
is to improve the quality of life in Se-
bastian by nurturing the beneficial
relationship between our citizens
and our environment by protecting,
preserving and promoting our natu-
ral resources,” said Haigler. “The
public is always invited to attend our
meetings.”

For more information, visit CityOf-
Sebastian.org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 17

PEOPLE

Pelican Island Audubon Society’s Richard Baker and Ricky Ray. Arlette Yon and Lynette Miller. Pamela Kurtz.

Robin Cox Laird, Linda Symmonds, Diana Bolton and Peter Hink.

Rosanna, Joy and Leaha Gross.
‘Pirate’ Daniel Red entertains Line and Violet Swiatek.

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

PEOPLE

Wheels & Keels aces it with awesome ‘Car and Boat’ show

Marcia Ruotolo and Rachel Morrell. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF Phil and Cathi Canal with Gavin Ruotolo. Vince DeTurris Jr. with Barbara and Vince DeTurris.

Gordon and Barbara Sulcer with Annetta Gregg. Marsha Sherry and Miriam Hayes Mugford. building confidence and self-esteem.
 The Arc of Indian River County
BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Course was filled with more than 115 ties that needed a kick,” said Vincent
Staff Writer antique and exotic cars, motorcycles DeTurris, Wheels & Keels Foundation promotes and protects the rights of
and boats, each affording stylish trav- president, “we found the right chari- individuals with intellectual and de-
In golf terms, the 11th annual An- el means, whether via wheels or keels. ties and, so far, we’ve done very well. velopmental disabilities.
tique and Exotic Car and Boat Show We started with charities that specifi-
hosted by Wheels & Keels at The The two-day event kicked off Friday cally used the funds to enhance the  Lines in the Lagoon, a youth-
Moorings Yacht & Country Club shot evening with cocktails, a live auction lives of children and adults who need founded and run fishing tournament,
a “Captain Kirk” – taking the event to and dinner in the Governor’s Lounge, it. We are not a brick-and-mortar foun- raises awareness about the lagoon in
a place “where no ball has ever gone where intimate introductions of the dation. If you want to build a building, hopes of nurturing future environ-
before.” seven nonprofit beneficiaries were go someplace else. We want to be able mental stewards.
featured. to touch the children and the adults
But instead of golf balls, the first and give them what they need.”  The Navy SEAL Trident House
hole of the Pete Dye Signature Golf “When we started this way back Charities Program provides fam-
when our objective was to get to chari- He explained they wanted to sup- ily support, scholarships, K-9 service
port local nonprofits that serve chil- dogs, and a haven on the lagoon where
dren and adults so that they might SEALs and their families can recover
create better lives for their clients. from the ravages of war.

Auctioneer Wesley Davis tempted  Vero Beach Rowing promotes and
attendees with an eclectic array of teaches the sport of rowing to develop
live-auction items that included sail- physical fitness, character, discipline
boat naming rights, golf with former and cooperation.
Navy SEALs, a rowing adventure, and
a sleek mahogany runabout.  New this year, Crossover Mission
provides year-round basketball train-
This year, proceeds from the ing, mentoring and tutoring to boys
Wheels & Keels event, which has do- and girls by enticing them with their
nated more than $500,000 since its love of the sport.
inception, supported seven local non-
profits.  Also new, Special Equestrians of
the Treasure Coast fosters personal
 The Youth Sailing Foundation, achievement through equine-assisted
which has been funded since the start activities for individuals with special
of W&K, provides children with the needs and cancer victims.
opportunity to learn how to sail while
As folks strolled across the green and
wandered along the docks at the Satur-
day show, they encountered such rare
beauties as a sleek, silver 1973 Panther;
a gorgeous blue 1961 Chrysler Crown
Imperial Convertible; and a compact
1952 Nash Rambler. Everywhere they
looked there was something to pique
everyone’s interest, from classy clas-
sics to sassy sports cars.

Navy SEAL Museum COO Rick Kai-
ser was the guest speaker at a red-
carpet award ceremony where awards
were presented in 18 categories for car
and boat classes categorized by era
and model.

For more information, visit wkvero.
com. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 19

PEOPLE

Clint and Cary Black. Charlie and Chris Pope. Mike Potter, Chet Kaletkowski and Rick Kudlack.

Stephanie Frank and Ruth Ann Kelly. Kag Cagnoni, Helen and Dr. Jim Shafer with Rick and Barbara Kaiser.

James Gregg with Cynthia and Kent Soukup. Mary Beth Vallar and Diane Parentela. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
Grant and Wendy Mann.

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

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
Marcia and Gavin Ruotolo with Rachel Morrell.

Joe Gagliano and Paul O’Keefe. Scott and Rochelle Morris.

Sharon and Charlie Angulot. Gail Miserendino and Colleen Scerri.

Mike Fox and Reese. Rick and Jill Anderson.



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

INSIGHT COVER STORY Brine pools at the Albemarle Corp.
Lithium mine in Calama, Chile

Sorting batteries at the Li-Cycle
lithium-ion battery recycling
facility in Canada.

Elon Musk wants to mine it, China years of falling prices as EVs race to “Price of lithium has gone to insane Technology Co. Ltd., the world’s big-
is scouring Tibet for it, battery makers become cost-competitive with gaso- levels!” he posted on Twitter. “Tesla gest EV battery maker. “The industry is
are crying out for it. line-powered cars. might actually have to get into the facing very strong headwinds in terms
mining & refining directly at scale, un- of cost escalation,” XPeng President
Lithium, the wonder metal at the If battery makers can’t get enough less costs improve.” Brian Gu told Bloomberg.
heart of the global shift to electric cars, lithium, it would curb the expansion of
is in a full-blown crisis. Demand has clean-energy vehicles, making it hard- Musk’s Tesla Inc. and Chinese au- The silvery-white metal, the third-
outstripped supply, pushing prices up er to meet global emissions targets. tomakers BYD Co., Xpeng Inc. and Li lightest element after hydrogen and
almost 500 percent in a year and hin- Auto Inc. have all already raised sticker helium, is in the throes of an unprec-
dering the world’s most successful ef- The crunch prompted a characteris- prices, as has Contemporary Amperex edented boom because a slump in
fort yet to halt global warming. tically blunt tweet from Musk in April. 2018-2020 that halved its value caused
chronic underinvestment in new
The shortage of lithium is so acute sources of supply just as EV demand
that in China, which makes about 80 was taking off. For battery makers,
percent of the world’s lithium-ion bat- those woes have been compounded
teries, the government corralled sup- by the pandemic and Russia’s war in
pliers and manufacturers to demand Ukraine, which have snarled supplies
“a rational return” to lower prices. of other ingredients they need, includ-
ing nickel, graphite and cobalt.
The consequences of failure to pro-
duce enough lithium are potentially Tightening supply and higher prices
devastating. Global investment in EVs have prompted a flurry of acquisitions
has grown faster than any other new- and joint ventures as battery makers
energy sector over the past few years, and automakers try to secure supplies,
outstripping wind and solar power. and unleashed a wave of resource na-
tionalism among governments. As
Current lithium spot prices could early as last June, Fitch Solutions said
add up to $1,000 to the cost of a new lithium had become a “strategic miner-
vehicle. Along with higher prices of
other raw materials, that is reversing

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 23

Lithium ore at a hard-rock mine in INSIGHT COVER STORY
Greenbushes, Western Australia.
Pipes pump brine from a pool at an Albemarle mine in Chile.

A worker inspects electric-
vehicle batteries at a factory
in Nanjing, China.

al,” and warned of “rising government spodumene, with Australia the biggest The quickest way to increase supply Western Australia, a project that in-
intervention.” miner. The ore is roasted and leached is to ramp up output from these exist- cludes Chinese partners Great Wall
with sulfuric acid and the silvery-gray ing sources. Ganfeng Lithium Co., one Motor Co. and CATL.
Lithium has taken a long time to hit residue typically shipped to China to of the world’s largest producers, said
the mainstream. Discovered in 1817 by be made into lithium hydroxide and it’ll use record profits to boost output. For many brine-lithium produc-
Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwed- lithium carbonate – compounds that Australia’s Pilbara Minerals Ltd. aims ers, increasing output quickly is con-
son, it wasn’t produced in quantity un- can be combined with nickel or cobalt to raise production capacity more than strained by their permits and the time
til the U.S. government began stockpil- to make battery electrodes, or with sol- 50 percent by the September quarter taken to let the liquid evaporate.
ing it to make hydrogen bombs in the vents to make electrolytes. by expanding its Pilgangoora mine in
late 1950s. One longer-term solution is to find
new deposits.
After the Cold War, production de-
clined until the metal began to be ad- Mining superpowers Australia and
opted for use in light alloys, coin cells Canada have both promised to help
and then mobile phone batteries in develop critical mineral resources,
the 1990s. including lithium. China recently an-
nounced that its geologists had dis-
More than half of the global resourc- covered a spodumene deposit on the
es are located in the so-called lithium Qinghai-Tibet plateau in the region of
triangle between Argentina, Bolivia Mount Everest that could hold more
and Chile, where producers pump than 1 million tons of lithium oxide.
lithium-rich brine from underground
lakes and allow the liquid to evaporate But it takes years to develop a new
for 12-28 months to yield a slurry that mine and, in some countries, the pro-
can be profitably processed. Current cess is becoming more difficult due to
technology recovers only about 50 resistance from local communities.
percent of the lithium in the brine.
“There is plenty of lithium in the
Much of the remaining supply comes ground, but timely investment is the
from deposits of an igneous rock called issue,” said Joe Lowry, founder of ad-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 INSIGHT COVER STORY

visory firm Global Lithium. “Tesla can open in 2026, would create more than vironmental governance that includes consumers are prepared to pay a pre-
build a gigafactory in about two years, 2,000 jobs and meet the highest envi- reshaping water rules and other envi- mium for an electric vehicle is that it’s
cathode plants can be built in less time, ronmental standards, including using ronmental protections that could af- better for the environment. But the
but it can take up to 10 years to build a recycled water and electric trucks. fect lithium producers if the charter is lithium supply chain is far from green.
greenfield lithium brine project.” ratified in a September referendum. “If
Savannah Resources’ Barroso proj- you're a multinational company going The Atacama desert of northern Chile
Rio Tinto Group’s proposed $2.4 ect in Portugal and Lithium Americas into Chile right now, you have to think is one of the driest places on Earth, but
billion Jadar mine on farmland in Corp.’s proposed mine in Nevada are twice, because you don't know what extracting the mineral from salt flats
western Serbia, which would be Eu- others that have to negotiate local op- the rules are,” Lowry said. 10 times the size of New York’s Central
rope’s biggest, stalled as thousands of position. Park and processing it requires a lot of
protesters marched in the streets. Rio But lithium producers face an even water. It can take about 70,000 liters of
says the mine, originally scheduled to Chile’s Constitutional Convention this bigger problem. Part of the reason water to make one ton of lithium.
month approved an expansion of en-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 19, 2022 25

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Mining spodumene is energy inten- Lithium-ion batteries fall into a and scaling up manufacturing of new the market will remain undersupplied
sive and together with shipping the sweet spot that balances high energy technologies can bring several chal- and miners don’t want to be burned
concentrate to China for refining can density and safety. The mineral is the lenges.” again by the kind of glut that caused
emit 3.5 times more carbon dioxide least-dense solid element with the prices to slump in 2018.
than lithium extracted from brine. greatest electro-chemical potential Another potential source of lithi-
and a very low melting point, pro- um is from recycling old batteries, a The upshot is that the lithium crunch
“There’s a lot of dirty things happen- ducing an excellent energy-to-weight practice that could meet 16 percent isn’t likely to go away soon, leaving an
ing in producing these materials,” said performance. of annual demand by 2035. But bat- industry that exists because of the need
Steven Vassiloudis, chief executive of- tery retirements are only set to surge to protect the environment with little
ficer of Novalith, which is working on a Ulderico Ulissi, battery research lead after 2030. “Basically, there's just not option but to ramp up output as fast as
system that would streamline process- at London-based Rho Motion Ltd., an enough batteries to be recycled right possible, even with a supply chain that
ing of spodumene and absorb carbon. energy transition researcher, predicts now," said McKinsey’s Hoffman, add- spews emissions and guzzles scarce re-
“Hard-rock lithium has such a high that solid-state and sodium-ion batter- ing that recycling presents its own en- sources.
carbon footprint because of the en- ies could eventually challenge lithium- vironmental problems. "There is no
ergy requirement” and the many steps ion packs in some applications in the great way to recycle a battery today.” “Yes, it helps to be green,” said Cam-
needed in conventional processing. second half of the decade. “EV quali- eron Perks, an analyst at Benchmark.
fication, however, is a lengthy process One roadblock to investing in output “But right now, we need all the lithium
Automakers are wading in to protect is that not everyone is convinced that we can get.” 
the “green” image of their electric cars.
BMW and a group backed by German
automobile giants including Daimler
AG and Volkswagen AG and have be-
gun separate investigations into water
use and production methods in the
South American salt flats.

Companies are pursuing new tech-
nologies to lower expenses, cut water
use and green their operations. Char-
lotte, North Carolina-based Albemarle
Corp., the world’s biggest lithium pro-
ducer, is seeking responsible mining
certification for its operations in Chile
and said it will reduce the intensity of
freshwater use by 25 percent by 2030
in areas of high water risk.

“Producing lithium to use as little
electricity and water is a critical goal,”
said Ken Hoffman, senior expert at
McKinsey & Co.“Coming up with one or
several of these novel ways to produce
‘green lithium’ will be vital to the long-
term success of this industry. Whomev-
er is able to deliver this technology, they
should see very strong returns.”

That prize has spawned a raft of
startups. Many are pursuing direct
lithium extraction, a term used to de-
scribe ways to chemically capture lith-
ium compounds that would speed up
production.

"DLE can massively increase sup-
ply,” said Hoffman at McKinsey who
estimates the technology could come
online as soon as late next year. “You
don't need two years of drying lithium
out from brine. And instead of getting
about 40% of lithium out of the brine,
you can get more than double the
amount."

If they succeed, it will still take time
to catch up with demand.

"Even if DLE happens, we are still
far behind the car companies’ EV
plans for at least a decade,” Lowry
said. “DLE has to be customized. It's
not a one-size-fits-all technology.”

The environmental and supply is-
sues have prompted companies to
look for alternatives to the lithium-ion
battery, including hydrogen. But none
has come close to supplanting lithium
in the all-important passenger car
market, and most are years away from
commercial viability.

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

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

With China's economy poised to grow at the slow- cials are no longer keen about central government Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee, and
est pace since the Cultural Revolution, speculation is directions and will choose to lie flat. Han Zheng, who is in charge of Hong Kong affairs.
rife that there’s a power struggle going on and possibly
even gridlock among the country's political elite. No doubt, Xi is China’s most powerful politician Meanwhile, Xi’s own bench is emptying. Li Qiang,
in decades. In 2018, he managed to remove the two- the party secretary of Shanghai who had once served
In a fiery speech delivered at last week’s World term limit on the presidency, thereby paving the way as Xi’s chief secretary during his time in Zhejiang
Economic Forum in Davos, billionaire investor for a third-term this fall. province, had been on track to join the Standing
George Soros made his most sensational claim yet Committee, or even be nominated as the next pre-
– that Chinese President Xi Jinping may not get re- A year ago, through a revision in the law, he won mier. That career fast-track has now been derailed
elected to a third-term at the 20th National Con- the power to appoint or dismiss vice premiers on because of Shanghai’s extended Covid lockdown.
gress this fall because of the mistakes he has made. the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee,
where he is the top ranking official. It used to be Proponents of the strongman argument will say
But even if he does, the Politburo may not give him a done only on the authority of the National People’s Xi should be able to withstand opposition because,
free hand to select the members of the next Politburo. Congress, which convenes every March. after all, Putin is still standing despite an embarrass-
That would greatly reduce his power and influence ing stalemate in Ukraine. But China is not Russia,
and make it less likely that he will become ruler for life. Procedurally, it’s highly unlikely Xi will lose a third which has been economically stagnant for decades.
term. Nonetheless, Xi now has a very narrow path to Putin’s power is based on his mastery of his country’s
According to Soros, Xi made two fatal mistakes this form a cabinet of his liking. He still appears to re- politics. The Chinese Communist Party’s legitimacy
year. First, persisting with Covid-zero pushed the econ- spect an unwritten rule that senior officials should depends on its ability to deliver economic prosper-
omy into free fall and drove Shanghai, which entered a retire when they are 68 and over. (Xi already passed ity – and that’s now a stumbling block.
full lockdown on April 1,“to the verge of open rebellion.” that threshold but this rule does not apply to him.)
Some observers also say that Xi isn’t in trouble be-
Second, Xi’s alliance with Vladimir Putin did not If that is the case, the Politburo will be in flux this cause the discontent and dissent is coming mainly
serve China’s best interests. In the last two years, fall: At least 11 of the 25 current members will need from China’s urban elites. Indeed, Xi was popular
strong exports were the Chinese economy’s trump to step down. among China’s poor. Since 2015, the People’s Bank of
card. Now, China has alienated its two largest buyers China showered over 3.3 trillion yuan on shanty-town
– the US and the European Union. Its companies are For Xi, even more worrying is the future composi- redevelopments. As much as 60 percent of that money
fearful of getting snagged by secondary sanctions. tion of the Standing Committee, where we are likely came as cash settlements to poorer households.
to see at least three openings. In recent days, Pre-
Soros is not alone in thinking that Xi may be los- mier Li Keqiang, the second highest ranking politi- But that blue-collar coalition may be disintegrat-
ing his grip on power. The marketplace seems to have cian at the Committee, has re-emerged as the eco- ing too. The 178 million migrant laborers in big cities
priced some of that in. In mid-March, when Liu He, Xi’s nomic fixer and a force in his own right. working at factories, as delivery workers and restau-
childhood friend and a member of his inner circle, pro- rant servers, are suffering the most from the harsh
duced a statement vowing to “actively introduce poli- Li is trying to influence the selection of his replace- Covid-zero lockdowns.
cies that benefit markets,” the stock market cheered. ment as a counterweight to Xi, according to the Wall
Street Journal. Xi will also lose his right-hand man Li Less than half a year away from the all-important
The mood soured just a little over a month later. National Congress, Xi now has tons of headaches,
On April 26, when Xi personally called for an “all out” from soaring youth unemployment, ballooning local
infrastructure push to boost the economy, skeptical government debt, to economic hardship all around.
traders shrugged it off.
He’s still going to get his third term. But to retain
Building roads, railways and water-treatment his influence, he will have to try very hard to win the
plants require the enthusiasm and cooperation of hearts and minds of his comrades this fall. 
local government officials. Last year, municipalities
funded over half of China’s infrastructure spending, A version of this column by Shuli Ren first appeared
up from around 40 percent in 2003. The concern is: on Bloomberg. It does not necessarily reflect the views
Perhaps, after so many policy flip-flops, local offi- of Vero Beach 32963.

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

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 27

INSIGHT OP-ED

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

INSIGHT BOOKS

To the Royal Geographi- A lack of documen- The pair’s incompatibility became immediately
cal Society of Victorian Eng- tation is certainly not obvious once the expedition left Zanzibar. A first
land, it was “the problem of a problem for the try to reach the interior in 1855 had to be aborted
all ages.” Determining the other two members when a group of Somalis attacked the travelers ear-
source of the Nile, tradition- of this triumvirate ly on, leaving one Englishman dead, Speke brutally
ally regarded as the longest — especially Bur- clubbed and stabbed, and Burton suffering with a
river in the world, had in fact ton, who has been spear thrust sideways through his mouth. A second
been a common fixation since the subject of nu- attempt in 1857 proved nearly as disastrous, plagued
ancient times, prompting spec- by bad weather, disappearing supplies and porters,
ulation from figures as varied merous biographies infuriating insects, bizarre illnesses, and internecine
as Herodotus and Alexander over the years. And conflict among the expedition’s members. The un-
the Great (who guessed, oddly, little wonder why: failingly good-natured Bombay tried to play peace-
that the African river’s headwa- Oxford dropout, maker, but Burton and Speke clashed often, piling
ters might be found somewhere brilliant scholar up resentments and mutual antipathies that would
in India). By the mid-19th cen- and linguist, fear- never be fully resolved.
tury, the quest had become an less traveler, and
obsession with the British in par- They did, however, make discoveries – if landmarks
ticular. According to Sir Roderick translator of clas- known to Arab traders for decades and local people
Murchison, one of the founders sic books consid- for centuries can be considered “discoveries.” The
of the Royal Geographical Soci- ered obscene by big body of water at the continent’s heart turned out
ety, the explorer who ultimately his peers, he was to be three separate major lakes, and the expedition
pinpointed the fabled river’s ori- the kind of man got a look at two of them. Burton and Speke together
gins would be “justly considered who would dis- reached the one that Europeans would call Lake Tan-
among the greatest benefactors of guise himself as ganyika, but only Speke glimpsed the other – Nyanza,
this age.” aka Lake Victoria – as Burton was incapacitated by
a Muslim (to the illness and too weak to make the side trip. Naturally,
Given the depth of this fascina- extent of getting Burton felt that the lake he saw was the likely source
tion, it’s not surprising that many circumcised) in of the Nile; Speke was convinced that the true source
books have been written about this holy grail of order to be the must be the lake his rival didn’t see. And although the
Victorian exploration – notable among them “The first undercover Englishman to enter younger man would ultimately prove correct (more
White Nile” by Alan Moorehead (1960) and “Ex- Mecca. For a swashbuckler like Burton, finding the or less, but the question is complex), this fundamen-
plorers of the Nile” by Tim Jeal (2011). Now enter source of the Nile was an adventure too challenging tal disagreement would poison the remainder of
Candice Millard, who has made a specialty of writ- to pass up. By the early 1850s, virtually all that was each explorer’s life.
ing about individual episodes in the lives of color- known about the central African region – to Euro-
ful historical figures such as Theodore Roosevelt peans, at least – was that a large body of water lay Millard recounts all of these travails with a fluid
and Winston Churchill. With her new book, “River somewhere in the continent’s interior, along with a grace that wears its learning lightly. She leaves some
of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the group of peaks known as the Mountains of the Moon. important parts of the story untold but shows a keen
Search for the Source of the Nile,” she takes a simi- So when Burton heard that the Royal Geographical sensitivity to aspects that have at times been un-
lar slice-of-the-story approach to the decades-long Society was planning an expedition into this enticing derplayed, such as the role of slavery and the slave
Nile drama, focusing on the bitter rivalry between terra incognita, his reaction was foreseeable: “I shall trade in the effort of discovery. Burton and Speke,
explorers Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke. strain every nerve to command it.” she points out, although opposed to slavery as an
And while her book is neither as infectiously read- Somehow, despite the fact that he had many en- institution, did hire enslaved people as porters (for
able as Moorehead’s (which is now outdated) nor as emies in high places, Burton secured the job. But pay). Even Bombay took along an enslaved servant –
comprehensive and deeply researched as Jeal’s, she when the old friend he had handpicked as the expe- a fellow African named Mabruki. Bombay appears to
does add a new dimension to the story. Perhaps as a dition’s botanist and medic died unexpectedly, Bur- have treated him with a kindness bordering on de-
corrective to the Anglocentrism of earlier accounts, ton was forced to choose a stranger as his replace- votion, but we’ll probably never know how Mabruki
she brings a third figure into the foreground: Sidi ment – namely, Speke, a prim, fair-haired aristocrat felt about the arrangement. Some perspectives on
Mubarak Bombay, a formerly enslaved African who six years Burton’s junior who lacked any special history, unfortunately, can only be surmised. 
acted as guide and interpreter for Burton, Speke knowledge of either botany or medicine. And the
and several other explorers over the years. It’s a re- two men could hardly have been more different. RIVER OF THE GODS
freshing shift in emphasis and certainly overdue, “Burton was a man of eccentric genius and tastes,
but since relatively few details about Bombay sur- orientalised in character and thoroughly Bohemi- GENIUS, COURAGE, AND BETRAYAL IN
vive in the historical record, there are limits to how an,” as one of their colleagues later put it. “Speke, on
much Millard can tell us. the other hand, was a thorough Briton, convention- THE SEARCH FOR THE SOURCE OF THE NILE
al, solid and resolute.” This was not, in other words,
a combination designed for success. BY CANDICE MILLARD | DOUBLEDAY. 349 PP. $32.50
REVIEW BY GARY KRIST, THE WASHINGTON POST



30 Vero Beach 32963 / March 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PETS

Bonz says Shih Tzu Frankie Pearl’s a precious little girl

Hi Dog Buddies! Daddy’s lap an began her tail. how to play: I have a basket of toys
but I only occasionally glance at
It’s amazin’ how much charm an “Mom an Daddy had had two ’em. The squeakers scare me. I have
ZWAH-duh-VEEV can be stuffed into my Canine Good Citizen certificate
a teensy liddle package: Ms. Frankie pree-vee-us Shih Tzus, Sticky but, truth be told, I cud probly use a
Pearl Snedeker is a 6-pound, 10-anna- refresher course. I LOVE getting my
haff-year-old Shih Tzu from Santa Ana, Bun an Daisy, an it was time to ears scratched. That’s sorta exercise,
Calla-FOR-nee-uh, huge dark eyes, fluffy right? I love car rides. I have a special
Dutch bob ears anna wiggly “I Mean find another liddle pooch com- seat so I can see out. I love sleepin’
Business” prance. with Mom an Daddy. I start at the foot
panion: They came upon my of the bed, an when it gets colder I just
We first woof-mailed when those Very keep scoochin’ up. I’m a fan of chig-
Cool Kibbles extra zoomy jet planes were pickshur on Pet Finder. I was at gen; kibbles with punkin on top; ice
in town to do a SHOW, practicin’ right cream; oooo, an, Sammy turned me
over our houses, so we were stayin’ in- Love Bug Rescue, having been on to whipped cream.”
side. NOT cuz we were scared or any- On cue, Miss Frankie Pearl’s Mom
thing. Just cuzza the Very Loud Loud- scooped up from the streets of produced a liddle dish of whipped
ness an the Big Booms. They were called cream. The next 1-2 minutes passed
Blue Angels. They were blue, but not Santa Anna, Calla-FOR-nee- in hushed silence, save for the lap-lap-
ackshull angels. Ms. Frankie Pearl made lap, lick-lick-lick sounds as the whipped
sure I knew she wasn’t scared one liddle uh, as a skinny, matted stray. cream vanished before our eyes, Miss
bit. “I flew here 3-anna-haff years ago an Frankie Pearl’s caboose wiggling with
I’ve also flown to Maine an New Jersey.” A super nice lady, Miss Stacey, delight the entire time.
The hour went by fast.
But I digress. fostered me while I was getting “I hope you can come back, Mr. Bon-
Frankie Pearl pranced right up to give zo. We can watch softball and car rac-
my assistant welcoming wags an wig- spiffed up to get ready to be Frankie.PHOTO: KAILA JONES ing on TV an I’ll share my treat ball!” she
gles, then approached me for a demure adopted. Miss Stacey wanted called after us.
Wag-an-sniff. to keep me but she’d already Headin’ home, I was totally smilin’
“A pleasure to meet you in the fur,” she pickshurin’ Miss Frankie Pearl an her
said. reached her agreed-upon- charmin’, slightly confusin’ stream-of-
“Likewise,” I replied. consciousness stories an sweet smile. An
“So, this is my Mom, Charlotte. An this with-her-husbun pooch limit. the terminals, with arty-fishull grass, so wonderin’ whether gramma might per-
is my Daddy, Ray. Full disclosure, I’m haps have whipped cream in the fridge. I
Daddy’s Shadow. Would you like a liddle “Soon as Mom an Daddy saw me, they us pooches have a nice place to do our bet it’d be yummy with my evening dish
drink of wadder? Or a snack? Do you of yoghurt.
wanna watch TV? I like sports. Specially emailed Love Bug Rescue and then, soon duty an nobody yells at us?” Till next time,
grrrls volleyball. Do you like sports?”
“Thanks so much, but I’d better start as they got all checked out to be sure “Pawsome! So, what’s your life been The Bonz
taking notes so I can write your story. I
know it’s fascinating.” they’d be Good Pet Parents, Waa-Laa, I like since?” Don’t Be Shy
“Oh, of course, silly me,” she said.
“We’ll just sit right here.” got my Furever Famly.” “It’s wonderful, Bonzo! Since my name We are always looking for pets
She was way too small for the with interesting stories.
snacks my assistant always carried in “But you were Out There an your Mom was Francesca, Mom an Daddy decided
The Satchel, so Frankie Pearl’s Mom To set up an interview, email
gave my assistant three teensy liddle an Daddy were Here, right? How’d that to keep it so I wouldn’t get confused, but [email protected].
snack bits, which Frankie Pearl nib-
bled daintily, then curled up on her work?” I inquired. shortened to Frankie. Then they added

“WELL, Mom an Daddy flew all the Pearl cuz I got to my Furever Home Dec.

way from that Mouse airport ...” 7 which is the same day, a long time ago,

“Orlando.” when something very terrible and seri-

“Oh, right. Orlando. Out to San Fran- ous happened to lotsa Americans at a

SISS-co to meet Miss Stacy an me. They place called Pearl Harbor.

stayed atta hotel overnight so Miss Stac- “Woof! That’s a really Cool Kibbles

ey sneakily snuck me in (the hotel wasn’t tribute. Do you have any pooch pals?”

what you’d call Pooch Positive). She “Oh, yes! My BFF’s Sammy, a Shihtzu

stuffed me into a fluffy dog sling, then like me. He’s a neighbor across the pond.

wrapped a big cape over her an me, only We stay with each other when our par-

my nose was stickin’ out, an we went in ents are Away. An, guess what, I NEVER

through the back entrance.” bark, ’cept when does. (I also never shed.

“Oooh, boy.” Isn’t that So Polite?) Anyway, when we go

“I know. Right? up to Maine (I’m a Snowbirddog by the

“It was kinda sad leaving Miss Stacey. way), I hang out with Domer an Sophie,

We still send her phodos an Christmas they’re Golden Doodles. Then there’s my

cards so she knows I have a wonderful sorta nieces up in New Jersey, Seraphina

life. Mom an Daddy had a lovely carrier an Belle, they’re English Bulldogs.”

for me so I could fly as a carry on from “Lemme see: How ’bout fav foodstuffs,

LAX to FEE-nix, to umm, Orlando, no exercise, classes, toys, sleeping arrange-

problem. Then to here. Did you know ments?”

they have Doggie Comfort Stations in “Oooh, well, I never ackshully learned

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 31

INSIGHT BRIDGE

NORTH

STOP THE WORST FROM HAPPENING AKJ

By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist Q 10 9

Werner Heisenberg, a German scientist who was told to develop an atom bomb in Q5
World War II, said, “An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that
can be made in his subject, and how to avoid them.” J6532

The mistakes made by West and East in this deal are not among the worst ever seen, WEST EAST
but an expert would surely have solved the problem, especially if sitting West. 65
2 94
What happened in four spades after West led his singleton heart? K98742
Q 10 9 4 AKJ874
When South overcalled East’s weak two, North might have jumped to three no-trump,
which would have coasted home here. But four spades would be hard to criticize. J63

East won with his heart jack and cashed the heart ace. West discarded an encouraging 87
diamond nine. East took his third heart winner, then shifted to a diamond. However,
South won with the ace, cashed his two top clubs, played a trump to dummy’s jack, SOUTH
ruffed a club, returned to dummy with a spade, ruffed another club (bringing down
West’s queen) and crossed back to the board with a trump. Then declarer discarded his Q 10 8 7 3 2
diamond 10 on the club jack. He took six spades, one diamond and three clubs.
653
East might have worked out to shift to a trump at trick four, because if West had the
diamond ace, he would have ruffed his partner’s winner at trick three and cashed the A 10
setting trick. However, West knew that he did not have the ace, and, unless the contract
was cold, South could succeed only if he established dummy’s club suit. To stop AK
that from happening, West should have ruffed the third heart and shifted to a trump,
removing a vital dummy entry. Dealer: East; Vulnerable: Both

The Bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
2 Spades Pass 4 Spades 2 Hearts
All Pass LEAD:
2 Hearts





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

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (MAY 26) ON PAGE 56

The Telegraph ACROSS DOWN
1 Hairdresser (6) 2 Larger (6)
4 Lines up (6) 2 Unhappy (4)
7 Backup (9) 3 Spoiled (6)
9 Strong wind (4) 4 Duvets (6)
10 Ditty (4) 5 Lugs (4)
11 Chairs (5) 6 Phases (6)
13 Jog the memory (6) 7 A metal (9)
14 Beams (6) 8 Child (9)
15 Cloth for painting on(6) 11 Creep (5)
17 Go up and down (6) 12 Footwear (5)
19 Retains (5) 15 Informal (6)
20 Rotated (4) 16 Add flavour to (6)
22 Sustain (4) 17 Type of cake (6)
23 Envoy (9) 18 Alerted (6)
24 Slacken (6) 21 Report (4)
25 Lengthen (6) 22 Twisted (4)

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 35

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS for one 36 Astrology forecast for the The Washington Post
1 Shows fatigue 90 Bygone Swedish auto New Year?
5 Wedding seat, often 91 Bit of sun GREAT EXPECTATIONS By Merl Reagle
8 “A Rock” opening 92 Acquitted 37 You, at a take-out counter
11 Labor, for ex. 94 “Don’t come in here!” 38 Liquid used in plastics
15 Writes illegibly 96 Fake one’s feelings, maybe 39 The older of two catch
19 Corp. VIP 98 Baseball’s Cobb
21 “Say, mister?” players
22 “Clear the ___” et al. 41 Carpet layer’s New Year’s
23 Oolong outlet 99 Gilbert and Sullivan princess
24 Bulging with bucks 100 Aides to profs prayer?
25 Vinyl resting place 101 Cold time in Colo. 43 Unrefined, in French
27 Leg part 102 Last call? 46 Flying flock’s shape
28 Writer Madame 103 Belgian river 48 Tried
104 Big stink 51 Egypt, once: abbr.
de ___ 106 Starsky’s partner 52 Galatea’s love
30 Comic Mort 108 Steve and Butterfly 53 “No sweat”
31 Nectar fruit 112 Lone Star star’s first name 56 Garb
32 Samuel’s teacher 113 Drive-in theaters, 58 Protein “pattern”
34 Jane Alexander once 64 Shield from danger
in Variety 65 Via hearing
headed it: abbr. 116 Fidel’s bro 67 Document setting
35 Turkish title 117 .001 of an inch 68 Szczecin’s river
36 Clausian syllables 118 Bilko et al. 69 Agenda, for short
39 Hall or Hannah 119 Surveillance staple 75 Witness
40 Acclimate anew 120 Bacterial-action cheese 79 La intro
42 Hall happening 121 Porker’s pad 80 Deli offerings
44 Ryan’s Love Story co-star 122 Rocket-launching org., 82 ___ trip
45 Square 84 Overhead figures?
47 In summer, on the Somme abroad 85 Purina product
49 Sweet Rosie of song 123 This, in Tijuana 86 “American Pie” rhyme
50 Strips bare 88 Cashes in
52 Keaton or Chaplin? DOWN 90 Take to court
54 Swiss mathematician 1 Jet type phased out in 2003 93 “Rats!”
55 Egg-shaped 2 Jet jockey 95 Black Sea port
56 Sour-smelling 3 Cheese shop’s hope for the 97 He was Steed on The
57 Pounding water
59 Number of Neapolitan New Year? Avengers
4 Walk casually 103 Christmas
flavors, in Naples 5 Where Artaxerxes I and II 105 Pick ___
60 Drop the ball
61 Fragment ruled (be overly precise)
62 Italian river 6 Light at the end of the tunnel 107 Banned weapon
63 Member of a coop co-op 7 Haberdasher’s hopeful 108 Hazel’s boss, to Hazel
64 Call a turkey, e.g. 109 Driving need
66 Boat store’s wish for the comment for the New Year? 110 On the ___ vive
8 “Love ___ two-way street” 111 Sneaky
New Year? 9 Pulmonary alveolus, put 114 Tell
70 Pest’s evocation 115 Jacuzzi’s cousin
71 Boring routine simply
72 Art movement 10 Noted squinter
73 Director Lee 11 Writer Roald
74 Literary monogram 12 Significant time
76 Guadalajara gold 13 Architect I.M.
77 Salon guru Jose 14 Cigarette danger
78 Having overhangs 16 Helicopter service’s
79 Heat unit
81 Medium’s deck prediction for the New Year?
83 Read aloud 17 Sleep symbol
85 Ivy, for example 18 Geometric shapes
87 Actress Donahue of 20 Chicken farmer’s goal for the

Father Knows Best New Year?
89 J.D. Salinger, 26 Gambler’s desire for the

New Year?
29 Decaf ___
31 It means “old”
33 Spy novelist Deighton

The Telegraph

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

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Family is ‘angry’ at brother who wants to divorce his wife

BY CAROLYN HAX A bad fit. And maybe he has worked for two de-
Washington Post cades to make a bad fit into something better – for
all the same reasons you want him to keep try-
Hi, Carolyn: Out of nowhere, my ing, even – and maybe now he’s tired enough that
working at it is no longer a healthy option.
sibling informed our family that
Are you really all going to gather round to say,
he has been very unhappy in his “Sorry, bro, your unhappiness doesn’t meet our
family threshold for doing something about it”?
marriage of almost 20 years and
Of course there are good and bad reasons to
wants a divorce. Our family is reel- leave marriages. Self-preservative, and selfless,
and hurtful, and thoughtful, and disloyal/rash/
ing, and we’re all at a loss in how long overdue ones. Maybe his reason is one of the
worst. But there are bad reasons to stay, too. Who
to handle it. His wife is a lovely person and they have wants a spouse who doesn’t want to be there?

children, which is making this even harder. The only bystander who can make these distinc-
tions with any accuracy with any given couple is one
We love him, but are also angry at him for choosing humble enough to know how much is unknown.

this because, from our perspective, his reasons don’t I realize your brother’s decision set in motion
certain things that involve you – like upset parents
seem acute enough to end a marriage. Additionally, I dumping their stress on you. It is indeed your place
to manage these.
find myself handling my parents’ feelings, as they are
But you can do so in most cases by deciding up-
extremely hurt and angry about it. This is a burden front what you will and won’t discuss, with whom.
“Mom, Dad, I understand you are upset, but I can’t be
on me. I am also angry and upset but have closed off the one you lean on right now.” “I love you/them both
and don’t feel comfortable talking about this.” “Only
that area because it’s almost too much to emotion- the people in a marriage know what goes on inside it.”

ally manage. Act as if being sad about something – genuinely,
legitimately, understandably sad – and actually
I’m staying supportive of both parties and hoping being able to fix it are two different things.

they are willing to attend counseling. But I’m also I’m sorry you’re all going through this. 

fearing the worst and know I will have to help pick

up the pieces of whatever happens. Act as if your most compassionate role is to play
no role at all.
Do you have any advice on how parents and sib-
When you say his reasons “don’t seem acute
lings of those going through separation and/or di- enough,” you’re declaring yourself qualified to
judge this. But you aren’t. No one is if they don’t
vorce should act? wake up in this marriage personally every day.

– Sibling You do not know how it feels to be your brother.
The lovely person he married and the mother of
Sibling: Act as if it wasn’t “out of nowhere” for him. his children could just be wrong for him. That’s it.
Act as if it is not your marriage, and not your di-
vorce, to judge.

WOW, AND HOW!

STRINGER GALLERY’S
‘MASTERWORKS: THEN AND NOW’

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

ARTS & THEATRE

Wow, and how! Stringer Gallery’s ‘Masterworks: Then and Now’

BY MARY SCHENKEL | STAFF WRITER

The J.M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art on “And we’re happy to see them again. Clockwise from left: “L’Ange au Violin” by
Ocean Drive is home to an exceptional It’s kind of like seeing old friends,” says Marc Chagall, “Sunrise at the Marsh” by
collection of artworks, as evidenced by Stringer. In a way, he adds, the exhibit Albert Bierstadt and “Figures on a Beach”
its current exhibit, Masterworks: Then is akin to the Vero Beach Museum of
and Now, which opened in mid-March Art’s Vero Collects: Hidden Treasures by Andreas Achenbach.
and will remain on display through June. exhibit. “Because we have great paint-
ings that were collected by some of our
Many of the artworks are highlighted
in the show’s catalog, but gallery co-own-
ers John Stringer and Caesar Mistretta
are always happy to provide the history
and providence for each piece.

“The ‘Now’ refers to the work of John
Phillip Osborne and John C. Traynor,
two of our really top, top resumed artists.
Dealers of antique paintings all will tell
you we’re just kind of walking through
time with them. They’re two you can
count on that will be highly collected
in the future,” says Stringer of the two
American artists.

The “Then” features antique works
from a variety of collectors, some of
whom purchased from the gallery years
ago and are now at a point where they
may be looking to downsize.

most discerning clients.” people who live here because it’s a low
Among them is a rare antique painting country painting, and yet you see that
beautiful, prismatic palette of the sky
by the renowned Russian-French artist and it employs all the techniques that
Marc Chagall: “L’ange au Violon,” a 15.5- Bierstadt was known for.”
inch by 11-inch gouache.
At 47 inches by 41 inches, the majestic
“It has a great provenance because this “Portrait of a Lady” is one of the show’s
was done in 1939. Chagall did this and larger pieces, painted by the celebrated
gave it as a gift to a man by the name of Belgian artist Fernand Toussaint.
Bruno Walter. He was a composer, vio-
linist and conductor in Germany, and “And we know her name is Yvette be-
with the rise of Hitler was able to get out cause that’s on the back of the canvas.
and go to France. He [Walter] became a We sold this painting a good 25 years
French citizen in 1939, and this was giv- ago, and it’s come back. It’s one of the
en as a gift to him by Chagall. So, it has a great masterpieces for Fernand Tous-
great history,” says Stringer. saint,” says Stringer.

On its back, says Stringer, are labels In 1929, he says, a famed Parisian art
of various dealers, including that of the critic wrote that “Toussaint is the undis-
Kennedy Gallery in New York. “And now puted master at capturing the grace and
it comes to us.” charm of women.”

Another outstanding painting is “Sun- “And this painting kind of epitomizes
rise at the Marsh,” by German-American that, because you can see the beautiful,
artist Albert Bierstadt. fluid motion of her arms, and hands, the
way the dress is done is so beautifully –
“Albert Bierstadt is one of the greats elegance, elegance, elegance. So, it’s a
associated with the Hudson School, huge find. It’s a major work of art.”
and he went West and painted all these
great paintings of the Rockies and Yo- “The New Arrival,” a 24-inch by 30-
semite,” says Stringer. “But this is a inch oil painting by Bernard Pothast, is a
painting that’s of much more interest to charming depiction of a mother cradling

David Lutken. Sam Sherwood.

the newest addition to the family, as her comparable size. Left to right: “Donegal Showers” by John Osborne,
two toddlers look on. The smallest is “The New Arrival” by Bernard Jean Corneille Pothast
16 inches by 12 and “Sunflowers in Red Porcelain by John C. Traynor.
“It’s really just beautifully painted. He
was Dutch by birth but for most of his ca- inches and the
reer he lived in Belgium. He was highly
respected and collected during his time,” largest is 21.5 inches by 14.25 inches.
says Stringer. “Caesar and I have prob-
ably sold four others in our whole career, Two, “Eavesdropping” by Louis De-
because they’re very rare to find. But
none rivaled or came close to this one. vedeux and “A Stroll Thru the Borghese
This one is really the ultimate.”
Garden” by Edouard Ducros, are by
On a smaller scale – in size only, not
distinction – is “Arabian Market,” a 9.5- French painters. “The Mistress of Vanity”
inch by 13-inch oil by the famed Italian
painter Alberto Pasini. is by American artist Joseph Henry Bos-

“This is a wonderful, rare find that ton, and “Dans le Jardin” is by Belgian
came into the gallery. Pasini was an
Italian artist, mid-19th century, and artist Florent Willems.
the single most sought-after work by
Pasini are his Orientalist paintings Of “News from America,” by Royal
that he painted from North Africa,
Constantinople, everywhere in that re- Academy artist George Henry Boughton,
gion,” Stringer explains.
whose historical works are at the Tate
“And they rarely, rarely surface. This
was from local hands, brought here be- Gallery in London, Stringer says, “It’s
fore World War II. This painting, in my
opinion, is one of the finest Pasinis to shocking it’s even here.”
surface in countless years. It is that rare.
So, it’s a little jewel for a collector.” He explains that the painting depicts

“Figures on a Beach,” a 14-inch by the days of the Irish potato famine. “As
19-inch oil on panel by Andreas Achen-
bach, is representative of the German the story goes, you see how hard the
landscape/seascape artist, which of-
ten underscore the dangers of a roiling women have been toiling, digging, try-
North Sea.
ing to find those potatoes. And this gent
“They either look like Dutch, Flemish
or German people sitting on the shore, is coming up to tell them he’s gotten word
watching what’s going on out there in the
sea. It’s really very, very special.” that their relatives made it to America

Referencing “Cattle in Autumn,” a 28- safely. It’s a very important work.”
inch by 36-inch oil by landscape paint-
er Sidney Richard “Percy” Williams, A notable larger work by Osborne is
Stringer comments that you’ll often see
his works at prominent shows in New “Donegal Showers,” a 40-inch by 50-inch
York and Europe.
oil on linen, which softly reflects what
“If they have a Percy Williams, they’re
going to bring it and they’re going to show Osborne describes as his “lifelong study
it. He’s really such a blue-chip artist. This
one was in private hands here for years. of the infinite effects of light that nature
This painting used to be in the Orlando
Museum of Fine Art and was purchased has to offer.”
over 25 years ago by our client when the
museum needed funds,” says Stringer. Osborne is also known for paintings
“This is one of the finest Percy Williams
that you’ll ever see. It’s really exquisite.” based on the American Revolution,

A quartet of works of women, each such as, “Reading of the Declaration of
painted with exquisite detail, came from
an estate in Vero Beach, where they had Independence,” an 8-inch by 12-inch
been displayed together, as all are of
oil on panel.

Referencing Traynor, Stringer says,

“Here you have one of John’s masterful

still-lifes called ‘Sunflowers in Red Por-

celain,’ a 40-inch by 30-inch oil on linen.

I think the sunflowers are so beauti-

ful, and because of what’s going on in

Ukraine, it’s very special.”

In addition to its remarkable collec-

tion of paintings, the gallery houses

furniture, sculpture and antiquities, in-

cluding a remarkable Greek Attic Red-

Figure Bell Krater.

“You’d have to go to the Metropolitan

Museum, or the British Museum or may-

be to Athens to find something as fine as

this. It’s from 370 BC, and it would have

been used for wine. Really, it’s such a

rare, rare thing, and the condition is ex-

traordinary,” says Stringer, noting that

it came from “one of America’s leading

dealers of antiquity for countless years.”

For more information, visit jmstringer-

gallery.com or call 772-231-3900. 

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

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! Heat’s on at Heaton’s with Summer White Party

BY PAM HARBAUGH live entertainment. Tickets are
Correspondent $50 in advance. If you just want
to pop into Heaton’s without all
1 Welcome the summer with the party hoopla and admission
the Summer White Party run- tag, there are some attractive
offerings this summer. You can
ning Friday, June 3, at Heaton’s Vero stay cool with Heaton’s “Sum-
mer Sundays with Casa Noble.”
Beach. This is quite the sophisticated Those events are every Sunday
beginning June 5 and running
spot where you can enjoy wonderful through Sept. 4 until 5 p.m.
There will be live music and
cuisine, sparkling drinks, great mu- drink specials running 1 p.m.
to 4 p.m. And of course, there’s
sic and get that seaside vibe, all in always Heaton’s Taco Tuesdays
with $5 tacos and $5 drinks and
one. And at night, there’s even a fire margaritas. Heaton’s is at 3500
Ocean Dr., Vero Beach. Call
pit! The Summer White Party kicks 772-469-4444 or visit Heatons-
VeroBeach.com.
off Heaton’s whole “Soundtrack for

the Shore” lineup of events for this

summer. There will be a live DJ, light

bites and a welcome cocktail at the

swanky event, which runs 7 p.m. to

10 p.m. Tickets to the Summer White

Party are $50 in advance and $55 at

the door, if there are any left. And

plan ahead for Heaton’s Rock & Rose 2 The Space Coast Sym-
phony Orchestra String
Beach Party, running 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER.

Friday, July 8. That event includes Quartet will perform Franz

games on the beach (bring your own Schubert’s string quartet No.

chairs) and live music. Tickets to 14 in D minor, D 810, known best SpaceCoastSymphony.org.

as “Death and the Maid-

en,” on Sunday, June 5, 3 Like it or not, hurricane sea-
at the First Presbyterian son has started and officially

Church of Vero Beach. runs through Nov. 30, although

Schubert composed the it’s not nice to give Mother Nature

work in 1824, when he a schedule. So, best be prepared

knew he was not much by heading to the Hurricane Expo,

longer for this world. running 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Satur-

Also on the program will day, June 4, at the Indian River

be Vaughan Williams’ Mall. This is designed to edu-

String Quartet No. 1 in G cate you on hurricane prepared-

minor. The string quar- ness with informational booths

tet features Joni Roos on by local businesses and organi-

HEATON’S. violin, Konstantin Dmi- zations, including Indian River

that are $15 in advance or $25 at the trov on violin, Michael County Emergency Management.
door. The final big to-do is the “End
of Summer Luau” running 7 p.m. to de Jesus on viola and Paul But there will also be a couple of
10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. There will be
light bites, a welcome cocktail and Fleury on cello. The concert begins celebrity meteorologists in at-

at 3 p.m. Admission is free but a tendance: Mike Lyons and Glenn

$20 donation is suggested. The First Glazer of WPBF-25 ABC who will

Presbyterian Church is at 520 Royal speak from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The

Palm Blvd. Call 855-252-7276 or visit Salvation Army will serve free lunch tanks, bugs and butterflies and get
their toes wet by wading a pond
to the first 100 people starting at where they’ll try some dip-netting.
Registration is $270 for ELC mem-
noon, outside Entrance One, where bers and $300 for non-members. A
June 6-10 camp is sold out, so hop to
you can also register to win a gen- now and get your child enrolled for
the July 18-22 camp. There are other
erator. The Indian River Mall is at camps for children up to age 14. You
can choose from SENSational Sum-
6200 20th St., Vero Beach. For more mer, Survivor Camp, Bug Out, Week
on the Water, Fishy Friends and so
information, call 772-770-9404, Op- much more. But best take a look at
the offerings and sign up now. The
tion 3, Ext. 102; or visit IndianRiver- Environmental Learning Center is
at 255 Live Oak Dr., Vero Beach. It’s
Mall.com. on the western base of the Wabas-
so Bridge on the 510 Causeway. For
4 Get the younger ones involved more information, call 772-589-5050
in summer activities at the or visit DiscoverELC.org. 

Environmental Learning Center.

The organization’s “Young Explor-

ers Summer Camp” runs July 18-22.

Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The ELC

will introduce campers 6 to 10 years

of age to the great outdoors, nature-

themed scavenger hunts, and arts

and crafts. They’ll also explore touch

BARIATRIC SURGERY

CAN DRASTICALLY BOOST

PATIENTS’ QUALITY OF LIFE

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

HEALTH

Bariatric surgery can drastically boost patients’ quality of life

BY KERRY FIRTH Dr. Jacob Petrosky. concluded that bariatric surgery
Correspondent was associated with lower overall
PHOTOS: KAILA JONES mortality than usual obesity care.
Cleveland Clinic Indian River In middle-aged patients with severe
Hospital recently recruited Dr. Ja- obesity, life expectancy was approx-
cob Petrosky to reboot the hospital’s imately three years longer among
bariatric program, which had been patients who underwent surgery
dormant for a year and a half. than among those who received
other care.
Dr. Petrosky told Vero Beach
32963 he chose the specialty of bar- Typically, bariatric surgery is
iatric surgery because he saw an op- done only after a patient has tried
portunity to have a powerful impact to lose weight through diet and ex-
of patients’ health, helping them ercise. Bariatric surgery could be an
multiple aspects of their lives. option if your body mass (BMI) is 40
or higher and you have no weight-
While most of us think of bariatric related health conditions like high
surgery as a last-ditch effort to lose blood pressure, diabetes or high
weight, the procedure has proven cholesterol; or if your body mass
beneficial in the treatment and cure index is 35 or higher and you have
of weight-related conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabe-
diabetes, high blood pressure, joint tes or pre-existing conditions like a
pain and heart disease. heart attack. Because those patients
have higher risk factors, the weight
Weight loss surgery is, in fact, the criteria is lowered. There is no age
most effective treatment for diabe- restriction for the procedure.
tes. It helps people get off insulin
because a lot of insulin resistance “The average age of our bariat-
and high blood sugar are related to ric patient is 65,” said Dr. Petrosky.
the excess weight. “That’s in part because Medicare
approves the procedure while some
A Swedish study published in the
New England Journal of Medicine

$79 COSMETIC DENTISTRY
GENERAL DENTISTRY
NEW PATIENT SPECIAL DENTAL IMPLANTS
GUM SURGERY
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM WALK-INS WELCOME
FULL SET XRAYS FINANCING AVAILABLE
DENTAL LAB ON PREMISES
TREATMENT PLAN
CLEANING*

*Not in combination with any other offer. Offer
good for new patients only and cleaning in absence
of periodontal disease. Xrays are non transferable.

(D0150) (D1110) (D0210) (D0330)

Call 772-562-5051

CromerAndCairnsDental.com

The patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment, or be reimbursed for
payment for any other services, examination, or treatment that is preformed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding
to the advertisement for the free, discounted fee, or reduced fee service, examination, or treatment.

1225 US HWY 1, VERO BEACH, FL 32960 JULIE A. CROMER, DDS

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 43

HEALTH

insurances do not. These patients quickly and keep the weight from fully to lose weight through diet and Dr. Jacob Petrosky received his
have thought about it for years and coming back,” Dr. Petrosky contin- exercise, I encourage them to reach medical degree from Kansas Univer-
are ready for a permanent solution ued. “This surgery is so fined tuned out and schedule a consultation. sity Medical Center School of Medi-
to their weight problem.” that it’s turned into a science and There are a lot of myths surround- cine and completed his internship
the recovery time is minimal. ing bariatric surgery and many pa- in general surgery from Mount Car-
Gastric bypass surgery has been tients aren’t aware of the many ways mel Health in Columbus, Ohio. After
around since the 1960s. During the “The keys to good health after the weight loss surgery is a game-chang- completing his residency at Cleveland
procedure, the surgeon creates a surgery include a daily multi-vita- er that can drastically improve their Clinic Foundation in Ohio he went on
pouch from the top of the stomach min with vitamin D and calcium, quality of life. Feel free to call Vicky, to complete a fellowship in Bariatric/
about the size of an egg, brings the and sticking to a high-protein, low- our office coordinator and certified MIS Surgery and Advanced Endos-
small intestine up and creates a new carbohydrate diet. The patient will bariatric nurse, and she’ll review copy MIS at Geisinger Health System
connection bypassing the stomach. stay on a liquid diet for 10 days prior your entire health history. If you in Danville, Pennsylvania. His office
Food can only go into the pouch to surgery to shrink the liver and want more information, you can at- is located in the Cleveland Clinic In-
that holds about an ounce of food for 10 days after the surgery. Dur- tend an orientation and we’ll check dian River Hospital Health and Well-
verses the stomach that held 3 pints ing that time, they can drink protein into your insurance benefits and ness Center, 3450 11th Court in Vero
of food. Food bypasses most of your shakes and anything they can pour help you navigate the requirements Beach. Call 772-770-0323 to schedule
stomach and the first intestine and into a water bottle. for insurance coverage.” a consultation. 
instead enters directly into the mid-
dle part of the intestine. The patient “If someone has tried unsuccess-
feels fuller quicker and eats less.
While the stomach is no longer stor-
ing food, it still produces hormones
for digestion.

“Since the introduction of the
newer laparoscopic sleeve gastrec-
tomy, we do fewer gastric bypass
surgeries,” explained Dr. Petrosky.
“During the sleeve gastrectomy we
remove 75 percent to 85 percent of
the stomach, creating a small ba-
nana-shaped pouch for the sleeve.

“That remaining part of the stom-
ach still functions like a regular
stomach. This allows the patients
to feel fuller with smaller meals and
reduces hunger hormones that their
stomach generates. The advantage
to this procedure is that it is a lower
risk of complications and no rerout-
ing of the intestines.”

Dr. Petrosky described the part of
the stomach that is removed to be
about the size of a medium-sized
Nerf ball. Since the stomach com-
presses down when it’s empty, he
is able to extract it through a small
1-inch incision. Some patients ask
him to take a photo of it when it’s
removed, and he’ll fill it up with air
to show them how big their stomach
can expand. He jokingly said that’s
always a hit with his patients.

The type of surgery best for you
will depend on your specific situa-
tion including your body mass in-
dex, eating habits, other health is-
sues and previous surgeries.

“I use robotic surgery whenever
possible because it is more precise,”
Dr. Petrosky said. “Robotic surgery
takes me from being a two-handed
surgeon to being a four-handed sur-
geon.”

In most cases, patients spend very
little time in the hospital. Ninety
percent of sleeve surgery patients
and 50 percent of gastric bypass pa-
tients go home the next day; 90 per-
cent of the gastric bypass patients
will be home within two days.

“Staying active and walking are
the two most important things a
bariatric patient can do to recover

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

HEALTH

Teletherapy works, and is vitally needed in today’s world

BY AMY ETTINGER ways been anxious about going into about revealing my feelings through surprise, I was able to share my emo-
The Washington Post doctors’ offices, a condition often re- a Zoom call. I worried that virtual tions through a screen much more
ferred to colloquially as “white coat sessions would ruin the intimacy of easily than I’ve ever been able to with
As I drove my husband of 18 years syndrome.” My blood pressure rises one-on-one counseling and that a an in-person psychotherapist.
to the emergency room last Novem- and my heart pounds when I need therapist would be just another talk-
ber, he apologized for the inconve- to see any medical professional. Be- ing head on a screen. I realize that my experience push-
nience. “I’m sorry,” Dan said. “I just sides, I have a busy schedule with es back against prevailing cultural
can’t believe this is happening.” work and parenting. But right away, I began to notice ideas about the “return to normal-
the benefits. For the first time in my cy” and the need to reestablish ana-
Dan had been struggling with After months of searching, I found life, I felt no anxiety before a therapy log experiences. It’s true that many
sleeplessness, depression and anxi- a provider who offered the option appointment. I found it comforting therapists and patients have been
ety for months. Persistent negative of online therapy. I decided to give to talk to my counselor while wear- eager to get back to in-person ses-
thoughts plagued him, until they it a try, even though I was skeptical ing fuzzy house slippers. And to my sions. Others who would prefer to
crowded out everything else. He was continue telehealth appointments,
suffering from the second epidemic however, are finding the option be-
that’s raging throughout the world ing curtailed. Emergency orders es-
right now: the mental health crisis. tablished by states as the pandemic
took hold, which mandate coverage
After several weeks of minimal of telehealth visits and allow out-of-
sleep, Dan finally got an emergency state providers to participate, are ex-
telehealth appointment with a psy- piring. And some private insurance
chiatrist. After 10 minutes of talking companies have begun rolling back
with him, she had me join the Zoom telehealth coverage.
call and told me I needed to take Dan
to the nearest ER for a psychiatric But now is the time that the tele-
evaluation immediately. therapy option, in particular, is vi-
tally needed, many experts say. The
That virtual intervention saved his prevalence of anxiety and depression
life, but the stress of helping my hus- has increased by 25 percent world-
band began to wear on me. I needed wide since the start of the pandemic,
a therapist for myself, but I didn’t while, at the same time, there’s an
want to see one in person. I have al-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 45

HEALTH

alarming shortage of therapists tak- Pedro Ventura lives in Los Ange-
ing new clients. les and is a quadriplegic because of
a spinal cord injury. Before his 2019
The use of teletherapy by psycholo- injury, the result of gun violence, he
gists increased from about 7.1 per- attended therapy in person, both in
cent of their work pre-pandemic to New York City and Los Angeles. In
85.5 percent of their work during the New York, he often commuted an
pandemic, according to a national hour and half by subway to get to his
study led by researchers at Virginia appointments.
Commonwealth University and pub-
lished in American Psychologist. And Now, Ventura doesn’t have to spend
research indicates that it can be as time getting to an in-person appoint-
effective as in-person treatment, said ment, and he also doesn’t have to
Ashley Batastini, a psychologist and worry whether his therapist’s office is
assistant professor in the counsel- too small to comfortably accommo-
ing, educational psychology and re- date his wheelchair. “You don’t think
search department at the University about it when you’re not in a chair,”
of Memphis. Ventura said, “but accessibility in an
office is not always a given.” Finding
Batastini analyzed two decades’ a new therapist was also easier online
worth of data comparing teletherapy because he didn’t have to travel to
and traditional treatment, for a range multiple offices to interview poten-
of diagnostic criteria that included tial counselors.
depression and eating disorders. “We
didn’t find any evidence that there’s a Ventura said he doesn’t miss being
difference between videoconferenc- in the physical room with his thera-
ing and in-person mental and behav- pist. “I feel like I can open up about
ioral health interventions,” Batastini the same on the screen. A good thera-
said. pist is a good therapist.”

In fact, based on the data, some Los Angeles-based therapist Maria
women appear to have better out- Evans sees all of her clients remotely,
comes using video therapy than in- in part because she wants them to
person treatment, although Batastini avoid the hassle of traffic. At the start
says that further study is needed. of the pandemic, Evans helped train
more than 10,000 therapists and so-
The American Psychological Asso- cial workers who needed to transition
ciation supports the continued use of to teletherapy.
telepsychology, in a secure and pri-
vate way, said Lynn Bufka, associate In some cases, Evans believes that
chief of practice transformation for clients would be better served going
the APA. “We’ve had the big experi- to an office to meet – if they don’t feel
ment for two years, and we’ve seen safe in their homes, for example, or
that it works.” don’t have privacy. But in most cases,
she thinks teletherapy will suffice;
Bufka added that the organiza- she has even had long-term patients
tion was “advocating that telehealth she has never met in person. When
should continue to be an option that they parted, she said, “there were a
is paid for equivalently, since there’s lot of tears. This shows we’re still able
no difference in the quality of the ser- to build as in-depth connections as
vices that are delivered.” we would in person.”

Timothy Heckman, senior asso- Although convenience is a huge
ciate dean for research and faculty factor, another important benefit of
affairs at the University of Georgia, teletherapy is the increased comfort
co-authored a study that found that patients feel, which may allow them
teletherapy produced large improve- to open up even more. For me, it’s my
ments in patient outcomes that per- fuzzy slippers; Santa Monica, Calif.-
sisted for several months after treat- based therapist Ashley Graber said
ment ended and were no different she has clients whose companion an-
than the reported outcomes from cli- imals join them for sessions. She also
ents who received in-person therapy. said online therapy helps her have
However, more research is needed better insight into a patient’s home
with a more diverse group of clients, life.
including those with post-traumatic
stress disorder, Heckman said. And it doesn’t have to be all one
way or the other. Some patients bene-
The efficacy of teletherapy is not fit from a hybrid course of treatment.
the only reason it should continue, My husband, for example, prefers to
patients and practitioners say. The see his therapist in person, feeling
convenience of teletherapy is also as if he benefits from the connec-
a lifeline for people who have chal- tion. But he still has many behavioral
lenges getting to in-person appoint- health appointments online, which
ments – such as people who live in saves him hours of driving each week.
rural areas where practitioners are
scarce, those who live in traffic- I, however, will continue my ther-
choked urban areas, those who have apy online as long as my insurance
been exposed to or have symptoms of reimburses for it, choosing healing
covid-19, and those who are disabled. from the comfort of home. 

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

HEALTH

Assessing the perils of PFAS, often called ‘forever chemicals’

BY KEVIN LORIA
The Washington Post

Recent Consumer Reports tests slowly, if ever.
of more than 100 food packag- That persistence, combined with
ing products from U.S. restaurants
and supermarkets found danger- the many products that now con-
ous PFAS chemicals in many of the tain PFAS, means that there are
products, including paper bags for many ways in which the chemicals
french fries, wrappers for hamburg- can enter the environment and
ers, molded fiber salad bowls and
single-use paper plates.

Previous CR tests found PFAS –
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
– in drinking water and bottled wa-
ter.

That’s concerning, as growing re-
search documents that PFAS, which
are added to many materials to
make them resistant to grease, wa-
ter and stains, have led to environ-
mental contamination around the
globe and raised questions about
their health risks when they accu-
mulate in our bodies.

One of the main concerns about
PFAS is how long they last. They are
often called “forever chemicals” be-
cause they break down extremely

eventually reach humans, too. PFAS, some of those chemicals can
Consider, for example, the pro- migrate into food. Other products
such as stain-resistant carpets can
duction of food packaging with leave PFAS in household dust and
PFAS coating. In Maine, wastewater air.
sludge from mills where such prod-
ucts are produced has reportedly And finally, once food packaging
been used to fertilize fields where or other products containing PFAS
cattle graze. In 2020, the Maine De- are thrown away, PFAS can leach out
partment of Agriculture, Conserva- from landfills or spread from incin-
tion and Forestry tested milk from erators into the environment, where
dairy farms and found levels of one they can contaminate soil, food, wa-
particular PFAS in a sample from a ter and air – just like they can when
farm that were more than 150 times they are first produced.
higher than state regulations per-
mit. People may then eat food con-
taining the chemicals. They may
When food packaging contains also drink water that contains them

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 47

HEALTH

or even breathe in the chemicals. blood samples taken from the chil- since there are thousands of dif- know for sure that newer PFAS are
And a growing number of the dren were associated with less ef- ferent PFAS, some more toxic than as unsafe as the ones they are re-
fective protection after being vac- others. Manufacturers have stopped placing. But a growing body of re-
chemicals have been linked to a va- cinated. producing a couple of these chemi- search suggests that many do pose
riety of health problems. cals in the United States, as con- risks, says Miriam Rotkin-Ellman,
The findings were alarming not cerns about their impact on health a senior scientist at the Natural Re-
For decades, PFAS manufactur- just for the Faroes. Blood PFAS lev- have become more widely known. sources Defense Council. A data-
ers have had information indicating els among U.S. children are com- As that has happened, however, base of research on more than two
that the chemicals may harm hu- parable, Grandjean says. Follow- they’ve been replaced by newer dozen different PFAS compiled by
man health, according to reporting up research in other countries has chemicals that have not been as a group of scientists who study the
from the Environmental Working confirmed this effect and has also thoroughly studied by independent chemicals suggests harmful effects
Group. But for the first 60 or so years shown that children with higher researchers. associated with many of them.
that PFAS were in production, many blood levels of PFAS have more in-
people thought that potential harms fections, he says. Both the Food and Drug Admin- “There are consistent patterns
were specific to workers exposed to istration and the American Chemis- across these chemicals,” she says,
the chemicals at an industrial scale, Still, calculating the exact level try Council, which represents PFAS “and the most consistent pattern is
not the general public. of PFAS exposure that causes harm manufacturers, argue that we don’t that they’re toxic.” 
isn’t straightforward, especially
Then, in 1998, a West Virginia
farmer named Wilbur Tennant WHY HEARING TESTS ARE IMPORTANT?
started raising concerns about the
effects that pollution from a nearby Aaron Liebman, Au. D. noticeable hearing loss should is what really differentiates me
DuPont factory had on his cattle. have their hearing tested every from a traditional hearing aid
This helped lead to a class-action Doctor of Audiology three to five years. More frequent salesman. I have a Doctorate in
lawsuit alleging that this contami- hearing tests are recommended Audiology and my diagnosis is
nation – with the PFAS chemical We tend to take our hearing particularly to people over the based on years of education,
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also for granted, assuming it will age of 60. not a few months of hearing
known as C8 – could be affecting the always be there for us, even aid salesmanship. I will take
approximately 70,000 people who though hearing loss affects 1 out Regular hearing exams can the time to screen and assess
got water from the same polluted of 3 adults aged 65 and older. help an audiologist offer a all the data prior to making a
source. Hearing impairment develops treatment solution to those who recommendation for hearing
so gradually that many aren’t might otherwise experience the aids. Even AARP says that you
The resulting settlement led to even aware of a problem until it debilitating social and emotional are more likely to be successful
the creation of the C8 science panel, has advanced beyond an easily effects of living with a hearing with a hearing aid fitting by
which between 2005 and 2013 as- treatable stage. This could be impairment. Cognitive decline seeing an audiologist than a
sessed links between exposure to avoided if we treated our ears and social withdrawal are hearing aid salesman.”
PFOA and a number of diseases, and with the same care and attention eventual difficulties individuals
found probable links between ex- paid to our eyes; much like with untreated hearing loss can Florida requires licensed
posure and thyroid disease, higher routine vision exams, regular possibly experience. audiologist to have a doctorate
cholesterol levels, kidney and testic- hearing exams are an excellent in audiology requiring years
ular cancer, ulcerative colitis, and first line of defense. Early Dr. Liebman recommends having of study concerning hearing,
pregnancy-induced hypertension. detection increases the odds of a hearing test whenever you feel hearing rehabilitation, anatomy,
Other research on various PFAS has successful treatment. that you are experiencing more and function of the hearing
found links to liver damage and kid- difficulty understanding. “Most mechanism and hearing aid
ney disease. Some degree of hearing loss is people are not aware when they technology. Dr. Liebman utilizes
natural as we age. Few adults need help. They’ll often blame a range of manufacturers and
Growing research has also shown give their hearing much thought it on other people mumbling, technologies and does not believe
that health risks can occur even at unless they are experiencing background noise, or say the TV one manufacturer is “the best”.
very low levels. Some of the clearest a noticeable loss in hearing or radio volume is too low”, said
evidence about that risk comes from ability. By then, their options Liebman. “So they’re surprised “If we determine that it is not the
an unexpected place: the seemingly for treatment may be more when they are tested and realize best for you, then we’ll change to
pristine Faroe Islands, a group of limited. The American Speech- what they can’t hear.” At least by a different style or manufacturer
18 small, rocky islands midway be- Language-Hearing Association’s the age of 60 you should have a to determine which is best for
tween Iceland and Norway in the (ASHA) guidelines state that hearing screening. If you have you.” “Furthermore”, he adds, “in
North Atlantic. healthy adults aged 18-40 been told you have a hearing addition to providing the best
who are not experiencing any loss but you have not been fit technology possible, it is also vital
In 2010 and 2011, Philippe Grand- with hearing aids, then you that the “fitter” understands that
jean, a professor of environmental should be checked annually. In technology, so the chosen hearing
medicine at the University of South- addition, at age 65 you should aid can benefit the patient at the
ern Denmark, had been studying be checked annually. highest possible level possible,
children in the Faroes to see wheth- in terms of comfort and sound
er certain chemicals in the environ- “First and foremost, my goal as quality.” Dr. Liebman works with
ment could dampen the immune an Audiologist is to perform a patients to ensure they have the
system’s response to childhood vac- proper diagnostic hearing test appropriate device for their needs,
cines. When he saw a study showing so I can decide whether a patient expectations and budget.
that PFAS could affect animal im- needs to be referred to an ear,
mune systems, he and colleagues nose and throat physician for Aaron’s Hearing Care is located
decided to see whether PFAS also a medical evaluation, or if this at 925 37th Place in the Citrus
affected how children responded to is strictly a permanent hearing Medical Plaza of Vero Beach.
the vaccines. loss that needs help with hearing Call (772)562-5100
aids,” Dr.Liebman said. “That
The results were dramatic. “I fell
off my chair,” Grandjean says. “It
was very clear these compounds
were inhibiting the immune sys-
tem.”

In 2012, Grandjean and colleagues
first published their research show-
ing that higher levels of PFAS in

48 Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

The best celebrity look s of Cannes 2022

The recent 75th annual Cannes Film Festival showcased the best in
international cinema, as well as the best dressed celebrities. Custom designs,

haute couture, and lots of shine were on display on the famous red carpet.
Here are some of the most inspiring looks from the 11-day event.

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

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 49

The eight Chanel style rules to live by today

BY LISA ARMSTRONG
The Telegraph

As a major Victoria & Albert Museum is the essence of Coco – a smart but block heel – nude in order to elongate ousness, Lagerfeld brought back the
retrospective is announced, we look comfortable uber-cardigan that works the legs, slingback to add some sex ap- low-heeled co-respondent slingback
back at Coco Chanel’s defining piec- day or night and doesn’t require any peal. Inspired by the co-respondent and ignited a conflagration of desire
es and the style principles none of us other embellishment to look “dressed.” two-tone shoes the lovers of her youth that still rages today – not least because
should ignore. Never out of style, it’s particularly had worn, she added a dark tip to fore- these shoes work with everything, from
fashionable at the moment, with both shorten her feet which she considered midis to jeans. Wear them with a Little
At last. Coco Chanel will finally re- popular chains and high end design- on the large side. In 2015, when foot- Black Dress to make it day wear. Genu-
ceive a proper exhibition dedicated ers producing versions – witness the wear was reaching grotesque summits ine Chanel slingbacks cost at least $950.
to her work when the V&A stages Eng- dark boucle Celine “Chasseur” jacket of height, embellishment and precari-
land’s first major Coco retrospective Megan Markle wore recently with her CONTINUED ON PAGE 50
in September next year. Book early jeans – which is how millions of us do
and stand by for an extraordinary in- it (they’re also terrific over long, mini-
sight into the craft and vision of one malist slip dresses).
of the two greatest designers of the
past century. 2. Closely related is the Chanel
tweed suit – either a cropped jacket
And about time, too. The last Cha- with a matching skirt or a matching
nel exhibition I remember seeing in shift dress. The pairing was anointed
London was at the Saatchi Gallery in by Jackie Kennedy, who adored Cha-
Chelsea in 2015 and consisted mainly nel. Sadly for her, once her husband be-
of empty rooms with some holograms. came president she was under pressure
Surely some kind of cryptic joke. Karl to wear U.S. labels. Fortunately, before
Lagerfeld, her successor at the house, the advent of ready-to-wear in the late
who died in 2019, viewed museum 1960s, most French couture houses
hagiographies warily, suspecting they had licensing deals with international
made a brand seem stale and démodé, manufacturers which produced high-
two of the adjectives he feared most. quality, high-priced, line-for-line ver-
sions for their domestic markets. The
That may have been a valid argu- first lady was wearing a licensed pink
ment once, but in the past decade, two Chanel copy by Chez Ninon when JFK
V&A blockbusters – for Dior and Al- was assassinated in Dallas. Jackie in-
exander McQueen – have only added sisted on keeping it on, bloodstains
luster, fame and creative credibility notwithstanding, for the swearing in of
to those houses, each one becoming the late president’s successor, Lyndon
highlights on the cultural scene. Johnson, so the world “could see what
they had done.” Those photographs
Coco’s may be the most fascinating are among the most famous of the
yet. Born before Christian Dior and 20th century. The jacket is now in the
Lee McQueen (she was deliberately Smithsonian museum in Washington.
vague, but consensus puts her birth Despite its macabre history, the boucle
year as 1883), she spans the Victorians suit remains a cornerstone of a certain
to hippies. Her personal history alone kind of ultra polished dressing.
is enthralling. Like all the best protago-
nists, she was divisive – a self-invented 3. All this required the right shoe –
woman who did what it took to survive something elegant, but walkable. For
at the time, including having an affair Coco, ease of movement was an essen-
with a Nazi officer. She was lucky to es- tial component of chic. Enter the low
cape being tarred and feathered by her
fellow Parisians at the end of the war.

Coco Chanel still defines a genre of
modern understated elegance, inspired
by athletic sports and following the
lines of the body. Her design principles
are as relevant today as they were in
the 1930s – more so perhaps, because
they’re more widely available thanks to
a high street that didn’t then exist.

Take, for instance …

1. ... the cropped boucle (or curled)
tweed jacket which, at the age of 71 she
reintroduced in her comeback collec-
tion in 1954 (she had closed her house
in 1939 on the eve of war). Often with
gold buttons and a braided trim, this

50 Vero Beach 32963 / June 2, 2022 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49 ing something for best. Clothes, jew- equestrian world she so she championed – in
elry and accessories were all for inhab- admired (in this case, contrast to the butch
Fortunately there are many “trib- iting as if they were a second skin. She the jackets jockeys wear), masculine clothes
utes.” When he took over the particularly valued pearls for their iri- and its distinguishing worn by some of
house in 1983, Lagerfeld in- descence – flattering on both youthful long gold and leather the free-spirited,
troduced a two-tone Cha- and mature complexions. No one wore chain straps came from sexually experi-
nel flat ballet pump. The lashings of the things better than she, mental women of
rest is history. although in 2022 Sarah Jessica Parker her desire to design a hands-free bag. that era. Even when
and Rihanna give it a damn good try. Once more, practicality combined with she espoused an-
4. The Little Black elegance to create a classic that works drogynous clothes
Dress. Hard to imagine, 6. In the ever-exploding canon of day and night. More in demand than in democratic fab-
but before Coco, black Chanel bags, none comes close to ever, Chanel boutiques restrict pur- rics, there was an
wasn’t the default setting eclipsing the 2.55, named, with char- chases to three per customer and raised element of the co-
for an evening dress. Re- acteristic clarity, for the year, 1955, in prices way above inflation. In 1954, a quette: Today every
calling, as she liked to spin which it was first designed. Its quilt- 2.55 cost the equivalent of about $1,600. brand from M&S
it, the nuns in the orphan- ing was allegedly borrowed from the Today they start at close to $7,000. to Moschino does
age where she was brought Bretons, in every-
up, the LBD was Coco’s re- 7. Noting the attire of her friend thing from sequins
venge on the gaudy peacocks of and sometimes collaborator Picas- to neons. No summer wardrobe is
the Edwardian era who’d looked down so, Chanel co-opted the Breton for complete without them, especially
on her. The whole point of the LBD was herself in the 1920s. With her sharp worn under a boucle jacket …
that while it can be infinitely zhuzhed shiny bob and new-fangled tan, it
up, its power lies in its devastating, exemplified the gamine insouciance 8. … and that’s the point. Coco for-
sophisticated simplicity. As one ages, mulated a capsule wardrobe way be-
one should play with different weights fore Donna Karan coined the concept.
and opacity – a veil of black chiffon or Add to the above some waist-narrow-
tulle around the neckline for instance, ing, leg-lengthening, high-waisted,
or some white trim, is less severe than flared sailor pants, preferably with
neck-to-toe black coverage. some gilt or contrasting buttons, to
take them into evening, and you have
5. Not that Coco was averse to zhush- just about everything you need to take
ing. Wear your real jewelry as if it were you anywhere, anytime, decades after
fake and your fakes as if they were real, it was first mooted. That’s why she’s a
was one of her many useful aphorisms. genius. 
She hated the implied stiffness of sav-