12/01/2022 ISSUE 48

New imaging technology for
heart patients. P48
Gold Star moms
Walk-a-Thon. P24

County Medical Society
celebrates 75th anniversary. P14

For breaking news visit

MY VERO PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS COVID-19 here
seen up slightly
BY RAY MCNULTY during holidays

Gene Posca: ‘I am not
aligned with anybody’

My guess is, most of you

know very little about Dr. Gene BY LISA ZAHNER
Posca, who became the newest Staff Writer
member of the School Board

last week. As we enter our third Christ-

And, really, why would you? mas holiday season since the

Posca, a physician who spe- start of the COVID-19 pandem-

cializes in internal medicine, ic, new infections are holding

ran unopposed for the District steady locally while hospital-

1 seat – which means he didn’t izations are up slightly.

need to campaign and, thus, The number of new positive

escaped the media spotlight cases reported to the Florida

and sometimes-harsh scru- Department of Health per day

tiny endured by candidates remained in the single digits,

in the two other local School with 63 new cases for the week

Board races. ending Nov. 23, according to

“I’ve probably treated more the Center for Disease Control

than 10,000 people in my five and Prevention’s COVID Data

years in the county,” Posca said Island beaches need major infusion of sand Tracker.
last weekend, “so I’m fairly well The CDC says eight Indian
known in that regard.”
River County residents were

He also attracted statewide newly hospitalized with CO-

attention during the COVID-19 BY LISA ZAHNER Indian River County Nat- VID last week, up from six
pandemic for his leadership Staff Writer ural Resources Director Eric hospitalizations the previous
role in opposing federal vac- Charest told the county’s week. Cleveland Clinic Indian

cination mandates for health- Replenishing the barrier Beach and Shore Preserva- River Hospital spokesperson

care workers and advocating island’s 22.4 miles of beaches tion Advisory Committee Erin Miller said on Monday,

for the later-enacted state law mangled by Hurricane Ni- last week that the county’s “Indian River Hospital has six

preventing such mandates for cole, and by Hurricane Ian six shoreline has been labeled COVID-positive patients in-

businesses and schools. weeks prior, will not be quick a Category 4 for “very sig- house today, none in ICU.”

In fact, Posca testified in front or cheap. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 The CDC uses data from up

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Instant buildings: Tilt-wall construction a traffic stopper MedicalExaminertogetstate-of-artfacility

BY STEVEN M. THOMAS velopment, will stand for cen- BY RAY MCNULTY build a new, state-of-the-art
Staff Writer turies. It’s also a dramatic spec- Staff Writer Medical Examiner’s facility for
tacle. the four-county region that in-
Turns out tilt-wall construc- Indian River County com- cludes 32963.
tion is more than just a super- “It literally slowed traffic out missioners voted unanimous-
strong building technique, on 41st Street. You could see ly last week to approve paying St. Lucie, Martin and
producing steel and concrete them hitting the brakes when up to $5.5 million in design Okeechobee counties will cov-
structures that, barring rede- they looked over,” said John and construction costs to help er the remaining costs of the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

December 1, 2022 Volume 15, Issue 48 Newsstand Price $1.00 Vero Film Festival’s
‘White Party’ knocks
News 1-12 Editorial 32 People 13-26 TO ADVERTISE CALL it out of park. P17
Arts 39-45 Games 35-37 Pets 46 772-559-4187
Books 34 Health 47-59 Real Estate 71-84
Dining 64-68 Insight 27-38 Style 60-63 FOR CIRCULATION
CALL 772-226-7925

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

2 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

COVID-19 forecast gives the CDC a forecast, and those fore- the middle of the various storm track that by Dec. 15, daily hospitalizations
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 casts are color-coded and plotted on models, the CDC’s official hospitaliza- in Florida from COVID-19 illness will
a graph as an ensemble model, much tion forecast represents the average, or rise about 20 percent from last week’s
to 15 different university research teams like the brightly colored hurricane “spa- a line roughly in the middle of all the numbers. Locally that would mean
and labs to predict surges of serious CO- ghetti model” forecast tracks. other forecast lines on the graph. about two more people hospitalized
VID-19 illness. Each of those sources per week.
Just as the National Hurricane Cen- The forecast runs about three weeks
ter’s forecast model and cone represent out, and the current chart predicts Nationally, daily COVID-19 hospital-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 3

NEWS

izations are expected to increase about of the board? Will he join the re-elected tion to concocted controversies, such as School Board’s vice chairman, only to
16 percent by Dec. 15. Jackie Rosario in wasting time on cul- allegedly inappropriate school library see her lose a 3-2 vote and the post go
ture-war issues at the expense of improv- books and critical race theory. to former chair Teri Barenborg.
The CDC closely tracks the percent- ing education and student outcomes?
age of hospital beds and ICU beds being Apparently, though, it’s not worth “There has been a lot of speculation
used in each local community to treat For what it’s worth: Posca was en- much – because Posca said he merely about who I am and what I am, so let
COVID patients. Since many people are dorsed by the local chapter of the Moms inherited the Moms’ endorsement af- me say this: Assume everything you’ve
using at-home COVID-19 test kits, and For Liberty, a hard-right parental-rights ter an earlier candidate dropped out heard about me is wrong,” he said. “I
those test results are not reported to the group that also endorsed Rosario and of the race. am not aligned with anybody. I have
health department, the number of new often uses the public-comment seg- my own internal belief system.”
hospitalizations can be a more reliable ment of board meetings to draw atten- Then again …
measure than the reported number of Posca nominated Rosario to be the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
new cases in determining community
spread.

With Influenza A and respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV) circulating this
fall in addition to COVID-19, public
health officials have warned that hospi-
tals should prepare for a “tripledemic”
should all three viruses surge at once
this winter. There is no vaccine for RSV,
though several adult and pediatric vac-
cines are in development. 

My Vero

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

of the Florida House’s Commerce Com-
mittee in November 2021 and was quot-
ed by FloridaPolitics.com as referring
to COVID vaccines as a “dangerous and
experimental drug” being imposed by
“fascists” from Washington.

Locally, he challenged Cleveland
Clinic’s vaccination mandate, which
he said was opposed by as many as 300
Indian River Hospital employees.

Posca said he believes his anti-man-
date efforts – particularly his testimo-
ny in Tallahassee last year – were “di-
rectly related” to Cleveland Clinic not
renewing his hospital position here.

Though he never received an official
reason, he said he was “put on leave
my first day back and escorted out of
the building by three security guards.”

It was amid the pandemic, Posca
said, that he became even more con-
cerned about “government overreach”
and began thinking about running for
a seat on the School Board.

“I was watching a lot of things hap-
pening in this county and saw some
things moving in a negative direc-
tion,” he explained. “I decided to run
for School Board because, to me, edu-
cation is the most important factor in
a community.”

Besides, Posca said, he has always
embraced opportunities to educate –
as a math and science tutor in college,
as a chief resident helping other resi-
dent doctors, and as an associate pro-
fessor of internal medicine at Florida
State University’s College of Medicine.

He plans to bring his “passion for ed-
ucation” to the School Board, where he
replaced Mara Schiff, who served one-
term and opted to not seek re-election.

What else does he plan to bring? How
will his presence impact the direction

4 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero ing parents to make educational and Similarly, Posca’s first meaningful ac- ca said, “this being my first action is
medical decisions for their own chil- tion as an elected official last week was very noteworthy.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 dren without interference from bureau- to appoint Kristy Tankersley Molledo
crats and unions.” to the School Board’s 11-member Dis- Why?
Posca said he supports parental rights, trict Objection Committee, which will “She is a veteran and member of the
so much so that he publicly accepted an His position aligns with the Moms, preside over challenges to the use of LGBTQ community,” Posca said.
endorsement in the nonpartisan School who also believe parents should have instructional, library and reading-list Posca, who is married with three chil-
Board race from the Republican Liberty a significant say in their children’s ed- materials. dren and a fourth on the way, describes
Caucus of Indian River County, which ucation. However, Posca said parents himself as a “conservative Christian.”
cited his commitment to “empower- must be willing to accept “some things “If people are wanting to get to know Then there’s this: During his swear-
they disapprove of.” how I will operate on this board,” Pos- ing-in ceremony, Posca took an oath

Explore
More Of Our Exceptional Vero Beach Collection

913 Orchid Point Way

$2.5 Million Info:www.V264184.com
Nancy Hardy 772.257.7454

PremierEstateProperties.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 5

NEWS

to defend the constitutions of both the mandates and executive orders,” as he forcement and review the entire school- increase student supervision and in-
United States and Florida. Later in the believes were imposed during the CO- security system, including safety plans stall vape detectors “because kids are
meeting, he said that, in his opinion, VID pandemic. and risk-assessment measures. destroying their lungs.”
his pledge included “not following un-
constitutional laws and respecting the As for what’s happening in schools, From a health perspective, Posca Lastly, Posca said he wants to review
Bill of Rights.” Posca said he has some specific con- said he wants the district to address the science curriculum – an area in
cerns, “but most of the things I talk students vaping on campus. which he has expertise – and, perhaps,
When asked to explain his stance about are not on people’s radars.” He get involved in coaching teachers to
last weekend, Posca said the oath to cited among his priorities campus safe- “Kids are vaping all day, and their maximize their opportunities to in-
defend the constitution would pre- ty, student health and helping teachers. parents aren’t aware there’s a problem spire students.
vent him from abiding by “unlawful that’s growing all over the county,” he
He said he plans to work with law en- said, adding that the district needs to CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

925 BAY OAK LANE 726 RIOMAR DRIVE 381 SHORES DRIVE

$6.595 Million Info:www.V263814.com $3.295 Million Info:www.V263499.com $2.299 Million Info:www.V260645.com

Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 Brown I Talley 772.234.5148

1450 SEAWAY DRIVE 9415 PERIWINKLE DRIVE OPEN HOUSE

$2.25 Million Info:wwwV264038.com $1.125 Million Info:wwwV263467.com Sunday, December 4th | 1-3 pm

Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 Gary Wells 561.289.1444 712 DATE PALM ROAD

$1.095 Million Info:wwwV263527.com

Brown I Talley 772.234.5148

Your Trusted Advisors For Luxury Real Estate

OUR INCOMPARABLE GLOBAL NETWORK 772.234.5555

675 Beachland Boulevard

DISCLAIMER: Information published or otherwise provided by Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and its representatives including but not limited to prices, measurements, square footages, lot sizes, calculations and statistics are
deemed reliable but are not guaranteed and are subject to errors, omissions or changes without notice. All such information should be independently verified by any prospective purchaser or seller. Parties should perform their
own due diligence to verify such information prior to a sale or listing. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. expressly disclaims any warranty or representation regarding such information. Prices published are either list price, sold price,
and/or last asking price. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. participates in the Multiple Listing Service and IDX. The properties published as listed and sold are not necessarily exclusive to Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and may be listed or
have sold with other members of the Multiple Listing Service. Transactions where Premier Estate Properties, Inc. represented both buyers and sellers are calculated as two sales. Cooperating Brokers are advised that in the event
of a Buyer default, no commission will be paid to a cooperating Broker on the Deposits retained by the Seller. No commissions are paid to any cooperating broker until title passes or upon actual commencement of a lease. Some
affiliations may not be applicable to certain geographic areas. If your property is currently listed with another broker, please disregard any solicitation for services. Copyright 2022 Premier Estate Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

6 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero tion,” Posca said. “Fortunately, I prac- County beach parks can be used for the parking and other road infrastruc-
tice a specialty of medicine that allows equipment access, Charest said. ture damaged from the storm.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 for a good amount of free time.”
While Indian River County works on Mitts said a larger project to repair the
“Many of the successful people I’ve We’ll see where he goes from here.  surveying the beaches to quantify the road and restore the dune that protects
encountered have had at least one number of cubic yards of beach sand the boardwalk could follow, costing 10
teacher who made a big impact on their Island beaches lost from Nicole, and seeks ways to get times more than the emergency repairs.
lives,” he said. “I care greatly about ev- reimbursed by the state and federal
ery parent and kid in this county, and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 government for shoring up the dunes, “We are still assessing the damage,
I want to ensure every kid receives the some emergency dune construction is but based on historical events, we are
best education we can provide in a safe nificant erosion,” and said federal and already being done. estimating $500,000. The primary cost
and healthy school environment.” state officials are aware of the extent is sand. No estimate on schedule at
of the damage. Beachcomber Lane, where the dune this time. Historically this activity has
By the way, Posca said he does not overwalk was damaged, was the worst taken place anywhere from January to
believe the district has a problem with “We’ve been on the beach with FEMA hit in Indian River Shores, and the April,” Mitts said. “Due to the recent
teachers indoctrinating students. and with the Florida Department of En- town was the first to act. and episodic damages, we may revisit
vironmental Protection,” Charest said. plans for a seawall mitigation project
“We have a lot of great teachers here,” The Shores had sand trucked in, that FEMA previously turned funding
he added. “We weren’t finished with Hurri- placing approximately 400 tons of down for following the 2004 Hurri-
cane Ian surveys when Hurricane Ni- sand from Stewart Materials on the canes Frances and Jeanne. We are still
Unlike politicians who seek public cole came,” Charest said. dune there at a total cost of $18,430. assessing damages and evaluating
office for the wrong reasons, Posca said options at the moment.”
his motives are pure: He wants to help. There are no immediate plans for Several miles to the south in Vero
large-scale beach projects to replace Beach, the city started construction this Since voters approved a referendum
That’s why he has promised to do- the depleted sand before the 2023 week to revive one of its most heavily decades ago prohibiting the City of
nate his School Board salary to a fund Hurricane Season, except for two pre- trodden park facilities, the Conn Beach Vero Beach from spending tax dollars
he plans to create to help students planned sand dumps by the Sebastian boardwalk, closed since Nicole chewed on large-scale engineered beach re-
interested in attending technical and Inlet District on the extreme north up the road and paved parking, making plenishment projects, the city can only
trade schools. end of the island. the boardwalk unsafe to use. undertake “emergency” repairs, such as
those needed to make the Conn Beach
That’s why he’ll serve on the board Engineering, permitting and fund- “We will begin work on an emergency Boardwalk safe to use again.
while commuting to his job at the Mof- ing large-scale dune and beach re- dune repair the week of Nov. 28. Initial
fitt Cancer Center & Research Institute plenishment will take more time than cost up to $50,000,” Vero Beach Pub- The responsibility for planning,
in Tampa, where he spends two weeks is available this season. But owners of lic Works Director Matthew Mitts said. funding and completing the placement
each month – though he did arrange to individual properties in peril due to “This initial work will allow us to reopen of millions of cubic yards of sand and
take off for two months to familiarize erosion, and homeowner/condo as- Ocean Drive and as many upland (road/ planting thousands of dune plants on
himself with his new elected position sociations, can apply for emergency street side) access points and parking the beaches, divided into seven geo-
here. dune repair permits from the county. spaces to the Conn Boardwalk as pos-
sible. This work will not include repair of CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
“It’s been a constant flow of informa-

Prices Upon Request

The Finest PreOwned Rolex Watches

Le Classique Jewelers and Watchmakers

Every Rolex Watch comes backed with our 1 year Warranty.
All Rolex Service and repairs are done on premises.

3001 Ocean Drive # 105, Vero Beach, FL 32963  772-231-2060



8 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Island beaches to sea by Nicole. They characterized In the Town of Indian River Shores, Point subdivision on South Beach
the damage in three ways – lowering the Seagrape Trail Beach Access was experienced a 4-foot lowering of the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 of the berm, meaning the flat portion observed to have a 4-foot lowering of berm, a 20-foot dune retreat and a
of the beach extending to the surf; the berm, a 12-foot dune retreat and five-foot escarpment. At Round Is-
graphic sectors, has fallen on the coun- dune retreat, meaning the distance a 6-foot escarpment. Turtle Trail had a land Park near the county line, no ma-
ty government’s plate. the dune moved closer to structures or 3-foot lowering of the berm, a 10-foot jor beach or dune loss was observed.
to A1A and Ocean Drive; and dune es- dune retreat and a six-foot escarpment.
Typically one sector is replenished carpment, meaning the vertical drop While county staff is looking at vari-
at a time, with construction taking from the top of the remaining dune to At the next county beach park ous options for the beaches, County
place in the late fall, winter and early the flat portion of the beach. south, Tracking Station Beach, staff Commission Chair Joe Earman said
spring outside of sea turtle nesting observed a 4-foot lowering of the he hoped to quell opposition about
season. These large-scale projects can Moving north to south, at Amber- berm, a 20-to-25 foot dune retreat spending on beach sand. “You’re al-
be spaced apart multiple years wait- sand Beach Access on the north end and 8-to-11-foot dune escarpment. ready hearing the naysayers who ask
ing for funding to be available, but of the island, they observed a 2-to- why are we putting more money on
now, multiple areas of beach are in 3-foot lowering of the berm, with a The dunes at Humiston Beach Park the beach,” he said.
desperate need of sand at the same dune retreat of 4 to 5 feet and an dune in the City of Vero Beach suffered ma-
time, vying for priority treatment. escarpment of four to five feet. jor damage, with all the sand being Earman pointed out that island resi-
washed away from underneath the dents with high-value properties con-
“At some places, the dune that we At Treasure Shores Beach Park, they boardwalk. The county estimates a tribute a huge amount of tax dollars
restored, it’s virtually gone,” said coun- observed a 1-to-2-foot lowering of 3-foot lowering of the berm, a 12-foot to county coffers, that sand is funded
ty Beach and Shore Committee Act- the berm, with a dune retreat of 8 feet dune retreat and a 6-to-8-foot escarp- through bed tax and sales tax – not by
ing Chair William “Tuck” Ferrell at the and a dune escarpment of 2 to 3 feet. ment. ad valorem taxes – and that beaches
group’s Nov. 21 meeting. “Nicole has are a major draw for tourism. 
taken out a lot of sand.” At Golden Sands Beach Park, they The beach in front of the Porpoise
observed a 3-foot lowering of the medical examiner for nearly 20 years.
Indian River County is slated to make berm, 6-foot dune retreat and a 7-foot Medical Examiner Aronica said a new building would al-
major dune repairs at five heavily dam- dune escarpment. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
aged county beach parks over the next low her to provide proper storage facili-
month. At the Town of Orchid’s beach, projected $20 million facility, which will ties for decedents’ bodies and enough
staff observed major dune erosion – be built on Indian River State College’s autopsy rooms to handle an increasing
County Administrator Jason Brown 12 feet of dune retreat and an 8-foot main campus in Fort Pierce. case load.
gave the Board of County Commission- dune escarpment. No lowering of the
ers a show-and-tell on beach damage berm was noted. “This is a much-needed project,” Indian River County commissioners
with estimates of sand loss, but before County Commission Chairman Joe agreed with Aronica’s assessment that
and after photos told the real story. At the popular Wabasso Beach Earman said, adding, “It will be a great it was better to build a new facility than
Park, they observed a 5-foot lowering asset to the four-county area.” spend money on restoring and expand-
County public works staff walked of the berm, plus major dune erosion ing the old one.
the island beaches to estimate, in feet, with a 20-to-25-foot dune retreat and Dr. Patricia Aronica, medical examin-
how much sand had been washed out a 10-foot dune escarpment. er for the 19th Judicial District, said the So did the college’s president, Timo-
facility is needed to meet the growing thy Moore, who said the existing build-
demands on her office as a result of the ing is “at the end of its service life.”
steady influx of new residents.
According to County Administrator
The existing 9,500-square-foot Jason Brown’s report to the commis-
structure, built on the college’s cam- sioners, the college will lease an on-
pus in 1975, is too small, ill-equipped campus site for the new facility for two
and outdated to accommodate the 30-year terms at $1 per year.
agency’s needs.
St. Lucie County has agreed to “take
“The bottom line is, we have out- the lead” in managing the interlocal
grown this building,” Aronica told mem- project, Brown wrote, and once the de-
bers of the Indian River, St. Lucie and sign phase is completed, the four coun-
Martin county commissions during a ties will be provided with an estimated
joint meeting at the college last year. cost of construction.

Aronica was hired in May 2020 and The four counties will share in the
moved from Baltimore to take the job costs based on the same formula used
upon the retirement of Dr. Roger Mittle- for sharing operational expenses, which
man, who served as the Treasure Coast’s included the number of autopsies per-
formed for each county. 

Instant buildings The drama was heightened for Zue-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 fle and project developers Joe Schulke
and Vic Lombardi, who had been pre-
Zuefle, construction superintendent paring for the high-stakes construc-
at Indian River Motorhaus 2.0, a luxu- tion choreography for months.
ry garage project where four buildings
totaling 70,000 square feet went up in “There is no margin for error with tilt-
just four days last month. up construction,” said Lombardi, owner
ofWaters Edge Estates and one of the top
It isn’t every day that commuters see high-end homebuilders on Vero’s barrier
a 140-foot-high, 350-ton crane swing- island. “Everything has to be exact.”
ing concrete panels weighing tens of
thousands of pounds into position on “There is a lot of planning out there,”
pre-poured foundations where con- Zuefle said, standing in the construc-
struction workers fit them together tion trailer at the job site last Tuesday,
with steel beams and bolts like over- shortly after the last massive panel was
size building blocks. set in place. “You have to be all over ev-
erything to make sure these Lego things
go together precisely as they are sup-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 9

NEWS

posed to. It makes you feel pretty good which is being built in two phases, will have other valuable possessions they units in the first phase have been sold
when they do.” deliver 98 oversize garages that island prefer to store in a secure location. and we will begin taking reservations for
buyers are snapping up at prices rang- the 31 second-phase units in the next
The Instant buildings were a criti- ing from $199,000 to $330,000. “I’d say 90 percent of our buyers are month or two. We have hard contracts
cal inflection point in what is by far from the island,” says Schulke, manag- with 30 percent down on the sold units.”
the largest luxury storage project In- Most buyers have been car collec- ing member at the engineering firm
dian River County has seen so far. The tors while others own luxury RVs they Schulke, Bittle & Stoddard, L.L.C., who The inflow of cash has been handy
$25-million, 10-building development, don’t want exposed to the elements or designed the project. “Forty-six of the 67
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

10 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Instant buildings ect on 12th Street, was completed in men say they had some panicked mo- in four months instead of 10,” Schulke
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 2019, and Motorhaus, a 17-unit project ments before they came up with a said. “We saved a little money, too, and
on U.S. 1 between 41st Street and 45th workaround that got them stronger our trusses were actually stronger than
in a time of rising construction costs. Street, wrapped up in 2021. trusses and showcased their maturity the factory trusses when load-tested
Motorhaus 2.0 is Schulke and Lom- as a development team. because we used slightly heavier stock.”
Material shortages have been a chal-
bardi’s third luxury garage project, and lenge, too. When the partners went to The team sourced steel bars and other Concrete, too, remained in short sup-
they’ve seen their building costs surge order steel web trusses to support the components in the open market while ply, a scary wobble in the supply chain
from project to project. roofs of their Motorhaus 2.0 bunkers structural engineer Schulke designed for a project composed almost entirely
earlier this year, they found out the wait multiple trusses utilizing those com- of concrete.
“The cost of construction went up time would be as much as 10 months. ponents to bear the various roof loads
about 30 percent between Autohaus on different-sized units, and Lombardi Zuefle said each of the four tilt-up
and the first Motorhaus,” Schulke told “Everything was back-ordered be- reached out to metal fabricator TruSteel buildings consumed about 550 cubic
Vero Beach 32963. “Costs jumped 60 cause of all the massive warehouses in Fort Pierce, a company that had done yards of concrete – 300 for the walls
percent between Motorhaus and Mo- being built by Amazon, Walmart, com- steelwork for him in the past. and 250 for the slab foundation – for
torhaus 2.0.” panies like that,” Schulke said. a total of 2,200 yards. That is about 275
“TruSteel fabricated the trusses ac- rumbling concrete trucks full of liq-
For context, Autohaus, a 37-unit proj- A 10-month wait would have bull- cording to our design and we got them uid stone weighing 9 million pounds
dozed the partners’ timeline and the when wet, according to civilsir.com.

“We had concrete companies tell-
ing us at one point that they couldn’t
guarantee they would have enough to
complete the pour at one go and they
weren’t sure how much the concrete
would cost,” Schulke said.

Despite the challenges, Lombardi,
Schulke, Zuefle and company have kept
the job moving forward at a rapid clip.

“I think it is remarkable what we
have gotten done,” said Schulke. “It has
only been a year since we closed on the
property. It took about four months to
get our site plan approval and we had
our permits and entitlements by April.

“We broke ground in April, but for the
first six months you couldn’t see much
of what we were doing, grading, bring-
ing in water mains, things like that.

“That is why I was so excited to see
the crane show up,” Schulke added.
“Now that the buildings are up it will
boost sales even more.”

The crane is a story in itself. A Lieb-
herr 1300 crawler crane leased from
Sims Crane and Equipment, it is the
largest the partners have used on one
of their garage projects and it cost
them in the neighborhood of $50,000
to operate for 23 hours over the four-
day tilt-up period.

The 700,000-pound, multimillion-
dollar machine arrived at the job site in
pieces on 14 trucks and took 13 hours
to put together. A skilled operator came
with it. Moving on heavy steel treads like
an oversize battle tank, it picked up the
multi-ton, pre-poured and cured wall
panels “like a deck of cards” in Schulke’s
words and set them delicately in places
the building plans specified.

“That is what made construction go
so fast,” Lombardi said. “The 200-ton
crane we have used in the past is sta-
tionary. You have to set it up with out-
riggers and stabilizers and it can only
move the panels as far as it can reach.
Then you have to move it and set it up
again, which takes a couple of hours,
to get them the rest of the way.”

“We would have had problems with
a stationary crane in this mud,” said
Zuefle, who had to deal with several
days of steady rain as he managed the
intense wall installation process. 





David Yakir, Bayley True,
Nadya Borno and Abigail True.

VERO FILM FESTIVAL’S
‘WHITE PARTY’ KNOCKS IT

OUT OF THE PARK! P. 17

14 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Always there for ‘Care’: Medical Society celebrates 75th

PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Lauren and Dr. Jonathan Braue.

Jackie and Dr. James Rosencrance. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS Dr. Latia and George Ilyadis.

BY MARY SCHENKEL of Charles (Robi) Robinson, said they Hospice, and each of them served on registered nurse, not a physician, who
Staff Writer were assisted with the historical ele- the county’s Hospital District and in in 1932 established, owned and oper-
ments by a former patient of Dr. Scott, various board capacities with other or- ated the county’s first hospital.
Members of the Indian River County who is 102 years old. ganizations.
Medical Society celebrated its mile- “The list was fascinating to hear.
stone 75th anniversary with a dinner McCrystal, wife of retired urologist The Medical Society, founded by Some of those first names were peo-
at the Oak Harbor Club that featured Dr. Hugh McCrystal, was another font eight physicians in 1947, is comprised ple that I would never have known,”
the installation of new officers, a proc- of historical information. Since mov- today of some 150 members. said Jones.
lamation recognizing the anniversary, ing to Vero Beach in 1966, the power
and a history of the organization com- couple has been hugely influential in “We stand on the shoulders of gi- “I think the vision for the new board
piled by Dr. Michaela Scott, a retired shaping our medical community. Dr. ants,” said Scott, who recognized and the president is to create a mem-
oncologist, and Ann Marie McCrystal. McCrystal became chief of medical the numerous professionals, many bership that’s all inclusive, no matter
staff at then Indian River Memorial of whom have since passed away or who you work for or what type of medi-
Jennifer Jones, who became execu- Hospital in 1970 and served in that po- retired, who were responsible for es- cine you practice,” said Jones. “Because
tive director of IRCMS and the We Care sition for roughly 25 years. Ann Marie tablishing the medical care in our at the end of the day it’s about caring
Foundation following the retirement McCrystal co-founded Vero’s VNA and community. for people.”

Interestingly, it was Garnett Radin, a The Medical Society, an associa-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 15

PEOPLE

tion of medical professionals within care. Jones explained that treatment cians or clinics in the community, The We Care Foundation and IRC
the community, is aligned with the We is available to patients who are 18 such as Treasure Coast Community Medical Society offices are currently lo-
Care Foundation, founded in 1991. and older, are uninsured and whose Health, Whole Family Health and the cated within the Treasure Coast Com-
income is at 200 percent or below the hospital,” said Jones. “We used to be munity Health clinic at 787 37th St.
Physicians in the We Care program federal poverty level. part of the health department, but
volunteer their services and time to their business model changed and so For more information, visit IRCMS.
provide specialty care to individu- “We receive our patients through we are now on our own.” org or WeCareOfIRC.org. 
als who could not otherwise afford referrals from primary care physi-

16 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Dr. Alistair Kennedy, Jennifer Jones and Dr. Joshua Lenchus. Dr. Guillermo Morel and Dr. Eileen Fermin.
Sonia and Dr. Arley Peter.

Jerry Strazzer and Dr. Laurie Welton. Dr. Diego and Alicia Maldonado. Dr. Luis Velazco and Keely Chandler.

Kathy and Dr. Leslie Huszar with Dr. Michaela Scott.

Samantha and Derek McCoy. Dr. Deepti Sadhwani and Mike Antonis.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 17

PEOPLE

Vero Film Festival’s ‘White Party’ knocks it out of the park!

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Yakir said that planning is already
Staff Writer underway, and that cinephiles can
expect to see partnerships with
The bases were loaded at the Jack- arts organizations, including the
ie Robinson Training Complex as Vero Beach Museum of Art and the
guests at the Vero Beach Film Festi- Vero Beach Theatre Guild. Changes
val’s Super Secret White Party took to the festival include an opening
over the field. Rather than the crack night gala where the Juried Award
of the bat from bygone days, it was winners will be screened; a Film-
the pop of champagne bottles that makers Day featuring classes, work-
filled the air at this year’s adventure. shops, seminars and roundtables;
and a film schedule that will enable
Guests had been tasked with cre- attendees to see more films and in-
ating their own tablescape designs, teract with the filmmakers.
and they clearly took their duties
seriously. Elegantly laid tables were Yakir hopes to develop support by
bedecked with baseballs, feath- hosting events at local nonprofits,
ers, lights, flowers, candelabras such as United Against Poverty and
and Christmas trees. After a merci- the Environmental Learning Cen-
fully brief shower, guests dined on ter, to create awareness and raise
picnics that included charcuterie funds. Additionally, foreseeing con-
platters and, with a nod to the old tinued growth of the Vero Beach
ballgame, hot dogs, peanuts and Film Festival, he would like to cre-
Cracker Jacks. ate a long-term strategy to increase
their financial base and obtain per-
The attendees themselves were manent office space.
adorned in everything from wed-
ding dresses and top hats to Dodger Jerusha Stewart and Bob Stanley. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 For more information, visit VB-
jerseys, their blanc-themed couture FilmFest.org. 
creating a stunning scene against PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS

Ed Shanaphy and Sophie Bentham-Wood with Tiffany and John Chmela.

the verdant green of the Holman Training Complex,” said David Ya-
Stadium infield, former home of the kir, VBFF executive director, who
Dodgers spring training. was thrilled with the “shutout”
event, attended by 250 guests.
The evening was filled with a
variety of entertainment to set the During the worst of a downpour
tone, including the screening of later in the evening, everyone con-
vintage film footage, music by Ray tinued to celebrate in the dugouts.
Adams and Cathi and Edmund Na- Later, when the rain subsided, peo-
lzaro, a Dean Martin impersonator ple spilled back onto the field to
and a visit from the Vocalitas, who dance the night away.
were dressed as characters from the
iconic film “A League of Their Own.” “Now that’s a party!” said Yakir.
Proceeds will support the 2023
“We wanted to create a historical Vero Beach Film Festival, planned
look at baseball, and where better for June 7-11. Film submissions are
to do it than the Jackie Robinson currently being accepted.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Eileen Gordon, Page Franzel, Rita Curry and Amy Montemarano. Heather and Harry Howle with Megan and Danny Greco.
Valentina Carrizo, Mireia Torras and Julie Piron.

Kim Small, Andi Smith and Elise Mahovlich. Liz Bahl and Tim Kinney. Julie Pape, George Blythe and Sue Dempsey.



20 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Blazing a trail of camaraderie at ‘Beachside Bonfire Fest’

Coral and Roman Lull. Dina, Jim and Nikki Cutler.

Adam Sudon, Dante Goshen and William Smalley.

Roaring fires lit up the night along
Vero’s beaches as crowds enjoyed
an evening of good food and music
at the Vero Beach Beachside Bon-
fire Fest. Hotels and restaurants
offered a variety of different foods,
specialty drinks, music and raffle
prizes to people who walked along
the beach from bonfire to bonfire,
while dodging the high tide waves
as they washed ashore.

Funds raised at the event will go
toward the planned World War II
Tribute on Veterans Memorial Is-
land Sanctuary, spearheaded by
the Military Officers Association
of America, to honor the WWII
generation of veterans and in-
spire current and future leaders
of our nation. 

Faith, Jude, Wes and Stella Sweigart.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 21

PEOPLE

Dina, Jim and Nikki Cutler. John and Sophia Barreiros.

Melinda Otero, P. Patel, Ryan Woodruff and Kristin Wallace. Deanna Duplak and Jean Thomas. Crystal Follmer and Ryan Hess.

Established 18 Years in Indian River County

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

22 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Soup Bowl success! Stock full of funds for Samaritan Center

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

The Heritage Center was abuzz Sharron O’Brien and Laura Milford. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS it’s that good of a program and that
with activity during the 30th annual important of a program. It allows us
Soup Bowl fundraiser to benefit the butions, and carefully wrapping and are trying to make their way here to- to really respond to families in need
Catholic Charities’ Samaritan Cen- bagging the goodies. day to be able to purchase a bowl,” and we do that in part because of the
ter in Vero Beach. said Wayne. “Because we all know support and revenue that we receive
“One of my favorite things about collectively, with the ecumenical as a result of this project.”
Once again, more than 1,200 this event, in addition to bringing support and the support of our part-
soup bowls of various shapes and in so many community partners, is ners, this is just a great community The Samaritan Center provides
sizes had been either hand-built or it gives people the opportunity to initiative.” homeless families in Indian River
wheel-thrown before being glazed find the bowl that speaks to them. County with transitional housing
in myriad colors and designs. They And then all year round, it can serve Commenting that housing is a and guidance to prepare them for
were all crafted by local volunteer as a reminder of the important work significant issue all across their dio- independent living. Proceeds from
potters, the majority of them mem- of our Samaritan Center,” said Ellen cese, she added, “With the Samari- fundraisers such as the Soup Bowl,
bers of Indian River Clay, a non- Wayne, CEO of Catholic Charities for tan Center, we know that we have along with private donations and
profit founded to teach and develop the Diocese of Palm Beach. a key resource that helps us break grants, support its operating ex-
pottery skills. that cycle of homelessness and pov- penses. 
“Our team tries to support each erty for families. If I could replicate
“We’ve put another spin on it again other internally as well. So we have this all over I would do so, because
this year; we’re bringing back the staff from all of our programs who
soup,” said Renee Bireley, Samaritan
Center development manager, refer-
ring to the soup’s temporary halt due
to the pandemic.

“We have more than 23 locations
that are participating, and over 20 of
them are serving soup,” said Bireley,
noting that the Heritage Center was
the only location offering bowls.

She explained that while local res-
taurants had donated soup in years
past, they were not asked to do so
this time, understanding that many
were still struggling with costs and
labor. Instead, 12 country clubs do-
nated the soup which, at the Heri-
tage Center, was offered in soup-to-
go quart containers.

The bowls, and the talents of the
potters, were again displayed on
long tables all throughout the build-
ing, and most shoppers made sev-
eral trips around the room, perusing
the vast assortment before selecting
their favorites. Numerous volunteers
were on hand to assist – handing out
shopping baskets, collecting contri-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 23

PEOPLE

Lisa Konupka and Helene Caseltine. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS

Denis Anderson and Rick Williams. Jo Beth Wigington and Wendy Bernstein.

Glenda Taylor and Renee Bireley.

Renee Mezza.

24 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Gold Star moms’ Walk-a-Thon: Save our vulnerable veterans

BY MARY SCHENKEL STORY, PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 by facilitators who are veterans them- partment and are putting a school re-
Staff Writer selves. “In one person’s story, he said it source dog at Vero Beach Elementary
Laura Saputo, Melissa Russano with Brinley actually saved his life. And that’s what through the Sheriff’s department.
Intermittent sprinkles could not de- and Tucker Russano. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS this is all about. Everything that we’re
ter the spirits of the men and women doing is to save somebody’s life. To let “There is no charge for anything if
who turned out for the fourth annual Life and the Mental Health Association them know that we’re behind them,” you’re a veteran or first responder, and
Walk-a-Thon for Military/Veteran Sui- where veterans can go free of charge, said Dale. there is no charge for our service dog
cide Awareness at Riverside Park, pre- no Social Security Number. They can training for anyone with a disability,”
sented by American Gold Star Mothers go and they can talk, and they can Pointing to a colorful Indian River said DFL founder Shelly Ferger.
of Indian River County. share.” County Sheriff’s Office vehicle, Dale
said, “This is our PTSD truck.” “What we’re really doing is saving
Proceeds benefited the programs Dale pointed out that printed testi- lives, both canine and human,” said
and PTSD support groups offered by monials included in the informational The detailing, logos from assistance Kathi Schumann, DFL board treasurer.
Dogs for Life, the Mental Health As- bags they handed out had been written organizations, was funded by Gold
sociation of Indian River County, and by individuals who had attended some Star Mothers, Next Gen and others to In addition to its free walk-in centers,
Next Generation Veterans of Indian of the PTSD sessions. The free sessions, bring awareness to services available where no appointment is necessary,
River County which, with Gold Star group or one-on-one, are moderated to anyone suffering from PTSD. the Mental Health Association hosts
Mothers, all support veterans and the Wednesday night meetups for veterans
issues they face, working to avoid the “We collaborated and we came up overseen by a registered social worker
heartbreak of military suicide. with this theme for the vehicle to rep- who is a veteran and former firefighter.
resent our military and our first re-
“We want people to be aware that sponders who suffer from this terrible “Anybody can talk about whatever
there are 22 veterans who are dying by disorder,” said IRCSO Community Af- they want. If they want to talk about
suicide a day in the United States. One fairs Dep. Cliff Labbe. their mental health or want to ask for
a day is a tragedy, 22 is unacceptable,” some help, they can,” said Amy Wag-
said Michelle Dale, president of Gold Dogs For Life, which trains service ner, MHA marketing director. “If they
Star Mothers of Indian River County. dogs for veterans with hearing, mobil- want to just sit there and hang out with
ity or PTSD issues, hosts PTSD support their peers and eat pizza, they can do
“We can’t have that. And we are here groups for male and female veterans that too.”
to let them know that in Indian River and first responders, as well as Veteran
County we have sessions at Dogs for Meet Ups. They also have a pet therapy For more information, visit IRC-
program at the Vero Beach Police De- GoldStarMoms.org, DogsForLifeVB.
org, MHAIRC.org or NGVIRC.org.

(LOL) Laughing Out Loud

With Carl Hiaasen

Come and Celebrate LRJF’s
30th Anniversary

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023 • 6:30 PM - 9 PM
The Community Church of Vero Beach

For More Information On Speaker Visit prhspeakers.com

General Tickets Include Live Speaker Event With Carl • 6:30 PM - 8 PM
Limited VIP Tickets Include the General Session
with Carl and Meet & Greet Event 8 PM - 9 PM

Tickets Available At:
lauraridingjackson.org/LRJFS-30thanniversary/

SCAN TO BUY TICKETS 

For More Info Call LRJF at (772) 569-6718

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 25

PEOPLE

A Veterans Resource Expo featured  American Legion Post 39, American for first responders, active military, teachers. HomesForHeroes.com.
booths with information on a range of Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the American veterans and educators. Hero.So-  Indian River County Veteran Ser-
veterans’ organizations and resources. Legion and American Legion Riders: rensenRealEstate.com.
Supports veterans and the community. vice Office: Will prepare, file and ap-
 211 Helpline: Veterans/Crisis Line, FloridaLegion.org.  Homes for Heroes: Home buying peal benefit claims at offices in Vero
800-273-TALK (8255), veteran resourc- payment assistance program for ac- Beach and Sebastian. IRCgov.com/de-
es and counseling/mental health re-  Dale Sorensen Real Estate: HOME tive military, veterans, first respond- partments/general services/veterans
sources. 211TreasureCoast.org. (Heroes on the Move) rebate program ers, healthcare professionals and services.

927 SURFSEDGE  PV. BEACH ACCESS  $3.275M 648 TULIP LANE  $5.75M 3470 BUCKINGHAMMOCK TRAIL  $1.395M
NEW CONSTRUCTION NEW CUSTOM HOME  WATERFRONT CUSTOM HOME – BUILT IN 2019

JOSEPH O’NEILL CHRIS MICKLEY JOSEPH SCHLITT

We are 3rd generation Vero Beach Realtors and our families have called Vero Beach home for over 100+ years. Joseph O’Neill, Joseph
Schlitt, and Chris Mickley have over 45 years of combined experience as full-time Realtors and have a comprehensive understanding

of the local market. We have represented Buyers and Sellers in over 125 real estate transactions in 32963.
If you are considering making a move, we can help.

772.643.6824 772.473.9691

3001 OCEAN DRIVE  VERO BEACH, FL 32963  772.231.9938

26 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Cynthia Ryan and Robin Berry. Theresa Betancourt and Michelle Dale. Carol Martin and Amy Wagner.

STORY, PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

Mark Reynolds and Diana D’Angelo.

 Marine Corps Toys for Tots: Collec-
tion boxes are at all IRC fire stations.

 Military Officers of America As-
sociation: Fundraising for a World War
II tribute on Veterans Memorial Island
Sanctuary through Cultural-Council.
org.

 Next Generation Veterans of Indi-
an River County: Mission-based social
club with PTSD support groups and
community activities. NGVIRC.org.

 Veterans Council of Indian River
County: Offers numerous outreach
programs and transportation to the
West Palm Beach VA facility. Veteran-
sCIRC.com.

 Vets Claims Plus: Assists with dis-
ability claims and appeals. VetsClaim-
sPlus.org.

 Vietnam Veterans of America
Chapter 1038: Assists veterans in need
and funds scholarships. VVA.org.

 Vietnam Veterans of Indian River
County: Aids veterans in need, partic-
ularly the homeless, assists with ben-
efit claims, and mentors individuals in
the Veterans Treatment Court. VVIRC.
org.

 Wounded Waters: Takes veterans
and first responders fishing and div-
ing to help them with PTSD issues.
WoundedWaters.org.

 Wreaths Across America: Places
wreaths on veteran graves. Starting
10 a.m., Dec. 17, at Crestlawn, Sebas-
tian Municipal Cemetery and Veterans
Memorial Island Sanctuary. Wreaths
AcrossAmerica.org/pages/142500. 



By Joel Achenbach | Washington Post has cached in tubes for a future return to Laboratory in Pasadena, which operates the
Earth, have the right chemical recipe to rover and the broader Mars Sample Return
On the floor of a shallow crater on Mars, preserve evidence of ancient Martian life, mission.
the NASA rover Perseverance has hit what if it ever existed.
scientists are hoping is pay dirt. Martian One of the studies concluded that the
rocks excavated by the rover show signs of The new Perseverance research is de- rocks in the crater experienced three dif-
a watery past and are loaded with the kind tailed in three extensive studies published ferent events in which they were exposed
of organic molecules that are the founda- last week, one in the journal Science and to water.
tion for life as we know it. two in the journal Science Advances. The
journal reports are highly technical and “Crucially, conditions in the rock during
Scientists collaborating on the mission devoid of hype – daring to be dull as dirt – each time that water migrated through it
also say the rock samples, which the rover but the scientists involved translate them could have supported small communities
into a more exciting tale. of microorganisms,” lead author Michael
Tice, a geologist at Texas A&M University,
“It’s amazing. In pretty much every rock said in an email. In a subsequent interview,
we’re finding organics,” said Abigail All- he added, “We’re not going to know until
wood, a geologist at the NASA Jet Propulsion we get the samples back to Earth.”

On Feb. 18, 2021, NASA successfully land-
ed the Perseverance rover on Mars.

Perseverance made a bulls-eye land-

ing in Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, and This study of Mars is part of the efflores- SA’s search because it has many favorable
has been roaming it since, caching rock cence of the young field of astrobiology, traits. Mars probably was far more Earth-
samples along the way for later scrutiny which includes the search for potentially like about 3 billion years ago, with warmer
back on Earth. This is an ambitious, mul- habitable worlds and the first example of ex- and wetter conditions.
tiphase mission that will require NASA and traterrestrial life. Despite the efforts of gen-
its partner, the European Space Agency, to erations of scientists, and notwithstanding Life may have once existed on Earth and
send another vehicle to the surface of Mars the claims of UFO buffs, the discovery of life Mars simultaneously, and it is possible that
with the capability of launching samples beyond Earth remains aspirational. it originated on Mars and spread to Earth
into orbit. via meteorites. And though the surface
Even finding organics – life-friendly mol- now is an arid wasteland, the planet could
A spacecraft would then carry those ecules with combinations of carbon, hydro- have liquid water in significant quantities
samples back to Earth for laboratory re- gen and oxygen – is a far cry from discover- beneath the surface, and possibly “cryptic”
search. The precise timetable is still to be ing life or even proof of its presence in the life.
determined, but NASA is hoping to have past. Such molecules can be either biologi-
the samples on home turf in the early cal or nonbiological in origin. Although the Perseverance rover does
2030s. not have instruments to chemically detect
Still, Mars is front and center in NA-
COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

30 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 INSIGHT COVER STORY

living organisms if they exist today, its instruments from dirt and debris that slowly accumulated at the
give scientists the ability to study the Martian sur- bottom of the lake.
face at a level of detail never before possible.
If such sedimentary rock was ever there, it’s gone
One of the new papers more closely examining now. It may have eroded away, Tice said. The lack of
Mars’s chemistry has delivered a surprise for ge- sedimentary rock could mean that the lake didn’t
ologists. They had assumed that they were going to last very long, which would be disappointing for the
dig up a bunch of sedimentary rocks. Instead the astrobiologists. Life as we know it needs water, and
rocks are volcanic. it takes time for more-complex life-forms to evolve.
If the lake didn’t linger, life might have struggled to
Jezero Crater formed in an impact event – a rock take root.
slamming into Mars – at least 3.5 billion years ago.
The volcanic rocks are not a disappointment,
The shallow crater clearly had water in it long though, because they preserve loads of information
ago. This could be determined from orbital about the Martian past, including the presence of
images showing the remnants of a delta organic molecules, scientists said.
where a river flowed into the lake.
Planetary geologists had as- The presence of organic material on Mars had
sumed the floor of the cra- been confirmed in previous missions, but their
ter was covered in sedi- precise nature and chemistry can’t be discerned
mentary rock, formed through this kind of long-distance research and will

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 31

INSIGHT COVER STORY

require laboratory scrutiny on Earth, according to Planet may not be a dead planet – the coroner’s re- sensitive to a planet’s magnetism. As lava cools, it
Bethany Ehlmann, a planetary scientist at Caltech port is incomplete – but it certainly resembles one. crystallizes into igneous rock, freezing electrons
and co-author of two of the new papers. within iron-bearing minerals into patterns that
Scientists point to something Mars lacks today: a could reveal a magnetic field’s traits, such as its ori-
“Are they merely organics that kind of washed into global magnetic field like Earth’s. Such a field pro- entation.
the system – maybe from meteoritic material that tects our atmosphere from the corrosive effects
was just part of the water? That would be the least of the solar wind – high-energy particles steadily Benjamin Weiss, a planetary scientist at MIT and
exciting. Or are they little niches of microbial life liv- streaming from the sun that can strip away lighter co-author of two of the papers, said in an email, “On
ing in the cavities of these rocks? That would be the molecules. Mars also lacks plate tectonics, the geo- balance, we are actually super lucky that there are
most exciting,” Ehlmann said. logical process that on Earth recycles the crust and igneous rocks in the crater, and that we happened
continues to spew water and nutrient-rich lavas to land right on them, since they are ideal for deter-
She added that the rover “is collecting an awe- through active volcanoes. mining ages and studying the past history of Mars’
some set of samples to reveal Mars’s environmental magnetic field.”
history in all of its forms – the volcanic history, the Somewhere along the way, Mars’s magnetic field
history of water, the relationship of organics to those died, and then it became a different kind of planet. Once the mission can send its precious rock col-
water-rich environments.” It lost almost all of its atmosphere. It became a frig- lection back to Earth, scientists may finally be able
id desert world. How quickly that happened is un- to tell if life ever found a foothold on Mars – which
All of this is an attempt to solve the fundamental known, but that’s something that might be revealed would raise new questions about whether, despite
mystery of Mars: What went wrong? How and when by the volcanic rocks in the crater. the dramatic transformation of the planet, life
and why did this planet that apparently was con- somehow managed to persevere. 
genial to life turn into such a harsh place? The Red Magma contains some amount of iron, which is

32 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

By David Ignatius | Washington Post impossible for U.S. and SDF forces Mazloum told me his forces had no coalition base in Hasakah, where U.S.
there to survey the damage safely. involvement in the attack and had ex- Special Operations forces help train
Northern Syria is a bomb that Tur- pressed sympathy for the victims. As the SDF. I visited that base in April,
key, through its reckless actions, seems Mazloum said SDF forces are also for the charge that he was personally too, and saw the combat partnership
determined to detonate. “at risk right now” as they try to main- affiliated with PKK terrorism, he said, between the United States and the
tain security at 28 makeshift prisons “these are just excuses” and that he Syrian Kurds that shattered ISIS.
Turkey’s fixation on alleged Kurdish in northern Syria where about 12,000 had been working closely with U.S.
terrorism reached a dangerous flash captured ISIS fighters are housed. Af- and coalition forces for more than The Kurdish-led militia paid a heavy
point this past week, as Turkish war- ter a January prison break at the Ha- eight years. price in that campaign, with 12,000
planes bombed targets in northern sakah prison, more than 3,000 of these fighters killed, Mazloum reminded me.
Syria that are perilously close to U.S. detainees escaped, and it took more When I visited the al-Hol camp in
forces there guarding against a resur- than a week to capture most of them April with Centcom commander Gen. Mazloum said that he expects Tur-
gence of the Islamic State. and regain control. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, it housed about key to soon begin a ground assault in
56,000 people, an estimated 70 percent northern Syria, seeking greater control
The danger of this latest spasm of Turkey’s rationale for attacking the of them under 18. We toured the Ha- of Manbij and Kobani, two areas lib-
Turkish reprisal attacks was described Syrian Kurds is its claim that the SDF, sakah prison, too, and security seemed erated from ISIS by the United States
to me by Gen. Mazloum Kobane Abdi, and Mazloum personally, are affili- fragile, even without Turkish bombers and its SDF partners at great cost. He
commander of the Syrian Kurdish mi- ated with the militant Kurdish militia overhead. said that the United States has an “eth-
litia known as the Syrian Democratic known as the PKK, which they con- ical responsibility to protect the Kurds
Forces or SDF. He said that after three tend was responsible for a Nov. 13 ter- Mazloum said the Turkish assault from being ethnically cleansed from
days of Turkish bombing, the SDF rorist bombing in Istanbul. began last week with an attack on a this region.” He urged U.S. officials to
could lose its ability to maintain secu- pressure Turkey to de-escalate its at-
rity at prisons and a refugee camp for tacks before there is a disaster.
ISIS fighters and their families.
Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of
“These strikes have already placed the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke last
the ISIS mission at risk,” said Col. Jo- week with his Turkish counterpart and
seph Buccino, spokesman for U.S. Cen- warned the Turks against attacking re-
tral Command, which oversees the re- stricted zones around U.S. troops. But
gion. “One of the strikes hit within 130 a Pentagon official said there was “no
meters of U.S. personnel, so American sign that [the Turks] are ready to de-
forces are at risk. Any extension of these escalate.”
attacks will drive up that risk,” Buccino
told me in an email. As the Turkish military assault in
northern Syria begins to destabilize
Mazloum, as he is known, said that the U.S.-led coalition’s fragile control
an hour before our conversation, a over the murderous remnants of the
Turkish drone had fired on the SDF se- Islamic State, a reasonable person be-
curity post at the al-Hol refugee camp, gins to wonder: What kind of an ally is
which houses families of Islamic State this? 
fighters. He said he didn’t know wheth-
er any of the residents of the camp es- A version of this column first ap-
caped, because a Turkish drone was peared in The Washington Post. It does
still loitering over the camp, and it was not necessarily reflect the views 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 / December 1, 2022 33

INSIGHT OP-ED

Joy Wills purchased an extended protec- issues ourselves, and speaking with or placed with a comparable and working long as it wants, and you don't have
tion plan hrough Lowe's for her dish- emailing at least 15 different customer model as soon as possible. a choice. But we can all agree that six
washer, but neither is working – and it’s service agents at the call center, we are months is way too long.
been six months. Willl she ever get sat- still without a functional dishwasher. ANSWER:
isfaction? I'm not a fan of extended protection
I have sent an email outlining the You bought an extended warranty for plans for two reasons. First, the manu-
QUESTION: issues and requesting a resolution to your dishwasher through Lowe's. It facturer or retailer should stand behind
the executive customer relations agent should have either fixed your appli- their products. So if something breaks,
I 'm having difficulty getting Lowe's to who responded most recently, as well ance quickly or replaced it. they should fix it without demanding
honor the extended protection plan as to your executive contacts. I have you pay extra. And second, the terms on
that we purchased on our GE dish- not heard back from them. I reviewed the terms of your extend- these warranties contain loopholes big
washer. I can't get any power to the ed protection plan. It promises that if enough to fit your dishwasher through.
appliance. Despite numerous visits by I am disabled and can't wash dishes your appliance fails for a covered rea- They're often worthless.
technicians, checking on the electrical by hand easily. That was the reason son, it will be "restored to normal oper-
we purchased this dishwasher to be- ating condition," but it doesn't specify I have more information about how
gin with. It's been six months since a timeline. That's the problem. Lowe's to negotiate better service on my con-
my first call. I want my dishwasher re- can technically make you wait for as sumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. I see
that you also tried to contact a Lowe's
executive. Nice job on the self-advocacy!

I contacted Lowe's on your behalf.
After considerable back-and-forth with
the company, someone from Lowe's
extended protection plan called you.
That representative offered you $634
(the amount you originally paid for
the dishwasher), which you accepted.
Lowe's also gave you a $100 credit for
installing a new dishwasher. 

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

34 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

In “His Masterly Pen,” a thoroughly engrossing study system, a hostility that Kaplan points out – and as Jefferson
of Thomas Jefferson, Fred Kaplan demonstrates that he, would last long after knew – Virginia’s agrarian population
too, wields a masterly pen. Although the subtitle of the American indepen- had its share of “loafers, wastrels,
book describes it as “a biography of Jefferson the writer,” dence was won. alcoholics, gamblers, sexual adven-
it is more accurately an examination of the insights into turers, and abusive husbands.” Yet
Jefferson’s character and philosophy that Kaplan has Kaplan reads the Jefferson’s ability to paint a vivid pic-
drawn from the personal and public writings of our most central argument of ture of a bucolic American paradise
celebrated Founding Father. “A Summary View” as was so persuasive that members of
simultaneously spe-
The book is thus not a traditional biography. Readers cious and persuasive, later generations have been known
familiar with Jefferson’s life, both public and private, will the former because it to embrace the myth and to mourn
soon note some uneven coverage in Kaplan’s narrative. is filled with “historical the passing of an era of happy yeo-
For instance, Jefferson’s flirtation with Maria Cosway is inaccuracy and special manry.
fully developed, while his long relationship with Sally pleading” and because
Hemings is barely mentioned – largely, one must as- its author is unwilling to Kaplan recognizes the synergy
sume, because there are no letters to or about Hemings acknowledge any coun- produced when these themes
that would help Kaplan plumb Jefferson’s inner life. terargument; the latter overlap, as when Jefferson’s myth
because of its “no-holds- of a nation founded on yeomanry
The primary function of this nicely paced and well- barred emotional inten- combined with his intense hatred
written narrative is to serve as context for Kaplan’s ex- sity, its … inventiveness in of Britain to form the building
ploration of a number of themes. Four of these themes combining feeling, argu- blocks of his political ideology.
stand out for this reader: the impact of class and region ment, language, and ide- Although many historians have
on Jefferson’s social attitudes and racial and gender as- ology.” “A Summary View”
sumptions; Jefferson’s seemingly unlimited capacity to was, Kaplan concludes, narrated the rise of two oppos-
rationalize his own behavior and to avoid unpleasant an example of the highest ing political parties in the 1790s,
truths; the creation of and commitment to a roman- form of propaganda. it is Kaplan who fully captures
tic myth of America as a nation of contented yeoman the emotional intensity of Jefferson’s
farmers; and the intense Anglophobia around which his Only the Declaration of Independence, written two hatred of Hamiltonian policies and the nationalists’ at-
politics and policies took shape after the war. These do years later, would surpass “A Summary View” in all these tachment to urban life. Kaplan does this not simply by
not, of course, exhaust Kaplan’s attention, for they do elements. Where many scholars have characterized the examining the creation and eventual victory of the Jef-
not take into account, for instance, Jefferson’s approach Declaration’s indictment of the king and his government fersonian Republican Party but by reading Jefferson’s let-
to intimacy or his philosophical ruminations on religion as a perfect example of lawyerly argument, Kaplan sees ters and public texts on this subject with what might be
and slavery, both of which are fully developed in this vol- in it the same intense undercurrent of rage against real described as a forensic attention to detail. Under his tex-
ume. But these four themes illustrate Kaplan’s skill in dis- or imagined tyranny that Jefferson displayed in “A Sum- tural microscope, the reader can see clearly the obses-
covering Jefferson’s character and his political ideology mary View.” And, as Kaplan notes, the Declaration re- sive Anglophobia that drove Jefferson to support an ab-
through the products of his “masterly pen.” quired a “mental dissonance” for Jefferson, who owned solutist, anti-republican French king, as well as a French
hundreds of enslaved people, to claim that the king’s in- Revolution that devolved into dictatorship, in order to
Consider Kaplan’s analysis of Jefferson’s emerging tention was to enslave his white colonists. achieve his party’s success.
commitment to independence. In 1774, Jefferson com- A less-adept historian might substitute parlor psycho-
posed an essay addressed to the Virginia Legislature and Kaplan later explores Jefferson’s capacity for myth- analysis for subtle interrogation of the texts. To his credit,
later published as “A Summary View of the Rights of Brit- making in support of his vision for the new republic. As Kaplan does not go further than what the accepted nar-
ish America.” Like many if not most of the members of Jefferson envisioned America’s future, he saw an agrar- rative framework and a sympathetic but critical reading
the Virginia planter class, Jefferson viewed Britain’s deci- ian society sustained by a free, independent and con- of Jefferson’s papers allows. The skill with which the au-
sion to impose taxes and new restrictions with visceral tented white yeomanry. These patriotic yeomen, whose thor wields his own masterly pen ensures a better un-
alarm. That it was done without consulting these elite act of tilling the soil ensured their moral superiority over derstanding of this brilliant and talented 18th-century
White men constituted an insult to their status as gentle- urban tradesmen and merchants, were largely a fiction man who could not fully escape the moral failings of his
men. The resulting resentment led Jefferson to place the produced by Jefferson’s capacity to build an argument social class or the weaknesses of his own character as he
blame for the intensifying political crisis squarely upon on unfounded generalizations and distortions of fact. helped give birth to a new nation. 
the British government. But Kaplan sees more in “A Sum- Kaplan provides the reality that Jefferson stubbornly
mary View” than class-based outrage. The essay is only avoids, pointing out that many Virginia farmers, if not HIS MASTERLY PEN
one example of Jefferson’s lifelong capacity to blame any most, endured a subsistence-level existence that brought
crisis or failure on someone else, or on some other coun- little satisfaction or contentment. Kaplan also dismisses A BIOGRAPHY OF JEFFERSON THE WRITER
try than his own. “A Summary View” also introduces Jef- as myth Jefferson’s insistence that city life was rife with
ferson’s hostility to Britain, its culture and its economic immorality while rural life encouraged moral values. As BY FRED KAPLAN | HARPER. 657 PP. $35
REVIEW BY CAROL BERKIN, THE WASHINGTON POST

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 35

INSIGHT BRIDGE

REPETITION CAN BE GOOD, CAN BE GOOD WEST NORTH EAST
6 J 10 8 7 4 53
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist ?83 A J 10 ?652
J 10 9 8 7 63 Q542
While looking for a quotation including the word repetition, I came upon something AQ74 952 K J 10
supposedly written by Khakheperraseneb, an Egyptian scribe, circa 1900 B.C.,
which was approximately when writing started: “Would I had phrases that are not SOUTH
known, utterances that are strange, in new language that has not been used, free AKQ92
from repetition, not an utterance which has grown stale, which men of old have K74
spoken.” AK
863
Amazing for that time.
Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Both
In this week’s deal, how should South play to make four spades after West leads the
diamond jack to declarer’s ace? The Bidding:

South might have opened two no-trump. The 4C’s evaluation method developed SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
by Edgar Kaplan rates this hand at 20.05 points. But after North transferred into 1 Spades Pass 2 Spades Pass
spades, the same contract would be reached. Many players holding that North hand 4 Spades Pass Pass Pass LEAD:
would jump immediately to four spades, a so-called weak freak. In an uncontested J Diamonds
auction, though, I think the responder should have a singleton or a void. (If West
doesn’t pass, I would agree with four spades, trusting in the Law of Total Tricks —
bid to the four-level with a 10-card fit.)

The mirror distribution causes problems, as always. At first glance, it seems that
declarer must guess which opponent holds the heart queen. However, as we saw on
Monday, sometimes declarer can force his opponents to do that for him.

South should draw trumps, cash his second top diamond and cast adrift with a club.
After the defenders take their three tricks, they must either lead a heart, finding the
queen, or concede a ruff-and-sluff. It is a perfect endplay.

36 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (NOVEMBER 24) ON PAGE 70

ACROSS DOWN
1 Hostel (3) 1 Thoughts (5)
3 River in Cambridge(3) 2 Closest (7)
5 Short nails (5) 3 Felines (4)
8 Precise (5) 4 Held up (6)
9 Cheerio (7) 5 Hot and humid (8)
10 Notices (4) 6 Small wooden house(5)
11 Devised (8) 7 Slim (7)
13 Intense dislike (6) 12 Reiterated (8)
14 Dish (6) 13 Married man (7)
17 Proposes (8) 15 Helicopter (7)
19 Sacred (4) 16 Atelier (6)
22 Adjusted (7) 18 Serious (5)
23 Theme (5) 20 Light sailing-vessel (5)
24 Fear (5) 21 Celestial body (4)
25 Paddle (3)
The Telegraph 26 Long-tailed rodent (3)

How to do Sudoku:

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

The Telegraph

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 37

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 105 Like some stocks: abbr. 53 “Pretty maids all The Washington Post
1 Something worn short? 108 Game cube in ___”
5 Liberates 109 Tooth feature SPUN WITH FOONERISMS By Merl Reagle
10 Ancient Italian 112 Mess up a taxidermy 54 A magazine or a cereal
16 Scary word 56 Quick rapping sound
19 Soft mud assignment? 57 “___ your side!”
20 “Let none enter, ___ break 116 ___ in the right direction 58 Ivan of tennis
118 Common possessive 59 Business abbr.
your pate” (Shak.) 119 Chilled, as champagne 61 Utah city
21 Silicon dioxide 120 Why the little girl dislikes 64 Zodiac signs
22 Hockey’s Bobby 65 ___ sudden
23 What Mr. Ed did during a her fork? 66 Place for the walk-in
129 Prop for Tiger Woods
publicity shoot? 130 Observe wounded
27 On the briny 131 Hartford giant 67 Deserve
28 ___ kwon do 132 Sandwich or saver 69 Been brought up
29 Instrument requiring no 133 Screw up 70 Carlos ___ and Madonna,
134 Faints
lessons 135 Der ___kavalier parents of Lourdes
30 Summertime? 136 The GRE, e.g. 74 Hawkeye’s outfit
38 Hideouts 75 Take ___ (doze)
39 Prince Valiant creator DOWN 76 Hardbound alternatives:
1 Larry Hagman, to Mary
Foster abbr.
40 Poe’s A. Gordon Martin 79 Where Pam goes
41 Lennon’s Plastic ___ Band 2 There’s a big one on your 82 Yes, 27 Across
42 Start of a stat trio 84 A wife of Jacob
44 Type foot 85 1983 taxi comedy
45 Part of Air France’s fleet, 3 Illegal weapon 87 Star-crossed kid
4 Commenced 90 Greek liqueur
once 5 Like cantaloupes 91 ___ the crack of dawn
47 Grumpy old man 6 Cashes in 92 Chow chart
48 Govt. org. for 7 Founded: abbr. 94 Cabinet branch that
8 Bible verb ending
entrepreneurs 9 Officer’s title oversees land: abbr.
51 ___ inspector 10 Young pigeon 95 Slay
55 Little brook that attracts the 11 A Labor of Hercules, 96 Mr. Cassini
100 Behind by a single point
most fishermen? cleaning the ___ stables 102 Army grade abbr.
60 Earlier 12 “Fooey on Yule!” 103 “Over There” writer George
62 Lacking spice 13 N.Y.C. subway
63 State south of Arizona 14 Vowelless degree ___
64 Computer woe? 15 Book before Daniel: abbr. 104 Newcomer
68 Unlike Schoenberg’s 16 Speakeasy offering 106 Formosa, today
17 He’s Hank in Touch of Evil 107 Caesar’s 191
music 18 Hydrox alternatives 109 Hindu social class
71 Baby’s bed 24 Internet abbr. 110 One on the aisle?
72 “___ be back” 25 Pure oxygen 111 Take the wheel
73 Gardener’s motto? 26 Body guards 113 Offends
77 L.A.-to-Manhattan 30 Indy Jones prop 114 Haley epic
flight path 31 Ring of light 115 Preamble start
78 Spot on the screen 32 Lodge members 117 Buddies
80 1966 drama, ___ / Sade 33 Strasberg’s role in The 121 As we speak
81 Gift for Cleopatra? 122 Overly
83 President’s first name Godfather, Part II 123 Ring outcome, briefly
86 Munich’s river 34 Beginning 124 The Crimean, for one
88 Sinuous 35 With -Aid, a drink 125 Earth, in combos
89 The Oxford English 36 Therefore 126 Spell
37 Enjoys Maui 127 Saving meth.
Dictionary? 43 Bible mountain 128 Huck’s chum
93 Intro to intellectual 46 Fellini classic, La ___
97 Bursa, for one 48 Squirrel, often
98 “We’ll tak ___ o’ 49 Strait man
50 Busy ___
kindness yet ...” (line 52 Toll rte.
from “Auld Lang Syne”)
99 Fix
101 Impresario Hurok
102 Gomer’s exclamation
104 Hamilton’s bill

The Telegraph

38 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Restaurants and friends’ little children simply don’t mix

BY CAROLYN HAX Assuming you even want it. Some would rather
Washington Post lose the friends than rally for their kids, and if that’s
you, then you might as well own it.
Dear Carolyn: When I invite my
friends who have babies or tod- But keeper friends are honest speakers and at-
dlers to go out to a restaurant, tentive listeners, and they’re willing partners in the
how can I politely request they not mutual give-and-take that changing lives require.
bring their children? They involve and evolve. Both parties.

– Adult-Only Dear Carolyn: I’m in love with someone. The feelings

Adult-Only: This isn’t a polite-request situation. are not reciprocated. I never expected to feel this way
This is a conversation situation, where you discuss
the valid issues that arise when needy, screamy little again (I’m in my mid-70s), to carry such sadness for
people join your previously adults-only club.
something that cannot be. I can’t seem to get over my
You prefer completing your sentences. Totally
fair. There’s a reason virtually every parent of small feelings, despite the reality I accept – intellectually.
children I’ve ever known feels as starved for that as
you do. I’m taking steps to help myself, but I still feel emo-

Your friends prefer to avoid sitter hassles and (I’m tionally stuck. Suggestions short of going into therapy?
guessing) want to have their friends be part of their
children’s lives. Maybe not as best-ever honorary aun- I am angry with myself and sad. – Anonymous
ties/unclies, though that can happen — but there’s so
much possible value: The parents get to model friend- agreement on just-adults restaurant outings, that Anonymous: It’s like asking a genie to make us
ship for their kids. The kids get a community and doesn’t guarantee that they will have full staffing or feel young again, and getting awkwardness, heart-
adult presence beyond their parents. The non-kidded funding for one. Child care is sometimes expensive, break and zits. I understand why you’re gutted: Loss
friends get some level of inclusion in their parent- often scarce (especially now), doesn’t always pre- is loss, and it’s awful. I’m sorry. Every instance of
friends’ family experience, which, no way around it, is empt reservation-busting departure-time tantrums not being loved back leaves a scar, for me at least.
a huge part of them now. Many become like family, or and occasionally calls in sick.
at least learn what it’s like when a kid steals your heart. But your anger I don’t understand. You cared! Af-
So, you talk – mindful this is their child, not their firmed life! Took a chance. Be proud of your gutted,
These parent-friends also have (again, guess- Chia Pet. “What’s your take on kids vs. no kids when stuck self.
ing) logistical challenges. Even when you have full we go to restaurants? Does the type of restaurant mat-
ter? I don’t want to assume anything.” The way your You never expected this feeling “again,” mean-
friends respond will signal your room to maneuver. ing you’ve felt this before and recovered enough to
achieve complacency. OK then. You still have every
mental tool you used whenever (mine: distraction,
self-care, time, fresh air), plus what you’ve learned
since. Trust it. 

‘FIRST’ RATE

SYMPHONIC SEASON OPENS WITH
ESTEEMED UKRAINE ORCHESTRA

40 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

‘FIRST’ RATE: SYMPHONIC SEASON OPENS
WITH ESTEEMED UKRAINE ORCHESTRA

BY PAM HARBAUGH | CORRESPONDENT Kitts, who has a long career in sym-
phonic music, is well connected to
Vero Beach hits the international booking agents. When he heard that
stage once again in January when the Ukrainian National Philharmon-
they present the Lviv National Phil- ic Orchestra and Theodore Kuchak
harmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, led were going on tour, Kitts booked them
by conductor Theodore Kuchar and as soon as the opportunity presented
featuring guest pianist Stanislav itself.
Khristenko.
“This is the real deal,” he says.
The concert, scheduled for Friday, The music selected for the Vero
Jan. 13, 2023, and presented by the In- Beach program includes two works
dian River Symphonic Association, is by Brahms and one by Sibelius. The
the first stop in a 36-city tour by the dramatic musical compositions evoke
acclaimed orchestra. The last concerts a sense of dread, courage and, ulti-
on their U.S. tour will include perfor- mately, triumph. Adding in that the
mances at Carnegie Hall and Radio musicians performing the music are
City Music Hall in New York City. Ukrainian, the concert is likely to stir
the audience to tears.
IRSA vice president Christopher

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 41

ARTS & THEATRE

Kitts says audiences can take the rector and principal con- PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
music as an “evocative, perfect ex- ductor of the National
amination” of what Ukraine is going Symphony Orchestra of
through right now, explaining that Ukraine based in Kyiv,
the program is designed to take peo- Ukraine’s capital. Then,
ple through some fairly dark, weighty in 2018, he joined the Lviv
pieces, into something haunting and National Philharmonic
with a brilliant conclusion. Orchestra of Ukraine and
became its principal con-
The audience won’t be the only ones ductor.
affected. The musicians, who have
been living under constant threat, Living in the medieval city
should experience performing the had always been a deep joy,
music on a different spiritual level, he says, noting that its his-
Kuchar says. For most of them, this tory is a rich one.
will be their first performance in the
Unites States, which is their dream Kuchar easily and quick-
and ideal. ly talks about its recent his- Michele Witt, Susan Smith, Jacob Craig and Marilyn Bosland.
tory as part of the Austro-
“The United States of America will Hungarian Empire, part of Poland,
always be the United Stated of Ameri- part of Tsarist Russia and the Soviet
ca regardless of the president, politics Union. Because it is in the western part
and the world,” says Kuchar in a phone of Ukraine, he says Lviv is a “fairly
interview. “You can be sure that when peaceful” town in a country that its ag-
they are sitting there playing Brahms gressor wants to turn into “rubble, ce-
and Sibelius there will be something ment and dust.”
symbolic.”
“Lviv was a fantastic place to live …
The intriguing aspect of the Sibel- one of the most beautiful cities in Eu-
ius Symphony No. 2 is that it was com- rope,” he says.
posed when Finland (Sibelius’ home-
land) was experiencing oppression by His home there is 15 minutes from
the same foe, says Kuchar. the airport, perfect for an in-demand
conductor who flies all over the world
“The Sibelius Second Symphony is to lead orchestras. But now, he says,
a triumphal response to Russian op- because of the war, all Ukrainian air-
pression,” Kuchar says. “You can’t ports are closed. In order to fly out
compare the situation (to the current somewhere, you need to travel to War-
atrocities in Ukraine) but it was the saw or Krakow in Poland.
hands of the same oppressor.”
A recent conducting trip to Cape-
Stanislav Khristenko will per- town, South Africa, had him get on a
form the Brahms Piano Concerto. An bus at 11 p.m. and spend five hours
award-winning pianist, Kuchar first at the Polish border before getting to
met him during an early residency Warsaw the following afternoon. He
at the Cleveland Institute of Music, says the 17 hours he spent in the air
when Khristenko was a student and was the easiest part of his journey.
Kuchar was then a Distinguished Vis-
iting Conductor. Daily alarms have had their toll on ev-
eryone there.
“(He) is undoubtedly one of the most
skilled and successful international pia- Kuchar tells the story of a soloist
nists of his generation,” Kuchar says. who came to him recently, crying. She
has a 2-year-old, 18 private students
Born in the United States and raised and needs to practice at least three
by a Ukrainian father who spoke sev- hours a day.
en languages, Kuchar confesses to a
“weakness and loyalty” to his ances- “She said, ‘Maestro, how can I think
tral homeland. of music when we don’t know where
the next rocket will fall?’ People are
In 1994 he became the artistic di-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 44





44 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Stanislav ARTS & THEATRE Theodore
Khristenko Kuchar.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 Gil
Shaham.
traumatized, because they don’t know
what their next step will be.” Brevard Symphony Philadelphia
Orchestra. Orchestra.
“Nobody knows where the rockets
will land,” he says. “Nobody is liv- Kyaunee Mark Nathalie
ing peacefully. Everyone lives under Richardson. Kosower. Stutzmann.
a threat. But life has gone on. The or-
chestra has given concerts. But when
alarms go off, everyone has to run to
the shelters and an hour has to pass
before returning.”

Yet once the concert begins and
they walk onstage, the world outside
disappears.

“You forget about rockets, alarms,
limited hot water, not being able to
take a shower,” Kuchar says. “Your job
is to focus completely on the music
you are doing and ultimately to make
the people who have come to listen to
you forget about any difficulty.”

The Lviv National Philharmonic
Orchestra is just the start of the In-
dian River Symphonic Association’s
season.

The next internationally acclaimed
orchestra they are bringing to town is
the venerable Philadelphia Orchestra.

“It’s a wide ranging, balanced sea-
son, with something for everybody; our
strongest season,” says Kitts.

The entire 2023 Indian River Sym-
phonic Association season of concerts
includes:

Friday, Jan. 13: Lviv National Phil- Op. 68. Single tickets are $110.
harmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, The-
odore Kuchar conducts, with pianist Friday, March 24: Palm Beach Sym-
Stanislav Khristenko. J. Brahms Tragic phony, Gerard Schwarz conducts, with
Overture, Op. 81, J. Brahms Piano Con- pianist Mischa Dichter. Joseph Schwant-
cert No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15 and J. Si- ner Sojourn: Reflections on Thoreau, G.
belius Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. Gershwin Piano Concerto in F Major
43. Single tickets are $80. and I. Stravinsky “The Firebird” (com-
plete). Single tickets are $80.
Sunday, Jan. 22: Brevard Symphony
Orchestra, Christopher Confessore Tuesday, March 28: Buffalo Phil-
conducts, with soprano Kyaunee Rich- harmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta
ardson. H. Villa-Lobos Aria from Ba- conducts, with violinist Sandi Cam-
chianas Brasileiros No. 5, J. S. Bach (arr. eron. Z. Kodály “Dances of Galanta,”
by G. Mahler) Suite from BWV 1067 F. Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E
and 1068 and G. Mahler Symphony No. Minor, Op. 64 and Dvorak Symphony
4 in G Major. Single tickets are $60. No. 7 in D Minor, Op 70, B. 141. Single
tickets are $90.
Sunday, Feb. 5: Brevard Symphony
Orchestra, Christopher Confessore Sunday, April 16: Brevard Sympho-
conducts. “Comedy Tonight POPS” ny Orchestra, Christopher Confessore
featuring music from “The Pink Pan- conducts, with cellist Mark Kosower.
ther,” “The Producers,” “Monty Py- A. Copland “Fanfare for the Common
thon,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and Man,” A. Dvorak Cello Concerto in B
classic cartoons, plus “Sneaky Pete and Minor, Op. 104, B 191, J. Higdon “blue
the Wolf,” a comic re-telling by Peter cathedral” and H. Hanson Symphony
Schickele of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the No. 2 in D-flat Major, Op 30, W45 “Ro-
Wolf.” Single tickets are $65. mantic.” Single tickets are $60.

Thursday, Feb. 16: Philadelphia Or- The concerts, presented by the Indian
chestra, with principal guest conduc- River Symphonic Association, begin at
tor Nathalie Stutzmann and violinist 7:30 p.m. in the 868-seat sanctuary of the
Gil Shaham. P. Tchaikovsky Polonaise Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901
from “Eugene Onegin,” J. Brahms Vio- 23rd St., Vero Beach. Season subscrip-
lin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77 and J. tions range in price from $395 to $435.
Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, For more information, call 772-778-1070
or visit IRSymphonic.org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 45

COMING UP! ARTS & THEATRE

Get very merry at Theatre Guild Holiday Party

BY PAM HARBAUGH through a snowy Christmas Eve. 5 You can’t have a proper holiday gram will be Vivaldi’s “Gloria” featuring
Correspondent The moral of the story is that some- with the proper music. It starts the Vero Beach High School Choir and
times, what makes you different the First Presbyterian Church Youth
Best get your eight hours every night. makes you special. The Riverside Sunday with the Winter Concert fea- Symphonic Orchestra. The program is
This holiday season is going to be ac- Theatre for Kids production is di- led by artistic director Jacob Craig. It be-
tive indeed. rected by Kevin Quillinan, who also turing the Vero Beach Choral Society, gins 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at the First
runs the program. The show has Presbyterian Church, 520 Royal Palm
“all of the treasured songs we know which will perform a variety of holiday- Blvd., Vero Beach. Admission is a sug-
and love and (features) 30 talented gested donation of $10. For more infor-
young actors who will bring this be- themed music including “Christmas mation, call (305) 797-7177 or visit Vero-
loved story to life.” The show starts BeachChoralSociety.org. 
5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2; and 1 p.m. Day” by Holst, “Hanukkah/Candles of
and 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Tick-
ets are $10. Riverside Theatre is at Christmas” by Angebranndt, “The Min-
3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach.
1 A great way to get started with Call 772-231-6990 or visit Riverside- ute Carol” by McAfee and Lamb, “The
the merriment is the Vero Beach Theatre.com.
Holly and the Ivy” by Gjielo and “Fum

Theatre Guild Holiday Party which Fum Fum” by Kern. Next on the pro-

will be the place for dinner, drinks

and dancing on the evening of Fri-

day, Dec. 2. This year, it’s a Rock ’n’

Roll Dance starring the Riptide Band.

In addition to dancing to rock, disco

and pop, the holiday party will serve

up steak burgers, shrimp baskets,

fish sandwiches, chicken tenders, 3 Get to know area businesses
and what they offer this season
with slaw and French fries from the

Off the Hook food truck. In addition at Light Up Night, the community-

to a cash bar, guests also receive two wide open house event sponsored

free drinks. “It is going to be a ball,” by the Sebastian River Area Cham-

says Lisa McNamee, VBTG president. ber of Commerce. This official

“Riptide will give you a night of mu- holiday season kick-off, shop-local

sic that will make you light up and event invites the public to visit par-

smile.” All this for $50, with proceeds ticipating businesses decked out

benefiting the Theatre Guild. The in holiday décor. They’ll be open

Rock ’n’ Roll Holiday Party, complete late and offering sales, discounts,

with dinner and dancing, begins 6 door prizes, complimentary food,

p.m. under the tent at the Vero Beach old fashioned eggnog, cookies, and

Theatre Guild, 2020 San Juan Ave. other holiday refreshments and

Call 772-562-8300 or visit VeroBeach- family activities. It runs 5:30 p.m.

TheatreGuild.com. to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2. The official

map of participating businesses

2 The Riverside Theatre for Kids is available at SebastianChamber.
program is the ideal spot to get
com. For more information, call

the whole family into the holiday 772-589-5969.

spirit. The program presents “Ru-

dolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr.” 4 The 2022 Vero Beach Christmas
Parade begins 6 p.m. Saturday,
on its large Stark Stage this week-

end. The musical is based on the Dec. 3, along Ocean Drive. Hosted by

classic animated television special. the Vero Beach Sunrise Rotary, the

The storyline follows Rudolph, who, parade will also be accessible on Face-

because of his shiny nose, feels like book Live. Donations to the Treasure

an outsider. Struggling to fit in, Coast Food Pantry will be collected at

he comes to Santa’s rescue when Riverside Park. For more information,

his shiny red nose lights the way visit VeroBeachChristmasParade.org.

46 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PETS

There’s nothing semi about Remi – he’s TOTALLY cool!

Hi Dog Buddies! PAY-shunce an TIME. Which my first but I non-stop barked cuz the Remi.
owner didn’t have. PLUS, my first own- water hurt my ears.
This week I had a duh-lightful innerv- er had way WAY too many pooches. So PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS
iew with a good lookin’ liddle pooch- I wudda probly ended up inna shelter “Mom says Quincy’s her
eroo, Remington Steele (Remi) Landers, except that my Few-chur Human Sister Comfort Animal. See, Mom foot. Quincy is up at the top end with
a spiffy, compact Chi-weenie, which is Amanda found out about my Puh-CAR- loves bein’ a teacher for the pillows, and me, I’m burrowed
a Speshull Mixture of chuh-waa-waa an RY-us sit-chew-ashun, saved me from it, Speshull Kids, which some- in between Mom an dad, hoggin’ the
docks-hund: He’s gotta shiny red/gold an told her Mom an Dad about me. times is a liddle what hu- sheets. It’s perfect!”
coat, silky ears, an legs just long enuff mans call STRESS-full. One
so his tummy doesn’t drag. “Well, my Few-chur Mom had trained time, pre-Quincy, she had “Any fave toys?”
pooches pree-vee-us-ly an, although I this random dream about a “I don’t really DO toys. Other than
AN, get THIS: We had our innerview was a sorta wild child, I was irresistub- liddle white dog who made removin’ the fluff. ALL the fluff. When
at this Cool Kibbles place called STAR- bly adorable an teeny (I fit in her purse her feel calm. She didn’t I’m done, I always go find Mom and
Bugs, where humans go for COFF-ee, an there was still wiggle room), so she men-shun it or anything show her what a great job I did. It’s not
which, from what I have observed, is an Dad decided to give me a Furever but then, that very day, that easy, you know. It takes pursa-
humans’ Favrite Bev-rudge in the En- Home an teach me all the Necessary Dad called an said he was VEER-unce.”
tire World. (I had a liddle slurp once, an Dog Stuff.” bringin’ home a skinny, Heading home, I was thinkin’ about
let’s just say it ISN’T a Dog Thing.) raggedy rescue pooch. It charming Remi’s journey to his happy
“Woof, Remi, you were so lucky your was Quincy! A liddle white Furever Home. An about givin’ my
Remi an his Dad were waitin’ for me sister found you!” dog! Now he’s all healthy Gramma an Grampa a head’s up about
an my assistant atta ackshull TABLE an an he’s our Protector. He’s Puppaccinos.
everything, Remi obviously comf-tub- “You’re tellin’ ME,” he replied. “I was not that into humans, ’cept Mom an
ble seated on his Dad’s lap with a liddl also lucky Mom an Dad were Very Pa- Dad, an he an Mom are BFFs.” Till next time,
red cup on the table in front of him, tient an loved me Very Much an weren’t
alongside his Dad’s cuppa COFF-ee: an gonna just toss me out like an old sock. “Woof, Remi, what a Wonderful Tail! The Bonz
the same were on our side! I wasn’t easy-peesy to train. I wanted Tell me about your typical day.”
to do what I wanted to do. An I had So Don’t Be Shy
“Good afternoon, Mr. Bonzo. Have a Much Energy an got excited ALL THE “Me an Quincy play an play All The
seat. Make yourselfs comf-tubble. We TIME. (Mom says that’s the docks- Time. I also play with my liddle human We are always looking for pets
already ordered. This is my Dad, Chip. hund in me.) But I’m also Very Smart an neff-you Reece, he’s 2 anna haff. His with interesting stories.
My Mom Doris’ll be along inna bit. We I really loved my new Famly so, when I baby brother is Ashton, he’s bran new,
come here every week. It’s a truh-DISH- (finally) realized it’s important To Buh- only 1 month. I love givin’ them Lotsa To set up an interview, email
un! I always get a Puppaccino. You gotta Have in the Famly Unit, I started payin’ Kisses an Slurps! [email protected].
try it. It’s Totally duh-LISHUS!!” attention. Mostly. I Sit, Stay, Stuff like
that. Mom says I’m Treat Motivated, “We get neighborhood leash walks,
“Thanks, Remi!” I said, delicately put- which seems reasonable to me. of course, sometimes with Reece, in his
ting my nose into the liddle cup. Remi stroller. We’re always stoppin’ to yap
was right! After wiping my muzzle with “My original name was something with pooch pals an their humans, who
my paw, an checkin’ the cup to be sure like Speedy or Flash but, Thank Lassie, wanna pat me an say how hansome I
it was empty (didn’t wanna be WASTE- Mom an Dad thought it should be more am. Cuzza havin’ very short legs, I usu-
ful), I opened my notebook. sophisticated, as befitting my heritage ally get pooped before we get home:
an my dogganality.” Then I swap places with Reece an ride
“Let’s start with how you found your in his stroller the rest of the way home.”
Forever Famly an your Cool Kibbles “Well, it’s Perfect!” I agreed. “So,
name.” what’s famly life like?” “Cool Kibbles!” I laughed.
“At night, Dad usually goes to bed
“Well, Bonz, although us Chi-weenies “There were two other pooches when first, cuz he always gets up Real Early to
have the best parts of both our breeds I arrived: Wynona, a boxer mixture, an sell houses. (Just human ones, I think.)
– energetic, smart, kid-frenly, other Quincy, a terrier mixture. Wynona is THEN an hour later, the rest of us go to
pooch-frenly, an affectionate – we can like my pooch mommy. She’s always bed. I always jump on Dad an give him
get a teensy bit over-excited, speshully cuddlin’ an cleanin’ my ears. Isn’t that a Big Good Night Kiss, so he gets to go
as puppers, which makes us kinda chal- SO nice? See, I have very sensitive ears to sleep all over again. We all have our
lenging to train. You hafta to have lotsa an they always hafta to be dirt-free. Official Bed Stations: Wynona is at the
Once Mom tried to teach me to swim,

NEW IMAGING TECHNOLOGY
SUITS HEART PATIENTS TO A ‘TEE’

48 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

New imaging technology suits heart patients to a ‘TEE’

BY KERRY FIRTH Dr. Lubka Ilieva. which most people are
Correspondent familiar with, uses a
PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS probe on the chest wall
Dr. Lubka Ilieva, a cardiologist to derive ultrasound
with Cleveland Clinic Indian River images. Now, in order
Hospital, is a fourth-generation to get better visualiza-
physician, following in the foot- tion of certain heart
steps of her great-grandfather, structures, we can uti-
grandmother and mother – who is lize new TEE technol-
a physician at Cleveland Clinic in og y.
Ohio.
“With the patient
Dr. Ilieva is highly trained in uti- gently sedated, we pass
lizing the latest imaging technolo- a flexible tube into the
gy to diagnose and guide the treat- esophagus or food pipe
ment of heart disease – technology and into the stomach.
her grandmother and great-grand- At the tip of that tube
father could never have imagined. is an ultrasound probe
that delivers crisp-
One the newest technologies is er images of certain
transesophaeal echo (TEE), an im- structures of the heart.
aging test that uses sound waves to Because the esophagus
create detailed pictures of the heart is so close to the heart,
and the arteries and veins that flow we don’t have to go
to and from it. It’s used to detect through the chest wall
blood clots, evaluate heart valves, and other tissues to get
guide treatment for arrhythmias to the heart and very
and many other heart conditions. clear images of those
heart structures and
“The TEE is a higher quality imag- valves can be obtained.
ing modality,” Dr. Ilieva explained.
“The standard echocardiogram,

$79
NEW PATIENT SPECIAL
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM COSMETIC DENTISTRY
GENERAL DENTISTRY
FULL SET XRAYS DENTURES & PARTIALS
TREATMENT PLAN  CLEANING* DENTAL IMPLANTS  WHITENING
*Not in combination with any other offer. Offer good for new patients GUM SURGERY  WALK-INS WELCOME
FINANCING & SAVINGS PLAN AVAILABLEonly and cleaning in absence of periodontal disease. Xrays are non

transferable. (D0150) (D1110) (D0210) (D0330)

DENTAL LAB Call 772-562-5051
ON PREMISES
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 / December 1, 2022 49

HEALTH

We can also reconstruct 3-D im- to give the operator measurements During this outpatient proce- and decide whether they are best
ages from those pictures to process of that pocket so that the device dure, an iodine-based dye is inject- for your specific problem.
a map of that structure. Basically, fits perfectly. The 3-D processing ed intravenously and under a CT
the TEE takes pictures inside your and mapping can be very helpful scan the physician can watch how Dr. Ilieva completed her medical
body, whereas the echocardiogram to a surgeon. It helps him under- the arteries fill during the cardiac education at Ohio University of Os-
takes pictures from the outside.” stand what his best course of action cycle. teopathic Medicine, her residency at
would be to fix the problem.” Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chi-
Doctors often use TEE when they The dye looks bright on the scan cago and her fellowship in cardiology
need more detail than a standard Dr. Ilieva also uses another new so the doctor can see a narrowing at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical
echocardiogram can give them. technology called Coronary CT. It is of the passage and tell what per- Center. She is accepting new patients
The small transducer at the end used to diagnose coronary disease centage is blocked, which might be at her office located at Cleveland
of the tube produces sound waves and blockage in the heart. the difference between putting in a Clinic Indian River Hospital’s Health
that bounce off the different areas stint or treating the condition with and Wellness Center, 3450 11th Court,
of the heart, making echoes. It then For years, the angiogram has been medication. Vero Beach, and at Sebastian Prima-
sends these echoes to a computer the gold standard to check for heart ry Care, 801 Wellness Way, Sebastian.
that makes them into pictures. The blockages, but it is an invasive, cath- Dr. Ilieva stressed the impor- Call 772-778-8687 to schedule an ap-
TEE can be combined with Doppler eter-based procedure. For patients tance of discussing these newer, pointment. 
ultrasound and color Doppler meth- who may not tolerate an angiogram, minimally invasive procedures
ods to show the speed and direction a Coronary CT may be appropriate. with your cardiologist to evaluate
of blood flow through the heart.

Cleveland Clinic offers an anal-
ogy on its website to explain the
difference between the standard
echocardiogram and the TEE:
Imagine standing on a sidewalk
and looking through a storefront
window. Inside the store, near the
back, you see a glass display case
that contains plates with patterns,
but you can’t really see the patterns
because there are people in front of
the case. So, you go inside and walk
to the back of the store to get a bet-
ter look.

While the standard echocardio-
gram gives your provider a store-
front window view, a transesopha-
geal echo lets your provider see
directly inside the display case. The
difference is between seeing a plate
with a pattern and learning the pat-
tern is sunflowers or roses.

The detailed pictures provided
by TEE can help doctors see the size
of the heart and how thick the walls
are; how well the heart is pump-
ing; if there is any abnormal tissue
around the heart valves; if blood
is leaking backward through your
heart valves; or if the valves are
narrowed or blocked (stenosis). It
can also identify blood clots in the
chambers of the heart.

“TEE is often used when there is
an unexplained stroke that’s not
clearly attributed to something
in the brain,” Dr. Ilieva said. “The
neurologist might ask us to do the
procedure to see if there is any clot
within the structures of the heart.

“It can also be used when some-
one is having heart failure due to
a dysfunction in one of the valves.
The TEE can give guidance on what
is causing the dysfunction.

“For patients with atrial fibril-
lation who can’t tolerate blood
thinners prescribed for stroke
prevention, a medical device can
be implanted in the left atrial ap-
pendage,” Dr. Ilieva continued. “In
order to size and position the de-
vice appropriately, I can do a TEE

50 Vero Beach 32963 / December 1, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Chef’s surprises: Which cooking oils are the healthiest?

BY JENNIFER COOK of factors that include the invasion of ing oil starts out as the natural oil through a press known as an expeller.
The Washington Post Ukraine, labor shortages, drought in found inside a wide variety of plants, Manufacturers also may use chemi-
some parts of the world and too-wet including seeds (such as soybean, cal solvents and high heat to extract
Move over, canola and extra-vir- weather in others, says Mintak Joo, a sunflower, sesame, safflower and the oil, or a combination of mechani-
gin olive oil – supermarkets are now senior research analyst at Gro Intelli- grapeseed); fruits (palm, olive and av- cal and chemical methods. Many oils
brimming with an ever-expanding gence, an agriculture data platform. ocado); grains (corn and wheat germ); are then “refined,” using more chemi-
repertory of oils to cook with: grape- and nuts (walnut, pecan, hazelnut and cals and high temperatures. This step
seed, avocado, toasted sesame, ghee But choosing and using (and saving others). “Vegetable” oil is usually soy- removes impurities and helps create
and many more. The variety is won- on) cooking oil doesn’t have to ratch- bean oil or a blend of oils such as soy- oil with a more uniform color, a more
derful, but what the heck do you ac- et up your stress levels or harm your bean and canola. neutral taste and better shelf stability.
tually use them all for? And are they health. Here’s the science-backed,
good for you? dietitian-approved, recipe-friendly This natural oil is squeezed from Refining has a downside: Exposure
skinny on cooking oil. the plant using mechanical meth- to high heat can destroy some of an
Some of the messages about the ods, such as putting the seeds or fruit oil’s nutrients, such as antioxidant
health benefits and drawbacks of cer- How are cooking oils made? Cook- polyphenols, says Dariush Mozaffar-
tain oils can be confusing. Coconut oil, ian, dean for policy at the Friedman
for instance, has soared in popularity School of Nutrition Science and Policy
in recent years, with its proponents at Tufts University.
making unproven claims that it can
do everything from sparking weight Some mass-produced oils may have
loss to preventing Alzheimer’s. On the antioxidants added back in after pro-
other end of the spectrum, there’s a cessing, but for a more nutrient-rich
hashtag making the rounds on social oil, look for the word “unrefined” on
media – #seedoilfree – referring to the the label, or “cold-pressed,” which in-
mistaken idea that seed oils such as dicates that the oil was pressed at a
sunflower and canola oil are toxic. temperature no greater than 120 de-
grees. And choose oils labeled “organ-
And then there’s the question of ic” if you’d like to avoid those that have
price. All prices, even at the “basic” been through chemical processing.
end of the oil spectrum, have hit record
highs in the past two years because How do I choose a healthy cooking
oil? Most oils contain roughly 120 calo-