02/11/2021 ISSUE 06

Buyer emerges for historic
Patio restaurant. P14
Jake Owen’s acting
is a hit, too. P7
Real estate brokers say

2021 off to flying start. P11

John’s Island golfers For breaking news visit
bankroll teaching
pro’s PGA dream New COVID cases
trend downward,
but less on island

BY RAY MCNULTY BY LISA ZAHNER
Staff Writer Staff Writer

John’s Island assistant golf PHOTO BY ROSS ROWLINSON As Indian River County sur-
pro Tyler Collett doesn’t need passed the 10,000 COVID-19
to worry about his expenses as Vero Isles residents seek ownership of abutting canals case mark last weekend, the
he prepares to compete later number of new cases here is
this month in the Puerto Rico BY LISA ZAHNER regarding rights and respon- and since the community steadily declining, but new in-
Open, his first PGA Tour event. Staff Writer sibilities for the submerged was developed in the 1960s, fections on the barrier island
lands in canals in back of those aging docks need to be held at near record highs.
They’re already covered. TheVero Beach City Coun- their homes. replaced or remodeled from
Now-retired Sports Illustrat- cil seems ready to make a time to time. For the first week since
ed editor Mark Mulvoy made deal to end complaints from Almost all of the upscale, Christmas, the countywide case
sure Collett wouldn’t need to Vero Isles property owners single-family homes in Vero When homeowners need numbers were lower than re-
spend his own money, after Isles have some sort of dock, ports seen during the “summer
the 25-year-old West Virginia CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 surge” in July, with the average
native played his way into the daily new cases dropping to 47,
tournament by winning the down from a high of more than
South Florida PGA Profes- 120 cases per day in January.
sional Championship at Boca
Raton’s Broken Sound Club in Thirty-four 32963 residents
September. tested positive for the coro-
Mulvoy, an avid golfer, sent navirus this week, accounting
an email to a group of 90 of his for 10 percent of the county’s
fellow JI members, asking each new cases. That’s down just
of them to contribute at least slightly from the record high
$100 to help defray the costs of of 38 island cases in one week.
Collett’s dream-come-true trip. A total of 654 island residents
They call themselves the have reportedly been infect-
“Wednesday Warriors” – as ed, according to the Florida
many as 40 of them play every Department of Health CO-
Wednesday – and they quickly VID-19 dashboard.
ponied up the money.
A total of 244 Indian River
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 County residents have died

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Orchid Island Golf &Beach Club’s A1A tunnel idea not hit with all Multimillion marina makeover gets the OK

BY GEORGE ANDREASSI property owners group spend- longtime Orchid Island home- BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA na, a much-discussed, full-scale
Staff Writer ing $2 million to build a tun- owner, Joe Scherpf. “Everyone Staff Writer renovation of the aging facility
nel beneath State Road A1A to I talk to is against it, including finally has been approved by
Some members of The Or- provide safer golf cart, bicycle several members of the com- After years of complaints the City Council.
chid Island Golf & Beach Club and pedestrian access to the munity association board itself.” from boaters and residents
Community Association are beach and clubhouse. about the dilapidated state of The council last week voted
up in arms over the idea of the But other members are in the Vero Beach Municipal Mari- unanimously to move ahead
“There’s no need for it,” said
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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© 2021 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Island COVID-19 cases high however, with the availability of those Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to 22,908. Food and Drug Administration will
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 beds ranging from 5 percent to about 30 Nearly 5,200 people have now complet- consider the Emergency Use Autho-
percent this week, ending up on Mon- ed their two-shot regimen. A full 85 per- rization of the one-shot Johnson and
from complications of COVID-19 since day afternoon with 20 percent of ICU cent of the people vaccinated in Indian Johnson/Janssen vaccine, which only
March. Deaths remained fairly high beds available. This number would be River County are age 65 or older. needs normal refrigeration.
this week with 17 new deaths reported even worse, but Sebastian River Medi-
in the seven days leading up to Mon- cal Center is still transferring all of its As of this week, one in five Indian It’s estimated that between 1 million
day press time – not a total surprise COVID-19 cases up to its parent com- River County residents has either re- and 10 million doses of that new vac-
after current hospitalization numbers pany Steward Health’s hospital in Rock- ceived at least one dose of vaccine or cine will be ready to ship upon FDA
in January frequently reached the high ledge, according to hospital staff. has recovered from the COVID-19 vi- approval, hopefully boosting local
40s and even into the 50s. rus in recent months. vaccination efforts.
With the addition of Publix pharma-
This past week the current daily hos- cies to the vaccine distribution pro- Florida’s weekly allotment of vac- Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday com-
pitalization number has held steady in gram, another nearly 4,000 people were cine will go up next week to 330,000 plained that the FDA approval process
the mid to high 20s. vaccinated over the past week, raising doses from 307,000 doses this week, on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is
the total number of people who have so the number of doses administered taking too long, as the vaccine makers
Intensive-care unit beds are still dear, received at least one dose of either the should continue to rise into February. submitted all their data last week and
Then by the end of the month, the U.S. the meeting to consider authorization
won’t take place until Feb. 26, leaving
three weeks of time in between.

The Pfizer and Moderna approvals
were handled much more swiftly, he said,
despite the fact that those two vaccines
were of a totally new type. With vaccina-
tion infrastructure now ramped up to
handle more supply, and more than one
virus variant spreading in Florida, De-
Santis said he was “disappointed” and
“perplexed,” and called for more urgency.

Clinical trials showed that the one-
shot Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vac-
cine is 66 percent effective against infec-
tion, but 28 days post-vaccination, it has
been shown to be 100 percent effective
in preventing death and hospitalization
due to severe illness, DeSantis said.

The priority in Florida is still on vac-
cinating everyone age 65 and older and
long-term care facility residents, plus
frontline healthcare workers and first
responders like paramedics and EMTs.

Hospitals also have the discretion to
begin offering shots to their most med-
ically vulnerable patients under age 65.
“Our view is still seniors first. We won’t
rest until every senior that wants a shot
gets a shot,” DeSantis said.

No statewide plans have been an-
nounced yet to expand vaccinations
to groups of people under 65, though
schoolteachers have been one group
mentioned that should be included in
the next phase, as COVID-19 contin-
ues to spread through local schools.

In Indian River County, the school
district began vaccinating vulnerable
staff members last week. Approximate-
ly 68 vaccinations were administered
Saturday to employees 65 and older, as
well as school nurses and health aides
at the Gifford Health Center in concert
with the state Health Department and

Treasure Coast Community Health. 

Vero Isles

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

a permit from the city to do the dock
work, City Attorney John Turner said,
Vero has them sign a license agree-
ment governing the canal bottom un-
der the dock area.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 3

NEWS

Residents say those agreements are want to deed those submerged lands speak for the whole group, but we about 80 percent voluntary participa-
lopsided in favor of the city, that the city and give those riparian rights to the can certainly talk to them,” Falls said. tion in the association, and 100 per-
has only selectively enforced the license individual homeowners in Vero Isles.” “They have been active in the commu- cent voluntary participation when it
agreement requirement, and that the nity and making decisions and get a comes to paying for common expens-
agreement could cause problems for Falls pointed out one challenge to feel for where they are.” es. “People there live as good neigh-
owners when they sell their homes. working out a solution with the proper- bors, it’s wonderful. It really is.”
ty owners: Vero Isles does not have the Councilwoman Honey Minuse, who
“The license introduces new obliga- typical formal property owners associa- lived in Vero Isles for many years but Brackett said he wants the mat-
tions/burdens on Vero Isles owners, but tion mandated by deed restriction, but is no longer a resident, said she was ter brought to council “no later than
offers no new benefits in exchange,” instead operates via a voluntary POA. president of the POA for nine and a March” so it doesn’t drag on any longer
stated a summary of concerns sent to half years and that the community has
the city from property owners. “Legally, the informal POA cannot than necessary. 

Unlike other submerged lands such
as the Indian River Lagoon, which are
regulated by the State of Florida, the
man-made, dead-end canals in Vero
Isles are city territory. The city built the
canals and owns the submerged land.

Property owners, in correspondence
with city officials, say the liability and
maintenance requirements connected
to dock permits don’t seem fair, and
that the terms of the license agree-
ment could affect their property val-
ues, or even make their homes tougher
to sell. After more than a year of trying
to rectify the situation, they’ve hired an
attorney to help get some results.

Turner told the council on Feb. 2
that Vero Isles residents and their at-
torney, C. Douglas Vitunac of the Col-
lins Brown Barkett law firm, want to
sit down with council members indi-
vidually to discuss their concerns.

Vitunac, who is the son of former
city attorney Charlie Vitunac, wrote
to city officials on Jan. 12 to say that,
despite good-faith efforts by both the
Vero Isles residents and city staff, “out-
standing issues and objections to the
license form remain,” adding that the
property owners would be seeking a
legislative or executive solution.”

Mayor Robbie Brackett directed
staff to place an item on a future coun-
cil agenda to hammer out a solution.
Turner said he would try to get a better
idea of exactly what the property own-
ers want and go from there.

As a side issue, residents have also
complained that live-aboards anchor
in the canals and use dinghies to tie
up on association-maintained land to
shop at the nearby Publix on Miracle
Mile. The center of the canals must
not be blocked, but instead must be
left as “fairway” for boaters, City Man-
ager Monte Falls told the council.

Councilman Joe Graves asked the
staff to give its recommendations on
transferring ownership of the sub-
merged lands to the property owners,
so the city does not have to maintain
the canals. He said from his initial re-
search into the matter, that seemed
like a smart move for the city that
would save staff time and money.

“My position is that we should deed
it over to the homeowner,” Graves
said. “If [owning the canals] doesn’t
raise any revenue for the city and it’s
of no benefit to the city, I think there
should be a hearing on whether we

4 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

John’s Island golf pro Tyler Collett takes a swing on the 15th “My parents weren’t rich, but my Collett said he believes he had
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 hole at the John’s Island Club West dad did well enough to get me a ju- enough game to play college golf, but
course. In the background is Steve Hud- nior membership at a local private he wasn’t allowed to be part of the
“He’s a great kid, and we want him to son, director of golf. PHOTO: BRENDA AHEARN club, where I didn’t have to pay greens team because he enrolled in the “PGA
experience the real thing – stay where fees if I walked the course,” he added. Golf Management Program,” accred-
the other players are staying, bring a on the golf team at Eastern Kentucky “It also helped that my half-brother ited by the Professional Golfers Asso-
caddie he knows, feel like an estab- University where he went to college. played a lot and was a good golfer. ciation of America.
lished PGA Tour pro,” Mulvoy said last
week. “I began playing competitively when I “But I’ve done a lot of work on my Those who successfully complete
was 12, and I did pretty well as a fresh- own.” the program are awarded a bachelor’s
“Tyler needed about $7,500 to play man in high school, but I went to a small, degree in business administration and
in the tournament, if you include his private school that dropped its golf marketing with a PGA Golf Manage-
travel, hotel, meals, entry fee and cad- program [the next year],” Collett said. ment concentration – the education
die,” he added. “So, I reached out to the “Instead, West Virginia had a junior golf needed to work in the golf industry as
guys and told them we really should tour, and I played in those tournaments. a teaching pro or director of golf.
sponsor him for this tournament.
But Collett said the professor over-
“Right off the bat, 40 guys respond- seeing EKU’s program believed the de-
ed.” mands of the program were too great
to allow students pursuing that major
Eventually another 40 members re- to play on the school’s golf team.
sponded, too, ensuring that Collett would
not need to fund the trip himself. “I wasn’t aware of that until the start
of my sophomore year,” he said.
“It takes a big burden off of him,"
Mulvoy said, "and it’s great for the club, Again, Collett sought competition
too, having one of our pros playing in a elsewhere, playing in local, regional
PGA Tour event.” and national golf events.

“What the members have done to After graduating from college in
raise that money, it’s overwhelming,” 2016, Collett took an assistant pro job
said Collett, who has been working at at the Country Club of York (Pennsyl-
JI for four years. “I’d have found a way vania), where he spent seven months
to make it work, but this really helps.” working for head pro Christopher Kel-
ley, a former John’s Island assistant pro.
Collett will go to Puerto Rico with
an unusual story to tell when he gets Collett said he told Kelley he wanted
to the press room – he played only one to “go south for the winter,” and Kel-
year of golf in high school and wasn’t ley put him in touch with John’s Island
golf director Steve Hudson. Four years

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 5

NEWS

later, Collett is a do-it-all assistant pro “I have my hand in pretty much ev- tournaments each month – regional first PGA Tour event, but Collett said
at one of America’s top country clubs. erything, which is great,” Collett said. minor-league tours and South Florida he benefits from having access to JI’s
“Obviously, my dream is to make it on PGA Section-sponsored events. He practice facilities and courses, which
In fact, Hudson has created a work the PGA Tour, but if that doesn’t work estimated that he competed in more he uses when his work schedule and
schedule that exposes Collett to all as- out, I want to become a head pro or di- than 40 tournaments last year. open tee times allow.
pects of the business – giving lessons, rector of golf.”
running clinics, organizing tourna- Working 45 to 50 hours per week “There’s only so much I can do to
ments and operating the pro shop. Collett said he plays in two to three makes it difficult to prepare for his
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

John’s Island golf pro my game,” he added. “I’m also eating His friend and fellow JI staffer, Dylan the tournament, which begins Feb.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 healthier and walking the course when I Miranda, will be there to help – Collett 25.
play, so I can be in shape for Puerto Rico. is bringing the Sebastian River High
prepare, being in the position I’m in, graduate who played golf at Thomas “He’s a really nice young man – very
but I’ve been practicing as much as I “It’s my first PGA Tour event, and University as his caddie. friendly, very courteous – and we’re all
can – hitting balls, putting, working on I’ll probably be a little nervous on the rooting for him,” Mulvoy said. “He’s
first tee of the first round, but I’d like They’re scheduled to leave for Rio got a lot of game, but now he goes to
to think I’ll handle it.” Grande, Puerto Rico on Feb. 21 for
the big time and we’ll see.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 7

NEWS

MY Vero’s country music star Jake Owen is a hit on big screen, too
VERO

BY RAY MCNULTY have crossed over to acting. “I always He appears comfortable. He doesn’t “l learned a lot from being in it,”
Staff Writer think, ‘Damn, that guy, he’s really good over-act. He’s believable. he added. “And not just about being
at that other thing, and now he just an actor, but about how fragile life is
Even as his latest single, “Made For shows up in my part of town here and The singer is a good fit for the tug- and your relationships with the people
You,” continues to climb the country he’s great at this thing, too.’ at-your-heart-strings film, which is around you.”
music charts, Jake Owen finds himself based on the real-life story of journal-
talking more about his performance “That’s what Jake was like,” he add- ist Matthew Teague, his wife, Nicole, Owen’s most memorable scene plac-
on movie sets than his work in the re- ed. “He just came to the set and nailed and a college friend, Dane Faucheux, es his character at the Teague’s house
cording studio. it, and everyone is just scratching their who moved in with them to help after for a dinner party. Seated around a
heads: Why is this dude who’s never Nicole was diagnosed with terminal table with friends, “Aaron” shares that
Which is understandable. done any acting so comfortable being cancer. he ran into Faucheux while in New Or-
By any measure, Owen’s big-screen on set and killing it?” leans for a conference.
debut in the recently released “Our After his wife died in 2014, Teague
Friend” was impressive – so much so Owen, whose previous acting his- wrote about Faucheux’s selfless sacri- He then proceeds to poke fun at Fau-
that one of the film’s headliners, Acad- tory was limited to music videos, was fice in an essay published by Esquire cheux, disparaging his job and small
emy Award winner Casey Affleck, en- as flattered by Affleck’s praise as he magazine in 2015. In the movie, Af- apartment, as well as his tendency to
couraged him to continue acting. was nervous when he first appeared fleck takes on the role of Matthew, be too open with his feelings when he
In a Sirius XM Radio virtual Town on the “Our Friend” set with a cast while Johnson plays Nicole and Segel drinks – all of which makes the Teagues
Hall last month, Affleck praised Owen’s that included Jason Segel and Dakota plays Dane. uncomfortable and is not well received
acting, saying the 39-year-old singer- Johnson. by the other guests.
songwriter from Vero Beach “fit right The story is compelling, even inspir-
in” and “did a great job” and “brought Appearing on the same virtual Town ing. The acting is superb. And while “I’ve always been intrigued by chal-
a lot of life and energy to the set.” Hall – along with the film’s director, the movie jumping back and forth to lenging myself to do things that I’m
Affleck said he wasn’t surprised by Gabriela Cowperthwaite – Owen said different years can be distracting, “Our not necessarily comfortable with,”
how easily Owen, who had never tak- he was grateful she was willing to “take Friend” was worth my two-hour in- Owen said in a People magazine inter-
en an acting lesson, made the transi- a huge risk” and put an acting novice vestment of time. view about getting a part in the movie
tion from performing as a musician to in “such an incredible film.” – an opportunity his agent sought out.
performing in a movie. “I think everyone knew the respon-
“I’ve seen it happen before,” Affleck For those who haven’t seen the mov- sibility of this film and the story line, “No one hired me for this because they
said, referring to other musicians who ie: Owen doesn’t play a major role, but and the fact that we were in the town saw me act in a film before,” Owen add-
he handles his lines well and makes where it happened,” Owen said, re- ed. “They’re putting faith in me that I can
the most of his scenes in which he por- ferring to Fairhope, Alabama, on the do this, and that gives me some energy.”
trays the film’s least likeable character. eastern shore of Mobile Bay.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9



Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 9

NEWS

My Vero cars travel at 60 miles an hour or faster ers on March 16, 2020: “The signal is could grow to $3 million, or $4 million.”
is a major issue for Orchid Island, just not warranted and thus cannot be in- Traffic is relatively sparse on A1A
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 like nearby communities, Tench added. stalled by the Department or through
a permit.” and homeowners can simply look both
Still, he admitted in other interviews The Windsor Club just to the north ways before crossing, Scherpf said.
that he was slightly intimidated film- and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort just But Powers said the community as-
ing his first scene one-on-one with Af- to the south already have tunnels be- sociation has not yet contacted him Another homeowner opposing the
fleck, who won an Oscar for Best Actor neath A1A, and Sea Oaks Beach & Ten- about the proposed A1A tunnel. proposed tunnel project is Earl Bell,
in “Manchester by the Sea” in 2017. nis Club and the John’s Island Club who crosses A1A at Orchid Island Way
have safety signals. Scherpf, said he opposes the pro- every day on his way to the beach to jog.
“They don’t tell you what to do; they posed A1A tunnel, which would cost
just assume you know what you’re do- It’s the relative lack of traffic and the roughly $5,320 per property owner, “To me, it’s a very expensive solution
ing,” Owen told host Bobby Bones on absence of accidents at A1A and Orchid because he considers it “a complete in search of a problem,” Bell said Mon-
his Nashville-based, nationally syn- Island Way that apparently doomed waste of money.” day. “Really, I don’t see it in any way as
dicated radio show. “That’s what was the proposed safety signal, said Orchid a dangerous intersection.”
crazy: Not one person treated me like, Town Manager Noah Powers. “The $2 million would be borne
‘Hey, I know you’re kind of a new guy. by the property owners of Orchid,” “Most people can cross the road
I’ll show you the ropes.’ Adolfo Prieto, a bike and pedestrian Scherpf said. “I think it is a terrible safely,” Bell said. “The sight lines are
safety specialist with FDOT, told Pow- price to pay. The $2 million price tag very good. There is no problem with
“I was like, ‘Is somebody supposed
to yell, ‘Action!’” CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

But Owen said it didn’t take long for
him to adapt to life on a movie set, and
he enjoyed the experience so much
he’d welcome the opportunity to read
for parts in other films.

“This wasn’t something that I ever
dreamed of,” Owen said during theTown
Hall, adding, “Hopefully, this will lead to
some other chance to do it again.”

Not that he plans to give up his day
job as an established country-music
star with a can’t-miss hit in “Made For

You.” 

Orchid Island club tunnel
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

favor of the project, which is being
considered by the board.

The tunnel would be an alterna-
tive to a crosswalk warning signal the
north island country club commu-
nity has petitioned for without suc-
cess. The plea for a warning signal at
Orchid Island Way and A1A to make
crossing the highway safer has been
rejected by the Florida Department
of Transportation because there is not
enough traffic.

A preliminary cost estimate for the
tunnel listed $1.5 million for a water-
proof precast culvert, $170,000 for en-
gineering and Geotech services, and
$330,000 for utilities relocation, foun-
dation stabilization and water remov-
al, according to a Jan. 19 newsletter.

A financial plan is being formulat-
ed to determine if the project can be
completed without levying a special
assessment on the community’s 376
property owners, the newsletter says.

“We’ve been in contact with FDOT
for several years trying to negotiate a
traffic light that we would be happy to
pay for,” said club General Manager
Rob Tench. “But they said that’s not a
possibility.

“So, someone brought up the idea of
a tunnel at a meeting,” Tench said. “And
the board said they would look into it.”

Traffic safety on A1A where many

10 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Orchid Island club tunnel to pursue the possibility of building a The project is not a done deal, how- timillion-dollar project meant to give
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 tunnel beneath A1A. ever, Johnson said. “We still have to go Vero a modern, attractive marina.
through discussions and make sure
seeing oncoming traffic in either direc- Cas Skrzypczak, a former commu- we have a consensus to go ahead and “I’m happy to see the council keep
tion. You can see easily traffic for a mile nity association president, said he this moving along,” said Marina Di-
each way.” generally favors the proposed tunnel. do it.”  rector Sean Collins, adding that it’s
“$2 million is a lot of money, but on the time for the city to invest in a facility
A tunnel would be expensive to other hand it would be nice to have a Marina makeover that is a key part of city infrastructure
build and would require security mea- tunnel,” he said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and has served the city and the citi-
sures, such as video surveillance cam- zens for many years.
eras, Bell said. “If you’re careful it’s not dangerous. with “Marina Master Plan Permitting
The trouble is the cars are speeding and Design Phase I,” a proposal sub- Phase I of the project – replacing the
The security guards at the gated along there. They’re going like 60 mph. mitted by Vero Beach coastal engi- boat storage building and docks at the
community could be summoned to the They come upon you pretty quickly.” neering firm Coastal Tech that is the southern end of the marina property
crosswalk to assist pedestrians who are first installment of a multiyear, mul- – will go out for bid in January 2022,
leery of crossing A1A, Bell said. “I’m in favor of it,” said Tait John- with construction beginning in April
son, a member of the community as- and wrapping up in late October, ac-
But other homeowners said they want sociation board. “I think it’s necessary. cording to Coastal Tech’s timeline.
It’s very much a safety issue.”
The city is paying the engineering
firm $828,000 to provide a detailed de-
sign for the entire marina renovation
project and secure all needed permits
from the Army Corps of Engineers and
Florida Department of Environmental
Protection.

Last week’s vote approved a $648,000
payment for design and permitting
work in fiscal 2020-21, with the remain-
ing $180,000 scheduled for payment in
fiscal 2021-22. No cost estimate for the
new dry storage building and adjacent
docks was provided.

Coastal Tech’s design will encompass
replacing all the marina’s docks except
for the dingy docks, building additional
new docks to the south of the existing
docks, expanding the mooring field,
dredging the lagoon in and near the
marina and building a boardwalk and
pedestrian bridge to connect the ma-
rina property to Alex MacWilliam Park.

The city council’s approval of the
project notwithstanding, the Vero
Beach Yacht Club and the Clean Water
Coalition expressed concerns about
the plan at the Feb. 2 meeting.

The yacht club sits on a parcel be-
tween the marina’s north and south
sections and Commodore Bob Jones
said the additional city docks that are
planned would reduce docking and
maneuvering space at the club, which
has its own set of docks.

He also expressed dismay that the
club was not consulted about the dock
plans. City Manager Monte Falls agreed
that the Yacht Club will be part of future
discussions as the project moves for-
ward.

A letter from the Clean Water Coali-
tion expressed concern that lagoon bot-
tom muck removed during dredging to
expand the mooring buoy field could
create dangerous nitrogen levels that
would disrupt the lagoon’s fragile eco-
logical balance and endanger seagrass
beds and other marine flora and fauna.

Those concerns will be considered
by the permitting agencies.

In some good news for the city, Col-
lins reported that a recently awarded
Florida Inland Navigation (FIND) grant
will pay for up to 40 percent of the ma-

rina renovation. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 11

NEWS

Island brokers see 2021 shaping up as another phenomenal year

BY STEVEN M. THOMAS “I think we will have a very, very big cities and the dawning realization ing Baby Boomer demographic, urban
good year in terms of sales, in part be- that work can be done from anywhere out-flight, the continued strength of the
Staff Writer cause prices are higher, but it will be – so why not live in a lovely little coast- New South and the punitive tax policies
difficult because inventory is so limit- al town with lots of amenities? in high-tax states like New Jersey [New
After a record-breaking year in 2020, ed,” says Matilde Sorensen, co-owner York and California].”
the island real estate market has only of Dale Sorensen Real Estate. “We think the increase in demand for
gotten hotter so far in 2021.Top brokers homes on the island will continue, post- “Even high-level CEOs are realizing
and agents universally believe this year The red-hot island market is being COVID,” says Sally Daley, owner/broker they can work from home with a ro-
will be another great one – maybe even driven by a dizzying array of factors no of Daley & Company Real Estate. “Fun- bust home office,” says O’Dare. “Many
better than last – with homes drawing one could foresee when the pandemic damentals driving the uptick include who were planning to retire to Florida
multiple offers and sometimes selling began a year ago, including the con- the choice to live where you want, inde- in a few years are going ahead and
before they even hit the MLS. tinued exodus of wealthy buyers from pendent of workplace location, the ag-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
“This is going to be the best real es-
tate season of my lifetime,” says Pre-
mier Estate Properties broker associ-
ate Cindy O’Dare, who has been in the
business for decades.

“The correspondence and calls I am
getting from serious, determined buy-
ers is unlike anything I have ever seen.
People who plan to come in March or
April or over the summer want to get the
ball rolling now, beginning to research
the market and putting me on notice of
what they want. I am getting those calls
and emails multiple times each day,
some from people who say they have
friends who will be contacting me as
well. I have never seen anything like it.”

“I agree with Cindy,” says Debbie
Bell, a broker associate with Berkshire
Hathaway HomeServices Florida Real-
ty, who has been selling island homes
for more than 20 years. “This is a whole
different kind of time. I have close to
6,000 internet leads and I’m about to
hire two new assistants to try and keep
up with the flood of business.

“I am seeing buyers from everywhere,
including more from California and
Chicago than in the past and younger
people, too. More and more people
with money are discoveringVero Beach.
Many of them do not want to negotiate
on selling prices. They are happy to pay
the asking price rather than miss out on
getting the home they want.”

“As the word continues to spread
about what a great place the barrier
island of Vero Beach is to live, we ex-
pect this season to bring more buyers
with strong purchasing power who
will snap up the best properties that
suit their needs,” says Premier Estate
Properties estate agent Luke Webb.
“We are seeing properties sell the in-
stant they go on the market. We listed
an Estuary home at 6 p.m. on a Friday
night and by Saturday afternoon we
had multiple showings and multiple
offers with the winning buyer paying
more than the asking price.”

“It has been crazy busy,” says Mar-
sha Sherry, broker at The Moorings Re-
alty Sales Co. “Our agents are working
nearly 24/7 and we are seeing multiple
offers which has led to many proper-
ties selling for over asking price.”

12 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Banner year for real estate Richard Boga and Cindy O’Dare of the O’Dare Boga Group at Premier Estate Properties. PHOTO: BRENDA AHEARN And Bell points out there are fun-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 damentals driving sellers as well as
O’Dare of the challenge she faces try- “We anticipate that, as COVID in- buyers, including “elderly people who
making the move now, while continu- ing to find suitable properties for her fections are more under control and need to sell their big houses and those
ing to run their companies. Those are luxury buyers. our industry continues to do business who need to relocate to get more space
the kind of the buyers who will keep following CDC guidelines and in a re- for home offices or home schooling.”
our market strong.” “I have fewer listings than any time sponsible manner, more sellers may
in my career,” says Sorensen, who adds feel comfortable putting their homes At the same time, national real es-
“I don’t see this as a ‘false’ market,” she too is on the verge of door-knock- on the market,” says Carol Prezioso, tate experts are “forecasting increased
says Sherry. “It is being driven by needs ing. manager of the Berkshire Hathaway demand from buyers who delayed
and wants and will remain strong for a office on Ocean Drive. “That should purchasing homes because of the pan-
while. Vero offers low density, a com- But island brokers and agents see a help inventory balance out ... and we demic and from condo owners who are
munity with an outstanding lifestyle light at the end of the tunnel as vacci- look forward to a very strong year!” seeking to escape multifamily build-
with arts and cultural events, fine res- nations ramp up and COVID numbers ings for single-family houses to miti-
taurants, good schools and shopping – begin to fall. gate exposure to the virus,” according
not to mention beautiful beaches and to a recent Washington Post article.
the Indian River Lagoon.”
One of those experts, Redfin chief
“We are kind of like the free state as economist Daryl Fairweather, says
far as COVID goes,” says Bell. “Things that “later in the year, the worst of the
are open, and we are still living our pandemic will hopefully be behind us
lives. It is a good place to be.” ... and a new batch of homebuyers and
sellers will enter the housing market,
The one big challenge to achieving making for the strongest year of home
another record-breaking year in 2021 sales since 2006.”
is the problem mentioned by Sorensen
– a severe shortage of inventory on the Prognosticators at online home sale
island, and around the country. marketing company Zillow are even
more exuberant, predicting that “2021
“As of February first, there were 136 will be a year unlike any other,” with
active island houses, not counting real estate activity surging to create
those under contract,” says Bell. “In the highest annual home sales growth
2020 there were 341 active listings at in 40 years as “financial certainty
this time; in 2019 there were 396. It is brings more sellers into the market to
bizarre. We have no inventory.” meet the heavy demand [for homes]
and technology allows for faster con-
“I am about ready to start going
door to door looking for listings,” says nections with interested buyers.” 

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14 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Buyer emerges for historic Patio restaurant downtown

BY RAY MCNULTY PHOTO: BRENDA AHEARN hard times at the start of the Great Re- Michael Sexton, Waldo’s great-grand-
Staff Writer cession in 2008 and mostly struggled son and president of the company that
neer Waldo Sexton more than 70 years since then. owns the now-shuttered restaurant,
The Patio, the iconic Vero Beach res- ago, and for decades was a thriving said in May the family preferred to lease
taurant that was closed and put up for eatery that attracted crowds of locals Those struggles prompted Sexton’s the historic property to another restau-
sale in May, is under contract, local com- and visitors, including the Brooklyn/ descendants to put The Patio on the rateur – seeking $6,500 per month in
mercial realtor Billy Moss said last week. Los Angeles Dodgers during their an- market – for the first time – last spring, rent – but also was prepared to sell at
nual spring-training stays here. shortly after its most-recent ten- the right price.
However, Moss said he was not per- ant, Orlando restaurant manager Bill
mitted to identify the potential buyer or After years of success under differ- Brown, closed its doors in April. “The place is a part of our family’s
publicly discuss the terms of the offer. ent operators, the restaurant fell on legacy and, as much as we’d like it to
“I think the run was coming to an end, remain such, it’s difficult to carry,” he
“I can tell you the buyer wants it anyway,” Moss said at the time, “but the said then. “So, we thought this was a
to remain a restaurant, but I can’t say coronavirus certainly didn’t help.” good time to test the waters and try
much more,” said Moss, a Lambert both routes – putting it up for sale or
Commercial Real Estate broker who lease – and see what happens. We’ll en-
specializes in the sale and leasing of tertain all offers we consider reason-
restaurants and other businesses. able.”

“A lot of people are looking at that Apparently, a potential buyer made
property, and I’ve got a waiting list the Sextons a reasonable offer.
if something happens and this deal
doesn’t work out,” he added. “We’ve “I read where a Yale professor be-
gotten more inquiries now that the vac- lieves we’ll see a golden age of res-
cines are out there.” taurants after everyone is inoculated
and the pandemic is behind us, just as
According to Lambert Commercial’s we saw after the Spanish Flu of 1918,”
website, the 5,145-square-foot building, Moss said.
which sits on a two-thirds-of-an-acre
parcel at the intersection of 21st Street “When that pandemic ended in
and 11th Avenue, is listed for $995,000. early 1920, we had the Roaring ’20s,
which saw a boom in hospitality, res-
The landmark restaurant was de- taurants, nightclubs and fashion,” he
signed and built by Vero Beach pio- added. “People had been indoors so
long they couldn’t wait to go out.

“We could see it happen again when

this pandemic ends.” 

North island beach repair project hits
new snag; needs more sand and funds

BY SUE COCKING North Beach, bumping the cost of the
Staff Writer ongoing restoration of some 3.7 miles
of beachfront from about $12 million
New surveys conducted over the to more than $14 million.
past couple of months show recent
storms have stripped more sand from The Indian River County Commis-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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16 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Snag in beach repair project As a result, Guettler’s pre-construc-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 tion surveys done in late December
and early January found that about
sion last week voted unanimously to 25 percent more sand than previously
spend an additional $675,000 from its thought would be needed to restore
beach restoration fund for Guettler the 3.7-mile stretch of beach.
Brothers Construction to add 77,000
cubic yards of sand to the 307,000 Restoration of North Beach origi-
cubic yards already planned for the nally was planned as one large project
shore from Seaway subdivision south extending from Seaway south to Turtle
to Wabasso Beach Park. More than Trail Beach Park, about 6.6 miles at a
200,000 native dune plants also will be total cost of more than $25 million to
planted. be completed by April of this year.

The county originally had bud- But restoration bids came in higher
geted $7.5 million in local funding than expected and the county had to
for the project, with the remainder of divide it into two phases with the sec-
the costs paid from federal and state ond phase commencing next fall fol-
grants. Now its local match will be lowing sea turtle nesting season.
about $8.2 million.
County officials said they are con-
Last summer, county staffers exam- cerned about the increasing frequency
ined beach and dune conditions along and intensity of beach-eroding storms
all 22.4 miles of Indian River barrier that occur here; the ability of the beach
island, and their observations were restoration fund to cover steadily rising
the basis of the north island beach repair costs in the future; and the un-
restoration contract with Guettler. certainty of future grant awards from
But since those surveys, the shoreline federal and state governments.
was hammered by waves from Tropi-
cal Storm Isaias, Hurricane Teddy, and To address that concern, commis-
Tropical Storm Eta, along with several sioners voted to allocate one-third of
unnamed nor’easters. one cent from tourist development
tax revenues to the beach restoration
fund, which will provide an additional

$210,000 annually. 

Islander expert in emergency management
sees politics hampering COVID-19 relief

BY MICHELLE GENZ care officer for the Red Cross after the
twin 2004 hurricanes, overseeing shel-
Staff Writer ters in St. Lucie and Indian River coun-
ties.
In his long career working as an
emergency management consultant A year later, in 2005, he was deal-
and first responder, Paul Seldes says ing with Hurricane Katrina. Within 48
he had never seen disaster manage- hours of the storm making landfall, he
ment succumb to the forces of politics was setting up medical facilities along
the way it has during the COVID-19 the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
pandemic.
In 2011, he headed to Alabama to
“I’ve just not seen that from 9/11 organize field medical services after 62
through hurricanes and tornadoes tornadoes struck the state in a single
and earthquakes and what had you. day.
I’ve never seen anything politicized to
that degree before,” says Seldes. “And Today, Seldes is focused on the COV-
it’s costing lives, unfortunately.” ID-19 pandemic, tracking data and fol-
lowing policy. He is on daily calls with
Seldes has a deep history with emer- the state and weekly calls with the CDC
gency management and disaster re- as he wraps up a three-year contract
sponse. as emergency management program
manager in Hillsborough County.
He was a first responder at Ground
Zero after 9/11 and helped in the At the same time, he volunteers as
search-and-rescue mission and clean- an admin for the local COVID-19 Face-
up for eight months. book page, Mask IRC, posting relevant
data he gets from official sources, and
Just the year before, in 2000, his verifying information others post on
team had examined the damaged the site.
USS Cole in an effort to come up with
changes to the Navy’s force protection “There’s so much disinformation or
training following a terrorist attack in misinformation out there and I try to
Yemen that killed 17 crew members. combat that,” he said.

In Vero, where Seldes and his wife, Information flow is getting better,
Paula Lerner, formed a new consul- Seldes says. He points to weekly state
tancy post-9/11, Seldes served as mass reports compiled by a group within the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 17

NEWS

White House Coronavirus Task Force “That’s one of the big myths, that the glean with various calls with the CDC.” Among the “strange skills” that qual-
and sent to governors across the coun- data is hidden.” A history and political science ma- ified him for the job were his adven-
try. Once withheld by Gov. Ron DeSantis, turous pastimes – skiing, mountain
they are now published on the CDC site. It is dumbfounding to Seldes that jor at Brooklyn College, the New York climbing and rock climbing. “It was
there was no federal vaccination plan native began his career working briefly a career path I wasn’t expecting, then
“If you know how to find it, all the in place under the previous administra- for an “unnamed federal intelligence decided it wasn’t the safest thing in the
data is publicly available from the tion. He says a national vaccine strat- agency,” a stint he refers to as “secret
Department of Health,” Seldes said. egy now is “in progress from what I can squirrel stuff.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

18 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Emergency management walks to escape the area, stopping to Emergency Management Program Director of In 2004, another major disaster land-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 take a quick call from his wife. “I’m a Operations Paul Seldes. ed in his lap when the twin hurricanes
little busy now,” he told her. PHOTO: BRENDA AHEARN wrecked the Treasure Coast.
world to do, and I began my foray into
the financial world.” Twelve hours later, he made it back I’d been doing for so long,” he said, re- Seldes’ current contract with Hills-
home. Early the following morning, he ferring to risk management and emer- borough County began with hurricane
Seldes worked for more than a de- loaded up his gear and headed back gency response. preparations – “the usual disasters,” as
cade as technology director for risk to the site to help direct search and Seldes put it, but then morphed into
management at Manufacturers Ha- rescue. He stayed on for the next nine In the aftermath of 9/11, though, pandemic preparations when CO-
nover, which became Chemical Bank months, suffering lung damage and security training and consulting had VID-19 struck. It wound up with pre-
and was about to merge with Chase by PTSD in the process. become a booming business, and the paring for the Super Bowl in Tampa, a
the time he left, in 1995. couple was gradually drawn back in. feat that included not only security but
“Between my wife and me, we easily social distancing.
With his wife, Paula Lerner, he formed knew 100 people who died – friends, “We never really built websites by
several consulting companies, includ- co-workers, clients. We worked in the the pool,” Seldes says. “People in vari- Part of his preparation for planning
ing one that led to his analysis of the heart of the financial district. My wife ous fields from federal air marshals to security for this year’s event included at-
attack on the USS Cole, with an eye to worked in the building next door. For- baggage screening started reaching out tending last year’s Super Bowl in Miami.
training Navy personnel to better fend tunately, she was on hiatus for a couple to me saying ‘We could use your help
off threats. of months. Otherwise, she would have on this,’ and I gradually got sucked “We were just starting to hear about
been walking across the concourse of back in.” COVID-19,” he recalls. “We were wor-
A year after the Cole bombing, Sel- the Trade Center right about the time ried about it and leaning forward a
des was on his way to One Police Plaza the planes hit.” little bit wondering, what do we do
to start an anti-terrorist training pro- if this gets worse? So, we started the
gram for the NYPD. Near the World As recovery efforts wound up in planning process last year.”
Trade Center, he picked up the second June 2002, it was Paula who suggested
of two team members from out-of- they move to Vero, where Seldes’s par- The solution Seldes came up with in-
town. As they passed the twin towers, ents had lived for many years. cluded scaling back the crowd at Ray-
the visitors were craning their necks mond James Stadium to roughly one-
to look up at the buildings. “What the The couple had dreams of sitting third capacity for COVID-19 mitigation
(expletive) is that?” asked the passen- by the pool, building websites for cli- and no-touch payment at all conces-
ger in the back seat, as a plane veered ents. And Seldes wanted to devote sions. That was in addition to the usual
and crashed into the North Tower. more time to scuba diving, another security – “drones, canine units, metal
of his passions. (He’s currently a dive detectors, all that sort of stuff.”
The resulting fireball directly over instructor with Stuart Scuba, focusing
them lifted the car off the ground, Sel- on technical diving – the level needed Seldes oversaw security remotely
des recalls. As burning debris descend- for professional divers on complex or from his home on the island and all
ed around them, Seldes drove on side- deep-water missions.) seemed to go well – though the large
gathering, even with precautions, raised
“I wanted no part of all this other stuff
the specter of added infections. 

Victoria Afanasii with
daughter Olivia

SQUEEZING EVERY LAST BIT
OF FUN OUT OF ‘CITRUS FEST’ P. 26

20 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Leaders lauded at ‘Boys & Girls’ Youth of the Year event

Ashanti Bryant
and Gabriela Rojo.

Milo Hassloch, Art Pingree. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

Lizeth Martinez.

John Arismendi. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

BY MARY SCHENKEL Additionally, Lizeth Martinez, a and healthy lifestyles.” munities, and have been outstanding
Staff Writer Fellsmere Club member and a seventh- Thomason echoed that staff ap- leaders and students,” said Luettger.
grade student at Sebastian River Mid-
More good things are sure to come dle School, was named Junior Youth of preciation, adding, “This year in par- The other Youth of the Year nomi-
for the impressive finalists in the Boys the Year. Martinez is on her school’s AB ticular has been challenging, and we nee was Alisha Moore, a freshman
& Girls Clubs of Indian River County honor role, is the Fellsmere Club Torch would not have been able to do it with- at Sebastian River High School and a
2020 Youth of the Year and Junior Youth Club president, plays the euphonium out each and every one of you.” longtime Fellsmere Club member. An
of the Year competitions, who were and dreams of becoming a veterinar- active volunteer, she aspires to become
recognized recently for the remarkable ian. Laura Luettger, director of opera- a surgeon.
achievements they have already made tions, explained the criteria for the
in their young lives. Established in 1947, the Boys & Girls award, whose candidates embody the The other Junior Youth of the Year
Clubs of America Youth of the Year Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s “three finalists were John Arismendi, a sixth-
Ashanti Bryant, a member of the competition recognizes the accom- priority outcome areas of leadership, grade student and Sebastian Club
Vero Beach Club and a senior at Vero plishments of its members at the club character and service; academic excel- member, who dreams of becoming a
Beach High School, was named Youth and county levels, with winners pro- lence; and healthy lifestyles.” professional sports team coach; and
of the Year at the 17th annual Youth of gressing to the state, and potentially, Gabriela Rojo, a seventh-grade student
the Year Celebration that was streamed regional and national levels. She said members are judged on and Vero Beach Club member, who is
live over the BGCIRC Facebook page. service to home and family, moral on her school’s A-B honor roll and Na-
“This is a special event because it character, community service, school tional Junior Honor Society, and hopes
Bryant, enrolled in challenging bio- gives us an opportunity to celebrate leadership and service, academic per- to become an architect.
technology and health science career and acknowledge the achievements formance, service to the Boys & Girls
programs, has already attained her of our club members,” said Elizabeth Club, life goals, maintaining a healthy “As always, the two candidates that
Certified Nursing Assistant certifica- Thomason, BGCIRC executive director lifestyle, three written essays, a re- we had this year were absolutely ex-
tion through the Health Occupations at the start of the event. sume and cover letter, and their public emplary,” said Michael Kint, who
Students of America program, and speaking ability. with Meredith Egan had the difficult
hopes to become a nurse practitioner “Tonight, we honor the youth who task of choosing the winner, before
and eventually a pediatric nurse prac- are so vital in making our community “We are incredibly proud of these announcing Ashanti Bryant as the
titioner. a better place to live in,” said Bill Grea- young people. They all have provided 2020 Youth of the Year. 
lis, board co-chairman. “But before we quality service to their clubs and com-
“At a young age, I started going to the begin, I would like to acknowledge the
Boys & Girls Club and the staff taught staff for mentoring our club members,
me so many skills that broadened my inspiring them every day afterschool
horizons and changed my life,” said and over the summer to work toward
Bryant, adding that she could always their goals and achieve academic suc-
rely on them to give her the best advice. cess, good character and citizenship,



22 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

County schools honor ‘Stars of the Year’ for A+ efforts

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF School District of Indian River County Teacher of the Year Caitlin Harris. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES ment that educators and support
Staff Writer staff make in our school system,” said
The Citrus Bowl stadium was filled added to the evening’s energy. School Superintendent David Moore.
The stars shone brightly at Vero – socially distanced and masked Communicating the district’s man- “Despite COVID and the impacts that
Beach High School’s Billy Livings – with family members and peers it had on all of us, we’re still here to-
Field during the Mardi Gras-themed cheering on teachers and employees tra “Stronger Together!” the honorees night to take the time to acknowledge
“Stars of the Year Gala” to crown representing the more than 20 coun- were treated to the pomp and circum- the relationships that we form and the
the School District of Indian River ty schools and operation centers. stances due them, including a full es- impact that we have in the lives of chil-
County Teacher and Employee of the cort by members of local law enforce- dren.”
Year. A colorful array of Mardi Gras ment agencies.
masks, beads and handmade signs Before moving forward with the
The event unmasked the galaxy of “We’re here to celebrate the invest- celebration, Moore announced the
phenomenal educators and support passing of beloved Oslo Middle
staff members who have taken on School media assistant Sherrie Mc-
the herculean task during the coro- Gary, who had passed away that
navirus pandemic of continuing to weekend because of the coronavirus.
educate the children of Indian River
County. After a moment of silence, Moore
noted, “If Sherrie were here, she
At the top of the list were newly would say, ‘Y’all better celebrate the
crowned Teacher of the Year Cait- work each and every single one of us
lin Harris, a social studies teacher at does tonight.’”
Storm Grove Middle School, and Re-
becca O’Donnell, a digital integration Moore praised district employ-
specialist at Vero Beach High School, ees for their efforts in overcoming
who was named Employee of the Year. one obstacle after another, adding:
“We’re here today to celebrate our
Harris, a sixth-grade World Cultures opportunities to come together and
teacher, will represent the school dis- acknowledge the complexities of the
trict in the State of Florida Teacher of new environment.”
the Year competition.
Diana O’Connor from Beach-

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 23

PEOPLE

Rick Myhre, Teri Barenborg and Brian Barefoot. Dep. Tiffiany McMillen, Joy Griffin and Colleen Lord. Peggy Jones, Ron Fagan and Pamela Dampier.

Warren Pym, Corrine Harris, Edna Pym, Christian Harris and Gregory Harris. Maiya Taylor, Adrina Adams, Dot Bagley and Patrice Bagley.

Keandra Foster and Dawn Duchemin. and employees in the county.
“We know that we cannot educate
land Elementary School, last year’s
Teacher of the Year, reflected that students alone,” said O’Connor.
the evening was a celebration of the Also recognized were Principal of
combined efforts of all the teachers
the Year Kimberly Garcia of Citrus
Elementary School, and Assistant
Principal of the Year Felice Hep-
pern of Treasure Coast Elementary
School, who had been nominated
and chosen by their principal and
assistant principal peers this past
November.

“This year, more than ever, we face
unprecedented challenges. Thank
you for showing up and inspiring the
love of learning to all of our students.
And thank you most importantly for
not giving up,” said Garcia. 

24 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Virtual reality: Online donors deliver for Camp Haven

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Chuck Bradley, Jermey Gable, Gordon Stewart prior to their acceptance and after- don’t know where I would be; maybe
Staff Writer and Adam Logemann. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES ward must abide by strict curfew still in the woods,” said Tim, who re-
and visitation regulations. Program counted the time he spent hungry,
With the continuance of the coro- their journeys to self-sufficiency. requirements include obtaining a living in the woods and drinking wa-
navirus pandemic, Camp Haven “We are a transitional program for full-time job, saving half their pay, ter from a hog trough.
opted to host a virtual version of its making child support obligations
annual Diamonds in the Rough Gala, homeless men,” explained Gordon current, attending support meet- Steve Pelletier, a former Prudential
taking supporters online for an edu- Stewart, board president. “In addi- ings, and counseling. Financial COO and Camp Haven’s
cational video experience and auc- tion to temporary housing, we pro- newest board member, shared his
tion. vide educational, vocational and psy- “Most residents are with us from own story of recovery, noting that
chological assistance.” 18 to 24 months and leave once they although he was never homeless, his
In the days preceding the evening can provide their own housing and life began deteriorating before he
event, folks were invited to peruse To become a temporary resident support themselves. At Camp Haven, achieved sobriety. His circumstances
an impressive array of silent- and at Camp Haven, the men must be we are proud to share that in our first are what drew him to Camp Haven
live-auction items, including several addiction-free for at least 30 days seven years, we have helped over 200 and its goal of helping men return to
unique opportunities, such as hav- men return to the community as self- the community with independence
ing Debbie Macomber dedicate her supporting, productive and proud and dignity.
next book to the highest bidder, or members of society,” said Stewart,
the chance to purchase a 1950 Willys adding that the Treasure Coast has “I know that I only recovered with a
Jeepster. the highest percentage of homeless lot of help from others,” said Pelletier.
men in the country. “I know how transformative it can be
Roughly 80 guests logged on to when hope overcomes hopelessness
watch, raising more than $63,000 Before auctioneer Wesley Davis with the help of other people. And I
and a greater awareness of the mis- presided over a Call to the Heart and certainly know a powerful source of
sion of Camp Haven to help homeless the live-auction portion of the eve- help when I see it. I recognize that in
men reclaim their lives. A portion ning, a short video gave viewers a Camp Haven and the men who come
of the proceeds from the evening peek into life at Camp Haven from here.”
were going to be dedicated toward the perspective of campus staff and
enhancing the nonprofit’s mental Tim, a resident who shared his story. For more information, visit cam-
health program, a crucial aspect in phaven.net. 
“I’m very thankful for this place. I



26 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

They squeezed every last bit of fun out of ‘Citrus Fest’

Lucy Tappen and Jaxson Fouts. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Sid Banack, Miss Florida Citrus Leila Sabet Peter and Cathy Lemay. The Countryside Citrus Farm,
and Cheryl Roseland. Silas Sabourin. planted by Sid Banack in 1960,
was abuzz with activity recently
Heather Stapleton and Robyn Berry. Bob and Carolyn Moses. during an inaugural Indian River
Citrus Festival to celebrate Na-
tional Citrus Month. Festgoers
met Miss Florida Citrus, watched
cooking demonstrations, learned
about the history of the industry
that put Indian River County on
the map, picked up citrus-themed
items from Vero Heritage’s Indian
River Citrus Museum and tapped
their toes to music by the Blue
Cypress Bluegrass Band. For the
little ones, there was an Orange
Blossom Special train, Barnyard
Ball and life-sized board games
on the lawn. The afternoon was
reminiscent of Indian River’s by-
gone days, when the air every-
where was pungent with the scent
of orange blossoms. 

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28 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

At Museum’s uniquely intimate Italian gala, less is amore

BY MARY SCHENKEL erous patron of the arts and, for the
Staff Writer past two years, gala co-chair with
Dhuanne Tansill.
The recent Vero Beach Museum
of Art 2021 Gala was an elegant, in- The Viva Italia-themed evening
timate and poignant affair, with a featured the return of American ten-
significantly smaller crowd thanks or Michael Amante, whose vast reper-
to the coronavirus, and with an emo- toire ranges from classical opera and
tional aspect caused by the recent songs from his ancestral homeland
passing of Judy Schneebeck, a gen- to Broadway and contemporary hits.
Amante was joined by his frequent

Bill and Laura Buck, Brady Roberts and Helen and Pete Justi. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

duet partner, the lovely soprano Ma- dy’s passion for the museum drove
rissa Famiglietti, who has soloed in her to put her heart and soul into
leading operatic roles throughout the making sure that this gala will be
northeast. superlative.”

Recognizing that their supporters Noting that Schneebeck had
have varying COVID comfort levels, worked tirelessly with Tansill and
the museum had given guests three museum staff, even when she wasn’t
options – a complete in-person ex- feeling her best, he added, “I’m hon-
perience; picking up their dinners ored and grateful for all the amaz-
from Elizabeth Kennedy & Co. Cater- ing work she did for this museum
ing and viewing the performance live over so many years.”
before going home to dine; or viewing
and dining from the comfort of their “You all know that this has been
own homes. an unusual year and we’re hoping
that it changes and that next year
The masked crowd was consider- we can go back to doing what we’ve
ably smaller than the hundreds who done before. But I think that this in-
normally attend, but those who came timate evening is going to be really
appreciated that the Holmes Great fun; it will be like a nightclub,” said
Hall provided ample room for social Tansill, in welcome.
distancing. The handsomely decorat-
ed room offered well-spaced tables, Speaking about her remarkable
where red tablecloths were deco- co-chair, Tansill said their friend-
rated with centerpieces created by ship went back to 18 years ago, when
Hutchinson Florist that featured tall they first were involved with River-
pillars topped with red anthuriums. side Theatre benefits, “because she
and I love to raise money. I just want
In his welcome address, Brady Rob- to say that she was one of the most
erts, VBMA CEO, thanked everyone beautiful people inside and out. She
for their continued patronage during was always so friendly and always
these difficult times. so willing to do whatever she could
do to make things much, much bet-
“I have to say the community sup- ter for all of us.”
port has been just amazing, and we’re
deeply grateful to all of you. Our co- Tansill explained that it had been
chairs have worked with their com- Schneebeck who suggested Amante
mittee through so many challenges as the ideal performer for last year’s
and obstacles over the past year to gala.
create a very special and safe event
for us,” said Roberts. “And because he was so wonder-
ful, we thought that since this is an
“This evening is dedicated to Italian evening and his name is Ital-
Dhuanne’s co-chair and our dear ian, that we would have him back,”
friend Judy Schneebeck, who said Tansill. She added that the dé-
passed away in December. Judy and cor, too, was a nod to Schneebeck,
Dhuanne chaired last year’s gala and explaining that as red was her fa-
were so gracious to agree to lead our vorite color, Tansill chose the spec-
effort again this year. As always Ju- tacular red anthuriums. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 29

PEOPLE

Brady Roberts with Dhuanne and Doug Tansill. Rennie Gibb with Bob and Wheatie Gibb. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
Marilyn Mustapick and Toni Hamner.

Chris and Jim Lenehan.

Marissa Famiglietti and Michael Amante.

Gordon Brunner and Mary Ellen Brophy.

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

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 Laura and Ed Gillette with Dina and Burney Jennings. Chips and Diane Feeley.
Marlynn and Bill Scully.

Laura and Bill Frick. Pinky and Bill Regan. Fae Kopacka and Xaque Gruber.



32 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PETS

Bonz says adorable Archie was saved from a ruff life

Hi Dog Buddies! whatever I could scrounge, bath, though. You don’t hafta get
which sometimes was ol’
Archer Perry is a rescue pooch: a dried-up worms on the side- wet. Also, hikin’ with Mummy
spunky, spiffy-looking terrier-mix- walk. Or acorns. An drinkin’
ture, the kind that looks a bit like a water from puddles. Even now an Rocky is Crispy Dog Biscuits. I
light brown loaf of bread with some I hoard acorns, outta habit.
white around the face. The Animal Services Hu- have my own backpack so Mummy
mans chased me all over Polk
Archer did a buncha barkin’ when County an Orange County for can carry me when I’m pooped.
his mom opened the door. weeks. Then one day when I
wasn’t payin’ attention, they I also love CARS. I stayed with
“Hello,” I said in my usual frenly nabbed me an brought me to
way. “I’m Bonzo an this is my assis- the shelter. Archer.PHOTO: KAILA JONES Mummy an Rocky at Cool Kibbles
tant. You are Archer, I presume?” places called Bee-N-Bees in Cocoa
“I had some health issues.
He gave my assistant some fren- Plus, I was older, about 6. An an the Mouse Town an My-Amee.
ly wags, woofs an wiggles. Then he I had the cheerful person-
planted his sturdy liddle self right in ality of a turnip. So nobody There weren’t any bees, tho, which
front of me an squinted. wanted to adopt me. Then, cuz the
shelter had an overflow of pooches, I I’m glad about.
“Do you have ID?” he said, standing got put on The List.”
tall an scowling as much as his bright “Ooooo, an watch THIS! Mummy
black eyes an fluffy liddle face would “Oh, no!” I said, aghast. All us
allow. I thought it was a very cute face, pooches know about The List. an me play Fetch with my favrite toy,
but I wisely decided to keep that ob-
servation to myself. I knew the look “Yeah. I figured I was Toast. Then, my squeaky raccoon ball.”
he was going for was definitely not just one day before I was s’pose to take
“cute.” Probly more like “Napoleon.” I The Long Walk, some humans from It was a liddle brown ball with a
gave him my card. Florida Little Dog Rescue swooped in
an saved me. When I got checked out raccoon face an tail, an, Woof! was
He looked at it, then at his mom, an tidied up, they put my pick-shur on
probly to see if she approved of us. She their website, an that’s where Mummy it squeaky! Archie was great with the
did. She gave him a pat, offered us a saw me. She thought I was cute. She
seat an scooped him up in her arms, was livin’ in Mouse Town then, an out the door and took off. Mummy fetch part, semi-great with the return
where he remained for much of the in- lookin’ for a pooch to adopt. First she
nerview. hadda show she could be a Good Pet searched everywhere. She put flyers part. In between, he was a leaping,
Parent. Which she did. Then we met in
“Nothing personal, Mr. Bonzo. I the parking lot of Petsmart, and That on poles and called Little Dog Rescue. twirling, pouncing, bouncing blur.
take my job as Protector of Mummy Very Day she got to take me home. I
Very Seriously. Her name’s Katie. My didn’t even know what ‘home’ was. She was FRANTIC! I asked him about his favrite food-
dad’s Roccou. I call him Rocky. Call I was shy an anxious, an had just re-
me Archie.” covered from 6 weeks of Heartworm “The Rescue human told her to put stuffs.
treatments, which are Seriously Not
“A pleasure. Call me Bonzo. I under- Fun, I can tell you.” my bed, blankets, toys, food dishes “Nice Crunchy Carrots! An, when
stand you’ve had some Majorly Soggy
Dog Biscuits an Dire Circumstances “Woof!” I was almost afraid to ask, an one of her T-shirts right outside we go to Sweet Kiss, I get a duh-lishus
in your life. Just share whatever you’re “How’d things go?”
comf-tubble with.” the front door that night. She did, an gelato. I also love chiggen jerky an, on
“Not great for a while. Mummy was
“I don’t mind woofin’ about it so you kind an loving, but I’d lived on the next morning, she opened the door an special uh-KAY-shuns, Delly Meat.
can see how lucky I an all Rescues are streets all my life. That’s all I knew.
to find Loving Forever Famlies.” I was shy an anxious. Once, when there I was lookin’ like nothing had “Then, at night, I curl up in my very
I’d been there about a week, I bolted
I opened my notebook. happened. But something HAD. I had own snuggly bed, safe an sound, right
“As long as I can remember, I was a
stray, livin’ on the mean streets. Eatin’ ree-lized I liked havin’ a roof over my next to Mummy an Rocky. An I know

head, my own bed, my own food, toys, they’re always gonna be right there

best of all, Love an Snuggles. I discov- when I wake up. I think I’m the lucki-

ered I’m a Lap Dog! est dog in the whole world.”

“It took about 6 months for me to re- Heading home to my Gramma an

alize my new life wasn’t going to dis- Grandpa, my own comfy bed, an my

appear. I met lotsa humans an other lovely evening dish of yoghurt, I was

pooches, an I reel-lized I LIKED ’em. feeling pretty Dog-Gone lucky myself.

Specially liddle humans.” Till next time,

“Any special frens?” The Bonz
“Sure! Since we moved here in 2017,
there’s my Shihtzu cousins Ollie an

Louis, they live on the island with Don’t Be Shy
Grandma Cindy. An my pooch neigh-
bors, Sushi, Snoopy an Buddy.” We are always looking for pets
with interesting stories.
“What kinda stuff do you like to do?” To set up an interview, email
“Runnin’s my FAV-rite. I’m fast as

a dart. I also like swimmin’ an floa-

tin’ on my raft at Grandma’s. An [email protected].

sun-bathing. It’s not like a regular



34 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY Ethiopia, are to generate 6,000 mega-
watts of hydropower – critical in a coun-
When African Union-mediated talks try where more than half of the popula-
between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan tion, some 50 million people, are without
over a Nile River dam broke down yet access to electricity, and demand for
again last month, it didn’t mark a new power is increasing by 30% annually.
disagreement over sharing vital water
resources. The solution to Egypt and Sudan’s
resulting water-security concerns, ob-
Rather, it was a case of regional rival- servers say, is simple: coordination and
ries trumping understandings about data-sharing.
science and cooperation that have been
laid out by African and Western media- Yet even amid indications that the
tors in multiple draft agreements. revival of traditional American diplo-
macy could help resolve the dam dis-
Since then, Egypt’s media have pute, observers say mediators must
sounded war drums, and a border terri- also confront currents stronger than
tory dispute between Sudan and Ethio- the Nile itself: nationalism, territorial
pia has erupted into violence. disputes, and a struggle over suprem-
acy in the Horn of Africa.
At the center of the dispute is the
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam For Ethiopia, the dam project prom-
(GERD), built by successive govern- ises to fuel the country’s ascendance
ments in Addis Ababa with the goal as a geopolitical player. Even amid the
of pulling millions out of poverty. struggle over the future of the country
that last November erupted into war
The turbines of the dam, located near in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region,
the source of the Blue Nile in northwest the dam remains a cause that unites
the diverse nation.

“There has been among the gov-
ernment and broadly the Ethiopian
people a sense of unfairness, that as a
poor country we have not been able to
utilize a natural resource that springs
out of Ethiopia,” says Awol Allo, an
Ethiopian analyst and lecturer at Brit-
ain’s Keele University.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 35

INSIGHT COVER STORY

“This dam project signals the reviv- on a lion’s share of water from the Nile crops to feed its 105 million citizens. It the dam’s environmental and social
al of the Ethiopian state after the de- and views GERD as a national security is also concerned with potential flood- impact downstream.
cades of shame, poverty, and famine it threat. Egypt currently depends on the ing and drought.
has been identified with.” Nile for 90% of its fresh water and the Tensions are now high as Addis Aba-
vast majority of irrigation water for Egypt and Sudan decry the lack of ba is set to fill the dam’s reservoir with
A sense of personal investment technical studies and assessments of an additional 11 billion cubic meters
and national unity around the dam this year after the initial 4.9 BCM it
solidified after the World Bank, Inter- filled in July 2020. The dam has a total
national Monetary Fund, and other capacity of 74 BCM.
lenders refused to fund the GERD.
Ethiopia in 2010 decided to go it “The biggest problem is not know-
alone, paying for it with government ing how Ethiopia intends to use and
funds and bonds purchased by pri- operate the dam, what times of year,
vate citizens, and broke ground on what quantities, and what will be the
the project in 2011. impact,” says Amal Kandeel, an envi-
ronmental and policy consultant and
“Every Ethiopian sees themselves former director of the Climate Change,
as a stakeholder in a project that is not Environment and Security Program
just about energy needs, but a state- at the Middle East Institute. “Down-
ment that Ethiopia is a significant, stream countries can’t plan without
powerful country that can go at it knowing; they need clarity.
alone and assert itself on the regional
stage,” Allo says. “Egypt will not benefit from the
dam,” she says. “But if there is coordi-
The draft agreements notwithstand- nation, facts, evidence, and data shared
ing, the water-sharing disputes between transparently at the minimum, any po-
Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia have only tential harm will be reduced.”
deepened since construction completed
on the GERD in 2020 and Addis Ababa Egypt’s inability to stop or influence
began filling the reservoirs in July. the project has become a symbol of
the government’s inward-looking fo-
Downstream countries long used cus the past decade and its withdraw-
to the unrestricted flow of the Nile al from the Arab and African stage,
for their farming and fresh water are which domestic critics say has dra-
alarmed by the dam’s potential impact matically reduced Egypt’s geopolitical
on their water and food security. significance.

Egypt, 1,000 miles downstream Egyptian insiders privately say the
from the dam, has laid a historic claim prospect of Ethiopian control over the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

The Blue Nile river passes through the
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
near Guba, Ethiopia.

36 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 INSIGHT COVER STORY

Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance
Dam undergoes construction in

Guba Woreda, Benishangul
Gumuz Region, Ethiopia, 2019.

The spillway that allows water

to flow out of the reservoir
when it overfills.

most populous Arab country’s water homes and killing 100 people, deep- Ethiopia has also vowed to export he says, pointing to Sudan’s need to
and food security is viewed as “a hu- ening Sudan’s economic crisis. cheap electricity to Sudan. balance regional alliances.
miliation,” driving Cairo’s hard line.
The reduction in flooding and shar- “Honest people in Khartoum will tell Khartoum – militarily close to Egypt,
“For 50 or 60 years, Egypt was the ing of irrigation water would help Su- you that the dam is a net positive from diplomatically indebted to Ethiopia,
biggest geopolitical actor, not only dan cultivate more than 50 million all logical, logistical, and economic and financially and politically depen-
in the Middle East, but the northeast hectares of arable land abandoned perspectives. Objectively, Sudan would dent on Saudi Arabia and the United
Horn of Africa as well,” says analyst due to flooding and mismanagement, benefit from the dam,” says Jonas Arab Emirates, who are allied with
Rashid Abdi. a critical boost to an agricultural sec- Horner, Sudan analyst and deputy di- Egypt – is reluctant both to appear to
tor that is Sudan’s largest employer rector for the Horn of Africa at the In- support the dam, on the one hand, or
“Times have changed, you have new and accounts for 30% of the country’s ternational Crisis Group. come down hard on Addis Ababa, on
governments that are becoming more gross domestic product. the other.
assertive on the regional and world “But it is not quite as simple as that,”
stage and acting independently,” he This complicated balancing act was
says. “It is a natural progression that disrupted in December by the violent
Egypt is finding uncomfortable.” reignition of a century-old Sudan-
Ethiopia border dispute.
Egypt has pushed for interven-
tion by the United States, its Arab al- Sudanese patrols have come un-
lies, and the U.N. Security Council. In der shelling allegedly at the hands of
June, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry Ethiopian militias, and the Sudanese
warned of conflict should the United army and Ethiopian federal forces have
Nations fail to intervene. clashed multiple times this past month.

After the talks’ breakdown last month, Ethiopian officials blame Cairo for
Egyptian state-influenced media clam- stoking the tensions, alleging an Egyp-
ored for the use of “force” against Ethio- tian plot to prolong conflict and derail
pia, advocating surgical strikes on the the GERD’s completion.
GERD’s electricity infrastructure.
Observers agree the dispute provides
Meanwhile, regional alliances and a an opportunity for the Biden adminis-
century-old border dispute have trans- tration to demonstrate its vowed return
formed Ethiopia’s northwest neighbor to traditional American diplomacy.
from a quiet supporter of the dam to a
spoiler. The Trump administration’s few
forays into the GERD dispute favored
Observers and experts agree: The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-
GERD’s benefits for Sudan are many. Sisi, a Trump ally. Last July the Trump
administration partially suspended
The dam, 20 miles from the Sudan- American assistance to Ethiopia after
Ethiopia border, will reduce flooding Addis Ababa rejected a draft agree-
that has devastated Sudan in the past. ment compiled by Washington that it
Blue Nile flooding destroyed one- saw as heavily favoring Cairo. Presi-
third of cultivated farming land in the dent Donald Trump publicly warned
country last year, destroying 100,000

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 37

INSIGHT COVER STORY

that Cairo would “blow up that dam” potential to be destabilizing through- ist fervor, and power plays in order to GERD issue. You have domestic ac-
should talks fail. out the Horn of Africa,” indicating that get the three states back to the basics: tors in each of these countries lobby-
he is considering appointing a special water. ing external actors to advance their
In contrast, President Joe Biden’s sec- U.S. envoy for the Horn of Africa. interests,” says Allo.
retary of state, Antony Blinken, vowed “The war in Tigray has created in-
in his confirmation hearing last month But observers caution that the stability in the Ethiopian state, and “It will be difficult for any U.S. ad-
to conduct “active engagement” to ad- Biden administration must untangle now you have the border issue with ministration with all the goodwill in
dress a rise in tensions that “has the the web of regional politics, national- Sudan that is clearly linked to the the world to mend things.” 

38 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT WORLD NEWS AND OPINION

Russia is engaged in a brazen but But the United States and other democ- ICANN has been a Russian target for Moscow’s most explicit claim that
little noticed effort to set new rules for racies have a huge stake in maintaining years. The consortium coordinated the the current ICANN-led governance
cyberspace – even as it flouts the exist- the existing free and resilient structure, system under a Commerce Department system favors the United States came
ing ones. Last week, in an encouraging largely without government dictates, contract until 2016, when it became pri- in an Aug. 12 statement from former
step, a United Nations telecommuni- which in a few decades has transformed vate. It’s now a crowdsourced collection Russian president Dmitry Medvedev:
cations body pushed back. global business and culture. of software engineers and other techni- “At this time the U.S. fully controls the
cians from around the world; its legiti- Domain Name System used to resolve
Russia had asked the International Internet pioneers fear that Russia macy stems from transparency and lack IP-addresses. That’s how it happened
Telecommunications Union (ITU) to and other autocratic governments will of affiliation with any government. historically, but simply and bluntly
have the group’s 193 member states use worries about online security to put, it shouldn’t be this way.”
“discuss the status of global gover- impose policies that restrict freedom The Russian campaign against ICANN
nance system for … Internet domain and democracy. and other existing governance mea- Russia has refused to sign the 2001
names, addresses, and critical Inter- sures is outlined in a Jan. 19 report by Budapest Convention on Cybercrime,
net infrastructure.” In a curt statement Governance of the Internet oper- the group. It notes a dozen statements by which went into force in 2004, arguing
Thursday, the ITU said simply that it ates under an improbable but wildly senior Russian officials over the past 18 that its provisions are too intrusive.
had “noted the contribution” of Russia. successful private consortium known months pressing Moscow‘s argument for Since at least 2017, Russia has pressed
In other words, thanks but no thanks. as ICANN, which stands for Internet a new U.N. treaty that would create new instead for a new U.N. treaty that
Corporation for Assigned Names and “rules of the road” for the Internet that would govern cyberspace.
One European delegate to the confer- Numbers. It was founded in 1998 to would protect against what President
ence said the opaque official language privately manage the system of do- Vladimir Putin warned in a September A year ago, with little public notice,
meant that no further action would be main names and addresses that had 2020 address were threats from “various Russia won backing from the U.N.
taken. He noted that the Russians tried been created by the Defense Depart- radicals and extremists.” General Assembly to begin drafting
again by attaching a similar proposal to ment’s ARPANET messaging system. the new cyberspace pact. The issue
an ITU measure involving protection of got little high-level attention during
children online, but it was also rejected. the Trump administration, but that
The ITU operates by consensus, so op- may be changing. President Biden
position from the United States and key raised U.S. concerns about Russian
European and Asian allies was enough hacking and Internet manipulations
to scuttle the Russian moves. last week during a call with Putin, the
White House said.
This seemingly obscure bureaucrat-
ic debate matters because it’s a rare It’s a grotesque irony that Russia –
moment when an international body which is among the world’s leading
rebuffs Russia’s growing ambition to saboteurs of open dialogue on the In-
steer the Internet. Russia has tried to ternet – is promoting itself as the new
set the rules for what it calls “infor- guardian of responsible Internet secu-
mation space” – either by writing new rity. Fortunately, the telecommunica-
protocols or hacking the ones that ex- tions experts gathered at last week’s
ist. This time it didn’t work. ITU meeting saw through the ruse. 

The Internet may indeed need new A version of this column by David Ig-
informal rules of the road, developed by natius first appeared in The Washing-
the world’s tech companies, that make ton Post. It does not necessarily reflect
it more robust and resistant to hackers. 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 / February 11, 2021 39

INSIGHT WORLD NEWS AND OPINION

Last week's coup ousting Aung San 2012. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's govern- University. They marched along a main also fanned fears of a complete infor-
Suu Kyi's elected government brought ment, which won a landslide election road, snarling traffic. Police in riot gear mation blackout.
tens of thousands of protestors into in 2015, was the first led by civilians blocked the main entrance to the uni-
the streets of Myanmar's biggest city, in decades, though it faced a number versity. Social media platforms such as
Yangon, Sunday. of curbs to its power under a military- Facebook and Twitter were earlier
drafted constitution. The mostly young protesters held ordered blocked, but had remained
Protests that began in various parts placards calling for freedom for Ms. partially accessible. Social media plat-
of Yangon converged at Sule Pagoda, During Myanmar's years of isolation Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win forms have been major sources of in-
situated in the center of a roundabout under military rule, the golden-domed Myint, who were put under house ar- dependent news as well as organizing
in the city's downtown area. Protesters Sule Pagoda served as a rallying point rest and charged with minor offenses, tools for protests.
chanted "Down with military dictator- for political protests calling for democ- seen by many as providing a legal ve-
ship." Protesters in other parts of the racy, most notably in during a massive neer for their detention. Netblocks, a London-based service
country echoed their calls. 1988 uprising and again during a 2007 that tracks internet disruptions and
revolt led by Buddhist monks. "We just want to show this current shutdowns, confirmed that there had
Authorities had cut access to the in- generation how the older generation been a partial restoration of internet
ternet as the protests grew Saturday, The military used deadly force to end fights this crisis, by heeding the guide- connectivity on Sunday, but noted
fanning fears of a complete informa- both of those uprisings, with estimates line of Mother Suu, which is to be hon- that it might be temporary and social
tion blackout. On Sunday afternoon, of hundreds if not thousands killed in est, transparent and peaceful," said media remained blocked.
however, internet users in Yangon re- 1988. While riot police have been sent 46-year-old protester Htain Linn Aung.
ported that data access on their mobile to watch the protests this past week, The communication blockade was a
phones had suddenly been restored. soldiers have been absent and there Reports on social media and by stark reminder of the progress Myan-
have been no reports of clashes. some Myanmar news services said mar is in danger of losing. During
The demonstrators are seeking to demonstrations were taking place in Myanmar's decades of military rule,
roll back last Monday's seizure of pow- Showing little fear, protest crowds have other parts of the country as well, with the country was internationally isolat-
er by the military and demanding the grown bigger and bolder in recent days, a particularly large crowd in the central ed and communication with the out-
release from detention of Ms. Aung San while remaining nonviolent in support city of Mandalay. side world strictly controlled.
Suu Kyi, the country's ousted leader. of a call by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's party
and its allies for civil disobedience. Saturday had seen the size of street The elected lawmakers of Ms. Aung
The growing protests are a sharp re- protests grow from the hundreds to San Suu Kyi's party Friday declared
minder of the long and bloody struggle In one of Sunday's gatherings, at least the thousands, but it also saw the themselves the sole legitimate repre-
for democracy in a country that the 2,000 labor union and student activists authorities cut most access to the in- sentatives of the people and asked for
military ruled directly for more than and members of the public gathered ternet. Holes in the military's firewall international recognition as the coun-
five decades before loosening its grip in at a major intersection near Yangon allowed some news to trickle out, but try's government. 

40 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

Mark Harris’ portrait of direc- Pictures, without dotes about himself to
tor Mike Nichols is a pleasure which the film illuminate something
to read and a model biography: would have been in the script created an
appreciative yet critical, unfail- “unplayable for atmosphere of com-
ingly intelligent and elegantly most theater munity and trust that
written. Granted, Harris has a chains and un- encouraged actors to
hyper-articulate, self-analytical releasable in draw on their own ex-
subject who left a trail of press many cities.” periences in perfor-
coverage behind him, but Nichols mance. Nichols shared
used his dazzling conversational Nichols was with his idol Elia Kazan
gifts to obfuscate and beguile as hard to catego- a psychological acu-
much as to confide. The oft-told rize. Was he the hard-edged satirist of contem- ity that enabled him to
story of 7-year-old Michael Igor porary manners who directed “The Graduate” and know exactly what to
Peschkowsky’s arrival in America “Carnal Knowledge”? The genial ironist who made say to an actor to get
in 1939, Harris remarks with char- “Working Girl” and “The Birdcage”? The hack-for- the performance he
acteristic acuity, was “his first self- fire responsible for “The Day of the Dolphin”? On- wanted, usually with
revelation-as-anecdote, an ap- stage, a string of Neil Simon hits put him in danger charm but with brutality when he judged it neces-
proach that he would eventually of being written off as a mere craftsman, but then, in sary. Though he directed several scripts with strong
refine into a shield and a disguise, 1976, he directed two scathing dramas, David Rabe’s political themes – including “Silkwood” and, for
but also into a style of directing.” “Streamers” and Trevor Griffiths’ “Comedians”; HBO, “Angels in America” – his primary focus was
in the decade before his death in 2014, his theater always on characters and relationships.
As the reminiscences assembled credits ranged from “Spamalot” to “Death of a Sales- Nichols’ inimitable style and charisma come
in last year’s enjoyable but super- man.” Nichols’ facility in diverse media and genres across most vividly in the passages about him in re-
ficial “Life Isn’t Everything: Mike prompted critical unease. His public relish for the hearsal and on the set, though Harris conscientious-
Nichols, as Remembered by 150 of trappings of success – lavish homes, expensive art, ly traces the trajectory of his complicated personal
His Closest Friends” attest, many Arabian horses – and for the company of other rich, life, including the parade of glamorous girlfriends
people loved Nichols, but few truly famous people, reinforced the impression of a dilet- and three fraught marriages before the enduring
knew him. Harris, a savvy journal- tante without artistic convictions. fourth one, to Diane Sawyer in 1988. (Third wife An-
ist and the author of two excellent cultural histories On the contrary, Harris demonstrates that Nich- nabel Davis-Goff gets proper credit for sticking by
(“Pictures at a Revolution” and “Five Came Back”), ols’ eclectic body of work is unified by two impera- him for 15 years before his worst episode of depres-
makes judicious use of abundant sources in “Mike tives: Tell the truth and tell the story. Harris’ ability sion, sparked by an addiction to Halcion, blew up
Nichols: A Life” to craft a shrewd, in-depth reckon- to pinpoint and explicate how these guiding prin- their marriage in 1986.)
ing of the elusive man behind the polished facade. ciples informed Nichols’ career is foremost among The emphasis on his professional life makes sense;
this biography’s many virtues. Perceptive accounts Nichols’ work was his life. Recalling the breakup
Nichols did many things well and seemed to en- of Nichols in rehearsal show him working with ac- with May, he said later that “not only had I lost my
joy all of them. He began as a groundbreaking comic tors and writers to make even the most broadly com- best friend, but I had lost my work – it was who I
performer, teaming up with Elaine May in the mid- ic or stylistically abstract material humanly real. was.” That remained true of the frail old man who
1950s to create sketches anchored in wincingly ac- His famous habit of regaling his cast with anec- coughed so badly during the location shoot for his
curate observations and an improvisational genius last film (“Charlie Wilson’s War”) that the company
that took them from Chicago nightclubs to Broad- feared he couldn’t finish, and who directed his last
way. After May called it quits in 1961, Nichols sur- play (Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal”) barely a year before
mounted the inaugural bout of a lifelong battle with his death.
depression to discover his true calling as a director. Harris gently covers those declining years with re-
He applied his gift for rooting comedy in recogniz- spect for the achievements that preceded them. His
able behavior to Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” marvelous book makes palpable in artful detail the
which won him his first Tony Award. extraordinary scope and brilliance of those achieve-
ments. 
By the time he won his second Tony (for “The Odd
Couple” in 1965), Nichols was rich and connected MIKE NICHOLS
enough to have famous friends smooth the path to
his movie debut, an uncompromising adaptation of A LIFE
Edward Albee’s scarifying play “Who’s Afraid of Vir-
ginia Woolf” that seemed unlikely to get past Hol- BY MARK HARRIS | PENGUIN PRESS. 688 PP. $35
lywood censors. Elizabeth Taylor got him the job, REVIEW BY WENDY SMITH, THE WASHINGTON POST
and Jacqueline Kennedy helped win the reluctant
approval of the National Catholic Office for Motion

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 41

INSIGHT BRIDGE

NORTH

PRE-EMPTS CAN MAKE LIFE SO DIFFICULT K52

By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist A72

In Europe, there was a debate about herbal remedies and medicines. A spokesman 10 4
said, “We won’t pre-empt the outcome, but safety will be our main concern in making
decisions.” K Q 10 9 6

At the bridge table, after a pre-emptive bid has taken up valuable bidding space, often WEST EAST
you have to throw safety to the winds and dive in headfirst. Q J 10 7 4 3
Q4 986
How would you critique the auction in today’s deal, given that North’s three-spade Q5
cue-bid showed at least game-forcing values with heart support? J74 8

In the play, South won the first trick with his spade ace, played a heart to dummy’s ace KJ9873
and claimed 13 tricks: two spades, seven hearts, one diamond and three clubs.
853
Yes, West’s adverse-vulnerability weak jump overcall was dangerous, but interestingly
it increased the chance that his red-suit queens would be winners. In this deal, if SOUTH
South had had one fewer heart, he probably would have finessed through East on the
second round. Regardless of that, where did North-South go wrong? A

South was far too pessimistic. North had forced to game, then immediately driven K J 10 9 6 5 3
above game with his five-club control-bid. He surely had the heart ace, so how far
wrong could it be to jump immediately to seven hearts (or, in a pairs tournament, A62
seven no-trump)? The pass over five hearts is perhaps top of the list of the worst calls
of the year. A2

Finally, note that if South had held two low spades and more in the red suits, he could Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West
have jumped to five hearts over three spades to ask his partner for a spade control for
slam. The Bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
1 Hearts 2 Spades 3 Spades Pass
4 Clubs Pass 5 Clubs Pass LEAD:
5 Diamonds Pass 5 Hearts All Pass Q Spades

42 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (FEBRUARY 4) ON PAGE 70

ACROSS DOWN
1 Benefactor (6) 1 Accoutrements (13)
4 Layer of cement (6) 2 Litigation (5)
9 Clothing (7) 3 Pelagic (7)
10 Standoffish (5) 5 Hair slide (5)
11 Tower-like structure(5) 6 Passion (7)
12 Inform (7) 7 Tell apart (13)
13 Suppose (6) 8 Water vapour (5)
15 Deportment (6) 14 Hidden danger (7)
18 Memorable (7) 16 Cause (7)
20 Bay (5) 17 Flowerless plants (5)
22 Camelid animal (5) 19 Muscular strength (5)
23 Love-in-a-mist (7) 21 Purplish flower or color(5)
24 Sloping (6)
25 Prophet (6)

The Telegraph

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 43

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 99 See 76 Across 53 Algebra pioneer The Washington Post
102 1950s war zone 54 Reindeer-raising
1 King Kong, for one 104 Strongly recommend I NEVER SANG FOR MY PSYCHIATRIST By Merl Reagle
7 Mr. Danson 107 Any minute now Scandinavian
10 Finn finale 108 Night-flying bird 55 A little fishie THE Art & Science
13 Arizona Indian 109 With 115 Across, a 1962 56 Effrontery
17 Fallujah folks 57 Sleuth Nancy of Cosmetic Surgery
18 Gyroscope feature novelty song, or a comment 58 “I can’t believe ___ the whole
20 Visit heard in a psychiatric ward? SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
22 April 15 verb 115 See 109 Across thing” • Minimal Incision Lift for the
23 Catlike carnivore 118 Unfunny, as a prefix 59 Streetcar service,
25 1966 song, or a comment 119 Pageant headwear in London Face, Body, Neck & Brow
123 Offenbach offering 63 Wryly amusing • Breast Augmentations
heard in a psychiatric ward? 124 Visit 64 Charlie of Platoon
26 1951 song, or a comment 125 Salad green 65 Filleted & Reductions
126 Last word of “For He’s A Jolly 66 “Bye!” • Post Cancer Reconstructions
heard in a psychiatric ward? Good Fellow” 67 Mr. Rubik • Chemical Peels • Botox
29 Burns and Allen, e.g. 127 Cow chow 68 Couch potato’s opposite • Laser Surgery • Tummy Tucks
32 The elec. co., e.g. 128 Passing fancy 72 Gwen in Damn Yankees • Obagi Products • Liposculpture
33 “Where are ___ now?” 129 President who said, 75 Cartoon collectibles • Skin Cancer Treatments
34 Tale teller “Honey, I forgot to duck!” 77 Anne Rice characters
38 With 53 Across, a 1919 song, 78 Gaelic singing star
DOWN 79 German industrial valley
or a comment heard in a 80 Robot of Jewish legend
psychiatric ward? 1 Make an offer 82 Hawaiian coffee
41 Take back 2 Wit’s-end feeling 85 “Faithful” dog’s name
45 Gent on a cent 3 Roam (about) 86 Culture medium
46 Faux pas 4 Here, to Hernando 87 Greek letters
47 Getaway spot, in Spanish 5 Movies 88 Have din-din
50 Sound that might 6 Grounds of the rich and 89 Italy’s ___ Mountains
accompany rose-throwing 90 ’60s White House monogram
51 Noted queen: abbr. famous 93 Main marble
52 “Oh, ___ nothing” 7 Slam down the receiver? 94 Wall St. name
53 See 38 Across 95 Carlin was its first host: abbr.
57 Fuzzy car ornaments 8 Depart 97 Perhaps
59 ___ degree 9 Clump of turf 98 “T’row da ___ out!”
60 Have a shoutin’ match 10 “What ___ this time?” 100 Former Sunday Morning host
61 Mindy’s friend’s planet 11 Milky Way ingredient?
62 With 85 Across, a 1970 song, 12 E.T.’s goal Charles
or a comment heard in a 13 Chess knight to kids 101 Help for a disabled car
psychiatric ward? 14 Egg prefix 103 An abrasive
65 Crowed 15 Chest muscle, briefly 105 Golfer Norman
69 Greek letter 16 Bother 106 An ___ corn
70 Bus driver Kramden 19 American Revolution leader 110 Dirty people may draw one
71 Machinations 111 Eight, in combos
73 Gold, to Geraldo Warner 112 Well enough
74 Word of invitation 21 Song of praise 113 One-time actress or
76 With 99 Across, a 1965 song, 24 Ride ___
or a comment heard in a (be a cowboy) Representative Lowey
psychiatric ward? 27 Ms. Ullmann 114 Spoken fanfare
81 Right-angle addition 28 Detective agency symbol 115 Mail letters?
82 The Matrix first name 29 Use a spade 116 Mayberry kid, familiarly
83 Headed 30 Ms. Thurman 117 All the Presidents
84 Fly attractor 31 No longer a rumor 120 18-wheeler, for one
85 See 62 Across 35 Transaction
89 Word before “singing!” 36 Some sashes 121 Ms. Gardner
and “dancing!” in ads for 122 Rep.’s counterpart
musicals 37 Dispenser candy
90 Tool-guiding devices 39 Frequently
91 Sister 40 Brazilian resort
92 Legal introduction? 42 Soliloquy start
93 Blender settings 43 Eskimo knife
96 Public health org. 44 Started up again,
97 Minnesota iron-ore region as a PC
48 Valentine abbr.
49 Pre-euro money
51 Lodge members

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46 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

A hesitancy to plunge into the online dating pool

BY CAROLYN HAX fessional woman with no children of
Washington Post
her own, is great to my kids and would

do anything for them. However, I am

Hi, Carolyn: I signed up for online not comfortable with this. I feel this

dating again yesterday, and I can is setting them up for failure, believ-

already see why I give up so easily. ing they do not have to work to earn

Most of the conversations are one- money. I was not raised in such an en-

sided. I ask a question and they re- vironment.

ply with a one-word answer. I ask My husband (her brother) does not

another question and they reply with another brief an- agree. He feels that if she wants to help

swer. They don’t elaborate or ask questions about me. them, I should let her. I am fuming in-

There is no back-and-forth. I lose interest quickly and side – at both my husband and his sis-

move on to the next person, only for the same thing to ter, for thinking this is OK and not get-

happen. On the rare occasion that someone can hold ting my permission to give them this

a conversation, there is usually some other reason it amount of money. How do I approach

won’t work out: Their divorce isn’t final yet, they’re in an I say that even though I disagree to some extent: this calmly and confidently, as well as see if perhaps I’m
The benefit of meeting people in person vs. shop-
open marriage, they’re only looking for a hookup, they ping for them online is that you can see them in their blowing this out of proportion? I don’t feel I am.
entirety, which can allow you to see they’re good for
smoke, they hunt. you in ways you wouldn’t have recognized on paper. – Busy Mom
Broader is better for that.
I’m a nonsmoking animal lover looking for a one-on-
Hi, Carolyn: My sister-in-law asked to open a check-
one relationship. Do I just need to lower my standards? ing account for my children so she and the grandpar- Busy Mom: One data point does not an ethos make.
ents could deposit money into their accounts easily. I Or if it does, you won’t know which except in hind-
– Dating believed this was for birthdays, Christmas and occa- sight.
sional gifts. And one generous aunt won’t undo everything you,
Dating: Yikes. Never. as parents, are doing.
Dating a la carte just might not be a good fit for you. She has been depositing upward of $250 a month for Can we just change the whole conversation,
The most reasonable current alternative is to expand the last six months into both of my daughters’ accounts. though? Keep the money, and steer all but an allow-
the number of places you show up in person – when Shame on me for just realizing this. She is a single pro- ance’s worth to 529 college savings accounts instead,
and how it’s safe to – where you have a possibility of in your name. Like, today. Ask Sis to do that for you, or
meeting other people. Because you have dealbreak- make yourself a co-signer on the account (if you aren’t
ers, choose places where people with the same deal- already) so you can move the money yourself. Every-
breakers might congregate. Animal rights causes. Po- one happy, nobody spoiled, educations financed. 
litically like-minded causes.

MUSEUM’S ‘POETRY OF NATURE’:

A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

48 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

MAUNSEEWUMY’SOR‘PKOESTTRAYTOEFONFATMUIRNED’:
senior curator Anke
BY ELLEN FISCHER | COLUMNIST Van Wagenberg. ing. “This is
a Hudson River School show. Isn’t
A new exhibition at the Vero Beach The proof of the Donner Lake in California?”
Museum of Art brings summer in the pudding is the larg-
Catskills to wintertime in Vero Beach. est painting in the Well, yes, and yes. Today the
Titled “The Poetry of Nature: Hudson show, a 6-foot-by- lake and the mountain pass, both
River School Landscapes from the 10-foot canvas by named after the ill-fated Donner
New-York Historical Society,” the ex- Albert Bierstadt Party, is within the town limits
hibition, which includes 45 paintings titled “Donner Lake of now-trendy Truckee, Calif.,
by 25 artists, is on view in the muse- at the Summit.” less than a half-hour’s drive
um’s Holmes and Titelman galleries northwest of Lake Tahoe (35
through May 2. This magnum minutes, if you are coming from
opus, says Van Reno, Nev.).
The show has been on tour since 2016 Wagenberg, was
in museums in Pennsylvania, Kansas, painted in 1873 to And Bierstadt, who was born in
Massachusetts and Ohio before mak- commemorate the Solingen, Germany, and raised from
ing its last stop here in Florida, but it 1869 completion of infancy in New Bedford, Mass., got
isn’t exactly the same exhibition in Vero the transcontinen- his start painting the landscapes of
as seen at its previous venues. tal railroad. It was New England and the Hudson River
commissioned by
“We added some significant works, railroad magnate
with some of the large ones you will see Collis P. Huntington.
in the Titelman Gallery,” says VBMA
“Wait a minute,” you may be think-

Anke Van Wagenberg.

PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 49

ARTS & THEATRE

through the rocks of 12 paintings of the scene that Cole In the foreground, a small figure pulls
here,” Van Wagen- did between 1827 and 1845; the one at a boat from the aforementioned creek.
berg says, pointing the VBMA dates from the latter year.
to a sliver of detail The painting’s background features the Van Wagenberg says that the Hud-
on the far-right side of wave-like profile of North Mountain. son River School artists often acces-
the immense canvas. sorized their landscape paintings with
a human figure or two to give a sense
Needless to say, of the scale and grandeur of the scene.
Bierstadt’s patron was Cole is represented by two paintings in
not amused. Hun- this exhibition; the other is an imagi-
tington, no doubt, nary Alpen landscape.
wanted to see a big,
beautiful locomotive By contrast, Durand has 11 works in
and goods-laden cars the show; 10 exquisite landscape paint-
speeding (relatively ings and one handsome self-portrait.
speaking) through the
pass, with the land- Like Cole, Durand started out as an
scape as an accessory, engraver of other artists’ work. Un-
not the subject of the
painting. CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

Valley. He is considered a major figure of Another VBMA re-
the Hudson River School. quest for this show
is in the same gal-
Don’t be misled by the term lery, and it, too, is by
“school,” says Van Wagenberg. Bierstadt. “Autumn
Woods, Oneida Coun-
She explains, “The Hudson River ty, State of New York,”
School was not a super-coherent group. of 1886, measures 4
It is not a school in the sense that it is ½ feet high and 7 feet
an academy or a physical building. It’s wide. One of the more colorful land-
more like a style that artists naturally scapes in the show, it depicts a tall stand
did when they started traveling there,” of trees, their autumn foliage mirrored
to paint upstate New York’s wild beauty. in the still waters before them.
Says Van Wagenberg, “In 1887, this
As for “Donner Lake at the Sum- painting was sent to a big exhibition
mit,” Bierstadt had already made two in New York. It is such an American
trips out west, to Yosemite Valley and landscape. I don’t think I’ve seen this
the Rocky Mountains, where he made type of landscape in Europe. Hol-
sketches for the epic paintings he com- land (where Van Wagenberg is from)
pleted in his Hudson River Valley stu- doesn’t look like this. When you come
dio in Irvington, N.Y. By the time of his from Europe and first move here (to
commission for the railroad, he was an the U.S.) you go, ‘Oh my God, such a
art star on both sides of the Atlantic. huge sky, and the vastness!’”
In the Holmes Gallery, Van Wa-
Perhaps the hubris of his fame in- genberg speaks about the “founding
duced Bierstadt to show a daring scene founders” of the Hudson River School,
of Donner Lake from the railroad’s high- Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and Asher B.
est pass, looking directly into the sun. Durand (1796-1886).
The view presents a back-lit vista of the Like Bierstadt, Cole was born over-
eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Moun- seas. He came to this country with his
tains; between two framing peaks, the family from England when he was 17
lake and the rugged distance beyond it years old. They settled in Steubenville,
are washed pale in the intense light. Ohio, which, in 1818, was the Wild
West of its time. Cole later moved to
As for the railroad that is the sub- Philadelphia and found employment
ject of this grand gesture? in an engraver’s shop.
Says Van Wagenberg, “Cole went to
“We are way up high on a rock look- the Adirondacks through the Catskills
ing down. You can see the train going in 1825. After a couple of years, he de-
cided to settle in Catskill, N.Y.”
A painting by him in the show,
“Catskill Creek, N.Y,” is one of a series

50 Vero Beach 32963 / February 11, 2021 ARTS & THEATRE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49 It shows a group of trees, with two heav-
ily needled firs front and center. The de-
like Cole, Durand became well known tailed clusters of needles on those trees
for his engravings, which, before he are remarkable: three-dimensional,
picked up the brush, included bank and more akin to dense stitchery than
notes. After going on a painting expe- painted illusion. And yet the natural-
dition with Cole to the Adirondacks in ness, the rightness, of their portrayal is
1837, Durand turned his full attention the quality for which you will remember
to landscape painting. them long after exiting the exhibition.

The largest painting by Durand in As though to underscore that this
the exhibition is almost 5 feet high by study from nature is “only” a sketch,
4 feet wide. “Primeval Forest,” ca. 1854, Durand allows the trees’ trunks to fade
is an elaborate drawing on canvas in away into the insubstantial nothing-
brown oil paint of a forest interior. ness of the buff-colored ground at their
feet. There, where reality gives the lie to
“It is a cartoon, a full-size study for art’s deceit, you can see a couple of the
another painting, which has been artist’s pencil marks.
lost,” says Van Wagenberg.

Arguably, the most beautiful paint- So, while you may think “big paint-
ings by Durand in the exhibition are his ings for a big land” when you think of
oil on canvas studies, of which there are Hudson River School masterpieces,
four. One of these, the 18-inch-by-22- think again. Bierstadt’s big paintings
inch “Study from Nature: Trees, New- drag you bodily into them, but Durand’s
burgh, 1949,” stands out from the crowd. smaller ones invite the soul to reverie. 