03/14/2019 ISSUE 11

2019 Top Chef Challenge
down to four. P18
Service League

gala Sin-sational. P12
Roofing company facing
dozens of complaints. P8

Vero to replace For breaking news visit
aging water main
in John’s Island Hospital ratings
confuse patients,
cause concern

BY LISA ZAHNER BY MICHELLE GENZ
Staff Writer Staff Writer

The City of Vero Beach this What took place at East Spa was watched at the police department. PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES The drive to turn patients
week is slated to dig up and re- into savvy consumers appears
place a galvanized street main MY Was it a victory in the war on human trafficking, to have stalled again, with the
that is delivering poor-quality VERO latest Hospital Compare star
drinking water to residents in a or a highly publicized, sensationalized prostitution sting? ratings stirring up more con-
John’s Island neighborhood, but troversy than confidence.
as aging pipes in the communi- BY RAY MCNULTY That doesn’t mean, how- marketed to the news media
ty continue to deteriorate, fixes Staff Writer ever, we should blindly em- as a victory in the war against Released last week by the
like this might be only a Band- brace the decisions made human trafficking. government’s Centers for Medi-
Aid on a much larger problem. Human trafficking is the and tactics used by local law- care and Medicaid Services, the
equivalent of modern-day slav- enforcement agencies in the The coverage by other pa- ratings remained unchanged
Residents in the 400 block of ery and the people who engage recent massage-spa prosti- pers, TV and bloggers has also at Indian River County hospi-
Silver Moss Drive live in a first- in this activity belong in prison. tution sting, which has been been questionable in that tals: two stars out of a possible
class country club community five for both Cleveland Clinic
on a street where a home sold CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Indian River and Steward Se-
recently for $1.4 million, but bastian River Medical Center,
they have been drinking and same as the last time they were
bathing in dingy yellow water. rated in 2017.

New Town Manager Joe While marketing depart-
Griffin contacted Vero util- ments at both hospitals
ity officials after complaints shrugged off the mediocre
from residents, including one scores, hospitals elsewhere
from a woman who said no are loudly complaining about
matter how she tries to filter the methodology CMS is us-
or purify her tap water, it still ing, creating controversy that

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Police, park department move Harbor Branch Foundation and FAU
to clean up Pocahontas Park are back in court with a new judge

BY RAY MCNULTY Linda Hillman picks up trash around Pocahontas Park. BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ back in court filing motions
Staff Writer Staff Writer last week in their struggle for
control of the Foundation’s
After a flurry of complaints, phoned in A new judge has been as- $72 million endowment.
and posted on social media sites, about signed to oversee a lawsuit
conditions in Pocahontas Park – homeless filed by the Harbor Branch Circuit Court Judge Law-
people camping out, aggressive beggars, Foundation against Florida rence Mirman is the latest
Atlantic University in March judge assigned to the high-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 2017, and both sides were stakes case, after two earlier

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

March 14, 2019 Volume 12, Issue 11 Newsstand Price $1.00 ‘Under the Oaks’
gets weekend that’s
News 1-10 Faith 56-57 Pets 78 TO ADVERTISE CALL picture perfect. P34
Arts 39-46 Games 59-61 Real Estate 81-96 772-559-4187
Books 58 Health 63-67 St. Ed’s 79
Dining 72 Insight 47-62 Style 68-71 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 54 People 11-38 Wine 73 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2019 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero erations was just an odd coincidence. ward, instead of allowing the Chinese cluded in the racketeering charge filed
Focusing just on the investigation women to endure additional months against her?
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of alleged sexual servitude?
here, the more we learn about it, the Better yet: Why is there so much
much of it has blurred three separate in- more reasons we have to question the How, in good conscience, could the doubt in the local legal community as
vestigations together. process, if not the motives. people we pay to protect and serve our to whether our State Attorney’s Office
community continue to sit there and will be able to make that charge stick?
The sting in Jupiter – which has got- Think about it. watch – for weeks – video of more than And where are all the cooperating wit-
ten worldwide coverage because New If the mission of local law-enforce- 160 local men engaging in unprotect- nesses that are needed?
England Patriots owner Robert Kraft ment agencies was to break up a hu- ed sex with prostitutes?
was arrested there – and the sting in man-trafficking ring and rescue the Currey said his agency has one co-
Martin County both arose indepen- supposed victims, why wait months to There’s more. operating victim tucked away in a
dently, and were conducted separately raid these places? If the goal of this investigation was “safe space.” She’s a Chinese national
from each other and from investiga- The local investigation began in to bust up a human trafficking ring, who has been living in the United
tions in Indian River County. September. Why didn’t the Vero Beach why has only one woman – Lanyun States after requesting political asy-
and Sebastian police departments, as Ma, manager of the East Spa in down- lum and being granted permanent-
Vero Beach Police Chief David Cur- well as the Indian River County Sher- town Vero Beach – been arrested for residence status by the Department of
rey said the timing of the similar op- iff’s Office, bust these spas soon after- that crime, which authorities say is in- Homeland Security.

Indian River County Sheriff’s Maj.
Eric Flowers said another Chinese na-
tional is cooperating with his agency’s
detectives, and she has been placed in
a “secure facility.”

As of Monday, however, none of the
alleged victims who worked at the spas
was cooperating with authorities. Detec-
tives have been unable to identify some
of them. At least two have left the area.

Is that enough to make a winnable
human-trafficking case?

Andy Metcalf, a Vero Beach attor-
ney representing more than two doz-
en of the johns arrested for soliciting
prostitution, questions the strength
of the state’s case for the headline-
grabbing charge.

“I want to see their direct evidence
of human trafficking,” Metcalf said,
adding that local law enforcement has
“tried to link those (johns) charged
with (prostitution) misdemeanors to
something far more insidious.”

Certainly, the prostitution sting has
created a buzz around town, which is
exactly what law enforcement want-
ed, and most of the chatter has been
about the men arrested for soliciting
prostitution.

If convicted of a first-degree misde-
meanor, these men face a $5,000 fine,
100 hours of community service, man-
datory attendance at a prostitution and
human trafficking awareness course,
testing for sexually transmitted diseases
and, at the judge’s discretion, probation.

Jail time is possible, but it’s extreme-
ly rare for first-time offenders.

Most of the men arrested are expect-
ed to negotiate plea deals with pros-
ecutors rather than fight the charges
and subject themselves to further
public scrutiny and embarrassment
– especially since authorities seem to
have video evidence of prostitution.

Currey wouldn’t confirm that his
agency had video of the johns’ actions,
saying only that his detectives used
“electronic and physical surveillance”
at the East Spa on 14th Avenue, where
arrests were made. But Metcalf said he
“was told” police have video of every
man they arrested.

Flowers said the Sheriff’s Office has
video of every john arrested at the East

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 3

NEWS

Sea Spa, located north of Sebastian on investigation continues. Detectives are eventually will choose to cooperate. enough evidence to charge the spas’
U.S. 1. Sebastian Police Lt. Tim Wood preparing the evidence – that includes “We’d rather have some of these peo- owners and managers with human
said his agency made no arrests at AA video surveillance footage, bank re- ple as victims, rather than as defen- trafficking, a first-degree felony pun-
Massage in his city because detectives ceipts, passports, citizenship docu- dants,” Currey said. ishable by up to 30 years in prison.
didn’t have video evidence from in- ments, tax forms and information ob-
side the spa. tained from smartphones, computers As you’d expect, local law-enforce- “We could’ve gone in and shut them
and digital storage devices – for pros- ment officials defended their investi- down – gotten a few prostitution ar-
“Our undercover officers were ecutors to use in building their cases. gations, saying their goal went beyond rests, busted a few johns for solicita-
equipped with recording devices when shutting down the massage spas and tion – and been done with it in a week,”
they went in, but we didn’t have any- They’re also hoping more of the Chi- arresting johns. Currey said. “The problem is, if you do
thing installed inside the building,” nese women arrested for prostitution
Wood said. “We had video surveillance They said they wanted to gather CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
only from outside the spa. We saw peo-
ple go in and out, and we made con- NEWLY RENOVATED
tact with people when they left.”
Exclusively John’s Island
Both Currey and Flowers said their
agencies obtained warrants from Cir- Renovated down to the studs is this remarkable 4BR+Office/4.5BA
cuit Judge Cynthia Cox in November retreat nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac overlooking gorgeous, multiple South
to covertly install video cameras in- Course fairways. Sited on .64± acres with desirable SW exposure, Harry
side the East Spa and East Sea Spa, but Howle Architect & Darling Construction team up on this 5,125± GSF
neither would disclose how and when home offering a family room, gourmet island kitchen opening onto the
their detectives entered the building lanai with fireplace and automated screens/shutters providing year-round
to set up the equipment. comfort, living room with fireplace, pool with wet deck and a 2-car garage.
210 Turtle Way : 3,750,000
“There are multiple ways for us to get
into a location with a court order,” Flow- three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
ers said, adding that law-enforcement health & wellness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equit y memberships
officers may even “break in at night.”
772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
Which raises another question: If
the human-trafficking victims were
forced to live in the spas, as law-en-
forcement officials have said, how did
detectives not see them when install-
ing the cameras?

And if the detectives did see these
women, why didn’t they rescue them?

Whatever tactics were used to in-
stall the cameras, the surveillance of
the spas lasted about six weeks and
concluded in January. By then, appar-
ently, detectives had watched enough
video to get enough evidence to arrest
enough johns to go in.

On the morning of Feb. 19, armed
with search warrants, police officers
and deputies from multiple agencies
raided the spas and the homes of key
suspects, such as Ma’s husband, Yong-
zhang Yan, the owner of the East Spa
in Vero Beach, AA Massage in Sebas-
tian and similar massage parlors in
Winter Park and Orlando.

As of Monday, Yan hadn’t been ar-
rested, but Currey said Vero Beach
detectives continue to investigate his
role in the businesses.

Ma was arrested, though, along
with four women – Liyan Zhang of
Pompano Beach, Junhua Dong of Vero
Beach, Yan Xu and Yaping Ren – and
one man, Kenneth Zullo of Sebastian.

Zhang, manager of the East Sea Spa,
was charged with racketeering, oper-
ating a house of prostitution and 30
counts of engaging in prostitution.
Flowers said detectives also hope to
add a human-trafficking charge.

Ma was charged with human traf-
ficking, racketeering, unlawful trans-
portation for the purpose of prostitu-
tion, deriving supports from proceeds
of prostitution and engaging in pros-
titution.

Their spas have been closed, but the

4 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero revealed most of the business’ cus- to transport women between the Vero shots digitally paraded through the
tomers were men. Beach and Sebastian spas, as well as to town square on news media websites
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 other locations, including Orlando In- and social media pages, and left there
Currey said an undercover officer ternational Airport. for all to see.
that, they just move on. So, if you really twice visited the spa in September,
want to stop it, you have to go after the and both times the masseuses offered It wasn’t until October that the On Monday, nearly three weeks after
people at the top. to perform sex acts for money, with Sheriff’s Office, prompted by another the arrests, the local daily still had photos
prices ranging from $40 to $200. health department complaint, began of 132 men prominently displayed on its
“We wanted to get the people who investigating possible prostitution and website under the headline: “Human
were orchestrating the operation and During their investigation, Vero human-trafficking activity at the East trafficking investigation: Prostitution ar-
bringing these women to Vero Beach,” Beach detectives also learned that Sea Spa, which had no business con- rests begin in Indian River County.”
he added. “We didn’t want these peo- Sebastian police had received a tip in nections to the massage parlors in Vero
ple to simply relocate somewhere else September from a county health de- Beach and Sebastian. These mugshots are the equiva-
in Florida or in some other state. We partment worker who, during a rou- lent of a scarlet letter, especially in a
wanted to put them away. tine inspection of the AA Massage spa Both Currey and Sheriff Deryl Loar community as small as ours, and they
on U.S. 1, became suspicious that peo- said their surveillance revealed that are there for one reason – to publicly
“That meant we needed to be com- ple might be living there. nearly all of the customers at the now- shame these men, none of whom has
mitted, be patient and use the re- closed spas in our county were men yet been convicted in a court of law.
sources we had to see this investiga- Authorities said they believe some who paid for more than massages.
tion through.” of the Chinese women lived in the These men, if convicted in court,
spas – in small rooms equipped with “These johns either knowingly or deserve the legal penalties for their
Flowers echoed Currey’s explana- mattresses, makeshift showers and unknowingly were supplying the funds crime.
tion, saying a more in-depth investi- unsanitary cooking areas. to perpetuate human trafficking and
gation was necessary to take down the sex trafficking,” Loar said, adding “if They also deserve whatever person-
people running the human-trafficking They said the women, most of who this can happen in Indian River Coun- al consequences they might suffer as a
operation. didn’t speak English well or at all, were ty, where else can it happen?” result of their behavior.
not allowed to leave the premises un-
“It’s like a drug investigation,” Flow- less accompanied by Ma or one of her Most local news media outlets have But do they deserve to be held up to
ers said. “Do you want the guy who’s underlings. reported the story as described by this kind of extended public ridicule,
going to sell you an ounce, or the guy police, as a human-trafficking crack- and treated worse than people who
who can sell you a kilo? You want the Ma’s arrest warrant, in fact, states down – despite only one woman be- commit felonies?
people at the top, but, to get them, you that detectives watched her and her ing arrested on that charge – and have
need to gather evidence.” husband transport multiple women been eager to embarrass the men ar- The law-enforcement agencies wel-
with suitcases to and from the Vero rested for solicitation. come this type of publicity because
Vero Beach police launched their Beach spa “for the purpose of sexual they believe it serves as a deterrent
investigation in September, after re- servitude.” Not only have these men already and discourages others from commit-
ceiving complaints from anonymous been convicted in the court of pub- ting the same crime.
citizens about the East Spa in late Au- And according to Zullo’s arrest war- lic opinion, but they’ve already been
gust. Initial surveillance by detectives rant, detectives had placed a tracking punished, too – their names and mug- What’s the news media’s excuse?
device on his vehicle, which he used That’s easy: Sex sells, and not only in
massage spas. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 5

NEWS

Harbor Branch vs. FAU sive list of witnesses they intend to call the parties wish to address any poten- Lawyers for FAU also filed a sec-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 during the upcoming trial so Mirman tial conflict with the court as soon as ond motion at the March 6 hearing
can review the names and make sure possible,” the joint motion stated. At- arguing that Harbor Branch’s lawsuit
judges recused themselves because he doesn’t have any personal or busi- torneys for both sides noted the de- is without merit and seeking to have
of potential conflicts of interest. ness relationships that would prevent lays have prolonged the dispute and the case dismissed. Mirman, who
him from overseeing the lawsuit. increased the cost of litigation. They could not be reached for comment,
On March 6, lawyers for FAU and requested a phone conference with has not yet responded to either filing.
the Foundation submitted an exten- “Because the prior two judges as- the judge to discuss the issue.
signed to this case have been recused, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Harbor Branch vs. FAU this morning. I feel bad. I’ve wasted a lot Both sides have previously acknowl- adding to the confusion patients face
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 of money and time. edged that it could be difficult to find a when trying to decide on a hospital to
judge without ties to some of the wit- call their own.
On Aug. 28, 2017, Circuit Judge Rob- The dispute between FAU and the nesses planned for trial. The parties’
ert E. Belanger, the first judge assigned Foundation began during university joint list of more than 60 witnesses While Indian River and Sebastian
to oversee the lawsuit, recused himself budget negotiations in 2017, when Dan- includes a number of prominent com- River scored the same in the latest CMS
from the case after realizing he was iel Flynn, vice president of research at munity figures, including Brogan, who release, they scored differently in last
friends with one of the witnesses ex- FAU, proposed the Foundation merge is a former lieutenant governor of fall’s Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade,
pected to be testify on behalf of Har- its staff, accounting, legal representa- Florida and current assistant secretary in which Indian River was awarded a B
bor Branch Foundation. tion and other administrative functions of education in the Trump Administra- and Sebastian River got a C.
with the university to save a projected tion, as well as a former president of
District Court Judge Sherwood Bau- $416,000 annually. FAU, current and former FAU and Har- In another variance with the CMS
er Jr. followed suit in a more dramatic bor Branch board members, numer- scores, which stayed static, both hos-
fashion two months ago, on Dec. 4, The move alarmed the Foundation’s ous researchers and professors, cur- pitals improved their Leapfrog scores,
recusing himself at the last moment, board of directors, which feared that rent FAU President John W. Kelly, Katha with Sebastian’s jumping from an F to C
when lawyers were in the courtroom without independent oversight, funds Kissman, President & CEO of Harbor and Indian River going up from C to B.
with exhibits set up ready to begin placed in trust and revenue from special- Branch Oceanographic Institute Foun-
opening arguments. ty license plates that flows to the Founda- dation, and Margaret Leinen, former Lawnwood Regional Medical Cen-
tion could be diverted to other uses than Harbor Branch executive director. ter scored only one star from CMS. Yet
“I spent Wednesday afternoon study- marine research. According to Univer- Leapfrog gave it an A last fall.
ing the case and at about 4:37 p.m. sity Press, FAU in 2012 had “requested a A new trial date for the lawsuit has
discovered that there is a strong ap- $50,000 donation from [the Foundation] not been set.  Cleveland Clinic Weston, the Flori-
pearance of a conflict of interest,” an ... to help build its football stadium.” da flagship of the system Indian River
apologetic Bauer explained to attorneys Hospital ratings joined in January, scored just one star
and representatives from both sides The nonprofit foundation filed a as well, and got a C from Leapfrog last
who appeared in court in December. lawsuit in March 2017 to block the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 fall. Yet it was named the No. 1 hospi-
university’s takeover attempt, which tal in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale re-
“I am good friends with one of the the suit called “a blatant power grab,” caused multiple delays in the release gion in the most recent release of U.S.
witnesses, [former FAU President] Frank relying on a 2007 Memorandum of of the latest ratings. News and World Report’s Best Hospi-
Brogan, who has spoken at a family Understanding between the two par- tals rankings.
member’s funeral and at my daughter’s ties that stipulated the Foundation’s Instead of helping consumers make
wedding,” Bauer said. “On occasion, we distributions would be made at the smart choices about where to receive The sometimes-wild variance in rat-
have had dinner together. “sole discretion” of the board for pur- healthcare, the ratings seem to be ings put out by CMS and a multitude
poses of defraying expenses, retiring of other for-profit and nonprofit rat-
“I want to apologize to everyone here debt and benefiting the institute. ings entities is not new. A 2015 study
published in Health Affairs found that
no hospital of the 844 hospitals it re-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 7

NEWS

viewed was designated a high per- The Health Affairs study also points surprised by the hospital’s repeat of a be- Clinic Florida, won a five-star rating
former by all four rating systems the out that the independence of ratings low-average rating. She said the hospital from CMS. In a press release, the hospi-
study looked at. systems is critical to the veracity of the is intently “focused on patient care and tal called it “an extraordinary achieve-
rankings – if such a thing exists. on integration with Cleveland Clinic.” ment,” and a first among all hospitals
Only 10 percent were rated high- in Palm Beach County and on the Trea-
performing by two systems. “Each U.S. News and Healthgrades are for- Steward Sebastian River responded sure Coast.
system uses its own rating methods, profit companies that finance their to a query about its CMS rating with
has a different focus to its ratings, and rating research and raise revenue by the same answer it gave last time rat- This time, Leapfrog agreed with CMS,
stresses different measures of perfor- charging hospitals to use their rank- ings came out: It is looking to a new granting Jupiter an A grade last fall and
mance,” the authors wrote. ings in marketing. electronic health records system, im- naming it to its list of 117 top hospitals
plemented last fall, to address many of nationwide. Chief Quality Officer Dr.
The government’s Hospital Compare Leapfrog and Consumer Reports, the problem issues the hospital faces. Raymond Golish credited “a focused,
star rating is calculated with informa- which have put out hospital ratings since sustained, data-driven and structured
tion from CMS, the Centers for Disease 2012, are both nonprofit consumer rat- Meanwhile, Sebastian River could be effort” with raising what was already
Control, the Joint Commission – the ing organizations. Leapfrog charges hos- at risk of losing patients to a hospital 20 the best rating in the area – four stars in
leading hospital accreditation organi- pitals to use their grades for marketing minutes away – and not Indian River. the prior CMS ratings. 
zation – and other sources. CMS also purposes, same as the for-profit com-
offers a value-of-care measure, com- panies. Consumer Reports doesn’t allow Palm Bay Hospital earned four stars Vero replacing water main
bining outcomes with price. hospitals to tout its rankings and delivers from CMS and an A grade from Leap- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
them only to its paid subscribers. frog. The hospital is owned by Health
Both Leapfrog and Consumer Re- First, which also owns Viera Medi- comes out yellow.
ports focus on safety, though their con- The study concludes that more trans- cal Center – five stars on CMS – and Two residents spoke to Vero Beach
cept of safety varies, the study points parency about how the various ratings Holmes Regional Medical Center in
out. Leapfrog’s is simple: freedom from are calculated would help enormously Melbourne, a Level II trauma center 32963 by telephone, but did not want
harm. Consumer Reports considers in sorting out the differences in rat- with three stars from CMS. to be quoted by name. One said the
the effort hospitals make in keeping ings systems and outcomes so that water had been discolored for some
patients safe. consumers, researchers and hospitals Holmes also charges far lower trau- time. The other water customer had
could understand what their cours- ma fees compared with Lawnwood recently moved in and could not say
Healthgrades emphasizes quality, es of action should be: for patients, Regional Medical Center, a one-star how long the water had been that way.
looking closely at patient outcomes, ze- which hospital to go to; for hospitals, rated trauma center in Fort Pierce.
roing in on rates of mortality and com- what needs to be improved; and for After the complaints, engineers in-
plications. U.S. News wants its rankings researchers, what ratings mean to im- If the low-scoring hospitals are look- vestigated the situation and found
to show the best hospitals for the “most proving care. ing past their scores, the highest scor-
difficult patients.” Further, the rating ing hospital near our area is positively CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
entities vary in risk adjustment and the At Cleveland Clinic Indian River, glowing. The independent, nonprofit
ways they handle missing data. spokeswoman Angela Dickens seemed Jupiter Medical Center, rumored to
have once been wooed by Cleveland

8 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Vero replacing water main corrosive seaside conditions in Florida er and reuse irrigation water franchise ture if it contracted for county service.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 is about 40 to 50 years, and that con- with the City of Vero Beach that ex- Vero officials backed up their claim of
cerns Shores Mayor Tom Slater. tends to 2027. The 2012 agreement the ownership with an appraisal done by
that the water main running to the golf Shores signed with Vero replaced a 30- GAI Consultants that valued the city-
cottages on Silver Moss Drive is a gal- Slater said it was “good news” that year agreement it signed in the 1986 to owned utility assets in the town at $9.8
vanized pipe that was installed in the Vero officials committed to fix the get reliable water service to the town. million.
1970s. Galvanized pipe is made of steel Silver Moss Drive problem so quickly
that has been coated with zinc to ward after meeting with Griffin, but added, In September 2011, when the Shores Vero Water and Sewer Utility Direc-
off corrosion and rust. The estimated “That’s one of the oldest sections of was considering switching to Indian tor Rob Bolton said of the Silver Moss
lifespan of galvanized pipe in highly- John’s Island and you’ve got to wonder River County for water and sewer Drive project, which is slated to start
if this is only the beginning.” service, the city said the town would Thursday, “Hopefully everything will
need to purchase its utility infrastruc- be complete in two to three weeks.” 
Indian River Shores has a water-sew-

Pocahontas clean-up park. And if we get a call, we go over partly because of its location and ame- Slezak echoed Martin’s remarks, say-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 there immediately. nities, partly because it is near several ing the city can’t remove people from
GoLine bus stops. GoLine buses pro- a public park merely because they’re
drug use, trash and broken playground “Not too long ago, we got a call that vide free transportation to locations homeless or vagrants, or because of
equipment – Vero Beach city officials some guy was in the playground area throughout Vero Beach. their appearance.
have taken action on several fronts to begging for money,” he continued.
clean up the popular downtown park. “He approached one woman who ig- “If you don’t have any place else “Most of the folks aren’t causing
nored him, and he began yelling and to go, you can sit in downtown Vero trouble, even though they’re in a dire
The city’s recreation department sent cursing at her, so much so that she was Beach in the middle of everything, and situation, but we do get a little bit of
crews to remove litter and leaves, and afraid to leave. you can sit in the shade,” Martin said. riff-raff over there,” Slezak said.
city police have increased patrols to “That’s not a bad way to spend an af-
prevent homeless people and other va- “That’s not going to be tolerated,” he ternoon, and there’s nothing to prevent As for problems with left-behind
grants from sleeping on benches during added. “We want parents and grand- people from sitting on the benches. trash and litter – bottles, cans and food
the day, camping in the park at night, and parents to be able to bring kids to the containers discarded on the grass or in
leaving behind trash and human feces. park, not be bothered and feel safe.” “If someone starts out sitting on the bushes – Slezak said city crews regu-
bench and falls asleep, the most we larly conduct clean-ups.
Police also have cracked down on Martin said police occasionally have can do is wake them up, check them
public drunkenness, begging for mon- received complaints from citizens claim- out to make sure they’re OK and warn Slezak said the playground slide is
ey and harassment of park visitors, ing they witnessed people “shooting up” them they can’t camp there. broken, but he’s already ordered the
particularly mothers who take their and doing drugs in the park, “but our of- pieces needed to repair it. He expects the
young children to the playground. ficers haven’t seen much of that.” “The park is a public place, and if equipment to arrive within eight weeks.
they’re not harassing people or doing
“We’re keeping watch,” Vero Beach Most of the complaints come from anything illegal, there’s not much we Both Martin and Slezak said they re-
Police Capt. Kevin Martin said. “We’re people using the playground area and can do. Usually, though, just having ceive similar complaints from people
doing more walk-throughs, so there’s those visiting and working at the Heri- officers walking through is enough to at city parks on the island – particu-
an increased police presence in the tage Center to the immediate south. discourage bad behavior.” larly Riverside, Jaycee and Humiston
– but Martin said the problems were
The park has become a popular Vero Beach Recreation Director Rob worse at Pocahontas Park. 
gathering place for homeless people –

Roofing company faces dozens of complaints over work not done

BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ or heard only excuses for why work of his experience with Alliance, sup- their metal supplier ran out of metal,”
Staff Writer was not underway or completed. porting his description of events with Smith said. “I contacted the supply
copies of cancelled checks, numerous company, Extreme Metal Fabricators
When Vero Beach homeowners Alliance owner Adam Ryckman, revised contracts Alliance asked him out of Palm City. An employee there
Randy Smith and Jan Turban hired whose office is in Port St. Lucie, ac- and Turban to sign during the past told me that they had plenty of metal
Alliance Group to replace their roof knowledged during an interview on year, and other documents. [to finish our job], but Alliance hadn’t
and gutters, they were told the job Feb. 25 that many of the complaints paid for it.”
would be done within six weeks. are true and blamed the problems “Initially, we were told that we would
Nine months later, after paying Alli- on subcontractors and construction have to pay Alliance $500 in May 2018 to According to Extreme Metal Fabri-
ance $16,000, their roof was still only managers who didn’t do the work they secure a spot on the company’s sched- cators’ records, Alliance submitted an
partially installed and had not been were hired to do. ule,” Smith said. A week after signing a order for the metal roofing material
worked on for months, leaving their contract, the couple were informed that needed to reroof Smith and Turban’s
house exposed to rain and humidity “We’ve had a lot of problems during they needed to pay Alliance an addi- home in July 2018 but didn’t pay for
which they say has caused thousands the past 11 to 12 months,” said Ryck- tional $4,000 to start the job. the material until November.
of dollars in damage. man. “We hired some wrong people
who let us down. I’ve had to get involved That first contract stated roof and “I really don’t want to get involved
An investigation by Vero Beach personally and I’m just discovering a lot gutter work would be completed in “4 in this,” one manager said. “But what
32963 found that Smith and Turban of the problems. We’re doing what we to 6 weeks,” but months passed before they’ve said isn’t true. We have plenty
are among dozens of homeowners in can to try and get the jobs done.” workers returned and tore the old roof of metal. If we had run out of metal
Indian River and surrounding coun- off the home, Smith said. we’d be out of business.”
ties who have either filed lawsuits But several homeowners say they
against Alliance or lodged complaints repeatedly spoke to Ryckman directly After the roof was removed, Alliance Other Alliance customers inter-
about the company with the Florida only to be given a litany of excuses, in- demanded another $9,632.22 before viewed said they too had been told
State Attorney General’s Office or the cluding that suppliers were out of the they would replace the roof, according their roof jobs were on hold due to ma-
Florida Better Business Bureau. tile or steel needed to complete the to Smith. In December, Alliance pro- terial shortages, only to find out when
roof work on their homes. One of those duced a new contract that stipulated they contacted suppliers directly that
The complainants allege they hired suppliers, Extreme Metal Fabricators of the roof would be completed by Dec. there was no shortage of the materials
Alliance to repair their roofs, paying Palm City, produced business records 24, 2018, but the job went unfinished needed for their jobs.
thousands of dollars upfront, and then that directly contradict Ryckman’s until February.
never heard from the company again claims about material shortages. The day after Ryckman was con-
“Adam Ryckman kept telling me that tacted by Vero Beach 32963, an Al-
Smith provided a detailed account they couldn’t finish the roof because liance crew showed up at Smith and

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 9

NEWS

Turban’s home and resumed working but on March 6 the job failed to pass attic and garage, she said. Alliance would keep a closer eye on the work
on their half-completed roof. Ryck- an inspection conducted by the Indi- only installed a small vent over one of being done to their homes.”
man asked Smith and Turban to sign an River County Building Division. the bedrooms in the home.
yet another contract promising that Lundeen’s office is waiting to hear
the roof would be completed by Feb. Building inspector Erika Lundeen “The problem needs to be resolved back from Alliance to see when, or
28 and agreed to subtract $3,000 from said the roof lacked the proper num- before we will approve the inspec- if, the company plans to correct the
their final bill. ber of ridge vents as required by state tion,” she said. “We're very happy problem.
code. The appropriate number of that Mr. Smith brought this to our at-
The roof was at long last completed vents should be four – including the tention. We wish more homeowners If Alliance does not correct the prob-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

10 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Roofing company complaints eral’s Office or filed lawsuits against reached, along with other violations of Judge denies motions
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Alliance during the past three years, the BBB code of professional conduct.” of man charged with
including eight homeowners in Vero DUI manslaughter
lem and get the job to pass inspection, Beach, three in Brevard County, and Ryckman is also facing personal legal
a recommendation to revoke Alliance's two in Port St. Lucie. The Attorney woes. A Florida Notary Public, he has BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ
contractor license will be made to Flor- General’s office confirmed it is investi- been charged with false or fraudulent
ida's Department of Business and Pro- gating multiple complaints against Al- acknowledgement in Port St. Lucie for Staff Writer
fessional Regulations, Lundeen said. liance but would not comment further allegedly falsifying the date on a contract
on the pending investigation. with a homeowner who has since filed a Circuit Court Judge Daniel Vaughn
“At this point I may end up having to $340,000 lawsuit against him, according has denied all motions filed by a man
hire someone else to fix the mess Alli- As of March 9, Alliance’s website to St. Lucie Clerk of Court records. charged with DUI manslaughter, in-
ance has made,” Smith said. showed it is accredited by the Better cluding his request to have his alco-
Business Bureau, but its accreditation Ryckman was out on bond while hol and GPS monitoring bracelets
Vero Beach 32963 has identified was revoked in October for failing to awaiting trial on the notary charges removed and house arrest lifted while
26 homeowners who have filed com- “abide by all written agreements and when arrested Dec. 1 on battery charg- he awaits a trial date.
plaints with the Better Business Bu- verbal representations” and failing to es – a violation of his bond conditions.
reau of Florida or the Attorney Gen- “fulfill contracts signed and agreements Since then he has been under house ar- At a contentious Feb. 20 hearing
rest, according to court records.  in a packed courtroom, Edward Ray
Wheeler, 65, of Sebastian, claimed he
needed to take up to 12 medications,
most of which contained alcohol, to
treat unspecified health problems. He
also told Vaughn the alcohol moni-
toring bracelet he is required to wear
costs $250 a month, an expense he
said was causing “financial hardship”
for his family.

Angry, emotional family members of
the two people Wheeler is accused of
killing while driving drunk begged the
judge not to grant Wheeler’s requests.

In his decision, Vaughn noted the
restrictions placed on Wheeler, includ-
ing house arrest, were part of the bond
conditions he had agreed to. Vaughn
said Wheeler failed to present any doc-
umented evidence to back up his medi-
cal requests.

Vaughn also rejected Wheeler’s
request for a restraining order that
would have prevented family and
friends of Lawrence C. Rubino and
Teresa G. Calhoun from attending fu-
ture hearings. Wheeler alleged he had
been verbally and physically threat-
ened by Rubino and Calhoun family
members, that their presence in the
courtroom was intimidating, and that
their “animosity” towards him was
“overwhelming.”

In his written decision, Vaughn
noted that Wheeler had not reported
anything to law enforcement or court
security when the alleged threats oc-
curred. Vaughn also pointed out that
a court hearing is required before an
injunction that would keep the vic-
tims’ family members and friends out
of court can be considered.

Wheeler is charged with two counts
of DUI manslaughter.

According to the Sebastian Police
Department, he had a blood-alcohol
level of .29, more than three times the
legal limit, when he crashed his sports
utility vehicle into a motorcycle car-
rying 67-year-old motorcycle driver
Rubino and 69-year-old passenger
Calhoun, both of Sebastian. Rubino
and Calhoun were both killed. The fa-
tal incident occurred on Sept. 13. 

Richard Canty
and Hope Woodhouse.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!
SERVICE LEAGUE GALA
SIMPLY FABULOUS

12 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Viva Las Vegas! Service League gala simply ‘Fabulous’

Terry and Kevin Nolan. PHOTOS: BENJAMIN THACKER Fanni Engi, Bob Gibb and Evelyn Conrad. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
Betsy Fox and Wheatie Gibb.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Bill and Marlynn Scully with Connie and Ron McGlynn. ployees. While the gala is their main the putting green from neck-strain-
Staff Writer fundraiser, monies are also raised ingly way up high, a trail of sparklers
services to women, children and fami- through the Tambourine Resale Shop, flashing behind them.
John’s Islanders showed a “hunka- lies in need of health, education and advertising in the coveted Little Black
hunka burning love” in support of local human services, plus scholarships Book, and several smaller fundraising The pair later officiated over quick-
nonprofit organizations at the John’s for the children of John’s Island em- efforts. ie weddings (many ladies had come
Island Community Service League’s dressed for the occasion in gowns and
“Fabulous Las Vegas” Gala last Satur- Gala co-chairs Nancy Brewer, Lynn veils) in the flower-adorned chapel.
day night. The claim that “what hap- Ingrassia and Terry Nolan, with as- Conveniently adjacent to the chapel,
pens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is hardly sistance from an extensive committee was an opportunity for an equally
applicable to this generous Vero Vegas and the exceptional John’s Island staff, quickie divorce.
group, where dollars raised will be pulled off an evening to rival anything
spread far and wide across the county. on the famed Vegas strip. Chef Farnsworth and his staff did
a yeoman’s job, offering up bounte-
“We have more than 1,000 members Guests got into the festive spirit of ous buffets in multiple dining areas
now,” said Hope Woodhouse, JICSL the night, dressed to impress in glit- throughout the club, along with copi-
board president. “This is the second ter and gold, feathers and boas, as they ous offerings of liquid refreshments.
year in a row that we’ll be giving out gathered for cocktails on the club’s out-
more than $1 million.” door terraces and listened to music by And later on, the Rat Pack Swingers
Bobby & the Blisters. entertained at one end of the club, elic-
This year the Service League will iting memories of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” and
provide grants toward the operating Making a surprise appearance was his buddies, and at the other end, two
expenses of 39 agencies that provide not one, but two Elvises (thank you casinos kept the dice rolling well into
very much) who parachuted down to the night. 



14 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 Ned and Emily Sherwood.
Sallyan Pelletier, Ross and Susan McConnell, and Steve Pelletier.

Russ Brewer with Kathy and Joe Gundermann. Dillon and Sara Beth Roberts. Steve Hanlon with Jeanne and Bob Spiotta.

Sara Beth Roberts, Elizabeth Ullian, Vanessa Larson, Wendy Hill, Kathy Fennell and Melanie Guettler.

Jay and Carolyn Antenen, Gail and Scott Alexander and Becki and Matt Rundels.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 15

PEOPLE

Hobb Hoblitzell, Joan Woodhouse and Richard Canty. Lucy Shurtleff with Peter and Susan Dee. Karen Pierce, Michelle and David Gee, Andrea Thibodeau and Eileen Furino.

Mary Ellen Brophy and Gordon Brunner. Peter and Pat Thompson. Nancy Brewer, Lynn Ingrassia and Terry Nolan and Hope Woodhouse.

Dave Ryan, Joe Gundermann and Robin Ryan.

Meg and Don Steiner.

16 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘Pay It Forward’ progress cheered at cancer fundraiser

Gerri and Robert Ripp. Gerri Ripp, Jeanne Varga, DeeDee Cunningham and Nancy Cruce. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF Floriana Thompson.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Golf & Beach Club community.
Staff Writer The annual cancer fundraiser, origi-

Unless someone else steps forward nated by Nancy Cruce and Gerry Col-
to take over the reins, the ladies of Or- lins, played off the exuberant commu-
chid Island enjoyed what may be their nity spirit and camaraderie of residents
last Connecting for Cancer Girls’ Night helping others in their times of need.
Out, recently held at the home of Gerri The grassroots effort has raised more
and Robert Ripp in the Orchid Island than $140,000 over the past six years.

Guests enjoyed appetizers and pe-

Mary Lou Bedford, Caryn Morrow and Julie Cawley.

rused silent-auction and raffle items Cruce, who is relocating to Texas,
as they sipped on Pink Lady Cosmos was bidding the pink-hued crowd of
fresh off a frosty ice sculpture of a women adieu and, offering thanks for
pink breast cancer ribbon, positioned their “intense support of the commu-
at the center of the courtyard of the nity through Connecting for Cancer,”
Ripps’ beautiful home. stressed her hope that they would
continue to support the Pay It For-
“So many people are affected by ward program.
cancer and this is such a great orga-
nization,” said Gerri Ripp. “We were “It’s an incredible cause,” said Cru-
honored to be able to open our home ce, adding that cancer is the leading
to help others.” killer of Indian River County residents
and affects almost everyone in some
While the ladies were enjoying their way.
time together, their husbands were
off to the Beach Club for a Boys’ Night One-hundred percent of proceeds
Out, which included cocktails in the from the event benefit the Pay It For-
Seaside Lounge, dinner in the Beach ward Patient Assistance Fund of the
Club Dining Room and a screening of Cleveland Clinic Indian River Foun-
the movie “The Sting.” dation, which provides financial as-
sistance to local cancer patients fac-
“Hundreds of patients have been ing financial difficulties as a result of
helped with both diagnosis and treat- their illness. The fund has helped cov-
ment through the Pay It Forward pro- er the costs of screenings, diagnostic
gram,” said Beverly Sanders, Cleve- procedures, surgery, medication and
land Clinic Indian River Foundation cancer treatments.
director of gift planning. “Anyone
who walks through the door is going J. McLaughlin’s at the Village Shops
to continue to get the best treatment also contributed to the effort, donat-
they can, and the Pay It Forward pro- ing a portion of proceeds from a re-
gram helps alleviate some of the wor- cent Sip & Shop highlighting their
ries during such a stressful time.” Spring Collection. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 17

PEOPLE

Nancy Milsten, Nancy Ofstie and Holly Kokes. Barbara Stockton, Judy Gow, Barbara Crosby and Christine Lenehan. Stephanie Taylor and Floriana Thompson.

Nancy Knapp and Bev Sanders. Bonnie Davis, Carrol Spurgeon and Colette Kennedy. Gerry Collins and Linda Kane.

Sherrerd Flasinski and Findlay Flasinski. Maureen Baus and Lisa Spey.

Anne Murphy, Laurie McGrath, Molly Angelucci and Dora Sullivan.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Dish network: Top chefs at their best in ‘Challenge’

Fire and Wine Chefs Chuck Arnold and Roger Lord. Kaydi Devlin, Chef Eddie Hunter and Sandra Hunter of Cuisine Machine. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Wild Thyme Chef Travis Beckett and wife Maria Beckett.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Bent Pine Golf Club as the compet- were made even more delicious
Staff Writer ing chefs sautéed and sliced, sizzled topped with a lush blackberry cou-
and drizzled, pureed and plated lis. And Arnold proffered impossi-
The people have spoken. Eight one deliciously inventive dish after bly crispy waffle slices topped with
talented chefs gave it their all last another. house-smoked steelhead trout and
Monday evening at the 2019 Vero’s drizzled with collard green butter
Top Chef Challenge qualifier to ben- In the end, four chefs were select- and Sriracha syrup.
efit the Hope for Families Center. ed to be finalists in the 2019 Vero’s
Tempting aromas wafted about the Top Chef Finale on March 18 at the The decision was a tough one, as
Bent Pine Golf Club. the other dishes were equally im-
pressive. Chef Mike Wood of Wood ’n
Established 18 Years in Indian River County The Wave at Costa D’Este Chefs Alfredo Arce Spoon served his chicken Oscar with
and Gabriel Mercado. an in-house hollandaise and a Mo-
(772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com roccan-inspired ‘McBooha’ sauce.
3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960 “I have to say, this was the most Chef Austin Fletcher of 121 Tapas
remarkable group of chefs here to- drizzled a lush Béarnaise sauce over
night,” said Diana Grossi, HFC execu- thinly sliced Wagyu with roasted
tive director, before announcing this red pepper hash. Chef Leanne Kelle-
year’s finalists: Chefs Eddie Hunter, her of The Tides served tasty towers
Cuisine Machine; Alfredo Arce, The of corn bread topped with hominy
Wave and Bar at Costa d’Este; Travis grits, pickled green tomato and
Beckett, Wild Thyme Catering; and slow-roasted southern BBQ duck.
Chuck Arnold, Fire & Wine. And Executive Chef James Mason
of the Grand Harbor Golf and Beach
The decision was made combining Club served his ceviche Old Florida
votes from a trio of judges in a blind style, marinating bay scallops and
tasting – retired chef Jeffrey Mather, gulf grouper in blood orange juice.
Thomas Miller of Vero Beach Foodie
and Stacy Cook of Vero Vine – and “There are a lot of charities in Vero
the popular votes from an apprecia- Beach as you know, and we’re No.
tive crowd. The fundraiser also in- 1,” said Dr. Bill Cooney, HFC board
cluded a raffle and a large selection chairman. “So, join us in your chari-
of silent-auction items. table contributions, please. The
homeless children and families of
Hunter had slow-braised his win- Vero Beach really appreciate it. You
ning melt-in-your-mouth brisket, should know that 65 percent of the
serving it with roasted rosemary people who stay at Hope for Families
sweet potatoes, guava demi-glaze Center are families with children.
and locally farmed microgreens. They’re children that need our help.”
Arce pan-seared his sea scallops
to perfection, serving them atop a The HFC assists homeless families
sweet potato puree with pork bel- to put their lives back together by
ly and a sweet and savory tomato providing temporary housing to up
and bacon jam. Beckett’s perfectly to 84 individuals in a safe and stable
seared herb-crusted lamb chops environment. They also provide day
care for the children so that parents
can concentrate on securing jobs
and saving money toward perma-
nent housing and a better future.

For more information, visit hope-
forfamiliescenter.org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 19

PEOPLE

Dr. Bill Cooney, Diane Grossi and Dick Tompkins. Barbara Petrillo with Elke and George Fetterolf and Trudie Rainone. Derrick Dean, Bill Schmitt and Jeff Hindelary.

Anna Shipley, Mike Monroe and Chef Mike Wood of Wood ‘n Spoon. Rachel Bourdon, Chef Leanne Kelleher and Milton Banner of The Tides. Brian Jones, Nicole Conn and Russell Van Wyk.

Robert Baldwin, Executive Chef James Mason and Chefs Nicholas Adams
and Hugo Marroquin of Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club.

Meredith Egan and Mariclare Beggy. Hugh O’Donnell and Barbara Rigby.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Raising the woof at ‘Cause for Paws’ fundraiser

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF
Staff Writer

Humans and canines alike had a AJ and Kim Koontz with Roo. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Tony and Kate Meghji.
doggone good time last Tuesday eve-
ning as pet patrons gathered at Oak flew in to emcee the event, driving changing and saving lives.” is so much better,” said Meghji.
Harbor Club for the 2019 Cause for bids ever higher during an intensive Honoring the shelter’s 65-year tra- “We are a place of care and respite,
Paws fundraiser to benefit the Hu- live auction. we help people keep their beloved
mane Society of Vero Beach and In- dition as the only open-door safety pets, and we help abused animals
dian River County. HSVBIRC Facebook fans had been net for animals in the county, Meghji recover. We discover all that is re-
asked recently to share pet adoption said that with the support of staff, markable about each and every ani-
A welcoming committee of pooch photos and stories, and more than volunteers and benefactors, the mal that enters our care through no
pals Roo, Buddy and Jazz put their 400 proud pet parents complied. shelter will continue to provide “the fault of their own. We bring families
best paws forward, greeting guests Guests oohed and aahed over pho- best possible temporary home to our together, and we give homeless ani-
with tail-wagging exuberance and tos showing happy, healthy shelter community’s homeless pets through mals a second chance at a happy and
more than a few licks, enthusiasti- alumni in their ‘furever’ homes. best practices.” healthy life.”
cally promoting the shelter’s mis-
sion. “Your donations go directly to A brief video highlighted pro- Last year alone, care was provided
providing life-saving and life- grams and services offered to help to 3,800-plus animals, the wellness
The Humane Society operates as changing care to thousands of ani- pets remain in homes and out of the clinic provided affordable care to
an “Open Door, Open Heart” shelter mals in need right in our commu- shelter, including Play Dogs Play, 900-plus animals, 1,400 homeless
and, as the only open admission ani- nity. Tonight’s event is our largest Read and Relax, fostering, mobile pets found new forever homes and
mal shelter in Indian River County, fundraiser and provides our shelter adoption, spay and neuter, vaccina- 600-plus pets were reunited with
does not turn away any animal, re- pets with all the care and compas- tions and heartworm prevention. families.
gardless of age, health, behavior or sion they need,” said Meghji, invit-
adoptability. ing guests to join a paddle raise “to “Most people think of animal shel- For more information, visit hsvb.
support the work we do to continue ters as sad and scary places, doggie org. 
“Tonight is a celebration of the jails, the pound or worse. The truth
human-animal bond, which we all
understand is so crucial to us and
them,” said Kate Meghji, who joined
in January as executive director. “We
are here as fellow animal lovers to
support one of our county’s oldest
nonprofit institutions, which exists
today because of this community’s
commitment to provide a safety net
to all pets in need.”

More than 200 silent-auction
items were available for guests to
haggle over, including a special lux-
ury gallery of unique items. Thomas
McCabe of Freeman Auction House

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 21

PEOPLE

Fritz and Bonnie Spitzmiller. John Stringer and Caesar Mistretta. Dr. Marc and Heidi Rose with Kari and Dr. Carrington Mason.

Jazz.

Linda and Dan Downey. Lala Maresi and Tracey Kinsley. Valerie Daly, Laurie Webb, Stacey Klim and Barbara Stewart.

James and Lori Davis. Nicki Maslin and Melissa Shine. Buddy. Joan and Jay McLaughlin.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Goodness, gracious … that’s the Shining Light Garden

BY KERRY FIRTH assistance programs in Indian River Connie Dermon, Ellaine Saeva, Heidi Rooney, Betty Sammartino. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES
County. Kathie and Dave Althoff, Linda Gillespie and Renae Senn.
Correspondent
The sheer volume and variety of
Farm-fresh vegetables and the joy produce is impressive: beans, beets,
of giving were the main topics of broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflow-
conversation during a Spring Dinner er, collards, cucumbers, eggplant,
to benefit the Shining Light Garden herbs, kale, lettuces, mustard greens,
last Tuesday evening at the Bent Pine okra, onions, peanuts, peppers, pota-
Golf Club. Guests celebrated the gar- toes, tomatoes, squash and herbs, as
den’s bounty, sowed from faith and well as fruit trees such as mango, avo-
goodness, and harvested to feed the cado and miracle fruit.
hungry.
“We have about 84 miracle fruit
Shining Light Garden got its start in trees on the property. We give the ber-
2008, when founder Joel Bray experi- ries to cancer and diabetic patients,”
enced a downturn in his construction said Bray.
business and started growing a two-
acre backyard garden. Generously He explained that chemotherapy
sharing his extra produce with the can affect a patient’s ability to taste
needy, he quickly discovered that the food, and the flavorful miracle fruit
more he gave away, the greater was his berry can improve the taste sensa-
desire to share even more. He prayed tion. For diabetics, the little red berry
to find a way to expand the garden is like a burst of sugar, tasting like a
and his prayers were answered. jelly bean without the harmful side
effects.
“God made it happen and sent us
the assistance we needed. This is our “We don’t own the land,” said Greg
service to the Lord,” said Bray. His vi- Vafiades, who has volunteered at the
sion grew and in 2010 Bray moved to garden for the past 10 years. “The
a 10-acre parcel of land; just one year landowners get the benefits of an ag-
later he expanded to 20 acres. In 2014, ricultural exemption on the property
a $100,000 Impact 100 grant enabled and we get to harvest the land. It’s a
him to purchase additional equip- win-win situation.”
ment and supplies, almost doubling
their production capability. The garden is not open to the pub-
lic, although visits can be arranged.
Shining Light Garden has since Produce is distributed through vari-
produced more than 17,000 bushels ous food pantries and soup kitchens,
of fresh produce for the homeless and veterans and senior programs, but all
less fortunate. Shining Light Garden requests are considered.
is 100 percent volunteer run, with 100
percent of produce given away. There Proceeds from the Spring Dinner
is also a flower garden there, and cut- help fund the operation of the farm.
tings are sent to patients at the VNA
Hospice House. “Seeds, fuel, fertilizer and potting
soil are the constants,” said Bray.
Bray and his team of 30 volunteers “But every now and then we have to
seed, transplant, fertilize and water replace a pump or another piece of
the plants and then harvest, wash equipment. Through the generosity
and distribute the crops to pantries, of these folks here we are able to con-
homeless shelters and about 20 food tinue feeding the hungry.”

For more information, visit shining-
lightgarden.com. 

Sarah Jane Moore, Lucille Havens, Darlene Scott, Lynn Lady and Sherry Beard.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 23

PEOPLE

Carol Christiansen and Ellaine Saeva. Brenda and Robin Lloyd. Elizabeth and Brian Adams.

Francine and Roger Potvin. Susan and Ed Smith.

Weasy and Doug Carmack.

Hyacinth Brown and Barbara Gordon.

24 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Chillin’ in the air at Habitat’s Jamaican Me Crazy Fest

Connie Poppell and Eve Kyomya. Tom and Rhonda Lowe with Dave Johnson. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 John Pearsall and Cheryl Vittitoe.

PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF efit Indian River Habitat for Humanity. merengue lesson filled with hip action
Staff Writer As they passed through an archway of and laughter.
tropical flora, attendees adopted a “no
The Caribbean sound of steel drums worries” attitude that lasted through “We are doing so much more for
lured guests into the Sun Aviation han- the evening. working families in our community,
gar last Saturday evening for a Jamai- beyond putting up four walls,” said
can Me Crazy Fest fundraiser to ben- Habitat changed the theme of its Cheryl Vittitoe, Habitat president/
annual benefit this year, shucking off CEO. “We are literally changing the
trajectory of the families that we serve
Lonnie and Jullett Blake. and breaking the cycle of generational
poverty.”
their cowboy boots and Stetson hats to
embrace the laid-back island life. Fest- The faith-based nonprofit is on tra-
goers, some sporting green, black and jectory to serve more than 100 fami-
gold with flowing dreadlocks, perused lies annually by building and repair-
a substantial lineup of silent-auction ing homes, while improving lives and
items, tried their hand at a wine ring- whole communities through partner-
toss, showed their flexibility by doing ships with families and community
the limbo, and played Island Golf and a volunteers. Their goal is to construct 18
Crazy Coconut Catapult game. new homes this year and 20 next year.

Wild Thyme Catering kept bellies Habitat homebuyers help build their
filled with passed hors d’oeuvres, a own homes through sweat equity and
bountiful charcuterie table overflow- volunteerism. They are also required
ing with meats and cheeses and, later, to attend financial education classes,
an island-style buffet dinner featur- earning them affordable mortgages so
ing Jamaican jerk pork tenderloin and that they can raise their families in de-
tropical shrimp kabobs served with cent housing.
fried plantains, coconut rice and pine-
apple salsa. Courtney Chambliss was one of the
homebuyer volunteers earning sweat
Dancers from the 14th Avenue equity toward her home purchase. She
Dance Studio entertained with some excitedly explained that without Habi-
fancy footwork, before giving group tat for Humanity, she would never have
instruction to brave participants who been able to purchase her own home.
gave it their all during a fast-paced
“People told me I couldn’t do it, but
I can. I’ve been on my own since I was
19,” shared the 23-year-old nursing
student, who currently pays 70 percent
of her income toward rent for a small
apartment. “It’s difficult to survive
when most of your money is going to-
ward rent. This is a game-changer for
me.”

On April 20, don your bunny ears for
the Habitrot & Realtors Hop for Habi-
tat 5K Run/Walk, 8 a.m. at South Beach
Park. For information, visit irchabitat.
org. 



26 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 Martin and Renee Bireley with Terry and Scott Turner. Dan and Eleanor Dixon with Bob Stull.
Laurie Collings, Maj. Eric Flowers and Anna Valencia Tillery.

Kevin Rott and Will Schlitt. Stefanie Krco. Cindy Hatfield and Courtney Chambliss. Dave Taylor and Bob Gray.

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28 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

In outstanding lagoon preservation efforts, we ‘Trust’

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Indian River Land Trust benefactors Jeff and Stephanie Pickering with Priscilla Kelly and John Zaninovich. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Georgia Welles and Toni Robinson.
and donors were celebrated last Thurs-
day evening at the Quail Valley River Karen Mayer, Laura Penfield and Ann Webber. life is amazing.”
Club for their continued support of the An innovative partnership with Bal-
nonprofit organization’s conservation Trust sites, and a four-year partnership They had never really experienced the
and preservation efforts. The event with GYAC – Wednesdays in Nature – lagoon.” let Vero Beach and the Charter High
was hosted by environmental advo- takes children out to Land Trust prop- School included taking young dancers
cates Bill and Laura Buck, and Dick erties. A Junior Scientist Fellows program to experience the lagoon environment
and Sally Brickman. with FAU-HBOI has Vero, Sebastian and mangroves prior to their dancing
Grudens said they realized the im- and Charter high school students as- in BVB’s Nutcracker on the Indian Riv-
Ken Grudens, IRLT executive direc- pact of the GYAC program after tak- sisting with scientific research on their er Lagoon productions.
tor, presented a slide show of accom- ing children to the Lagoon Greenway, Coastal Oaks Preserve site.
plishments and some of their partner- commenting on their astonishment af- And an FIT Bonefish and Tarpon
ships with other nonprofits such as ter reaching the observation deck over- “This property has every type of Trust program is finishing a two-year
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic looking the lagoon. “A couple of kids habitat you can find in Indian River fishery study looking at important
Institute, Florida Institute of Technolo- turned around and said, ‘What is this?’ County, all in one 220-acre block,” game fish moving in and out of the
gy, Ocean Research and Conservation said Grudens. “As a result, the wild- wetlands, which will help the IRLT to
Association, Gifford Youth Achieve- better manage their coastal systems
ment Center, Youth Sailing Foundation so as to improve the lifecycles of the
and Indian River Community Founda- sportfish.
tion. Grudens also introduced Dave
Fuss, IRLT’s new director of land stew- “We’re also working very hard to ac-
ardship. quire remaining undeveloped prop-
erty on the lagoon in our county,” said
“With your generous support over Grudens. “In many ways that’s our top
the past decade, the Land Trust has priority; it always has been. We’re at
made an enormous impact on the la- over 1,000 acres and 10 miles of shore-
goon, on the river itself, on the shore- line to date, and we’re in conversations
line and on the people of this commu- with landowners for another 200-plus
nity,” said Grudens. “Protecting the acres, and a mile or two of shore-
land that protects the lagoon is really line. Looking forward, opportuni-
our mantra, our tagline. What we’re ties abound. Looking back, thank you
trying to do with that is to improve the again, because we couldn’t have gotten
water quality and protect and enhance here without you.”
the wildlife habitats that we have in
this wonderful county.” For more information, visit irlt.org. 

He noted that through partnerships
with the Mosquito Control District
and the St. Johns River Management
District, they have installed lateral
culverts connecting wetlands with
the lagoon to improve its water quality
throughout the year.

ORCA is working to reduce shoreline
erosion by having local students grow
and plant vegetation at seven Land

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 29

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
Bill and Laura Buck with Dick Brickman.

Dave Fuss and Marsha Sherry. David and Katherine Dickenson.

George and Sheila Marshall. Natalie Holtom and Ken Grudens.

Marlynn and Bill Scully. John and Linda Johnson.

30 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 Sally and Jim Sullivan with Ann Taylor. Matt and Maggie Lechowicz with Roz Allen and Paul Landry.

Norman Fashek with Kristin Casalino and Greg Casalino,
and Jan and Sam Pratt.

Barbara Butts, Kit Donley and Mary Ellen McCarthy. Francie Cramb and Bob Puff. Sue Barrow and Bruce Heintz.



32 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Crossover Mission’s full-court press turns lives around

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF appeal and peer association to draw
Staff Writer them in and inspire them to work
toward their education. Crossover
The Crossover Mission Fifth An- AJ Jennings, Cathy De Schouwer, Antoine Jennings and Louis De Schouwer. PHOTOS :KAILA JONES draws in tough kids to provide them
niversary Celebration at the Grand with structure and a positive influ-
Harbor Golf Club was a slam dunk last constructive life experiences. ence.”
Thursday evening, where tuxedoed At Crossover’s inception, 40 percent
young men mingled with guests and Chris Foster and Mark Wygonik
discussed their progress in school and of the students had a 1.9 GPA or lower. created an elegant tone for the eve-
on the court. Today, less than 4 percent are in the ning, and Foster also choreographed
zero to 1.9 range, and 58 percent have a dribble-dance performed by Cross-
Crossover Mission, founded in 2014 over Mission High School Dribblers
by Antoine Jennings and Cathy De and dancer Kaylin Knudsen from In-
Schouwer, uses a love of basketball dian River Charter High School.
model to entice at-risk middle and
high school students to focus on aca- The boys dribbled lighted balls in
demics and aspire to a better life. a spectacular synchronized perfor-
mance that combined the grace and
“This has been the hardest, but beauty of the sport with the fluid
most rewarding, thing in my life,” said movements of the singular dancer.
Jennings, recalling school visits where
the teachers would talk to him about “This piece is an artistic reflec-
‘his’ students. “They weren’t tak- tion on the struggle of life and what
ing their academics seriously. We’ve our kids face every day. It’s a display
watched them grow and mature.” of unified movement, basketball,

By holding them accountable, pro-
viding structure and positive role
models, students who might other-
wise enter gangs, drop out of school or
become incarcerated, are exposed to

John Campione, Leslie Bergstrom and Kristin Hazelton with Deana and Todd Marchant.

a 2.7 GPA or higher. rhythm and light set to the powerful
“Rather than feeling like recipients music of life,” said De Schouwer.

of charity, participants of Crossover SRHS junior Antonio Jones, who
are part of an elite group of basket- hopes to pursue an arts career at
ball players who are being invested Ringling College of Art & Design, dis-
in and trained to become successful,” played several of his pencil drawings,
De Schouwer explained, crediting including one with the faces of men-
student successes to the deep con- tors who have helped him stay out of
nections built between mentors and trouble and improve his grades.
mentees.
Other students shared their ex-
De Schouwer cited a recent Unit- periences and feelings of gratitude,
ed Way report indicating that 4,000 and Vero Beach High School senior
young people in the county are un- Isaac Anderson, announced his ac-
served by existing youth programs. ceptance of a football scholarship to
Chowan University in North Caro-
“These youth are living in poverty, lina.
or at the level of the working poor
struggling to provide adequate hous- Crossover currently serves 75 chil-
ing and basic needs for their fami- dren and has plans to expand into
lies,” said De Schouwer. a facility of its own with basketball
courts, an academic center and ad-
Noting that unrestricted after- ministrative space.
school hours are a particularly dan-
gerous time for youth, De Schouwer For more information, visit cross-
said “it takes an activity with strong overmission.com. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 33

PEOPLE

Chris Foster and Mark Wygonik. Wanda Lincoln and Dick Chadwell with Trudie Rainone. George and Elke Fetterolf with Karen Loeffler and Ed Cortez.

Xaque Gruber with Deidre and Hal Bugbee.

Elizabeth De Schouwer, Tiffany Justice,
Pat Brier and Ava Justice

Antonio Jones, Sue Powell and Capt. Milo Thornton.
Nancy and Dave Stump.

34 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Art/craft mediums well served at ‘Under the Oaks’

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF .the wonderful selections, stopping
Staff Writer periodically to chat with artists from
around the nation about their various
Members of the Vero Beach Art Club techniques, styles, mediums and per-
painted a picture-perfect weekend spectives before deciding which new
for their 68th annual Under the Oaks pieces to add to their collections.
Fine Arts & Crafts Show, a juried art
show that raises funds for local schol- From March 29-31 at the Marsh Is-
arships and enrichment programs to land Clubhouse, the Vero Beach Art
help promote art through education. Club will host New Dimensions, a na-
tional juried and judged show featur-
More than 200 artists participated ing strictly 3-dimensional artwork. For
in the three-day art show, setting up more information, visit verobeachart-
their vendor booths under the majes- club.org. 
tic oaks in Riverside Park. Art enthusi-
asts scurried from tent to tent, taking 2019 UNDER THE OAKS FINE ARTS
in the vast array of mediums includ- & CRAFTS SHOW AWARDS
ing acrylics, glass, photography, pas-
tels, oils, wood, jewelry and pottery. Richard & Lillian Becker
Family Foundation Award
“The artists that we have partici-
pating this year have so many differ- for Best in Show:
ent, unique things to show. The crowd Bruce Holwerda,
seems to be more mesmerized by what Oil/Acrylic Category
they are seeing than in other shows,”
said Soozi Schuble, event co-chair Anna Marye Barnes Award:
with Alicia Quinn and Jodi Woodall. Dawn Miller

The show contained everything Watercolor/Pastel/Printmaking
from jewelry made using 50- to
100-year-old recycled piano ivory, to Ron Miller Award:
mundane images of everyday life jux- Minakshi De, Oil/Acrylic Category
taposed to create innovative pieces,
and lots of vibrantly colored works Jean Nagy Memorial Award:
featuring birds and dolphins as well Evan Schwarze, Acrylic/Oil
as abstract splashes of color.

Attendees strolled about perusing

Jodi Woodall.
Soozi Schuble.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 35

PEOPLE

Christine Kraft, Loretta Martin and Henry Kraft. Barbara Traub, Irene Matthews, Sheila Gallo, Kathleen Oelschlager and Richard Traub. Cathy Burke and David Hughes. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

Beth Rahaley, Julie Norcross and Judy Maus.

Elise Ross and Christine Sanzone.

Agnes Manganelli.
Nancy Mazurak, Bobby Mazurak and Barbara Sheehan.

36 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Kids rock at Boys & Girls Clubs’ awesome Angel Dinner

Bob and Wheatie Gibb with Sheridan and Clifton Morris. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Cathy Padgett, Judy Munn and Angie Levy.

BY MARY SCHENKEL greeted them at ‘Camp Angel Acres.’ He noted that their new Destina-
Staff Writer Event co-chairs Marcy DeWolfe and tions program, which has been chosen
as a finalist for an Impact 100 grant,
While real fire pits would have been Sandy Johnson and B&GC staff created is taking college and career prepara-
welcomed last Wednesday evening at a clever camp theme that pervaded tion to the next level. Full-time career
the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River throughout the Corporate Air hangar – counselor Laura Luettger is helping
County’s 18th annual Angels Din- from clever little ‘campfire’ centerpiec- teenage members “graduate from
ner, chilly guests were warmed by the es to assorted camp songs performed high school on time, apply for college
welcoming smiles of the children who by adorable club members – all serving or trade school and plan a career path
as a reminder that the proceeds would with a goal of becoming contributing
members of our communities with a
Marcy De Wolfe and Sandy Johnson. meaningful future.”

fund summer camp scholarships. Daytime summer camps operate in
Children from the Vero Beach, Se- all three clubs every year, and Munn
stressed the importance of donations
bastian and Fellsmere clubs cheer- toward scholarships, to keep their
fully shared their favorite experiences commitment that “no child is refused
with guests during a cocktail hour, participation due to a family’s inability
expounding on the assorted activities to pay.”
made available to them.
His last bit of exciting news was
Co-hosts Kiara Castro and Jaquan that they are going to break ground
Pledger of the Vero Beach Club em- soon for a new 8,000-square-foot,
ceed the program, joined on stage at state-of-the-art facility for the Fells-
various times throughout the program mere Club, and have already jump-
by other club members leading the started the capital campaign thanks
Pledge of Allegiance, invocation and to generous donors.
club code. Members later presented a
sidesplitting skit, shared testimonials Elizabeth Thomason, B&GC ex-
about what the clubs meant to them, ecutive director, introduced Male-
and sang creative localized versions of ah Rada, representing Indian River
popular camp songs. County as 2019 Boys & Girls Club
Youth of the Year. Rada, a five-year
“Children are the main event to- Vero Beach Club member, will next
night,” said Dan Sommers, board co- compete at the state level, and possi-
chairman with Bill Munn, adding that bly the regional and national levels.
the Angel Dinner is the organization’s
primary fundraiser. “All scholarship Rada eloquently related that be-
money raised tonight makes it possible ing a club member has helped her to
for hundreds of kids in our community make great friends and good grades,
to spend the summer in a safe and edu- introduced her to music theater, and
cational environment.” taught her to remain true to herself.

“The Boys and Girls Clubs have “As a candidate for Youth of the
flourished over the past year and we Year, I hope to inspire not only my fel-
are embarking on an incredible new low club members, but adults,” said
chapter for this organization,” said Rada. “I want to inspire them to lis-
Munn. ten, to care, and to understand what
youth of today are going through.”

For more information, visit bgcirc.
org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 37

PEOPLE

Kat Redner, Trudie Rainone and Martha Redner. Stacey Miller and Tom Nelson with Kyle and Debbie Morgan. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
Ned and Sherry Ann Dayton with Sherm Hotchkiss and Steve Dubord.

2019 Youth of the Year Maleah Rada with BGC
executive director Elizabeth Thomason.

Dan and Mary Jane Somers.

Rhiley with Nancy Lynch.
Jean Ueltschi and Sandy Crowell.

38 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 Fred and Carole Taylor with Laura and Rick McDermott. Judy and Bill Munn.
Kiara Castro and Jaquan Pledger.

665 4TH STREET, VERO BEACH, FL 32962

(772) 567-2005

Sandy and Bruce Hammonds, Sherm and Barb Hotchkiss and Sherri Petermann.

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SERVING VERO BEACH AND THE TREASURE COAST!

A VERY ‘FUNNY THING’ IS HAPPENING
AT THE THEATRE GUILD

40 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

A very ‘Funny Thing’ is happening at the Theatre Guild

BY PAM HARBAUGH Part of Pseudolus’ plan involves Hero,
Correspondent the son of his master, Senex. Then there’s
Philia, the virgin living in the next-door
As the climax of the big 61st season of R. Tara Giovannone as Philia. Rob Volsky brothel. The plan is that Hero and Philia
the Vero Beach Theatre Guild, it doesn’t as Marcus Lycus. should get together. The stone in the
come any better or funnier than “A Fun- PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES sandal of the plan is that she has been
ny Thing Happened on the Way to the promised to the notorious Roman sol-
Forum.” Isabel Garret (Courtesan), Martha Kelly dier, Miles Gloriosus.
(Domina), Gregory Harris (Pseudolus).
At heart, the show has a vaudeville For sure, Harris knows he has big
aesthetic, which means gags galore and shoes to fill. Part of the storied history of
frenzied pacing. Created by wit-meis- “Forum” is the list of legendary comics
ters Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, who have played Pseudolus: Zero Mo-
and musical genius Stephen Sondheim, stel, Phil Silver and Nathan Lane.
“Forum,” as it’s called by theater folk,
shot out of the gate in 1962 as a winner A movie version was made in 1966,
and remains one of the American the- again starring Zero Mostel as Pseu-
ater’s best loved musical comedies. It is dolus. In the role of Hero was Michael
also the most often produced by both Crawford, who would gain big fame in
amateur and professional theaters. the title role in Sir Andrew Lloyd Web-
ber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”
“We have a real strong cast with this
show,” says Jon Putzke, VBTG board A friendly guy with bounding ener-
president. “The audience is going to gy and a ready handshake, Harris has
laugh themselves into the aisles.” been on the VBTG stage in “Cabaret,”
“Hello, Dolly!” and “Jerry Finnegan’s
Leading the romp is Gregory Harris, Sister,” which he performed with his
the chorus and drama director at Storm wife, Caitlin. He has also music direct-
Grove Middle School. He takes on the ed “The Mikado,” “Pirates of Penzance”
leading role of Pseudolus, a conniving and “Cabaret.”
slave in Ancient Rome who, more than
anything, wants his freedom. He’s a quick study, he says, and that’s a
good thing because it was barely a week

BACKUS & BUTCHER
AND THE FLORIDA LANDSCAPE

Two Paths • One Passion

A. E. BACKUS (American, 1906-1990). EVERGLADES ISLAND, c. 1970. CLYDE BUTCHER (American, b.1941). CRYSTAL RIVER, 1994.
Oil on canvas. Collection of the A. E. Backus Museum & Gallery, 2008.B2.OC.3 Analog-Archival Silver Gelatin Print. Courtesy of the artist.

March 9 - April 28, 2019

Opening Reception

Friday, March 15, 2019 6 - 8 pm

Members Free / Not-Yet Members $20

SEE THE REVERENT VISION OF TWO MASTER ARTISTS CAPTURE THE ICONIC
MAJESTY OF THE SWAMPS, SHORES, GLADES AND SAVANNAS OF
THEIR HOME.

Exhibition Misty and
Sponsors: Michael
Minton

500 North Indian River Drive
Historic Downtown Fort Pierce

(772) 465-0630
www.BackusMuseum.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 41

ARTS & THEATRE

before opening that he stepped into the ly,” in which they moon over how lovely
role. “I’ve got the first act memorized al- it is to be lovely. Hysterium delivers “I’m
ready,” he says, one day after getting the Calm,” in which he desperately tries to
script. calm down. And Lycus, played by Rob
Volsky, Pseudolus and the Courtesans
At a technical rehearsal last week, perform in the bawdy number “The
where lights and sound cues are coordi- House of Marcus Lycus.”
nated with actors, Harris was question-
ing where on the stage he should stand. stage hijinks, which come to a sud- Caroline Remillard, Libbie Baylinson “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way
den halt whenever Erronius enters and and Isabel Garrett as the Courtesans. to the Forum” runs March 12-31 at the
“Do you want me up here, or down slowly trudges across the stage. Vero Beach Theater Guild, 2020 San Juan
there?” he says, pointing to the edge of But, for sure, there are still love songs, Ave., Vero Beach. It performs 7:30 p.m.
the stage. Joe Sears is Hysterium, a fellow slave done with appropriate attitude. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 2 p.m.
and only friend to Pseudolus. Sears also Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $15
Realizing his goal of turning in a sol- has extensive performance background Hero and Philia, played by Alex Mar- to $30. Call 772-562-8300 or visit Vero-
id performance, his fellow cast mates in upstate New York. His wife is a profes- tinez and Tara Giovannone, sing “Love- BeachTheatreGuild.com. 
cheered him on by saying “You’re doing sional musical accompanist.
great, Greg … Yeah, great!” ALWAYS IN STYLE
And then there are Eric Jones and Phil
Harris found that immensely heart- Markley who play the Proteans with a ALEX SEPKUS TRUNK SHOW
warming. slapstick deadpan humor evocative of
Buster Keaton. FRIDAY & SATURDAY
“It settles a lot of the nerves,” Harris MARCH 15TH-16TH
says. “Coming in at the 11th hour is very There is also Sondheim’s music and
nerve-racking. But to have the support lyrics. In fact, this was the first musical In a world where fine jewelry seems to follow the whim of fashion,
of everyone who has worked so hard is for which he wrote both the music and Alex Sepkus remains a true original. Don’t miss our two-day
extremely humbling.” lyrics.
trunk show and see for yourself why Alex Sepkus is always in style.
Fortunately, he already knows most “It’s stereotypical Sondheim,” says
of the songs because “Forum” is such music director Ben Rose. “His lyrics are
a popular show. “Like ‘Comedy To- genius. The melodies are just so well
night,’” he says. “I have sung snippets written and unique; smart and witty
of that since eighth grade.” even though it was written decades ago.

As far as his comic timing, Harris says A bit of theater history: The show’s
with a laugh, “I hope it’s funny!” opening number, “Comedy Tonight,”
was created as a Band-Aid of sorts for a
“(Harris) has a great sense of humor,” show thought to be ailing. It had origi-
Putzke says. “He has an overabundance nally opened with a love song, but Je-
of energy, is the most incredible quick rome Robbins, brought in to fix the
study. He stepped into the role of Cliff show, said it needed a jolt, a kick-start
(one of the leading roles) in ‘Cabaret’ for the humor.
at the Guild about three days before it
opened.” So Sondheim wrote “Comedy To-
night,” and the iconic beginning be-
Director Beth Shestak, herself a for- came: “Something familiar, something
mer professional actor, is confident that peculiar, something for everyone; a
every cast member will deliver the com- comedy tonight. Something appealing,
ic setups and punches with ease. something appalling, something for
everyone; a comedy tonight. Nothing
“Pseudolus is definitely the driving with kings, nothing with crowns; bring
force of the show,” she says. “It’s not an out the lovers, liars and clowns. Old
easy role. It’s wordy; song wise and act- situations, new complications, nothing
ing wise. But the great thing about this portentous or polite; tragedy tomorrow,
show is that it’s really an ensemble cast. comedy tonight.”
The major players are everyone and
they all have quite a bit of stage time.”

One of her favorites is Erronius, played
by Bill Lembeck, an old man who, in an
effort to rid his home of ghostly spirits
(conjured by Pseudolus), takes on the
task to walk around the Hills of Rome
seven times. The gag is heightened by

ATLANTIC CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA

S Ravel

Cello Concerto No. 1 Le Tombeau de Couperin

Julian Schwarz, Cello Medelssohn

Symphony No. 5 (Reformation)

Tuesday, April 2 Community Church
7:30 p.m. Vero Beach

CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA 772.460.0850

DAVID AMADO 2910 CARDINAL DRIVE, VERO BEACH • 772-234-6711 • THELAUGHINGDOGGALLERY.COM

Music Director & Conductor www. AtlanticClassicalOrch estra.com

42 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

‘Present Sense’: Craig-Martin’s unique art at Windsor

BY ELLEN FISCHER PHOTOS BY ARIC ATTAS da,” Stubblefield says. guitar, an iPhone.
Columnist That probably explains two paint- Speaking about his work in a video
sneaker (or “trainer,” as they say in Brit-
“What I love about it is that this ap- ain). The one on the left is green with ings of sunglasses, one tennis racquet, made for his 2015-16 exhibition at
peals to all age groups. My grandchil- red stripes on a blue ground; the one three running shoes, a credit card and Serpentine Gallery in London, Craig-
dren would totally get into this. That’s on the right is blue with red stripes on a Rolex-type watch. There is nothing Martin explained that his paintings
what I love about it,” says docent Linda a green ground. here, however, that a person in any are not about the objects they repre-
Stubblefield about the Gallery at Wind- first-world country would not find fa- sent; the painting itself is the object.
sor’s current exhibition. Titled “Present “For this show the artist was miliar: a coat hanger, a wristwatch, a And that, he says, “is the thing that’s
Sense,” it features paintings and sculp- thoughtful in his selection of pieces. so interesting about images.”
tures by London-based artist Michael He wanted things that go with Flori-
Craig-Martin. The show runs through For instance, if I wrote here that there
April 25 and is open to the public by ap- is a corkscrew in the show, you might go
pointment for docent-led tours. to the gallery to see it, and find a paint-
ing of a corkscrew instead. You did not
A stroll through the gallery explains see a corkscrew, of course, but you did
all. Craig-Martin’s large paintings de- see an object related in name to a cork-
pict objects found in many a house- screw. In other words, what we name
hold. Limned in bold black lines and things is what they become.
filled in with bright hues, you might
think of them as coloring book pictures It is a fine concept to base a career on,
for the cognoscenti. Among the images but Craig-Martin has done it with con-
on display is a giant headphone set in siderable success.
blue, purple and green on a pink back-
ground; a pair of aviator sunglasses If Andy Warhol (whose famously ba-
with purple lenses on a blue ground; nal subject matter included Brillo box-
and a diptych of two Adidas-style es and Campbell’s soup cans) called his
sneakers. In that one we see, depicted studio “The Factory” for its deadpan
in the center of the left and right pan- production of art products, the dis-
els, the outside profile of a right-footed passionate Craig-Martin has come full
circle in pursuit of the prosaic. While
Warhol said he wanted to be a machine,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44



44 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42 ARTS & THEATRE

Craig-Martin, over the course of his ing them for each new project.
half-century career, has become one His painting technique is equally
with the computer.
unruffled. He paints on aluminum
His current series of drawings began panels (the ultimate for flatness and
in the 1980s, when he created pictures stability) that are first painted a uni-
of common objects in black outline di- form black. After projecting a com-
rectly onto the white walls of the galler- puter-drawn subject onto a panel, he
ies in which they were shown. traces the outlines of the drawing in
painter’s tape, of a width that will cor-
While his drawing style has not respond to the outlines in the finished
changed since then, objects that were work. After filling in the taped areas
ubiquitous in the 1980s, such as VHS with acrylic paint (applied with 4-inch
tape, game consoles and the Walkman paint rollers for a seamless consistency
cassette player – all of which have been of surface), he removes the tape to re-
fodder for his art – have been replaced veal the crisp black outlines of the im-
by the iPhone. age, be it a jump drive or a box of fries.

Craig-Martin mused for the Serpen- In every stage, Craig-Martin avoids
tine video, “The iPhone sums up every- showing us his hand. The usual tale of
thing, doesn’t it? – because it’s the most the artist’s painterly progress, as evi-
iconic of the new objects, and it’s the denced by brushstrokes or paint drips,
(digital) object that’s replaced all the is invisible in his work.
analog objects.”
As might be expected, the artist nev-
When personal computers became er mixes colors, but uses them straight
widely available in the 1990s, Craig- from the manufacturer’s factory.
Martin began making his drawings on While the colors he uses do not corre-
them, says Stubblefield. spond to life (such as the show’s purple
and green American football), neither
“The computer opened a new world are his image colors based on a whim.
for him. Not only could he experiment The high-keyed hues encourage us to
with color on the computer before appreciate his pictures as carefully
making a decision regarding the colors crafted compositions, rather than as
he would use in a painting, he could symbols for things.
also experiment with scale and posi-
tioning,” before approaching his paint- Craig-Martin’s art may not be the
ing substrate in the flesh. Answer to Life, the Universe and Every-
thing, but it is hard not to smile when
She adds that after Craig-Martin you see a painting of a green high-
draws an image of a certain style of heeled pump, perfectly centered in a
shoe, or a basketball, or an electric fan, magenta square.
he digitally stores the image on his com-
puter, where he can retrieve it for future In a video made by Windsor for the
use. He has used certain images in this current exhibition, Craig-Martin as-
way over and over again, digitally resiz-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 45

ARTS & THEATRE

serts that he has “always tried to make that on first visiting Windsor, the artist with the Windsor exhibition. haps want to visit Windsor and see the
work that is accessible to anybody. I’m knew that his white picket gate sculp- Because of the collaboration be- exhibition” in its entirety, he said.
not interested in making something ture would have to go to the end of the
that you have to have a special degree allée of oaks leading from the entrance tween Windsor and the art museum, “a A luncheon at the Beach Club followed
to understand – I think that everybody off A1A to the community’s center. different audience might see it and per- by a tour of Michael Craig-Martin’s
can identify with what I do.” sculptures on the grounds at Windsor
A pair of umbrellas (one purple, one is being offered March 18; 11 a.m. exhi-
The fun is not limited to the confines yellow) situated on the golf course bition introduction, followed by a lun-
of the gallery. This is the first time that “look like they have been put down cheon ($25) and 12:30 p.m. sculpture
Windsor has shown an artist’s sculp- because of a passing shower,” says the tour via golf carts ($10 suggested dona-
tures on its grounds concurrently with artist in his Windsor video. His magen- tion to the Windsor Charitable Founda-
an exhibition in its gallery. ta “Garden Fork” stands at attention in tion). Docent-led group tours of The Gal-
a garden near the clubhouse and a red lery are available by appointment only;
Rendered in square steel tubing “Wheelbarrow” is parked with a view of $10 suggested donation. Contact the Gal-
and finished in a luscious pink indus- the stables beyond it. lery at 772-388-4071 or email gallery@
trial coating, the sculptural image of windsorflorida.com. 
a high heel looks like a shoe drawn on A sixth sculpture by Craig-Martin
air. More drawing than sculpture, it, titled “Bulb (magenta)” is on display at
along with four others Craig-Martin the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
sculptures placed about the property,
is simply an outline of welded steel that In a brochure about his sculptures at
appears to rest directly on the ground, Windsor, the artist wrote that he was
rather than on a base. “very touched” that the Vero Beach Mu-
seum of Art requested the loan of one of
Because they are composed only his sculptures to display concurrently
of outlines, you view the sculptures
by looking through them, as well as
at them. The environment in which
they are situated, therefore, is as im-
portant as the artworks themselves.
Set against the colonnaded backdrop
of a Windsor home, the curvy lines of
“High Heel (pink)” coyly flirt with the
austere architecture.

Craig-Martin’s dry sense of humor
comes through in his exacting place-
ment of the sculptures. Stubblefield says

46 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming Up: BSO gets its Irish up for St. Pat’s concert

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA the Saturday concert will include that evergreen hits have been recorded or
Staff Writer composer’s “Violin Concerto,” which performed by a seriously impressive
the maestro says is both delightful an range of music superstars, including
1 Marvelous music with a beguil- “unjustly neglected.” Violin soloist will Sinatra, Streisand, Glen Campbell, Art
ing touch o’ Erin: The Indian be Andrew Sords, new to the BSO and Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt, Michael
a great champion of this Dvorak work. Feinstein, Isaac Hayes, Judy Collins.
River Symphonic Association’s 2019 Time: 7:30 p.m. Call for ticket informa- But wait. There’s more. Seems Webb
tion: 321-242-2219. isn’t only a songwriter, he’s an author
Festival of Orchestras brings the au- as well. And the day before the con-
cert, Wednesday, March 20, at 4 p.m.,
dience-pleasing Brevard Symphony he’s making a special appearance at
the Vero Beach Book Center to talk
Orchestra to the Community Church about his 2017 memoir, entitled …
wait for it ... “The Cake and The Rain.”
this Sunday, March 17. Ever-exuber- 2 Did you ever wonder what the The Book Center calls it “a surprising
heck the lyrics to “MacArthur and unusual book,” praising Webb’s
ant Maestro Christopher Confessore talent “as a writer and storyteller.”
Concert showtime: 7 p.m. Tickets:
shares what’s in store in this St. Pat- Park” are about? Next Thursday, $35 to $75. www.MusicWorksConcert.
com or 800-595-4849.
rick’s Day concert. Have your han- March 21, you might find out who ac-

kies out, especially if you have even a tually did leave that cake out in the

drop of Irish blood: The concert opens rain. And whatever happened to the 3 Miami City Ballet March 15-17.

with Percy Grainger’s “Irish Tune from recipe? Internationally acclaimed Wynwood, the former warehouse dis-
trict which has become the arts hub of
County Derry,” that Confessore calls songwriter, composer and singer Jim- South Florida, explains the Kravis pro-
mo, Tony Award-winning choreogra-
“a lush setting for strings and horns” – my Webb brings his show, “An Eve- pher Justin Peck and celebrated visual
artist Shepard Fairey have beautifully
aka “Danny Boy.” You’ll be among the ning with Jimmy Webb,” to the Emer- merged these two divergent art forms
in a stunning collaboration created for
first to enjoy the regional premiere of son Center stage and, according to the Miami City Ballet. There will be a live
orchestra. Curtain: Friday, 8 p.m.; Sat-
the Romantic-era “Gaelic Symphony” show promo, it’s going to be lots more urday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m.
Tickets: start at $29. 561-832-7469. 
by Amy Beach, whom Confessore de- than an exciting concert of the music 3 A stunning joining of ballet and
guerrilla street art March 15-17:
scribes as “a gifted composer whose that made Webb a platinum hit win-

music we should all know.” Beach’s ner: “The Worst That Could Happen,” Imagine a ballet’s choreography influ-

work was composed during the same “Up, Up and Away,” “By the Time I enced by murals, street art and graf-

musically creative time as Dvorak’s in- Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” fiti. Or head south to West Palm this

comparable “New World Symphony,” “Galveston,” “All I Know” and, of weekend to see for yourself Miami City

and “shares the same style and spirit,” course, the iconic and puzzling “Ma- Ballet’s breathtaking “Heatscape,” at

notes Confessore. Speaking of Dvorak, cArthur Park.” Many of these beloved, the Kravis. Taking inspiration from



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50 Vero Beach 32963 / March 14, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Graham Greene, chronicler of hazy According to the management con- think-tank in London, talks of a “new continent, poised between two of its
entrepots, would have loved Djibouti. sultant McKinsey, there are now 10,000 scramble for Africa.” three great oceans.
A third of global shipping steams by Chinese businesses on the African con-
this little bit of north-east Africa. All tinent. China’s dramatic investments Comparisons to the European race This suggests that the continent will
the world, it seems, is crammed to- have encouraged other countries, most for colonies in the late 19th century increasingly be a place where interna-
gether in its capital. notably India, to follow suit. gall Africans keen to point out vast tional rivalries play out. In a speech
differences. It is true that the resourc- in December John Bolton, President
French, Italian and Japanese military At the same time, China is chang- es colonialists coveted still provide Donald Trump’s national security ad-
bases jostle each other near the shore. ing the terms of its engagement, in- a lure. But the new scramblers want viser, spoke of it as the site for a new
Camp Lemonnier, formerly run by the era of “great power competition.”
French Foreign Legion and now Ameri- CHINA NOW HAS ITS FIRST more than just a share of what Africa
ca’s only permanent military base in Af- MILITARY BASE IN DJIBOUTI has; they want a stake in what it is According to the Diplometrics proj-
rica, sits by the airport; China’s first such now trying to build – in the econo- ect at the University of Denver, more
base is a little to the north-west of it. Indi- creasingly cashing in economic con- mies and growing global stature of than 320 embassies or consulates were
an and British embassies will soon open. nections for political and military ties the world’s second-most-populous opened in Africa between 2010 and
– again with others, such as Turkey 2016. Turkey alone opened 26. The
Within weeks the Turkiye Diyanet and Russia, looking to do the same. boom continues: last year India an-
Foundation will open the largest mosque Alex Vines of Chatham House, a nounced it would open 18 more.
in east Africa in the city; the muezzin will
struggle to be heard amid the roar of Foreign leaders are supporting the
fighter jets overhead. From the top of diplomatic push. This year Vladimir
the minaret you can see China – not Putin, the Russian president, is set to
because it rises all the way to orbit, host the first Russia-Africa summit, a
but because there is a lot of China to tribute act to the triennial Forum on
see right in front of you. Africa-China Co-operation (FOCAC),
in Beijing. Hosted by President Xi Jin-
Djibouti is small, but it boasts a ping, last year’s FOCAC attracted more
multipurpose port, a railway to Ethio- African leaders than the annual meet-
pia and the beginnings of a free-trade ing of the UN General Assembly. Japan
zone which, once finished, will be the and Britain are also hosting gatherings
largest in Africa. They were all built by in the coming months.
Chinese state-owned firms and are at
least partly run by them. When not hosting African politi-
cians, foreign leaders are visiting them.