12/07/2017 ISSUE 49

Accused slayer finds acting as
own attorney not easy. P9
Fashionably Festive at
Tea Up for Nutcracker. P14

Shores cell tower work starts;
Vero cell tower will come down. P8

For breaking news visit

MY VERO More minorities
taking advanced
BY RAY MCNULTY classes, but how
many passing?
Hold it! You need a licensed
contractor for that repair BY KATHLEEN SLOAN
Staff Writer
Maybe you're thinking about PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD
slapping a new coat of paint on The Indian River County
your house. Or doing a little Hopeful hospital suitors present acquisition plans School District says it is mak-
remodeling. Or making a few ing some progress in enrolling
home repairs that you've been BY MICHELLE GENZ Indian River County’s first exists today, as the Indian more minority students in up-
putting off for months. Staff Writer hospital. River Medical Center seeks a per level classes, but it has no
much larger partner to take idea how many are passing.
Maybe Hurricanes Matthew In 1932, a 29-year-old By today’s standards, Gar- over its sprawling campus.
and Irma blew a couple of nurse from Nebraska shelled nett Radin’s gumption seems The School District recent-
shingles off your roof. out her own cash for a hotel boundless. But her wildest The institution Radin ly released a yearly, state-
gone bust and turned it into dreams probably never en- started with her $22,000 was required “equity report” that
Or maybe, with the local visaged the enterprise that lists how many minority stu-
real-estate market percolat- CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 dents are signing up for ad-
ing again, you want to invest vanced classes.
in some home improvements
before putting up that "For While the report shows a
Sale" sign. small increase in the number
of blacks and a slightly higher
Whatever the reason, you jump in the number of His-
need to educate yourself on panics taking these classes, it
who you can – and, more im- provides no information on
portantly, cannot – hire to do how they are doing.
the work without violating the
county building code and, in The idea behind the report is
some cases, state law. to keep an eye on how “equita-
ble” minority participation in
"Most people probably advanced classes is compared
don't know," said Dave Chec-
chi, one of the county's con- CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
tractor licensing investiga-
tors. "They're just looking for St. Paul’s Church
the best price." still not quite ready

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

One of county’s larger employers sues
former staff who formed a rival firm

BY BETH WALTON employers in Indian River BY RAY MCNULTY
Staff Writer County, is suing a group of its Staff Writer
former employees for alleg-
Two Vero Beach debt ser- edly stealing trade secrets and The Vero Beach headquarters of Omni Financial. PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD The new St. Paul’s Church,
vicing firms have taken their setting up a rival firm in viola- currently nearing completion
battle over proprietary infor- tion of non-compete and non- on Flamevine Lane, will not
mation to court. Omni Finan- disclosure contracts. be ready for Christmas Day
cial, one of the larger private services and probably won’t
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

December 7, 2017 Volume 10, Issue 49 Newsstand Price $1.00 Candy Run gets Vero
Christmas Parade off
News 1-12 Faith 67 Pets 56 TO ADVERTISE CALL to sweet start. P20
Arts 31-36 Games 47-49 Real Estate 69-80 772-559-4187
Books 46 Health 51-55 Style 57-59
Dining 60 Insight 37-50 Wine 61 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 44 People 13-30 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2017 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero According to county building of- OK," Checchi said. "But if they're be- hardware, and worn or broken appli-
ficials, if you hire someone to do any ing compensated, they need to be li- ance plugs.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 substantial projects, such as those in- censed."
volving electrical work, carpentry, re- Other jobs handymen are allowed to
And, all too often, they get the best modeling and even painting, you must Yes, that goes for your neighbor- do include assembling furniture, gas
price from a relative, friend or neigh- select a licensed contractor. hood handyman, too. grills and closet organizers; cleaning
bor who does handyman-type work, gutters, cleaning and changing ceil-
or perhaps a retired contractor trying On the other hand, you can do the "There are some things a handyman ing-fan blades, and cleaning and lu-
to pick up some extra cash doing odd work yourself – as long as you live on can do," Checchi said, "but there are a bricating sliding-glass doors; caulking
jobs. the property and acquire the neces- lot of limitations." tubs and sinks, adjusting closet doors,
sary permitting from the county – and fixing broken drawers and sticky win-
Depending on the type of work you it is okay for friends, relatives or neigh- In fact, the county has a long list dows, lubricating garage doors, doing
need done, however, going that route bors to help you, as long as they are of unregulated, specialty-trade jobs paint touch-ups, hanging pictures
could become more costly – in the not paid for their work. that a handyman is allowed to do. It and changing light bulbs.
form of fines ranging from $500 to includes installing door knobs, door
$2,000, possibly even criminal charg- "If you're doing the work on your locks, toilets, towel bars, mailboxes, But don't ask the handyman to
es. own home and they're helping out, mini-blinds, shelving and garage or- show you his certification – because
and you're not paying them? That's ganizers; replacing medicine cabi- this county doesn't offer a handyman
nets, sink fixtures, faucets, cabinet license. Nor do Brevard or St. Lucie
counties.

County building official Scott Mc-
Adam said the county has never of-
fered handyman licenses, probably
because it would be too difficult to
enforce the restrictions on what they
are permitted to do.

"There's no way to regulate them,
unless you catch them in the act,"
McAdam said. "You could get into a
situation where handymen are tak-
ing money out of the pockets of the
licensed contractors who are doing it
the right way."

Not only must licensed contractors
pass state – and sometimes local – ex-
aminations that test their knowledge
and competency, but they're also re-
quired to pay the necessary state and
county licensing fees, as well as pro-
vide workman's compensation insur-
ance for their employees.

The county issues nearly 100 types
of contractor licenses. You're probably
familiar with terms such as building
contractor, master electrician, jour-
neyman plumber and general en-
gineering contractor. Each of those
state-regulated professions require
applicants to pass a six-hour exam.

But the county also offers contrac-
tor licenses in 77 more-specific cat-
egories, including air-conditioning,
asphalt sealing and coating, burglar
and fire alarms, carpentry, dredging,
drywall, insulation, irrigation sprin-
klers, masonry, painting, paving, re-
frigeration, roofing, septic tanks, solar
heating insulation, swimming pools,
welding and well drilling.

Applicants for those licenses must
pass a three-hour exam.

There is a different type of exam –
three hours, open book – for another
category of more than 15 special-
ties that include cabinet installation,
fence erection, flooring, garage doors,
screen enclosures, tennis courts and
waterproofing.

I'm guessing most folks reading this
column had no idea so many of these
licenses existed. That's why I'm writ-
ing it.

"We see quite a bit of it," Checchi
said, referring to homeowners hiring

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 3

NEWS

workmen for projects that require li- Omni Financial sues rival Nov. 17 in the 19th Judicial Circuit ence, civil conspiracy, breach of fi-
censed contractors. "We get a lot of CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 alleging the former employees, in- duciary duty, fraudulent inducement
calls, most of them anonymous, from cluding Omni’s former president and and negligent misrepresentation.
people reporting work being done by Both companies specialize in lo- CEO, took proprietary information
unlicensed contractors and without a cating people and businesses with and clients when they left the large El Dorado is asking the court to stop
permit." large IRS or state tax liens and help- firm to be part of a startup enterprise, ACS Financial from operating and
ing them settle their debts. ACS Financial. award damages.
And when that happens?
"We go to the site and investigate," Omni Financial, which is owned by ACS Financial and seven former El West Palm Beach attorney David
Hunter said, adding that some of the El Dorado Financial, filed a lawsuit Dorado staff members are accused of Gobeo of Ford and Harrison LLP states
anonymous calls come from licensed breach of contract, tortious interfer- in the complaint that the former Omni
contractors who bid on the project,
only to see the job go to an unlicensed CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
worker. "We ask to see their license
and, if they don't have one, we stop Exclusively John’s Island
the job and issue a citation to the per-
son doing the work." Newly Renovated! Overlooking serene pool and Indian Lake views is
The homeowners also can be cited, this beautifully renovated 4BR home. Beamed T&G ceilings, Baltic
but only if they are aware that they've White Oak hardwood floors and custom finishes add warmth to this
hired an unlicensed contractor. 5,243± GSF retreat featuring a voluminous living room with fireplace
"Sometimes, the homeowners don't adjoining the expansive lanai, bonus theater room with bar, large center
know any better and were misled," island kitchen with premium appliances, luxurious master suite, 2nd
Hunter said. "Sometimes, they do level en-suite guest bedroom with tree-top views and A/C garage.
know . . . and they learn the hard way." 631 Indian Harbor Road : $3,200,000
In addition to imposing the fines,
Hunter said the county will report to three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
the Florida Department of Business health & fitness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equity membership
and Professional Regulation's law-
enforcement arm anyone who gets 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
caught contracting without a license
three times.
That's a first-degree misdemeanor
with penalties of up to one year in jail
and a $1,000 fine.
The state may increase the charge
to a third-degree felony, with penal-
ties of up to five years in prison and
a $5,000 fine, if the offense occurred
during a state of emergency declared
by executive order of the governor.
That law and the county code are
designed to protect homeowners from
potential lawsuits filed by unlicensed
contractors' uninsured workers who
might get injured on the job, Checchi
said, as well as to ensure projects are
properly permitted and, when com-
pleted, meet state, local and industry
standards.
The regulations also are designed to
protect the licensed contractors who
make the investment in their busi-
ness, paying to acquire the required
education and certification, providing
the necessary insurance for workers
and securing the proper permits.
"We're out in the field a lot, and we
try to be proactive, but we can't be
everywhere," Checchi said. "So we're
mostly reactionary. People call and we
check it out. The community is our
eyes and ears."
They're not going to catch every-
one, but they're trying.
"We get calls all the time," Hunter
said.
So before you pay your out-of-work
nephew to paint your bedroom or
hire the neighborhood handyman to
remodel your kitchen, make sure it’s
worth the money you hope to save.
It could end up costing you more
than you think. 

4 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Omni Financial sues rival tax relief industry prior to being trained gan was personally saddled with more former employees were all headed to
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 by, and working for, El Dorado. than $250,000 in IRS tax debt. one place – a new competitor that had
set up shop on 19th Street.
employees are using their training and “In fact, each individual defendant “To put it simply, I was down and
El Dorado’s institutional knowledge to started at El Dorado in an entry level out,” he writes online. “Through my A LinkedIn profile for Russell soon
ACS’ financial advantage. ACS Finan- position making approximately $10 own painful experience, I learned more boasted about his top-brass position at
cial misled customers to get them to an hour.” about settling tax debts than most law- ACS Financial, Gobeo writes in the com-
switch firms, and improperly solicited yers and CPAs will learn in a lifetime. plaint. The lawsuit further alleges the
clients using confidential information, Matthew Mulligan started Omni Therefore, slowly but surely, I built a executive sold his shares of El Dorado’s
according to the suit. Financial, located on 5th Avenue in successful tax representation business.” holdings back to the firm in bad faith as
Vero Beach, in 2002 after hiring a high- he prepared to leave the company.
El Dorado Financial invested heavily profile law firm and filing for Chapter Mulligan and his attorney declined
in its human resources with one of the 11 bankruptcy in an attempt to save a to comment for this story. But, their “ACS Financial and Russell are
defendants earning more than $300,000 previous company that was drowning legal complaint describes El Dorado’s wrongfully and continuously taking El
a year, Gobeo adds. “The individual de- in tax debt. business model as follows: Dorado employees in order to learn El
fendants did not have experience in the Dorado’s processes because this is the
According to Omni Financial’s web- Sales representatives contact peo- only way to obtain El Dorado’s knowl-
site, the firm failed anyway, despite ple in need of assistance, negotiate a edge without expending the same re-
the high-priced lawyers, and Mulli- fee and then help establish payment sources,” Gobeo argues.
plans, penalty abatements and other
tax settlement opportunities. “El Do- “Defendants have taken proprietary
rado’s employees are not simple tele- and confidential information and so-
marketers or salespeople, but instead licited active customers from El Do-
have a deep understanding of when to rado, and are using this information to
contact the right potential customers unfairly compete.”
and what to say,” Gobeo writes.
Included in the complaint is an af-
ACS Financial filed Articles of Or- fidavit taken from Isabella Caraballo.
ganization with the State of Florida in Caraballo left El Dorado to go to ACS for
March 2017, according to El Dorado’s a larger salary earlier this year, but then
lawsuit. The move coincided with a returned to her original firm citing dis-
termination and several resignations agreements with her new supervisor.
at El Dorado from April through Sep-
tember. Andrew Russell, the compa- She says in her sworn statement
ny’s onetime president and CEO, was that ACS Financial has “emulated El
among those who jumped ship. Dorado’s business methods in a num-
ber of ways, including forms, letters
It was then that remaining execu- and procedures.”
tives at El Dorado noticed many of its
In October, El Dorado sent notice to

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 5

NEWS

the defendants in the lawsuit remind- ACS Financial and its representatives teamed up with Russell and others Vocelle called the charges against
ing them of their contractual obliga- have 20 days from the service of the legal said he would not talk about some- ACS Financial and its staff “baseless
tions. It did not work. Employees re- summons to respond to the court, but thing he hadn’t read, and that he was and unfounded.”
sponded with a form letter asking for Chris Marshall, the CFO and a co-owner busy building the new business. He
more information. Several claimed of ACS Financial, said last week he had referred all comments to the firm’s at- “They look forward to the oppor-
they had no access to any of El Do- yet to receive a summons in the case. torney, Louis Vocelle Jr., with Vocelle tunity to present the real facts which
rado’s proprietary knowledge. & Berg in Vero Beach. will disprove these spurious allega-
The New York native who has tions,” he said. 

6 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Hospital suitors float its notion of including IRMC in company agreed to pay the district’s stage. Rather, the focus should be
its esteemed brand. Cleveland Clinic’s existing and future debt, including what is best for future health care for
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 only other hospital outside of Ohio is bonds. To date that sum totals $80.8 members of the community.
in Broward County, about two hours million.
appraised last year at more than $150 south of Vero. “Whether money goes to the dis-
million. That was just the land, bricks The IRMC lease runs through 2034, trict or the hospital or a community
and mortar, not equipment, machin- The last presentations by consul- but when a new partner is selected, foundation, it’s not the time to start
ery or furnishings. It also didn’t include tants which were open to the pub- an amended lease will likely be nego- worrying about that. You should be
intangibles like the reputation of the lic drew a packed room of interested tiated; all four finalists, including the finding partners that you want to
hospital, the devotion of its wealthy citizens. Prior to that, though, pub- only for-profit chain, HCA, are look- explore a relationship with. We’ll get
donors, and its strong position in an lic interest in the process had disap- ing to lease the buildings, not buy to the 75-page contracts down the
attractive market. pointed hospital officials, particularly them outright. All offered to spend road.” 
the elected trustees of the Indian River large sums on the property over the
Those are all desirables that four County Hospital District Board, who next five to 10 years – up to $265 mil- St. Paul’s Church
leading healthcare companies are are charged with protecting taxpayers’ lion, in the case of HCA. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
making a pitch for in person this week financial interest in the hospital.
in the hospital’s administration wing. Two of three non-profits would open its doors to worshipers until ear-
That Hospital District, acting on be- take control of the hospital in what is ly 2018.
Orlando Health was first up Tues- half of taxpayers, owns the land and known as a member substitution, as-
day. That company, a nonprofit, owns most of the buildings on the hospital suming both hospital corporation as- St. Paul’s Rector Jon Robbins was
the well-respected Orlando Regional campus. They comprise the majority sets and debts. The third nonprofit, planning to welcome congregants to
Medical Center. Thursday afternoon of a portfolio of healthcare-related real Orlando Health, tentatively proposed the new sanctuary on Oct. 8, but de-
at 3:30 p.m., the for-profit health care estate owned by the District. an asset purchase, but was said to be lays in the final phases of construction
giant HCA was to make its pitch and flexible about its acquisition structure. – some caused by Hurricane Irma –
explain its interest in owning anoth- While Nurse Radin ran the hospi- forced him to push back the scheduled
er hospital so close to one it already tal for years even after the formation HCA also suggested an asset pur- date of the first service to November.
owns, Lawnwood Regional Medical of the Hospital District in the 1950s, chase. The assets purchased would
Center in Fort Pierce. today the hospital is operated by an likely include hospital equipment and But delays continue to plague the
independent nonprofit corporation, supplies and medical facilities not project, located just west of Ocean Drive
Then Friday morning, Adventist IRMH Inc. Its lease with the district owned by the Hospital District. in the Central Beach business district.
Health System, the faith-based chain goes back to May 1985, when it was
which owns Orlando’s Florida Hospi- agreed that what was then called In- As for the presentations this week, “We are working hard to get the
tal, was to make its presentation at 11 dian River Memorial Hospital would Barry Sagraves, a consultant from church open,” Robbins wrote in a text
a.m. And Saturday, also at 11 a.m., the take over medical center operations. the Chicago-based Juniper Advisory, to Vero Beach 32963 on Sunday night.
renowned Cleveland Clinic was set to urged hospital and district officials
As “rent,” the hospital management not to think about dollars at this

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 7

NEWS

“We hope to have a Certificate of Oc- based on what I’m seeing here, it “It also affect the subcontractors, who The church has room for only 20
cupancy before Jan. 1.” looks like they’re getting there.” get offers to do work elsewhere at a parking spaces on its property, but the
higher rate. We’re having some infra- agreement provides enough parking
Robbins refused to comment on Robbins said work on the new structure issues, too.” to accommodate its 150-seat sanctu-
the latest delay, other than to say it church came to a halt as Hurricane ary. The 6,500-square-foot, two-story
had nothing to do with parking – a Irma passed through the area in Sep- Robbins held a groundbreaking cer- building also will include administra-
now-resolved issue that prevented tember, shutting down construction emony on the site in May 2016, after tive offices and classrooms on the sec-
the church from acquiring the initial for more than a week. the church finally secured a shared- ond floor.
permits it needed from the building parking agreement with a neighbor-
division of the county’s community “Whenever you have a storm like ing business, the Amalgamated Realty St. Paul’s has “just over 100 mem-
development department. that, it puts pressure on your supply Corporation. bers,” Robbins said, but not all are
chain,” Robbins said in September. regular church-goers. He said church
“We’re complying in every way with leaders and members of the congrega-
the parking requirements outlined in tion are “sensitive” to the concerns of
the [county building] code,” Robbins their beach business district neighbors.
wrote.
The St. Paul’s ministry was estab-
So what obstacle is preventing the lished five years ago with Robbins as
church from getting a final approval its rector – the Anglican Church’s title
from the county? for pastor – and held services in a con-
ference room at the old Surf Club Ho-
Scott McAdam, a county building of- tel until it was torn down.
ficial, said he found nothing out of the
ordinary in the project’s paperwork. The church then moved its services to
the Garden Club of Indian River Coun-
“I don’t see any red flags,” McAd- ty, where they are expected to remain
am said. “I don’t see anything in our until the new building is completed.
records that shows any issues that
would cause any delays in getting the St. Paul’s had been seeking a per-
CO. There’s nothing here that points manent home for more than a year
to any difficulties. It looks like things when a donor stepped forward dur-
are moving along and construction is ing the first half of 2014 and gave the
getting close to the end. church the $1 million it needed to
purchase the then-vacant property at
“I’m not too familiar with the spe- 969-999 Flamevine Lane. The sale was
cifics of this particular project, so completed in July 2014. 
maybe there are some other issues
I don’t know about,” he added. “But

8 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Shores cell tower work begins; Vero tower will be coming down

BY LISA ZAHNER mitted and built before the old one adjustments to city code in a memo: zoned area on both sides of U.S. 1
Staff Writer comes down. “The proposed amendment would from the Historic Downtown district
allow non-stealth antenna-support- south to the city limits.
Just as site-clearing work finally The new tower is expected to be ing structures to be located in POI
began last week for the long-awaited built west of the Citrus Bank build- (Professional Office Industrial) zon- The proposed code amendment
cell tower in the Town of Indian River ing, according to Vero Planning Di- ing districts as a conditional use and would prohibit any attempt at cam-
Shores, the City of Vero Beach is fac- rector Tim McGarry. “The proposed allow the height of antenna-support- ouflaging the tower as a pine tree, like
ing a cellular challenge of its own – location is just off of the 17th Street ing structures . . . up to 199 feet with the one Shores’ contractor Datapath
the need to relocate a cell tower on and Indian River Boulevard on prop- conditional use approval.” Tower is building next to the Town’s
the Big Blue power plant property erty that abuts 18th Street,” McGarry Public Safety Department.
that must come down as part of de- said. “The current maximum height for
commissioning. both stealth and non-stealth anten- McGarry told the council that a
That’s east of the Rockridge neigh- na-supporting structures is 100 feet,” “monopine” tower clad with artificial
A little-known, 146-foot tower atop borhood, a large pocket of single- he added. tree limbs would not be consistent
the power plant, that extends a total family homes and condos that are with the surrounding vegetation and
of 208 feet up into the air, serves Vero not in the city limits but in the unin- A map of the city’s zoning districts would look rather silly popping out of
Isles, the heart of the city’s commer- corporated county. shows where future towers might be the existing tree canopy, so the new
cial district and part of the barrier permitted, if necessary. tower in Vero will be an old-school
island. It’s been there since 1993, but “It will be a standalone tower,” Mc- monopole that looks like what it is – a
was hard to see amidst the stacks and Garry said, meaning it will not be an- There are pockets of Professional tall structure designed to support cel-
all the other utility equipment on top other tower placed atop an existing Office and Industrial zoning around lular phone company antennas.
of the power plant. building. the city, with most of it centered
around Route 60 in the western half Any tower built higher than 100
The good news is that, with FPL tak- It’s not the appropriate time yet of the city. feet in Vero would be required to have
ing over the substation and switching for the Clearwater-based tower con- the capacity for at least three carriers,
equipment embedded in the plant tractor Crowne Castle to request ap- Industrial zoning is present on and a provision added by the city’s Plan-
while a new substation is constructed proval of a particular site, McGarry around the Vero Beach Regional Air- ning and Zoning Board when it unan-
on the Old Postal Annex property on said. “They are proposing a 199-foot port property, in the area of the city’s imously approved Crowne Castle’s
the southwest corner of 17th Street supporting structure [and] they can’t power and wastewater plants, east of request on Oct. 5 and recommended
and Indian River Boulevard, there’s submit an application until the regu- the Indian River County complex and the City Council make the changes
time to get a new tower planned, per- lations have been finalized and they along U.S. 1 from the airport to about necessary to replace the tower and
hold a neighborhood meeting.” 22nd Street. maintain cell service. 

McGarry explained the pending There’s also a large, industrial-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 9

NEWS

Man charged with island murder struggles as own attorney

BY BETH WALTON pointments on his behalf, at least not in the trunk of her car and then drive he is planning an insanity defense,
Staff Writer on the taxpayer dollar. it into a lake, but there were compli- claiming his wife’s behavior drove
cations with his plan,” Partee report- him crazy.
Money is just one of the many “They are investigators, they are not ed.
problems facing a former island secretaries,” Cox said. She advised Per- The couple’s rocky marriage had vi-
resident accused of murdering his kins that he could pay for the service Perkins told police he shot his wife olent run-ins as far back as 2008, court
estranged wife in 2015 because, ac- himself. because “she took money out of their records show, but the two were still
cording to him, she nagged him too banking account without his knowl- 50/50 partners in a home-based busi-
much and took money from a joint The problem there is that Perkins, edge and because she continually ness called Target Electronics, which
bank account. 59, has no money and has been de- nagged him,” documents allege. He marketed products to the military.
clared indigent by the state. later pled not guilty to first-degree
Asbury Perkins II, who has chosen to murder. Court documents suggest Allowing his state-hired private in-
act as his own attorney and has been He was taken into custody Novem-
found indigent by the court, struggled ber 2015 after authorities found him CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Wednesday to adequately prepare his at the home of his wife, Cynthia Betts,
defense for trial. on Seagrape Drive near the Moorings
with her dead body rolled up in a rug,
He won a victory when Judge Cyn- according to an affidavit for his ar-
thia Cox granted his motion for tem- rest.
porary leave from jail to conduct
depositions in his case, but the per- Someone had shot the 63-year-old
mission may not do him much good woman four times, Detective Ross
since he doesn’t have the ability to Partee wrote in the report. There ap-
schedule deposition appointments peared to be gunshot wounds in the
from his county jail cell. back of her head, in her eye, in her
chest and in her back. The woman had
Cox gave Perkins permission to been dead for at least 24 hours, one
question his former public defender, a sergeant estimated.
prosecutor and the attorneys who rep-
resented him and his wife during pre- There was a blood trail between the
vious disputes, but she wouldn’t allow laundry room and a bedroom and a
his investigative team to schedule ap- loaded .38 caliber revolver in a dress-
er drawer. “Perkins advised that he
was going to put Cynthia Betts’ body



Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 11

NEWS

Advanced classes it was good enough to help the local
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 district gain recognition as “one of 425
school districts on the Honor Roll for
to participation by white students as College Board’s 6th Annual AP Honor
a way of seeing if the School District Districts . . . for expanding access to
– which has labored under a federal AP courses, improving student perfor-
desegregation order for decades – is mance and supporting student suc-
helping minority students catch up in cess.”
terms of educational success.
By way of measuring success, state
But the report does not include sta- records show 50 percent of the students
tistics for how well minority students in Indian River County taking Advanced
are doing in the upper-level classes Placement Classes passed them, which
they sign up for, rendering it meaning- is close to the statewide average.
less for measuring the progress or suc-
cess of black and Hispanic students. The pass rate here for the Interna-
tional Baccalaureate exam was 75 per-
The School District’s recently-re- cent, slightly lower than the statewide
leased equity report states 25 percent pass rate of 82 percent.
of the county’s white high school stu-
dents took Advanced Placement and But the state statistics don’t break
International Baccalaureate classes, down the success rate by race, and the
while just 7 percent of black students School District says it doesn’t know
and 12 percent of Hispanic students how many black or Hispanic students
enrolled in those courses. passed the upper level course either.

On its face, the report indicates a de- When Vero Beach 32963 asked
gree of progress, showing black enroll- School District officials for the pass
ment in upper level courses increased rate for white and minority students,
locally by 6 students – bringing the the district said it does not keep track
total enrolled to 63 of the 875 black of those numbers.
students – and upped Hispanic enroll-
ment by 40 students, bringing the total If, as Superintendent Mark Rendell
to 136 of the 1,128 Hispanic students. claims, preparing more minority stu-
dents for college is an important goal,
That might not sound like a giant how can the goal be achieved if the
leap forward for minority students but School District is not keeping track of
how well minority students are doing
in college prep classes? 

12 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Acting as own attorney The Justice Administration Commis- Later, when Perkins asked for the re- her Power of Attorney for personal
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 sion sets strict guidelines for how ven- turn of $1,600 he said deputies found and business matters.
dors can be paid. in his home at the time of his arrest,
vestigator Pedro Fernandez-Ruiz to the judge joked he could use that This is not a civil court, said Tay-
make deposition appointments will Perkins then inquired how best to money to hire a clerical aide. lor. A criminal felony court is not the
make preparations for trial more effi- schedule his depositions from jail, place to adjudicate a probate dispute.
cient, said Perkins, who has been held even, at one point, turning to the Prosecutors fought against the re- The prosecution also intends to use
at the Indian River County Jail without prosecution for help. Assistant State lease of the funds, arguing that there the money as evidence, he added. “It
bond for nearly two years. They have Attorney Chris Taylor had previously was a high probability the money be- will be used to show motive.”
better access to technology like email offered to set up a telephone deposi- longed to the deceased.
than he does at the jail. tion for the defendant. Cox again declined Perkins’ re-
At the time of his arrest, facing quest. “I have read the arrest affi-
Cox declined his request. The com- “I changed my mind, judge. Let him previous DUI and domestic violence davits and there are allegations that
pany was approved for payment for schedule it,” said Taylor, appearing ex- charges, Perkins had already been money was a motivation,” she said.
investigative purposes only, such as hausted by Perkins’ lengthy and unor- declared too poor to afford his own
locating potential witnesses, she said. ganized pretrial arguments. “And if he attorney. The couple’s South Beach Perkins then complained that the
can’t, that’s the break for representing home had been quit-claim deeded victim’s family sold the couple’s prop-
yourself.” over to his wife and Perkins had given erty and he hadn’t seen any of the
funds, not even $5,000 he says he is
owed.

The island home in the 2100 block of
Seagrape Drive was sold for $735,100
in August 2016, some nine months
after the murder. Proceeds went to a
personal representative of Betts.

Betts’ Last Will and Testament be-
queathed nearly all her worldly pos-
sessions to her brother in New Jersey,
or as a backup, to her father. Should
Betts perish, the will stated, Perkins
was to only receive $5,000, some
“household goods” and his wife’s Vol-
vo station wagon.

Perkins spent the remainder of the
1-hour hearing Wednesday asking the
judge for help locating and paying for

Asbury Perkins II PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD

access to public records. He said he
was confused how to get cellphone
and 911 call data and how to enforce
earlier court orders. He said he need-
ed a computer forensic expert.

“I can’t be your attorney, sir,” Cox
said, approving an additional 75 hours
of work for his investigative team. “Let
them do their job. I don’t want to de-
lay this case any longer.”

Taylor told the court the prosecu-
tion had given the defendant a flash
drive of evidence he was entitled to
as part of discovery. He also reminded
the judge that public entities have the
right to charge for public records. “If
he doesn’t have the money, that’s his
problem,” he said.

Perkins is due in court again in De-
cember. A trial date has not yet been
set. 

FASHIONABLY FESTIVE AT TEA UP
FOR NUTCRACKER BENEFIT

14 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Adam Schnell, Ellen Walker and Camilo Rodriguez.

PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Charlee and Lucy Hyde. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Julianna and Noah Niemi. Henley Lowe and Mollie Power.

Fashionably festive at Tea Up for Nutcracker benefit

BY MARY SCHENKEL Ballet Vero Beach’s Travis Halsey. He related that in a recent article, front of the audience just like every-
Staff Writer Even the delightful centerpieces Miami City Ballet, an obviously much one else. And the production itself re-
larger organization, said it was proud ally represents a knitting together of
Roughly 150 people, including per- played to the theme; six different de- to have 12 students from their out- all of our mission areas. We’ve never
fectly behaved children, were treated signs by Ashley Dowdell and Marylou reach program performing in their been able to get the kids from the Tick-
to a very special fashion show that Robins featured the types of unique Nutcracker this year. “We have 24,” et Donation Program on stage before
gave a sneak peek of wonderful things Indian River Lagoon flora and fauna said Schnell. and this production takes them from
to come at the second annual Tea Up characters which will be showcased being passive audience members to
for the Nutcracker luncheon last Sat- in the ballet’s second act. The 24 (12 Boys and Girls Club, eight active participants. I think that that’s
urday afternoon at the Oak Harbor Indian River Academy and four Youth the transformation.”
Club to benefit Ballet Vero Beach. “At Ballet Vero Beach, our mis- Guidance) will be among the roughly
sion is to promote the art of dance 50 youngsters who will dance along- After the show, patient little ones
After lunch, local supporters of as a universal language in our com- side 23 professionals in the produc- were kept busy with miniature golf
the ballet and some adorable young- munity and beyond. And we do that tion. and Christmas cookie decorating
sters walked the runway wearing fes- through performances by our resi- while waiting their turn for a visit with
tive holiday attire from Casp Baby, dential company, our education and “When I was designing the program Santa as the adults indulged in gour-
GT Rhodes, Lily Pad, Sara Campbell, community outreach initiatives and I wanted to make sure that it was not met desserts.
Sassy Boutique, Vernon Scott and performances by reputable national just for kids that were in dance class. I
Wrare Doll. Interspersed were student and international dance artists,” said wanted to give the opportunity to kids Nutcracker on the Indian River
performers from the upcoming world Adam Schnell, artistic director/CEO, that maybe had never been on stage performances will take place 8 p.m.
premiere of Nutcracker on the Indian in a short speech before the fashion before,” said Schnell. “Camilo (Ballet Dec. 29 and 2 p.m. Dec. 30 at the Vero
River, presenting a preview of a few show. “Now what does that mean? Master Camilo Rodriguez) and I have Beach High School Performing Arts
of the creative costumes designed by That means we don’t do anything the been rehearsing them since Septem- Center. For more information, visit
easy way.” ber and they’ll get to be out there in balletverobeach.org. 



16 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Cathy Padgett, Carole Jean Jordan and Chris Sexton. Matilde Sorensen, Elizabeth Sorensen and Gena Grove.
Linda Downey and Fran Pieck.

Judy Munn, Sally Spilman, Lynn Dudgeon and Karla Spooner. Stephanie MacWilliam, Tammy Theoharis and Deana Marchant.

Why Choose Kitchens By Design?

We Handle your Project from Concept to Completions
Kitchens by Design reputation is earned daily by quality
• The Treasure Coast’s most Comprehensive, Professional Showroom
• Extensive Collection of Styles and Finishes to Meet Your Budget
• Convenient Hours or By Appointment • Remodeling specialists

Call Kitchens By Design to Schedule a Consultation (772) 562-2288
www.kitchensvero.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 17

PEOPLE

Kathleen O’Brien, Kendra Nagy and Tara Schweitzer. Merle Hedges, Nadia Meek, Andrea Casale and daughter Juniper Casale. Lexi Parker and daughter Gracie Mae Parker.

George Harper. Eileen Connelly and Linda Beardslee.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Joy of giving ‘plane’ to see at Toys for Tots fly-in

BY MARY SCHENKEL ing of pilots, who had flown in from all
Staff Writer around the state, also enjoyed a bounti-
ful breakfast buffet at CJ Cannons.
Instead of a boatload of toys, members
of the Florida Cub Flyers and Florida “This is a good central location here
Antique Biplane Association converged in Vero because we can pull in people
on the Vero Beach Regional Airport last from everywhere,” said Larry Robin-
Saturday to deliver planeloads of play- son, who flew up from the Willis Glider-
things for the Marine Corps’ Toys for port fly-in community west of Boynton
Tots program. The congenial gather- Beach. “And also, they treat us really
well in the restaurant. It’s a good group;

Carl Miller and Larry Robinson. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD

a lot of us have known each other for- fly-in many years ago, added, “We try to
ever. It’s a very tight community.” do two of what we call socially redeem-
ing functions.”
Robinson, who is credited with ar-
ranging the groups’ first Toys for Tots “Next month we’re going to Belle

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ PEOPLE Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 19

Mark and Mary White. Roger and Terese Brown. Glade to give rides to children and in-
Gigi and Pete Hall. Marge and Josh Murray. troduce them to the joys of aviation,”
said Vero Beach resident Carl Miller, a
founding member of the Florida Cub
Flyers.

Their two groups will join forces with
the U.S. Experimental Aircraft Asso-
ciation for its Young Eagle program that
day. Robinson said a fourth group, the
OFFC, will also be involved, adding with
a smile, “It stands for the Old Farts Fly-
ing Club; it’s all a bunch of gray-haired
people who fly.”

Saturday’s impressive collection of
Cubs and biplanes included a 1941 Stea-
rman Open Cockpit, a pre-war plane
used to train fighter pilots, and Miller’s
bright yellow Piper Cub 1941 J-3, anoth-
er trainer aircraft.

“Donna and I have had that airplane
almost 10 years,” said Miller, crediting
his wife for restoring the plane back to
factory new. Their efforts were reward-
ed with the ‘Best in Authenticity’ Award
at Piper Aircraft’s recent 80th Anniver-
sary Celebration.

Although the two clubs are chap-
ters of the Antique Airplane Associa-
tion, some of the planes on Saturday
were newer versions, including a new
state-of-the-art Carbon Cub and a
2013 Legend Cub with Carbon Fiber
Amphibious Floats. 

20 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Candy Run gets Christmas Parade off to a sweet start

Vero Beach was rocking last Saturday
as Santa Claus came to town atop an
elaborate Dubose & Son sleigh at the
33rd annual Vero Beach Christmas Pa-
rade, sponsored by the Oceanside Busi-
ness Association and the Sunrise Rotary
Club. Visitors and residents by the thou-
sands, many as festively adorned as the
parade participants, lined Ocean Drive,
eager to join in on one of Vero’s most
beloved holiday traditions. The Run-
ner’s Depot Candy Cane 3K preceded
2 the parade, with decorative runners set-
ting the joyful tone. Then, in true small-
town fashion, viewers and participants
alike got into the holiday spirit, waving
to one another as their friends and fam-
ily members from schools and churches,
sporting groups, civic groups, clubs and
businesses merrily made their way. Mu-
sic from marching bands and even bag-
pipers were interspersed between floats
blaring sirens and Christmas carols.
Twinkling lights were everywhere, from
simple glow-light necklaces to extrava-
gant truck-bed scenes, lighting up chil-
dren’s faces with wonder. 
13

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION Coming Soon
ONLY 3 LEFT
Hutchinson Island, Florida

6 Luxury Inlet Front Townhomes
Including Boat Slips

intletpalms.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 21

PEOPLE

4 56 PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

7

8

1. Tamie Gadd with children Colten and Bodie.

2. Michael and Addie Peragine with daughters

Nadiya and Liz. 3. Karen Kolchin and Sharon

Ritchie. 4. Emily Colontrelle with sons

Nicky, Chase and Jackson. 5. Jeri Lynn and

Richard Kranze with granddaughter Audrey

Elliot. 6. Michelle Bigge, Midge Montgomery

and Kathy De La Cruz. 7. Susan Hanner

and Meg Sweetland. 8. Teresa Przybysz

and Eric Feightner. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD

22 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

Come Experience Our Showroom

Our Investment Grade Inventory Awaits You!

ROSNER
MOTORSPORTS

We Offer A Wide Selection
of Exotic, Vintage,

and Affordable Luxury Vehicles.

WE OFFER:
Vehicle Sale  Concierge Services

Financing  Consignment

“We Always Pay Contact Us
Top Dollar For Special Sales: (772) 469-4600
rosnermotorsports.com
Interest Vehicles” 2813 Flight Safety Dr., Vero Beach, FL 32960

Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00AM - 6:00PM  Saturday: 9:00AM - 5:00PM  Sunday: By Appointment Only

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 23

PEOPLE

This Holiday Season
Give Yourself the
Gift of a Lift

SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
• Minimal Incision Lift for the
Face, Body, Neck & Brow
• Breast Augmentations & Reductions
• Post Cancer Reconstructions
• Chemical Peels • Botox
• Laser Surgery • Tummy Tucks
• Obagi Products • Liposculpture
• Skin Cancer Treatments

Proudly caring for patients over 25 years.

3790 7th Terrace, Suite 101, Vero Beach, Florida

772.562.5859

www.rosatoplasticsurgery.com

Ralph M. Rosato
MD, FACS

24 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘Trail’ gazers: Lovers of art
enjoy sneak peeks at studios

Joanne Wind, Carol Loring, Cheryl Highstreet, Mags Hobbs and Gerie Hawkins.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF getting a peek at what goes on behind
Staff Writer the curtain of artists’ inner sanctums.

Art enthusiasts forged a trail off Artists may only participate once
the beaten path to the studios of local every three years, keeping things fresh
artists last Saturday during the Vero and ensuring a good mix of newcomers
Beach Art Club’s 10th annual Art Trail, and the more seasoned. It gives them
all a means to show off their work, ex-

Make it the most wonderful time of the year

Antwerp Diamonds • Colored Gemstones • Estate Jewelry
645 Beachland Boulevard • Vero Beach, FL 32963
772.234.1512 • www.JohnMatthewsJewelry.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 25

Mark Kirby with Ann Linn, Katie Reader and Mary Parks. PEOPLE

plain their processes and get feedback Master craftsman Al Gustave re- ticipation to various artistic mediums.
from artists and patrons. turned to the trail for the third time, As she traveled from studio to studio,
displaying some of his finished pieces,
“We were looking for quality but also including everything from intricately Dorothy Chasewood commented, “It’s
wanted to offer a lot of different kinds patterned wooden bowls to a rocking not until you get into their studios that
of art,” said event co-chair Phil Reid, a chair. you see the variation in what they do. If
new member of the club. “We have ev- you see artists in a gallery, you just see
erything from hand-dyed clothing to Eileen Farrell’s home and studio are a glimpse. The Art Trail is a wonderful
woodwork and photography to pottery.” tributes to the vanishing art of stained way to really see the full spectrum of
glass, showcasing her lampshades, what we have to offer in Vero Beach.”
A well-known portrait photographer, suncatchers and even a fireplace she
Reid opened his studio so shutterbugs converted into a showpiece by enclos- Proceeds support VBAC educational
could get a feel for what goes on behind ing it with stained glass. outreach programs through scholar-
the camera. ships, programs and supplies. Next up
Alicia Callander, whose garage was is the 30th annual Art by the Sea, Jan.
In Sebastian, the Working Art Stu- filled with hand-built, original pottery 19 thru 21 at the Vero Beach Museum
dio presented the work of four artists: designs, served on the board during of Art.
Margaret Goembel, assemblages; Elise the time of the inaugural Art Trail and
Geary, abstracts; Andrea Lazar, ani- was instrumental in expanding par- For more information, visit vero-
mals; and Gail Fayerweather, oceans- beachartclub.org. 
capes and jewelry.

“We’re all very active members of the
Vero Beach Art Club and believe in do-
ing whatever we can to help the greater
cultural community,” said Goembel.
“This is a woman’s version of a man
cave.”

Paulette Visceglia, a relative new-
comer to the area, was thrilled to have
an opportunity to share with visitors
her studio and the art of painting on
silk.

Just down the road, Mark Kirby com-
mented, “As an abstract artist it’s good
to get validation that what I’m doing is
good work. You put all this effort into it
and you want to share it.”

Deborah Gooch, Kirby’s sister and a
popular contemporary artist, said she
enjoyed the chance to interact with
non-artists. “It’s interesting to see their
reaction. I was lucky enough to grow
up in a family that supported artists
and the arts.”

Mags Hobbs said her loose freestyle
defies traditional labels, adding, “The
subject matter and how it makes me
feel is how I decide what to do. I don’t
follow just one.”

Anne Malsbary, current VBAC presi-
dent, offered visitors a photographic
journey from her own backyard to
faraway places such as Tanzania and
the Galapagos Islands. “I’ve shown my
environmental images on the Art Trail
before. This time I just want for people
to see my work.”

26 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Let it glow! Sebastian revels in Light Up Night

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 Others began lining up for the lavish
Staff Writer spread at the Sebastian River Medi-
Bob Morgan and Georgia Irish with Vincenzo and Lori Ann Adduci. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE cal Center by 4:30 p.m. before heading
Sebastian businesses and residents south and hitting the other 48 partici-
got into the holiday spirit as thousands our local businesses. Sebastian really holidays and our beautiful commu- pating businesses.
of twinkling lights lit the way during shines with this favorite local event, nity.”
the 29th annual Light Up Night last and judging by the throngs of people Quite a crowd gathered at Vintage 2
Friday evening, hosted by the Sebas- who fill our streets and storefronts, Many attendees started their lumi- Vogue to enjoy live music by the Bobby
tian River Area Chamber of Commerce there is an eagerness to celebrate the nous journey at the chamber, grabbing Owen Band, kiddies sat on Santa’s lap
and its members. a map before continuing on their way. at the GFWC Sebastian River Junior
Woman’s Club, and still others took
Holiday music poured out from pictures with the Grinch at KE Insur-
businesses lit with festive lights along ance.
the decorated streetscape, ushering
in the holiday spirit and good cheer. To keep energy levels high as people
The sidewalks bustled with activity as worked their way from one participant
thousands of people got started on to another, there was chili to sample,
their holiday shopping while tak- cookies and s’mores to nibble on, and
ing advantage of exclusive dis- hot cocoa and eggnog to sip. While
counts, prizes, giveaways and mom and dad shopped, the little ones
plenty of good food. were kept busy playing games, mak-
ing crafts, decorating cookies, mailing
“The excitement building up letters to Santa and singing Christmas
to Friday night has been palpa- carols.
ble,” said Beth Mitchell, Sebastian
Chamber president/ CEO. “The level Britney Melchiori, the chamber’s
of participation from our businesses in communications and marketing di-
Sebastian is extraordinary. Everyone rector, said Light Up Night is a great
partners up or joins in to help usher way for participants to thank the com-
in the holiday season and promote munity while also enabling new cus-
tomers to discover their businesses. 



28 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 Anna Brooks, Matt McGill and Janet Pellizzo. Ken Walsh, Justin Criss and Lindsay Concannon.
Beth Mitchell, Dylan Dokey and Matthew Dokey.

Matthew Rosalia, Staci Barney, Denise Rosalia,
Julie Rosalia and Richard Rosalia.

Kaitleigh Bruno. Morgan Ransom and Madison Carlson with Santa. Kneeling: Kawena Keen and Tina Castaing
Standing: Reagan McPartlan, Nalani Keen and Rylee McPartlan.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 29

PEOPLE

Aglimmer and aglow at WinterGreen Night Lights

PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 The Environmental Learning
The Harris family enjoys WinterGreen Nightlights at the ELC. Center is special at any time of day,
but add some twinkling lights and
it is magically transformed into
a festive fairyland, as happened
last Saturday evening at the ELC’s
annual WinterGreen Night Lights
event. Glimmering lights lined
the buildings and trails of the 64-
acre campus and even lit the way
for canoers to paddle through the
mangroves. A brilliant full moon
added to the ambiance and the
clear night was perfect for star
gazing with Brevard Astronomical
Society telescopes. Santa helped
spread a little Christmas cheer
and families kept little ones busy
making nature crafts together.
Nonstop entertainment featured
the Beachland Sharks, Sebastian
Elementary School, Sebastian
Middle School Madrigal Singers,
First United Methodist Vero Beach
Bell Choir and Boat Captain’s
Bluegrass all lending their talents
to a perfect evening. 

Molly Steinwald and Gavin Wunderlich. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

30 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 Emme and Jason Fuegel. Mary Ellen Moore and ELC volunteer Grant Withers.
Bob and Janet Leger.

Nelson, Gabriela, and Natalia Pagan
with ELC volunteer Mike Whitman.

Annabelle Appleby.

Auguste Steinwald with his sister, Eva Marie
Steinwald, dressed as Santa and Mother Nature.

BOLTON ACES
COLLAGE COURSE WITH
‘DREAM CHRONICLES’

32 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Bolton aces collage course with ‘Dream Chronicles’

BY ELLEN FISCHER goer – an average person, by casual ob- After removing the existing collage, Dreaming of My Garden. PHOTOS BY: GORDON RADFORD
Columnist servation – would spend a fair amount Bolton began to paint the slender simu-
of time in her booth, carefully examin- lacrum. Encircling the hips of the fig- lampshade floats above the truncated
To the sensitive soul, the implied ing every detail of the artwork to which ure she created a blue and green land- neck. Bolton had someone else do the
backstory of any one of the tiny char- he or she had been inexorably drawn. scape, complete with a collaged-on wiring for the lamp.
acters in Bonnie Bolton’s paintings Such admirers predictably became art nymph; the upper torso features deco-
and assemblages serves as an irre- owners before they left the booth. rative painting that suggests an Eden of “I don’t know anything about elec-
sistible magnet. stylized leaves and flowers. A vintage tricity,” she says.
“Some people get it and have a cre-
Always whimsical, and often tongue- ative bent themselves maybe,” says Bolton’s paintings also focus on the
in-cheek, Bolton’s works feature char- Bolton. “And then there are those who female figure. Her trio of collage paint-
acters whose moody faces – often just don’t get it at all.” ings titled “Pearl,” “Ruby,” and “Opal”
borrowed bits from ancient photos –
suggest a triste longing for something The newest works in the show are
beyond the confines of their shadow a series of mixed-media paintings on
box prisons. canvas. The slightly older works are as-
semblages of found objects with collage
“I am constantly surprised at who displayed in shallow birch boxes. There
is attracted to my work,” says Bolton, are also a couple of free-standing as-
whose exhibition of paintings and semblages; one is a floor lamp born of a
works in collage and 3-D assemblage dressmaker’s mannequin.
can be seen this month at Vero’s Cen-
ter for Spiritual Care. Titled “Dream Bolton purchased the mannequin
Chronicles & Other Tales,” the show’s from a Melbourne thrift shop years ago;
artworks spring from Bolton’s abun- it wasn’t until recently that she was in-
dant imagination, vivid dream life, and spired to use it in an artwork. As found,
love of thrift store finds. the headless form had been covered by
another artist’s hand with a collage of
Until a couple years ago Bolton sold seed packets.
her work in prominent art fairs around
Florida. She quickly learned the tem- “She stood around in my studio for a
perament of her audience when a fair- long time because I didn’t know what to
do with her,” Bolton says.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 33

ARTS & THEATRE

Bolton, who would color with his own company, and Rob is him the role of “prisoner.” Cleverly, the
over the togs until they the senior fingerprint examiner at the artist used part of the photo to cover
met with her childish ap- West Palm Beach Police Department. the name of the person on the ID card
proval. Familiar with his mother’s artistic beneath it.
M.O., it was Rob who gave her some de-
“The child in me is funct fingerprint and ID card files from “It may have been a very long time
still here,” she says of her a departmental housecleaning. ago, but I don’t want to have some-
grown-up paper doll cre- body’s relative calling me up one day,”
ations. “They are from the 1920s, ’30s and Bolton says.
’40s. I have a whole stack. Some of them
As a little girl Bolton have really great photos on them,” While that is not likely, the number
was not a fan of baby Bolton says. of winged and winsome female figures
dolls. Now though, as a that grace the show are sure to elicit
fully-fledged artist, she On view is a collage that pairs up a appreciative comments and, the artist
is fascinated by the por- fingerprint set with an unrelated vin- hopes, sales.
celain doll’s head she tage photo of a grumpy-looking man.
found in a junk shop a He wears an undershirt over which The Center for Spiritual Care is located
few years ago. Bolton has pasted numbers to assign at 1550 24th Street in Vero Beach. 

Dreaming of My Garden. “The hair on the doll’s GIVE ART. BE MERRY.
head is very chopped up,
have as their subjects three “girls” so I knew that some little Original works from American artists
whose faces – collaged-on Victorian girl had given her a short are gifts they’ll treasure.
portrait photos – are as decidedly old- hairdo,” Bolton notes.
fashioned as their names. As limned “That made it all the
by Bolton, the figures’ bodies pres- more charming.”
ent humorous variations on human In one of the assemblages on display
proportion. For instance, Ruby’s long at the Center for Spiritual Care, Bolton
right arm arcs over her head to termi- placed the head atop a plinth that
nate in a handbag near her left elbow. serves as the doll’s body. On its “chest”
is the tin-framed portrait of a woman
In one of the assemblages, a neigh- whose eyes roll ecstatically upward;
borhood of closely set houses take on she could be a penitent saint or a si-
the proportions of a family by the ad- lent film vamp. With a rosary hung
dition of collaged-on portrait photos, about its waist and carved wings
one at the apex of each roof. sprouting from its shoulders, the fig-
ure looks ecclesiastical.
Bolton grew up in New Jersey, one “That probably comes from my
of six siblings whose mother was the Catholic background,” says Bolton.
sole breadwinner and head of the She periodically uses religious
house. The straitened circumstances symbolism or artifacts in her work in
in which they lived did not prevent recognition of the beauty of Catholi-
her mother from playfully encourag- cism, the awe she felt in church, and
ing Bolton’s earliest art projects. the memory of her religious educa-
tion.
“She would save birthday cards and “You know, the whole Catholic
Christmas cards. I would turn them school experience,” she says with a
into books and draw on them. And knowing smile.
she would help me make doll houses Religion is not the artist’s only in-
out of cardboard boxes,” Bolton says. spiration. Of late, crime has entered
the picture.
She also had paper dolls to play Although Bolton has lived in Vero
with. Beach for the past 20 years, she raised
her children Alan and Rob in West
“I was never satisfied with the Palm Beach. Both still live in that area;
clothes that were on them,” says Alan is a computer security expert

SEE THESE AND OTHER FINE THINGS AT VERO’S FINEST
COLLECTION OF AMERICAN-MADE ART AND JEWELRY

THEL AUGHINGDOGGALLERY.COM 2910 CARDINAL DR.
VERO BEACH, FL
7 72 . 2 3 4 . 6711

34 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Sun-sational! ‘Annie’ awesome as ever at Henegar

BY PAM HARBAUGH The moment comes when Annie, Katie Hjortsberg as Annie with cast . PHOTO BY: DANA NIEMEIER PHOTOGRAPHY
Correspondent played by Katie, runs away with her
dog, Sandy. A policeman, played by Annie in the tryout became the un- She eventually falls into the graces of
Once again, Melbourne’s Henegar Kenneth, finds Annie, confronts her derstudy for Andrea McArdle, who kindly billionaire Oliver Warbucks,
Center has imported some Vero tal- and takes her back to Miss Hannigan. was nominated for a Tony. played by Vero Beach’s Kenna.
ent for one of its big musicals. “An-
nie,” that opened last weekend at the “The best thing is that we finally Based on Harold Gray’s comic strip A plot twist or two later, she’s sing-
theater, is directed by Beth Shestak, do a scene together with dialogue,” “Little Orphan Annie,” the musical is ing “Tomorrow” for Franklin D. Roo-
a former instructor at Riverside Chil- Katie said. “That has never happened set in the era of the Great Depression. sevelt, played by Terrence Girard of
dren’s Theatre and cast member of before.” It begins in 1933 at a girls’ orphan- Palm Bay. We won’t go further for fear
Jon Putze’s Theatre-Go-Round din- age run by the brassy Miss Hanni- that there must be some reader out
ner theater troupe. Of course, that is only one tiny mo- gan, played at the Henegar by Karen there has never seen the musical.
ment in a show saturated with enough Monks of Cocoa Beach. An army of
The show gets its musical direc- warmth and optimism to melt the little girls help Annie “escape” the or- Anyone?
tion from longtime Vero Beach choral coldest of hearts out there and even phanage so she can find her parents. Indeed, even 11-year-old Katie has
director Ryan Kasten, who also con- turn political adversaries into allies. seen the movie and the stage musical.
ducts during the performances.
And, with enduring songs like “To-
And Vero Beach actor Rob Kenna, morrow,” “It’s the Hard Knock Life”
a native of Australia who plays guitar and “Easy Street,” it’s pretty hard to
and sings around town, plays the bil- believe that this year, “Annie” turns
lionaire Daddy Warbucks. 40.

But it is a Melbourne Beach father After having its pre-Broadway try-
and daughter for whom the sun has out in 1976 at Connecticut’s storied
finally come out – in a manner of Goodspeed Opera House, “Annie” the
speaking, as Kenneth Hjorstberg and musical opened on Broadway in 1977
his 11-year-old daughter Katie share and garnered seven Tonys, which was
the spotlight at the same time, After very remarkable at the time. Among
playing in 13 shows together, the two the awards, it won Best Musical, Best
finally appear on stage in the same Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best
scene. Original Score (Charles Strouse and
Martin Chamin). Interestingly, the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 35

ARTS & THEATRE

Her father has not only seen the show, ‘Santaland’: Elf-centered laughs for adults
but was in a production of it about 25
years ago playing the same roles he’s BY PAM HARBAUGH perience working as an elf in Macy’s Radio’s “Morning Edition.”
playing at the Henegar. Correspondent Herald Square Santaland in New York “The Santaland Diaries” plays at 10
City. Raised in North Carolina, Sedaris
The cast’s 20 orphans have been re- Get ready. It’s Crumpet the Elf as de- moved to New York in hopes of being p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
hearsing since September. The same an actor. Out of work, he decided to do and at 8 p.m. Sunday in the Studio The-
number of adults started rehearsing scribed by the irascible David Sedaris something to pay the bills, hence the ater on the second floor of the Henegar
mid-October. elf gig at Santaland. Sedaris eventu- Center, 625 E. New Haven Ave., Mel-
in his underground phenom, “The ally went on to become a celebrated bourne. Tickets are $26 general, $23 for
As with any musical, the rehearsals humorist and popular author. His es- military and seniors and $16 for stu-
included not only learning lines and Santaland Diaries,” opening Thurs- say “Santaland Diaries” was his break- dents, plus a $3 handling fee per ticket.
blocking, but also singing and dancing. through moment on National Public The show is not suitable for children.
Direction there came from music di- day (Dec. 7) and running through the Call 321-723-8698 or visit Henegar.org. 
rector/conductor Kasten and vocal di-
rector Sarah Germain. Leading them in weekend at the Henegar Center in the
the dancing was choreographer Aman-
da Cheyenne Manis. venue’s second-floor Studio Theatre.

“The musicians are flawless,” Katie Intended for a more sophisticated
said. “The crew is very helpful and is
always there when you need them. The crowd, perhaps one that enjoys a soup-
cast has been so loving and supportive.
I couldn’t be Annie without them.” con of cynicism in their eggnog, “The

Those feelings are reciprocated, said Santaland Diaries” is a late-night adult
director Shestak.
treat. The curtain is 10 p.m. (except for
“Katie and her dad have been an ab-
solute joy to work with,” Shestak said. Sunday, which has an 8 p.m. curtain).
“Katie has an unbelievable talent and
it has been amazing to see her grow as BeeJay Aubertin Clinton The show
a performer and simply shine on stage. plays Crumpet the Elf. stars Orlando
She and her dad make a great team a c t o r/d i r e c -
both on and off the stage.”
tor BeeJay Au-
For sure, it has taken a lot of time, but
it did not disrupt the Hjortsberg house- bertin Clinton
hold because, as Katie said, “a perfor-
mance schedule is a normal schedule (and is directed
for us.”
by this writer).
“It’s mainly late nights and sleepy
mornings,” Kenneth said. While us-

And being in “Annie” is worth every ing martinis
sleepy morning for Katie.
to tend his
“I love it because it is a story of hope
filled with real emotion,” she said. “I parched throat,
think people will like this produc-
tion. Everyone has worked so hard to Crumpet the Elf goes into detail about
tell the story. Plus, everyone loves a
cute dog.” the motley crew forming the cast of

“Annie” runs through Dec. 17 at the elves; the awful behavior shown by
Henegar Center, 625 E. New Haven
Ave., Melbourne. Tickets are $26 gen- many adults; the army of Santas; and
eral, $23 adults and military and $16
students. There is a $3 service fee per the ignominy of someone fabulous
ticket. Call 321-723-8698 or visit Hen-
egar.org.  having to wear a perky green cap.

There is language. There is snarky

attitude. There is too much informa-

tion. There is “Oh no you didn’t!” You

might call it a holiday palate cleanser.

“I made the trip out to Melbourne to

audition for the show, not really sure

what to expect,” Clinton said.

Then he read the script. Then he

got the call. Clinton describes his

luck as Crumpet himself might have.

“When I received the call that I got

the role, I simultaneously wanted to

cheer and vomit.”

The one-man show is based on a

story Sedaris presented as actual ex-

INDIAN TRAILS CLUB SEE THESE AND OTHER FINE THINGS AT VERO’S FINEST
ISLAND COMMUNITY COLLECTION OF AMERICAN-MADE ART AND JEWELRY

Tennis Memberships Available

5 Hartru, Lighted Courts: dog 2THELAUGHINGDOGGALLERY.COM 2910 CARDINAL DR.
Maintained Daily VERO BEACH, FL
Full Time Pro 7 72 . 2 3 4 . 6711
Group & Private Lessons
Clinics, League Play,
Round Robins, Cardio Tennis
Children Programs

For Further Info Call Kris Black @ the Proshop 772.234.9981

36 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming Up: Groove into holidays with Christmas jazz

BY PAM HARBAUGH University’s Tanglewood In- and Sunday in Vero’s oak-shaded Riv-
Correspondent stitute, Bowdoin Internation- erside Park. With more than 70 talent-
al Music Festival, Keyboard ed artists and craftspeople, there’s a
1 A wealth of holiday events is in Institute at Mannes, and good chance you’ll come upon one or
store this holiday season, so get the Banff Centre. Suliman two just-right Christmas gifts among
Tekalli’s performing career the myriad paintings; sculptures of
out your calendar and take a look. has taken him throughout metal, wood, stone; apparel and jew-
the U.S., Canada, Central elry; photography; glass work; mixed
“Christmas and All That Jazz” is the America, Europe and Asia, media creations; and fragrant potions
from the Kennedy Center in – candles, soaps, tisanes, olive oils.
next, holiday-specific offering in the D.C., to Seoul Arts Center in Yes, there will be foodstuffs and bev-
Korea. Together their recit- erages. The Winter in the Park Fine
Emerson Center’s lauded Humani- als combine standard clas- Art and Quality Craft Show hours are
sical repertory with newer 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Parking and
ties Series, when the Fort Pierce Jazz works by composers of their admission are free.
heritage, and their own transcrip-
and Blues Society brings out the brass tions of classical and contemporary.
The concert is sponsored by the Space
Thursday, Dec. 14. Expect a family- Coast Symphony orchestra and begins
at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance at
friendly evening of seasonal favorites Tekalli Duo. www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org, $25 at
the door, and free for those 18 and un-
with an upbeat, jazzy, bluesy vibe, intensity concert of Tchaikovsky, Pro- der, or with student ID.
kofiev, Corigliano, Mozart and more
by musicians who’ve played in top to the Treasure Coast in a single per-
formance Friday, Dec. 15, at First Pres-
groups all over the globe. Make sure to byterian Church of Vero Beach. Jamila
Tekalli is an active chamber musician
wear your toe-tappin’ shoes. If you get who has performed internationally and 4 A “Winter Wonderland Holiday
holds a doctorate in performance from Concert” by the talented young
hungry from all that toe-tappin,’ stay the University of Miami, among oth-
ers. She has directed several master-
for after-show holiday refreshments. classes and piano workshops and has musicians of the Vero Beach High
performed as a soloist and chamber
“Christmas and All That Jazz” is free musician at festivals including Boston School symphonic band, jazz band,

and begins at 7 p.m. chorus and orchestra will be present-

ed to the community this Sunday and

2 The internationally acclaimed Monday in the VBHS Performing Arts
sibling musicians Suliman Tekal-

li, violinist, and Jamila Tekalli, pianist,

Americans of Japanese and Libyan

descent, perform together as Tekalli

Duo, and will bring their elegant, high-

Certified Collision
Repair Center

VeArou’tsoPbroedmy!ier All Insurance 3 A leisurely stroll in a beauti- Center. Always a wonderful way for
Accepted! ful setting, booth after booth families to share the spirit of the holi-
day season, this local tradition prom-
displaying all kinds of art, and holi- ises a celebration of “warmth, joy and
festivity.” Tickets range from $6 to $12.
day excitement in the (not frosty) air. Concert times are Sunday at 2 p.m. and
Monday at 7 p.m. 
Go to GOTPERFECTION.COM for an ONLINE ESTIMATE! That’s what’s in store for you at the 4th
(772) 978-1351 • 463 4th Place SW • Vero Beach, FL
Annual Winter in the Park Fine Art

and Quality Craft Show this Saturday



38 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

BY PATRIK JONSSON ing, sweating, and bolting underscores Amid a record year of costly hur- Congress can summon the political
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR a personal shift in priorities caused by ricane strikes, Congress has until this fortitude to fundamentally reform how
a historic storm season – and a sense of Friday to fix a federal flood insurance the country battens down its hatches.
Outwardly, David Satterfield's quiet creeping threat from the ocean. program that Bob Hunter, its former
neighborhood on the southern tip of administrator, tells the Monitor “is fail- At the same time, experts say the
Tybee Island, a barrier island 18 miles “It’s the risk you take” living on a bar- ing in every way.” sheer numbers of homes destroyed
east of Savannah, looks pretty much rier island, says Satterfield, whose fami- by worst hurricane season in US his-
like it always does. But Mr. Satterfield ly’s company was recently inducted into To be sure, many coastal dwellers – tory have brought the inadequacies of
says the veneer is false. In fact, his the Towing Hall of Fame. “At the same including Jason Buelterman, the may- the nearly 50-year-old National Flood
world was shattered this fall. time, there’s only so much money.” or of Tybee Island – are skeptical that Insurance Program (NFIP) into stark
relief.
The final lashes of hurricane Irma Susan Wimberly looks out at the flood waters that surround her home.
colluded with a full-moon “king tide” to On Oct. 27, President Trump signed
flood large parts of Tybee Island for the a disaster relief bill that forgave $16
second time in less than a year. Much billion in debt owed by NFIP. The pro-
of the island is already up on eight- gram was already more than $20 bil-
foot stilts. But rooms below a home’s lion in the hole before a series of strong
“freeboard,” or bottom floor – many of hurricanes shook the mainland, Puerto
them turned into recreation rooms or Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, caus-
man caves – were hit along with entire ing more than $200 billion in damage.
homes sunk in three feet of storm surge.
Back-to-back disasters are one part
For Mr. Satterfield and hundreds of of the insolvency. But Congress, wary
other homeowners, that means TVs, of offending coastal interests, has also
stuffed chairs, and other furnishings hamstrung the agency’s ability to set
were lost to flood waters that rose to premiums commensurate with risk.
heights not seen for more than 80 years.
The question is whether Congress
In response, Satterfield is spending will truly address what House Free-
a fall afternoon building shelves – to dom Caucus member Rep. David
put his prized belongings above any Schweikert (R) of Arizona has called “a
future inundation. His flurry of saw- moral hazard” in the design of the NFIP.
To him, this includes a vexing lack of

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 39

clarity on risks to not just household INSIGHT COVER STORY
wealth, but the U.S. Treasury.
Texas A&M researchers found that Meanwhile, FEMA has struggled to
“Where do you draw the line as to FEMA’s flood maps for southeastern fulfill NFIP’s promise, sometimes cre-
what is too much money on the front Harris County missed about 75 percent ating perverse incentives – including
lines, especially when you look at the of the damages from hurricanes Ike, Al- subsidizing the rebuilding of frequent-
basic promise [of NFIP]: protecting as- lison, and three other storms. ly flooded homes and businesses.
sets and livelihoods when there wasn’t a
free market solution for doing that?” asks At the same time, as witnessed by “The incentive was the subsidy – that
Jeff Schlegelmilch, deputy director of Harvey’s impact on Houston, runaway was the carrot – and the stick was they
Columbia University’s National Center development has placed more and would impose tough maps [higher rates
for Disaster Preparedness, in New York. more assets in the danger zone. Only for more flood-prone areas],” says Mr.
15 percent of flooded homes in Hous- Hunter, the former administrator. “But
“The problem is we are good at ton were insured for flood damage. FEMA lost control of the program.”
looking at the last disaster – seeing the
need and how to help – but we are not Kevin Davis tries to pump water out of his flooded home. As Irma flooded Tybee, driftwood
very good at thinking strategically” to artist Jay Altman looked out his win-
minimize the impact of the next one. dow and saw the marsh waters swell-
ing onto land and pressing on his
Since its founding in 1968, the Na- doors and into his house.
tional Flood Insurance Program has
had a mission: Protect home and busi- He looked up and down Lewis Av-
ness owners from disaster events, but enue, worst-hit by the storm, and real-
also discourage foolhardy develop- ized the core of the problem: severe re-
ment by creating detailed flood maps petitive loss. While repeatedly flooded
that allow insurers, underwritten by homes make up just 2 percent of the
the US Treasury, to charge varying rates program’s 5 million policies, they ac-
depending on risk. count for roughly 30 percent of flood
claims – about $17 billion – paid over
Now, sea rise and coastal erosion have the program’s history, according to
complicated and delayed the mapping the Federal Emergency Management
process. In Texas’s Harris County, which Agency.
includes Houston, Rice University and
These are for the most part blue-
collar folks: fishermen, artists, carpen-
ters. The average value of a frequently
flooded home, FEMA says, is $110,000.

Mr. Altman was living under a tarp in
his front yard while rebuilding.

“Unfortunately, I think we have to
reconsider whether all of us can stay
in these homes,” he says. “I hate to say
that, but these storms have shown that
it’s true.”

“It’s not just about this house and
this flood insurance program, but
about the whole continuum of sus-
tainable development that we’ve been
potentially ignoring as a nation, that is
being borne out in the damage to this
home [and] … to this family,” says Mr.
Schlegelmilch, at the Columbia disas-
ter research center. “With every dollar
of relief funding comes an ounce of hu-
man suffering and pain that could have
been prevented – that’s the message.”

But will it be heard in Washington?
Up until now, there has been little
interest in mitigation. When Mr. Buel-
terman spoke in front of a House com-
mittee about more funding to build
sand dunes in order to stave off future
disaster relief, only half the committee
was present and two members were
talking on cell phones.
Congress has other reasons to sim-
ply forgive the debt and move on. After
all, every $27,000 spent by Washington
on disaster relief earns one vote for lo-
cal representatives. Spending money
on mitigation ahead of storms earns
little to no such electoral credit, politi-
cal scientists have found.
That political reality is only further
fanned by a broader debate over the
role of climate change in rising costs
– combined with the fact that many

STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

131 Properties Sold/Under Contract Since January 2017

Life on John’s Island, a magnificent private paradise surrounded by miles of Intracoastal Waterway and pristine beaches.
Embodying the island’s beauty and spirit, the 1,650± acre community offers three championship golf courses, 17 Har-tru tennis
courts, squash, pickleball, croquet, health & fitness center, spectacular Beach Club, newly renovated Clubhouse, vertical equity
memberships and more. Treasured by families that live and play here, come discover why John’s Island is simply the place to be.

Exclusively John’s Island | JohnsIslandRealEstate.com

Follow us on Robert M. Gibb, Broker : Judy Bramson : Jeannette W. Mahaney : Ba Stone : Terry Crowley : Michael Merrill : Kristen Yoshitani
Open 7 days a week : 1 John’s Island Drive : Vero Beach, Florida 32963

2017 RENOVATION Exclusively John’s Island

NEW CONSTRUCTION

Prime Oceanfront Opportunity! 1.72± Acres, Private Location Renovated 4BR/5.5BA On Private Cove Of JI Sound Remarkable 3BR/3.5BA Retreat On Cul-de-sac Street
130± Feet Direct Ocean Frontage, Breathtaking Water Views 5,939± GSF, Gorgeous Pool & Water Views, Boat Dock 4,864± GSF, Golf Views, Pool w/ Wet Deck, Fire Pit
Wine Room, Gourmet Island Kitchen, Near South Gate (Optional En-suite Guest/Office for $3,700,000)
High Elevation, Dune Crossover For Private Beach Access 370 Llwyd’s Lane : $3,500,000
676 Ocean Road : $4,500,000 411 Sabal Palm Lane : $4,200,000

Brilliantly Renov. 4BR+Study/4.5BA Retreat w/Cabana Renovated & Private 4BR/3.5BA Retreat On Lake Reams Exceptionally Renov. 5BR/4.5BA Retreat, Golf Views
3,812± GSF, Private Golf Views, Indoor/Outdoor Living 5,402± GSF, Peaceful Pool & Lake Views, New Spa, Den 6,466± GSF, Indoor/Outdoor Living, Saltwater Pool
Central Location, Custom Millwork, Fire Pit, Pool & Spa Updated Gourmet Kitchen, New Luxurious Master Bath Billiards, New Island Kitchen & 1st Floor Master Suite

351 Sea Oak Drive : $2,950,000 295 Coconut Palm Road : $2,750,000 561 Sea Oak Drive : $2,650,000

NEW PRICE

Beautiful 4BR/4BA In Heart of JI, 4,575± GSF Desirable 3BR/2BA End Unit Condominium Exquisitely Renovated 2BR+Den/2.5BA Townhouse
.48 Acre Large Corner Lot, Pool, Private Street 1,900± SF, Coveted Southern Exposure & Terrace 1,900± SF, Golf Views, Wood Floors, Open Island Kitchen
Spacious Living Areas, Cabana w/ Kitchenette Generous Living Areas, Private Pool & Beach Access
Conveniently Next To Club & Tennis, 1-Car Garage
380 Llwyd’s Lane : $1,875,000 750 Beach Road #207 : $995,000 111 John’s Island Drive #5 : $985,000

772.231.0900 : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
luxury estates : condominiums : homesites : townhouses : cottages

It’s your lifetime. Spend it wisely.

42 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39 INSIGHT COVER STORY

of the costs are not primarily climate Nora Miles (left) watches Senate, faced opposition from Loui-
change related but, rather, can be her husband, Gene, mop siana, especially, where some 500,000
blamed on flawed risk assessments the living room floor after people who currently pay below-
and incentives for those who choose tropical storm Irma forced market rates under a grandfathering
to live and work close to the water. two feet of storm surge into provision would likely see their rates
their Tybee Island home. increase. A lot of coastal dwellers argue
Yet there are some subtle signs of that it is not fair that they are facing
deeper political shifts. For one, rather rate increases for factors beyond their
than R or D, this fight is between low- control – including climate change.
landers and highlanders.
The legislation, if enacted, is expect-
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez (D) ed to increase revenues into NFIP by
this summer co-sponsored a bill that $187 million through 2027, in part by
would provide low-interest loans for steering more homeowners to private
homeowners to invest in flood miti- insurers, which are currently barred
gation projects. That bill is co-spon- from offering anything but the federal
insurance package.
sored by Republican Sen. John Neely
Kennedy of Louisiana. That runs counter to what flood in-
surance advocates want: a broader risk
On Nov. 14, House Republicans pool that would bring in more premi-
passed the 21st Century Flood Reform um cash flow to offset claims. The bill
Act, which would allow raising rates does allow municipalities to draw their
on properties that have repeat claims, own flood maps, which could increase
though capping annual premiums at the accuracy of risk assessments. But
$10,000 even for the riskiest home- expanding mitigation efforts – like pay-
steads. The House did not address Pres- ing for levee projects, new dunes, and
ident Trump's demand that Congress house-lifting grants – would require a
ban new construction from the federal broader effort in Congress
program in order to balance its books.
“I’m more of a Republican than any-
The measure then moved to the thing, and [resistance to reforming the
program] infuriates me because we’ve
got to spend money on mitigation” like
sand-dune fortification and helping
homeowners raise their homes, says New
Jersey resident George Kasimos, whose

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 43

INSIGHT COVER STORY

experience with FEMA after superstorm country but how to make ourselves plaints about a growing national debt. lenge to his island involves not just
Sandy in 2012 set him on a course of more resilient and less reliant on the “You’ve got to have an honest conver- house values but also the permanence
coastal advocacy. “If we don’t do that, federal government,” he adds. of culture, life style, and responsibility.
then were done. The program is going to sation,” Representative Schweikert, the
get worse and worse in the hole.” Those sentiments have echoed Arizona Republican, told The Hill. “The “I’ve just about given up on Con-
through the Republican Party, as well, subsidizing of putting homes in harm’s gress” helping the island address its
“It’s about doing what’s best not especially as they try to reconcile way, it’s not really great for society." growing predicament, he says. “But
only for Tybee Island and across the proposed tax cuts with years of com- maybe I’m wrong.” 
For Mayor Buelterman, the chal-

44 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

China quietly but relentlessly becoming global superpower

BY DAVID IGNATIUS | WASHINGTON POST actual gains have been modest. Mean- of unprecedented size and scope with China already has 40 rail routes to
while, Trump has shredded the Trans- the strategic intent of constructing a nine European countries.
The friendly words exchanged be- Pacific Partnership and stepped back Chinese-led regional order in Eurasia.”
tween Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping from other U.S.-led alliances – open- American dominance has been built
last month softened the edge of a Chi- ing the way for China’s new network of China is building the infrastructure partly on the primacy of our scientific
nese economic and military buildup global institutions, including the “One of power. The study describes, for ex- and technological laboratories, which
that a recent study commissioned by Belt, One Road” (OBOR) plan for Eur- ample, how Beijing is financing a string have drawn the best and brightest from
the Pentagon described as “perhaps asian trade and the Asian Infrastruc- of ports in the Indian Ocean region, around the world. But the Chinese are
the most ambitious grand strategy ture Investment Bank to finance Chi- including in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Paki- challenging here, too. China is building
undertaken by a single nation-state in nese-led projects. stan, Burma, Djibouti, Kenya and the at least 50 joint-venture science and
modern times.” United Arab Emirates. The proposed technology labs with OBOR countries
The scope of China’s challenge to the investment is nearly $250 billion. and plans over the next five years to
At the Beijing summit on Nov. 9, Xi American-led order is described in two train up to 5,000 foreign scientists, en-
repeated his usual congenial injunc- unpublished and unclassified studies China has also invested $13.6 billion gineers and managers, the study notes.
tion for “win-win cooperation,” and commissioned by the Air Force. in Greece, buying control of the port of
Trump responded in kind, calling Piraeus and big shares of Greek utilities As foreign scientists pull back from
Xi “a very special man.” Trump also One study argues that China’s Eur- and fiber-optics companies. “Greece some U.S. labs because of visa and
complained about the Chinese trade asian reach is beyond that of the serves as a strategic beachhead for government-grant worries, the Chi-
surplus, but the visit was mostly a ser- 1947 Marshall Plan, which cemented China into Europe,” notes the report. nese are doubling down. According
enade to Sino-American cooperation. American power in postwar Europe. to the second Air Force study, China
The report estimates that the OBOR The Asian infrastructure bank, surpasses the United States in annual
What caught my ear was Xi’s hint of framework would provide up to $1 tril- meanwhile, has approved $16 billion patent applications, is now No. 2 in
China’s big ambitions in his toast that lion in Chinese support for more than in projects in 10 countries, includ- peer-reviewed research articles and
night. He quoted a Chinese proverb 64 countries, while the Marshall Plan ing long-standing U.S. allies such as in 2014 awarded more than twice as
that “no distance, not even remote provided about $150 billion in current Egypt, India and Oman. And the Chi- many degrees in science, technology,
mountains and vast oceans, can ever dollars, mostly to six countries. The nese are building rail lines to Europe engineering and math.
prevent people with perseverance from report describes OBOR as “a program and every part of Asia, allowing them
reaching their destination.” Xi then cit- to bypass U.S.-controlled sea lanes. China is mobilizing its best tech tal-
ed an adage from Benjamin Franklin: ent for this global empire. China Tele-
“He who can have patience, can have com plans to lay a 150,000-kilometer
what he will.” That’s an apt summary fiber-optic network covering 48 Afri-
of China’s quiet but relentless pursuit can nations. IZP, a big-data company,
of becoming a global superpower. plans to expand soon to 120 countries.
BeiDou, a government agency, is build-
China’s rise has been so rapid yet ing a GPS-like satellite navigation sys-
gentle in tone that it’s easy to miss how tem for all Eurasia.
fast Beijing has expanded its ability to
project power. The mesmerizing go- There’s an eerie sense in today’s
slow style of the pre-Xi years, summa- world that China is racing to capture
rized in the Chinese slogan “hide and the commanding heights of technology
bide,” has been replaced by what U.S. and trade. Meanwhile, under the ban-
analysts now see as an open power play. ner of “America first,” the Trump ad-
ministration is protecting coal-mining
Trump’s “America first” strategy has jobs and questioning climate science.
facilitated China’s buildup, uninten-
tionally. The administration’s rhetoric Sorry, friends, but this is how em-
on fair trade has been strong, but the pires rise and fall. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS? On your behavior include: tion becomes uncomfortable with relatives or
 Angry outbursts friends staying with you, go for a drive or out to
The holidays are here. Along with the joy of being  Exercising less often a movie to help adjust your attitude.
with family and friends comes the hustle-bustle  Overeating or undereating 4. Prepare as much as you can as early as you can.
stress of baking, entertaining, parties and shopping.  Social withdrawal 5. Be good to yourself.
 Tobacco use 6. Don’t overspend. It’s OK to tell children Santa is
Stress is not always a bad thing. Good stress, “eu-  Drug or alcohol abuse on a budget. He has a very long list of children on
stress,” is getting a new job, taking on more re- his list.
sponsibility or waiting to open Christmas presents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 7. If you are mourning the loss of or break-up with
Negative stress, “distress,” is a natural part of liv- (CDC) estimates the signs and symptoms of stress a loved one, give yourself freedom to not par-
ing. But when you face continuous challenge after and its consequences account for approximately ticipate in some of the festivities. But be careful
challenge without relaxation or relief between tri- 75 percent of all doctor’s visits. This includes head- not to isolate.
als, stress-related tensions build up that can affect aches, back pain, heart problems, upset stomach, 8. Limit sugar and fat-laden sweets and food and
your body, thoughts and behavior. stomach ulcers, sleep problems, tiredness, accidents keep (start) exercising. Fats and sweets lower
and other aforementioned issues. energy levels which can add to your stress level
COMMON EFFECTS OF STRESS and run you down. Take walks, especially before
On your body include: FIGHTING THE HOLIDAY BLUES and/or after the big holiday meal.
 Fatigue For some, the holidays can be depressing. People 9. Help others. Do something to help the under
 Headache tend to experience heightened emotions. Feelings privileged. Do something unexpected. “Pay-for-
 Muscle tension or pain of sadness, loneliness and anger intensify, especially ward” something for someone you don’t know,
 Sleep problems for those who have unresolved family issues, had a or do know. Surprise someone and make their
 Upset stomach painful childhood or have lost a loved one. Financial day.
 Chest pain concerns can also be worrisome. 10. Be thankful. Appreciate all you have – friends,
family, religious freedom and ample, if not abun-
On your mood include: 10 TIPS FOR A JOYFUL HOLIDAY dant, resources.
 Anger or irritability 1. Don’t expect too much. Don’t worry about
 Feeling overwhelmed things that are out of your control. Your comments and suggestions for future topics
 Inability to focus; lack of motivation 2. Learn to say no. Prioritize and choose to do are always welcome. Email us at editor@32963staff.
 Anxiety things with family and friends you want to do. com.
 Restlessness Delegate!
 Depression and sadness 3. Don’t let people push your buttons. If conversa- © 2017 Vero Beach 32963 Media, all rights reserved

46 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOK REVIEW

What is more American than re- P.T. Barnum, who brazenly exhibited loved ones hovering near us. Mean- fame (and exposure) by cranking out
invention? After all, only a keystroke an old black woman as Washington’s while, gullible scientists examined magazine stories that are too good, or
separates “making it” from “faking 161-year-old childhood nurse. the skeletons of those manufactured rather too lurid, to be true. Attempt-
it.” Change your name, rewrite your marvels, Piltdown Man and the Car- ing to justify his own rank betrayals,
past, hobnob with the right peo- Any great humbug, Young tells us, diff Giant. Jayson Blair later claimed he was just
ple and occasionally murmur “old relied on chutzpah. Old-time huck- sticking it to his white bosses at the
sport,” and bingo, Jimmy Gatz, that sters and flimflam artists scarcely As the author of “The Grey Album: New York Times when he fabricated
poor kid from the Midwest, is now the cared if you believed them or not. On the Blackness of Blackness,” Young stories about Washington’s Beltway
debonair and diamond-studded New What mattered was for you to come frequently underscores the racialist sniper without even bothering to
Yorker Jay Gatsby. away feeling that you’d had your character of many deceptions and leave his Brooklyn apartment.
money’s worth. Maybe the carni- frauds, including the phony scientif-
Given our fluid identities, little val’s Missing Link was authentic, or ic data that undergirded theories of As Young stresses: “The various
wonder that Americans stew about maybe only a put-on, just a black guy black inferiority. He deftly peels away forgers, frauds, and fabulists that
authenticity. Is image all? dressed up in a weird ape outfit. Ei- the layers of racism in sideshow mer- journalism has endured in recent
ther way, you had a good time, espe- maids, “Feejee” savages and Circas- years have only hurt the idea of re-
During dark Phildickian nights of cially when your sweetie screamed sian beauties. Yet he also takes time porting as an essential part of de-
the soul, everything can start to seem and clutched you tighter. to glance at Arthur Conan Doyle’s mocracy. The healthy skepticism that
mere sham, all the world a stage-set, naive belief in fairies, peer at the art- is the journalist’s chief tool has lately
men and women merely players. In Of course, the barker’s wink and work of the notorious forgers Elmyr succumbed to a contagious cyni-
“Bunk,” Kevin Young exhaustively grandiloquent patter already give de Hory and Han van Meegeren, and cism about journalism itself, if not
tracks our longtime ambivalence to- the game away: Hoaxing is all about skim briefly over some classic poetry an outright mistrust of the media as
ward “hoaxes, humbug, plagiarists, performance, coupled with what that hoaxes, notably Chatterton’s “discov- a whole. The First Amendment shall
phonies, post-facts, and fake news.” In notorious plagiarist (and immortal ery” of works written by the medieval be last.”
these pages our founding father isn’t poet) Samuel Taylor Coleridge called bard Thomas Rowley and Australia’s
George Washington, who supposedly our own “willing suspension of dis- Ern Malley affair, which revealed Despite its many merits, includ-
couldn’t tell a lie, but rather showman belief for the moment, which consti- how readily magazine editors can be ing a terrific annotated bibliography,
tutes poetic faith.” Today nobody over fooled by claptrap presented as mod- “Bunk” may strike some readers as
the age of 9 seriously believes that ernist verse. overlong and somewhat ramshackle.
“reality TV” is an unscripted slice of While usually clear and journalistic,
life. Truth can be elusive, so we settle Despite all this plenty, the first Young’s prose constantly shifts regis-
for “truthiness.” Suckers, as Barnum half of “Bunk” serves largely as the ters, sometimes veering into cultural
knew, are born every minute. warm-up act to Young’s main attrac- theorizing, at other times opting
tion: the celebrity cheats and liars of for sassily hip street talk. This tonal
In the early chapters of “Bunk,” the our own era. What a lineup! Clifford restlessness certainly adds a variety
multitalented Young – a poet, teach- Irving forges the autobiography of re- and richness to the book, but also re-
er, cultural essayist and, as of this clusive billionaire Howard Hughes; inforces the impression that Young
year, the New Yorker’s poetry editor Jerzy Kosinski messily blurs fiction can’t stop talking and can’t bring
– zeroes in on newspaperman Rich- and nonfiction; Janet Cooke makes himself to leave anything out. Still,
ard Locke’s 1835 Great Moon Hoax, up a young heroin addict for “Jimmy’s excess hardly matters when there’s so
in which the New York Sun reported World,” which earns her, briefly, a Pu- much to enjoy and learn from in this
the existence of winged humanoids litzer Prize; Lance Armstrong repeat- encyclopedic anatomy of American
on the lunar surface. Sales of the edly swears that he never took dope to imposture and chicanery. 
paper skyrocketed, which was, after win the Tour de France; the sexually
all, the point. He relates how, later in abused memoirist JT LeRoy turns out BUNK
the century, the Fox sisters inaugu- to have been a “persona,” created by The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists,
rated Spiritualism by secretly crack- writer Laura Albert; James Frey tem-
ing their toes. Communication with porarily fools the world, and Oprah Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News
the Other World then led to “spirit Winfrey, with his imaginary Grand By Kevin Young
photography,” which purported to Guignol past; Stephen Glass courts
show the astral bodies of our dead Graywolf. 560 pp. $30
Review by Michael Dirda

The Washington Post

RECOMMENDED CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND VERO BEACH BEST SELLERS

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TOP 5 FICTION TOP 5 NON-FICTION BESTSELLER | KIDS
DISCOVER SHOPPING 1. Winter Solstice 1. Leonardo da Vinci 1. The Mermaid BY JAN BRETT
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12:
AS YOU’VE ALWAYS BY ELIN HILDERBRAND BY WALTER ISAACSON
WISHED IT WOULD BE! The Getaway BY JEFF KINNEY
The Latest & Greatest Books 2. End Game 2. Grant BY RON CHERNOW 3. Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender
3. Endurance BY SCOTT KELLY 4. Here We Are: Notes for Living
Are Here... BY DAVID BALDACCI 4. Bobby Kennedy
The Cards, Wrap and on Planet Earth BY OLIVER JEFFERS
3. The Midnight Line BY CHRIS MATTHEWS 5. Wonder BY R.J. PALACIO
Ribbon are Here...
The Calendars, Puzzles and BY LEE CHILD 5. Make Your Bed
Gift Certificates are Here...
4. The Cuban Affair BY WILLIAM MCRAVEN
SOMETHING FOR
EVERYONE IS HERE! BY NELSON DEMILLE

5. Quick & Dirty

BY STUART WOODS

392 Miracle Mile (21st Street), Vero Beach | 772.569.2050 | www.verobeachbookcenter.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 47

INSIGHT BRIDGE

A MODERN BID FALLS TO GOOD SIGNALING NORTH
K 10 7 4
Susanne Langer, a philosopher who was well known for her theories on the influences WEST Q65 EAST
of art on the mind, said, “A signal is comprehended if it serves to make us notice the 6 932 52
object or situation it bespeaks.” A72 A85 K 10 9 8 3
8764 KQJ
At the bridge table, a good defender signals to his partner, but, obviously, a signal will 10 9 7 3 2 SOUTH QJ4
only serve him well if partner comprehends it. In today’s deal, West leads the heart ace AQJ983
against four spades. What happens after that? J4
A 10 5
North’s three-heart advance is called a “mixed raise.” It showed four-card support and K6
7-9 high-card points. It is also usually made with a nine-loser hand, so North’s call was
an overbid because he had 10 losers, given the probable uselessness of the heart Dealer: East; Vulnerable: Neither
queen after East’s opening bid. But if North had settled for two spades (or a pre-
emptive three spades, which would also have been debatable with 4-3-3-3 distribution), The Bidding:
it would have ruined a good story.
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
West led the heart ace, and East signaled encouragingly with the 10. If West had 1 Hearts
started with only two hearts, East wanted his partner to continue the suit. However, 1 Spades Pass 3 Hearts Pass LEAD:
West had three hearts and he knew that East’s play denied the heart jack, because East 4 Spades Pass Pass Pass A Hearts
would have signaled with the top of his touching cards. If West had led a second heart,
shortly thereafter declarer would have discarded a diamond loser on dummy’s heart
queen. Instead, West shifted to the diamond eight.

South took East’s jack with his ace, drew trumps ending in the dummy and led the heart
six, but East won with his king and cashed two diamond tricks to defeat the contract.

Locally Owned And
Operated For 38 Years

24/7 EMERGENCY
WATER EXTRACTION
SERVICE

WATER DAMAGE?

ServiceMaster by Glenn’s

Trained & Certified Technicians
Commercial & Residential

• Water Damage Restoration • Water Damage Drying Specialists

• State Certified Mold Remediation • Property Damage

OPEN 7 DAYS | Mon - Sat 8 to 5 | Sun 9 to 3 • Fire & Smoke Clean Up • Direct Insurance Billing

(772) 569-6870 • ClassicCarWashVeroBeach.com 772.567.4435
www.waterdamagespecialists.com
Conveniently located in the heart of Vero Beach at 852 Miracle Mile.

48 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (NOVEMBER 30) ON PAGE 68
INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS DOWN
1 Resilience (7) 1 Dust storm (7)
5 Strong point (5) 2 Warning signal (5)
8 Kingdom (5) 3 Submerge (7)
9 Accomplish (7) 4 Indifference (6)
10 Understanding (13) 5 Pallid (5)
11 Type of mollusc (6) 6 Important (7)
13 Culinary bulb (6) 7 Woodenware (5)
17 Questioning (13) 12 Delay (7)
20 Spectacles (7) 14 Leave (7)
21 Motivation, energy (5) 15 Elements (7)
22 Symbol (5) 16 Type of bodice (6)
23 This evening (7) 17 Metal block (5)
18 Elemi, for example (5)
19 Cake topping (5)

The Telegraph

FREE DIGITAL DESIGN PREVIEWS How to do Sudoku:
AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST!
Fill in the grid so the
numbers one through
nine appear just once
in every column, row
and three-by-three
square.

Come and see 1”Thin Paver Overlays
our newly remodeled 2 3/8”Thick Pavers
parking lot display. Cleaning & Sealing
Repairs
Travertine & Marble The Telegraph
Fire Pits
Concrete Removal
Asphalt Removal
Bobcat Service
Pool Decks
Retaining Walls

665 4th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32962
(772) 567-2005

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 49

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS specializing in 24 Not Neet? 90 Great pot?
1 Bad report card ensembles? 29 Dick Tracy’s wife 91 Bard baddie
5 Home of 94 Phone 31 Pressed for time 92 Monarque
attachment? 32 Tunesmith 93 Sunny saison
swallows? 97 Chorus syllable 34 Re 95 Haranguers-on
11 English horn 98 Daytime fare 36 Composer 96 Old draft status
99 Japanese VIP of 101 Breathless
cousin WWII Schifrin
15 Shoot the breeze 100 Slipping into 37 Work hard director
19 Scatter’s first something 38 Vet 102 Actress Woodard
comfortable? 39 TV Tarzan 103 Superior ability
name 104 Post-joke query 41 A day in Durango 104 Hoover and
20 Brand name for a 105 Revival prefix 42 ___ avis
106 “Pay” addition 43 A dog’s dog Tolson
versatile fashion? 107 Small amount 44 Czarina of the 108 Where Aesop
22 Flavor from the 109 Salads with salsa
114 Saluted symbol 1700s shopped
garden 117 Bill’s predecessor 45 Science show 109 Something to do
23 Being a student 122 Poker stake 46 Mix of blanc et 110 The ___ and
123 Shop frequented
of fashion? by noir Future King
25 Stick-figure organ grinders? 48 Changed, in a 111 Order to Benji
127 Ahab’s mark 112 On ___
smiles 128 Shop specializing way
26 IRS personified in parkas? 51 Enjoy a potlatch (very similar)
129 NFL team 53 Absorb 113 Play Wheel of
27 Scotch diluter 130 Isles hit by
28 Ideologue’s Georges effortlessly Fortune
131 Fleming villain 54 Shirts next to 115 Motet part
drama 132 Honda rival 116 Pass, as time
30 Egyptian 133 Plus skirts 118 New Orleans
DOWN 55 It gets owed fast
goddess 1 Fedora fabric 61 Underwear vegie
33 Singer Sumac 2 Shih Tzu invader 119 Not plastic
35 Amazonian with 3 Linen source fabrics 120 Places to play
4 Where cotton 62 Ancient
amps comes from, e.g. indoors
36 One in Father 5 Abby and Ann Sumerian city (or 121 Exxon, before
6 Bird with a house a big dent 124 Latin lover’s word
Damien’s care 7 Joplin piece in a Peugeot?) 125 Back again
40 Fitting room 8 Leftovers 63 Latin abbr. 126 A Rocky foe
9 Seuss’s Horton 65 Jack Horner’s
taboo? Hears ___ prize The Washington Post
47 Ice maneuver 10 1960s T-shirt 66 Compass pt.
48 Craze style 68 Data to be FASHION YOUR SEAT BELTS By Merl Reagle
49 The Joy Luck 11 Finder’s cry entered: abbr.
12 Rum cake 69 Safeguard
Club author 13 First name of against
50 Boring event fashion overstepping, in
52 Undress? 14 Famed cow and the
56 Routing word others shot-put
57 City council 15 1992 Robert 72 Run for it
Downey Jr. role 73 Curling-iron user,
enactment: abbr. 16 Munich Mr. e.g.
58 Erwin and others 17 Chevron rival 74 Fashionable and
59 Bath beverage 18 Cough syrup then some
60 No fewer than amt. 78 Conductor
64 High spars 21 Piccadilly Ozawa
67 Farewell piece vehicles 79 Boon to alfresco
70 Squealer banking,
71 Fashion-shop familiarly
80 Secular
smoking rule? 81 Suffix meaning
75 Work with “ruler”
76 Vintage cars 82 Italian wine
77 Sheet fabrics center
79 Tree-lined walk 84 Crosby film, The
83 August sign Bells ___ Mary’s
85 People pieces, 87 Jam

briefly
86 Provence

preposition
88 January

slowpoke
89 Trendy boutique

The Telegraph

50 Vero Beach 32963 / December 7, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Introvert about to get up-close dose of the in-laws

STORY BY CAROLYN HAX THE WASHINGTON POST I am fighting the urge to flee the area myself. The ideal time to bring this up was when you
– Good Fences Make Good In-Laws? first joined the family, but the parents’ move opens
Hi, Carolyn: My husband is a small, natural window to speak up now.
extraordinarily close with his Good Fences Make Good In-Laws?: As much as
siblings and parents. They visit I sympathize as a fellow introverted reader in the Consistency is what makes a message like yours
with one another at least four neighborhood park, I’m going with this as a good feel true. Be warm, be confident your ways are per-
times a week. I feel pressure to at- development. fectly normal, and – on your terms – be present:
tend but usually politely decline. Choose a fair visit frequency, then stick to it.
This prompts questions about my Possibly even great – and you can nudge it there
whereabouts and “we never see by taking overdue steps toward owning who you The room for greatness lies in the helpful drop-
you” comments. are. by. “Here’s your mail, need anything else? ’Kay,
gotta run.” It’s for close neighbors only and an in-
Frankly, so much sweet togeth- Meaning: No more excuses. trovert’s dream. Five friendly minutes and out. 
erness freaks me out. I grew up in a small, introvert- They never belonged in this relationship anyway.
ed family with few gatherings and a whole lot of con- The aw-gee-sorry-stuck-at-work stuff is strictly for
flict. My parents moved us 4,000 miles away when occasional use and/or with people you don’t see
the local family got to be too much. I have a sound often enough to warrant the effort to explain your-
relationship with my parents now and am perfectly self. (If that; fibbing is hardly ideal.)
happy with bimonthly visits. By using that approach constantly with your in-
laws, you’ve left them to (a) conclude there’s some
So you can imagine my panic when I learned my bigger reason you’re not coming, obviously, and
parents-in-law are moving across the street from us. (b) fill in the blanks themselves. This invites them
to think the worst: “She hates us,” “She’s cold” or
My husband isn’t thrilled, but acknowledges the some unholy blend of the two.
home suits their needs. He has told them to keep The truth is that you do like them and aren’t say-
their expectations low in terms of visits and home ing no because of who they are; you say no because
projects. One of my siblings-in-law may move to the of who you are. So say that.
neighborhood as well. “I am an introvert. I love you guys; I just need
more alone time than most people. That’s why you
How should I set new boundaries now with dwin- see me only about 1 visit out of 4.”
dling excuses to miss a hangout? I feel I can say no Deputize your husband to reinforce this mes-
only so many times before offending, and the excuse sage in and about your absence. “You know how
of being stuck at work won’t cut it when I’ve been she is, social in small doses.” Follow-up version:
spotted reading in the neighborhood park. “She says ‘hi’ and will see you Friday.”

I get along well with everyone; I’m just the only
partner who needs this distance. The others happily
join these regular gatherings.