Shores and Vero escalate
electric dispute. P7
Two clubs are losing
popular tennis pros. P10
Atlantic Classical Orchestra
winds up search for conductor. P9
For breaking news visit
MY VERO A sample of the litter found last week on spoil islands in the Indian River Lagoon. PHOTOS BY PHIL SUNKEL Judge lets Vero
enforce ban on
BY RAY MCNULTY School District playing hardball on Virtual School vacation rentals
Partiers leave big mess BY KATHLEEN SLOAN The School District just But the “Program Informa- BY LISA ZAHNER
on lagoon spoil islands Staff Writer opened IR Virtual in an effort to tion/Participant Agreement,” Staff Writer
get a foothold in the online in- which it’s requiring parents to
If this column upsets enough Parents might want to care- struction market, where Indian sign to enroll their kids, slams Central Beach homeowner
folks to spark a crackdown on fully read the fine print before River County has been left in the door on other school choic- and businessman Charles Fitz
partying and under-age drink- signing up their kids for the new the dust, costing it money and es, in violation of state law. will now ask an appeals court
ing on the spoil islands along Indian River Virtual School. students. to decide if the City of Vero
our scenic stretch of the Indian CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Beach can legally ban vacation
River Lagoon, those involved rentals of less than 30 days in
have only themselves to blame. Sale of diesel plant for brewery and restaurant approved residential neighborhoods; in
the meantime, Vero will be en-
You've made a mess of things. BY MICHELLE GENZ Old diesel power plant. Rechter’s purchase price forcing its zoning code.
Literally and figuratively. Staff Writer of $500,000 was discount-
Not only have you left be- ed $150,000 from $650,000 Judge Paul Kanarek Mon-
hind a nasty mess – the more The Vero Beach City with the condition he as- day ruled that the case of
popular islands are littered Council has given unani- sume liability for lingering Charles Fitz versus the City of
with beer cans, liquor bottles, mous approval to the sales environmental contamina- Vero Beach would not go to
plastic containers, Styrofoam contract negotiated with de- tion of the property. But that trial and instead be disposed
cups, tobacco tins, food wrap- veloper Michael Rechter to responsibility won’t begin by a final judgment from the
pers, used toilet paper, dis- turn the historic diesel plant until closing, and according bench. Upon receiving a very
carded underwear and even in the Old Downtown into a to the contract, closing can’t favorable summary judgment
propane tanks and abandoned brewery and restaurant. last month, Vero’s trial attor-
tents – but your carelessness CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 ney John Frost asked Kanarek
and shameful disregard for to simply affirm that code en-
nature have called attention to forcement officials have the
your behavior. right to fine vacation rental
After a 32963 investiga-
tion, Florida Fish and Wildlife CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Commission regional spokes-
man Greg Workman says the Bitter power struggle
on South Beach may
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 be coming to an end
FPL, in reversal, will BY RAY MCNULTY
pay to train county’s Staff Writer
emergency responders
With its board of directors
BY KATHLEEN SLOAN embroiled in a bitter power
Staff Writer struggle since July, when a
dissident faction attempted to
Florida Power & Light, which oust the organization's presi-
said “no” two weeks ago, has
now agreed to pay Indian Riv- CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
er County nearly $300,000 to
prepare emergency respond-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
April 14, 2016 Volume 9, Issue 15 Newsstand Price $1.00 Treats aplenty as
Taste of Vero
News 1-10 Faith 73 Pets 65 TO ADVERTISE CALL hits the spot. P26
Arts 33-38 Games 49-51 Real Estate 75-88 772-559-4187
Books 48 Health 53-59 St Ed’s 72
Dining 66 Insight 39-52 Style 60-64 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 46 People 11-32 Wine 67 CALL 772-226-7925
© 2016 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.
2 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
NEWS
Emergency responders age area and resources and require familiarity with servicing a facility of home team covering for the away team.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 training staff to respond safely and ef- this kind.
fectively to problems at the huge $1.2 Travel and food expenses will also be
ers to serve its proposed power plant billion natural gas-fired plant. Two one-time payments from FPL
in Okeechobee County, even though are meant to address these issues. paid from this fund.
Okeechobee County has legal first- By FPL’s own estimates, emergency
response duties. responders likely will be needed a doz- A $90,000 payment will compensate FPL had already agreed to pay IRC
en times during the two-year construc- IRC for stretching its emergency and
Indian River County Commissioner tion of the plant from 2017 to 2019, firefighter ranks thin to respond dur- “for extraordinary emergency ex-
Tim Zorc made the argument for the when 650 workers will be onsite. Dur- ing construction and operation of the
payments at the April 5 county com- ing regular operation, when 30 workers power plant. The county will give an- penses or services, including but not
mission meeting, which was attended will be onsite, FPL estimates there will nual accountings of the fund’s use un-
by FPL representatives. He said county be three emergency calls a year. til it is expended. limited to those related to hazardous
taxpayers should not bear the costs of
protecting a power plant outside the The biggest concern, Zorc said, be- A second one-time $200,000 payment materials events.” That agreement re-
county. Providing protection, Zorc sides keeping IRC taxpayers from pay- will compensate the county for sending
said, will stretch the county’s cover- ing to protect the power plant while its 200 emergency and firefighter staff to mains in place.
Okeechobee County receives the ben- FPL-provided training. Half the staff will
efit of FPL’s property taxes, is lack of go to the first training and the other half The two one-time and the third on-
to the second, with overtime paid to the
going payment agreement are includ-
ed in FPL’s certification application,
which was filed with the Florida Divi-
sion of Administrative Hearings earlier
this month.
Known as Okeechobee Clean Ener-
gy Center Unit 1, the power plant will
be located inside Okeechobee County,
within a mile or two of the Indian Riv-
er County border.
The plant will use natural gas-fired
turbines and steam to generate 1,600
megawatts of power, enough to
power 1.6 million homes. Backup fuel
oil will be stored in a 7 million-gallon
tank onsite, to be used if there is a dis-
ruption in gas service, “and for periodic
testing,” according to FPL spokesman
David McDermitt.
Zorc said there is need for a hazmat
response team standing by, which IRC
has in place but Okeechobee does not.
Although Indian River County is
supposed to show up at any emergen-
cy second, in a supporting role, under
the terms of a mutual-aid agreement
between Okeechobee and Indian River
counties, Zorc contended that when
the two counties are called out simul-
taneously, Indian River County often
shows up first.
The nearest fire station is in Indian
River County at U.S. 95 and SR 60, which
is 18 miles away from the plant site, Zorc
said, while Okeechobee’s Fire Station 4
on U.S. 441 is about 30 miles away.
McDermitt said the power plant site
covers 2,800 acres, which makes it dif-
ficult to determine the exact distance
to the plant building, but he claims
Okeechobee’s Fire Station 4 is 23 miles
away.
Zorc has studied the proposed power
plant’s impacts on the county for two
years as the project proposal worked
its way through permitting processes.
The opportunity for affected gov-
ernment agencies to provide input is
now near an end.
Administrative Law Judge Bram
Canter will decide what FPL must do
to mitigate impacts, prior to review by
Gov. Scott, his cabinet and the Florida
Department of Environmental Protec-
tion, in accordance with the Florida
Electrical Power Plant Siting Act.
The first public hearing on the pow-
er plant’s certification will be held by the
Department of Administrative Hearings
on June 30 at 9 a.m. at The Holiday Inn
Express and Suites, 3101 U.S. Highway
441 South, Okeechobee.
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 3
NEWS
Vacation rentals that we have the right to enforce our ment, preferring to speak through his have been shown during a jury trial
code and we obviously appreciate legal team. here – could be quite convincing
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the judge confirming this position. with regard to officials’ desire to rid
We will continue our enforcement ef- Rhodeback said videotapes of city Vero of vacation rentals, Rhodeback
owners who violate city code. forts.” meetings in which the staff was given said. “I think the city’s intent is quite
“If we came back to you, it would marching orders to tighten the code, clear.”
Fitz, who owns multiple proper- plus meetings where the changes
be the same thing you already heard,” ties in Central Beach and was cited in were discussed and made, are in- Code enforcement efforts on Fitz’s
Frost, a Bartow-based attorney who April 2015 for renting out his home on cluded in the materials that will properties, as well as others, have been
represents Vero in various litigation, Fiddlewood Road to vacationers for be forwarded to the appeals court. ongoing while the matter has been in
told Kanarek on Monday. fewer than 30 days, declined to com- Watching those tapes – which would court since 2015.
“I’m going to grant the city’s mo- Exclusively John’s Island
tion and enter a final judgment,”
Kanarek said. “And you can take this Enjoy stunning, private pool and lake views from this recently updated
issue up with the Fourth District.” 4BR/5.5BA residence, perfectly sited on .45 acres along picturesque Indian
Lake. The gracious living room with fireplace and beamed ceiling anchors the
Fitz and his attorneys claim that 4,651± GSF home complete with refinished cherry floors, new island kitchen,
Vero changed its code in 2015 with and custom built-ins and millwork. Enviable features include a formal dining
the intent to ban vacation rentals in room, expansive sunlit lanai, large yard, and a private master suite with tray
the city, and in doing so trampled on ceiling, built-ins and his and her baths. 551 Indian Harbor Road : $1,925,000
a 2011 Florida law prohibiting cities
from toughening local rules against three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
vacation rentals. health & fitness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equity membership
Kanarek didn’t see it that way, so 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
now the matter goes to the appeals
court.
Fitz’ lead attorney, Johnathan Rho-
deback, said he expects the case to
take about a year to come up before
an appeals judge. Unless another
Florida case is brought to an appeals
court first, Rhodeback said the Vero
case would likely be the first time an
action of a local government as it re-
lates to the 2011 law pre-empting the
power to regulate vacation rentals to
the state is weighed in an appellate
venue.
Had a trial gone forward, city of-
ficials who amended the Vero code,
upping the per-day fine for violations
from $50 to $500 and changing defi-
nitions of terms in the code to “clari-
fy” language needed to cite vacation
rentals, could have been called upon
to defend their actions.
Rhodeback said he and his client
had no intention of hauling numer-
ous city officials up on the witness
stand in a trial, as that would have
been a costly burden on taxpayers,
but that he and co-counsel Matthew
Groom had wanted to depose Vero
Planning Director Tim McGarry.
A key potential witness for the
plaintiff, McGarry had been ruled
off-limits by the court because, as
the interpreter of the city code in
this case and others, McGarry enjoys
the same type of immunity from be-
ing called to testify as a judge being
asked to testify about a ruling he or
she made.
The city last year brought its code
enforcement officers under the po-
lice department to aid in after-hours
and weekend enforcement of vaca-
tion rental cases, and City Manager
Jim O’Connor, though not surprised
about Monday’s outcome, said it
does underscore the city’s determi-
nation to proceed with enforcing its
code.
“The City's position all along is
4 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
NEWS
My Vero during daytime hours, and much of sending out clean-up crews, however, Sale of diesel plant
the littering and property destruction Mora said there's not much he can do. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 occurs after dark.
"We live in one of the most beautiful occur until the current tenants’ lease
agency will step up patrols to try and "It's tough, because there's a lot go- areas on the planet and yet this behav- is terminated, giving the city clear title
catch the bad actors in the act. ing on throughout our region, espe- ior is going unchecked," Kelly said. "I to the property.
cially with all the off-shore issues, and believe that if we stand united we can
Boaters, kayakers, paddle boarders, we're spread pretty thin," Workman clean up the mess and stop the slobs “[The tenants] have a leasehold
campers and other visitors to these is- said. "And unless you catch them in from causing more damage to these mortgage,” says city attorney Wayne
lands are shocked by what they're find- the act, there's not a lot we can do." beautiful islands." Coment. He added the city has offered
ing when they arrive at what should be to work with the tenants and the bank
pristine patches of paradise. The types of litter found, particularly The state owns 124 of the 137 spoil to help resolve the issues in dispute
cans and bottles that contained cheap islands in Indian River, Brevard, St. Lu- and get clear title.
Some have reported seeing hun- beer and flavored liquors, strongly cie and Martin counties, which were
dreds of beer cans and bottles strewn suggest teen partiers and under-age created more than a half century ago The city signed a 45-year lease on the
throughout the wooded areas sur- drinkers are doing most of the damage when a 12-foot-deep channel was diesel plant with B-B Redevelopment
rounding the openings where young to the islands in this county. dredged in the lagoon to create the In- in 2001. Vero developers Phil Barth and
people often gather to party, knowing tracoastal Waterway. David Croom claim to have sunk $1.5
they won't be hassled by law enforce- "It does sound as if that's the case," million into the space getting it ready to
ment. Others say they've seen damage Workman said. The state’s islands are managed rent out to restaurants, shops and busi-
to mangroves and trees, as well as the through the Florida Department of nesses, but ongoing issues with the city
charred remains of fires set too close Sheriff's Office volunteers occasion- Environmental Protection. The other over environmental clean-up and past-
to pavilions and island vegetation. ally patrol the lagoon in private boats on 13 islands are owned by private inter- due rent landed both parties in court.
weekends – especially during holiday ests, the U.S. government or the Flori-
"We don't have a full-time marine weekends, when the waterways are busier da Inland Navigation District. If an agreement can’t be reached be-
deputy out there policing those is- – but Flowers said budget cutbacks make forehand, the other option is to wait for
lands," Indian River County Sheriff's it impossible to have a full-time marine The DEP's Florida Coastal Office the outcome of a trial slated for late June.
Office spokesman Lt. Eric Flowers team checking on the spoil islands. organizes island clean-ups, working
said. "We've got a boat at the Fire Sta- closely with the Indian River Lagoon Coment says attorneys Eugene
tion near Riverside Park, and we go out "Littering and illegal dumping are Aquatic Preserves office in Fort Pierce. O’Neill, who is representing the city in
if we get a call. But unless there's a re- against the law, and we'll respond if Usually, the clean-ups are done by lo- the lawsuit, and Sandra Rennick, who
port of some type of disturbance, we we get a complaint, but we'd need to cal volunteer groups, including some is handling the closing for Rechter, are
don't usually go out there. be able to identify who was doing it," that sign agreements to adopt an is- working on making sure the title is clear.
Flowers said. "The truth is, we don't land and maintain them.
"We're not going to be out there pa- get many of those calls, probably be- A non-jury trial on the city’s suit for
trolling, looking for under-age drinkers." cause, if you've got a bunch of kids Kelly, meanwhile, is hoping to orga- back rent and B-B Redevelopment’s
partying on an island out there, no- nize groups here for additional clean- countersuit over environmental clean-
Workman said up until now, Fish body's going to hear it." up efforts. He said he already has spo- up issues is slated to begin June 20 un-
and Wildlife officers have occasionally ken to Vero Beach High School Athletic der Judge John Galluzzo of the 18th
checked on the islands when they're "The kids know there's a better Director Lenny Jankowski about tak- Circuit. The Seminole County-based
in the area, but most patrols are done chance they'll get caught if they put ing some of the Fighting Indians teams judge will hear the case in Vero, after
their beer bottles back in the boat and out the islands. He also has contacted Judge Paul Kanarek of the 19th Cir-
bring them back to shore," said Paul the youth pastors at local churches. cuit disqualified himself when Janet
Kelly, a local kayaker who was ap- Croom, wife of one of the litigants, was
palled by the "dump site" he and his Stepped up enforcement may help, too. made a judge on the same circuit.
wife found on a recent excursion to an "We don't routinely patrol those is-
island east of the Oslo Boat Ramp. lands, but now that you're shining a The contract with Rechter allows
light on it and showing us there's a for 365 days to get clear title. He says
Kelly, a former high school football problem, we'll address it," Workman he won’t start building out the prop-
coach, said he spoke to the county's said. "I'm sure our watch commanders erty until the deal is done.
public works director, Chris Mora, who in that area will send out more patrols.
he said told him he wasn't surprised by We'll do what we can to stop it." In addition, the city’s planning and
the discovery. Other than occasionally
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 5
NEWS
zoning department has to draw up a ley and opened a billiard hall near the tion and the other for the taproom and ery, Walking Tree, is on the verge of
change of use request to allow for a Majestic 11 Theatres. restaurant. opening near the airport. It is owned
brewery in the space. “They have at by Vero residents Alan Dritenbas and
least six weeks of work,” says Rechter. Under the name American Icon He expects to leave the huge diesel Mike Malone and three investors.
Brewery, Rechter’s plans for the 90-year- engine in place as a backdrop to the bar
Rechter, a Fort Lauderdale inves- old former power plant include dividing area, which he projects will have 12 to A much smaller boutique brewery, Or-
tor who owns shopping plazas along the 10,000-square-foot space into two 15 draft taps. chid Island, was opened on Vero’s beach
Vero’s U.S. 1, renovated a bowling al- areas, one for commercial beer produc- by Alden Bing in the summer of 2014.
Meanwhile, a second large brew-
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6 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
NEWS
South Beach power struggle The SBPOA usually conducts its An- Cooper and Robert DeWaters. Lam- sioner had not been involved in the SB-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 nual General Meeting in March, but born challenged their legitimacy as POA power struggle, which dates back
the dispute and lawsuit caused it to be board members because he claims to last summer.
dent, the South Beach Property Own- postponed. At the board's March 28 their SBPOA dues weren't paid in full
ers Association hopes to move past the special call meeting, directors voted at the time of their nomination and Until the recent resignations, the
controversy by electing a new leader- unanimously to re-schedule the meet- election in March 2015. board had nine members, but Carter
ship team on April 21. ing for April. said the SBPOA's bylaws allow for up
Lamborn also released a statement to 15 directors.
The election of a new board will Four days later, Lamborn released a two days after filing his suit and ac-
come less than a month after four di- statement announcing that he had ac- cused the defendants of wanting to The four board members who re-
rectors – Thomas Browne, George Bry- cepted the resignations of Browne, Bry- "silence the SBPOA with respect to signed represented the: Windward
ant, John J. Burns and Frank Spitzmiller ant, Burns and Spitzmiller – the core of certain issues of concern to South Condominium Association of Vero
– resigned in the wake of being named the dissident faction – "on the grounds Beach property owners, deliver the Beach (Browne); Moorings of Vero
in a lawsuit filed in March by associa- their conduct was not compatible with SBPOA into the hands of a re-election Property Owners Association (Bryant);
tion President George Lamborn. serving the best interests of the con- campaign and turn the SBPOA into a Sandpointe Property Owners Associa-
stituents of the South Beach." political lap dog." tion (Burns); and Seagrove Property
None of the four is seeking election Owners Association (Fitzmiller).
to the 2016-17 board, according to as- Lamborn wrote that he and the re- Though Lamborn did not name him
sociation Treasurer Carter Taylor, who maining directors were "committed to in the lawsuit, the "public official" re- Lamborn wrote that members of
will join Lamborn and at least five oth- ensuring the welfare and quality of life portedly is county commissioner Bob those groups remain in "good stand-
ers on the ballot: current secretary Miles in the South Beach is protected, not Solari, whose district includes the South ing" with the SBPOA and, as such, were
Conway, Bill Liedholm, Cheryl Gerstner, the welfare and election interests of Beach area. entitled to submit to the Nominations
Carol Buffum and Jose Lambiet. Indian River County politicians." Committee the names of one of their
Solari denied the allegation. The respective members for consideration
Taylor said the SBPOA's Nominations The special call meeting was the commissioner said he never attempted to fill the vacancies on the board.
Committee was still seeking candidates board's first gathering since Lam- to undermine the SBPOA's president
– particularly from Castaway Cove's born filed his suit March 11 in Indian and has had "nothing to do with" the Earlier, Burns said "nearly 80 per-
Wave 1 or 2 and The Moorings – to add River County's circuit court, where polarizing dispute over control of the cent" of the SBPOA's membership is
to the ballot before the election. How- he alleged the four board members board. represented by three of the defendants
ever, if none could be found, he said the who resigned – as well as four others named in the lawsuit and that, if the
board could function with seven mem- he claimed were illegitimately nomi- Solari said his actions regarding the dispute can't be resolved without going
bers "while we continue to recruit" oth- nated and elected last year – were col- county's short-term rental controversy to court, some factions are "prepared to
ers interested in serving as directors. laborating with a "public official" to have "everything to do with" his name withdraw from the association."
illegally seize control of the SBPOA. being dragged into the squabble.
"We can't hold up the annual meet- Such a defection would almost cer-
ing indefinitely," Taylor said. The other four defendants were Burns, who said he has served as the tainly destroy the SBPOA, which was
Steve Merselis, David De Wahl, Victor SBPOA's president seven times, corrob- founded in 1992. However, Taylor said
orated Solari's claim that the commis- none of the associations has expressed
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 7
NEWS
any interest in leaving the SBPOA. Sparks fly between Vero and the Shores
Solari said he is "being blamed" by
BY LISA ZAHNER with electricity prior to the PSC award- The PSC complaint requesting a ter-
some members of the SBPOA for the Staff Writer ing Vero what it claims as a permanent ritorial review is one of four separate
county's inability to prohibit short- service territory in the late 1980s. legal and regulatory battles Vero is cur-
term rentals in the wake of a 2011 Attorneys for Vero Beach and Indian rently engaged in – three with the Shores
state law that made them legal. River Shores are escalating the legal The Shores’ attorneys say Vero’s in- and one with the County Commission,
wrangling in an ongoing dispute over sistence that it has an unchecked right which expects to receive an opinion
The statute permitted counties whether or not the Florida Public Ser- to serve the Town with electric power, from the Florida Supreme Court later
and municipalities with existing bans vice Commission should open up Vero’s with or without the Town’s consent in this month, addressing its dispute with
on vacation rentals to grandfather in service territory and let Florida Power & the absence of a valid franchise agree- Vero Beach over electric service the city
their ordinances, as was the case with Light serve the entire Town instead of ment, makes the city an unregulated provides in the county.
the city of Vero Beach. just 20 percent of its residents. monopoly and could run afoul of fed-
eral antitrust laws. CORRECTION:
Solari, however, argued the county's Vero petitioned the PSC to have the
ordinance was too vague to withstand Shores’ complaint dismissed on vari- Mayor Brian Barefoot in a statement A story on mold at Fellsmere Elemen-
a court challenge and the commission ous grounds, including the city’s argu- last week suggested Vero’s voluminous tary School in our March 24 issue quot-
eventually repealed it. "Some people ment that the Shores has no standing 75-page motion to dismiss is padded ed from an email sent to Vero Beach
don't understand my position," he said. to launch a territorial dispute. The with extraneous information intended 32963 by the publicist for the School
"It was a badly written ordinance." Town, lacking the ability to file as a to distract and confuse the PSC, or District. The email provided the name
municipality, petitioned the PSC as a whomever else might read it. Rodney McGriff above the quote: “I
The commission's decision opened customer of Vero electric, as the Town would like to see if someone can check
the gates for short-term rentals, which Hall complex and public safety build- “Our Town provided a strong re- for mold. My asthma symptoms in-
some have complained are the equiv- ings are electric customers. sponse to a motion filed by the City crease when I am in the classroom and
alent of hotels operating in residential of Vero Beach to dismiss our petition decrease when I am away from the
neighborhoods. Despite the Town’s claims that Vero to the Public Service Commission for classroom. I also have students with al-
will have no permission to serve the a modification of territorial order. At lergies who are constantly ill.” We are
In response, the county has adopt- Town after a 30-year franchise agree- 75 pages, the City’s motion to dismiss now told the statement was not made
ed ordinances prohibiting short-term ment expires on Nov. 6, Vero says its is as long as it is misleading, and mis- by McGriff, but by a teacher whom the
rentals from being used for big events, permission to serve is not contingent characterizes our Town’s petition and School District did not identify.
such as weddings and reunions, and upon the existence of a franchise agree- calls for the PSC to prematurely rule
severely restricting guest parking. ment as Vero served Town buildings on the merits of our case,” Barefoot
said.
"The new ordinances removed 80 to
90 percent of the problem, and we're
looking at other regulations," Solari
said. "But there are some people who
won't be satisfied until short-term
rentals are banned."
8 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
NEWS
Virtual School Mark Rendell told the school board. Because we can’t control choice.” ricular activities must be made available
That may cost the district about “When they register for a virtual to those meeting academic and conduct
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 requirements and “shall not discrimi-
$1.8 million in state funding, he said, class, if the class is on our list, they nate based on school choice.”
The School District’s official number although the district hopes to recoup will automatically be enrolled in our
of students and funding has been fall- some funding by changing the atten- class,” Rendell answered. The IR Virtual School “Program In-
ing since 2009, when the state passed dance policy. Rendell said it’s essential formation/Participant Agreement” also
laws requiring districts to offer full- or the school have its own virtual school Although Jimenez thanked him for quashes competition and therefore
part-time virtual classes, giving par- and use its own teachers to regain the “clarification,” what Rendell pro- choice. It states students “will be pro-
ents and students a minimum of three funding. posed negates school choice, in viola- hibited from accessing any instruction-
vendors for K-12 choices. tion of state law. al programs from other public schools”
Virtual offerings by competitors cut once enrolled in IR Virtual school, in vi-
Many school districts – 63 of the 67 into but didn’t cripple the district’s District public information offi- olation of state law 1002.37(3)(c), which
in the state, according to Larry Banks, funding until a 2013 law was passed, cer Flynn Fidgeon said Rendell didn’t states that school districts may not limit
Florida Virtual School director of fran- “recalibrating” how Florida Education mean what he said, insisting it’s im- student access to courses offered by the
chises and district solutions – saw the Finance Program funds are disbursed; possible not to be aware of choice at state’s virtual school.
writing on the wall and bought a state those funds supply about half of the the time of class sign-up, because the
franchise, retaining funding that other- district’s operating budget. state’s virtual school is displayed as an It also appears to violate state law
wise would go to the state’s own virtual option alongside county virtual class- 1003.498(2)(b), which states students
school or to other virtual providers. The 2013 law states one student es in the online menu. can enroll in any online course offered
can’t be counted as more than one by any other school district in the state.
But not the Indian River School Dis- Full-Time Equivalent, which is 720 But documents found on the district’s
trict, until now. hours a year of instructional time for website support Rendell’s anti-choice The IR Virtual agreement also
elementary pupils and 900 hours for intent and contradict Fidgeon’s assur- states, “Furthermore, students will
The first year the state required older students. A Full-Time Equiva- ances choice will be honored. The doc- not be granted access to any other
virtual-classes options, in 2009, the lent is worth about $5,200 in Florida uments appear to cross the legal line. virtual school programs as part of
school district lost 518 students, but Education Finance Program funding. the school day,” in violation of state
most of them may have gone to charter The press release states IR Virtual law 1003.498(3), which states school
schools, which gained 436 students. When a student takes classes with will “feature benefits that other virtual districts cannot require that students
outside virtual providers, as many are schools can’t offer,” naming English for take online courses outside the school
But going into this year, the district now doing, the School District has to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) day and must make online access
estimated it would have about 373 share the $5,200. and Exceptional Student Education available during the school day.
more students than it actually has, (ESE). These classes will be available
Assistant Superintendent Carter Mor- At the March 29 school-board meet- in person or online within the district The district also imposes further con-
rison told school board members at ing, Rendell said, “payments will stay system, the press release states. ditions.
their March 29 meeting. in-house if [students] are [enrolled] in
our franchise.” This implies a student can’t get The most draconian, limiting and
Most of this loss is due to students online ESOL and ESE services from anti-school choice of these conditions
taking online classes, Superintendent School Board member Claudia competitors. But in fact, other virtual is the district’s insistence that once stu-
Jimenez asked, “Do they have choice? schools offer them. In-person support dents enroll in the IR Virtual School,
services are also available from other they are locked in as district Full-Time
schools that Indian River County stu- Equivalents and have sacrificed their
dents have access to. right to choose another school.
State law 1002.20(6) requires schol- “Students withdrawing from IRVS
arships to private schools be made will be required to return to their
available to students of failing schools zoned school. Students who partici-
and also provides McKay Scholarships pated in choice programs prior to en-
for ESE services to parents dissatisfied rollment in IRVS will forfeit their seat
with the district’s ESE services, which in the choice program upon enroll-
is required as part of Florida’s commit- ment in IRVS. Students and parents
ment to giving parents and students will need to reapply for any choice
school choice. or out of area assignments for subse-
quent years,” the agreement states.
IR Virtual students will be allowed to
participate in sports, electives and ca- This violates not only the spirit of
reer technical training at county schools, school choice but a number of virtual
the press release states, implying stu- and school-choice laws.
dents choosing other virtual schools will
be ineligible. But state law 1002.20(18) The district is purchasing a fran-
mandates that school district extracur- chise from the state’s renowned Florida
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 9
NEWS
Virtual School, the first state-run and In the fall, some high-school classes
created virtual school, which counts will be offered, but none will be offered
about 500,000 courses completed per for elementary and middle school pu-
year, 50 percent of the virtual course pils, Banks said.
completions in the U.S.
Perhaps price has something to
Neither the April 4 district press do with that decision. Banks said the
release nor the flyer sent to students’ school will pay Florida Virtual School
homes gave much detail about cours- about $50 per enrolled high school
es the district will offer from the Flori- student. But elementary courses
da Virtual School menu, and questions would cost IR Virtual $350 per student
about these details went unanswered because Florida Virtual School con-
from the district. tracts with a Maryland company, Con-
nections Education, to provide those
“Open enrollment starts today and classes and curriculum.
spots are limited!” the flyer states.
That’s because the district “is starting The district will also have to pay to
out very small,” offering two courses have teachers trained, with Florida
this summer, driver’s ed and HOPE Virtual School charging $4,500 for a
(health opportunities through physi- group of eight teachers and $1,500 for
cal education), the district’s franchise each additional teacher, according to
director Banks said. the franchise agreement.
Search for ACO conductor
comes down to the wire
ACO guest conductor David Handel
PHOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE
BY MICHELLE GENZ known as the Russian Philharmonic. A
Staff Writer two-time Fulbright Senior Scholar, he
spent 14 years successfully developing
With the final bow of guest conductor the National Symphony Orchestra of
David Handel last week, auditions for Bolivia, and currently works with or-
the post of music director of the Atlan- chestras in Argentina and Guatemala.
tic Classical Orchestra officially ended.
Other candidates were Rei Hodoka,
Handel was the last of four conduc- associate conductor of the Utah Sym-
tors applying for the post that became phony; David Loebel, associate direc-
available when Maestro Stewart Rob- tor of orchestras for the New England
ertson retired last spring. Each can- Conservatory; and David Amado, mu-
didate, gleaned from 125 applicants, sic director of the Delaware Symphony.
conducted one of ACO’s four programs
this season, each given in Vero Beach, The chamber orchestra, founded 26
Stuart and Palm Beach Gardens. years ago by Vero’s Andrew McMullan,
had been guided by McMullan’s suc-
Monday, a decision by a committee cessor as conductor, Robertson, since
of board members, staff and musicians 2004. Robertson was music director
was to have been reached. But the race of the Glimmerglass Opera as well as
was tight, according to marketing di- Florida Grand Opera.
rector Renae Lloyd. And negotiations
on salary and other terms still had to ACO is the Treasure Coast’s only resi-
take place before any announcement dent performing arts organization, and
would be made, she said. last season expanded into the Palm
Beach County market with concerts at
Handel, who as a young man was ap- Palm Beach State College’s Eissey The-
prentice conductor under Kurt Masur, atre. Concerts are performed in Stuart
is currently principal guest conductor at the Lyric Theatre, and in Vero, at St.
of the Moscow City Symphony, also Edward’s School.
10 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
NEWS
Quail Valley and Grand Harbor lose popular tennis pros
BY RAY MCNULTY Kriegler Brink, meanwhile, will be in the Dallas area, and I’ve already got Delavaut said he, too, was ready for
Staff Writer leaving his assistant pro’s job at Quail some meetings lined up. I just need to a change of direction, though the In-
Valley later this month to pursue a busi- get there and make the contacts. dian River Tennis Foundation board
Two popular Vero Beach tennis pros ness career in the Dallas-Fort Worth member has no plans to walk away
are embarking on new endeavors: area, where he was a standout on the “I’ve had fun here, but it’s time,” he from the court ... or Vero Beach.
One has changed courts, the other is Texas Christian University tennis team. added. “I don’t want to be a director of
changing course. tennis at a club. If I did, I would have ap- In fact, since resigning last month
“I can’t say enough about the way plied for the job at Grand Harbor. But I from his seasonal job at Grand Harbor
After 20 years at Grand Harbor – 17 as I’ve been treated by the people at Quail want a career in business – finance or – he spent summers working at exclu-
head pro, the past three as the club’s ten- Valley and, before that, at The Moor- commercial real estate, maybe insurance sive clubs in Michigan, New York and
nis director – Christophe Delavaut has left ings, but I’m 28 years old and I’m ready – and I really can’t put it off any longer. Massachusetts – Delavaut has been
to teach privately and finish the tennis in- to move on to the next chapter of my giving private lessons locally at the
struction book he began writing in 2013. life,” Brink said. “I’ve got a lot of friends “I’m really excited about the oppor- Twin Oaks Tennis Club, owned by his
tunities in front of me.” longtime friend, Alain Mignolet.
“I’ve known Alain for 20 years and
he’s allowing me to use a court there,”
Delavaut said.
“I’ve got a fairly big following of local
players and juniors, and I’m teaching
about 35 to 40 hours a week.
“It has been very difficult for me to
teach juniors in the past, because I’ve
been here only six months out of the
year,” he added. “So now that I’ll be
here on a year-round basis, I’m look-
ing forward to working with them.
“About 80 percent of my clientele is
local, so I should be busy in the sum-
mer, too.”
Delavaut, 52, said he plans to use
his off-the-court time to finish his sec-
ond book – “The Common Threads of
Champions” – which he hopes to have
published within the next two years.
“It’s been a never-ending project, but
I’m going to focus on getting it done,” he
said. “I’m probably 18 months away.”
As for why he left Grand Harbor,
Delavaut offered no specifics, saying
only that he was ready for a change.
“I’ve got nothing but great memo-
ries of Grand Harbor,” said Delavaut,
who was recruited to the Vero Beach
club in 1995 by its then tennis direc-
tor, Mike Rahaley. “But it was time to do
something else.”
Brink’s impending departure comes
at an inopportune time for local ten-
nis fans who’ve enjoyed watching him
play in the annual $10,000 USTA Pro
Circuit Futures event.
The South African native was
scheduled to play in the tournament
– recently renamed the Mardy Fish
Children’s Foundation Tennis Cham-
pionships, which will be held April 26-
May 1 at The Boulevard Tennis Club.
Brink was planning to play along-
side his Quail Valley colleague, Mi-
chael Alford, as a wild-card entry into
the main draw of the doubles compe-
tition. But he already has notified both
Alford and tournament director Tom
Fish that he won’t be able to play.
“Michael is still going to play,” said
the tournament’s co-director, Randy
Walker. “We’re still working on replac-
ing Kriegler, but Michael will play.”
12 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
‘Tex’ appeal at John’s Island fundraiser hoedown
1 23
BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer
The “stars at night were big and 4 56
bright” last Wednesday at the John’s Is-
land Community Service League’s Tex- excuse to do anything western,” said LONE STAR CAPTIONS
as-sized fundraiser, Lone Star on the Julie O’Connor, adding that they want-
Beach. More than 400 members and ed to keep things casual and the coun- 1. Randy and Sandy Rolf with Gail and Scott Alexander. 2. Rick and Laura McDermott. 3. Al and Joan DeCrane
invited guests two-stepped their way try atmosphere lent itself to that. “The with Marlynn Scully. 4. Jennifer and Charles Croom with Hope Woodhouse. 5. Kathy and Todd Fennell, Jean
over to the John’s Island Beach Club dancing is really fun, and the line danc- Ueltschi and Bill Scully. 6. Page Franzel, Diana Stark, Cheryl Deacon and Elayne Weimann. PHOTOS:DENISERITCHIE
and right from the start knew they were ing is a wonderful way for the single
in for a wild ride. people of John’s Island to be included.” hats – even some pretty pink-feathered looking delightful in her denim flag-
cowgirl hats with flashing lights. shirt alongside husband Randy and his
In addition to the Tallest Texan (on Everyone really got into the spirit longhorn cattle-print shirt.
stilts), arriving cowpokes were greeted of the evening, sporting all variety of “Western is our style; we spend sum-
by two (ahem) lovely barmaids – golf western-wear – denim jeans and skirts, mers in Colorado,” said Sandy Rolf, CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
pro Steve Hanlon and tennis pro Lenn- turquoise jewelry, boots and cowboy
art Jonason – before moving through
to the lobby and poolside for cocktails,
hors d’oeuvres and entertainment by
the Blue Cypress Bluegrass Band.
“It’s the prerogative of the event chair
to choose the theme and I just love an
14 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
Carol Coxhead, Connie McGlynn and Ellen Ferro. Ba Stone with Toby and Tuny Hill.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 away to Ronnie and Diane Feeley and port the commu- is being allocated by the scholar-
the Ramblers and get- Marilyn Wurzer nity. ship committee, chaired by Sandy
Bright white tablecloths were offset ting the lowdown on line Johnson, to scholarships for the
by pops of color from the royal blue and dancing by Cowgirl Sue and The JICSL is children of John’s Island employees.
white bandanas covering the chair- Country Dan. awarding $917,000
backs, and wild-flower arrangements this 2015-16 sea- “Additionally, for the first time,
set in straw hats added to the festive at- The gala is the major fund- son. That’s a re- we committed to two years of fund-
mosphere. raiser for the JICSL, whose mis- cord number; top- ing to four agencies,” said Wood-
sion is “transforming lives in ping last year’s house. “Thanks to the generous
“I’m Daisy Mae, right off the farm. Indian River County through contribution of one of our members,
Is my tooth still black?” laughed Diane leadership, collaboration and $822,000 by al- we now have a new, more flexible
Feeley, sporting pigtails, bare feet and dedicated philanthropy.” So most $100,000. fund which will consider off-cycle,
one strategically blackened tooth. all partying aside, JICSL First The grant com- start-up, incubation and multi-
Vice President Hope Wood- mittee, chaired agency grant requests. We are in the
After a Texas-themed buffet featur- house noted that the most im- by Pat Brier, is process of making agencies aware
ing grouper tacos, spiny lobster Crio- portant aspect of the gala allocating of this new Unrestricted Fund and
lla, chicken enchiladas, barbeque beef was to raise funds to sup- the process to access it.”
and all the accompaniments, guests $851,000 to 38
danced into the wee hours, hoofing agencies, and $66,000
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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 15
PEOPLE
7 10
11
8 9 14
12 13
LONE STAR CAPTIONS
7. Marcy and Dick DeWolfe, Carol Twyman, Betsy
and Jay Woodruff. 8. John McCord, Rosemary
Haverland, Susan McCord and Dick Haverland.
9. Janet and David Croom. 10. Susan McLean,
Shelley Lane and Susan McConnell. 11. Bob
Thibodeau with Betsy and Doug Fox. 12. Liz
Farnsworth with Sherry Ann and Ned Dayton.
13. Fuzzy Billings, “Sheriff” Steve and Ann
Warhover. 14. Anne and Bill Grealis.
16 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
Hibiscus benefit luncheon was fashionably great
Karen Loeffler, Paul Sexton and Jan Harrell. Michelle Borisenok, Maya Petersen, Helen Robertson and Suzanne Bertman. Ellen Zollenberg, Kathy Tonkel and Liz Melnick.
BY MARY SCHENKEL when they’re in an abusive situa-
Staff Writer tion with pain; not knowing what is
going to happen to them that day.
Fashions and friendship are the Sue Sharpe, Carole Casey, Linda Teetz and Diane Wilhelm. And then they come to Hibiscus
hallmark of the annual Blue Rib- Children’s Center and they live like
bon Luncheon and Fashion Show a family. They realize what it’s like
to benefit the Hibiscus Children’s to be nurtured, to be loved, to be
Center and this year’s Hats off to cared for. Hibiscus has a 99 percent
Hibiscus-themed event was no ex- success rate with these kids.”
ception. The sold-out luncheon
drew roughly 270 ladies – many in Commenting that abuse occurs
wonderfully stylish hats – to the even in our beautiful community,
Oak Harbor Club House, eager to she related the story of a woman
get a sneak peek at the season’s
latest fashions while supporting a whose daughter was in an abusive
relationship and Hibiscus provid-
Come in and let us create a masterful blend of function great cause. ed assistance to them.
and esthetics for the kitchen of your dreams. The energy level in the lobby
“Hibiscus doesn’t just take care
f e at u r i n g : was high as guests clinked cham- of kids, it also helps families,” said
pagne glasses and chatted, perused Teetz, sharing that the woman told
Established 18 Years in Indian River County a wealth of silent auction items, her, “They were so helpful to us,
and purchased chances in hopes and now my two grandchildren are
• The Treasure Coast’s most Comprehensive, Professional Showroom of winning one of three great raffle healthy children thanks to Hibis-
• Extensive Collection of Styles and Finishes to Meet Your Budget prizes. cus. You are doing good work.”
• Convenient Hours or By Appointment • Remodeling specialists
“These types of events do not After a delicious lunch, adorable
(772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com happen by themselves; they take little girls started off the Fashion
3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960 leadership,” said Hibiscus CEO Paul Show, modeling outfits from Lily
Sexton, acknowledging event co- Pad while proud mothers captured
chairs, Jan Harrell and Karen Loef- their little ones’ runway moments
fler and the hardworking ladies of on cellphones. Statuesque models
the Hibiscus Guild who organize in impossibly high heels showed off
the organization’s numerous fun- the latest designs from J. McLaugh-
draisers, developing long-lasting lin, Pineapples, Sassy Boutique
friendships in the bargain. Frances Brewster and Cooper & Co.,
featuring an array of multicolored
“Thanks to you, what I’m thrilled silks, jumpsuits, jacketed dress and
about is that the word hope exists pant outfits, and chic long skirts
at Hibiscus Children’s Center,” said with crisp tailored shirts. See our
Sexton. “Because of you we are able Style section for more about the
to heal hearts, minds and souls. fashion show.
Because of you we are helping chil-
dren overcome adversity. Because “These are fabulous wearable
of you we’re able to protect chil- fashions that would fit the average
dren. And, most of all, because of woman and make them feel spe-
you we are able to enrich their lives. cial,” said Trudie Rainone, a com-
Thank you for what you do to help ment echoed by many of the ladies
us serve children.” present.
“As friends, we all come together Hibiscus Children’s Center is the
for a singular purpose and that is to only residential home on the Trea-
raise funds for Hibiscus Children’s sure Coast for children who are
Center,” said Linda Teetz, a 12-year victims of physical and emotional
member of the guild and a Hibiscus abuse and neglect. In addition to
Foundation board member. “Those providing a safe and secure place
kids are very special. They wake up for them to live, Hibiscus provides
mental health counseling, life skills
and job training.
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 17
PEOPLE
1 2
4
3
FASHION SHOW CAPTIONS
1. Karan Morein, Susan Temple, Christine Barry and
Stacey Barnett. 2. Helene Jefferson, Rita Chanfrau,
Nancy Knapp and BJ Blair. 3. Lindsay Candler,
Petra King and Raquel Tilton. 4. Deb Brennan,
Megan Love and Jeanne-Marie Varga. 5. Trudie
Rainone and Elke Fetterolf. 6. Barbara Brunbaugh,
Chris Brooks, Nancy Hoder and Mary Brunker.
PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE
5
6
18 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
Weekend's worth of fun at Vero's Hibiscus Festival
1 23
45
67
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 19
PEOPLE
1. Debbie Avery and Kim Pilger with Main Street Vero Beach. 2. Lisa Clarke and Rebecca Ruiz sample soaps at Lather and Co. 3. Matt Fulcher plays guitar at the
Festival. 4. Miss Hibiscus Pageant court, Rachel Montgomery, Ashley Scott, Makala Peirce, Miss Hibiscus 2016 Melanie Coppola, Gabby McFall, Lilly Connell,
Grace Thompson and Pageant Chair Cindy Goetz. 5. Christina Muellenhaupt shops at the Hibiscus Festival for jewelry. 6. United Against Poverty cart decorated
as the house from the movie "UP." 7. First-place winner Phil Capen. 8 Matt Kolenda and Libby Sanders. 9. Artist Jinsheng Song. 10. Luis and Roger Iglesias of
Earlusion. 11. Longevity staff entry in Shopping Cart Parade. 12. Anna Pease checks out jewelry from Kara Maresca’s booth. PHOTOS: LEAH DUBOIS
Perfect weather conditions and a huge variety of activities drew large crowds this past weekend to the 13th
annual Hibiscus Festival presented by Main Street Vero Beach. Festivities began Thursday evening with the
crowning of Melanie Coppola as Miss Hibiscus 2016. The festival kicked into high gear Saturday morning with a
8 Pilot Club Pancake Breakfast to benefit the Alzheimer’s & Parkinson Association, plus 11-mile, 31-mile, 62-mile
and 100-mile Hibiscus Bike Rides, and continued with two fun-filled days that included a juried Fine Art and
Fine Craft Show, continuous live musical entertainment and plenty of vendors.
Saturday saw the return of the Hibiscus Festival Shopping Cart Parade, with creatively decorated carts filled
with shelf-stable food items that were then donated to United Against Poverty’s Emergency Food Pantry.
9
10
11
12
20 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
Write on: Poetry & BBQ benefit was literary feast
BY MARY SCHENKEL Charlotte Terry, Leonard Todd, Marie Stiefel and Laurel Blossom. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE for the theme,” explained Stiefel of the
Staff Writer delightful statuary, now right at home
featured poets, attendees – many es- current chairman of the LRJF, hosted among the lush, beautifully land-
Devotees of the written word gath- tablished writers in their own right an intimate reception with the visiting scaped grounds of her home. Intricate
ered at the quaint “cracker”-style home – listened appreciatively to heartfelt poets at her beautiful home in Riomar. replica birdhouses, each a model of a
of the noted 20th century poet Laura poetry from young up-and-comers The evening also featured a presenta- real home, also dot the property, in-
(Riding) Jackson to attend this year’s enrolled in LRJF Teen Writing Work- tion by Richard Allen (Al) Shoaf, au- cluding one of the Laura (Riding) Jack-
“Three Daughters of Eve”-themed Po- shops, the most recent one led by Sa- thor, alumni professor of English at the son house.
etry & BBQ event to benefit the Laura brina Carpenter. University of Florida, and a foremost
(Riding) Jackson Foundation. authority on Dante, Chaucer, Shake- “I work with the Teen Writers Work-
“They knocked my socks off,” said speare and Milton. shops; that’s been a lot of fun,” said
Now in its sixth year, literary lov- Carpenter as she introduced them. Stiefel. “We’re lucky. We’ve got three
ers were treated Sunday afternoon to “These kids shared the most intimate “Sharon Sexton made the ‘Three teachers, one each from Saint Ed-
a program featuring award winning thoughts.” Daughters of Eve’ and installed them
poet/authors Alice Friman, poet-in- last summer; that was the inspiration ward’s, Sebastian and Vero Beach
residence at Georgia College; Laurel The evening before Marie Stiefel, High School, and they keep us
Blossom, the first-ever Poet Laureate of grounded. It’s been really wonderful.”
Edgefield, South Carolina; and Sidney
Wade, a 23-year professor of creative Rene VanDeVoorde is one of the few
writing at the University of Florida. people involved in the foundation who
actually knew Jackson. He served as an
A lovely breeze blew through the attorney for her trust, which managed
open-air tent where chairs had been her publications for 20 years follow-
set up alongside the house, and later a ing her death. When asked about his
southern barbeque dinner with all the favorite memory of her, VanDeVoorde
fixings was enjoyed at picnic tables in smiled and said, “The first time I met
the original Jackson pole barn, accom- her. She was a little tiny woman with
panied by bluegrass music by the Hot piercing blue eyes. When you looked
Sauce Boys. into her eyes, you knew she was some-
thing special.”
Before they were enthralled by the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 23
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22 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
Alice Friman and Sharon Sexton. Sean Sexton and Sidney Wade. Toni Hamner and Rene VanDeVoorde. Al Shoaf and Shotsi Cain Lajoie.
Jens and Melissa Tripson with Chad and Elizabeth Leonard. Julie and Robie Weary with Susan Jaramillo and Patti Lyons. Frank and Karen Schlitt with Susan and Wes Lovelace.
Harry and Nancy Offutt. Cathy Walker and Brendon Lynch. Jody Harley and Logan Geeslan. Cherry Houck with Alden and Valerie Bing.
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 23
PEOPLE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 er, romance and wine.” his one true love, he wrote a poem 1994 it was transported to its cur-
Shoaf spoke of Dante’s feelings on unlike any poem ever written by rent location on the grounds of the
Guests sat on the expansive lawn anyone,” said Shoaf. Environmental Learning Center. In
overlooking the Riomar Golf Club, the sorrows and joys of erotic union, addition to the home’s preservation,
with the rhythmic sound of the based on writings from what he de- Laura (Riding) Jackson lived in the foundation hosts Teen Writing
ocean in the background, as Sean scribed as the longest love poem the historic home with husband and Adult Writing Workshops and a
Sexton introduced Shoaf, adding, ever written – Commedia (Devine Schuyler Jackson from 1943 until seasonal Porch Writers Group.
“This is a night of beautiful weath- Comedy). “Shortly after the death of her death at age 90 in 1991, and in
24 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
A bloomin’ good time at Garden Group’s 25th bash
BY MARY SCHENKEL Unlike judged shows, this one
Staff Writer was strictly for fun. Interpreting
their own photos, paintings and
Members of the John’s Island sculptures, members designed flo-
Garden Group and their guests cel- ral arrangements and in some cases
ebrated the group’s 25th anniversa- whole tableaus. Judging from their
ry with a Pictures and Posies Floral creative artistry and impressive
Show Cocktail Party last Monday at uses of color and texture, many of
the golf club that showcased their the pieces could easily have won
many talents. prizes in a formal show.
Liz Gillick and Jeanne Manley at the Indian River Shores Town Hall. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE
Guests wandered the room, lis- group, we have made donations to
tening to music from Ray Adams the community,” said current Presi-
and Dave Mundy of Soulfege, and dent Jeanne Manley.
learning the stories behind the
imaginative displays. Roughly 30 In 2007 they created a memorial
members participated, some pair- garden at the VNA Hospice House
ing up to create about 20 delightful and each Christmas, working with
designs. the Indian River County School Dis-
trict and the Vero Beach Book Cen-
One of the more whimsical pieces ter, members purchase books for
was fashioned by Diane Feeley and the library of a school chosen by the
Trish Mulvoy, with significant help school superintendent for all the
from Chips Feeley, whose sculpture children at the school to enjoy.
and painting provided the impetus
for the design. With “apologies to In 2013 and 2014, utilizing the ex-
Degas,” Diane Feeley explained that pertise of landscape architect Eliz-
the male figure reminded her of a abeth A. Gillick, they created and
Degas dancer, so they dressed him continue to maintain an atrium
in a floral-adorned tutu. She added garden at the Indian River Shores
with a laugh, “He normally wears a Town Hall. Now, to commemorate
little Speedo because he’s anatomi- the 25th anniversary, they are con-
cally correct.” tributing additional improvements
to the Town Hall complex.
Membership in the Garden Group
has grown from an initial 26 in 1991 “We thought that the front area
to 120 today, with ladies meeting around the flagpole and the an-
monthly to learn about horticul- chor needed to be enhanced. They
ture and floral arrangements, take were just stuck in the grass and we
day trips and hear from speakers wanted to make the American flag
on a variety of topics, occasionally more visible and give it more prom-
joining forces with the John’s Island inence,” said Manley. After calling
Garden Club, their community’s again on Gillick, the group imple-
earliest one. mented her design, which consists
of new plantings and small walk-
“The other group [Garden Club] ways from the sidewalk on A1A to
was full,” said Jill Kaneb, first presi- the flagpole.
dent of the Garden Group, explain-
ing why they decided to establish a “We pay someone to maintain the
second club. “Many of us were trans- atrium garden and now we’re going
plants to Florida and knew nothing to include the maintenance of this
about Florida horticulture.” new landscape area, so it’s not a
burden on the town,” Manley said,
“Through the years there has been adding that they are also contribut-
excess funding, and even though it ing to the cost of new benches in the
was not set up as a philanthropic atrium and by the anchor.
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 25
PEOPLE
12 3
6
4 5 9
78
GARDEN GROUP CAPTIONS
1. Barbara Hauptfuhrer, Linda Masilli and Bonny
Grimes. 2. Gay Blaicher and Sherry Ann Dayton.
3. Chips and Diane Feeley. 4. Lee LaPointe, Ann
Webber and Joan Lahey. 5. Cynthia Wigton, Mary
Ann Flemma and Ginny Ostrander. 6. Margaret
Bragg and Susie Hall. 7. Jill Kaneb and Jeanne
Manley. 8. Lyn Buford and Ba Stone. 9. Ginny
Hoynes and Trish Mulvoy.
26 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
Treats aplenty as Taste of Vero event hits the spot
BY CHRISTINA TASCON Mary Cone, Georgia Irish, Mariner Pete and Jessica Dodson. PHOTOS: PHIL SUNKEL Taste of Vero is easily one of the
Staff Writer most anticipated events of the sea-
In the end, winners voted and “This is just a wonderful way to son with people looking forward to
Roughly 550 ticket-holders chose as People’s Choice – Blue get together with all of our friends, socializing with friends and sam-
strolled along Ocean Drive from Agave, for its Cabeza taco with cu- business partners and the commu- pling dishes from their favorite res-
Sexton Plaza to Humiston Park cumber watermelon margarita; nity to support our restaurants and taurants as well as those they have
last Wednesday evening, tasting Best Theme – Blue Agave, which businesses,” said OBA President not yet tried. And it provides the
delicious samplings from 25 local had a traditional Mexican mariachi Georgia Irish. “It brings people to owners of the various restaurants,
food establishments at the Oceans- band; and Best Dessert – Country- the beach and has some making gourmet grocers and specialty food
ide Business Association’s annual side Citrus, for its tart Key lime pie reservations at the hotels just to and drink establishments an op-
Taste of Vero. Tickets had sold out with citrus soft serve. stay here overnight for the event.” portunity to connect with old and
quickly, leaving procrastinators to new customers.
simply enjoy the musical entertain-
ment provided by the Bobby Owen “I had a great time, I enjoyed it
Band and Deja Blue and the incred- too much,” laughed Jan Donlan,
ible weather, while vowing to plan commenting about the amount of
ahead next year. food she had eaten. “But really this
just seems like such a great sense of
Crowds of people happily grazed community; all these people com-
on dishes at the participating es- ing to the event to be with each oth-
tablishments, which offered spe- er. And that is just fun.”
cialty cocktails and small bites of
their house specialties. Each par- “We are so jazzed to be here be-
ticipant had been paired with a cause it is such an incredible com-
business sponsor, who added to munity event and everyone comes
the merriment by dressing up the out for it. It also supports local busi-
booths and distributing fun pro- nesses and other events just like the
motional items, hoping to win favor Vero Beach Wine & Film Festival,”
and curry votes. said Jerusha Stewart, founder of the
June 9-12 event.
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 27
PEOPLE
The past few years, tickets have Dale Sr., Matilda and JD Sorensen. Oscar Sales, Jon Moses, with Amy and Duane Selby.
been sold through Riverside The-
atre and the convenience of pur- TASTE OF VERO PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
chasing them online or at the box Richard Rogers, MaryAnn Miskel, Rey Neville and Annie Rogers.
office led to the event being sold
out in two days this year.
“We have three more weeks until
our main season is over,” said Jon
Moses, Riverside’s managing di-
rector. “It’s a great relationship for
us because it’s a great way for us to
promote our last show, ‘Sister Act,’
which opens next week [April 12]
and it helps the OBA because of our
ticketing services.”
The OBA has hosted the event
the past 20 years to bolster the
beachside economy while also rais-
ing money to support other events
they produce such as the annual
Vero Beach Christmas Parade and
the Oceanside Concert Series. A
new feature this year enabled the
H.A.L.O. No Kill Rescue to raise
money by allowing them to sell
beer and wine.
“Every year we have grown and
I think that is just a testament to
the event,” said David Pagliaro, co-
organizer with Brittany Swartz. “It
just keeps growing and getting bet-
ter every year.”
Alex, Chandler, Stephanie and Alex "Buzz" MacWilliam.
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thanks for visiting us At The Vero Beach Boat Show
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Serving Boaters On The Waterfront For Over 55 Years!
28 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
TASTE OF VERO PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 Daley Real Estate staff dressed as the characters from Grease.
Rosmery Hernandez, Joann Hallahan, Marie Healy, Jerusha Stewart, Angela Morgan and Susan Keller-Horn.
Doug Huizenga, Laura and Jeff Charder and Rita Huizenga. Jacque Petrone, Kirssy Hutchinson, Deb Murphy and Ed Rogers. Harley and Joey Ludmer.
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 29
PEOPLE
Chef Tibor Andrejszky and Jessica Lawsob of Citron Bistro put together
some plates of Seared Ahi Tuna over an Asian Sobi Noodle Salad.
Steve Boyd from Blue Agave puts together some tacos. Travis Beckett, chef and owner of Chive and Wild Thyme.
30 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
Jimmy Wayne, country music singer and songwriter. PHOTOS: PHIL SUNKEL Don and Linda Proctor.
'Salvation' story of country singer strikes a chord
BY CHRISTINA TASCON She had brought along a white cowboy bouts in foster care the Salvation that it just goes to show you that it’s
Staff Writer hat covered with the autographs of a Army was one of the good things he not what you are given but it is what
dozen other country music stars such could count on. As an adult, he was you do with what you have,” said Dr.
Jimmy Wayne, a former foster child as Tim McGraw and Brantley Gilbert, inspired to write a song called “Paper Jill Jaynes.
who struggled his way to the top of the to be auctioned off at an event for vet- Angels” about the Salvation Army’s
country music charts as a singer and erans suffering from PTSD. Christmastime Angel Tree program, “What he had was a willingness to
songwriter, was the keynote speak- which eventually became a book and work, which led him to his final foster
er and entertainment at the annual “I have listened to his music and a made-for-TV movie. home, a couple he mowed lawns for
“Soap, Soup and Salvation” fundrais- have a heartfelt connection with his who eventually took him in perma-
ing dinner last Saturday evening at story and what he has gone through,” “Every year I was a recipient of the nently.”
the Oak Harbor Club House to benefit said Skel-McNally, as she browsed the Angel Tree program from the time
the Salvation Army of Indian River items with Christa Stone, the Trea- I was 8 until I was about 16,” said The Salvation Army assists 30 mil-
County. sure and Space Coast Radio 94.7 Hot Wayne. “I got my first guitar through lion Americans with a vast array of so-
Country DJ who would later introduce the program.” cial services including food, clothing,
Before enjoying a delicious Surf and Wayne. shelter and outreach programs.
Turf dinner, where guests sat around His empathy for abused and ne-
a stage listening to Wayne perform Wayne’s story is one of despair fol- glected children has led him to fight “What I really like about the Salva-
some of his chart-topping songs, the lowed by triumph, as described in his to extend the age for teens who are ag- tion Army is that what they collect
300 guests enjoyed a cocktail hour book, “Walk to Beautiful,” a New York ing out of the foster care system from here stays local,” said Linda Hahka-
while bidding on a number of silent- Times best-seller. He was raised by a 18 years old to 21, explaining, “I was in Sansburn a volunteer bell-ringer. “And
auction items, including three of single mother who went through a the system and when kids age out at 18 I love knowing that the majority of the
Wayne’s autographed guitars. slew of “roommates” – drug addicts, they need at least three more years to money goes to help people and not to
abusers and dealers – while her chil- finish school and to make the transi- pay for administrative costs. When
Betty Skel-McNally came hoping to dren were left to fend for themselves. tion to become productive citizens.” I ring the bell you have people come
score more than just a signed guitar. up and tell you stories about how the
Throughout his hellish youth and “What’s interesting about him is Salvation Army has helped them.”
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 31
PEOPLE
John and Karen Franke, Marcia Littlejohn and Karl Zimmerman.
SALVATION ARMY PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
Christa Stone and Betty Skel-McNally. Ed and Susan Smith.
Mike Heath, Carlos Mendez, Karen Heath, Majors Sam and Veronica Van Denberg and Diane Whitsitt.
32 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
PEOPLE
SALVATION ARMY PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
Linda Hahka-Sansburn and John Sansburn. Erin Arena and Brook Venzio.
Dr. Jill Jaynes, Beth Powell, Kim Cook, April Wright and Kelly Long.
Kimberly Taylor, Marni Howder, John Corapi and Dawn Hass.
Merry and Willis Clifford. Larry and Leticia Wood.
Bonnie and Karl Steene.
34 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
ARTS & THEATRE
Spiritual artistry: The paintings of Nereida Garcia Ferraz
BY ELLEN FISCHER ballet. Hoping to settle in Miami, her Nereida Garcia Ferraz.
Correspondent father found he couldn’t make a liv-
ing with his music there. So the family PHOTOS BY LEAH DUBOIS
An exhibition at Vero’s newest gallery, moved to Chicago.
Raw Space at Edgewood, is devoted this
month to the paintings of Nereida Gar- It took a while for Garcia Ferraz to
cia Ferraz. In addition, a small gallery adjust to her new home. Chicago in the
accessible through the space (formerly early 1970s was more than twice the
known as Project Space 1785) features size of Miami, and much, much cold-
“Six Men, Two Women, Eight Views on er. There was also a language barrier;
Photography.” Co-curated by Garcia it took Garcia Ferraz “two years to get
Ferraz and photographer William Riera, enough English to go to school.”
the exhibition includes works by artists
who trace their family histories and per- A childhood love of art led her to at-
sonal identities to Cuba. tend the School of the Art Institute in
Chicago, where she received a bach-
A notable voice in Cuban-American elor of fine arts degree in 1981. She took
art, Garcia Ferraz has received many classes in painting, photography and
of this country’s prestigious art awards. videography, media in which she con-
They include two visual arts painting tinues to work today.
fellowships from the National Endow-
ment for the Arts, a Ford Foundation During her school years and for
grant in media arts, a MacArthur Foun- some time afterward, Garcia Ferraz was
dation media grant, and a Richard “highly influenced by Chicago art and
Diebenkorn teaching fellowship. Cuban art and literature,” she says.
Born in Havana, Garcia Ferraz came Her photography classes were
to the United States with her family in taught by three of Chicago’s best
1970, when she was 14. Her father had known contemporary photographers:
played piano professionally in Ha- Frank Barsotti, Barbara Crane and
vana, both in nightclubs and for the Alex Sweetman.
In the painting department, Osaka-
born Michiko Itatani was influential
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 35
ARTS & THEATRE
in the development of Garcia Ferraz’s And then she left.
style. At that time Itatani’s “Writing” Perhaps it is the conquistador in Gar-
series featured delicately inscribed and
painted geometric forms that some- cia Ferraz that made her want to claim
times spilled off their shaped canvases new artistic territory, but in 1997 she
onto the walls around them. packed up and moved to San Francisco,
where she lived and made art until 2001.
Perhaps more important to Garcia
Ferraz than Itatani’s visual style was her A painting titled “Redescubriendo
status as an immigrant – one for whom (Rediscovering)” is an artifact of her
idiomatic American English was a hard- sojourn there. In it, an American In-
earned second language. Itatani’s phi- dian wends his way through a flurry of
losophy that “painting is a special lan- orange and red dots toward a sketchily
guage of communication,” as she was distant Golden Gate Bridge.
once quoted in an interview, rings true
for Garcia Ferraz as well. The bombing of the World Trade
Center in New York made the artist re-
There are three large paintings in the consider what was important in her life.
Raw Space show from Garcia Ferraz’s With her aging mother living in Miami,
Chicago career. Garcia Ferraz moved there to be near
her. She has made the city her home
One of them, “El Caballero de Bas- since then.
tos (The Knight of Clubs)” from 1997,
takes its name from a face card in an Garcia Ferraz’s studio is located in the
old-fashioned playing deck called the Little Havana neighborhood, where on
Spanish Tarot. the main thoroughfare – Calle Ocho, or
Southwest 8th Street – shops sell every-
The painting is divided into three hor- thing from cigars to religious items from
izontal sections. The top section shows both Catholic and Santeria traditions.
a figure in silhouette piloting a red ca-
noe on a yellow river. In the central sec- Spirituality is central to Garcia Fer-
tion, the canoe is superimposed over a raz’s art.
steamship; oil derricks point to the sky
in the background. Beneath lies a wa- “I was raised Catholic, but now I’m a
tery expanse where a sad-looking whale little bit Buddhist, a little bit Santeria.
floats on its side. The whale serves as a Very little. Un poquito,” she laughs.
platform for the white-painted outline
of a mounted knight. Although the three, long banner-like
figural abstractions in the window of
Armed with a huge club, the figure of the Vero gallery have the blood red and
the caballero overlays whale, ship and white colors that one commentator on
canoe, dominating them like a ghostly the artist’s work, Alexander Lamazares,
presence. The bottom section displays a associates with the hyper-masculine
banner with the legend “Y todo fue para Santeria deity Shango, the spiritualism
llegar,” which Garcia Ferraz translates as in most of the paintings in the show is of
“Everything was just to get there.” She a kinder, gentler sort.
explains that the painting addresses the
historic European greed for oil (both “In the Forest” is one; it shows the
animal and mineral), and land (some- silhouette of a woman wearing a long,
body else’s). flared skirt. The figure, enlivened by a
starfish-shaped array of white dots, is
It was in Chicago that Garcia Ferraz centrally placed on the canvas, which is
received many of her notable national washed with layers of yellow and brown
awards. She had gallery representa- and peppered with orange, yellow and
tion and a healthy schedule of exhibi- dark blue dots.
tions. In her role as a video-maker, she
co-produced and directed a lauded Animals were once painted amidst
documentary on the life and art of the the tree trunks that poke – just barely
prominent feminist Cuban-American – into the picture from its top edge. Al-
artist Ana Mendieta, whose 1985 death though the animals were painted out
at age 36, in a fall from a Greenwich Vil- during the creative process, they can
lage high-rise, remains controversial be seen at certain angles as pale ghosts
today. Garcia Ferraz’s 1987 film is in the that represent – depending on how you
collection of prominent institutions in- look at it – a benediction on, or menace
cluding the Museum of Modern Art, the to, the figure below them.
Guggenheim and Yale University.
“The forest is a place of spirits,” Gar-
Garcia Ferraz had arrived. Chicago cia Ferraz says.
proudly proclaimed her one of its own.
And so is Raw Space at Edgewood,
through April. The gallery, at 1795 Old
Dixie Highway, is open by appointment;
call 305-213-9411.
36 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
ARTS & THEATRE
‘Touching Dust’: Dawn Miller’s journey in pastel
BY ELLEN FISCHER works – mostly in pastel – on display.
Correspondent The title, says Miller, “comes from
There is more to Dawn Miller’s ex- a quality of impermanence about
hibition at the Center for Spiritual the subject matter. It’s also about
Care than meets the eye. Its themes the physical touch of my hand on
are rustic farmhouse interiors and the support (the paper or canvas on
delicately lit seascapes, but the which an artwork is executed).”
show’s title, “Touching Dust,” sug-
gests that more than a superficial “Touching Dust” also suggests the
reading is required to appreciate the act of returning to nature not only
for aesthetic nourishment, but also
for a spiritual reality check.
Dawn Miller.
PHOTOS BY PHIL SUNKEL
“After all, it’s what we all return to,” says, explaining that growing up on
she muses. the Severn River made her partial to
depicting bodies of water.
Dust is not only in Miller’s
thoughts, it’s also in her bloodline. As a teenager Miller attended
Her father, Russell Miller, comes boarding school at Madeira School
from a long line of carpenters in in McLean, Virginia.
northern Virginia. The now-retired
home builder’s business was in An- An influential art teacher at this
napolis, Maryland. Dawn and her six time was Marcia Myers, who taught
siblings were raised there. art at the prep school. An abstract
painter, Myers overlaid simple geo-
“That’s my water thing,” Miller metric compositions with scarified
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 37
ARTS & THEATRE
she says of the turns her career has ors that she made immediately pre-
taken. “It keeps opening up into oth- ceding “Maine Still.”
er new possibilities.”
“Touching Dust” continues through
Miller turned again to the good April 29 at the Center for Spiritual
earth when she and her husband Care, located at 1550 24th Avenue in
opened a perennial flower farm and Vero Beach.
a restaurant in Knoxville. Those en-
strata of pigment. The soft richness terprises lasted three years, during
of her colors recalls the time-worn which time Miller gave birth to her
hues of Pompeiian wall paintings son Jacob (now 24), and rekindled her
and Florentine frescoes. desire to make art. Encouraged by the
gift of a “huge box of pastels” from
Of her youthful aspiration, Miller her mother, Miller began creating in
says, “I wanted to be an artist, and that medium. Her infant son was her
took Advanced Placement art class- first model.
es. But I decided not to go to college
right away.” A short time later, a five-day work-
shop in Hilton Head, South Carolina,
Instead she went to Aspen, Colo- with master pastelist Doug Dawson
rado, to live the life of a 17-year-old strengthened Miller’s confidence in
ski bum. She financed the adventure her abilities.
by serving “espresso and crepes at a
little place called Poppycock’s.” Moving to Indian River County in
2003, Miller jumped right into our art
In the meantime, her parents scene, taking an award in that year’s
moved to Florida; she later joined Art by the Sea with a marine paint-
them there. ing. In the same year, Miller met Deb
Gooch and Dorothy Hudson, fellow
Miller enrolled at Palm Beach Ju- painters with whom she founded
nior College and later transferred to Gallery 14 in downtown Vero.
Florida State, where she received a
bachelor’s degree in psychology and (Leaving the gallery after three
crisis intervention. After working in years, Miller now represents her-
the latter field for several years, Mill- self. She also teaches pastel at the
er married and moved to Mississippi. Vero Beach Museum of Art and over-
There she and her husband (now sees the museum’s program, Art for
divorced) were caretakers at Camp Health’s Sake.)
Hopewell, a Presbyterian conference
center and retreat in Oxford. Miller’s love of water is evident
in half of the pictures in “Touching
Living on the 300-acre site, Miller Dust.” Her painting “Waiting” from
tried her hand at homesteading and 2008 is the earliest work in the cur-
organic gardening. Her art career rent show, as well as the only one
was still years in the future. on canvas. Based on two rusty boat
hulls stranded in a tidal creek near
A few biology classes that Miller Charleston, South Carolina, the pic-
took at the nearby University of Mis- ture is notable for its high horizon
sissippi eventually led to her master’s line and foreground expanse of silty
degree in the subject. Later, when brown water. Several pastel paintings
she and her husband moved to Knox- on view also deal with the subject
ville, Miller found a job at Oak Ridge of becalmed boats. The most recent
National Laboratory. Her knowledge one, “Maine Still,” depicts a tethered
of scientific method came in handy boat floating in a light-suffusing mist.
when she was given the task of “chas- “Sky” and “water” in the picture are
ing down radioactive containments” separated only by the tenuous inclu-
in a nearby river. sion of a distant shoreline between
them.
Miller later drew on her training in
psychology when her position at Oak Miller says that the pared-down,
Ridge changed to communications atmospheric quality of that painting
facilitator. She later used her con- is “where I’m going.”
flict resolution skills in the Knoxville
court system. She adds, rhetorically, “How much
can I distill so that it works – it still
“My life has always been that way,” works? How can ‘color’ and ‘place-
ment’ and ‘simple’ work together?”
Miller explored those questions in
the pastel series of farmhouse interi-
38 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
ARTS & THEATRE
Coming Up: ‘Sister Act,’ Kathy Griffin, Belinda Carlisle
BY MICHELLE GENZ End in 2009 and again on Broadway in
Staff Writer 2011.
The show, about a nightclub singer who
1 For its final production of the sea- witnesses a murder and goes into hid-
son, Riverside Theatre is teaming ing in a convent, features music writ-
ten by Alan Menken, best known for
up with Philadelphia’s Walnut Street his Disney scores. The Vero-Philly pro-
duction is directed and choreographed
Theatre again, this time giving us “Sis- by Richard Stafford, a veteran of many
Walnut Street shows; last year he direct-
ter Act,” the musical version of the 1992 ed “Memphis” at Riverside before tak-
movie starring Whoopi Goldberg. She
went on to co-produce the musical ver-
sion when it opened in London’s West
"Sister Act" the musical is playing through May 1 at Riverside Theatre.
ing that production north. Riverside’s If you haven’t read your CliffsNotes
Ken Clifton is music director. “Sister in a while, seeing a staging of “Tartuffe”
Act” plays here through May 1 then may remind you it has some of classi-
starts a two-month run in Philadelphia cal theater’s best roles. In 1664 when
May 17. it debuted, the play was immediately
censored by King Louis XIV for making
2 Comedian Kathy Griffin performs vice look too much like virtue, the rea-
Saturday night at the King Center son Tartuffe was so successful as a God-
fearing fake.
in Melbourne. Griffin studied at the Lee
And if you haven’t refreshed your
Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute memory of classical music’s greatest
hits lately, Space Coast Symphony Or-
before joining L.A.’s comedy troupe, chestra offers its Masterworks concert
Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at the Vero
the Groundlings. Her success with Beach High School Performing Arts
Center. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto
stand-up got her a supporting role on No. 2 for solo trumpet, flute, oboe and
violin opens the program, followed
the NBC sitcom, “Suddenly Susan.” But by Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4, and
Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, the last of
it was her own reality show on Bravo, his 12 so-called London Symphonies.
Michael Hall, artistic director of Ches-
“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,” ter County, Pennsylvania’s Kennett
Symphony, be will guest conducting.
that earned her two Emmy awards and
made her a household name. All six of
her comedy albums have been nomi-
nated for Grammys, and when she fi-
nally won in 2014, Griffin became only
the third woman to do so (after Lily
Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg). Satur-
day’s concert starts at 8 p.m.
3 At the King Center on Tuesday 5 Not since Beverly Sills made
night, another ground-breaking the feat famous has a soprano
female performer takes the stage. Be- sung the roles of all three of Doni-
linda Carlisle, a founder of the 1980s zetti’s Tudor queens in a single sea-
all-girl rock group the Go-Go’s, per- son on a New York stage. Saturday at
forms solo, though it will include some 1 p.m. (and rebroadcast Tuesday eve-
Go-Go’s hits and covers, and maybe ning at 6) at Vero Beach’s Majestic 11
a song or two off her 2008 album in Theatre, the Met Live in HD delivers a
French. Carlisle, 58, lives in France with simulcast of famed American soprano
her husband of 30 years, Morgan Ma- Sondra Radvanovsky as she matches
son. Her partying days are behind her Sills’ effort in “Roberto Devereux.” In
– she meditates now – no drinking, no the last of the famous bel canto trilogy,
drugs. Meanwhile, the Go-Go’s Farewell Queen Elizabeth I must sign the death
Tour is slated for this summer. warrant of the nobleman that is her
beloved. Sir David McVicar directs, as
4 At the Melbourne Civic The- he did with “Anna Bolena” and “Maria
atre on Strawbridge Avenue, the
Stuarda.” The work is a Met premiere
classic Molière farce “Tartuffe” runs that opened March 24 to great reviews.
through April 24. The theater, with un- Matthew Polenzani plays the con-
der 100 seats, is the smallest of four demned; Elina Garanca is the beautiful
community theaters in Brevard Coun- noblewoman Sara of whom Elizabeth
ty. Despite its underdog status, the the- is so desperately jealous.
ater maintains an ambitious roster of But it is Radvanovsky who is going
plays. for the gold.
40 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
INSIGHT COVER STORY
Iranians celebrate on the streets of Tehran and other
cities following the announcement of the historical
nuclear deal in Vienna, July 14, 2015.
Deep in the basement of the Tehran Museum way for at least part of it to travel to Germany and We could have been at the Museum of Modern
of Contemporary Art, behind a door that opens the U.S. later this year. Art in New York or the Tate in London. Later, I sat
with a spoked wheel like a bank vault, are some in the museum’s sunlit café with Vida Zaim, who is
2,000 paintings by artists such as Francis Bacon, “What do you want to see first?” I was asked working with her colleague Leila Varasteh, a Paris-
René Magritte, Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin. as huge canvases were wheeled out one by one. based curator, to bridge the gap between the West
Iranian curators say the collection is estimated to There was an Andy Warhol portrait of Chairman and Iran through art. We drank Italian coffee and
be worth $5 billion, but only a select group of peo- Mao Zedong and an enormous painting by Pablo talked about how her country is changing.
ple have seen it since the 1979 revolution. Picasso. (The collection is said to include some
risqué works, including paintings by Picasso and “As an Iranian, I’m very proud to know that
A few days after I arrived in Tehran, I was given Edvard Munch, but I was not shown those.) many Western museums are discussing show-
a rare opportunity: a private underground tour of ing a part of this unseen collection to the outside
the former shah’s art collection, one of the largest I stood in the cavernous, slightly dusty room world,” she says.
in the Middle East, housed in a building that the and stared in awe. Upstairs, Chinese tourists,
shah’s wife, Farah Pahlavi, erected in the 1970s. wearing smog masks to protect against Tehran’s I’ve reported from 20 countries in the Middle
notorious pollution, were wandering through the East and North Africa, but it took me nearly 15
Most of the art has been in storage for decades, gardens, gazing at Alberto Giacometti sculptures years to get a visa for Iran. Tehran is changing fast,
but a few lucky visitors are now allowed to view and looking at the paintings of a gifted Iranian art- and the art collection to me was a symbol of the
the collection, and there are negotiations under- ist, Farideh Lashai, who died in 2013. country’s emergence from a cocoon.
Tehran is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province, with a
population of around 9 million in the city and 16 million
in the wider metropolitan area.
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 41
INSIGHT COVER STORY
Extremist propaganda outside the Iranians celebrated the 37th anniversary of the fall eral people in one afternoon who went to my alma
old American embassy in Teheran. of the shah on February 11. Millions attend a military mater, Tufts University.
My hotel on Valiye Asr Street, a long, winding thor- parade each year to mark the occasion. Weekends, which begin here on Thursday night,
oughfare that runs through the city, was full of vis- are spent at second homes, skiing at nearby Mount
iting delegations of European business executives An Iranian woman walks through a haze of smoke Tochal or racing purebred Persian horses. “But this
and EU officials. There was a buzz of deals being bro- caused by the burning of the herb esfand. According isn’t the way life is for most Iranians,” says a banker
kered at informal meetings in the coffee shop. to popular belief, this ritual drives away the evil eye. who travels between Tehran, London and Boston.
“We’re Iranians, but people who live like this are re-
I had to fly in via Turkey, but that will soon change. ally tourists in this country.”
Air France is establishing direct flights from Paris to
Tehran later in the spring, and Iran Air is trying to get The elite in North Tehran are enjoying the changes
more competitive. In January, the Iranian govern- since sanctions were lifted. Real money is coming back
ment agreed to buy $25 billion worth of planes from to Iran. Many of the crowd I saw in Elahieh are buying
Airbus, the France-based aeronautical company, and and restoring old homes from the Qajar and Pahlavi
Iran Air is considering resuming flights to the U.S., dynasties in Kashan, a lovely city about halfway be-
where many Iranian expatriates have lived since the tween Tehran and Isfahan, for their getaways. A re-
revolution. nowned Belgian neo-conceptual artist, Wim Delvoye,
has purchased several houses in Kashan and is prepar-
“We all have American relatives and family out- ing to open a luxury hotel and a museum gallery.
side, so this means a lot to be able to travel more
easily,” says a dentist living in North Tehran whom A retrospective show by Delvoye, who worked
I met at a party (like others I spoke to, he was reluc- with the curators Zaim and Varasteh, opened at the
tant to be identified so as to avoid drawing govern- Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in March. “It’s
ment scrutiny in a country where arbitrary arrest is thriving,” says Nikki Diana Marquardt, who hosted
common). an exhibition for the Iranian artist Reza Derakshani
at her Paris gallery in 2008. “It’s like London, Paris. It’s
China is also expanding its trade with Iran, and like Dubai. It’s not emerging; it has emerged.”
there were many Chinese tourists on the streets. The
Chinese, who have already built Tehran’s modern Of course, the conservative Tehran of the last three
subway system, have agreed to finance a high-speed decades still exists too. On a clear winter morning in
railway modeled on France’s TGV. China is also rely- Tehran, I walked through dense crowds to join a cel-
ing on imported Iranian oil, and President Xi Jinping ebration of several hundred thousand Iranians carry-
visited Tehran in January to sign a deal expanding ing green, white and red flags, banners and placards
trade between the two countries to $600 billion in the with photos of their religious leaders.
coming decade.
They gathered in Azadi (Freedom) Square to
Perhaps the greatest schism I witnessed during my celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the shah 37
visit to Iran was between the conservative Tehran that years ago. On that day in 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah
many in the West imagine when they think of Iran’s Is- Khomeini returned from a 14-year exile in Iraq and
lamic Republic and the wealthy suburbs of North Teh- France, and life changed radically in Iran. Miniskirts
ran, in the shadow of the Alborz Mountains. and champagne disappeared, and a violent rupture
ended a long association with America, reviled as
In the Elahieh (Paradise) neighborhood, which the sponsor of the autocratic shah. The epoch of the
was once covered by lush private gardens, there mullahs began.
are now expensive marbled apartments that are in-
creasingly hard to buy. Here there are no chadors. Among the crowd in Azadi Square were religious
The shops sell elegant clothes, and the women carry women in chadors, young boys with the Iranian col-
Chanel and Balenciaga bags, wear Lanvin and hold ors smeared on their faces, families who came out
fantastic parties in their elegant homes, where ser- solely to see the military hardware on display, and
vants circulate among the guests, carrying silver trays young soldiers marching in formation in red, white
of delicious Persian specialties. and green hats.
These Iranians do not call for death to America – STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 42
they speak several languages, many have graduated
from American universities, and their children go to Masjed-i Jame’ Mosque in Yazd, Iran.
local French, British or German schools. I met sev-
42 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 INSIGHT COVER STORY
Some were hard-line supporters of the clerics who Iranian women under a mural of Iran’s supreme Iran has already increased its oil exports since
have dominated this country for years now, and I leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. sanctions were lifted, and it aims to raise exports
heard and saw plenty of slogans and signs saying
“Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Still, peo- The Imamzadeh Saleh shrine in northern Tehran is to 2 million barrels per day this year.
ple were friendly. “‘Death to America’ doesn’t mean among the cultural sites attracting foreign tourists.
death to the American people,” says an engineering ports have resumed. The lifting of sanctions, Oil Min-
student who studied at Georgetown University in eign policy as it will about President Hassan Rou- ister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told Iranian television,
Washington, D.C. “It means the end of the U.S. gov- hani, who was the driving force behind it in Iran. will allow Iran to “expand our relationship with the in-
ernment controlling us. It means independence.” ternational community better than before.” A strong
Iran has finally gained access to tens of billions of performance by reformist candidates in the February
One afternoon, my government-assigned compan- dollars of assets that were frozen overseas, and oil ex- 26 elections indicates a majority of Iranians support
ion and translator, Ali Kejani, took me to the Tehran the deal, but there is also widespread suspicion that
neighborhood Bahar Shiraz, where he grew up playing Iran compromised more than it should have.
soccer on the streets in the days of the shah. He brought
me to meet a friend, Fatimah Abbasi, a 78-year-old Many Iranians feel that they were expected to ac-
woman who lost four sons fighting in the Iran-IraqWar, cept strict limits on their nuclear program while oth-
which ended in 1988 and left 1 million dead. er countries – including Pakistan, Israel and even the
U.S. – are allowed to continue their nuclear develop-
We sat and talked in her tiny flat, and this elderly ment. On this point, there is real anger.
woman seems to bear no bitterness to the government
over the loss of her sons.They were martyrs for Iran, she It may have been the refusal to appear cowed by
says proudly. Instead, she blames America for her loss. the West that led Iran to test a ballistic missile in
late 2015, sparking howls of anger from those in the
“I am still an enemy of the U.S.,” she says. “I don’t United States who have never trusted the Iranians
want relations with the U.S. We weren’t in favor of the and cries of "I told you so" from Israel. Obama re-
nuclear deal – we were forced. For years, they kept us sponded by having his administration draw up a list
under sanctions, and we survived. We ate less, but we
were free of them.”
Most of the anxieties expressed by Iranians I met
have to do with whether they can fully trust Wash-
ington’s intentions after the nuclear deal that was
signed this past July between Iran and six world
powers. Many in the United States have the same
suspicions about Iran.
The nuclear accord was President Barack Obama's
signature overseas achievement, and whether it en-
dures will say as much about the wisdom of his for-
Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 43
INSIGHT COVER STORY
of new sanctions against Iran, even as he was prepar- with whom I had tea. “Even the new generation, the struggle between reformers and conservatives is far
ing to lift the nuclear-related ones in mid-January. youth with iPhones drinking Coca-Cola, can go anti- from settled. “The problem with Iran is that there are
American if they don’t hold their end of the bargain.” two voices that are unable to solve their problems,
While Obama has insisted sanctions related to like a man and wife who can’t divorce,” says Saeed
Iran’s support for terrorism and missile tests are sep- For all those in Iran who want reform, there are as Laylaz, who has been an adviser to the Iranian gov-
arate from the nuclear deal, Iranians want all sanc- many who resist change. There has been no let-up in ernment. “They cannot live together, and one side is
tions lifted. “It can go either way,” says Foad Izadi, repression of those considered dissidents. set to destroy the other.”
a professor of American studies at Tehran University
Tehran may be showing signs of change, but the
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46 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
INSIGHT EDITORIAL
A virtual blackout from the School District about virtual schools
About half of the property tax dol- Indian River County School District’s new headquarters. tion would be $360. As soon as payment
lars that barrier island homeowners is arranged, then Dr. Arnett can begin.”
pay each year go to support Indian that. No, the School District’s middle Late on a Friday, Fidgeon emailed
River County public schools. management functionaries are not per- Kathleen the following response. So the gatekeeper says the School
mitted to deal directly with reporters. District cannot tell us how many weeks
That’s right. Whether you pay prop- “Dr. Arnett started researching your it will be before they answer five rela-
erty taxes of $1,000 or $10,000 or Any questions about even the most questions and determined it would re- tively simple questions, and by the way,
$100,000, about half of that amount mundane things have to go through Fly- quire a considerable amount of time to they don’t plan to do anything until we
goes to the School District – more by far nn Fidgeon, a former producer of vid- provide accurate answers.” cough up $360.
than the amount we pay for public safe- eos on TCPalm.com, who now serves as
ty, fire protection, emergency medical Public Information Officer (gatekeeper) Arnett’s email to Fidgeon said: “Es- This is not how a governmental entity
services, or to support the many func- for the Indian River School District. timate on the time required to put to- spending the public’s tax dollars should
tions of city or county government. gether the response would be 8 hours. be responding to a simple request for
So finally last week, in an effort to The extent of the research required to information. If Kathleen had been per-
And what do we get for our school dol- obtain what should have been read- answer the questions combined with mitted to speak to the oh-so-busy Mi-
lars? A management and administrative ily available information about the obligations that I have as a result of my chael Arnett, he might have clarified
staff housed in a splendid new head- School District’s experience to date position, I will not be able to provide her what it was that seemed so complicated
quarters, decaying buildings and trailers with virtual schools, Kathleen sent any answers for several weeks. Please and time-consuming about her request.
for classrooms, and an education rated Fidgeon an email with five questions. inform Ms. Sloan that we will provide
23rd best of all the counties in the state. her with the answers to her questions as This “no-one-really-needs-more-in-
These were really tough questions soon as we are able to, but cannot give formation-than-we-choose-to-dole-
So a month ago, we assigned one such as: “Please clarify what vendors her a date as to when that might be.” out” approach was very much remi-
of our new reporters, Kathleen Sloan, are available to the public for full and niscent of the School District’s modus
to focus fulltime on the Indian River part time classes, for public or home Really? Several weeks? Cannot give her operandi a few years back when Dr.
County School District. school, and if home-school students a date? And to add insult to injury, Fidg- Harry LaCava was superintendent. We
have to pay, and if so, how much?” eon said:“The cost to gather this informa- remember one year when there was
Kathleen is not a rookie. At the Iowa a serious flu outbreak, his gatekeeper
daily where she worked before joining us wouldn’t even tell us how many kids
in March, her coverage of local govern- were out sick. Better to keep that a se-
ment financial decisions won the 2015 cret from concerned parents.
Iowa Newspaper Association’s best news
story award and the Associated Press’ We thought things had gotten a little
best investigative journalism award. better, but maybe we are headed for a new
era of battles over every effort to get to the
So last week, when the Indian River bottom of what is going on at the School
County School District decided to launch District. We hope not, but this past week’s
a Virtual School – having passed up an responses are not encouraging.
opportunity four years ago to partner
with Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee The School District would do well to
counties in a cooperative venture – she remember that the hundreds of mil-
decided to look a bit deeper into this. lions it spends is our money. If there
are questions about how it is being
The obvious person to call with spent, the public has a right to answers.
questions would have been Michael And if we don’t get answers, the School
Arnett, the School District official who District may want to start preparing to
is going to be the head of the new In- shovel more money at their million-
dian River Virtual School. dollar-attorney, Suzanne D'Agresta.
But the School District does not allow
VOLUNTEERING IS GOOD FOR YOU In addition to getting you up and out of the house and physically ac- © 2016 Vero Beach 32963 Media, all rights reserved
tive, researchers are finding that when you earnestly help someone in
We all know volunteering for a worthy cause benefits society. But need, your body releases the “compassion hormone,” oxytocin. Oxyto-
did you know that volunteering can be good for you? cin evokes that warm and fuzzy feeling you get from doing good things
for others. It also helps cells repair themselves, store nutrients and grow.
As they serve others, volunteers help themselves by learning new
skills, increasing job prospects, and even improving their health. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic
pain or heart disease.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING?
THE MOTHER TERESA EFFECT
Individuals who volunteer enjoy psychological and physical bene-
fits, including increased satisfaction, an improved sense of belonging, In 1998, a group of 132 Harvard students watched a video of Mother
and, according to some studies, longer, happier lives. Teresa providing loving care for Calcutta’s poor. A second group watched
a video of people peeling potatoes. After watching the videos, the stu-
VOLUNTEERING… dents’ saliva was tested for immunoglobulin A, a biomarker for immune
function. The results illustrate what’s become known as the Mother Te-
CONNECTS YOU TO OTHERS resa effect. After simply witnessing somebody else involved in charity
work, those who watched Mother Teresa had increased levels of immu-
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you noglobulin A, the body’s first defense against the common cold.
are new to an area. It also strengthens your ties to the community and
broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common WANT TO GET THE “GIVER’S GLOW?”
interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.
If you want to make the world a better place, meet people, try
IS GOOD FOR YOUR MIND AND BODY something new, or see a different way of life and new places, consider
volunteering.
Volunteering increases self-confidence, providing a healthy boost
to your self-esteem and life satisfaction. And the better you feel about The adage is true: The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in
yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life a cause greater than yourself.
and future goals. It also provides a sense of purpose. Older adults, es-
pecially those who have retired or lost a spouse, can find new mean- Indian River Medical Center salutes our 500-plus Auxilians, IRMC Board
ing and purpose in their lives by helping others. Whatever your age of Directors, Foundation Board of Directors and Indian River County Hos-
or life situation, volunteering can help take your mind off your own pital District Trustees, during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16.
worries, keep you mentally stimulated, and add more zest to your life.
Your comments and suggestions for future topics are always wel-
come. Email us at [email protected].
48 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
INSIGHT BOOK REVIEW
W.B. Yeats famously declared that “only two top- the attention it brought him, and later the excuses it and bourgeois that it embarrassed him, given how
ics can be of the least interest to a serious and studi- provided.” Whether he drank himself to death, with strongly his work focused on libido. Freud seemed
ous mind: sex and the dead.” Journalist Katie Roiphe the 18 whiskeys he bragged that he downed on top intent on dying with dignity, fully aware. He pretty
has already said plenty about sex. In books like “The of near-pneumonia, is subject to debate. But there’s much managed it, and so did Updike – continuing to
Morning After: Sex, Fear, and Feminism,” she has no doubt that the author of “Do not go gentle into write with great intensity, remaining free of self-pity
helped shape the discussion about current sexual that good night” had been rehearsing his dramatic and cordial to his visitors. Updike’s conviviality stood
mores and politics. In her meditative new book, “The end for many years, even clowning at dinner parties in direct contrast to the behavior of his second wife,
Violet Hour,” she turns her attention to death — in about his imminent suicide. who jealously guarded his time, even, heartbreaking-
particular, to the deaths of six famous writers. ly, limiting visits by his children and grandchildren
The other writers whom Roiphe discusses – Sig- from his first marriage in his final days.
As a child, Roiphe was obsessed with death. In mund Freud, John Updike, Maurice Sendak and
fact, she argues that all writers share a mix of fear James Salter – occupy different points on the spec- Some of the most riveting anecdotes here are about
and fascination about the mystery of mortality. “The trum from denial of death to courtship of it, from how these writers managed to inspire such dedication
Violet Hour” asks whether writers’ fluency with lan- control to abandon. Freud, inventor of the contro- from their helpmates. Despite his wanton overspend-
guage and their acuity of perception buy them more versial theory of the death wish, famously refused ing and his many infidelities, Thomas’ wife would
conscious, meaningful ends. With varying degrees to give up smoking, even after brutal surgeries for feed him in bed when he was hung over – cubes of
of success, the writers chronicled here tried hard to mouth cancer. Roiphe theorizes that the smoking bread soaked in milk, just like his mother used to do.
shape their deaths in ways that accorded with their was “the one anarchic thing he did” in a life so staid Sendak, suffering from depression and anxiety, had
personal narratives. crippling panic attacks when his lifelong maid, cook,
chauffeur, Lynn, dared to stay out past 11 p.m.
Roiphe begins with Susan Sontag, who, having
lived through cancer once, was sure she could beat Roiphe provides no interviews with psychiatrists
it again. Sontag seems to have been stuck in the de- or hospice workers about methods of facing death.
nial stage of bargaining throughout her grueling and “The Violet Hour” doesn’t really make an argument
ultimately failed treatments. Roiphe documents about ways to die (although most of us would prob-
how those around Sontag propped up her convic- ably choose to be Salter, with his clean, efficient
tion about her specialness. Demanding, imperious, heart attack shortly after his 90th birthday). Instead,
mercurial, Sontag is not particularly appealing in this the book is a series of impressions and observations,
portrait, although Roiphe clearly admires her ferocity sometimes gossipy, sometimes gently ruminative.
about writing as long as she could. She doesn’t even proceed chronologically from diag-
nosis to last breath. Indeed, her stories dart all over
None of the writers Roiphe chooses for these the place, from the writers’ childhoods to the pres-
tableaux is a failed one or an obscure one. They all ent. Except for some puzzling tense shifts, the epi-
enjoyed the privileges of success and fame. Their sodic structure makes sense; if there is an overarch-
specialists came to their houses. Sontag was flown ing theme in “The Violet Hour,” it’s that death never
to Seattle for one set of experimental treatments in comes in a straight line, no matter how hard the writ-
a private plane. When the poet Dylan Thomas, in the ers try to exit with a “graceful bravura.”
United States for a lucrative reading tour that pro-
duced adoring audiences of thousands, fell into a Roiphe is moving and insightful about these art-
coma, his mistress politely vacated his hospital room ists’ late works. Sendak feverishly drew right until
so his wife, rushed there from London, could sit at the end. If Freud is right that “every one of us is con-
the foot of his bed and rub his feet. vinced of his own immortality,” Roiphe proves to us
that writers chase immortality the hardest of all.
Thomas’ attitude toward death was the oppo-
site of Sontag’s. She hoped to conquer it; Thomas THE VIOLET HOUR
seemed to have chased it, embracing the picture of GREAT WRITERS AT THE END, BY KATIE ROIPHE
himself as a tortured poet racked by consumption.
“He harbored many romantic mythologies about Dial. 306 pp. $28
the frailty of his constitution,” Roiphe reports. “He Review by Lisa Zeidner, The Washington Post
certainly liked the theater of sickness, the staginess,
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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 49
INSIGHT GAMES BRIDGE
WITH TWO CHOICES, SELECT CAREFULLY WEST NORTH EAST
Q 10 2 J9743 8
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist J6 85 10 9 7 4 3 2
8653 AKJ 72
Jean Nidetch, a cofounder of Weight Watchers who died last year, said, “It’s choice — K Q 10 7 652 9843
not chance — that determines your destiny.”
SOUTH
That is certainly true in this deal. South is faced with a choice of side suits to play on, AK65
and often it would not matter, but in this layout only the correct line will work. AKQ
Q 10 9 4
South is in six spades. West leads the club king. South takes the trick and cashes his AJ
two top spades to learn that West will get a trump trick. How should declarer continue?
Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West
North’s three-heart rebid was a transfer, and four clubs was a superaccept promising
four-card spade support, a doubleton somewhere and the club ace. When North happily The Bidding:
showed his diamond ace, South took a shot at slam.
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
Declarer is faced with two losers: one spade and one club. Somehow he has to discard 2 Clubs Pass 2 Diamonds Pass
one of dummy’s clubs before West can ruff in and cash the club queen. If West ruffs as 2 NT Pass 3 Hearts Pass LEAD:
dummy’s third club evaporates, that does not matter. But should South start on hearts or 4 Clubs Pass 4 Diamonds Pass K Clubs
diamonds? 6 Spades Pass Pass Pass
It looks obvious to play on hearts because declarer has only five cards in that suit — but
it is wrong. West must hold three diamonds for South to have any chance; and just
in case he has four, declarer should cash three tricks in that suit first. If they split 3-3,
South shifts immediately to hearts. Here, though, declarer takes the fourth diamond and
pitches one of dummy’s clubs. Then he plays off his hearts to jettison dummy’s last club.
West’s ruff is too late for the defense.
50 Vero Beach 32963 / April 14, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (APRIL 7) ON PAGE 74
INSIGHT GAMES & CO.
ACROSS DOWN
1 Evergreen oak (4) 2 Command (5)
4 Complaint (5) 3 Roman goddess (7)
8 Italian island (8) 4 Allow (5)
9 Jane Austen novel (4) 5 Coincide in part (7)
10 Aspersion (4) 6 French city (5)
11 Brutal (8) 7 Austrian composer (6)
12 Distilled spirit (6) 13 Plunder (7)
14 Lithe (6) 14 Elegant (7)
16 Envy (8) 15 Bird (6)
19 Female relative (4) 17 Distinctive character (5)
20 Flightless bird (4) 18 Escort (5)
21 Raise (8) 19 Grey (5)
22 Guide (5)
23 Suspend (4)
The Telegraph
How to do Sudoku:
Fill in the grid so the
numbers one through
nine appear just once
in every column, row
and three-by-three
square.
The Telegraph
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