12/27/2018 ISSUE 52

Public deserves answers from
School Board. P7

Six months added to
biosolids moratorium. P8
County and Vero need a deal on
Dodgertown overflow parking. P10

For breaking news visit

A TOAST FROM THOSE WHO PRODUCE 32963 TO THOSE WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE – OUR READERS AND OUR ADVERTISERS.

Vero Beach 32963 celebrates its 10th anniversary!

A RETIRED NEWS EXEC TELLS HOW THE PAPER BECAME VERO’S ‘MUST READ’ FOR LOCAL NEWS

BY HENRY K. “BUZZ” WURZER Industry sources estimate that 15,000 cally by local interests, and in the 1980s dailies based in Stuart. More recently
32963 Reader editorial positions have been elimi- and early ’90s, its local coverage was in 2016, Gannett acquired Scripps
nated over the past decade at newspa- well regarded. But in the mid-1990s, it and the Press Journal became part of
Never have we, as news consumers, pers around the country, and many of became an acquisition target of major a USA Today Florida network.
been as inundated with international these jobs were held by reporters and media organizations.
and national news, every day all day, editors handling local news. As a result of these acquisitions and
as we are today. Acquired by Scripps in 1996, the mergers, Vero area residents have ex-
Vero’s longtime newspaper of record, Press Journal was merged into a Trea- perienced a noticeable decline in local
But local news is a different story. the Press Journal, was owned histori- sure Coast network of Scripps Florida
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Happy New Year: Cleveland Clinic to
take over our hospital on January 1 A judge deals with
disorder in the court
BY MICHELLE GENZ brand and a $250 million
Staff Writer capital commitment to In- BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ
dian River Medical Center, Staff Writer
It’s a whopper of a Christ- effective Jan. 1.
mas present, to be delivered An effort by District Court
the last day of December: With all regulatory hurdles Judge Cynthia Cox to hear
Cleveland Clinic will official- cleared, the final closing more than 700 cases in three
ly give its world-renowned documents were signed last days turned into an angry
confrontation with attorneys
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 and their clients on the first

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

December 27, 2018 Volume 11, Issue 52 Newsstand Price $1.00 Holidays at McKee:
Kids have a most
News 1-12 Faith 65 Pets 64 TO ADVERTISE CALL wonderful time. P14
Arts 27-32 Games 45-47 Real Estate 67-80 772-559-4187
Books 42 Health 49-54 Style 55-57
Dining 58 Insight 33-48 St. Ed’s 44 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 38 People 13-26 Wine 59 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2018 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HAPPY NEW YEAR

10th Anniversary community works, and to do so in a Thursday print distribution dates. Power Assn.; and the just-concluded
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “must read” fashion. Of prime impor- While international and national effort to sell Vero Electric to Florida
tance, Milt consistently hired reporters Power & Light;
news coverage as have those who live with impressive editorial backgrounds. news is important, local news is im-
in so many other similar communities 32963 was delivered on Thursdays to perative because it tells us what we  Continued coverage of IRMC
across our nation. all households on the barrier island on need to know about the community bringing to light the ongoing Emer-
a complimentary basis. The product is we live in every day. Over the past gency Room problems; various man-
Ten years ago, to fill this void, a lo- regularly supported by the advertising 10 years, Milt’s team has produced agement and financial struggles in
cal resident, Milt Benjamin, a newspa- of Vero’s leading local businesses. “must read” stories that included: an ever-changing health industry; in-
per veteran with excellent credentials, depth coverage of the quest to find a
along with a couple of prescient inves- This decade of success has sup-  Continued coverage of the Vero partner for the future; a comprehen-
tors, launched Vero Beach 32963 as ported expanding staff. 32963 has also Electric saga that exposed the hid- sive look at the four prospective bid-
“Your Vero Beach Newsweekly.” expanded news coverage beyond the den tax users paid to support Vero ders; tracking the progress of the ne-
barrier island into Vero Beach. It has municipal services; the complex ne- gotiations with Cleveland Clinic;
The mission of 32963 (the short- brought on a digital staff and signifi- gotiations of a contract to buy whole-
hand most of us use for the name) was cantly improved its website, www.Ve- sale power from Orlando’s utility; the  Continued coverage of the eco-
to take a deep dive into how Vero as a roNews.com, for daily updates between struggle to depart from its entangle- logical problems in our part of the
ment with the Florida Municipal Indian River Lagoon and the need to
stop harmful projects like the Oslo
Boat Ramp Expansion and the devel-
opment of the Osprey Estates; drawing
attention to cleaning up local septic
systems and achieving a wet season
fertilizer ban;

 Continued coverage of the fi-
nancial situation at the Indian River
School District that has cost taxpayers
millions of dollars;

 Coverage of Marine Bank, which
bounced back from the brink of failure
a decade ago and is now a strong com-
munity financial institution;

 Coverage of St. Edward’s School,
which was struggling a decade ago but
has emerged as a smaller but stronger
educational institution;

 Coverage of how Piper Aircraft,
which was hurt by attempting to enter
the single-engine jet market, is now a
viable manufacturer and important
local employer;

 Coverage of Dodgertown, its
struggles to find a new role after the
departure of the Los Angeles Dodgers,
and the new lease on life it was given
first by Peter O’Malley and now by Ma-
jor League Baseball;

 Coverage of problems at the Men-
tal Health Association, and how it has
emerged as a stronger organization;

 Coverage of the problems of
short-term rentals and the efforts to
put into place new regulations that
have lessened these problems;

 Coverage of how the Sheriff’s De-
partment at one point did not have
an adequate presence on the barrier
island, and how the situation was re-
solved.

Such coverage is vital to our local
residents. Often, because of covering
important topics, and because people
have different views on what is being
reported, there are both receptive and
unreceptive reader reactions to 32963
stories. But Milt and his staff fulfill the
definition of a reporter’s responsibility
espoused by Col. Robt. R. McCormick,
founder of the Chicago Tribune – “To
provide that check on government, that
government doesn’t provide on itself.”

Perhaps 32963 coverage of the mur-
der a few years back of a young barrier
island father in his home best tells how

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 3

HAPPY NEW YEAR

32963 readers feel about their weekly They’ve been waiting here all morning.” morning,” Cox said. “Your cases will Metcalf accused Cox of scheduling
newspaper and their fellow residents. Cox, who had already listened to be rescheduled for January.” more cases than she could handle in one
The surviving family, not too long after morning. He then approached the judge
the murder, was faced with foreclosure about 220 cases that morning, initially Several attorneys continued to argue with a client and began talking about the
of their home. An appeal was made to apologized to the still-waiting attor- loudly with Cox and some upset defen- case in an attempt to force Cox to listen.
32963 readers, who quickly responded neys and defendants, but explained dants initially refused to leave the court-
and retired the mortgage. that she needed to let courtroom staff room. The three bailiffs in the room ap- His behavior angered the judge.
leave for lunch and had to prepare for peared stunned, glancing at each other “No, we’re not going to do this,” Cox
Vero is fortunate to have 32963. It is Veterans Court, scheduled for 1:15 p.m. several times as they tried to figure out shouted at Metcalf, who continued
imperative that 32963 remains in local how to restore order in the court. to try and present his case for several
ownership. Thanks, 32963, for your past “I apologize, we just had too many
10 years and may you have many more! cases that needed to be heard this It got worse. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Henry K. “Buzz” Wurzer is a veteran
newspaper executive. For over four de-
cades he served in executive Marketing
and Sales positions for Tribune Co. and
Hearst Newspapers as well as several
Industry Trade Associations. He has re-
mained active since retirement in advis-
ing startups in the Digital Media sector.
He has been active locally on the boards
of the Indian River Community Foun-
dation and the IRMC Foundation. 

Disorder in the court Exclusively John’s Island
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Sited on .72± acres on a cul-de sac, this beautiful 4BR+Study/4.5BA home
day after Cox ran out of time, and had enjoys spectacular sunrise, pool and water views. Impressive features include
to reschedule about a dozen plea-bar- custom finishes, 5,383± GSF, detached guest cabana and a gracious living
gain hearings for January. room with fireplace, which flows effortlessly onto the expansive lanai creating
one cohesive space. Generous living areas include an expansive kitchen
Cox, who will step down from her with breakfast nook and bar, formal dining area, master suite with ample
post at the felony court at the end of storage, den/study, two guest en-suites, and an oversized two-car garage.
December, was trying to complete 121 South Shore Circle : $2,395,000
as many cases as possible before her
successor, Judge Dan Vaughn, arrives three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
in January. health & fitness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equity membership

Her task was not as impossible as 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
it may sound. A majority of the cases
on the docket were status hearings,
at which attorneys say they are ready
for trial or that they need more time to
prepare. Those hearings typically take
a minute or less.

Nevertheless, with more than 230
cases queued up on Wednesday, Dec.
18, conflict and confusion eventually
erupted.

The courtroom atmosphere was
already tense before Cox arrived that
morning because of the crush of
people. Dozens of defendants were
crammed into the court chambers,
sitting uncomfortably close to each
other or standing shoulder-to-shoul-
der along the walls.

As hearings got underway, with de-
fendants waiting hours for their cases
to be heard, the tension increased.

By the end of the 3 ½-hour session,
several of the defendants and their
attorneys, whose cases had not been
heard, were openly irate, uttering ob-
scenities aloud and engaging in verbal
skirmishes with Cox as she dismissed
court at 12:40 p.m.

“No, this is not right,” Vero Beach At-
torney Andrew Metcalf shouted at Cox
as he briefly started to approach the
bench – without permission – before
wisely retreating. “What are you go-
ing to do with all these people judge?

4 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Disorder in the court sibly could so that Judge Vaughn, who
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 currently oversees felony cases in St.
Lucie County, wouldn’t be burdened
more moments. “Court has been dis- with an overwhelming caseload when
missed. You can come back Friday if he takes over.
you want to have this case heard.”
Several court officials said there
“I won’t be here Friday,” Metcalf re- was more behind Wednesday’s court-
sponded in a sarcastic tone. room drama than just the crush of
cases, though.
“Neither will I, so I guess that solves
that issue,” Cox retorted. According to the officials, some of
the irate attorneys with plea bargain
Cox wasn’t finished, though. She re- cases wanted Cox to decide their cli-
minded Metcalf and other attorneys ents’ fate, rather than Vaughn, who
that she had informed them in ad- has a reputation for handing out
vance that she had 231 cases sched- harsh sentences and not allowing
uled to be heard that morning and prosecutors to make plea deals with
it was likely that there wouldn’t be defendants – which usually result a
enough time to hear the plea bargain shorter sentence than they might get
cases, which often take 30 minutes or at trial. 
longer – but they still insisted on add-
ing them to the schedule. Cleveland Clinic

“I don’t understand what the prob- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
lem is,” Cox told another attorney.
“Your client is already free on bond. Monday, to be released from escrow
Postponing their sentence gives them by attorneys for all the parties in-
a couple more weeks of freedom.” volved after a 9 a.m. conference call
on New Year’s Eve.
The attorney replied, “I like to get
things done and over with.” And, as with all mannerly gift-giv-
ing, Cleveland’s presents will be recip-
“Really, because usually you’re up rocated. Along with getting a hospital
here requesting more time to get pre- in sound financial shape, according
pared,” retorted Cox. “Suddenly you’ve to numbers presented to the IRMC
changed?” board of directors’ final meeting last
week, Cleveland Clinic Indian River
Cox continued to scold the remain- will continue to receive the benefit of
ing attorneys. the remarkable philanthropy that has
largely shaped the hospital over the
“We might have gotten through this, past 20 years.
but some people took up too much
time,” Cox said pointedly, referring During those years, the IRMC Foun-
to attorneys who showed up late for dation has raised $115 million for the
court, or held up proceedings because ever-expanding hospital on 37th Ave-
they were absent from the courtroom nue. That money has built the special-
when their cases were called. ized treatment centers that not only
saved lives, but may have saved the
Metcalf and other attorneys pres- hospital by catching the eye of top-
ent declined to comment after leaving notch institutional suitors, including
Cox’s courtroom. Cleveland Clinic.

Cox, who has adjudicated felony If there were any fears those donors
cases for the 19th Judicial Circuit for might be wary of the merger, closing
the past two years, is stepping down their wallets to an out-of-town new-
from her post at the end of December comer, that fear was thoroughly dis-
and will take over Family Court begin- pelled at a board meeting where the
ning in January.

She said her goal was to try and re-
solve as many of the 700 outstanding
cases still under her watch as she pos-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 5

HAPPY NEW YEAR

chairman of hospital’s fund-raising clearly excited about Cleveland Clinic’s the three new neurologists, Dr. Ayman ber means people are excited about
arm announced a stunning surge of takeover, showing up in unprecedent- Gheith, spoke at that gathering, as did Cleveland.”
interest that can only bode well for fu- ed numbers at various Foundation Cleveland Clinic Florida president and
ture improvements. presentations. At one such meeting at CEO Dr. Wael Barsoum. They are also excited about the lat-
the Moorings, 134 people showed up. est Foundation campaign to enhance
Foundation board chairman Tony “We’ve never had these kinds of the hospital’s stroke treatment capa-
Woodruff told the IRMC board at its Some 150 residents attended a simi- people come to the presentations, said bilities.
final meeting Dec. 12 that donors are lar presentation at John’s Island. One of Woodruff. “Having that kind of num-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Cleveland Clinic Foundation will stay in Indian River in this community in many years.” ting occasion for celebration and
County during the so-called com- In all, the merger deal has taken al- champagne.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 mitment period – the first 10 years of
Cleveland Clinic’s 30-year lease. Dur- most a year to complete. And it’s been As if to head off any hangover-in-
Already accredited as a primary ing the partnership process, there almost two years since the hospital duced confusion, though, residents
stroke center, IRMC will be seeking was concern voiced that a health sys- leaders voted to consider changing won’t be waking up to a Cleveland
accreditation as a comprehensive tem might absorb Vero’s generosity the independent status of the stand- Clinic logo on their 80-year-old hospi-
stroke center with the addition of without the hospital seeing the ben- alone, publicly-owned hospital. tal on Jan. 1. Cleveland has decided to
three interventional neurologists of- efit. The clause serves as a safeguard wait a couple of weeks before mount-
fering round-the-clock clot-clearing against that. National experts guided the Vero- ing new signage that will identify
capabilities that until now required based parties through the process, Cleveland Clinic Indian River.
that patients be transported else- As hospital board members glowed with Cleveland Clinic chosen from
where. with pride over the pending merger, among a dozen initial respondents to The Vero hospital will join Cleveland
Woodruff gave some credit to donors Juniper Advisory’s partnership query, at the same time as three hospitals that
Following one of the Foundation for the deal. made in early fall 2017. By Novem- are part of Martin Health, which also
presentations, the $10 million stroke ber 2017, the list was winnowed to is finalizing a merger with Cleveland
center upgrade campaign got its first “All the programs we have at the four health systems: Orlando Health, Clinic. Along with IRMC, Tradition
$1 million donation from island phi- medical center, that’s why Cleveland Florida Hospital, HCA and Cleveland Medical Center in Port St. Lucie, Mar-
lanthropists Lorne and Heidi Waxlax. Clinic’s here. The cancer center, the Clinic. tin Memorial South in Palm City and
heart center, everything that [donors] Martin Medical Center in downtown
“Minutes are crucial in treating have done, when Cleveland came When it came time to tour those Stuart will join Cleveland Clinic’s lone
strokes so having a great stroke cen- here they said, ‘Wow.’ We said ‘wow’ hospitals, it was Cleveland that first Florida hospital in Weston in the newly
ter in the Indian River Medical Cen- about them, but they said ‘wow’ welcomed IRMC officials on a frigid expanded system.
ter is a very important addition to about us.” January morning to its stunning main
the assets of Vero Beach,” said Waxlax campus, one of the best-known hos- Cleveland Clinic Indian River’s new
last week. “After hearing Dr. Gheith’s “This is no ordinary communi- pitals in the world and the No. 2-rat- CEO, Dr. Gregory Rosencrance, ar-
presentation, we became convinced ty hospital,” said Board Chairman ed hospital in the U.S., according to rived in Vero two weeks ago. He pre-
that he and his team will build a truly Wayne Hockmeyer. “And the reason U.S. News. viously served in Cleveland as chair-
great stroke center.” it’s not ordinary is the philanthropy man of the health system’s Medicine
that has allowed the Scully-Welsh With its dazzling white walls lined Institute.
Since then, another $400,000 has Cancer Center, the Welsh Heart Cen- with museum-quality fine art, Cleve-
been raised, Woodruff said. ter, the Health and Wellness Center land Clinic appeared to inspire a IRMC’s interim CEO Karen Davis
and everything else to be built. Now love-at-first-sight longing in its Vero has agreed to stay on to help with
Written into the final agreement be- the stroke initiative is probably one guests. the transition before returning to her
tween IRMC and Cleveland is a clause of the most important things we’ll see prior post with a healthcare consul-
that states donations made to the One year later, the knot will be tied, tancy. 
with New Year’s Eve providing a fit-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 7

HAPPY NEW YEAR

MY The public deserves answers from the School Board
VERO

BY RAY MCNULTY sion, investigation and reinstatement ring $2.3 million from the district’s Dec. 11 meeting and, shortly before
Staff Writer of Carter Morrison, the assistant su- general fund into 12 school accounts the meeting began, Rendell removed
perintendent of finance – the new without Rendell’s knowledge, direc- it from the agenda.
It’s too soon to say we made a mis- board shrunk from its responsibility, tion or permission.
take at the polls: The latest edition of demanding no public answers from Instead, Rendell told the board Mor-
our School Board has been working the superintendent who accused him As a result, Morrison was suspended rison was being reinstated as head of
together for only a few weeks. of wrongdoing and offering no expla- with pay for nearly five months, receiv- finance, offering no public explana-
nation to the community. ing more than $48,000 in salary during tion, saying only that the move was in
But there’s already cause for us to his absence, while an out-of-town law the best interest of the school district.
be concerned, even worried, by what That’s not nearly good enough, de- firm investigated Rendell’s allegations.
we’ve seen from this group thus far. spite that fact that Morrison, thrown Which tells us nothing.
under the school bus by his boss, de- The investigation, concluded in No- Apparently, though, the board
At the very least, we should be dis- cided to resign after being reinstated vember, found that Morrison “in no members were satisfied with Rendell’s
appointed, given the high hopes that earlier this month. way intended to undermine the su- reasoning – because none of them de-
accompanied the election of its three perintendent” but was guilty of “very manded any further explanation for
newest members, all of whom cam- Maybe the board members are hop- poor judgment” and a “breach of his reversal, which proved to be moot
paigned on transparency and tough- ing this storm will pass, dissipate into trust,” prompting Rendell to recom- when Morrison resigned the next day.
ness, promising to hold their superin- the holiday air and be forgotten as the mend Morrison be demoted to trans- We shouldn’t be satisfied.
tendent publicly accountable for his calendar turns to 2019, especially with portation coordinator. Not only should we demand to know
actions. Morrison moving to the private sector. what happened, why and how, but we
Rendell foolishly tried to sneak Mor- also should expect our School Board
The previous board failed miserably Maybe they think the good news – rison’s demotion past the public at the to want to provide those answers.
to do so, too often acquiescing, meekly the recently released high school grad- board’s Nov. 20 meeting, placing it on Too many relevant questions re-
embracing flawed proposals and tol- uation rates, which improved notice- the consent agenda, where it was un- main unanswered, including:
erating wrongheaded decisions that ably – will overshadow the bad news. likely to draw scrutiny.  Why didn’t the board publicly
resulted in wasted money, damaged question the credibility of the findings
prestige and unnecessary legal battles. That’s not going to happen. However, board newcomer Mara of an investigation conducted by the
This was a very public scandal in Schiff noticed what was happen- same statewide law firm School Board
This board was expected to do better. which Schools Superintendent Mark ing and made Morrison’s demotion a
Yet, when confronted with its first Rendell in July accused Morrison, his separate item to be discussed publicly. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
significant challenge – the suspen- finance chief, of improperly transfer- That discussion was put off until the

8 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HAPPY NEW YEAR

My Vero state Morrison, whom he publicly As taxpayers, we have a right to ask countable – they should want to an-
accused of mismanaging district those questions. swer them.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 funds and who the investigator cited
for poor judgment and a breach of As our elected officials, the board But, hey, it’s early.
Attorney Suzanne D’Agresta hired to trust? members have an obligation to an- Three of the five board members
represent Rendell in August, creating a swer them. have been on the job for less than two
clear conflict of interest?  Why hasn’t the board publicly months, and maybe there’s a learn-
discussed Rendell’s role, particu- And if they’re really as committed ing curve. Besides, they inherited this
 Why hasn’t the board publicly ex- larly his interaction with Morrison, to transparency as they claimed dur- Morrison mess from the previous
pressed any concerns about Morrison’s throughout the budget process? ing their campaigns – if they expect board. So don’t give up on them yet.
claim in his written statement to the us to believe that they’ll be as tough Everyone makes mistakes.
investigator that he tried to explain to  Why didn’t the board hold Ren- as they promised they would be in Let’s hope we didn’t. 
Rendell the series of beyond-his-con- dell accountable for his actions and holding their superintendent ac-
trol circumstances that prompted him demand that he publicly apologize
to manipulate the budget numbers? for the damage done to Morrison’s ‘Regulatory disconnect’ at state level
reputation, especially after determin- factor in pollution at Blue Cypress Lake
 Why didn’t the board publicly ing that Morrison’s sins were so minor
question Rendell’s decision to rein- that he deserved to be reinstated?

Ryan and Melissa Weaver, Agency Owners BY KATHLEEN SLOAN sive biosolids application, which is
Ryan Weaver Insurance, Inc. is a locally owned profitable to farmers and haulers, and
Staff Writer helps solve a problem for South Flori-
independent agency that has been serving da municipalities.
Indian River County for over 12 years. Indian River County Commission-
ers have set a public hearing for Jan. 8 County Commissioner Peter O’Bryan
All lines of commercial or personal insurance available. to add another six months onto a mor- summarized DEP’s lack of oversight as a
atorium on biosolids, treated human “regulatory disconnect.”
OLD DOMINION waste used as fertilizer, after hearing
INSURANCE COMPANY study results at their Dec. 11 meeting. The phosphorus level has skyrock-
eted in Blue Cypress Lake, the study
A member of Main Street America Group The countywide moratorium enact- showed, the soil full up and unable to
ed six months ago was intended to give absorb any more. The excess phospho-
855 21st Street – CenterState Bank Building the county time to figure out if nutrient rus is carried by ground and surface wa-
2nd Floor – Vero Beach overload in the once pristine Blue Cy- ter into the lake, where it fed the blue-
press Lake was coming from biosolids. green algae bloom over the summer.
(772) 567-4930 • [email protected]
www.rweaverinsurance.com The lake suffered a massive blue- Ocean Research and Conservation
green algae bloom during the summer Association chief scientist Eddie Wid-
Conveniently located just off of Miracle Mile, fed by the types of nutrients contained der has been monitoring conditions
across from Classic Car Wash on US-1 in human waste. in the lake and she shared some of her
data on the toxin given off by the blue-
A study conducted by Jones Edmunds green algae.
& Associates has confirmed biosolids
are the source of pollution. The study Some lake water measured 4,700 parts
also makes plain how little protection per billion of toxin at the height of the
the state Department of Environmen- bloom. The Centers for Disease Control
tal Protection provides in its permitting states 10 parts per billion is dangerous.
and monitoring of biosolids.
“I wouldn’t eat any fish from Blue
South Florida government offi- Cypress Lake,” Widder said.
cials convinced the state legislature
to ban biosolids in 2012 for the Lake “This is a problem that goes way be-
Okeechobee, St. Lucie River and Ca- yond the lake,” she continued. “Blue
loosahatchee River watersheds, by- Cypress Lake is a good case study be-
passing the DEP. Since that ban went cause nothing else is out there – no de-
into effect, more biosolids have flowed velopment and no change in land use –
north to Indian River County. so the cause is easier to pinpoint to the
only new thing introduced, biosolids.”
Southern cities and counties that
have human waste they have to dis- She said the cyanotoxins given off
pose of pay haulers and farmers to take by blue-green algae are “getting into
it off their hands, much of it ending up our food supply.”
on fields near Blue Cypress Lake.
Studies have correlated an increase
Indian River County disposes of in liver disease, including liver cancer,
biosolids generated here at its landfill, in areas with recurring blue-green al-
making it especially annoying to com- gae blooms.
missioners that they will have to pay
to clean up pollutants brought from Commissioners vowed to follow in
the south, since it appears unlikely the the footsteps of South Florida govern-
DEP will take responsibility for its lack ments and seek a legislative ban on
of regulation. biosolids in local watersheds, bypassing
the DEP. Commissioner Bob Solari said
The DEP does not require soil testing state Rep. Erin Grall will soon introduce
more often than every five years on fields legislation to that effect.
where biosolids are dumped. It does not
require groundwater be sampled, only Staff was directed to ask the City of
surface water. And it only measures for Fellsmere to also extend its biosolids
total nitrogen, not total phosphorus. ban another six months and to ask
Osceola County to consider joining
These loose regulations allow mas- the effort to ban biosolids on a perma-
nent basis. 



10 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HAPPY NEW YEAR

County’s Dodgertown deal with MLB
gives Vero leverage in parking negotiations

BY RAY MCNULTY impact on the local economy benefits
businesses in Vero Beach.
Staff Writer
“We made them an offer to buy the
If county officials want to make [golf-course] property and they haven’t
sure they can use Vero Beach-owned accepted it,” Brown continued. “That
properties adjacent to Historic Dodg- was one possible solution, but there are
ertown to provide the 2,000 parking others. I’m hopeful we’ll find one.”
spaces required in their long-term
lease with Major League Baseball, According to O’Connor, an existing
they’ll probably need to pay for them. agreement allows the county, free of
charge, to use the golf-course property
City officials say the overflow park- to accommodate overflow parking from
ing spaces, particularly those available big-crowd events at Historic Dodger-
on the former Dodgertown Golf Club town’s Holman Stadium. However, the
property to the immediate west, are city may terminate the agreement if it
available for rent. finds a better use for the property.

They’re not for sale – not for the $2.4 The City Council voted 3-2 in Octo-
million the county offered for the golf- ber to not sell the 35-acre golf-course
course property in October, anyway. tract, rejecting offers from the county
as well as from developers who want-
“The city sees the potential for that ed to build an “urban market” that
property as a revenue-producing piece included a hotel, restaurants and of-
of ground,” City Manager Jim O’Connor fice space in a park-like setting where
said. “So selling the entire tract to the more than 40 percent of the property
county at that price doesn’t make would be green space.
sense, because it doesn’t generate an
ongoing revenue stream for us. In making his pitch, Brown told the
council the county had no plans to de-
“If we leased the spaces to the coun- velop the property, but he said the coun-
ty, however, that’s a recurring revenue ty would not accept a deed restriction
stream.” that prevented future development.

For example, O’Connor said, the city The developers – a partnership be-
could raise $400,000 annually by leas- tween Lakeland-based builder Mark
ing 2,000 spaces – using a section of Hulbert and Vero Beach resident Terry
the golf-course property, city-owned Borcheller – said their planned de-
lots north of Aviation Boulevard and velopment complemented Historic
fields at the Vero Beach Regional Air- Dodgertown and they agreed to pro-
port – for $200 per space per year. vide as many as 500 parking spaces
when MLB needed them.
Another possibility is for the county
to offset the costs of leasing the parking Borcheller said last week he and
spaces it needs by finally agreeing to Hulbert still haven’t given up on the
give to the city the share of local tour- project, and they’re waiting for a new
ism and hotel tax revenues Vero Beach City Council to be seated in late Feb-
officials have been seeking for years. ruary.

In fact, both O’Connor and City “Once the City Council gets straight-
Council member Laura Moss said the ened out, we’ll try again, but we’re lit-
city’s pursuit of tourism tax money is erally one conversation away from
likely to be included in any discussion walking,” Borcheller said. “If the new
of parking between the parties. council says no, we’re done, which
would be sad for this community.
“We want Major League Baseball
to succeed here,” O’Connor said, “so Mayor Harry Howle and Council-
now that the county has a long-term man Val Zudans still support devel-
lease, we’d like to sit down with them opment of the golf-course property,
and negotiate something that works and both liked the Hulbert-Borcheller
for everyone.” plan, the fate of which likely will be
decided by the special election.
County Administrator Jason Brown
said last week he plans to reach out Moss, who led the opposition to
to O’Connor after the holidays to fur- the sale, still favors keeping the prop-
ther discuss the Historic Dodgertown erty, which has remained vacant since
parking issue and ensure that the the golf course was closed in 2004, as
county can use city property to meet green space.
the terms of its lease with MLB.
“That’s why the City Council pur-
“We need to make sure the parking chased that property in 2005,” said
situation is resolved, and we’re agree- Moss, who was joined by Tony Young
able to working with the city on some- and Lange Sykes in opposing the sale.
thing that’s beneficial to everyone in “I’ve spoken with three of the four sur-
the community,” Brown said, adding viving members of the 2005 council,
that much of Historic Dodgertown’s

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 11

HAPPY NEW YEAR

and they haven’t changed their opinion. with the proviso they provide Historic more likely that the city and county there as long as they have,” adding,
“As far as I’m concerned – and as the Dodgertown with 500 parking spaces can get together and work out a mutu- “and I appreciate that.”
when needed, and sign a long-term ally beneficial agreement, so the coun-
top vote getter in the November elec- lease allowing the county to use the ty can meet the terms of its lease,” Zu- He also appreciates the county’s
tion, I have a mandate from the people parking lots north of Aviation Boulevard dans said. need to resolve the parking situation
of Vero Beach – open space will be a – as well as the airport fields with shut- with the city.
defining characteristic of that prop- tles running to and from Historic Dodg- As for those opposed to developing
erty,” she added. “We need to preserve ertown – to provide the 2,000 spaces re- the parcel, Zudans said: “We’ll never “If I were in their shoes, I’d want to
open space.” quired in the agreement with MLB. please the people who want to keep it amend that parking agreement, too,”
a vacant lot.” O’Connor said.
Earlier this month, Zudans floated “The county having a deal with Ma-
a plan to sell the golf-course property jor League Baseball should make it O’Connor said he’s surprised Hul- “Otherwise, I’d have to start looking
to the Hulbert-Borcheller partnership bert and Borcheller have “hung in for places on their property to put a
parking area.” 

Man being retried for island murder gets a new lawyer

BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ evidence submitted by him since he acting pro se (as his own legal coun- trict Court of Appeals overturned his
Staff Writer began representing himself, be wiped sel) shall be deemed either moot or earlier conviction. Justices argued
from court records. She also agreed to waived unless specifically adopted by that a new trial was warranted be-
Murder suspect Henry Lee Jones, appoint a new public defender to rep- the current attorney of record.” cause Jones’ public defender was not
who in April decided to represent resent Jones as he reversed his earlier allowed to question potential jurors
himself in his second murder trial, was decision to act as his own lawyer. In 2014, Jones was convicted of first- about racial prejudice or bias. Jones is
back in court last week asking for legal degree murder and burglary. He re- African-American. Simpson, 41 at the
assistance. Cox noted in her judgment on Dec. ceived a life sentence for the killing of time of his death, was white.
20 that although it was Jones’ decision Brian Simpson during a 2011 burglary
The case had not been going well for to represent himself, it was also clear at the Central Beach resident’s home. In April, Jones requested a differ-
Jones, who was convicted of murdering that he didn’t know what he was doing According to testimony at his trial, ent lawyer. After Cox turned down his
a Central Beach resident in 2011 and in court. His actions were so detrimental Jones shot Simpson through a bath- request, Jones decided to represent
later granted a new trial upon appeal. to his own case that the court would be room door after he and an associate himself. His attempt did not go well.
denying him a fair trial by allowing him got caught burglarizing the Simpson
But Jones earned a rare court victory to continue serving as his own counsel. family’s Fiddlewood Road house. Jones filed his latest motion on Dec.
last week, when Circuit Court Judge 17, asking the court to reconsider his
Cynthia Cox approved his request In her ruling, Cox wrote: “Anything Jones, now 30, was granted a sec- request for a new court-appointed at-
that all motions filed by him, and all entered by the defendant when he was ond trial in 2017 after the fourth Dis- torney. 

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12 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Is Shores missing a bet as it searches for a new town manager?

BY LISA ZAHNER Council is probably tops in Florida. moted to town manager in 2013, gave Since the town has not found the
Staff Writer But they may have missed a great his notice on May 17 due to health “perfect” candidate to replace Stabe
concerns related to job stress. – either on its own or via headhunt-
It should not take seven months to opportunity when they rejected an in- ers The Mercer Group – Stabe told his
hire a new town manager for a munici- novative proposal by Vice Mayor Bob NEWS ANALYSIS bosses he’d be willing, even eager, to
pality of 4,000 people. Auwaerter last week to get the most stay up to five more years in the job.
out of the existing town staff instead Since then, however, several of the
Overall, the Indian River Shores of bringing in someone town leaders major projects Stabe had been im- Auwaerter, a respected problem-
Town Council does the taxpayers were admittedly not thrilled over. mersed in have been mostly or com- solver, thinks Stabe should stay on. Au-
proud when it comes to taking care of pletely resolved, which would lessen waerter praised Stabe for his ability to
business. The executive and financial Town Manager Robbie Stabe, who the strain on his health if he stayed. multitask and for his people skills.
knowledge and experience stored in served for 22 years as a decorated, tri-
the five members of the Shores Town ple-trained public safety officer, and But to take some of the pressure
then briefly as chief before being pro- off Stabe in the areas that are not his
strengths – strategic planning and fiscal
management – the vice mayor proposed
promoting Town Treasurer Heather
Christmas to Assistant Town Manager.

Since her duties ebb and flow with
budget and audit seasons, and since
Christmas is deeply involved in the
town’s employee benefits and pen-
sion planning, the co-management
proposal could create a synergy, while
preserving the valuable local knowl-
edge Stabe has of the town.

Stabe and Christmas already col-
laborate successfully, and the council
praised Christmas for her skill set, her
responsiveness, her accountability
and financial reporting.

Unfortunately, Auwaerter could not
get three votes for his solution.

Meeting minutes distributed on Fri-
day reveal zero consensus on any of
the three town manager candidates the
Shores brought in for face-to-face inter-
views with all five council members. And
those three were the cream that rose to
the top of nearly 40 applicants after a na-
tionwide search that took three months.

One major sticking point to keep-
ing Stabe on has to do with looming
labor negotiations between the town
and its public safety workers union.
Those talks have been contentious in
the past, and promise to be equally
difficult in 2019.

The Shores’ council hired a labor
attorney to do its bidding, but due to
delays in the start of contract negotia-
tions, the attorney hasn’t had time to
hammer out a deal yet with the union.

A similar arrangement has worked
well for the City of Vero Beach.

As it stands with the town manager
question, the Town Council has autho-
rized The Mercer Group to go back to
the drawing board in January, looking
again at the dozens of applicants the
town weeded through this summer
and reconsidering some of those who
were interviewed and rejected by Mer-
cer’s principal W.D. Higginbotham.

Instead of taking this route and
dragging out the search, the council
could entertain Auwaerter’s pragmatic
proposal once again, and possibly get
more traction. 

Cheyenne Clohessy
and Scarlett Clohessy.

HOLIDAYS AT McKEE: KIDS HAVE
A MOST WONDERFUL TIME

14 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Holidays at McKee: Kids have a most wonderful time

Emme Kane, Tori Malone and Julia Introcaso. PHOTOS: LEIGH GREEN PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Maddie Gordon and Candice Thornton.

Julie and Brad Damiani.

Madilynn Butlers and Hayley Butlers.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF 18-acre tropical wonderland, light- foliage with a wagon full of toys, and volunteers had decorated a tree with
Staff Writer ed characters frolicked in the forest pandas sporting construction garb items from the garden and horticul-
amid thousands of colorful lights and guarded the entrance to the Children’s ture staff had decked the halls with
Bells were ringing and children sing- decorations. New this year were illu- Garden. bamboo trees. In the Spanish Kitchen,
ing as music filled the air last week at minated icicles at the entrance and, children enjoyed a white Christmas
McKee Botanical Garden during Holi- sprinkled throughout the garden, large Children looked on in wide-eyed and had a flurry of fun as “snow” fell
days at McKee. The four-day event was ornaments made especially for McKee. wonderment at the magical model from the sky.
cut short due to a winter storm that train display, then sat with Santa and
blew in from the North Pole, rife with The music of the 1924 Wurlitzer vin- Mrs. Claus and whispered Christmas After getting their fill of holiday
Florida snow (precipitation). In its tage band organ drew the crowd fur- wishes into the jolly fellow’s ear. cheer, a stop by the Garden Gift & Book
wake, Santa brought lower tempera- ther into the fray of lighted flamingoes, Shop netted some last-minute Christ-
tures paving the way for the festive fete. snowmen, giant orchids, penguins The Royal Palm Grove was aglitter as mas shopping.
zooming down a slide, a gingerbread twinkling lights added to the majesty of
“We’re thrilled to share the Garden family and even a Dachshund wearing the grand pathway where the Imagine The lights will continue to shine at
during this special time of the year,” a Santa hat. School Tangerine Music Group, McKee the Nights of Lights Celebration from
said McKee’s executive director, Chris- Melody Makers and April French of Dec. 28 to 30, including the festively lit
tine Hobart. “Seeing families enjoying A giant Santa Claus and his trusty Lady Sings the Blues Band entertained garden ornaments, vintage organ and
the garden is magical.” sidekick, Rudolph, kept a watchful eye merrymakers. model railroad display.
over the crowd near the pond while a
Amid the flora and fauna of the cupboard of pandas snuck through the A Department 56 holiday village For more information, visit mck-
sprang up in the Hall of Giants, where eegarden.org. 



16 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Tangerine Music Group.
Connie Cotherman, Ro Van Dright and Christine Hobart.

Sue and Stan Murrell with Mary Thieman. Sophie Wolfenden and Alexa Roth. George Lynch, Declan Lynch and Lilly Lynch.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 17

PEOPLE

Ella White. Andrew Kwong. Ahri Carvell with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Alison and Chris Taylor with children Ben and Hadley and Daniel Gibbs. Scott and Mandy Ramsey with daughter Lily and Rayma Whitney.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Aerial Antics Christmas Road
Trip is a holiday highlight!

Aerial Antics performers demonstrate their skills in Christmas Road Trip presented by the Vero Beach

Recreation Department. PHOTOS: LEIGH GREEN

BY KERRY FIRTH spiraled their flexible bodies in and
out of various positions.
Correspondent
“We try all of our stunts low to the
Unexpected surprises along the ground, with safety mats at first,”
way are what make any road trip mag- explained aerial silk performer and
ical. And this year, the Aerial Antics coach Daja Miller. “That way we can
Christmas Road Trip performances at perfect the move and then take it to
the Vero Beach High School Perform- new heights.”
ing Arts Center were indeed magical.
Produced by the City of Vero Beach Miller, 20, has been in the program
Recreation Department, three holi- for six years, choosing to pursue a
day performances last week show- business degree at Indian River State
cased the talents of gymnasts and College just so that she could remain
dancers ages 3 to 25 who are enrolled close to home and continue with the
in the Leisure Square Gymnastics program. She is now a staff member
and Performing Arts Programs. teaching others.

The original performance was “This is literally my second family,”
written and choreographed by Rec- Miller said. “The instructors are so
reation Department instructors, with supportive and they think about the
even the set design and the construc- students before anything else. Their
tion of props and backdrops complet- mentoring goes beyond gymnastics
ed by instructors as a labor of love. and has given me confidence to face
challenges in life.”
The theme had three teenage girls
setting off for a road trip to Grand- “The best part about our Perform-
ma’s, taking in the spirit of Christmas ing Arts program is the fact that
along the way. A detour took them to these children sometimes don’t even
a street fair where they encountered realize that they are learning an art
dancing ‘presents,’ young acrobats form,” said Patty Howard, Recreation
swinging on trapezes and jumping Department assistant director. “They
on trampolines, and girls spiraling are just having fun. We’ve had stu-
down silk ropes. dents who have gone on to be colle-
giate cheerleaders, circus performers
A night at the campground un- in Las Vegas, aerial performers at Sea
veiled a cluster of adorable dancing World and performers in the FSU Fly-
spiders and an agile group of gym- ing High Circus. It all starts right here
nasts cavorting around their tents in Vero Beach with a program that is
in perfect artistry. Performers also affordable and accessible to all.”
danced with snowflakes and stars,
baked cookies and had a pajama par- This is the Recreation Depart-
ty at Grandmas. ment’s 24th year sponsoring and
producing the holiday show to high-
The young performers truly steal light the talents of local students. The
the show with their talent and show- year-round program, including nine
manship. Stunning acrobatic rou- weeks of summer camp, offers a safe
tines, graceful aerial silk contor- environment for youngsters to stay fit
tions and high-energy dance moves and have fun while gaining invalu-
wowed packed audiences filled with able arts education.
friends and family members. Aerial
silk performers dressed in sequined All the proceeds from the perfor-
leotards clung to fabric suspended mance benefit Recreation Depart-
from the ceiling like nimble spiders ment Performing Arts programs.
to their webs, as they wrapped and
For more information, visit www.
covb.org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 19

PEOPLE

20 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Gleeful youngsters nab great gifts at ‘Shop with a Cop’

Off. James Doty, Dep. Teddy Floyd and VBPD Chief David Currey. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Neftali, Adai and Shirel shop with Lt. Mathieu Zincir.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Roberta Barker, who retired from the Indian River County Sheriff’s squealed a little girl from
Staff Writer the IRCSO and is now a School Office, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Dodgertown Elementary School
Resource Officer for SPD, co- to help guide their sleighs, or in this as she ran over to give a big hug to
Christmas came early for the chaired the event, aided this year case, shopping carts. a grinning Dep. Jared Brown, an
roughly 150 children treated to a by IRCSO Dep. Jessica Ogonoski. IRCSO School Resource Officer.
shopping spree at the Sebastian Funding was provided by Walmart There were big smiles all around as
Walmart last Wednesday afternoon grants, fundraisers such as the kids and their law-enforcement Fellsmere Police Chief Keith
at another heartwarming Shop with Christmas in July, and donations pals were greeted by Santa before Touchberry was busy taking pic-
a Cop event. from individuals and groups such passing through a cheering gauntlet tures with his cell phone, noting,
as the Lions Club and Sebastian of Walmart employees and perusing “I’m taking pictures of all my guys,”
A police escort led school buses Exchange Club. the aisles in search of gifts for adding with a grin, “They’re my
in two shifts from north and family members, themselves and kids.”
south counties – each carrying Armed with a $100 gift certificate, even their pets.
children identified by School wide-eyed youngsters ages 6 to 14 Afterward, having worked up an
Resource Officers, teachers and were paired with law-enforcement “I look forward to this every year,” appetite, children and their new
administrators as needing a helping sidekicks from the Sebastian, said VBPD Lt. Matt Monaco, before buddies were treated to hotdogs
hand this holiday season. Vero Beach, Fellsmere and Indian listening intently to his two young and chips supplied by Walmart and
River Shores police departments, charges. cooked up in the Salvation Army’s
This was the sixth year ‘head elf’ Emergency Disaster Canteen. 
“Hey, you work at our school!”

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 21

PEOPLE

Off. Roberta Barker and Bill Bales with Santa. Off. Kenton Taylor, Peter and Fellsmere Chief Keith Touchberry. Dep. Jessica Ogonoski and Maj. Eric Flowers.

Melinda and Alana with Lt. Matt Monaco. Off. Ashley Penn takes a selfie with Miracle the pig. Nieko and Dep. Cliff Labbe. Dep. Craig Hayes with Raheem and Christopher.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Centennial Christmas Boat Parade: Sail of the century!

Sandy and Paul McHone with grandsons Peyton Didier and Colton Didier. The Vero Beach Centennial Christ-
Karan Morein with son Jeff Morein and grandchildren Olivia Colton, Elliot Morein and Ryan Morein. mas Boat Parade set sail to illumi-
nate the joy of the season as more
Mary Penn, Faith McCreary and Margit Hollifield. PHOTOS: LEIGH GREEN than 20 boats delighted the crowds
gathered to watch the lighted wa-
tercraft pass by. Having decked
their ships with lights strung
from the rigging with care, crews
manned the crafts in frosty air.
Veroites gathered along both sides
of the Indian River Lagoon and on
the dock at the Fountains of Royal
Palm Pointe, where Ms. Centen-
nial, Anna Valencia Tillery, gave a
running commentary. “It’s a great
kickoff for boaters; a way to get en-
ergized about Christmas and our
ties to the water,” said Brian Cun-
ningham of Vero Beach Marine,
parade organizer and sponsor.
Winning boats: 25-foot and under,
Vero Beach Rowing Club’s dragon
boat; 26- to 30-foot, Robert Plant’s
Crest pontoon boat; 31-foot and
up, John Bacon’s Après Ski. 

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24 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Poignancy permeates Endicott ‘Winter Solstice’ party

John and Marianne Grofcsik with Gunilla and Avo Akopiantz. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Spencer and Anita Silberstein with Bill and Anne Seawright, and Marianne Wall.

BY MARY SCHENKEL home of Mona Endicott, joined by in a memorial book at a Celebration of hunter, art collector, diver, conserva-
Staff Writer her daughter and son, Petra and Sven Life held in October at the MIT Endi- tionist, trout and salmon fisherman,
Frisell. This year’s lovely celebra- cott House in Massachusetts, where photographer, dancer, raconteur,
Guests of the Endicott family ush- tion was a particularly poignant one a program summed up the MIT- and trustee, lover of all things maple and
ered in the Christmas season with a that included fond remembrances of Harvard-educated man: “Beloved sugar, and most dear friend to many,
Winter Solstice Celebration, marked Mona’s husband, Bradford Maxwell husband, brother, father, grandfa- he was also a Board Member of the
by a candle-lit St. Lucia Ceremony, Endicott, who passed away in April. ther, philanthropist, world traveler, Handel and Haydn Society, a Patron
a Swedish tradition. The party was adventurer, scientist, fish farmer, of the New York Baroque Collegium,
hosted at the spectacular Windsor The extraordinary impact he had butterfly expert, author, shoemaker, and Chair of the Grants Committee
on so many lives was commemorated

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 25

on the Council for the Arts at MIT.” PEOPLE
Fellow Windsor resident Ev-
Eva Frisell. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
elyn Mayerson recited a poem she Mona Endicott and Petra Frisell.
wrote about their friendship for
the October celebration, before Cynthia Bardes and Sven Frisell.
all raised their glasses to toast his
memory.

A wonderful addition to the St.
Lucia ceremony featured a trio
of vocalists from the Commu-
nity Church of Vero Beach, who
expertly braved the task of learn-
ing and performing Lucia carols
in the Swedish language. Their
voices ushered in a candle-lit pro-
cession of stjärngossar (star boys)
and tärnor (girls), led by the cap-
tivating Eva Frisell, dressed as St.
Lucia in a long white gown with a
red ribbon at the waist and an ev-
ergreen crown of lit candles. Fol-
lowing tradition, the role of Lucia
has been passed down through
the generations, from Mona to Pe-
tra to Eva.

The enchanting procession
slowly made its way around the
pool and into the living room,
where the festive ambiance was
enhanced by the glow of a spec-
tacular Christmas tree. Afterward,
guests enjoyed a delicious ‘jul-
bord’ buffet of assorted traditional
savory fare and sweets. 

26 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 John Hilton and Charlotte Terry with Karen and Mark Smith. Diana Castleman, Julian Peccia and Melissa Castleman.
Vicki Dodge, Ron Stransky and Suzy April.

Ann Katherine Stalquist and Anna-Lena Dunn.
Eve Joslin and Roger Bell.

Jessica Schmitt and Michelle Servos.

VERO OPERA AT 30: A SOARING
SUCCESS AIMS EVEN HIGHER

28 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Vero Opera at 30: A soaring success aims even higher

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA Marcia and Dr. Robert Loewinger (front); Bill LaViolette with Nelson and Gretchen Cover (back). PHOTOS BY LEIGH GREEN of additional funds via the 30-Year
Staff Writer Challenge will build on that sustain-
created in 2015 by Tommy and Sim- cal tool of forward-thinking nonprofit ability and enable growth through the
In celebration of its 30th anni- onetta Steyer through the Indian River organizations, endowment fund in- next three decades.
versary, the Vero Beach Opera has Community Foundation in memory come, says Román Ortega-Cowan,
launched a ‘$300,000 Endowment of their son, Andrzej Steyer. A practi- supports sustainability. The infusion Earlier this month, LaViolette an-
Challenge – We’ve Come a Long Way, nounced the Endowment Challenge at
Baby.’ And so it has. the Amici Society’s annual Christmas
luncheon. The society is a support
Much as a hothouse orchid unfurls group of VBO members committed to
into glorious bloom with the perfect its mission and vision.
balance of nature, nurture and time,
so too has the Vero Beach Opera grown As LaViolette tells it, the response
into one of the city’s shining cultural was almost dizzying – and immediate.
stars – a producing/performing com- Lawson started things off on a ‘high C’,
pany that attracts such internationally announcing he would make “a $15,000
lauded luminaries as Metropolitan challenge gift that will double contri-
Opera stars Deborah Voigt, Marcello butions up to a total of $15,000, when
Giordani and Paul Plishka. received over the next 30 days,” poten-
tially raising 10 percent of the chal-
From its new headquarters, a suite lenge goal.
in the Tocqueville Building on Car-
dinal Drive, Joan and Román Ortega- It didn’t even take 30 minutes to meet
Cowan, president and artistic direc- Lawson’s generous challenge gift, as
tor, respectively, board chairman VBO members put their money where
Louis Lawson and board member/ their hearts are.
challenge chair Bill LaViolette discuss
their Endowment Challenge goals as “By the time I got to the podium,”
well as the overall VBO management LaViolette remembers with great plea-
philosophy. sure, “Louis was out $10,000.”

Their original endowment fund was Lawson laughs and says he found
himself writing checks at warp speed.

“By dessert, we’d reached $56,000,”

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 29

ARTS & THEATRE

are wonderfully symbiotic. 2004, to a sold-out house at the St. Ed-
The 2019 Season opens Jan. 13 with ward’s School Waxlax Auditorium.

Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” one of the On Feb. 2, “Bel Canto Concert” fea-
world’s most popular, most frequently tures tenor Matthew White in an eve-
performed operas. It has it all – obses- ning of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti
sion, betrayal, jealousy, murder, color- arias, duets and ensembles. White
ful costuming, dancing and, of course, won First Place in this year’s Deborah
magnificent, compelling music. The Voigt/Vero Beach Opera Foundation
“Habanera” from Act 1 and the “To- International Vocal Competition.
reador Song” from Act 2 are, without
doubt, among the best known of all Then, from March 19-22, it’s the Ris-
operatic arias. ing Stars Vocal Competition, with the
charming international superstar ten-
The choice is an excellent one, not or Marcello Giordani.
only for its global popularity, but also
because “Carmen” was the VBO’s very For more information, visit vero-
first production. It opened March 20, beachopera.org. 

Matthew White.

says LaViolette. The fund has since sitioning into an entity that would Adorn yourself with our inspired
grown to $68,500, leaving $231,500 left produce operas, rather than simply collection of fine art jewelry.
to raise. present concerts. Moving, as he de-
scribes it, “from an amateur to a pro- 2910 CARDINAL DRIVE, VERO BEACH • 772-234-6711 • THELAUGHINGDOGGALLERY.COM
“It was like a little explosion. Now we fessional producer platform.”
have a really nice start,” Lawson adds.
Over time, that transition was
Now retired from two divergent ca- made – with a pleasant lack of the
reer paths, Lawson is uniquely suited high drama that often accompanies
to his position as VBO board chair. He such change. In 2003 the Guild was
was a New York-based lyric baritone reorganized, with a new board fo-
with the Metropolitan Opera Young cused on a “more professional plat-
Artists Studio, and performed profes- form to produce and present grand
sionally with summer opera compa- opera.”
nies as well as with the Robert Shaw
Professional Chorale. He explains his In 2006, the Vero Beach Opera Guild
second career as being in “senior man- officially became Vero Beach Op-
agement and board of director roles, era, Inc., and the Ortega-Cowans as-
including CEO, with major life insur- sembled a successful advisory group,
ance companies. I mention this as it is including the board and other mem-
a retirement dream come true for me; bers of the community. Together they
to draw on that background in support brought to the table a priceless body of
of VBO.” knowledge and expertise, as well as an
amazing depth of dedication to VBO
“We don’t spend money we don’t goals. Each and every VBO supporter,
have,” says the uber-frugal Román including the Ortega-Cowans, volun-
Ortega-Cowan. Neither are funds teers their time.
spent “willy-nilly.” Rather, he says
their operating guidelines of manag- Bringing grand opera to a com-
ing to a break-even budget are docu- munity of about 17,000 is a costly en-
mented, firmly adhered to and em- deavor, says Román Ortega-Cowan,
braced. resulting in a focus on “quality, not
quantity.”
Joan Ortega-Cowan explains that
the $300,000 is a first step in creating a From the beginning, the VBO also
firm financial foundation toward a 3- had a mind to support, encourage
to 5-year transition plan, with the like- and nurture young talent. This is ac-
ly addition of two paid, key roles: as- complished through scholarships, the
sistant artistic director and executive annual international competition,
administrative assistant. She notes and through a warm and welcom-
that the challenge has also inspired ing homestay program, which en-
a VBO donor to make an anonymous lists community members to provide
$100,000 testamentary bequest. housing accommodations to artists
and competition judges. That last is
The VBO saw its genesis in 1988 extremely popular with visiting artists
when beloved local musician Eloise and has the additional benefit of spar-
Rogers and fellow opera enthusiasts ing the VBO the expense of costly ho-
formed the Vero Beach Opera Guild tel rooms at the height of season.
to present concerts using excellent lo-
cal talent. “Our style of artistic management is
we treat them like family,” says Román
As fate would have it, Román Orte- Ortega-Cowan. “When they’re here,
ga-Cowan, a renowned operatic bari- they’re part of the family.”
tone and local banking executive, was
among those performing in the Opera He says artists frequently comment
Guild’s first concert. At the time, he that performing in Vero Beach “is not
envisioned the Guild eventually tran- like work,” adding the relationships

30 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

‘Evita’ director: ‘It’s a woman’s turn’ to tell this tale

BY PAM HARBAUGH Marcia Milgrom Dodge. different insight to Eva Peron.
At age 63, with decades of profes-
Correspondent PHOTOS BY LEIGH GREEN
sional experience in an industry not
From composer Andrew Lloyd Web- known for letting girls play in the boys’
ber and lyricist Tim Rice to directors clubhouse, Dodge has the distinction
Harold Prince and Alan Parker, men of being the first woman hired by the
have stepped up to recount the rags- Kennedy Center to direct a major mu-
to-riches drama of the notorious Eva sical – the revival of “Ragtime” in 2009.
Peron. Now, with Riverside Theatre’s
upcoming production of the musical And that came about because “Rag-
“Evita,” it will be a woman’s turn to time” composer Stephen Flaherty and
tell the story. lyricist Lynn Ahrens told Kennedy
Center president Michael Kaiser that
“I’m going to bring my DNA to the they wanted her to direct the musical,
project,” says Marcia Milgrom Dodge, having known of her work from two of
one of only a handful of women to di- their other productions, “Seussical”
rect this landmark musical. “I have a and “Once on this Island.”
big responsibility as a woman helm-
ing this production.” “Lynn had been aware of my work
from the late ’80s,” Dodge said. “I wasn’t
Dodge, nominated for a Tony Award new to them, but I wasn’t in their camp.
for her 2009 direction of the revival I was off doing regional theater.”
of “Ragtime,” hastens to say there’s
no reason a man cannot understand By 2009, Dodge had not only made
a woman’s story; and vice versa. But, it to Broadway, she was thrust into the
she adds, it’s “nice to have a woman heady atmosphere of the Tony Awards
direct a woman’s story.” as a nominee for best direction of a
musical. (The award went to Terry
“Evita” opened in London in 1978 Johnson for the revival of “La Cage
and on Broadway in 1979, where it aux Folles.”)
won eight Tony Awards, including
Best Musical and Best Score. Its iconic “It didn’t change my life,” she says.
anthem is “Don’t Cry for Me, Argen- “But it was one of the most exciting
tina.” times in my life because I felt wel-
comed into the Broadway communi-
The storyline revolves around Eva ty, which I admired from afar.”
Peron, dubbed Evita by the people
who both loved and hated her, who As a woman in a man’s world,
dug her way out of poverty to find for- Dodge says “I reach out and I make
tune and fame as the wife of corrupt myself present and accessible for all
Argentine dictator, President Juan the work and hopefully I’ll get the
Peron. call. But it’s not lost on me that I’m a
woman in a business that still has a
Dodge says ‘no’ to people who long way to go.”
maintain the only way to do the show
is to fill it with “razzmatazz.” Instead, She sees changes in regional the-
she wants to dig into its main charac- ater, listing such women as Pam
ter to discover truths. MacKinnon, newly hired artistic di-
rector of the venerable American
“I’m spending two hours with this Conservatory Theater in San Francis-
woman; her rise and her demise,” she co; Hana S. Sharif, soon the new artis-
says. “I want to understand why she tic director at the Repertory Theatre
does what she does.” of St. Louis; and Stephanie Ybarra, re-
cently named artistic director of the
Indeed, Dodge should bring some

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 31

ARTS & THEATRE

Baltimore Center Stage. nity of doing this challenging piece of
“It’s going to be 2019 and things are musical history.”

just now shifting,” she says. “Boards Tackling such a big show means
are taking a good hard look at how to tearing into the script, which here has
take theater into the future.” scant stage directions. In fact, Dodge
says, its presentation is that of a rock
Dodge is proud to be a role model to album format.
21-year old daughter, Natasha Sydney
Dodge, who will graduate this year “So you have to get in there and
from George Washington University. figure it out,” she says. “Oscar Ham-
merstein wrote very thoughtful stage
No doubt about it, Natasha takes directions about where things were
pride in her mother’s achievements. and how people felt during this event.
There’s none of that in this text. So it’s
“For as long as I can remember, my all for me to figure out.”
mom has always taken risks in terms
of reimagining traditional theater,” Since Argentina is famous for its
Natasha says. “(She) is not afraid to love of the tango, Dodge is setting
claim her space as a woman in theater. the show in a dance hall, utilizing her
It is so inspiring and I can see how it experience as a choreographer to tell
had led other women to follow her lead the story through dance and song.
and take risks in their own art as well.”
“I have some amazing triple
Moreover, she says her mother threats,” she says, of actors who can
stands up for women who come for- sing, dance and act.
ward in the #MeToo movement and it
shows in her work, explaining, “Since One of those is Natalie Cortez, cast
then, you can see in her projects how as Eva. Cortez was in the 2006 Broad-
much women have become even more way revival of “A Chorus Line” and
central to her storytelling.” played Anita in the 2009 revival of
“West Side Story,” famously directed
This is the fifth show Dodge has by its librettist Arthur Laurents.
directed at Riverside Theatre, follow-
ing “Anything Goes,” “Dames at Sea,” So, Dodge says, “two strong chicks”
Blithe Spirit” and “Knight Life/The will be at the top of this production.
Girl Who Would Be King.”
“It’s a woman’s turn.”
“We are fortunate to have Marcia
back with us at Riverside,” said Allen “Evita” runs Jan. 8-27 at Riverside The-
D. Cornell, producing artistic direc- atre, 3250 Riverside Drive, Vero Beach.
tor. “As a busy, in-demand director, I Tickets start at $35. Call 772-231-6990 or
knew she would enjoy the opportu- visit RiversideTheatre.com. 

ATLANTIC CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA

G Beethoven
Piano Concerto
Philippe Bianconi, piano Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Robert Paterson

Dark Mountains

Tuesday, January 15 Community Church

7:30 p.m. Vero Beach

CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA 772.460.0850

DAVID AMADO

Music Director & Conductor www. AtlanticClassicalOrchestra.com

32 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming Up: ‘Nutcracker on the Indian River’ is unique treat

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA stage at the VBHS Performing Arts
Staff Writer Center. The classic 1892 Christmas
fairytale ballet, the story of a young
1 Well on its way to becoming girl and her beloved nutcracker doll,
a beloved holiday tradition, and the adventures they share one
magical Christmas Eve, was lov-
Ballet Vero Beach’s “Nutcracker on ingly adapted by Ballet Vero Beach
founder and artistic director Adam
the Indian River” is a truly unique Schnell. “Nutcracker on the Indian
River” retains Tchaikovsky’s mag-
production, and you’ll enrich your nificent score, but now it takes place
in 1919, the year Vero Beach was
family holiday season by enjoying it founded. Instead of the traditional
“Clara,” Schnell calls his heroine
together it this Sunday or Monday, “Marie,” returning to the name used
in E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original tale.
Dec. 30 or 31, when it lights up the According to the ballet promo, Marie
and her family take a holiday jour-
ney from New York to Florida, set in
Fifth Avenue Mansions, Grand Cen-
tral Station, and rail cars. Gone are
the candyland characters; in their
place are the wonderful denizens of
the Indian River Lagoon (land crabs,
sandhill cranes, manatees, river ot-
ters among them). If you saw the
ballet’s premier last Christmas, you
already know you’ll fall in love with
them. Be assured that, though the
time and place have changed, “the
libretto and classical score retain all
the whimsy and magic of the origi-
nal ballet.” And the message of “Nut-
cracker on the Indian River” is more
than simply a wonderful Christmas
entertainment: With the help of
the Indian River Land Trust, walk-
through exhibits placed throughout
the PAC “highlight the fragility and
necessity of the Indian River Lagoon
to our local way of life.” Times: Sun-
day, 8 p.m., Monday, 2 p.m. Tickets:
$10 to $75. 772-905-2651.

2 Find more holiday wonderment
at McKee Botanical Garden this

weekend, Dec. 28-30. It’s McKee’s

“Nights of Lights,” when the always

magical Garden will be aglow with

thousands upon thousands of twin-

kling lights, lanterns and special dec-

orations, illuminating trees, water-

falls, streams and pathways. It’s truly

breathtaking. Adding music to the

holiday ambiance will be the impres-

sive 1924 Wurlitzer Band Organ, plus,

nothing says old-fashioned Christmas

like a model train display, a holiday

village and, of course, a visit from the

Clauses. Take advantage of a rare op-

portunity to experience this beautiful

garden at night, something special to

share with your family during the hol-

iday season. Time: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Admission: Adults, $12; seniors, $11;

children 3-12, $8. Members and under

3, free. 772-794-0601. 



34 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

single-file, through a chute to line Veterinarians at the University of California at Embryos in will the animals transform agriculture
up for sonograms – ultrasound “preg Davis evaluate cows in November to see whether the lab. and the food supply?
checks” – to reveal if they were expect- they are ready for genetically edited embryos to
ing calves next summer. be implanted. So far, gene-editing tools have jump-
started research worldwide, creating
“Right now. This is exciting, right lar lambs, a big question looms: Will more than 300 pigs, cattle, sheep and
this minute,” animal geneticist Alison regulation, safety concerns and pub- goats. Now, proponents of the field
Van Eenennaam said as she waited lic skepticism prevent these advances say the United States is at a make-or-
for a tiny blob of a fetus to materi- from becoming anything more than break moment, when government ac-
alize on a laptop screen on a recent fascinating laboratory experiments, or tion over the next year could determine
afternoon at the Beef Barn, part of whether any gene-edited food animals
the University of California at Davis’s make it to market.
sprawling agricultural facilities for
teaching and research. The announcement last month that
a Chinese researcher had created ge-
The cows had been implanted a netically edited human babies sparked
month and a half earlier with embryos an international furor and a moral
genetically edited to grow and look debate. But while such research is ef-
like males, regardless of their biologi- fectively outlawed in the United States
cal gender. and was swiftly condemned by a group
of leading researchers,Van Eenennaam
The research project pits one of the and her colleagues are pushing similar
hottest fields in biotechnology against techniques into the barnyard.
the messy politics of gene modification.
There, such applications are far less
As scientists in labs across the world hypothetical. But the societal consen-
create virus-resistant pigs, heat-tol- sus about how or whether they should
erant cattle and fatter, more muscu- be used – and how to prove the tech-
nology is safe for animals and people
who eat them – is even less clear.

Just down the road from the Beef
Barn are five bulls and a heifer, the sec-
ond generation of cattle that have been
gene-edited to lack horns, avoiding a
grisly procedure in the dairy industry
called “disbudding,” when calves’ horns
are burned or cut off. The new gene-ed-
iting attempt is even more audacious.

For farmers seeking to maximize
beef production, all-male cattle could
be a win: Males gain weight more ef-
ficiently than females. For scientists,
successful births would add to a me-
nagerie of gene-edited animals that
demonstrate the power of the technol-
ogy beyond the lab, where their use is
mostly routine and uncontroversial.

“The technology challenges of pro-
ducing genetically engineered ani-
mals are gone,” said Charles Long, a
biologist at Texas A&M University who
says he works in pretty much any live-
stock animal except chickens. “What
we have to do is really start producing
the animals that have these traits.”

Gene-edited plants will soon be in
the grocery store, but similar tinker-
ing with the DNA of animals faces a
far more uncertain future.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 35

INSIGHT COVER STORY

The regulatory process for getting The university’s on-site feed mill produces food for cattle and other animals in the animal science department. for transgenic milk products – despite
animals approved is more complex and their benefits.”
treats the edited DNA as a veterinary A veterinarian cleans up
drug – a difference that animal scien- after checking cows for Many who worked in the field at the
tists argue will effectively kill their field time recall feeling discouraged by sim-
by preventing innovations that could possible pregnancies. ilar rejections.
make raising livestock more sustain-
able, more efficient or more humane. Veterinarians review “I’m angry as hell 90 percent of the
ultrasounds of the cows. time,” said Long, who now plans to
Many advocates and ethicists agree move some of his work to Brazil, where
that the current oversight system is a ed, and the research had to contend extending the technology to cows, but the regulatory path is more certain. “It’s
poor fit but think that scientists and in- with the public “ick” factor. the grant proposal was rejected. been a 20-year fight.”
dustry underestimate potential safety
concerns. Van Eenennaam recalls one of her “While it may be putting the cart When Van Eenennaam was travel-
fondest scientific memories – more than before the horse, the proposal has not ing in China a few years ago, she vis-
“I don’t want speed limits, either, a decade ago, she inserted a gene from a mentioned the problem with accep- ited a lab where the omega-3 gene had
but they have a role,” said Jaydee Han- roundworm into a mouse and success- tance of transgenic food products,” a been inserted into cows.
son, senior policy analyst at the Center fully showed that this could generate reviewer wrote. “Given the ‘pure and
for Food Safety. heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in wholesome’ public perception of milk “I kept getting these emails from re-
the rodent’s milk. The experiment was products, it may be particularly difficult searchers in China, and then I saw the
The Trump administration has sig- conceived as a proof of concept before to gain widespread public acceptance cow,” she said, bringing up a photo on
naled its interest in modernizing regu- her computer screen. “Good on them.”
lations to foster innovation. The Food
and Drug Administration, which over- Scientists were re-energized by the
sees animal gene editing, announced invention of new and more precise
in late October that it will issue new technologies, the most famous of which
guidance next year to calibrate the reg- is CRISPR, short for clustered regularly
ulation to the risk posed by the prod- interspaced short palindromic repeats.
uct. Sonny Perdue, the secretary of ag-
riculture, met with food biotechnology Using CRISPR, scientists can quickly,
leaders in November. easily and cheaply make targeted cuts
to the genome and make changes or
Researchers, after years of fighting insert new genes. Instead of introduc-
public skepticism on genetically modi- ing the foreign DNA that had triggered
fied foods, are hopeful but not opti- public skepticism, they could delete or
mistic. Advocates are lining up on both change a single letter out of billions in
sides of the issue. an animal’s genome. Such changes hap-
pen routinely in nature – they are the
“We’re at this inflection point in soci- basis for evolution – so scientists were
ety, where gene editing is really taking hopeful that regulators and the public
off, and now is the time we could have would see these animals differently.
a more sustained public conversation
about how we want it used in our world But in early 2017, the FDA put out
and how we don’t want it to be used,” draft guidance indicating that animals
said Jennifer Kuzma, co-director of the with intentionally altered DNA would
Genetic Engineering and Society Cen- be regulated just like the genetically
ter at North Carolina State University. modified animals have been – as con-
taining veterinary drugs. Proponents
“All the polls indicate that people are and skeptics alike felt it wasn’t the
less comfortable with animal biotech- right move.
nology than plant biotechnology. . . . A
regulatory system cannot be based 100 “We need to rethink this – look at the
percent on science or scientific risk, science, look at the potential risk, look at
and values come into play when set- the products that are going to be devel-
ting the standards.” oped. Is there a need for oversight, and
what is the appropriate mechanism for
For decades, scientists have been that oversight?” said Greg Jaffe, biotech-
transferring genes between species in nology project director at the Center for
the lab – inserting a gene from a microbe Science in the Public Interest.
into a cow’s DNA to make it resistant to
a painful infection called mastitis, or re- Van Eenennaam was in the middle
purposing a gene found in bacteria to of an experiment at the time. There
reduce pigs’ phosphorus pollution. were two bulls on campus that had
been gene-edited to be “polled,” lacking
The only genetically modified ani- horns, through a collaboration with the
mal approved for food consumption company Recombinetics. Overnight,
in the United States is the fast-growing the animals’ status changed.
AquAdvantage salmon, but it isn’t being
sold because of a labeling requirement “We went from having two bulls that
originally introduced in a spending bill. were polled to having two 2,000-pound
drugs,” Van Eenennaam said. “It sounds
To oversee the emerging field of funny, but all of that becomes a huge li-
biotechnology, the Reagan adminis- ability.”
tration, rather than passing new laws,
created a “coordinated framework” in In written responses to questions,
which regulatory agencies would use the FDA clarified that gene-edited ani-
their existing laws for oversight. Ge- mals aren’t considered drugs but that
netically engineered animals thus fall they contain new animal drugs.
under the FDA’s process for approving
new veterinary drugs. Researchers and companies argued
that it wasn’t rational to treat all gene-
The regulatory path was complicat- editing the same, whether it was a
single DNA letter change that was also

STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

36 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 INSIGHT COVER STORY

found in nature or a radical rewrite of Graduate student Joey Owen tween the technology developers and
the genome. adds more liquid nitrogen to a the federal government,” Kuzma said.
container holding frozen, gene-
“Somebody comes to me and says, Van Eenennaam, wearing an “I love
‘Randy, I want to make these genetic edited embryos. science” shirt, had a different concern.
modifications and put it in the food She worried that the agency won’t
chain. What is it going to take?’ I tell grapple with the fundamental prob-
them I don’t know how long, and I lem, as she sees it, that edits creating
don’t know how much it’s going to cost, animals with DNA and traits that occur
because we don’t have any examples,” naturally shouldn’t be treated as drugs.
said Randall Prather, a reproductive
physiologist who runs the National But at the moment, her bigger con-
Swine Resource and Research Center cern was the difficulty of science.
at the University of Missouri. “You hear CRISPR is often touted a tool so simple
a click when they hang up.” that high school students can use it,
but experiments in large mammals are
A few days before the scheduled preg
checks in Davis, the FDA sent out a new Owen seals a tube Scientists at the
Plant and Animal Biotechnology Inno- holding the gene- University of California
vation Action Plan. The details will be edited embryos. at Davis raise cattle that were
rolled out over the next year, but the goal genetically edited to not grow
is to clarify its approach, reduce barriers ed changes to other genes. She worries horns. This pen includes some
to innovation and protect public health. that the regulatory process may be too bulls that were in the control
industry-friendly. group and do have horns.
The agency said in a statement that
it could be more “flexible with respect “It’s going to be a very closed pro-
to data” if a genetic alteration does cess and a very cozy relationship be-
not differ in any “relevant way” from
nature. But it also added that genome
editing techniques “may carry unique
risks.” Scientists and watchdogs alike
are worried that the process will take
place behind closed doors.

Kuzma is particularly concerned
about unforeseen changes to DNA that
occur because tools such as CRISPR
aren’t perfect and may make unintend-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 37

INSIGHT COVER STORY

far from straightforward. The challeng- over to the Beef Barn for the preg checks. A tense silence fell over the group. gene-edited embryos. The next day, he
es of in vitro fertilization, the imperfect In the late afternoon light, veterinar- “I don’t know that we can blame the showed up at lab at 2 a.m. to analyze bi-
efficiency of gene-editing and the va- cows. There’s a lot going on here,” Van opsies from those embryos, and hours
garies of bovine fertility whittle down ian Bret McNabb reluctantly declared Eenennaam said. later, he and Van Eenennaam began to
the odds of success. one cow after another “open” – mean- But this was not the end – graduate game out the next few months, plan-
ing no pregnancies today. The last cow, student Joey Owen had already spent ning another round of experiments for
Van Eenennaam joked that her shirt 1201, showed signs that she may have the morning freezing the next round of right before the winter break. 
should say “I hate science,” as she headed been pregnant but lost the fetus.

38 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

Announcing theVeroNews.com‘Catchy Name’contest.Win $1,000!

As Vero Beach prepares for its second 100 potential to become known by another idiotic, finalists from the names submitted, and council
years – seemingly on a roll with the city out of the meaningless name like “Twin Pairs.” member Val Zudans has agreed to submit them
electric business, Old Dodgertown being rejuve- to the Vero Beach City Council for a vote.
nated, and Cleveland Clinic bringing world-class But here’s how we can head off the name “Three
healthcare to our community – we are hopeful Corners.” The name chosen as the best by the City Coun-
that nothing too stupid occurs to mess things up. cil will be awarded a $1,000 prize by VeroNews.
As the City of Vero Beach prepares to solicit citi- com. In the event of duplicate submissions of the
An example of a small stupid thing – which we zen input in the weeks ahead what should be built winning name, the prize will go to the reader who
hope to head off – is use of a phrase we have start- or not built on this property – a course we strongly emails his or her contest entry first.
ed to hear in which people refer to the lagoon- endorse – our print and online newspapers, Vero
front property owned by the city at the west end Beach 32963, Vero News, and VeroNews.com, are So if you have a great idea, send it to contest@
of the Alma Lee Loy Bridge as “Three Corners.” going to solicit citizen input for a name. veronews.com now.

This combined 35 acres of property at the in- The VeroNews.com ‘Catchy Name’ contest will This is a fun opportunity to get involved in and
tersection of Indian River Boulevard and 17th run in tandem with the city’s efforts to obtain pub- get excited about the future of our community.
Street has the potential to become an incredible lic views on the future of this special place. And 20 years from now, you won’t have to explain
new focal point for Vero Beach. It also has the to newcomers to Vero why anyone ever thought
Send your nomination to [email protected]. a good name for this site was Three Corners. 
At the end of April, our editors will choose three

Every explosive report on Face- lowed companies such as Netflix and Facebook evidently thought in its ear- The company faces a trust deficit
book’s data-dealing in recent months Spotify to read some private messages. lier days that it could share whatever that grows with every story of appar-
is really part of the same story. Face- data it wanted without anyone protest- ent negligence. Facebook has to come
book wanted to make lots of money. To The deals helped Facebook extend its ing. The company eventually learned clean about exactly what it has shared
do so, it decided to share user informa- reach across the Internet, and data the different, including from a Federal Trade in the past and what it is sharing now.
tion from firm to firm. company gained in return could have Commission investigation that resulted But that’s no longer sufficient.
helped it improve its then-fledgling tar- in a 2011 consent decree. And over time,
At some point, Facebook discovered geted-advertising system – which has it rolled back many of these privacy-vio- The best way to regain trust now
that users did not want their data shared since become a golden goose. lating features – but messily. would be to endorse a federal privacy
so widely and that regulators also object- law – a real one. That requires more
ed. The company changed its policies. Facebook says services that received Most troubling, Facebook continued than pushing for mushy principles
But its response was halfhearted and private data without explicit consent to give some companies more access to that every tech company seems to say
uneven. To recover trust now, it must do could use that information only to data than its public pronouncements it supports, and more than advocating
more than come clean and apologize. “recreate the Facebook experience” – suggested. the loosest possible framework to pre-
making them simple extensions of its empt California’s stricter regulations.
The latest investigation from the New own social network. This argument is The District of Columbia’s attorney
York Times chronicling Facebook’s pri- less than persuasive. general announced last week that the It requires accepting and support-
vacy faux pas describes partnerships District would sue Facebook, marking ing a future in which users really con-
Facebook formed with other technology And that is only one type of agree- the first U.S. regulatory action in re- trol their own data. 
corporations. The agreements included ment described in the Times article. sponse to its Cambridge Analytica scan-
an “instant personalization” experiment dal. It probably won’t be the last. But A version of this editorial originally
that let sites tailor their displays to users’ The bottom line, however, is clear: Facebook’s future will depend on more appeared in The Washington Post. It
public profiles, to arrangements that al- Consumers often did not know what in- than the outcome of any court case. does not necessarily reflect the views of
formation Facebook was giving away, to Vero Beach 32963.
whom or for how long.

2018 FINAL EXAM 4. When you earnestly help someone in need, your 10. Fusion MRI ultrasound biopsy: (Pick all that are true) © 2018 VERO BEACH 32963 MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
body releases the “compassion hormone,” testosterone.  A Fuses MRI and ultrasound images
Get out your No. 2 pencil; it’s our end-of-the year  True  False  B Is used by doctors during prostate biopsy to
exam. See how much knowledge you’ve retained 5. If you sign a document called a healthcare power identify the most suspicious part of the
from the 2018 How Healthcare Works column. of attorney, your healthcare advocate can act as your lesion
1. Simple carbohydrates include sugars found natu- legal guardian and have authority to make decisions  C Helps locate hard-to-find and aggressive
rally in food such as fruits, vegetables, milk and milk for you if and when you are incapacitated. prostate cancers
products, plus sugars that food manufacturers add  True  False  D Helps doctors and patients make better
during food processing. Complex carbohydrates are 6. According to the U.S. Department of Health and informed decisions about diagnostic tools
starches and fiber found in whole-grain breads and Human Services, how many people are waiting for to use and treatment options
cereals, starchy vegetables and legumes. organ transplant?  E All above
 True  False  A 352 ANSWERS
2. Anyone can get GERD (gastroesophageal reflux  B 693 1. True. Digestion: Food for Thought,
disease). All but one of the medical conditions below  C 115,085 Part I. 1/18/18
increase the risk of GERD. Which ONE is NOT likely to  D 254,386 2. B. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease,
increase your risk of GERD? 7. Mechanical thrombectomy is an exciting new pro- Part I. 2/15/18
 A Asthma cedure performed by interventional neurologists that 3. True. Pancreatitis, Part I. 3/08/18
 B Bunion uses a clot-grabbing device to remove large clots in 4. False. The compassion hormone is oxytocin.
 C Connective tissue disorder the brain that cause stroke. Volunteering is Good for You. 3/29/18
(such a scleroderma)  True  False 5. True. Patients’ Rights and Responsibilities. 4/05/18
 D Diabetes 8. One in four stroke survivors has another stroke 6. C. Organ Donation. 6/21/18
 E Overweight within five years. 7. True. Stroke, Part VI. 8/02/18
 F Pregnant  True  False 8. True. Stroke, Part VII. 8/09/18
 G Smoker 9. The difference between the flu and the common 9. True. Flu, Parts III and IV. 10/18/18 and 10/25/18
3. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, an or- cold is that the flu tends to hit full force with symp- 10. E. Prostate, Part V. 12/19/18
gan that’s located behind the stomach in the upper toms appearing suddenly and colds usually develop SCORING
abdomen, next to the small intestine. With proper gradually and are not as severe as the flu. And the flu A+ (10 correct) Excellent! A (9 correct) Very Good
treatment, most people with acute pancreatitis expe- can be deadly. B (8 correct) Good C (5-7 correct) Fair
rience total recovery.  True  False D (3-4 correct) Keep Learning Under 3 correct Persevere
 True  False Your comments and suggestions for future topics are
always welcome. Email us at [email protected].

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42 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

“The Anno- “The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. for the kind of unassuming, ultracompetent general he
tated Memoirs of Grant” – as the two volumes were titled himself would become.
Ulysses S. Grant,” when they first appeared in 1885-1886 – has
edited by Eliza- long been regarded as a classic of American Most of all, though, Mexico provided a testing ground
beth D. Samet, is autobiography and history. Grant’s many for the men who would fight in the Civil War. Not only
everything a work strengths as a writer include his seemingly was Grant there, so were Lee, George McClellan, P.G.T.
of popular schol- total recall of complex military engage- Beauregard and a dozen other important commanders.
arship should be: ments, the avoidance of bluster and self- One often hears that from 1861 to 1865, brother might
authoritative, thor- confront brother on the battlefield. Grant reminds us
ough and com- glorification and, not least, what Henry that the Civil War was also a struggle between former
pulsively readable. James called the “hard limpidity” of his brothers in arms, soldiers who had been friends and
Where many anno- style. Both Gertrude Stein and Gore Vidal West Point classmates. That intimate knowledge of his
tated editions come – two very different writers – thought it, in opposing generals’ strengths and weaknesses would lat-
across as perfunc- Vidal’s words, “the best American prose.” er help shape Grant’s own tactics and campaigns.
tory and unimagi- Moreover, contrary to persistent legend,
native, this one truly Mark Twain didn’t ghost-write the mem- The April 12, 1861, attack on Fort Sumter, which
illuminates its text opened hostilities between the South and the North,
with an abundance oirs. Samet points out that Grant’s earli- occurs in Chapter 17 of the “Memoirs.” Virtually all the
of relevant histori- est letters and wartime memorandums rest of the book, which contains 79 chapters and a con-
cal, biographical and consistently demonstrate his distinctive clusion, focuses on Grant’s experiences during the four
literary material. If you’re at all interested in the clarity and forcefulness. subsequent years. Above all, we learn of his thinking and
Civil War, you’ll want to own it. Born in Ohio in 1822, the young Ulysses never ¬decision-making at Shiloh andVicksburg, Chattanooga
showed any particular aptitude for a soldier’s life. The and Spotsylvania, as well as the strategy behind contro-
For a first-time reader, the book consistently dispels sensitive son of a tanner and leather-goods merchant, versial operations, such as William Tecumseh Sherman’s
several half-truths and myths. Back in the 1950s and ’60s the boy liked to read the romantic adventure fiction of scorched-earth march from Atlanta to the sea.
when I was growing up in Ohio, schoolchildren were reg- Walter Scott and James Fenimore Cooper, as well as
ularly taught certain “facts” about the Civil War, notably more lurid fare such as Eugène Sue’s “The Wandering There’s no room here to look closely at Grant’s ac-
that the Confederate general Robert E. Lee wasn’t only Jew.” Admitted to West Point, Grant proved a middling counts of numerous battles or to discuss the Civil War
a superb military tactician but also the 19th-century student overall, though he excelled in drawing and buff’s perennial question: “What if?” But I want to re-
equivalent of Chaucer’s “parfit gentil knyght.” We even mathematics. In fact, he dreamed of becoming a math emphasize how much this edition’s notes enhance
learned the name of his horse: Traveller. teacher at a small college. the main narrative. Besides providing maps and pho-
His military career began in earnest when he served tographs, Samet draws on contemporary documents
By contrast, Lee’s Northern counterpart Ulysses S. under Zachary Taylor during the Mexican-American and the specialist work of many other researchers, in-
Grant would typically be characterized as a drunk with War (1846-1848). In Grant’s view, the highhanded Amer- cluding Margaret Leech, author of the classic “Reveille
a certain brute aptitude for command. This view James ican “invasion” of Mexico – part of Manifest Destiny in Washington.” Most originally, though, Samet cites a
Thurber immortalized in his brilliant incursion into – was callously conceived by Southern politicians and wide variety of literary works that provide additional in-
alternate history, “If Grant Had Been Drinking at Ap- was “from its inception … a conspiracy to acquire terri- sight and context for Grant’s own observations. Besides
pomattox.” In it, the soused and confused Union com- tory out of which slave states might be formed,” starting classical authors such as Xenophon, Plutarch, Livy and
mander surrenders to Lee. No wonder old-time come- with Texas. Julius Caesar, she quotes, with often surprising appro-
dians regularly quipped “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?” Grant’s detailed account of this ignoble conflict re- priateness, passages from Shakespeare, Scott, Dickens,
The man was, in short, something of a joke. veals much about his character. The young second lieu- Tolstoy, World War I memoirists, Joseph Heller, ¬Ta-Ne-
tenant forthrightly admits that before his first battle he hisi Coates and others. 
Samet, a professor of English at the U.S. Military Acad- was sorry he’d enlisted.While he and his men do act with
emy atWest Point, utterly rejects this reductionist view of courage and dispatch, he concludes that the Americans THE ANNOTATED MEMOIRS
Grant as well as all the romantic hooey still surrounding would have won the Battle of Resaca de la Palma even if OF ULYSSES S. GRANT
Lee and the Confederacy. The so-called Lost Cause was, his company hadn’t been there. Above all, in “Old Rough
as Grant firmly declared, “unholy” and at its heart fes- and Ready” Taylor – who wore casual civilian clothes EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ELIZABETH D. SAMET
tered the immoral enslavement and exploitation of men, even when leading his army – Grant found a model
women and children. LIVERIGHT. 1,068 PP. $45
REVIEW BY MICHAEL DIRDA, THE WASHINGTON POST

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44 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ST. EDWARD’S

D5 Alive tourney puts bounce in St. Ed’s hoopsters’ step

Saint Edward’s School basketball coach Greg Zugrave. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

BY RON HOLUB ence and eventually took his life at age to use this opportunity to see his guys know the program well. They have
Correspondent 20. gain some traction going into 2019. seen us play a lot of games, they know
the system, and they work hard. JP fits
St. Ed’s tips off against Marco Island “This is always a great event,” Pi- “We are growing and we are devel- into that mix as well. They are willing
Academy Thursday afternoon in the rates head coach Greg Zugrave said. oping, but there are still a lot of gaps to to try to continue with what the pro-
opening round of the third annual D5 “The D5 Alive Foundation is able to fill as far as the experience level of our gram has built in the past few years.
Alive Holiday Classic. raise awareness about the rare form players,” Zugrave told us. “They are en- They are admirable for weathering the
of kidney cancer that took the life of thusiastic and they want to learn, but storm this year with a very inexperi-
Darell Flowers, Class of 2013, wore Darell. This gives us a great opportu- that doesn’t always equate to picking it enced group.”
jersey No. 5 – since retired – and was nity and venue to do that. It’s a great up the first time, or doing it during the
a four-year starter on the varsity bas- experience for the whole community.” game versus doing it in practice. That Zugrave also mentioned juniors
ketball team. He was fondly known can be a little more difficult. Redmon, Mac Carnell, Marcus Fini
for his engaging smile as much as for Zugrave and his team will host the and an assortment of sophomores and
his stylistic approach to every practice three-day, eight-team event that con- “So we are exploring different ways juniors as potential contributors.
and game. Cancer cut short the start of cludes with the championship game to achieve success, which is not always
a promising college basketball experi- Saturday night. St. Ed’s enters the tour- measured through wins and losses. “We’ve got a deep roster with 14 kids
nament at 1-6, and Zugrave would like We are just trying to get better as a on the varsity,” Zugrave explained.
team as the season goes on. “We don’t necessarily have a set start-
ing five. We have a group of nine or so
“We are going to play a lot of basket- that we feel can play depending on the
ball with our schedule and we know type of opponent we are going to face.”
that is very important if you want to
get better. We’ve got a good mix of Reading between the lines is not
schools coming in for the D5 Alive required. This will be a challenging
tournament, and it has been a lot of season as Zugrave and his capable
fun in the past. assistants Bill Keating and Bob Bond
search for the best formula on the
“We feel like the Sunshine State court. Meanwhile, the overall pro-
Athletic Conference with a variety of gram is on a pretty good run.
levels is a realistic way for us to com-
pete for a championship. We also play “We have 13 or 14 on the JV roster so
a (FHSAA) district schedule, so there’s there is a lot of interest in basketball,”
a lot to look forward to in these tour- said Zugrave. “As a coach that always
naments. We will find out a little more gets you excited.
about where we are at as a team by the
end of January and early February.” “This is my eighth year as varsity
head coach at St. Edward’s. I’m not
Where they are at right now is a team quite sure what my career record is – I
searching for some consistent scoring, think I’m stuck on 99 wins. (We have
which has been extremely difficult him at 99-74). But when I look back it’s
against teams with size and athleti- not necessarily about wins and losses.
cism. Leading scorers TJ Kenney (8.4
points per game), Anand Chundi (7.8 “It’s more about the different players
ppg), and Ty Redmon (5.6 ppg) could that have come through, and having
use some big-time help going forward. alums stop by and converse. We nev-
er talk about the score of a particular
“Our three seniors (Kenney, Chundi game, instead it is about friends they
and JP Scott) are a special group of made and the time we spent together.
kids,” Zugrave said. “Anand and TJ had
brothers on teams in the past, so they “That’s the most important part,
and that is why we are doing this.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 45

INSIGHT BRIDGE

A GOOD HAND BUT AWKWARD CALL WEST NORTH EAST
5 — K 10 9 8 6 4 2
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist A 10 7 KJ983 Q652
AJ754 83 2
Brian Tracy, a motivational public speaker and self-development author, said, “Move out of J 10 8 5 A97643 2
your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable
when you try something new.” SOUTH
AQJ73
At the bridge table, you will occasionally be in an awkward position, maybe even one that 4
you have not faced before. Then, how do you decide what to do? K Q 10 9 6
KQ
Look at this week’s South hand. It is strong and you are hoping to have a lengthy, informative
auction with your partner, when annoyingly East opens three spades — yes, spades! What Dealer: East; Vulnerable: North-South
would be your call, given that only your side is vulnerable?
The Bidding:
It is not obvious what to do: pass, double, three no-trump or some number of diamonds.
Each could be the winner. SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
?? 3 Spades
At the table in the 2016 Yeh Online World Bridge Cup, Shih Juei Yu (South for the Yeh LEAD:
team) overcalled three no-trump, which would be a popular choice. Then, though, the 5 Spades
auction ran out of control. Wang Ping (North) bid four hearts, South corrected to five
diamonds, North continued higher with six clubs, and South tried six diamonds. West lost
patience and doubled, eventually collecting 800.

At the other table, East passed as dealer, Agustin Madala (South for Lavazza) opened one
spade, West made a debatable takeout double, Bénédicte Cronier (North) responded two
clubs, East unwisely advanced with two hearts, South made a takeout double, and North
happily passed. This also went down three, minus 500, giving Lavazza 16 international
match points en route to the title.

Misfits are miserable.

46 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (DECEMBER 20) ON PAGE 66

The Telegraph ACROSS DOWN
1 Astute (5) 1 Restriction (10)
4 Contradicts (6) 2 Provide commentary (7)
7 Blissful state (7) 3 Longed (7)
8 Soothing substance (4) 4 Turn pale (6)
10 Series of events (5) 5 Pressure group (5)
11 Puzzling (7) 6 Acclaim (5)
14 Repeat (4) 9 Approval (10)
16 List of items (6) 12 Flower; ascended (4)
18 Cutting tool (6) 13 Be nosey (3)
21 Hunted animal (4) 15 Imposes limits on (4)
23 Provide with food (7) 17 And not (3)
26 Hit parade (5) 19 One-eyed giant (7)
27 Step; called (4) 20 Balderdash (7)
28 Trampled (7) 22 Regular beat (6)
29 Organisation (6) 24 Exorbitant interest (5)
30 Soft leather (5) 25 Metal bar (5)

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 47

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 95 Cycle attachment 48 Jack Sprat’s restriction The Washington Post
1 Radner, S.N.L.’s first cast 96 Little squealer 53 Syn. opposite
97 President’s hotel? 55 Capone and Roker SIDELINES By Merl Reagle
member 100 Spanish preposition 56 Sub agreement?
6 They’re in 2nd place 103 San Francisco poets, 58 Mollycoddle
9 Dainty drink 59 Student who reads The
12 Apr. sweaters? ca. 1960
16 Comic actor’s billboard 107 OPEC, for one Daily Bruin
108 The Lip’s first name 60 Football coach Ewbank
business? 109 Frozen queen 62 Elaborate put-on
19 Island paste 111 Neighboring notes 64 Signing needs
20 Safest kind of fire? 113 Breathtaking beast?
21 Actor’s temping agency? 114 Skillful 66 Bear’s name
23 Busy artery 116 Junk bond king’s new 67 A runner at first
24 “This ___ fine 68 “Tubesteak”
business? 69 Leakey campsite
how-do-you-do!” 120 Battlefield Barton
25 Flippered dipper 121 Selma’s home: abbr. 70 Tall avian
26 El ___ 122 Acting duo’s tango studio? 71 Actor’s sporting-goods
27 Kilo or mega follower 123 On this planet
29 Cover for a Mac? 124 Diver’s milieu store?
30 Car full of bugs 125 Frisk (with “down”) 72 Fine and dandy
32 Cross type 126 Great, in Variety 73 Italian brandy
34 Singer’s home-improvement 74 Wreck
DOWN 75 Pronto, quickly
business? 1 Down source 76 Atlanta arena
37 Sward 2 Farrakhan’s faith 77 Like some road loads
39 Mujer with a niece 3 India inc.? 78 Utters
41 Not intended 4 Fails to 80 Crosby’s nickname, Der ___
42 Actress’s notions shop? 81 Jim Bakker’s “friend”
49 Old Egyptian symbol 5 Thousand Days lady
50 Old draft status 6 Orchestra string Jessica
51 River that has Tours 7 Movie ratings 82 Humpty-shaped
52 Atoner’s beads 8 Quick cut 85 Camera company
54 Busy phone no. 87 Stake of a sort
after a rain 9 Bobbin 89 Standup’s need: abbr.
57 Hwys. and byways 10 Electrolysis mover
58 Essayist’s bread shop? 11 Motown player 91 Said “!#%&*!$”
60 Full of art and craft 12 Top gun, in bus. 92 Keebler rival
61 Polite refusal 13 Singer’s salon? 93 Form-fitting foundation
63 Rest on one’s laurels 14 “Well, it’s ___”
64 Technically garment
65 Passé: abbr. (beginner’s comment?) 94 One more, to Juan
66 Old version of 15 Joining lines 97 Freshwater fish
“rent me” 16 Emmy-nominated Dr. 98 Pass along
68 Piggy-sized 99 Jr. celebrated in Jan.
69 Storm’s impact on 17 Honeymoon spoiler 101 Bond villain Blofeld
18 ___ Mater (hymn) 102 With “rotatory,”
airports 20 “Which nobody ___” it means counterclockwise
72 Old booster rocket 22 It means “equal” 104 “I can read you
74 Some trout 28 Where the Sojourner rover like ___”
79 Huge film format 105 Minimal mannequin
80 Dairy exec’s roved 106 Mailing courtesy, in
31 Bones
construction business? 33 180 familiar shorthand
83 Hamm on rye grass? 35 Cough, in doctorspeak 110 Take ___ (doze)
36 Acorn, later 112 Word before room or wear
84 .38 38 Singer Bob and others 115 ___-owned (used)
85 “Tit-Willow” operetta 40 Piece of info
42 “Were you ___ 117 Type
(with The) in a barn?” 118 Actress Claire
86 Of titmice, e.g. 43 Thwart 119 Pampering, initially
87 First name in pop art 44 Pause
88 Mus. key 45 Notch in an arrow where the
90 Author’s coin shop?
93 On the rise string goes
46 Pers. profiles
47 “Friend ___?”

The Telegraph

48 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Don’t pre-judge, mom: Let daughter find own rhythm

BY CAROLYN HAX C.: That is the real question, isn’t it. presumably, so that’s your job. If she hasn’t
Washington Post Especially given that if it’s coming from you or requested them already, then ask her whether she
anyone else on the outside vs. from her own efforts wants to resume training to prepare for tryouts. If
Dear Carolyn: and sense of self, such teaching can be a part of the she balks, then there’s your opening to mention
I have a 14-year-old daughter problem as often as it promotes a solution. that kids train for years for this team. No judgment/
in her first year of high school. So I urge you think about this issue in terms of encouragement/discouragement, just fact.
Recently she told me she wants to try equipping your daughter to figure things out for
out for the drill team in the spring. herself. Where does she need you, and where will Would lessons now be too little, too late? Apparently
She had some off-and-on dance other sources suffice to provide what she needs? – but they will nevertheless get her moving, building
lessons when she was younger, but she’s never been No one’s volunteering to pay for dance lessons, confidence and working toward a goal; enable her
super-coordinated. She takes after me, unfortunately. to self-assess; and allow her to say she did the best
Anything requiring physical coordination set to music she could given the timing of her decision. Assuming
requires her to work twice as hard as everyone else, you can afford lessons, those inherent benefits can
with mixed results. justify the expense.
Her high school’s drill team wins state competitions
year after year. We live in a small town and all the Here’s where your daughter doesn’t need a
dance studios groom their dancers for this team. It is parent: to tell her she’s not good enough. That’s her
the culmination of years of competitive dancing. instructor’s job, or of course the coaches’ job when
I don’t want to discourage her, but I also know my she doesn’t make the cut. Trying to preempt natural
daughter and what her skill level is. But after seeing consequences – or prop up false hopes, for that
how much respect and attention athletes and dancers matter – brings the storm into the shelter. Again,
get at school, she doesn’t see music, drama, speech, just equip your daughter to handle ups and downs
yearbook and cross-country as acceptable areas to instead: Show empathy, teach perspective, model a
pursue, though I know she could excel at all of them. well-rounded life.
Do I encourage her and let it run its course? Am I
doing her a disservice? Do I support something she Plus, you could be wrong. I don’t question your
wants to do simply for the pursuit of attention and take, but still, you don’t choose this team. Coaches
respect of peers? do. So it’s not your job to cut your daughter before
I guess the real question is, how do I teach her to she even tries out.
embrace who she is?
–C. It is your job to love her for who she is – the buffer
for all disappointments.

When a door is closed to us, that’s when we try
other doors; other activities will be there for your
daughter when she decides she’s ready to look. 

4

MALNUTRITION MEANS PERIL
FOR HEAD/NECK CANCER PATIENTS

50 Vero Beach 32963 / December 27, 2018 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Malnutrition means peril for head/neck cancer patients

BY TOM LLOYD Dr. John Petersen.
Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE
Scully-Welsh Cancer Center ra-
diation oncologist Dr. John Petersen HfaropmpyeveHryoonelidatays
has a passion for nutrition. For a very
good reason.

As the Modern Medicine Network
points out, “malnutrition plays a key
role in the morbidity (death) of head
and neck cancer patients receiving
surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy
or combined-modality therapy.”

Since head and neck cancers include
cancers of the mouth, lips and tongue
as well as the larynx, the pharynx, the
hypopharynx, the nasal cavity, the sali-
vary glands and the sinuses, they can
have a devastating impact on a patients’
ability – or willingness – to consume the
nutrition they need to fight their cancer.

The reason why is something of a
conundrum.

Today’s incredibly precise radia-
tion treatments have been amazingly
adept at killing these cancers.

That’s good.
However, as the University of Cali-
fornia San Francisco points out, “ra-

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