03/30/2023 ISSUE 13

While big real estate sales on Vero’s barrier island recently have been in the limelight, the party has been going on out west of town as well where agricultural land prices have soared. More than 18,000 acres of field, forest and grove land changed hands in the past two years – an aggregate area more than twice the size of the City of Vero Beach. Prices rose 100 percent or more in some sections, according to county property reCounty Community Development Director Phil Matson said he would have served for at least another five years if he had been hired to be the new county administrator. He wasn’t. So less than a month after learnI received spe-shull permission to write this because it’s about a local human who’s been buhloved by hundreds and hundreds of dogs an humans for many years: Mr. Jim Welles, founder of the Vero Beach Dog Park, who passed away March 16. As you probly know, the park – that 5-acre green space along the river, with trees, ackshull fire hydrants, faucets with water bowls, benches an shade canopies for our humans – is FREE for every dog an his or her human. An it’s open 7 days a week, sunup to sun-down. Major Cool Kibbles. I learned of this sad event from Welles’ faithful pooch companion, Emmy, who shared that, “one of the greatest joys in my Dad’s life was our dog park. A piece of legislation intended to curb the financial excesses of municipal electric, water and sewer utilities has been watered down in the Florida House to the point that it offers no protection for Vero utility customers located outside the city limits in South Beach and Indian River Shores. The mere skeletal remains of House Bill 1331, if it passes the Florida House, Senate and is signed into law, will only serve to limit municipal utilities that charge outside customers surcharges of more than 25 percent and transfer more than 10 percent of their utility revenues into their city general funds to keep property taxes low. Though Vero once assessed a 10 percent surcharge on outside customers, that practice is a thing of the past. With regard to Vero’s direct transfers into the city’s general fund, the 6 percent currently transINSIDE To advertise call: 772-559-4187 For circulation or where to pick up your issue call: 772-226-7925 NEWS HEALTH PETS REAL ESTATE 1-5 6 B8 15 ARTS GAMES CALENDAR B1 B9 B12 © 2023 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. MY TAKE BY RAY MCNULTY Culture warriors find yet another target: NAACP In yet another desperate attempt to make their group relevant in our community, the local Moms For Liberty leaders are now trying to interfere with the School Board’s efforts to address a 1967 federal court desegregation order. They’re doing so by demanding that the president of the county’s NAACP chapter force a member of his negotiating team to resign from the court-mandated joint workgroup composed of representatives from the civil rights organization and school district. Why do the Moms say they want Kevin Browning, who sits on the local NAACP’s executive board, removed from the process? Because Browning, speaking during the public comment segment of the board’s March 13 meeting, made references to a scene from the Old South, slavery-themed movie, “Django Unchained,” and equated the mindset of those who oppose today’s racial-justice concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion to the hatespawned attitudes embraced by the Ku Klux Klan. “So I invite you right now,” Browning, who is Black, said from the podium, “if you have those feelings, please take off your hood and show us who you are.” And the Moms are outraged – or they claim to be, anyway – even though Browning never mentioned them, or anyone else, by name. The publicity-seeking Moms were so offended, in fact, that after sending their demand letter via Matson, passed over for top administrator post, decides to retire March 30, 2023 | Volume 10, Issue 13 | Newsstand Price: $1.00 | For breaking news visit VeroNews.com YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCE FOR INDIAN RIVER COUNTY IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY HELPS WITH COMMON PROSTATE PROBLEM Your Health, Page 6 THEATRE REVIEW: SUPERB ‘OLEANNA’ AT RIVERSIDE Arts & Theatre, P. B2 Land prices soar in agricultural areas west of Vero By Lisa Zahner | Staff Writer [email protected] Weak legislation dashes hopes for utility customers CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 By Ray McNulty | Staff Writer [email protected] CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 By Steven M. Thomas | Staff Writer [email protected] CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Jim Welles, founder of dog park, was pooches’ best friend By Bonzo | Pet Columnist PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

2 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | LOCAL NEWS www.veronews.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MY TAKE registered mail to local NAACP president Tony Brown, they followed up with a press release that sought to muster support for repeal of the school district’s Racial Equity Policy, which is currently under review. “It’s apparent that Mr. Browning doesn’t believe in the non-discrimination policy already governing the school district,” local Moms chair Jennifer Pippin wrote in her letter to Brown. “His comments demonstrate that he ignored the profound accomplishments in civil rights history and those leaders who gave their lives for the full rights of ALL citizens,” she added. “A person of such character who falsely accuses people of racism should not be on the Joint Equity Workgroup.” Based on the sometimes-hostile behavior some of their backers exhibited toward School Board members the past three years – one of them was fired from his job after making veiled threats on social media – the Moms probably shouldn’t question anyone else’s character. They’re not the moral compass of our community. What was offensive about the Moms’ letter, though, was Pippin’s predictable invoking of the civil-rights legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech – particularly the often-hijacked and deliberately misinterpreted passage about judging people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. You’ll notice Pippin didn’t mention King’s 1964 book, “Why We Can’t Wait,” in which he wrote, “It is impossible to create a formula for the future which does not take into account that our society has been doing something special against the Negro for hundreds of years.” Nor did she quote King asking how a Black man could be “absorbed into the mainstream of American life if we do not do something special for him now, in order to balance the equation and equip him to compete on a just and equal basis.” For those who don’t know: King was referring to what we now call “equity” – a word, along with “diversity” and “inclusion,” that has become weaponized for political purposes. Equity, however, is not about assuring equal outcomes. It’s about providing assistance to those starting from a disadvantaged position to assure the opportunity to pursue equal outcomes. Yet there’s fierce opposition to providing that assistance, especially in Florida. That’s the source of Browning’s frustration, which is understandable, given the long and embarrassing history of our school district’s failure to address the issues cited in a desegregation order that pre-dates the assassinations of King and Bobby Kennedy. Yes, the arrival of Schools Superintendent Dr. David Moore in late 2019 brought a new sense of urgency and commitment to addressing the issues in that court order. But there now seems to be new resistance – from fringe groups in the community – to making any policy changes. At the School Board’s February meeting, Browning listened as speakers opposing the district’s existing Racial Equity Policy argued that it was unwanted, unnecessary and incompatible with state guidelines. A month later, Browning described such opposition as “offensive and appalling.” It was also hypocritical. Three years ago, the policy was unanimously adopted by a school board that included Tiffany Justice, Laura Zorc and Jackie Rosario. It’s highly unlikely any of them would vote to approve it now. Justice, who didn’t seek re-election, went on to become a co-founder of the Moms For Liberty. Zorc, who was soundly defeated by now-chair Peggy Jones in her bid for a second term, was hired by the ultra-conservative FreedomWorks Foundation to be its education reform director. And Rosario was re-elected in November after receiving endorsements from the Moms and Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose “anti-woke” agenda is under attack from NAACP chapters in the state. Clearly, something has changed – and it has everything to do with the recent politicization of public education in Florida, where the Department of Education has required certain words and phrases to be removed from school board policies relating to race. Jones, who also is a member of the district-NAACP joint workgroup, believes the district’s Racial Equity Policy is necessary because it’s important to the county’s Black community. She doesn’t want to repeal the existing document without replacing it with another that meets the state’s standards. She is trying to re-work the policy, which will be presented to the public at the School Board’s April 24 meeting. Rosario, who fully embraces the governor’s education agenda, said a Racial Equity Policy is not needed, because many of the issues it addresses are already included in several other district policies, which makes much of it redundant. There’s little chance she’ll ever vote for a policy that contains the work “equity.” School Board member Brian Barefoot, though, seemed to favor a re-worded policy, saying parents rarely read district policies, “but if there was a policy they might want to read, it would be on this topic.” Brown, meanwhile, remains concerned that the interests of the local Black community continue to be ignored in a county that has never elected a Black commissioner or constitutional officer. And while the Black community appears to have at least one ally on the School Board, it’s Jones – not Rosario, the board member who represents the district with the largest black population. Complicating the issue is the fact that a majority of the students attending the district’s traditional public schools, excluding the charters, are minorities. But a sizable segment of the county’s electorate is white, older and politically conservative. That means older, white, conservative-leaning voters are telling minority parents what, how and by which cultural norms and values their children will be taught – as long as it doesn’t violate state laws and mandates. Caught in the crossfire of this politically driven culture war is our School Board, which is working with the local NAACP to address a desegregation order. That’s why Brown has not wasted much time in responding to and flatly rejecting the Moms’ demand, which he said has been forwarded to the federal judge presiding over the case. In a statement released earlier this week, Brown wrote: “We consider it the ultimate form of disrespect for any entity, organization or person to make demands of the NAACP.” He went on to express “serious concerns” about the “dog whistles and other coded statements that emanate” from the Moms’ group. Brown wrote that Browning is an “asset and integral component” of the NAACP, adding that organization adamantly supports him. He then concluded: “We will not be bullied or muzzled by anyone in our advocacy mission.”

After he became too ill to go there, he finally decided to move back north to be with his human family. We were all right there with him to the very end.” Me an the Dog Park humans have been receiving numerous notes, emails and woofmails expressing sympathy an saying how much they loved and appreciated Welles, and there’re more than 500 similar comments on social media. Frequent pooch park patrons Linus Gibbons, Cabana Boy Barrett an Parker Jones all said they’d see Welles every single time they were there, usually with one of his pooches, Duke, Jake or Emmy, an he was always smilin’ an makin’ sure us pooches an our humans were havin’ a good time. Woof-mail memories of Welles also poured in from Dog Park regulars Tiggy, Basil, Andy, Stella, Kiko, Skye, Oliver, Ralph, Juno, Jax, Ranger, Harley, Jojo, Bear, Teddy, Dixie and many others. Welles’ long-time fren and one of the founding humans, Bob George, phoned me all the way from California to talk about how, as leader of the pack, Welles worked tirelessly for years with other dedicated humans like George, John Wester, Phil Reid, Robin Pelensky an Leah Muller to turn the dog park dream into reality. First, he did lots of research to learn what dog park model worked best in other places. Most were either privately funded or municipally owned with a charge to use. What was agreed on for here is what us pooches would call a mixed breed. The nonprofit Dog Park organization – operated by its board (Welles was the first president) and human volunteers – has a very helpful 10-year lease agreement with the city, is totally free to residents, visitors, snowbirds, boaters; and survives on donations only, which it has done for 9 years. The park officially opened in March 2014. (With its immediate success, the opt-out claws the city included in the lease was removed after the first year, George noted.) Welles leaped into the initial fundraising with his usual enthusiasm, and the park, which costs about $55,000 a year to operate (for utilities, extra insurance, poop bags an other stuff), has raised about $800,000 so far, says George. He adds that lots of humans with pooches have told him the dog park was a major reason they decided to visit, or even to move, to Vero Beach. George remembers how his friend was always havin’ these “brilliant ideas,” an the group’d all say, “Oh, suuure, Jim.” But he’d usually make ’em work. Like when they were going before the City Council with their proposal, Welles suggested they put petitions at restaurants and shops to “assess local support.” The resulting 1,700-plus signatures sure impressed the Council, even more so because they were formally delivServing mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | LOCAL NEWS March 30, 2023 3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BONZO: JIM WELLES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 LAND WEST OF VERO cords, and there have been blockbuster deals for as much as $76 million. “Land prices are good,” said Jeff Cusson, a senior advisor with SVN Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate, who has among his current listings the 5,849-acre Corrigan Ranch. “A lot of ag land east of I-95 has doubled in value and is now $40,000 to $50,000 an acre.” “I think ag land prices have all gone up as part of the general rise in the real estate market, and because people are still wanting more space and acreage after COVID and commodity prices are strong,” said county Property Appraiser Wesley Davis, a fourth-generation Indian River County farmer. “It is economics 101.” Generally speaking, land east of I-95 and west of the interstate but close to it along Route 60 is most valuable, while values trail off the farther west you go. Buyers include not only farmers and ranchers, but homebuilders, investment, groups, people from a range of foreign countries, and hedge funds. And looming above all other buyers is Florida Power & Light. FPL – which has been building sprawling solar energy farms along the Treasure Coast, including six in Indian River County – has been on a massive land buying spree. The biggest ag land deal of the past two years took place in April 2022 when SVN Saunders, where Cusson works, brokered the sale of 10,144 acres that straddle the Indian River and St. Lucie county border to FPL for $76.7 million. “They’ve purchased 28,000 acres in the three-county area in the past five years. That is 43 square miles,” said Cusson. “FPL has been a significant factor in supporting and even driving land prices.” Rancher and Alex MacWilliam realtor Michael Sexton said he believes FPL is now the largest landowner on the Treasure Coast. Cusson said the area is also “seeing more investors with a global perspective, with a lot of hedge funds buying land.” What is happening here is part of a nationwide post-pandemic phenomenon that is generating headlines throughout business and agriculture media. “U.S. farmland escapes real estate slump as prices soar to record,” was a Bloomberg headline in December, while Farmprogress. com reported that, “Hot farmland prices resist interest rate hikes.” “Rising commodity prices mean farmers made record amounts of money this year, spurring a rush for space to plant in 2023,” according to Bloomberg. “More demand comes just as people fled to the countryside during the pandemic – with non-metropolitan areas growing faster than urban ones – and investors turned to fields as a hedge against inflation.” The farmland boom is centered in the Midwest corn and soybean belt, where productive acres come with strong cash flow as well as price appreciation, making land an attractive way to diversify a portfolio. As always, though, real estate is local and the situation in Indian River County is different from in Iowa or Ohio. Here, the demise of citrus, the area’s once great and glorious cash crop, has put the biggest downward pressure on prices, followed by restrictions that come with conservation easements. “Prices are moderated somewhat in our area by the decline of citrus,” said Cusson, who was president of Becker Groves before going into real estate. “At one time, there was 200,000 acres in groves on the Treasure Coast – in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties – and we are now down to about 25,000 acres.” The decline of citrus, caused mainly by greening, a disease that ruins trees for fruit production, has actually been a double whammy to agricultural land values here, leaving tens of thousands of acres in Indian River County unproductive. “No clear agricultural land use has emerged to replace citrus,” Cusson said. Davis said conservation easements also put a brake on land values in the extensive parts of the county where they exist. “When you sell a conservation easement, you still own the land, but you are very restricted in how you can manage it and what you can use it for,” he said. “You can grow hay or run cattle, but you can’t fertilize or grow other crops.” That is a problem because the land typically comes with improvement district taxes, levied to maintain roads and canals and pump water off of or onto fields, depending on conditions. Davis gave an example of a parcel in the St. Johns Improvement District, west of I-95 where the district tax is $150 an acre per year, which makes it hard to raise cattle profitably. “It is like you are paying that amount as pasture lease and you can’t pay that much and make a profit,” said Davis, whose family once had 600 acres of dairy and citrus land up around the area where the Publix plaza is now at the intersection of route 510 and 512, and who still has a herd of 50 cattle on a 40- acre remnant of the old spread. “When the land was in citrus, the growers needed the roads and canals and big pumps the districts were created to provide and they were making good money so nobody blinked an eye at $150 an acre, but it is a lot different now,” Davis added. Although they serve a good purpose in the larger scheme, the sale of a conservation easement essentially sucks much of the value out of agricultural land. Case in point: A 781-acre tract of ag land on Route 60 a couple of miles west of I-95 that is “encumbered by a Wetland Reserve Program Conservation Easement [that] ... permanently limits drainage and prohibits the construction of any permanent structures on the property” is on the market for $1,350,000, according to Land.com. That amounts to $1,700 an acre. By contrast, a 76-acre piece of pastureland just down the road at 1890 98th Ave. that has development potential is listed for $10,800,000, which translates to $141,000 per acre. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

New COVID-19 infections more than doubled this past week from the prior week, and local hospitalizations were also up sharply as public health officials pondered the potential benefits of yet another vaccine booster shot for senior citizens and those with compromised immune systems. Indian River County reported 160 new cases for the week ending March 22, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker – up from the 60 cases reported by the Florida Department of Health for week ending March 16. The county remains in the CDC’s Low COVID Community Level category because only 2.5 percent of staffed hospital beds are occupied by COVID-infected patients. Seven people were admitted to the hospital last week for complications of COViD-19 illness, according to CDC data, and as of Monday, current hospitalizations had nearly doubled from the previous week’s count of six hospitalized, including one in the ICU. “Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital has 11 total COVID-positive patients inhouse this morning, three of which are in critical care,” hospital spokesperson Erin Miller said. Health officials were hoping the spike in cases and hospitalizations is temporary due to local residents traveling and hosting houseguests over spring break, and not the beginning of a surge. It’s been seven months since the latest booster shot was approved and recommended (the fifth shot in total for adults who received a two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccine regimen) so for those lacking robust immune systems, vaccine protection is likely waning. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the FDA vaccine panel could make a decision “within weeks” about authorizing an additional dose of the reformulated Pfizer or Moderna booster that targets Omicron subvariants. This would be the fourth booster since the original formula of the mRNA-based vaccines were first granted emergency approval in December 2020. The third shot or first booster was approved for seniors in September 2021, then the fourth shot or second booster in March 2022. The new, reformulated bivalent boosters designed to better protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants were given emergency authorization on Sept. 1. At the time, public health officials were predicting a fall-into-winter surge of COVID-19, combined with spikes in Influenza A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, something that was termed a potential tripledemic. That convergence of illness did not materialize. But hospital Emergency Department visits for flu or influenza-like illness increased in Indian River County last week, though flu outbreaks decreased statewide, according to the Florida Department of Health’s weekly Flu Review. ferred would be well beneath the 10 percent cap, which represents the average rate of return that investor-owned utilities are permitted to take in profits by the Florida Public Service Commission. Even on the sliding scale delineated in the bill that reduces the 10 percent by “300 basis points” if more than 30 percent of customers reside outside the city limits, that would take Vero’s maximum transfer percentage down to 7 percent, so the current 6 percent transfer would be perfectly legal under the proposed bill. The committee substitute bill now being circulated in Tallahassee no longer includes the need for a referendum of utility customers to set rates – that provision was too unwieldy anyway, and begged a number of questions such as who, on behalf of a business, would get to vote? Would the owner of a rental home get to vote, or the renter paying the utility bill? Would a major customer like Piper or the Indian River Board of County Commissioners get one vote per utility meter or per account? Or just one vote? The proposed bill reverts to the existing 4 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | LOCAL NEWS www.veronews.com NEW COVID-19 INFECTIONS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS UP SHARPLY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 UTILITY LEGISLATION NEWS ANALYSIS statute which only requires a noticed public hearing to set or change utility rates. Where does this leave Vero’s outside customers in Indian River Shores and South Beach who were slapped with double-digit water-sewer rate increases in January, and who face another double-digit hike Oct. 1, and two more, compounded in the coming years? Indian River Shores heads to appeals court on Tuesday against the City of Vero Beach, when the Shores hopes a panel of three judges will overturn a 2022 ruling by Circuit Court Judge Janet Croom. Croom ruled in Vero’s favor saying the city did not violate its 2012 utility franchise agreement with Indian River Shores when Vero refused to match Indian River County Utilities’ reduction of its reuse irrigation water rates in 2019. The Shores wants the appeals court to uphold the clause in the 2012 contract whereby Vero promises to match Indian River County rates for published rate classifications. Vero maintains that the city is in the right – and Croom agreed – because the city provides the Shores with on-demand “pressurized” reuse irrigation water, but the county charges a much lower “disposal rate” for dumping non-pressurized reuse irrigation water into retention ponds for sprinkling use. Croom agreed with Vero that the city could not cover its costs of providing the reuse irrigation water for the county’s published rate so there was no breach of contract. Should the Shores prevail in its appeal, the city’s One Rate scheme will surely be called into question, as the newly imposed water and sewer rates are decidedly higher than Indian River County’s published rates. And Vero will likely appeal to the Florida Supreme Court because the issue not only impacts Vero, but it’s precedent-setting in terms of the city’s power to set its own rates, versus the authority of a franchise agreement. Should the city prevail on the narrow issue of the “pressurized” reuse irrigation rates, the Shores will likely file a fresh breach of contract lawsuit challenging the One Rate plan. The unincorporated county customers in South Beach have fewer options, and seemingly no legal recourse, as the Indian River Board of County Commissioners recently saddled them with a 30-year franchise agreement that recognizes Vero’s power as a monopoly utility provider, and includes zero rate protection. By Lisa Zahner | Staff Writer [email protected]

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | LOCAL NEWS March 30, 2023 5 ing he was no longer a candidate for the administrator’s job, Matson said last week he will retire on April 12 – the date of the next meeting of the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, where he spent more than 20 years as staff director. He planned to notify his staff and the county’s Human Resources Department this week. However, Matson said his decision to retire was not directly connected to the County Commission’s decision to hire an outside candidate – former Cocoa City Manager John Titkanich – to run the county’s day-today operations. “Sure, I was disappointed I didn’t get the administrator’s job, but I was very flattered to be considered and that’s not the reason I’m leaving,” Matson said. “Believe me when I say: I made this decision with a heavy heart, because this community has been great to me and my family. “But I’m 59, I’ve managed my finances well enough to give myself this option, and this was a good time to step back and take stock of things.” Specifically, family things, including the death of his brother-in-law in February. Perhaps the most compelling factor in Matson’s decision, though, was his 23-yearold daughter, Sasha, who was injured in a serious automobile accident on Jan. 28 on an icy road in St. Louis. He said she suffered a concussion and three herniated discs that likely will require back surgery. She has returned to work, but she lives in a walk-up apartment building and struggles to climb the stairs. He wants to help her find a new place where she won’t need to deal with stairs. “The first thing I’m going to do is visit my daughter,” Matson said. “She’s having a rough time, and I want to be there to help.” In addition, his son, Dylan, is scheduled to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh next month, then move to Washington, D.C., to start a job as a nurse anesthetist. So a trip to the nation’s capital is on his agenda, too. “I think I’ve still got plenty of life in me, so I’ll eventually get back to doing some work – maybe full time, probably on a parttime basis, possibly as a consultant – but I’m definitely going to take some time off,” Matson said. Matson, whose expertise is in planning, said he’s proud of the work he and his staff have done for a still-growing county, managing the steady increases and occasional spikes in population, traffic and both residential and commercial development. Despite the surge in growth during the COVID-19 pandemic – the county’s population continues to climb toward 170,000 – Matson said the community’s quality of life remains desirable. “As a result of the planning we put in place, we’ve grown more gracefully than any county in the state,” he said. “And we’ve done it efficiently, with the same staffing levels as 15 years ago.” Commissioner Joe Flescher, who was elected to his fifth term last year, praised Matson’s contributions to the community, saying, “I respect and appreciate Phil’s work, which has allowed this county to maintain the qualities that make it such a great place to live.” He described Matson’s imminent retirement as a “significant loss for our community.” Flescher and fellow commissioner, Deryl Loar, staunchly supported Matson’s bid for the county administrator’s position, but Commission Chairman Joe Earman and commissioners Susan Adams and Laura Moss preferred to bring in an outside candidate. Neither Adams nor Moss included Matson among their five finalists. Both Flescher and Loar said they feared Matson might choose to leave if he didn’t get the job. “During the selection process, someone said, ‘We’ll still have Phil if he doesn’t get the administrator’s job,’” Flescher recalled. “And both Deryl and I said, ‘No, we won’t.’ “Phil has so much institutional knowledge, and the in-house relationships, and an understanding of what makes this county so special … I can’t understand why we wouldn’t want to seriously consider him for the administrator’s job,” he added. Flescher said it will be Titkanich’s job to replace Matson, but it won’t be easy, even with some promising talent in the building. “Wherever Phil goes, they will gain a tremendous asset,” he said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MATSON TO RETIRE ered to the Council Chambers by a Certified Companion Pooch. (Also one of Jim’s brilliant ideas.) Yet another Brilliant Jim Idea was when he invited dog-loving celebrities Gloria and Emilio Estefan – owners of beach resort Costa d’Este, which had an official Concierge Pooch – to attend a fancy Dog Park Fundraiser. The Estefans regretted they couldn’t attend cuz they were in New York rehearsing for their Broadway show “On Your Feet!,” but said they’d donate $1,000. On the night of the fundraiser, when it was time for the Big Check Presentation, the resort manager announced that the Estefans had decided not to donate $,1000. They would donate $5,000 instead. Welles oversaw the initial construction of the park, which has a liddle dog side anna big dog side, and was always planning improvements. (There’re lotsa ways to help our park: check out verobeachdogpark.org.) When I asked about how many visits the park gets, George said about a million so far. So I asked how they keep track of that. “We count the poop bags,” he said. That totally sounds like one of Mr. Welles’ brilliant Ideas to me. On behaff of myself an my fellow Dog Park-loving pooches an their humans: “Hi Paw, Mr. Jim Welles! You’ll always be our Hero!” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 BONZO: JIM WELLES

6 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH www.veronews.com Most men over 50 will begin having signs of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), more commonly referred to as an enlarged prostate, according to Dr. Marc Rose, who has been a urologist in Vero Beach for nearly 30 years. “By 60years of age, the prevalence of BPH is over 50 percent and the condition affects about 90 percent of those over 85years of age,” according to the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine. With BPH, men may notice they have to urinate more frequently with more urgency, yet their stream of urine is slower. Some may have occasional bouts of incontinence and recurring infections. While these symptoms are unpleasant, they are in most cases curable with improved imaging and treatment technologies. “For a long time, the only treatment for BPH was a transurethral resection of the prostate, a surgical procedure that involved cutting away a section of the prostate,” Dr. Rose said. “We called it the ‘roto-rooter’ because we went in and scraped out the excess tissue in the prostate. Fortunately, newer technology has given us better, more precise, non-surgical treatments.” One of the alternatives is the UroLift procedure, which utilizes tiny implants to lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra. There is no cutting, heating or removal of prostate tissue. And sexual function is preserved. “The procedure was approved by the FDA in 2013 and the American Urological Association began recommending it as a standard of care option in 2018,” acImproved technologies help with common prostate problem By Kerry Firth | Correspondent Dr. Marc Rose. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH March 30, 2023 7 cording to Harvard Health Publishing. It is now becoming popular with a growing number of urologists. “During the UroLift procedure we insert clips with a suture between them that holds the prostate apart,” said Dr. Rose. “With BPH the sides of the prostate come together and squeeze the channel making it hard to pass the urine through that narrow channel. The clips and sutures between them pulls the prostate apart so the urine stream can be better. I was one of the first urologists in Florida to do the UroLift procedure.” Dr. Rose also discussed aquablation, a technique that was approved by the FDA five years ago but still is not widespread. “Aquablation is the latest and greatest technology and I am one of only a few doctors in the area who are currently doing this procedure,” Dr. Rose said. “Currently the only aquablation machine near here is at HCA St. Lucie Hospital, so I travel down there to do the procedure. This is a wonderful option for someone with an enlarged, benign prostate who has trouble urinating. It’s basically a water jet with heat that removes excess prostate tissue and opens the channel.” “The procedure is done in the hospital since it’s the only place with the machine,” Dr. Rose explained. “The patient is sedated, and an ultrasound probe is inserted in the anus to transmit the visual of the prostate on the screen. A special scope is inserted into the channel way or urethra and is positioned properly. The two [images] are coordinated by a robot and there is great visualization on the screen. This gives the doctor the ability to mark where the limits of treatment will be, staying away from the external muscle that controls urination, which helps prevent incontinence after the procedure. “Once everything is set up and aligned properly, the doctor presses a button or foot pedal to activate the nozzle in the special scope. The nozzle gives off a jet stream of water much like a water pressure washer for your house as it moves back and forth from the bladder to the end of the prostrate to eliminate the excess tissue. “At the end of the procedure a scope flushes out any tissue. A catheter is put in and stays in for about three days to keep it draining. Once the catheter is removed, the tissue that was destroyed with the water jet and is still in the prostate gradually expels through the urine.” Dr. Rose uses the new Promax MRI device, which was approved in 2021. It is a low-power MRI that merges two MRI pictures together for a more accurate image of the prostate, refining the standard of care by improving the quality and speed of patient diagnosis and interventions. “The Promax MRI allows us to compare two MRIs more accurately to determine the areas that should be biopsied,” Dr. Rose said. Dr. Rose has been a urologist in Vero Beach for nearly three decades, including 20 years as a partner in a private practice, and then as part of the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital doctors group, starting in 2016. He recently returned to private practice and opened his own office, Rose Urology, with the latest technology and equipment and a focus on preventative medicine for men. Dr. Rose offers a traditional model of care for those who prefer to have their insurance billed in a fee for service manner and a membership model of care for those seeking a more concierge-like service. Members have unlimited, direct access to the doctor with a private number, sameday appointments and coordination of their overall care for about $3,000 per year. The traditional fee-for-service patients are managed by Rose Urology’s skilled nurse practitioner, Valerie Ward. Dr. Rose performs all surgeries and procedures. Dr. Rose received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed his surgery internship and his Urology residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland Ohio. He welcomes new patients at his new office, Rose Urology, located at 49 Royal Palm Pointe in Vero Beach. Call 772- 564-1799 to schedule an appointment or to learn more about his membership program.

8 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH www.veronews.com Antibiotic resistance isn’t a new problem, but it is one that continues to grow. “More than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The situation is serious, but a trio of experts from Sebastian River Medical Center says that there are things we can do to help stay healthy and not contribute to making the problem worse. Susana Vigue, pharmacy supervisor, advises patients to be precise and accurate when discussing their drug allergies with a doctor. “For instance, many people share that they have a penicillin allergy. My question is, when was the last time they experienced it? Many people can have an allergic reaction as a child and outgrow it. What did the reaction look like? Were you on other meds at the time?” Vigue says that if they have accurate information, doctors can prescribe the correct antibiotic in minimum amounts for your health issue. This reduces the overall use of antibiotics and helps alleviate the need for multiple prescriptions, which can tend to breed drug-resistant bacteria. Lori Jagniecki, infection control practitioner at SRMC, would like to see people change the way they perceive antibiotics. “Yes, they can work wonders, but they aren’t always called for. Patient demand for antibiotics is deeply ingrained and if they don’t receive a prescription, they may feel that the doctor hasn’t done anything for them. Patient satisfaction is important for medical teams and they can feel pressured to live up to expectations.” Dr. Aisha Thomas, infectious disease specialist, advises people to use common sense and avoid situations that may require they be treated long-term with antibiotics, which have a range of potential harmful side effects. For example, if you’re allergic to cats, you may want to consider a different pet – one that doesn’t necessitate ongoing use of medications. Though antibiotics are not helpful with allergies and most sinus problems, millions of people take antibiotics for those conditions, increasing the chance that incidental bacteria will become resistant to the drugs. Another example: “Don’t expose yourselves to dangerous situations – [such as unprotected sex that can lead to] contacting gonorrhea, if you know that treatment is compromised,” Dr. Thomas adds. The Center for Disease Control reports that gonorrhea, along with tuberculosis and MRSA, have steadily developed resistance to the antibiotic drugs prescribed to treat them. Vigue says, “In 2008, doctors paid little attention to MRSA because they saw it so infrequently. Now it’s almost a given that any patient in the hospital has it.” Bacteria evolve and become resistant when they are exposed to an antibiotic but not destroyed by it. The more that antibiotics are used ineffectively by people, the more resistant bacteria emerge. Overuse in animals is another major cause of the problem. A 2022 report issued by the National Institutes of Health states, “The overuse of antibiotics in food animals has led to widespread Hospital experts strive to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use By Jackie Holfelder | Correspondent

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH March 30, 2023 9 Helping Patients and Families Achieve Optimal Health and Wellness The Doctor is Always in! Bruce Murray, M.D. Board Certified “Country Doctor at Heart” Sandy Potter, R.N. With 45 Years of Caring We Still Have Space Available. Call us to schedule a visit! We would love to meet you. 772-226-6461 Murray Concierge Medicine 920 37th Place, Suite 103 Vero Beach, FL 32960 Old Fashioned Medical Care on the Treasure Coast Personalized Touch Direct Primary Care MurrayMedicine.com development of bacterial resistance … that is a serious threat to public health globally.” No new classes of antibiotics have been discovered since the 1980s, according to the Pew Charitable Trust. A class defines a group of antibiotics that have a certain way of working – for example, by killing bacteria or by stopping them multiplying – and are effective against certain types of infections. The antibiotics that have been brought to market in the past three decades are variations of existing drugs and bacteria keep figuring out how to survive them. Discovering and developing genuinely new antibiotics is challenging. The science is tricky and the research and development process is time-consuming and expensive, and often fails. It can take 10- 15 years and over $1 billion to develop a new antibiotic. Vigue says the medical community is well aware of the need to monitor antibiotic use. Toward that end, Sebastian River Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission as a hospital that meets standards for limiting unneeded use of antibiotics. As of Jan. 1, 2023, new and revised antibiotic stewardship requirements were made available to Joint Commission– accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals, expanding upon current expectations for antibiotic stewardship programs in hospital settings. Lori Jagniecki, RN, MPA, CIC, infection control practitioner at Sebastian River Medical Center, is a graduate of Marymount University Nursing School in Arlington, Va., and has a master’s in healthcare administration from Western Michigan University. She is board certified in infection prevention and control. Susana Vigue, PharmD, pharmacy supervisor at Sebastian River Medical Center, has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from St. Louis College of Pharmacy. She is co-chair of Antimicrobial Stewardship at SRMC. Dr. Aisha Thomas, internal medicine and infectious disease specialist at Sebastian River Medical Center, received her medical degree from Spartan Health Sciences University, completed her residency at Wayne State University, and her fellowship at Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine. Lori Jagniechi, Dr. Aisha Thomas and Susana Vigue. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

10 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH www.veronews.com The government announced plans to overhaul the troubled U.S. organ transplant system, including breaking up the monopoly power of the nonprofit organization that has run it for the past 37 years. If successful, the proposal would leave little unaffected in the sprawling, multibillion-dollar network that sends kidneys, livers and other organs from deceased donors to severely ill recipients. That system has long been criticized as inadequate: Nearly 104,000 people are on waiting lists for organs, most of them kidneys; 22 people die each day awaiting transplants, with poor and minority patients generally faring worse than affluent and white people. Carole Johnson, administrator of the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, the agency responsible for the network, is proposing to break up responsibility for some of the functions performed by its nonprofit manager, the United Network for Organ Sharing. UNOS is the only entity ever to operate the U.S. transplant system. She said in an interview that she would invite other organizations to take over those areas. They would bid for separate contracts, creating the first competitive environment in the history of the transplant system. “Our goal is to get best in class for all the functions we think are essential to running the transplant network,” Johnson said. Under UNOS, which holds a $6.5 million annual contract with HRSA, the network has been plagued by problems: Too many organs are discarded, damaged in transit or simply not collected, faulty technology sometimes jeopardizes transplants, and poor performers face little accountability. UNOS said in a statement last Wednesday that it “supports HRSA’s plan to introduce additional reforms into the nation’s organ donation and transplantation system,” and welcomed a competitive bidding process. “We believe we have the experience and expertise required to best serve the nation’s patients and to help implement HRSA’s proposed initiatives,” the statement said. It noted that it had outlined a list of specific proposals earlier this year “aimed at driving improvement across the system.” But the federal proposal would also change how the network is structured, installing a strong board of directors independent of UNOS, creating a public dashboard for the voluminous data the system generates and bringing more transparency to the sometimes opaque process of how patients and organs are matched. The Biden administration has committed $67 million in its proposed fiscal 2024 budget for what Johnson is calling a “modernization” of the transplant network – nearly double the amount in the current budget. “What’s so critical to us is ensuring we are doing everything possible to improve the system that patients and families depend on,” Johnson said. One major obstacle facing the plan is that UNOS’ grip on the network is virtually written into the 1984 National Organ Transplant Act. It established the network to be run by a nonprofit that would function as a “quasi-governmental agency” under a single contract – with UNOS in mind. And although UNOS is a contractor with the federal government, it considers the technology that undergirds the nation’s transplant system its own. Johnson said she will ask Congress to amend that law and raise the cap on what it can spend on contractors. But she also asserted that she has the legal authority to move forward if Congress does not act. Bid solicitations could go out as soon as this fall, she said. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of Troubled U.S. organ transplant system targeted for overhaul By Lenny Bernstein | The Washington Post

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH March 30, 2023 11 the Senate Finance Committee, which has been investigating problems in the transplant system for three years, lauded the plan as “a big victory for families across the country ... For too long, it’s been clear that UNOS has fallen short of the requirements for this contract and the expectations of Americans waiting for a transplant.” Greg Segal, founder and CEO of Organize, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, said “UNOS has allowed the organ donation system to become mismanaged, unsafe and self-enriching. [The] announcement that HHS will break up UNOS’ monopoly, and bring in competent and transparent new contractors, is a transformative and unequivocal win for patients.” The plan’s key element appears to be improving the technology that surgeons, transplant coordinators and others have long complained about. In July, the Washington Post reported that a confidential 2021 assessment for HRSA by the White House’s U.S. Digital Service called UNOS’ technological system archaic and said it should be “vastly restructured.” The technical agency also recommended breaking up UNOS’s monopoly over that technology. In February, the system went down once for 40 minutes, the kind of event that should never happen, according to UNOS’ interim chief executive, Maureen McBride. She said in an interview last month that the nonprofit was seeking an increase in the fee paid by patients awaiting transplants to fund improvements in its technology, for anticipated growth in the number of organs transplanted and the increased distances they must travel. HRSA, however, is proposing a “modular” system of improvements that could be tested independently of one another and gradually knit together into a new structure while the old one is still running. That setup would also allow for each component to be improved individually, without having to rewrite the entire program. UNOS, located in Richmond, sits at the center of the U.S. transplant system. It oversees what is formally known as the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, a collection of about 250 hospitals that perform transplants; 56 government-chartered nonprofits that collect organs in their regions; labs that test organs for compatibility and disease; and other auxiliary services. Together, they were responsible for 42,887 organ transplants in 2022, a record. UNOS’ multiyear contract comes up for renewal this year. It is funded mainly by fees patients pay to be listed for transplants. UNOS also oversees sometimes controversial policies that determine which patients have priority for lifesaving kidneys, hearts, livers and other organs, for which demand far outstrips supply. For example, a data analysis published this week by the Washington Post and the Markup revealed that the number of lifesaving liver transplants has plummeted in some Southern and Midwestern states that struggle with higher death rates from liver disease under new donation rules adopted in 2020. The number of wasted livers also has shot up under the rules. In addition, UNOS reviews errors by members of the network and maintains waiting lists. And it runs the complex technology that connects the whole enterprise. Some of the 56 organ procurement groups also fail to meet government standards for collecting organs in their regions. Each holds a monopoly for its area. After decades of allowing the groups to calculate and report their own compliance data, the government in 2019 took steps to hold the worst of them accountable. In August, the Post reported that the Senate Finance Committee investigation had found 70 deaths and 249 diseases over a seven-year period after mistakes in the screening of transplanted organs. The Post also reported how the first uterus transplant in U.S. history failed in 2019, for example, because the organ came from a donor infected with a life-threatening fungal infection. A 2018 Post analysis showed the transplant network could produce more than twice as many organs, primarily by pursuing additional organs from people often dismissed as too sick, too old or too complicated and persuading transplant surgeons to accept those organs. Critics have long said UNOS does little to address many of the complaints about chronically underperforming organ procurement organizations. But only the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, another part of HHS, can revoke an OPO’s license. That has never happened in the history of the transplant system. In 2020, 21.3 percent of procured kidneys were not transplanted, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, a data analysis operation that is part of the transplant network but separate from UNOS. The reasons for that discard rate are in dispute, with members of the network often blaming one another. European countries report much lower discard rates for kidneys, according to various studies. France had a kidney discard rate of 9.1 percent from 2004-2014, a 2019 study found. The United Kingdom has a rate ranging from 10 percent to 12 percent. Eurotransplant, a consortium of eight countries including Germany, reported a rate of about 8 percent.

12 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH www.veronews.com At a 100-mile race in Nevada earlier this month, the winner crossed the finish line in about 14 hours. But you had to wait another 15 hours for the real excitement to begin. This year, five octogenarians entered the USA Track & Field 100 Mile Road Championships held in Henderson, Nev., on March 3 and March 4. Four of them finished in the field of 44 athletes, including the winner of the 80-to-84 age group, 80-year-old David Blaylock of Draper, Utah, who completed the course in 29 hours 49 minutes and 29 seconds – roughly 45 minutes off the existing age-group record. It’s a feat Blaylock said he wouldn’t have accomplished in his younger years, when he couldn’t make the track team. “If I had tried out, they’d have thrown me out,” Blaylock said. “I don’t have any speed. I’ve got short legs and short feet.” In addition to Blaylock, three other men aged 80 and over completed the race: Eddie Rousseau, 83, of Park Rapids, Minn.; Ian Maddieson, 80, of Albuquerque; and Denis Trafecanty, 80, of Santa Ysabel, Calif. A fifth, Todd Leigh, 81, of Reno, Nev., finished nearly 93 miles of the race, and dropped out because of leg fatigue. Finishing a 100-mile race is remarkable at any age. But in the world of ultramarathons, it’s common to see runners competing in their 60s, 70s and 80s. The men’s and overall winner of the Henderson race, Jonah Backstrom of San Francisco, is 49, while Sierra DeGroff of Las Vegas, the women’s champion, is 32. The oldest female participant in the race was 70-year-old Kit Brazier of Carlsbad, Calif. Three women in their 60s finished the race: Yolanda Holder of Corona, Calif., 64; Louise Mason of Chicago, 69; and Yen Nguyen of Houston, 60. There are several reasons ultramarathons have become a sport for many laterin-life runners. The sport favors experience and consistent training. Steady pacing is more important than speed. Even the younger athletes who finish ultramarathons tend to be on the older side. In 2020, researchers analyzed more than 370,000 finishers of 100-kilometer (62.14 miles) ultramarathons run between 1959 and 2016 and found the age of peak performance was 40 to 44 in women and 45 to 49 in men. Lin Gentling, one of the USATF liaisons for the 100-mile road championships, said there may be a few reasons this particular race attracted five octogenarians this year. The runners had a “generous” 40-hour cutoff time to complete 100 miles, which made it well suited for aging runners, she said. And the 1.17-mile looped course of mostly asphalt meant that there was an aid station every mile. The course is also flat, making it a popular event for runners of all ages who want to establish faster race times. Blaylock started running marathons in his early 40s because he was looking for a new challenge after giving up motorcycle racing. (“Too many broken bones,” he said.) He then picked up ultramarathons around age 50 after watching the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run in Utah and wondering if he could run it himself. Rousseau has completed over 100 marathons and 100 ultramarathons, but he didn’t start running until around age 40, when he decided he needed to live a healthier lifestyle. “I’ve got fresh legs,” Rousseau said of Here’s how four 80-year-old men finished a 100-mile race By Kelyn Soong | The Washington Post

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | YOUR HEALTH March 30, 2023 13 his later start in ultrarunning. This doesn’t surprise Hirofumi Tanaka, a professor and director of exercise physiology at the University of Texas at Austin who studies masters athletes. “Most of the masters athletes you come across these days – they’re not really lifelong athletes,” Tanaka said. “That’s encouraging news, because that tells you that it’s never too late to start exercising and you can actually achieve elite status even though you are a couch potato or you are not really competitive when you’re younger.” Of the five octogenarians who competed recently, three started running in their 30s or later. Maddieson, who finished third in the 80-to-84 age group with a time of 37:15:39, was a runner in high school and college, quit for 15 years after breaking his foot, and started up again in his 30s. Trafecanty, who finished fourth in the 80-to-84 age group in 37:59:42, said he started running in his 20s and has been doing so continuously for 60 years. All five men train by logging dozens of weekly miles. Most of them get their miles in through fast walking, rather than traditional running. Blaylock walks 12 miles a day, six days a week. Sunday is a rest day. To complete 100 miles in 30 hours, a competitor must average an 18-minute-mile. Blaylock said that although he stopped at aid stations, he never sat down during his nearly 30 hours on the course. “When you’re racing Eddie, you can’t be wasting time,” Blaylock said. The oldest of the bunch, Rousseau earned the nickname “Fast Eddie,” in part because he uses a run-walk method when he races. Sometimes he jogs for 10 seconds and walks for 50 seconds. Or he might jog for 30 seconds and walk for 30 seconds. “It depends upon the event and depends upon the training,” Rousseau said. He was the only one of the five men who technically ran during the race. The rest of them speed-walked. Some, like Leigh and Maddieson, used hiking poles for support. “I wish I could run, but frankly my walking is faster than my very fastest running,” Leigh said. “Eddie – he’s amazing. He’s very fast.” As for their diet, the men all consume a variety of food. Blaylock eats whatever he wants for fuel: “burritos, hamburgers, stuff like that,” he said. “When you’re burning that many calories, you can splurge a little.” When Blaylock goes for his yearly physical, his doctors tell him he has a “30-yearold heart,” he said. “I have a low heart rate, low blood pressure, you know, all that stuff that you’d like to see,” he said. “A lot of that stuff – I think, all the miles – kind of preserves that. But it’s a one-person experiment.” Rousseau drinks nutritional shakes and sports drinks with electrolytes and makes sure he consumes plenty of protein. “If I feel a little weak during the day, I’ll have a big tablespoon of peanut butter,” he said. Maddieson calls himself an “omnivore.” His diet consists of meat, fresh vegetables and a lot of starch. During races, he eats whole-wheat sandwiches with turkey and cheese and the savory British spread Marmite. “That has a very high salt content, and it’s very tasty,” said Maddieson, who was born and raised in England. Trafecanty also eats meat, vegetables and fruit and avoids coffee. Leigh said he starts each day with a glass of celery juice, followed by a protein shake. Lunch consists of hard-boiled eggs, toast and maybe oatmeal. Dinner is chicken or pork, sometimes red meat with salad, rice or potatoes and a green vegetable. He’ll usually drink a glass or two of red wine. “I try to stay thinner, exercise, eat healthy – I think that’s the secret to a healthy life,” Leigh said. Gentling, the USATF liaison who attended the event, said she was inspired watching the competition in the age 80-to-84 division. “They were very encouraging of one another,” she said of the five men. “But don’t think there wasn’t competition, because there was.” Rousseau was leading his age group for more than 90 miles, but with about 12 miles to go, he sensed a pain in his back that felt like “four wasps were stinging” him on his spinal cord, he said. Around mile 95, Blaylock passed him. Rousseau, who finished second in 30:09:08, never caught him again. The two are friendly rivals, and when Blaylock crossed the finish line, he waited for Rousseau to complete his race. All five men spoke highly of each other. Most of them train by themselves, so seeing other men in their 80s race made them feel less alone. “I love these guys,” Blaylock said. “They’re tough old men, and we’ve all got problems, but we just keep coming back.” “I’m looking forward to the time when there’s a bunch of new 80-year-olds competing,” Leigh said. “I think there’s a bunch around the corner.”

14 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | HEALTHY SENIOR Q. Can hypnosis help me to quit smoking? A. Hypnosis is one of several relaxation methods that was said to be useful by an independent panel of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The panel found it may be helpful for treating chronic pain, anxiety, headaches, and controlling bleeding and pain during dental procedures. Hypnosis is also promoted to change undesirable behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol dependence, and bedwetting. It is used along with other methods by some mental health professionals to help patients overcome common fears, such as the fear of flying or of meeting new people. Hypnosis achieves focused attention. It is like using a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful. When our minds are concentrated, we are able to use them more powerfully. Hypnosis – also known as hypnotherapy or hypnotic suggestion – has been a healing practice for thousands of years. The term comes from the Greek “hypnos,” which means sleep. The use of trance-like states and positive suggestion was an important technique used in the early Greek healing temples. Variations of those techniques were practiced throughout the ancient world. Modern hypnosis can be traced to the German physician Franz Anton Mesmer, who believed that imbalances in magnetic forces in the human body were responsible for illness. Mesmer applied a therapy, which he called mesmerism; it involved the use of tranquil gestures and soothing words to relax patients and restore the balance to their magnetic forces. The evolution of Mesmer’s ideas and practices led the Scottish neurosurgeon James Braid to coin the term hypnosis in 1842. Called the “father of modern hypnotism,” Braid rejected Mesmer’s theory of magnetic forces and instead ascribed the “mesmeric trance” to a physical process that resulted from prolonged attention to an object of fixation. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychotherapy, found hypnosis useful for treating hysteria, but later abandoned the practice after observing that he stirred up powerful emotions within his patients. Eventually, the notion of using a state of altered awareness gained greater acceptance in conventional Western medicine. Today, hypnosis is used widely in the United States and other Western countries. People who practice hypnosis are generally licensed and are often trained in several psychological techniques. Under hypnosis, you’re more open than usual to suggestions, and this can be used to modify your perceptions, behavior, sensations and emotions. Therapeutic hypnosis is used to improve your health and well-being and is different from so-called stage hypnosis used by entertainers. Although you’re more open to suggestion during therapeutic hypnosis, your free will remains intact and you don’t lose control over your behavior. Some people are not able to enter a state of hypnosis fully enough to make it effective. Certain qualities may mean you’re more likely to have success with hypnosis. These include the ability to be so engrossed in an activity that you aren’t aware of your environment, the capacity to recall vivid memories through the sense of smell, and the ability to recall physical sensations of past events. Adverse reactions are rare but may include headache, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, and creation of false memories. NEUROPATHY RELIEF CALL NOW! 564-2454 PAINFUL, BURNING, OR NUMB FEET? BALANCE PROBLEMS? PAINLESS EFFECTIVE TREATMENT NEUROPATHY & LASER CENTER 780 US 1, SUITE 200 VERO BEACH, FL 32962 DR. SUSAN PERKINS, DC TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE A CANDIDATE NeuropathyAndLaser.com BY FRED CICETTI Columnist Therapeutic hypnosis: Long history, and still widely used

Spacious Grand Harbor home features pool, glorious views 5510 Camino Real Lane in Grand Harbor River Club: 4-bedroom, 4-bath, 3,028-square-foot golf/lake-view pool home offered for $1,200,000 by Diane DeFrancisci, 772-538-1614, and Brenda Montgomery, 772-532-4170, AMAC Alex MacWilliam Real Estate

16 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | REAL ESTATE www.veronews.com With an easy Mediterranean elegance, mature tropical landscaping and one of the most glorious lakeside/golf course views in the neighborhood, the spacious, light-filled home at 5510 Camino Real Lane in Grand Harbor’s River Club community is one you may want to see for yourself without delay. From the lofty, double-arched entry porch, and through French doors with tropical frosted glass and a multi-paned transom, step into the airy interior, with its creamy white palette and lofty vaulted and cathedral ceilings. Clear ambient light flows throughout the interior from a wealth of wide windows, glass sliders and transoms. As evening falls, well-chosen chandeliers and recessed lighting provide illumination. The west-facing front porch also accesses the formal dining room, via glass French doors beneath a beautiful arched, glass transom, that let in sunlight and views during daylight hours. After dark, the room is illuminated by the soft glow of an elegant multi-candle bulb chandelier. The family room glows with natural light from a tall, three-panel glass slider wall with long glass transom that faces the sunrise and opens onto the lanai and pool deck. There are glorious views of the lake curving along the green sweep of the newly renovated River Course, and of lovely homes on the far side of the 18-hole, championship course. You’ll want to spend as much leisure time as possible here, hosting gatherings, with sliders open for a wealth of indoor/ outdoor space – splashing in the pool with family, soaking in the spa, toasting another day in paradise. Or just chilling with a novel and the family cat. Or dog. The kitchen is open to the family room and to a charming breakfast nook in a glass bay looking out to the lanai and the charming view. The ample cabinetry is the palest of pale sand/pink with white Corian countertops. The two-level, angled island contains a double sink with white fixtures, a snack bar, storage and the dishwasher. Along the opposite wall, the long stretch of cabinetry offers a wealth of cabinet storage, top and bottom, and a terrific splash, with side-by-side vertical mirror tiles. The front kitchen wall houses the side-by-side fridge and stacked, builtin oven and microwave – all white. All four bedrooms in the 3,028-squarefoot house are en suite. The primary suite is a cool and beautiful 19-foot by 12-foot corner retreat, with soft, toe-loving, sand-hued carpet, walk-in closet and lofty ceiling. A glass slider wall opens to the lanai and Spacious Grand Harbor home features pool, glorious views By Samantha Rohlfing Baita | Staff Writer [email protected]

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | REAL ESTATE March 30, 2023 17 pool and frames that hole-in-one view. The bathroom features the same softhued cabinetry as the kitchen, with two cream-colored hexagonal sinks flanking a two-drawer dressing table and a cream counter handsomely edged with black and rust mosaic tile. Opposite the counter, there is a tiled walk-in shower and a tall gold-edged glass panel that reveals the tub alcove, which features a large, decadent, white soaking tub, with lots of space for a glass of vino, a candle or two and a mystery novel. The large, arched multi-pane window above the tub offers vertical privacy blinds. The private w/c has its own little room. A guest bedroom also occupies this wing. The remaining two en suite bedrooms are in the opposite wing. Two have tub/showers, the third a glass door shower. All of the bedrooms offer closets, ceiling fans and pleasant landscape views, and any one of the bedrooms could easily be transformed into an office. In addition to the many amenities this prestigious golf and beach resort community offers to members, you’ll find nature trails and sidewalks for jogging, walking and biking and will often spot tropical birds, manatees and bottlenose dolphins as you enjoy your outdoor exercise. Grand Harbor is recognized as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary because of its stewardship of the natural surroundings. Grand Harbor is only minutes from Vero’s charming beachside village, with its high-end shops, boutiques, resorts, restaurants and pubs, as well as Riverside Park, home to Riverside Theatre, the Vero Beach Museum of Art, jogging trails, tennis courts, boat launch and various festivals under the oaks throughout the season. It is even closer to the county hospital and county medical corridor and just a short drive away from the downtown art gallery and restaurant district. Neighborhood: Grand Harbor, River Club Year built: 1996 • Construction: CBS; tile roof Home size: 3,028 square feet • Lot size: .36-acres Bedrooms: 4 • Bathrooms: 4 Additional features: Two section central heat/air; 3 garage spaces; carpet/stone/slate flooring; window treatments; high ceilings; ceiling fans; crown molding; split bedroom plan; glass sliding doors; screened pool w/spa/hot tub; laundry room with cabinet sink; gate staffed; irrigation sprinkler; county sewer; public water; club membership available; paved roads; pets allowed; resident-owned HOA Listing agency: AMAC Alex MacWilliam Real Estate Listing agent: Diane DeFrancisci, 772-538-1614, and Brenda Montgomery, 772-532-4170 Listing price: $1,200,000 FEATURES FOR 5510 CAMINO REAL LANE

18 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | REAL ESTATE www.veronews.com MAINLAND REAL ESTATE SALES: MARCH 20 THROUGH MARCH 24 TOP SALES OF THE WEEK Real estate sales activity slowed a bit last week on the mainland, as only 30 transactions of sin- gle-family residences and lots were reported (some shown below). The top sale of the week was in Sebastian, where the 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home at 721 Year- ling Trail – listed in January for $675,000 – sold for $650,000 on March 24. Representing the seller in the transaction was agent Josie Arena Wissinger of Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Representing the buyer was agent DeLisa Boling of O’Brien Real Estate LLC. SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES AND LOTS ORIGINAL SELLING TOWN ADDRESS LISTED ASKING PRICE SOLD PRICE SEBASTIAN 721 YEARLING TRL 1/3/2023 $675,000 3/24/2023 $650,000 VERO BEACH 5933 BRAE BURN CIR 3/2/2023 $645,000 3/24/2023 $635,000 VERO BEACH 345 21ST CT SW 1/13/2023 $645,000 3/20/2023 $600,000 VERO BEACH 4365 12TH ST SW 2/3/2023 $549,900 3/21/2023 $530,000 VERO BEACH 3990 CHARDONNAY PL SW 1/29/2023 $495,000 3/24/2023 $495,000 VERO BEACH 5547 43RD CT 1/13/2023 $530,000 3/21/2023 $495,000 VERO BEACH 5395 DOMINICA ST 2/27/2023 $465,000 3/24/2023 $462,000 SEBASTIAN 655 BRUSH FOOT DR 2/9/2023 $475,000 3/20/2023 $449,000 SEBASTIAN 180 MAIN ST 3/9/2023 $435,000 3/24/2023 $420,000 SEBASTIAN 108 DRAKE WAY 11/21/2022 $449,000 3/20/2023 $415,000 SEBASTIAN 1065 LOUISIANA AVE 12/21/2022 $415,000 3/20/2023 $410,000 VERO BEACH 4760 50TH DR 2/17/2023 $395,000 3/21/2023 $380,000 VERO BEACH 2231 CROWNED EAGLE CIR 8/3/2022 $394,275 3/24/2023 $378,275 VERO BEACH 2225 CROWNED EAGLE CIR SW 9/13/2022 $363,720 3/23/2023 $363,720 Stats were pulled 3/25/23 11:02 AM

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | REAL ESTATE March 30, 2023 19 HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP RECENT INDIAN RIVER COUNTY REAL ESTATE SALES. Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: 1/29/2023 $495,000 3/24/2023 $495,000 Sherrie Coleman ONE Sotheby’s Int’l Realty Eric Attio Compass Florida LLC 3990 Chardonnay Pl SW, Vero Beach 2/3/2023 $549,900 3/21/2023 $530,000 Heather Jordan Keller Williams Realty Heather Jordan Keller Williams Realty 4365 12TH St SW, Vero Beach 1/13/2023 $645,000 3/20/2023 $600,000 Bailey Schlitt Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Alan Chane Keller Williams Realty 345 21st Ct SW, Vero Beach 3/2/2023 $645,000 3/24/2023 $635,000 Scott Oberlink ONE Sotheby’s Int’l Realty Andrew Harper Berkshire Hathaway Florida 5933 Brae Burn Cir, Vero Beach

20 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | REAL ESTATE www.veronews.com The shift to remote work is gaining momentum in some of America’s largest metro areas, despite increasing pressure from corporate chiefs for employees to return to the office, according to new data from an international team of economists. In some major U.S. cities, the number of job postings for remote-friendly roles is hitting record levels – and trending up. That’s the latest finding of researchers including Stanford University’s Nicholas Bloom who’ve been gathering data on remote work since the early days of the pandemic. By measuring the prevalence of job ads that offer flexible arrangements, they found that in places like New York, Chicago and Atlanta, more postings are open to remote workers than at any time in the past three years. That could mean bosses like JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Jamie Dimon, who said working from home “doesn’t work” for younger staff or managers, face an uphill fight. As the work-from-home debate reverberates across the country, mayors have also pushed for employees to get back to the office, which would help shore up the tax base for municipal governments. But the latest data suggests that partially empty office towers – a feature of city-centers with the rise of remote work – may remain that way. Data from security firm Kastle Systems show that office occupancy in major U.S. cities is only about half of the pre-COVID level. That may turn out to be a problem that goes beyond the bosses trying to repopulate their offices. Some investors worry that this month’s bout of banking turmoil could cause trouble for commercial real estate owners who need to roll over their debt, as interest rates soar while office property values have slumped partly because workers are staying home. Sorting the job-openings data by cities show that Lansing, Michigan has the highest share of remote job postings, at 39 percent. The biggest employers there are the state government and Michigan State University. Municipal governments and universities tend to have a more unionized labor force, which means unions may have to sign off on any return-to-office deal. The South is generally the worst part of the U.S. to be an aspiring remote worker – and the worst place of all is Bradenton, near Tampa in Florida, where less than 3 percent of jobs posted have that option. Nine of the 10 metro areas with the lowest share of job ads open to remote or hybrid work are in the South. The pandemic created new opportunities for employees to enjoy more flexible arrangements, but that hasn’t been shared equally across the economy. In some industries, the reality is that people need to be where the work is. Very few jobs in manufacturing, transportation, construction, food preparation and serving, and healthcare support are feasible to do remotely. In other sectors such as finance, remote work continues to grow. The shift could upend the notion of “company towns,” or dominance of a particular industry by a particular region. Work from home endures, defying pushback from bosses By Alexandre Tanzi and Matthew Boyle | Bloomberg

Easter is around the corner, and that means family activities galore. They begin on Saturday with the 63rd Annual City of Vero Beach Easter Egg Hunt. This is for children up to the age of 9 years. The little ones will participate in egg hunting, look for golden egg winners and pay visits to the Easter Bunny. There will also be face painting by Muffin the Clown. Easter egg hunting will be separated into three age groups: up to age 3 years, ages 4 and 5 years, and 6 to 9 years. Every child will receive a prize. Organizers suggest you get there before 10 a.m. if your child wants their face painted. The event begins 10 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at Mulligan’s Beach House, 1025 Beachland Ave., Vero Beach. Admission is free but a donation of six empty plastic eggs is requested. For more information, call 772- 231-4787 or 772-978-4500. The LagoonFest runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Environmental Learning Center. The family fun day includes canoe rides, children’s activities, workshops, music, vendor booths and EXPERTS STRIVE TO CUT ANTIBIOTIC USE CONTINUED ON PAGE B4 Scramble will be on at Vero Easter Egg Hunt By Pam Harbaugh | Correspondent 1 GRAND HARBOR HOME 6 WITH GLORIOUS VIEWS16 8 NEW TECHNOLOGIES HELP WITH PROSTATE 2

B2 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | ARTS & THEATRE www.veronews.com Normally, a play opens with the rise of a curtain or lights coming up on a darkened stage. But at Riverside Theatre’s taught and gripping production of “Oleanna,” it’s the sound of quickening jungle drums that sets the stage for David Mamet’s aggressive drama. “Oleanna” is an intellectually charged tragedy broken into three short acts. It is set in the office of a pompous college professor who is about to receive tenure, which is a good thing because he is about to buy a larger house for his family. He’s on one of many repeated phone calls when we first see him. It’s apparent he needs to leave. But in a corner of his office sits Carol, a meek, young female student who has come to see him to get help to get a better grade. Carol complains that she does not understand his lectures and she must pass his course. And indeed, when John tries to explain to her his academic intent, his pedantry keeps him speaking down to her. Carol laments that she must be stupid and that she’s been called that all her life. John tells Carol she is not stupid, she’s just angry. And this is where an otherwise wordy play becomes slyly provocative. We wonder what these two characters truly want from one another. John calls Carol a “bright girl,” but she doesn’t believe him. She’s had too many people in her life tell her she’s not. He puts his briefcase down, takes off his jacket, saying “look at me, look at me.” He plays with his necktie. He puts his hands in his pockets. These, of course, are little actions with which Sigmund Freud would have a field day. Then John tells a dirty joke using a sophisticated term. By Pam Harbaugh | Correspondent

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | ARTS & THEATRE March 30, 2023 B3 More back and forth with academic-speak and Carol explodes with self-pity. John puts an arm around her, and she suddenly shouts, “No!” At this point, you think she is overreacting. He hasn’t done anything overt. Perhaps she’s easily “triggered” due to past traumatic experiences. The idea that surprise is a form of aggression is floated. And indeed, after the sound of drums heralds the beginning of Act Two, we immediately learn that Carol has filed sexual harassment charges against John. Now John is the one who asks to see Carol. Her claims are jeopardizing his being awarded tenure and caused him to lose his deposit on the house. But Carol is not as meek as she was in the first act. She wears a masculine plaid shirt and often speaks of her “group,” and pulls out her ubiquitous note pad to read notes she has taken from their first meeting. In the first act, her taking notes seemed properly submissive for a student, but now the note taking has turned aggressive. Is she a hunter? Was her meekness an act and has she been used by a feminist “group” to entrap John from the get-go? Here, Mamet’s writing accelerates into sheer fascination. Influences from the offstage world intrude and we wonder what a character’s real goal and real motivation are. It becomes a mystery that is never fully answered. The action intensifies in the third act. Carol is now in power. A cap covers her last vestige of femininity. “I came here to instruct you,” she snaps at John. She appears well educated by her “group,” which has given her a list of books which they demand should be banned. The phone keeps ringing. He tells his wife he can’t talk and calls her “baby.” Already threatening his career, Carol thoroughly intrudes into John’s life when she warns him not to call his wife “baby.” The act ends with sudden physical, emotional and verbal violence and a final line that should prompt much debate. This is a tasty drama that is rarely produced because it is so demanding. Mastering Mamet’s language is like scaling Mount Olympus. And the rhythm of action and dialogue is keenly challenging. His work has been likened to Harold Pinter with dialogue teeming with iambic thrust and parry and the pacing ever on point. But director Chris Clavelli and the wonderful cast create a rare theatrical experience. Denis Lambert and Dani Nelson are particularly strong as John and Carol. They disappear into their roles while keeping sharp attention on the precision in the dialogue and its pacing, which they have down cold. It’s a treat to pull back and just observe their excellent acting. Notice must also be given to Emily Luongo’s scenic design, Anna Hillbery’s costume design, William Gibbons-Brown’s subtle lighting design and Sam Hopewell’s sound design. “Oleanna” has had a tremendous amount of literary and dramatic analysis done on it. While some point to the ‘he said/she said’ themes of the senate hearings with Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas, Mamet has stated that he began writing the play before those hearings took place. He says while living in Cambridge, Mass., he became fascinated with stories about the power dynamics of male professors who had romantic relationships with their female students. And he insists that “Oleanna” is a tragedy and that both characters are protagonists. But since Mamet is now known, in part, for his conversion from liberal to conservative politics, it would be understandable for people to take this as a play about political correctness and #MeToo gone wild or gone righteous. The name “Oleanna,” never uttered in the play, comes from a Pete Seeger folk song about the fabled utopia of Oleanna, founded in Pennsylvania by Norwegian immigrants. The land, however, was too full of rocks so the Norwegians sailed back home. It has been posited that Oleanna suggests the utopian ideal of academia which, at the play’s end, is rocky to say the least. “Oleanna” runs through April 9 on the Waxlax Stage at Riverside Theatre, 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Tickets are $65. The show contains adult language and situations. Call 772-231-6990 or visit RiversideTheatre.com.

B4 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | ARTS & THEATRE www.veronews.com COMING UP CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 food trucks. Canoe Quick Trips are $10 and 45-minute Pontoon Boat Rides are $15. There will be a treasure hunt for children courtesy of Captain Hiram’s. Eco-friendly exhibitors and vendors will be set up on the Oval in front of the Education and Event Pavilion. There will be pond dip netting, a touch tank, a drum circle, story time, crafts and more. The ELC is at 255 Live Oak Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-589-5050 or visit DiscoverELC.org. The 3rd Annual Mad Hatter’s Tea Party begins 2 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Women’s Club of Vero Beach. There will be catered tea and crumpets. There will also be a silent auction. Cost is $75 with proceeds benefiting the Gifford Youth Achievement Center Scholarship Fund. The Women’s Club of Vero Beach is at 1534 21st St. Call 772-205-2259 or visit Vero BeachWomensClub.org. The 40th Annual Vero Beach Spring Boat Show runs this weekend. There will be boat dealers and suppliers displaying their product lines. There will also be food and refreshments. Admission is free. The Boat Show runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 1, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at Riverside Park. For more information, call 772-562-7922 or visit VeroBeachBoatShow.com. The MulletFest/MRAP Pull runs 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Walking Tree Brewery. This event begins with teams competing to pull a MRAP military light tactical vehicle 100 feet. That’s followed by a mullet contest – that’s the hairstyle, not the fish. Mullet cuts will be given by Joey’s Downtown Dapper along with elaborate temporary tattoos by Geno of Sacred Dagger. There will also be live music, food trucks, games, that mullet contest and more. Funds raised will benefit St. Baldrick’s Foundation of Indian River County. Walking Tree Brewery is at 3209 Dodger Road, Vero Beach. Call 772-217-3502 or visit WalkingTreeBrewery.com. Live! from Vero Beach presents the Best of Classic Rock with the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra and vocalists will perform music by Queen, U2, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, ABBA, James Brown and much more. The concert begins 7 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at the Emerson Center. Tickets are $35 to $95. For more information, visit MusicWorksConcerts.com or call 800-595-4849. The Edwards Twins, Las Vegas impersonators, come to the Emerson Center 7 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Tickets are $35. Call 772-778-5249 or visit TheEmersonCenter.org. The Emerson Center is at 1590 27th Ave., Vero Beach. The Music Angels Education Fund presents “A Musical Evening” to help raise funds for their mission. The event includes a screening of “10 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Music Education for Children,” followed by a concert by a Music Angels student and the Canta Libre quintet. It begins 7 p.m. Friday, March 31, at the Majestic 11, 940 14th Lane, Vero Beach. Tickets are $50. Call 484-885-7492 or visit MusicAngelsUSA.org. The Atlantic Classical Orchestra and the Vero Beach Museum of Art Chamber Series III present “Winds in the Afternoon Air” 3 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, 3001 Riverside Park Dr. Tickets are $35. Call 772-460- 0851 or visit AtlanticClassicalOrchestra. com. “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.,” an Aretha Franklin tribute show, begins 7 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at the King Center for the Performing Arts, 3865 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne. Tickets are $39 to $74. Call 321-242-2219 or visit BroadwayAtTheKingCenter.com. 3 4 5 6 7 8

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | DINING March 30, 2023 B5 Join us at Costa d'Este as we pair fine wines with a four-course menu. L E A R N M O R E A T C O S T A D E S T E . C O M O R C A L L 7 7 2 . 4 1 0 . 0 1 0 0 Wine Dinner RECEPTION & DINNER Thursday, April 20th 6 PM RECEPTION | BAMBOO PATIO 6:30 PM DINNER | CRYSTAL BALLROOM $145++ PER PERSON *Exclusive of 20% Gratuity & 7% Taxes Limited Availability! Reserve Now! Fine Dining, Elevated Exciting Innovative Cuisine Award Winning Wine List Unparalleled Service Expanded outdoor dining in The Café. Proud recipient of Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice Award placing us in “The Top 10% of restaurants worldwide”. Catering Now Available (772) 234-3966 • tidesofvero.com Open 7 Days a Week Starting at 5 PM 3103 Cardinal Drive, Vero Beach, FL Reservations Highly Recommended • Proper Attire Appreciated Wine Spectator Award 2002 – 2021

B6 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | DINING www.veronews.com Serving Dinner Tues - Sat from 5pm (772) 226-7870 Downwn Vero Bea 2023 14th Avenue www.VeroPrime.com Prime Steaks, Seafood & Italian Specialties Happy Hour featuring Premium Spirits Nightly 5 - 6:30pm (Bar Only) Early Dining Menu Nightly 5 - 5:30pm Easter Brunch Sunday, April 9th Wave Seating: $99 Adults | $39 Children 5-12 Crystal Ballroom Seating: $89 Adults Enjoy Chef Armando’s Easter Brunch Featuring a Raw Bar Prime Rib Carving Station Omelet Station and Much More! 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM *EXCLUSIVE OF 7% TAX AND 20% GRATUITY www.costadeste.com | 772.410.0100 Book Now on OpenTable Reservations Required

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | DINING March 30, 2023 B7 Let the Pours Begin! Our Private Label, Aged Barrel “Fighting 69th” Irish Whiskey 2019 14th Ave (772) 217-2183 OPEN Tues-Sun 11:30 AM to Close seanryanpub.com Where Vero goes for a Lil bit of Ireland! Chef Chet Perrotti Happy Hour 4-6 PM & 9-Close & All Day Sunday Tuesday Trivia Thurs, Fri & Sat Live Wednesday - Bingo, Local Music Brews & Burgers ($7) Tropical Thursday - $5 Deep Eddys Happy Hour ALL DAY Sunday w/ Music Bingo Open Easter Sunday EASTER BUFFET April 9, 2023 SALAD BAR Mixed Greens, Crisp Romain, Tomatoes, Onion, Cucumber, Assorted Cheese, Nuts, Home-made Croutons, Bacon Bits, Egg, Fruit & Pasta Salad ENTREES Bourbon Glazed Salmon, Honey Glazed Ham, Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Chicken TASTY SIDE DISHES Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Rice Pilaf, Fresh Green Beans, Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, Pasta Station Dessert Assorted Cookies, Cakes, Pies Bottomless Mimosa $13.00 Bottomless Bloody Mary $15.00 ADULTS $60.00++ CHILDREN (12 and under) $35.00 ++ Reservations by April 6, 2023 Reservation times between 11:30 am and 3:00 pm Call: 772-466-4000 Ext 213 Email: [email protected] Dress Attire: Club casual, no shorts or jeans 9425 Meadowood Drive, Fort Pierce 1931 Old Dixie • 772.770.0977 fishackverobeach.com • Like us on Facebook! Gift Certificates, Private Parties & Patio Dining Available TUESDAY NIGHT l ALL YOU CAN EAT FISH FRY HAPPY HOUR 4-6 PM l TUES.- SAT. WE CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGE PARTIES TUES OPEN FOR DINNER AT 4 WED-SAT OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER CLOSED SUNDAYS & MONDAYS OFFERING Local Fish Northern Fish Patio Dining Happy Hour Best Margaritas Full Liquor Bar Large Parties Daily Specials PARTY PLATTERS AVAILABLE 56 Royal Palm Pointe 772-567-4160 Follow us on Facebook & Instagram OPEN FOR DINNER WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY BEGINNING AT 4 PM. CLOSED MONDAY & TUESDAY. ORDER ONLINE FOR DELIVERY OR PICKUP THROUGH Pizzoodles.com or ToastTakeout.com SALADS, PASTA, VEAL, CHICKEN , SUBS AND DESSERTS OPEN WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY

B8 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | PETS www.veronews.com This week I hadda nice yap with two rescue pooches, Jumbie an Duncan McDowell, both in what I like to call the “Older an Wiser” age group. Like myself. Jumbie, probly 15, was born onna eye-lun called Bequia inna eye-lun country called Saint Vincent an the Grenna-deens, which I hadda look up. She’s a long-leggedy terrier mixture: short fawn coat, white sox, pretty brown eyes. Duncan’s probly 12. He’s a mixture of Sheltie (probly) an Corgi (probly): very Sheltie lookin’, plus freckles on his snout. At the padio gate we heard woofin’, an as we entered the screen porch, both pooches approached for the Wag-anSniffs, very CORE-jull. “I’m Jumbie (aka The Wiggle or JumberJuice),” said the taller pooch. “We know you’re Bonzo: We recognized you from the pick-chur in your collum!” “True,” said the other. “Plus, you have a notebook. I’m Duncan (aka The Dunk) an this is our Mommy Danette. Our Daddy Dan’s at work. We’ll talk right here on the porch, OK?” “Absolutely,” I replied. “How ‘bout start with how you met your Furever Famly.” “Me first! I’m oldest!” said Jumbie. Throughout the innerview (when she wasn’t talkin’) she’d walk in slow circles around the porch, pawsing to stare at her ree-fleckshun every time she got to the side window. “Mommy an Daddy rescued me down in the EYE-luns when I was only about 5 weeks old, probly. At night, I’d stand outside in the moonlight an make Really Weird Screechin’ Noises. I dunno why. So Mommy an Daddy let me sleep with ’em so I’d feel SAFE. They tried to locate my owner, but couldn’t so they ’dopted me, got a cat carrier (I was cat-size back then) and, when they went back to the You Ess, they took me with ’em!” “Crispy Biscuits!” I exclaimed. “They already hadda pooch, Garbo, a Chow/Golden Re-tree-ver mixture,” Jumbie continued. “She was about 3 an didn’t like me at first, cuz I was too liddle to ruffhouse with her on the beach. When I got big enuff, we buh-came tumble-around pals. A coupla years later, she hadda go to Dog Heaven an I got Very Sad an Lonely. Since Greta had been the Alpha pooch, I tried to step into her Alpha Paws, but, I hafta admit, I did a Soggy Biscuits job. I was just sorta actin’ CRAY-zee. Now I’m the Alpha,” she added with a Small Smile, then pawsed an wandered over to contemplate her reflection, an Duncan began his tail. “That’s when Mommy an Daddy started lookin’ for a liddle brother for her. It was 2011. I was about 8 weeks old when I was discovered, in Loo-weezy-ANNA, stranded on a Very Loud, Scary Road called EYE-10. I was rescued (Thank Lassie) an taken to a foster human, an my pickshur was put on Petfinder where, a few months later, Mommy an Daddy found me. I was in Maine when they ’dopted me. “Me an Jumbie met at a Noo-trull Park. She was shocked an jealous for about a minute, then we hit it off an started ruffhousin’ Pretty Quick (even tho she’s a People Pooch, an I’m pals with pretty much every pooch I meet). When I was younger, I was a liddle wild. I felt it was my DOOTY to protect my home: One time, I chewed smack through my collar an leash, wiggled free in about 1 second, an went flyin’ down road after the UPS person.” Seeing my look of concern, he quickly added, “I totally don’t do that anymore.” Returning from another porch circle, Jumbie observed, “Both of us – what’s that funny thing humans say? – Hit the JackPot, fur sure! (I guess I was too young to remember hittin’ a pot. Or dish. Or anything like that. Maybe Duncan does.) Now we summer in Maine an winter in Florida.” “I don’t recall hittin’ a pot, either,” said Dunk, “but we’re totally lucky poocheroos!” “What kinda a d-V E N- c hu r s have you two had over the years?” I inquired. “Ack-shully,” Duncan replied. “She’s probly more of an adVEN-chur kinda pooch. I’m more mellow. Like, there was this one time when Mommy an Daddy had put up an invisible fence, ’member, Jumbie?” “Do I ever,” she replied. “I kept tryin’ to figure it out. I thought, sooner or later, I could sneak up on it an make it through without gettin’ that liddle zap. But I couldn’t.” “I’m way more mellow,” Duncan explained. “Didn’t push the envelope. Just stood there watchin’ Jumbie an shakin’ my head. “Up in Maine, we chased squirrels, moles an, um, chip-muffs. I usta dig holes an bury stuff. One time, I got a Cookie as a speshull treet. So I dug a hole, an deposited the cookie, you know, like a savings account. I kept diggin’ it up to be sure it was still there, then re-depositin’ it. It’s probly still there.” “Ooo, Bonz, guess what?” innerjected Jumbie. “I was inna speshull book up in Maine called ‘Dogs of New England,’ with my story an phodo! Cool Kibbles, doncha think?” “Pawsome, Miss Jumbie!” I agreed. “When we were puppers, we were a liddle ram-BUNK-shus, weren’t we, Dunk,” Jumbie volunteered. Before I could ask her to elaborate, Duncan innerupted, “For Lassie’s Sake, Jumbie, do we HAFF to go into THAT?” “No worries, Dunk,” she replied. “Puppies can’t be held responsubble. So, anyway, I usta chew the legs on Mommy an Daddy’s dresser. I ackshully chewed them, well, OFF. They hadda get a new dresser.” “OK, FINE,” sighed Dunk. “So, in my puppy days, I accidently Did My Doody in Mommy’s closet. In her favrite shoes. Then I covered ’em with a shirt or something. Just that one time. Now,” he swiftly changed the subject, “I have an ackshull grrrlfren, Lola, an adorubble Jack Russell, who lives 4 blocks up. We do nose kisses through the fence.” I couldn’t buh-leeve an hour had passed! Headin’ home, I was still smilin,’ thinkin’ about Miss Jumbie and Dunk’s amazin’ advenchurs an happy endings. Till next time, Hi Dog Buddies! Bonz has a blast with new ‘old’ pals Jumbie and Duncan The Bonz Don’t Be Shy We are always looking for pets with interesting stories. To set up an interview, email [email protected]. Jumbie & Duncan. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | GAMES March 30, 2023 B9 KEEP THE ARMED MAN AWAY FROM YOU By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist “A danger foreseen is half-avoided” is a proverb of the Cheyenne. When you are the declarer, quite often one defender is the danger hand, the person you cannot afford to let on lead. If you recognize the threat, you increase the chance that you will make your contract. In today’s deal, how should South play in four hearts after West leads the spade king and East signals with the jack? In the auction, North’s double was negative, promising four hearts (or five or six if he didn’t have sufficient points to bid two hearts). The main danger is that West holds the diamond ace. Then, South could easily lose one spade, one heart and two diamonds. So, he must try to keep East off the lead. Therefore, declarer must duck the first trick, in case East’s spade jack is from the J-10 rather than J-x doubleton. Let’s suppose West continues with another spade. South takes that trick and must lead a low heart. If he cashes the ace first, he gives West a chance to be a hero, sacrificing his king. West knows declarer doesn’t have the heart jack; otherwise, he would have taken the trump finesse. After the low-heart lead, how can West defend? If he wins with his king, South will score 10 tricks via one spade, three hearts, five clubs and a spade ruff in his hand. If West plays low, declarer puts up dummy’s queen and then leads a low heart. When East plays the nine, South ducks, allowing West to score his king anyway, but keeping East off the lead. Afterward, West, tongue in cheek, will apologize for not leading a low spade! Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West NORTH 8 7 4 Q 10 4 2 6 5 3 A Q J WEST K Q 9 6 2 K 8 A Q 9 2 8 4 SOUTH A 5 A 7 6 3 K 10 K 10 9 7 3 EAST J 10 3 J 9 5 J 8 7 4 6 5 2 The Bidding: OPENING LEAD: K Spades SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 1 Clubs 1 Spades Dbl. Pass 3 Hearts Pass 4 Hearts All Pass The Republican Executive Committee of IRC invites you to our LINCOLN DAY DINNER In celebration of our November 2022 Victory And anticipation of the Presidential Victory 2024 Wednesday, April 19, 2023 Oak Harbor Clubhouse 5:00 p.m. 4755 S. Harbor Dr., Vero Beach, FL. 32967 Cocktails 5:00 p.m. (cash bar) Dinner 6:00 p.m., $150.00 per person (Your payment is your reservation) Make checks payable to the: Republican Executive Committee 865 20th Pl Vero Beach 32960 For More Information: 772-584-4775 or [email protected] Chairman Rev. Dr. John A. Vacchiano: 772-532-6400 or [email protected] Paid for by the Republican Executive Committee of IRC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee Betsy DeVos is a champion for school choice, charter schools, and educating, not indoctrinating, students. Her efforts are fully aligned with the transformation reforms Governor DeSantis achieved in Florida. Keynote Speaker THE HONORABLE BETSY DEVOS CARPET ONE CREATIVE FLOORS & HOME Creative Floors & Home has more for your entire home from the floor up! With Flooring, Tile, Cabinets and even vacuum cleaners! 772.569.0240 1137 Old Dixie Hwy • Vero Beach creativefloorscarpet1verobeach.com Professional Cabinet Design Available

B10 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | GAMES www.veronews.com The Telegraph How to do Sudoku: Fill in the grid so the numbers one through nine appear just once in every column, row and three-by-three square. The Telegraph SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (MARCH 23) ON PAGE B16 ACROSS 1 Inn (3) 3 Gentleman’s address (3) 5 One who avoids company (5) 8 Go in (5) 9 Prattles (7) 10 Act (4) 11 Proceed (8) 13 Production (6) 14 Gain (6) 17 Loyal (8) 19 Cunning (4) 22 Put back (7) 23 Smell (5) 24 Imagine (5) 25 Poor (3) 26 Bashful (3) DOWN 1 Mixture (5) 2 Go back (7) 3 Kind (4) 4 Strip of fabric (6) 5 Shellfish (8) 6 Fibrous material (5) 7 Esteem (7) 12 Edible fungus (8) 13 Proposed (7) 15 Angry (7) 16 Brilliant (6) 18 Offspring (5) 20 Rush (5) 21 Grub (4)

Serving mainland Indian River County VeroNews/Sebastian River News | GAMES March 30, 2023 B11 ACROSS 1 Per diem teachers 5 Doters on daughters, often 10 Beat in a board game 15 Stock-page abbr. 19 Common Harlem hairstyle 20 Mash the molars 21 Start of a Dickens title 22 See the sights 23 It counts as a strike 24 Oath fellow 26 Gaucho weapon 27 Intensify 29 Reagan CIA chief 31 Wipe out 32 Asiatic palm 33 Prairie tales 34 Picasso was one 36 Singer Mariah 37 John and George, but not Paul and Ringo 39 Wolfpack member 40 Punk or space starter 41 Diacritical curl 42 Some turns: abbr. 45 John Ritter’s dad 46 Showed interest 47 Succotash morsel 48 “Git a-goin’!” 50 The E of E.S.G. 52 National rival 53 Start of an Everlys hit 55 Celluloid canine 56 Canine’s coat? 58 Latin land? 59 Risks abrasion 61 Chewing gum stuff 63 Lacking wheels 65 Not in a position (to) 66 Empty talk 67 Russian range 68 African leaper 70 Sothern namesakes 71 ___ Fables 73 Comb catcher 74 Made cheddar better 77 Concepts, in Chartres 79 Girl with a nice tam? 80 Lobby calls 81 “Seize the ___!” 82 Scuff 83 Once again 85 Assigns stars to, e.g. 86 Ho preceder 88 Robot in Doctor Who tales 89 Cotton compactor 90 Propelled pigskins 91 Smelting refuse 94 Top ratings 95 Sleeper maker 96 California tax crusader who appears in Airplane! 99 Crossword diagrams, e.g. 102 TV series, How ___ Your Mother 103 Director of The Jungle Book whose brother Alexander was also a director 105 Place 106 Actor Santoni 107 “Peace ___ time” 108 Perfect 109 Hog fat 110 Formerly, formerly 111 Loan shark’s crime 112 Nuthatch nurseries 113 Climaxes DOWN 1 Houdini holder, temporarily 2 Ozone oddities 3 Tron star, 1982 4 Sun porches 5 Shocked 6 Get together 7 Neck part 8 Recipe abbr. 9 Made a big mistake, Psychostyle 10 Scrooge’s business partner 11 Whatsoever 12 Filmmaker Jacques 13 Where Zeno taught 14 The Naked Ape author Morris 15 Times up 16 An animal, not a dessert 17 Swiss mathematician 18 Electromagnetic radiation 25 Ticketer 28 Have staying power 30 Cashier enclosures 32 Innocent ones 34 Like a button? 35 Over, to Otto 36 Co-star of King Lear, 1971 37 L.A. Confidential Oscar-winner 38 “Now ___ me ...” 40 Primitive home 41 Levels 42 Real name of David Seville, creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks 43 Destroy 44 Word in university names 46 Picture taker 47 A-Muse-ing instruments 49 Secret science 51 Put skin on a sausage, e.g. 53 Campanile items 54 Blows up 57 Arabian Nights first name 58 Has up a tree 60 Actress Merkel 61 Author Potok 62 Accord maker 64 Surfaced 69 Homer Simpson’s favorite bar 72 Nobelist Wiesel 73 Winslet et al. 75 Overhang 76 Unnatural, in a way 78 No place for a roller skate 80 Hawaii’s sun can harm it 84 Liberace’s first name (anagram of DUAL WIZ) 85 Arrested 86 “My Funny Valentine” lyricist 87 George’s mom on Seinfeld 88 “Criminy sakes!” 89 Flaubert heroine 90 Florist-shop remnants 9 1 Actress Talia 92 Phenom-to-be 93 Winner of four gold medals in 1936 94 Pianist Rubinstein 95 A Woman of Egypt author 97 Lovitz and Voight 98 Baseball’s Matty 99 JFK or LBJ, e.g. 100 Tech whiz, perhaps 101 Scrubby bubbles 104 Shelley’s “___ to the West Wind” The Telegraph The Washington Post CONTAIN YOURSELF By Merl Reagle

B12 March 30, 2023 VeroNews/Sebastian River News | CALENDAR www.veronews.com Riverside Theatre: “Oleanna” through April 9. 772-231-6990 or RiversideTheatre.com 30 Live from Vero Beach presents the Best of Classic Rock with the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, 7 p.m. at the Emerson Center. 800-595-4849 31 A Musical Evening to benefit Music Angels Education Fund, 7 p.m. at Majestic Theater, screening “10 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Music Education for Children,” followed by a concert by a Music Angels student and the Canta Libre quintet. $50. musicangels usa.org 1 LagoonFest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Environmental Learning Center, a family fun day with canoe rides, children’s activities, workshops, music, vendor booths and food trucks. $10 adults; $5 children. Quick trips via canoe ($10) or pontoon boat ($15). DiscoverELC.org. 1 MulletFest/MRAP Pull, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Walking Tree Brewery to benefit St. Baldrick’s Foundation of IRC, with teams competing to pull a military light tactical vehicle 100 ft., followed by a mullet contest, with live music and games. WalkingTreeBrewery.com 1 63rd annual COVB Easter Egg Hunt, 10 a.m. at Mulligan’s Beach House for children up to age 9, with egg hunting, golden egg winners and visits from the Easter Bunny. A donation of 6 empty plastic eggs requested. 772- 231-4787 1 Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, 2 p.m. at host Women’s Club of Vero Beach, with catered tea and crumpets to benefit the Gifford Youth Achievement Center Scholarship Fund. $75. verobeachwomensclub.org 1 The Edwards Twins: 2 Brothers-100 Stars, featuring Las Vegas’ No. 1 impersonators, 7 p.m. at the Emerson Center. $35. 772-778-5249 1 Vero Beach International Music Festival presents the Hanneke Cassel Trio, 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, with Scottish fiddler Hanneke Cassel, Yann Falquet (guitar) and Mike Block (cello). $20. VeroBeach InternationalMusicFestival.com 1|2 40th Annual Vero Beach Spring Boat Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. at Riverside Park, featuring standup paddleboards, kayaks, deck boats, pontoon boats, shallow water skiffs, offshore fishing machines and cruisers, marine accessories and services. Free. verobeachboatshow.com or 772-562-7922. 2 Atlantic Classical Orchestra and Vero Beach Museum of Art Chamber Series III, Winds in the Afternoon Air, 3 p.m. at VBMA. 772-460- 0851 or AtlanticClassicalOrchestra.com 2 American Theatre Guild presents “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts. BroadwayAt TheKingCenter.com or 321-242-2219. 2|3 Vero Beach High School Performing Arts 30th annual Red, White & Blue Concert honoring veterans at VBHS PAC. 772-564-5537 ONGOING MARCH APRIL State Certified Electrical Contractor TOM G. WALTON Hiring Electricians 772-569-1547 • [email protected] L. Walton Electric, Inc. EC13003596 PREMIUM BURIAL PLOT AVAILABLE At Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in the Garden of Hope section $3995 For information 210-410-4726 Time to Clean Your Carpets/Furniture? Maxfield Carpet Cleaning • 772-538-0213 5300 N. A1A, Vero Beach • SINCE 1979 Three Reasons to Call Mitch Maxfield: QUALITY: My “2-step system” removes even tough ground-in dirt. All work guaranteed. SERVICE: I, personally, will clean your carpets and furniture. PRICE: Two (2) Rooms (any size)...$77, 6’ Sofa or 2 Chairs...$66 BUYING * SELLING * REFINANCING Call for your Title Insurance needs TRULY A DIFFERENCE Karlei Grier • 772-260-7058 20% DISCOUNT FOR ALL NEW CUSTOMERS [email protected] Perfection one cut at a time 772-539-3365 BUSINESS DIRECTORY - ADVERTISING INDIAN RIVER COUNTY BUSINESSES Our directory gives small business people eager to provide services to the community an opportunity to make themselves known to our readers at an affordable cost. This is the only business directory mailed each week. If you would like your business to appear in our directory, please call 772-633-0753. This is also where we publish Fictitious Name or “Doing Business As” notices, Public Notices and Employment ads. To place one, please email [email protected]. Sudoku Page B14 Sudoku Page B15 Crossword Page B14 Solutions from Games Pages in March 23, 2023 Edition Crossword Page B15 (ELECTRIFYING PEOPLE) ACROSS 1 BEE 3 RHODES 7 IMPLANT 8 IDIOT 10 LIDO 11 OFFICIAL 13 OUTPUT DOWN 1 BIPED 2 EDAM 3 RATIFY 4 ORIGINAL 5 EDITION 6 BILLBOARDS 9 TELEVISION 15 SATNAV 17 ROADSIGN 18 ARMS 21 SALSA 22 ALLEGRO 23 ORIENT 24 ATE 12 SUNSHADE 14 TRAILER 16 AGHAST 19 ROGUE 20 PLEA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE. SUPPLEMENT. RX INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY HEALTH PLANS CALL FOR A NO COST QUOTE! JENNIFER TOMAS LICENSED INSURANCE AGENT 772-834-4703 TOMASINSURANCE.COM