05/18/2023 ISSUE 20

The lengthy construction project between the bridges to add sidewalks, bike lines and pedestrian crossings on the east side of State Road A1A has some island residents ecstatic about the eventual benefits, but many complaining about increased traffic hazards during construction. The $4 million project manNews 1-12 Arts 45-48 Books 38 Dining 64-67 Editorial 36 Games 39-41 Health 49-59 Insight 31-44 People 13-29 Pets 30 Real Estate 71-84 Style 60-63 May 18, 2023 Volume 16, Issue 20 Newsstand Price $2.00 TO ADVERTISE CALL 772-559-4187 FOR CIRCULATION CALL 772-226-7925 Who wants to be Vero’s new finance director? P10 Ballet Vero wows Windsor. P26 Veteran prosecutor named to judicial post. P10 ‘Mardi’ party provides boost for We Care. P14 © 2023 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. For breaking news visit Five years after Susy Tomassi wandered away from The Quilted Giraffe restaurant and disappeared – two months after her skeletal remains were discovered near the Oslo Boat Ramp – the Sheriff’s Office finally has a suspect. Everybody. Or at least “anybody that’s attached to this case,” as Sheriff Eric Flowers put it during a press conference last week. And, apparently, that “anybody” includes Tomassi’s longtime husband, Patrick. “Not just the husband, but she’s got an extensive family,” Flowers said. “She’s got a family that goes over to Italy. She has family all over. Everyone is potentially a suspect in this case.” Everyone, that is, except the man depicted in the sketch Flowers publicly released at ‘Hail Mary’ bid launched to save beach project Indian River County is making one final push to get enough oceanfront homeowners to sign the easements needed to replenish beaches from just south of Castaway Cove to The Moorings using federal and state grant dollars. The previous four campaigns to collect sufficient signed easements have failed, so what’s the difference this time around? A personal touch. On May 2, county commissioners signed off on giving Sandpointe resident Doug Demuth 30 days to collect easement signatures with a door-to-door approach. The hope is that if Demuth can get four additional signatures, the county will have met its target to proceed with a $10,000 feasibility study. The study would then help county staff rework the project scope to eliminate the 14 northernBY CASEY STAVENHAGEN Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 BY PIETER VANBENNEKOM Staff Writer Emeritus Islanders helping fill coffers of sheriff candidate Thornton A1A construction divides neighbors into 2 camps Nearly half of the $127,275 raised in April by political newcomer Milo Thornton for his 2024 campaign for sheriff came from island contributors. More is on the way. According to a news release issued by Thornton’s campaign, the 45-year-old sheriff’s captain had collected nearly $36,000 through the first five days of this month – and that was before he attended a fundraiser at the Quail Valley River Club last week. The fundraiser was his secCONTINUED ON PAGE 8 In the midst of the pandemic, Alex MacWilliam Inc., the oldest real estate brokerage on the barrier island, deBY STEVEN M. THOMAS Staff Writer ‘Buzz’ created by AMAC rebranding pays dividends for longtime island realty firm BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer cided it needed to modernize its brand. In mid-2021, the company hired a top brand consultant and came up with a new look and fresh marketing apCONTINUED ON PAGE 9 Milo Thornton chats with Moorings resident Dr. Raymond Della Porta Sr. aged by District 4 of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) started last spring and is more or less on schedule to be finished this fall. Construction has been phased to reduce the impact on the community, according to FDOT Project Manager Humberto Arrieta, and ocMY VERO BY RAY MCNULTY Tomassi murder probe takes a puzzling turn PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

2 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ the gathering. He’s merely a “person of interest,” the sheriff said. What makes him so interesting? The sketch was drawn with the help of an unidentified middle-aged woman who contacted the Sheriff’s Office within a month after news reports of Tomassi’s remains being found. She told deputies a man driving a white pickup truck approached her near the South Vero Square shopping area and tried to lure her into his vehicle. Indeed, her account of the incident was eerily similar to what detectives observed in the enhanced surveillance video that showed Tomassi, on the day she disappeared, stopping to talk to the driver of a white pickup truck and getting into the passenger seat before the vehicle drove off. Not only did both incidents occur in the same general location, but the woman who came forward said hers NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 My Vero

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 3 might’ve been murdered in some other location and her body later dumped in the boat-ramp area – but he didn’t acknowledge that possibility until asked by a news reporter. That would appear to be the most likely scenario, though, given the massive search that ensued after Tomassi was reported missing. The Sheriff’s Office responded within an hour and utilized every means available, including a helicopter, K-9 and marine units, agricultural units on all-terrain vehicles, a SWAT team, detectives and patrol deputies. It seems highly unlikely her body was there and everyone missed it. For what it’s worth, Flowers said he is optimistic that his detectives will eventually determine the circumstances surrounding Tomassi’s death and how she ended up in those mangroves. Finding Tomassi’s remains changed the investigation’s focus from a missing person to murder, and Flowers said the recent developments have “renewed our excitement” about the case. Detectives now have an autopsy that confirms Tomassi was shot and a sketch of a person they want to find NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 happened several months before Tomassi’s March 2018 disappearance. That’s quite a coincidence. So, yeah, this new development would seem to be a significant break in a case that has offered few other leads. But is it? One West Palm Beach-based TV station reported last weekend the Sheriff’s Office had received 22 calls since the sketch was released and that detectives were following up on 14 of them. Maybe they’ll get lucky. We need to remember, however, that the woman who provided the information used by the sketch artist was recalling a brief interaction that occurred more than five years earlier. Also, the sketch is of a man who was believed to be 30 to 40 years old with a medium build and shoulder-length brown hair. We must assume the man has aged. His build might’ve changed. Perhaps he has grown a beard, which has become trendy in recent years. Then there’s this: Does anyone look at that sketch and see shoulder-length hair? Still, if this sketch does somehow help detectives find this man, the investigation into Tomassi’s disappearance and death could start getting traction. Already, it’s fair to wonder if the driver of the white pickup truck regularly cruised along South Vero Square and whether the same man approached both women, which, if true, begs the question: Is it possible Tomassi had previously encountered the driver and felt she knew him well enough to get into his truck? Tomassi, who was 73 and in the early stages of dementia, often walked from The Quilted Giraffe – which she owned with her husband – through South Vero Square and to the small park behind the shopping plaza. It’s certainly a plausible theory. For now, though, all we know is what Flowers has told us. Actually, that’s not entirely true: We know that Tomassi received a gunshot wound to the head, because this column broke that news two months ago, after a source familiar with the Sheriff’s Office’s investigation revealed that detectives found a bullet-size hole in her skull. For whatever reasons, Flowers didn’t mention until last week’s press conference that Tomassi had been shot, and he wouldn’t identify where the bullet struck her. The sheriff did say detectives don’t know if Tomassi was killed where her remains were found on March 3, or if she was killed in the immediate vicinity and storms, tides and currents combined to push her body deep into the mangroves. He also conceded that Tomassi

4 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ and interrogate. And according to their boss, they now have a suspect, too. “We’re looking at everybody,” Flowers said. “From the beginning – from the moment she went missing – we always looked at family. We’ve always looked at folks that were related and part of this. “So far, we’ve been unable to make a case on it,” he added, “but that doesn’t mean in the future we won’t be able to.” By now, Tomassi’s husband and other family members must know what Flowers said at the press conference. We can only imagine what they’re thinking? The former restaurateur – he closed The Quilted Giraffe five months after his wife’s disappearance and recently sold Mr. Manatee’s Casual Grille – did not respond to a detailed message left on his cellphone last weekend. Nor did he answer his phone Monday. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Flowers might be bluffing in hopes of provoking a reaction that might produce another lead in case, but his decision to publicly identify Tomassi’s family members as suspects was as unusual as it was surprising. A five-year-old investigation now has taken a puzzling turn. NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 My Vero

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 5 casional lane closures were limited to non-peak hours, between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to avoid the morning and evening rush hours and between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. on weeknights. The rebuilding of A1A extends from Jasmine Lane just south of the 17th Street Causeway northbound along A1A past the Riomar Golf Course and the Central Beach residential area to Banyan Road, just north of Beachland Boulevard. The contractor on the project is Zahlene Enterprises, Inc., of Miami, which has been rotating crews of construction workers, mostly Cubans and other Latin Americans, from South Florida into a rented home in the area. Last week, work was concentrated mainly close to the Beachland Boulevard intersection where a backhoe was preparing the terrain for a portion of the new sidewalk. The project involves repaving and restriping existing asphalt pavement, widening the roadway to accommodate a 7-foot buffered bicycle lane, building a 6-foot sidewalk (curved where space permits such as alongside the Riomar Golf Course), upgrading drainage, bringing existing curb NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A1A construction

6 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ NEWS The Finest PreOwned Rolex Watches Le Classique Jewelers and Watchmakers Every Rolex Watch comes backed with our 1 year Warranty. All Rolex Service and repairs are done on premises. Prices Upon Request 3001 Ocean Drive # 105, Vero Beach, FL 32963 772-231-2060 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 A1A construction ramps up to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and adding two on-request signalized pedestrian crossings mid-block at Iris and Dahlia Lanes. “I think it’s going to be absolutely fantastic,” said Michael Cofone, who lives right next to A1A at 716 Azalea Lane. “Sure, it’s a little dusty and dirty right now during the construction, but that goes with the territory for a construction project. You just have to accept that as the price for the eventual benefits. “We are thrilled,” Cofone said, referring to the goal of making the road safer for cyclists and pedestrians alike. He anticipated that many Central Beach residents will want to use the signalized pedestrian crossings to reach Riverside Park and its many attractions on the west side of A1A. “The motorists may have to slow down a bit at times at the pedestrian crossings, but they’ll just have to get used to it,” Cofone said. However, a female resident along A1A a few blocks further south did not agree. “I wish it had never been done in the first place,” said the resident who asked that her name not be used. “They had a similar plan to add sidewalks on the east side of A1A further north, by John’s Island, but they were able to stop it.” In October 2018, the Indian River Shores Town Council, in response to concern from town residents, sent FDOT a letter strongly opposing a planned 2.3- mile sidewalk on the east side of A1A, requesting an expanded bicycle lane instead. Weeks later FDOT scrapped the sidewalk and re-engineered the plan to include more space for cyclists. Several years before the Shores took on FDOT plans, the South Beach Property Owners Association mounted similar opposition to an eastern A1A sidewalk on the southern part of the island. The Vero woman who thought the Shores had the right idea said traffic has really backed up during construction and the situation was made worse by the fact that on almost every one of the Central Beach streets, home construction projects are in progress which means that heavy construction vehicles have to make the turns into the narrow streets past the A1A road building barriers. She said piles of sand for the construction projects have been hit by trucks and cars several times at corners. “The sand is scattered all over the place,” she said. “When I’m trying to turn left out of my street to go south on A1A, traffic is often backed up northbound, so I have no way of seeing if anyone is coming in the southbound lane,” the woman said. “The long line of cars is blocking my view. Trying to get across is a nightmare.” She said one morning the traffic situation was almost comical. “A construction guy was holding up a stop sign, trying to get traffic to stop to let someone get through, but he was holding it kind of diagonally, so no one had any idea who was supposed to stop.” Before the project started, FDOT held a virtual meeting to explain the purpose and the scope of the project to which all local public officials as well as residents were invited to hear the explanations and ask questions. FDOT also said it sent letters to all property owners and occupants of homes within 500 feet of the project explaining how they would – and would not – be impacted, but few if any residents recalled getting any such letter or invitations to attend the virtual meeting. most properties from the replenishment area. “Bottom line is: those folks up north were never going to sign on this thing and this plan was hatched three and a half years ago,” Demuth said. “They never talked to these people — had they done that, then they would have come up with a plan B.” Demuth presented his Plan B project alteration to the Board of County Commissioners on March 7, but it was struck down 3-2. Afterward, Demuth said he forced the issue with the Beach and Shores Preservation Advisory Committee, or BSPAC, which brought forward the approved recommendation on May 2. While there is no guarantee that FEMA will approve an extension for the $10 million funding awarded due to storm damage, County Commission Chair Joe Earman said he hopes progress on the easements will help buy the county more time. “If Demuth can come back and get easements and FEMA sees that we’ve got easements, maybe they say, ‘Yeah, we can give y’all another extension,’” Earman said. “This is the ‘Hail Mary’ pass without a doubt.” Where the county previously only corresponded by letter, Demuth is utilizing his personal connection with area residents. “Laura Moss and I met with a resident last Saturday and went through CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Beach replenishment project stuff,” Demuth said. “She’s an influencer – she’s got two neighbors who also turned down the initial easement. So if I can get her to sign up she can help me with the other two. There’s another guy who seems to be a property flipper. He evidently owns two properties in Sector 7. I think he signed one for one of the previous properties, so I’m guessing he might sign for both.” Of the 14 properties that Demuth can target for signatures, he said he thinks the odds are good with seven. “Trying to track them down is a challenge,” Demuth said. “A number of them are snowbirds, so they’ve got homes in other places. Some other folks are investors, so trying to funnel your way through to who the warm body who signed the document to purchase is sometimes a challenge.” Even if the signature target is achieved, proceeding with the project will not be guaranteed. While the construction permits are already in hand, the feasibility study will need to determine if a lasting, viable project can be done without the northern area of about 700 yards. The northern section was engineered to serve as a “feeder beach,” by receiving 43 percent of the total 294,496 cubic yards of sand, which would largely flow south. Altering the northern feeder area, according to county staff estimations, shortens the project lifespan from seven years to two years. “The permit should be valid as long as work within the constraints of the permit,” said natural resources manager Eric Charest. “We can fill less than the permit is, but then that’s where the feasibility is. Is it worth placing X amount of sand if we’re supposed to place Y?” With the additional delay, a project now could not begin until November 2024 due to the sea turtle nesting season. Yet, the consistent push for a working project stems from what could be dire consequences. County estimations show that Sector 7 will receive approximately $3 million in annual damages if not restored. “We’re not strong-arming anybody,” Demuth said. “The message to these folks is, ‘You have to weigh the risk of not getting more sand versus signing an easement that may be a little more constrictive than you’d like.’ Remember, you’re sitting in that area of Indian River County that FDEP claims is critically eroded and will continue to be more and more. “To not do anything just doesn’t seem like a very good strategy when what you’re trying to do is save the beaches,” Demuth said. “We’re not going in there

8 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ and showing tales of woe, disaster and destruction. These folks know what they have and what they used to have.” While South Barrier Island residents balk at signing easements, Indian River Shores residents desperately want the county to replenish the town’s stormweary beaches. Last week, the county Beach and Shores Advisory Committee recommended the county commission “direct staff to look at performing a feasibility study to determine eligibility for Sector 4 (the central and southern end of Indian River Shores) becoming an engineered beach.” The swath of beach called Sector 4 runs from John’s Island to Tracking Station Beach. Shoring up the dunes will require easements from a target percentage of 63 residences to permit any work done. On May 8, FEMA determined that the town’s beaches did not qualify for federal funding. The storm damage did not meet the “critically eroded” criteria even though “review of the current Sector 4 data as it relates to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole losses, indicates NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Beach replenishment project CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Thornton lands island donors ond at the island-based country club since he launched his campaign on April 6. Other well-attended fundraisers previously were held at Windsor Club and the Central Beach waterfront home of businessman Hans Kraaz. “A lot of people on the island were expressing interest in my campaign, but they wanted to wait and see if I was going to get out there and do the work necessary to earn their support,” Thornton said last weekend. “They wanted to meet me, hear what I had to say, and see what they’d be investing in,” he added. “They wanted to make sure the candidate wasn’t going to just sit back and let somebody else do all the heavy lifting. “They’ve seen that nobody is going to outwork me – that I’m committed to this race and I’m going to deliver on my promises – and I’m extremely grateful for both the opportunity to meet with them and the support they’ve given to my campaign early on.” Certainly, the impact of the island money has been significant, if not pivotal. The other candidate vying to become the Republican nominee for sheriff is Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry, whose campaign has raised just under $55,000 since he filed to run in November. Of that amount, however, only $7,900 has come from the 32963 ZIP code. Also expected to enter the Republican race is incumbent Eric Flowers, who, as of Monday, hadn’t yet filed to run but has said he will seek re-election. He spent $234,445 during his COVID-impacted 2020 campaign. Flowers, who hasn’t responded to Vero Beach 32963’s interview requests since taking office in January 2021, is quoted in Russ Lemmon’s LemmonLines publication this week as saying he has “never, ever thought about not running” and plans to announce his candidacy on June. 1. “There are supporters begging to give me checks,” Flowers told Lemmon, adding that he has not lost any “big supporters” as the result of this newspaper’s coverage of his travails this past year. Thornton declined to comment on his boss’ impending entry into the race. In response to a request for comment on Flower’s plan to seek re-election and Thornton’s impressive fundraising efforts, Touchberry sent an email stating he was “not available” because he was attending the FBI National Command Course in Virginia. Touchberry was the runner-up to Flowers in the 2020 Republican primary. Deborah Cooney, a former bank executive who lost to Flowers in a landslide in the 2020 general election, again is running with no party affiliation. As of April 30, the end of the most recent reporting period, the county Supervisor of Elections’ website showed that her campaign had raised only $5,400 and she already had spent more than $4,000 of that amount. Actually, though, Cooney loaned her campaign $5,000 in December 2020, shortly after filing to run again, and her expenditures were repayments of that loan – $1,000 in April 2021, $1,000 in May 2021, and $2,000 this past March – to herself. Thornton, meanwhile, established himself as the early frontrunner, having raised more than $160,000 in the first 30 days of his campaign. His sixfigure haul in April far exceeded the first-month fundraising totals of the winners of the last two sheriff’s races: Deryl Loar ($15,200 in 2016) and Flowers ($33,800 in 2020). In addition to the $163,175 raised by Thornton’s campaign through May 5, supporters had donated more than $50,000 in monetary ($37,000) and in-kind ($14,700) contributions to the “Friends of Milo Thornton” political action committee. That gives him a war chest in excess of $200,000, but he said he’s just getting started. “This campaign is not anywhere near over,” Thornton said. “I’m very appreciative of the support and contributions I’ve received, but it’s my job to make sure the support and contributions continue through the coming months.” And not only on the island. “The people on the island have been very generous, and I hope that continues, but I’m also receiving a lot of support on the mainland,” Thornton said. “I hope that will continue, too.” that comparing the pre- and poststorm surveys shows a surveyed loss of 50,200 cubic yards of sand above Mean High Water (dry beach and dune losses),” according to a staff report. FEMA, though, measures an area differently, considering all the sand in a system, even that which is underwater. With those measurements, there was an increase of 11,700 cubic yards of sand within the sector. The staff report reads, “It is anticipated that the County will challenge the FEMA determination.” If work is done without FEMA’s support, the project could cost between $5 million and $6 million, which would be partially covered by $1,152,520.43 in Florida Department of Environmental Protection funding.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 9 proach, with a bold orange four-letter logo – AMAC – and strong emphasis on the terms neighbor and neighborhood. The initiative paid off. Based on data for the first four months of 2023, the company has gained substantial market share since the rebranding and its dollar volume is up nearly 20 percent over the first four months of 2022 – a lucrative period when the pandemic real estate boom was still underway. “Going into the year, I was afraid all the challenges in today’s economy would hinder our sales,” said company president Alex “Buzz” MacWilliam III. “Every day, we listen to the news and every day we are afraid of another bank failure or a recession or the debt ceiling and I thought all that would shake confidence and reduce demand for homes. “But it hasn’t had that affect for us. NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Alex MacWilliam, Inc.

10 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The job pays well, offers attractive benefits and is located in one of Florida’s most desirable cities. So why has finding Vero Beach’s next finance director been such a struggle? “Cindy Lawson is going to be very hard to replace,” City Manager Monte Falls said last week, as he continued his search for the right candidate to succeed Lawson, who retired last month after 12 years on the job. Lawson’s successor will work with week how they heard about us and they said they fell in love with our YouTube videos,” said Alex MacWilliam IV, Buzz MacWilliam’s son, whose nickname since childhood has been AMAC. The videos, which run as pre-content ads on YouTube, feature a mix of historical images of Vero Beach and contemporary vignettes with Alex IV and others talking about the company’s history and philosophy in lively scenes at recognizable Vero locations. “Welcome to our neighborhood,” Alex IV says in one, emerging from Corey’s drugstore onto a busy sidewalk across the street from the company’s office on Ocean Drive. The core message of the videos and the rebranded marketing effort is that Vero Beach is Alex MacWilliam Inc.’s neighborhood, where its owners and agents have been greeting newcomOne of State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl’s few remaining seasoned prosecutors has been tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Circuit Court Judge Dan Vaughn, who retired in January after 32 years on the bench. Newly appointed Judge Anastasia Norman, 40, had been working major crimes cases for the State Attorney’s Office in Ft. Pierce. At the time of her application for the judicial post in February, she’d tried more than 150 cases since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2007. Norman submitted an impressive set of recommendation letters from both the Martin and St. Lucie County sheriffs, and from 19th Circuit Public Defender Diamond Litty, whose defense attorneys she opposed in court. Retired Assistant State Attorney Lev Evans, Norman’s predecessor in major crimes, wrote a persuasive letter recommending Norman, too. “Anastasia will be an excellent judge. Very polite, very understated, and very smart. In essence, she has the temperament, the experience, and the intelligence necessary to be a great judge,” Evans said. Evans said he’s spoken to numerous lawyers who have gone through the nomination process for open judicial seats, and gone are the days of the political appointment. He said lawyers are evaluated on their skills and experience, scrutinized about their approach to the law and “grilled” to see how they handle the pressure. Since retiring in April 2022 and waiting the required one-year period before being able to help out his former colleagues, Evans has recently returned to major crimes part time to help with case management and trial preparations. Though he works behind the scenes two days a week, Evans said he won’t be trying any cases. “Anastasia’s appointment is of course a loss to the State Attorney’s Office. In recent years, the low pay scales and increased workloads have made prosecution a less and less attractive profession,” said Evans, who got his criminal law training in New Orleans, but returned home to Martin County to practice. “However, Tom Bakkedahl has managed to snag some qualified recruits and the governor has vowed to increase salaries.” Norman, a St. Lucie County resident, beat out two Vero Beach lawyers who made it through the first round of interviews to be recommended to the governor. January through April, our unit sales were down 16 percent, but our dollar volume was up 18 percent, from $85 million last year to $101 million this year. And we leapfrogged over several of our competitors in market share.” MLS data aggregated by real estate analytics firm Terradatum shows that the company moved from fifth or sixth a couple of years ago to third in overall market share for all types of property in Indian River County in the first four months of this year. Crucially, the company was also third in luxury sales, with more than 10 percent of the million-dollar-and-up sales on the island and across the county. It also sold houses quicker than any other major brokerage with an average of just 56 days on market before closing. “Our rebranding is starting to mature,” said MacWilliam. “People are more aware of our brand as a family-owned company with deep local roots. The new eye-catching colors and modern logo, along with our videos that are widely seen on Facebook and YouTube and other platforms have had a big impact in getting new clients and sales agents.” “We asked two agents we hired last NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Alex MacWilliam, Inc. ers, building relationships and selling houses for 74 years. Buzz MacWilliam has been president of the company since 1980 and has firsthand knowledge of every real estate up and down over the past 43 years, starting with the 14 percent-18 percent interest rates in the 1980s, through the doldrums of the 1990s, to the epic boom and bust in the early 2000s, right up to what he calls the “totally unprecedented” market brought on by the pandemic. “The current market is still on a positive upward trend,” he said in his office last week. “The number of sales is down ... but prices have remained strong and are still increasing at a modest rate in most areas of Indian River County. “History teaches us that a market correction is bound to happen sometime, but I doubt it will be in the second half of 2023.” Whatever happens in the market going forward, the company is ready to continue adapting to changing times, same as it has for more than seven decades, according to Kyle Von Kohorn, a member of the management team. “Adapt is the key word and concept,” he said. “Alex MacWilliam has been able to succeed all these years by being flexible and adaptable, and that is our philosophy going forward.” Kyle Von Kohorn, Alex and Buzz MacWilliam. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS Veteran prosecutor lands judicial post Who wants to be Vero’s finance director? BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

12 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The Indian River Shores Town Council will hold a closed or “shade” meeting with its attorneys on May 25 to talk in private about what the town’s next move might be, in light of a disappointing ruling in favor of the City of Vero Beach by the Fourth District Court of Appeals last week. The three-judge panel which heard oral arguments from the parties on April 4 issued an opinion affirming the lower court’s summary judgment ruling that Vero did not violate a 2012 franchise agreement with the Town of Indian River Shores. The court emphasized that Vero has the authority under state law to set its own rates, and said the Shores did not present evidence to counter Vero’s claims that its utility was losing money by matching Indian River County rates as promised in the franchise agreement. Vero City Manager Monte Falls said of the win, “The City of Vero Beach is pleased with the decision of the Fourth DCA, which affirmed the earlier decision of Circuit Court Judge Janet Croom. Each of these decisions were correct on the facts and the law. We look forward to the Fourth DCA decision becoming final, ending this dispute and the unnecessary use of taxpayer resources.” Will the Shores push the matter all the way to the Florida Supreme Court? Or will its legal team devise some creative alternative path? Is it time to drop the matter and focus on negotiating a deal with Indian River County for water-sewer service when the franchise agreement with Vero expires in 2027? Those will be some topics likely on the table next week in what’s likely to be a dour meeting of town officials. “Of course, I am extremely disappointed with the appellate court’s decision. The decision lets stand, and rewards, the city’s blatantly immoral conduct. The city made a solemn contractual promise to the town knowing it would not honor its promises. This shameful conduct should give enormous pause to anyone considering a business relationship with the City of Vero Beach. The town’s legal counsel is considering the next appropriate steps to take to remedy this injustice,” Shores Mayor Brian Foley said on Monday. But due to the constraints of Florida’s Sunshine laws, council members won’t be allowed to discuss Vero’s double-digit water-sewer rate hikes imposed on town residents in January. “That’s not in litigation yet,” Shores Town Attorney Pete Sweeney said of the rate hikes imposed upon the Shores’ utility ratepayers in January. Four months since the first bills arrived charging 22 percent more for sewer service than in 2022, hiking the total residential bill by an average of 15 percent, Indian River Shores has not yet taken Vero to court for what town officials call a separate breach of the Shores’ 2012 water-sewer franchise agreement with Vero. “The attorney-client meeting, or ‘shade’ meeting as some call it, will be limited to the parameters as allowed by Florida Statute section 286.011(8) in the matter of appellate case number 22-1646, Town of Indian River Shores v. City of Vero Beach,” Sweeney said. The imposition of Vero’s “One Rate” plan is not a matter being actively litigated, despite the fact that both Mayor Foley and Councilman Bob Auwaerter have said the rate increase clearly violates the 2012 franchise agreement. In that contract, Vero promised to match Indian River County Utilities rates in order to gain a competitive advantage over Indian River County officials who were, at the time, also pitching for the Shores’ utility business. But now Vero officials say it can’t afford to match county rates, and that it would violate state law to force other ratepayers to subsidize cheaper rates for Shores customers. “They are related, but legally they are separate and distinct,” Sweeney said of the two separate times Vero did not match county rates for Indian River Shores. The appellate case centers around a 2019 dispute over reuse irrigation rates only – not water-sewer rates. It stemmed from a county decision to cut its own reuse irrigation water rates by two thirds, and Vero not following suit. The Shores filed a breach of contract suit, which triggered mandatory mediation, which failed miserably. Attorneys on both sides began taking depositions and collecting discovery documents, but in October 2021, Vero asked for a final summary judgment to conclude the matter without a trial. Circuit Court Judge Janet Croom granted Vero’s request and ruled in favor of the city on the basis of the pleadings and case law presented, plus a hearing conducted over Zoom. To get its day in court with current and former city officials being called as witnesses and records of the 2012 contract negotiations being admitted into evidence, the town could file a separate lawsuit taking Vero to task about the January rate increases. Falls, a project manager and various consultants and contractors to accomplish two of the biggest projects Vero Beach has ever undertaken – the Three Corners development, and the construction of a state-of-the-art water reclamation facility at the Vero Beach Regional Airport. Those two projects could amount to expenditure of more than $200 million. Falls said he had interviewed three applicants – one from Anchorage, Alaska; and two from Florida, one from Lake Worth; and one from Port St. Lucie – and two others canceled their scheduled sessions. The city is still advertising for the position, he added, and no decision is imminent. Falls said City Comptroller Kelley Brost, who worked closely with Lawson and was second-in-command in the finance department, has taken on the director’s duties an interim basis. “Kelley probably would’ve been offered Cindy’s job, but she has expressed to us she doesn’t want to be the permanent finance director,” Falls said. “It’s an important position and we need to fill it sooner rather than later, and we need to fill it with the right person. “But Kelley is very capable and we have someone here to sign all the documents.” Falls said the city had received 10 applications, but, as last week ended, only a handful of the candidates possessed the qualifications he is seeking in a finance director. Accounting experience isn’t enough. “Government finance and private finance are very different animals,” Falls said. “It’s a big advantage to have some government experience. I’m not saying it’s necessary, but it’s certainly helpful.” Working in a local government requires responding to elected officials, interacting with citizens and addressing issues in public forums, Falls said, adding that Lawson was comfortable performing in each those roles. Prior to joining the Vero staff in 2011, Lawson served as longtime finance director for the Village of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. “She knew her material,” he continued, “and when you know your material, you’re confident talking about it.” According to Vero Beach’s advertisement, the new director will be paid $105,000 to $115,000 annually to manage the overall operations of the Finance Department. Those duties include planning, organizing and directing all of the city’s financial and accounting functions. NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Finance director Bitter utility ruling has Shores mulling options BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer

JENNIFER JONES, DR. NANCY BAKER AND DR. MICHAELA SCOTT. HEARTY ‘MARDI’ PARTY HELPING FUND WE CARE’S VITAL MISSION

14 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The We Care Foundation celebrated another year of providing specialty medical care and services to uninsured and underinsured patients with an over-the-top Mardi Gras at the Oak Harbor Club. A roving magician, stilt-walker and fortune teller brought a bit of New Orleans flair to Vero Beach before the Jammin’ Jambalaya Band led the way into the dining room to start the festivities. The Indian River Charter High School Performing Arts students then kicked things into high gear with a spectacular performance. After indulging in a sumptuous dinner – as one does on Fat Tuesday – guests bid on various auction items, purchased tickets for a jewelry raffle, and played a high-stakes game of Hi/ Lo, all to enable the foundation to continue providing care. “This is a special time for the We Care Foundation, and tonight we BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Staff Writer Lyndsay Marone, Lydia Zaccaro, Amy Hass and Tattiana Moylan. Hearty ‘Mardi’ party helps fund We Care’s vital mission Indian River Charter High School Dance and Theatre students. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 15 have so much to celebrate; a rich history and a very bright future,” said Jennifer Jones, who recently became the executive director of the nonprofit. Noting that We Care had been founded by the late Dr. Dennis Saver, she added, “He believed that every person deserves quality healthcare regardless of their ability to pay.” Jones explained that despite working multiple jobs, their clients often need to decide between putting food on the table and paying their bills. “They live paycheck to paycheck. Becoming sick or getting injured and not going to work could easily displace them and their families from their homes,” said Jones. She commented that after identifying language, education and transportation as key barriers to care, they implemented translation protocols, now have a patient advocate, and will provide transportation to improve patient care. We Care has also partnered with CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

16 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Treasure Coast Community Health to share space and enable better patient access. Since making that connection, she said they have given hope to nearly 500 individuals needing critical care. “Over 40 specialty physicians volunteered and provided life-changing services within 17 care areas, including cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology and ophthalmology,” said Jones. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 Terra and David Mundy with Kim Hanley and Dr. Karen Westberry. Tabitha Murphy and Alexis Owens. Tamara and Wayne Smith with Paul and Margo Hamilton and Diana Tremesani. Mark and Patricia Ashdown. Gerrie Smith and Dr. William Cooney. Joe and Judy Coakley with Dr. Alastair Kennedy. Angela and Greg Nelson. Dr. Julie Vargo and Dr. David O’Brien.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 17 Physicians volunteer to provide more than $1 million in vital services each year, and the foundation supplements that care by providing short-term prescription assistance, transportation for medical appointments, cataract lenses and medical supplies. Jones said they offer care to those who “need it most and who have little of it,” before sharing the story of a 37-year-old mother recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Rectal Cancer. Sharing the woman’s words, Jones said, “because I don’t have insurance, We Care has saved my life. They provided me with the ability to have this test done. “Otherwise, I would have never been able to afford it. Ultimately, that test saved my life.” For more information, visit wecareofirc.org. Susan Gross, Kathy Walker and Dale Simchick. Patricia Ashdown, Nicki Maslin and Carol Kanarek. Scott Schnell and Ginnie Crandall. Daniel and April Reich. Ann Marie McCrystal and Judge Paul Kanarek. Gildamar and Bill Tait. Drs. Michael and Georgia Shapiro.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ There were no tricks involved at the Environmental Learning Center during LagoonFest on April Fool’s Day, but rather a whole lot of love for the environment. Visitors took advantage of the opportunity to explore the 64-acre lagoon-island nature center, a bio-diverse campus in the middle of the Indian River Lagoon, which is known as a place to unplug from technology, discover beauty in the world, and connect with nature. In addition to traversing the boardwalks and trails among the native flora, the more adventurous waded into the pond for dip-netting or took kayaking trips through the mangrove forests. Others dipped their fingers into the Touch Tank in the Discovery Station or learned from the various environmental partners about everything from mosquitoes to protecting sea turtles. The day was all about spreading the word about the ELC mission to “educate, inspire and empower all people to be active stewards of the environment and their own well-being.” For more information, visit discoverelc.org. Adventurous souls in their element at ELC’s LagoonFest Kylie Cavanaugh, Danielle Cavanaugh and Louise Mancino. Reinhard Hinterbuchner and Patrick Pitts. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS Jan Garrison and Alise Krasfranz.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 19 Reinhard Hinterbuchner and Patrick Pitts. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS From left: Julia Keenan and Kerry Keeney. Mike Block with Eilidh. Hayden Schlitt, Sirus Cetrulo and Rory Ellison. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

20 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Joe and Shari Tessier. Haoyue Wang, Yuegi Yang and Xinen Jiang. Jonah Mitchell. Staci and Matt Rosalia with Sienna. Mira Strelkov. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Christina and Chase Cornell with Cora and Charlee.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ A four-time world champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist in men’s figure skating, Scott Hamilton hasn’t lost his edge since stepping off the ice. Hamilton charmed supporters of the Alzheimer and Parkinson Association of Indian River County with stories of resilience at the nonprofit’s Successful Aging Luncheon at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. “We’ve often been asked, ‘Why isn’t this an Alzheimer’s lunch?’ ‘Why isn’t this a Parkinson’s lunch?’ We do bring in speakers, obviously, for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, movement disorders, because that is our bandwidth,” said Peggy Cunningham, executive director. “If you have the right philosophy towards aging. If you have the right outlook on life, all of those challenges will become easier.” Cunningham noted that the organization provides 42 free programs and services to families caring for loved Pure gold: Olympian inspires at ‘Alzheimer & Parkinson’ BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Staff Writer Tamra Bremermann and Scott Hamilton. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 23 ones with memory and movement disorders, giving them support and connection, and adding that supporters’ generosity makes that possible. “There’s nothing like hearing someone walk out your door and say, ‘I’m not alone.’ Because it’s the journey, and we’re all taking it together,” said Cunningham. Introducing Hamilton, she said his motto is, ‘The only disability in life is a bad attitude.’ She added that Hamilton “is a constant reminder that with faith, fortitude and determination, anything is possible. Now that sounds like a formula for successful aging.” Adopted as an infant, Hamilton said Leslie Stokes and Cari Cahill. Kerry Bartlett and Lenora Ritchie. Stephanie Wilson and Steve Owen. Peggy Cunningham and Meg Cunningham. Robbi and Mark Peirce with Mindy Servis. CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 Herb Fitzgibbon and Will McDermott. Sue Tompkins and David Kanarek. Bob and Emilie Burr. Sandy and Randy Rolf. Shirley Walker and Beth Livers.

24 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ he spent much of his youth in and out of hospitals as medical professionals tried to diagnose the mysterious childhood disease that stunted his growth. He recalled having to swallow weighted string, being put in a strait jacket, and being taunted by other children for having a tube taped to his face. He did it always with a sense of humor, testament to his outlook on life. Hamilton said when the family physician suggested he enroll in an iceskating program at the new facility at Bowling Green State University, it was advice that changed his life. “Pretty soon I was skating as well as the well kids and pretty soon, as well as the best athletes in my grade. Selfesteem is the most powerful agent on the planet. If you feel good about yourself, that gives everyone else permission to feel good about you. It was the first time I actually felt good about me,” said Hamilton. After his mother died from cancer, Hamilton said he decided, “I can skate for her. I can try to become the person that she always dreamed I could be.” It was that devotion to her memory, he said, that helped him take gold in the Olympics. After the Olympics, Hamilton toured with the Ice Capades and Stars on Ice and was a skating commentator for many years. However, a visit to the emergency room revealed that he had a mass. “No one’s ever used the word mass in a description of me before,” joked Hamilton, who opted to take it in stride, as his mother had. “I realized if I took ownership of this thing, I could win this battle because it’s a battle I felt I was meant to win.” Shortly after marrying and the birth of their first child – a miracle, given Hamilton’s illness – they discovered Hamilton had a pituitary brain tumor. “I had been born with a brain tumor. For all those years that I skated, it stopped doing its mischief until I stopped skating,” shared Hamilton. After radiation treatment, their second son was born four years later, another miracle. “We’re here today to raise money to help people that truly need our help and cannot help themselves. It’s in that adventure of my collection of threatening illness that I realized that it’s all about the ‘getting up,’” said Hamilton, commenting that he has fallen on the ice too many times to count. “It’s the ‘getting up.’ That’s where we learn. That’s where we grow. That’s where we understand who we are and what we’re capable of. No matter what the challenge is, it’s in the response. It’s how you respond. Good or bad,” he said. “Our bodies are vulnerable and susceptible to so many countless things. In many respects equally resilient but ultimately temporary.” He suggests that people will be more fulfilled if they “live joyfully, productively, generously and in service of others. We get up. We face the next thing, and we just keep going. Life is precious, and we have to protect it with everything we have. We just serve and live and give, and serve and live and give and repeat, because that’s where the joy is.” For more information, visit AlzPark.org. Ann Marie McCrystal and Carol Kanarek. Roslyn and Ralph Evans. Marge Collins and Barbara Leigh. Gerri Smith, Kay Brown, Melissa Talley, Dr. Bill Cooney and Eileen Clune. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 Bill and Karen Penney.

26 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Ballet Vero Beach performers danced their way into the hearts of admirers at Ballet at the Pergola, a special outdoor performance at the Windsor community. Welcoming everyone, Stacey Lewis, Windsor resident and BVB board member, thanked Windsor for its annual financial support, and Jane Smalley, Windsor marketing director, for introducing its residents to Vero’s cultural arts organizations, before introducing Adam Schnell, BVB founding artistic director and CEO. Commenting that BVB is celebrating its 10th anniversary season, Schnell said it was due to the philanthropic support of communities like Windsor. The first of four dances performed, “Hang On, No Need to Be Lonely,” was choreographed in 2016 by BVB ballet master Camila Rodriguez and danced with joy and humor by the troupe to “Pink Martini.” Between pieces, Schnell spoke about BVB and its relationships with other organizations, including the Vero Beach Museum of Art, where they recently performed a dance interpretation of the remarkable Rolling Sculpture: Streamlined Art Deco Automobiles and Motorcycles exhibition. Schnell explained that Rodriquez had incorporated the lines of the The wonder of it all: Ballet Vero dancers wow ’em at Windsor BY MARY SCHENKEL Staff Writer Massiel Valderrama, Alyssa Donley, Anders Southerland, Abriella Mauldin, Katherine Eppink, Paulina Zambrana. (Front) Lindsey Kader, Selah Oliver, Camilo Rodriguez and Miranda Montes de Oca. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS Stacey Lewis, Adam Schnell and Jane Smalley. Maria Whittle and Anders Southerland.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 27 automobiles and the rhythms of Igor Stravinsky, who had been prolific during that era, to choreograph “Fleeting Lines,” which he soloed at its VBMA premier and at Windsor. Schnell said BVB is examining how to push its repertoire even further and Paulina Zambrana, Selah Jane Oliver and Miranda Montes de Oca. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

28 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ they have plans to expand its company next year and deepen their partnerships with Dimensions Dance Theater of Miami. And next season they plan to introduce the very first work by world famous choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, 2022 Tony Award winner for “MJ the Musical.” “Also, we are starting what is either going to be a two- or threeyear relationship with the Martha Graham Contemporary Dance Company to celebrate the Martha Graham Centennial. So we’re upCONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 If you can picture it, we can build it. Interior & Exterior Painting Flooring Installation Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling Countertops Minor Electrical & Plumbing Custom Woodworking And Much More! Give us a call today! Showroom: 953 Old Dixie Hwy, Ste. 4 & 5 Vero Beach, FL 32960 Workshop: 6745 N. Old Dixie Hwy, Unit 4, Fort Pierce, FL 34946 Hours: Mon-Fri • 8AM to 5PM (772) 321-7390 Check out our Easy-To-Navigate Website with Colors, Styles and Photos of our work treasurecoasthomeimprovement.com Chrissy Cochran and Lauren Cochran with Caroline, Sloane and Chloe. Becky Torbin and Carole Shelby. Christine and Peter Schmidt with Marilyn Baillie. Marjorie Mann and Carol Henderson. Jan Baldwin with Hayden and Holland Byrd.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 29 ping the bar,” said Schnell. Introducing the next piece, he said “Sylvia Pas De Deux” was originally choreographed by George Balanchine for legendary dancers Andre Eglevsky and Maria Tallchief. “Excerpt from Sylvia Pas De Deux,” the dance performed, was staged by Eglevsky’s daughter, Marina Eglevsky, who had been in the studio when Balanchine choreographed it for her father and Tallchief. Katherine Eppink and Anders Southerland elegantly danced the showpiece that Marina Eglevsky called “one of the most beautiful of Balanchine’s pas de deux.” “This last piece is particularly important to me. It is the choreography of probably my greatest mentor and certainly my greatest ballet teacher,” said Schnell, referencing Samuel Kurkjian, the first resident choreographer of Boston Ballet, and founder of the Boston Repertory Ballet. “But what he is most remembered for is devoting decades of his life to teaching at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where I went, outside of Boston, and also the Boston Conservatory,” said Schnell, recalling with a chuckle, Kurkjian teaching that “ballet is never about getting into an ugly position.” “He really is a singular influence on my life and therefore a singular influence on Ballet Vero Beach,” said Schnell. “Since we first thought about Ballet at the Pergola, I have dreamed to be able to show this to you in this setting,” said Schnell of the final piece, “Debussy Suite” or “In Summer Wind,” choreographed by Kurkjian to music by Claude Debussy and danced by the troupe. “Thank you for coming here and showing us such beauty, such elegance and such energy. My only request was that there was a tutu, so thank you for that,” said Smalley with a smile, again thanking Windsor and its residents for their continued support. Mickey Stein, Kathy Klingenstein and Robert Miller. Victoria and Stuart Lazier. Robert Lewis with Jeanne and Jim Stein. Michael and Diana Bickford with Christine and Jaime Yordan.

PETS 30 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Buhfor I gotta Woofmail about Hazel Grant, I hadn’t ever heard of an Icelandic Sheep Dog. Have you? Other kinds of herding pooches, yes: but I didn’t know there even WERE sheep to HERD in Iceland. Anyway, her NAME was fuh-MILLyer, THEN I remembered it was from the recent Sea Oaks Pawrade of Champions where there was judging in a buncha CAT-uh-gories, and Hazel had won for Loudest Bark! As me an my assistant an fuh-TAHgriffer were walkin’ up the sidewalk, Hazel was at the screen door bouncing an barkin’. LOTSA barkin’. When the door opened Hazel shot out for a super speedy Wag-an-Sniff an a whole buncha welcomin’ jumps, wiggles and slurpy kisses an, of course, BARKS. In buh-tween all that, she deftly accomplished intros an led us to a comfy sitting room. She was so pretty an eager an full of joy, I don’t think I stopped smilin’ the whole time. “Hi! Hi! Hello!” she said breathlessly, bouncin’ up to us. “I ’member you from the Pawrade, Mr. Bonzo. I don’t think we spoke cuz I get So Excited around my fellow pooches I offen Over-mingle an hafta go over to the Edges to Cahm Down. I’m a whole lotta Bark but Totally No Bite. “Anyway, welcome to my home. These are my Principal Peeps, Shirley: I call her Shidley. She’s my Feeder an Water Carrier; an this is Charlotte: I call her Lottie. She’s my Walker.” Once Hazel came to a halt, I noticed her soft creamy gold double coat, Big Fluffy Tail curled over her back, graceful snout an big eyes. Unobtrusively fluffing my ruff an reminding myself I was On The Job, I opened my notebook. “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you all, Miss Hazel,” I said in my Serious Journalist Voice. “I’m eager to hear how you an your peeps found each other, an all about your Cool Kibbles life.” “Firstly, I am an expert herder of Icelandic sheep: However, due to the complete lack of Icelandic Sheep in this area, I currently herd Shidley an Lottie. Initial attempts to herd neighboring pooches an humans were not well received so that’s out. Otherwise, I’m a Snowbirddog, livin’ in TennisEEE when I’m not here. I was born atta breeders, Greenbriar, in West Ver-GINNY-uh. At that same time, my future Furever Peeps were lookin’ for a smallish grrrl pooch who could jump up on fur-nuh-chur an …” “Wait, wha-aat?” I innerupted. “Who could jump up ON fur-nuhchur, you said?” “I KNOW, right? See, they’d hadda liddle pooch who they always hadda lift onto the chair and sofa an bed so they wanted one who could do it herself.” “Oh. OK.” “Anyway, Shidley an Lottie were searchin’ The Line an saw pickshurs of me an my sister. They wanted me, of course, but our breeder was gonna pick one of us to be a show pooch cuz (not to brag), but we were both like EGGS-cellent egg-ZAM-pells of our breed. An she couldn’t duh-SIDE. “Our pooch Mama is Ava, an our pooch Papa is Greenbriar’s Star Rainbow, Bo for short. (MY Official PAYpers name is Greenbriar’s Hazey Moon. So, now, when I get a liddle too, um, ‘athletic and conniving’ Shidley says, they call me HAZEL!!!, but when I’m all cahm an O-B-D-unt, I’m Hazey.) “Anyway, I officially (finally) got my Furever Famly when I was 4 months old an they were TRAY happy cuz, Woof! could I jump on fur-nuh-chur! “When we first met in the Fur, us puppers were inna liddle crate buh-hind the counter at the breeders. The breeder lady handed me to Shidley. We sorta stared at each other. Then I gave her a slurpy puppy kiss in the ear. It jus seemed like the thing to do, you know? Anyway, it was what humans call Love at First Sight. (Plus, I knew I could handle ’em.) They thought I was perfect an I thought THEY were perfect! An we were all RIGHT!! “The first night in my new home I was inna comfy soft crate, with a liddle zipper latch. Shidley an Lottie decided to go get a pizza an told me they’d be right back. When they returned, I was sittin’ on the sofa calmly waitin’ for ’em. (That zipper didn’t have a chance.) Can you buh-LIEVE they were suh-prized? I was like, ‘Hey, guys, ’bout time! I knew you wanned a pooch who could jump up on fur-nuh-chur so …! That pizza smells great!’” I tried but failed to stifle a laugh. “In my puppy days,” she continued, “I was a liddle ram-BUNK-shus. I sorta chewed a few things: nightgowns, pillowcase edges, shoes, clothes hangers, but that’s, like, a puppy’s JOB, right?” “Pretty much,” I had to agree. “But, NOW I have AGE appropriate toys. Not stuffies cuz I totally destroy ’em. See, these are tuff.” She showed me a flippy ball with a leather strap called a Tug-It, an the All Time Pooch Favrite: The Tennis Ball. I thought one of her Peeps would throw it an Hazel’d re-TREEVE it but no: SHE threw it. An ree-TREE-ved it herself! “You must have a ton of pooch pals,” I commented. “Oh, woof, yes! My BFF’s Rory Venne, he’s a Sheltie. We met as puppers. We know how to play,play,play! Me an Tess Potato share woofs on our 5 p.m. walks; an Wolfie Tweedie, a German Shepherd, he’s so-o Big An HANsome.” (I’m preddy sure she giggled.) “An, I’m crazy about Cosmo Vincent, he’s gotta grrreat doganality.” “Any favrite foodstuffs?” “I’m onna pretty strick kibbles diet. Sometimes I getta duh-li-shus morning banana slice. Shidley says if I could, I’d keep eatin’ till I exploded. Do you think that could really happen?” “I’m not sure, Miss Hazel. But don’t try to find out,” I suggested. Headin’ home, I was thinkin’ about sweet Miss Hazel, a practically perfect pooch who was Livin’ her Best Life in large part because she can Jump Up On Furniture. Maybe I’ll bring her a liddle piece of banana on my day off. Sigh. Till next time, Hi Dog Buddies! ‘Herd’ line news: Bonz meets an Icelandic Sheep Dog The Bonz Don’t Be Shy We are always looking for pets with interesting stories. To set up an interview, email [email protected]. Hazel. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

32 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT COVER STORY The high Arctic is an internationally neutral zone that has long kept away from geopolitics. But climate change has precipitated an unusual level of activity in the remote polar region as colliding strategic interests and melting ice stand to reshape it profoundly. Stewardship of the Arctic is suddenly in question as a result of the isolation of Russia, the largest Arctic state, over its war on Ukraine. The Arctic Council – the main body for cooperation among the eight nations that share guardianship – is in limbo. Its meetings have been suspended since last year. Russia remains a member of the council, and so will “in principle” be involved in any decisions or activities, said Thomas Winkler, Arctic Ambassador for the Kingdom of Denmark. But how that would actually happen in the current political climate “is still something that’s being considered,” he said. “I simply don’t have an answer.” What’s clear is that the low-conflict status quo is in jeopardy, putting at risk the scientific cooperation that’s flourished since the end of the Cold War. And things are becoming fraught at a time when both the warming of the Arctic and the race for its resources – possibly millions of barrels of oil and rich mineral deposits – are picking up. Who controls the top of the planet depends on where you draw the lines. Although no one “owns” the North Pole, countries with land ringing the Central Arctic Ocean already have rights extending some way beyond their coastlines, under international law. Now three of them – Russia, Canada and Denmark, on behalf of its autonomous dependent territory Greenland – are redrawing maps and arguing for more expansive sovereign rights to what’s beneath the ocean: a huge swath of the Arctic seabed, stretching across the North Pole. How the boundaries end up being Source: United States Geological Survey 2008 assessment delineated, to use the diplomatic termiOil and Gas Potential The Arctic could potentially be the largest region of untapped oil remaining on Earth. Estimated oil, in billions of barrels Russia’s offshore Prirazlomnaya oil platform sits in the Pechora Sea in the Arctic region.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ CONTINUED ON PAGE 34 nology, depends on how far the conti - nental shelf extends beyond each coun - try’s coast. All three countries claim their continental shelves stretch into an underwater mountain range called the Lomonosov Ridge. (A fourth country, Norway, made a more modest case for redrawn boundaries some years ago.) Countries will still be able to travel freely through what will remain inter - national waters. But the natural re - sources below those waters could be vast and are up for grabs. The unfold - ing contest could have major repercus - sions for who controls key resources – and for the climate. Four countries argue they are en - titled to expanded rights over the Arc - tic under international law, based on geological factors. Each already has ju - risdiction over an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) stretching below the Cen - tral Arctic Ocean. The Arctic is a strategic priority in particular for Russian President Vladi - mir Putin. Changes in Russia’s latest Arctic strategy, as outlined in a foreign policy document signed by Putin on March 31, remove references to “construc - tive international cooperation.” The policy document pledges to push back against unfriendly states hoping to mili - tarize the region and to establish closer cooperative ties with non-Arctic states “pursuing a constructive policy towards Russia,” a possible reference to China, which also has aspirations in the polar region. The US, another Arctic power, re - mains committed to the region and to the council, a State Department spokes - person said in a statement. But Russia’s actions in conducting a war against Ukraine “inhibit the cooperation, coor - dination and interaction that character - ize the work of the Arctic Council,” the person said. Finland applied to join the North At - lantic Treaty Organization in response to Putin’s aggression and was admitted on April 4. Assuming fellow Nordic na - tion Sweden eventually accedes too, Russia will then be the only Arctic pow - er that’s not a member of the alliance. “It’s global politics in a microcosm,” Andreas Østhagen, senior researcher at Norway’s Fridtjof Nansen Institute and an expert on Arctic security and geo - politics, said of the region. It’s also, he says, about countries hedging their bets. “Fifty years from now, who knows whether we are still desperately trying to extract the last remaining oil and gas resources, or we’re in desperate need of more rare earth minerals – and these might be located in this part of the Arctic.” That’s where the overlapping claims to rights over the seabed come in. GRAPH CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

34 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 INSIGHT COVER STORY Russia, Denmark and Canada each claim that the Lomonosov Ridge, which traverses the pole, is an extension of the continental shelf continuing from its coastline into the Central Arctic Ocean. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, this would confer exclusive sovereign rights to natural resources on and below the polar sea floor, beyond the exclusive economic zones that stretch up to 200 nautical miles (230 miles) off their coasts. As well as those countries, Norway has made a submission – backed in 2009 by the independent body tasked with reviewing the science, known as the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) – but it stops well short of the North Pole. The U.S., meanwhile, hasn’t ratified the U.N. Convention but may be preparing its own claim anyway. “The U.S. has been gathering data for decades in the Arctic and we keep hearing how a claim may be coming out,” said Rebecca Pincus, director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. Ultimately, the U.S. will jump into the fray, she believes, if only to be able to control how at least some of the resources are used. Gaining access to potentially lucrative resources is one of the main reasons countries have been making submissions. Still largely unexplored, the Arctic seabed is nonetheless thought to contain large stores of fossil fuels, metals and critical minerals that will become easier to access as global warming melts the sea ice above. The most recent circum-Arctic assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey was conducted in 2008. It estimated that about 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of gas lie inside the Arctic Circle, along with critical metals and minerals needed for electrification. The Arctic could potentially be the largest region of untapped oil remaining on Earth Still, most of what is known about the latter is confined to land studies. The offshore metal deposits of the Arctic’s continental shelves are still largely unexplored, though the geology suggests they could be significant. “I think there was no doubt in the minds of any of these coastal states that they would file a claim with the continental shelf, despite high costs and despite the fact that the economic benefits are really unknown,” said Walter Roest, who served on the CLCS from 2012 to 2017. “They have all claimed pretty much the maximum they can claim, with an objective to be strong when they have to negotiate.” Exactly when it will become economically feasible to mine the polar seabed is an open question, but the national bragging rights are not. “There is definitely a political and a symbolic element to Arctic continental shelf claims,” says Philip Steinberg, director of the International Boundaries Research Unit at the UK’s Durham University. “They speak to a national vision, an idea that a nation’s future is in the North.” Climate change will make it easier to access these areas, for exploration and extraction, as well as to ship out any resources. The Arctic is warming up to four times as fast as the rest of the globe, and that pace is accelerating. In its 2022 State of the Cryosphere report, the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) concluded it is now inevitable that there will be ice-free summers in the Arctic before 2050. That’s expected to amplify a host of devastating climate-related consequences. While ice shields the Earth by reflecting the sun’s heat, open water does the opposite, accelerating warming. Changes in the temperature gap between the faster-warming Arctic and lower latitudes may make global weather patterns even more extreme, while ice loss and changes in ocean circulation disrupt the habitats of marine animals. Changes on land create their own feedback loops in the Arctic. Thawing permafrost releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, hastening warming, which accelerates thawing. Melting glaciers cause sea levels to rise faster and higher. Economic development in the Arctic poses risks to Indigenous populations, to biodiversity and – especially in the case of fossil fuel development – to a climate already changing faster than humans can adapt. Current plans for extraction are mixed. Russia, which has been producing offshore oil in the Arctic for a decade, has pledged in its Arctic Strategy to increase land and sea production out to 2035 – though its most ambitious plans are on hold due to sanctions. While the U.S. recently approved the $8 billion Willow oil project on the Alaskan mainland, it’s restricting offshore oil leasing in Arctic waters. Norway has offshore fields above the Arctic Note: Countries with one icebreaker are not represented. They are Argentina, Australia, Chile, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, South Africa, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Source: US Coast Guard Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land in 2017. An icebreaker makes a path for a cargo ship near a port on Russia’s Alexandra Land island. Icebergs that calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier float in the Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland in 2021. The Race to Break the Ice Forty-five percent of Russia's icebreaker ships and 80% of the US's have been built or retrofitted after 2010. Each box represents a ship.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Note: Healy’s 2005 and 2011 routes have been simplified. Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans; Marine Regions; Natural Earth. Photo credits: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; AFP/Getty Circle but its attempt to license new oil exploration in the Barents Sea faces legal challenges. In 2021, Greenland scrapped plans for future oil exploration, saying the climate ramifications were too high. A Canadian ban on offshore development was recently extended. To date, these countries’ activity has been in the lower portion of the Arctic Circle only. Fossil fuel extraction and deep-sea mining in a part of the world that’s critical to the planet’s climate defenses are highly controversial. But winning sovereign rights to offshore resources could be as much about protection as exploitation. “If you have the right to the seabed you also have the right to say it’s not allowed to develop these resources,” said Marc Jacobsen, an assistant professor at the Royal Danish Defense College. “It’s not only about economic logic. It could also be about environmental logic.” All parties are well aware of the region’s strategic military importance as melting opens up new routes for ships and submarines over the top of the planet. That has only gained in significance as a result of Moscow’s aggression. In February, the CLCS determined that a significant portion of Russia’s submission is supported by the geology, though other parts require more mapping and research. Russia responded the same month with clarification. If the CLCS agrees with it, Russia’s continental shelf in the Central Arctic Ocean would seem to consist of 516,400 square nautical miles (684,000 square miles) – an area larger than Libya, according to analysis by Durham’s International Boundaries Research Unit. This means Russia is the only one of the three countries with overlapping claims to have achieved at least partial victory, said Jacobsen. “Russia has the narrative in their favor right now,” he said. But it doesn’t mean Denmark and Canada are out of luck. Ultimately the CLCS may determine that the Lomonosov Ridge is part of a shared continental shelf, meaning everyone will have to share. Countries may end up needing to negotiate boundaries among themselves, or through a third-party tribunal. Untangling the scientific submissions of the three countries will take years, or even decades. But while the process grinds along, the ice is melting – fast. Conditions that allow the exploitation of Arctic resources “also amplify the risks and societal disruptions,” the ICCI said in its scientific report. “Such profound, adverse impacts almost certainly will eclipse any temporary economic benefits brought by an ice-free summer Arctic.” Back in 2007, when Putin was nearing the completion of his second term as president, Russia planted a flag in the seabed floor at the North Pole as a means of staking a symbolic, if legally unsupported, claim to the top of the planet. Sixteen years later, Putin is still in power and flexing his imperial muscle. For now, the North Pole – one of the most pristine places on Earth – belongs to everyone and no one. Once all the geological evidence is sifted through, there will be no going back for the Arctic. The Lomonosov Ridge stretches from Canada and Greenland toward Siberia – or vice versa, depending on your perspective. Three nations claim it is an extension of their continental shelves. The US Coast Guard's polar icebreaker Healy has been gathering data in the region. In 2007, Russia planted their flag on the seabed 2.6 miles below the North Pole.

36 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT EDITORIAL During the coronavirus crisis, our Pelican Plaza office is closed to visitors. We appreciate your understanding. BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT Another airline service meltdown is coming. It's not a question of if, but when it will happen. And this one could make last summer’s airline problems look like a minor delay. Says who? Say experts. Says the Federal Aviation Administration. Says everyone. "There may be some pain ahead for summer travelers," warns Mike Taylor, a managing director at J.D. Power. "Even with airlines taking precautions, the industry's basic infrastructure hasn't recovered from the pandemic. There's a pilot shortage – and everyone wants to fly." Even the FAA is sounding the alarm. This spring, when the agency renewed its waiver for takeoff and landing slots at the busiest East Coast airports, it predicted a 45 percent increase in delays at New York area airports this summer compared to the same period a year ago. That sounds like a whole summer's worth of meltdowns to me. The U.S. Travel Association predicts this summer will be a "stress test" for the air travel system. A recent survey commissioned by the organization suggests we've already gotten a preview, with 35 percent of Americans having reported a delay or cancellation in the last 12 months. Even airlines are saying things could get bad. Many have trimmed their schedules, fearful they won't be able to operate all their scheduled flights. "Every major airline has warned of travel issues this summer because of staffing, potential weather and traffic controller shortages," says Andrew Steinberg, a travel advisor with OvationNetwork. Oh, did I forget to mention the air traffic controller shortage? Yeah, there's one of those, too. There are 10 percent fewer fully certified controllers than a decade ago. But what are the odds of a complete breakdown of the system? What are air travelers doing about it – and what should you do about it? HOW LIKELY IS ANOTHER AIR TRAVEL MELTDOWN THIS SUMMER? It's very likely. Although none of the experts I spoke with would give me their odds – wouldn't want to scare away any customers now, would they? – they know all the key ingredients are there for a massive meltdown. Demand is heating up, with summer airfare searches up by 25 percent compared to this time last year, according to Expedia. "Airlines are still operating fewer flights than pre-pandemic, which means flights will be fuller this summer," says Christie Hudson, a spokeswoman for Expedia. Add to that the staffing problems and the other potential technical issues that led to last year's air travel problems. Airlines continue to use outdated technology that's prone to breaking down. The pilot deficit is about to get dramatically worse in the United States. At the moment, we are 8,000 pilots short. And there's the air traffic control problem, which I already mentioned. All you have to do is add a big thunderstorm or a hurricane to the mix, and boom! You'll be wishing you drove instead. WHAT AIRLINE PASSENGERS ARE DOING AHEAD OF THE SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON You mean, besides panicking? I asked a customer service expert how he's flying this summer. Chip Bell, a professional speaker and author, says he reluctantly booked a midsummer flight from Atlanta to New York for a culture vacation – a week of theater, concerts, and museums. Yes, the same New York where delays will be up 45 percent. "But I took precautions," he added. "I'm flying out early in the morning and working with an experienced travel agent who is available 24/7 and can find alternative flights super-fast." And he has a Plan B in case the flights don't leave: Amtrak. The train takes about 18 hours – which, come to think of it, may be faster than flying. So what should you do about the summer travel meltdown? AVOID AIRPORTS AND ROUTES WITH A HISTORY OF DELAYS Obvious, right? But before you dismiss this advice, ask yourself: Do you know which airports and routes are the most delayed? According to Department of Transportation data analyzed by Air Advisor, Chicago Midway, New York's JFK and Denver had the highest percentage of delayed flights last summer (all around 60 percent). The most delayed routes were JFK to Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale to Newark and Charleston to LaGuardia. USE A REAL TRAVEL AGENT A qualified human travel advisor can help you avoid the worst consequences of a meltdown. And if by some chance you end up stuck in a terminal, they can get you home fast. "A travel advisor can change the flights immediately," says Ashley Les, a luxury travel advisor with Postcards From. "This ensures that if there are any issues, you are never on the phone with an airline." GET TRAVEL INSURANCE Most travelers don't think of a travel insurance policy as something that's necessary for a quick domestic vacation. But the coming airline meltdown may have people rethinking that conventional wisdom. "The right travel insurance policy can provide compensation for the costs of additional meals, transportation and lodging while significantly delayed," says Daniel Durazo, a spokesman for Allianz Partners USA. I have a few meltdown coping mechanisms, too. They include booking the first flight of the day. I also study my airline's refund policies and keep a link to the DOT's Fly Rights page bookmarked on my browser. I book a nonstop flight wherever possible, which reduces the chance of a delay or disruption.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 37 INSIGHT OP-ED One of David Marsh's Allstate Rewards gift cards was rejected on his Princess cruise. Each side is blaming the other. QUESTION: We had $1,800 in prepaid gift cards on our Princess Cruise through Allstate Rewards. On the second day of our Princess cruise, my wife and I attempted to pay a portion of the bill with the gift cards, but the cruise line would only accept $800. A Princess representative tried multiple times over most of the remainder of the 14-day cruise to identify and correct the problem. He determined that the vendor had not funded the cards and said my wife and I needed to contact Allstate Rewards directly. I called Allstate Rewards from the ship. An Allstate Rewards representative told me we needed to contact Princess guest services because "Princess Cruise Line is responsible for Princess gift cards." Princess told me the opposite -- that Allstate was responsible. Later in the cruise, I received an email from Allstate Rewards stating: "Due to the amount of time since your order was placed, we are no longer able to assist with your order." I'm flabbergasted. ANSWER: Allstate Rewards should have fixed this before you left for your cruise. So what happened? Allstate Rewards are given to drivers who participate in Allstate's Drivewise program. It's an app that monitors your driving habits and rewards you for driving the speed limit and making no sudden stops. Allstate uses the app to offer good driver discounts to its policyholders, but it also offers rewards like the cards you received. You must have been an excellent driver to have received all those rewards. So what went wrong? Blame it on the pandemic. Princess canceled your first cruise, which was scheduled for 2021. According to Allstate, you would have had an opportunity to correct the problem if you had filed a complaint in 2021, but the problem didn't arise until 2022, when you rescheduled your cruise. Could you have avoided this? Probably not. You might have called Allstate Rewards before your cruise to verify the balance, but you couldn't have known there would be a problem. It would have been great if someone at Princess or Allstate Rewards had taken ownership of this problem and fixed it for you. Instead, the companies blamed each other for the problem, which didn't really help you. A brief, polite email to one of the managers might have helped. I list executive contacts for Princess Cruises and Allstate on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. I contacted Allstate on your behalf. A company representative called you and apologized for the nonworking cards. Allstate refunded you for the shipboard purchases that you had to pay for separately, since the gift card didn't work. Get help with any consumer problem by contacting Christopher Elliott at http://www.elliott.org/help BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT

38 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The 1980s comedy scene might be best remembered for flashy provocateurs like Eddie Murphy and Andrew Dice Clay. But it was also a good time to be a little more down to earth and a lot more offbeat. “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” deconstructed the sitcom. The absurdist zine Army Man was a proving ground for writers who would work on “The Simpsons” during its glory years. Bill Hicks was as sharp about politics as he was his acid trips. And then there was Steven Wright, an overthinking weirdo who looked and acted like he’d rolled out of bed five minutes before hitting the stage and populated his sets with non sequiturs and drowsily delivered oneliners: “I spilled spot remover on my dog, he’s gone now.” Wright’s debut novel, “Harold,” is largely an effort to transpose his standup sensibility to fiction. Plotwise, very little happens. Its title hero is a 7-yearold boy attending his third-grade class in suburban Massachusetts. It’s 1965, and Harold’s teacher is reminding him to remember his upcoming assignments. But he’s the kind of kid who isn’t going to get boxed in by assignments, or reminding, or remembering. He’s smart but psychically entirely off the grid. “He did more thinking than someone his age,” Wright explains. “Or any age.” Though Wright, now 67, doesn’t dwell on diagnoses, Harold’s busy brain is almost certainly a case of ADHD. And the background details that flicker into the story suggest he’s processing a trauma or two: His mother has been briefly institutionalized, so he’s recently spent a summer living with his crusty grandfather. If there’s a father around, Harold is stubbornly determined to think about anything but. Instead, his cranium becomes a vaudeville revue of curious musings, which he imagines as birds fluttering in a “rectangle in his head.” Many of those thoughts are tart and aphoristic in a very Wright-ian way. For instance: “Wouldn’t it be great if he had a pair of glass bottom shoes that he could wear on the glass bottom boat with no socks on so that if the fish looked up they could for the first time in their lives see bare feet that weren’t in the water.” Or: “Harold wondered if bird angels would have four wings.” Or: “How different it would be if, when boats pulled huge nets out of the ocean full of thousands of fish, the fish were screaming in horror.” Or: “Being in love was like being on a seesaw where one side contained nitroglycerin.” And so on. The subjects of Wright’s riffing are all over the place, accommodating black-and-white vs. color INSIGHT BOOKS film, internal bleeding, Lakota folklore, space exploration. The daydreamscapes are far-flung too: Harold imagines himself visiting a cemetery with a classmate, then kicking back at a coffee shop on the moon, where he discusses the state of the universe with astronomer Carl Sagan. The oddness of the settings hardly matters, though; just about every element of “Harold” is subordinate to its job as a delivery system for Wright’s observations. (Unsurprisingly, he initially conceived the book as a novel-in-tweets.) “Harold” is often funny, and its refusal to stay in one place means it never feels labored. But: Is it a novel? Though there are characters, there’s little in the way of character development. Harold returns to the matter of his institutionalized mother only intermittently, and as little more than an object of fear or fury. (Understandably: She once accidentally put wine in his thermos.) His grandfather brings storm clouds of dark observations and antics that would require a truckload of psychiatrists to untangle. He tells Harold that all the chairs around the dining room table have been occupied by people who have hanged themselves. (“Kiddingly,” Wright notes. Ha … ha?) Later, he takes Harold to a wedding and fits him in a marionette suit, clipping his strings. That might qualify as symbolism – maybe – if there were a clear story the symbols referred to. And that’s setting aside odd turns, factual infelicities and jokes that don’t land. Why is Harold chatting up Carl Sagan in 1965, years before he became a pop-science household name? Why is the story contemplating the schoolteacher’s sex life? Why are we on the moon, again? To which Wright can only respond: Who cares and so what? Riffing on a photo taken by a space probe in 1990, he notes: “If you’re wondering how Harold would know of this photograph … mind your own business.” Except that’s impossible, what with Harold nattering on about childhood anxiety and lunar living as if Donald Barthelme had been assigned to rewrite “The Little Prince.” Harold is at once compelling and frustrating because he’s so unshaped: His mind is a stew of schoolbook facts, alertness to adult hypocrisy, family dysfunction and miscellaneous psychic damage. Which is to say, a solid formula for a stand-up comic. (Wright’s reading of the “Harold” audiobook is much like his stand-up – deliberate, deadpan and leavened just a bit by his thick Boston accent.) But a manic kid whose brain refuses to stay in one place isn’t quite the same thing as a story about a manic kid. To be charitable, Wright has invented something here: A story about a child that refuses to be childlike, authored by an author who refuses to pretend that there’s order to the disorganized mind of a too-smart kid who can’t keep on task. “In life lots of times there is no logic,” Wright writes. “Lots and lots of times. Lots of times.” For better and for worse, lots and lots of those times are between the covers of this book.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 39 Other factors may be helpful By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist In “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth,” R. Buckminster Fuller wrote, “Of course, our failures are a consequence of many factors, but possibly one of the most important is the fact that society operates on the theory that specialization is the key to success, not realizing that specialization precludes comprehensive thinking.” Is that true? Surely those who specialize have to see the big picture. In bridge, for example, because A happened, you may be able to draw conclusion B. How did that apply in today’s deal? South was in four spades. West led the club ace, then shifted to the heart nine (top of nothing). East won with the king, collected the club king and tried to cash the heart ace. After ruffing, how did declarer deduce the trump layout? Also, what do you think of the auction? Considering the bidding first, South was not enthusiastic about his opening bid because he might have had an awkward rebid. However, usually it pays to open, and it is advantageous to be bidding spades. North’s four-spade raise was debatable. That was a “weak freak,” showing a lot of spades and few points. The response risked missing a slam, but North judged that unlikely and hoped to silence the opponents. If spades were 2-1, there was no problem; but what if they were 3-0? Who would have the three? It had to be West because his (debatable) opening lead marked him with only two clubs. He was unlikely to have 11 red cards, and leading from a doubleton meant he was looking for a ruff, which he would not have done with a spade void. Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Both NORTH A 8 5 4 3 J 6 4 K J 8 Q 3 WEST Q 6 2 9 8 7 5 9 6 3 2 A 4 SOUTH K J 10 9 7 Q A Q 10 8 7 6 2 EAST ---- A K 10 3 2 10 7 5 4 K J 9 5 The Bidding: OPENING LEAD: A Clubs SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 1 Spades Pass 4 Spades All Pass INSIGHT BRIDGE Established 32 Years in Indian River County (772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com 3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960

40 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ 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 (MAY 11) ON PAGE 70 ACROSS 1. Filament (5) 4. Outfit (3) 6. Help (3) 8. Stealthy (13) 9. Hurled (5) 11. Bonkers (4) 13. Stroll (5) 14. Passage (5) 15. Earlier (5) 16. Bonce (4) 18. Regal (5) 21. Impartial (13) 23. Dram (3) 24. Transgress (3) 25. Upright (5) DOWN 1. Attach (6) 2. Pubs (4) 3. Occasion (5) 4. Furrow (3) 5. Escape (7) 6. Endearing (8) 7. Lust (6) 10. Assembly (5) 12. Stocky (8) 14. Debt (7) 15. Expert (6) 17. Loathe (6) 19. Slack (5) 20. Naked (4) 22. Star (3) INSIGHT GAMES Proudly Serving the Treasure Coast for over 40 years 640 Old Dixie Highway Vero Beach, FL 32962 772-569-3874 [email protected] ISA Certified Arborist Hazardous Tree Removal Oak Tree Trimming Specialist Professional Mangrove Trimmers Fully Licensed and Insured

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 41 ACROSS 1 Screws up 5 California wine county 11 Quaker tidbit? 14 Pop. dens., e.g. 18 Enlist again 19 Chris’s favorite playwright? 21 Fleece-seeking ship 22 Chris’s first words to the natives? 24 Georgy, for one 25 Transatlantic streakers, once 26 Reagan’s second atty. gen. 28 Born 29 MI6 type 30 Was afraid of 32 Concubine parlor 33 Unvarnished 35 ___ Kapital 36 From ___ (alphabetically) 39 Dial, as a frequency 40 Couch potato’s altar 43 Whodunit first name 46 “___ the wise ...” 48 Frost preceder 49 Chris and his seasoned crew? 51 Nobelist Wiesel 52 Sound quality 53 Aristocrat 54 OK Corral figure 57 Carriages related to mopeds? 59 Business class, for short 60 Rose family shrub 62 “___ dreaming?” 63 How the Queen gave orders? 68 Otologist’s concern 69 Recipient of a sort 71 Reminder on the fridge 72 Old word meaning “of the atmosphere” 74 Buster Brown’s bow-wow 75 Eaters’ heaters 76 Henry’s second 78 Prefix for china 79 Chris’s opinion of the Queen’s chintziness? 83 Certain chord: abbr. 84 “Come and get it!” 85 Remove electrons 86 Atkins and Huntley 87 Berle’s nickname 88 Starting position of the queen’s rook pawn, in chess notation 89 Order to Lassie 90 Hints 91 Resistance unit 93 Merciful one 97 Very likely 100 Risky venture 101 Bravery 105 Long-distance requests 107 Have ___ (know somebody) 109 How de agent described Chris’s new insurance policy? 111 Emmy or Oscar, e.g. 112 Where Chris’s descendants are working today? 113 Sail damage 114 Pacific goose 115 That cotton-pickin’ guy 116 Beer mugs 117 Luke Skywalker’s planet had two of them DOWN 1 Heiden and Hoffer 2 Do again, as the floor 3 Not scrambled enough 4 Blueprint detail, for short 5 Actress Dominique 6 Gavel pounder’s goal 7 Clatter 8 Tauromachy shout 9 Shelf stock: abbr. 10 Okayed: abbr. 11 No turns ___ 12 “Beautiful people ... ___ with me” (Oscar Wilde) 13 News agcy. under Nikita 14 Bed problem 15 Chris’s second words to the natives? 16 Go along with 17 Lake Erie city 19 Takes on 20 The Wizard’s self-intro 23 Recurring villain on Hawaii Five-O 27 Accustom, variantly 31 Prom partner 34 Mr. Sakharov 35 10 star 37 “___ in town!” (theater rave) 38 Mexican state 39 Maxwell Anderson play, High ___ 40 “Pass ___, please” 41 “A to AZUSA,” perhaps 42 Chris’s idea of going west to get to India? 43 Strike ___ (freeze for the photog) 44 That cotton-pickin’ invention 45 Deck one? 46 Free of friends 47 Were victorious 49 Stone marker 50 “No ___!” (“Sure!”) 55 Do a second IRS check 56 Estelle or rectors 58 Cold cubes 60 Streamlined 61 Golf goal 64 Chipmunk or Sgt. York 65 What nudistes wear 66 “___ Romantic?” 67 Brave’s weapon 70 Give law enforcement powers to 73 Oksana’s figure? 75 Lennon’s lady 76 Cuckoobird 77 Pince-___ (armless eyeglasses) 80 Imitative 81 Ending for vapour 82 Slugger Slaughter 84 “Quiet!” 86 Enchantress who turned men into swine 87 Ed who created Detective Carella 88 Friendly, to Fredo 89 Sewing meetings? 91 Bay window 92 Mr. Mubarak 94 First in a series 95 Burning desire? 96 Brings up 97 Au revoir 98 Pie nut 99 Pre-1917 rulers 102 Advantage 103 In order (to) 104 Symphony div. 106 Table scraps 108 Trav. heading 110 Business that doesn’t discriminate: abbr. The Telegraph The Washington Post Columbus Discovers the Pun By Merl Reagle INSIGHT GAMES

44 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT BACK PAGE Hi Carolyn: Last night I was at a restaurant with my husband when we got into a fight. He had scheduled house maintenance on my one workday, when I also had a cardiac stress test, telling me I had to change plans and take care of our 2-year-old for the day. He blew up at me for getting (mildly) annoyed. I was taken aback at his response and went to the public restaurant bathroom. I was in a stall for two minutes when I heard the door open and, “Mommy?” My husband had taken our toddler out of the highchair and just put him in the women’s bathroom for me to deal with. I am appalled by this little stunt – it seems like he was taking his annoyance out on our innocent little guy, who was so confused. I’m not sure how to address this with him when I know he’ll either get extra angry and act like it was a joke. – Appalled Appalled: That’s no “little stunt.” As described, your husband’s behavior is a serious failure of emotional regulation, therefore you must take it seriously to protect yourself and your child. He “blew up” over a minor disagreement, resented your maintaining reasonable control over your own time, was intolerant of your (mild) displeasure, prioritized his anger over his child’s safety, had no regard for the child’s emotional health, and has done some version of these enough for you to start curbing your own behavior – “not sure how to address this with him” – in an effort to manage his reactions – “I know he’ll … get extra angry.” Check, check, check, check, check, check. I urge you to do a Mosaic Threat Assessment to get a more detailed assessment of your risk, and to bring your concerns to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-799-SAFE or thehotline.org. The time to use these resources is when it feels too soon to, not when it feels too late. Dear Carolyn: I had a hysterectomy recently and have shared this with just a few trusted people. I was adamant about not sharing this with my mother. In the past, when I’ve shared info about any health issue, large or small, I’ve regretted it. She always manages to imply that something I did wrong caused my problems: “You wear too much eye makeup so naturally you have dry eyes,” “You are too competitive in sports so naturally you have knee pain,” “You don’t follow my advice on” nutrition/lifestyle/ whatever, “so naturally you have X.” She then has relentlessly offered unsolicited advice and if I choose to ignore her “helpful suggestions,” I’m warned that I could have further health issues. Honestly Carolyn, I’m extremely healthy, live an active lifestyle, and this was my first surgery and I’m beyond pregnancy age. The surgery was successful and I’m getting on with my life. My issue is my husband. He says this surgery is a big deal and “as my mother,” she should know. I completely disagree. I don’t see any benefits for me, or her, in sharing this information. Am I wrong? – You Can Pick a Pseudonym You Can Pick a Pseudonym: When it’s his mother and uterus, he can tell. When it’s yours, his job is to – in ascending order of decency – zip it, accept your decision, and respect your judgment. I’m sorry the people closest to you think they have a vote in your intimate decisions. Maybe it’s time to stop giving them one. And consider the mom-tospouse pattern that may have gotten you here. BY CAROLYN HAX Washington Post Husband uses toddler for petty stunt during argument

ARTS & THEATRE 46 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Subconscious ‘Reveals’: Suzanne Roff’s provocative paintings Artist Suzanne Roff. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS BY DEBBIE TIMMERMANN Correspondent Suzanne Roff considers herself an island lady. She currently resides on the barrier island, spent many years on the isle of Manhattan, and was raised in the 1950s and 1960s in Key Biscayne. “When I grew up, there were only 300 families on the island, and I could shimmy up a coconut tree. A magical place, we only had a gas station, church and a drugstore. In many ways this is why I came back to Florida, even though I never thought I would,” says Roff. “I see the sea grapes, the gardenias, the palm trees, imprinted in my brain since childhood. Those early nature sounds, the trees and images are what is familiar,” she says. “Vero was a happy surprise. It’s almost unspoken that there is something very powerful here. This is a very magical place; there is some vortex of energy that’s just here, and an artistic energy that draws artists for whatever reason. They just come.” Roff is now immersed in that vibrant arts community. She shares space down-

ARTS & THEATRE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 47 verse, that this is where you are supposed to be. To ground myself in nature, something eternal, timeless. I do try to capture nature’s rhythms in my artwork, to capture that feeling, that mystery, that awe. I try to remain in a space of curiosity about what wants to hide and what wants to reveal itself.” Roff’s painting, “A Night in Cienfuegos,” explores a musical and visual memory of a night in Cienfuegos, Cuba, about seven years ago. Her goal was to “capture the archetypal interplay of light, shadows, human figures and musical instruments.” That work was accepted for the upcoming Treasure Coast Creates: A Tribute to Local Artists exhibition, which opens May 16 at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Another, “Totem and the Four Elements,” depicting a totem pole with four faces representing water, earth, fire and air, came about after a healing acupuncture session, where “energies become open to the emergent creative possibilities.” In “Market Life,” depicting Vero’s Farmers Market, Roff meanders through the fresh, yet perishable fruits and flowers as a metaphor for life. town at Studio on Sixty, which adjoins Gallery Veritas, where her exhibition – “So Revealing” – is on display through May 31. Prior to relocating to Vero Beach, Roff obtained a B.A. at the University of Miami, a Master of Professional Studies at the New School University, and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at New York University, where she was an adjunct professor for 20 years. “I reinvented myself after losing a number of people to COVID, including my first husband in March 2020, before they really knew about COVID,” Roff says. She feels her pursuit of looking into and beyond other dimensions in her artwork is an offshoot of her psychological training. “For me, painting is a calling in which something unexpected awaits, where meaningful coincidences appear. I’ll probably try the rest of my life to capture that in the two-dimensional. You have to feel it viscerally, you have to feel it in your soul,” she explains. Roff says she prefers to paint in silence, avoiding any background music or distractions that might jar her mood. Her style is somewhere between intentional and unintentional. “I don’t try and control the brush. Not just because I was a psychologist, but I do trust the process, our intuition, our unconsciousness, this sixth sense. And yet I would like to understand even more, to make the invisible visible. I want to do something that kind of pulls on the unconscious,” says Roff, adding that one of her paintings came to her in a dream, where she was viewing earth from outer space. “When I go to the canvas, I just start something, and I keep painting and I see something that emerges. I call it meaningful coincidences or synchronisities, and I am always surprised to see what comes out, because it wasn’t necessarily intentional. But I trust the subconscious to lead the way. And so I am kind of painting to please myself to make it what’s meaningful to me, as opposed to a more commercial bent, but I would also like to do both.” Roff has experienced hardship and loss in her life but has been able to use those to transform into an enlightened soul. “It’s good to be at this point in life. I don’t feel I need to prove anything to anyone; I feel so centered and confident in my life. Having lost people and things I love, now I can bear what’s next,” says Roff. “As an empowered woman, I’ve never felt as strong and productive in my life. Every day is meaningful in some way. Everything is biased from my past. I’d rather paint than play tennis or golf. I did try them but gave them up; they didn’t have meaning for me.” Roff prefers painting in acrylics and can be inspired by everything from old narrative memories to a dream image, wanting the viewer to see into and beyond. “I want the paintings to draw from the subconscious.” She watches the sun rise at least once a week, calling it her “spiritual communion with the world,” and also enjoys viewing the full moon come up over the horizon. “We are so lucky living here. Where else can you see something like that? Something that happens in nature. It gives me a sense of awe and joy, and a grounding with the earth. I am usually alone when I see these,” says Roff. “To me, it’s a message from the uniCONTINUED ON PAGE 48

48 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ admission is 15 minutes before closing. General admission is: free for museum members; free for Gold Star Families May 20 to Sept. 4, 2023; $12 general; $11 seniors 65 years and older; $5 students with ID; and free for first responders and healthcare workers with ID. Free admission is available for all on the last Saturday of each month. For more information, call 772-231- 0707 or visit VBMuseum.org. The Vero Beach Triathlon will be held Sunday, May 21, at South Beach Park, 1702 Ocean Dr. The event includes a Sprint Distance Triathlon, a Sprint Duathlon, an Olympic Triathlon, an Olympic Aquabike, Sprint Triathlon Relay and Olympic Triathlon Relay options. The swim is in the ocean with a course parallel to the shoreline. The bike trail is along the coastal A1A. The run is beachside. The fees range from $119 to $225. Organizers say the event is good for first timers as well as experienced racers. Packet pick-up is noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at South Beach Park, and 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday, May 21. The transition area is open frp, 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. For more information, visit VeroBeachTriathlon.com. The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra invites all to come to its announcement of its upcoming 15th season. The announcement party includes complimentary drinks, appetizers, desserts and giveaways. Tickets are free but required. However, tickets are limited, so best get them right away. The announcement party begins 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Emerson Center, 1590 27th Ave., Vero Beach. For more information or to reserve your ticket, visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org. The Vero Beach Museum of Art joins the nationwide Blue Star Museums initiative to offer free admission to current U.S. military members and their families throughout the summer. The program begins on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4. The nationwide initiative is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the U.S. Department of Defense and participating museums. The Vero Beach museum’s director of marketing, Sophie Bentham-Wood, says the arts play an important role in “our overall well-being” and that the Blue Star Museum program helps active military and their families take advantage of what museums offer. “Now, more than ever, we are committed to ensuring access for all,” Bentham-Wood says. Blue Star Museums throughout the nation include children’s museums, art, science and history museums, zoos, botanical gardens, lighthouses and more. Locally, the Vero Beach Museum of Art is offering “Treasure Coast Creates: A Tribute to Local Artists,” a juried fine art exhibition of recent works by living local artists running May 20 to Sept. 18. It is also showing an exhibition of drawings by Jack Tworkov from May 26 to Sept. 3. There are also student artworks on view in the Patten Community Gallery as well as an Art Zone where children are invited to engage in interactive activities. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is at 3001 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. The last 2 3 BY PAM HARBAUGH Correspondent CONTINUED FROM PAGE 47 About five years ago, Roff started writing a historic fiction novel based on a true story she remembered hearing as a child of a little girl, Marie Cecile Clement, who entered this country smuggled in a sugar barrel. Researching with the help of French genealogists, while she didn’t find any record of the girl, she did find the family in what is today Haiti. The Clement family emigrated to what was then Saint-Domingue a very wealthy French colony, rich in sugar and coffee and known for its brutal slave system. Her novel covers the family for some 100 years, ending just before 1791, the start of the successful slave rebellion. Roff hopes to finish the novel before the end of the year and get it published, describing herself as “a bit schizophrenic” as she divides time between painting and writing. Adding to her interests, Roff is directress general of the ‘Society of Daughters of Holland Dames, Descendants of Ancient and Honorable Families of New Netherland,’ which promotes the legacy of Dutch settlers in this country prior to 1674, when New Netherland was turned over to the English. “What I like about having Dutch ancestry, under the 40 years they reigned here, women could own property and they could use their maiden name. The British ended that. Also, our U.S. constitution is based on the Dutch constitution,” says Roff.

BREAKING ‘PAD’ HEALTH Lifestyle choices key to successfully treating peripheral artery disease 32963

50 Vero Beach 32963 / May 18, 2023 HEALTH Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ More than 6 million people in the United States age 40 and older have PAD (peripheral artery disease), according to the CDC. The condition in the legs or lower extremities is caused by the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs and is primarily caused by the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis. Treatments include minimally invasive surgical procedures like atherectomy, which removes plaque buildup and opens narrow or blocked arteries, and drugs like cilostazol, which thins the blood and widens blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the limbs and reducing leg pain. But Dr. Dwayne Badgett, a vascular surgeon at Steward Vascular Specialists, said lifestyle choices often are the key to successful treatment. “I spend a lot of time during each office visit trying to convince people to stop smoking,” he said. According to the American College of Cardiology, up to 80 percent of patients with PAD are current or former smokers, and tobacco cessation counseling is an important first step in treatment for those who still smoke. Continuing to smoke is associated with a higher risk of disease progression, graft failure, amputation, re-stenosis after endovascular revascularization, myocardial infarction and death. Lifestyle choices key in treating peripheral artery disease BY JACKIE HOLFELDER Correspondent Dr. Dwayne Badgett and Dr. Nowokere Esemuede. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS