07/18/2019 ISSUE 29

Plans for big charter school
moving ahead. P4
Beachland gets

its ‘A’ grade back. P8
Green turtles seen nesting in
record numbers on our beaches. P12

MY VERO For breaking news visit

BY RAY MCNULTY How city spent
money from sale
Centennial Place should of Vero Electric
feature waterfront dining

Cruise along Indian River BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ
Drive in Sebastian and you’ll Staff Writer
find seven lagoon-front, din-
ing-and-cocktail options – The city of Vero Beach pock-
from Mulligan’s Beach House
Bar & Grill north to Capt’n eted only about 22 percent of
Butcher’s Seafood Grill, Bar &
Marina, including the wildly the $183.3 million it got from
popular Capt. Hiram’s Resort.
Florida Power & Light when it
Vero Beach has only one –
and that’s on the island. sold its electrical utility late last

Drive along Fort Pierce’s wa- year, and that money is already
terfront and you’ll find Cobb’s
Landing and 12A Buoy on the spent or encumbered.
lagoon, Square Grouper Tiki
Bar and On The Edge Bar & After paying off debts and
Grill on the inlet, and Bluewa-
ter Beach Grill and Hurricane other obligations to the Flor-
Grill & Wings on the jetty.
ida Municipal Power Agency,
Vero Beach has the River-
side Café. the Orlando Utilities Commis-

Celebrated in song by our sion and bondholders, the city
homegrown country music
star, Jake Owen, who occa- walked away with $39.1 million
sionally performs there when
in town, Riverside is the city’s from the December 2018 sale
only lagoon-front, dining-and-
of its electric power infrastruc-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
A view of the north end of Bethel Creek, which is an offshoot of the Indian River Lagoon. DRONE PHOTOS BY ROSS ROWLINSON ture and customer base.
Two nursing homes
don’t have generators Can an inflow of ocean water clean up Bethel Creek? “Thesalewasverymuchlike
for hurricane season any kind of other property sale
or real estate sale like a closing
BY MICHELLE GENZ on a house,” said Cindy Law-
Staff Writer
BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ The university was awarded notoriously noxious dead-end son, the city’s finance director.
As the season’s first hur- Staff Writer $800,000 by the state legisla- area of the lagoon located in “There was a sale price, there
ricane made landfall on the
Gulf Coast last weekend, two ture for the project. northern Central Beach. When were some minor adjustments
Vero nursing homes – Sea
Breeze and Consulate – were County commissioners are Commissioner Tim Zorc is he ran for county commission and then there were disburse-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 hoping to persuade a Mel- behind the charge to clean the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

bourne-based university to

study whether flushing a stag- Historic house completes move
nant and dirty offshoot of to Indian River State College
the Indian River Lagoon with
ocean water can clean up the

perpetually murky mess.

The commission voted 3-2 BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA
to ask Florida Institute of Tech- Staff Writer

nology to include Bethel Creek

as one of the study sites in a The three partially dismantled structures

research project intended to were hulking, barely discernible shadows

determine if polluted areas of as dawn broke over the island.

the lagoon far from inlets can The historic Laura Riding Jackson home-

be cleaned with an inflow of CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

ocean water.

July 18, 2019 Volume 12, Issue 29 Newsstand Price $1.00 Sheriff promotes
Milo Thornton to
News 1-12 Faith 58 Pets 59 TO ADVERTISE CALL rank of major. P10
Arts 23-28 Games 39-41 Real Estate 61-72 772-559-4187
Books 38 Health 43-48 Style 49-51
Dining 52 Insight 29-42 Wine 53 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 34 People 13-22 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2019 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Bethel Creek inlets, left the water dirty for months. ocean,” Solari said. “The oceans are Representatives from FIT say re-
“This is something I’ve been pas- damaged enough as it is. We’ve got lim- searchers, who are considering lo-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ited resources and I’d like to see our cations in Indian River and Brevard
sionate about for a number of years, limited resources actually be used to counties, have yet to choose study
in 2012, ridding Bethel Creek of its but it’s always come down to the mon- remove pollutants from the water rath- sites in either county. The first phase
stale, murky water by opening some ey,” Zorc said, noting that seagrass in er than push them somewhere else.” of the study will gather data on exist-
type of connection with the ocean was the creek has died off while water visi- ing water quality, biological param-
a prominent part of Zorc’s platform. bility has greatly diminished. Now that Zorc is optimistic scientists will con- eters and hydrologic conditions at one
funds are available for research, Zorc clude that installing a series of pumps or more potential locations for future
Talks about how to refresh the creek is hopeful the university will choose to flush Bethel Creek with ocean water temporary inflow test structures, Flor-
ramped up in 2017 after a sewage main Bethel Creek as a study site. will work like it did in Destin in Florida’s ida Tech spokesman Wes Sumner told
along State Road A1A burst, dumpling Panhandle, where the city’s filthy, eco- Vero Beach 32963.
roughly 3 million gallons of raw sew- The votes against asking FIT to se- logically damaged harbor was brought
age into the creek that November. lect Bethel Creek came from County back to life. Pumps were used around “Florida Tech welcomes any sug-
Minimal tidal flushing in the creek, Commission Chairman Bob Solari and the clock until the harbor was cleaned gestions offered by the Indian River
which is located more than 10 miles Commissioner Joseph Flescher. up; now the system is used only when County Commission,” Sumner said.
from the Sebastian and the Fort Pierce water quality deteriorates, Zorc said. “[But] it’s too early in the planning
“This is just a process of pushing process to make any commitment re-
more of the pollution out into the garding Bethel Creek as a study area.”

The university also is in the process
of developing the research timeline,
Sumner said, adding the number of
study sites is still uncertain. At the
conclusion of the pilot program, re-
searchers will have a better idea of fur-
ther appropriate steps for cleaning the

lagoon, Sumner added. 

My Vero

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

drinking option.
That needs to change – and sooner

rather than later.
With all due respect to the Keep

Vero Vero folks, there’s no sense in
keeping Vero Vero when we can make
Vero better and still preserve what
makes Vero special.

We can do exactly that at Centen-
nial Place, the 35 acres of lagoon-front
property currently containing Vero
Beach’s shuttered power plant and its
wastewater treatment plant, which is
slated for removal.

And we should.
Once the power plant is removed and
the wastewater treatment plant is relo-
cated to the airport – which could hap-
pen within the next five years – Cen-
tennial Place should be thoughtfully
developed into an on-the-lagoon pub-
lic destination that becomes as much
a part of the city’s fabric as downtown
and the Central Beach business district.
In fact, as the county attracts more
residential construction and an in-
creasing number of newcomers flock to
Ocean Drive, the development of Cen-
tennial Place could ease Central Beach’s
parking shortage by providing a water-
front alternative on the mainland.
Such development also would provide
an additional tax base Vero Beach sorely
needs to replace the revenue stream lost
when the city sold its electric utility to
Florida Power & Light in December.
In addition, if Centennial Place be-
comes the destination it should be,
there’s no doubt many of the Vero-
area residents and visitors who now

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 3

NEWS

travel to Sebastian, Fort Pierce and The City Council decided last month uncommitted to another term, the next Another 35-acre parcel – the former
other nearby coastal towns for their to hire an outside consultant to come City Council will make the early deci- Dodgertown Golf Club property – sat
waterfront dining and nightlife will up with a plan to develop the lagoon- sions on the fate of Centennial Place. idle and unproductive for 14 years be-
opt to stay closer to home. front property, along with the adjacent fore the city finally sold it to the coun-
3-acre parcel on the southwest corner So it’s fair to wonder: If voters elect a ty in February.
We might even draw people from of the 17th Avenue-Indian River Bou- let’s-slam-on-the-brakes City Council
outside the Vero area, possibly from levard intersection, site of the former majority, will Centennial Place vanish “I don’t think it (Centennial Place) will
nearby counties, just as Sebastian and postal annex. into the ether as the Keep Vero Vero be developed right away,” City Council-
Fort Pierce do now. crowd endlessly ponders the future of woman Laura Moss said, “but we do
With Howle announcing he will not what soon could be Three Corners of need to have an idea what to with it.”
“If we do this right,” Vero Beach City seek re-election and Zudans currently Nothing?
Councilman Harry Howle said, “we Here’s one you should consider. 
can create a lot of jobs, too.”

Converting that lagoon-front prop-
erty into another non-revenue-produc-
ing city park does none of those things.
Besides, we’ve already got a Riverside
Park. We don’t need another one.

What we do need is a mainland
gathering place with a boardwalk and
series of pathways that provide access
to waterfront dining, afternoon cock-
tails and nightlife, as well as a bou-
tique hotel, marina, small-shop retail
stores, picnic area and, perhaps, even
a band shell for concerts.

All of this can be done in a park-like
setting that complements the lagoon’s
natural beauty, embraces the small-
town charm that makes Vero Beach
special and enhances our quality of life.

“We want kids who grew up here to
want to stay here or, if they’ve gone
away to school, to want to come back
here,” said Vero Beach Mayor Val Zu-
dans, who supports the development
of Centennial Place. “For that to hap-
pen, we need a place for younger peo-
ple to go and hang out.”

Yes, we do.
But those waterfront restaurants
and bars along Indian River Drive in
Sebastian – as well as similar establish-
ments on the lagoon, inlet and jetty in
Fort Pierce – attract plenty of middle-
aged and older customers, too.
The same would happen in Vero
Beach, if the city’s leaders and the citizens
they represent are wise enough to seize
this wonderful opportunity to make our
seaside slice of heaven more glorious.
But are they?
“I don’t know what people are afraid
of,” Howle said.
Nobody wants to see the Vero Beach
area morph into another Fort Lauder-
dale orWest Palm Beach or even Port St.
Lucie, and local zoning restrictions are
in place to prevent that kind of over-de-
velopment, despite the residential and
commercial growth we’ve been seeing.
If done correctly, developing that
prime stretch of lagoon-front proper-
ty into Centennial Place doesn’t move
us closer to South Florida, and it won’t
make Vero less Vero.
Still, there are those who want to
proceed slowly – so slowly that it could
be four years before a plan is approved
and at least a decade before ground is
broken, assuming Vero Beach citizens
agree via referendum to amend the
City Charter to allow commercial de-
velopment of the property.

4 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Money from Vero Electric sale At the time of the sale, the city had
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 an existing “audited electric fund cash
balance” that came from utility cus-
ments of the sale price to various entities.” tomer payments and contained ap-
Budget documents and delibera- proximately $27.6 million. Combined
with the net sale proceeds, that gave
tions last week showed that the city has the city a $66.7 million reserve fund to
since spent or committed the entire use in its 2020 budget and beyond.
net sale proceeds of $39 million plus
a few million more to retire old debt, So far this year, the City Council has
fund pension obligations and bolster spent or committed $42.5 million of
the general fund, which for years was that amount, putting the city back at
subsidized by millions transferred square one with a little more than $24
from the profitable electric utility. million to use for other current or future
municipal needs.

SOMERSET ACADEMY MOVING AHEAD
WITH PLANS FOR NEW 1,700-STUDENT
CHARTER SCHOOL NEAR POINTE WEST

BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ new charter school from being con-
structed because officials feared it
Staff Writer would siphon students and fund-
ing from non-charter schools in the
Somerset Academy has been district.
granted tentative approval to open
a new K-8 charter school that will Somerset Academy eventually
eventually enroll 1,700 students in won the three-year administrative
Indian River County, despite a long- and legal battle and announced one
running effort by the School Board year ago its goal was to open the new
to block the Texas-based company school in August 2019. Those plans
from opening a school here. have been modified as the school
continues the process of getting the
The new charter school will be county’s planning department to
built on a 14-acre site located at approve its plans.
7645 16th Manor, adjacent to the
PointeWest development. No begin- Somerset operates 67 charter
ning construction date or projected schools nationwide, including its
opening has yet been announced. highly-rated academy in Miami. Ac-
cording to its Indian River County
The county’s technical review application, Somerset wants to open
committee was scheduled to go an academy with a STEAM curricu-
over the school’s application on July lum focused on Science, Technology,
17, an initial step to make sure con- Engineering, Arts and Math.
struction of the school adheres to
county construction and building Somerset officials have also
codes, said John McCoy, chief plan- vowed to adhere to a 50-year-old
ner of current development for In- federal desegregation order that the
dian River County. Indian River County School Board
fought for years but has now em-
“Somerset Academy’s plan is to braced.
build the school in three phases,”
McCoy said. “The first phase will in- Meanwhile, a local church is
clude room for up to 600 students planning another new school cam-
for students K-6; the second phase, pus in the county.
expansion for 600 seventh graders;
and the third phase will add up to The County Commission recent-
500 eighth grade students. ly approved a conceptual site plan
and special exception use request
“The committee’s job is to review by Glendale Baptist Church, Inc. to
the plans for the school,” McCoy construct a combined church and
said. “After that is completed the school building on an 8.78-acre
committee will look to other de- site, located at the southeast corner
partments, such as the drainage of 27th Avenue and 4th Street.
and engineering departments to
help with the process.” The proposed site is currently
vacant. The site is zoned residen-
Officials for Somerset Academy, tial only, so the church needed the
which is based in San Antonio, board to grant an exception so that
could not be reached for comment. it can build at the site.

The Indian River School District, The private K-8 school will house
led by former Superintendent Mark up to 250 students, according to the
Rendell, tried for years to stop the
church’s proposed plans. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 5

NEWS

At budget workshops last week, In February, the city used $8.2 mil- buy the golf course, which was sold to frees up $338,000 annually for 10 years
council members expressed inter- lion in sale proceeds to pay off loans Indian River County in February for in the marina fund that can be used
est in using that remaining money to associated with the former Dodger- $2.45 million. for maintenance and improvements,
cushion emergency fund coffers and town golf course and Municipal Ma- city officials said.
for capital improvements, including rina. Roughly $3.2 million went to pay
street paving and stormwater projects. off a loan taken out by the marina to Another $6.7 million was committed
Approximately $5 million was used buy property and build a boat stor- to provide a multi-year transition sub-
Here is where the $42.5 million went: to retire a loan the city took out to age building. Paying off that loan early
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Money from Vero Electric sale Nursing home generators staying cool in a power outage, which Consulate’s executive director, Nicole
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 puts Indian River County well ahead Jordan, did not return phone messages.
of some surrounding counties. But in documents on the AHCA web-
sidy to the general fund though bud- months away from completing a state- site, Consulate’s designers, electricians
get year 2022-2023, including $1.71 mandated emergency power plan that In St. Lucie County only 40 percent and construction contractors offer a
million transferred to the general fund includes installation of a backup gen- of residents are protected by backup long list of excuses for non-compliance,
this budget year, city officials said. erator able to cool the entire facility power, while in Martin County 62 per- including delays up to four months to
for 96 hours. cent of residents live in facilities that get utility companies to change out
Roughly $15.8 million was set aside meet state requirements. power meters and four to five months
by the city for underfunded employee Another nursing home, Florida Bap- to get a fuel tank delivered.
pension plans. The added cash will tist, was still installing weatherproofing In Broward County, home to the
fully replenish the pension fund to pay around the already-installed genera- now-closed Rehabilitation Center at Sea Breeze’s most recent appeal for
benefits to former and current employ- tors. And an assisted living facility, Har- Hollywood Hills, where the loss of air an extension included a letter from
ees enrolled in the pension plan before borchase, was waiting on the registra- conditioning over three days during a generator installation contractor
it was terminated. The city has since tion of its fuel tank so that diesel could Hurricane Irma caused the deaths of a blaming AHCA inspectors, saying “dif-
replaced its pension system with a tra- be delivered to its portable generator. dozen elderly residents, only 42 percent ferences of opinion” with the contrac-
ditional 401K retirement plan. of residents are protected by backup AC. tor’s engineers caused numerous de-
The state began requiring backup lays; future delays could be expected
Another $2.3 million will be paid in a power in nursing homes in the fall of Statewide, 70 percent of nursing from local government as well.
lump sum to fund pensions for former 2017 after a dozen residents in a Bro- homes and assisted living facilities are
electric utility employees enrolled in ward nursing home died due to heat in compliance with state regulations. In making a case for another exten-
the city’s pension plan prior to 2015. after Hurricane Irma knocked out sion, Sea Breeze’s executive director
electricity for three days. In Vero, Sea Breeze, a 110-bed nurs- Kenneth Ragin said Sea Breeze also
Roughly $9.5 million is earmarked to ing home formerly known as Atlantic has portable AC units that can run on
fund a trust dedicated to cover health According to state figures, Vero’s Care and Rehab, and Consulate of Vero its existing generator. And the con-
insurance for retired city electric util- six nursing homes house close to 500 Beach, a 159-bed nursing home, still tractor claimed in a May 7 letter filed
ity workers for the next 25 years. people. More than 1,000 others live in don’t have the required fixed genera- with AHCA that he would able to sup-
the county’s 21 assisted living facili- tor installed, despite four extensions plement that with more generators he
All of that adds up to more than $42 ties. Independent senior living facili- from the state’s Agency for Health could access around the state.
million and puts the city in much bet- ties are not included in the new law Care Administration, or AHCA, since
ter financial shape, according to city requiring backup power. the mandate for backup AC went into So far, no facilities in the county have
officials. effect more than a year and a half ago been fined over the new regulations. But
Currently 78 percent of residents with a 60-day deadline. just a day after AHCA granted Sea Breeze
“This is a good way to show a positive in Vero Beach nursing homes and as- its fourth variance, it slapped the nurs-
effect of what happened with the sale,” sisted living facilities are assured of In late June, both Consulate and Sea ing home with a $1,000 fine that goes
Breeze received extensions until De-
City Manager Monte Falls said.  cember.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 7

NEWS

back to August 2018, when an inspection “You have to have a registration ates, the Vero-based headquarters of than three weeks.
found the nursing home did not have a number to get product delivered,” the national senior living chain. Nor- “This is the last thing we have to do,”
disaster plan with the county. A month said Tim Reidy, director of develop- mally, he says, DEP approval takes
later, it still had no such plan approved, ment for Harbor Retirement Associ- about a day. So far, it’s taken more Reidy said. “We’ve actually had all our
triggering the just-imposed fine.
equipment since May.” 
That infraction got Sea Breeze placed
on the state’s nursing home watch list. Accused murderer gets another trial delay

A third nursing home, Florida Baptist BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ Perkins, 61, was arrested Nov. 4, 2015 the past five years whom he has rou-
Retirement Center, has its generator in Staff Writer and charged with the shooting death tinely fired for various reasons. After
place. But AHCA inspectors found the of Cynthia Betts, 63, at her home on dismissing an attorney, Perkins typi-
weatherproofing of the generator’s en- Asbury Lee Perkins, who has thus Seagrape Drive near The Moorings. cally spends varying lengths of time
closure inadequate. Florida Baptist, far avoided going to trial to face charg- Deputies said at the time that Perkins representing or demanding to repre-
which has already won approval for a es of premeditated murder in the 2015 – who had rolled his wife’s body up in sent himself before requesting a new
separate generator for its assisted liv- shooting death of his estranged wife at a rug – admitted to killing her because attorney. Each new attorney then asks
ing component, was finishing up the a house in South Beach, has found yet she nagged him and took money out of for more time to review the ever-more-
stucco of the enclosure last week and another way to delay facing a jury. a bank account. But he later pled not complex case and prepare a defense.
considers both facilities to be “abso- guilty and has been housed at the In-
lutely in compliance,” according to ex- This time Perkins, who has been dian River County jail since his arrest. Florida taxpayers have so far had to
ecutive director Gretchen Ward. deemed indigent, convinced the court cough up more than $173,000 to pay
to pay for a new specialist, Sheila Rapa, Rapa, who has already been paid for Perkins’ defense, a tally that does
As for assisted living facilities, only a Fort Lauderdale psychotherapist who $3,000, according to court documents, not include state-paid attorney fees,
Harborchase of Vero is past the state will receive $200 an hour to aid in Per- is the latest in a long line of specialists which are hard to tabulate, according
implementation deadline, though its kins’ insanity defense, according to that Perkins has been allowed to hire to court records and invoice state-
existing portable generator is accept- court documents filed by Perkins’ court- at taxpayer expense. Those specialists ments from Florida Justice Adminis-
able to AHCA because the facility is appointed attorney, Valerie Masters. have included a hypnotist and vid- trative Commission.
in the primary evacuation zone and eographer, multiple private detective
would be emptied should a hurricane Circuit Court Judge Dan Vaughn on firms, psychologists, and ballistic and Judge Vaughn cannot legally com-
head for Vero, July 9 also approved a request by Mas- forensic experts. ment on a case that he is presiding
ters to postpone the case until at least over, but other judges and attorneys say
AHCA hasn’t signed off on Harbor- September 18, so she can continue to He has also been assisted by numer- Vaughn is in a difficult situation because
chase’s emergency plans because the work on Perkins’ defense. ous court-appointed attorneys during
state’s Department of Environmental CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Protection has yet to authorize the
fuel tank’s registration.

8 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

6 local schools, including Beachland, get better grades

BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ Overall, Indian River County School Moxley and Board Chairman Laura and some that are having challenges.
Staff Writer District received a B rating for the 2018-19 Zorc noted that while the school grades In preparing the budget for the next
school year, the same grade it has received are important, there are other factors school year, we will need to make sure
Academic achievement at several every year since the 2015-16 school year. that measure a school’s success. we fund additional supports these
Indian River County schools showed There are 24 schools in the district. schools may need to ensure every
improvement this year, but schools “I have mixed emotions about the child is given the opportunity to suc-
with large African-American and La- Six schools got better letter grades, school grades because our students ceed.”
tino student populations continue to including Rosewood Magnet Elemen- and schools are being given a label for
falter, according to the 2018-19 school tary, which improved from a B to an A. the most part from a single state as- The Florida Department of Educa-
grades released by the Florida Depart- Citrus Elementary, Glendale Elemen- sessment,” Zorc said. tion has been issuing school and dis-
ment of Education. tary and Sebastian Middle schools trict grades since 1999.
climbed from C to B. Vero Beach El- “As a parent of three school-aged
Beachland Elementary showed the ementary went up from D to a C. students, I think it’s more important They are based mainly on Florida
most improvement, with its state grade for me to focus on the school that fits Standards Assessment scores and
leaping from a C to A in one year. Beach- “The staff and students at Citrus my children’s unique learning needs, end-of-course exams, but also factor
land, the island’s only public elementa- Elementary worked so diligently this not its letter grade. in student improvement and gradu-
ry school, received A grades every year year, and I could not be more proud ation rates when calculating school
until recently. of the achievement of increasing a “However, this year we know we had
letter grade and making a ‘B’ status,” campuses that soared off the charts grades. 
“We are very pleased with our school said Kim Garcia, principal at Citrus El-
grades, as we know it takes the work of ementary. SCHOOL BOARD UNLIKELY TO FACE
many dedicated individuals and the ANY LEGAL CONSEQUENCES FOR
persistence of our students to make Five schools received a lower grade. HOLDING UNLAWFUL MEETING
this possible,” interim Superintendent North County Charter School and St.
Susan Moxley said in a written state- Peter’s Academy dropped from an A to BY RAY MCNULTY Complicating the situation involv-
ment after the state scores came out. B. ing the School Board’s scheduling of
Staff Writer its April 16 special meeting here is a
“We will continue to work hard, while Sebastian Elementary and Sebas- conflict between the statute, which re-
celebrating our success and overcom- tian River High School both saw their Two months after the School Board quires that two days’ advanced notice
ing obstacles, to improve our individual grades fall from B to C. Treasure Coast held a special meeting to discuss pay- be published in a newspaper of gener-
school grades each year and meet our Elementary also dropped from a B to C. ing off now-departed Superintendent al circulation in the county, and Flor-
district goals.” Mark Rendell, the Sheriff’s Office con- ida’s “Government in the Sunshine”
All other schools maintained their tinued to investigate whether the ses- manual, which requires only that “rea-
previous year’s letter grade. sion was lawfully called and scheduled. sonable notice” be given.

The investigation is “still active,” “There’s no specific time period giv-
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Maj. Eric en,” Colton said. “As for what is ‘rea-
Flowers said Monday. sonable notice,’ that is left to interpre-
tation by the state’s Attorney General
But unless detectives uncover evi- or an appellate court.
dence that School Board members
or staffers intentionally violated the “You might find it interesting,
state’s Sunshine Law, it’s unlikely any- though, that the Attorney General rec-
one will be prosecuted. ommends seven days’ notice.”

According to State Attorney Bruce As for whether the School Board’s
Colton, the Florida statutes governing special meeting was unlawfully called
school board special meetings – includ- – the statute allows such sessions to
ing how such sessions are called, the be called by only the board chairman,
public notice required to schedule them superintendent or a majority of the
and the recording of minutes – provide board members – Colton said there’s
no real consequences for violators. little his office can do.

“The statute that covers how special During that April 16 meeting, alleg-
meetings are called and how minutes edly called by a majority of the board
are recorded carry no criminal or civil at the behest of Vice Chairman Tiffany
penalties,” Colton said. “Even if you Justice, three of the five board mem-
violate the statute, it’s not considered a bers said publicly they did not call the
criminal violation or even a civil infrac- special session.
tion.”
Since then, the School Board has re-
Colton said there are penalties for fused to provide to Vero Beach 32963
Sunshine Law violations, which can re- and Vero News a detailed, step-by-
sult in a second-degree misdemeanor step explanation of how the meeting
charge or civil infraction, depending was called and scheduled.
upon whether the act was intentional.
Last month, the board unanimously
However, Colton said those cases approved the April 16 special meet-
usually involve public officials refusing ing’s minutes, which falsely stated the
to provide records deemed public un- meeting had been called by a major-
der Florida law.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 9

NEWS

ity of the board. The minutes also were called the special meeting by himself.” plaints with the Florida Department deemed appropriate.”
amended to remove the names of the The School Board took no significant of Education Inspector General’s Of- Although the minutes have been ap-
three members credited with calling fice, which reviewed them and decid-
the meeting: Justice, Teri Barenborg action at the April 16 meeting. If it had, ed not to investigate further. proved, Zorc said the controversy stirred
and Jackie Rosario. though, Colton said it would have been by the circumstances surrounding the
up to the public to rectify the matter by Instead, the complaints were for- meeting still bothers her, because she
“What’s ironic,” Colton said, “is filing a lawsuit against the board. warded to School Board Chairman wants the board to be transparent in
that the superintendent could’ve Laura Zorc “for review and action
Several county residents filed com- how it conducts business. 

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10 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Laura Riding Jackson home complicated than this one, and had ing. He arrived shortly, walked to the and 66th avenues, James mentioned
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 studied every aspect of the route. It tracks and waved. We could proceed. that we were able to “pick up steam,”
was thrilling to watch as they negoti- accelerating to maybe 10 mph. “Be
stead – a 110-year-old Cracker house ated corners, curbs, traffic lights and “That was the most expensive wave careful your papers don’t start flyin’
and pole barn – was about to embark overhead cables with the precision of you’ll ever see,” said James, explaining around,” he advised, laughing.
on its final journey from the Environ- a jeweler cutting a facet on a diamond. that the FEC charges movers for this “es-
mental Learning Center just off the cort service;” over the years, he’s received Traffic was halted at the State Road
Wabasso Causeway to its new home Crew member Joseph Massenet invoices ranging from $200 to $1,500. 60/66th Avenue intersection, and driv-
at the 140-acre Vero Beach campus of rode on top on the house, to ensure ers snapped phone shots as the south-
Indian River State College. sufficient clearance. From time to On the causeway bridges and scat- bound convoy crossed the highway
time, he lifted the lower cables that tered along the route, people grabbed and headed to College Lane on the
The fragile house’s kitchen, porch crossed the roads, and once he man- photos and waved while drones re- final leg.
and bedroom wings had made the trip handled a traffic light out of the way. corded the event from above. We
a week before. The final pieces – the The clearance seemed mostly mea- clipped along a brisk 8 mph past some At last, the trip was over. It had taken
main section of the house, roof and sured in inches. of Indian River County’s prettiest rural about an hour and a half on Sunday
rangy pole barn – rested on painstak- land – palm-dotted pasture, horses, morning, but, actually, the journey
ingly placed bases awaiting first light. Just after crossing the U.S. 1 inter- cattle, the ghosts of abandoned groves had taken more than two years.
section on 510, there was brief delay. – a lot of natural beauty mostly unno-
Brownie Structural Movers chose the The Florida East Coast Railway official ticed from within an air-conditioned When the Laura Riding Jackson
time, a Sunday morning, and the zig- who was required to “escort us” over vehicle traveling 55 mph. Home Foundation was informed, in
zagging northeast-to-southwest route, the tracks had gone to the wrong cross- the summer of 2017, that the Environ-
with only two major highway cross- On the longer stretches, along 58th mental Learning Center’s ambitious
ings, to avoid as much traffic as possi- expansion plans did not include a
ble. A trio of sheriff’s officers would es- place for the historic structure, which
cort the convoy and control traffic flow. had stood there for a quarter-century,
the Foundation board scrambled to
At dawn, the deputies took positions find another location while also striv-
at either end of the Wabasso Causeway ing to raise hundreds of thousands of
bridge and the parade eased out onto dollars to fund the relocation.
the road: In front was the pole barn,
weighing 8,000 pounds, on a trailer It was an uncertain, stressful time,
pulled by a backhoe operated by Kim but once the college enthusiastically
Brownie, the company’s highly-expe- offered a .71-acre site on its campus as
rienced owner; then the main house, a new home for the historic house, it
weighing roughly 40,000 pounds, be- became quickly obvious that the part-
hind a Mack truck, with Brownie’s son nership would be a major win-win.
James at the wheel; and finally the
roof, behind another Mack. At the college the quaint house will
continue to serve as a historical beacon,
The expertise of the moving crew was providing learning and teaching oppor-
immediately obvious – and impressive. tunities in the disciplines of Florida his-
Brownie’s crew has moved thousands tory, literature, poetry, culture and envi-
of structures, most far larger and more ronment for students of all ages.

Reconstruction is expected to begin

immediately. 

Capt. Milo Thornton promoted to high-ranking position

BY RAY MCNULTY which has never elected a black county The promotion puts Thornton in junct instructor at his alma mater, In-
Staff Writer commissioner or constitutional officer? charge of the Sheriff’s Office’s Bureau dian River State College, where he has
of Administration, where he’ll replace taught at the Treasure Coast Public
The highest-ranking black law en- “Why not?” Thornton said of the pos- Flowers, who has been moved into the Safety Training Complex in Fort Pierce
forcement officer in the 94-year his- sibility, adding that such a run could be position vacated by Burdock atop the for more than a decade.
tory of Indian River County, Sheriff’s in his future. “That’s probably going to Bureau of Law Enforcement.
Capt. Milo Thornton, has been pro- scare some people, but I’d be lying if I “When you look at the numbers, I
moted again. said the thought hasn’t crossed my mind. Flowers, though, will retain his du- have been promoted quickly, but my
ties as the agency’s public information promotions have been directly linked
Thornton last week was promoted to “There’s no rush, though. I’m only officer, while Strickland will continue to others’ retirements,” Thornton said.
major, making him one of the agency’s 41. I’ve got plenty of time.” to head the Bureau of Corrections. “Positions weren’t created for me. Noth-
highest-ranking members – with the ing was handed to me. I’ve just always
same rank as Eric Flowers and Selby The vacancy on Loar’s command Thornton, who began life in Fort prepared myself to be the next guy.
Strickland – behind only Sheriff Deryl staff was created when Maj. John Bur- Pierce before moving to Gifford as a
Loar and Undersheriff Jim Harpring. dock retired in January. Loar said he teenager, embarked on his law-en- “Besides, I’m not motivated by rank;
decided to promote Thornton based forcement career in 1997 with the St. I’m motivated by responsibility,” he
Loar already has announced his en- on his job performance, test results Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, where he added. “I’ve worked every other aspect
dorsement of Flowers’ 2020 candidacy and work in the community – not be- started in the corrections division. of law enforcement – patrol, investiga-
to succeed him as sheriff, but he said cause of his skin color. tions, corrections – and at a supervi-
Thornton also possesses the back- He was hired by the Vero Beach Po- sory level. This is the next challenge.”
ground and leadership qualities neces- “Obviously, this is big stuff in terms lice Department in 1999. After three
sary to run a law-enforcement agency. of legacy, but that’s not why I promoted years as a patrolman and traffic ho- As major in charge of the Bureau of
him,” Loar said. “I’ve been impressed micide investigator, he joined the In- Administration, Thornton will oversee
“It wouldn’t surprise me to see Milo by Milo from the first time I met him dian River County Sheriff’s Office in more than 50 deputies and 150 civilian
as a police chief someday,” Loar said as a young deputy and, throughout 2002, earning promotions to sergeant employees. His new command will in-
last weekend, “or in a few years, even my years as sheriff, he has done every- in 2012, lieutenant in March 2016 and clude: school resource officers, court-
run for sheriff.” thing he needed to do to earn this op- captain in February 2017. house security, human resources, fleet
portunity. He’s getting this promotion services, central records, information
A black sheriff in Indian River County, because he deserves it.” In addition, Thornton is an ad-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 11

NEWS

technology, purchasing, government black deputies but also to the county’s kids in our community, we can point highest-ranked black law enforce-
affairs, crime prevention and home- black community as a whole – espe- to Milo and say, ‘You can be that. You ment officer in the county’s history,
land security. cially its youth. can shoot for the stars. The opportu- and he’s determined to not let down
nity is there.’” those who’ve supported him along
Sheriff’s Office veteran Teddy Floyd “It shows we’ve evolved from the the way.
said the promotion “speaks volumes” days when this wasn’t possible,” Thornton said he embraces the
about both Thornton and Loar, and Floyd said. “Now, we know it can be challenges and expectations that ac- “I’d rather be an inspiration,” he said,
sends a message to not only other done. Now, when we talk to black company the distinction of being the
“than an icon.” 

12 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Green sea turtles seen nesting on our beaches in record numbers

BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ – and just as last year was exceptionally County officials are also expecting one of the least common visitor to the
Staff Writer low, this year's nesting season is antici- a good year for loggerhead turtles, the area – have been counted so far. Forty-
pated to be the best since the county most prevalent species to frequent lo- six nests of the species were discov-
Last year saw a plunge in green sea starting keeping records 15 years ago, cal beaches. Last year, 5,734 loggerhead ered last year, about half the record
turtle nests in Indian River County, surpassing the record set in 2017, when nests were recorded and 3,580 have al- number of 87 nests counted in 2010.
with just 235 counted, the lowest num- more than 2,600 nests were counted. ready been counted this year. In 2016,
ber in more than a decade, but county loggerheads experienced a record year With potentially record numbers
officials expect a record resurgence for As of June 28, the number of green sea with 7,197 nests, the most since num- of nests scattered along the island’s
the endangered species this year. turtle nests had already doubled, with bers have been kept. 22.4 miles of shoreline, officials are
487 counted so far. Green sea turtles warning beachgoers to be careful not
The turtles have a cyclical nesting pat- grow up to 4 feet long and weigh up to Twenty-two nests of leatherbacks – to disturb the nests or interfere with
tern – lots of nests one year, few the next 350 pounds, living as long as 60 years. the largest sea turtle in the world and thousands of threatened loggerhead,
leatherback and green turtles lumber-
ing ashore to lay their eggs.

“I really want to remind people that
we should enjoy wild animals from a safe
distance,” said Quintin Bergman, the
county’s environmental specialist. “We
don’t want to interrupt the animal and
what’s it’s doing in its natural habitat.”

Bergman is also cautioning ocean-
front residents and restaurants to be
mindful of local ordinances that restrict
lighting at night during nesting season
to ensure baby sea turtles are guided
to the ocean by moonlight instead of
crawling inland toward manmade light.

“Artificial lights on a nesting beach
will have a negative impact,” Bergman
said. “Adults are less likely to lay nests
if the beach is well lit and hatchlings
could become disoriented on their
way to the sea.”

Lights illuminating buildings along
the beach must be shielded or turned
off by 9 p.m. during nesting season, ac-
cording to the county’s ordinance. Flood
lights are prohibited and light fixtures on
the landward side of structures that can
be seen from the beach must be fitted
with shields and directed downward so
no light directly or indirectly illuminates
the beach. Residents and business own-
ers should also close window shades and
curtains to keep the beach as dark as pos-
sible, county officials have cautioned.

Sea turtle nesting season runs from
March 1 through Oct. 31. Loggerhead
and leatherback nests were first sight-
ed on county beaches in late April,
while the first green turtle nest was

spotted in mid-May. 

Accused murderer
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

if he doesn’t allow Perkins’ access to the
experts he requests, the wily defendant
can claim he was denied a fair trial.

Perkins’ shenanigans have also in-
cluded filing an astounding 266 mo-
tions, which has slowed his case and
added to the cost of trying him – even
though the vast majority of his mo-
tions have been denied and deemed

nonsensical. 

Landen Cheeseman
with Chief David Currey

MOONSHOT’S POP-UP EVENT:
IN A ‘WORD’ – INSPIRATIONAL

14 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Moonshot’s Pop-Up event: In a ‘Word’ – inspirational

Halee Dowd with Lt. Matt Harrelson. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Jaxson LeMaster.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF To round out the afternoon,
Staff Writer youngsters received free books, cooled
off with ice cream, played Jenga with
Words spilled out into the streets last PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 giant blocks and listened to VBPD
week during several Moonshot Word Quan Gordon and Leah Gordon. Chief David Currey reading Mélanie
Collector Pop-Up events co-hosted by Watt’s book, “Scaredy Squirrel.”
the Learning Alliance and local law
enforcement agencies to celebrate Other officers stopped by to add
National Summer Learning Week. their own words to the wall and
promote Reynolds’ message: “Reach
The Learning Alliance’s Moonshot for your own words. Tell the world
Reading Rocket along with Luna, who you are and how you will make it
the Literacy RV, traveled around the better.”
county, visiting children enrolled in
summer learning programs at the “Literacy is important,” said Currey,
Dasie Bridgewater Hope Center, the commenting on the relationship
Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River between knowledge and criminal
County in Fellsmere and Sebastian, behavior. “The more people that have
and several elementary schools. jobs and that are going in a positive
direction with their life, the less we
The week-long celebration ended see as far as crime goes and issues out
Friday afternoon at Pocahontas Park, in the field. It all goes hand in hand.”
where youngsters enjoyed literacy
games and activities based on “The National Summer Learning
Word Collector” by Peter H. Reynolds, Week was founded 25 years ago by
about a boy who collects words. the nationwide National Summer
Learning Association to bring
Bridget Lyons, TLA’s Arts/Literacy together community organizations,
educator and manager of the summer learning programs and
Reading Rocket, brought the book families to promote the importance
to life through song and movement, of children continuing to learn during
encouraging the children to help her the summer.
“collect” words during an interactive
literacy encounter. The concept is a cornerstone in
the Learning Alliance’s mission to
The children could build their stop the summer slide and meet its
own words using letter tiles, before ultimate goal of having 90 percent of
capturing their favorite words on Indian River County children reading
canvas and then placing them on the at grade level by the third grade.
Moonshot Word Wall, a roving Arts
Literacy installation. For more information, visit thelearn-
ingalliance.org. 



16 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Ava DiPerna.
Aaron Orozo and Erandy Munoz.
Brittany Miller and Hendryx Horstman.

Bridget Lyons, Jessica Schmitt, Marie O’Brien and Chief David Currey.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 17

PEOPLE

Vegas Nights: Riverside’s all in on fun fundraisers

Jon Moses. Frank Forgione and Ken Gustafson.

Lauren and T.J. McKeon. Kathy Mulvey and Trudie Rainone. PHOTOS:DENISE RITCHIE Dr. Deborah Brown and Norman Wells.

Riverside Theatre is hopping all
throughout the summer, with
alternating Howl at the Moon
and Comedy Zone shows occur-
ring Friday and Saturday nights
on the Waxlax Stage, while free
Live in the Loop concerts heat
things up outside. But July is ex-
tra special. Riverside support-
ers let it ride at the first of eight
Vegas Nights fundraisers, which
continue 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on
Fridays and Saturdays through
July 27. Patrons poured into the
Orchid Lobby to purchase ‘ca-
sino money’ and try their hands
at slot machines, blackjack, craps
and roulette, all to benefit the
Riverside Theatre for Kids’ Dis-
count Tuition program. Children
were the ultimate winners, as Ve-
gas Nights and the annual Festi-
val of Trees are the two main fun-
draisers for Riverside Theatre for
Kids. For more information, visit
riversidetheatre.com. 

18 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

String-ing the praises of Mike Block camp musicians

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

An enthusiastic, standing-room- Mike Block. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Mazz Swift.
only crowd packed McAfee Hall
at First Presbyterian Church last two-time Grand National fiddle thy; violinist and educator Lauren levels.”
Wednesday evening for the first champion Kimber Ludiker; genre- Rioux, bluegrass mandolin player Their concerts have always been
of three Vero Beach International bending fiddler/violinist Taylor Joe Walsh; and new this year, im-
Music Festival concerts featuring Morris; multifaceted Carnatic fid- provisational violinist Mazz Swift. free, with contributions toward
world-class Americana, Celtic, dler/violinist Arun Ramamur- camp scholarships encouraged, and
Indian, bluegrass, jazz and folk Another popular new addition as word has spread over the years
musicians. The audience was taken to the camp was four-month-old about their remarkable talents, au-
on a whirlwind musical journey Eilidh, Block and Cassel’s first child. diences have swelled to capacity.
showcasing the talents of the “It’s been a big life change for us, but
faculty of the 10th annual Mike it’s pretty exciting that we’re able “And so it’s a really exciting thing
Block String Camp. to bring her into this community for us,” said Block. Additionally, he
already,” said Block. said, the concerts give the faculty
Led by cellist and educator Mike an opportunity to practice what
Block, returning faculty included The final concert Saturday they preach.
Block’s wife, Hanneke Cassel, a for- afternoon – culminating with
mer U.S. National Scottish fiddle a down-home Barn Dance – “Students see the teachers per-
champion; versatile fiddler/violin- highlighted camp participants, form twice before they perform, so
ist Darol Anger; raga folk-inspired who ranged in age from about 7 to they really start to get a handle on
violinist Trina Basu; Grammy 70. Students hailed from all around what’s going to happen during their
Award-winning jazz violinist Zach the world, with many attending performance,” said Block. “I always
Brock; Melissa Brun, cellist, vocal- through scholarships, including a feel that the students rise to a level
ist and educator; multi-instrumen- group of Gifford Youth Orchestra in the performance that we haven’t
talist and vocalist Colin Cotter; Jul- members. even seen throughout the week.”
liard-trained cellist Natalie Haas;
“The exciting thing is that this is Natalia Watson a cellist, who
actually our biggest camp ever. We graduated from Vero Beach High
have 112 participants all here at the School in 2014, was one of Block’s
same time,” said Block. first students. Now a senior at UCF
in Orlando, she has graduated from
The program format was changed camp student to administrative
last year to a collaborative track staff.
schedule, simultaneously holding
in one week what used to be two “We were the very, very first kids.
programs held over two weeks. Mike came to the high school for a
class, taught us and blew our minds
Initial classes were divided away. He told us to put away the
by performance levels, and on stands; we were absolutely scandal-
Wednesday students separated ized,” she recalls.
into band groups for the first
time. During Thursday’s Master Appreciative of the exposure to
Classes, combined levels began unique and diverse styles, she add-
performing together in preparation ed, “Before Mike came down I had
for Saturday’s concert. never done anything but classical,
but now my favorite genre is Ap-
“So that’s really exciting because palachian Folk, and I know how to
we’re able to keep the community sing in several languages. There’s
all together,” said Block. “Those are all kinds of really cool things. It’s
actually really important moments the whole experience of visiting the
for people to see the different ability world through music.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 19

PEOPLE

Luke plays the violin. Annalise Lang.

Eve Wodarcyk and Laila Crowe. Keefer Glenshaw performs with his group the Eighty-Percent Cello. Hanneke Cassel.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

One-of-a-kindness atmosphere at Live Like Cole ‘Par-Tee’

BY KERRY FIRTH Maria Mamangakis with Dr. Nick and Elaine Coppola and Steve Mamangakis. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES supporters and friends to join us
Correspondent for an evening of fun and kindness
this event and it all goes back into the bike share program and recently and making a difference in our
An outpouring of kindness and the community. We finalized the installed two bike repair stations community,” said Melanie Coppola,
generosity was contagious at the construction of the Live Like Cole in Gifford. We are so thankful for Foundation CEO.
fourth annual Golf Tournament Fishing Pier in Riverside Park and the generosity of the community
and Par-Tee fundraiser to benefit were able to fund the reconstruction to help us continue Cole’s legacy of Roughly 100 guests enjoyed
the Live Like Cole Foundation. of the Live Like Cole Docks at the spreading kindness.” cocktails while perusing seemingly
The festivities kicked off with a Fountains on Royal Palm Pointe,” endless silent-auction tables filled
dinner party Friday night at the said Coppola. “We are working on “Tonight, we have invited our with donated gift packages and
Moorings Yacht & Country Club, board of directors, sponsors, a variety of items in the brilliant,
and carried over into Saturday with cheerful colors that signify the Live
the tournament at the Moorings at Like Cole ideology. As a prelude to
Hawk’s Nest Golf Club. the golf tournament, Golf Carts
of Vero Beach donated a golf cart
“In the past we held the Par-Tee which was raffled off last month.
after the tournament, but decided
to change it up this year and have A 50/50 raffle drawing and a lively
it the night prior so non-golfers can auction orchestrated by auctioneer
participate,” explained Dr. Nick Wesley Davis followed a delicious
Coppola. chicken Française dinner.

Friday night was an evening filled “This is an excellent opportunity
with hope and promise, as guests to come out and support a great
chatted about the nonprofit’s many organization,” said Davis. “And
accomplishments over the past four it’s always a group of fun, positive
years and the future projects the people.”
board has in mind.
The foundation was established
“In the past few years we’ve by the Coppola family following the
raised in excess of $100,000 from tragic death of their 16-year-old son,
Cole. Their mission is to “encourage

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 21

PEOPLE

Linda and Ray Hengerer with Barbara Tierney. Sarah Garrett and Jackie Strama with Peggy and Anthony Aversa. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
Dan Hengerer with Elena and Jonathan Trent.

Eric Flowers and Carole Jean Jordan.

Brenda O’Connor and Scott McCracken.

children and adults alike to support
others, to foster self-worth and to
help their fellow man.”

“It’s heartwarming to see
something so positive come out
of something so negative,” said
board member Chris Sexton. “It’s
an absolute honor to serve on the
board and continue Cole’s legacy of
kindness.” 

22 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 Derek Hendrie and Taylor Davis with Tonya and Wesley Davis.
Susan Lorenz, Marty Zickert and Cindy Goetz.

Dr. Chris and Christopher Coppola. Milo Thornton and Laura Moss. Peggy Walker.

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CLAUDETTE ROCHE: ACCENT COACH
TALKS UP ISLAND LIFE

24 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Claudette Roche: Accent coach talks up island life

Claudette Roche.

PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES

BY MICHELLE GENZ started early in the paper’s decade of of nice pressed capris and little J. regionalisms and timbre.
Staff Writer publishing, Roche typifies the newcom- McLaughlin tops,” she says. “The bulk of my work is working with
er we like to feature who catches our eye
Claudette Roche has made a career and broadens our town. Here is how Today her all-black outfits are gone, corporate executives from another land
out of helping people fit in, whether in she’s fitting in: traded for airy blues and whites. who need to modify their sounds,” she
the setting of her new hometown or on says. “They’re tired of people asking
the set of a Hollywood movie. After 30 When Claudette Roche and her “I’ve bought into it a little bit. I actually where they’re from. It means they’re
years as an actress, Roche is now a dia- husband, Jeff Woolnough, a Peabody- think it’s pretty.” different, and most people want to
logue and accent coach, teaching actors award winning director, moved into blend in.”
how to sound like a foreign character an oceanfront condo in Vero, they What she didn’t have to modify was
and teaching foreigners how to sound left nearly everything they owned in her accent: Standard American, despite Roche’s own heritage includes
more American. In 2015, she and her California – except their clothes. And her Jamaican parentage, London a slew of nationalities, almost as
husband left L.A. after 25 years and Roche eventually ditched those too, birthright, childhood in Montreal and diverse as the list of accents she can
moved to Vero’s barrier island. Today, when her L.A. wardrobe – nearly all quarter-century of adulthood in Los replicate. It only takes moments
most of her clients come to her via Sky- of it black – suddenly felt unwearable. Angeles. of conversation before Roche has
pe, so she can gaze out of her oceanfront A visiting friend from Ireland even suddenly delivered a laugh line as a
condo while connecting with clients commented that Roche “wasn’t looking Today, Roche, an actor by training, Muscovite or Parisian.
around the world. As Vero Beach 32963 very Vero.” works as a dialect and accent coach.
resumes Incoming Tide, a column we While tops and capris may help her Born in London to Jamaican
“I started to notice a uniform here fit in here, she advises clients who immigrants, Claudette was 7 when she
want their speech to fit in. For that, and her parents moved to Montreal.
the self-taught Roche has honed an There, it wasn’t so much the French that
ear for pitch patterns, intonation,

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 25

ARTS & THEATRE

‘Palm Bay was nice, discouraged, walking home from “We knew there was a baby, but we Ancestry.com website and was
CBC-TV to see about a newscaster job. didn’t know her name. All we could do looking at a page I hadn’t seen before.
but we kept looking. It didn’t go well, and when I got home, is hope she found us.” ‘These are all your relatives’ – and
there was my envelope from the U.S. there were probably 20,000 of them.
Then we found Vero, government – my green card.” She did. Beatrix Labeck lives in I’m flipping through and I see a
Wiesbaden and Roche is headed there woman I met at a party two years ago,
and that was it.’ When her husband got his card, too, at the end of July. The local newspapers and then saw her again at a Super
they headed for L.A. It was 1990. have already been alerted, she says, Bowl party. Turns out, we’re related.
Claudette Roche and are planning to cover the reunion. We’re something like fifth cousins –
Roche laughs as she recalls seeing and she’s right down the road.”
made her feel she would never fit in. It what she thought was the working In the meantime, a more distant –
was the pants. wardrobe of Southern California sex though geographically closer – relative If you’ve come across a Vero newcomer
workers. has popped up in John’s Island. you’d like to introduce to island readers,
“What’s with pants? I came from Susan Brown, a snowbird and fellow let us know by emailing genz.michelle@
England. I didn’t own pants. I hated “They were wandering in and out of Canadian, is also connected to Roche. gmail.com, with “Incoming Tide” in
pants.” fancy shops and restaurants, wearing the subject line. Please include contact
short shorts and tube tops and huge “Four days after I found my information. 
When the Canadian winter platform shoes. I said to my girlfriend, half-sister, which was already
descended, she still resisted. “Pants ‘Isn’t it great how accepting people are of overwhelming, I went back to the
under my coat? I can’t do that look. I’d all these prostitutes?’ And she looked at
rather suffer.” me and said, ‘Those aren’t prostitutes.’ I
couldn’t believe it.”
She didn’t budge from the anti-pant
stance until she was a teenager. As her husband continued his
directing career, Roche set about
As for adjusting to Quebecois French, auditioning for roles.
she never became fluent, and would
proudly put on her London accent to “I loved it. I worked almost
annoy her schoolmates, she recalls. immediately. I did commercials and lots
of TV. It was good,” she recalls.
At 25, set on becoming an actress, she
packed her bags for Toronto. “I’m an “But as you’re getting older, things
Anglophone,” she says. “There wasn’t start to change, including you. You’re
much work in Montreal for Anglos.” like this schizo person trying to fit
in. There’s a certain behavior in
Toronto had a thriving film and TV actresses that I just don’t buy into –
industry and was less intimidating like, ‘Yay! I’m me!’ That’s not what I’m
than L.A., but she knew no one. Then, about. And I remember thinking, I’m
walking down busy Yonge Street, she not having fun.”
met her future husband, Jeff Woonough,
walking with a mutual friend. Both Over time, her dialect and accent
worked in television production. They coaching became more satisfying than
exchanged phone numbers and two her acting jobs. She won Backstage
days later, she called Woolnough to Magazine LA’s Readers’ Choice award
ask for information about the ongoing two years in a row for Favorite Dialect/
Toronto Film Festival. Accent Coach, and in 2010 was named
one of the top five Accent Coaches by
“How does a film festival work?” she Hollywood Weekly.
asked.
Then came the realization that she
That afternoon, they went to and her husband could both work
“Educating Rita” and two more that remotely; L.A. didn’t have to be home
same day. By nightfall she was in love. base.
“I was struck; I was done.”
As the couple began looking for a new
A 2005 Peabody Award winner hometown, they first looked abroad.
for the sci-fi TV series “Battlestar Dublin, where they spent a life-altering
Galactica,” Woolnough’s long list of long holiday, proved too cold and too
directing credits includes episodes expensive. They considered Seville,
of the History Channel’s “Vikings” Spain, but that didn’t feel right either.
and Syfy’s “The Expanse.” The Vero By then Roche’s mother had moved
Beach Wine and Film Festival began to Palm Bay, and they decided to give
the year after they moved to Vero and Florida a try too.
Woolnough was quickly recruited,
serving in 2017 as Honorary Festival “Palm Bay was nice, but we kept
Chair and this year as judge. looking. Then we found Vero, and that
was it.”
The young filmmakers and actors
the festival brings to town might In the coming weeks, Roche will
remind Roche and Woolnough of their get a chance to work on her German
own start in the business. Roche looks accent, as she goes to meet a half-sister
back with mixed emotions on her she never knew she had. The revelation
years as a budding actress in Toronto, came about after she had her DNA
her talent for accents winning her tested several years ago. “Nothing was
work on radio dramas. a surprise to me.”

“I did a lot of work in Toronto, But then in February she got an
but then it felt like it was drying email from a woman in Germany
up,” she says. “I remember getting who saw on her DNA analysis that she
might be closely related to Roche. It
turned out to be Claudette’s half-sister,
the product of an affair her father had
when he was young, and which Roche
learned of seven years ago.

26 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

What a ‘Tripp’ for playwright and Surfside Players

BY PAM HARBAUGH
Correspondent

With its production this weekend of
the comedy “Tripp and Fall,” Cocoa
Beach’s Surfside Players honors two
beloved fixtures of Brevard theater –
Arlan Ropp and John Kurowski.

The production marks not only
the debut of Surfside’s newly named
original full-length play competition,
the Ropp Playwright Award, but it
also marks the playwriting debut
for Kurowski. Well known for his
acting work on stage especially as
Roger DeBris in “The Producers” at
the Henegar Center and Surfside,
Kurowski is also known as a music
director for a multitude of musicals on
many area stages.

Ropp is known for his work as
an actor, a director and grand
cheerleader for the 34-year-old
Playwrights Workshop of Brevard,
which produces original one-act
plays. Not only has Ropp performed
on nearly every stage here, his smiling
face and encouraging nods are seen at
nearly every production in the area.

Front row: Donna Ferfaro, Edward Johnson, Becky Behl-Hill, Arlan Ropp and Terrence Girard.
Back row: Rob Kenna, Katie McCall, John Kurowski and Chris Tsocanos. PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN THACKER

He helped Surfside establish its erything.” Now, Kurowski’s play gets
annual full-length original playwriting to launch the Ropp Playwright Award,
competition 19 years ago. It has always as well as getting that $500 prize.
been held in the summer and with
anonymous judges reading “blind” “I think this fits into place a lot
scripts (no names attached). But the better,” Kurowski said. “And the
problem, said Surfside artistic director director got a stellar cast.”
Bryan Bergeron, is that some years,
there was a dearth of submissions and Indeed. Director Chris Tsocanos
sometimes they lacked in quality. has been blessed with a cast filled
with many of Brevard’s favorite actors.
“We were looking for better-quality Bergeron suspects that Kurowski
scripts, so we upped our involvement made sure the best would go audition.
in it,” Bergeron said. “We’ve had
some good plays, but some years the Actor Edward Johnson plays
submissions were thin-numbered.” beleaguered businessman Harry Tripp,
who takes his personal secretary on a
So, last year, in an effort to gain business trip to Boston where he meets
more interest in the competition and with successful Marcel Olivier, played
attract more submissions of higher by Rob Kenna.
quality, Surfside added a $500 purse to
it and renamed it the Ropp Playwright Katie McCall plays the naive
Award. secretary, Patsy Fall, who falls
for Michele Olivier, the son of the
Because, well, everyone loves the guy. businessman Tripp meets. Playing
“It seemed the right way to go,” Michele is Dylan Bowers.
Bergeron said. “He’s thrilled with it.
He also appreciates the fact that we’re Because Miss Fall is so fetching,
investing in it.” Harry Tripp’s wife, Georgia, shows up
What makes it all even sweeter is the to keep an eye on her husband. Georgia
fact that Kurowski’s 80-minute play is played by Becky Behl-Hill, who has
“Tripp and Fall” had been submitted a long track record of taking on funny
to the competition three years ago. He characters.
had worked on it on and off for about
10 years. When it didn’t make the final The maid at the hotel is named
cut, he tweaked it and resubmitted it Florencia Mauricio and is played by
this year. Donna Furfaro. Kurowski said he
As they say in theater, “Timing is ev- fashioned the maid after Furfaro, also a
popular area actor and a dear friend of
the playwright.

“Every time I’d write a line for

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 27

John Kurowski. ARTS & THEATREDirector Chris Tsocanos. Arlan Ropp.

(Florencia), I pictured Donna playing writing,” he said. “They create their come to life,” Kurowski said. “I just utes with an intermission. While there is
the role,” he said. “I told her to go own films, learn how to shoot it and sat there smiling the whole time. I’ve no adult language in it, the comedy does
audition for it.” edit it. For the past 20 years, my stu- always liked comedies and consider contain adult situations and is recom-
dents have placed first, second or third myself funny. I’ve started another mended for mature audiences. It per-
Rounding out the cast is the popular in state competitions.” play. It was on the back burner but forms 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2
Terrence Girard, who plays the now I’ve got a better vision for it. It’s p.m. Sunday at Surfside Playhouse, 301
officious concierge, Robert Plaisir. When “Tripp and Fall” was picked, more of a drama.” Ramp Road (5th Street South), Cocoa
Bergeron notified Kurowski by text Beach. Tickets are $15. Call 321-783-3127
“It’s a light farce,” said Tsocanos. message. “Tripp and Fall” runs about 80 min- or visit SurfsidePlayers.com. 
“All the characters are intertwined.
You have hijinks, mistaken identities.” “It was surprised,” Kurowski said. “I
knew I was the first winner of the Ropp
The only difference between Playwright Award, so that was very
Kurowski’s “light farce” and a typical cool.”
full-on farce is that there’s not so many
people running in and out of doors, Kurowski and Tsocanos only met
Tsocanos said. once to discuss the play’s tone and the
playwright’s intention.
A fan of comedies, Kurowski said
he has been most influenced by “It’s definitely John’s baby,” Tsocanos
playwrights like Ken Ludwig (“Lend Me said. “He wants it done as well as
a Tenor”) and Ray Cooney (“Run for Your possible. He’s been writing it for a while.”
Wife”), both well known for their farces.
The two didn’t make any changes to
Because of the complicated plot, the script.
Kurowski said he laid out the action in
a storyboard format so he could keep “There was very little that didn’t
tight control. seem to play,” Tsocanos said. “He
wrote a pretty tight script.”
That approach should be expected
from Kurowski. He teaches music and Kurowski has stayed away and let
TV production at Williams Elementary the director take his script and bring
in Viera. it to life. He has seen only one re-
hearsal.
“I teach kids storyboard and script
“It was surreal to see characters

Established 18 Years in Indian River County

(772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com
3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960

28 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! Viva Riverside’s ‘Vegas Nights’ entertainment

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA fans loved their “philosophical lyrics,
Staff Writer sonic experimentation and elaborate
live shows,” says Wikipedia. The King
1 Do you feel lucky? The Vegas Center reminds you about their pre-
Nights theme continues this show Picnic on the Patio. You can buy
food and drink at the full-service bar
weekend, July 19 and 20, at Riverside and grill (east side). Cash only. ATM
available. Caveat: weather permitting.
Theatre, further spicing up the always Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: start at $31.75.
321-242-2219.
high-energy fun which, this weekend,

includes that wild and crazy audience

participation request show, Howl at the

Moon; the free Live on the Loop music;

and the tempting food and full bar 4 Were you there? Celebrate the
50th anniversary of Woodstock,
outdoor set-up. Arrive at 6 p.m. to try

your luck in the theater lobby, which the music and the generation that

has been transformed into a casino, changed history, this Friday, July 19,

and where you could win great stuff. as the national tour of the Paisley

The Howl features three super-talented Craze Band’s “The Peace and Love

(funny, quick-witted) musicians – two Tour,” comes to Daytona’s Peabody

pianos and a drum set. Try to come up Auditorium. Get your groove on and

with a (real) song they can’t play. Just relive that rock and roll moment

try. Outside, the Live on the Loop bands in history for a couple of hours of

will be: Friday, Minglewood, a Grateful music and peace, with tunes from

Dead tribute band; and Saturday, the 2 At Capt. Hiram’s this Sunday. Creedence Clearwater Revival, the

Casey Raines Band, playing country Grateful Dead, Jim Hendrix, Janis

hits. You can’t bring your own food or Joplin, Crosby, Stills and Nash, the

4 Paisley Craze Band at Daytona’s
Peabody Auditorium Friday.

3 This Saturday at the King Center. Who and more. I can already feel my
hair growing. Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets:
bevs. Anyway, it’d be like carrying coal Badfish was formed by University 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets: $20 in $33.65. www.daytonabeach.com/
to Newcastle. Also, no pets, except pet of Rhode Island computer science advance, $25 at the door. events/music/bandshell-concerts/.
rocks. Times: Casino opens: 6 p.m.; majors (seems a bit incongruous).
Howl at the Moon – 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 According to Wikipedia, the band 3 Pink Floyd revisited, this 5 OR: head over to Daytona’s
p.m.; Live in the Loop music – 6 p.m. to quickly became a hit “on college Saturday, July 20: Classic Oceanfront Park and the historic
9:30 p.m. Tickets: side seats: $12, table campuses and among Sublime fans
seating: $16-$22. You can reserve a who never were able to see the band Albums Live has got it going on. This 1937 coquina-constructed bandshell
table in advance, and choose your seat. due to frontman Bradley Nowell’s
772-231-6990. death in 1996. Sublime, in turn, was performing company seems to have for the next offering in its 2019
an American ska punk band from
Cali. Did I hear someone ask, “What’s found the formula for music lovers who Summer Series: “Vertigo/Original Sin
ska?” According to Wikipedia, it’s a
Jamaican music genre that started in long to hear their favorites once again, –Tribute to U2/INXS,” Friday, July 19. I
the 1950s and “combined elements
of Caribbean mento and Calypso, “live,” the same way they remember mean, can you even imagine what it’d
with American jazz and rhythm and
2 Toes in the sand. A cool blues.” So there you go. But wait. them from Back in the Day. The King look and sound like if these two stellar
beverage in your hand. And a There’s more. Opening for Badfish
will be Arkital Sound, a reggae band Center will present “Classic Albums bands had actually toured together?
from Delray Beach; and Dub-321,
great reggae band. Now there’s a fine a reggae/rock band out of Central Live: Pink Floyd The Wall,” creating a It is, heralds the Peabody website,
Florida. The Captain’s calling it “the
idea for a summer Sunday afternoon. hottest show of the summer.” Time: show they way they do each and every “one amazing band performing two

If you agree, Capt. Hiram’s, a laid- one – they choose great musicians and tributes in one night. Just a sample of

back resort with a Bahamian vibe, then recreate the chosen band’s (in the many sing-along-to songs you’ll

on the Indian River along Sebastian this case Pink Floyd) album “on stage – h ear: “New Year’s Day,” “What You

Indian River Drive, is the destination note for note, cut for cut. No gimmicks. Need,” “I Still Haven’t Found What

of choice. This Sunday, July 21, No cheesy impersonations.” Pink I’m Looking For” and “Devil.” Time:

the Captain continues its popular Floyd, of course, was an English 7:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $8,

Summer Sunday Reggae Series rock band formed in London in 1965 BYO seat; $10, seat provided. www.

with the return to the Sandbar of whose progressive and psychedelic day tona be ach .c om/e vent s/mu sic/

“Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime.” FYI: music became a huge global hit, and bandshell-concerts/. 



30 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

When astronaut Neil Armstrong emerged from
the spindly lunar module Eagle onto the craggy sur-
face of the moon, he united a bitterly divided nation
in a brief moment of national pride and wonder.

After years of Vietnam protests, political assas-
sinations and urban race riots, an astonishing 94
percent of all American households stayed up into
the late night of July 20, 1969, to watch the miracle
of Apollo 11 unfold on live TV.

“That’s one small step for man, and one giant
leap for mankind,” Armstrong radioed once his
boots touched the ground. Then he and Buzz Al-
drin gathered rock samples, hopped in lunar grav-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 31

INSIGHT COVER STORY

ity and erected a camera that captured the iconic Kennedy. True, Fishman documents, it was Ken- took the lead in sending rockets, men and dogs
image of Aldrin saluting an American flag they nedy who in 1961 announced the goal of putting a into space. Privately, Kennedy cooled on the proj-
fumblingly planted into the gray moonscape. man on the moon “before this decade is out,” and ect after superpower tensions eased in the wake of
who served as “our poet of space, and also our phi- the Cuban missile crisis that October, and he might
Yet soon enough, moon and space station mis- losopher of space” in public. have dialed it back, Fishman suggests, had he lived.
sions became routine, and public indifference and (“I’m not that interested in space,” an exasperated
second-guessing set in. So 50 years later, what are “We choose to go to the moon, in this decade, Kennedy blurted out to NASA chief James Webb in
we to make of those hazy hours of glory? and do other things, not because they are easy a budget meeting when Webb wouldn’t guarantee
but because they are hard,” Kennedy famously that $400 million could ensure a victory in the race
In his meticulously researched and absorbingly declared in a speech at Rice University, after visit- to the moon.)
written book, journalist Charles Fishman provides ing the construction site of a new NASA center in
both a celebration of the Apollo 11 mission and a Houston in September 1962. Only after Kennedy’s assassination did Lyndon
corrective to some of the myths that have crystal- Johnson double down on the Apollo program, and
lized around it. But Fishman argues that it was all about macho
Cold War politics for Kennedy, after the Soviets CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
The first involves the role of President John F.

32 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 INSIGHT COVER STORY Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 the astronauts close to home, so if something
went wrong with the rendezvous, they could sim-
Jackie Kennedy tie her husband’s name to space ply fire their retrorockets and return to Earth.” But
travel for posterity by lobbying to have the space in a fateful meeting at the Saturn headquarters in
center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., named after him. Huntsville, Ala., in June 1962, von Braun suddenly
threw his weight behind the LOR plan.
After all the movies and memoirs focused on
astronauts, Fishman skips retelling the personal Seven years later, Houbolt was invited to sit
stories of Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins, alongside von Braun in NASA’s VIP viewing room.
the third Apollo 11 crew member who manned the When Armstrong reported that “the Eagle has land-
Columbia command module. ed,” von Braun turned to Houbolt. “John, it worked
beautifully,” he said.
Instead, he introduces us to the scientists and
engineers who made it all possible. Charles “Doc” To the criticism that the Apollo program was a
Draper was the bow-tie-wearing ballroom-dance “moondoggle” (in the words of sociologist Amitai
enthusiast who headed the MIT Instrumentation Etzioni) and a waste of billions of dollars that could
Lab, which designed the internal navigation sys- have been better spent addressing social ills at
tem that allowed Apollo modules to all but pilot home, Fishman offers a persuasive defense.
themselves once in flight.
Not only did space contracts with Grumman,
Bill Tindall was the talented writer and orbital General Motors and other companies account for
mechanics “genius” from the old NASA headquar- hundreds of thousands of jobs spread across all
ters in Langley, Va., who rode herd over the MIT 50 states, but for almost a decade, NASA and its
scientists with more than 1,000 “Tindallgrams” in contractors, along with the Pentagon team build-
six years, mixing witty cheerleading with relentless ing the Polaris missile, served as virtually the only
flyspecking. buyers for Fairchild Semiconductor’s integrated
circuits, perfecting and driving down the price of
Most memorable of all, John Houbolt was the the computer chips that now power everything
quiet, middle-aged, mid-level NASA engineer from our laptops and smartphones to kitchen ap-
who dared to pester his superiors with long, sin- pliances and electronic cars.
gle-spaced letters advocating a “lunar-orbit ren-
dezvous (LOR)” – a “lunar ferry,” as the New York “No, Apollo didn’t usher in the Space Age, but it
Times first described it, that would detach as it did usher in the Digital Age,” Fishman concludes.
neared the moon, then link back up with the com- “It helped lay the foundation of the technology that
mand module for the trip home. created the digital revolution, and it helped give
Americans a sense of excitement and anticipation
In making his case, the lowly Houbolt was taking about the Digital Age . . . that had been completely
on the “Earth-orbit rendezvous” scenarios origi- missing before the 1960s began.”
nally advanced by the cocky Saturn booster rocket
team led by the legendary Wernher von Braun.

The von Braun design, Fishman writes, “kept

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 33

INSIGHT COVER STORY

In his final chapter, Fishman riffs on the can-do rent political chaos, that meditation invites the hard and great things again, he writes. “We have to
“spirit of America” that the Apollo program came question of what has become of that spirit in the be rallied to the cause.”
to symbolize, captured in the oft-repeated phrase: current era.
“If we can send a man to the moon, then why can’t In this most fractious era since the 1960s, one
we (fill in the blank).” But Fishman rescues what could have come finishes this book wondering: Will we ever again
across as an outdated paean to American excep- find missions that unite and inspire us as a na-
As tempting as it would be to recommend “One tionalism with a crucial caveat. tion, and leaders with the vision and magnetism to
Giant Leap” as a welcome diversion from our cur- point the way? 
“We have to be asked” if we are to accomplish

34 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

USE YOUR RIDE-HAILING APP TO SUMMON A HELICOPTER

Ride-hailing apps are hardly new, accepted by local residents and more
and neither are helicopter flights, but
the combination of the two is still rare. attractive to operators because of
Uber is among the companies hoping
to change that. lower costs. But while flying cars have

Since June 9th frequent users of been creating a lot of buzz, none of
its app can reserve a seat on an Uber
Copter. The new service features a them are yet ready for commercial
helicopter flight between Lower Man-
hatten, in New York, and the city’s JFK use. More than 70 companies, includ-
airport.
ing Boeing and Airbus, are still devel-
Skipping rush-hour traffic costs
customers between $200 and $225, oping and testing aircraft.
but saves them a couple of hours. That
is how long it can take to drive the dis- The market potential is significant,
tance in heavy traffic; Uber Copter will
cover it in 8 minutes. according to a recent study by Booz Al-

Uber is not the first to launch such len Hamilton, a consultancy. Enough
a service. The Airbus-owned Voom
offers in-app bookings of helicopter Americans, the authors argue, would
flights in perpetually congested São
Paulo and Mexico City. And Uber has be willing to pay for faster rides for
floated plans to extend a similar ser-
vice to Dallas, Los Angeles, and Mel- the air-taxi market to be worth at least
bourne, Australia, with test runs be-
ginning as early as 2020. $2.5 billion for the first few years of op-

These helicopter services allow the eration.
companies to gain in-air experience
before the prospective launch of large- They estimate the fare for a flight
scale air-taxi fleets in the future. They
want to find out when during the day with a 5-seat eVOLT aircraft at $6.25
they should take off, which potential
customers are willing to pay, and how per passenger mile, lower than that of
they can move their passengers to
and through future heliports. Gather- a helicopter flight with Voom, which
ing data and gaining experience now
might give them an edge over their costs about $10 a mile per passenger.
competitors once the air-taxi market
takes off. Fully autonomous and pilotless flying

Others are still waiting for the de- cars could operate at even lower pric-
velopment of better aircraft before
es. Catching a regular cab still costs

passengers less than $3 per mile.

After overcoming technical hurdles,

electric air taxis must still be licensed

by regulators. Uber hopes that its air-

taxi service, Uber Air, which will use

piloted eVTOL aircraft, will be allowed

to take off in 2023.

Airbus is developing similar aircraft

but has not yet announced a start date

for air taxis. Lilium, a German manu-

facturer of the vehicles, anticipates

being fully operational in several cit-

ies around the world by 2025. If elec-

launching air-taxi services. Compared and might require less maintenance, tric air-taxis become a reality so soon,
to traditional helicopters, electric ver- says Robin Lineberger, an aerospace
tical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air- consultant at Deloitte. hailing traditional helicopters via an
craft (in effect, flying cars) are quieter
This makes them more likely to be app might be a short-lived trend. 

– The Economist

SKIN CANCER PART XVIII cinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma and dermatofi- © 2019 VERO BEACH 32963 MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
brosarcoma protuberans.
LESS COMMON SKIN CANCERS  MERKEL CELL CARCINOMA
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive type of
Before ending this discussion of melanoma, it’s impor- skin cancer that has a high risk for recurring and spread-
tant to take note of (1) the existence of non-cutaneous ing (metastasizing) throughout the body. While MCC is
(not skin cancer) types of melanoma, and (2)how re- 40 times rarer than melanoma, it is much more deadly.
search into the biology and molecular background of One out of three patients die from it (compared to one
melanoma may play a role in understanding and poten- in nine from melanoma). MCC most often arises on sun-
tially curing other types of cancer in the future. exposed areas of the body in fair-skinned people over the
 NON-CUTANEOUS MELANOMA age of 50. The four types of standard treatment are sur-
About 4% to 5% of melanomas are not skin (cutaneous) gery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunology.
cancers. Unlike cutaneous melanomas, these melano-  SEBACEOUS GLAND CARCINOMA
mas do not appear to be caused by sun damage, expo- Sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGC) is a very rare, aggres-
sure to ultraviolet rays, or moles. Often aggressive and sive cancer that originates in the oil glands in the skin.
difficult to treat, the most common body sites in which Most often found in women over 70 years of age, about
non-cutaneous melanomas are found are in the eyes, na- 75% of SGC cases are diagnosed around the eye although
sal sinuses, mucous membranes, mouth, anus/rectum, they can also be found elsewhere on the head, neck and
vagina and vulva (the outer part of the female genitals). trunk or in the genital area. Often slow growing, SGC
 MELANOMA RESEARCH MAY BENEFIT spreads to other parts of the body in about 20% of cases.
OTHER TYPES OF CANCER IN THE FUTURE Treatment options include surgery and radiation therapy.
Melanoma is a good model for the study of the oncolog-  DERMATOFIBROSARCOMA PROTUBERANS
ic (cancer) process. Melanoma researchers are devel- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an un-
oping more targeted approaches with drugs that inter- common type of tumor. DFSP can be caused by a genet-
fere with specific molecules that drive cancer growth. ic mutation that results in the overproduction of a mol-
They are also learning how to harness the power of a ecule called platelet-derived growth factor. This type of
patient’s own immune system to destroy tumors. The skin cancer begins as a hard nodule,grows slowly and
melanoma immunology revolution, which includes vac- rarely spreads to other parts of the body. These tumors
cines and drugs that target specific growth pathways in are usually found in the dermis (the skin’s inner layer
a melanoma tumor, has potential to help find the cure of tissue) of the limbs or trunk of the body. Treatment
for melanoma as well as other types of cancer. options include surgery, radiation therapy and a newer
drug called imatinib. 
LESS COMMON SKIN CANCERS Your comments and suggestions for future topics are al-
ways welcome. Email us at [email protected].
In addition to basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell car-
cinoma and melanoma, there are several less common
types of skin cancer. Three of these are Merkel cell car-

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38 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

In 1994, when his mother, iconic former first lady Jac- fun stepdad, but nothing thus far tells us anything the about him, but his partner Berman was shrewd enough
queline Kennedy Onassis, was told by doctors in New casual Kennedy watcher didn’t already know. In fact it to know that Kennedy’s sparkle was an important as-
York that her lymphoma had metastasized and that had this reviewer scratching her head, wondering why set to a magazine run by guys who had never worked
there was no more that could be done, her son, John, the big embargoed fuss over the book. in magazine publishing before. Pecker made his new
was on his way to Los Angeles. “John could not be with editor travel all around the country like a well-groomed
Jackie that weekend because Daryl [Hannah] insisted he A good part of the biography details the efforts to get puppy to meet and chat with advertising folks.
deliver the ashes of her dead dog and attend its funeral Kennedy’s major professional accomplishment down
in Los Angeles. John longed to be with his mother, but on paper: publishing and editing a magazine about poli- Kennedy’s girlfriend, Carolyn Bessette, didn’t like the
he agreed to his girlfriend’s request anyway. When he tics and popular culture. That glossy was called George. people she perceived as taking advantage of her man
arrived at the dog’s funeral, Hannah became distraught It was launched by Kennedy and his friend and partner and would scream at him with observations like: “He’s
because John had placed the ashes in a simple box rath- Michael Berman in 1995, and was published by David a f---ing schemer. He’s using you.” Alternatively, she
er than something more elaborate.” (Fortunately, John Pecker when he was chief executive of Hachette Filipac- would scream at Berman, saying: “You should leave!
did get to see his mother before she died). chi Magazines. Page after page of never-before-revealed John could be so much more successful if you weren’t
details about their advertising plans are something to there! John can’t stand you!” She began calling his em-
If he were anyone else’s son, John F. Kennedy Jr.’s brief look forward to here, as well as the conflict that was a ployees and colleagues at all hours – at the office and at
life would not have resulted in a 400-plus-page biogra- constant in Kennedy’s life – people just wanting to look their homes. Bessette was similarly indiscreet when it
phy. Handsome, charming and athletic, he was bred to at him (is that so wrong?) vs. taking him seriously. John came to finding fault with her boyfriend. “He’s irrespon-
have an enormous impact, and we are meant to lament Kennedy Jr. did not want his political magazine to be sible! He doesn’t give a s--- about me. He doesn’t give
the force as well as the brevity of his life. However, most a s--- about anybody but himself!” In this portrait, she
of this story, written by a former history teaching assis- comes across as unhappy, unhinged and self-absorbed.
tant of Kennedy’s at Brown University, describes a fellow And this was before they were married.
who is lovely but careless, curious but with a short at-
tention span. He was a devoted son to his mother and Gillon turns up a golden nugget from 1988 at the
an obedient Kennedy to the extended family. He was a B Chestnut Hill Mall near Boston College. Carolyn, a Bos-
student who famously was admitted to institutions that ton University student, worked at the Calvin Klein store
waived their usual high academic standards to enjoy there and became friendly with a customer called Grace.
his company and the attention it would bring. He was “During one of their chats, they shared their romantic
People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” at age 27 in 1988. fantasies. When Grace asked who Carolyn’s ‘dream guy’
was, Carolyn responded, ‘John Kennedy Jr.’ ‘I’m going
Steven M. Gillon, the scholar in residence at the His- to get him,’ Carolyn insisted. ‘I’m going to move to New
tory Channel, seems to have followed Kennedy from York and I’m going to get him.’ Grace was shocked by
the time they met in a lecture hall in 1981. After class he the intensity of Carolyn’s focus on John ... That obsession
became Kennedy’s racquetball partner. When Kennedy was not the only disturbing revelation about Carolyn.
needed to write speeches for the Kennedy Library or the When Grace asked her what she wanted to do with her
Kennedy School of Government or the Kennedy Center life, Carolyn stated, ‘I want to be famous. Maybe if I hook
for the Performing Arts, and so on, Gillon was his go-to up with the right guy I will be famous.’”
resource for historical notes and sometimes speechwrit-
ing. Gillon was his Siri. Did Gillon feel used? No; like so “America’s Reluctant Prince” underscores a problem
many people who surrounded the president’s son, he in the genre of friends becoming biographers of their
was just happy to be included. And he seems to have subjects. On the one hand, the writer has access to his
been taking notes. He is still in his thrall. own memories and mutual friends. On the other, he is
perhaps too close to his subject to dig deep. He functions
“America’s Reluctant Prince” reviews the oft-chroni- more as protector than as provocateur. 
cled life of the Camelot family in their various domiciles:
Hyannis, the White House, Palm Beach. Yes, Jacqueline AMERICA’S RELUCTANT PRINCE
Bouvier Kennedy was a strict parent, who thought that
some of the Kennedy cousins (you know the ones; be- THE LIFE OF JOHN F. KENNEDY JR.
longing to Bobby and Ethel) were a little rough. And sure,
Aristotle Onassis was probably not the best choice for a BY STEVEN M. GILLON | DUTTON. 454 PP. $29
REVIEW BY LISA BIRNBACH, THE WASHINGTON POST

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 39

INSIGHT BRIDGE

TWO LINES OF PLAY, EACH OF WHICH WORKS WEST NORTH EAST
76 AK3 984
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist J852 Q K 10 6 3
AK98 QJ7643 52
Sigmund Freud said, “From error to error one discovers the entire truth.” 10 7 4 QJ5 K982

Bridge players make lots of mistakes. Bridge writers ought to make far fewer, if only because SOUTH
there is software to help with deal analysis. Q J 10 5 2
A974
When I read about this week’s deal, the author said that if declarer in four spades played to 10
ruff hearts in the dummy after the trump lead, he would fail. Is that true? A63

South was right to open one spade despite having only 11 high-card points. He had the Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West
majors, two aces and an easy rebid. He also had a seven-loser hand (two spades, two
hearts, one diamond and two clubs) should partner have a fit for one of the majors. North The Bidding:
described a game-force with three-card spade support. (In two-over-one game-forcing,
North would have rebid two spades, and South would have jumped to game with his SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
minimum opening.) 1 Spades Pass 2 Diamonds Pass
2 Hearts Pass 3 Spades Pass LEAD:
First, South checked his losers. He had none in spades, three in hearts, one in 4 Spades Pass Pass Pass 7 Spades
diamonds and one in clubs — two too many. But then he wisely counted winners if he
did ruff two hearts on the board. He saw five spades, one heart, two clubs and those
two ruffs — 10 in all.

Declarer won the first trick with dummy’s spade king, played the heart queen to the king and
ace, ruffed a heart low, played a club to his ace and ruffed another heart. Then he could have
either led the club queen to establish his second trick in the suit or exited with a diamond to
open up a channel to his hand with a diamond ruff so that he could draw trumps.

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40 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (JULY 11) ON PAGE 60
INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS DOWN
1 Understand (4) 1 Gets going (4-6)
3 Opposite of better (5) 2 Spectator (7)
7 Channel Island (4) 3 Expands (6)
8 Scan studio (anag.) (10) 4 In fact (6)
9 Helper (4) 5 Attempt (5)
12 Film scripts (11) 6 Dry (4)
13 Entertain (5) 10 ___ of Wight (4)
15 Bloodsucker (5) 11 Stressed (10)
19 Songbirds (11) 14 Impulse (4)
21 Prosecutes (4) 16 Engraving (7)
23 Copies (10) 17 Lets in (6)
24 Pleasant (4) 18 Robbery at sea (6)
25 Dangerous (5) 20 Willow twig (5)
26 Precious metal (4) 22 One (4)

The Telegraph

How to do Sudoku:

Fill in the grid so the
numbers one through
nine appear just once
in every column, row
and three-by-three
square.

The Telegraph

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 41

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS mice and men ...” 56 ProtuberanceThe Washington Post
100 Insufferable cineaste 59 “Here ___!”
1 Barrier at the beach 101 One from the heart? 60 Tickle Me Elmo dolls, once
11 Secured 103 “Double time!” 61 More devilish
14 Race-car stick-on 105 East-West link 64 Foundation-stone abbr.
19 First name of a 108 Sensational loss? 65 G.H.W. Bush once headed it
110 Lousy, literally 66 Audrey’s My Fair Lady
First Lady 111 Dental calculus
20 First name of a drug guy 112 Certain undergrads co-star
21 Knightlike, perhaps 113 One who counts out 67 Dirk Bogarde’s real first name
22 Incident 114 Church areas 70 H.S. course
23 Pulitzer-winning novelist from 115 Sales ___ 74 Australian cuties
116 500,000-square-mile 76 Old English bard
Kalamazoo 77 Ingenuous artist
25 Completes a cycle, logically dust bowl 79 Antithesis of an Astaire
27 When mastodons 80 Oval pieces
and monkeys first appeared, DOWN 81 Aquatic entertainer
1 Big name in 1980s tennis 82 “No sweat”
(with “the”) 2 “My ___ glory run” (Milton) 83 They go to the head of the
28 Winter airs 3 Bible bk.
29 Followers of Jacob’s 4 Scuba diver’s cousin class
5 Russell and Weill 85 “¿Quien ___?”
eighth son 6 Used to be 86 Howdy Doody character
31 They lead to overtime 7 Heady stuff 89 “... poor dog ___”
33 Tallahassee sch. 8 Symbol of authority 90 MASH, e.g.
34 Kid preoccupiers 9 Seals in completely 91 Application-form abbr.
36 Synonym for snapdragon, 10 Resound again 93 Carol-title word
11 Knee-high 95 Where to hang a hat, maybe
___-mouth 12 Veterans 97 Gaudily overwritten
37 Diet-cake feature 13 When a famous quake 98 Fixed part on which
39 Insect pest, in Kentucky
41 Wheel-axle link happened something rotates
42 Clean and breathable 14 Three, in Thuringen 100 Saturday Night Live alumnus
45 East or west add-on 15 Book boo-boos
46 Lock behind (you) 16 Portuguese explorer of Jay
48 Dr. Atkins promise 101 ___ for the common cold
49 Implore America in the 1500s 102 Bright-eyed
52 Passes the acid test, in flying 17 Quite ___ 104 School grps.
54 Cognizant 106 Chevalier tune
55 Ivanhoe, for one (very pretty) 107 Breezed through
57 Lorna Luft’s dad 18 Env. filler 108 ___ discount
58 Steadies a crossbow 21 Salamanders 109 Cleo’s coiler
62 Type of orig. 24 “Oh, give it ___!”
63 Classified anew 26 Beer bash buys TAKE MY WORDS... PLEASE By Merl Reagle
68 Poly or State preceder 30 Yard aid
69 Utterly, to Miss Piggy 32 Mil. rank TofhCe Aosrmte&ticSScuierngecrey
71 1951 Scrooge portrayer 34 Co-worker of Flo and Alice
72 Body of laws 35 “Can ___ that in writing?” SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
73 Dark, valuable wood 36 Canadian Indian • Minimal Incision Lift for the
75 Interim 20-center from 38 Proposition Face, Body, Neck & Brow
40 Disintegrate, • Breast Augmentations & Reductions
the Post Office • Post Cancer Reconstructions
78 ___ symbol in a way • Chemical Peels • Botox
79 City near Cheyenne 42 Angle • Obagi Medical Products • Laser Surgery
81 Watergate judge 43 Yard aid • Liposculpture • Tummy Tucks
84 They show your age: abbr. 44 Missouri Indian • Skin Cancer Treatments
86 Ancestor 47 Org. that sponsors
87 Vacation time in Versailles
88 Bible book jamborees
91 Like Rocky the Flying 49 Flying mammal
50 Board bigwig
Squirrel 51 Belinda Carlisle’s 1980s band
92 Mus. publisher
94 Apocalypse Now abodes (with “the”)
96 Conks cold 53 Claiborne of fashion
99 “The best-___ schemes o’ 55 Shortest member of the Rat

Pack

Celebrating Over 26
Years in Vero Beach

3790 7th Terrace
Suite 101

Vero Beach, Florida

The Telegraph 772.562.5859

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Ralph M. Rosato
MD, FACS

42 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Time to set limits on hospitality for rude houseguest

BY CAROLYN HAX However, you’re talking as if you need a big
Washington Post conversation to get your point across, and in fact
you don’t even need him to get this. All you need
Dear Carolyn: My husband’s is to be utterly unmoved by any expectations he
has that you’re not willing to meet.
brother has left after another visit
For example, you say: “He insist[s] on going
and I would appreciate tips on how out for everything.” No big conversation needed
there; just don’t budge. “We’re having our coffee
to tell him, when he asks to visit here. You’re welcome to go out if you’d like.”

again, that we love him but he’s not And: “[W]e finally had to tell him we could not
afford to pay for everything”? Again, no need to
welcome back unless some things explain or stall until “finally” arrives. Instead,
that first time he sat back: “Your share is $X.” And
change drastically. if he “forgot” his wallet: “We’ll get this one, you
get next.” If he tests you, establish who’s paying
He never visited us until we moved to a cool city with before you order.

lots to do.Now he’s come twice and we don’t want a third. And: “He only wants to do what he wants to do,
making faces … at our suggestions,” means, “OK!
He’s immature and self-centered, but I wasn’t prepared Have fun. Will you be back by dinner?”

for what a bad houseguest he is. He won’t have so much And: “Please pick your clothes up – they’re on
the hall floor.” Because, seriously. Stand there
as a cup of coffee at our house, insisting on going out while he does it.

for everything. The first trip he just sat back expectantly Hosting invited guests involves forbearance
(even then, within limits), but you don’t have
when the check arrived, until we finally had to tell him to take this self-invited guest anywhere, buy
him anything, agree to anything or put up with
we could not afford to pay for everything. He only wants anything from him you don’t want to. And you
can say, “Sure, come visit – just two days, though;
to do what he wants to do, making faces and being that’s all we can manage,” and don’t explain
further. Embracing that in the moment is the
passive aggressive at our suggestions. He doesn’t pick up drastic change I emphatically recommend. 

after himself, he drinks a lot.You get the idea.

My husband’s suggestions are to either pretend we’re

not available whenever he suggests visiting again,

which is not really my style and is going to be suspicious Not Your Hotel or Servant: Of course you do – his
“right to live how he wants” doesn’t include doing
eventually, or tell him he can visit for no more than two so at your expense or without any consequences.

days. I’m fine with that, but that will still necessitate a His being “immature and self-centered” does
mean he won’t anticipate this himself, yes,
conversation about why. because that’s the one-question maturity test: Do
you treat others as if you’re more important than
Should we draw up a set of rules for him? Other they are? Yes/no.

suggestions? He has the right to live how he wants, but

we want to draw the line.

– Not Your Hotel or Servant

4

BEAT GOES ON: TINY NEW PACEMAKER
IS A BIG IMPROVEMENT

44 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Beat goes on: Tiny new pacemaker is a big improvement

BY TOM LLOYD Hospital, has some good news for
Staff Writer people with this type of heart problem.

The American College of Cardiology There’s a new, improved pacemaker
says approximately 200,000 American by Medtronics called the Micra that
will have a pacemaker implanted in works well for the condition.
their chest this year as a result of one
specific type of arrhythmia or irregular According to the Memorial
heartbeat called “bradycardia,” which Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute
is a heartbeat that’s too slow. in Houston, “if the heart rate is too
slow, not enough blood reaches
Dr. Vikranth Gongidi, a cardiologist the brain, and the person can lose
at the Cleveland Clinic Indian River consciousness. For most adults, a heart
rate slower than 60 beats per minute is

Dr. Vikranth Gongidi.

PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE

a bradyarrhythmia.” place inside not just the chest but the
For people who are very physically heart itself.

fit, this heart rate might not be Roughly the size of a large vitamin
dangerous, but for others “it’s a serious capsule, this new-generation device
health condition.” boasts other serious advantages as
well, according to Gongidi.
Pacemakers, which have been
around in one form or another since For starters, it has no “leads” or wires
1958, are “small devices that are placed running to the heart.
in the chest or abdomen to help control
abnormal heart rhythms. These devices The American College of Cardiology
use electrical pulses to prompt the heart points out that those electrical leads
to beat at a normal rate,” according to “are considered the weakest link of
the National Institutes of Health. any pacing system. The majority of
pacemaker complications are related
That said, what was small in 1958 to lead placement.”
seems enormous now. The first
commercially available pacemakers The Micra has no wire leads because,
were about the size of a large bar of thanks to its small size, it is implanted
Ivory soap and featured steel handles directly into the heart.
or loops on either side so a leather strap
could be used to hold them in place Another issue with those electrical
around the patients’ chest. They were leads, Gongidi explains, has been
not implanted. recalls. “Over the last few years [there
has been a major problem with] the
The Micra device is much, much leads of pacemakers having fractures
smaller and therefore far easier to in them. There have been a lot of
recalls and that causes a lot of anxiety

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 45

HEALTH

High-tech skin cancer imaging tool will leave no scars

with patients” who have those devices BY TOM LLOYD of melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer Dr. Lilia Correa-Selm with imaging specialist
in their chest. out there. Katharine Hanlon and Dr. James Grichnik.
Staff Writer
Another advantage of the Micra is That’s 22 different types of skin PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE
that implanting it does not involve If you think you know all you need cancer, and accurately diagnosing
cutting into the chest. to know about skin cancer, here are exactly which type a patient has and that employs Reflectance Confocal
two words of advice – think again. determining the best treatment for the Microscopy, or RCM.
As Medtronics explains, “the Micra condition has proven to be a tall task.
is placed into the heart via a catheter For example, polls show most “When a patient comes to the
inserted in a vein in the leg, thus Americans think melanoma is the most That’s why Dr. James Grichnik, clinic,” Grichnik explains, “the first
no chest incisions, no scars and no common form of skin cancer. It’s not. director of the Scully Welsh Cancer thing that we do is look at them
bumps” like those that can result from clinically. Sometimes we know right
implanting conventional pacemakers. According to the Skin Center at Cleveland Clinic Indian away – this is a skin cancer or this
Cancer Foundation, basal River Hospital, dermatologist Dr. is not a skin cancer, but there are
And while it didn’t matter much in cell carcinomas take that Lilia Correa and imaging specialist subgroups of lesions where you look at
1958, Gongidi points out the Micra dubious honor with some Katharine Hanlon are delighted
pacemakers “are FDA-approved for 4.3 million new cases they have access to an imaging tool them and you look at them again and
magnetic resonance imaging or MRIs,” diagnosed each year. After use your surface microscope, and you
though he adds that you can’t have that comes squamous cell know what? You’re still just not sure.”
an MRI immediately after a Micra is carcinomas, with just over
implanted. 1 million cases a year, while What could be an early-stage mela-
melanoma brings up the
“You’d have to wait at least four to six rear with close to 100,000 CONTINUED ON PAGE 46
weeks for the device to fully imbed,” new cases diagnosed
he says. But that is a big improvement annually.
compared to older pacemakers.
For patients with earlier generation OK. That’s three types
pacemakers, MRI exams are strictly off of skin cancer. What’s so
limits. tough about that?

And then there’s battery life. Well, for starters, fully 56
While the National Heart, Lung percent of Americans do
and Blood Institute says the average not realize that some skin
pacemaker battery has an expected life cancers can and do spread
of about six-to-seven years, Gongidi to other parts of the body,
says the Micra’s battery should last “10- including the liver and
to-12 years.” brain.
“These Micra pacemakers have
been around for a little over a year but Moreover, there are no fewer than
they’re not being implanted in many eight different types of basal cell
facilities. We are the only ones here carcinomas while the squamous cell
in this county,” Gongidi says, who are variety adds at least 10 more variants.
implanting the Micra. And then there are four separate subsets
Gongidi’s colleague, electro-
physiologist Dr. Brett Faulknier,
handles the implantation process,
and according to Gongidi, “the
recovery is usually a few days,
whereas if you have a traditional
pacemaker implanted you can’t use
[your] arm for at least four to six
weeks.” No golf and no bowling. But
with the Micra, “you can go play golf
within two or three days.”
Is the Micra pacemaker the right
choice for you? Gongidi suggests you
consult your cardiologist. He or she
will know your specific heart situation
and be able to offer sound advice.

Dr. Vikranth Gongidi is with
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital.
He has offices at 3450 11th Court in
Vero Beach and 801 Wellness Way in
Sebastian. The phone number is 772-
778-8687. 

46 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45 Patient Beverly Whipple with ‘By using this skin cancer detection. The technology
Dr. James Grichnik and imaging technology, uses a low-power laser to provide
noma could also just be an area of sun- we can avoid real-time imaging of the epidermis
damaged skin. And as Grichnik puts it, specialist Katharine Hanlon. biopsying and superficial papillary dermis. It
“confocal is really good at helping us those benign captures the natural reflectivity of
sort those out.” lesions ...’ different cellular structures and can be
Why does that matter? The most ob- quite useful to diagnose both benign
– Dr. James and malignant lesions.”
vious reason is scars. Grichnik
“In order to get a diagnosis from a The American College of Genetics
pathologist,” Grichnik says, “you have in Medicine is also on board the
to remove a fair amount of tissue so RCM bandwagon, saying “RCM
that they have enough cells to make a imaging is unique in that it allows
diagnosis, and you are going to have for the evaluation of the skin at the
to scar that person … [even though] cellular-level and has been shown to
many times it’s going to turn out to be increase the accuracy of non-invasive
a benign lesion. diagnosis of common skin neoplasms,
particularly in cosmetically and
If the lesion is benign, “we’re putting functionally sensitive areas such as
a scar on your face that didn’t need to be the face.”
there. By using this technology, we can
avoid biopsying those benign lesions,” The American Academy of
and leave no scars on the [patient’s] skin. Dermatology and the College of
American Pathology also have
How is that possible? Low energy recognized RCM’s effectiveness.
laser light.
That said, RCM is not a simple tool
The confocal can actually “focus to use. The U.S. National Library of
light down through the skin and look Medicine says “a minimum of four
at light that’s returning from different to six months of training, including
levels in the skin,” Grichnik says. “You the evaluation of several thousands
can see the keratinocytes in different of cases, is required for a clinician to
stages of differentiation. You can reach an acceptable level of diagnostic
see the dermal epidermal junction accuracy and expertise.”
when you leave something called the
epidermis. Then you can get into the Imaging specialist Hanlon says “it’s
dermis where you actually see blood a similar art to learn how to read the
flow. So you see cellular detail,” all images as it would be to do a dermato-
without any cuts or incisions or the pathology fellowship. Pathologists
scars biopsies leave behind. have to look at a lot of slides to learn
how to read those slides. We need to
New York’s Memorial Sloan look at a lot of pictures to learn how to
Kettering Cancer Center agrees with read these pictures.”
Grichnik’s evaluation. It says “RCM is
an exciting, non-invasive imaging tool That kind of proficiency and
that provides improved accuracy in innovation is especially important
here in Vero Beach, where delivering
a more accurate diagnosis and
eliminating the risk of scarring for
patients who come to Scully-Welsh
worried about skin cancer is, in the
dermatology team’s eyes, a major
plus for everyone.

The Scully-Welsh Cancer Center at
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital
is at 3555 10th Court in Vero Beach. The
phone number is 772-563-4673. 

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 47

HEALTHY SENIOR

Here’s what may make seniors more prone to bad breath

BY FRED CICETTI fresheners of all kinds mask odors having bad breath. It’s no surprise “delusional halitosis.” This is linked
Columnist for a while; they are not preventives. that there are so many products out to depression. One patient with
Many antiseptic mouth rinses, there to combat the problem. But, this delusion used up to a tube of
Q. I was wondering if older people however, have been accepted by the those of us who worry about it usually toothpaste every four days.
get bad breath more than younger American Dental Association for are doing something to prevent it.
folks. their therapeutic benefits and also Bad breath is found more often in I read another study which
have breath-freshening properties. people who neither know nor care demonstrated that the people who
I could find no direct correlation These rinses kill the germs that cause that they have it. try to smell their own breath tend to
between aging and halitosis, which bad breath instead of simply hiding think their breath smells worse than
is the fancy term for bad breath. halitosis. This brings me to a condition it does. Best advice I found was to ask
However, I’m going to take a couple worth mentioning. There is a a family member or good friend to
of educated stabs at the issue raised At times, most of us worry about psychiatric condition called give you an accurate assessment. 
in this question.

Many older people have dentures.
If they don’t fit correctly or are not
cleaned often, they can collect food
and bacteria; both can lead to bad
breath.

Dry mouth (xerostomia) is a
condition that allows dead cells to
accumulate in your mouth creating
bad breath. Most xerostomia is
related to the medications taken by
older adults rather than to the effects
of aging. More than 400 medicines
can affect the salivary glands.

The following are causes of bad
breath:

* Any food stuck in your teeth. It
will decay and give off an odor.

• Some foods such as onions,
garlic, spices and herbs. They contain
substances that create bad breath
when digested.

• Alcoholic beverages. Alcohol,
itself, is odorless, but many alcoholic
beverages contain ingredients that
leave a telltale odor.

• Periodontal (gum) diseases and
canker sores.

• Diseases of the lung, kidney, liver,
stomach and pancreas.

• Sinus infections, strep throat,
tonsillitis and mononucleosis.

• Smoking. This dries the mouth
and causes an odor of its own.

• Severe dieting.

Here are some ways to prevent bad
breath:

• Brush your teeth after you eat.
• If you wear a denture, clean it at
least once a day.
• Floss daily or use another
interdental cleaner such as a high-
power electric toothbrush.
• Brush your tongue, which can
collect bacteria and food particles.
• Drink water to moisten your
mouth.
• Chew sugarless gum. It stimulates
saliva production and collects debris.
• Buy a new toothbrush several
times annually.
• Get a dental examination.
Mouthwashes and breath-



Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 49

Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Alta Moda’: La Dolce Vita, via Ancient Greece

BY LISA ARMSTRONG
The Telegraph

Cole Porter’s musical “Greek To You” anything to go buy, there’s a race to get
was never produced, but its title song to the order books first.
managed to rhyme Greek with unique,
a description that seems more than These Alta Moda four-day jamborees
appropriate for Dolce & Gabbana’s lat- have become an upmarket holiday club
est escapade in Alta Moda land (Italy’s for billionaires, the gods and goddesses
version of made-to-measure haute de nos jours. Some have become friends,
couture). supporting one another through ali-
mony tribulations, facelifts and the oc-
As the sun dipped into the Sicilian sea, casional elderly spouse’s death.
the first of 125 models stepped out from
an astonishingly intact, 2,100-year-old Many return year after year, map-
temple – one of many the Greeks con- ping their yacht itineraries around this
structed around the town of Agrigento sartorial glee-fest. As one said to me,
before the Romans booted them off the “Where else would we be able to wear
island. So far, so jaw-dropping. the clothes we order from Alta Moda?”

Ooh, and was that Helena Chris- CONTINUED ON PAGE 50
tensen, even less covered than she
was for Bustier-gate, modelling a sheer
gold-embroidered black dress over big
black knickers and a bra? It was. Cue
an orchestra of bootylicious musicians
decked out in white, goddessy style
frocks – is there a modelling agency
that specializes in 5-foot-10 harpists?

Sicily is familiar territory for Dolce
& Gabbana. They launched their Alta
Moda line eight years ago in Taormi-
na, the chichi resort that nestles close
to the huffing, puffing Mount Etna.
They invited 100 putative clients to
that show, unsure whether any of them
would actually place an order.

This time there were more than 300
from all over, and if previous shows are

50 Vero Beach 32963 / July 18, 2019 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

nails • makeup • hair • skin CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49 delicate, frothy and graceful. And it
was spectacularly skillful, with a new
Meet Our New Team Members! They have a point. Dolce & Gabba- lightness of touch.
na’s Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria (the
40% OFF Hair, Nails, and men’s version) tend toward the ornately A case in point: beaded skirt suits in
Skincare Services! embellished: crusty with crystals, bris- delectable shades of lemon, with fresh
For first time visit only, mention this promotion when scheduling an appointment. Valid until July 31st. tling with gold. Wear them in any nor- white trim – so Grace Kelly circa ’62 –
mal environment and you’re pleading which were surprisingly featherweight.
Amy | Nail Tech | North Location Zoe | Hair Stylist | Main Location Rebecca | Esthetician | Main Location to be kidnapped.
Standouts included drapey evening
Studio Gabriel North Dolce & Gabbana has long mined gowns in mint, burgundy and pink and
Pelican Plaza Sicily’s exuberant patterns, baroque mustard yellow – perfectly plain and
churches and even its cuisine for plainly perfect, internally and external-
4893 Highway A1A inspiration, but this was a partial ly. OK, not that plain when the models
Vero Beach, FL 32963 departure from all that Italian history moved – they were slashed to the crotch
into the island’s Greek chapter. (matching knickers available). But one
(772) 360-4744 can order more modest versions, al-
Enter stage center, a bevy of scantily though Dolce’s clientele may well want
Studio Gabriel Main festooned nymphs who wouldn’t have the splits higher.
Portales de Vero Building looked out of place in another Cole
Porter musical, Nymph Errant, which Perhaps most impressive, in terms
2855 Ocean Drive was considered so risqué that although of skill, were the embroidered, long
Vero Beach, FL 32963 it debuted in London in 1933, it didn’t shift dresses and matching capes.
receive a USA premiere until 1982. Anyone who has done needlepoint
(772) 234-8105 will appreciate the monumental task
Dolce & Gabbana’s nymphs frolicked of making the inside as beautiful as
@studiogabrielvb through the Doric columns in Beyonce- the out. As for doing this all in the
www.studiogabriel.com worthy gold beaded drapes, both maxi finest net tulle – that’s like walking a
length and thigh skimming, gold metal tightrope blindfolded, while cooking
corsets and Jason of Golden Fleece fame pasta Norma.
strappy sandals that laced to the knee –
with some Catholic iconography thrown But ask not how long any of this ar-
in for ethnic and religious balance. tisanship takes – the stock question
leveled at any couturier. “It’s not about
It won’t surprise cognoscenti of that,” admonished Domenico Dolce,
Dolce & Gabbana’s humor, that there “it’s about the love that goes into every
were also lyres and headwear in the single piece.”
shape of Doric columns and Eros.
(And if you’re still wondering how
But make no mistake, at the heart of long: minimum three months for ev-
this was a serious steer away from the erything. “Anything less and it’s not
label’s signature florals and Dolce Vita Alta Moda,“ says Dolce). 
form-fitting dresses into something