12/28/2017 ISSUE 51

‘Really’ impressive. P10 House of the week. P34 Embracing winter ‘chill’

Holy Trinity students’ yearbook Townhome comes with easy beach
is finalist for national award. access, variety of amenities.

Group gathers in Indialantic to
de-stress for the solstice. PAGE 8

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 | VOLUME 02, ISSUE 51 www.melbournebeachsider.com | NEWSSTAND PRICE $1.00

Teaming up to track endangered right whales Veterans Day
may be axed as
STORY BY GEORGE WHITE STAFF WRITER school holiday
[email protected] Coast Guard Auxiliary member Bill Cox, an Indialantic resident, scans the waters for North Atlantic right whales. PHOTO: GORDON RADFORD
STORY BY JAN WESNER CHILDS CORRESPONDENT
Endangered North Atlantic
right whales known to migrate Students in Brevard County
along the Space Coast soon will could lose their Veterans Day
benefit from a local connection holiday next year, but get a
involving the U.S. Coast Guard whole week off for Thanksgiv-
Auxiliary and the Marine Re- ing under a new calendar pro-
sources Council’s monitoring posed by the district.
program.
Christine Moore, director
Each winter, female of professional learning and
right whales swim development for Brevard Pub-
south to calve in the lic Schools, said the proposed
warmer waters off changes to the school calendar
Florida and Georgia, were formulated by a commit-
returning home each tee including district-level em-
summer – possibly to ployees, teachers and admin-
offshore Canada and istrators, taking into account
New England, scientists aren’t parent input captured via a
exactly sure. Human activities survey.
such as commercial fishing-
gear entanglements and vessel Moore told board members

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Officials say no grain of truth to ‘dirty sand’ claim MOLD DISCOVERED IN
MELBEACH FIRE HOUSE
STORY BY GEORGE WHITE STAFF WRITER independent research to determine of sand from the Blue Goose sand
[email protected] if the sand is “too muddy” and there- mine in Vero Beach was called for by STORY BY RUSTY CARTER STAFF WRITER
fore harmful to the stretch of beach the county after an estimated 36,000
It sure isn’t pretty, but state and known for its rare, near-shore reefs. cubic yards of sand was eroded dur- Melbourne Beach officials have dis-
county experts say the upland, ing Hurricane Irma along the Mid- covered mold in the town’s fire station, a
mined sand being piled on Brevard’s The emergen- cy placement problem revealed during Hurricane Irma
Mid-Reach beaches by Reach area, a 7.6-mile in September.
the dump-truck-load is stretch extending from
appropriate for an emer- immediately south of Pat- Water inside the station’s bay became
gency dune restoration rick Air Force Base to Flug visible, leading building officials to trace
project. Avenue in Indialantic. how the water got in. The culprit was a cu-
pola at the top of the building. According
Local environmentalist The project, expected to Town Manager Bob Daniels, windows
Matt Fleming of Satellite to be completed by the at the top of the structure were ornamen-
Beach disagrees. Fleming start of turtle nesting sea- tal and not designed for heavy weather.
founded the Facebook son in May, is being co-
group Save The Mid- ordinated by the Brevard CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Reach, and is conducting
PHOTO: BENJAMIN THACKER CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

ADVERTISING: 772-559-4187 | CIRCULATION: 772-226-7925 Two for the show

NEWS 1-6 DINING 30 PEOPLE 7-10 South Beach Players set
ARTS 11-14 GAMES 21-23 PETS 20 to jump into theater
BOOKS 19 HEALTH 25-28 REAL ESTATE 33-40 game. PAGE 12
CALENDAR 32 INSIGHT 15-24

© 2017 VERO BEACH 32963 MEDIA LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

NEWS

Correction Two charged in fire near field

Indialantic’s Town The Brevard Sheriff’s Office has charged
Council voted 3-1 two people after locals spotted them leaving
on Dec. 13 to retain the scene of a fire on Oak Street near Flutie
the law firm Bryant, Field, south of Gemini Elementary School.
Miller, Olive as bond
counsel on a planned Seth Edwards, 18, of Melbourne was
stormwater improve- charged with felony criminal mischief, ac-
ment project expected cording to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tod
to be proposed to Goodyear. The other suspect was a 13-year-
voters by mail ballot old male. Because he is a minor, his name was
in 2018. not released.

A story in the Dec. Goodyear said the damage done on Dec.
21 Beachsider incor- 17 was limited to an area measuring approxi-
rectly attributed the mately 20 feet by 20 feet. The charge against
vote as awarding a $3 Edwards rose to the level of a felony because
million contract to the damage was estimated to exceed $1,000.
the town’s engineer- Melbourne Police detained the pair until Bre-
ing firm of record. vard Sheriff’s deputies arrived.
We deeply regret the
error.  Despite turning 18 in February of this year,
Edwards has a growing criminal record. He
Sheriff’s Office officers detain suspect Seth Edwards in Melbourne Beach. PHOTO: JULIAN LEEK was previously charged with burglary. In a
separate incident, Edwards was charged with
possession of marijuana. 

Satellite Beach taps into FEMA funding for debris removal

STORY BY GEORGE WHITE STAFF WRITER with the Oct. 1 flooding following Hur- cost Satellite Beach $139,000, but city with one entity to make application for
[email protected] ricane Irma. officials are optimistic they will receive payment and receive reimbursement.’’
the money sooner through a new web-
During years with no hurricanes, as With the largest population and based FEMA program for making the Indialantic Town Clerk Joan Clark
had been the case in Brevard County for most neighborhoods, Satellite Beach claims, Sherman said. “We are entering said the contract with the county in-
decades prior to the 2004 storms, the is the only of the four beachside towns the claims directly to FEMA online so cludes debris removal as part of hur-
business of beachside governments in- in Southern Brevard to file for debris we are hopeful” for more timely reim- ricane recovery services, meaning the
cluded setting money aside as “reserves removal funds as a separate line item bursements, she said. city did not file a separate FEMA claim.
or contingency funds” to pay for ex- from FEMA, said Assistant City Man-
pected post-hurricane debris removal. ager Suzanne Sherman. Indian Harbour Beach, which con- After working in several cities dur-
tracts with the county, had City Manag- ing hurricanes in South Florida, Mel-
In years like the last two, with hur- The remaining cities – Indian Har- er Mark Ryan explain the process in the bourne Beach Town Manager Bob
ricanes Matthew and Irma, debris bour Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne November/December 2016 city news- Daniels said he understands that de-
removal costs, and subsequent reim- Beach – contract with the county for de- letter following Hurricane Matthew: “It bris removal is a key part of hurricane
bursements by FEMA, became priority bris removal, paying only the amount became clear from previous storms lo- recovery and should be planned for
number one for barrier island cities in left over after FEMA reimbursements cal resources to collect and remove di- annually, even if no storms are on the
terms of the post-storm quality of life. to the county for hurricane-related ex- saster debris quickly was not available horizon. “I know hurricanes real well.
penses. and outside forces would be needed That’s why you start out right away
If left too long, the debris piles be- to remove the debris for future storms. with your planning every January. It
come a hazard, an eyesore and a matter The total cost of debris removal in This agreement was entered into to pro- was always a key to make sure have
of contention for residents. If debris is Satellite Beach after Hurricane Matthew vide an orderly and efficient cleanup of your debris removal contacts in line
not completely picked up, the remnants that was billed to FEMA was $129,000, debris, providing FEMA with one entity now. Now is the time to get it all set up
of the piles left behind can clog drains of which the city only recently received to deal with for record keeping along to make sure everything is all mapped
for future storms, as was the case in an $80,000 payment. Debris removal out,’’ Daniels said. 
some areas of Indian Harbour Beach from Hurricane Irma is estimated to

SERVING MELBOURNE BEACH PLUS SATELLITE BEACH, INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH & INDIALANTIC

Community Editor Advertising Director We are here to provide Brevard barrier President and Publisher
Lisa Zahner, 772-584-9121 Judy Davis, 772-633-1115 island readers with the most comprehen- Milton R. Benjamin, 772-559-4187
[email protected] [email protected] sive news coverage of Melbourne Beach, [email protected]
Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite
Staff Reporter Advertising Account Executives Beach, and South Merritt Island. Creative Director
George White, 321-795-3835 Lillian Belmont, 321-604-7833 Dan Alexander, 772-539-2700
[email protected] Will Gardner, 407-361-2150 For our advertising partners, we pledge [email protected]
to provide the most complete consulta-
Columnists tive and marketing programs possible for Corporate Editor
Pam Harbaugh, 321-794-3691 the best return on your investment. Steven M. Thomas, 772-453-1196
Cynthia Van Gaasbeck, 321-626-4701 [email protected]

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 3

NEWS

MOLD IN FIRE STATION hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne. They town manager. He was touring town (Federal Emergency Management
struck in September less than three buildings, including the fire station. Agency). They’re coming in next week
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 weeks apart. “When it’s raining side- That’s when he saw the boards with for another inspection.” Daniels not-
ways, water is going to get into the water stains and dark spots. ed that the ornamental cupola could
The current fire station was com- building,” Micka added. have stood “better workmanship.” He
pleted in 2004, according to Fire “I was doing an inspection of the didn’t say whether the town would
Chief Dave Micka. That same year The mold problem surfaced during town’s facilities,” Daniels recalled. “As address the issue with the builder. 
the Space Coast was impacted by two Daniels’ first or second week as the soon as I saw it we contacted FEMA

4 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

NEWS

RIGHT WHALES MRC. Cox later was elected to the MRC Greg Hendricks and Bill Cox. SCHOOL CALENDAR
board and selected as board secretary.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PHOTO: GORDON RADFORD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“It was a win-win kind of epiphany
strikes are right whales’ greatest threats. as these two organizations discovered healthy and injured right whales and that more than 11,000 households re-
This year, 16 right whales died, with each other. We discussed how auxiliary humpback whales also spotted here. sponded to the survey regarding the
seven of these deaths attributed to hu- capabilities could support the MRC’s school calendar, most of them par-
man activity, leaving the total number scientists and research, and vice versa,’’ The training included: whale identi- ents. More than 2,000 of them offered
of right whales left estimated at 451. In he said. fication, population counts and trends, individual comments. “The number
August, the National Atmospheric and behavior, and the important informa- one comment that was received across
Oceanic Administration declared this Cox started coordinating with the tion that needs to be carefully observed holiday trends was that they want
“an unusual mortality event,” triggering Coast Guard’s Living Marine Resources by spotters and then reported. Data re- the whole week of Thanksgiving off,”
a federal investigation. (LMR) Team to define auxiliary process- ported by volunteers and catalogued by Moore said.
es and procedures for whale support. the MRC are not only used to alert naval
The Marine Resources Council of and commercial ships when whales are School Board members, however,
East Florida has been training and mo- The result was the auxiliary agree- on the move, but can also help track in- mostly rejected that idea. Board mem-
bilizing a volunteer network of whale ing to LMR mission support which, be- dividual whales, as right whales carry ber Matt Susin and others suggested
spotters along the Atlantic coast for cause of the aerial component, should distinct markings. that a three-day holiday for Thanks-
more than two decades. MRC staff re- lead to new and additional sightings of giving is sufficient, and that the board
cently trained 37 Coast Guard Auxiliary Training will be provided to a number should instead create at least one more
volunteers to spot and identify whales of auxiliary units, boating organizations teacher planning day during the first
during their regularly scheduled pa- and yacht clubs, and even a session of semester. That day would be a day off
trols both at sea and by air, making for a active-duty Coast Guard pilots/crew for students.
brand new way to search new areas for scheduled for April at USCG Air Station
right whales, said monitoring program in Savannah, Ga. Moore presented School Board
director Julie Albert, who conducted the members with several calendar op-
training. “I loved the idea of getting the Coast tions. Other proposed changes in-
Guard Auxiliary involved. They are uti- cluded a three-week Christmas break,
The important connection came lizing our waters for their missions and starting school on a Friday, and ensur-
about when Indialantic resident Coast it only makes sense to give them the ing spring break takes place in March.
Guard Auxiliary member Bill Cox was knowledge they need to identify whales Board members also rejected the idea
assigned to be the public affairs officer and report any sightings,’’ said Albert, of the longer Christmas break, saying
for Central Brevard’s Flotilla 17-6. MRC’s right whale conservation pro- some of those days could also be used
gram coordinator for the past 18 years. for teacher planning.
His outreach efforts to add to the
ranks of its 90 members involved join- The biggest improvement will be For some parents, Brevard’s Christ-
ing the Melbourne Regional Chamber aerial observations which already take mas break is already too long on the
of Commerce, where Cox met Steve place in Northern Florida down to St. back end. Where most adults remem-
Sharkey, operations director with the Augustine, but have never occurred ber their school resuming on Jan. 2
along Brevard County beaches, she or Jan. 3, Brevard students get a full
said. week off after New Year’s Day – a time
when working parents are back on the
“Considering we don’t know where job. Unlike summer and spring break,
much of the population goes in the win- there are few camps or other childcare
ter, any knowledge gained by search- opportunities the first week of Janu-
ing offshore in areas not previously ary. And even if there were, families
searched contributes to our knowledge are financially tapped out after holiday
of North Atlantic right whale migration, travel and gift giving.
even if we don’t find anything at all,’’
she said. Of the proposed changes, nixing
the Veterans Day holiday was the least
Whale spotter training by MRC is contentious, but caused the most dis-
available to the public upon request. For cussion.
more information, call 1-888-979-4253
or email [email protected]. “I am definitely a proponent of Vet-
erans Day being a school day,” board
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uni- member Andy Ziegler said. “We are a
formed civilian component of the U.S. veteran, military-rich and proud com-
Coast Guard and supports the Coast munity. I know very well from having
Guard in nearly all mission areas. The a child that on that day off for Veter-
auxiliary was created by Congress in ans Day they sleep in late, they get up,
1939. For more information, please visit they don’t necessarily know why they
www.cgaux.org.  have the day off. They’re just glad that
they have the day off. I don’t think
that does any justice to our military
heroes, especially in this community.”

He suggested district-wide Veterans
Day programs in school, instead of a
holiday. “What better way to teach the
history and respect (of) our military
heroes than to have a full day all across
Brevard County and have veterans
in our schools,” Ziegler said. “I know
we have enough veterans in Brevard
County to have a massive impact on
our students all in one day.”

Board member Tina Descovich said
she’d like to see district-wide Veterans

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 5

NEWS

Day programs as well, and suggested is early-dismissal days moving from unclear, as the School Board has agreed schools start no earlier than Aug. 10,
the board take the lead on making Wednesdays to Fridays come August. to allow teachers to use earned comp and that most standardized testing be
that happen. But she also supported Early-dismissal Wednesdays were orig- time on Friday early-dismissal days. done during a four-week window start-
the idea of a week-long Thanksgiving inally established to give teachers time ing on May 1.
break. Having both, she said, would be for professional development training Board members also discussed
a “win-win.” or lesson planning. How much training school start and end dates, but Moore Moore is expected to bring a final set
and planning will happen on Fridays is said there’s little wiggle room on those of recommendations back to the board
One change that is all-but-definite days due to state laws that dictate for a vote in January. 

6 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

‘DIRTY’ SAND NEWS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PHOTO: BENJAMIN THACKER source was successfully used for the Ar-
chie Carr National Wildlife Refuge last
County Natural Resources Department year and the Brevard section of the ref-
and supported by the City of Satellite uge had 25,553 sea turtle nests, includ-
Beach. ing 15,828 endangered green sea turtle
nests, setting an all-time record for
Satellite Beach City Manager Court- green sea turtle nests in the refuge.
ney Barker addressed the potentially
muddy issue in the upcoming city “Clearly, the project did not impact
newsletter: “Initial quality control sea turtle nesting,’’ Barker wrote.
tests show the material meets proj-
ect requirements and far exceeds the Brevard County beach management
Florida Department of Environmental coordinator Mike McGarry explained
Protection (DEP) beach quality sand that grain size specifications are set
standards.’’ which limit how much sand can pass
through various sizes of sieves. This
She noted that sand from the same keeps the sand from being too coarse
or too fine. The most critical state stan-
dard is the one limiting “silt” or very fine
sediment, or the material most inclined
to muddy the water. The state requires
that beach sand can have no more than
5 percent silt passing through a #230
sieve. The county tightens this require-
ment to less than 2.5 percent passing
through a #200 sieve. Both the percent-
age and sieve size are more stringent
than the state DEP requirement, he said.

“I am not certain of the definition of
‘dirt’ when used in this context, but I am
inclined to believe it means silt which
can cloud the water. The county has
built similar dune projects with similar
sand within the Mid Reach and South
Beaches several times over the last 14
years and both turtle nesting and the
health of nearshore rock reefs appear
strong,” McGarry said.

Added DEP spokesperson Dee Ann
Miller, “Beach-compatible fill is defined
as material that maintains the general
character and functionality of the ma-
terial occurring on the beach and in the
adjacent dune and coastal system.”

Sand sources must be approved by the
DEP and “beach-sand products from
the Blue Goose mine have previously
been approved by the department for
use on other beach projects,’’ she said.

The overall question for Fleming, a
21-year Brevard County resident who
is heading up additional tests on the
Blue Goose-mined sand, is not so much
whether the sand is too dirty or not, but
whether beach replenishment projects
are better than letting natural systems
determine the shoreline.

“There is not enough science on what
the nature of this beach (because of rare
near-shore reefs) or what the impact of
this project is,’’ he said.

The choice is not between beach re-
plenishment projects or sea walls, it’s
between an altered or a natural shore-
line, which he says could become an
even bigger draw for tourists.

“That natural process creates a beach
that’s unique and diverse in its ecology.
There doesn’t have to be seawalls. This
is not rage against the machine, this is
a community effort” trying for the best
environmental outcome for the Mid-
reach beaches over the long run, he
said. 

Winter ‘chill’:
Group gathers to
de-stress for solstice

8 Thursday, December 28, 2018 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

SEEN & SCENE

Winter ‘chill’: Group gathers to de-stress for solstice

STORY BY CYNTHIA VAN GAASBECK CORRESPONDENT Anna Brown, Bruce Orion and Cheri Hart. PHOTOS: BENJAMIN THACKER winter holidays bring tension along
[email protected] Anna Brown, Bruce Orion and Cheri Hart. with good times.
PHOTOS: BENJAMIN THACKER
The winter solstice, usually Dec. 21 “What meditation can do for you
or Dec. 22, marks the shortest period Monica Lombardo. at this time is clear out the old year,
of daylight of the year. It also marks let go of anything that isn’t serving
a period on the calendar when many tor at Patrick Air Force Base as well you any longer and clear that space
people are furiously wishing for as being a mother to four children, for new beginnings,” she said.
more hours of productive daylight. can be trusted when she says she can
help bring focus to a hectic life. On this night, five people sought
As this astronomical event takes her expertise and gathered in the
place just days before Christmas, its “This is the time of year when we enormous, warmly lit room to the
significance may get lost in the mad feel like we have so many things to rear of the shop. After choosing
rush to celebrate the season. There do but our bodies are telling us that yoga mats and pillows, they sat or
are gifts to be bought and wrapped, it’s time to slow down,” the Indian laid comfortably and awaited Lom-
glittering parties to host and attend, Harbour Beach resident said. bardo’s soothing voice to draw them
favorite and not-so-favorite relatives into intensely personal spaces with-
to pick up and house, and festive Lombardo is among several pro- in their minds.
meals to create and devour. Really, fessionals at the lavender- and per-
who is asking for less time in which iwinkle-colored yoga center who Sitting cross legged, Lombardo led
to get it all done? It’s enough to fraz- guide busy types down from the them through a desert landscape
zle the calmest of nerves and force mountains of stress on which they while asking them to acknowledge
some people to declare a timeout. live. and honor the sky and the earth.
As she progressed, her descriptive
The day before last Thursday’s She often uses the seasons as narrative slowed like the relaxed
solstice, a handful of people did just backdrops for her relaxation ses- breathing of her students. The room
that and sought meditative refuge sions and she acknowledges that the was still, save for the rhythmic tick-
from the holiday frenzy at Aquar- ing of a wall clock.
ian Dreams in Indialantic. Under
the calming direction of medita- One participant, Anna Brown, 55,
tion instructor Monica Lombardo, laid quite still. “It wasn’t sleep sleep,
the group gathered to shake off the I still heard her. I was out there
stress of the season and allow room somewhere,” the Palm Bay resident
in their minds to honor the end of said afterward, adding, “I feel very
one year and welcome the start of relaxed now. I’m alert and I’m not
another. sleepy. I feel very at peace.”

Civilizations past would celebrate Is that how Lombardo would like
the winter solstice with feasts and her students to leave?
rituals. Life itself was dependent on
understanding the natural cycles of “I would like them to leave with
death and rebirth. But in a 24-hour less than they came in with. Less
existence, when humans no longer baggage. We so often have these
fully disengage from outside stress- things happen to us that we are
es, finding time to breathe deeply paying for and we don’t understand
and calmly can be a challenge. why. We keep putting those stones
in our pockets and we carry them
A popular saying among medita- around. They just drag us down. So
tion enthusiasts is, “If you don’t have I hope that when they leave here,
time to meditate once a day, you they are able to put those things
should meditate twice a day.” aside,” she said. 

Lombardo, who by day is an appli-
cation developer for a tech contrac-

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2018 9

SEEN & SCENE

10 Thursday, December 28, 2018 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

SEEN & SCENE

Holy Trinity students produce
‘Really’ impressive yearbook

Yearbook advisor/photography teacher Sarah Tricano discusses layout

with student editors Caroline Dixon and Hanya Irfan. PHOTOS: BENJAMIN THACKER

STAGING SELLS HOMES STORY BY JAN WESNER CHILDS CORRESPONDENT staff injects a lot of personality into the
[email protected] book, with features like student pro-
Coastal Interior & files and fun pop culture surveys.
the Gunter Real Estate Group “Really.”
of Salt Water Realty of Brevard That was the theme of the 2017 Holy The 264-page yearbook is entirely
Just Unveiled an Innovative Staging Alliance! Trinity Episcopal Academy yearbook student run, with every page created
that was recently named a finalist for by a student. Tricano said the only
If you have decided to make the commitment to sell the National Scholastic Press Associa- area where adults step in to help is tak-
your home, you need the Gunter Group to list your tion’s Pacemaker Award, an honor giv- ing photos at the lower school, which is
home. Properties listed with the Gunter Group en to the top high school yearbooks in on a different campus from the upper
includes professional staging by Coastal Interior the nation. school.
at ZERO COST to you! Staged homes sell faster Students on Trinity’s yearbook staff
and for more money than homes not staged! Staging came up with the theme after a mix-up Tricano said she can’t even begin to
is expensive, difficult, & time consuming, but caused them to have to rethink their estimate how many hours it takes to
STAGING SELLS HOMES! original idea. They had planned to rec- create each yearbook – this is her 10th
ognize the school’s 60th anniversary, year as advisor – but it’s not unusual for
Call Mark Gunter at (321) 345-1464 but somewhere along the way there students to be at school until 6 p.m. or
was confusion because the upper and working from home, in addition to the
to schedule an appointment to discuss how he can lower schools were founded in differ- time they spend in her class. “They all
sell your home fast and for top dollar! ent years. consider this to be a job,” she said.
When the students realized that
their first theme wasn’t going to work – Students on the staff must take a
after months of planning – they all had journalism class first and then be rec-
the same typical, frustrated teen reac- ommended for yearbook by a teacher.
tion: “Really.”
“The voice of this book was kind of Davis Bell, a 17-year-old junior from
‘sassy,’” yearbook advisor and photog- Indialantic, said there’s a lot more to
raphy teacher Sarah Tricano said. “It’s being on the staff than some might
usually a kind of straightforward and think. He’s learning people skills and
serious theme.” time management. Davis worked on
Tricano said the theme was also a the sports pages for last year’s year-
play on a behind-the-scenes look at the book.
school.
“You think you know what happens He said that while yearbook is an
here,” Tricano said. “But do you re- elective and students have to fit it into
ally?” their schedule, it’s a valuable class.
She said the unique theme helped He’s working on the business side of
them win the recognition. the yearbook this year, including sell-
The finalist announcement from ing ads, and is considering business
NSPA noted that as well. school after he graduates.
“The best yearbooks don’t recap
events, they capture dynamic and au- “It’s actually really good experience
thentic stories that focus on people,” for that,” he said.
NSPA associate director Gary Lund-
gren said. “Today’s best yearbooks are Holy Trinity was one of 55 schools
remarkable journalistic publications – out of 525 that were eligible – to be
with their own bold personalities.” named a Pacemaker finalist. The staff
Holy Trinity’s 40-member yearbook was also one of only seven finalists
with seventh- and eighth-graders on
staff.

The top 25 yearbooks will be select-
ed in April and named Pacemaker win-
ners. Holy Trinity was also a finalist in
2011. 

South Beach Players
ready to ‘show’
they’ve got game

12 Thursday, December 28, 2018 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

ARTS & THEATRE

South Beach Players ready to ‘show’ they’ve got game

STORY BY PAM HARBAUGH CORRESPONDENT feet, is a former grade-school teacher
[email protected] and children’s theater director.

Get ready, South Brevard … a new The two women have been working
community theater is about to stir to on this project since April when ser-
life next spring. endipity brought them together. They
were at the beach in their small neigh-
It’s the South Beach Players and it’s borhood of Floridana, a quiet, unin-
the brainchild of South Melbourne corporated community on the barrier
Beach-area residents Jeannine Mjos- island where a blinking yellow light
eth and Donna Roberts. warns drivers along two-lane A1A to
slow down.
Auditions for their first show will be
held Jan. 4. The show, two short plays, Mjoseth, 58, an outgoing woman
is scheduled to run March 14 and 21 at with ready humor, saw Roberts, 64,
the historic Sebastian Beach Inn, now wearing a hat with the logo of a theater
called Coppolla’s Bar and Grille. company called “Key Players.”

“We’re starting small but eventually She knew that among an area of
we hope the South Beach Players will 7,000 citizens quickly approaching
be to Melbourne Beach what the Cocoa AARP status, she had found a kindred
Village Playhouse is to Cocoa,” Mjoseth spirit. So Mjoseth approached Roberts
said. and ideas flowed.

Although their enthusiasm bubbles They learned each other had relocat-
over when you talk with them about ed to Floridana Beach with their hus-
their project, there’s no doubt they area bands about the same time last year.
approaching this with some smarts, They realized immediately that they
thanks in part to their unusual friend- were both extroverts and friendly. And,
ship: most importantly perhaps, they adore
the theater and would love to partici-
At 6 foot 2 inches, Mjoseth is a former pate.
professional lady wrestler who went
by the name of Mad Maxine. Roberts, However, the long drives to es-
reaching to the height of just over 5

Donna Roberts and Jeannine Mjoseth. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2018 13

ARTS & THEATRE

tablished community theaters is so Jeannine Mjoseth as her alter ego, ‘PLAYERS’ AUDITIONS
daunting that they don’t get to them professional lady wrestler Mad Maxine. Those interested in
that much. They’ve both gone to Co-
coa Village Playhouse and Melbourne room stage at Coppola’s Bar and Grille backgrounds. Auditioning for the debut
Civic Theatre. They both want to get at the historic Sebastian Beach Inn. Mjoseth, who was born in Germany production of the South
involved with productions. So they don’t expect to have to put too Beach Players are encouraged
much effort into getting tables, chairs, to a U.S. military family, learned a lot to read scripts and pick up
“I had just that morning looked at plates and other necessities for restau- from Mad Maxine, which was part of monologues 7 p.m. today (Dec.
websites for community theaters and rant scenes. the old World Wrestling Federation. 28) at the Floridana Beach
thought I’d like to be involved,” Mjo- Her last appearance in the ring was in Civic Association clubhouse,
seth said. “To drive an hour or more, The next step they took was to hold a 1986. Her first televised match was in 6635 Highway A1A, Melbourne
back and forth, just too onerous. This 50/50 raffle fundraiser at a community Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Beach.
way we could start our own and not party. “We got a not-insignificant con-
have to do the drive.” tribution ($140) toward scripts and roy- “It’s the extreme of theater, where Auditions are scheduled for
alties,” Roberts said. “The rest is com- everything is so broad,” she said. “And 7 p.m. Jan. 4 at the Floridana
So before you could say “five min- ing out of our pockets. We have faith reading an audience, that is an essen- Beach Civic Association
utes,” the South Beach Players was that this will come to fruition.” tial part of wrestling. You are building clubhouse, 6635 Highway A1A,
born. up an audience where they all have this Melbourne Beach.
They’re also weighing the option of group experience, like a crescendo. It’s
“We feel like there really is a need having a Kickstarter campaign. Kick- pretty powerful.” “Lives of the Great Waitresses”
for this,” Roberts said. “It will bring starter is an online fundraising web- needs four women ages 20s
the communities together of the Mel- site. A million miles away, in the Florida through 50s.
bourne Shores and Sunnyland, all up Keys, Roberts was teaching the gifted
and down A1A.” Both women plan to drawn on their program at a K-8 school where she also “Three Tables” needs three
men and three women.
In order to gauge how residents
would receive this, they scheduled a The company also needs
meeting at a local civic organization’s volunteer directors and crews.
clubhouse.
The shows are scheduled to
“But the hurricane came and scut- run March 14 and 21 at Coppola’s
tled the meeting,” Roberts said. “Then Bar and Grille at the historic
we set a date after the hurricane, put Sebastian Beach Inn, 7035 S.
out notices and started word of mouth Hwy A1A, Melbourne Beach. For
that we would have an introductory more information, call 305-240-
meeting to get the feel of the commu- 0125. 
nity. We had a dozen people.”
directed children’s theater.
They wanted to start off small, so “I did not direct any adult shows,”
the women decided to find a couple of
short plays, no longer than 30 minutes she said. “But I have been on stage, a
each. stage manager (for Key Players in the
Upper Keys) and done every aspect
Mjoseth came up with “Lives of you could think of in theater. It was a
Great Waitresses,” in which playwright big part of my life for 25 years. So I re-
Nina Shengold takes a glimpse into the ally missed it. That’s another reason I
lives of those waiting tables. just jumped on the bandwagon with
Jeanine.”
“I thought the dialogue was funny
and compelling,” Mjoseth said. They’d like to get help from local
playwrights and directors. They’re
Roberts came up with “Three also hoping that volunteers and staff at
Tables.” That play, written by Dan established community theaters will
Remmes, concerns three separate give them advice.
couples in a restaurant. One couple is
celebrating an anniversary, another is “We want to learn what we can from
planning a divorce and a third is on a people who have been at it for a while,”
first Internet date. Mjoseth said. 

Without planning it, the plays both
have similar set pieces and props. And,
just as coincidentally, their first pro-
duction is scheduled to run on a dining

14 Thursday, December 28, 2018 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming Up: ‘Ring’ in the new year with Cirque Italia

STORY BY SAMANTHA BAITA STAFF WRITER
[email protected]

1 Cirque Italia is bringing its
“new Gold Unit” to Wickham

Park in Melbourne next Thurs-

day, Jan. 4, through Sunday, under

a striking blue-and-white Big Top

tent. From what I’ve read and seen

on video, this looks to be quite good

circus entertainment, with skilled

performers. Don’t, however, think

Cirque de Soleil. And, although this

show is sub-titled “the first traveling

water circus,” the performers are not

actually in, on or under water. There

are very effective dancing water and

rain-shower features that definitely

add to the beauty and elegance of the

performances, and the technology

and set-up required to create those 1 Cirque Italia. 3 Heidi’s Jazz Club.

elements under an actual circus tent 4 Works of Buster Keaton.

have got to be impressive. Tickets expression, earning him the nick-
name “The Great Stone Face.” “The
are $10 to $50, based on availability. 3 Heidi’s Jazz Club is the hang- General” and “Three Ages” will be plots in three different historical
out for jazz aficionados on the presented at the Historic Cocoa Vil- periods: prehistoric times, ancient
lage Playhouse, just as it was shown Rome and modern times (the Roar-
2 The popular Sebastian Inlet Space Coast, and you can jazz your at the “Aladdin Theatre” in 1924, ing Twenties). They are combined
State Park Night Sounds con- down to live music accompaniment to show that man’s love for woman
way through the last few days of 2017 by J. Thomas Black Jr.. According to hasn’t changed much throughout
Wikipedia, “The General” is widely history. Tickets are $13. Show time is
cert series continues this Saturday, with some club favorites. This Friday regarded as Keaton’s masterpiece, 7:30 p.m.
and was inspired by “The Great Lo-
with the band Alize, its final con- it’ll be Steve Kirsner and Friends, 5 comotive Chase,” a true story of an
event that occurred during the Civil
cert of 2017. After getting audiences p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by the Ron War. “Three Ages” consists of three

moving to a reggae beat for years, Teixeira Trio 8:30 p.m. till midnight.

Alize has cranked it up a notch, re- Saturday brings Hella Ayelet Gal, 8

inventing itself with some new band p.m. to midnight. Then, if you get 5 Opening this Tuesday on Riv-
erside Theatre’s Stark Stage
members. You’ll hear island, Soca your reservation in pronto, you can

(aka the Soul Of Calypso), Top 40, say goodbye forever to 2017 with is “Million Dollar Quartet,” a Tony

funk, soft rock and a dash of county. Heidi’s New Year’s Eve (Jazz) Party: Award-winning musical about that

The concert takes place at Coconut Sally Hart and the Ron Teixiera Trio, memorable, serendipitous night, Dec.

Point pavilions, on the south side and an appropriately fancy 4-course 4, 1956, when four musical giants –

of Sebastian Inlet Bridge. Just bring dinner. Also, needless to say, bal- Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee

your favorite folding chair, enjoy loons and champagne. Lewis and Carl Perkins – found them-

the reggae beat and watch evening selves jamming in an impromptu stu-

darken into night, between the In- 4 Here’s something you don’t dio session at Sam Phillip’s Sun Studios
get to do every day: next Fri-
dian River lagoon and the Atlan- in Memphis. Although the four music

tic. You can even grab a bite and a day, Jan. 5, you can experience two legends didn’t know it at the time, the

beverage: BG’s Surfside Grill and of silent film superstar Buster Ke- session was being taped – preserving

Adventures has pop, water, snacks, aton’s most famous works. Keaton’s for all time the four in their prime and

burgers and dogs. Music starts at 7 trademark was, of course, incred- some of the best music of the era. Show

p.m. Concert admission is free with ible, hair-raising physical comedy, times: 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. through

park entry fee. always accompanied by a deadpan Jan. 21. Tickets, $35 to $90. 

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(330) 726-6668 Gary Steer; Steer, Mercer & Co.; and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.



TIM CROSS | THE ECONOMIST DRAUGHTS BOARD-GAME CAFÉ pondering opening another branch. It There are now competitions and a
is just one beneficiary of a new golden festival circuit for the most committed
Draughts is a funky little café tucked world from four plagues. Their neigh- age in board games. fans. In 2016 174,000 people streamed
into a railway arch in Islington, in bors are engrossed in a game of Castle through the doors at International
north London. It has exposed brick Panic, in which the defenders co-oper- The most popular games sell in Spieltage, the industry’s flagship trade-
walls, a bar stocked with trendy craft ate to defend a fortress from a horde of their millions. Top of the list is Set- show-cum-festival, held every year
beers and a selection of comfy chairs. encroaching monsters. tlers of Catan, in which players com- in the German city of Essen. GenCon,
The toast is artisanal and the avoca- pete to settle a fictional wilderness. It held in America, counted 208,000 peo-
dos are smashed. But the most strik- A board-game café sounds like the has sold more than 20 million copies ple through the turnstiles in 2017. The
ing thing is the shelves arrayed at sort of niche business that appeals since the first edition of 5,000 was re- UK Games Expo, held in Birmingham,
the back of the café. They groan with only to hip millennials with a fondness leased in Germany in 1995. Domin- has grown from 1,200 visitors in 2007 to
board games – more than 700 of them, for ironic nostalgia. But, on a Friday af- ion, a medieval-flavored card game, 31,000 in 2017.
according to Russell Chapman, who ternoon, the crowd is more diverse than released in 2008, has sold 2.5 million
works there. When it was founded in that, with families and 50-somethings copies. The trend is global, but there are pock-
2014, Draughts became London’s first alongside the youngsters. Draughts is ets of intense enthusiasm. One is Silicon
dedicated board-game café. doing so well that its owners are now Valley, where Settlers of Catan is an ob-
session among many. Reid Hoffman,
All the old classics are there: Mo- LinkedIn’s founder and a board-game
nopoly, Risk, Battleship, along with aficionado, says that Settlers of Catan is
their memories of family arguments at “the board game of entrepreneurship.”
Christmas. But the main draw for the Earlier this year, Maybe Capital, a satiri-
patrons is a new generation of deeper, cal game about theValley, complete with
more involving – simply better – games discriminatory rewards for male and
that have been devised over the past female players, was launched on Kick-
couple of decades. starter, a crowd-funding site.

At one table a group of people are One reason for the tabletop-gaming
playing Pandemic, a tricky, strategy boom is simply that the products have
game in which players are cast as doc- improved. The best modern games are
tors and scientists trying to save the sociable, engaging and easy to learn,

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 17

INSIGHT COVER STORY

but also cerebral, intriguing and dif- technology have helped, too. “I think of games as reviewed by the users of secret objectives. If her opponents are
ficult to master. The slow triumph of the popularity of video games is a fac- BoardGameGeek, a popular website. to thwart them, they must first try to in-
what used to be called “nerd culture” – tor,” says Leacock. Over the past few In the eyes of a modern game designer, fer these from how she is playing. Intro-
think smartphone gaming and “Game decades video-gaming has grown it does almost everything wrong. ducing elements of politics, diplomacy
of Thrones” on television – has given into a $90 billion industry. The typical or trading can give players things to do
adults permission to engage openly in gamer is in his or her 30s, and almost One of Monopoly’s big mistakes is even when it is not their turn, helping
pastimes that were previously looked as likely to be a woman as a man. “It positive feedback, designer-speak for to keep their interest from wandering.
down on as juvenile. gets rid of this silly idea that games are a mechanism by which a small advan-
something only kids should enjoy.” tage early on snowballs into a big, in- And the new ideas are still coming.
The increasing ubiquity of screens surmountable one later in the game, Pandemic, in which the players work
has also, paradoxically, fueled a de- The tactility of board games can be which makes things boring for the together, fueled a boom in co-operative
mand for in-person socializing. Board a pleasure in an increasingly virtual other players. games, uniting players to work togeth-
gaming is another example of an old- world. Many modern games have rich, er against the game itself. Computers
style, analogue pastime that, far from lovingly crafted pieces. In Kanagawa, Modern designers tend to prefer neg- are finding their way into board games
being killed by technology, has been for instance, the players are appren- ative feedback, in which life gets harder directly: in X-Com (which is based on
reinvigorated by it. tices of Katsushika Hokusai, the most for those doing well. Sometimes that is a bestselling video-game franchise) the
famous Japanese classical artist, and enforced by explicit penalties. Some- players must work together to defend
The revival began in the 1990s, says must strive to produce the best paint- times it emerges by itself, or through Earth from an alien invasion. The alien
Matt Leacock, an American game de- political dealing by other players. Con- forces are marshalled by a smartphone
signer responsible for Pandemic, as the ings in order to win the favor of their app, which reacts to how the players
internet began spreading into people’s master. The playing pieces include a quering too many planets in a game of are doing. By hiving the bookkeeping
homes. Leacock was a programmer at set of miniature brushes, a bamboo Twilight Imperium may make it hard to off to a computer, designers are able to
Yahoo! at the time. Germany, he says, mat and a series of beautifully drawn defend existing territory, for instance, experiment with more complex sets of
is the spiritual home of board-gaming. cards featuring images of stags, moun- especially if other players decide to rules that would be fiddly and tedious
“For whatever reason there has always tains and blossom leaves. The goal of gang up on the leader. That helps to for human players to administer.
been a culture there of playing these the game is to assemble them into a keep things interesting for everyone.
things, of families sitting around the larger, harmonious painting. The latest innovation is so-called
table at a weekend,” he says. Another problem is that Monopoly “legacy” games, named for Risk: Leg-
Finally, and perhaps most important- has a large element of luck (movement acy, a 2012 reboot of the classic game
The internet helped that culture ly, by bringing fans together and allowing is controlled by rolling dice) and limited that founded the genre. As with mod-
spread: “I remember we used to rely them to trade wisdom and good ideas, strategic depth. Some properties simply ern TV series, the idea is to introduce an
on these little hobbyist websites that technology has drastically improved the offer a better return on investment than overarching narrative, which advances
would do amateur translations into games themselves. One consequence others: buying them is always a good as you play the game multiple times.
English of all the new German games of the board-gaming boom has been idea. Better to offer players less obvi- As an extra twist, the rules change be-
that were coming out,” says Leacock. to help designers come up with a set of ous, more thought-provoking choices: tween each playthrough. Depending on
As with everything from Japanese car- principles and rules-of-thumb that add advantages that come with significant the results of a particular game, players
toons to Jane Austen fandom, the inter- up, more or less, to a theory of fun. trade-offs, for instance, or whose use- could receive instructions to draw new
net helped bring together like-minded fulness varies depending on what is features onto the board, rip up exist-
people all over the world. One way to get a sense of it is to happening in the rest of the game. ing rules or be given new powers or
look at a well-known game that vio- obstacles. One such game, Pandemic:
Those early websites have blos- lates many of this theory’s tenets. Mo- Hidden information opens up the Legacy, is, according to the denizens of
somed into a thriving scene of pod- nopoly is, by most calculations, the potential for bluffing and misdirec- BoardGameGeek, the single best board
casts and YouTube channels, discuss- bestselling board game of all time. Yet tion. In Ticket to Ride, players compete game ever made.
ing strategy, spreading rumors of new it languishes near the bottom of a list to build railways across Europe. At the
games and offering reviews of the lat- beginning, each player is given a set of Despite its new-found popular-
est games. (“TableTop”, one of the most ity, board-gaming remains a slightly
popular YouTube programs, is hosted nerdy pastime (there are a number
by Wil Wheaton, whom dedicated fans of fans among Economist journal-
may remember from “Star Trek: The ists). And although they are meant to
Next Generation”.) be fun, squint and you can probably
justify playing them on the grounds
Fans can talk directly to designers, that it is good for you. Board-gaming
who, in turn, can recruit fans to test will improve your mental arithmetic,
early versions of their games. Crowd- give you a good grasp of probability
funding sites allow designers, whether and familiarize you with game theory.
amateur or professional, to raise money
for games that have not yet been made, The most hardcore games veer on
drastically reducing the risks involved in simulation. Volko Ruhnke designs
sinking time into a project. Draughts it- wargames based on real-world con-
self began life on Kickstarter, rather than flicts. A Distant Plain aims to recreate
with the traditional loan from a bank. the Western invasion of Afghanistan in
2001, in all its political complexity. He
At the same time, says Steve Buck- is enthusiastic about games’ potential
master of Esdevium Games, a British as a teaching tool.
importer of board games, the preva-
lence of screens has made people keen- America’s spies, it seems, agree.
er to connect in person. Board games One of Ruhnke’s sidelines is in de-
offer the sort of social experience that signing wargames for the CIA, which
no amount of FaceTime, Skype or Des- uses them to train analysts and op-
tiny can quite replace. “People are sit- eratives. “A wargame puts you into
ting in front of a computer all day at history in a way that no book can,”
work,” he says. “Do they really want he says. “If I’m doing my job properly,
to do even more of that when they get the mechanics of the game will force
home?” Chapman agrees. “I think, you to consider the choices that real
paradoxically, one of the things social people had to make. That’s advanced.
media can end up doing is keeping you That’s grad-school history, not grade-
away from your friends,” he says. school stuff.” 

The cultural changes wrought by

NO ONE SHOULD DIE FROM COLON CANCER colon. At the tip of the colonoscope is a tiny video camera that trans- © 2017 Vero Beach 32963 Media, all rights reserved
mits a real-time image of the lining of the colon onto a TV monitor for
What do Audrey Hepburn, Vince Lombardi and Bewitched’s Eliz- the doctor to examine for any abnormalities.
abeth Montgomery have in common? All lost their battle against
colon cancer. The scope blows air into the colon to make it expand to give the doc-
tor optimal visualization. If any suspicious areas are found, he or she can
We’ll never know if they had the benefit of preventive screenings. pass surgical tools through the tube to take tissue samples (biopsies) for
Colonoscopy wasn’t invented until 1969. But today, although it’s not analysis. Abnormal growths, or polyps, can be identified and removed.
fun, we have lifesaving tools that can diagnose colorectal cancer at its
earliest stage, even before lesions become cancer. No one should die In many cases, colonoscopy allows accurate diagnosis and treat-
from colon cancer. ment without the need for major surgery.

COLON CANCER IS A SERIOUS THREAT AT WHAT AGE SHOULD A PERSON START HAVING
COLONOSCOPIES?
According to the American Cancer Society:
 Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and second People at an average risk for colon cancer are recommended to
leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. start having colonoscopies around age 50. Those who have a history
 134,490 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2016 of colon cancer in their family or other risk factors, should begin at
(estimate) age 45, or as recommended by their physician.
 49,190 people will die due to colorectal cancer in 2016 (estimate)
MORE THAN 1 MILLION SURVIVORS
Locally, in Indian River County, 81 people were diagnosed with
colorectal cancer in 2014, the most recent year for which statis- Screening, education and early detection are making a differ-
tics are available. ence. Deaths due to colorectal cancer are on the decline. Most at-
Finding colon cancer at its earliest stage provides the greatest tribute this success to finding and removing colorectal polyps be-
chance for a cure. Screening has been shown to reduce your risk fore they can develop into cancer or finding them earlier when the
of dying of colon cancer. disease is easiest to treat. Treatment for colorectal cancer has also
improved. As a result, more than 1 million people – including Su-
WHAT IS COLONOSCOPY? preme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and TV personality Sharon
Osborne – can call themselves colon cancer survivors.
Colonoscopy is a 30-60 minute outpatient procedure in which your
large bowel (colon and rectum) is examined. The doctor inserts a long, To learn more about colorectal cancer and colonoscopy, visit the
flexible, tubular instrument about 1/2 inch in diameter, called a colo- American Cancer Society’s website, www.cancer.org. 
noscope, through the rectum and advances it to the other end of the
Your comments and suggestions for future topics are always wel-
INSHORE TO come. Email us at [email protected].
OFFSHORE....

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Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 19

INSIGHT BOOKS

We are cautioned to avoid judging a and landscape painting, became that contain whole landscapes started to take hold.” It also led to
book by its cover, yet that is precisely an appealing glimpse into a book, when folded out, such as the the use of a machine called a Grant
what publishers hope we will do. Dust welcoming readers inside. green vales of Stanley Badmin’s Enlarger, which allowed design-
jacket illustration, which came into its jacket for “Local Style in English ers to quickly trace photographs for
own in the 1920s, has long deserved The first dust jackets, known Architecture,” panoramas that what were frequently unimaginative
recognition as a serious art form. If as “wrappers,” were not usually sadly could never have been covers, a technology, rued by many,
any doubt remains, Martin Salisbury’s prized or conserved by their fully enjoyed while wrapped that presaged the use of digital de-
splendid survey, “The Illustrated Dust owners. The earliest ones ex- around T.D. Atkinson’s book. sign software decades later.
Jacket, 1920-1970,” should dispel it. In isted quite literally to keep dust Some original art exerts a nos-
these pages, he describes how utilitar- off cloth bindings. In fact, they talgic allure so powerful that Salisbury’s book shows that the
ian commercial designs became an were often discarded by shop- publishers retain it for later pa- greatest jackets tint our experiences
“important branch of the applied arts” keepers as a courtesy upon pur- perbacks, as one finds with the of the books they grace. He guides
and gave rise to manuals, guilds and chase. But by the 1920s, as jack- New Directions edition of Ten- us with easy authority through a
exhibitions by those who saw not only ets became more colorful, they nessee Williams’ “A Streetcar delightful graphic history of all-
artistic possibilities but also a new av- also became more meaningful Named Desire,” with modern- too-often underappreciated literary
enue of work for illustrators who relied to the reader’s experience. primitivist art by Alvin Lustig. pleasures and reminds readers just
on freelance commissions. how much wonderful art they may
Not all were pleased. Max Leading art movements wound have hidden away on their shelves.
Book jackets are, admittedly, a pe- Beerbohm wrote cantankerously up on display in bookstore win- For those who never paused to think
culiar art. The most memorable ones of them “violently vying with dows. A lively Bloomsbury sen- much about jackets, this book will
usually approach a book indirectly. In one another for one’s attention, sibility can be appreciated in be a revelation. 
fact, Salisbury says that “visual meta- fiercely striving to outdo the rest Vanessa Bell’s designs for her sis-
phor is often more effective than ex- in crudity of design and colour.” ter Virginia Woolf’s books, pub- THE ILLUSTRATED DUST JACKET: 1920-1970
plicit representation in the distillation It is this supposed “crudity” lished by the Woolfs’ Hogarth BY Martin Salisbury
of the text into image.” At its best, a that makes jackets, like that for Press. In the 1920s and ’30s, dy-
classic jacket, joining hand-rendered Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” (a namic Art Deco styles, such as Aubrey Thames & Hudson. 200 pp. $39.99.
lettering with traditional portraiture book curiously missing from this vol- Hammond’s, thrived alongside rosy- Review by Ernest Hilbert,
ume), so desirable to collectors today. cheeked knights and pioneers of Bran- The Washington Post
Some dust jacket illustrators over- dywine School artist N.C. Wyeth. Edi-
shadowed authors themselves. Rock- tor Maxwell Perkins enlisted Cleonike
well Kent was so much more famous Damianakes to appeal to female read-
than Herman Melville in 1930 that ers when publishing Hemingway and
his name alone appears on the Art Fitzgerald. By the ’40s, the bizarre sur-
Deco jacket for Random House’s realism of Ukrainian-born Boris Artzy-
“Moby Dick.” That edition features basheff proved ideal for works of fanta-
Kent’s majestic pen-and-ink draw- sy by L. Sprague de Camp. Meanwhile,
ings, which some credit in part for illustrations for the flourishing genre of
renewed interest in a novel that origi- crime writing were, contra Beerbohm,
nally languished after suffering poor “suitably garish and melodramatic.”
reviews and public indifference.
Readers of different ages will be A brief idyll following the Second
moved to fondly recall jackets that World War had designers yearning
first caught their fancies in youth, for earlier Romantic styles and “spir-
such as Edward Gorey’s jaunty il- itual connection” before the onset of
lustration for Kingsley Amis’ “rol- increasingly abstract late-modern-
licking misadventure” “Lucky Jim,” ist designs like those of Czech art-
Arthur Hawkin, Jr.’s hand-lettered ist and writer Adolf Hoffmeister for
design for James M. Cain’s “The Post- new editions of Jules Verne and H.G.
man Always Rings Twice” or Milton Wells. This marked a change, Salis-
Glaser’s psychedelic hues for Tom bury writes, “from poetic contem-
Wolfe’s “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” plation to one of assertive aspiration
Among the more charming are those as technology and consumerism

COMING ATTRACTIONS! RECOMMENDED CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND VERO BEACH BEST SELLERS

TOP 5 FICTION TOP 5 NON-FICTION BESTSELLER | KIDS
1. The Rooster Bar 1. Leonardo da Vinci 1. The Mermaid BY JAN BRETT
2. Here We Are BY OLIVER JEFFERS
BY JOHN GRISHAM BY WALTER ISAACSON 3. The Getaway (Diary of a Wimpy

2. End Game 2. Endurance BY SCOTT KELLY Kid Book 12) BY JEFF KINNEY
3. Make Your Bed 4. The Night Before Christmas
BY DAVID BALDACCI
BY WILLIAM MCRAVEN BY CLEMENT MOORE
3. The Cuban Affair
4. Grant BY RON CHERNOW 5. Why Christmas Trees Aren't
BY NELSON DEMILLE 5. An Ice Age Mystery Perfect BY RICHARD SCHNEIDER

4. Column of Fire BY RODY L. JOHNSON

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20 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

PETS

Bonz says Milo and Morgan are a coupla cuties

Hi Dog Buddies!

I had a fun yap with a coupla Cavalier knew I was HOME!! Milo and Morgan, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. PHOTO BY MITCH KLOORFAIN
King Charles Spaniels this week, Milo
Niemczyk (NIM-zick) an his (step) sister “Morgan wanted to be sure I unner- goin’ out or goin’ for a walk
Morgan, both with those totally ador-
able, puppy-sweet King Charles faces stood that she owns the house, an that an they don’t want us to get excited, they do in the water cuz he’s
an frenly dispositions. Milo’s 2, and he
was born in Ireland, then went to a ken- was Totally Cool Kibbles with me. She’s spell W-A-L-K or O-U-T or G-O.” a Spaniel.’ But Dad said, ‘NO WAY, he
nel in Georgia, so I was wonderin’ if he’d
be like, “Top o’ the morning,’ ya’ll.” But the BEST! She taught me everything I “I’ve heard a lotta humans do that,” I jumped in cuz he thought it was a solid
he spoke just plain ol’ dog, no accent or
anything. know.” commented. surface. He didn’t have a CLUE.’ Dad

After the Wag-an-Sniff, we got all Morgan chimed in. “Yes I did. We “I KNOW. They think we can’t spell. was right. I was Totally Freaked Out and
comftubble, an Milo introduced me
to his Mom an Dad, Carolyn an Leo. bonded right away. He was a fun liddle Isn’t that hi-LARRY-us? So we go along was just tryin’ to get my soggy caboose
“Happy to met you all,” I said. “So,
Milo, do you remember anything pupster. He’s a smarty, but mostly I had- with it. We pretend we don’t know what outta there. Never went near that pool,
about Ireland?”
da protect him from himself. He’s curi- W-A-L-K means. We just remain calm.” or any pool, ever again. I don’t care if I
“Not really, Mr. Bonzo. I was only a
liddle furball. I do remember seein’ lotsa ous about EVERYthing!” Me an Milo an Morgan laughed be- AM a Spaniel.”
fluffy funny-lookin’ white animals on
the ride to the airport. I thought they “Mom bought me a buncha toys an hind our paws. “I think a lotta us do “Do you have those big, long kennel
were some kinda dogs, but I found out
they were cheeps.” I ate ’em!” Milo declared happily. “But that,” I said. “Things go much smoother names nobody ever uses?”

“Cheeps? Oh, right! I gotcha.” that was when I was liddle. NOW I’m when humans think they’re in charge.” “Yes, we do,” said Morgan. “Milo’s
“Anyway, Mom an Dad have always
been a Spaniel Family. Springers like much more neat and tidy. When we go They nodded. is Durramore Bailey’s Surprise an
you, an Brittanys.
“They had Oscar, Nelson an Brutus. outside, I wait patiently in my crate (we “Since you’re Spaniels, I assume you mine’s Morgan Louise of Cossa Creek.
Then, when they were low on span-
iels, they decided to get a smaller size love our crates) ’til Mom an Morgan are swim?” I ackshully came with an in-STRUCK-
so it could fly in the human section.
They had Morgan already so they were ready. An I always Do My Doodie in the “Oh, Milo, you gotta tell Mr. Bonzo shun book!”
checkin’ out puppy pickshurs online.
See, even though we were officially Same Spot. about your swimming pool adventure,” “Woof! Fancy! Any pooch pals?”
hunting dogs, us Cavalier King Charle-
ses are SO CUTE that, a long time ago, “We do leash walks, of course, but, Morgan said. “My Bestie’s Frankie,” Milo said.
Royal Humans made us pets, ’specially
the fancy ladies, an they had PORtrutts Dog! I love to run! Dad says that’s my “It’s kinda embarrassing, but here “He’s a chihuahua mix. We were pup-
painted with us in their LAPS.
“Anyway, Mom an Dad picked ME! So spaniel instinks coming out. An we goes: my first full day here, I was lookin’ pies together.”
Mom got up at 4 a.m. an flew to Atlanta,
cuz I was in Lula, Georgia, an planes both can’t wait to go to PetSmart. Talk at everything, checkin’ stuff out, real An one time, up in Asheville, North
don’t go there. The kennel lady was gon-
na bring me to the airport, then her an about Dog Frenly!” excited. So I see this kinda shiny big Caro-LINE-uh, we met this real frenly
Mom were gonna do a Hand-off. Of me.
It was rainin,’ an me an the kennel lady “We sniff everything an take classes thing, an it looked like it’d be a nice duck. She was wearin’ a shirt an sneak-
were late, so Mom grabbed me (she was
wearing those funny lady shoes called an get groomed there,” Morgan in- place for runnin’ around. So I jumped. ers, just like her human Dad. Didn’t catch
heels an I was in liddle bag, shakin’ cuz
of bein’ nervous) an we were bookin’ terjected. “We don’t really like gettin’ Well, first thing I know, I’m all wet and her name. We don’t speak much Duck.”
though the airport to catch the plane to
Florida.” groomed, but we look FABULOUS when coughin.’ It was like this big water bowl. Heading home, I was thinking about
“Woof!” I exclaimed. “That’s a lotta
excitement!” we’re done!” So I starting franickly movin’ my legs. all the cool poocheroos I’ve met who
“Totes! I was seein’’ new stuff, hearin’
new sounds, smellin’ new smells. I finally Milo lowered his voice and leaned to- Mom said, ‘’Oh, look, Milo’s not doing are frenly with other species. Like cats.
fell asleep an pretty much napped ’til we
got to my Forever Home. I was still shaky, ward me. “Wanna know somethin’ fun- a Dog Paddle, he’s doing an Australian Or Milo an Morgan and the Duck. Or
and hopin’ my new Dad an big sister
would like me. WELL we got to the house, ny? When Mom an Dad are talkin’ about Crawl. He instinctively knows what to that puffin who decided to have fish
an Mom set me down. The instant I spot-
ted Morgan I was like, ‘OH, WOW! This is Don’t be shy! for playmates instead of lunch. I think
GREAT!’ She looked like my Mom an all we’re on to something.
my brothers and sisters an cousins. And I
Till next time,

We are always looking for pets with interesting stories. To set up -The Bonz
an interview, please email [email protected].

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 21

INSIGHT GAMES & CO.

THE LEAD MAKES A “SMALL” DIFFERENCE NORTH
65
Alan Bennett, an English playwright and actor, said, “We started trying to set up a small WEST K74 EAST
anarchist community, but people wouldn’t obey the rules.” A Q 10 8 7 2 QJ92 43
10 6 5 Q J 10 8 AQJ32
The defenders have a much harder job than declarer. To try to balance the books, the 83 10 5
defenders make the opening lead. Often that can make a difference of one trick, but 63 SOUTH K754
occasionally the number is surprisingly high. KJ9
98
Look only at the West hand. You open two spades, a weak two-bid. After two passes, AK764
South balances with two no-trump, and North raises to three no-trump. What would you A92
lead?
Dealer: West; Vulnerable: Neither
We all know about fourth-highest from the longest and strongest, and that might work
well, if partner has two spades, gets in before declarer has taken nine tricks and pushes The Bidding:
his remaining spade through declarer’s holding.
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
Here, though, it is a disaster. South wins with his low spade, plays a diamond to the 2 NT 2 Spades Pass Pass
board, takes two club finesses and collects the first nine tricks via one spade, five Pass 3 NT All Pass LEAD:
diamonds and three clubs. ??

Now let’s go back and have West deduce that dummy does not have four or more
hearts, because he made no attempt to uncover a heart fit. If West leads the heart five,
how many tricks can East-West take?

A heart to the jack, a spade to the nine and 10, a heart through and a second spade at
trick seven give the defenders five hearts and six spades for down seven!

Finally, note that if East were in four hearts, after South leads the diamond ace, North
should signal with his queen. Then South continues with a low diamond for the killing
club-queen shift.

22 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

INSIGHT GAMES & CO.

SOLUTSIOOLNUSTITOONSPTROEPVRIOEVUISOUISSSISUSEU(ED(EDCecEeMmBbeErR212)1O) NOPNAPGAEG32E 54

ACROSS DOWN
1 Pudding sauce (7) 1 Sweets, chocolates etc (13)
5 Trails (5) 2 Glow (5)
8 Tacks (5) 3 Non-attendance (7)
9 Watch (7) 4 Scribble (6)
10 Infinite (7) 5 Spaghetti, orzo etc (5)
11 Justification (5) 6 Neeps (7)
12 Permit (6) 7 Requirement (13)
14 Breakfast food (6) 13 Traditional (7)
17 Pontificate (5) 15 Futile (7)
19 Immobility (7) 16 Female foxes (6)
21 Nature (7) 18 Max __; Dadaist (5)
22 Boredom (5) 20 Type of Japanese poem (5)
23 Type of boat (5)
24 Keep going (7)

The Telegraph

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Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 23

INSIGHT GAMES & CO.

ACROSS Texas 16 Lower in fat or Forget
1 Sunset, for one 65 Fall mo. calories 72 Bullets, etc.
6 Boaters and 66 Low point 75 Last word in the
69 ? 17 ?
bowlers 72 Favorable votes 19 Paradises, of a pease porridge
10 Actress Dawber 73 Neither follower rhyme
13 Luminous ring 74 Newspaper for sort 76 Phones
14 Ore veins 21 Deceiver 77 Sky streaker
15 Frank’s second bright people? 23 With “plasm,” 78 Igloos and yurts
75 Melville opus 80 Actor Harry of
wife 76 Pre-1917 ruler seance stuff Tales of the
16 ? 77 County N of San 24 Greek letter Texas Rangers
18 Word after 25 Like a house ___ (anagram of U R
Francisco 26 The Mennonites, LATE)
United or 79 ? 81 Fasten again
American 82 Secure again, e.g. 82 Quaid or Travis
19 Like the taste 28 Robert of The 83 Prefix meaning
of some as a door “skin”
toothpastes 83 Luis on Sesame Man from 84 Young Jetson
20 Ashton Tate U.N.C.L.E. 88 Johnson of
computer Street, Emilio 29 Resident of a Laugh-In
software ___ (anagram of west Arizona city 89 What some cons
21 “Out of” opposite OLD-AGED) 31 Fork over are
22 It was Freud’s 85 Shade tree 32 Reconstruction 91 Investigative arm
idea 86 On guy of Congress:
23 Explorer Leif 87 Mr. Root or Mr. 35 Cartoon rooster, abbr.
25 “___ as I can Yale Foghorn ___ 92 Noah’s vessel
figure ...” 88 Maker of Macs 36 East Indian 93 Chairman, once
27 ? 90 Name for the evergreen 94 CIA predecessor
30 Kin of a mania devil (anagram of
31 Agreement 91 ? MISCHA) The Washington Post
33 “Self” starter? 95 Buck’s mate 37 Elect. day
34 The summer ___ 96 Knight-time 39 Seed, of a sort FUNNY FOLKS By Merl Reagle
(on or about protection 40 Akbar the Great,
June 21) 97 Singer Sheena ___-ud-Din
38 Lawyers’ org. 98 Time line Muhammad
39 Japanese features: abbr. 41 Christmas song
wrestling 99 “That’s 44 Older folks
40 ? agreeable” 47 Heating fuel
42 “Certainly” 100 Kentucky Derby 48 Sugar ending
43 Golfers’ grp. flowers 49 ___ in the bucket
44 Took a pew DOWN 50 Montana’s
45 Liquid butter of 1 Do a tedious post nickname
India office job 51 ___-so
46 1960s dancing 2 Supper supporter (what’s-his-
49 ? 3 Sitter on le trône name)
52 Coat infesters 4 Pilgrim’s stop 52 Worries
53 Alabama rival 5 Englander’s 53 Likely
56 “You’re locked ending for 54 Infamous Geller
___ with no encyclo 55 Cheeky
windows or 6 “In what way?” 57 ___ twice
doors ...” (start of 7 Sell mates? (seldom)
many a mystery 8 It’s steeped in 60 Old TV game
puzzle) tradition show, Who ___
57 Ultimatum words 9 I.D. often needed Trust?
58 Famed D.C. on invoices: abbr. 62 Simon Templar,
bookstore, 10 Indian who’s the ___
Politics & ___ always in hock? 63 Stringbean Olive
59 ? 11 Embodiment 66 Contact-cleaner
61 Knight’s contest 12 La Guardia was ingredient
62 Nothin’ special one 67 Jungle snake
64 Ms. Richards of 13 Indian craft 68 “Baby, it’s co-o-
14 A new ___ life old
outside”
70 Get exactly right
71 To forget, to Guy

The Telegraph

24 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

INSIGHT BACKPAGE

A friend’s now dating my former lover. Do I tell?

BY CAROLYN HAX and disrespectful things he’s done? Not least of choice. It’s lose-lose-lose, in a way.
which, I think, is dating one of my best friends with- But there’s usually a good decision – or a merely
Washington Post out a heads-up to me.
less-bad one – to be found by breaking a situation
Hi, Carolyn: One of my best Maybe I should talk to him? I don’t like being in down to its most basic facts.
girlfriends (we’re in our 40s this position!
and 50s) has started dating Here, you have two certainties at the founda-
a former lover of mine. Be- – Say/Not Say? tion of everything: Your privacy is yours, and your
cause I’m a private person, my friend’s relationship is hers.
friends possibly knew of him Say/Not Say?: These lose-lose decisions always
– I’m single – but did not press feel the hardest, obviously, because you don’t see So your best choice is going to be the one that
for any details. They all know any courses of action you like, but inaction leaves comes closest to honoring these two facts.
him independently through a you stuck in the limbo of facing an unwanted
group affiliation we share. Which means you say as little as possible, and
He became “former” earlier this year because he you disrupt the relationship as little as possible.
constantly let me down, from canceling a date as
I’m literally on my way to taking a phone call while You rightly point out that choosing to say noth-
I’m talking with him about facing my oncologist ing will loom larger and get weirder as their re-
about my cancer progress – the whole range of disre- lationship progresses. That means speaking up
spectful. No biggie, I respected him enough to accept might feel like butting into their business but is
how he wanted to be and we just transitioned back actually more respectful of their relationship –
to friendship. and your privacy – than silence. Silence plants a
A few weeks into their dating experience, howev- drama mine that one of you is almost certain to
er, he is already doing the same to her – last-minute step on someday.
cancellations, etc. Her desire for marriage may blind
her to how disrespectful his behavior can be. The truth gains potency daily, so speak up soon.
So, two questions: Do I have to crack my own shell “I should have said something right away, I’m sor-
of privacy and tell my friend I had a thing with a ry – I erred on the side of minding my own busi-
guy she is now dating? He has obviously not men- ness but instead it felt like keeping a secret from
tioned it to her. If I wait to see if it becomes serious, you. Anyway, I dated [name] for [time period], un-
then it’s an even harder conversation to have. I feel til [date]. That’s all. I’m happy for you both.” Crack
really uncomfortable about each of the say/don’t-say your privacy now, on your terms, to preempt its de-
options. molition by others later.
And do I share with her some of the thoughtless
“That’s all,” by the way, means no comment on
his thoughtlessness (or her marital-desperation
blindness, ahem) because their actions and feel-
ings and relationship are theirs. Yours become rel-
evant only when you’re asked, and even then, you
speak only of and for yourself. 



26 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

YOUR HEALTH

‘Shing’ its praises: New vaccine is ultra-effective

STORY BY TOM LLOYD STAFF WRITER Rafael Harpaz, a veteran shingles
[email protected] researcher at the Centers for Dis-
ease Control, as saying “this really
When the FDA approved GlaxoS- is a sea change” in the prevention of
mithKline’s new Shingrix vaccine for shingles, and Dr. William Schaffner,
shingles last month, it also took the ex- a preventive disease specialist at the
traordinary step of recommending it Vanderbilt University School of Med-
replace the existing Zostavax shingles icine, who claimed “this vaccine has
vaccine. spectacular initial protection rates in
every age group. The immune system
A tsunami of good press promptly of a 70- or 80 year-old responds as if
followed.

The New York Times quoted Dr.

the person were only 25 or 30.” to about 41 percent for Zostavax.”
The Washington Post added, “Shin- Not to be outdone, the Times then

grix is 97 percent effective against ran another article a few days later
shingles for those 50 to 59 years old, with the headline: “No excuses, peo-
compared to about 70 percent for Zos- ple: get the new shingles vaccine.”
tavax, data show. For those in their
60s, the new vaccine is 97 percent ef- “I think it may turn out to be a great
fective, compared to 64 percent for vaccine,” says Dr. Brenda Field at
Zostavax. For those in their 70s, Shin- Barefoot Bay Internal Medicine and
grix is 91 percent effective, compared the Steward Health Group at Sebas-
tian River Medical Center Field. She

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 27

Dr. Brenda Field with Michele Batiste. YOUR HEALTH

PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN THACKER quick to point out there are several for the problems that could pose.
antiviral medications now available In the end, some enthusiasm for
tempers her enthusiasm by adding, “I to help treat shingles after it flares up,
think it boils down to a little bit about Shingrix is the first new vaccine ap- Shingrix does surface as Field con-
how cautious you are about adopting proved by the FDA for preventing it in cludes by saying, “I do think it’s very
early things and how much risk you more than a decade. exciting. I think if we actually have a
personally feel you are at for shingles. better shingles vaccine that will be a
But, since it’s a live (but weakened wonderful thing. I’ll get my informa-
“I think if the immunity [from Shrin- version) of the varicella-zoster virus, tion together for my patients and help
grix] holds up so that maybe we can anyone receiving it must have an im- them make their own best choices
vaccinate people once or twice in their mune system that’s working well. and go from there.”
senior years – like from say 60 and up –
I think that would be fabulous,” but, as Even with the old Zostavax, says Dr. Brenda Field is with the Sebastian
of now, that is still an unknown. Field, “I don’t even think about vac- River Medical Center and the Steward
cinating my 90+ year olds with it be- Health Group. Her office is at Barefoot
Ever the pragmatist, Field contin- cause the chance that they’re going to Bay Internal Medicine, 8000 Ron Beat-
ues by explaining, “How much capi- have enough of an immune response ty Blvd., Suite A-3 in Barefoot Bay. The
tal I’m going to expend trying to push to be helpful to them is very low,” and phone number is 772-664-1388. 
my patients into the new shingles she doesn’t want to “open the door”
vaccine remains to be seen depend-
ing on how the data comes out. I’ll
expend a lot of capital trying to push
them to get their flu and pneumo-
nia shots, because those are killers.
Shingles is not a killer – though it may
make you wish you were [dead].”

And then there’s the local chatter
factor.

As Field candidly explains, “If it
turns out that the first 50 people here
in Barefoot Bay get the [new] shots
and then feel really crappy for three or
four days, then it’s not going to be well
adopted. And it doesn’t really matter
what the commercials say. Word of
mouth is going to trump that.”

So what, exactly, is shingles?
It is an outbreak of the varicella-
zoster virus that causes chicken pox.
The virus can lay dormant inside the
nerve tissue of the spinal cord or brain
for decades before re-activating itself
and causing an outbreak of shingles
– which means anyone who has ever
had chicken pox can develop shingles.
While rarely life-threatening, shin-
gles can pack a powerful, painful
punch with rashes, skin blistering and
infections, nerve damage, vision loss
and even inflammation of the brain
along with facial paralysis and bal-
ance problems.
The Mayo clinic reports that “shin-
gles is most common in people older
than 50 and that risk increases with
age. Some experts estimate that half the
people 80 and older will have shingles.”
While Field – and the CDC – are

28 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

YOUR HEALTH

Easy does it: Even light activity has health benefits

STORY BY AMBY BURFOOT a strong factor for reductions in cancer four or more days. These subjects were Though working with different pop-
The Washington Post and cardiovascular deaths, as well as tracked for 14.2 years. ulations in different countries, both
for all-cause mortality.” studies reported remarkably similar
As if you needed another reason to In other words, one trial observed an measurements for time sitting, time in
make fitness your New Year’s resolu- Diet and exercise studies have long impressively large number of subjects, light activity (i.e., folding the laundry,
tion: Two recent mortality studies have been troubled by their reliance on self- while the other monitored its subjects walking slowly, etc.), and time in mod-
produced evidence that even light ac- reporting, which is notoriously inaccu- for an impressive number of follow-up erate-to-vigorous activity (vacuuming,
tivity such as vacuuming or walking the rate. When asked how much they eat or years. Although differing slightly on walking briskly or playing sports). It ap-
dog has major health benefits. exercise, respondents reply in the ex- some methods and outcomes, the two pears that both Americans and Swedes
pected direction. In other words, they studies agreed on the most important spend an average of about 500 minutes
The studies are among the first wave “fudge” a bit, generally under-reporting results. Both concluded that subjects a day sitting, 350 minutes in light activ-
of epidemiological papers based on ob- their food consumption and over-re- who moved a lot enjoyed a substantial ity and 30 minutes in moderate to vigor-
jective measures of physical activity, porting their exercise habits. However, longevity benefit over those who moved ous activity.
rather than self-reported responses. As the situation has improved for exercise little.
such, they are considered more accu- epidemiologists, thanks to the develop- Few adults engage in a large amount
rate. ment of lightweight, wearable acceler- “What’s new and important is the of moderate to vigorous activity, but
ometers (think Fitbit). These allow sci- strength of the association we discov- those minutes give a big boost to health
The new investigations were per- entists to collect objective activity data ered with the more precise measure- and longevity. “The message should re-
formed by researchers at Harvard Uni- – such as how much they sit, how much ments,” said Lee, an exercise epidemi- main, as it has been, that 30 minutes or
versity and the renowned Karolinska they move – on large numbers of people. ologist. “Our most active women had more of moderate-to-vigorous activity
Institute in Stockholm. They found that a 60 to 70 percent decline in mortality, daily can reduce risk of death by 50 per-
the most active subjects had a 50 per- Indeed, I-Min Lee and her Harvard which compares favorably to the 50 per- cent,” Dohrn said.
cent to 70 percent decline in mortal- colleagues mailed accelerometers to cent difference you would see between
ity during a defined follow-up period more than 16,000 U.S. women, who non-smokers and smokers. This is why Most importantly, both studies
compared with the least active, most wore them for 15 hours a day on four the public should pay more attention to showed that all physical activity counts
sedentary participants. Previous self- or more days. The researchers then fol- being physically active.” toward improving health status. You
report research had pegged this benefit lowed the women for an average of 2.3 don’t have to play basketball for an hour
at about 20 percent to 35 percent. years to determine their mortality data. In addition, the Swedish team found or run three miles to accrue benefits.
The Swedes gave similar devices to 851 that individuals who sit fewer than six You simply have to move your body for-
“We were somewhat surprised by the subjects, including almost 400 men, hours a day have a 66 percent lower ward, upward or side to side, as when
strong association between light activ- who wore them for 14 or more hours on mortality risk than those who sit more washing the windows. 
ity and mortality,” said Ing-Mari Dohrn, than 10 hours a day.
first author of the Swedish paper. “It was

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30 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

FINE & CASUAL DINING

Skewers Mediterranean Grille: Superb from start to finish

REVIEW BY LISA ZAHNER STAFF WRITER Eggplant Caprese. Mixed Grill. Mango Ceviche.
[email protected]
PHOTOS BY GORDON RADFORD Another thing that impressed me Banana Coconut
Lively. Aromatic. Colorful. Exotic. about Skewers is that they don’t rush Cream Cake.
Friendly. Refined. Delicious. All of coffee, which had a complex, spicy fla- you from one course to the next, and
those words can be used to describe vor and is worth a try if you like strong they’re not in a hurry to turn over [email protected].
what you’ll find at Skewers Mediterra- coffee. If you have room for dessert, be your table. Service is at just the proper The reviewer is a Brevard resident who
nean Grille on Fifth Avenue in the heart sure to try the freshly made baklava pace, for me anyway. I prefer to have a
of downtown Indialantic. or Skewers’ specialty cake, which is a few minutes after I finish one course dines anonymously at restaurants at the
sweet-creamy layer cake with banan- to relax, or sip my wine before the next expense of this newspaper. 
After a day of working, Christmas as and coconut. plate arrives. Some restaurants bring
shopping, and running errands, I everything in rapid succession, before RESTAURANT HOURS
needed a good meal, a glass of wine Though moderately priced for the you’re ready for them. I was raised to Mon-Thurs 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
and a change of scenery. I arrived at quality and quantity of food you get, eat slowly and savor my meal, so when
Skewers last Thursday night around Skewers is one of the more upscale rushed, my next course ends up stone Friday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
8 p.m. to find the place quite full, restaurants you’ll find in the Indial- cold. Getting this right takes coor- Saturday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
with a few small holiday gatherings antic area. Flatware comes rolled in dination between the server and the
going on, and one larger party in the a cloth napkin. Ice water is served kitchen, and Ken and the chef man- Sunday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
private dining room. The evening in a nice goblet. Wine is sipped from aged it with ease. BEVERAGES
was cooling off, so I took a seat out- an elegant glass. Plates are beauti- Beer and Wine
side at one of the tile-top tables in fully presented. Staff members are Skewers is also the place for bel- ADDRESS
the walled-in courtyard area along well-trained, well-groomed, dressed lydancing each Saturday night, with
Fifth Avenue. It’s a cozy spot to enjoy neatly in black and are attentive and performances at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 144 5th Avenue
a leisurely meal in privacy when the knowledgeable about the food and p.m., reservations strongly suggested. Indialantic
main dining rooms are buzzing with how it’s prepared. It’s easy to tell that PHONE
activity. attention to detail is very important We encourage you to send feedback to
here, and that every guest feels wel- 321-727-8944
Ken came out to take my drink or- come and taken care of.
der. I chose an Italian Pinot Grigio
($8.50) and also ordered the Eggplant
Caprese ($10.50), which came highly
recommended by a co-worker. I like
the standard caprese salad, but it
doesn’t offer much substance. Skew-
ers’ version solves that by taking the
slices of vine-ripe tomato and fresh
mozzarella up a notch with crispy,
flash-fried panko eggplant medal-
lions tucked in the layers. On top of
that is a luscious mixture of sundried
tomato, goat cheese, balsamic reduc-
tion, extra virgin olive oil and basil
chiffonade. It’s a perfectly balanced
dish – the color, the texture and the
f lavors.

Having skipped lunch, and know-
ing I wanted a salad entrée, I also
ordered a cup of red lentil soup ($3)
and was pleased and surprised when
it arrived. Most lentil soups leave
the beans whole, weighing the soup
down, but Skewers purees the lentils
with fresh vegetables into a delight-
ful, hearty consistency. I tasted on-
ions, celery, carrots, a bit of garlic and
a blend of herbs. Really good soup
even if you’re not a huge lentil fan.
My salad, the Mediterranean salad
topped with grilled salmon ($15.90)
was also a winner, made with fresh
romaine, chick peas, onions, pickled
beets, topped with feta cheese and
Dijon vinaigrette and garnished with
pepperoncini. On other visits I’ve had
both the sirloin and chicken kabob
entrees and they are both very tasty,
too. Everything is fresh and perfectly
seasoned, you’ll never even look for a
salt or pepper shaker.

I finished off my meal with a Turkish

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 31

FINE & CASUAL DINING

Fine Dining, Elevated

Exciting Innovative Cuisine
Award Winning Wine List

Unparalleled Service

Reservations Highly Recommended  Proper Attire Appreciated

Zagat Rated (772) 234-3966  tidesofvero.com  Open 7 Days
2013 - 2017 3103 Cardinal Drive , Vero Beach, FL
Wine Spectator Award
2002 – 2017

32 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

CALENDAR

Please send calendar information Space Coast Lightfest continues 6:30 to 10 30 Goat Yoga with baby goats, 8 a.m. to 11:45 31 New Year’s Eve Celebration at Trend
at least two weeks prior to your p.m. through Jan. 1 at Wickham Park, 2785 a.m. at Yoga Garden, 1482 Pineapple Ave Kitchen, 1924 Hwy A1A, Indian Harbour
Leisure Way, Melbourne. Cost is $15 per car in the Eau Gallie Arts District. Three class opportuni- Beach. Five course, upscale menu designed for the
event to ($2 discount with an unwrapped toy for Toys ties on the back patio, bring your own mat. Space evening. Cost is $149 per person, plus tax, wine
[email protected] for Tots) to benefit the Boy Scouts of America. limited, register at www.yogagardenfl.com. and gratuity. Call (321)622-8977 for more info.
www.spacecoastlightfest.com.
ONGOING 31 Zon Beachside New Year’s Eve Celebra- JANUARY
Satellite Beach Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 4 tion, 4 to 7 p.m. in the dining room
Wholesale Music Instruments will host a p.m. Thursdays at Pelican Beach Park at Zon Beachside Assited Living 1894 S. Patrick 1 “Old” Melbourne Beach will be featured in
free concert with featured musician Don Sadler Drive, with happy hour entertainment by the the Historical Society’s annual easy one and a
to benefit Friends Of Children of Brevard Coun- Beach Rotary Club meets at 7:30 a.m. Tues- Hot Cocoa Trio. Family-friendly event, cost is $20 half hour stroll. Gathering at 10 a.m. at the Ocean
ty every Friday in December from 11:15 a.m. to days at Ocean Side Pizza, 300 Ocean Ave. #6, per person. Call (321)777-8840. Avenue River Pier and walking east for a tour of our
12:45 p.m at 3000 W. New Haven Ave. in Mel- Melbourne Beach. www.melbeachrotary.org 1892 Community Chapel. Historical Photographs
bourne. All tips and donations will go to the 31 Ocean 302 New Year’s Eve Celebration, will be shown during the walk. A reception will take
charity. Call-(321)751.1439. DECEMBER a four-course prix fixe dining experi- place across the street in the century-old Commu-
ence and champagne toast, $75 per person. Call nity Center. Free. No rain date.
(321)802-5728 for reservations.

Solutions from Games Pages ACROSS DOWN 1 Space Coast Lightfest Say Goodbye to the
in December 21, 2017 Edition 1 CHEDDAR 1 CHRISTMASTIME Lights Stroll at Wickham Park, 2500 Park-
5 CLOTH 2 ERROR way Drive, Melbourne. No cars allowed on the
8 RURAL 3 DILEMMA last night of the event, stroll through the light
9 COASTER 4 RECESS display from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Cost is $5 per per-
10 SHRIMPS 5 CLASS son, children under 3 get in free.
11 SHORE 6 OUTCOME
12 MISLAY 7 HORSECHESTNUT 4 South Beach Players theater group audi-
14 SPEECH 13 SINCERE tions, 7 p.m. at the Floridana Beach Civic
17 SENOR 15 PANCAKE Association Clubhouse, 6635 Hwy A1A, Mel-
19 IGNITES 16 BIGTOP bourne Beach. Scripts available 7 p.m. Dec. 28 at
21 INEXACT 18 READY the clubhouse. Upcoming productions “Lives of
22 ADORN 20 TROVE Great Waitresses” and “Three Tables.” Various
23 ENEMY roles to fill. Call Jeannine Mjoseth at (202)903-
24 PRESENT 6621 for more information.

Sudoku Page 2428 Sudoku PPaaggee 2439 CrosswordPPage 4282 Crossword Page 4293 (PALINDROMANIA)

Melo’s RIitsatoliraannote
NeHwapYpeyar!

- Carmelo, Lisa & Staff

THE MELBOURNE 1000 EAST EAU GALLIE BLVD - INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH, FL 32937

WWW.MelosItalianRestaurant.com - 321-773-3555

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Join our directory for the most affordable way to reach out to customers for your service or small business targeting the
South Brevard barrier island communitites. This is the only directory mailed each week into homes in 32951, Indialantic,

Indian Harbour and Satellite Beach. Contact Will Gardner, 407-361-2150 [email protected].

Townhome comes with easy
beach access, amenities

3182 Ricks Way in Melbourne Beach: 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath, 1,700-square-foot townhome in gated community close
to beach and river offered for $389,000 by Coldwell Banker Paradise realtor Alan Munkacsy: 321-704-3735

34 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

REAL ESTATE

Townhome comes with easy beach access, amenities

STORY BY BRENDA EGGERT BRADER CORRESPONDENT Munkacsy of Coldwell Banker Para- Stainless-steel appliances, includ- Munkacsy said. “There also is garage
dise. “Other properties don’t always ing microwave and side-by-side re- attic storage with access stairs.”
Atlantic Ocean and Indian River have attached garages.” frigerator, are accented by maple
Lagoon access, along with an abun- cupboards and solid light-colored A wide staircase provides gracious
dance of subdivision amenities, The townhome front door opens into countertops. Light-tile flooring adds access to the second floor and opens
make 3182 Ricks Way in Melbourne a roomy foyer with a large closet on the to the kitchen’s brightness. The eat-in into a hallway. The laundry area, in
Beach an ideal townhome location. left and attractive powder room on the kitchen also features a floor-to-ceil- the hallway, is hidden in a closet be-
Two community pools, a community right. A brief hallway spills into a light, ing pantry and an exit to the garage. hind louver doors. Additional space is
boat slip, racquetball/handball, bas- bright great room that looks directly available inside that laundry closet for
ketball and tennis courts, an exercise into a screened lanai through large In the hallway near the kitchen is a more shelving or to place a vacuum.
center and a community pier for fish- sliding glass doors. The L-shaped great deep, walk-in closet for the air condition-
ing and relaxing all add to the appeal. room, because of its copious space, ing unit with additional storage space. Three bedrooms compliment the
lends itself to easy furniture place- upstairs – two that share a bath with a
The recessed south-facing entrance ment. The large windows come with “There is an incredible amount tub/shower, vanity, linen closet and tile
of the home is next to a two-car at- vertical blinds and horizontal blinds. of storage space in this townhome,” flooring. Two of the bedrooms easily fit
tached garage, and there is a conve-
nient guest parking space as well. A breakfast/entertainment bar
faces into the kitchen from the living
“The full-sized garage is unique room with seating for four.
to the property,” said Realtor Alan

TOP 1% OF BREVARD “Todd is highly motivated, very ambitious and is
COUNTY AGENTS cohnisstacnlitelyntgsowinigthththeeeirxbtreasmt iinlete.r.e.asltwinaymsisnedr!v”ing

TODD OSTRANDER Todd moved here from Minnesota and has been serving the citizens of
Brevard County for 20 years with high energy, hard work and his unique way
“HALL OF FAME” PRODUCER with people. His vast knowledge of the many neighborhoods and communi-
ties in the area, interest in real estate and willingness to go above and beyond
321-749-8405 for his clients is a winning combination for either buyers or sellers!
He specializes in marketing unique properties and water properties by using
[email protected] a professional photographer to capture the most beautiful pictures that at-
WWW.DOORTOTHEEASTSHORE.COM tract buyers from all around the world. He also has the experience and knowl-
edge to help ANY seller that wants an agent that is hardworking, trustworthy
and goes the extra mile to handle each of his clients on a “one on one” basis.
Overall he has single handedly closed over 300 transactions which equals
well over 125 Million Dollars of Real Estate since starting in 2007/2008. This
stature has made him one of the preferred agents in the area and landed him
in the “Top 1% of Brevard County agents!” but the most important thing is
that all his clients are happy!

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 35

REAL ESTATE VITAL STATISTICS
3182 RICKS WAY IN
MELBOURNE BEACH

Neighborhood: Beachwoods
Year Built: 2006
Architecture:

Concrete block/stucco
Home Size: 1,700 square feet

Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.5
Association fee: Mandatory
HOA $138.00 per month
Additional Features: Gated
subdivision, two-car attached
garage, stainless steel applianc-
es, open concept first-floor liv-
ing, upstairs laundry, screened
lanai, community boat slip, pet

friendly.
Listing agency:
Coldwell Banker Paradise
Listing agent: Alan Munkacsy,
realtor, 321-704-3735
Listing price: $389,000

36 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

queen-size beds with room to spare. REAL ESTATE sociation maintains the common ar-
The pleasant and bright en suite mas- eas, all landscaping and the other usu-
al chores such as pool maintenance.
ter bedroom is filled with sunlight in the The subdivision also is pet friendly.
morning. With room for a king-sized
bed, the master features a screened “This is a unique property for a lot of
balcony that looks out over lawns and amenities with a very affordable HOA
shrubs. This is a private place for morn- fee,” Munkacsy said. “There are two
ing coffee and a book or perhaps a relax- pools, a community pier on the river
ing glass of wine after the day is done. for fishing, boatyard storage, basket-
ball, handball, racquetball and tennis
The walk-in closet is “like another courts and an exercise center. This is
room,” it is so large, Munkacsy said. an ocean to river community. There
Christmas decorations would fit in are organized activities, from ladies’
one end or even a desk and chair with water aerobics to scrabble games.”
plenty of space left over for clothes,
coats, shoes and boots. A well-de- To view the townhome, contact
signed master bathroom offers a lin- Realtor Alan Munkacsy, cell: 321-
en closet, double sinks, a deep garden 704-3735; email: al@sarahmunkacsy.
tub and a large tiled walk-in shower com or call Caldwell Banker Paradise
with glass doors. in Indialantic at 321-951-3300. The
home is listed for $389,000. 
The Beachwoods Homeowners As-

MORTGAGE RATES BEGIN TO MEANDER HIGHER AS YEAR ENDS

STORY BY KATHY ORTON WASHINGTON POST executive of Arcus Lending, is one who predicts
rates will increase.
Although mortgage rates last week remained
stuck in the same rut they have been in since Oc- “With the passage of the tax bill, traders and in-
tober, they have started to wander upward. vestors are expecting more growth and inflation,”
Shekhar said. “That is driving the yields of mort-
According to the latest data released last Thurs- gage-backed securities (MBS) lower and mort-
day by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate aver- gage rates higher ... Expect to see the continuance
age inched up to 3.94 percent with an average 0.5 of bearish trend towards MBS, which will result in
point. (Points are fees paid to a lender equal to 1 a further rise in mortgage rates.”
percent of the loan amount.) It was 3.93 percent a
week ago and 4.30 percent a year ago. Meanwhile, with rates ascending, mortgage
applications retreated again, according to the
The 15-year fixed-rate average also was high- latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Associa-
er, moving to 3.38 percent with an average 0.5 tion. The market composite index – a measure
point. It was 3.36 percent a week ago and 3.52 of total loan application volume – decreased
percent a year ago. The five-year adjustable rate 4.9 percent. The refinance index fell 3 percent,
average grew to 3.39 percent with an average 0.3 while the purchase index dropped 6 percent.
point. It was 3.36 percent a week ago and 3.32
percent a year ago. The refinance share of mortgage activity ac-
counted for 53.9 percent of all applications.
Mortgage rates have barely budged since Octo-
ber. The 30-year fixed-rate average has flitted be- “We are entering a slower time of the year for
tween 3.90 and 3.95 percent the past nine weeks. mortgage activity, and both purchase and refi-
nance activity decreased over the week,” said Joel
But with the yield on the 10-year Treasury Kan, an MBA economist.
jumping to 2.49 percent last Wednesday – an in-
crease of 14 basis points since the previous Friday “Purchase applications were up only 0.8 per-
(a basis point is 0.01 percentage point) to its high- cent compared to the same week a year ago, the
est level since mid-March – indications are that weakest year over year change since April 2017.
mortgage rates are headed higher. Home loan The refinance share of applications was the high-
rates tend to follow the same path as long-term est in a year, although the refi share has risen not
bond yields. When yields rise, rates follow suit. because refis are strong, but because purchase
activity is so weak. The rebound in housing starts
Bankrate.com, which puts out a weekly mort- reported this week is another positive signal for
gage rate trend index, found that more than two- the housing market. We are expecting a strong
thirds of the experts it surveyed say rates will rise spring market.” 
in the coming week. Shashank Shekhar, chief

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 37

REAL ESTATE

Sell discarded material from your home renovation

STORY BY TIM CARTER WASHINGTON POST used no-rot PVC window flower box- When you list an item on Facebook, Even though something is not in that
es for $250. everyone that’s part of that group gets great of condition, some buyer may
Is it worth the effort to sell used notified instantly. With Craigslist, a be willing to invest the time and en-
building material after you renovate Believe me, you can sell used build- buyer has to search for your item. If ergy to restore it.
your home? Is it safe? Is it practical? ing materials and fixtures. you don’t put in the correct words in
Yes, yes, and yes! As for the safety of transacting
Another way to sell used items is on your listing title, a buyer who wants business with total strangers, I’ve
I’m a huge fan of selling used build- your loot may not find it! never had a problem. Just yesterday
ing materials for any number of rea- Facebook, where there are thousands a single woman came to my house to
sons. Years ago, I discovered that of local groups that are marketplaces To get the best prices for items, pick up the flower boxes. She didn’t
what you might think is junk some to sell just about anything. You just you need to make sure they’re in know me from Adam. You need to use
other person might consider gold. need to go to Facebook and look up as good a condition as possible. All common sense, and it’s never a bad
Burying something that still has use- your town, city or community name, the online sites allow you to upload idea to take a friend with you if you’re
ful life under tons of other debris and followed by the words yard sale, ga- lots of photos of the item. Take great going to buy something. It’s not a bad
dirt is not prudent for all sorts of rea- rage sale or similar phrases. You’ll be photos of what you’re trying to sell idea to have a friend with you when
sons. stunned by what you discover. and upload them. Provide all the you sell to a stranger.
dimensions of the items if it makes
Some items need to be discarded Facebook differs from Craigslist in sense. Be honest in your description. You can also contact your local
because they get destroyed during a fundamental way. Facebook em- police department, as many are now
removal. That’s understandable. But ploys push technology instead of pull. offering lots of great advice about
many things, even built-in cabinets how to be safe doing online business.
and bookcases, can be carefully re- Some even have a special area in their
moved, giving them a second chance parking lots where buyers and sellers
to serve someone else at their home. can meet while the entire transaction
is videotaped. This might be a good
Last year, I was tasked with build- idea if you don’t want strangers com-
ing a new deck at my home. Part of ing to your home.
the job involved remodeling two ex-
isting decks that were adjacent to the A month from now I intend to list
new deck. The two decks I was restor- hundreds of things that have been
ing had 15-year-old generation-one gathering dust in my garage, attic and
Trex decking on them. outdoor shed. I’ve had such great suc-
cess using the Facebook groups tech-
Who would have thought that nology I’m sure I’ll sell every item. It’s
someone would want my old deck- just a matter of pricing things right.
ing and treated-wood railing sys- Good luck and happy selling! 
tem? While the railing was in great
shape and needed a coat of paint and How tax bill impacts homeowners, buyers, sellers
the sections were random in size, it
still was appealing to a homeowner STORY BY KATHY ORTON WASHINGTON POST $750,000 for loans taken out after owner has lived in the residence for
60 miles away! I sold the railing on Dec. 14. (Loans made before that two of the past five years. An earlier
Craigslist in less than two weeks for Many homeowners, buyers and date can continue to deduct interest proposal would have increased that
$600! sellers are left wondering how the tax on mortgage debt up to $1 million.) requirement to five out of the last
reform legislation will affect them. Homeowners can refinance mort- eight years but it was struck down.
I priced it about 45 percent what The plan, which is expected to lower gage debts that existed before Dec. 14
it would cost to purchase the same income tax bills next year for some up to $1 million and still deduct the Deduction for casualty losses:
materials to build the railing from households and raise taxes for oth- interest as long as the new loan does The law restricts the deduction to
scratch. It’s critical you price out what ers, is the most significant overhaul not exceed the amount refinanced. only losses attributable to a presi-
the same item is selling for new be- to the tax code since 1986. Several The interest on a home-equity loan dentially declared disaster.
fore you list an item for sale. You want provisions that have a direct impact can be deducted as long as the pro-
to make sure what you’re offering is a on the housing market were added, ceeds are used to substantially im- Moving expenses: The law elim-
great bargain. taken away or altered during the leg- prove the home. Mortgage interest inates the deduction except for
islative process, leaving confusion on second homes can be deducted members of the military.
I was able to sell every piece of my about what remains in the bill. but is subject to the $750,000 limit.
used Trex decking as well. I had 1,280 Estate tax: The law doubles the
square feet of it. You might ask, “Who Below is a look at what the final State and local property taxes: estate tax exemption to $11.2 mil-
would want used decking?” That’s version contains and what it means The new law limits the property lion, a boon to very wealthy families
easy. It turns out one of the buyers to homeowners, buyers and sellers. tax deduction to $10,000, a cap that
had a deck covered with the same will affect more than millions of Historic Tax Credit: The HTC has
material. It’s no longer made, and he Standard deduction: The new law homeowners. The bill specifically been used to fund renovations in
wanted to enlarge his deck. My deck- increases the standard deduction to precludes prepaying 2018 state and more than 40,000 historic structures
ing saved the day for him! $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 local taxes in 2017. since 1981. The law continues to
for joint filers. For many homeown- provide a 20 percent credit when the
Other buyers wanted no-mainte- ers it no longer makes sense to item- Capital gains exclusion: Home certified historic property is placed
nance decking, and the price of new ize deductions in order to write off sellers can exclude up to $500,000 into service but the new law spreads
composite decking took their breath mortgage interest. for joint filers or $250,000 for single the deduction over five years.
away. I ended up selling my used Trex filers for capital gains when selling a
decking for $1.25 per linear foot! Mortgage interest deductions primary home as long as the home- Low-Income Housing Tax Credit:
changes: The new law caps the lim- The bill retains the 4 percent LIHTC,
Very recently I sold a gorgeous it on deductible mortgage debt at which funds about a third of all af-
15-year-old rain shower head to a fordable housing construction. 
person who was remodeling his bath-
room. This model purchased new
would cost at least $1,000. I wanted to
just get rid of it and gave it away for
$125. Later in the afternoon I sold two

38 Thursday, December 28, 2017 THE MELBOURNE Barrier Island Newsweekly

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate Sales on South Brevard island: Dec. 15 to Dec. 21

The week before Christmas saw a surge in real estate activity in island ZIP codes 32951, 32903 and 32937.
Satellite Beach led the way with 15 sales, followed by Indialantic with 9, Melbourne Beach with 8 and
Indian Harbour Beach with 4.
The top sale was of a riverfront home in the heart of Indialantic. The home at 1745 Shoreview Drive was
placed on the market Aug. 19 for $1.65 million. The price was subsequently lowered to $1.549 million. The
sale closed Dec. 15 for $1.425 million.
The seller in the transaction was represented by David Curri of the Curri Kirschner Real Estate Group. The
purchaser was represented by Kristin Lindbaek of RE/MAX Beach Towne.

SALES FOR 32951

SUBDIVISION ADDRESS LISTED ORIGINAL MOST RECENT SOLD SELLING
ASKING PRICE ASKING PRICE PRICE

$1,025,000
NONE 8175 S HIGHWAY A1A 5/9/2017 $1,479,900 $1,275,500 12/19/2017 $625,000
BREAKERS CONDO P1 1905 ATLANTIC ST 325 10/27/2017 $695,500 $695,500 12/15/2017 $435,000
CRANE PT AQUAR PH2 855 AQUARINA BLVD 8/19/2017 $459,000 $459,000 12/15/2017

SALES FOR 32903

THE BARRINGER CONDO 1835 N HIGHWAY A1A 401 11/7/2017 $825,000 $825,000 12/20/2017 $800,000
SANCTUARY II PHASE ONE 534 HUMMINGBIRD DRIVE 12/21/2016 $449,900 $419,900 12/21/2017 $419,000
RIO MAR FIRST ADDITI 400 RIO LN 7/10/2017 $410,000 $385,000 12/15/2017 $374,000

SALES FOR 32937

THE HORIZON CONDO P4 407 HIGHWAY A1A 454 11/1/2017 $599,000 $599,000 12/15/2017 $559,462
WATERWAY ESTATES 2ND 410 ATLANTIS DR 10/12/2017 $410,000 $380,000 12/18/2017 $475,000
WATERWAY ESTATES 3RD 446 SANDPIPER DR 8/9/2017 $475,000 $470,775 12/18/2017 $460,000

Barrier Island Newsweekly THE MELBOURNE Thursday, December 28, 2017 39

REAL ESTATE

Here are some of the top recent barrier island sales.

Subdivision: Breakers Condo P1, Address: 1905 Atlantic St 325 Subdivision: Crane Pt Aquar PH2, Address: 855 Aquarina Blvd

Listing Date: 10/27/2017 Listing Date: 8/19/2017
Original Price: $695,500 Original Price: $459,000
Recent Price: $695,500 Recent Price: $459,000
Sold: 12/15/2017 Sold: 12/15/2017
Selling Price: $625,000 Selling Price: $435,000
Listing Agent: David Settgast Listing Agent: Susan Williammee

Selling Agent: Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl Selling Agent: Salt Water Realty of Brevard

Kim Fraser Not Provided

Fraser Group, Inc Not Provided

Subdivision: South Shores Phase 1, Address: 5561 Beach Elder Way Subdivision: None, Address: 8175 S Highway A1A

Listing Date: 7/20/2017 Listing Date: 5/9/2017
Original Price: $335,000 Original Price: $1,479,900
Recent Price: $339,000 Recent Price: $1,275,500
Sold: 12/18/2017 Sold: 12/19/2017
Selling Price: $327,000 Selling Price: $1,025,000
Listing Agent: David Settgast Listing Agent: Natalie Carter

Selling Agent: Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl Selling Agent: Coldwell Banker Res. R.E.

Sarah Munkacsy David Settgast

Coldwell Banker Paradise Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl

Subdivision: Indialantic by Sea, Address: 125 Eleventh Ave

Listing Date: 11/10/2017
Original Price: $359,000
Recent Price: $359,000
Sold: 12/20/2017
Selling Price: $347,500
Listing Agent: Todd Ostrander

Selling Agent: RE/MAX Elite

Lynda Rippolone

La Rosa Realty, LLC

Subdivision: Indian Hrbr Bch Clb, Address: 2055 Highway A1A 302

Listing Date: 10/28/2017
Original Price: $329,000
Recent Price: $329,000
Sold: 12/21/2017
Selling Price: $315,000
Listing Agent: Todd Ostrander

Selling Agent: RE/MAX Elite

Jennifer McCoy & Bobby Freeman

RE/MAX Elite

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