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Published by Vero Beach 32963 Media, 2019-01-17 13:32:14

01/17/2019 ISSUE 03

VB32963_ISSUE03_011719_OPT

ELC puts its best fauna forward
for fundraiser. P14
Convicted felons

reclaim voting rights. P12
Planning gets underway on
future of Vero Beach riverfront. P11

Coldwell Banker For breaking news visit
Paradise merges
with bigger firm Beach Planet
store coming
BY STEVEN M. THOMAS to Ocean Drive
Staff Writer
THE CLEVELAND CLINIC TEAM (Story, page 9). Cleveland Clinic Florida President Dr. Wael Barsoum (left), Cleveland BY RAY MCNULTY
Coldwell Banker Paradise, Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic (center), and Cleveland Clinic Indian River President Dr. Gregory Rosencrance (right). PHOTO BY LEIGH GREEN Staff Writer
a family company founded as
Ed Schlitt Realty in 1953 that The search for a new city manager Central Beach merchants no
grew to be one of the largest longer need to worry about a
real estate brokerages on the Vero Beach just getting started Shores hoping end is in sight new Ocean Drive restaurant’s
Treasure and Space coasts of impact on curbside parking
Florida, has merged with an BY LISA ZAHNER BY LISA ZAHNER just north of Beachland Bou-
even larger Coldwell Banker Staff Writer Staff Writer levard.
enterprise.
The City of Vero Beach has one person The Town of Indian River Shores may Turns out, the newly con-
In a deal that “came together on staff who could take over after City have a new town manager by the end of structed building across from
very quickly” and closed on Jan. Manager Jim O’Connor retires on March the month, depending upon the results Bobby’s Restaurant & Lounge
1, according to Coldwell Bank- 15, but Public Works Director Monte Falls of in-depth background checks and lei- isn’t going to be a restaurant.
er Paradise co-owner Steve says he isn’t interested. surely face-to-face interviews with three
Schlitt, the Vero-based firm be- finalists. Instead, it is going to be a
came part of the Schmidt Fam- “Monte has told me that he would do Beach Planet store, selling
ily of Companies, a real estate it in the interim, but that being the next No, this is not the same slate of three men beach chairs, beach towels and
powerhouse that operates in city manager is not what he wants to do,” who were in the running last month. One, beach umbrellas, as well as
Michigan, Ohio, Florida and O’Connor said on Monday. former Melbourne city manager Mike Mc- sunglasses, flip-flops, T-shirts
the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nees, is still in contention, but the other two and souvenirs.
Falls served as interim manager after are late entries.
Headquartered in the Lake the previous city manager, Jim Gabbard, “We’re going to carry some
Michigan resort town of Tra- CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 high-end merchandise – brands
verse City, The Schmidt Fam- CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 like Ray-Ban and Surf Life –
ily of Companies ranked 26th but we’ll have plenty of rea-
in the nation in number of sonably priced stuff, too,”
said Yair Alon, who heads a
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 family partnership that owns
eight similar stores in Flori-
MY
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
VERO One tennis pro helps
another launch a new career Man gets probation
in hospital ruckus
BY RAY MCNULTY
Staff Writer BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ
Staff Writer
Later this month, Tim
Brueggeman, who spent 20 A handicapped Seagrove
years as John’s Island’s tennis man who physically attacked
director, will compete in Vero a sheriff’s deputy by grabbing
Beach’s wildly popular “King his crotch during a ruckus at
of the Hill” tournament for Indian River Medical Center
the first time in a decade. was sentenced last week to 12

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

January 17, 2019 Volume 12, Issue 3 Newsstand Price $1.00 Every dog has a
great day at
News 1-12 Faith 52 Pets 72 TO ADVERTISE CALL ‘Bark in the Park.’ P26
Arts 33-40 Games 53-55 Real Estate 75-88 772-559-4187
Books 50-51 Health 57-61 St. Ed’s 73
Dining 66 Insight 41-56 Style 62-65 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 48 People 13-32 Wine 67 CALL 772-226-7925

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

2 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Coldwell Banker Paradise and co-owner Linda Schlitt Gonzalez. part of the leadership at the Schmidt- Channel,” says Schlitt, who believes
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Our goal in mergers and acquisi- owned brokerage. Schmidt’s “amazing” video capability
and other digital tools will benefit his
transactions in 2018, according to Real tions isn’t to come in and change ev- “Linda and I will be running this sellers, buyers and agents.
Trends, with 1,400 agents handling erything and impose a new way of company,” says Steve Schlitt. “The
15,164 deals worth nearly $3 billion. doing things,” said Schmidt vice presi- idea isn’t that everything has to fit one Members of the Schlitt and Schmidt
dent of marketing Tracy Bacigalupi. mold. The companies share a lot, but families have known each other for
Coldwell Banker Paradise, which “What we want to do is add value to each market is unique.” years. As top performers in the Cold-
sells homes from Titusville to Stuart companies that are already very suc- well Banker network operating in
and did $580 million worth of busi- cessful and make them even better.” “The depth of our marketing, espe- non-competing markets, they met fre-
ness in 2018, brought 11 offices and cially for the luxury market, is what will quently at company functions to dis-
280 agents to the merger. Schmidt’s other main Florida com- bring the biggest change,” says Mike cuss ideas and strategies, according to
pany, acquired in 2012, is Coldwell Schmidt, president of the Schmidt Schlitt and Bacigalupi.
By the terms of the agreement, the Banker Sunstar Realty in Punta Gorda, Family of Companies. “We have a sig-
local company will continue to oper- which bills itself as the largest realtor nificant marketing team focused on When those talks advanced to dis-
ate as Coldwell Banker Paradise under in Charlotte County, and Bacigalupi luxury property sales.” cussions about joining forces, the
the leadership of Schlitt and his sister says the man who founded that com- merger process proceeded rapidly.
pany in 1990, Don Randolph, is still That team includes “a videographer
who previously worked for Discovery “We put together a proposal and
worked out the details in just a mat-
ter of weeks,” says Schlitt. “The lon-
gest holdup was getting approval from
Coldwell Banker corporate. We really
pushed and managed to close the deal
by the end of the year so we could start
2019 as a part of the Schmidt Family of
Companies.”

Coldwell Banker Paradise and the
Schmidt Companies have a lot in
common – besides similar-sounding
names – that made the merger a natu-
ral fit, leaders of both companies say.

Both are long-established family
firms, both joined Coldwell Banker in
1983 and both operate mainly in re-
sort areas. Traverse City is a waterfront
town the same size as Vero Beach at
the center of a lake resort region vis-
ited by 20 million people a year, ac-
cording to Schmidt’s website for its
Michigan properties. Other Schmidt
markets include the Lake Erie shore in
Ohio, the U. S. Virgin Islands and the
west coast of Florida.

Adding a large, successful brokerage
on Florida’s east coast was a logical
next step that adds to a north/south
synergy that is part of Schmidt’s strate-
gy, in which clients in snowy Michigan
and Ohio are natural buyers for vaca-
tion and retirement homes in Florida.

That synergy began to pay off for
Coldwell Banker Paradise even be-
fore the merger was complete. “We
have sold four properties in the last
four weeks to buyers referred to us by
Schmidt,” says Steve Schlitt.

“It couldn’t be a better fit,” says Baci-
galupi. “Our core values and company
cultures align. We have a tremendous
amount of respect for Steven and Lin-
da and the Schlitt family and the loca-
tion is wonderful. Being on the east
coast of Florida will help us serve our
customers better.”

“We are getting to know the Cold-
well Banker Paradise group and could
not be happier,” says Mike Schmidt.
“We are learning from them as much
as they learn from us. We are delighted
to be part of the community.”

Coldwell Banker Paradise was
founded by Ed and Marguerite Schlitt
in Vero Beach in 1953. The broker-
age grew slowly for the next 50 years,

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 3

NEWS

opening offices on Vero’s barrier is- said the flooring and air-conditioning floor,” with merchandise displayed on Alon said he explored the possibil-
land in 1968, in Sebastian in 1970, and system have been installed, and “now wall fixtures and tables. ity of putting a store on Ocean Drive
on North Hutchinson Island in 1996, it’s just a matter of putting on the fin- after visiting Vero Beach last year and
its first outside of Indian River County. ishing touches.” “Most of our stores are 12,000 seeing that the building was available
square feet, 10,000 square feet, even for lease. He contacted Moss, who was
Steve Schlitt and Linda Schlitt Moss said the store will have a “more 7,000 square feet,” he said, adding that conducting a national search for a ten-
Gonzalez bought the company from wide-open interior” than a restaurant, he has been operating beach shops for ant for what was projected to be a res-
their parents in 1998 and ramped up adding that the interior will “look very nearly 30 years. “This one is a baby- taurant.
expansion as the real estate market pretty” and the exterior façade will size store. It’s only 2,700 square feet,
recovered after the Great Recession, “fit” with its Ocean Drive neighbors. so we’ll have to make some changes to When Moss told him the building’s
purchasing Paradise Properties in Bre- how we usually do it.”
vard County in 2011 and Hoyt Murphy Alon said the store will have a “nice CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
in St. Lucie County in 2012 and adopt-
ing a regional marketing strategy. Exclusively John’s Island

“People who come here from other Overlooking breathtaking, multiple fairway and water views of the S. Course is this
parts of the county want certain things beautifully renovated 4BR/5.5BA retreat. Designed by James Gibson, and expertly
– they want warm weather, lower den- built by Parent Construction, this 4,394± GSF home sits on .4± acres along a cul-
sity and to be by the ocean – but most de-sac. Features include expansive indoor/outdoor living areas, expanded gourmet
of them really don’t know Indialantic island kitchen with wet bar, mahogany-crafted office/bedroom with Murphy bed and
from South Hutchinson Island until full bath, climate-controlled 1,400 bottle wine cellar, new roof, impact doors & win-
they get here,” Gonzalez said after the dows and a saltwater pool. 270 Palm Way : $3,450,000
Hoyt Murphy acquisition. “By build-
ing up the largest brokerage on the three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
central coast, we can help our buyers health & wellness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equit y memberships
and sellers investigate more than one
market.” 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com

Steve Schlitt says he and his sister
did not aggressively expand the busi-
ness with the thought of attracting
a suitor, but rather to build on the
legacy of his parents. “We were build-
ing it up as a family business, with the
thought that Linda’s children Andrew
and Melody, who are in the business,
would eventually take it over from us.”

With the Schmidt merger, that suc-
cession plan remains in place.

The Schmidt Family of Companies
was founded by Harold F. Schmidt in
1927 in Traverse City, Michigan. His
grandson and great-grandsons run
the company today. 

Beach Planet

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

da, including one in downtown Del-
ray Beach.

“It won’t be too expensive, because
the majority of our customers will be
families, as well as tourists staying
in the nearby hotels and condos,” he
added. “The average person will be
able to shop there, but it’ll be nice.
People will like it.”

Alon said last week he signed a five-
year lease, which includes an option
for an additional 10 years, shortly be-
fore Christmas.

Though he would not divulge the
amount of the rent, Alon said it was “a
little less” than the $12,000 per month
– plus all taxes, insurance costs and
maintenance expenses – that had been
sought by the building’s owner, Miami-
based Sony Investment Real Estate Inc.

Alon said he plans to open the store,
which will be managed by his daugh-
ter, the first week of February.

Vero Beach-based commercial real-
tor Billy Moss, who brokered the deal,

4 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Beach Planet T-shirt store there, but there’s nothing around here, so I don’t know what he’s cessful there. However, he said Sony
we can do about it. thinking. president Jose Valle, who owns a home
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 on the island, was aware of the local
“The bigger question, though, is: “It’s not like you can’t buy the same opposition to the proposed restaurant
owner was willing to consider a non- How is he going to make it, paying stuff in other stores in the area,” he add- and “wanted to be a good neighbor.”
restaurant tenant, Alon and his partners that kind of rent and selling the type of ed.“If you’re coming over from the main-
began discussing a business plan and, merchandise he’s planning to sell?” he land, you can go to a lot of stores on that So Valle gave Moss the go-ahead to
late last year, began negotiating a lease. added. “Even at our level, with higher side and probably get it cheaper. And if pursue a deal with Alon.
unit prices, it’s difficult. And the people he’s relying on tourists, the hotels already
“We came to the area a couple of who come to our shops – they’re not provide beach chairs and umbrellas. “The owners were very concerned
times, liked what we saw here and the customers he’s hoping to attract.” about the feelings of the people in Vero
decided we wanted to try,” Alon said. “I guess the guy knows what he’s do- Beach,” Moss said. “They love this com-
“We’re looking at, potentially, a 15- Melinda Cooper, owner of the Coo- ing, because he has other stores, but munity, and they want Vero to remain
year commitment. I hope we don’t per & Company women’s clothing he better do a high-volume business Vero, too. So when this other option
have to leave after five. shop, said she was stunned to learn a 10 months out of the year.” presented itself, they thought it was
beach shop was opening next door. worth looking into.
“As long as business is good, we’ll At the same time, McCarthy, Mistret-
be here.” “I think if you ask anybody around ta and Cooper each said they preferred “People I talked to thought it was
here, they’ll tell you they were surprised,” Alon’s Beach Planet to a restaurant be- a good idea, and building owners
Some of his Ocean Drive neighbors, Cooper said. “You wouldn’t pick Vero cause the beach shop would have far agreed,” he added. “So Yair was vetted
however, have serious doubts about Beach for that kind of business. You’d fewer employees and rely more on foot and his businesses were investigated.
the financial viability of such a store, pick a younger community with a lot of traffic, resulting in a less impact on an The landlord took a trip to the store in
considering the steep rent – $9,000 to turnover. And you certainly wouldn’t put already-challenging parking situation Delray Beach to look it over.
$10,000 per month – they believe Alon it where we are on Ocean Drive. along Ocean Drive, especially north of
agreed to pay. Beachland Boulevard. “Once both sides agreed to move for-
“I talked to him, and I don’t think he ward, it was a honeymoon negotiation.”
They also believe a beach store is knows this market and understands “For us, it’s a sigh of relief, because
misplaced alongside the high-end, how slow it is in the summer,” she add- this is better than having a restaurant, Alon said he was aware of the con-
boutique-style shops along that stretch ed. “He thinks there’s a summer season although we were hoping for more of troversy surrounding Sony’s attempt
of Ocean Drive and would be a better fit here. There isn’t. an upscale place,” Mistretta said. “But to put a restaurant in the building, and
in Sexton Plaza or near the Driftwood any restaurant would’ve struggled there he’s sure his beach store won’t add to
Resort, where there is more foot traffic. “So I don’t know what he’s going to – not just because of the high rent, but the area’s parking problems.
do to survive, unless he can afford to also because of the lack of parking.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for our have a store as a write-off.” But he knows some of his neighbors
area, where we pride ourselves as be- “I think every prospective restaurant are concerned that his store threatens
ing the Beverly Hills-like part of Ocean Bobby McCarthy’s reaction to news of tenant saw that.” Ocean Drive’s upscale charm.
Drive,” said Caesar Mistretta, co-owner the beach store opening across the street?
of the JM Stringer Gallery. “I don’t re- Moss said there were restaurateurs “Now they’re not worried so much
ally like the image of a beach shop or “Good luck with that,” the owner of interested in leasing the building, and about the parking,” Alon said. “Now
Bobby’s said. “This isn’t Fort Lauderdale that a restaurant would’ve been suc- they’re worried about me. I’m already
Beach, with a thousand people walking feeling the stares.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 5

NEWS

Hospital ruckus Despite the reduced sentence, John “Your Honor, I’ve never been in pital and how I was treated.”
Logan Gray, 48, of 1790 Coral Way trouble,” Gray said as he tried to sway Cox asked Gray why, in that case, he
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 South, attempted to re-litigate the case Judge Cynthia Cox. “I have a pros-
at the last minute at his Jan. 8 hearing, thetic leg. What happened that night hadn’t pleaded “not guilty.”
months’ probation in a plea deal that arguing unsuccessfully that the period is so discombobulated. “I didn’t want to roll the dice on a fel-
reduced his crime from a felony to a of probation he had agreed to as part
misdemeanor. of the plea bargain should be waived. “If you could only see the video of ony,” Gray responded. “I’m in constant
what happened that night at the hos- pain since my accident. My back is

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Hospital ruckus gency staff to see a doctor, he grabbed contest’ to the reduced charge during My Vero
Deputy Chad Sharpeta’s crotch as he an October hearing. At the time, Gray
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 walked past him. Sharpeta was on requested, and received permission CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
duty in the ER that evening, providing from Cox and Wilson, to delay his sen-
held together by 33 screws and rods.” security, according to sheriff’s office tencing so that he could travel to New When he does, another former John’s
Cox quickly interrupted him. reports. York for three months and care for his Island tennis director – Tom Collins, his
“That’s neither here nor there,” she father who was undergoing chemo- employer – will be in the crowd at The
Sharpeta pushed Gray off of him therapy. Moorings rooting for him.
said. “I accepted your plea in October. and ordered him to keep his hands to
I told you then that once you accepted himself. He then allowed Gray to pro- During his sentencing, Gray ex- “I’ll definitely be there,” said Collins,
a plea deal you can’t come back and ceed and be seen by the doctor. pressed no remorse for his behav- owner of the Tom Collins Insurance
try to change the terms. This is a nego- ior. Instead, he blamed deputies and Agency, where Brueggeman has worked
tiated plea that you agreed to.” Once in the back, Gray requested hospital staff for mistreating him and for the past 20 months. “I’ve been a sup-
that the doctor prescribe him Dilau- causing the confrontation. porter of Youth Guidance through the
Gray was originally charged with did, a powerful synthetic narcotic King of the Hill event for many years,
battery of a law enforcement officer, classified as an opioid that is used to He did not explain how he was mis- and I’ll be out there to support Tim.”
a third-degree felony, which carries relieve moderate to severe pain. treated.
a maximum of five years in prison. Collins, a longtime Castaway Cove
He pleaded no contest to the lesser When asked to return to the waiting Gray told Cox that law enforcement resident who moved to Vero Beach af-
charge of battery and disorderly in- room before receiving the drug, Gray and hospital staff should be required ter playing tennis at the University of
toxication. became impatient and began scream- to undergo training so that they learn South Carolina in the 1970s, was John’s
ing. He then left the ER, refusing fur- “how to deal with people like me.” Island’s tennis director for seven years
According to the Indian River Coun- ther medical attention and making his before departing in 1981 to start his own
ty Sheriff’s arrest affidavit, Gray, who is way to the parking lot. His comments drew a quick rebuttal business and later, in 1989, launching
missing his right leg, went to the In- from Wilson, who said Gray’s attack on his successful insurance agency.
dian River Medical Center Emergency At that point, Sharpeta and Deputy the deputy was unprovoked.
Room to seek treatment on March 8, Quinton Janetty, who had been called Brueggeman, on the other hand, left
2018. to the hospital after Gray attacked Cox also informed Gray that law John’s Island in July 2013 under different
Sharpeta, arrested Gray for battery on enforcement and hospital staff do circumstances: He wasn’t given a choice.
While in the waiting room, Gray be- a law enforcement officer and disor- receive regular training on how to re-
came belligerent, yelling profanities derly conduct. spond to a wide range of people and “Sometimes, in that industry, lon-
at the hospital staff within earshot of circumstances. gevity can work against you,” Bruegge-
other patients and children, demand- He spent two days in jail before he man said. “I had been there 20 years,
ing to be seen immediately, the affida- was released on a $2,500 bond. In addition to being sentenced to 12 we had developed a team atmosphere,
vit noted. months’ probation, Gray is required to and I really enjoyed my job. Every-
Seven months later, Gray accepted pay $895 in court fees. He must also thing seemed to be going well.
After Gray was called by the emer- the deal offered by Assistant State At- successfully complete an anger man-
torney Steven Wilson, pleading ‘no agement program. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 7

NEWS

“I thought my best year was my last Iron Horse Golf Club in Whitefish and background at John’s Island, but Col- and competing in the 50-and-over di-
year,” he added. “We had our first ladies still had a seasonal job. lins wanted to give him a chance. vision of this year’s “King of the Hill”
professional squash event. We had in- tournament, which starts this month.
creased our tennis activity. All the met- There, he took a job as a manager at “Every time anyone brought up Tim’s
rics you’d use to measure success were the outdoor store Cabela’s and worked name, it was always in a positive way,” “It certainly helps get my name out
positive. That’s why I was just floored as a realtor to supplement his tennis Collins said. there and lets people know what I’m
when they told me I was out. income and ensure year-round pay- doing now,” said Brueggeman, who
checks. But his children and grandson “Everyone considered him a quality won the tournament’s Open Division
“Apparently, they wanted to go in a were still in Vero Beach. person and seemed to hold him in high championship in 2001 and 2002. “Be-
different direction.” regard. So after he left John’s Island, I sides, I enjoy playing tennis as much
“It became obvious we needed to had heard he was looking to transition as I ever did, I enjoy being around the
Brueggeman didn’t. come back here, and Tom had reached into the business world and asked him other pros here, and I still enjoy a com-
He tried to stay in the tennis indus- out to me shortly after I left John’s Is- about joining our agency. petitive atmosphere.”
try and, having banked what he called land and said, ‘If you ever want to try
a “nice severance package,” applied selling insurance ...” Brueggeman said. “He decided to move to Montana, In fact, Brueggeman said he and
for full-time directors’ jobs at several “So I contacted him and he offered to but my offer stood, and even when he John’s Island Head Pro Joe Biedenharn
clubs. But he couldn’t get past the fi- hire me on a trial basis.” was out there, we had several brief-but- continue to play doubles together in
nalists stage. He was 49 years old in a serious phone conversations and email United States Professional Tennis As-
business that tends to favor the young. Brueggeman moved back to Vero exchanges,” he added. sociation tournaments.
“It’s not easy to get those jobs at 50,” Beach in April 2017, earned his license
Brueggeman said. “The industry was to sell insurance and embarked on a “The more I got to know him, the In late June, however, Brueggeman
closed to me.” new career. more I saw that Tim had all the right will head west for his 10th summer in
And not even 20 years at one of the qualities and characteristics. Montana, where he’ll teach tennis un-
nation’s finest clubs could open it. “Tom has been unbelievably help- til mid-September – and use his court
So Brueggeman began looking for a ful and supportive, from marketing me “Our business is based on relation- connections to sell insurance under
second career off the courts, first starting to providing opportunities for me to ships, and Tim is a smart guy who is Collins’ banner.
a family business with his sons – they sold reach into any market I can,” Bruegge- very good with people.”
surface coating for boats and airplanes – man said, adding that he has used his “We’re now licensed in Montana,
and then taking a job as a salesman at local contacts in the nonprofit and Brueggeman, now 54, knows plen- and he’s building a book of business
Treasure Coast Lexus in Fort Pierce. country-club realms to generate com- ty of the right people, too, including out there, so I have no problem with
In June 2015 Brueggeman and his mercial business while also writing many potential customers at John’s Is- it,” Collins said. “Eventually, we might
wife, Tracy, decided to move to Mon- residential policies. land – a market Collins hopes to attract open an office out there.”
tana, where he had spent the previous and nurture.
five summers teaching tennis at the When Collins first approached If so, Brueggeman would be thrilled.
Brueggeman about joining his insur- He’s also using his tennis back- “Tom knows I love it out there, so I
ance team, the two didn’t really know ground to market himself at other local couldn’t write a better script,” Bruegge-
each other despite their common clubs, occasionally playing in Sea Oaks’
weekly pro exhibitions, participating in CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
The Boulevard’s advanced men’s nights

8 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero Vero city manager O’Connor, 70, has been in the posi- $150,000 plus benefits, but the job his
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tion for nearly eight years. successor will do is significantly differ-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 ent from what O’Connor was hired to
“Monte is great, he has the years of manage and accomplish.
man said.“Once you get to your 50s, find- exited in 2010, and Falls sometimes background with the city but he does
ing a second career can be a challenge. takes the city manager’s seat at coun- very well in his current position and Vero no longer runs an electric util-
So, for me, this has been an absolute god- cil meetings when O’Connor is on va- has been there a long time,” Howle ity with a $100 million budget. During
send. I’ve got the best of both worlds.” cation or at a conference. said, adding that he would be very O’Connor’s tenure, the number of city
appreciative if Falls agreed to fill in employees has been cut by roughly
He paused for a moment, then add- Mayor Harry Howle said he wants on an interim basis if there’s a gap, one fourth. And the headaches have
ed: “I’ve been in the desert, though.” to commence a search for O’Connor’s like he’s done previously. likely been reduced by much more
replacement this month. than 25 percent.
For nearly four years, Brueggeman “But it’s appropriate that we search,
wandered in search of a professional life He wants to get someone on board as we have in the past, using a head With the complex and highly con-
after John’s Island tennis, only to find his who, like O’Connor, will commit to hunter,” Howle said. tentious battle to sell the city’s electric
way – in an ironic twist of fate – with the staying long enough to provide con- utility in the rearview mirror, manag-
help of someone who built a wonderful tinuity and to make an impact – not Vero-based HR Dynamics handled ing Vero Beach going forward will focus
life after John’s Island tennis.  someone on the verge of retirement. the last search in 2011, narrowing the more on the things municipal govern-
field and then setting up Skype inter- ment traditionally focuses on – roads,
665 4TH STREET, VERO BEACH, FL 32962 views with each of the candidates so parks, drainage and public safety.
they could “meet” individually with
(772) 567-2005 council members. That helped avoid Vero could get some applicants from
the cost of flying all the semi-finalists not too far away, as the former city
in for interviews. managers of Sebastian, Palm Bay and
Melbourne are all looking for jobs. At
O’Connor was one of four finalists least two of those men won’t be hired
who was brought to Vero for inter- by the Town of Indian River Shores on
views before the City Council. He was Jan. 24, or whenever the Shores makes
hired by a 4-1 vote with then-council- a final decision about its own top man-
man Brian Heady dissenting. ager job. 

O’Connor earns an annual salary of

1”Thin Paver Overlays  2 3/8”Thick Pavers Shores town manager After being asked to approach the
Cleaning & Sealing  Repairs  Travertine & Marble CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 public podium to introduce himself,
Lynk told the council that Palm Bay
Fire Pits  Concrete Removal  Asphalt Removal The council decided not to pursue leadership shifted significantly after
Bobcat Service  Pool Decks  Retaining Walls the other two candidates in the pre- the last election from a Republican-
vious triad after flying one of them in controlled board and that a new,
Come and see our newly from Missouri and the other from Il- 26-year-old councilman, in his first of-
remodeled parking lot display. linois for 30-minute interviews with ficial duty, moved to make a change in
each of the five council members, plus city managers.
SERVING VERO BEACH AND THE TREASURE COAST! an afternoon meet and greet that was
only attended by a handful of residents. Last week’s meeting to take an-
other look at McNees, plus to discuss
After news reports circulated saying the Griffin and Lynk possibilities, was
the Shores was re-opening the search, called after McNees appealed directly
retired Sebastian City Manager Joe to Slater with a letter both criticizing
Griffin and newly unemployed Palm the town’s selection process as akin to
Bay City Manager Gregg Lynk both “speed dating” and pleading for an-
contacted town officials expressing other shot at impressing the council.
interest in the job.
“Having spent the two days I did in-
Griffin, who worked in positions of side Town Hall, meeting each of you
increasing management responsibil- and the Town’s employees and resi-
ity with Sebastian for 12 years, retired dents, I’ve already gained a sense of
in May to relocate but then decided he immediate opportunities to improve
wanted to move back to Florida. the already high quality of the Indian
River Shores organization.
Shores Mayor Tom Slater said Grif-
fin told him he retired, moved and then “It would be my honor to have an
realized that, number one, he was not opportunity to do so,” wrote McNees,
ready to retire, and number two, he and who lives in Grant only 30 minutes
his wife missed Florida way too much away.
and desperately wanted to return.
“My message is simple – before you
Slater described Griffin’s reputation re-sign with ‘Match.com,’ or its govern-
and resume as impeccable, noting his ment equivalent, please be aware that I
service to the U.S. Marine Corps and remain available for a second date, giv-
his career as a commercial pilot before ing you an opportunity to further evalu-
joining the City of Sebastian’s team, ate ... be that in a group interview set-
originally as airport director. ting or through whatever method you
might devise,” McNees wrote.
Lynk was ousted on Nov. 21 from his
job managing the sprawling South Bre- Based upon that letter, and his own
vard city of Palm Bay right after a new- impressions of McNees during extra
ly-seated city council was sworn in. time he spent with him, Councilman
Sam Carroll tried to make a motion to
Last Friday morning Lynk was pres- offer the position to McNees. But there
ent at Shores town hall for a special call was already a motion on the table by
meeting about the town manager search.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 9

NEWS

Few immediate changes seen at Cleveland Clinic Indian River

BY MICHELLE GENZ the patients, Cleveland Clinic is com- Center is now Cleveland Clinic Martin While Cleveland officials maintain
mitted to caring for caregivers. “That North; the smaller Port Salerno hos- that clinical services will remain the
Staff Writer is something that will always be first pital is now Cleveland Clinic Martin same for now at the various hospi-
and foremost in our minds as we look South; and Tradition Medical Center tals, the mere siting of the joint me-
The unveiling of the logo of Cleve- at the efficiencies that come from in Port St. Lucie is now Cleveland Clin- dia event at Tradition hints at the
land Clinic Indian River Hospital at a joining a healthcare system,” he said. ic Tradition. hospital becoming an anchor in the
much-promoted news conference in “There will clearly be opportunities Florida region. Until now, Cleveland
Port St. Lucie last week was a bit an- that will take advantage of inefficien- The mayor of Port St. Lucie was en- Clinic Florida consisted of one hospi-
ti-climactic, even though all the top cies, but we will do that I think in a thusiastic at the press conference – he tal in Weston and several outpatient
players were present. very open and transparent way, taking read a lengthy proclamation and de- clinics in Broward and Palm Beach
into account what’s best for commu- clared last Wednesday Cleveland Clin- counties. 
The hospital’s new name has been nities and best for caregivers.” ic Day – perhaps with good reason.
in use by Cleveland’s marketing de-
partment for months now, first uttered What will be new for patients at In-
publicly last March when the Florida dian River as well as at Martin Health?
division president and CEO Dr. Wael
Barsoum revealed it to leaders of what Barsoum mentioned “an ability to
was then Indian River Medical Center. move through the process more quick-
ly, more efficiently . . . when somebody
The Cleveland takeover is seen as a has a highly complex problem, [there
huge plus for Indian River County by will be] easier access to tertiary and
most observers but the drama sur- quaternary care.”
rounding the change occurred last fall
in the run-up to the vote by the hos- Cleveland Clinic’s system-wide CEO
pital and hospital district boards to and president, Dr. Tom Mihaljevic,
approve the change, and in the days added that patients at Indian River
before the acquisition papers were and Martin Health would immediately
signed at the end of December. have access to the expertise of Cleve-
land Clinic’s caregivers in Cleveland,
The sense of anti-climax last week including for second opinions.
was “heightened” because few im-
mediate changes are expected at the While those journalists who had
Vero hospital and three former Martin been following the Martin Health and
Health System hospitals recently ac- Indian River mergers over the past year
quired by Cleveland Clinic Florida. may have strained to find any news in
the news conference, some national
“You don’t need to turn around any healthcare press found it headline-
of these hospitals,” said Barsoum last worthy. Healthcare Finance News
week. “You don’t need to turn around topped its rewrite of Cleveland’s press
any of these cultures. Because of the release with a merger-and-acquisition
alignment, I actually don’t think you’ll spin: “Cleveland Clinic broadens foot-
see a change in culture.” print in Sunshine State,” noting in a
subhead Cleveland’s combined finan-
Nor will the hospitals see a change cial commitments in the two deals –
in staffing, at least not in the first year, $750 million.
Cleveland executives said.
The more widely-read Becker’s Hos-
“Over the course of this first year, pital Review focused on the name
every job that presently exists will re- changes – in addition to IRMC be-
main,” said Barsoum. “That is some- coming Cleveland Clinic Indian River,
thing that we’ve committed to and we Martin Health’s three hospitals were
think it’s the right thing to do for the rebranded too: the old Martin Medical
caregivers and for the communities.

He added that in addition to care of

10 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Shores town manager Once that motion succeeded on a to allow Town Manager Robbie Stabe in December asked to stay on anoth-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 3-2 vote, Carroll’s motion, had it been to remain in his job, and to promote er three to five years after the town’s
approved, would have conflicted with Town Treasurer Heather Christmas as initial searches yielded no successful
Vice Mayor Bob Auwaerter to move that action. Stabe’s deputy, but not enough trac- candidate to replace him.
forward with another round of in-per- tion to push that forward.
son interviews with all three men. There was some citizen support Council members expect to be able
and tepid council support for a pro- Stabe resigned last May due to to vote to hire a town manager at the
posal made by Auwaerter last month stress-related health issues, but then Jan. 24 council meeting. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 11

NEWS

PLANNING STARTS IN EARNEST ON
FUTURE OF VERO’S RIVERFRONT

BY LISA ZAHNER plant and old postal annex properties
Staff Writer is being addressed as part of a Recre-
ation Master Plan, and thus, the Recre-
People who want the City of Vero ation Commission has taken the lead.
Beach’s Big Blue power plant site, and
eventually the sewer plant site, turned The fact that the Vero Beach City
into a park – a water park, skate park, Council delegated the initial discussion
dog park, passive park or sailing park – about the utility properties to the Rec-
have definitely gotten the jump on the reation Commission, and not the Utili-
planning process. ties Commission or even to the Finance
Commission or the Planning and Zon-
Those 50 people who showed up ing Commission, will impact how ques-
for last Tuesday’s workshop are the tions will be asked, and answered.
same people who will attend months
of design charrettes, and who will sit NEWS ANALYSIS
through analysis provided by the city’s
pricey, future consultant. Their input In other words, the process will be
will be turned into the recommenda- skewed toward all of that property be-
tions forwarded to the Vero Beach City ing turned into some kind of park.
Council for a vote.
If a local business or a developer
But if there are other people out comes forward down the road with a
there who want some of that land to viable, aesthetically pleasing commer-
go onto the tax rolls, or who might cial project, or public-private partner-
encourage amenities other than open ship that could serve Vero well into its
“green space,” now would be the time next 100 years, it will be too late. People
to get a seat at the table so that a variety will protest. A three-ring binder will be
of opinions are be tossed into the mix.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
The matter of the power plant, sewer

12 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Planning for riverfront be used for recreation, Jeffries said. value of parks and green space is great, to call this area at the foot of the Alma
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 Recreation Director Rob Slezak said but in a city like Vero Beach where large Lee Loy bridge.
parcels like the utility properties just
trotted out and held up before the tele- the last time any sort of a recreation don’t exist anymore, all reasonable op- Since Vero Beach 32963 an-
vision cameras. It will be said that the master plan was compiled was in 1992, tions should be on the table. nounced that our sister publication
plan dictates a park on that property. and that was countywide and did not VeroNews.com was holding a con-
involveVero’s parks. According to city of- Vero’s barrier island population test with a $1,000 prize to find a bet-
Vero Planning and Development ficials, and based upon the cost of simi- holds a much broader array of expe- ter name for this area that the daily
Director Jason Jeffries told the Recre- lar consulting endeavors, the planning rienced and knowledgeable people – persists in calling “three corners,”
ation Commission that his target is to process could cost $100,000 or more. people with backgrounds in real estate, hundreds of responses have been
get a consultant on board in Febru- The whole community will pay for that architecture, urban planning, finance, emailed to [email protected].
ary to begin a planning process that through property taxes and utility bills. hospitality and tourism – than were
“would be heavily citizen driven” in represented in that room last week. The naming contest remains open
determining priorities. Recreation Commission Chairman People with business and development through Feb. 1.
Richard Yemm’s battle cry that “we’re backgrounds should have a say, even if
“The result would be a conceptual running out of green space” was the community ultimately decides that Everyone who takes the time to send
plan” for all the city’s recreation fa- echoed by a couple dozen people who open green space is the best option. a proposed name should participate
cilities and available land that could rose to the podium to speak. in the planning process for Vero’s riv-
And then there is the matter of what erfront so a wide variety of possibilities
Certainly, the intrinsic and economic can be explored. 

Convicted felons in
Indian River County
reclaim voting rights

BY RAY MCNULTY

Staff Writer

Six convicted felons living in Indian
River County filed voter-registration
applications with the local Supervi-
sor of Elections office on Jan. 8, the
first day Florida’s Voter Restoration
Amendment went into effect.

By the end of the first week, that num-
ber increased to 28, with applications
submitted by mail, online and in person.

“And we’ve got more coming in dai-
ly,” said Leslie Swan, the county’s Su-
pervisor of Elections.

Under the amendment, approved by
nearly 65 percent of Florida voters dur-
ing November’s general election, Florid-
ians with felony convictions may have
their voting rights restored once they
have completed the terms of their sen-
tence, including parole, probation and
any restitution ordered by the court.

The amendment does not apply to
felons convicted of murder or sex-relat-
ed offenses. Their rights can be restored
only through the governor’s office.

“The people who’ve come in to our
office were very happy about having
their voting rights restored,” Swan said.
“One wanted his picture taken.”

Though the applications are sub-
mitted to the local Supervisor of Elec-
tions Office, they are sent to the state
Division of Elections in Tallahassee to
be reviewed, similar to applications
filed by any Florida resident.

The process usually takes less the 48
hours.

“My biggest concern is getting the
word out that, even with this amend-
ment, these convicted felons are not
automatically eligible to vote,” Swan
said. “They can’t just show up at the
polls and vote. They have to register
first.” 

EVERY DOG HAS A GREAT DAY
AT ‘BARK IN THE PARK’ P. 26

14 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

ELC puts its best fauna forward for fun fundraiser

Mary Ryan and Don Barr. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF Carol and Tim Buhl. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Marsha Sherry and Debbie Bergstresser.

Hank Kearney, Richard Beeman and Martha Lawrence. Janet Leger, Cindy O’Dare and Lily O’Dare.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF the ELC is all about,” said Don Barr, near the pond for aperitifs, bite- be in the future.”
Staff Writer ELC board president. “We are into sized sweets, a live auction and Call “We have an art museum, we have
having fun, being in nature and be- from the Heart, and the presenta-
It wasn’t mosquitoes buzzing ing healthy. Having everybody out tion of the Environmental Visionary a hospital and we have a theater. This
about the Environmental Learn- here, in nature, outside is just so Award. is next in terms of a game-changer for
ing Center last Saturday evening, consistent with our mission.” the community,” added Barr.
but rather the guests at this year’s This year, two awards were given:
annual fundraiser, Mangroves and As dusk settled over the 64-acre the first to Disney Vero Beach for The ELC is working toward rein-
Moonlight, who were treated to an nature center, guests meandered its green business practices; a sec- venting itself as a cutting-edge na-
after-hours tour of the campus and along the lumen-lit walkways en- ond was presented to Don and Carol ture center with access for all, regard-
its facilities. hanced by twinkling lights. Along Buhl for their work at the ELC as it is less of anyone’s economic or physical
the way they were treated to savory now and with the master plan. abilities.
The décor included a spectacular snacks and specialty shots – ‘Green-
sunset followed by one-of-a-kind house Effects’ in the Shade House “They have truly seen the vision “People aren’t actually becoming
flora and fauna illuminated by the and ‘Tipsy Canoes’ at the Waterside and have invested incredibly in the the stewards that people were talking
moon and the stars, while crickets Pavilion. organization,” said Molly Steinwald, about on Earth Day 50-ish years ago.
provided backup music for the Jeff ELC executive director, of the cou- There is a disconnect from nature,”
LaForte Jazz Trio, who played from In the Wetland Room, Wild Thyme ple. explained Steinwald. “We have to ac-
the walkway. Catering provided a charcuterie knowledge the fact that a majority of
spread and passed hors d’oeuvres “We have had an exciting ride the our community is struggling in a lot
The decision to host the event on- to nibble on while mulling over the last couple of years as we are rein- of different ways; among them, pov-
site was made so that donors could proposed ELC master plan, designed venting the campus,” said Steinwald. erty, isolation, depression and lone-
get an up-close-and-personal look at to further its mission to educate, in- “Looking at the community needs liness. Humans are a part of nature
all the nonprofit has to offer, while spire and empower all people to be and what the ELC can do in order and we are healthier if we are actu-
experiencing nature’s healing power active stewards of the environment to take the assets that we have both ally living in regular contact with it.”
firsthand. and their own well-being. programmatically and space-wise to
meet the needs of our current com- The ELC will host a Citizen Science
“A formal party really isn’t what Later, guests adjourned to a tent munity, and then what’s projected to Day April 13. For more information,
visit discoverelc.org. 



16 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Samantha Hill with Bonnie and Dan Sandman.
Don Barr, Barbie Martz, Lindsay Johnson and Molly Steinwald.

Walter Steinwald with children Auguste and Eva Marie. Jessica Greisen and David Kratzer. Eric and Adela Jaramillo with Enrique Jaramillo.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 17

PEOPLE

Evan and Kim English. Kathleen and George Friedel with Kim O’Connell.

Keena Clifford, Bonnie Davis and John Daniels. Carolyn Lange and Suzi McCoy-Shriner. Bob and Nancy Puff with Rosemary and John Lowenberg.

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

PEOPLE

Tip o’ the hard hat to ‘Achievement Center’ expansion

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Freddie Woolfork, Scott Alexander, Angelia Perry and Jeff Pickering. PHOTOS: LEIGH GREEN acclimate the children before regular
Staff Writer afterschool sessions begin in August.
vice and not enough hip service.” develop self-esteem, teach charac-
The sound of buzz saws and drills The 14,000-square-foot expansion ter and encourage each individual to “Right now you are sitting on top of
filled the halls of the Gifford Youth reach for their ultimate potential. what was a retention pond, but we’re
Achievement Center’s expansion proj- will include seven classrooms, a com- going to use it as a launching pad. Be-
ect last Thursday morning, as donors puter lab and office space, enabling With construction projected to be cause this is where the kids that come,
toured the partially constructed facil- the nonprofit to help 200 additional completed by April, they anticipate the families that come, are going to be
ity during a Hard Hat Thank-You Tour. children and continue its mission to using the facility over the summer to launched off to do great things in the
future,” added Woolfork.
Freddie Woolfork, GYAC director
of public relations and facilities op- The summer and afterschool GYAC
erations, walked guests through the educationally-based programs and
unpainted hallways and unfinished activities are designed to increase
classrooms, pointing out the un- school participation, high school and
tapped potential that will be nurtured college graduation rates, parental in-
within its confines. volvement and the positive self-worth
of the children and adults of the Gif-
Referring to the project as the “Mir- ford Community.
acle on 43rd Avenue,” Woolfork noted
that the organization stemmed from GYAC typically has a 60-student
a vision more than 20 years ago led wait list, said Scott Alexander, past
by Dr. A. Ronald Hudson and the late board president. While temporary
Danforth K. Richardson and Rev. Dr. measures have been implemented to
William Nigh. allow them to serve additional chil-
dren, an ever-increasing number of
“These men decided to address a families wanted their children to par-
problem, not just talk about a prob- ticipate.
lem,” said Woolfork. “You’ve got some
people that will talk about a problem “Philanthropy has gotten us to the
but not do anything – a lot of lip ser- point where we are right now,” said
Alexander. “The thought behind the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 19

PEOPLE

Trudie Rainone and Todd Fennell. Mary B. McKinney and Dr. A. Ronald Hudson.

Logan Dritenbas and Don Proctor. Indian River County Commissioner Joe Flescher. Rick Chuma and Joe Idelette III.

project was to not only pay for the nance, strong management, sound fi-
building, but also increase our en- nancial principles and programs that
dowment. We need funds that will get results. Across the board, Gifford
create sustainability for this organi- Youth Achievement Center exempli-
zation going forward. The great thing fies every single one of those charac-
about this organization is it has tre- teristics and then some.”
mendous community support.”
“We are here because of you,” said
Jeff Pickering, president and CEO of Angelia Perry, GYAC executive direc-
the Indian River Community Foun- tor, acknowledging donors for their
dation, offered a welcomed surprise financial support. “I just want to
with the presentation of a check for say thank you on behalf of the chil-
$100,000 from the Community En- dren and families that we serve. We
richment Fund. wouldn’t be here this morning sitting
in this building were it not for those of
“We treat these grants like an invest- you that are in our audience today.”
ment today and into the future,” said
Pickering. “When we look for char- GYAC will host its Snow Ball fund-
acteristics that demonstrate sound raiser on Jan. 26. For more informa-
investments, we look for good gover- tion, visit gyac.net. 

20 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘Stride’ and joy at Quail Valley Charities 5K walk/run

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Roughly 250 people kicked up their Dan Gottfried, Martha Redner, Kenny Porazzo and Amy Hughes. PHOTOS: LEIGH GREEN David Ross and Kathy Mulvey with Truman.
heels last Saturday morning as par-
ticipants in the Quail Valley Chari- ley Charities executive chair. New this and sumptuous buffets. $500,000 to fund the grant requests.
ties ‘Making Strides for Children’ 5K year is a lecture by Gregg Swain, an To date, Quail Valley Charities has “We hope we can do that because
Walk/Run and Kids’ 1-Mile Fun Run. expert on vintage Mahjong sets, and a
Mahjong tournament. This Saturday donated more than $5.5 million to we like to be able to give them a big
Eager youngsters in the Kids’ Fun the fundraising festivities conclude Indian River County programs fo- percentage of what they want.”
Run ranged in age from 4 to 12, and with a Grand Gala featuring auctions cused on children and education. Lin-
in the 5K ages spanned close to eight coln said they hope to raise roughly The overall 5K winner, Mathias
decades, ranging from 8 to 84. To en- Pereyra at 17:53:91, raced with several
courage involvement by members of other visitors from Montevideo, Uru-
the community and of the 36 chari- guay. The top female winner was Brit-
table organizations receiving fund- tany Corr at 21:20.45. 
ing, the entrance fee was a voluntary
donation.

Quail Valley Charities has grown
from a two-day golf tournament in
2001 to a multi-event affair that also
includes a gourmet guest chef dinner,
duplicate bridge, tennis and golf tour-
naments, a Tower Shoot at Blackwater
Creek Ranch and a Girls’ Night Out
shopping spree.

“We work really hard to put a new
twist on it or do something new every
year,” said Wanda Lincoln, Quail Val-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 21

PEOPLE

Trudie Rainone, Kevin Given and Wanda Lincoln. Judie Robbins, Karla Spooner, Jessica Schmitt and Sydney Jones. Ivor Zimmerman, Louise Kennedy, Fiona Zimmerman and Marion Kennedy.

Mac Antle and Kate Antle.
Barbara Jahn and Sue Bergacker.
Kristen Redner and Susan Perry.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Donors cheer United Against Poverty’s mission, momentum

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

United Against Poverty support- PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
ers and board members gathered
for a lovely cocktail reception last Libby and Bill King with Barbara Lowry. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Cindy and Mark Galant.
Thursday evening at the majestic
St. Andrews Island home of Bill and and is seeking to raise $3.9 mil- Cost Share Grocery, STEP (Success nificant reasons why people cannot
Libby King. lion to retrofit its New UP Center, a Training for Employment) Job Train- provide for themselves adequately,”
44,000-square-foot, multi-function ing program, new educational pro- said Lowry, also noting the impact of
“It’s a thank-you; it’s a great big campus, scheduled to open in the grams, a new entrepreneurial pro- ending multi-generational poverty.
hug to the people who have been summer. gram to be launched, nine agency
significant donors to United Against partners and a medical clinic. “Children who are raised in pov-
Poverty,” said Bill King who, in addi- Guests paused in their socializing erty have more limited opportuni-
tion to their personal philanthropy, to hear a few brief remarks. “It is going to be an amazing ad- ties to become self-sufficient them-
supports it through the King Group dition to this community. Thank you selves. By providing parents with
– Merrill Lynch Wealth Manage- “United Against Poverty is truly to every one of you for the amazing the skill sets required to earn and
ment. “We’re very blessed, like so working to transform lives here in work you do to transform lives in In- maintain employment, they can be
many people, and to share some of the community and we could not dian River County,” said Robertson. role models for their children. If you
those blessings is a great privilege.” do that without you. So, thank you,” don’t address the family unit, you’re
said Annabel Robertson, UP execu- Lowry pointed out that the Kings’ not helping children.”
The couple got involved after tive director. “We are excited to be generosity in hosting the party was
learning about the nonprofit from celebrating a new year. 2019 is going particularly vital as the organization Lowry said UP currently serves 600
Barbara Lowry, UP board president. to be a phenomenal year for United spends all of its funding on programs people per day, adding “that makes
Against Poverty.” rather than events. Later she noted us the largest social service agency
“Barbara is a tireless supporter that UP addresses the root causes of in the county. And we had this par-
of United Against Poverty and we She said the move to the New UP poverty rather than just treating the ty to thank our donors, because if
learned some of the details of the Center will allow them to expand symptoms. it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be
program and how integrated it is their services and serve more peo- able to do that.” 
with some of the other charities ple in a space that will include the “We realize that there are sig-
in the community. It really has an
impact on people’s lives,” said Bill
King.

“They just don’t put the Band-Aid
on; they work them back into being
great citizens in the community,”
added Libby King. “I think it’s very
special that we can give back to the
community we live in and see so
much impact.”

United Against Poverty is cur-
rently in Phase II of its Lifting Lives
out of Poverty Capital Campaign

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 23

PEOPLE

Pam Harmon, Annabel Robertson and Peter Bijur. Carmen and Bob Stork. Linda and Rich Bradley with Ed Johnson and Sue Post.

Ted and Lynn Miller with Betty and Dale Jacobs. Austin and Ginny Hunt. Don Reeser and Amy Patterson.

Chris and Mary Ryan. Marlen Higgs and Kjestine Bijur. Jan and Mike Harrell.

24 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Tim and Bernadette Longden with Curtis and Bonnie Oliver. George Higgs with Vicki and Alan Schommer.
Gina Johnson, Sally Daley and Barbara Butts.

Bernadette Emerick, Ginny Hunt and Molly Griffeth. David Moore and Cassandra Valdez. Jeff Francisco and Silvia Cancio.

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26 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Every dog has a great day at ‘Bark in the Park’ event

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Bark was the operative word last PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
Saturday as thousands descended
on Riverside Park to enjoy a day so- Sue Kelly, Wendy Trimarche and Ilka Daniel (front); Anselmo Aponte and Tim Swift (back). PHOTOS: LEIGH GREEN Akaycia Stewart-Reid with CC.
cializing their pups at the annual
Bark in the Park, presented by the Frisbees away from the famed Disc- showed off a bit themselves on the my last shelter and implement them
Humane Society of Vero Beach and Connected Canines. They sat and lure course and agility course. here. There’s all kinds of fun things
Indian River County. looked on in awe as members of we’re going to do here and I think it’s
the Indian River County Sheriff’s New this year, Marcel Goncalves, going to be really beneficial for the
Tails were wagging, furry bodies K-9s displayed their courage, and pet behavior and enrichment man- animals and the community.”
were in constant motion and noses ager, demonstrated the HSVBIRC
were on sniffer overload as four- Play Dogs Play program, which is A self-proclaimed ‘data nerd,’
legged companions, trying their meant to identify dog personalities Meghji said in addition to meeting
very best to behave, dragged their and behaviors in play groups, pro- with staff and getting a feel for gen-
humans from one tempting activity mote behavior modifications and eral operations, she has been look-
to another. There were mouthwa- improve dogs’ social skills as a way ing at such statistics as intake num-
tering treats to enjoy from the many to increase adoptions. bers, where the animals are coming
pet-centric vendors on hand and an from and why, and ways to reduce
abundance of humans and other This was the first Bark in the Park intake over time and increase adop-
canines they all had to personally for Kate Meghji, who assumed the tions.
greet. position of HSVBIRC executive di-
rector effective Jan. 2, but she said Board member Wendy Trimarche
Some of the braver sorts flew they had something similar to ben- chaired the event this year, and Tim
through the air with the greatest efit the Lawrence Humane Society Swift even returned from his home
of ease – landing with a splash into in Kansas, where she was previously in Colorado to help out.
the Ultimate Air Dog Jumping pool. executive director.
Still others strained at the leash, “Wendy and the volunteers and
wanting to snatch just one of those “It’s a similar demographic of staff and Tim have been work-
where they’re coming from; stray ing really hard on this event,” said
intake vs. owner surrender,” said Meghji. “It’s really impressive how
Meghji. “So I’m hopeful that we can well-oiled this thing is.”
take some of the things that we did at
For more information visit hsvb.org. 

A Free Community Event!

Laura’s Birthday Bash
Celebrate A Literary Legacy

Cakes • Tours • Raffflle

Learn all about our house’s exciting BIG MOVE!
See timelines, routes, and location!

Saturday, January 19 @ 10 A.m. to 1 p.m.
on the grounds of the Environmental Learning Center

255 Live Oak Drive, Vero Beach
If anyone knew LJR please contact Susan.
For more information: 772-569-6718
lauraridingjackson.org

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 27

PEOPLE

Sonya Taylor with Cayman and Rosie.

The Disc-Connected K-9’s World Famous Frisbee Sisters Sarah and Shannon Keville
Dogs with Margarita and Eclipse. with Piper and Rain.

Kayden Drane, Kiki Reid and Leilani Drane.

28 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 Lawrence Frederick and Mr Bones.
Kate Meghji and Susan Smith.

Ultimate Air Dogs competition. Makayla McMinn and Decker Bell with Smokey.



30 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘Healthy Start’ runs into funds at Half Marathon

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Lee Curry, Dr. Audrey Richards and Andrea Berry. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 “We know how powerful the pres-
Staff Writer ence of a father can be in a child’s life
sources and education from prenatal PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF and we really want to start focusing
More than 200 runners braved the care through childbirth and the first on that a little bit more,” noted Berry.
cold, pre-dawn hours last Saturday years of a child’s life. prenatal care they need.
morning to help mothers and babies “It takes these women about five Retired gynecologist Dr. Audrey
get a ‘healthy start’ during the ninth In addition to current program- Richards has recently stepped in as
annual Beachside Half Marathon at ming, Healthy Start has plans to im- steps and 10 phone calls to get to their IRCHS board president, replacing
Riverside Park to benefit the Indian plement two new initiatives. The first first prenatal appointment. We hope Dr. Glenn Tremml, who will be rec-
River County Healthy Start Coalition. is to “Mend the Gap” in the system by to engage local funders in creating a ognized for his years of service when
assisting uninsured women to get the one-stop shop,” Berry explained. the office lobby is named in his hon-
As the half-marathoners made or.
the daunting trek to circle over both The other new program is the Fa-
bridges, a smaller group of runners therhood Initiative. Richards said that the state-man-
participated in the 5K Fun Run, Kids dated organization was founded to
Run and Toddler Dash. decrease infant and maternal mor-
tality and morbidity.
“This is always an exciting morning
for us to see people from the commu- “Many of the diseases causing mor-
nity come out to support moms and bidities are preventable, and that’s
babies and families,” said IRCHS CEO what we’re about,” she added.
Andrea Berry. “I always think about
the comparison between birth and The half marathon overall winner
running a marathon. They say once was Allan Ross with a time of 1 hour
you’re in it, you’re in it.” and 21 minutes. The first-place fe-
male finisher was Lotte Branigan at 1
Through encouragement, engage- hour and 33 minutes.
ment and empowerment, IRCHS sup-
ports a local system of care to opti- On May 11 the nonprofit will host
mize the health of mothers, babies its 11th annual Dancing with Vero
and their families by providing re- Stars at Riverside Theatre.

For more information, visit
irchealthystartcoalition.org. 

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 31

PEOPLE

Lotte Branigan (first-place female half-marathon) with Hayley and Edward.

Payton O’Neill (front), Mike O’Neill,
Sawyer O’Neill and Marylee O’Neill.

Cheryl Martinez, Janay Brown and Meredith Van Veen.

32 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 Rick Mongeau, Lilia Drew and Steve Cortes. Aimee Goddard and Layla Binafif.
Aidan Taylor with Jennifer and John Taylor.

Eddie Branigan and Heather Reeb.
Erink Skalitzky, Bob Skalitzky and Megan Skalitzky.

Jeremy Segal.

‘EVITA’: A RIVETING, ROUSING
SUCCESS FOR RIVERSIDE

34 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

‘Evita’: A riveting, rousing success for Riverside

Natalie Cortez as Eva Peron and Enrique Acevedo as
Juan Peron when he is elected as president of Argentina.

PHOTOS BY HOLLY PORCH

BY PAM HARBAUGH Dodge shows how Eva, maligned by
Correspondent society, uses her only commodity to
sleep her way from the lower class to
With its triumphant production of the top of power and marriage to Argen-
“Evita,” Riverside Theatre once again tine military strong man Juan Peron.
demonstrates it has the capacity to go Beloved by the working class, who lov-
toe-to-toe with the big boys of Broadway. ingly call her “Evita,” she helps form the
dictator’s base of support and his rise to
Indeed, with Tony Award-nominee political power.
director/choreographer Marcia Mil-
grom Dodge at the helm, this show The winner of seven Tony Awards,
brims with exhilarating, inventive and “Evita” is an epic story told with grand,
downright satisfying musical moments. theatrical gesture. Created by the legend-
ary team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and
Moreover, with her exceptional cast, Tim Rice, its score and lyrics make for a
Dodge finds the sensual, provocative powerful musical/rock-opera blend. And
and sobering center to this 40-year-old Riverside’s music director, Ann Shuttles-
musical and delivers something fresh: a worth, meets every big sound with a
human look at the notorious Eva Peron muscle and fury that belies the fact there
and the oppressive world she navigated.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 35

ARTS & THEATRE

Angel Lozada as Che and The cast in “Santa Evita.” Natalie Cortez as Eva Peron.
Natalie Cortez as Eva Peron.

are but 11 pieces in the pit orchestra. delicious slow tango refrain; and with HOT GLASS IS COOL
The show’s beginning lures the audi- “A New Argentina,” one of the bolder
pieces rife with Rice’s tricky, heady GLASS BY LEON APPLEBAUM
ence to step back in time. With the au- lyrics and Webber’s forays into jar-
dience lights still on, a man enters, sits ring musical passages designed to rip ARTIST RECEPTION
at the lone table and turns on the radio. through polite society’s status quo. SATURDAY, JANUARY 19TH 12-4PM
Dancers individually amble onto stage
and start stretching and warming up, Just as the show explores the jolt of Join us for a special one-day show with nationally-recognized glass artist
as if townspeople getting ready for an social change, so too will traditional- Leon Applebaum and his latest works. Don’t miss this rare opportunity
evening in a tango hall. An announce- ists notice something fresh in a few di- to meet an artist whose work celebrates the dynamic and compelling
ment comes on the radio, lights are rectorial concepts here. possibilities of contemporary glass sculpture.
dimmed and the story begins.
Traditionally, the role of “Che” is pre-
Eva Peron has died and the towns- sented as that of Che Guevara, the Cu-
people weep and mourn through dance. ban communist fighter who befriended
They converge and then part, revealing Juan Peron. However here, Dodge turns
as if by once-upon-a-time magic Evita, Che into a youthful reporter, always
in that exquisite white, Christian Dior with a pencil and notebook, recording
gown, revered as a goddess by the work- the truth for “La Prensa,” a highly pop-
ing class. She holds perfectly still, as if ular newspaper eventually seized and
lying in state. silenced by the Peronistas. In the Che
role, Angel Lozada brings lyrical voice
Lights shift, scenic units fly up and and precision throughout, especially in
we go back in time to when Eva was an “High Flying Adored” and in “Another
impoverished little girl. She attempts Suitcase in Another Hall,” which he
to give an important man a bouquet sings with sweet-voiced Iliana Garcia.
and he spurns her, perhaps sowing
the seeds of her unquenchable thirst Another change comes in “The Art
for acceptance and love. That little girl of the Possible,” which introduces Juan
appears a few times throughout River- Peron. Traditionally, this is done as a
side’s production, reminding us of the game of musical chairs. Here, though,
early emotional trauma. Dodge dresses the generals in muscle
shirts and large drums, which they
With a thorough sweep of emotion roughly play. This raw, tribal concept
and impressive voice, Natalie Cortez rips off social niceties of the game and
forges a sensuous and commanding reveals the frightening power wielded
portrayal of Eva. She electrifies the by would-be dictators.
stage – both with such beautiful, me-
lodic songs as the magnificent “Don’t And as Juan Peron, Enrique Acevedo
Cry for Me, Argentina,” which has that
CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

2910 CARDINAL DRIVE, VERO BEACH • 772-234-6711 • THELAUGHINGDOGGALLERY.COM

36 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 ARTS & THEATRE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 Eva Duarte arrives in Buenos Aires. scenes. Both theater artists work in
Evita travels Europe as a promotional tour for Argentina. harmony to hold the audience in the
has strength and delivers vocally. While overall visual aesthetic throughout.
we don’t see much heat between him
and Eva, we do see how well matched Costume designer Richard St. Clair
they are in their quest for power; espe- goes the complete distance and then
cially in the number “I’d Be Surprisingly some in a smart, artistic and beautiful
Good for You.” array of costumes. His artistic touches
are exquisite, from the earthy colors of
One of the standout numbers in the working-class poor to the upper classes’
show is “Peron’s Latest Flame,” in which palette evocative of cream that rises to
two social groups – the haughty aristoc- the top. Especially nice is Eva’s blue and
racy and the rough-hewn military – dis- white dress with yellow-accented sun-
play their disdain for Evita in a kind of burst and petticoat – evocative of the
pas de deux between the classes. Here, Argentine flag.
Dodge accentuates almost every mu-
sical nuance with sly, understated ad- Another sweet touch is the addition
justments of canes, umbrellas and even of a lone accordion player, Erica Man-
physical stances. cini, who turns up occasionally.

Dodge, who was nominated for a Tony This is sensational theater. Forty
Award for the Broadway revival of “Rag- years ago, Webber and Rice crafted a
time,” squeezes out every ounce of en- wonderful, big show. Riverside Theatre
ergy from her capable ensemble in “And and its theater artists have stepped up
the Money Kept Rolling In.” Unlike the big time, creating a visually beautiful
somber moves of the opening, here the show designed to excite and satisfy im-
public, led in song by Lozada’s Che, ex- mensely and reminding us how great
ult over what they reap by Peron’s heed- “Evita” is. Simply do not miss this.
less economic policy. They leap repeat-
edly into the air and slap the floor with “Evita” runs through Jan. 27 at Riverside
their feet and rejoice with abandon. Theatre, 3250 Riverside Drive, Vero Beach.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednes-
Scenic designer Michael Schwei- days and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and
kardt’s beautifully crafted unit set Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Wednesdays, select
easily becomes multiple locations and Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tick-
elegantly supports the action and the ets begin at $35. Call 772-231-6990 or visit
ensemble. Lighting designer Yael Lu- RiversideTheatre.com. 
betzky carves mood and time into the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 37

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming attraction: Filmmaker’s ‘Vero Theatre’ homage

BY STEPHANIE LABAFF Dale Metz.
Staff Writer
PHOTO BY LEIGH GREEN
The Plaza Theatre marquis not only
lights up 14th Avenue in Historic Down-
town Vero Beach, it is also a beacon into
the past. It has been 60 years since cred-
its rolled inside the historic theater, once
the centerpiece of a bustling downtown.
Now filmmaker Dale Metz is bring-
ing the iconic theater back to life with a
chronicled history.

The theater originally opened to much
fanfare on Oct. 24, 1924 with a showing of
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which
became the impetus for the formation of
an independent Indian River County.

“In 1925 we were part of St. Lucie
County,” explains Bob Brackett, who in
1989 purchased the theater where he
had ushered as a teenager. “Somebody
decided to show movies on Sunday after-
noon. The sheriff came and padlocked
the door. That caused an outrage. It was
a spark that ignited two new counties.”

The theater, which went by various
names over the years, closed its doors
in June 1985 with a showing of “Desper-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

38 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 School, says his decision to make the next 25 years, retiring as deputy fire chief a team in a collaborative approach to
film stemmed from his family’s con- of the City of Casselberry in 2009. Find- work. I missed that as a photographer.
ately Seeking Susan.” nections to the theater. His maternal ing himself at loose ends, Metz began to Film work involves a lot of pre-produc-
“The theater is part of the history of great-grandfather, Hudson Baker, built spend more time on what had previously tion, planning, casting and scriptwrit-
the theater along with many of the first been his hobby. ing. So, there’s a lot of collaboration.
Indian River County. The fact that Dale buildings in Vero Beach. His paternal There’s a big team effort that goes into
has decided to do a documentary has great-grandfather, Henry Metz, was “I’ve always had a passion for pho- making a film.”
been nice, especially since this next year one of its first projectionists and was tography,” says Metz, who transitioned
is our centennial year and that’s very among those arrested for breaking the from photography into film after real- Metz is now firmly entrenched in his
much a part of the history,” says Brackett. St. Lucie County ‘blue laws’ regarding izing that with current technology, he second career as an independent film-
“It’s important that we preserve historic Sunday openings. could use the same equipment to shoot maker of predominately short films, and
things as landmarks to who we are and still images and video. He says part of the has begun to garner recognition at fes-
where we came from. We’re too quick to After graduating from Florida State film lure was its interaction with people. tivals all around the world. His film “An
tear down good old buildings in order to University, Metz joined the fire depart- Orphan in Time” won first place in the
put up new ones that are not as good. We ment in Casselberry, a small town in “In my job as deputy fire chief, a lot of Best Film category in Tampa, and anoth-
have become a throw-away society.” Central Florida, where he worked for the what I did professionally was to manage er has been screened at an international
and organize. I enjoyed working with
Metz, who attended Vero Beach High

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 39

ARTS & THEATRE

film festival in Paris. says Jerusha Stewart, Vero Beach Wine
Metz has shot roughly 30 films since and Film Festival founder. “The the-
ater may be closed, and here it is still
his first, “Shadow Speak,” in 2010. making movie history.”
“It was definitely a first effort. I like to
She says the world premiere of “Vero
think I’ve grown a lot since then,” says Theatre” will be screened free to the
Metz. “To grow as a filmmaker, you need public at the June 2019 festival as part of
to dabble in different genres. You learn a the city’s Centennial Celebration. At the
little bit from each of those experiences.” 2018 festival, Metz screened “A Face in
the Crowd,” which explores the heroin
“Vero Theatre” is Metz’s first foray into abuse pandemic.
the documentary genre.
“He’s [Metz] got quite a breadth as a
“With documentaries, there’s so filmmaker. The film he entered in 2018
much material and so many different was a dramatic work, and now he’s on
ways you can take the work that it’s the other side with a large documentary.
hard to settle into exactly what are go- We were quite impressed with that and
ing to be the heavy hitting points you the number of films he’s made,” says
need to make. You can get really mired Stewart.
down in a project.”
This labor of love has taken on a life
In addition to interviewing his par- of its own, but Metz says he loves the
ents, Jack and Linda Metz, Brackett challenge.
and other local historians, Metz also
gathered fond recollections from Alma “I love trying to do new things.
Lee Loy, Judy and Pat Luther, and Jack That’s what I enjoyed about photogra-
Chestnut Jr. phy initially, the marriage of technol-
ogy and art. And film just amplifies
“As I was getting this footage, what that,” he explains.
connected with me emotionally was just
being in that empty theater. I saw some “What has surprised me the most
of my most favorite movies as a kid. I’ll about filmmaking is how hard it is to
be excited for Vero to see it. I hope that it get right. Anybody can grab a camera
elicits some good memories,” says Metz, and shoot and call it a film. I always am
adding that the theater was a corner- impacted by films that make you feel
stone of the town’s activities. something. Obviously, the goal is to en-
tertain or convey a message. Beyond all
“When I grew up and when my parents of that, if I can create a film that makes
grew up and when their parents were in you feel some way, then I feel like I’ve
Vero, there was nothing else to do. As my done a good job.”
mom put it, you either went to the beach
or you went to the theater.” For more information about Metz, visit
dalemetz.com. For information about the
“It’s incredible that we have a local Vero Beach Wine and Film Festival, visit
filmmaker. We have a Florida film- vbwff.com. 
maker who has these strong connec-
tions to Vero and is moved to make a
film about one of our iconic places,”

ATLANTIC CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA

S Copland

Violin Concerto Appalachian Spring Suite

Tessa Lark, Violin Schumann

Symphony No. 1

Tuesday, February 12 Community Church

7:30 p.m. Vero Beach

CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA 772.460.0850

DAVID AMADO www.AtlanticClassicalOrchestra.com
Music Director & Conductor

40 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming Up: Try ‘Next to Normal’ for an extraordinary experience

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA Sunday, Jan. 18-20, at the Vero Beach
Staff Writer Museum of Art. It’s a judged show in
which members of the Vero Beach Art
1 So much to choose from, so little Club and the Museum may submit one
time: It must be The Season … (and only one) piece of their work. Ex-
pect to be impressed, and if a special
Although, says the show promo, men- piece speaks to you, you’ll be able to
bring it home, because they’ll all be for
tal illness is by no means “standard sale. It’s a major event in the Vero Beach
Art Club’s season, and a percentage of
Broadway fare,” the Tony- and Pulitzer- the proceeds goes to support art stu-
dents and classes in schools through-
winning contemporary musical “Next out the county. Public exhibit and sale
time: Friday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday,
to Normal” has received critical ac- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Admission: Free. 772-231-0303.
claim and commercial success; and it

opens at Riverside Theatre this coming

Tuesday, Jan. 22. Written by Tom Kitt

and Brian Yorkey, “Next to Normal,”

explains Riverside’s promo, shows the

emotional toll on a family that must

“come to terms with the past and face 2 Arlo Guthrie at King Center Jan. 18.

the future as the mother, Diana, suf- 5 Happily, it’s not a national park.
It’s Sebastian Inlet State Park,
fers from depression.” This powerful

musical drama got its start as Yorkey’s and the Friends of Sebastian Inlet

and Kitt’s “10-minute class project pelling; the songs are powerful, emo- it’ll be at Melbourne’s King Center this State Park’s wonderful monthly Night
tional and strongly reflective of the Friday, Jan. 18, when Treasure Coast
about electroconvulsive therapy” at characters’ struggles, reconciliation treasure and Sebastian’s own folk mu- Sounds Concert Series is on schedule
and, ultimately, hope. “Next to Nor- sic supernova, Arlo Guthrie, returns
the BMI Lehman Engel Musical The- mal” runs through Feb. 10. Curtain: to perform his universally loved sig- this Saturday, Jan. 19, featuring the
Times vary. Tickets: $75. 772-231-6990. nature song and more on his “Alice’s
atre Workshop. In a D.C. Theatre Scene Restaurant – Back by Popular Demand ever-entertaining music of the six-
Tour.” By design, the tour coincides
interview, Kitt said, “We’ve known and with the golden anniversary of the piece Ring of Fire band. With a dash of
1969 film “Alice’s Restaurant,” starring
loved people who have struggled with Arlo as – Arlo. Guthrie’s dad, of course, Nashville flare, they cover Cash, Willie,
was Woody (Woodrow Wilson) Guth-
depression, and the show is formed by rie, a singer/songwriter who became, Waylon, Haggard, Hank, George Strait,
says Wikipedia, “one of the most sig-
many of these experiences.” Having 2 Where can you get “anything you nificant figures in American folk mu- Chuck Berry, even Jimmy Buffett, with
want”? This month, chances are sic.” Woody’s music, such as “This
seen the show, I can tell you it is com- Land is Your Land,” “has inspired sev- a nice blend of country, bluegrass and
eral generations both politically and
musically.” Appearing with Arlo will “a smidgen” of rock ’n’ roll, so there’s
be his son, Abe, and members of his
former band, Shenandoah. Curtain: 8 sure to be something that floats your
p.m. Tickets: start at $59. 321-242-2219.
boat. Night Sounds happens at the Co-

conut Point pavilions, south side of the

bridge. Bring fold-up chair or blanket,

grab foodstuffs at the nearby Surfside

Grill, and soak in the beauty of day fad-

ing into night, in one of the most beau-

tiful music venues you’ll find. Concert

time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission: free

with park entry. Admission Fee: $8/per

vehicle, multiple occupants; $4/single.

772-388-2750

3 A whirlwind musical tour of Eu- 6 A don’t-miss-it art and music
rope will raise your spirits and event this weekend: The Sebas-

spark your inner globetrotter when tian Riverfront Fine Art and Music

the wonderful Brevard Symphony Festival, in and around Riverview Park

Orchestra kicks off the Indian River on Sebastian’s beautiful Indian River,

Symphonic Association’s Festival of happens Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 19-

Orchestras season this Friday, Jan. 18, 20. If you’ve attended before, you know

at the Community Church. Under the this is one of the few art festivals of its

baton of Christopher Confessore, you’ll size and caliber in the area: scores of

waltz away with Strauss on “The Beau- excellent artists, from within Sebas-

tiful Blue Danube,” move to the exotic tian’s amazing artist community and

rhythms of Spain via Rimsky-Korsa- all over the country, are eager to show

kov’s “Capriccio Espagnol”; enjoy (even here, and you’ll find virtually all imag-

possibly play air piano in your lap) to inable genres. Enhancing the breezy,

Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular “Piano artsy atmosphere, there’s live music

Concerto No. 1”; and get your gypsy on throughout the festival: Saturday, 10:30

with Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. a.m. to 1 p.m., Anja and the Dreamers;

1.” The featured soloist is “internation- 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Jason Sicci. Sunday,

al piano sensation Ani Gogova.” Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Zion Quest; and

7:30 p.m. Tickets: $60. 772-778-1070. 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Wiley Nash

Band. In addition to food for the eyes

4 Another example of the area’s and ears, there will also be lots for the
cultural richness, “Art by the
stomach. Time: Saturday and Sunday,

Sea,” takes place Friday, Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: free. 



42 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Beyond the Great Wall and the the aegis of the Paris-based Bureau In- off on October 1st when, if tradition is up-
chain of rugged hills through which it ternational des Expositions since the held, the country’s armed might will be
snakes, workers are putting the finish- Shanghai World Expo in 2010. paraded through central Beijing: tanks,
ing touches to a colossal edifice. jets, nuclear missiles and thousands of
The show will be the biggest horti- troops shouting “hello chairman” to their
The beams of its roof are curved, cultural one ever held anywhere. And commander-in-chief, Mr, Xi.
with golden tiles reminiscent of those it will be the centerpiece of the larg-
that adorn the Forbidden City, 45 miles est political celebration in China in The flower expo will be the soft-
to the southeast. The building itself a decade: the 70th anniversary of the power filling between these events and
curves, too, in a shape that its archi- founding of the Communist state. The involve many times more people – 16
tects say resembles a ruyi – a tradition- big day itself will be on October 1st, as million visitors are expected, organiz-
al Chinese talisman. the flower show enters its final week. ers say. Officials were keen to ensure
that a record number of countries and
They say it invokes a longing for ful- The choreography of the coming year international organizations would put
filment of the “Chinese dream.” That will convey Mr Xi’s dream to perfection. on displays at the expo. They have suc-
is a cherished slogan of China’s leader, In April, on a date to be announced, for- ceeded: at least 110 have signed up.
Xi Jinping, whose wish is that China eign leaders will gather in Beijing to dis-
should emerge as a global giant. As a cuss the president’s Belt and Road Ini- Many people in the capital are un-
state news agency puts it, the build- tiative – a scheme involving billions of aware of the scale of what will soon un-
ing conveys the “imposing manner of dollars of Chinese loans to, and invest- fold. The site in Yanqing is on the outer
a great power”. ment in, infrastructure projects around periphery of Beijing municipality, far
the world. A senior Chinese diplomat beyond its urban core. The Great Wall
The China Pavilion, as the structure has said it will be “the most important at Badaling is Yanqing’s biggest attrac-
is called, is for an international flow- diplomatic event” in China this year. tion. For now, tourists have little reason
er festival in Yanqing, a satellite town to head beyond it to the district’s main
of the capital. The show will open on The clout that countries wield with town, near to which, on requisitioned
April 29th and last for more than five economic largesse is sometimes de- farmland, the expo will be held. It will
months. It will be the biggest expo of scribed as “hard power.” More power of be the biggest international festival
any kind that China has staged under an even harder kind is likely to be shown

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 43

INSIGHT COVER STORY

in Beijing since it staged the Olympic scheme that brings water from the dis- Officials say the new road will also hills 6 miles away on which the Great
games in 2008. tant Yangzi river basin began supple- be of help for the Winter Olympics in Wall can be dimly discerned.
menting the city’s supply in 2014. This 2022, part of which will be held in Yan-
On the riverside spot, thousands of has freed up a reservoir near the expo qing and another part in the neighbor- That is important: organizers like to
workers have built a park half as big site to ensure the plants stay moist. ing province of Hebei. But extending call the event “the horticultural expo at
again as the one made for the Olym- the motorway into Hebei has created the foot of the Great Wall,” aiming for a
pics, which was previously the city’s To ease the flow of visitors, the city a problem: the route cuts along one soft-power multiplier effect. The view
record-setter. The expo will fill the new has been on an infrastructure spend- edge of the new park. from the pavilion provides proof of
park, with its enclosed area covering ing spree. There are already two mo- this link – on a good day. Smog some-
more than half of it. torways, the G6 and the G7, that lead To avoid spoiling the view, plan- times renders even the hills invisible,
to Yanqing (visitors to the Great Wall ners decided to build a tunnel beneath let alone the wall.
It will be of huge political importance. often use them). But they are frequent- the park and under the Guishui river,
This is reflected in the heavyweight ly congested. On January 1st a new which flows through it. (For all the But above all, it is the flowers that
line-up of its organizing committee. It expressway, more than 25 miles long, green-themed rhetoric of the expo, fos- the party hopes will make its soft-
includes some of the country’s most was opened. It connects the northern sil-fueled cars will play a big role. Ten power point. It loves them as a po-
powerful officials. suburbs of the capital with Yanqing. car parks with a total of 22,000 spaces litical tool. To mark the anniversary of
have been built for those who prefer to Communist rule, Tiananmen Square is
Organizers have been told to let their Planning documents for the new drive there.) adorned every year with huge floral ar-
work be guided by “Xi Jinping Thought”. road, called the Xing-Yan, make it rangements. The centerpiece in 2018
They have clearly followed orders. The clear that the expo has been one of The view is crucial. Near the China was in the form of a basket-shaped
event will be suffused with symbolic the main reasons for building it to this Pavilion, workers have built a hill, on object with petals radiating from its
references to Mr. Xi’s favorite topics, schedule. It has cost nearly $2 billion the top of which they are erecting a base – more than 50 feet high and 150
from pursuing the “Chinese dream” to and involved boring a 3.5 mile tun- huge four-story pavilion in ancient feet across – an assemblage of pot-
creating a “beautiful China.” The expo’s nel beneath the Great Wall — longest architectural style. It has involved a ted plants with, as always, a message.
official theme, “Live green, live better”, in Beijing’s road network. It has also team of nearly 300 craftsmen skilled State media said they symbolized the
echoes his calls for a better environment. been controversial: some environ- in traditional techniques. It will pro- Chinese people’s unity with the party
mentalists say the route threatens an vide visitors with a vantage point from with “Comrade Xi Jinping as the core.”
That the festival is taking place in ecologically sensitive area. which to survey the expo site and the
a city so acutely short of water ap- International horticultural shows
pears not to worry officials. A diversion
STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

THE CHINA PAVILION

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46 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 INSIGHT COVER STORY Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43 led to calls for “Mr. Science” and “Mr.
Democracy” to be welcomed in China.
are normally less to do with the na-
tional origins of plant species, and The party officially marks May 4th as
more about showing them off and youth day, but it fears appropriation of
sharing expertise in cultivating them. it by disaffected youngsters. The move-
Beijing’s show will be different. ment’s 70th anniversary in 1989 gave
huge impetus to the pro-democracy
One of its aims will be to highlight unrest that engulfed the country that
the global impact of Chinese flora. year. On June 4th it will be the 30th an-
Visitors will be reminded that every- niversary of the crushing of those pro-
thing from tea and rice to many of tests. Police will be on full alert. Stir-
the plants that are grown in Western rings of activism on some university
gardens have Chinese origins. In April campuses have already spooked them.
state television will begin showing a
ten-part series called “Chinese plants Around the expo site itself, some
that have changed the world.” people are grumbling. Building the
venue and the new infrastructure has
Officials worry that some Chinese involved relocating hundreds, possi-
may not be in a mood for celebration bly thousands, of people. In Yanqing
as the economy slows and mutterings the authorities have used the expo and
grow about Mr. Xi’s leadership. During the games as a reason to knock down
the expo there will be sensitive dates slums. A handful of residents who have
that dissidents will be eager to mark. refused to move vent anger at local of-
The first will occur just a few days after ficials for offering what they regard
the show opens: the 100th anniversary
on May 4th of a student movement that

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 47

INSIGHT COVER STORY

as derisory sums in compensation. were killed in a fire in the south of the kets have been shut down. Ironically, of thousands of those who took him
“Bandits,” fumes one woman. “This is city, the authorities have been using the they include those selling cut flowers. at his word. No one, however, is likely
all just an excuse to get money in their pretext of fire safety to accelerate ef- to misinterpret the party’s signals in a
pockets,” says a 75-year-old retiree. forts to push migrants out of the city by Chairman Mao briefly encouraged year that will be florescent with sym-
closing places where they work and the dissent with the immortal words “Let a bolism. As the party often reminds
In downtown Beijing, residents have ramshackle housing in which they live. hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred officials around the country, unrest
other reasons to seethe. Since Novem- schools of thought contend” – before should be nipped in the bud. 
ber 2017, when 19 migrant workers As a result, many of Beijing’s mar- imprisoning or persecuting hundreds

48 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

Jim O’Connor:

A CITY MANAGER THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE MISSED

BY LISA ZAHNER The employee had just been unwilling and tell me to get the bad news out cell phone number, and he answers it,
to give it up because it painted the city and move on. day or night. The first time I met Jim’s
Staff Writer in a not-so-great light. wife Sherry, he introduced me, saying,
Jim O’Connor’s personality is the “This is the Lisa who calls me all the
Since my first day as a newspaper in- Jim put an end to the long-stand- ideal combination of homespun lik- time,” and she laughed.
tern in November 1993, I have covered ing practice of circling the wagons. ability, honesty, Irish diplomacy and
28 government bodies from the Florida At the same time, Jim stuck up for his cajones. If there’s a bully to be dealt People sometimes overlook the sac-
Keys to Tallahassee. I can say unequivo- employees. When an issue arose, he with, Jim deals with him or her directly rifices that the spouses and families of
cally that retiring Vero Beach City Man- never tried to bury it. He dealt with it yet tactfully. If there’s humor or human- public servants like Jim make — the
ager Jim O’Connor is the most profes- head on. In fact, there were even oc- ity to be brought to a bad situation, Jim interruptions, the cancelled plans, the
sional municipal government executive casions when something unfortunate brings it. And always with a smile. non-existent “real” vacations and the
I have ever encountered. had happened and Jim would call me inability to do simple things like go
Reporters and residents have Jim’s out for a nice dinner in peace.
Everything changed at City Hall in
July 2011 when Jim was hired. For the Sherry laughed at Jim’s reference to the
first time in recent memory, and maybe evening and weekend calls and said, “As
the first time in the City of Vero Beach’s long as you don’t camp out on my front
100 years, citizens got full access to what lawn, you can call him all you want.”
was going on in their city government.
Jim and Sherry regaled me with a
Prior to Jim coming on board, try- story from his days managing the city
ing to get any information out of the of Dover, Delaware years ago when
City of Vero Beach was a futile exer- the city’s sewer utility experienced a
cise that required you to be part ar- near-catastrophic failure. It was one of
chaeologist, part forensic accountant those messes so huge that it took some
and part police detective. time to repair, and residents were on
the ragged edge of their patience.
The runaround and pushback from
the city manager, city attorney and The local television stations decided
most of the department heads was ri- they might speed up the process by
diculous. They spent way more time camping out on the front lawn of the
deflecting questions and delaying re- O’Connor’s house until all the issues
sponses than they ever did addressing were fixed. I could picture Sherry – an
real issues and concerns. unflappable Registered Nurse – bring-
ing them lemonade and cookies.
Right after Jim arrived in town from
Winchester, Virginia, I had an issue Vero has been blessed to have both
getting some data I needed for a story O’Connors on board for the journey,
from a city employee. and we’re glad they are sticking around
in retirement to remain a part of the
I called Jim and he handled it, profes- Central Beach community.
sionally and immediately. He emailed
the employee, told him to give me We hope the City Council can find
what I had requested and copied me someone with Jim’s character, expe-
on the email, so the employee knew rience and servant-leader attitude –
Jim had put his foot down. I had the someone who always remembers that
information within minutes, because his bosses are the five members of the
it was readily available, probably right City Council, and ultimately the city’s
in the employee’s head or on his desk. taxpayers. 

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made as a result of a pathologist’s exami- to have the cancer removed or destroyed. Some cer growth with regular PSA blood tests, DREs
nation under a microscope of prostate older men and/or those who have other seri- and biopsies. While the patient is not receiv-
tissue taken at biopsy or from a surgical ous health issues decide to undergo “active ing active treatment, if and when the prostate
resection. surveillance” or “watchful waiting” instead cancer grows he and his physician determine
 Prostate cancer is staged to measure if and of treatment. The decision whether to have next steps, which could include surgery and/or
how far the cancer has spread and graded treatment, and, if so, the type of treatment, is radiation. Active surveillance is mainly used to
to measure aggressiveness (how fast the a personal one that should be made after un- delay or avoid aggressive therapy.
cancer is likely to spread and grow), which dergoing a full assessment with your urologist. The other type of surveillance is watchful wait-
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� Surgery Your comments and suggestions for fu-
TREATMENT FOR PROSTATE CANCER � Radiation therapy ture topics are always welcome. Email us at
� Cryotherapy [email protected].
Treatment for prostate cancer depends on if and � Focal therapy
how far the cancer has spread in the body, and © 2018 VERO BEACH 32963 MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
how aggressive the patient’s type of cancer is.

50 Vero Beach 32963 / January 17, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

Verbal felicities, haunting or explosive imagery, the ar- Brutes push their way to power, Time the other implement/
chitectonic dazzlements of rhyme and meter – all these But the muddiest barbarian That sharpens and grows
are dwarfed by American poetry’s reverence for genu- Also wants the throne an hour, shorter.”
ineness, for authenticity. “Look in thy heart and write” And dons a crown, marks affairs,
advised Sir Philip Sidney’s muse, but that injunction has Nods under a golden branch until Gioia prints several en-
long been our own literature’s credo. Yet in their intro- A stronger one turns up the stairs. grossing long poems, my
ductory essays to “The Best American Poetry 2018,” the Even more stark is Agnieszka favorites being Michael
30th installment of this always excellent annual anthol- Tworek’s “Grief Runs Untamed” about Robbins’ exuberant “Walk-
ogy, series editor David Lehman and this year’s guest impoverished exiles who carry a door man,” about sex, drink
editor, Dana Gioia, present dissimilar views on precisely handle: “they attach it to every moun- and rock-and-roll, and Jac-
what authenticity entails. tain and wall,/ hoping the handle will queline Osherow’s “Tilia
conjure the door/ That will open and let cordata,” which yokes the
Lehman doesn’t disguise his contempt and near-de- them in.”
spair over the vast popularity of “the queen of Instagram The great test of any poem is simply fragrance of linden flowers
poets,” Rupi Kaur, characterizing her work as greeting- “Would I like to learn this by heart?” Alas, with the horror of the Ho-
card verse. Without quite saying that bad poetry drives nothing here quite merits that reward, locaust. Having learned
out good, he happily turns away from wearisome Twitter though Dick Davis’ autumnal reflections about the latter at a young
parodies of William Carlos Williams to celebrate the real in “A Personal Sonnet” come close. Still, age, Osherow recalls
achievements of John Ashbery and Richard Wilbur, two many poems offer striking phrases worth that she “wouldn’t take
indisputable poetic giants who died in 2017. remembering. In “American Dreams,” Ju- a shower until I was sev-
lia Alvarez recalls a childhood candy store
In contrast, Gioia glories in being a populist, even and its “tinkling bell that tattled I was coming in the en,/ worried gas might
a Maoist. His mantra might be: Let a hundred flowers door.” That “tattled” is inspired. Having fled the Domini- come out. That was what
blossom. This former chairman of the National Endow- can Republic, Alvarez found America to be not a land of my mother/ had told me: gas came out
ment for the Arts, now poet laureate of California, re- milk and honey but “the land of Milk/ Duds, Chiclets, instead of water.” Later, she writes that her daughters
joices that poetry has discovered new energy in slams, gumdrops.” “have been known to make bets/ before dinner parties
hip-hop and YouTube videos. Today poets reach their In “Those Were the Days” George Bradley plays off old about how many minutes/ will pass before I bring up
audiences through performance more often than print. sayings, upending proverbs into a subspecies of what the Holocaust.” Usually, “the winning number is about
We have, in effect, revitalized the ancient tradition of the Harry Mathews dubbed perverbs: “Seamstresses back twenty,” adding with mock ruefulness: “they’re merci-
bard, the singer of tales. then were many and available and kept us in stitches”; less, my girls.”
“Clothes made the men and unmade the women.” J. Al- “The Best American Poetry 2018” concludes with more
Still, Gioia admits that you can’t successfully capture lyn Rosser’s “Personae Who Got Loose” proffers a similar than 50 pages of “contributors’ notes and comments.” A
live-action versifying in a book. To assemble “The Best litany of wry non-sequiturs: “Aloof, wary, notwithstand- jaundiced critic might sum up these honor-rich biogra-
American Poetry 2018,” he read thousands of poems ing her giddy enthusiasm for handsome misogynists phies with the words of Lewis Carroll’s Dodo: “All must
to find the 75 that spoke to him most deeply, no matter and fine crystal.” have prizes.” Sometimes pretentious academese dark-
their style or form. While his chosen authors range from Wordplay reliably leavens, lightens or just makes us ens the commentary too, though a few mini-essays, such
long-esteemed masters (Gary Snyder, A.R. Ammons) to smile. In “The Wives of the Poets” Susan de Sola reflects as Mandy Kahn’s on “Ives,” are almost as good as the po-
former poet laureates (Natasha Trethewey, Kay Ryan) on errant husbands in a wittily infectious singsong: “The ems they illuminate.
to prison inmates and recent immigrants, their themes wives of the poets,/ they never complain./ They know In the end, though, “The Best American Poetry 2018”
are – surprisingly, unsurprisingly? – traditional: By Gioia’s they are married/ to drama and pain.” To describe the is simply a sampler, so when you discover a poem you
estimate, the top five are family, childhood and adoles- moon’s quarter phase in “Yonder, a Rental,” Anna Maria like, don’t stop there: Go out and buy its author’s latest
cence, love, poetry itself and, not least, nature and the Hong exults that “It’s all or nada as noon-night’s empa- collection. That’s one New Year’s resolution that should
environment, this last usually focusing on its despolia- nada.” In “We’ll Always Have Parents,” Mary Jo Salter be easy to keep. 
tion rather than daisies and daffodils. Gioia emphasizes neatly repurposes the most famous line of “Casablan-
that most of the work he selected was written before the ca” into a meditation on family life, while A. E. Stallings THE BEST AMERICAN POETRY 2018
last presidential election, but he does include Christian brings “Pencil” to a close with a brilliant conceit: “And
Wiman’s “Assembly” – “It may be Lord our voice is suited EDITED BY DANA GIOIA. SERIES EDITOR, DAVID LEHMAN
now/ only for irony, onslaught, and the minor hierar- SCRIBNER. 201 PP. PAPERBACK, $18.99
chies of rage” – and Ernest Hilbert’s “Mars Ultor”:
REVIEW BY MICHAEL DIRDA, THE WASHINGTON POST

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