VB32963_ISSUE23_060916_OPT

Former Vero star Motta suing
over NFL injury. P7
Spoil island cleanup

on for the weekend. P6
Blue Water Open reels in
funds for children’s charities. P18

For breaking news visit

MY VERO The cooling towers (foreground) slated for demolition this month at the idled Vero Beach electric plant. PHOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE Charter schools
file new lawsuit
BY RAY MCNULTY Cooling towers at Big Blue power plant will be first to go against District

Accused teacher asks BY LISA ZAHNER clearing the riverfront gate- tric bills of smaller users will BY KATHLEEN SLOAN
judge to exclude video Staff Writer way to the island for redevel- be $2 less each month. Staff Writer
opment that could change
Remember the smart- The cooling towers at Vero’s the look and feel of the city at Vero Beach-based South Simmering for three years
phone video, shot by a stu- Big Blue power plant are slat- some point in the future. Bay Construction will dis- in the background, a dispute
dent, that showed a Sebastian ed for demolition in the next mantle the towers at a cost of between Indian River Coun-
River High School criminal two weeks, the first phase of At the same time, partially $58,000. As part of its contract, ty’s charter schools and the
justice teacher physically sub- due to the plant closing, elec- School District is now boiling
duing a defiant and disruptive CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 over as the charters light a le-
teen during a Nov. 17 class- gal fire under the school board
room altercation? in an attempt to get tax money
they feel is rightfully theirs.
The video that, despite of-
fering an incomplete and The charters – Indian River
one-sided version of the in- Charter High School, Imagine
cident, provided the basis for School at South Indian River
Indian River County Schools County, Imagine Schools at
Superintendent Mark Ren- South Vero, North County
dell's wrongheaded and reck- Charter School, Sebastian
less rush to judgment? Charter Junior High and St.
Peter’s Academy – filed a law-
The video that School Board suit in circuit court on May
chairman Dale Simchick 27, the first in Florida to chal-
and board member Claudia lenge a school board’s tax-dis-
Jimenez cited as the most tribution authority.
compelling evidence against
Joe Nathaniel during a Janu- Even though the charters
ary meeting in which they
ignored a public outpouring CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
of support for the respected
teacher and former football

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Revolutionary math teaching method Former Hornets owner Shinn splits with wife – and Vero
to make Florida debut here this fall
owner of the NBA’s Char-
BY MARY SCHENKEL from mediocre to having the BY MICHELLE GENZ George and Denise Shinn a year ago lotte-New Orleans Hornets,
Staff Writer best math scores in the world. Staff Writer ever the deal-maker, made
a succession of Vero pur-
In the 1980s, the country of Now, island education lead- When George and De- chases that included two
Singapore introduced a new er Mary Lou Hammond and nise Shinn bought their first oceanfront luxury homes, a
kind of math teaching that Osceola Magnet Elementary home in Vero seven years house for Denise’s mother in
relies on visualization and re- School Principal Scott Simp- ago, Denise Shinn thought Grand Harbor, and the icon-
lates numbers to real life.With- son are working to bring the it would be just that – home. ic Lemon Tree restaurant.
in a decade, students in that benefits of “Singapore Math”
dynamic Asian city-state went to Indian River County’s But George just kept on CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
house-hunting. The former
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

June 9, 2016 Volume 9, Issue 23 Newsstand Price $1.00 Memorial Day
brings out
News 1-10 Faith 47 Pets 48 TO ADVERTISE CALL Vero’s best. P12
Arts 21-25 Games 49-51 Real Estate 63-72 772-559-4187
Books 44-45 Health 27-32 St Ed’s 26
Dining 56 Insight 33-52 Style 53-55 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 42 People 11-20 Wine 57 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2016 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero their own policy, yet they showed it to Wilensky also filed the initial paper- give a deposition on May 12, but it was
all the board members." work in Indian River County Circuit postponed until June 22 as a result of
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Court for a civil lawsuit against the dis- his motion. He said he doesn't know if
In other words: The school district trict, which Nathaniel claims violated the district will proceed with the case
coach, and, instead, eagerly embraced is relying almost entirely on ill-gotten his privacy by ignoring its own policy against him without the video.
Rendell's over-the-top recommenda- evidence that exists only because a and releasing the student-shot video
tion to fire him? student broke the rules. to the news media. Even if the DOAH judge rules the
district may use the video, Nathaniel
There's a real chance that Rendell That is a dangerous precedent. It's Since what's legal often has little to said he has a lineup of witnesses who
and his team won't be able to use the also a slimy way to conduct what ap- do with what's right, there's no way to will verify his account of the scuffle
video when Nathaniel appears be- pears to be an agenda-driven inves- know how the DOAH judge will rule. with Isaiah Speights, the 18-year-old
fore a state Division of Administrative tigation that was as hasty as it was But Nathaniel is hoping to hear some- he claims instigated the altercation
Hearings judge to challenge the super- shabby. thing from the agency this week. and initiated physical contact.
intendent's already-flimsy case.
So Nathaniel instructed his attorney, Until he does, however, his date with His list of witnesses includes teacher
"According to School Board policy, Mark Wilensky of West Palm Beach, to the DOAH – his hearing was set for June Cathy Bradshaw and several students
a student can't video-record a staff file a motion with the DOAH, asking 27 at the county courthouse – is on hold who were in her classroom when he
member without written permission," an administrative law judge to prohib- and probably will be rescheduled. responded to Speights' provocation
Nathaniel said. "The video violated it the district from entering the video by grabbing him and pushing him to
as evidence in his hearing. Nathaniel said he was scheduled to the floor.

He also has the powerful letter As-
sistant State Attorney Nikki Robinson
wrote to the Sheriff's Office on Dec. 15,
after she concluded a review of the in-
cident, which resulted in Speights' Dec.
29 arrest on two misdemeanor charges.

Robinson, responding to a request by
Speights' mother to criminally charge
Nathaniel for his role in the classroom
clash, read the Sheriff's Office reports
– including witness statements – and
studied videos of the incident before
deciding there were no grounds to is-
sue a warrant for the teacher's arrest.

Instead, Robinson's letter praised the
6-foot-4, 300-pound Nathaniel for tak-
ing control of a potentially dangerous
situation, noting Speights was "being
disruptive and disrespectful" and that
Bradshaw "was not capable of physi-
cally dealing" with the 6-foot-1 teenager
who refused to follow her directions.

"It would have been negligent on the
part of Joe Nathaniel to have left the
classroom, given Speights' defiance,"
Robinson wrote. "The safety of Ms. Brad-
shaw and the other students in the class-
room would have been put in jeopardy."

She also pointed out that Speights
has, for some time, been a disruptive
force at Sebastian River, which pro-
vided her with 34 pages of disciplinary
reports detailing his bad behavior.

Robinson wrote that Speights, who
was not injured in the altercation with
Nathaniel but violently punched lockers
and kicked a water fountain off the wall
on his way to the principal's office, has
been "belligerent and disrespectful" to
teachers and other students in the past.

She stated that Speights, who has
been arrested several times on un-
related charges since the altercation
with Nathaniel, "provoked the teach-
er's response with his defiance" and
that the "physical aspect of this inci-
dent began with the student."

School Board member Charles
Searcy, who publicly has been Nathan-
iel's lone defender on the board, de-
scribed Robinson as an "experienced
and respected prosecutor" and said, "I
give her opinion a lot of weight."

Searcy, who stood alone against the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 3

NEWS

board's cowardly decision to punt the "unfortunate" and expressed concern control teen who initiated a physical video in a pathetic attempt to get rid of a
case to the DOAH rather than face a that the district might be "taking away confrontation and posed a threat to terrific teacher who did nothing wrong.
potentially hostile crowd here, said he an asset because of one momentary others in that classroom.
asked Rendell about Robinson's letter lapse in judgment." "Is there something more to this than
after Vero Beach 32963 reported on it in We agree with Robinson, who is fa- we know about?" Searcy asked. "We're
March. He said the superintendent told Many of us, though, don't see any miliar with Speights' rap sheet and making a huge decision on a man's life."
him he was unaware of the letter when lapse in judgment. wrote that Nathaniel responded re-
he authored his charging document. sponsibly, arguing that it would have And on a good teacher's career.
We disagree with Rendell's ridicu- been negligent for him to walk away. "I love what I do," said Nathaniel,
Not that it would've changed anything. lous overreaction to a teacher using more familiarly known as "Coach Joe"
In response to an email asking if he force – and only the force necessary And we believe it is disgraceful that on campus. "I love Sebastian and my
might reconsider his decision to seek – to subdue an angry, violent, out-of- Rendell would stoop to using a flawed
Nathaniel's termination in the wake of CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Robinson's letter and other factors –
overwhelming public support for Na- Exclusively John’s Island
thaniel and the teacher's previously
unblemished record, which includes Located along John’s Island Sound on a beautifully landscaped .67± acre
a best-you-can-get, "highly effective" lot, reminiscent of quaint French gardens, is this 2BR+Library/3.5BA home.
rating on his 2014-15 job evaluation – Overlooking the pool and protected nature reserve, privacy is paramount. A
Rendell wrote that he had "no further resident manatee population adds to the ambiance. Features include 5,143± GSF,
comment at this time." expansive living room with fireplace, high ceilings, paneled library with fireplace,
Everything he wanted to say was large master suite with fountained courtyard, ample storage, and boat dock. Room
contained in his Jan. 12 charging let- for expansion, if desired. 341 Island Creek Drive : $2,750,000
ter, which accused Nathaniel of esca-
lating the incident by taunting Spei- three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
ghts, continuing to move toward the pickleball : croquet : water sports : vertical equity membership
teen in an aggressive manner, and
physically abusing and yelling at him. 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
Robinson's letter did, however, have
an impact on School Board member
Shawn Frost, who said it "certainly
has opened my eyes to look at other
things and not just the videos."
A second video, recorded by a cam-
era in the principal's office, shows Na-
thaniel physically preventing Speights
from making a phone call that, given
the volatile circumstances, the teach-
er believed posed a potential threat.
Frost acknowledged that "a lot of in-
formation has come forward since that
first board meeting." He said he's keep-
ing an open mind and hoping to learn
more from Nathaniel's DOAH hearing.
"One of the benefits of having the
DOAH hearing is that we'll have access
to all of that discovery – not just a cou-
ple of video clips – so we'll have a better
perspective when it comes back to us for
review and a final vote," Frost said. "Mr.
Nathaniel will get the benefit of due pro-
cess, and the gaps will be filled in."
If there is, in fact, a hearing.
Will the district go forward with its
case if the DOAH judge excludes the stu-
dent-shot video? And if the video is ad-
mitted, how much weight will the judge
give to it, knowing it is incomplete and
doesn't accurately depict everything
that happened in the classroom?
You'd like to think that Robinson's let-
ter, the witnesses' testimony, Speights'
trouble-filled history and Nathaniel's
impressive record as a teacher would be
more than enough to win the case.
"I was a teacher for two years, so I
know how tough it is to stand in front
of a classroom full of today's kids,"
said Frost, who taught science at Se-
bastian River from 2006-08 and knew
Nathaniel as a colleague. "Education
in 2016 is not an easy business."
Frost called the Nathaniel incident

4 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero Revolutionary math approach ciding that mathematics was going to “She has agreed to work with Scott
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 be a way to reeducate and help their in this program,” says Hammond. “We
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 citizens succeed economically,” Simp- have the best person in the country
public schools – where lagging math son explains. working with Scott. We will get advice
students. They are what matters. ... Did scores cry out for help. from all the professors that are using
you know I told Rendell my desire was “They decided to take a different ap- or know about the math. And St. Ed-
to be the first black principal at Sebas- When school reopens in the fall, proach to mathematics and within a ward’s was helpful; the teachers let
tian River?" Osceola Magnet will be the first public decade they went from not being on the him visit their math classes.”
school in Florida to fully implement radar for ratings to leading the world.
Nathaniel knows that's not likely to the revolutionary program. And as soon as Singapore came out on “The history of American math-
happen – not any time soon, anyway top, that’s when the world took notice.” ematics is mostly based upon drill
– but he has spent the past three years Hammond’s passion for education and memorization,” says Simpson,
working toward a doctorate in higher goes back a long way. When her chil- “In improving the math, it improved who has taught math at the elemen-
education leadership through an on- dren were young, she was a major force the entire country,” says Hammond. tary, middle school and college level
line program. behind the 1965 founding of Saint Ed- before becoming principal at Osceola.
ward’s School; about 10 years ago, she Fifth-grade math class at Osceola Magnet School. “You learn the procedures, you fol-
He might need that degree to move made the case for the island school to low the procedures and you get an
on, if Rendell is successful. institute Singapore Math. “If we improve our math it would im- answer. Oftentimes you don't neces-
prove the gross national product by sarily know what the answer means or
Not only is the district trying to fire “At St. Edward’s, it's even improved the 1 percent a year, and that would be why you did it. Unfortunately students
him, but, having accused him of code- thinking of the students; improved their huge. I feel awfully sorry for these kids who don’t have strong memorization
of-conduct violations, Rendell also SAT scores. The parents are happy with who can't do math; they can't even (skills) either don’t succeed in math or
was obligated by law to forward his it and the kids love it,” says Hammond. make change. They can’t get a good don’t like it.”
charging letter to the state Department “There's just something about [it] . . . that job without math. I just feel we need to
of Education's Office of Professional the kids love. They understand it.” really help these children. I'll do any- A foundation of Singapore Math is
Practices Services, which has the clout thing I can to help them learn.” that there are three primary steps –
to suspend or permanently revoke Na- Hammond has now turned her concrete, pictorial and abstract. The
thaniel's teaching certification. sights on the public school system, Hammond says she has been “in idea being, every mathematics prob-
which clearly has room for improve- constant contact” with Madge Gold- lem that you do should relate to real
"They are attempting to end my ca- ment. According to 2014-15 test re- man, president of the Rosenbaum life; something concrete.
reer," Nathaniel said. "I've told the truth. sults, just 54 percent of county public Foundation, who was instrumental in
I have nothing to hide. And I think I'll school students are doing satisfactory bringing Singapore Math to this coun- The next step is pictorial or visual-
win the case. But this has been stressful." in math. A U.S. News and World Re- try, where it has spread to more than ization. The students should be able to
port ranking based on the 2013-14 2,500 schools, most of them private visualize or see what they're doing and
He was accused of improper conduct school year showed math proficiency schools like St. Ed’s. how the numbers are composed or de-
and harming a student, and he was rankings of 41 percent at Sebastian composed. It’s a structure for students to
removed from his classroom for the River High School, 47 percent at Vero see even the most complex of problems;
remainder of the school year. He was Beach High School and 73 percent at to draw a picture of what it looks like.
confronted with Rendell's recommen- the Charter High School. And the last step is the abstract; simple
dation that he be fired. His state teach- abstract numbers. The goal is that every
ing certification might be in jeopardy. Hammond has been collaborat- student should be able to draw a model
ing with Simpson since last summer, of what that problem could be about
"It's important," Rendell said when helping get the school ready for a new and then take that picture and turn it
he was hired in March 2015, "to make way of learning mathematics. Simp- into a concrete real-life example.
sure teachers know that the superin- son says he has the full support of
tendent has their back." School Superintendent Mark Rendell “You still want to get the right an-
and other top district administrators. swer. That’s very important. But at the
Well, it sounded good at the time. end of the day, what separates Singa-
"They get away with too much," “In the 1980s, the country of Singa- pore Math is that a right answer with-
Nathaniel said. "Maybe this will help pore decided to invest in their educa- out knowing what it means is useless.
other people fight for their rights." tion in a different way, specifically de-
Maybe, win or lose, he's not done
filing lawsuits. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 5

NEWS

You need to be able to get the right ed incredible inventions, but Simpson bers. However, that has never been ex- the usefulness of mathematics – will
answer and also understand what it points out most of them were brilliant, plicitly taught to everyone else,” says understand why they’re doing what
means conceptually.” high-achieving students who under- Simpson. “The goal now is every stu- they’re doing to get the right answer.”
stood conceptualization. dent – whether they struggle academi-
Historically the United States has cally, are in the middle of the road, “Osceola's vision is to be a model
produced strong mathematicians who “Brilliant people figure it out on or are high achieving but question for the state in science and math,” says
have put men on the moon and creat- their own; they see between the num-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Revolutionary math approach districts very little freedom to decide Spoil island cleanup will continue this weekend
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 what schools can do with the money
budgeted to them. Despite the fact BY RAY MCNULTY Island Park and at the base of the
Simpson, who wants to reach children that Singapore Math aligns with the Staff Writer 17th Street Bridge – at 10 a.m.
who say “I’m bad at math,” “I don’t Florida State Standards, since it’s not
like math,” or “I was born without the part of the current curriculum, schools A grassroots campaign to remove “We’ll go until people get tired
ability to do math.” must seek private funding to institute litter from the spoil islands is sched- and want to stop,” Miller said, add-
the program. uled to continue Saturday with a ing that anyone interested in par-
“Our science scores are some of the group of 100 volunteers expected ticipating in the cleanup should go
best in the state, but our math scores “I give so much credit to Scott for to participate in an “Indian River to Riverside Park.
don't rank us anywhere in the state. taking the initiative,” says Hammond. Island Cleanup,” sponsored by the
The goal is that through this program “He deserves a tremendous amount of county chapter of the Fellowship of Kelly said his only concern was
we’ll be able to expand horizontally credit for bringing Singapore Math into Christian Athletes. whether the group would have
to other elementary schools district- the public schools. It’s so important for enough boats to transport the clean-
wide. I’d love to see it expand verti- these students. This is huge; it’s going Organizers of the event said they up crews to the islands. He said the
cally, K to 12. But first we have to show to revolutionize public school math.” have recruited local high school Sheriff’s Office has offered to use its
how it works.” athletes and coaches, firefighters, boat to help, and Miller said he has
“The first year will be difficult, es- church members and other con- been talking to local boaters.
All Osceola teachers received their pecially with the older grades imple- cerned area residents to join more
initial Singapore Math training in May menting a new approach,” says Simp- than 20 volunteers from the Clean “We’re doing everything we can to
from Sara Schafer of the Bolles School, son, noting that the system will be Water Collective, a Vero Beach vol- find people with boats,” Kelly said.
a high-achieving private school in introduced at every grade level, kin- unteer group dedicated to cleaning “You never know how many peo-
Jacksonville. She will return in August dergarten through fifth grade. “I'm ex- up the lagoon and its islands. ple are going to show up for some-
to focus on individual grade levels and pecting minor improvement the first thing like this. We could get 50; we
will then come again in the fall. year but increasing every year down According to local kayaker Paul could get 200. If we get 100, we’ll be
the line.” Kelly and CWC member Jeff Mill- thrilled. But we’ve got to have the
To date, Hammond has been the er, who met randomly at the Oslo boats to get them to the islands.”
primary funder of the cost of the text “Most schools have about a 9 per- Boat Ramp last month and decided
books and teacher training, but ex- cent improvement the first year, and to organize the project, cleanup For more information, Kelly can be
panding the program will require ad- it jumps up considerably after that,” crews will gather at four locations reached by phone at 772-774-9008.
ditional funding. adds Hammond. – the Oslo Boat Ramp and the boat
launches at Riverside Park, Round The event is the latest response
“It's a very rigorous process for a “The goal is that when they leave us to a Vero Beach 32963 April 14 sto-
curriculum to be approved from the in fifth grade they're prepared in math. ry and photographs that revealed
state,” says Simpson, adding that the We’re moving heaven and earth right the spoil islands trash problem. 
Florida legislature has given school here. I think it will have amazing re-
sults; I can't wait.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 7

NEWS

Former Vero High football star suing over NFL injury

BY RAY MCNULTY Karas and chiropractor Joseph Krzem- continue for another six months be- As a rookie in 2013, despite being
Staff Writer ien, through their actions and inactions, fore it is set for trial. a seventh-round pick who was used
not only robbed Motta of any chance to mostly on special teams, Motta played
Former Vero Beach High School play football again, but they also left him Motta, who left his job as an insur- his way into the Falcons' starting
football standout Zeke Motta has filed suffering from "substantial and persis- ance adjuster in Pompano Beach in lineup and his football future seemed
a personal-injury lawsuit claiming that tent" pain that impacts his daily life. April and returned to Vero Beach to more promising than most expected.
inadequate treatment and profession- ponder another profession, did not
al negligence by doctors following a Motta, who turned 26 last month, mention the lawsuit, which was filed Then, while covering a second-
violent on-field collision in December "continues to experience chronic pain last November, in recent interviews quarter kickoff in a Dec. 8 game at
2013 cost him his budding NFL career. and discomfort, including persistent and seemed to be caught off-guard Green Bay, he was left dazed after a
tingling in his arm, resistance in his when asked about it. jarring collision.
The suit was filed in State Court in neck movement ... and stiffness when
Dekalb County in Georgia, where Mot- sitting," the complaint states, adding "I knew it would become public A week later, Motta made his first
ta played for the Atlanta Falcons until that the lingering effects of the injury eventually, but I was hoping to keep it NFL start and recorded five tackles in
a potentially life-threatening spinal hinders his "ability to drive and to ad- under wraps, at least until after the de- the Falcons' one-point victory against
injury ended his rookie season and re- equately perform a desk job." positions," Motta said. "It's not some- the Washington Redskins. He was ex-
sulted in two cutting-edge surgeries in thing I want to talk about right now." pected to start again in the next game
which steel plates were implanted to Citing multiple counts of "profes- at San Francisco, but the pain in his
stabilize his neck. sional negligence" against the doctors The lawsuit is a reminder of an NFL neck worsened during practice and a
and the "vicarious liability" of their career cut short and a boyhood dream consulting team physician, Dr. Jeff
According to Motta's complaint, the employers – Emory Healthcare (Karas) shattered by a cruel twist of fate. Webb, sent him for a MRI exam.
failure of the Falcons' team physician and Georgia Spine and Sports Rehab
and an Atlanta-area chiropractor to (Krzemien) – Motta is requesting a jury After receiving All-State recogni- The scan revealed a Jefferson frac-
adequately examine, properly diag- trial and seeking unspecified damages tion in high school, Motta earned All- ture of Motta's C-1 vertebra, as well
nose and correctly treat the initial C-1 as compensation for pain and suffer- America honors at Notre Dame, where, as traumatic bulging discs between his
vertebra fracture – at the top of his ing, past and future economic losses, as a senior, he helped the Fighting C-4 and 5, C-5 and 6, and C-6 and 7 ver-
spine – allowed the damage to worsen and the "loss of enjoyment of life." Irish reach the 2013 national champi- tebrae. The fracture was so serious that
from an "inconvenient injury to a dev- onship game. Three months later, he doctors said it could impair his ability
astating and permanent one ..." Motta's Atlanta-based attorney, Sta- was drafted by the Falcons and signed to breathe and even result in death.
cey Carroll, said the case is still in the a four-year, $2.2 million contract that
The complaint alleges that Dr. Spero discovery phase, which he expects to included a $46,000 signing bonus and Though the 15-millimeter separa-
an annual salary of $550,000.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

8 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Zeke Motta suing over injury provided chiropractic adjustments on Big Blue cooling towers to go into effect with the bills sent out
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Dec. 15 and Dec. 17 "without ordering CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 on June 15.”
any additional X-rays" or reviewing the
tion in the vertebra was painful, it had X-rays taken at the Falcons' facility at the company will gain ownership of The decision to reduce rates was the
not yet affected Motta's respiratory the Georgia Dome on Dec. 9. plant components, which it can sell result of a quarterly rate-sufficiency
system. Two surgeries later – the first for reuse or scrap. If the city had re- study, which showed that, due to the
in late December 2013, the second in The lawsuit states that C-1 Jeffer- tained ownership of the dismantled shutdown of the power plant and oth-
July 2014 – the damage was repaired son fractures, if displacement isn't too tower parts and marketed the mate- er operational efficiencies, Vero elec-
with plates and the vertebra was bol- wide, can often be treated conserva- rials itself, the demolition job would tric could operate on less revenue and
stered with a bone graft. tively, such as with a neck brace that have been billed at nearly $200,000. still make ends meet.
must be worn until the fracture heals.
After both operations, Motta began In addition to the cooling tower re- Vero recently renegotiated its 20-
to rehab the injury in hopes of getting However, because no MRI was per- moval, the City Council on Tuesday year bulk power contract with Or-
back on the field. However, team doc- formed, Motta's fracture wasn't dis- was asked to approve a $396,000 con- lando Utilities Commission to reduce
tors refused to medically clear him to covered until after he endured the tract for cleanup of asbestos and mer- prices and allow Vero to buy power on
play, claiming the risk of permanent or rigors and risks of practicing the week cury from the aging power plant build- the open market a few years sooner.
fatal injury was too great, and the Fal- after the Dec. 8 game, starting and ings to prepare for further demolition. That deal, which went into effect last
cons cut him in April 2015. playing throughout the Dec. 15 game, fall, was held out by Vero’s attorneys
and undergoing chiropractic manipu- It’s expected to take two to three and consultants as the utility’s best
In his lawsuit, Motta claims he was not lation that aggravated the injury – all months for the cooling tower to be hope of becoming price-competitive.
put through the NFL's concussion pro- of which, the complaint alleges, con- completely removed from the south-
tocol after the initial hit Dec. 8 in Green tributed to the "displacement of the east quadrant of the power plant At the time the deal was brokered,
Bay, nor was he examined by Karas be- fracture beyond the point where con- property on the shore of the lagoon to critics speculated the it would not
fore being sent back into the game. servative treatment was possible." “create green space for future use,” as net much savings for ratepayers and
stated in a memo to the City Council. O’Connor did not credit the entire June
Motta played the rest of the game To bolster Motta's case, Carroll at- Vero officials have begun soliciting rate decrease to the new contract, say-
despite "continued neck pain and on- tached an affidavit from Vero Beach public input about what should be ing, “The OUC contract does play a role,
going signs and symptoms of concus- orthopedic surgeon and spine spe- done with the power plant site once but it is a combination of all efforts to
sion," the complaint states, adding cialist Dr. Johnny Benjamin, an NFL it’s cleared of utility equipment, but no reduce the rates,” including getting rid
that Karas offered medication and or- Accountability and Care Committee decisions have been made. of power plant operation expenses.
dered X-rays the next day but did not member who has been treating Motta
request an MRI exam or CT scan, med- since February 2015. City Manager Jim O’Connor said The 158-megawatt generating
ically prohibit Motta from returning to the $2 per month savings on the “pur- plant was constructed in the early
practice or refer him to a neurologist. In his affidavit, given after examining chased power” portion of electric bills, 1960s, with the first General Electric
the available medical records connected which amounts to about a 1.7 percent unit going online in November 1961.
Instead, Karas referred Motta to Krze- to the case, Benjamin stated that Karos decrease in electric bills, “is scheduled It replaced the city’s old diesel plant
mien, who, according to the complaint, "breached the applicable standard of near the railroad tracks as Vero’s main
care" in care and treatment of Motta.  source of power, supplemented de-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 9

NEWS

cades later by nuclear and coal power If the entire utility had been sold to
from Florida Power & Light’s St. Lu- Florida Power & Light, FPL planned to
cie nuclear plant and OUC’s Stanton 1 keep the plant open for five years while
and Stanton 2 coal plants, purchased it made transmission upgrades before
via Vero’s costly membership in the relocating the substation and switch-
Florida Municipal Power Agency. ing equipment off the riverfront. FPL
had also agreed to continue employ-
The main building of the Vero power ing Vero’s electric utility workers and
plant encases an integrated substation to assume their pension liabilities.
and switching equipment, so it can’t be
completely demolished without provid- Instead, the 22 power plant em-
ing a place to relocate that equipment. ployees are set to begin phasing out
their employment with the city in July,
The city is considering various op- though some may be slotted into posi-
tions for the substation and switching tions in the Transmission and Distri-
equipment. Options are pricy, ranging bution division. A recent optimization
from about $8 million to $20 million, study recommended Vero spend $14
depending upon whether the city opts million on near-term maintenance,
to completely remove any trace of Big renewal and replacement efforts to im-
Blue from the riverfront as part of a prove the reliability of the city’s power
major redevelopment project, such as supply, and more workers may be
creation of a park, marina or mixed- needed for those projects. 
use development.

George and Denise Shinn After 16 years, the two remain close,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 she says. “We talk five times a day,” she
says. “We’re just so compatible, and
And that was just in Vero. Shinn’s also truly loved – and love – each other. We
had homes and holdings in the Florida just could not work through it.”
panhandle, the mountains of North
Carolina and Franklin, Tennessee. The split was so amicable that the
two just spent the weekend together
With all those houses, he still needed – George wanted Denise at a party in
garage space – Shinn is a lifelong col- Texas for his brother’s 60th wedding
lector of vintage cars. Though a formal anniversary. “I wouldn’t have it any
bid never materialized, at one point other way,” says Denise.
Shinn proposed acquiring Vero’s city-
owned historic diesel plant to store his To many Vero residents, the most
collection, offering to run it as a non- important division of assets concerns
profit car museum. He raised his pub- the Lemon Tree, a beloved breakfast
lic profile further last year when he and lunch spot on Ocean Drive, a
bought the Lemon Tree restaurant on Shinn acquisition from only a year ago
Ocean Drive. that Denise says she will keep.

Finally this spring, Denise Shinn, Last weekend, a sign citing a family
who is 47, says she decided she didn’t emergency said the place was closed.
want to house-hop anymore. “I just The grumbling – stomachs and other-
wanted to feel settled,” she says. “He wise – turned to worry when, on Mon-
was not ready for that, and I felt it day, the café still hadn’t opened.
wasn’t fair to hold him back.”
Denise Shinn said the hiatus was
April 6, she filed for divorce. By May not due to the divorce but to a double
31, the divorce was final. Denise will dose of desertion restaurant-style,
stay in the most modest of the three when first one cook quit three weeks
homes the couple owned on the is- ago and then, while Denise was out of
land, which is on the river in Pebble town, a second cook quit last Friday.
Bay. The two oceanfront mansions
bought in 2014 and 2015 were auc- “The Lemon Tree is a great family
tioned off April 30, selling at a consid- restaurant but sometimes in the kitch-
erable loss for $5.4 million and $3.3 en, it can be too much family,” she
million; those deals closed last week. says of the discord.

Denise says George will live in Pen- Denise Shinn says she intends to as-
sacola – mostly. sume “a little more active role” in the
business.
“We were just at two different points
in our lives,” she says. “George has al- She is hoping not to be closed on
ways been extremely goal-oriented Mondays, as a chalkboard outside the
and motivated and non-stop, and I restaurant stated last week. “I don’t think
just wanted more of a simple lifestyle. the Lemon Tree should be closed any
It wasn’t fair to me to continue being days. We’ve just got to have more help.”
his cheerleader.
As for Denise Shinn, she is thinking
“I wanted to feel we had a true of getting just one more home, a small
home, not have homes everywhere. one, probably in the Charlotte area
It’s hard to feel you’re part of a com- where she’s from originally and still
munity when you’re three months has a strong network of friends.
here and four months there.”
Meanwhile, in Vero, she says she’s
adjusting to being alone. “I’m fine, I’m
happy. I’m just trying to learn to be on
my own.” 

10 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Charters seek injunctive relief would count equally with other public to doling out the revenue, which is The circuit court, with Judge Paul
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 school students, and the money would controlled by the district, the charter Kanarek presiding, will decide who is
be shared among schools on an equi- schools were given only 5 percent of right.
are public schools entitled to tax dol- table per student basis. the total collected – even though char-
lars, they say they have been short- ter students make up 13 percent of the The charter schools have asked for
changed by the Indian River County The referendum stated it was for county’s student population. the case to be put on the “rocket dock-
School Board for the past three years. “all students” in the district, and by et,” or in legal terms, they’ve requested
law, public charter school students Waddell said the district owes the “injunctive relief.” To get injunctive re-
Gene Waddell, president of the are supposed to be funded equally, ac- charter schools about $2 million in lief, they must show immediate need
Indian River Charter High School cording to Waddell. back disbursements. In the coming and irreparable harm.
board, said the school board came year, the fourth and final year of the
to the charter school leaders in 2012 The 0.60 levy “passed overwhelming- levy voters approved in 2012, another “Each year that a charter school is in-
and asked them to help get a referen- ly” in November 2012. Because of the $600,000 to $700,000 will be due to the equitably funded is the lost opportunity
dum passed to replace and increase a levy, property owners in the county pay charters according to their calculation. for a charter school’s student to receive
school tax levy soon to expire. an extra 60 cents for each $1,000 of as- educational opportunities and ser-
sessed value each year, which brought District Superintendent Mark Rendell vices. In short, a child gets one chance
The charters gave their support with in an extra $26 million in revenue for the and the school board’s attorneys, Su- to receive an education. In this regard,
the understanding that their students schools over the past three years. zanne D’Agresta and Vivian Cocotas, in- the damage suffered by current charter
sist the charters are not owed any money. school students with the District is ir-
So far, so good. But when it came reparable,” the attorney for the charters,
Shawn Arnold, wrote in the filing.

The charters also have to demon-
strate the greater public good will
not be harmed if the school district
is forced to fork over about $2 million
immediately along with “any further
relief that is just and appropriate un-
der the circumstances,” such as inter-
est on any money owed and legal fees.

“If an injunction is granted, the dis-
trict will suffer no hardship,” Arnold’s
complaint says, because the district
has stockpiled the money from the
tax and the “reserves ... exceed the
amount owed to the Plaintiffs.”

The complaint cites several laws in-
dicating charter schools are owed an
equal share of the property tax money
in question

However, the school board’s attor-
ney, Suzanne D’Agresta, has advised
the school board that the 2012 tax levy
revenue does not have to be shared
with charter schools, basing her argu-
ment on her reading of state law.

The charter schools’ case appears
to be the first that will test a Florida
school board’s authority over the dis-
tribution of local property taxes.

“We believe this is a case of first
impression,” said Arnold, meaning
a question of interpretation of law is
presented which has never arisen be-
fore in any reported case.

The Florida Charter School Alli-
ance could find no similar complaint
among its members, and Department
of Education Deputy Communica-
tions Director Cheryl Etters said she
did not know of any legal or informal
complaint concerning property taxes
withheld from charter schools.

In a related wrinkle, the school board
voted last week to put a new property
tax on the ballot on Aug. 30, asking for
a .50 mill levy to replace the current .60
mill tax that will expire next year.

Even though the district denies it
has any obligation to share equally
the proceeds from tax now in effect, it
has agreed to share revenue from the
proposed tax extension on an equal
per-student basis, and the charters are
backing the new levy. 



12 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Memorial Day Ceremony brings out Vero’s best

1

23 4

MEMORIAL DAY CAPTIONS

1. Rifle Volley from the American Legion Post

39. 2. Barbara Christian and Sunny with Lily,

Dana, Connor and Quinn O’Brien. 3. Col. Sam

Kouns, Lloyd Smiley and Lt. Gen. William

Welser III. 4. Jerry and Catherine Reichert.

5. Bernie and Marge Grall. 6. Staff Sgt. John

Melia places the Memorial Wreath. 7. Patti and

567 Hal Glassman. PHOTOS: PHIL SUNKEL

BY CHRISTINA TASCON inspiring rendition of the Star Span- led Army Staff Sgt. John Melia, who “I think that it is wonderful that
Correspondent gled Banner sung by Dolores Mark. placed the Memorial Wreath by the Vero, for such a small town, can put
marker for Owens, the most recent on such a production and have the
With a clear blue sky overhead, Members of the Veterans Memorial veteran from this area to be killed in major crowd that we did, who are so
roughly 2,000 people filed onto the Island Sanctuary Committee, Master action. patriotic,” added Stonecipher.
Veterans Memorial Island Sanctu- of Ceremonies Col. Darryle “Sam”
ary to attend last Monday’s Memorial Kouns USA (Ret.), distinguished “I have gone to all of these since my “The country needs to be grateful
Day Ceremony hosted by the Veter- guests and speakers sat solemnly son Danny went to West Point,” said for the sacrifices of the current mem-
ans Council of Indian River County on the bandstand while numerous a teary-eyed Linda Colontrelle, presi- bers of the military and especially
to commemorate the military men veterans and disabled military and dent of the Military Moms Prayer for those who died in the service of
and women who made the ultimate their families sat on bleacher bench- Group. “I now especially understand our country,” said John Michael Mat-
sacrifice for their country during es nearby that had been reserved for the true meaning of these ceremo- thews, past president of the Veterans
times of war and conflict. them. nies and see that we are all so blessed. Council and a member of the Sanctu-
How could it not touch your heart?” ary Committee, reiterating the im-
Visitors brought chairs and blan- Jamie Owens, wife of Navy Sea- portance of the solemn ceremony to
kets and sought out patches of shade man Ronald Scott Owens, a Vero resi- “I really appreciate what the vet- remember fallen heroes. “How lucky
to keep cool on the warm May morn- dent who was killed in the attack on erans do for us,” said Lynda Stoneci- we are to have had those who had the
ing, and local Boy Scout troop mem- the USS Cole, spoke to the gathered pher, who has attended with husband foresight to set this island aside for
bers distributed ice-cold bottles of crowd, as did keynote speaker Lt. Richard for the past six years. “I had a this purpose.”
water to keep everyone hydrated. The Gen. William Welser III USAF (Ret.), son and son-in-law in the Army and I
trees on the tranquil island provided who leads the Space Coast Honor think they always give a tremendous All branches of service are repre-
some welcome relief to both attend- Flight, ushering veterans to Wash- message at these events. I really love sented on Veterans Memorial Island
ees and parade participants, swelter- ington, D.C. to visit war memorials. the island, too.” Sanctuary, which exists as a tribute
ing in their full dress uniforms. Welser acknowledged the 1.3 million from the community to honor all vet-
service personnel who were being “We appreciate all the sacrifices the erans, especially those who served
The flag-waving crowd also showed honored that day, having died in the veterans have made,” said her friend, from Indian River County. A Sanctu-
their appreciation for the interludes service of their country. Mary DeHaas. “The keynote address ary Committee oversees the Island in
of patriotic music played by the Vero was right on target and meant the cooperation with the Veterans Coun-
Beach High School Band as well as an Many were noticeably moved by most to me today, and the words by cil of Indian River County. 
the ceremony as Piper Michael Hyde Mrs. Owen touched all of us.”



14 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

All a-board! Skate Park starts fundraising push

BY MARY SCHENKEL and drenching rains played havoc park users will be skateboarders or tal on your body,” said Lewis Arnold,
Staff Writer with their plans, which included BMX riders, he said it will be all-inclu- owner of Lewis’s New Blood Skate
skateboard and bicycle demonstra- sive – meaning other wheeled sports Shop on 17th Street. “You’re giving
Mother Nature didn’t play very nice tions and day-long entertainment by such as inline skaters and scooters. the sport all you have, but we do this
at a recent inaugural fundraising event six area bands, including Vero’s own for the love of it. I started at 12 years
at The Stamp to benefit the Vero Beach punk/rock headliners Spicoli. “We’re not going to turn people old and I’ll be 40 next month. It’s a
Skate Park Alliance, the group working down,” said Warren. “We will be doing lifestyle.”
to raise money to build the Vero Beach Soggy but undeterred, the party monthly memberships for residents
Skate Park at Leisure Square. It rained went on, with a goal toward raising an and daily drop-in fees for people from He spoke of Johan Stuckey, “born
again but wasn’t an issue the following initial $100,000 to break ground and out of town or residents who just want and bred here,” who Arnold first met
Sunday at a special benefit screening eventually $1 million to proceed with to stop in occasionally.” 15 years ago and who is now a rising
of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” at the project. star in the sport living in Los Angeles.
Majestic 11. There are also plans afoot The Vero Beach Lifeguard Asso-
for a family-friendly event in the fall at “We do have a conceptual design, ciation is helping the group with its “He’s got about 50,000 followers on
Leisure Square. but once we raise $100K we can get fundraising efforts and allowing the Instagram; the whole world knows
into the real design phase,” said War- alliance to piggy-back on its 501 (c) 3 him,” said Arnold. “His following is
The diversity of the events – with the ren. “There’s quite a big following. I’ve status. huge.”
focus on adults at one and children at been canvasing the area for months
the other – mimics the diversity of the now and each time I go around, more “Funding for Leisure Square is tied Sebastian has the county’s only
ages and backgrounds of the skate- and more people are recognizing it. into the Recreation Department, as skateboard park but as Warren points
boarders, BMX (bicycle motocross) Skateboarding was shunned in the are the lifeguards,” said Eric Toom- out, it does not allow bicycles and it
riders and others interested in build- 80s but now we’ve got the mayor on soo, president of the VBLA. isn’t large enough to handle the grow-
ing the family-friendly skate park. board. It’s going to be good for the ing interest.
kids and good for the community. It’s “Plus we have three boys,” added
Chris Warren, owner of Endless an alternative to team sports; you can Samantha Toomsoo of their skate- “We’re basically doing this for our
Summer Pool Construction and a express yourself passionately as an in- boarding sons. children,” said Arnold.
BMX rider, organized the first event, dividual. Vero has a lot of soccer fields
held inside and in the alleyway be- and baseball fields but nothing for al- Proponents claim that skateboard- “We’re bringing something to the
hind The Stamp in downtown Vero ternative sports.” ing is the second fastest growing sport community that we don’t have, and it’s
Beach. Afternoon thunderstorms in the nation and that, statistically, it’s something every community should
While they expect the majority of safer than other sports. have,” agreed Warren, adding that the
interest is there; they just need fund-
“It’s a sport where you stick to it or ing to get it built. 
you give up pretty fast; it can be bru-

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 15

PEOPLE

‘I got one!’ Take a Kid Fishing event hooks young’uns

because of the Kiwanis’ efforts, and est quantity and ugliest fish caught.
the city is always happy to support The biggest fish of the day was a
them.”
21.5-inch stingray caught by 6-year-
Adding to the festive atmosphere old Jackson Payne, and runner-up was
was the enticing aroma of hot dogs Colin Wallace, who caught a 14-inch
and burgers sizzling on the grill and stone crab. Shyanne Mallory’s mother-
served at a picnic in MacWilliams Park in-law fish grabbed the Ugliest Fish
at the end of the tournament. Vero title, and Samuel Speak won for Small-
Tackle & Marina provided both the est Fish. Daisy Landin and Jacob Akey,
bait and the fishing poles given out as 7 and 10 respectively, won for the Most
prizes for the biggest, smallest, high- Fish in their age categories. 

Al Sammartino, Jim Wolfe, Jay Kramer and Thomas Maher. PHOTOS: PHIL SUNKEL

BY CHRISTINA TASCON
Correspondent

In a tradition spanning 24 years, FISHING PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
members of the Kiwanis Club of Vero-
Treasure Coast brought hundreds of Ally and Chris Johann.
fishing poles and buckets filled with
cut-up bait shrimp to the fishing pier then released back into the Indian Riv-
underneath the Merrill P. Barber er Lagoon.
Bridge last Saturday – and brought joy
to the children of Indian River County “You see the kids when they catch
through their annual Take a Kid Fish- their first fish, they love it. Everybody
ing tournament. gets excited,” said Wolfe. “I have heard
some kids say that this is the first time
Co-chairs Jim Wolfe and Al Sam- they have seen the water, let alone fish.”
martino estimated that 20 Kiwanis
were on hand to share in the fun and “We’re catching fish for the Ocean
give a helping hand to the roughly 200 Grill tonight,” joked Ocean Grill chef
children who attended. This year saw Tim McGraw, fishing with son Nick.
a record number of girls fishing along- “This is so great for the community. A
side the boys – quite fitting consider- lot of kids don’t have an opportunity to
ing that this was the first time the local go fishing, so I think it is awesome for
Kiwanis had a female president, Ginny Kiwanis to do this.”
Benton.
Organizers appreciated that this
The delightful day of fishing, entirely year Mayor Jay Kramer had asked that
free to any child who wished to partici- the city clean up the pier prior to the
pate, is just one way the Kiwanis Club tournament.
meets its mission of serving the chil-
dren of the community. They also hold “Typically we clean it up periodically
fundraisers that enable them to award but it doesn’t take long for it to get a
college scholarships, which this year little dirty so we wanted to make sure
totaled $22,000. it was nice for everyone,” said Kramer.
“It’s extremely satisfying to see the kids
“Close your eyes and listen to the and parents enjoying this quality time
kids say ‘I got one! I got one!’” said Sam-
martino. “It’s so exciting for them. We
can’t wait to do it every year. It’s a lot
of work but everyone comes back and
volunteers, because when we are done
we are on such a high by this that it mo-
tivates all of us.”

Sammartino directed a tri-genera-
tional measuring table alongside son
Mark and grandson Luke. One by one
and grinning ear to ear, each child
walked up to the table with their squig-
gling catches to have hooks removed,
get them measured and counted, and

16 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

FISHING PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 2

1 FISHING CAPTIONS

33 1. Petra King, Ro Smith, Caitlin Puppo, Sandee
Sooy, Heather Dean, Richard Sooy and
Michael Roy. 2. Suzy Feeney, Michael Cairns,
Ginny Benton, Carl Fetzer and Jim Vensel.
3. Seth Pippen, Amber Jenks, Jennifer
Pippen, Jackson Payne with stingray, Kenton
Mull and Hunter Pippen 4. Al Sammartino,
Mark Sammartino, Richard Schlitt and Luke
Sammartino.

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 17

PEOPLE

5 6
7 FISHING CAPTIONS

5. Grayson Jones, Zach Bird and Joe Gabaldon.
6. Ava, Hannah and Alissa Verk. 7. Nick McGraw
and father, Tim McGraw. 8. Sabrina Bello and
Joseph Bellos with his mangrove snapper.
9. Wayne Alexander and Denasia Williams.
10. Hunter Patterson reels in a big one.
11. Cheyenne and Robin Kinchen.

8 11

9 10

18 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Blue Water Open reels in funds for children’s charities

BY MARY SCHENKEL Capt’n Butcher’s Seafood Grille & Ma-
Staff Writer rina last Saturday.

Their boats bobbing out in the la- Before the Captain’s Party Friday
goon, captains and crews patiently evening, Michael Natale, co-chair of
waited their turn for the weigh-in at the the event with Eva Chapman, said they
Sebastian Exchange Club Foundation’s were expecting more boats than usual
2016 23rd Annual Blue Water Open Off- because the weather and conditions
shore Charity Fishing Tournament at were forecast to be perfect. He was right
on target – 116 boats registered to take

1 2

BLUE WATER PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

3

45

67

BLUE WATER CAPTIONS PHOTOS: PHIL SUNKEL

1. Kara Anderson, Patty and Michael Treglio, Vicki Suplizio and Debra Young. 2. Mike Jacobs with Madison
and Tommy Hinkle. 3. Tonya, Taylor and Wesley Davis with Will, Rob and Tiffany Tripson. 4. Georgia Taje
with Brian, Zachary and Gavin Coffey. 5. Steve and Cindy Vance. 6. A Surf Rider crew member loads a
grouper on the dock to be weighed. 7. The crew of Reel Easy poses with their dolphin.

part in the event, which raised about $3,000, and we have another one going
$50,000 to benefit the Exchange Club today.”
mission of child abuse prevention.
The 45-plus club members and
“We had a record crowd last night. countless volunteers have gotten the
This place was packed,” said Donna event down to a fine science, each per-
Keys. “We had a 50/50 that raised son competently doing their job and

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

making everything run very smoothly
during the three-day undertaking.

“It’s an exciting event,” said Natale,
who provided constant banter with the
crowd and the incoming boats, bellow-
ing out the weight of each magnificent
fish hoisted onto the scales, provided
for the past 20 years by Bob Maxwell,
owner of Fishtales Scale Service. The
job of getting the beautiful fish mea-
sured and weighed fell to such able-
bodied volunteers as Zach Timm and
Lee Roberts.

Boats with catches of at least 10
pounds first checked in with the an-
chored committee boat, were given a
numbered paper plate and bided their
time. Next stop, at the end of the dock,
outgoing Club President Rene Van de
Voorde held them at bay before direct-
ing them in to show off their prized
catches. The sunburned captains, ever
mindful that their every move was be-
ing watched by a crowd of hundreds of
onlookers, all mastered their craft with
expert precision.

“We’ve had a lot of juniors and lady
anglers this year; I think more than last
time,” said Chapman, watching with a
smile as two little girls proudly present-
ed their fish.

“All our junior anglers get a fishing
pole; if they win they get a bigger one,”
said Kathy Falzone, the club’s incoming
president. “What this event really does
is help spread the word about what the
Exchange Club does. We do so many
wonderful things for the community.”

The Sebastian Exchange Club sup-
ports children’s charities and youth
activities, such as the Yellow Umbrel-
la (a National Exchange Club Child
Abuse Prevention Center in Brevard
County), Youth Guidance, the Boys
and Girls Club, Sebastian Soccer, Shi-
loh Youth Ranch in Sebastian, CASTLE
and countless other smaller charities
through this annual fundraiser.

“Before I looked into it, I thought
that the money was made off of the
captains’ boat registration, but that
doesn’t even cover our expenses. What
makes this profitable is all the busi-
nesses who sponsor the event. They
realize that the money stays local and
they’re supporting kids in the com-
munity,” said Dr. Jeff Slade, pointing
out that Platinum Sponsors were once
again TD Bank, Health First and Tiki
Bar and Grill.

Winners: 28.1 (lbs.) dolphin, Charlie
Larson; 22.6 wahoo, Steven Louder-
milk; 42.2 kingfish, Kim May (also top
Lady Angler); 45.25 grouper, Brent Oak-
ley; 32.4 amberjack, Rex Hailey; 20.95
cobia, Dan Nelson; and 45.25 big fish
bonanza, Brent Oakley. Justin Jones’
Mow Money was top boat at 72.85 lbs.;
and Carson Lawson won Junior Angler.

The Sebastian Exchange Club meets
Wednesdays at Noon at Capt. Hiram’s
Tiffany Room. 

20 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

BLUE WATER PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

8 9

11 12 10

BLUE WATER CAPTIONS

8. Blue Water Open Sebastian Exchange
Club members. 9 Tommy Furey of
The No Name Number One loads his
dolphin onto the dock to be weighed.
10. Aiden Gilbert holds up his kingfish for the
crowd to see. 11. Hammertime crew members
show off their catch. 12. Chapman Steward
poses with his kingfish. 13. The crew of Easy
Drinking shows off their kingfish.

13



22 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Yolk art: Ross-Cook revels in egg tempera painting

BY ELLEN FISCHER Anna Ross-Cook. PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE
Correspondent

It is not surprising that in a world of an Environmental Learning Center in early Renaissance altarpieces. In the however, its pluses far outweigh its
fast food, trending topics and Snap- Choice Award last December at Gallery 15th century, when oil succeeded tem- minuses.
chat, a growing number of people 14’s “Beautiful Waters” show. It depicts pera as the painting medium of choice,
yearn for an unhurried pace, one that two couples strolling the oceanfront the art of tempera painting was largely Like acrylic paint, tempera dries
allows them to smell the roses along walkway at Humiston Park. forgotten. More than four centuries lat- quickly to the touch; like watercolor, it
life’s superhighway. In response, vari- er, 20th century artists like Thomas Hart has a radiant translucence. Similar to
ous slow movements that promise Tempera painting (with binders of Benton, Reginald Marsh, Jacob Law- oil paint, tempera takes about a year
to decelerate our lives have recently egg, honey, casein or glue) goes back rence and Andrew Wyeth revived its use to fully cure. Once cured, a tempera
picked up speed. to the ancient Egyptians, who used it in their own work. painting’s surface is hard and tough,
to decorate sarcophagi. Tempera has and can be displayed like an oil paint-
When it comes to slow art, painter been found in the cave-temple murals Ross-Cook admits that tempera ing, without the added expense of mat-
Anna Ross-Cook is a movement unto of India, in medieval manuscripts, and painting is not for everyone. For her, ting and glass. Ross-Cook avers that it
herself. In recent years the artist has is the ideal medium.
found her medium in that slowest of
techniques, egg tempera painting. “I don’t know why more people don’t
do it,” she says, adding, “It is kind of a
Egg tempera is composed of artist- nerdy pursuit.”
quality pigments, egg yolk and water.
Ross-Cook has been known to prepare Her drafting table currently holds
the paint herself, blending the raw pig- a work in progress. It is a painting on
ments and eggy binder to the right con-
sistency. She augments these with man-
ufactured tempera colors that come in
small metal tubes.

Working with tempera involves
layering the translucent paint onto
a smooth support (Ross-Cook uses
illustration board or gesso-coated
panels) until the desired saturation of
color is obtained.

“Everything has to be very thin lay-
ers,” says Ross-Cook. “I can apply it
with a palette knife, but it has to be thin
– very, very thin. I can get a toothbrush,
and as long as my mixture’s right, I can
take colors and do fly-specking over the
whole background. But it all has to be
very thin.”

The walls of Ross-Cook’s home are
decorated with her art. Here is a por-
trait of her infant son (since grown up),
sleeping in his crib; over there a great
blue heron stands sentinel on a pine
branch. Near it, deep red berries glis-
ten within the wrinkled pod that holds
them. And visible from her studio
room is the painting for which she won

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 23

ARTS & THEATRE

pera techniques. She also researched leafed panel, “Power Plant” is a striking
the work of other modern tempera portrait of the electric power station
painters before jumping into it herself. known locally as “Big Blue.”

“So I’m kind of self-taught,” she says. Limned in turquoise green, silver and
“The more I got into tempera, the more gray against an ultramarine sky, the
in love with it I fell. Now I’m coming miniaturized plant has the appearance
across other artists who are doing ab- of a princely stronghold in a medieval
stracts with it. They paint large blocks prayer book. The colors of the plant,
of color, which on closer examination says Ross-Cook, are what inspired her
seem to glow from within. It takes lay- to paint it.
ers upon layers of color to get that jewel-
like quality.” “I like the power plant on a bright,
clear day, but even when there’s a
One of Ross-Cook’s recent gems storm coming up behind it, it sits
was seen in May at the Artists Guild there like a little jewel on the land-
Gallery’s annual competitive show. scape,” she says. “I could stand there,
Executed on a 5-by-7-inch copper- just looking at it.” 

a small panel – about 8-by-10 inches Effects International, a company
– that depicts a clutch of eggs nestled that puts murals, decorative sten-
on a piece of satin. “I sit there, and ciling and faux finishes on the walls
I’m just fascinated by the painting as and furniture of clients’ homes and
it develops. It’s more like the journey, businesses. Ross-Cook’s job was to
rather than the goal kind of thing,” draw and paint images that would be
Ross-Cook says. photographically enlarged and trans-
ferred to the surfaces they would
Tempera is a rational art medium; enhance. She later designed sten-
every creative action is preceded by cils, and learned how to operate the
planning. The act of painting itself – one machine that cuts them. Finally, she
small, consistent stroke at a time – is a taught faux-finishing techniques in
contemplative experience. the company’s school.

“I can’t see getting all emotional and After 10 years Ross-Cook had a good
having fabulous brushstrokes, and get- grounding in the commercial aspect of
ting it done and pouring passion into it. art. She then left the company to explore
It’s not like that.” art’s creative side. To make ends meet,
she worked for a time at a local framing
Ross-Cook was born and raised in shop and, at present, is the manager of
Ontario, Canada, in the city of Missis- Crafts and Stuff.
sauga, about 20 miles south of Toronto.
She attended a high school for the arts It was on a visit to her mother’s
in her hometown and afterward applied house in 2005 that Ross-Cook’s eye fell
unsuccessfully to the Ontario College of on a stack of Time magazines from the
Art. She instead entered the University 1960s. She was struck by the portrait
of Toronto, where she received a B.A. in paintings on the magazine’s covers
English. Afterward, her reapplication to that depicted, in mesmerizing detail,
the Ontario College of Art was accepted, such weighty figures as Cardinal Cush-
but she left the program before being ing, Walter Cronkite and Dr. Christiaan
awarded a degree. Barnard. Ross-Cook later learned that
the artist behind the portraits was Rob-
Ross-Cook, along with her husband ert Vickrey, a fine artist as well as illus-
at the time and their 8-year-old son, trator who died in 2011. His medium,
moved to Florida in 1991. They lived Ross-Cook learned, was egg tempera,
first in Palm Bay and then in Sebastian well suited to the magic realist style of
before settling in Vero Beach, which has his paintings.
been the artist’s home for the past 17
years. Ross-Cook bought his book on tem-

In 1995 she began to work for Faux

24 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming Up: Wine and Film Festival ... it’s show time!

BY MICHELLE GENZ
Staff Writer

1 There are times when sitting in-
side a dark theater seems com-

pletely antithetical to enjoying Vero

Beach. Not so this steamy summer

weekend, when the Vero Beach Wine

and Film Festival offers great films in

cool venues all over town – and, with

luck, a nicely chilled Sancerre.

The jam-packed schedule is available

on the festival website and I strongly

suggest taking a while to study and

absorb it, not just the parties but the

impressive selection of films, panel- Vero Beach Wine and Film Festival, this weekend, will feature films like “Between Land and Sea.”

ists and vintners flying in.

It all kicks off Thursday with wine

dinners at Costa d’Este and Citrus Sunday, the action stays Stepford Wives,” and directed here by
downtown with films Art Pingree, “Deathtrap” runs through
Grillhouse, and a less formal open screening at the Heritage June 19.
Center, a champagne
house-style evening from 5 p.m. to 10 brunch at Osceola Bistro
and a wrap party at Blue
p.m. at the new Raw Space at Edge- Star. And Sunday after-
noon, there’s a closing-
wood gallery on Old Dixie downtown. day party at Blue Star 3 A troupe of fine actors-in-training
downtown. at Vero Beach High School are
Then, Friday and Saturday starting
And to whoever won
at noon, films are screened at both the festival founder Jerusha staging a brilliant play this weekend:
Stewart’s Be My Movie
Vero Beach Museum of Art and River- Date contest, we wish David Ives’ “All in the Timing,” a series
you stamina.
side Theatre on the island, and at the of mostly comedic vignettes about life,

Heritage Center on the mainland. love and Trotsky.

Friday, in a major coup for the first- With a very smart, very funny script

year festival, Sundance award winner to work with, the cast – VBHS dra-

“Between Land and Sea” will be shown ma teacher Dee Rose’s competition

at 4:30 p.m. at the museum. That will drama students – shows remarkable

be followed by shorts both comedic talent and maturity. Many of them

and dramatic. And starting at 7 p.m. at groomed at Riverside Children’s The-

Riverside, the Cinema Uncorked event 2 The Vero Beach The- atre, they are directed by a former
atre Guild is showing
includes wine tastings and the Florida student of both Riverside and the

premiere of “The Week” with director its stamina with a season- high school, Megan Taylor Callahan,

Jon Mann hosting an audience Q&A extending show, “Death- now in her junior year at the presti-

afterwards. trap,” opening this week- gious Tisch School of the Arts at New

Saturday, while “Land and Sea” end. Billed as a comedy York University. (More on Megan

moves to the Heritage Center, at thriller, the plot turns on a elsewhere in this section.)

Riverside, former Time magazine re- playwright whose student At $8 a ticket, this may be Vero’s en-

porter and wine author George Taber, sends him a script to re- tertainment bargain of the year. I saw

a part-time Vero resident, will host a view. When the playwright a rehearsal, and believe me, this stu-

quasi-re-creation of the 1976 Paris wines of the day. That will be followed remarks that he’d like to murder the guy dent troupe easily stands up to or sur-
by the film “Bottle Shock.”
Tasting at which he was the only and steal the play, his wife gets a little passes any adult community theater
Saturday night, the festival’s Grand
journalist present. That’s when a Cal- Tasting takes place at Costa d’Este. worried. Written in 1978 by Ira Levin, I’ve seen in our area.

ifornia wine beat out the top French author of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Ives’ absurdist sense of humor stays

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 25

ARTS & THEATRE

grounded with themes that are easy ater at the Freshman Learning Center. Lubel is an attorney who started com-
to relate to – wrong answers on first edy right after passing the bar exam.
dates, self-improvement swindles, 4 At Fort Pierce’s Sunrise Theatre, He’s been on Letterman and Leno
and feeling unmoored from the world two comedians take the stage in many times.
around you.
the Black Box theater Saturday night. Sunrise’s Comedy Zone offers a full bar
Shows are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and free popcorn. Tickets are $15. The
Comedian Al Lubel is coming to Sunrise Theatre and Sunday at 2 pm at the Black Box the- Steve Lazlow has performed on “The show starts at 8:30 p.m. 
on Saturday.
Tonight Show” and Comedy Central; Al

26 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ST. EDWARD’S

She loves L.A.! St. Edward’s Kahle ready for USC

BY RON HOLUB Would she become a Trojan or a Bru- schools up and down the West Grace Kahle.
Correspondent in? The only thing she knew for sure was Coast. I knew L.A. was the place
that her ultimate choice would take her
USC or UCLA? to the Los Angeles area. for me and a couple of months
Those renowned California schools
were the two finalists for St. Ed’s gradu- “St. Edward’s and Vero Beach are so ago I narrowed my choices down
ate Grace Kahle when decision time dear to my heart, but I am definitely
came around, as it usually does for any ready to move on to see bigger cities and to USC and UCLA.
accomplished high school senior beset meet different people,” Kahle – a St. Ed’s
with sorting out fabulous options for diehard – told us. “I was very interested “That was a pretty big decision.
college. in L.A. I went out there for spring break
in my junior year and saw a bunch of I went to the admitted students

day for both schools and right

then and there I loved both of

them. UCLA is a great school. The

people there were wonderful, but

I just felt more at home at USC.

It’s kind of hard to explain. Maybe

I can tell you more later, but I just

feel like USC could really be the

right place for me.

“So I will be going to USC and

I’m really excited about that.”

Actually, the academic envi-

ronment at St. Ed’s was an im-

portant ingredient in the USC

equation. Kahle pointed to one

class in particular that proved to be mo- In addition to settling on the right

tivational. courses to pursue academically in high

“Freshman year I took the AP Hu- school, Kahle played on the varsity la-

man Geography class with Mr. (Terence) crosse team all four years. She tried soc-

Mitchell,” Kahle said. “I was really ner- cer for one year and was one of those

vous going in, but I think sticking with skilled athletes recruited to the cross

it really set the tone academically for the country team as a senior. But lacrosse

rest of my high school career. That was remains the preferred sport to find some

my first AP class and I pushed myself suitable outlet for at USC.

hard. “That’s something that I’m really ex-

“After that I just made the decision cited to find out about once I get there,”

that I would always push myself to the she said. “I think I’m going to join some

limit, take as many hard classes as I sort of club or intramural lacrosse team.

could, and strive for greatness in all of I’m definitely not thinking about doing

my classes.” anything too serious.

Human Geography is a comprehen- “Lacrosse has maybe been the best

sive sociological study of the human experience I’ve had in high school. Get-

condition involving a smattering of poli- ting out there – and being on a team and

tics, history, humanities, language and joining together for one main cause – is

culture. She branched out from there just the best feeling. I want to continue

and spent four years with the Model to stay active and I love lacrosse, so that’s

United Nations program. my main priority. I will find out about

From those experiences Kahle dis- that in orientation. All I know is that I’m

covered “a bunch of really interesting definitely going to stay active.”

things that I became curious about. Orientation takes place in mid-June

One of the main factors in deciding on and Kahle says that will be the begin-

USC was that interdisciplinary learn- ning of her adventure at USC. Classes

ing is stressed. That makes it really begin in mid-August. Before that a fam-

easy to take double majors, or a major ily trip to Colorado is in the works for her

and a minor. grandparents 50th anniversary.

“There is a really broad span of things “Being the younger sibling gives me

that I would like to learn about. I think a lot of insight into the bigger picture,”

that I will be able to use the faculty and Kahle said. “I saw my brother Devon (St.

every other resource at USC to my ben- Ed’s Class of 2013 ) leave home and I got

efit and find a way to determine exactly to see exactly how my parents reacted. I

what it is I want to do. I enjoy so many think this will be a pretty smooth tran-

different subject matters and I’m going sition for me. I definitely think I’m pre-

to find a way to fit in all of the different pared for it.

things that I enjoy.” “I’m ready to leave home and take on

She also found an area of perhaps un- all of the responsibilities. But I’m sure

expected academic proficiency by tak- there will be times when I will be in

ing an accelerated math class in ninth southern California and calling home

grade. That would lead to becoming a because I miss my parents. It’s nice to

four-year member of the Mu Alpha The- know that I will be able to come back

ta mathematics competition team. home to visit.” 



28 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Don’t count on acetaminophen to treat osteoarthritis

BY MARIA CANFIELD monly touted as first-line treatments
Correspondent for osteoarthritis.

A recent study from the University The Swiss researchers set out to
of Bern in Switzerland finds that ac- determine which medications are
etaminophen, taken alone, is an in- most effective for treating osteo-
effective treatment for osteoarthri- arthritis pain. They analyzed the
tis, no matter the dose. In fact, the data of 74 studies conducted over a
researchers found it to be only mar- 35-year period; the studies included
ginally better than a placebo. nearly 59,000 patients with osteoar-
thritis, and compared the effects of
Matt Lambie, Pharm.D., the Phar- 22 different medications at various
macy Clinical Manager at Indian doses.
River Medical Center, is not sur-
prised by these results. He says, The study, published in the UK
“There was a meta-analysis pub- medical journal The Lancet, showed
lished in 2014 that also showed acet- that while some doses of acetamino-
aminophen was ineffective for knee, phen provided patients with a slight
hip and lower back pain, the prima- improvement, the effect did not
ry cause of which is osteoarthritis.” reach what is called the “minimum
(In laymen’s terms, a meta-analysis standards of clinical effectiveness,”
uses a statistical approach to com- defined as the smallest change in
bine results from multiple studies a treatment outcome that a patient
to develop a more accurate conclu- would deem important. In other
sion.) words, acetaminophen really didn’t
help patients with osteoarthritis.
Acetaminophen is the active in-
gredient in hundreds of over-the- According to the research, what
counter medicines (the best known did help those patients was diclof-
of which is Tylenol) that are com- enac, a non-steroidal anti-inflam-
matory drug (NSAID), at a daily dose

Matthew Lambie. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 29

HEALTH

includes tasks that place repetitive arthritis to consult with their doctor
stress on a particular joint, that joint before embarking on any exercise
may eventually develop osteoarthri- routine.
tis.
Lambie says acetaminophen has
• Genetics. Some people inherit a been the recommended regimen
tendency to develop osteoarthritis. for osteoarthritis for many years,
but – in part because of studies like
• Bone deformities. Some people the one from the University of Bern
are born with malformed joints or – guidelines will likely be revamped.
defective cartilage, which can in- He suggests people suffering from
crease the risk of osteoarthritis. osteoarthritis talk to their doctor
about their treatment options, in-
Although people with osteoarthri- cluding the use of an NSAID.
tis should avoid high-impact exer-
cise, some forms of exercise can be “There needs to be a balance be-
beneficial, including flexibility ex- tween risk and benefit,” he says.
ercises, endurance or aerobic exer-
cises, and strengthening exercises. Indian River Medical Center’s main
It’s important for those with osteo- phone number is 772-567-4311. 

Examples of osteoarthritis drugs.

of 150 mg; its common brand names Acetaminophen is the
– available by prescription and over- active ingredient in hun-
the-counter – are Voltaren, Cataflam dreds of over-the-coun-
and Zipsor. Diclofenac’s effective- ter medicines, the best
ness was found to be greater than known of which is Tylenol.
the maximum doses of other NSAIDs
frequently used for the treatment of developing osteoarthritis:
osteoarthritis, including ibuprofen • Older age. The risk of osteoar-
(Motrin, Advil) celecoxib (Celebrex)
and naproxen (Aleve). thritis increases with age.
• Sex. Women are more likely to
IRMC’s Lambie says that diclof-
enac’s effectiveness is driven by its develop osteoarthritis, although it
pharmacology – it blocks the effect isn’t clear why.
of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes,
which in turn reduces the produc- • Obesity. Carrying extra body
tion of other pain-causing chemi- weight contributes to osteoarthri-
cals called prostaglandins. “Other tis in several ways, and the more
NSAIDs target just one type of COX you weigh, the greater your risk.
enzyme,” Lambie says. “Diclofenac Increased weight puts added stress
targets both types, and it tends to be on weight-bearing joints, such as
more potent.” your hips and knees. In addition, fat
tissue produces proteins that may
Study leader Dr. Sven Trelle says, cause harmful inflammation in and
“NSAIDs are usually only used to around your joints.
treat short-term episodes of pain in
osteoarthritis, because the side ef- • Joint injuries. Injuries, such as
fects are thought to outweigh the those that occur when playing sports
benefits when used longer-term. Be- or from an accident, may increase
cause of this, acetaminophen is of- the risk of osteoarthritis. Even in-
ten prescribed to manage long-term juries that occurred many years ago
pain instead of NSAIDs. However, and have seemingly healed can in-
our results suggest that acetamino- crease your risk of osteoarthritis.
phen at any dose is not effective in
managing pain in osteoarthritis.” • Certain occupations. If your job

Osteoarthritis is the most com-
mon form of arthritis, affecting an
estimated 27 million Americans,
primarily those over the age of 65. In
the condition, there is a breakdown
of joint cartilage (the connective tis-
sue that covers the end of the bones,
acting as a cushion), which causes
the bones to rub together, resulting
in inflammation, stiffness and pain.
Although osteoarthritis can affect
any joint in the body, the hands,
knees, hips and spine are most com-
monly affected.

The Mayo Clinic lists the follow-
ing factors that increase the risk of

30 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Pressure’s on: How to combat your hypertension

BY TOM LLOYD Dr. Cassi Jones. PHOTO: LEAH DUBOIS
Staff Writer

Of all the dread diseases and dif-
ficult medical conditions being ban-
died about online and in health care
publications these days, high blood
pressure – or hypertension – sounds
relatively benign.

It’s not.
High blood pressure can kill you.
Worse, according to the Centers for
Disease Control, fully one-third of all
American adults – or about 67 million
people – are afflicted with high blood
pressure.
The Mayo Clinic says high blood
pressure is determined “by the
amount of blood your heart pumps
and the amount of resistance to blood
flow in your arteries. The more blood
your heart pumps and the narrower
your arteries, the higher your blood
pressure. High blood pressure in-
creases your risk of serious health
problems including heart attack and
stroke.”
The CDC adds that “high blood

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 31

HEALTH

pressure costs the nation $47.5 billion sion threshold of 140/90, weight loss juice, for instance, can add 520 mg of points out, there other sources of salt
each year. This total includes the cost can deliver startling improvements in sodium to your daily total and a cup few people consider.
of health care services, medications to blood pressure, according to Jones. of cottage cheese can contain 900 mg
treat high blood pressure and missed more. For example, she points to people
days of work.” “Weight loss,” Jones explains “can with water softeners in their homes.
lower your systolic blood pressure (the Jones says “your body only needs
There are basically two types of top number) by five to 20 points. For 1/4 teaspoon of sodium a day” to sur- “I have well water where I live,” Jones
high blood pressure: primary or es- every 22 pounds someone loses, says vive, and like most doctors she says says, “So we have a water softener . . .
sential hypertension, and secondary Jones, “you’re looking at possibly a 20 people should set a target of no more where you run the salt pellets through
hypertension. millimeter drop of your systolic blood than 1200 milligrams or 1/2 teaspoon it. That will increase your sodium. You
pressure. That’s huge. That’s going of salt per day as their maximum in- shouldn’t cook with [softened water]
Essential hypertension tends to from 140 to 120, for 22 pounds.” take. or drink it.”
develop over many years as arteries
begin to “clog up” either from age or Similarly, limiting salt intake can Just that tomato juice and cottage Even cold remedies such as Alka-
from diet. Secondary hypertension, almost instantly help drive down cheese mentioned above exceed that Seltzer, Jones points out, are packed
meanwhile, can come on quite sud- high blood pressure but avoiding salt total by 220 mg. with sodium.
denly and is usually the result of an isn’t always as easy as leaving the salt
underlying condition such as kidney shaker alone. A single glass of tomato And even if someone is carefully “If we could decrease sodium [in-
problems, adrenal gland tumors, thy- reading all their food labels, Jones take] to 1,200 milligrams a day,” Jones
roid problems, congenital defects in
blood vessels, alcohol abuse or ob- CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
structive sleep apnea.

While secondary hypertension is
sometimes cited as being more dan-
gerous, Dr. Cassi Jones, a newly ar-
rived internal medicine specialist
with the Sebastian River Medical
Group, disagrees.

High blood pressure
costs the nation $47.5
billion each year. This
total includes the cost
of health care services,
medications to treat
high blood pressure and
missed days of work.

“I think they’re both equally dan-
gerous; hypertension is hyperten-
sion,” declares Jones. “Both roads can
lead to stroke, heart disease and kid-
ney disease, and that’s ultimately why
we want to control hypertension. It’s
not just having low blood pressure:
it’s because we don’t want damage
done to our organs.” Jones agrees that
essential hypertension is “probably
more common.”

The good news about this danger-
ous and epidemic-level disease is that
the condition often can easily be re-
duced, or even eliminated, by several
simple, inexpensive means.

For instance, for those with blood
pressure at or above the hyperten-

32 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Losing weight and cutting back on salt can
deliver startling improvements in blood pressure.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 verting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors; an- definitely is not any “one-size-fits-all” cussion with their primary care doc-
giotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs); answer as to which medication is right tor about hypertension and for that
states, “we can save 68,000 lives each calcium channel blockers (CCBs); for each individual patient. doctor to consult with any special-
year. That’s from the National Institute alpha-blockers; alpha-2 receptor ago- ists the patient may also be seeing
of Health. That’s a lot and that’s just by nists; alpha-beta-blockers; central ago- Jones says a number of factors – in- in order to make the best medication
reducing [sodium intake] to 1,200 mil- nists; peripheral adrenergic inhibitors; cluding diagnosis, family history, age selection possible.
ligrams a day.” vasodilators and renin inhibitors. and pre-existing conditions – all play a
role in determining the best course of Dr. Cassi Jones, a Doctor of Oste-
There also are a wide variety of high- That gives patients and their doctors treatment. opathy, is at 7765 144th Street, Suite
ly effective medications that can help many treatment choices, and choosing 6 in Sebastian. The phone number is
lower blood pressure, including diuret- carefully is important because there It is, she says, absolutely essential for 772-581-0334. 
ics; beta-blockers; angiotensin con- patients to have an open and frank dis-



34 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

A Takata air bag inflator that
deployed in 2014. The driver
was killed by metal shards.

Carlos Solis was driving a familiar route, the few was also the sixth person in the U.S. killed by an ex- that the “data integrity problems reflected in some of
miles from his home to his brother’s apartment out- ploding air bag made by the Japanese company Takata. the documents cited by the Senate Committee and
side Houston, on a Sunday in January. His cousin sat produced in litigation are entirely inexcusable and
beside him, and a dog was in the back seat. Just as Two weeks after Solis’s death, his wife received a will not be tolerated or repeated,” but are not related
they turned into the complex, their car, a 2002 Hon- recall notice for the air bag. The first Takata recall had to the root cause of the air bag ruptures. The com-
da Accord, was hit. It was a low-speed collision with come seven years earlier, in 2008, limited to air bags pany declined to comment further.
modest damage. in about 4,000 Hondas. The effort has been expanded
20 times, most recently in May, and is the largest and It will take at least three years for Takata and other
Both front air bags deployed. Solis’s cousin got out most complex in U.S. history. manufacturers to make enough air bags to replace the
of the car uninjured. The dog was fine, too. But Solis company’s defective ones. Because of their chemistry,
didn’t move. He’d been hurt, though at first it wasn’t The recall covers more than 60 million air bags in ve- Takata’s devices become less stable over time. That
obvious how. His cousin called Solis’s brother, Scott, hicles from BMW, Ford, Honda, Tesla, Toyota, and 12 leaves millions of drivers with cars that could contain
who ran to the car. Scott tried to stanch the flow of others, or one of every five cars on the road in the U.S. It an air bag that’s like a ticking time bomb.
blood from a deep wound in Solis’s neck; so did the could affect more than 100 million vehicles around the
paramedics. Solis died at the crash scene. world. Shrapnel from the devices has killed 13 people, Takata, founded by the Takada family in the 1930s
including 10 in the U.S., and injured more than 100. as a textile maker, produced parachutes for the Im-
An autopsy, now part of court records, showed that a perial Japanese Army during World War II. In 1960,
round piece of metal the size of a hockey puck had shot A Senate investigation and personal injury litiga- Takata began manufacturing seat belts for Japan’s
out of the Accord’s air bag, sliced into Solis’s neck, and tion have turned up company documents suggest- carmakers, which were leading the country’s indus-
lodged in his cervical spine and shoulder. It severed his ing that Takata executives discounted concerns from trial expansion. It was the only company whose seat
carotid artery and jugular vein and fractured his wind- their own employees and hid the potential danger
pipe. Solis was 35 and the father of two teenagers. He from Honda, their biggest customer, as well as from
U.S. regulators. A Takata spokesman says via e-mail

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 35

belts passed the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Pieces of metal shrapnel from a defective Takata air bag are ing density that make it hard to keep stable over time.
Administration (NHTSA) crash test standards in 1973. displayed at a 2015 news conference in Washington, D.C. A propellant made with ammonium nitrate would

A few years later, Honda asked Takata to look into tive. Researchers code-named the formula 3110, and swell and shrink with temperature changes, and
manufacturing air bags. The automaker had a small the company marketed it as Envirosure. Takata was the eventually the tablet would break down into pow-
stake in its supplier, and they worked closely togeth- first to use tetrazole, and the chemical helped the com- der. Water and humidity would speed the process.
er. When Honda opened a plant in England, Takata pany bring in Ford and General Motors, expanding its Powder burns more quickly than a tablet, so an air
opened one in Ireland. When Honda went to China, share of the North American market to 10 percent. bag whose propellant had crumbled would be likely
so did Takata. “They were in lockstep to conquer the to deploy too aggressively. The controlled explosion
world,” says Scott Upham, the head of Takata’s mar- Shigehisa Takada’s public apology at the shareholder meeting, June 2015. would be just an explosion.
keting division in Auburn Hills, Mich., from 1994 to
1996 and now the chief executive officer of Valient But the supply of high-quality tetrazole was lim- “Everybody went down a certain road, and only
Market Research. ited and costly. “Takata made promises to custom- Takata went down another road,” says Jochen
ers for volumes that could not be supported by the Siebert, who’s followed the air bag industry since the
Despite Honda’s enthusiasm about air bags, existing pipeline for the raw materials,” Lillie says. 1990s and is now managing director of JSC Automo-
Juichiro Takada, who had taken over from his fa- “The culture was: We will make a commitment to tive Consulting. “If you read the conference papers
ther as CEO in 1974, hesitated. Air bags deploy in the customer, and then we will work like the dickens from back then, you can actually see that people said,
controlled explosions. Their designs are drawn from to make it happen somehow.” ‘No, you shouldn’t. It’s dangerous.’ ”
rockets and munitions. A former Honda engineer,
Saburo Kobayashi, described Takada’s reservations in When Takada visited Moses Lake in 1997, he took the When Lillie and other Moses Lake engineers met
a 2012 memoir. “If anything happens to the air bags, managers to dinner to thank them for keeping up with with their ASL colleagues in December 1998 to re-
Takata will go bankrupt,” Takada said, according to production quotas in tough circumstances. Lillie says view a new design using ammonium nitrate, Lillie
the book. “We can’t cross a bridge as dangerous as Takada told a story: Japanese scientists once cultivated says they were told the phase stability problem had
this.” Eventually, he relented. wasabi in labs and test farms, and while it looked beau- been solved. He rejected the design nonetheless.
tiful, it had no flavor. Natural wasabi grows on the side
Air bags aren’t filled with air. They’re filled with gas of rugged mountains. The scientists realized that the ASL wasn’t able to provide documented evidence
created by a burning propellant. Propellants are used stress on the wasabi produced its distinct flavor. Lillie of the safety of its product, he said in a January 2016
in jet aircraft to produce thrust; in the interiors of gun says, “Then Juichiro turned to the group, paused, and deposition, taken as part of a personal injury suit
chambers; and in mining and demolition. In air bags, said: ‘You are the wasabi! You’ve been through these ex- against Takata and Honda. “Never any evidence,
the propellant is compressed into aspirin-size tablets treme things, and it’s going to make you stronger!’ ” never any test results, never any test reports, nothing
and placed in a metal tube called an inflator. to substantiate they had overcome the phase stability
Takata also had a skunk works near Detroit, Auto- problem,” Lillie testified.
After a crash, the tablets are ignited and convert motive Systems Labs, and gave it an assignment: de-
from solid to gas, which erupts out of the inflator velop a propellant formula that would be easier and “At the meeting, I literally said that if we go forward
and into the bag in milliseconds. Air bags have been cheaper to produce than Envirosure and would al- with this, somebody will be killed,” he adds in an in-
mandatory in every U.S. car since 1989, and regula- low the air bags themselves to be smaller and lighter. terview, echoing his testimony. After the design review,
tors say they save about 2,500 lives every year. Unlike Lillie says he met separately with the engineer who
drugs, there’s no approval process for air bags. “ASL looked at every chemical compound known served as the liaison with Takata headquarters in To-
to man,” Upham says. Among them was ammonium kyo. “What I gathered from the conversation was, ‘Yes,
“There are about 10,000 components in a car,” Up- nitrate, the most widely used commercial chemical I’ll pass on your concerns, but don’t expect it to do any
ham says, “and air bags are probably the most highly explosive in the world, almost as powerful as dyna- good, because the decision has already been made.’ ”
engineered among them, even more than the elec- mite. In 1995, Timothy McVeigh used 2,000 pounds of
tronics.” They have to be small and light enough to the chemical to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal The head of ASL was Paresh Khandhadia, who had
fit into the steering wheel and other tight spaces, and Building in Oklahoma. a master’s in chemical engineering and “was a very
they have to deploy with just the right force. Propel- smooth operator,” Lillie says. “Tokyo put a tremen-
lant experts keep patent offices busy. They’re always Ammonium nitrate was about one-tenth the price dous amount of stock in his credentials.” Neither
trying to come up with formulas that are more effi- of tetrazole, according to Upham, who also reviewed Khandhadia, who left Takata in 2015, nor his lawyer
cient, cheaper, and proprietary. Each of the world’s industry patents. But ammonium nitrate had a criti- responded to requests for comment. During a deposi-
five main air bag manufacturers has developed its cal flaw that he says led other air bag makers to give tion last year, Khandhadia was nearly silent, citing his
own chemical compound. up on it: Ammonium nitrate has five phases of vary- Fifth Amendment right not to testify against himself.

It’s best to make explosives in a place with low hu- Lillie says he left Takata in 1999, partly because
midity. Takata started making air bag inflators in the the company ignored his warnings about ammo-
U.S. in 1991, at a facility in Moses Lake, Wash. It’s near nium nitrate. He says Takata’s executives and work-
an old U.S. Air Force base, east of the Cascade Range, force were unprepared to take on such a difficult de-
where the high-plains air is dry. Takata set up a joint sign and manufacturing process. “Takata engineers
venture with a company called Rocket Research, and claimed they had this magic,” he says. “No one else
when it looked like the business would succeed, it could figure it out, and they had.”
bought the other 50 percent, says Mark Lillie, who
was hired as a propellant engineer in 1994 and has As the Moses Lake facility prepared to manufac-
spoken out about his experiences at the company. ture inflators with the ammonium nitrate propellant,
some of Lillie’s former employees became anxious. “It
“They spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the was always push, push, push the envelope,” says Mi-
facility,” he says. “Takata was working hard to catch chael Britton, a propellant engineer who left in 2000.
up and grab market share by being technologically
sophisticated. We were moving so fast. It was terrify- Lillie testified that a Takata engineer wasn’t allowed
ing, but exciting.” to investigate an inflator that ruptured during test-
ing, and that when he protested, he was reassigned.
Takata’s original propellant was based on a com- A quality manager told Lillie that he was pressured by
mon chemical, sodium azide, derived from a for- an executive at Moses Lake to manipulate test data.
mula the military had developed for launching tor- “Torture the data until it confesses” is the way the en-
pedoes and missiles. Sodium azide was difficult to gineers described it, Lillie said in his deposition.
handle in the factory, though – prone to exploding
when exposed to air, light, or jostling. When inhaled, A Takata spokesman says ASL conducted testing
it was toxic, and after the air bags deployed, they left a that “went beyond industry standards at the time”
residue inside cars. Most companies that used it were and found no significant changes in the propellant’s
looking for an alternative. performance or physical properties, and that a Ger-
man research institute has since tested the propel-
Takata’s second-generation propellant, introduced lant and found no evidence of a loss of phase stabil-
in 1996, was based on a chemical called tetrazole, ity. He also says there’s no evidence that Lillie raised
which was safer than sodium azide and just as effec- any concerns about using ammonium nitrate or that

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 INSIGHT COVER STORY

Takata executives weren’t interested in hearing them. utive based in Europe says he challenged Khandhadia didn’t suffer any production disruptions. Automotive
In November 2000, Tom Sheridan, then a Takata about the use of ammonium nitrate, but Khandhadia News called Takata’s quick recovery “remarkable.”
had Tokyo’s support. The executive, who remained at
product engineer, wrote a memo to his bosses about the company for a decade, didn’t want to be named Takata engineers were filing patents for processes
test data for Honda. “The objective of this cover letter because he still works in the industry. to improve the stability of ammonium nitrate. One
is to point out that the Honda test report has incor- described coating the chemical particles with paraf-
rect data, data that cannot be validated, data that was He wasn’t the only one in Europe who considered fin to create a shield against heat and humidity, says
incorrectly labeled, or data that does not exist,” it said. ammonium nitrate too risky. Renault refused to buy Lillie, who’s reviewed the documents.
air bags with it. The former executive went around
The memo was turned over to plaintiffs’ lawyers Khandhadia rather than fight him. He says he hired Another said that phase-stabilized ammonium
suing the two companies. Sheridan, who left Takata a propellant specialist to help develop a more stable nitrate propellants “exhibit significant aggressive
in 2002, testified that after he submitted the report, formula using guanidine nitrate, and since about behavior with regard to ballistic properties” and that
none of his bosses spoke to him about the issues he 2008, Takata in Europe has sold air bags using that. He air bag inflators are subject to environmental condi-
raised. A company spokesperson says: “Takata deep- says Takata’s China team also adopted the formula. tions that can cause problems, including “over-pres-
ly regrets that this validation test data was incorrectly surization of the inflator leading to rupture.”
reported,” but that the test results aren’t related to the Bob Schubert, a Takata propellant engineer in the
cause of the ruptures. U.S., also worried about ammonium nitrate, accord- Takata previously has said that it’s “always un-
ing to the former executive. In January 2005, Schubert derstood the effects that moisture may have on the
By 2001, Takata was confident it had engineered wrote to his boss that the company was “prettying up” combustion characteristics of ammonium nitrate,
a safe way to make air bags with ammonium nitrate air bag data sent to Honda. At one point, the devices but phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate propellant
and was selling them to automakers including Hon- were said to have passed tests that never occurred. is safe and effective for use in air bag inflators when
da and Nissan. It began moving production to a new properly engineered and manufactured.”
plant in Monclova, Mexico, where workers were paid “It has come to my attention that the practice has
less and had less experience with explosives. gone beyond all reasonable bounds and likely con- In 2006 a Takata engineering manager sent an e-
stitutes fraud,” he wrote in an e-mail produced in a mail to a colleague that suggests data about poten-
Takata hired local managers and gave them a great lawsuit. Schubert, now a member of Takata’s new- tial problems with product tests were being hidden
deal of autonomy, Upham says. From late 2001 to product safety group, wasn’t made available for an in- or ignored: “It is yet another mess-o-shit we will be
late 2002, workers there left some of the compressed terview. Takata says it apologizes for these lapses, but handed with no real fix possible. The plant should
propellant exposed to uncontrolled moisture, which they’re unrelated to the current air bag inflator recalls. have been screaming bloody murder long ago.”
can over time lead to “over-aggressive combustion,”
according to regulatory filings. Takata later told NHT- Three explosions shook the Monclova factory in A Takata spokesman reiterates that such data in-
SA it had improved manufacturing conditions. March 2006. Fireballs spewed out, windows on nearby tegrity problems are inexcusable and won’t be toler-
houses were shattered, and local papers reported that ated, but that they have nothing to do with the root
When an air bag exploded in a Honda Accord in 2004, authorities had to evacuate thousands of residents. cause of the air bag ruptures.
shooting out metal fragments and injuring the driver,
Takata called it an anomaly. The accident, in Alabama, Takata says only that employees weren’t handling Takata went public in November of that year, list-
turned out to be the first of more than 100. Honda says “propellant scrap” properly and that afterward the fac- ing shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Takada
it settled with the driver; the terms are confidential. tory improved its safety procedures.The plant resumed family and trust retained a stake of more than 80 per-
operations within a month, and Takata’s customers cent (it’s now about 60 percent). A succession plan
Around the same time, a former Takata senior exec- was put in place the following year. Juichiro Takada

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 39

INSIGHT COVER STORY

became chairman, while remaining CEO until the ees, would get down on his knees to inspect factory had affected the ammonium nitrate propellant at
time came to hand over leadership to his son Shige- equipment. Lillie describes Shigehisa as awkward, Takata’s plant in Mexico. Takata assured Honda and
hisa, then 41, who was promoted to president. Akiko quiet, and entitled. When he visited Moses Lake in federal regulators that the manufacturing problems
Takada, Shigehisa’s mother, resigned as a director the late 1990s, he wouldn’t put on safety glasses, and were limited and had been addressed. In fact, Takata
and became an adviser. Lillie didn’t let him onto the factory floor. changed the composition of the propellant mix itself,
adding a desiccant, a substance that absorbs water.
The differences between father and son were strik- Honda announced the first recall of 3,940 cars
ing: Juichiro, known as Jim to his American employ- in November 2008, citing excessive moisture that CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

40 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39

The engineers believed this would Moses Lake – and Honda had issued a today,” says Clarence Ditlow, the execu- April 2, 2010, Kristy Williams stopped
prevent the ammonium nitrate from recall for those air bags. tive director of the nonprofit Center for at a red light in Morrow, Ga., and the air
degrading and exploding. Auto Safety. “Takata made one of the bag in her 2001 Honda Civic deployed
“My take is that if NHTSA had done most colossal blunders in the history of by mistake. The inflator exploded, and
Eight months later, Shigehisa Taka- the right thing and really probed Takata, the industry.” shredded metal hit Williams in the
da had to defend his company in they could have caught it a lot sooner neck, severing her carotid artery. She
front of Honda executives. At a meet- and we wouldn’t have the crisis we have In a widely reported incident on stuck two fingers in the gaping wound
ing in Honda’s offices outside Los to stop the bleeding as she waited for
Angeles, which was recounted in an an ambulance. The blood loss led to
internal e-mail produced in a lawsuit, several strokes, a seizure, and a speech
disorder, according to a lawsuit she filed
he was asked if he grasped the gravity against Takata and Honda. The compa-
of their predicament. nies settled her case confidentially.

The Honda executive said he was Honda expanded recalls of cars with
“constantly worrying” because Taka- Takata air bags in 2009, 2010, and 2011,
ta didn’t appear to have control of eventually to include 2.5 million vehi-
the situation. “Why does it explode? I cles. In 2013, Takata filed a defect report
want to know the truth.” with U.S. regulators stating that certain
passenger-side air bags could rupture
U.S. regulators began an investiga- as a result of manufacturing errors that
tion into Takata in late 2009 and closed were exacerbated when the air bags
it six months later, noting the company were exposed to heat and humidity.
had identified the problem – a manu-
facturing mistake at its other plant at A year later, NHTSA asked 10 car com-
panies to recall 7.8 million vehicles with
Takata air bags in seven Southern states
as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Toyota advised passengers not to
sit in the front seats of several models un-
til the air bags were replaced.

The situation in Monclova threat-
ened to create other problems for Taka-
ta. Guillermo Apud, a supervisor at the
plant, had to scold employees in a May
2011 e-mail about their sloppy, and po-

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 41

tentially dangerous, work habits. He strong demand from NHTSA and also alerts on stadium scoreboards and cording to an analyst at Jefferies. Takata
had noticed that they were “reworking,” the users’ anxiety, even though we are placed ads on Facebook and Twitter. It’s doesn’t have billions. It has only $520
trying to fix defective parts on the infla- confident of the safety of our product.” even hired private detectives to track million on hand and is worth about $340
tor assembly line rather than removing The same day, Honda said publicly that down owners of older vehicles. million, less than one-tenth what it was
them to be examined later. the air bag maker seemed to have ma- worth at its peak in 2007. The company
nipulated test data. When Takada was Takata is under a criminal investiga- had a 17 percent share of the global air
“Rework on the line is PROHIBITED!!! asked about that at a news conference, tion by the U.S. Department of Justice bag market then; Upham estimates that
We can’t have leaders/materials/people/ he said, “We did not do it. I don’t think.” and has been sued by the state of Ha- will have shrunk to 5 percent by 2020.
operators REWORKING material left and waii for allegedly covering up the de-
right without ANY control, this is why In early May, federal safety regula- fects in its air bags. (Takata says it’s co- On May 25, Takata said it had hired
we have defect upon defect. We need to tors said three independent investiga- operating fully with Justice. It declines Lazard to help secure funding and ne-
change NOW!” In 2012 workers there put tions had come to the same conclusion to comment on the lawsuit.) The com- gotiate with its customers. That’s a po-
the wrong part into inflators, and more about the lethal air bags: Long-term ex- pany faces potential fines, as well as the lite way of saying someone else will de-
than 350,000 vehicles from three carmak- posure to changes in temperature and cost of litigation and payouts to victims. cide its future.
ers had to be recalled. moisture can make ammonium nitrate
propellant dangerously powerful. At some point it also will have to settle “Takata will have to own up to
In March 2012, Angelina Sujata was up with carmakers that for now are pay- what they’ve done,” says Carlos Solis’s
driving her 2001 Honda Civic at about “The science now clearly shows that ing for the replacement air bags. The brother, Scott. “They brought this on
25 miles an hour near Columbia, S.C., these inflators can become unsafe total could be more than $11 billion, ac- themselves.” 
when the vehicle ahead of her slammed over time, and faster when exposed to
on the brakes. The 18-year-old hit the high humidity and high temperature
car, and the next thing she remembers fluctuations,” said Mark Rosekind, the
was feeling a sharp pain in her chest. head of NHTSA. The agency also ex-
panded the recall to more than 60 mil-
“My chest was sliced open, down to lion air bags – every one that doesn’t
the bone,” she says in an interview. Su- have the drying agent.
jata was rushed to the hospital, where
a doctor pulled out several metal frag- The bags must be replaced by 2019.
ments. A year later she received a recall Takata has until the end of 2019 to
notice about the defective air bag. She prove that even the air bags with the
sued Honda and Takata and is waiting drying agent are safe. On June 1, a Sen-
for a trial date. ate report noted that four carmakers
are still selling new models with faulty
It took until 2015 for Takata to acknowl- air bags that will need replacing.
edge the problem was more widespread,
and NHTSA announced a nationwide re- Japan also recently expanded its
call of some 22 million inflators. “Takata own recall to almost 20 million vehi-
provided inaccurate, incomplete, and cles. A definitive count isn’t possible;
misleading information to regulators for Takata doesn’t disclose the total num-
nearly a decade,” says NHTSA spokes- ber of air bags that will have to be re-
man Bryan Thomas. “Had they told the placed. Bloomberg News contacted af-
truth, Takata could have prevented this fected carmakers and used regulators’
from becoming a global crisis.” Takata announcements to calculate a world-
declined to comment. wide figure of roughly 100 million.

Shigehisa Takada took over the Schubert, the engineer who’s joined
company after Juichiro died in 2011. Takata’s product safety group, said in
He was 45 and had worked at Takata a deposition that the ammonium ni-
his entire adult life, mostly in his fa- trate propellant doesn’t cause prob-
ther’s shadow. As recall followed recall, lems “until the degradation process
he apologized in written statements has proceeded a very long way, and
and newspaper ads. then the results fairly quickly go to
rupture.” He suggested the process
Takada didn’t make his first pub- could take 10 years, while lawyers for
lic apology until June 25, 2015, after some of the victims say it can happen
the annual shareholder meeting. He in as few as seven. This would explain
bowed and whispered: “The company why most of the deaths have occurred
that should be offering the safety to the since 2011 in cars with air bags manu-
users ended up hurting them. It grieves factured roughly a decade before.
me most deeply.” He also insisted that
Takata’s air bags were safe. He didn’t Only 8.4 million Takata air bags had
mention that Takata had tried to fix the been replaced in the U.S. as of May. Car-
problem by changing the propellant makers and dealers face two problems.
formula in 2008. He made it seem as if AlthoughTakata used the same chemical
the source of the trouble was a mystery. compound as the base for its propellant,
the air bags came in various shapes and
“They continue to deny that am- sizes, complicating their replacement.
monium nitrate is to blame,” Upham
says. “They say they’re still looking for Takata says it has “dramatically in-
the root cause. That’s like O.J. saying creased” production of new parts, but its
he’s going to find Nicole’s killer.” competitors have been only too happy to
step in. NHTSA says those companies are
Five months later, on Nov. 3, 2015, making 70 percent of the replacement
U.S. regulators announced that Takata inflators. Still, there won’t be enough.
would pay a fine of $70 million – and as
much as $130 million more if it fails to The second challenge is that it’s been
meet its commitments. It also has to co- difficult in many cases to find the own-
operate with an independent monitor. ers of older vehicles, which are more
likely to have changed hands at least
CEO Takada said the company once. Since last year, Honda has flashed
agreed to the penalty “considering the

42 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

Waiting for Herbie: Will a self-driving car be a godsend?

BY JAY MATHEWS | WASHINGTON POST our doorstep every morning. The young people on bookstore, the golf course or Baskin-Robbins. But
our street give us strange looks. she’ll need Herbie, too. Our children don’t have time
When my wife and I leave the house, she usually to drive us everywhere, so Herbie is it.
does the driving. I am at that age where my reflexes Linda is not sure Herbie and I will be safe putter-
and judgment are an issue. She’s only a year younger, ing off to one of my favorite destinations, such as the AARP the Magazine has called self-driving cars “a
but I fell asleep at the wheel a few years ago, denting godsend for older Americans.” The mainstream me-
the car alongside me. I don’t bother arguing about dia have not yet gone deep into the consequences of
our relative competence. 45 million seniors driving around with no human at
the wheel. Give them time. Testing such cars is legal
Someday our three children, one of whom lives now in Florida, as well as California, Nevada and
with us and regularly witnesses our driving, will sit us Michigan.
down and have the conversation nearly everyone our
age fears. One child is a journalist. Another is a lawyer. I still have questions. What happens if the Lord
There will be questions. How do you feel about your takes me as Herbie is driving me back from my fa-
driving? Are you sure your long trips up the coast are a vorite local fast-food place, where I have finally con-
good idea? How did that bumper get so bent? sumed one super-thick chocolate shake too many?

Eventually, after listening to our feeble answers, Never mind. A new industry needs our business.
they are going to drop the bomb, the end of life as Hello, Herbie. He will be, I hope, a more alert and
we know it for California freeway kids like Linda and more cautious driver than seniors like me. 
me. They will want us to stop driving. I have long wor-
ried about this. But it recently occurred to me there is
a new answer to their sharp questions.

We can say Herbie will take us around.
Herbie is the name I am going to give our self-
driving car. This stems from my fond memories of
the film “The Love Bug.” Linda and I saw the movie
in Honolulu during the wonderful week of my 1969
Army rest-and-relaxation leave from Vietnam. Her-
bie was a Volkswagen Beetle, my father’s favorite car.
Herbie had a driver, but he could drive himself.
When I first read about the self-driving cars now
under development by Google and others, the idea of
handing my life over to a computer frightened me. But
the prototypes are doing fine on the trickiest roads of
the San Francisco Peninsula, where I learned to drive.
The progenitors of my future friend Herbie have crossed
the Golden Gate Bridge.They have swerved down Lom-
bard, the famous steep zigzag San Francisco street.
So, Joe, Peter and Katie: When you ask me for my
keys, I will go get Herbie.
Linda is not entirely in agreement with my em-
brace of this technology. “It freaks me out,” she said. I
see her point. We usually reject change. We don’t own
iPhones or iPads. We don’t use Facebook or Twitter.
Four newspapers – made of paper – are delivered to

MEDICAL ALPHABET SOUP QUIZ 1: PEOPLE 8.  LSW Licensed Social Worker 18.  FACHE Fellow of the American College of
Helps patients/families resolve social, financial
Today, the special language of healthcare professionals and psychological problems; coordinates patient Healthcare Executives
is becoming more widely recognized by lay readers. discharge and continuity of care planning
For healthcare administrators
How savvy are you? Test your knowledge of medical jar- 9.  MD Medical Doctor
gon through this four-part “Medical Alphabet Soup Quiz” A physician (medical doctor); specialties range 19.  FACS Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
series. from allergy to urology
For [doctors] surgeons
Give yourself one point for each acronym/abbreviation 10.  OT Occupational Therapist
you know. Helps patients develop, recover or maintain 20.  OCN Oncology Certified Nurse
activities of daily living
Nurses with advanced training in cancer care
11.  PA Physician Assistant
Can order tests and treatments under super- *This is a partial list of degrees/certifications earned
vision of a physician by healthcare professionals.

PEOPLE* 12.  PT Physical Therapist SCORING
Require degrees/certifications to practice their profession Remediates impairments and promotes mobility
through physical intervention
1.  ARNP Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner A+ (20 correct) If you’re not a doctor or healthcare pro-
13.  RD Registered Dietitian
A registered nurse with advanced training; can Advises on nutritional principles and diet plans fessional, you should consider becoming one.

order tests, perform physical exams/procedures 14.  RN Registered Nurse A (17-19 correct) Congratulations, either you or a family
A nurse who meets requirements and obtains a
and treat diseases. Can write prescriptions in ac- nursing license member is probably in the medical field.

cordance with each state’s regulations. 15.  RT Respiratory Therapist B (13-16 correct) You must read a lot or be a frequent flyer
Provides care for patients who have trouble
2.  BSN Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing breathing to the doctor’s office.

A four-year degree in nursing 16.  SLP Speech-Language Pathologist C (9-12 correct) You possess a healthy knowledge of
Evaluates and treats communication disorders
3.  CNA Certified Nurse Assistant and swallowing disorders medical terminology.

Assists nurses/patients in hospital D (5-8 correct) You are only somewhat familiar with the
healthcare scene, hopefully because you are
4.  DDS Doctor of Dental Surgery healthy and happy.

A dentist; some are oral and maxillofacial surgeons Under 5 correct The medical field is not your cup of tea.

5.  DMD Doctor of Dental Medicine

A dentist; some are oral and maxillofacial surgeons Stay tuned. Next time we’ll challenge your knowledge of
cardiac tests and treatments. 
6.  DO Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
A physician (medical doctor); specialties range Advanced certifications, not required but highly valued Your comments and suggestions for future topics are always
from allergy to urology welcome. Email us at [email protected].

7.  EMT Emergency Medicine Technician 17.  CHFM Certified Healthcare Facility Manager © 2015 Vero Beach 32963 Media, all rights reserved

Usually works in Fire-Rescue/ambulance For hospital engineering/facility managers

44 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOK REVIEW

Joe Gould is a jaunty and emaciated little man Gould’s project was perfectly calibrated to con- Jill Lepore
who has been a notable in the cafeterias, diners, bar- firm and conform to Mitchell’s bone-deep belief
rooms, and dumps of Greenwich Village for a quarter that the annals of humankind were always more text. She doesn’t exactly succeed in her quest to find
of a century. interesting when written from the bottom up. Only, the missing fragments of Gould’s history, but she
in the “Oral History,” Gould had gone Mitchell one doesn’t exactly fail, either. Lepore takes us along as
So begins “Professor Sea Gull,” Joseph Mitchell’s better. He may have been ridden with fleas, but he she sifts in archives and attics for the pieces that do
1942 New Yorker profile of Joe Gould. It’s one of was, very literally, making history. remain, in order to discover the story underneath
the most famous sentences in the magazine’s long the story underneath the story.
history of famous sentences, and getting to know At least that’s what Gould said he was doing. Not
Mitchell’s Gould – bum, clown, huckster, madman, for nothing does Lepore call the “Oral History” “the As she brings to bear the methods of an ace his-
self-styled “last of the bohemians” – is the place to longest book ever written and never read.” Mitchell torian at the top of her game, Lepore turns “Joe
begin in order to fully appreciate what Jill Lepore never could figure out where most of Gould’s com- Gould’s Teeth” into a ripping detective story. By the
is up to in her marvelous new book, “Joe Gould’s position books were kept, or if, in fact, there were time she’s done (in 154 pages of text and 67 pages
Teeth.” anywhere near as many as Gould said there were. of notes), Lepore hasn’t truly debunked anything –
And most of the excerpts Mitchell did manage to though she does reveal Gould to be more of a psy-
Mitchell’s specialty was chronicling the lives of locate weren’t filled with carefully transcribed in- chopath and Mitchell to be more of a fabulist than
those in New York City who were down but not quite terviews but rather with very personal “essays” re- has been previously understood – as much as she
out, and Joe Gould was the perfect embodiment of lating Gould’s own musings and activities – many has worked to “widen the sphere of history,” as
the type. He was an unkempt Harvard dropout who times fourth and fifth revisions of those essays. Gould himself wrote of his “Oral History.” Lepore’s
would flap his arms and squawk like a sea gull, or stance – to be fair, the stance of any good writer of
consume a meal consisting entirely of ketchup, or Gould lived out his later years as a charity case, biography – is that Gould’s story is a nexus standing
recite impromptu poetry designed to mock the very penniless and toothless (hence the book’s title), in the middle of an exceedingly rich intersection of
members of the intelligentsia who made up his au- and died at a sanatorium in 1957. But it was not un- themes that embrace mid-20th-century American
dience, or drop his pants and jump on a table and til 1964 that Mitchell publicly punctured the myth attitudes toward race, class, gender, psychiatry, ce-
swing his … but where was I? of Joe Gould, the one he’d single-handedly created lebrity and, of course, history.
himself, in a two-part article called “Joe Gould’s Se-
Yes, Joe Gould was an eccentric’s eccentric. But cret” in which he revealed a single eerie and there- In the end, “Joe Gould’s Teeth” is a story about
that doesn’t explain why we’re still talking about him tofore unreported exchange between writer and stories, a history about history, an investigation into
74 years later. Gould was not merely a character: He subject. (Both “Professor Sea Gull” and “Joe Gould’s other investigations. “Two writers guard an archive,”
was also a writer, and a historian of New York street Secret” are available in the Mitchell compilation she writes. “One writes fiction; the other writes fact.
life, the author of “The Oral History of Our Time,” “Up in the Old Hotel.”) To get past them, you have to figure out which is
a collection of interviews with everyday folk that which.” It’s an elegant expression of the puzzle at
would reveal what he called “the informal history of Mitchell described the moment he learned the the heart of the book. As for its solution, we’re of-
the shirt-sleeved multitude – what they had to say truth about the “Oral History.” fered no easy answers: Rather, I think I can hear
about their jobs, love affairs, vittles, sprees, scrapes, Lepore saying, somewhere in the distance, “Good
and sorrows.” The entire project, running into the “‘My God!’ I said. ‘It doesn’t exist.’ I was appalled. luck with that.” 
millions of words (according to Gould) was pre- ‘There isn’t any such thing as the Oral History,’ I
served for posterity (according to Gould) in a moun- said. ‘It doesn’t exist.’ I stared at Gould, and Gould JOE GOULD’S TEETH
tain of schoolhouse composition books, one after stared at me. His face was expressionless.” BY JILL LEPORE
another after another, hundreds of them, stored
wherever he could find a willing benefactor with In the 22 years between “Professor Sea Gull” and Knopf. 235 pp. $24.95.
some spare room in a cellar, shed, closet or trunk. “Joe Gould’s Secret,” the New Yorker had published Review by Scott W. Berg,
John Hersey’s “Hiroshima,” and in 1965 it would
follow with Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” but The Washington Post
still, Mitchell’s strange update on the tale of Joe
Gould is considered by many to be the magazine’s
masterpiece, a reading experience akin to what
Lepore calls “watching DiMaggio play his best
game ever.” She’s not kidding: It’s riveting. And
then, if you were paying attention as the next three
decades unspooled, it got even weirder. Though
Mitchell continued to come into his office at the
New Yorker every day for 32 more years, all the way
up to his death in 1996, he never published another
story.

The italics are intentional, for it’s a tale worthy of
Ripley’s. The story of Joseph Mitchell, writer, and Joe
Gould, funhouse-mirror reflection of Mitchell, has
for a half-century and counting blazed as a kind of
undimming bonfire around which writers and read-
ers of the elusive genre known as “creative nonfic-
tion” circle to warm their hands and speak in awed
and reverent whispers.

Into that circle now steps Lepore, a professor of
history at Harvard who, since 1999, has written for
the New Yorker as a kind of unofficial national histo-
riographer. Author of 11 books and many academic
papers and New Yorker pieces, she has established
herself as perhaps the most prolific, nimble and
interesting writer of American history today, vigor-
ously kicking at the past until she dislodges it from
the ossifying grip of received wisdom.

Her characteristic starting point in “Joe Gould’s
Teeth” is to refuse to take at face value Mitchell’s
contention that the “Oral History” didn’t exist.
Mitchell knew that a phantom text was a better sto-
ry than a sort-of-kind-of-but-not-really completed

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 45

INSIGHT BOOK REVIEW

In 2003, journalist Chris Hedges published a the shelf. Called “Grunt: The Curious Science It’s hard to trust a reporter who “adores” military
pocket-size book with a simple title and fathom- of Humans at War,” it brings the breezy, jokey, PR men and who writes a “grasping fan letter” to a
less moral implications: “What Every Person Should boosterish approach that fans have come to source. Yet her descriptions of trauma injuries, and
Know About War.” To begin reading the book – ar- expect of her work to a dark new subject: how of the military’s evolving response to battlefield
ranged as a series of simply stated questions and military scientists try to anticipate, prevent or danger and wounds, are compelling and clear-eyed.
their spare, emotionally unweighted answers – was mitigate the ravages of war – from debilitating Midway through this odd book, with its crushes and
to be implicated by it. Among the questions asked injuries to violent death – on its combatants. cork sandals, its gaping horrors and bloodless mili-
and forthrightly answered: “What does it feel like tary euphemisms, you begin to wonder: Is this what
to get shot?” “Will I be able to withstand torture?” The tone is jarring, but the reporting is 15 years of war have done to us? Are we willing to
“What will happen to my body if I die?” sound. At a training facility for future corps- look at our strange, ruined and ongoing enterprise
men, located near Camp Pendleton, Calif., only if we have a chipper tour guide and enough
Mary Roach – a reporter, humorist and best-selling Roach slips and slides on the fake blood that depth charges of gore to keep us entertained?
author of books that bring specialized scientific discov- pours out of fake wounds. Trainees desper-
ery to a popular audience – has, however unwittingly, ately try to remember how to treat various The final chapter recounts Roach’s visit to the
produced a work that should sit beside Hedges’ on types of trauma, while the combat soundtrack morgue of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner
from “Saving Private Ryan” blares from speak- System, a place she bizarrely finds less depressing
ers and a sergeant yells: “Who’s dying, peo- than the Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, Dover Liquor Ware-
ple? Who’s most likely to die?” At one point, a house and McDonald’s she had to drive past to get
corpsman confronted with a man whose fresh to it. Every military person killed in action is au-
stump is spewing blood “like champagne in topsied, the bodies arriving in the States with any
the locker room after a big win” blurts out to lifesaving equipment – tourniquets or breathing
the man, “Are you okay?” Roach, who takes tubes or IVs – still attached. For this is the service
part in the exercises, undergoes a procedure member’s final duty to the state: offering his or her
called a “blood sweep,” in which a corpsman body for a process called “Feedback to the Field.”
runs his hands down her back as she is lying During an international video conference call, 80
on a gurney to make sure she is not bleeding people look at photographs of the warrior’s naked
from a wound he’s missed. “If you don’t hap- body – black bars appearing across the groin and
pen to be wounded,” she tells us cheerfully, eyes – to talk about what went wrong and what
“blood sweeps feel lovely.” might be improved upon the next time corpsmen
and surgeons confront such an injury. Only then,
Roach’s dominant attitude toward what she when the military is fully and completely done
discovers is enthusiasm – particularly for the with him, is his body wheeled out of the morgue,
macho and often handsome military men she through the locked doors that lead to the mortuary
encounters. She’s aflutter at a “virile, omnipo- and his waiting family. “They don’t look real,” says
tent Special Ops man”; at a “droll and adorable” pub- a statistician who has a stack of photographs of the
lic affairs officer; at a naval officer with buzzed hair corpses; “they’re like dolls.”
and a tattooed wedding band who looks fabulously
“hydraulic” in his wetsuit; even at the “glorious pec- The chief pathologist is tired of answering re-
torals” of a serviceman’s corpse. She wants us to see porters’ questions about the psychic toll of his job.
her as a fun gal gamely poking around the big, excit- “We’re doctors,” he tells Roach with perfect military
ing war machine and trying not to get in anybody’s logic, “and these are our patients.” 
way. When a Navy SEAL in Iraq tells her she ought
also to visit troops in Somalia, she invites the reader GRUNT: THE CURIOUS SCIENCE OF HUMANS AT WAR
to chuckle along with her at the thought: “Let’s pic- BY MARY ROACH
ture it – middle-aged American in her cork-bed com-
fort sandals and wheelie bag wandering the desert Norton. 285 pp. $26.95.
redoubts of the local al-Qaeda Affiliate. Yoo hoo! I’m Review by Caitlin Flanagan,
looking for the Navy SEAL safe house?”
The Washington Post

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

TOP 5 FICTION TOP 5 NON-FICTION BESTSELLER | KIDS
1. All the Single Ladies 1. Leonard BY WILLIAM SHATNER 1. Oh, The Places You'll Go!
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BY DOROTHEA BENTON FRANK BY DR. SEUSS
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2. Everybody's Fool 2. Our Great Big Backyard
3. Vero Beach
BY RICHARD RUSSO BY LAURA BUSH & JENNA BUSH HAGER
BY TERESA LEE RUSHWORTH
3. The Weekenders 3. Keep Curious and Carry a
4. The Life-Changing Magic Banana BY H.A. REY
BY MARY KAY ANDREWS of Tidying Up BY MARIE KONDO
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KAREN WHITE BRAD MELTZER 392 Miracle Mile (21st Street), Vero Beach | 772.569.2050 | www.verobeachbookcenter.com

"Tea Time" with Karen presents
presents THE HOUSE OF SECRETS

FLIGHT PATTERNS A Novel
A Novel
Grand Central Publishing
Saturday, June 11th at 3pm
Sunday, June 12th at 12pm

46 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT TRAVEL

How to (hopefully, maybe) avoid TSA slowdowns

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT It’s advice he would pass along to any- your bag, taking off your shoes or pass- vised countless clients on how to handle
one who’s thinking of flying this summer. ing through a full-body scanner, are the TSA. With the agency beefing up
The Washington Post “Plan for three hours, and be delighted if significantly shorter. security in the wake of various terrorist
you make it to your airplane,” he says, threats, you don’t want to wear anything
You know that part of your vacation adding, “If that departs on time, you feel “It’s much faster,” she says. For ex- that could slow down the process.
where you hold your breath and hope like you won an unpublicized lottery.” ample, on a recent flight from Orlando,
for the best? It used to happen just be- the difference between using the TSA “Don’t wear shirts or pants with extra-
fore the plane landed, in that precarious Why so long? Nathan reports that the PreCheck lane and the regular lane was neous pockets, buttons, zippers or any-
moment between heaven and earth. Denver TSA, once one of the most ef- more than an hour. How does she know? thing with sequined bling on it,” she says.
But lately, it’s been taking place on terra ficient of the agency’s operations, has A colleague without PreCheck went “These items tend to appear suspicious
firma, when you arrive at the airport and randomly closed checkpoints. A few through the regular line, and she didn’t on the scanner, which is programmed to
you’re confronted by a Transportation weeks ago, the airport made headlines see her until shortly before their flight flag anything out of the ordinary.”
Security Administration screening. when TSA wait times exceeded one began boarding.
hour. To calm angry passengers, airport Unfortunately, it’s possible to follow
For good reason. A few months ago, staff reportedly handed out bottled wa- There are other ways to cut the line. all of this advice and still fall afoul of the
the TSA announced that screening with ter, parceled out candies and brought in In Orlando, for example, you can also TSA’s random and unpredictable secu-
a full-body scanner would no longer be therapy dogs to soothe frayed nerves. use Clear, a private biometric screening rity. Kimberly Marcus, an educational
optional for some passengers, meaning system. It costs about $15 a month to consultant from Alfred, N.Y., thought
there’s a better chance than ever you’ll There are shortcuts, but they’ll cost belong to Clear, which can be used at she had done everything right when
be forced through one of the machines. you. Sonita Lontoh, a San Francisco a number of airports in cities including she showed up for her recent flight
What the agency euphemistically calls technology executive and frequent San Francisco, Dallas and Baltimore. at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport in
a “random and unpredictable” security flier, recommends paying $100 for a Neither Clear nor Global Entry are Blountville, Tenn.
screening adds an aspect of fear and five-year membership in the Global En- practical solutions for infrequent trav-
uncertainty to an already fear-inducing try program, which also gives you TSA elers, though. But an alarm sounded when she
and uncertain process. PreCheck eligibility. And the PreCheck stepped through the scanner, and an
lines, which allow you to get screened What you wear this summer matters, agent ordered her to submit to an “en-
And then there are the long lines, without removing the computer from says Katelyn O’Shaughnessy, a travel hanced” pat-down.
which have been blamed on cutbacks agent from Venice, Calif., who has ad-
related to the TSA’s PreCheck program. “An agent felt up my leg until she met
The agency assigned to protect Ameri- resistance,” she says. “Several times.
ca’s transportation systems incorrectly The agent also felt across the front of
predicted that more passengers would me with her fingertips. This routine is
sign up for its trusted traveler program, not at all routine or acceptable to me,
so it cut staffing by 10 percent. The re- and I found what would be sexual as-
sult? Record lines. The TSA says it’s tak- sault in other contexts to be very dis-
ing steps to reduce the wait times. turbing and upsetting.”

The coping mechanisms have evolved And that’s the problem with the TSA
in the past few months, so if you’re a fre- this summer. The expert advice works,
quent air traveler, you probably already but not every time. Which is to say, you
know a lot of the following strategies, at can show up three hours early and still
least subconsciously. But with the sum- miss your plane. Trusted traveler pro-
mer travel season about to get under- grams don’t always send you to the front
way, you may find yourself face to face of the line, and you could still get a once-
with a TSA agent, unsure what to do. over by an agent and a possible delay.
Travelers can avoid that fate with a little You can wear all the right clothes and
planning and a few insider strategies. still set off alarms.

First, give yourself time. Lots of time. Of course, nothing can prepare you
Josh Nathan, a professor at the Art In- for a prison-style pat-down at the hands
stitute of Colorado, allows himself three of a TSA agent. And nothing can guaran-
hours to get through the TSA screening tee you’ll avoid it, either. But if you take
in Denver. That’s no typographical error. a few precautions, you can come close.
Don’t forget to breathe. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 47

INSIGHT ON FAITH

Misunderstanding results from turning a blind eye

Czarina Catherine

BY REV. DRS. CASEY AND BOB BAGGOTT
Columnists

The legend has long been told about countryside was prosperous and its Dnieper River deal with honestly?
the famed Czarina Catherine of Rus- people happy. There is nothing wrong with form-
sia who, at the urging of her advisor, rina Catherine. Maybe we suffer from
Prince Potemkin, made a grand tour in Then, the legend says, when the Cza- intentional blindness, too. Don’t we ing an opinion or coming to a conclu-
1783 of villages in the southern region rina’s entourage moved on, the whole sometimes stubbornly defend our sion, of course. But there is a danger
of Russia. Many thousands of settlers false village was deconstructed and own perspectives, even though there in closing our eyes to anything that
had recently been induced to move to swiftly moved by cart to the next site may be limited support for them? might challenge, enlarge or enlight-
the region, launching agricultural and where it was reconstructed, so that Don’t we sometimes defend our life- en us. We shouldn’t and we needn’t
manufacturing enterprises. The tour when the Czarina’s riverboat floated in, styles, our politics or even our brand choose blindness.
was intended to showcase all the devel- she would again be greeted by a decep- of faithfulness without much inves-
opments in this region which Potemkin tively thriving picture of Russian village tigation into their actual merits and We’ve always loved the story of blind
had masterminded, and so he worked life. The Czarina Catherine, the theory their flaws? pianist George Shearing, who when
hard to ensure a good impression was goes, never knew about the falseness asked if he had been blind all his life an-
made on the Czarina. of what she saw. She was content to be Worse yet, sometimes we turn a swered, “Not yet.” Blindness has a long
shown something pleasing and com- blind eye to our own personal failings and distinguished history as a meta-
Much of the royal inspection tour forting, and asked no more. She was and limitations. Maybe we are reluc- phor for spiritual limitation, and the
was made by boat on the Dnieper Riv- blind to what was happening right un- tant to confess a habit that is now out typical understanding of such blind-
er. At each stop of the boat, grand dis- der her nose. of control. Maybe we can’t confront an ness is that it is curable. By opening our
plays were orchestrated to honor and emotional scar that rankles. Maybe we eyes, our minds, our hearts, and our
impress the Czarina – sharpshooters, One of the many reasons that story hang onto an unjustified bias or feed souls we might see a new reality. And
fireworks, and spectacles of all sorts. is troubling is that we’re afraid the our self-righteous indignation at a then we could echo George Shearing’s
Orders went ahead of the entourage willingness to be gladly deceived is wrong done to us. How many circum- sentiments. Have we been blind all our
to hide beggars, paint the town’s most not a tendency confined to the Cza- stances exist right under our noses that lives? Not yet. 
obvious buildings, and occasionally we are unwilling to face squarely and
even construct pasteboard facades to
hide hovels. Flocks and herds were im-
ported, as well as well-fed peasants, in
order to convince the Czarina that her

48 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT PETS

Bonz’s read on Ruffio? What a talented Boxer!

Hi Dog Buddies! a whole herd of cousins all over World’s Ugliest Dog
the place.
This week I interviewed Ruffio contest and was on
Smith, an English Boxer who lives with Then there’s my pooch pals:
his Grandma and Grandpa, Mary and Zoey, another Boxer; Dilly, a ter- tour raising money for
Jack, in Sebastian. And guess what? rier, I think. Up in Jersey, there’s,
He ackshully knows how to READ! No umm, Player and Brandi, little animal rescue groups
woof! I saw it for myself! mop dogs; Amber, a Chocolate
Lab, Gracie, a Mastiff (big girl), and promoting his chil-
He’s a friendly, good-looking chap, Zeus, a Dachshund, cousin
two-tone coat, kinda laid back. We hit it Bailey in Georgia, also a Mas- dren’s book teaching
off right away. Because he has that Box- tiff. I love ‘em all, pooches and
er Bobtail, the Wag-and-Sniff was more people! Hey, Bonz, wanna see that it’s OK to be differ-
like a Caboose Wiggle-and-Sniff. me do my homework? It’s Cool
Kibbles.” ent. I was in line to get
“Come’on in, Bonz. (OK if I call you
Bonz?)” “I sure would!” I exclaimed. his paw-tograph. There
His Grandma was shuffling
“Sure thing!” I said. “Can’t wait to some Important Papers. Ruffio sat up, he was, this little Chi-
hear your story.” I got out my notebook. straight and serious, staring at the pa-
“I’m ready when you are!” pers. She showed him the first one. huahua mix. I could see
It said SIT! Ruffio sat. Next one was
“I came from a kennel in New Jersey. SHAKE HANDS. Up went Ruffio’s right why he’d won. He was
My Dad, Richard, was great. He got paw. Then – DOWN! Ruffio plopped
me when I was a goofy little furball, all onto his tummy. UP! Back he sprang. dark-colored, no hair
long legs, really big feet, kinda drooly. And for the grand finale – HIGH FIVE!
Nothing like the suave poocheroo I am Up went the paw. Ruffio. PHOTO BY LEAH DUBOIS ‘cept a little white fluff on
now. Trouble was, Dad’s a professional his head. His breeder was
diver, travels all over the place doing “Cool Dog Biscuits, right?” he said.
important underwater stuff, and he “I’m totally impressed!” ackshully gonna Put Him
was gone a lot.” “I also wanna show you a project I
did back in Jersey. The newspaper had Grandma said it was okeydokey cuz To Sleep cuz she thought
“Soggy Dog Biscuits,” I sympathized. a calendar contest for Newspapers in
“Fer sure. So, when he was workin’, Education, to help kids learn about she had a flashlight. Well, when we got he was too ugly to sell. But he was saved
I got puppy-sat by his Mom and Dad, stuff called Current Events. Humans
Grandma and Grandpa Smith. They’re send in pet pictures, everybody votes, to the gate, I stopped. Wouldn’t budge. by a nice lady.
pawsome! So I sorta grew up with ‘em, and the pets with the most votes get to
and finally, I just became their dog. be in the calendar. See, look, I was in Grandma tried to get me to move, but “While he was signing my book, he
About four years ago we stopped be- two calendars!”
ing Snowbirds and moved here perma- There he was, full page, August 2010 I just planted my paws. And that was looked me right in the eyes and said,
nently. But I still visit my Dad, and now and October 2011. No doubt, he was
I have a nice Mom, Desiree, and tons one truly photogenic pooch! that. I was Paying Attention. ‘Always remember, never judge a pooch
of human relatives: Uncle Ronnie and “So, what kinda stuff do you like to
Aunt Terry. (She didn’t like dogs, but I do?” “When I was a pupster, I did lotsa dig- by his pedigree. Look beneath the sur-
won her over. Now she buys me bolo- “I LOVE camping, riding in the truck,
gna and sends me Christmas cards.) and walks. One night, Grandpa said ging and galloping around. One time I face. Be kind. It’s OK to be different.’”
And Aunt Nikki and Uncle Jack. (He’s me and Grandma shouldn’t go past
cool! He lets me jump on his bed). And the gate ‘cuz the big light was out. But couldn’t put my brakes on and ended Heading home, I was thinking about
Aunt Michelle and Uncle Nathan. And
up in the lake! But nowadays I like to sit how happy Ruffio is with his big, lov-

by the window on my ottoman (I call it ing, extended family of pooches and

my throne) and Survey My Domain. I humans. And thinking about what he’d

can also open the door where my treats learned from Elwood. We pooches are

are, but I don’t think Grandma and good with that stuff, but it sometimes

Grandpa know that, so don’t tell, OK?” seems to be a big problem for humans. I

“My lips are sealed,” I assured him. wonder why.

“Oh, and my 10th birthday’s comin’

up in October. I always have a big party Till next time,

with CAKE. Grandpa lights the candles The Bonz
and everybody sings, “Happy Birth-
day, Dear Ruffio! Ya know, Bonz, I feel

like I’m getting wiser with every birth- Don’t Be Shy
day.” he sounded serious. “There was a
pooch up in Jersey I’ll never forget – El- We are always looking for pets
wood – he changed my life.”

“ELwood?” I exclaimed. “THE El- with interesting stories.
wood? You actually MET him? He’s, like, To set up an interview, email
a LEGEND in the dog world!” [email protected].

“Yep. Back in ‘07. He’d just won the

What can six months mean for the age at a much faster rate and changes can to normalize hormone levels. Urine testing able to be removed before they ruptured and
health of your pet? develop even more rapidly. They should helps us identify infections early when pets the pets are doing great! Other abnormalities
have similar testing done. are not yet symptomatic as well as other we have seen include liver and gallbladder
Think of the changes our bodies go diseases like kidney disease or diabetes. problems, kidney and bladder stones, kidney
through in six months. That’s enough time That’s why at Divine Animal Hospital, we cysts, and abdominal cancers.
for a clinically normal, healthy human to are proud to offer thorough biannual physi- Ultrasound screenings have saved the lives
develop diseases affecting internal organs cals for pet seniors with a focus on preventa- of many pets. One common problem we see These noninvasive tests and physicals
like kidney and liver, or develop cancers. tive care and noninvasive screening. Finding in older dogs is splenic tumors. Recently, two twice a year help us extend pets lives and
When humans become seniors, exams, elevations in kidney and liver function early pets had 5 and 6 lb splenic tumors growing enhance their quality of life through preven-
bloodwork, and urinalysis every six months means we can start preventative care to in their abdomens. The tumors were very tative care. Why should pet parents expect
are part of our physicals. Our furry children help preserve organ function. Finding a thy- large and close to rupturing when they were any less than the level of care they receive
roid problem means we can start medication identified on ultrasound. The tumors were at their doctors?

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 49

INSIGHT GAMES BRIDGE

DANCING FOR TRICKS SLOWLY OR QUICKLY WEST NORTH EAST
865 K J 10 3 2 974
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist 942 A763 85
J952 4 A 10 7 6
George Bernard Shaw said, “If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well AJ2 653 Q 10 9 4
make it dance.”
SOUTH
Last week, I compared the two styles of bridge defense — active and passive — with AQ
dance. If you round up a posse and hunt for tricks, it is like dancing a fandango. But if K Q J 10
you sit at home watching the television and waiting for declarer to knock on your front KQ83
door and donate you tricks, that is akin to dancing a fox trot. K87

How do the defenders decide which steps to take? Dealer: South; Vunerable: East-West

First, they listen to the bidding. If it sounds like the opponents are full value for their The Bidding:
calls, be active; if they crawl to their contract, stay passive. Then, study the dummy. If it
is balanced, the defenders can probably be cautious. But if it is unbalanced, especially SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
with a good side suit, they should immediately chase tricks. 2 NT Pass 3 Clubs Pass
3 Hearts Pass 4 Hearts All Pass LEAD:
Which applies in this deal? South is in four hearts. West leads a low diamond. What 2 Diamonds
should East do?

After North learned of the 4-4 heart fit, he wondered if his side might have a slam.
Partner could have had something like Spades A Q x, Hearts K Q J x, Diamonds A x x x,
Clubs A x, when seven hearts is excellent.

After East takes the first trick with his diamond ace, he should see that dummy’s spade
suit is likely to be worth four or five tricks, and declarer may gain a diamond ruff or two.
East must get active, shifting to the club 10.

As I have fixed the cards, this works perfectly.

50 Vero Beach 32963 / June 9, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES & CO. SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (JUNE 2) ON PAGE 62

ACROSS DOWN
1 Fail to catch (4) 1 Picture house (6)
8 Flying insect (3) 2 Get together (8)
9 Foliage; page (4) 3 Protest; thing (6)
10 Erase (6) 4 Shortage (6)
11 Motive (6) 5 Excuse (4)
12 Feline (3) 6 Coax (6)
13 Chess ploy (6) 15 Conjuror (8)
14 Basket; impede (6) 17 Of horses (6)
16 Harsh (6) 18 Revised (6)
19 Fisherman (6) 19 Yearly (6)
21 Lair (3) 20 Euphoric (6)
22 Breakfast cereal (6) 23 Wise person (4)
24 Drink of the gods (6)
The Telegraph 25 Difficulty (4)
26 Epoch (3)
27 So be it (4)

How to do Sudoku:

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

The Telegraph