05/27/2021 ISSUE 21

Downward trend in COVID-19
cases in schools. P12
Goliath grouper
season likely. P14

‘Standing ovation plan’
for Three Corners advances. P12

For breaking news visit

MY VERO New CEO: Piper
to invest more in
BY RAY MCNULTY engineering, R&D

Probe portrays Justice
as instigator – not victim

The school district’s report Jeff Foglia packs up an order at Ryder’s Gourmet Market. PHOTOS BY BRENDA AHEARN BY RAY MCNULTY
on its in-house investigation Staff Writer
into Tiffany Justice’s visit to As pandemic wanes, hunger for quality takeout remains
Beachland Elementary on Piper Aircraft’s new acting
April 7 tells a far different sto- BY STEPHANIE LABAFF added, noting that Polo sold a Marx’s Cardinal Drive deli president and CEO John Cal-
ry than the fictional account Staff Writer “boatload” of wine this time location has done a booming cagno has a background in fi-
she shared with a local radio last year as residents braced business in part due to tech- nance, with an accounting de-
audience. The island’s gourmet mar- amidst rumblings of a second nology that enables fast, effi- gree and nine years as Piper’s
kets were in the right place at lockdown. chief financial officer, but he is
Contrary to what she told the right time when the pan- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 much more than a bean coun-
Newsradio WTTB talk show demic shutdowns hit last year, Cleveland Clinic ter.
host Bob Soos during a next- uniquely positioned to fill a cardiologists move
day interview, the former school sudden hunger for high-qual- to private practice A seasoned executive who
board member wasn’t a victim. ity takeout food. said he is “big on innovation,”
BY MICHELLE GENZ Calcagno likes to get out of the
She was an instigator making Business boomed during Staff Writer executive suite, and walk over
trouble at her child’s school. 2020, and market owners and to the hangar where his re-
managers say demand has Dr. Seth Baker was in a search and development team
The report, in fact, portrays stayed strong through the 2021 great mood on the first day is at work “to see what they’ve
Justice as being so disruptive winter season. of his new solo cardiology got going on.”
and disrespectful in her inter- practice that opened in
actions with Beachland teach- Longtime restaurateur and In that hangar, which looks
ers and administrators that deli owner John Marx said he CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 like “something you’d find at
School Superintendent David and co-owner Kelly Stubbs Google or Yahoo,” Calcagno’s
Moore warned she could be had a record year of sales at R&D guys have already be-
barred from the campus. the Polo Deli. “We were in gun reassessing engineering
the right business with all the projects, determining which
“If this behavior continues,” pandemic things going on,” he
Moore wrote in an April 23 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Dr. Seth Baker

Former player on Vero PHOTO BY BRENDA AHEARN
girls soccer team sues
for sex discrimination

BY RAY MCNULTY
Staff Writer

A 20-year-old Moorings
woman and her parents last
week filed a federal lawsuit
alleging she was the victim of
“systemic” gender discrimi-
nation when she was wrongly

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

May 27, 2021 Volume 14, Issue 21 Newsstand Price $1.00 Kid anglers caught up
in excitement at
News 1-14 Editorial 30 People 15-24 TO ADVERTISE CALL Kiwanis outing. P16
Arts 39-42 Games 33-35 Pets 60 772-559-4187
Books 32 Health 45-51 Real Estate 63-72
Dining 56-59 Insight 25-38 Style 52-55 FOR CIRCULATION
CALL 772-226-7925

© 2021 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero weren’t as maternal as she wanted Brescia, a longtime educator and refused to be bullied and, apparently,
Soos and his radio audience to believe three-time “Teacher of the Year,” said didn’t mince words with Justice.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 – and condemn her boorish tactics. Justice had made her job a “nightmare,”
adding, “The constant threatening and “The conversation was more of an
memo to the School Board, “the district From the moment she entered bullying tactics on her part is something argument” and “did not end well” with
will initiate the process to trespass this Beachland, Justice was combative, I will no longer tolerate.” Justice saying, ‘I don’t trust you, Scott
individual through law enforcement.” conducting herself less like a caring Bass,’” Finnegan said in the report.
mother and more like the co-founder She continued: “She has created a
Her conduct was THAT out of of the local “Moms For Liberty” paren- hostile situation. She has personally For what it’s worth: The district’s
bounds – which is shocking on the part tal rights group that fiercely opposes attacked my teaching practices, grad- investigation determined there was
of a former school board member but mask mandates in schools. ing policies, classroom management no merit to Justice’s allegations that
not exactly surprising, given Justice’s and even accused me of lowering her teachers bullied her son, and that
history of arrogance and antagonism. She refused to don a mask as re- [son’s grades unfairly].” School Board Vice Chair Teri Baren-
quired by school policy – or allow her borg violated the Family Education
At the very least, her ugly antics son to wear one – and, when arriv- Brescia also accused Justice of re- Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) when
were a blatant violation of the School ing at his classroom, disregarded the peatedly lying about the incident dur- she looked into Justice’s complaints
Board policy that forbids threatening teacher’s direction as to where to sit. ing her radio interview. about Beachland.
speech or actions – “behavior consist-
ing of any words or deeds that intimi- She then started taking notes, in an The classroom disruption, howev- The report does, however, support
date a staff member or cause anxiety apparent attempt to intimidate her er, was only the beginning, as Justice the teachers’ allegations that they
concerning wellbeing” – by any stu- son’s teacher. went on to clash with Beachland Prin- were the victims of Justice’s threats
dent, staff member or parent. cipal Rachel Finnegan, other school and intimidation.
In her on-air interview, Justice staffers and even Assistant School Su-
Justice claimed during her radio claimed “there was no disruption on perintendent Scott Bass. Don’t expect Justice to start behav-
interview that she visited Beachland my part,” a statement that was either ing like a responsible parent and good
because her son, a fifth-grader at the dishonest or delusional. Throughout the day, she criticized citizen after being exposed by the re-
school, was “having a hard time” with school rules and district policies, de- port, though, because she got what
the district’s COVID-prompted mask According to the district’s report, manded to see them in writing, and she wanted most – attention.
mandate. Justice “made some commentary dur- generally showed little respect for
ing instruction, not even five minutes teachers and administrators, speaking Maybe she’s trying to generate head-
She said wearing a mask in class into the classroom session,” and her to them in a contemptuous tone and lines for “Moms For Liberty,” which
made it difficult for him to concen- disturbing behavior was “very hurtful” saying she didn’t trust them or the sys- persisted in its opposition to the dis-
trate and caused him “a lot of mental to the teacher. tem. trict’s mask mandate into May, caus-
anguish,” and she wanted to be there ing unnecessary turmoil for a School
to show encouragement and support. The report contains Vero Beach During recess, Justice was told by a Board and superintendent that have
32963 news stories, including one in teacher, Tina Newberry, she couldn’t more important issues to address.
The district’s report, however, pro- which the teacher, Megan Brescia, use the covered physical-education
vides more than enough evidence to publicly complained to the School area to play basketball with her son Or maybe, in a desperate attempt
cast doubt on Justice’s motives – which Board about Justice’s confrontational and other students because the facility to remain relevant, she’s plotting an-
conduct during the April visit. was already set up for the next class. other run for the School Board after
choosing to not run last year, when
TIRED OF ZOOM MEETINGS? SO ARE WE. Instead of accepting the school’s she knew she had no chance to win.
policy – which the students were aware
Clients are ALWAYS welcome in our office. of – Justice childishly challenged it. If so, her actions at Beachland will
be seen as disqualifying by many vot-
Covid-19 has driven most investment firms to an online-only service model. “She made a gesture of drawing a
We’re NOT most firms. We’re a boutique practice with decades of experience box around her head, saying, ‘I can’t be ers. 
in the sun,’” the report states, adding
in offering customized portfolio management. that Justice finally relented and moved Sex discrimination lawsuit
Besides, how can you build a meaningful relationship on Zoom? to the uncovered court, but only after CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Investment Management • Trust & Estate Services • Financial Strategies mocking Newberry by telling the stu-
dents, “No, no, no. She told us no.” dismissed from the Vero Beach High
Barbara E. Magee, Alexander S. Batt, Charlene Padgett Tucker School girls soccer team in February
Thomas J. Rollando and Sue M. Tompkins Newberry believed Justice under- 2019.
mined teachers’ authority and set a
772.494.7660 l 3055 Cardinal Dr, Suite 305, Vero Beach, FL 32963 “poor example” for the students when Gabrielle D’Elia, a former student
www.warrencapitalmanagement.com she chose to “question and bully” her now attending New York’s Fashion In-
over a school rule, the report states. stitute of Technology, claims in a 49-
Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), page filing that she endured retaliation
Member SIPC. Warren Capital Management is a separate entity from WFAFN. Justice later challenged the school’s and harassment from school officials,
policy prohibiting parents from eating and suffered “severe psychological and
lunch with their children, and con- emotional damage” – including de-
fronted Finnegan about the presence pression, anxiety and panic attacks – as
of a school resource officer who moni- a result of the treatment she received.
tored their interaction.
D’Elia’s parents, Anthony and Me-
“I told her I requested him to fol- gan, are also listed as plaintiffs in the
low me, in the event she and I were lawsuit on behalf of their 17-year-old
not able to have a calm conversation,” daughter, Delaney, who was a fresh-
Finnegan said in the report, adding, man on the team but, along with her
“I can have my SRO follow me at any older sister, was not permitted to par-
time, if I feel there could be a potential ticipate in the team’s end-of-season
situation.” banquet.

And one was coming. In addition, the two D’Elia girls were
After Bass was summoned to the scheduled to be featured in a story for
campus to meet with Finnegan and the school’s yearbook, but their inter-
Justice, he suggested they find a place views were canceled without explana-
where they could talk without causing tion – a move the lawsuit describes as
a scene that might alarm students. “retaliation” and “bullying.”
The three of them entered a storage
area, where tempers flared – specifi- The lawsuit accuses school officials
cally, between Justice and Bass, who

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 3

NEWS

of violating Title IX protections from burst, explaining that his daughter felt remark, hoping she would be allowed Feb. 12 incident, D’Elia “had never been
gender-based discrimination and the demoralized by the coach, who often to play in the semifinal. The coach, reprimanded, written up, punished or
14th Amendment’s equal protection yelled at her during games. The coach though, refused to talk to her, saying disciplined at any time during her four-
clause, as well as alleging negligence wasn’t satisfied, insisting the father only that she would be contacted by year soccer career” at the school.
and gross negligence, negligent and be arrested for battery – a charge on school administrators.
intentional infliction of emotional dis- which the elder D’Elia was sentenced During the incident, the suit contin-
tress and breach of contract. to six months’ probation without adju- A day later, D’Elia was summoned to ues, D’Elia “did not use curse words,
dication of guilt. a meeting with Jankowski and Ahrens. inappropriate language, harsh words,
The lawsuit also cites the school They told her she would not be rein- or threats of any kind; she simply made
district’s liability for allowing bullying, The following morning, D’Elia went stated. a firm statement of opinion.”
harassment and discrimination on its to see Dickens and apologized for her
premises. The lawsuit states that, prior to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Named as defendants are the In-
dian River County School Board,
Schools Superintendent David Moore,
Vero Beach High School and Prin-
cipal Shawn O’Keefe, Vice Principal
Greg Ahrens, Athletic Director Lenny
Jankowski and girls soccer coach Dan
Dickens.

The lawsuit states the D’Elias are
seeking more than $75,000 in compen-
satory and punitive damages, as well
as reimbursement for past and future
medical expenses and attorney’s costs
and fees.

However, the family’s Miami-based
attorney, Jasmine Rand, said the
amounts listed should not be con-
strued as a demand or representative
of the case’s value. They are required
merely to establish jurisdiction in U.S.
District Court.

“We do not have an economic evalu-
ation at this time,” Rand said. “We are
focused on getting justice for the girls,
and we will hire an expert to make an
economic determination.”

Moore said the school district does
not comment on pending litigation.

The incident that prompted the law-
suit occurred Feb. 12, 2019, when the
Vero Beach girls soccer team was clos-
ing out a rousing, 3-1 victory over pe-
rennial championship contender Boca
Raton at the Citrus Bowl – a playoff tri-
umph that sent the Fighting Indians to
the state semifinals.

According to interviews, state-
ments and records, Dickens replaced
D’Elia with a substitute player with
three minutes remaining in the game,
prompting D’Elia to ask, “Why are you
taking me off the field?”

“You’re not listening to me,” Dickens
replied.

D’Elia had played the entire game
to that point and was upset that she
wasn’t allowed to finish off the home
finale of her high school career. She
fired back at Dickens, “Coach, I haven’t
listened to you all game and we are
winning.”

Dickens snapped: “Turn in your jer-
sey. You’re off the team.”

D’Elia was sobbing uncontrollably
when she told her parents what had
occurred – a revelation that prompted
her father to return to the field, where
he confronted Dickens and angrily
swatted a cellphone out of his hand.

Hours later, D’Elia’s father sent Dick-
ens an email apologizing for his out-

4 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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Sex discrimination lawsuit because the school district was slow to In a news release announcing the characterized his first year in business
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 respond to her public records requests. lawsuit, Rand wrote that her investi- as “exceptional.”
gation in the D’Elia case revealed that
Yet she was not afforded an oppor- The lawsuit cites past examples of male administrators, coaches and as- Now, he and his son are turning their
tunity to offer her version of the events football, boys basketball and boys soc- sistant coaches have been the subject attention to navigating summer inVero
leading to her dismissal, which the cer players verbally assaulting their of both administrative and criminal Beach, a time when business typically
lawsuit states denied her the due pro- coaches without being removed from investigations, gender-discrimination slows for island restaurants and retail-
cess required by the School Board’s their teams. complaints and “allegations of sexual ers after snowbirds head north.
Code of Student Conduct Handbook. misconduct against minor female stu-
“Our investigation revealed that Vero dents and female administrators.” “Right now, Sunday mornings are
“The handbook required a mini- Beach High School has two rule books still completely packed. Lunch has
mal amount of discipline,” the lawsuit – one for the boys and one for the girls,” None of the men have been pun- been good from the start, and we’re
states, “based on the facts of the inci- said Rand, a nationally recognized civil ished for their actions and remain em- thrilled with the way our Dinner To-
dent.” rights lawyer who represented the ployed, she added. night take-home dinners have sold,”
families of Trayvon Martin and Mi- said Ryder.
Potentially more problematic for the chael Brown, both of whom were shot “Sex/gender discrimination at [Vero
school district: The lawsuit claims D’Elia dead in headline-grabbing incidents. Beach High School] is severe, pervasive Matteo Bordoli making coffee
was punished more harshly for question- and hostile, and is rubber-stamped at Chelsea’s Gourmet.
ing a coach’s decision than male athletes “Gabrielle voiced her opinion to a and ratified by its administrators,” the
whose conduct was more egregious. male coach one time and was removed lawsuit states. But he is beginning to see a decrease
from her soccer team,” she added. “In in customers in contrast to March and
“The disparate treatment of male stark contrast, male athletes regularly That’s why, D’Elia’s mother said, the April, when he contemplated limiting
and female athletes at [Vero Beach cuss coaches out and are not removed family is taking the school district to the number of people allowed inside
High School] is blatant,” the lawsuit from their teams.” court. to avoid a crush of shoppers unable to
states, adding that football players “of- socially distance.
ten go on expletive-laced, explosive ti- The lawsuit also alleges – citing “Our daughters are filing a lawsuit to
rades” that “routinely go unpunished” only “information and belief” – that stand up for themselves,” Megan D’Elia Ever the innovator, Ryder said he
by coaches. Jankowski had directed a guidance said, “and for the other girls too afraid and his son have some ideas about
counselor to change the grades of foot- ways to keep busy during the sum-
In fact, Rand said she delayed filing ball players, warned athletes of upcom- to stand up to their abusers.”  mer. A monthly light food and wine
the lawsuit for more than a year to in- ing random drug tests and failed to test encounter dubbed “Twilight at Ry-
vestigate allegations of gender discrimi- “specific athletes who are known to use Gourmet markets der’s” that is set to debut this week is
nation in the school’s athletic depart- drugs but are high performers.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 already sold out.
ment.
Rand also devotes 1 ½ pages of the cient curbside service, he said. At Chelsea’s Gourmet, a long-estab-
Rand said the investigation, which lawsuit to “Sexual Misconduct/Sex- “We have these little computers that lished, family-run cafe, market and
involved interviewing witnesses and ual Harassment by Male Employees restaurant, general manager Diana
gathering documents, was prolonged Against Female Employees and Female go out into the parking area where we Bordoli said that they saw a surge in
Students” at Vero Beach High School. can ring up the orders. They do just online orders during the pandemic.
about everything except make sand-
wiches.” “We’re trying to be flexible and dy-
namic, supportive of the community,
Jennifer Jackson selecting wines at Polo Deli. our staff and the world. Our goal is to
serve health and happiness,” said Bor-
Ryder’s Gourmet Market had the doli, noting the importance of offering
distinction of actually opening for a variety of ordering options – outside,
business during the pandemic, and inside, online, using a QR code or at
the timing turned out to be fortuitous. the take-out window.

“Unfortunately, for others, when Yessica Preciado grills veggies just before
they had to shut down or be limited the lunch rush at Johnny D’s.
by the fact that they were serving in-
side, our business plan worked per- To compensate for the loss of in-
fectly,” said owner Tom Ryder, who door seating early in the pandemic,
opened the gourmet market with his Chelsea’s expanded its outdoor seat-
son Rob last September in the for- ing area, something Bordoli hopes
mer Super Stop convenience store on to continue. “People really enjoyed
Cardinal.

“We were incredibly fortunate that
the plan that we had a long time ago
[for takeout food and outdoor seating]
happened to be implemented right in
the middle of a pandemic. That helped
us more than hurt us,” said Ryder.

Even though the market shut down
for 10 days at one point when a staff
member contracted COVID, Ryder

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 5

NEWS

sitting outside,” she said, adding that down when our places are so packed coming in the door,” she added. “Who during the pandemic was filling the
they’ve just recently reopened indoor that we can’t even take everybody who knows what this summer is going to be flood of orders that came in.
seating. calls,” said Bordoli, noting that sales like? People in this country are excited
are on par with what they saw in 2019. to get out again, so I feel like there’s go- “We were very fortunate that we
“We’ve had a really strong season. ing to be a lot of motion all summer.” already had a very strong to-go busi-
It’s hard for us to read about restau- “We’ve had a steady clientele all ness when the pandemic hit,” he said.
rants in other parts of this country and season. Usually, by now, you see it Mario Amelio, co-owner of Johnny “So, it was a smooth transition to just
in other countries that are shutting thinning out, but we still have people D’s on A1A, said his biggest problem
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Gourmet markets being renovated, we opened the food day. We still deliver some to people at cial occasions, perhaps to celebrate a
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 truck,” Keen said, noting that the truck their homes because they don’t want return to normalcy.
stayed busy with people not ready to to get back out just yet. But, by and
do more of that. A lot of restaurants dine out before the COVID vaccine be- large, most people are ready to get While Keen noted that seasonal resi-
weren’t really set up to do to-go, and came readily available. back to normal.” dents have started to head back north,
they had to make a full transition. But he’s expecting a stronger summer than
we already had that in the bag.” Now, “people are starting to return He also noted that customers are in non-COVID years past with the in-
to pre-pandemic behavior as far as splurging in their food choices, rou- flux of people leaving the Northeast and
Amelio said sales are still up, with coming into the store,” Keen said. “We tinely buying items they typically West Coast to move to Vero Beach and
an increase in the number of people are seeing more of that each and every would have purchased only for spe-
wanting to dine in. a busier-than-usual tourist season. 
Piper CEO Interim President and Chief Executive Officer
The problem he faces now is finding at Piper, John Calcagno. PHOTO BY BRENDA AHEARN place former CEO Simon Caldecott,
sufficient staff to prepare and serve CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 who retired April 2 after leading Piper
meals and getting all the products he which began building aircraft at the for 10 years and spending 47 years in
needs, as pandemic-related shortages ones will be given priority, and he Vero Beach Regional Airport in 1961, the aviation industry.
persist in the supply chain. says there are new projects and prod- will resurrect the small-jet project
ucts that could become public in the canceled 10 years ago by his predeces- Caldecott was the driving force be-
“I’m just thankful for the employees not-too-distant future. sor, Calcagno replied, “I’m not ruling hind the decade-long resurgence of
I do have who have stayed with me anything out.” the county’s largest private-sector em-
through all of this,” Amelio added. “We’re working on things. I wish I ployer. After suspending Piper’s trou-
could tell you [more],” he said, “but I Calcagno, who joined Piper in 2010, bled jet-development project as his
The Village Beach Market – which can’t – for competitive reasons. was promoted to the top leadership first order of business, he turned the
has a full-featured deli selling sand- position April 6 after nearly a decade company’s focus to its M-Class line of
wiches, prepared entrees and all kinds “In any industry, especially in gen- overseeing financial reporting, trea- single-engine business aircraft.
of premium deli food – was closed eral aviation, you have to develop new sury, and cash management, as well
during much of the pandemic while products and find ways to improve as information technology and enter- It was on Caldecott’s watch that Pip-
the island’s only grocery store under- the ones you already have,” Calcagno prise resource planning. er launched the luxurious M600 turbo-
went previously-planned renovations. added last week during an interview prop, which has become a huge seller
with Vero Beach 32963. “So, while I’m Though his background is in ac- and the company’s flagship product.
Not wanting to leave patrons high committed to maintaining the highest counting – he earned a bachelor’s de- He also expanded its offerings in the
and dry, COO Jason Keen offered de- standards for quality ... we’re [also] go- gree in accountancy from Southern Il- trainer aircraft market.
livery from a warehouse location and ing to invest more in our engineering linois University and began his career
parked a food truck in the store’s park- and research-and-development ef- in the audit unit at PricewaterhouseC- During his tenure, Piper embraced
ing lot. forts.” oopers – he has extensive experience Garmin’s Emergency Autoland technol-
in operations, distribution and sales ogy – a major safety upgrade that can
“To assist our customers and give While it seems unlikely that Piper, as well as finance. completely take over landing a plane
our employees an opportunity to – and installed it on the new M600 SLS
continue to work while the store was Calcagno also served in the U.S. Air aircraft.
Force and remains, as he put it, “fasci-
nated by aeronautics.” The company’s successful ascent
under Caldecott’s leadership ran into
“Being in finance, you understand heavy turbulence in 2020 as the pan-
the entire operation,” Calcagno said. demic hit the general aviation indus-
“You know how much everything costs. try hard, with flight schools shutting
You know how everything works. You down or going to online training that
have relationships that reach beyond didn’t require new airplanes.
the company, such as with dealers and
customers. You’re on top of it all. Piper’s leadership team successfully
navigated through the rough patch by
“So, moving into this position can continuously monitoring the global
be seen as a natural progression,” he aircraft sales market and adjusting
added. “It doesn’t always happen this the company’s production and deliv-
way in business, but it did for me and ery schedules, but Calcagno said the
I’m eager to meet the challenges that strain of trying to keep the company
come with the job.” profitable during the pandemic was
exhausting.
He already has met a few – not the
least of which was stepping in to re- “Certainly, as the company’s CFO, I
know as much as anyone how challeng-
ing a time this has been,” Calcagno said.
“Everything was going great before CO-
VID, but it’s difficult to be in the manu-
facturing and sales business – where
you’re highly dependent on customers
– and the customers aren’t there.

“Half of our business is flight schools,
and they weren’t flying,” he added. “So,
you have to find new sources of reve-
nue, but that’s difficult to do during a
pandemic, unless you’re one of the big
drug companies selling vaccines.

“Also,” he continued, “because flight
schools weren’t flying, they couldn’t
pick up the planes they ordered and
our ramp was full, which posed anoth-
er financial challenge. It wasn’t easy.

“You could’ve had Lee Iacocca

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8



8 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Piper CEO contributions of entry-level employ-
ees.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
“I grew up in Flint, Mich., and my
come in here, and it still would’ve father worked on an assembly line,”
been tough.” Calcagno said, “so I have respect for
the workers in our factory and I’m
Piper began reducing its payroll supportive of the labor force we have.
through attrition when the pandemic
hit in March 2020, and over the past “In this position, I have a responsi-
15 months, its workforce has shrunk bility to not only our shareholders, but
– without layoffs – from nearly 1,000 also to our employees, who do these
employees to just over 900. jobs to take care of their families,” he
added. “These workers and their fami-
Now, as the pandemic eases across lies are a vital part of this community,
America, Piper faces a new challenge and that means something to me.”
– hiring the 75 to 100 staffers it needs
to meet its rebounding production de- Piper has remained mum on when
mand. Most of the openings are entry- Caldecott’s permanent replacement
level jobs on the factory floor, where will be named, or if anyone other than
the average starting pay is $14 to $16 Calcagno is being considered for the
per hour plus benefits. position.

“It’s another huge challenge, and a Besides leading Piper, Calcagno
different challenge,” Calcagno said. serves on the Vero Beach Airport Com-
“We don’t have enough employees, mission and as treasurer of the Jimmy
and we can’t find any. But we’re work- Graves Foundation.
ing on it. We’re actively recruiting and
advertising on job boards, and we “My family has had a home here for
have an on-site job fair coming up.” 25 years,” Calcagno said. “I’ve always
known the importance of Piper in Vero
He said the company needs to hire Beach, and I’m excited about the op-
more workers to meet its current pro- portunity to continue our great tradi-
duction schedule, and he values the tion of building and delivering best-

in-class airplanes.” 

Cleveland Clinic cardiologists January 2019, and said he understands
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the health system’s need to standard-
ize practices throughout its hospitals.
Vero Beach last week.
The veteran cardiologist spent the The new management made few
changes in its first year. But in 2020,
past decade of his 25-year career em- Baker found himself depleted by time
ployed by what is now Cleveland Clin- and paperwork constraints that he
ic Indian River Hospital. Last week, felt short-changed his patients and
he took the final step in breaking free chipped away at his off-hours. Ap-
of that arrangement, opening a con- proaching 59, he still enjoyed his spe-
cierge practice in a freshly renovated cialty and felt far from retirement, but
space just west of the hospital. after two years of the “corporate tem-
plate” of Cleveland Clinic, as he put it,
“Oh my gosh, I feel like I’ve been let his heart wasn’t in it.
out of a cage,” said Baker, a few hours
into his first day, as he reveled in the “It became very depersonalized,
independence of having his own prac- and I didn’t like that,” Baker said. “We
tice again. became much less efficient with more
hurdles to go through. I think I was ac-
“It’s come full circle,” said Baker. tually working 30 percent more hours
For some patients, though, the car- and seeing 20 percent less patients
diology department at Indian River than when I was in private practice.”
has seemed more like a revolving door.
By summer’s end, five of the hospital’s Now Baker is looking forward to see-
eight cardiologists who were employed ing 90 percent fewer patients by going
prior to the Cleveland Clinic takeover to a concierge model, ultimately re-
will have left in less than a year. ducing his practice from 4,000 to 350.
Baker appears to have left more will- And they are not all affluent. Despite
ingly than some, having given a long a $3,000 annual fee, two public school
notice prior to an “amicable parting.” teachers are among those who have
“I go there every day,” said Baker, signed up.
who retains privileges at the hospi-
tal and visits his patients there. “My The new practice is not without
colleagues are a well-trained, diverse challenges for Baker. Concierge mem-
group of medical professionals that I bers get his cellphone number and are
look forward to working with.” told they can call 24/7. There’s also
Baker regards the hospital highly – it the promise of day-of or next-day ap-
is where he and his family would go to pointments, almost certain to mean
be treated, he said. long hours for staff on days those re-
He championed the choice of Cleve- quests come back-to-back. Telehealth
land Clinic to take over the hospital in visits are an option, too, and so are
house calls when necessary.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10



10 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Cleveland Clinic cardiologists area since 1996; his wife Dr. Mary Bak-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 er, practiced obstetrics and gynecolo-
gy in the suite next door. Around 2010,
Baker, who before med school, Baker decided to merge his practice
played football for Johns Hopkins with the hospital cardiology group.
University, dreams of his practice in-
cluding people who have not yet had a He was joined by his partner, Dr.
heart attack, hoping to educate them Richard Moore, another well-respect-
on the importance of a regimen of ed, long-time cardiologist who left the
more exercise, healthier food and few- hospital in April. Moore has decided to
er drinks to limit heart disease. retire, Baker said; the two remain close
friends. They, along with the Scridons,
But teaching takes time, and at Cleve- all practiced in the same office prior
land Clinic – like most health systems, to moving into the hospital’s Wellness
and private practices for that matter – Center in late 2016.
patient time is limited.
Life for hospital-employed cardiol-
Ironically, the cardiologists depart- ogists was different under the former
ing Cleveland Clinic Indian River had management of Indian River Medical
a lot to do with building the hospital’s Center. “They basically left us alone,”
Welsh Heart Center, a so-called “cen- said Baker.
ter of excellence” like the Scully-Welsh
Cancer Center that attracted Cleve- Cleveland Clinic, which prides itself
land Clinic to Vero in the first place. on monitoring for systemwide consis-
tency in protocols and policy, added a
The advanced care offered at those new layer of bureaucracy.
centers was rare for a small communi-
ty hospital and is frequently credited “It wasn’t the way I wanted to prac-
for bringing a world-renowned system tice,” Baker said. “What we lost was a
like Cleveland Clinic here. very different feel, a different culture,
a different vibe.”
Heart center doctors including Bak-
er were among the biggest cheerlead- That “vibe” is what Baker says he is
ers for Cleveland Clinic as the choice of trying to restore at his new practice.
a takeover partner narrowed to four fi- “Getting back to the basic patient-doc-
nalist health systems in the fall of 2018. tor relationship where when people call,
they’re greeted by a personal voice.”
Baker felt that with the Cleveland
hospital’s longstanding national rank- Phone system foul-ups at Cleveland
ing of No. 1 in heart care, the already Clinic Indian River dating back to De-
strong heart program at Indian River cember left its physicians apologizing
would get even better. frequently to patients irate over being
unable to reach the office.
“I was at the front of the parade, bang-
ing the drums” to get Cleveland Clinic “And we had nothing to do with
here “for the community,” Baker said. it,” Baker said. “I was apologizing for
something I had no control over.”
It turned out, for him, the health sys-
tem “just wasn’t a good fit.” With five When complete, the five departures
cardiologists leaving, he apparently will leave only four cardiologists em-
wasn’t alone. ployed by the hospital. In addition
to newcomer Sharak, there are three
Cleveland Clinic would not comment doctors who’ve been with the hospital
directly on the doctors’ departures. But since 2015 or 2016: Dr. Vik Gongidi, Dr.
the hospital repeated Monday what its Dan Wubneh and Dr. Alan Rosenbaum.
president, Dr. Greg Rosencrance, said in
late March – that the hospital is actively Those remaining doctors are listed
recruiting cardiologists. So far, Dr. Na- as options for the thousands of pa-
zar Sharak is the only one hired. tients who got letters from Cleveland
Clinic informing them their doctor
First to leave last fall was Dr. Tudor had left the hospital.
Scridon, who came in 2008 when In-
dian River was just ramping up its The letters did not include ongo-
then Duke-affiliated heart center. Af- ing contact information for the de-
ter initially joining Dr. Arley Peter at parted doctors, saying only that the
the Treasure Coast Cardiovascular In- patient’s cardiologist is no longer with
stitute, Scridon has opened his own the hospital-owned practice, and that
practice and anticipates being joined messaging the doctor “is unavailable”
by his cardiologist wife, Dr. Cristiana through the hospital’s MyChart portal.
Scridon, when her resignation from
the hospital takes effect in August. Cleveland Clinic declined to com-
ment on the policy of not informing
By then, Dr. Charles Celano will have patients about the departing doctor’s
left the hospital and opened his own plans, and whether they would be prac-
new concierge cardiology practice, ticing locally.
slated to be up and running July 1. Cel-
ano has been practicing in Vero since Left in the dark about the where-
the early 1990s and joined the hospital abouts of their heart doctors, some pa-
as the Heart Center was taking shape. tients resorted to Facebook or frantic
phone calls to try to find out if they were
Prior to joining the hospital, Baker practicing elsewhere, or even if they
had been in private practice in the were OK. “I didn’t know if he’d dropped
dead,” said one patient, who was

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12



12 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Cleveland Clinic cardiologists cians, apart from two cardiac surgeons DOWNWARD TREND IN COVID-19
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 installed when Cleveland Clinic affili- CASES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS HERE
ated with the heart center just prior to
stunned to find his doctor unavailable. the takeover. BY GEORGE ANDREASSI through May 17 when 14 students and
Patient records remain with the one staff member tested positive for
At Weston, though, the standard is Staff Writer the virus, district records show. That
hospital, the letter said; a form was the opposite – most physicians are was the most cases in a week since
enclosed for patients to have them employed by Cleveland Clinic. The As the school year winds down – Fri- February when the public schools were
transferred. same is true at Cleveland Clinic’s day is the last day – Superintendent averaging 26 cases per week.
main campus in Ohio. David Moore, his staff, and teachers,
Baker is now one of 13 independent principals and support workers across But the downward trend in COV-
cardiologists in the county; there will As for concierge cardiology, it is a the district can look back on a major ID-19 cases resumed in Indian River
be 15 when Celano and Cristiana Tudor growing niche, according to a 2018 ar- educational success. County's public schools last week as
leave their hospital posts this summer. ticle in Cardiovascular Business. Most just two students and one staff mem-
Nearly all will retain their privileges at of the estimated 5,000 concierge prac- When Moore announced last sum- ber tested positive for the virus.
the hospital, meaning their patients tices nationwide were primary care, mer that schools would reopen for
can be admitted and seen there. with only “hints of emerging interest in-person learning last Aug. 24 – with So far, a total of 387 students and 114
in concierge practice in cardiology.” alternative options for students who staff members have tested positive for
According to an analysis by Global wanted to study at home – many be- COVID-19 since the school year start-
Healthcare Advisors, the percentage Baker’s decision makes him the sec- lieved it was a mistake. ed Aug. 28, district records show. The
of cardiologists employed by a hospi- ond concierge cardiologist in town; Dr. school year ends May 28.
tal or heart clinic as opposed to pri- Nancy Cho has had a concierge car- People feared kids crowded together
vate practice was 84 percent in 2018. diology practice for years. And soon, in classrooms would contribute to the St. Edward’s School, the K-12 prep
The increase over the past decade has there will be three, when Dr. Celano spread of the coronavirus during the school on Vero Beach’s barrier island,
been “staggering,” the report said, at- opens his concierge practice in July. worst global pandemic in a century, reported a staff member tested posi-
tributed in part to the pressure on pri- and that schools would end up closing tive for COVID-19 in early May, Florida
vate practice physicians with dimin- For Vero to have 20 percent of its again due to out-of-control infections. Department of Health records show.
ished insurance reimbursement rates private cardiology practices go con-
and rising costs. cierge may speak to the town’s care- That didn’t happen. Overall, a total of 33 people have
seeking demographic, which may be There were weeks in the fall and win- tested positive for the virus at St. Ed’s
In fact, hospital-owned physician better able to afford the up-front fee. ter when dozens of students and teach- this school year, including 25 students,
practices are not standard through- ers were infected and some schools six staff members and two other peo-
out the Cleveland Clinic system. The For Baker, the reduced risk of physi- had worrying surges, but no school ple, FDOH records show.
heart center at Martin Health North, cian burn-out is worth the trade-off of ever had to close and, as the year went
the Stuart hospital acquired by Cleve- deferring retirement as he builds his new by, more and more students returned Beachland Elementary School, the
land Clinic at the same time as Indian practice under the concierge format. to their classrooms. only public school on the barrier is-
River, uses mostly independent physi- Infections peaked in January, during land, reported 16 COVID-19 cases this
“This is going to add years to my the deadly third surge, but have de- school year involving 10 students,
career and happiness in my life,” said clined more or less steadily since then. two staff members and four other
There was a spike the week of May 11 people, state Health Department re-
Baker. 
cords show. 
HURRICANE SEASON IS FAST
APPROACHING – ARE YOU READY? V‘setraoncdoiunngcoivlautnioannipmlaonu’sfloyrpraivsesrefsrotnhte
For wind damage and other types of property losses,
make your claims process a smooth one: BY LISA ZAHNER drawing,” said Vero Planning Director
Staff Writer Jason Jeffries, referring to an early, pre-
• Report the loss to your insurance pandemic design for the site of the
company as soon as possible Despite some opposition to residen- city’s decommissioned electric plant.
tial development on Vero’s riverfront “This is the thing that everyone liked,
• Cooperate with the carrier’s utility parcels, the Vero Beach City going back to this design coming out
investigation Council has unanimously approved a of the original charrettes, the so-called
Three Corners Master Concept Plan ‘standing ovation plan.’
• Document everything – take that includes apartments and condos
pictures, get names and numbers, – but the required charter change to “The key thing is the retention of
and save receipts build the project likely won’t make it the ability of the public to use this
onto the November ballot. space,” Jeffries added. “This is open to
• Know your coverages and any the community. This is the destination
applicable deductible The council voted April 26 on a plan you’re trying to create.”
recommended by the Three Corners
• If anything is torn out for repairs Steering Committee that features a wa- Councilmembers rejected a more
before the insurance company can terfront promenade, shops, restaurants, recent, scaled-down plan proposed by
inspect the premises, save those green space, a splash park, a cultural architect Andres Duany of DPZ CoDe-
items for their representatives to event venue, day docks and hopefully a sign, who assumed the city would
view at a later date hotel – either using the Big Blue power need to dial down its expectations due
plant structure, or tearing it down if re- to the pandemic.
• Take steps to preserve the property purposing it isn’t feasible.
and minimize further damage The next step is to determine the fis-
“Everyone wanted to go back to this cal feasibility of the approved plan and
Julie Lewis Hauf, Esq., a graduate of Boston College Law School, has been practicing reckon the chances the plan might
law for more than 20 years in the areas of civil, business, and insurance litigation. The
firm is based in Vero Beach, Florida, and maintains offices in Central Florida, South
Florida, and Southwest Florida, serving clients around the state.

700 Beachland Blvd., Vero Beach, FL 32963
www.lewishauf.com (772) 492-6591

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 13

NEWS

have in the market. For that, Vero has “Time is getting short,” Jeffries said.
commissioned a study by a financial City Manager Monte Falls added,
consulting firm. “We’re basically the first of June right
now. We have to have that language to
How much the PFM consulting firm the Supervisor of Elections by ... the
will charge for the study is unknown, third week of August. So that gives us
but City Manager Monte Falls was giv- less than 90 days. So, is it possible? May-
en permission to spend up to $50,000 be. Is it probable? I would say probably
to get things rolling. not.”
Falls’ goal is for the project to be
The study will examine how much “revenue neutral” so the city does not
the recreational amenities of the plan need to dip into $21 million in residu-
might cost to construct and maintain, al profits from the electric utility sale
and what appetite there is in the mar- that created the huge redevelopment
ket for developing the commercial as- opportunity on the riverfront.
pects of the project, including the ho- That means the lease income from
tel, retail shops and restaurants. the hotel, retail and commercial por-
tions of the development would need
The study is expected to take a cou- to pay for recreational amenities the
ple of months. Depending on the re- city wants to build.
sults and what changes might need to That’s why the steering commit-
be made to the design based on cost or tee included limited residential de-
market feasibility factors, a final plan velopment – apartments or condos
and report could materialize a few over businesses – to help boost reve-
weeks after that. nue from the project. Several coun-
cil members oppose having people
That timeline puts the process into live on what will remain public
late July or early August – if everything
happens quickly. property. 

“Is it possible to get it to referendum
this year?” Councilman Dick Winger
asked.

Brightline: Orlando to Tampa link
‘key’ to success of Florida rail project

BY GEORGE ANDREASSI “We need for this project to go to
Staff Writer Tampa,” said Mike Cegelis, Bright-
line’s vice president for construction.
Brightline officials at a May 19 press “It’s kind of a threshold. Connecting
conference came close to admitting South Florida to Orlando is a big deal,
they need a rail connection between but we’re not going to push this over
Orlando and Tampa to make their top and have a connected rail sys-
Florida project a success. tem in our state unless we connect to
Tampa.”
After years of extolling the great
prospects for a Miami to Orlando The Orlando news conference was
high-speed rail line, Brightline’s top presented as a celebration of “passing
brass used the news conference to try the halfway mark for construction on
to drum up political and community its extension [from Palm Beach] to Or-
support for the expansion of the high- lando,” but the company did not de-
speed rail network to Tampa.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Brightline In addition to linking Miami and up construction at railroad crossings in tional stretch of track between Miami
Orlando – and possibly Orlando and northern Indian River County. The im- and West Palm Beach later this year af-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 Tampa – Brightline is also developing provements include installation of new ter completing signal testing on a new
a passenger rail connection between railroad crossing safety signals, guard positive train control system in July.
fine or quantify what “halfway” means Los Angeles and Las Vegas. rails, control boxes, motion sensors,
in terms of work completed. warning signs and other safety devices. The most intense construction activity
But before realizing Reininger’s in Indian River County has been taking
“Today, Brightline is halfway home dreams of a national passenger train Brightline plans to run 32 trains place since last July along the 95-year-
to Orlando as we progress toward empire serving premier destinations, per day through Indian River County old St. Sebastian River Railroad Bridge,
completion of one of the nation’s larg- Brightline must complete the gritty at speeds of up to 110 mph en route where two massive cranes are being
est and most significant transporta- work of constructing 170-miles of between Orlando and South Florida used to replace the 1,625-foot-long steel
tion projects,” Brightline’s CEO Mike high-speed tracks across rivers and starting in early 2023 after completion structure with a concrete bridge.
Reininger said. “Imagine a dozen new streams and through towns and cit- of its $3-billion extension north from
corridors like this all around the coun- ies from West Palm Beach to Orlando Palm Beach to Orlando. The $33 million bridge project is
try. We believe Brightline is showing International Airport. expected to be finished in December
the way.” The company anticipates resuming 2022 as the overall project is wrapping
To that end, the company has ramped passenger service on its first opera-
up. 

Big news for anglers: Limited goliath grouper season likely

BY SUE COCKING ing amid signs the large reef fish – for- ed to the point that some anglers and plorer Jacques Cousteau: “I am totally
Staff Writer merly known as jewfish – are recover- spear fishers consider them a nuisance against this proposal. We need to pro-
ing from decades of overfishing. for stealing fish from their hooks and tect goliath grouper forever in perpe-
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- spears and want to reopen a harvest. tuity like we do with manatees, turtles,
servation Commission last week ten- Goliaths – the largest of the grou- dolphins and whales. They should not
tatively approved a limited harvest of per species – can grow to hundreds At the same time, recreational div- be taken for personal pleasure or for
goliath grouper in state waters, follow- of pounds. Heavily targeted for food ers on Florida’s southeast coast who food.”
ing a 30-plus-year closure imposed and sport by anglers and spear fish- pay hundreds of dollars for underwa-
when the species was near collapse. ers, their numbers tumbled in the late ter sightseeing excursions to reefs and Retired Florida State University pro-
1980s, prompting a 1990 harvest clo- wrecks where goliaths congregate to fessor Dr. Chris Koenig, who’s been
Commissioners, meeting in Miami, sure in state and federal Atlantic and spawn from July through September studying goliaths for more than 20
directed staffers to draft a proposed Gulf waters. want them protected permanently. years, argued that the state’s own met-
rule for consideration at a later meet- rics for the species show the adult pop-
Since then, the species has rebound- The controversy has flared since the ulation is decreasing. His colleague
early 2000s, and in 2017 commission- Dr. Chris Malinowski said levels of
ers considered allowing a highly con- mercury in the fish are high enough to
trolled harvest based on three scientif- warrant a consumer health advisory if
ic stock assessments that flunked peer harvest is allowed.
review. The proposal was tabled after
the massive fish were heavily impact- But commissioners said they can’t
ed by red tide outbreaks in the Gulf. just keep the fishery closed indefi-
nitely.
Jessica McCauley, the agency’s
director of marine fisheries man- “We should applaud our successes,”
agement, told commissioners last said commission chairman Rodney
Wednesday the species can handle a Barreto. “I’m in favor of coming back
“harvest conservative enough to keep with a very delineated list of line items
recovery on track.” for a limited take that wouldn’t disturb
the dive industry and would provide
She recommended drafting a rule additional access to this fishery. Just
similar to 2017 in state waters that because we’ve been doing something
would permit recreational hook-and- for 30 years doesn’t mean we need to
line fishing only, with no commercial
or spear fishing allowed; limit the har- keep doing it the same way.” 
vest to 100 fish per year for four years;
administer the fishery under a tag
system similar to the annual alligator
sport season, charging up to $300 per
tag; set a slot limit of 47 to 67 inches, or
about 70-200 pounds; prohibit harvest
during the July-September spawning
season and protect known spawning
sites.

Commissioners ultimately agreed
via a 6-1 vote to move forward after
hours of testimony from sport div-
ers, spear fishers, fisheries scientists,
recreational and charter fishers, and
conservationists. Testimony ran more
than 2-to-1 against reopening the
groupers to harvest.

Said Jean-Michel Cousteau, an ar-
dent marine conservationist and son
of the late world-renowned ocean ex-

Will and Katie Schlitt.

KID ANGLERS CAUGHT UP IN
EXCITEMENT AT KIWANIS OUTING

16 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Kid anglers caught up in excitement at Kiwanis outing

Delaney Coyne and June Jackson. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Luke Sammartino.

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Justin (“Credible”) Walker. Maevyn and Aeralin. Michael Marsh and Serenity.

BY MARY SCHENKEL WINNERS: they’re catching fish left and right,” by his grandfather, Al Sammartino,
Staff Writer Ages 5-8 said George Fetterolf, watching as the before tossing them back, often to get
youngsters pulled up an array of ma- caught again.
Poles at the ready, a smaller but no Littlest Fish, Justin (“Credible”) Walker rine life, including mangrove snap-
less eager number of children tried Ugliest Fish, Annabelle Schlitt per, puffer fish, catfish, tiny crabs and “Phew,” said one little boy, shaking
their luck at the recent Take a Kid Biggest Fish, Rocky Prudenti even a clam – and what they thought his wrists dramatically after pulling
Fishing event, hosted by the Kiwanis was a car battery. up a tiny mangrove snapper, “that was
Club of Vero-Treasure Coast. A lovely Most Fish, Justin (“Credible”) Walker heavy!”
breeze kept things cool as the young- “I look and I watch these kids, like
sters dangled their poles over the Ages 9-12 this little guy over here,” Fetterolf “His name is ‘Pirate’ because he has
railings of the fishing catwalk under- Littlest Fish, Thomas L. Jones added. “I was just about to go over and a black patch,” said 8-year-old Rosa
neath the Merrill Barber Bridge. Ugliest Fish, Serenity Marsh help because he wasn’t catching any- with certainty, referencing the little
Biggest Fish, Kendall Melton thing but oysters, and he got one. He grunt she caught. Soon after, having
“The schools wouldn’t allow us to was so excited.” pulled up a pufferfish, she declared,
put up flyers this year, so that hurt Most Fish, Trinity Marsh “I think I’m going to call my fifth fish
us,” said event chair Jim Wolfe of the For many, it was the first time they ‘Balloon.’”
smaller-than-usual turnout. wanis Club meets its mission of serv- had ever fished and, once past the icky
ing the children of the community. part of hooking a slimy shrimp piece Bait was donated by Vero Tackle &
Al Sammartino, current Kiwanis Also on hand were several volunteers (especially heads, with their long an- Marina, and prizes, for such catego-
president, explained that instead of from the Indian River Charter High tennae), they focused on the task at ries as biggest and littlest fish, ugliest
flyers, the school district now utilizes School Key Club, who often provide hand – sitting patiently while awaiting fish and most caught, were donated by
a “virtual backpack” system. “They assistance with the various Kiwanis the big one and giggling with delight Trophies, Novelties & More.
put it in for one day, so if they missed projects. when they caught even the teeniest of
it, they missed it, so we didn’t get the fish. The fishing was all catch-and-re-
turnout. But the kids are having fun “We don’t have as many kids, but lease, but nobody went home hungry.
and we’re having fun; it’s all good.” One by one and grinning ear-to-ear, For safety’s sake, they opted to have
each child walked up to the table with more than a dozen pizzas delivered
The morning of fishing, entirely their squiggling catches to have hooks rather than grilling up the usual hot
free to children ages 5 to 12 who wish capably removed by Luke Sammar- dogs and hamburgers.
to participate, is just one way the Ki- tino, get them measured and counted
For more information visit vero
kiwanis.com. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 17

PEOPLE

Annabelle Schlitt. George Fetterolf and Rosa. Richard Schlitt.

Clevon Wilson.
Connie Muzzy and Kendall.
Staffan Lundberg, George Fetterolf and Al Sammartino.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

New ‘Reading Resource Center’:
Book nook – and more – for kids

Diana Grossi. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF lives, a goal that perfectly aligns with
the mission of HFC to “provide op-
Staff Writer portunities for homeless families to
end homelessness by achieving self-
Thanks to the support of the sufficiency through education, living
community, the Hope for Families wages and permanent housing.”
Center was able to open the newly
constructed Flaherty Reading Re- According to Dr. William Cooney,
source Center on the campus of the HFC board president, more than 60
nonprofit’s homeless family shelter percent of the people living at HFC
during the pandemic, when it was are children.
greatly needed.
Prior to the construction of the
Diana Grossi, HFC executive di- Reading Center, HFC had just one
rector/CEO, said that when she first central living room area where peo-
came onboard, her background as ple worked or conducted job search-
an educator helped her to zero in es, watched television or generally
on ways to provide more support for congregated. What was needed was
the children living there with their a quiet place where children and
families. After determining that parents could read together.
what was most needed was a quiet
place where children could immerse “The children were behind, as
themselves in the world of literacy, were the parents quite honestly, in
everything began to fall in place. their reading skills,” Cooney ex-
plained.
“That’s the purpose of the room,
a place for the children to do home- Providentially, Terry Flaherty was
work and school projects and just to searching for a cause in which to
come in and be quiet,” said Grossi, donate funds left in trust by her late
who will retire from the position at husband, Joseph V. Flaherty, that she
the end of June. felt would be meaningful to him.

Recognizing the truth of the quote “My husband was an avid reader,
by Margaret Fuller, “Today a reader, so the reading center was a perfect
tomorrow a leader,” their hope is to choice. I was just so impressed with
break the cycle of generational poverty what they were doing [at HFC] and
by promoting literacy at an early age. how they were doing it,” said Fla-
herty. What she appreciated is that
In this way, families might turn residents are expected to follow a
the page to a new chapter in their plan to get back on their feet.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 19

PEOPLE

circumstances, likening it to being ex- provides services to about 130 fami-
posed to another world. lies a year, although Treasure Coast
Homeless Coalition statistics indi-
“It’s not only comfort, food and cate that there are likely another 100
lodging, but it’s playtime. They have it families that would benefit from the
all in a controlled but magnetic way of support, education, job counseling,
getting the children involved no mat- meals and housing they provide.
ter what ages they are, and that’s a big
job,” said Flaherty. To expand programs and services,
HFC partners with the Source, Boys
The Hope for Families Center is and Girls Clubs, Childcare Resource
seeking donations to help fill the Center and United Against Poverty
shelves with books, noting that fund- to supplement childcare, job train-
ing will enable staff to select age-ap- ing and education.
propriate Accelerated Reader books
that are supported by the reading pro- For more information, visit hope-
grams at Indian River County schools. forfamiliescenter.org. 

According to Cooney, the HFC

The Flaherty Family Foundation Our goal is to also educate the par-
donation, along with those from other ents on how to follow their children
notable local philanthropists, covered in school,” says Grossi, noting that
the bulk of the construction, and the when parents first arrive at HFC,
Hill Group took on the project at cost. their children’s education isn’t al-
ways their priority.
“We’ve had a lot of help all the way
along the road,” said Grossi. She noted “We want it to become a prior-
that they had applied for grants from ity. We want to stabilize the chil-
various local funding organizations, dren along with the family and get
including Quail Valley Charities, the parents invested in their child’s
John’s Island Foundation and John’s education,” said Grossi. “Hopefully,
Island Community Service League, to down the road, we’re going to be able
help fund the construction, furnish- to build a volunteer program. Right
ings, computers, books and a part- now, people are a little reluctant to
time educator to work with the chil- come in and work with the children.
dren in the evenings. That’s the goal, to develop a mentor-
ing and volunteer program for the
Grossi said they also received de- children as well as adults.”
sign guidance on decorating the read-
ing room from Coastal Comforts that She said that research has shown
included pops of cheerful colors and that a child’s success in school and in
carryall-like dividers for computer life correlates to independent read-
stations and safe distancing. ing.

Children can now often be found “The more children read, the better
curled up in the Mickey Cooney the chance they will have in school.
Young Children’s Reading Corner, a Hopefully, we’ll be able to break this
cozy space with an interactive “read- cycle of homelessness. Our job, our
ing” tree that features bugs, rabbits, a desire, is to promote the love of read-
hedgehog and frogs. ing. That’s why we’re hoping to focus
on books that are Accelerated Reader
While staying at the shelter, parents books.”
are required to complete “productive
hours,” and reading and working with Flaherty said that she could only
their children count toward that re- imagine the adjustments needed
quirement. by families coming to the Hope for
Families Center after often horrific
“We want them to be productive.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘Cooking for Kids’ Sake’ was recipe for fundraising success

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF for programs that support children Their mission is to prioritize chil- will enable their therapists to reach
Staff Writer and when approached, admitted dren’s mental health in families, children over the summer, when
that she was excited about the chal- schools and communities through their in-school services would oth-
Tykes and Teens celebrated Cinco lenge and was interested in doing prevention, education and treat- erwise be eliminated.
de Mayo with a fiesta of flavor as something fun. However, what it re- ment programs, as well as mental
Chef Leanne Kelleher of The Tides ally boiled down to, said Kelleher, health counseling, outreach and “We can reach them all year
demonstrated via Zoom how to cook was contributing to a cause that advocacy. That critical support pro- round. That helps the child keep in
an authentic Mexican meal from the helped children, particularly as vides hope, enriches families and touch with their therapists and pro-
home of Linda Kloss. they navigate through the turmoil strengthens youth through direct vides continuity of care, which is
of the pandemic. care and prevention programs. key,” added Nientimp.
Attendees had been offered the
option of purchasing a custom box “I had a great childhood. Not ev- “We provide mental health coun- Tykes & Teens programming,
with all of the ingredients to pre- eryone is as lucky as I was. I had seling to children and families which starts at infancy and goes
pare ceviche, chips and queso, mojo great parents, and I do this and along the Treasure Coast and have through adolescence, addresses the
marinated chicken fajitas and mar- things like it to honor my parents,” been doing so for the past 25 years,” family dynamic and parent-child
garitas, or of purchasing their own said Kelleher, before turning up the said Eric Garza, Tykes & Teens CEO, relationships. Locally, partnership
ingredients and joining in on Zoom heat in the kitchen to do what she thanking participants for their sup- programs include Healthy Families,
to view the recipes and procedures. does best. port. “This is our first fundraising Infant Mental Health, Alternative to
event in Indian River County.” Out-of-School Suspension and oth-
Milton Banner and Claudia Arens Proceeds from the event will sup- er school-based programs.
assisted Kelleher, as event sponsors port the mental health services of- “We’ve seen a 300 percent in-
participating in person sampled fered by Tykes & Teens. crease in demand for services dur- Tykes & Teens, which offers its
the sizzling selection of ‘muy buena ing COVID,” said Nientimp. “Fortu- programs throughout the Treasure
comida’ that the chef whipped up for Courtney Nientimp, Tykes & Teens nately, we were able to pivot quickly Coast, seeks to build a healthy, re-
the Zoom audience. While Kelleher development officer, explained that and within 48 hours [of pandemic silient community by providing
isn’t known for Mexican cuisine at many of their clients cannot meet closures] were able to provide ser- high-quality, innovative, evidence-
her much-admired restaurant, the the co-payments or deductibles for vices virtually.” based programs and services, since,
silence that filled the room as guests services and that fundraising events as their tagline stresses, “Mental
sampled the meal spoke volumes. such as this help to fill the gap be- Even now that in-person counsel- health matters – every day.”
tween the actual cost and what the ing is possible, they plan to contin-
Kelleher said she has a soft spot insurance company pays. ue offering services virtually, which For more information, visit tykes
andteens.org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 21

PEOPLE

Linda Kloss and Theresa Kelso. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Milton Banner and Leanne Kelleher. Pam O’Donnell and Cynthia Van Ginhoven.

Claudia Arens and Gene O’Donnell.

David Kelso and Lucy Roske.

Karen and Steve Stresau with Harley Van Ginhoven.
Courtney Nientimp and Chris Ruddock.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Oodles of ‘ooh la la’ at New Horizons’ Fashion Show

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF
Staff Writer

Irina Fernandez, Susanne Breisch and Cynthia Rountree. Nick Amelio, Tony Amelio and Julia Amelio. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
Becky Walker, Jennifer Mills, Adriana Brognano and Julie Hixson.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF lery reigned over the festivities with ter our age, gender, income or race.” a willingness to get help, then every
her usual style and upbeat personal- The evening was dedicated by individual in our community has the
Staff Writer ity. The evening was also peppered opportunity to experience quality of
with original music, testimonials and sponsor Michael Thorpe to his late life, to live with dignity, and to be their
Volunteer models recently walked live finger-painting. wife and presented by Nila Moylan own kind of spectacular.”
the runway at the fourth annual under the direction of committee
Fashion Show & Bazaar to benefit “Thank you for understanding, chair Laura Guttridge. Prior to its opening in 1958, said
New Horizons of the Treasure Coast, now more than ever, the importance Rymer, there were very few options for
showcasing showstopping apparel of celebrating mental awareness to- “This evening’s event is dedicated people who needed help, adding: “You
created by four area designers as a gether,” said Tillery. “It certainly to the loving memory of my wife, either went to jail or didn’t get help.”
way of encouraging people to “be helps to hear how needed the services Kimberly Thorpe. The most fashion-
your own kind of spectacular.” are and how it can affect us, no mat- able, beautiful, fun-loving and pas- Today, New Horizon provides out-
sionate woman I have ever known,” patient and inpatient care for chil-
The sold-out event at the Quail said Thorpe. “Thank you for sup- dren and adults, minorities, LGBTQ
Valley River Club drew the attention porting this important organization communities, first responders and
of more than 325 fashionistas, with in our beautiful community. Thank veterans through behavioral and
a waitlist of another 60 people hop- goodness there are agencies like New primary healthcare services to help
ing to get in. Those who made the Horizon available to us.” improve the quality of life in our
cut enjoyed an evening perusing and community through its mental and
buying an array of clothing, jewelry, New Horizons of the Treasure Coast physical wellness programs.
skincare and accessories from area offers mental health and substance
vendors before settling down pool- abuse programming in Indian River, The nonprofit currently serves
side for the fashion show. Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee 15,000 children and adults across the
counties. Proceeds from the fashion four counties, regardless of their abil-
In addition to showcasing the fab- show will help fund programs and ity to pay. An additional 20,000 stu-
ulous designs of Kristen Alyce, Randy services in Indian River County. dents in grades K-12 benefit through
Gary, Kallee Jackson and Sabre Mo- their school based anti-violence,
chachino, the 35 models had earlier “Fashion is beautiful; the road drug and alcohol programs.
sold event tickets, solicited auction to recovery not so pretty,” said Lisa
items and brought sponsors onboard. Rymer, NHTC chief development offi- With more than 50 percent of New
cer. “Some wounds never heal. There Horizons’ clients having no source of
Bedecked in a gown created by one are scars and tears and relapse and income or insurance, Rymer said that
of the designers, Anna Valencia Til- divorce, but somewhere along the fundraisers such as the fashion show
way, if there is access to services and ensure that no one is turned away
due to lack of financial services.

Citing statistics from the Journal of
the American Medical Association,
Rymer pointed out that pre-COVID,
one in five Americans dealt with men-
tal health issues; a number that has
doubled throughout the pandemic.

“At the beginning of COVID, we did
not see a spike in mental health calls
because everyone was so worried
about food and shelter. Then the cri-
sis calls started coming,” said Rymer.
She added that the psychiatric im-
pact of a disaster doesn’t hit until 12
to 18 months afterward, according to
a FEMA report.

For more information, visit nhtcinc.
org. 

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24 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 Linda Morgan and Laura Moss. Marsha Battaglini, Susan Harmon and Debbie Cook.
Dr. Divya Haryani, Dr. Deepti Sadhwani and Lisa Rose.

Sue Sharpe and Carole Casey. Tina Stamatacos, Judith Herbert and Helen Stamatacos. Beth Sobol, Joseph Schlitt and Fé Domenech.



Blame James Bond. It was the sight charter specialist Burgess Yachts says You may have wondered about Cousteau-inspired explorers keen
of Roger Moore skidding a Wet Bike 84% of its clients expressed interest these flying whizbangs after to chart the depths of the oceans
over the waves in 1977’s The Spy Who in toys and water sports as crucial for spotting one soaring along Vero’s on film should pick up this dou-
Loved Me that piqued yacht owners’ their next rental. South Beach. The love child of a ble-propeller sea scooter. It can
interest in keeping more than just a paraglider and a fan boat from duck more than 130 feet below
tender, or small ship-to-shore shuttle, But it’s not just the world’s wealthi- the Everglades, the Parajet was the surface, pulling a swim-
on board. est who are diving in since the coro- dreamed up by flying enthusi- mer behind it at up to 6 feet per
navirus pandemic started. According ast Gilo Cardozo, who wanted to second. Better yet, fix a smart-
Moore’s gadget morphed into the Jet to the National Marine Manufactur- share his love of aviation. Strap phone in the waterproof camera
Ski, a must-have for every polyester- ers Association, U.S. powerboat sales one on – the Volution is the stur- mount to record every moment.
era playboy. The Jet Ski, in turn, raised reached a 13-year high in 2020, when diest of the range – and you can The scooter is designed to be
cultural expectations for what we 310,000 new vessels were sold, a rise soar as high as 500 feet at speeds used by anyone 8 or older – a
should be able to do on – or under, or of 12% from the previous year. that reach 50 mph, weather will- detachable floater can keep kids
over – the water. ing. (Pro tip: The air is less bumpy from diving more than a few feet
GetMyBoat, a marine rental plat- at sunset and sunrise.) Just book deep. $699
Billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and form, sent 60,500 renters out on the a few lessons first. $8,395
his new 417-foot-long project Y721 – water in 2019, rising to 178,000 last
a yacht so big it needs its own yacht year; it expects to hit more than 1
– plus destinations like the Four Sea- million for 2021. That’s a lot of peo-
sons Bora Bora keep spurring new ple potentiality looking for their first
innovations. As bigger superyachts boat or an addition to an existing col-
became dominant in the late 1980s, lection.
complete with roomier onboard ga-
rages, the types of toys and tenders It makes sense: Nothing says sum-
available multiplied. mer like a good, socially distanced
splash. Whether you’re looking for an
Invention is “driven by charter easy-to-maneuver three-cabin sail-
guests,” says Chris Clifford of the boat for your family, a two-seater Sea-
yacht industry bible Onboard. “Even Doo on steroids, or a double-decker
if Grandpa and Grandma are paying party barge with a waterslide, here’s
for the boat, they’ll bring their chil- our roundup of the newest and hot-
dren and grandchildren, and you’ve test toys.
gotta keep them amused.” Indeed,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Former world champ Jet Ski Based on Germany’s Baltic Coast,
racer Franky Zapata founded Hanse was founded by Michael
his company more than two de- Schmidt, a former winner of the
cades ago to devise wacky wa- Admiral’s Cup regatta. The ves-
ter toys like the Flyride, a nar- sels from his company deftly
row Jet Ski-like device that can combine top performance – a
shoot into the air on plumes self-tacking jib is standard to
of water. There’s room for two, maximize ease of handling – with
so a parent can hop on with an smart layouts and design. It’s a
adventurous kid as young as 5. combination that earned this
(They can also use the wireless craft the title as Cruising World’s
remote to curb a teen’s crazier best value sailboat two years ago.
ambitions.) With 300 horsepow- Pick between a two- and three-
er, it offers a top speed of 22 mph cabin version, and you’ll enjoy
– and a button will initiate a bar- the great light and clean lines be-
rel roll. From $9,285 low deck. $170,800

Think of this fish-shaped, two- HANSE 348 A student project at the Hong
seater submersible as a Sea-Doo Kong University of Science and
on steroids; the enclosed pod Technology led to this 5-year-
can leap into the air and duck old startup, which specializes
under the surface at up to 50 in naval robotics. Its 7.6-pound
mph. It was designed by New Mito underwater drone streams
Zealand-born boat builder Rob footage to an app from as far
Innes, who considers it more like away as 1,600 feet. The tethered
an aircraft than a watercraft, be- 4K device has two 1,000-lumen
cause it’s able to operate on three headlights for visibility at depth,
axes of control. With a little prac- and four-thruster stabilization
tice, a pilot can even do 360-de- keeps the camera steady in rough
gree barrel rolls while skipping currents. $1,999
across the water. The styling of
the chassis adds a witty touch:
Take your pick from sharks,
whales, or dolphins. The com-
pany custom-builds only about
two dozen of the craft each year.
From $85,000

28 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 INSIGHT COVER STORY

Nimble but sturdy, this 12-foot-3- Avoid jellyfish stings using this When Preszler inherited his fa- Anyone prepping to compete on
inch sit-on-top kayak with a short pool, which has an ultrafine PVC ther’s woodworking tools seven Wipeout can finesse their duel-
waterline is perfect for fishing in mesh stretching almost 8 feet years ago, the avid outdoorsman ing skills with a few sessions on
creeks. The American-made craft down into the water. The larg- spent 14 months teaching him- this inflatable platform 5 feet
is packed with user-friendly de- est, superyacht-aimed option self how to build a wooden ca- above the water. The lightweight
tails, including gear tracks to se- includes a 19-by-13-foot board- noe from scratch. Preszler, who’s batons are easy enough for kids
cure rods and accessories as well walk with a comfy foam top that’s based in Mattituck, N.Y., now jug- and adults to handle. Yacht Joust
as a paddle holder on the bow to wide enough for sunbathers to gles his day job running a winery can be secured almost anywhere
free up your hands. The self-bail- linger near the swimmers. $8,270 and selling bespoke, handmade – in a small cove or close to a
ing hull retains buoyancy even canoes to clients. Each boat, of- beach to drum up some cheers
when waters are choppy; best of ten using exotic woods such as or jeers from spectators – and
all, it’s dog-friendly. From $999 red cedar and purpleheart, takes packs down to the size of a carry-
at least a year to complete. From on bag. $8,000
$100,000

There’s no better party venue The ultimate overwater bungalow, This classic lake toy was first de- Countless companies produce
than this 35-foot double-deck- Arkup’s two-story glass-box-like veloped in Texas from an army- platforms like this that can be jig-
er pontoon, with room for up villa can be permanently tethered surplus fuel bladder. Like a see- sawed together to create a pon-
to 20 people: A stairway turns to a dock or cruise at a leisurely 7 saw, when someone jumps onto toon at the back of any vessel, be
into a slide from the upper deck knots under its own power. The a specific spot from a boat, the it speedboat or superyacht. The
straight into the water. Need we open-plan four-bedroom struc- force will propel anyone sitting big differentiator for this British
say more? The design incorpo- ture has 2,600 square feet of in- at the other end up to 30 feet in company’s offerings is the quality
rates more practical measures door living space that connects the air. Austin-based FunAir has of construction, with drop-stitch
as well, including a hard-sided to a retractable 450-square-foot reengineered the blob for use cores and strong, durable PVC
changing room/bathroom, plus deck. Its eco-credentials are im- on the ocean, adding stabilizer borders. NautiBuoy’s own ballast
a refrigerator, sink, and wine pressive: Solar panels on the roof outriggers to prevent it from system keeps the platforms sta-
cooler. With 800 horsepower or supply power, and tanks collect turning over and an inflatable ble, and the teaklike finish is styl-
more, the Escalante is packing and purify rainwater for drink- stand-off to stop anyone from ish and slip-resistant. Buy one to
as much power as some speed- ing and bathroom use. Sadly, the bashing back into the hull after act as a parking slot for your Sea-
boats. Just make sure not to leave prototype has already sold, but they jump. It takes only around bob or Jet Ski, and attach it to an-
anyone behind. From $154,150 the company is building several 20 minutes to set up. $4,000 other for an impromptu, al fresco
custom projects riffing off the cocktail lounge. From $4,600
same design, as well as planning
smaller, marginally more afford-
able models. From $5.5 million

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 29

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Install this 38-foot-long inflatable obsta-
cle course behind your boat or lakefront
home. The main appeal is a 10-foot, high-
velocity slide, complete with an interior
mesh floor at the bottom for safer splash-
ing. You can also loll on the water, safe
from the sun, under the roof of the Ohana
lounge platform. Small decks connect the
two elements, making it a cinch to hop
into the splash zone. And if you want to
expand your water park, other Aquaglide
inflatables attach easily. $8,600

With Club Monaco founder Joe
Mimran among its advisers, it’s
no surprise this Canadian com-
pany produces paddleboards that
emphasize beauty as much as
function. Made with epoxy resin
and other performance materi-
als, they’re finished with mahog-
any and Macassar ebony, among
other options. Pair yours with the
equally stylish paddles, which
start at $350. From $2,950

The aptly named ROM, which
stands for Rebuild Ocean Moti-
vation, will construct a boat your
way at its shipyard in Aveiro, Por-
tugal. Former technology con-
sulting executive Jorge Martins
founded the startup four years
ago to bring superyacht custom-
ization to smaller craft, upgrad-
ing workaday designs in a sleek-
er, sportier style. When Martins
unveiled this specific model in
January, he promised only 20 of
the eight-passenger 25-footers
would be made; just 14 remain.
From $280,000

30 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

The rapid development and rollout of effective vac- has decided, based on some clinical trial and real- Sure. As mentioned, Moderna is working on exact-
cines have been game changers in the fight against CO- world data of the shot it developed with BioNTech ly that. The question is how many variants should be
VID-19. But these shots don’t offer unlimited protection SE, to use the same dose it now offers, BNT161b2, targeted in a vaccine and whether there is a limit to
and may not be as effective against emerging variants. though it is still planning to develop vaccines that that as regards the particular vaccine technology. We
target variants. Moderna Inc. is aiming to be ready don’t yet know the limit when it comes to messen-
Pfizer Inc. and other drugmakers are running trials with three different approaches: one using its cur- ger RNA (mRNA) vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech’s
now to assess how long vaccine protection lasts. This rent vaccine (mRNA-1273), another that channels and Moderna’s, but we do know that protein-based
is where booster shots come in. the B.1.351 variant of the virus first found in South vaccines, such as those being developed by Novavax
Africa (mRNA-1273-351), and yet another approach Inc. and Sanfoi-GlaxoSmithKline Plc, can theoreti-
Vaccine boosters give the immune system an- that combines the two. cally cover many variants.
other “kick” to raise a response to a pathogen. They
are used when we are worried about the level of pro- It’s possible. It’s likely to depend on volume. This is actually being studied in the U.K. with
tection an initial course of vaccination confers. In the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines. So
the case of COVID-19 vaccines, the need may arise The benefit has been shown by Moderna. Their far we don’t know what the impact on immune re-
because vaccine-induced immunity has waned or a mRNA-1273-351 not only boosted the immune re- sponse is, though it should be at least as good with
variant has arisen that is less responsive to antibod- sponse against the original “Wuhan” version of the a “heterologous prime-boost” approach, as it is re-
ies produced by vaccination. virus, as measured by neutralizing antibody levels, ferred to when you use two different vaccines for the
but was also much more effective in neutralizing the first and second shot.
The simplest but worst way to determine when B.1.351 variant. The downside is that variants con-
boosters are needed would be to wait for infection stantly evolve with many different mutations. This This is a very tough subject. You can also ask
rates to rise in vaccinated people. The better way begs the question of which variant we might need to whether it’s ethical to be vaccinating adolescents or
to do it would be to follow a cohort of vaccinated address most with a new booster. children before the much more vulnerable popula-
people of various ages, ethnicities and health condi- tion in lower-income countries have had a single
tions and conduct regular blood antibody analysis No – this is relatively easy and requires only a shot. At the end of the day, the more a country’s
looking for neutralizing antibody levels to whatever small trial that involves measuring before and after population is vaccinated, the better its chances of
variants are circulating around the world. But even antibody levels. fighting off the next wave of infections. 
better than that would be to not wait for any data
and just give people a booster shot while we assess A version of this column by Sam Fazeli, who cov-
vaccines’ ability to neutralize variants. This is costly ers the pharmaceutical industry, first appeared on
but likely the most effective way to reduce the pub- Bloomberg. It does not necessarily reflect the views of
lic-health and economic impact. Vero Beach 32963.

A lot of this is still being worked out. But Pfizer

During the coronavirus crisis, our Pelican Plaza office is closed to visitors. We appreciate your understanding.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 31

INSIGHT OPINION

When Zachary Bucholtz orders a Can- the lens, not the Canon version. shouldn't lose sleep over this purchase. which may have confused eBay and led
on lens from eBay, he receives a Sony I have had numerous calls, emails, You're right, eBay's Money Back to this problem.
lens. Can he get his money back?
and Twitter DMs with eBay customer Guarantee is pretty straightforward I list the names, numbers and email
QUESTION: support. Their Money Back Guaran- and unambiguous. It says if the item addresses of the eBay executives on my
tee states that an item that is not as you ordered didn't arrive, is faulty or consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
I purchased a Sigma camera lens described is eligible for a full refund, damaged, or doesn't match the list- You could have also reached out to one
for my Canon cameras off of eBay. regardless of the seller’s return policy. ing, you'll get your money back. You of them to appeal your case.
When I received the lens, it did not fit This should be an open-and-shut case, claim the item didn't match the list-
any of my cameras. I reached out to as it clearly is covered by eBay's policy. ing. You ordered a Canon-compatible Your case is a reminder to check –
the manufacturer, which ran the se- lens but received a Sony lens. and double-check – the item descrip-
rial number in its database and con- But eBay is refusing to accept my tion before you buy. If you have ques-
firmed that the lens I received from return. The company says because I Case closed, right? tions about the item's compatibility,
eBay was, in fact, the Sony version of initially selected “does not fit” in the re- I reviewed the correspondence be- ask the seller and keep a record of the
turn process, that this indicates “buyer tween you and eBay. It looks like you answer. In this case, it appears the sell-
remorse” and is not covered. I have pro- filed two claims over several weeks. You er advertised the lens as Canon-com-
vided the letter from Sigma that proves listed several reasons for the return, patible. I can't pass up this opportuni-
my case, and eBay still refuses to help. ty to throw some shade on the camera
manufacturers: Their lenses should be
I have asked to escalate my case. I interchangeable. There's only one rea-
have filed appeals. I have written so son they're not, and you can probably
many emails. I’ve never felt so help- guess it.
less and insignificant as a consumer.
Any advice you can offer would be a I like the way your case ended. You
huge relief. I’ve been at this for days appealed eBay's denial. It asked the
and am not sleeping. Can you help me merchant to respond – and it didn't.
get the $565 back for my lens? eBay sided with you, refunding all of
your money. 
ANSWER:
Get help with any consumer prob-
You should be able to return the lem by contacting Christopher Elliott
lens and receive a full refund. And you at http://www.elliott.org/help

We take your boating fun seriously!

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32 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

On July 29, 1966, Bob Dylan Bob Dylan be? Dylan’s self-absorption
threw his leg over his Triumph Even as a young- became legendary. You can
motorcycle, revved it up and ster, he seemed find a short outtake on
set off down a road in Wood- to be crafting his YouTube of a grainy movie
stock, N.Y. Then something persona, as il- (D.A. Pennebaker’s 1967
happened, though it’s not quite lustrated by an documentary, “Don’t Look
clear what. A two-sentence ar- anecdote about Back”) that shows Joan
ticle appearing four days later his reputation Baez and Marianne Faith-
in the New York Times said only as a chess hustler during his first days full singing “As Tears Go
that the singer-songwriter had in Greenwich Village. He would loudly exclaim, “I By.” The lilting melody is in-
been involved in a “cycle mis- don’t know what I’m doing,” followed soon after by, terrupted by the clacking of
hap” and was “under a doctor’s “Er, checkmate.” a typewriter, as Dylan ham-
care.” No official police report Genius always appears inscrutable, but maybe mers out lyrics, smokes a
was filed, and years later, Dylan what Dylan was doing during these early years cigarette and chats with
wrote in his memoir “Chronicles” wasn’t that complicated. Fellow musician Pete manager Albert Grossman.
simply that “I had been in a mo- Stampfel recalls: “He was doing all traditional Anyone else would have
torcycle accident and I’d been songs, but it was his approach! His singing style and been in awe, but Dylan
hurt, but I recovered. Truth was phrasing were stone rhythm & blues.” Meanwhile, doesn’t even turn his head.
that I wanted to get out of the rat the shape-shifting continued. At 12, he had mod- Later, Dylan was not remembered entirely fondly
race.” eled himself on Hank Williams, but he was soon by Baez, though she had helped jump-start his ca-
playing the piano standing up like Jerry Lee Lewis. reer by asking him to appear with her at the 1963
Regardless of what exactly Within days of arriving in New York, he was pattern- Newport Jazz Festival and, after they became lov-
happened, according to Clinton ing himself after folk singer Ramblin’ Jack Elliott ers, even sent him a letter saying she wanted to
Heylin’s “The Double Life of Bob (“he imitated him, he looked like [him], he dressed have his baby. She’s not the only one. Others who
Dylan,” one Bob Dylan got on the like him,” according to one observer). He learned were friendly with him began to see someone they
motorcycle that morning and an- Woody Guthrie’s songs word for word. no longer recognized. Intimates of his recall a
other emerged from the wreck – if Then he put all the pieces together and became switch flipping, the transformation of the artist into
there even was a wreck. Sometimes the Dylan we know today, a replicant who is al- someone who could “pull strips of skin off people,
it’s the littlest thing that makes a person say, “OK, ways enigmatic and, as Heylin says, sometimes verbally,” who “just went nuts and started yelling.”
enough of that – time to do something else.” downright nasty. One early observer recalls him Then again, he was Bob Dylan. We want our art-
as “a square boy” with a “regular haircut and busi- ists to be best-friend material, and some are. But
Certainly, Dylan’s life before the mishap was fre- ness suit,” but by December of 1961, his New York we also want great art, and not all great artists are
netic beyond the most fevered dreams of the boy girlfriend Suze Rotolo told a friend that the Dylan great human beings.
who was born Robert Allen Zimmerman 80 years she knew had begun to develop an “uncontrollable It’s to the much-published Heylin’s benefit that
ago this month in Duluth, Minn. While most of his egomania.” we extend a similar tolerance to the biographer.
high school classmates were still in college or work- If anyone is entitled to write this exhaustive biog-
ing first jobs, he had changed his name, taken the raphy, it’s the man who was described by Rolling
New York folk scene by storm and signed his first Stone in 2016 as “perhaps the world’s authority on
record deal. all things Dylan.” And if he is as jaw-droppingly
good at his job as his subject is at music, Heylin can
By the time of the accident, he had put out seven also be just as prickly. He takes delicious pleasure
albums, toured globally and been roundly booed in throwing darts at Dylan’s other chroniclers, call-
for electrifying his folkie sound. He appeared to be ing one a “minor writer,” another a “largely unloved
going without sleep for long periods and, according scribe.”
to more than one witness, had developed a serious In other words, this first installment of “The Dou-
dependence on amphetamines. One thinks of what ble Life” is a twofer: Not just one but two big, color-
a journalist wrote about another hard-living star: ful egos are on display. 
“Keith Richards doesn’t so much burn the candle at
both ends as apply a blow torch to the middle.” THE DOUBLE LIFE OF BOB DYLAN

To Heylin, what happened before and after the A RESTLESS, HUNGRY FEELING (1941-1966)
motorcycle mishap is enough to require two vol-
umes. This first installment, which covers 1941 to BY CLINTON HEYLIN | LITTLE, BROWN. 528 PP. $30
1966, ends with the accident, after which Dylan REVIEW BY DAVID KIRBY, THE WASHINGTON POST
looked different, according to his biographer, wrote
different songs, sang differently.

Talk about a cliffhanger. Who will the second

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 33

INSIGHT BRIDGE

SHOW YOUR SIDE SUIT OR SHORTAGE FIRST? WEST NORTH EAST
QJ743 — K 10 6 5 2
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist 4 Q 10 6 5 3 92
983 AQ652 10
Bill Crawford, a comedian and radio personality from Pittsburgh, said, “When the AK95 J83 10 7 6 4 2
question is either/or, the answer is almost always both/and.”
SOUTH
I felt like that when faced with a bidding decision in this deal. Look at the North hand. A98
After three passes, partner opens one heart. What would you respond? AKJ87
KJ74
I had three choices, each promising a maximum initial pass: two clubs, Reverse Drury, Q
affirming three-plus hearts; or three diamonds, a fit-jump by a passed hand showing
four or more hearts and five-plus respectable diamonds; or three spades, a splinter Dealer: West; Vulnerable: Neither
bid indicating a singleton or void in that suit.
The Bidding:
At Bridge Base Online, the splinter bid won by a landslide, and more than half of the
North-South pairs reached six hearts. (One was doubled by a West who thought his SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
ace-king would be two tricks. South redoubled and scored plus 1,620.) However, I 1 Hearts Pass Pass Pass
preferred three diamonds. I am a big believer in trying to uncover a double fit, because Pass ?? LEAD:
it will play so well. K Clubs

Then, my wife might have launched Roman Key Card Blackwood, but we have not
discussed six-ace in this situation, so she settled for four diamonds.

Now I might have jumped to five spades, trying to indicate my void, but I chose four
spades, a control-bid. My partner then bid what she thought she could make: six
hearts.

West led the club king and, for want of anything better to do, tried to cash the club
ace. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and claimed. She had one spade, five hearts, five
diamonds and the club ruff in her hand.

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34 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (MAY 20) ON PAGE 58

ACROSS DOWN
1 Food shop (4) 2 Ooze (5)
4 -- Byrne, Irish chat show 3 Tasteless (7)
4 Waterfowl (5)
host(3) 5 Russian statesman(7)
6 Cold-shoulder (4) 6 Ballroom dance (5)
8 Give chase (6) 7 Downfall (7)
9 Greek alphabet letter (6) 10 Kept out of sight (3)
10 Over a barrel (8) 13 Non-professional (7)
11 Alliance (4) 14 Large female cat (7)
12 Cranefly (5-4-4) 15 Old weapon (7)
17 Sparkling wine (4) 16 Secret agent (3)
19 Unexceptional (8) 18 Pointer (5)
22 Edict (6) 20 Ornamentation (5)
23 Painting movement (6) 21 Fried potato cake (5)
24 Rowing team (4)
25 Knight’s title (3)
26 Bide one’s time (4)

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 35

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 118 What “sore sport” is to “Ross 50 School grp. The Washington Post
1 Pay this: abbr. Perot”: abbr. 52 Give it ___
4 Fate 53 The ___ Squad SWEETIE PIE By Merl Reagle
7 It goes with scotch 119 Japanese volcano 54 King of Norway
10 XXXV x XX 120 Comment after 55 Bruce who played Dr.
13 LaSalle of ER
17 Milky Way cousin finishing this puzzle? Watson
19 Wouldn’t hurt ___ 123 Make hand noises 57 Repair need
21 Western Bean 124 ___ de guerre 62 “We’ll see”
22 Actress Nelligan 125 “Time ___ the essence” 64 County in W Texas
23 1933 Popeye cartoon 126 Go stiff 65 Luminous display
25 Complained constantly 127 Good medical news 66 Apartment, for one
27 Monster’s river? 128 Wind dir. 68 Klinger portrayer
28 Jokemaster, 1914-96 129 Salamander 70 Not great
30 Persian poet 130 Play about Capote 72 Ineffectual one
33 Think out loud 131 Enjoying one’s IRA 73 So far
34 Antonio’s aunt 74 Dog walker’s need
35 Detroit-born Della DOWN 75 Correspondence
37 Places to trim 1 Cisco, to Pancho 76 Uris novel, The ___
41 W.C. Fields classic 2 Blossom star Bialik 77 Partner of Brooks in country
46 Ceasefire, for one 3 Part of a happy song
48 Hot tub cousins 4 Charlotte’s Web author: inits. music
50 Strike org.? 5 Slangy negative 79 Ahmadabad attire
51 1953 comedy, 6 Pulitzer Prize category 80 National park in Utah
7 Harrowing: slang 81 Mother’s forte, for short
How To ___ 8 “It’s that time ___ again” 85 Sexy nightwear
56 Printed matter 9 1972 Neil Diamond hit 88 “Pardonnez-___!”
58 Historical theater name 10 Drought 89 Secret ID
59 “The mouth that roared” 11 Raccoonlike carnivore 90 Bitter-tasting, old-style
60 Cheers role 12 Aromatic compound found in 91 Ph. booth wall scribblings
61 Accepted truth 92 “Elf” with the Force
63 Bergen dummy cumin, thyme, oregano 97 French auto race
64 1992 skating gold medalist 13 ___ out a victory 99 Anatomy guy
67 Lout 14 Avis introducer 100 Kind
69 Disagree, baby-style 15 Thing 102 “Are you a man or ___?”
70 Old French coin 16 Abbr. after a proof
71 Marshy place 18 Intelligence (query heard on The
72 Cookie man 20 Singer Sumac Bullwinkle Show)
76 Be a miser 24 Inedible part of a Happy 103 Arlo Guthrie hit,
78 Totentanz composer “___ New Orleans”
82 Ending for colour Meal 106 Defective car
83 Underthing 26 Wilbur’s horse 108 Dart part
84 Invite on a date 29 Iraq’s third largest city 109 School session: abbr.
86 Plane section 31 In commercials, he was the 110 Actress Ekland
87 Colin Powell memoir 111 Actress Stevens
93 Fabulous bird guy who liked Remington 112 Old western star Lash
94 Unit of dough in Shavers so much he 113 Site of Memphis
“bought the company,” Victor 114 George Takei part
Mexico ___ 115 Open a bit
95 Funny in the cabeza 32 Viking of the comics 116 “Holy moly!”
96 Picasso work, Girl 36 Guy in Angelique’s “heart” 117 Bat stat
— literally 119 TV monitor?
with a ___ 38 Fed. property mgmt. org. 121 That miss
98 Chicken choice 39 Like some parishes: abbr. 122 Palindromic Asian
101 Cul-___ 40 Abraham’s wife statesman
104 Dulles’s boss: inits. 41 Wild goat
105 Tsar, for one 42 Hailed one on old Broadway
107 Be way off 43 Eye part
114 Imperative heard 44 Longtime Spanish dictator
45 First Family, 1841-45
in church 47 Jodie’s Nell co-star
49 Half

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38 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Body-shaming parents may be the toughest weight to shed

BY CAROLYN HAX already, that “silent judgment and looks” also aren’t to be mixed and complicated – for related adults to
Washington Post OK. Feel free to point out that, no, they aren’t the only want to see each other but not want any tired roles
two people on earth who can exchange worried looks replayed. This all simply means you have a deliberate
Dear Carolyn: Once I’m vacci- without their object sensing them and knowing ex- calculation to make, whether your desire to see them
nated, my parents would like to get actly what they are. (I mean, every single one of you outweighs any dread, or vice versa.
together, which involves flights. Pre- saw the eye-roll I typed into that, right?)
pandemic, there were comments But if it’s the latter, then I’ve got your back. It’s OK to
about my weight, diet ideas, what- If you just read this and thought, wait, I really do stand up for yourself and your emotional health with
have-you. I made it clear these com- want to see them, then that’s great – all of your deci- everything you’ve got. Your time, your energy, your
ments were not OK, so they’d stop for a few months, but sions will be better for knowing your own heart. Plus, money, your presence, your effort — these are yours
the silent judgment and looks didn’t stop. I want to live in the happier world created by parents to give or deny others based on your values. You don’t
An unexpected positive of this time apart has been and grown children who want to spend time with have to volunteer to have anyone trample on them.
they can’t see me, so the comments have temporarily each other. Even in that world, it’s normal for feelings Not even Mom and Dad.
stopped. Based on the past, I know when we eventually
see each other again, the looks and judgment will con- Dear Carolyn: A longtime friend has become an an-
tinue. I have anxiety just thinking about it. tivaxxer/antimasker. Her posts on social media have
become strident and distasteful to me.
– A Weighty Matter
A group of friends has decided to gather in the
A Weighty Matter: Then don’t see them. fall and vaccination will be required. I asked “Susie”
Seriously. whether she’d changed her mind and got a one-word,
You are under no obligation to visit anyone who negative response.
isn’t kind, respectful and accepting – much less dis-
rupt your routines and spend money and burn vaca- I just don’t think I want to continue the friendship.
tion time to fly anywhere to do it. Do I owe her an explanation? She’ll probably figure out
Tell them specifically the pandemic separation has the reason. I don’t see any chance of changing her mind
been a relief to you because it put a complete and and this attitude makes me question her judgment in
blissful stop to all their clucking about your weight. general.
If they don’t like that, then they can sit with it on
their own time to figure out how to fix it. – R.
You’ve already told them how to, plenty: “These
comments are not OK.” Do say out loud, if you haven’t R.: You don’t have to stay friends with friends you
stop liking, nor explain yourself, unless they ask (no
ghosting). Longtime friends, though, deserve to know
why you’ve moved on. 

VIRTUAL VIRTUOSITY: ONLINE ENCORE
FOR BLOCK STRING CAMP

40 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

VIRTUAL VIRTUOSITY: ONLINE ENCORE FOR
BLOCK STRING CAMP

Mike Block with Vero Beach
High School Orchestra.

PHOTOS BY BRENDA AHEARN

BY MARY SCHENKEL | STAFF WRITER ated to support camp scholarships for Trevor Klutz, Jada Powell • Mike Block, a multi-style cellist,
local students. and Tatiana Wallace. singer and composer, described by
When the coronavirus drove the Yo-Yo Ma as the “ideal musician of the
decision to turn last summer’s an- “The good news is that, at the very though things are beginning to open 21st Century.”
nual Mike Block String Camp and Vero least, we’ve done the online experience up more, the online experience is par-
Beach International Music Festival into before, so we feel a lot more confident ticularly helpful for people who don’t • Casey Driessen, described as a
a virtual experience, Block had opti- as to how we can maximize the experi- live in Vero. We’re able to get partici- “mad scientist with a five-string fiddle.”
mistically secured the date at the First ence and really make sure it’s as mean- pants truly from across the world that,
Presbyterian Church to hold the 2021 ingful as possible,” says Block. under normal circumstances, don’t • Mazz Swift, a violin, vocalist,
camp and concerts in person. have the funds to join us.” freestyle composition artist, whose
“We were pleasantly surprised with “MazzMuse” style incorporates her
However, as vaccines were only just how great it felt last year. And even This year’s top-notch faculty, most “signature weaving of song, melody
being rolled out when planning be- of whom are educators in their own and improvisation.”
gan, the decision was made to take this right, include:
summer’s camp online once again. • Rushad Eggleston, self-described
“Ambassador of Sneth and Wild Cello
“We almost pivoted when we got Goblin,” who improvises with fiddle
the updated CDC guidelines, but it styles on the cello.
was just coming up too quickly and
there were too many plans to change • Natalie Haas, a skilled cellist who
for too many people,” says Block. continues to “resurrect and reinvent the
cello’s historic role in Scottish music.”
The 2021 Mike Block String Camp
will take place via Zoom from July 5-10. • Joe Walsh, an acclaimed Bluegrass
The schedule will again feature a mix mandolin player and songwriter who
of classes, online jam sessions and an crafts new music from traditional
Open Mic Night for students only. American Bluegrass roots.

The general public can enjoy a live- • Hanneke Cassel, Block’s wife, a cut-
stream performance by the award- ting-edge fiddler and composer, whose
winning Americana, Bluegrass, Bra- playing has been described as “exuber-
zilian, Celtic, Folk, Jazz, Pop, Rock and ant and rhythmic, somehow both wild
World Music faculty musicians via the and innocent.”
Mike Block String Camp Facebook and
YouTube accounts, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on • Darol Anger, described as “excep-
Wednesday July 7. The Faculty Concert tional among modern fiddlers for his
is free, but contributions are appreci- versatility and depth.”

• Joe Troop, a multi-instrumentalist,
singer-songwriter working in a style
dubbed “latingrass.”

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 41

ARTS & THEATRE

• Taylor Morris, who blurs the line Hanneke Cassel and “We like feeling connected to the
between violin and fiddle while pursu- Mike Block performing. broader community. We obviously
ing musical projects in various genres. hope that many of the kids are able to
a big part of Pearl’s life; a classically join us at camp, but there are kids that
• Zach Brock, an acclaimed fiddler/ trained violinist, he also played fiddle I’ve seen year after year at the high
violinist, “heralded as the great bright and mandolin. school that have not actually ever come
hope for jazz violin,” who embraces to camp. But, somehow, we still man-
jazz, classical, world and popular music. “It was a brand-new violin that was aged to become Facebook friends and
built by a living maker for us, with the stay connected.”
• Collin Cotter, proficient in Finnish purpose of supporting young, promis-
and Scottish fiddling, violin and guitar, ing musicians by allowing them to play Enrollment in this year’s MBSC is
he “bridges the gaps between Ameri- on a particularly nice instrument,” says still active, and Block estimates par-
can and Celtic folk and rock.” Block. “So, each year now, we’re going ticipation will be roughly 200, similar
to be awarding it to a different student to last year.
• Arun Ramamurthy, a versatile vio- from the camp, and they’ll get to play on
linist, fiddler and composer who “has it for a whole year. Then the following For more information, or for links to
become one of the country’s leading In- year we hand it off to the next person.” the July 7 Faculty Concert, visit Mike-
dian classical and crossover musicians.” BlockStringCamp.com. 
The first recipient of the violin was
• Trina Basu, a violinist/fiddler Emily McCain, a camp alumna cur-
whose “music draws from Western rently studying music education at the
and Indian classical, jazz and creative Frost School of Music in Miami. Klutz,
improvisation traditions.” the second recipient, played the special
instrument at the April concert. The an-
• Lauren Rioux, whose expertise in nouncement naming the new recipient
violin, viola and fiddle has fostered a will be made during this year’s camp.
global, online learning community.
“That’s one of the ways that we are
Joe Troop is the only brand-new fac- able to recognize some of these stu-
ulty member, and Block said he’s excit- dents who we have known for many
ed to get to know him better. Raised in years, and who are now dedicating
North Carolina, Troop has Argentinean their life to music and education,” says
roots. In 2010 he moved to Buenos Aires Block. “We’re trying to maintain what
and formed Che Apalache, a four-man elements of tradition we can, even
string band that combines Bluegrass though we’re not together.”
with Latin American styles.
Also joining them onstage that April
“So, he’s a really interesting, glob- evening were Jada Powell and Tatiana
ally-influenced musician,” says Block. Wallace, members of the Vero Beach
“We’re really excited to have him High School Orchestra and the Gifford
bringing in, particularly, the Latin Youth Orchestra.
American perspective.”
“We’ve known them and their fami-
This past April, Block and Cassel lies for a number of years as well,” says
brought their 2-year-old daughter Ei- Block. “We get to know certain students
lidh to Vero for a month-long visit, de- and get to work with them year after
lighting fans with a rousing concert at year. We knew that they’re continuing
First Presbyterian Church. to practice and take music seriously
year-round. So, we wanted to connect
“It was really amazing for us to get to them and let them have that experi-
to come back for the April concert. It ence, to show what they’re up to.”
was actually my first indoor perfor-
mance since the pandemic began; I While in town, Block also gave work-
haven’t had that opportunity up north shops, funded by the Indian River Sym-
at all,” says Block, who lives in Boston, phonic Association, at all three Vero
where he teaches at the Berklee Col- Beach High School Orchestra classes.
lege of Music. “It was really great to
see so many friendly faces and have “One reason why it’s been so great
that experience.” to be able to visit the high schools in
the spring is to not only see students
Block and Cassel were joined on that we’ve had in camp, but also to
stage by Trevor Klutz, who grew up in connect to new students and have
Vero Beach and was a participant in the something to offer to the general pop-
first camp here. Block says that Klutz ulation, even people that can’t come
progressed up through the advanced to camp,” says Block.
camp programs and now performs as a
professional musician.

“It’s been really cool to see these
people we met as kids, now get to a
point where we can actually invite
them on stage as colleagues and col-
laborate with them,” says Block. “An-
other thing that was special for us, is
two years ago we were gifted an anon-
ymous donation of a Daniel Pearl Me-
morial Violin.”

Block explains that the violin was
gifted in memory of Daniel Pearl, a
journalist with the Wall Street Journal
who was murdered in 2002 by terror-
ists while on assignment in Pakistan.
According to all accounts, music was

42 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! Reflect on ultimate heroes at Memorial Day events

BY PAM HARBAUGH opportunity to reflect amidst the for its special Memorial Day Ser-
Correspondent memorials to men and women of In- vice on Monday morning. That
dian River County who gave the ul- schedule starts at 8:30 a.m.
1 Memorial Day is around the timate sacrifice to our country. The with the arrival of “Beyond the
corner. You can mark this spe- Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Teams,” a group of retired Navy
is adjacent to Riverside Park on the SEALs who conduct fundrais-
cial day by attending services at the barrier island, south of the Merrill ing events. They will arrive on
Barber Bridge. For more informa- the beach after paddling a six-
Veterans Memorial Island Sanctu- tion, call 772-567-2144 or visit COVB. man outrigger canoe 300
org. You can also travel south to the miles from Key West to
ary’s Memorial Day Observation National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum Fort Pierce in support of
the museum and its Tri-
Ceremony. It begins 9 a.m. Monday, dent House Charities.
Services continue at 8:30 a.m.
May 31, and features retired mili- with a reverent Flag Retirement Cer-
emony for which the public is invited
tary speakers. Visitors also have the to bring American flags that need to
be retired due to wear and tear. The
Memorial Day Ceremony begins 9 3 Images of the cel-
a.m. with the National Anthem sung ebrated installations will be
by Cynthia Watkins Pishdad, LTC
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 U.S.A. (Ret.). She will be followed by on view in “A Tribute to Christo &
an official welcome and invocation.
The keynote speaker will be Sara Jeanne-Claude: The Tom Golden
Wilkinson, NSW Gold Star and Sur-
viving Spouse. There will also be a Collection.” The recently opened ex-
special wreath laying, a dedication
of the Memorial Garden and Living hibition runs through Sept. 5 at the
Beach, a Retirement of Colors and a
service conclusion led by Rev. Mike Vero Beach Museum of Art. Golden,
Shockley. The Memorial Day Service
is held outdoors at the museum’s Me- who worked closely with the late art-
morial Wall. It is free and open to the
public. There will be complimentary ists, donated his collection of col-
admission to the museum, which
will close at noon on Memorial Day. lages, prints, photographs, drawings
The Navy SEAL Museum is at 3300 N.
Highway A1A, on North Hutchinson and objects to the Museum of So-
Island, Fort Pierce. Call 771-595-5845
or visit NavySealMuseum.org. noma County in Santa Rosa, Cali-

fornia. The collection is the most

extensive one in the country and

spans 37 years. This traveling ex-

hibition includes works from many

of Christo’s environmental “wrap”

projects, including: “Running

Fence,” which was done in Northern

California in the 1970s; “The Um-

brellas,” which was a joint project

with Japan and the U.S. in the late

1980s; “The Gates,” which turned

New York City’s frozen Central Park

into a magical place blooming with

paprika colored fabric; “Wrapped

2 The First Presbyterian Church Reichstag,” which brought out hun-
of Vero Beach will host Dez-
dreds of volunteers helping to wrap

mond Rogers in a double bass recit- silvery fabric around Berlin’s famous

al beginning 3 p.m. Sunday, May 30. edifice; and “Surrounded Islands,”

Rogers, a graduate of Indian River for which the artists wrapped pastel

Charter High School, received his pink fabric around islands in Bis-

music degree from the prestigious cayne Bay, Fla. The museum also

Frost School of Music at the Univer- has works by glass artists on view in

sity of Miami. He began playing the the “VBMA Glass Works” exhibition,

double bass at the age of 12. He was a which runs through Sept. 1. Art-

member of the Florida All-State Or- ists in that exhibition include Dale

chestra and toured with the Cuban Chihuly, Karen LaMonte, Kenneth

American Youth Orchestra. He won Kerslake, Jon Kuhn, Danta Marioni,

a scholarship from the Vero Beach Benjamin Moore, Italo Scanga and

Chorale Society and received a full more. The Vero Beach Museum of

scholarship to the Frost School. Rog- Art is at 3001 Riverside Park Dr. Reg-

ers will be accompanied on stage by ular hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

pianist Jacob Craig, director of the Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 1

church’s music and arts program. p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission

They will perform works by Giovani is $8 general, $7 senior, and free for

Bottesini. Admission is free but a children under 17 years of age. Free

$10 donation would be appreciated. also to members. Discounts avail-

The First Presbyterian Church is at able for students, active military and

520 Royal Palm Blvd. Call 772-562- first responders. Call 772-231-0707

9088 or visit FirstPresVero.org. or visit VBMuseum.org. 





MEDPACK SERVICE DESIGNED TO
ELIMINATE PILL-TAKING PITFALLS

46 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

MedPack service designed to eliminate pill-taking pitfalls

BY KERRY FIRTH Susan and Doug Miller. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES thritic approved for easy opening.
Correspondent Each packet is chronologically orga-
custom packages medication to help tions, vitamins and over-the-coun- nized on tear-off strips and custom
Have you ever looked at the vials his customers take the right medi- ter medications,” said Miller. “Noth- printed with the customer’s name,
of prescribed medications and vita- cation at the right time, every time. ing could be easier. We sort your day and time of dose, medication
mins on your counter and wondered medications and put them in sealed, names, strengths and descriptions.
if you took all your pills today? Or “We offer free, organizational clear, plastic packets, which are ar-
have you had trouble reading the packaging for prescription medica- “Our MedPack delivers a month’s
time and dosage instructions on the worth of medication with the cor-
label? And let’s not forget trying to rect dosage and precise times of ad-
open the caps and sometimes drop- ministration, making it easy to take
ping pills on the floor in the effort to control of your health. Each packet
extract the ones you need. can contain up to six prescription
and nonprescription medications.
Those common pitfalls faced by It takes the guesswork out of taking
people taking multiple medications your pills.”
sometimes result in not taking med-
ications correctly – which can be So many patients are prescribed
harmful to health. multiple medications without good
effects, and sometimes those treat-
Doug Miller, owner of Miller’s ment failures are not the result of
Health Mart Pharmacy, has seen medical conditions but of compli-
the adverse effects of people taking ance infractions.
their medication improperly or sim-
ply forgetting to take it all. Medication adherence improves
patients’ outcomes, yet with so
The more medication a person is many pills some patients can’t or
prescribed, the greater the chance don’t understand how to take their
of confusion and exclusion of one medication as prescribed. By sim-
pill or another. That’s why he de- plifying the medicine regime, the
cided to offer his customers com- patient is empowered to take their
plimentary MedPack service which medication correctly.

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Vero Beach, FL 32960

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772-492-9912

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 47

HEALTH

“Our MedPacks offer increased their medications in multidose treat our customers like family and contain a 30-day supply and are of-
confidence, convenience and safety packages had reached 90 percent do everything we can to help them fered at no cost.
by pre-sorting multiple prescrip- adherence by the end of the trial, navigate insurances and prescrip-
tions into a single package for the while patients who were taking their tions. If a medication isn’t covered Miller’s Health Mart Pharmacy is
specified time and day,” Miller fur- medications via pill bottles only had by their insurance, we’ll do our best a full-service pharmacy indepen-
ther explained. “It’s easier for care- an adherence rate of 56 percent. to find a coupon to lower their cost. dently owned by pharmacists Doug
givers to administer and easier for And when someone wants to move and Sandra Miller, located at 777
seniors to adhere to complex medi- This study reinforced the idea their prescriptions to our phar- 37th St., Suite 100, Vero Beach. The
cation regimens, both of which are that patient adherence will dramat- macy, we’ll take care of all of it by pharmacy also is a compounding
essential to extending indepen- ically improve the health outcome, contacting their previous pharmacy pharmacy that specializes in custom
dence and health.” and compliance packaging makes it and getting everything transferred. compounded prescriptions such as
easier for the patient better results. It’s effortless on their part. We are Bioidentical Hormone Replacement
Miller Pharmacy has offered com- smaller than the chains so we can Therapy, veterinary, anti-aging and
pliance packaging in blister packs Miller also understands the im- offer more personalized service.” dermatological compounds.
for years, but many have switched portance of having a personal con-
over to the easy-open MedPacks. nection with his clients to achieve CVS offers a similar medication You can reach Miller Health Mart
Blister packaging is a method of medication adherence. “Our staff packaging service for customers. Pharmacy at 772-778-8585 to discuss
placing doses of medication in a knows our customers’ names the The chains SimpleDose Pill Packets your prescription needs with a phar-
sheet of plastic bubbles or cups moment they walk in the door. We macist. 
sealed with plastic, paper or foil.
The main element of a blister pack is
a cavity or pocket made from a ther-
moformed plastic, and it usually has
a backing of paperboard or a lid seal
of aluminum foil that can be punc-
tured by hand.

MedPacks utilize the pouch meth-
od, where the doses of medication
are sealed in small plastic pouches
which are connected in a long strip.
The pouch packaging simplifies
adherence for patients with easy-
to-read packs that clearly state the
medication, dose, and time of ad-
ministration. Patients no longer
wonder when the nest dose is due or
if they took their morning medica-
tions.

“About 40 percent of our patients
that were using blister packs are
now having their medications pack-
aged into MedPacks by our phar-
macy after only two months into the
program,” Miller continued. “It’s all
about the ease of opening the pack-
age and the clarity of understanding
the time to administer the dose.”

The benefits of compliance pack-
aging such as the MedPack are nu-
merous. The time stamp on each
packet reduces the chance of miss-
ing a dose or accidentally taking a
double dose by ensuring that the
medication is taken at the recom-
mended time of day. It also helps
establish a regular routine and en-
ables the pharmacist to combine
prescription drugs with over-the-
counter medications such as vita-
mins and herbal products.

The pharmacist can separate
medications that tend to interact to-
gether into a different time admin-
istration compartment to help avoid
drug interactions. And if a physician
changes a dose or medication, the
pharmacist can make those changes
to the MedPack and avoid confusing
vials of the same medication at dif-
ferent doses or multiple versions of
the same medication.

According to a one-year study by
Omnicell, patients who received

48 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Some adults take meds that worsen their high blood pressure

BY LINDA SEARING risk for heart attack or stroke. Just maintaining a healthy weight and tion, called antihyper-
The Washington Post 24 percent have their hypertension limiting alcohol consumption are tensives, and may add
under control, the CDC says. usually the first things suggested more medication if the
Among adults with high blood to get blood pressure under control. appropriate blood pres-
pressure, 19 percent of them are Lifestyle changes such as eating If lifestyle changes are not enough, sure goal is not reached.
taking one or more medications a heart-healthy diet, getting regu- doctors generally prescribe medica-
that may be elevating their blood lar physical activity, achieving and But the authors of the
pressure, according to research research said that this
presented at the annual meeting of may lead to people tak-
the American College of Cardiol- ing more antihyperten-
og y. sive medication than
would be needed if their
Prescription and over-the- other medications were
counter drugs known to have this adjusted. They said they
unintended side effect include hope these new find-
antidepressants, pain relievers ings will make patients
(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories and doctors more aware
such as ibuprofen and naproxen), of the possible effect
some oral contraceptives, decon- on blood pressure that
gestants, antipsychotics and oral other medications can
steroids taken to treat such condi- have. They estimated
tions as gout, lupus or rheumatoid that if half of U.S. adults
arthritis. with hypertension dis-
continued one blood
About 108 million U.S. adults pressure-raising medication, up to
have high blood pressure (hyper- 2.2 million patients might achieve
tension), according to the Centers their blood pressure goals. Their
for Disease Control and Preven- research was based on analysis of
tion. That means they have a blood nearly a decade of data on 27,599
pressure reading at or above 130/80 adults. 
mm Hg, putting them at increased

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 49

TRY THESE TIPS TO HEALTH
TREAT WRINKLES AND
PROTECT AGING SKIN

BY FRED CICETTI
Columnist

Question: Do wrinkle creams work?

The American Academy of Der-  Use a sunscreen with a sun pro-
matology says that over-the-counter tection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
wrinkle creams do little or nothing Look for products with labels that
to reverse wrinkles. say they are water resistant and pro-
tect against both types of harmful
However, the U.S. Food and Drug sun rays – UVA and UVB.
Administration has approved pre-
scription tretinoin cream to treat  Don’t use sunlamps and tanning
aging skin. In addition, the FDA has beds.
also approved lasers for skin treat-
ment.  Don’t smoke. People who smoke
tend to have more wrinkles than
Tretinoin cream, which is a vita- nonsmokers of the same age, com-
min A derivative, is sold under the plexion, and history of sun exposure.
brand names Altinac, Atralin, Avita, Cigarette smoking causes biochemi-
Renova, Retin A Micro Gel, Retin-A cal changes in our bodies that accel-
and Tretin-X. erate aging. It also has been shown
that people who smoke for many
Tretinoin cream is approved for years tend to develop an unhealthy
reducing the appearance of fine yellowish hue to their complexion.
wrinkles, roughness and dark spots. One study showed that facial wrin-
It will not eliminate wrinkles. It will kling, while not yet visible, can be
not restore skin. seen under a microscope in smok-
ers as young as 20. These signs can
Lasers remove layers of skin. Laser be greatly diminished, and in some
therapy is an outpatient treatment cases avoided, by giving up smok-
requiring anesthesia. ing. Even people who have smoked
for many years, or smoked heavily at
The FDA studied acids known as a younger age, show less facial wrin-
skin peelers and has approved them kling and improved skin tone when
as safe for use. The agency ordered they quit smoking.
manufacturers of products contain-
ing alpha hydroxy acids to include  Use moisturizers. Though mois-
a label warning that the acids may turizers can’t prevent wrinkles, they
increase sunburn risk. The FDA ad- can temporarily mask tiny lines and
vises using sun protection when us- creases. 
ing these products.

As your skin ages, it becomes thin-
ner and can take longer to heal when
injured. Sunlight is a major cause of
skin aging. Nothing can completely
undo sun damage. However, you
will still benefit from beginning sun
protection.

Dermatologists use the term pho-
toaging to describe aging caused by
sun exposure. With repeated expo-
sure to the sun, the skin loses the
ability to repair itself, and the dam-
age accumulates. People with fair
skin and a history of sun exposure
develop more signs of photoaging
than those with dark skin.

Here are some tips to care for your
aging skin:

 Protect your skin and prevent
future wrinkles by limiting the time
you spend in the sun. Wear protec-
tive clothing such as wide-brim hats
and long-sleeve shirts. Use sunscreen
when outdoors, even in winter.

50 Vero Beach 32963 / May 27, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

What causes memory loss connected to menopause?

BY MARLENE CIMONS “We think it does have to do with
The Washington Post hormonal changes, but memory
problems are also related to things
Pat Lea, 72, a longtime friend who like depression, sleep disturbances
lives in England, began forgetting and hot flashes.” – Miriam Weber
words midsentence when she was 48,
impairing her ability to speak in pub- depression and inability to focus, for Wellness Center in Montvale. “They The Department of Health and
lic and provoking countless embar- example – as menopause approaches. are worried. But I tell them there are Human Services’ Office on Women’s
rassing moments. Lea, then a housing many Hallmark cards about [midlife Health says up to two-thirds of wom-
benefits manager in a London bor- “I have patients complaining all forgetfulness], and if Hallmark is en in perimenopause report cognitive
ough, tried making light of it, then be- the time about their brain function,” making cards, it’s because a lot of problems, although estimates as to
gan writing her notes in advance, but says Cindy Parnes, a gynecologist and people can relate to it.” the extent of affected women differ
things only became worse. founder of the New Jersey Women’s

“It seemed innocuous at first, but
became more intense,” she says.

One day, while delivering a presen-
tation about new government legis-
lation to an audience of about four
dozen, someone asked her a question
– and her mind went blank.

“It was as if a fog had descended
into my brain,” she says.

She attributes her “brain fog” and
memory lapses during that time to
perimenopause, the stage before
menopause when hormones fluctu-
ate, and periods become irregular.
And she is not alone. Women often
report these and other symptoms –