VB32963_ISSUE04_012617_OPT

Matilde Sorensen tops for 2016
in real estate sales. P76
New homes coming
across from Seaview. P8

Vero City Council defers hiring
attorney for Shores electric sale. P9

MY VERO Hurricane Matthew caused more
damage than originally thought
BY RAY MCNULTY

Bobby McCarthy eager and Country Club, causing
to be back in restaurant millions of dollars in damage
– little of which is eligible for
At 7 p.m. Saturday, there A storm-damaged dock in John’s Island. PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD BY KATHLEEN SLOAN FEMA reimbursement.
wasn’t an empty seat around Staff Writer
the crowded bar. The restaurant Dozens of docks in such
was full. A last-minute shift in course communities as John’s Island,
spared Vero Beach from dev- Seagrove and The Moorings
It was, by winter weekend astation when Hurricane Mat- were damaged or destroyed,
standards, business as usual at thew blew by in early October. and many won’t be repaired or
Bobby’s Restaurant & Lounge, The core of the monster storm replaced for months to come.
the popular Ocean Drive eatery missed Indian River County
that is as much a Vero Beach by about 40 miles. High winds “In Vero, most of the dam-
landmark as Dodgertown. blew down trees and tore age was on the west shore of
up area beaches, but largely the island,” said dock builder
“Everybody knows Bobby’s,” spared homes and businesses. Ron DeGrazia, owner of Vero
said Marge Terry, the restau- Vero Beach breathed a huge Dock. “The docks at the Moor-
rant’s longtime hostess. “It’s sigh of relief. ings – including the Anchor
like Vero Beach’s version of on the northwest side – were
‘Cheers,’ the friendliest bar in But it turns out more de- damaged, and John’s Island
town. We get newcomers, yet struction was caused by Hur- had a lot of damage. We did
whenever you come in, every- ricane Matthew than most extensive work on Seagrove’s
body seems to know every- people realized. marina. The finger piers were
body.” damaged, mostly from boats
A heavy storm surge that broken loose in the storm.
For the past few weeks, came in through the Sebas-
though, “everybody” has no- tian Inlet, wind-driven waves, “We have 40 jobs in the
ticed someone missing: Bob- and boats blown loose from queue and five crews working
by McCarthy, the restaurant’s their moorings smashed docks
affable owner, is recovering and piers from the Inlet as far CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
south as The Moorings Yacht
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Good teachers quit, blaming policies Beach repair gets
they say make it impossible to teach underway at condo

BY KATHLEEN SLOAN Two teachers rated “highly near Jaycee Park
Staff Writer effective” – Bill Wood, a 30-
year science teacher, and BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA
Indian River County School Bonnie Julin, a seven-year Staff Writer
District is losing good teach- reading teacher – left Gifford
ers who say emotionally dis- Middle School because of the Beach repair began this Equipment begins bringing in sand for dune at Sea Quay. PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD
turbed and academically lim- recently-instituted practice week on about 400 feet
ited kids now are being mixed with the politically correct of shoreline fronting the
in with regular students, re- name “inclusion.” Sea Quay condominiums,
sulting in classroom disrup- part of the stretch of local
tions that make it impossible Wood said he had been told
to teach the rest of the pupils. by Principal Roxanne Decker CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

January 26, 2017 Volume 10, Issue 4 Newsstand Price $1.00 Gala puts bow on
Charity Cup Week
News 1-10 Faith 53 Pets 54 TO ADVERTISE CALL at Quail Valley. P16
Arts 33-40 Games 55-57 Real Estate 75-88 772-559-4187
Books 50-51 Health 59-63 St Ed’s 52
Dining 68 Insight 41-58 Style 64-67 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 48 People 11-32 Wine 69 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2017 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Hurricane Matthew damage destroyed. “John’s Island had more pro- Bruce, who lives in a riverfront home, when the damage occurred. The river
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tection, but Sebastian Inlet was openly described Hurricane Matthew’s move- was completely full and the wind cre-
exposed to the storm surges.” ments, explaining why dock damage ated huge waves inside, between the
full time. We’ll get through the list be- was so extensive in the lagoon. mainland and barrier island, 3 or 4 feet
fore six months is out.” Robert Bruce, a retired engineer, high, maybe higher. The water level
sailor and boater who lives in Amber- “First there was a [very high] king was a foot below the dock and then a
Dock builder Keith Hennessy, owner of sand Beach on the northern part of the tide . . . then the front edge of the storm, big wave with a huge upward motion
Deckmasters, said he too is slammed with island, said “entire docks were lifted as it headed north, turning clockwise, lifted the deck off the pilings, or maybe
work. “We just built the QuailValley Mari- [out of the lagoon] and put on A1A ... was pushing toward the shore and the pulled the pilings out of the riverbed.”
na,” he said, “and we’re basically trying to all of our neighbors lost their docks.” prevailing winds were north to south,
play catch-up from that large project. The which forced the water out of the David Cox, an ecologist who owns
pressure is on because people want to use The docks damaged on the river in ocean and into the inlet, on top of the David Cox Consulting and helps people
their docks during the season.” John’s Island generally were older, not king tide. So you have an enormous through the dock-permitting process,
maintained, or had bad construction, amount of water in the lagoon. agreed with Bruce’s analysis, adding
Hennessy estimated about 50 per- Hennessy said. “The water gauge at the little bridge that
cent of the docks in John’s Island were “As the eye of the storm passed and leads to little Orchid Island showed an
damaged, while nearly all docks near Docks in John’s Island and elsewhere headed farther north, the backside increase from 1.7 feet above sea level
the Sebastian Inlet were damaged or that were lower, “for convenience or of the storm had prevailing winds and broke when it reached 2.8 feet. But
scuba diving,” suffered the most dam- that were running west to east. That’s the slope (of the rapid water rise if put on
age, DeGrazia said. a graph) indicated the water would reach
way above 3 feet and maybe 4 feet.”

Indian River County building official
Scott McAdam says building permits
for docks have increased, but the per-
mitting has not been commensurate
with the number of docks damaged.

“Some people are thinking, ‘Do I
need to replace my 90-foot dock, or
should I put in a 40-foot dock?’” Mc-
Adam said. “They’re waiting and tak-
ing their time. This is the second time
some of them have had to replace
their dock since 2004 and some cost
$100,000. You can’t get them insured,
so it’s a total loss.”

People are also waiting for the right
contractor. “Older docks or docks with
structural deficiencies – piers not deep
enough and cross-bracing not strong
enough – suffered the most damage,”
McAdam said, so homeowners want to
be sure their docks are rebuilt to a high
standard.

Cox said clients who start out with
an inexperienced contractor unfamil-
iar with the state permitting process
often have to hire an experienced con-
tractor to fix problems, so it’s better to
wait for the right contractor. “The DEP
patrols the lagoon. They can charge up
to $20,000 a day for noncompliance.
They get compliance real quick.”

FEMA declared Indian River County
a disaster area, making private prop-
erty owners eligible for storm damage
reimbursement, but the federal agency
does not provide funds to repair or re-
place privately-owned docks unless
the dock provides the only transporta-
tion access, such as for a person who
lives on a bayou and doesn’t have a car.

“Typically, privately-owned docks
are not covered under the FEMA In-
dividual Assistance disaster grants
program, which provides assistance
for people who have sustained seri-
ous damage to the living space in their
primary residence,” FEMA External Af-
fairs manager John Mills said.

According to McAdam, the average
cost of docks permitted for replace-
ment in the county since the storm is
about $22,000. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 3

NEWS

My Vero added that they continue to do so. On what appeared to be a typical, of us have been here a long time and
Said Terry: "Everybody wants to weekend night at one of Vero Beach's we know what needs to be done, so
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 most popular gathering spots – Bob- nothing has changed in terms of ser-
know when he'll be back." by's opened in 1981 and quickly be- vice or quality or the people.
from injuries he sustained in mid-De- McCarthy, who said he appreciates came the Dodgers' favorite spring-
cember, when he suffered a frighten- training haunt – drinks were served, "Bobby's is still Bobby's and every-
ing seizure while sitting at the bar and "everybody caring so much," hopes meals were prepared and customers body still enjoys coming here," she add-
fell awkwardly to the floor. to return to work early next month. In kept pouring through the door. ed. "It's business as usual from a day-to-
the meantime, his stepdaughter Mal- day business standpoint. But for those
Reached by phone at the Health- lory will continue overseeing restau- "This is like a well-oiled machine," of us who know him and love him – and
South Treasure Coast Rehabilitation rant operations. said hostess Terry, who has worked at that includes most of our customers –
Hospital on 37th Street, McCarthy said the restaurant for 25-plus years. "A lot it's not the same without him." 
last weekend he felt no after-effects The place, though, almost seems to
from the seizure and that a cracked rib run itself.
had healed.
NEW PRICE
He said he had spent two weeks do-
ing physical therapy on a "severely Exclusively John’s Island
bruised knee" – the injury did not re-
quire surgery – and expected to be re- Located in the quaint seaside setting of Oceanside Village, just steps to the beach,
leased earlier this week. is this meticulously maintained 3BR/3.5BA courtyard home overlooking a private,
lushly landscaped pool. Encompassed by high privacy walls, this impeccably
"I can't wait to get out of here," said designed 4,704± GSF retreat features an open floor plan, handsome study with
McCarthy, who entered the rehab hos- wet bar, large master suite, guest suite with private entry, guest cabana, 2-car
pital after a three-week stay at Indian garage, and convenient access to the south gate, tennis courts and squash courts.
River Medical Center, where he un- 81 Cowry Lane : $2,625,000
derwent a series of tests and recuper-
ated from the seizure. three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
health & fitness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equity membership
"I'm far from being able to run a
100-yard dash, but I'm doing a lot bet- 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
ter than I was," he added. "I'm still
using a walker, but I'm ready to start
doing things at home. Being in the
hospital all this time hasn't been any
fun, believe me."

As for what happened . . .
McCarthy, 67, said he doesn't re-
member much about it, other than
"feeling dizzy" before blacking out. He
has no memory of falling to the floor.
As far as he knows, he said, the sei-
zure was his first and he doesn't know
what brought it on.
"It comes with age, I guess," he said.
"It's a scary thing, but, other than the
knee, there's no real damage."
While McCarthy said spending
more than a month in hospitals and
going through rehab on his knee was
a "pain in the butt," he couldn't help
but be touched by the outpouring of
affection, concern and support he re-
ceived during his recovery.
As word of his seizure and injuries
spread among his many friends and
restaurant regulars, McCarthy's room
was often filled with large groups of
visitors – usually at least 10, some-
times as many as 30.
"Bobby is so well-liked by every-
body that, once people heard what
happened, they got worried and
wanted to be there for him," said Ron
Perranoski, the retired Los Angeles
Dodgers pitcher and pitching coach
who lives in Vero Beach and has been
a Bobby's regular for years.
"The guy has so many friends in this
town, he could run for mayor," he added.
"He has friends all over the world, and
I'm sure he's heard from a lot of them. I
know everybody here misses him."
In fact, bartender Joey Bishop said
customers began asking about Mc-
Carthy the day after the seizure and

4 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Vero Stormwater Utility Fee
endorsed by key commissions

Patrice and Cary Stowe are BY LISA ZAHNER said he’s not against the concept of a
stormwater management system to
IMPRESSED Staff Writer reduce nutrients going into the la-
goon, but that he voted against his col-
I moved our family to Vero The Vero Beach Finance and Utili- leagues’ recommendation because he
Beach in 2006 to create and ties commissions have jointly sup- wants greater accountability for that
expand The Heart Center. ported setting up a dedicated funding much money and feels it should be
We were impressed with source of nearly $1 million per year to incorporated into the tax bill and the
Saint Edward’s administrators, complete stormwater projects to re- budget process.
faculty and facility, especially duce and filter runoff into the lagoon,
for a community this size. but the final decision now rests with “The utility bills are already high
In our opinion, safety, quality the City Council. enough,” Mucher said. All 11 of the
healthcare, and good schools other advisory committee members
are the three pillars of a quality The council may decide to approve present at the meeting voted for the
community. Saint Edward’s the plan as recommended by the two fee and the method of tacking it onto
School is a major factor in committees – a fee of $5 per month on utility bills.
our ability to attract qualified average for residential properties, to
physicians and their families be tacked on to the utility bills of city Timing is at play here, as a util-
to Vero Beach. It is important residents – or to send the question to ity bill-based fee could be imposed
that we support it for the the voters via a referendum. within a few months, while a special
future generations to come. tax line item or higher property taxes
As Finance Committee Chair Peter would have to wait until tax bills go
The difference is EXTRAORDINARY. Gorry pointed out, the stormwater out in late summer and tax receipts
fee would equate to a 20 percent tax come in this fall. That would delay
Grades Pre-K – 12 hike atop Vero’s annual property tax- implementation of infrastructure that
www.steds.org | (772) 492-2360 es. But roughly 27 percent of the fee, could reduce runoff during the up-
under the recommended plan, would coming rainy season.
be billed to entities currently exempt
from property taxes. Government Vero already has a strict fertilizer or-
buildings, schools and churches that dinance with prohibitions on applying
are the source of nutrients that end fertilizer during wet times of the year,
up in the lagoon would see the fee on or near the water, or when a rainfall
their utility bills, assessed according to event is imminent. But the baffle box-
the square footage of impervious sur- es, permeable asphalt and other de-
face on their property. vices the fee will pay for help filter out
grass clippings, leaves and other ma-
Consultant Amelia Fontaine of Col- terials that get washed into the lagoon
lective Water Resources said 165 lo- and change the water chemistry, rais-
cal governments in Florida impose ing nitrogen levels and contributing
a stormwater fee and called Vero’s to the buildup of muck that interferes
proposed base fee of $5 per Equiva- with the growth of sea grasses that are
lent Residential Unit (ERU) “mod- the foundation of lagoon ecology.
est” in comparison with other cities.
Fontaine said the city should have no Mayor Laura Moss said she wants
problem collecting from institutions the plan fully vetted and to give the
like churches, but that collecting from public plenty of opportunity to weigh
government properties such as coun- in. With regard to whether or not a ref-
ty and school buildings could pose a erendum should be held, Moss said
challenge. she would research the record of what
types of issues in the city’s history have
Consultants have mapped out all risen to the level of a referendum, and
the properties in the city via a satel- that she would ask for public input re-
lite imagery system, identifying all garding that option.
hard surfaces that rainwater runs off
from such as roofs, paved driveways, When asked if ballot questions were
sidewalks, pool decks, patios and out- frequently employed to poll voters
buildings. about establishing stormwater utility
fees, Fontaine said “a referendum is
The fee would be calculated based pretty much unheard of” prior to es-
upon about 3,900 square feet per tablishing a stormwater utility. Coun-
ERU. Property owners could mitigate cilman Dick Winger has dismissed the
runoff with retention ponds or other idea of a referendum, saying voters
techniques to divert water from the elect the City Council to make these
stormwater management system and decisions on their behalf.
apply for credits. Public Works Direc-
tor Monte Falls said his current staff Though the plan may pass without
should be able to manage the process his support when it comes before the
of customers applying for and being City Council in early February, Vice
evaluated for credits. Mayor Harry Howle said he still oppos-
es the fee and the rationale behind it.
Utilities Committee member Mark “It does nothing more than create an-
Mucher, a Central Beach resident,















12 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Diana Stark, Linda Teetz and Judy Schorner. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Lalita Janke and Louise Hubbard. Connie Bishop, Dr. Walter and Lolita Janke, and Roni Fuster.

Joshua Murray and Jeff Butts. Gail and Tom Prauss.

CAMP HAVEN PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Suzanne Bertman, Kas Mazzarella and Maya Peterson. Madeleine and Jim Kerns with Karen Schlitt. Erin Grall and Mike Bielecki.

Priceless: ‘Diamonds’ dinner hails Camp Haven’s success

BY MARY SCHENKEL State College, captivated his audience, Camp Haven has seen remarkable them as they walk their own way out
Staff Writer accompanying himself on the piano success since opening its doors in of their own mess, as I call it. Just be-
while performing soulful renditions January 2014. Men receive food, shel- ing there to support them as they find
Guests attending last Wednesday of works appropriate to the mission ter, clothing and healthcare, but more themselves,” said Janke. She added
evening’s Diamonds in the Rough of the organization – John Lennon’s importantly, life-skills counseling, as that rather than think of Camp Haven
dinner at the Riomar Country Club “Imagine” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hal- well as education and employment as a homeless shelter, she considers
stood as one in a standing ovation for lelujah.” assistance. As a result, more than 93 it a retreat center, where men can re-
Joshua Murray, one of more than 100 percent are now employed, 33 percent store themselves introspectively and
men served by Camp Haven’s com- As with the other men who have are enrolled in school, and 57 percent work their way back through their
passionate residential and rehabilita- been accepted into the program, Mur- have paid back their debt. connection to God.
tive programs. ray and Jeff Butts, a plumber by trade
who spoke to guests about his journey Camp Haven Executive Director Janke also noted that John’s Island
It was the culmination of a delight- from homeless to hopeful, are both Lalita Janke, a strict but kindhearted residents Gordon and Linda Stewart
ful fundraising dinner, chaired by appreciative of the support afforded mother figure to the men, related that have proffered a challenge grant, of-
Linda Teetz, which had guests mull- to them as they strive to get their lives thanks to Louise Hubbard of the Trea- fering to match every dollar donated
ing over silent- and live-auction items back on track. sure Coast Homeless Services Coun- up to $100,000. The Stewarts will also
during the cocktail hour before sitting cil, Camp Haven recently secured a host a wine and cheese reception on
down to a delicious dinner accompa- “There’s so many things that this $200,000 State of Florida Challenge Feb. 21 at their Motor City Classic Cars
nied by the soothing sounds of the organization does for us that we can Grant to renovate eight additional showroom. Tickets are $25 or $40 for
musical duo Tony and Holly. never even list them, or explain to you transitional housing units which will two.
how much it actually does for a per- enable them to serve more men.
Murray, who studied music produc- son who has considered themselves For more information, call 772-999-
tion technology at Northwest Florida worthless,” said Butts. “This my greatest joy; watching 3625 or visit camphaven.net. 



14 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

CAMP HAVEN PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 Elke and George Fetterolf. Sandy and Frank Sosta. Sarah and Adam Logemann.
Diana Stark, Brenda Bradley and June Bercaw.

Sandy and Robi Robinson. Pam Richardson, Carole Jean Jordan and Chris Sexton. Debbie True and Fr. Richard Murphy.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 15

PEOPLE

Charities benefit from local biz guys’ ‘grand’ idea

Crossover Mission representatives Gavin D’Elia, Florida Archery Foundation representatives Boris Robinson and Business for a Better Indian River County representatives
Cathy De Schouwer and William Harris. Mike Lundeen with Scott Alexander, Northern Trust Regional Anthony Delia, Brian Shambo, Scott Nuttall and Ryan Weaver.
President and IRCF Board Chairman.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Archery Foundation. great work being done by organiza- has somewhat of a one-size-fits-all
Crossover Mission seeks to moti- tions with operating budgets under approach, and it doesn’t provide op-
Staff Writer $250,000. portunities for others to participate
vate academic excellence in at-risk outside of the grants committee and
The Indian River Community youth through after-school athletic Pickering explained that the ma- our board,” said Pickering. “I expect
Foundation is continually seeking programs, stressing equally ath- jority of the $8 million in grants that we will continue to work with
ways to spark interest in innova- letics, academics and mentorship. awarded through the IRCF last year Business for a Better Indian River
tive charitable initiatives within The Florida Archery Foundation en- came from clients’ donor-advised County and other giving groups to
the community, whether through courages the mental, physical and funds, but that roughly $525,000 find, fund and follow organizations,
individual donor-advised funds or emotional health of archers of all was awarded after a rigorous grant programs and projects like those at
philanthropic alliances such as the ages, ultimately leading to charac- review process undertaken by an Crossover Mission and Florida Ar-
12 local businessmen who recently ter, confidence and community in- IRCF grants committee. chery Foundation that will make
established a Business for a Better volvement. our community better.” 
Indian River County Fund. “While this has been a good pro-
“We’re all local business guys and cess, one of the limitations is that it
The businessmen each contribut- it was a way for us to pool resources
ed $1,000 to a Field of Interest fund where we could make a more signifi-
and asked IRCF for help in identi- cant contribution to a small charity,”
fying small, up-and-coming chari- said Ryan Weaver, president of Ryan
ties that could benefit from a $5,000 Weaver Insurance. “Our intention
grant. They also set aside another is to do this annually in partnership
$1,000 to be used by the Community with the Community Foundation.”
Foundation to pay for local nonprof-
it representatives to attend classes The check presentation also pre-
at the Edyth Bush Institute of Phi- sented an opportunity for the two
lanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership charities to “pitch” their missions
at Rollins College. during a timed question and answer
session with IRCF board members
Just prior to last Tuesday af- in hopes of garnering an additional
ternoon’s IRCF board meeting at grant of up $5,000.
Northern Trust, Business for a Better
Indian River County representatives Jeff Pickering, IRCF CEO, hoped
presented grants to two emerging the experience would provide board
charities; awarding $5,000 each to members with a greater under-
Crossover Mission and the Florida standing of the needs of the local
nonprofit sector, particularly the

16 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Gala puts bow on QV’s wonderful Charity Cup Week

Gourmet Guest Chef & Wine Dinner Chefs John Kolesar, Mark Porcaro, Paul Sorgule and Joe Faria; Bill Becker with Landis and Brace Young.
(back) Chefs Adam Young and Dean Moore. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

BY MARY SCHENKEL Cocktail Buffet and Auction, a fit- phasis on children and education. The event has greatly expanded
Staff Writer ting way to celebrate the culmina- Last year’s activities enabled Quail since the inaugural 2002 Quail Val-
tion of the highly successful 15th Valley Charities to issue a record- ley Charity Cup Golf Tournament.
Quail Valley rolled out the red annual Charity Cup Week. Funds breaking $511,000 in grants, bring- The bridge tournament has become
carpet at last Saturday evening’s raised from the event support 35 ing the total amount to $4.5 million so popular that it was made a two-
Quail Valley Charities Grand Gala local nonprofits that have an em- since its inception. day event this year, taking place,

WMakienytoeurrdrSeaamlaersealEityv. ent

Today.

Award winning Sales, Service and Ships Store!

772.562.7922 : 12 Royal Palm Pointe : Vero Beach : www.veromarine.com
Serving Boaters On The Waterfront For Almost 60 Years!

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 17

PEOPLE

John and Debbie Huryn, with Stephanie and Buzz MacWilliam. QUAIL VALLEY PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Ronnie Cook, Ginny Metters, Jean Kelly and Carol Turner.

Gourmet Guest Chef & Wine Dinner Ray and Jean Oglethorpe. Marilyn and John McConnell with Sherrie Davidson.

Marie and Armund Ek.

along with the 5K Walk/Run, the buffets – including an amazing
week prior to the golf and tennis chocolate dessert bounty by Frost-
tournaments. ings – and made final bids on more
than 100 silent-auction items. Mu-
This past Monday featured an sic by the River Rats and the spec-
“Old Friends & New Friends” Gour- tacularly beautiful evening drew
met Guest Chef & Wine Dinner. a huge number of guests outdoors
Quail Valley Executive Chef Joe to dine and later dance under the
Faria had invited Executive Chefs stars.
Dean Moore, Boston Harvard Club;
Mark Morcaro, The Club at New; Just prior to the drawings for
John Kolesar, Ocean House; Paul raffle and Glitzy Chance prizes,
Sorgule, Harvest America Ventures; Kevin Given, Quail Valley partner
and Adam Young, Sift Bake Shop, to and general manager, remarked
join him in preparing a delightful that their Quail Valley team had
five-course epicurean dinner for gone above and beyond to make the
145 most appreciative diners. Indi- event a success, contributing many
vidual Quail Valley members also hours outside of their normal work
hosted a number of elaborate gour- days.
met dinners prepared by local chefs
at their own magnificent homes. “They really buy in to what we are
trying to do.”
“It dumbfounds me every year.
Our members come down here Remarking on the great work
and open their pocketbooks to the being done by the nonprofits the
community and embrace what event supports he added, “We’re
we’re trying to do,” said Steve Mul- tickled to death to be able to help
vey, Quail Valley CEO, watching as them out.”
guests poured into the River Club
Saturday evening. “We have a huge “Quail Valley has a very generous
need in this community and it’s membership. I’m proud to be a part
not getting funded by the federal of it and I hope you are as well,” said
government and it’s not funded by Charity Cup Chairwoman Wan-
the state and local government; it’s da Lincoln, telling members and
the philanthropic community that guests that she hopes they will be-
steps in.” come more involved and volunteer
with the charities they support.
Members, guests and represen-
tatives of the various charities en- “We don’t want it just to end; we
joyed abundant mouth-watering would like it to continue through-
out the year,” shared Trudie Rain-
one, vice chairwoman. 

18 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

QUAIL VALLEY PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Dena Lombardo. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD Colleen Crafton. Mary Marshall.

Jim Bradley. Paul Cohane.

Quail Valley Golf & Tennis Events

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Quail Valley Grand Gala

Suzanne Leigh and Marcelo Vilas. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

Steve Mulvey and Kevin Given.
Ann Marie, Kelly and Dr. Hugh McCrystal.

Kathy and Todd Fennell.

QUAIL VALLEY PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
Chip and Sandy Hughes.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

QUAIL VALLEY PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Quail Valley Grand Gala Karen Schievelbein, Colleen Bonner and Hope Woodhouse.
Wanda Lincoln, Carol Fischman and Trudie Rainone. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE
Joanna Meyers with Barry and Lynne Wiksten.

Susan Perry and Stephanie MacWilliam, with Emmett and Margaret Anne Evans.
Scott and Debbie Bell with Lee and Bruce Albro.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 21

PEOPLE

Stacy Miller with Steve and Stacy Barnett. Elke and George Fetterolf. Kat, Martha and Kristen Redner.

Michelle and Walt Borisenok.
Lindsay Candler and Ray Comparetta.

Molly Teter Webb and Tara Ayers.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

King of the Hill tourney nets funds for youth mentoring

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF
Staff Writer

As the sun began to set last Tues- Warren and Mary Payne. Shirley Becker, Susan Appel and Kathy Smith. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD
day night, the courts lit up with ex-
citement as 16 players served up the one mentoring programs for chil- a different life path. Youth Guidance torship hours.
first round in the 22nd annual King dren from low-income, single-par- has been mentoring children for the Youth Guidance recently in-
of the Hill Tennis Tournament at The ent homes in an effort to break the past 44 years, annually reaching
Moorings Yacht and Country Club to cycle of poverty and help them forge 300 children through 10,000 men- troduced a new sports mentoring
benefit the Youth Guidance Mentor- program at the Intergenerational
ing Academy.

Each year local tennis profession-
als compete in the six-week round-
robin tournament, ultimately vying
to be crowned King of the Hill at the
final match on Feb. 21. The tourna-
ment winner and runner-up will also
receive a main-draw doubles wild
card into the Mardy Fish Children’s
Foundation Tennis Championships
U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Pro
Circuit Futures tournament, to be
held April 21-30 at the Grand Harbor
Golf & Beach Club.

Proceeds from King of the Hill
tournaments help fund the Youth
Guidance Mentoring Academy,
which provides group and one-to-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 23

PEOPLE

Gigi Casapu and Doug Borrie. Carlos Utermann. KING OF THE HILL PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
Michael Alford.

Erik Olliges.

Recreation Center; transporta-
tion is provided there from Indian
River Academy and Citrus Elemen-
tary School. Students participate in
sports, dance and tumbling, a certi-
fied math instructor is on hand, and
they also receive dinner.

“King of the Hill has become a
cornerstone of our funding. We
do not receive any state or federal
funds, as we are completely funded
by local dollars including founda-
tions, grants and fundraisers,” ex-
plained Doug Borrie, Youth Guid-
ance executive director.

“King of the Hill is a local tradi-
tion. It takes a tremendous amount
of planning and work to make it
happen, but every year it is a crowd
favorite. The players provide us
with top-notch professional tennis
as they vie to become King of the
Hill. We owe a tremendous amount
of gratitude to our sponsors, guests,
the Moorings, the players and most
of all Gigi Casapu.”

The tournament is dedicated to the
memory Johnny Casapu, brother of
tournament organizer Gigi Casapu.
Johnny Casapu, a world-class tennis
professional, died 20 years ago in a
car accident while visiting Romania
and Gigi Casapu continues to honor
him by combining Johnny’s two pas-
sions – tennis and helping children.

The King of the Hill tournament
will continue at 6 p.m. each Tuesday
through Feb. 21. For more information
visit YouthGuidanceProgram.org. 

24 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

KING OF THE HILL PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 Open Division First Round players. Josh Surowski
The crowd watches as the matches begin.

Luke and Eva Webb. Liz Woody and Peter Remington.

Laurie Connelly and Bonnie Brown. Dan Hardee and Jerrica Knowles.

Lisa Hunter and Karen O’Brien. Noelle and David Griffin.

Ray Della Porta, Delaney Knight, Mike Hickey and Dr. John Sarbak.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 25

PEOPLE

Puppy love reigns at Humane Society’s Bark in the Park

BY CHRISTINA TASCON Jayla Smith holds her new adopted puppy. hate to see them go, but it is exciting opment and is now a volunteer. “The
Correspondent to see them go to a loving home,” said first year Steve asked me how many I
PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Michael Mandel, HSVBIRC interim ex- thought would show up and I said may-
At the Humane Society of Vero Beach ecutive director, replacing Chalmers be 500. Well, we had 5,000.”
& Indian River County’s annual Bark fany Johnson filled out the paperwork Morse, who is now Humane Society
in the Park Dog Walk & Fun Fest at to adopt a beautiful German shepherd- Foundation executive director. At the time, only service animals
Riverside Park, many visitors who had mix puppy; its two siblings were also were allowed in the park, but that hur-
walked in alone were sorely tempted to available for adoption. The Humane Society recently ac- dle was quickly resolved.
walk out with a four-legged soulmate. cepted the emergency rescue of several
And that’s exactly what organizers were “We raised these puppies in the shel- dozen dogs saved from a Korean meat “Rob Slezak and the City of Vero
hoping for. ter. We bonded with them all and you market. After evaluations, spay/neuter- Beach lined up behind us right off the
ing, shots and medical attention, the bat,” said Swift. “Obviously, without
While hundreds of humans and their dogs will be put up for adoption. them we could not have done this or
canine companions were enjoying the keep doing it.”
high-flying stunts of the Disc-Con- This was the fourth year for Bark
nected Frisbee Dogs, an Indian River in the Park, which has grown signifi- The initial event raised $15,000. Last
County Sheriff’s K-9 demonstration, cantly each year. This year’s perfectly year, thanks to sponsorships and ven-
a dog lure chase and the dock-diving gorgeous day drew roughly 1,500 dogs, dors, volunteers and groups who raise
jumping pool, other potential parents each busily sniffing and socializing money in “packs,” more than $45,000
were bonding with pups in the shelter’s with pooches and humans alike. was raised. They were on track to raise
adoption tent. that amount again in 2017.
The concept of Bark in the Park was
With a primary goal of finding the initiated by two couples, members “It really is a special event,” said
dogs a forever home, HSVBIRC volun- of the Humane Society’s Yuppy Pup- Swift. “Just look at all the people out
teers continually wandered about with pies, who envisioned a fundraiser that here today. It raises awareness of our
their adorable furry friends, mingling could simultaneously raise money and services like the Wellness Clinic but
with attendees and bringing interested awareness. it also makes the animals more ac-
parties to the adoption tent to begin the cessible to be adopted. Sometimes
ownership process. “Amanda and Brad Pfennig along you have to bring the animals to
with Andrea and Steve Smith brought where the people are.” 
Eric Crump and stepdaughter Tif- the idea to us,” said Tim Swift, who at
that time was the director of devel- BARK PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

26 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

BARK PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Savannah, Sonja and Marina Taylor with Ivey Tedder and Rosie.

Rossy, George, and Andrew Harper with Tim Swift. Cynthia Haskett with Lassie the angel HSVB volunteers Vivan and Samuel Olsen.
mascot, and Cozette Olsen

Debbie Greer with Teddy. Ultimate Air Dogs.

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 27

PEOPLE

T.J. Lachance with two puppies Ginger Spice at the K9 Frisbee demonstration.
available for adoption.

Back: Karl and Cindi Dixon with Kellie McMahon. Front: Casey Mott Christine Nguyen, Christina Nguyen and Brianna James.
and Brandy Sydow. Dogs: Kingston, Maximus and Chubb.

28 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Something for everyone at Sebastian Arts and Music fest

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF ture, jewelry and photography. don’t use any paint,” Nogueira ex- said Paulette Vander Wiede, who has
Staff Writer The works by stone artist A. Cesar plained. “Mother Nature gives me attended every festival since its in-
the tools, but I have to do the work.” ception. “We come every year and
Sebastian’s Riverview Park was Nogueira were perfect examples of enjoy all of the different types of art-
brimming with activity last week- some of the unique artistry offered There was something for seem- work.”
end, as huge crowds of people at the festival. Nogueira takes his ingly everyone and every pocket-
strolled about and visited with the cues from Mother Nature to create book, whether shoppers were look- Taking a break from perusing the
various artists and craftsmen dis- extraordinary winged sculptures ing for small accent pieces or larger varied selections, attendees were
playing their outstanding works using natural gemstones. investments. lured in by the aroma of the delicious
of art at the 16th annual Sebastian food choices from local vendors and
Riverfront Fine Arts and Music Fes- “Each color is a different stone; I “I can’t believe how big it’s grown,” could wash it all down with a beer
tival. from the H.A.L.O. tent. And to top it
all off, there was continuous live en-
Event director Lisanne Robin- tertainment with bands playing ev-
son said she was thrilled with the erything from blues and soul to Reg-
number of artists participating this gae and folk music. It was truly a day
year, especially given the storm that of overload for all five senses.
wreaked havoc with many of their
booths the previous year. “It’s a beautiful venue and over the
years the show has gained a wonder-
“At least 80 percent of the artists ful positive checkmark from the art-
that were here last year returned for ists,” said Robinson.
the festival,” Robinson said. “Last
year’s weather didn’t scare them Proceeds from the event help pro-
off.” mote the arts and cultural enhance-
ment in Sebastian, with funds used
More than 130 artists and crafts- to provide gift certificates for art
men from all over the country were supplies at Sebastian Elementary
on hand to share their work in medi- Schools, Sebastian Charter Junior
ums ranging from watercolors, oils High School and four accredited
and acrylics to stained glass, sculp- pre-schools. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 29

PEOPLE

Pam Raymond and Fran Mullan. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD Ken and Margaret Domanski. Linda McAdams with polaroid transfers on wood.

Artist Ray McLendon chats with Donna Phillips.

Bobbie Matus shows off her fused glass.

A. Cesar Nogueira.

Lori Honeycutt Photography.

30 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Museum’s Art by the Sea awash in talent, creativity

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF club, the museum or, in many cases, Saturday and Sunday.
Staff Writer both. Participants were allowed to enter

The Holmes Great Hall at the Vero There were plenty of opportunities one piece of artwork, completed with-
Beach Museum of Art overflowed for art enthusiasts to view the works in the last two years and not exhibited
with creativity during the 29th An- on display and discuss the various at a previous Art by the Sea. A percent-
nual Art by the Sea exhibition and techniques and styles with the art- age of each sale would help support
sale presented by the Vero Beach Art ists themselves over the course of the the Vero Beach Art Club and its educa-
Club. The judged art show featured three-day event, which kicked off with tional outreach programs, including
255 works of art from members of the a completely packed VIP cocktail re- scholarships for high school seniors
ception Friday evening and continued and donations of art supplies to ele-

Judy Rixom and Sherry Haaland.

PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

mentary and middle schools and vari-
ous art classes in Indian River County.

“This is the second largest art show,
after Under the Oaks, the Vero Beach
Art Club does,” explained committee
chair Judy Rixom. “A lot of the same
people enter each year, but we also
have new members that participate.”

To ensure impartiality, an inde-
pendent judge had been brought in to
choose the winners of works in oil, wa-
tercolor, acrylic, mixed media, pastel/
graphics, sculpture/ 3-D, film/digital
photography and jewelry.

Ruth Feldman was the winner of the
John Mazur Memorial Best in Show
Award for her digital photograph “Fa-
vorite Things,” which captured the es-
sence and character of the display of
eclectic items. Old books and a jour-
nal, an inkwell and quill pen tell an
artful story, making it easy to imagine
the writer about to pen an entry in the
open journal.

“This is a beautiful piece,” said for-
mer art club president Sue Dinenno. “I
think this is the first time a photograph
has won the Best in Show award.”

A new People’s Choice Award was
added this year, with attendees casting
a vote for their favorite piece. The win-
ner was Charles Kaune for his eerily
beautiful interpretation of a vulture in
his pastel/graphics work “Untitled.”

The weekend of Feb. 10-12, the
Vero Beach Art Club will hold Art on
the Island, its annual three-dimen-
sional art show, at the Marsh Island
Clubhouse, beginning with a cocktail
reception on Friday evening and con-
tinuing through Sunday. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 31

PEOPLE

Sue Dinenno and Rebecca Van Cordt. Etching by Marcia Robertson. Sue Sharpe and Vero Beach Mayor Laura Moss.

Samantha and Jackie Owen, Erik Saladin, Ellen and Mckenzie Owen. ART SHOW PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
Nancy Galligan, Caroline Frederiksen, Lou Ann Ramsier and Judy Keicher.





34 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

‘Shadow’ knows: Kagan sculptures de-light at Museum

BY ELLEN FISCHER Sculptor Larry Kagan shows of his work at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. P HOTOS BY GORDON RADFORD
Columnist

What you see is what you get in the
Vero Beach Museum of Art’s current
Titelman Gallery show “Larry Kagan:
Object/Shadow.”

Mounted on the walls of the gal-
lery, Kagan’s sculptures – playful ab-
stract geometries of steel rod bent and
welded into interconnecting shapes –
are enjoyable as three-dimensional
drawings in space.

If that were all they were, the art-
works might appeal to only a few co-
gnoscenti. Instead, the public at large
is delighted by the shadow pictures
the sculptures improbably cast onto
the gallery’s white walls.

Lit from above, one tangle of steel
yields a picture of a lively black poo-
dle; another limns a man’s oxford
shoe. Yet another outlines an F-16
fighter jet soaring skyward. There’s a
basketball point guard caught in mid-
dribble, a smoking gun, and a remark-
ably detailed mosquito. Works that
pay homage to other artists include
a rabbit after Albrecht Dürer, and

a take-off on Keith Haring’s couple Kagan says.
holding a valentine heart. And while His father, a survivor of a Sibe-
everyone will recognize the familiar
visage of Che Guevara, few will know rian labor camp, and his mother, a
that the famous image is based on member of the underground resis-
Cuban photographer Alberto Korda’s tance in Belarus, met and escaped
portrait of the Marxist revolutionary. to the camp where Kagan was born.
They later relocated to Israel. At 13,
In all, 15 works in the show will keep Kagan moved with his family to the
you guessing as to how Kagan does it. U.S. and settled in the Bronx. Five
years after that he was a student at
Larry Kagan was born in 1946 in a the Rensselaer Polytechnic School
displaced-persons camp in Allied- in Troy, N.Y.
administered Germany. His parents
were refugees from Belarus, a coun- In childhood he’d dreamed of be-
try that became part of the Soviet coming an engineer, but the prereq-
Union after World War II. uisites for an engineering degree
disabused him of that notion.
The effects of war were devastat-
ing to Kagan’s parents. “My dad’s As Kagan tells it, “I was always
side of the family got wiped out,” making mistakes in my arithmetic,

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 35

ARTS & THEATRE

so I figured I better not build any cluding “Beach Chair” and “Point sual relationship. ly asked Kagan why his sculptural
bridges.” Guard” from 2001 and “F-16,” made For instance, the shapes of the drawings don’t tackle heavyweight
in 2003, are straightforward linear subject matter – themes concerning
He changed his major to English drawings. bent rods above the homage to Keith the human condition, the thrill of
and, on a whim, took an etching class Haring can easily be read as a group victory, the agony of defeat and so on
at the nearby University of Albany. Kagan says that as he got better of Haring’s famously featureless, – the artist mildly demurred.
at controlling the shadows, he was dancing figures. A sculpture that
That class changed the course of able to develop additional graphic casts the shadow of a foreshortened “My work doesn’t express anything
his life. Two years later, with a mas- techniques. hand grasping a pistol doubles as the beyond the last ivory-billed wood-
ter’s degree in printmaking from the smoke coming from the gun’s barrel. pecker, or that kind of thing. In real-
University of Albany, he returned to By 2005, he was creating solid ity, to me, it means that I’m dealing
New York City to embark on an ar- shadows in works like “Poodle,” Kagan names one of his favorite on the level of perception,” Kagan
tistic career. which presents the dog as a dark sil- sculptures in the show for the inter- says.
houette. In “Oxford” made six years action it has with its shadow.
That was in 1970. Kagan soon be- later, Kagan combined solid areas “Maybe it’s because I’ve always
came “tired of walking around with of shadow with lit areas to create “I think the F-16 is really interest- wanted to be an engineer.”
acid stains on my fingernails and lots the illusion of a spit-polished man’s ing – the steel almost looks like a
of ink on my fingers,” and began carv- dress shoe. shock wave,” he says. Larry Hagan: Object/Shadow con-
ing sculptures from chunks of Lucite tinues through May 21. 
acrylic. By the end of the decade he Kagan also learned to manipulate When a museum visitor recent-
was working in steel, using scraps he the shadows’ densities, from dark
found on the streets and elsewhere. and focused to light and diffused. PEACE OF PORCELAIN
That skill can be seen in “Rabbit,”
“I used to walk my dog in Tribeca where the animal’s sharp ears are The rich hues and surface textures of
in the days before it was Tribeca. And contrasted with its softy rendered Natalie Blake’s vessels evoke a feeling
they used to dump all of this con- body. of calm. Handmade in Vermont, each
struction debris there,” he says. makes a quiet yet elegant statement.
Kagan’s explanation of how he
The refuse included sheet metal, does it doesn’t dilute the magic one
bits of expanded steel, short lengths bit.
of wire, and snippets of steel rod.
He starts out by drawing the image
Ragged-edged, scarred and stained he wants to create in shadow onto
with oil and rust, the cast-offs attract- his studio wall. Then he determines
ed Kagan precisely for what he calls the exact point at which the essential
their “rich history.” light fixture will be placed to pro-
duce the image.
He decided that by welding his
found objects together he could cre- “It’s really about the light source,”
ate three-dimensional “drawings” he says.
that were more compelling than
anything he could draw with pencil “I mean, this whole thing looks
or ink on paper. like it is about shadows, but it’s re-
ally sculpting light. You have this
But Kagan found that his free- beam of light that’s coming off from
standing sculptures – despite their a single point, and then you’re sort of
materials’ rich history – disap- playing around to see how you can
peared amidst the visual noise of a cut into it.”
painting-hung gallery. That’s when
he resolved to mount his sculptures Welding together steel rods that
directly onto gallery walls, which in will shape light into a portrait of
those days were invariably painted George Washington, say, or a high-
in spotless white. heel pump is a challenge, Kagan says.

Then he discovered that his “You are always working one di-
“bunches of steel” cast shadows on mension away from what you’re ac-
the wall that distracted from the tually going to get.”
sculpture itself.
That doesn’t mean that the sculp-
“So I had to figure out how to deal tures themselves look like an after-
with the shadows, and eventually I thought to the images they produce.
decided to use them,” Kagan says.
The shadows and the twisted met-
Several pieces in the show, in- al rods that produce them have a vi-

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36 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Bon appetit! Absurdist comedy ‘Empty Plate’ full of laughs

BY MICHELLE GENZ dumped by his girlfriend. The acting, though, is me-
Staff Writer An early joke has to do with the maî-
ticulous, down to a properly Brian Myers Cooper and Jim VanValen. P HOTOS BY GORDON RADFORD
If you like your absurdist comedy tre d’s wife Mimi (Maria Couch) wel-
sunny-side up, the yolks are plenty coming Victor back from his travels. inverted fork clattering on the
obvious in “An Empty Plate at the She plows through a complex phrase
Café du Grand Boeuf.” Set in an ex- of Italian before her husband stops plate, the one set before Victor
clusive Paris café staffed with a her: Victor went to Madrid, not Milan.
clutch of hovering waiters, the object “But I don’t know it in Spanish,” she empty of its grand boeuf.
of their attention is a lone customer, whimpers.
Victor, the millionaire owner of the Ah, the symbolism, as rich as
restaurant-for-one who appears one “Buenas noches,” prompts Victor.
night on the brink of suicide. “Bonos nachos,” says Mimi. the rosemary wine sauce: The
Maybe playwright Michael Hol-
The premise of the play currently linger was fully aware that the French invisible Chateaubriand for
on Riverside Theatre’s smaller Wax- despise puns. He clearly knew they
lax stage is certainly a classic of the love Jerry Lewis. The opening scene two has been whittled down
genre. The existential questions of is straight out of that playbook, when
love, death, misery and pleasure are the apprentice waiter Antoine (Dan- to one – Victor has shown up
offered in just about equal propor- iel Burns) does a pratfall before he
tions, sauced with enough literary ref- even gets through the kitchen door. without his girlfriend. That
erences to warrant a full baguette for He arrives tableside to reveal a beat-
the mopping. and-a-half-long stutter, enough to break-up is in part to blame for
stall a show that’s already one course
Victor, the millionaire newspaper too many. his terminal malaise and in-
reporter (now that’s funny) played Antoine’s impediment extends to
with studied melodrama by the ex- musicianship: At one point he is di- tentions to “se suicider,” as they reason, but not before the kitchen has
cellent Jim VanValen, has just re- rected by Gaston the chef (Andrew
turned from Madrid, where he has Sellon) to serenade Victor with “Lady say. tempted him with a dessert he can’t
been a) to the bullfights; b) read- of Spain” not on the violin, but on a
ing too much Hemingway; and c) horribly played horn. “I’m starving,” Victor announces. resist (we’ll just call it crème cruelé).

Only he means it literally. “I want to Directed by Allen Cornell, who also

die a gradual death” over months, he designed the four-star set, the comedy

says, if that’s what it takes to tell his gets its dramatic heft from VanValen,

“last story.” L’éditeur, s’il vous plaît! who two years ago visited Vero to per-

When Gaston decides to be merciful form in the one-man show “Under-

and hands Victor his gun – he has it be- neath the Lintel” and who recently re-

cause he too has been meaning to end turned to become Riverside’s director

it all – there’s a soupçon of surprise for of education. For his talent alone, the

us all. But it quickly passes and Victor show is worth seeing, and you’ll enjoy

tells the staff his existential truth: He some light laughs on the side.

is sterile, a fatal flaw for which his girl- “The Empty Plate at the Café du

friend has left him. Or so he thinks; she Grand Boeuf” runs through next

suddenly returns and tells him the real weekend. 

LoVE & Loss: O2p0e1r7a

An
Evening

of
Puccini

February 4 • 7 pm Tickets:
564-5537
Photo by JPR Images VeroBeachopera.org

Viva La Zarzuela! Programs subject to change

Spanish Operetta in Concert VBHS Performing
Arts Center

1707 16th Street
Vero Beach

Passion Season Sponsor
&

Romance

March 25 • 7 pm Sponsored in part by the State
of Florida, Department of State,
Division of Cultural Affairs and
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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 37

ARTS & THEATRE

Ballet opens up ‘Bravo’ new world for Vero kids

BY MICHELLE GENZ started to turn in lots of little heads. charity has already Ballet Vero performs for local elementary school students at Vero Beach
Staff Writer As Schnell stood before the kids in signed on to sponsor High School’s Performing Arts Center.PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE
another kids’ perfor- CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
Ballet requires years of training. a post-performance question-and- mance next year.
Learning to cheer for ballet takes answer session, hands shot up and
a split-second. When Ballet Vero stayed up all through the audience. As for the adults,
Beach founder and artistic director The first boy he called on asked how they saw not one but
Adam Schnell gave a few hundred 9- many dancers were in the company. three remarkable
and 10-year-olds a lesson on how to Twenty-three, Schnell told him. pieces – all world pre-
use the word “bravo,” they caught on mieres – in a program
in an instant. That prompted a follow-up ques- Schell called “Com-
tion. “Can I be your 24th?” the boy posers and Chore-
The piercing shriek that rose from asked. ographers.” The first
the packed orchestra seats of the was a duo choreo-
Vero Beach High School Performing For Schnell, it was a moment that graphed by Schnell to
Arts Center Friday morning was ear- would move him to tears, repeating Vero composer and
splitting. And that wasn’t all. the story later for an adult audience conductor Paul Gay’s
that saw not only the dance but two ephemeral, faintly
When the performance ended, and more besides. “I don’t know if I can Asian composition
the children had seen just how six keep my composure as I tell you this,” “In Which Cio-Cio
professional dancers earn their living he says, thanking Quail Valley Chari- San Goes with Pinker-
(“This is their job,” Schnell told the ties for footing the bill for the large- ton.” It featured Vivi
kids. “They get paid to do this.”), gears scale field trip and free admission.
Schnell told his audiences that the















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46 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43 INSIGHT COVER STORY

If you come to us and tell us tomorrow that the Syr- The Hezbollah flag waves before a picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. always a possibility that one or two might sneak in.”
ian regime is coming back to [invade] Lebanon, we In his Tripoli shop, Mohammad smiles grimly
would fight them. We would kill them all. We’re only We have to do something to defend ourselves, and
there for our own benefit. We’re defending our inter- we will defend ourselves, even inside Lebanon.” when asked how he plans to react to Hezbollah’s vic-
ests.” tories. “We’re going to surprise the whole world with
Hezbollah is rightly concerned about the radical- what we’re going to do in Lebanon,” he says. “We
Slim says Hezbollah’s antipathy toward the Syr- ization of Lebanese Sunnis like Mohammad. There have a plan, and we’re going to make a comeback.”
ian government has been building for some time. have been many attacks by Islamists in Hezbollah
“It is no secret that Hezbollah's military leaders are territory, the most recent of which killed 43 people, in Despite the threat of attacks on its home turf, Hez-
not impressed by the Syrian army’s capacity and the November 2015. And the threat hasn’t subsided, says bollah’s success in Syria means the group can finally
discipline of pro-regime militias,” she says. “I don't the Hezbollah commander in Dahiyeh. shift its focus back to its neighbor to the south, Is-
think that Assad and his army have the interest and rael. “When it comes to Israel,” the commander in
the means to contest their presence in the near fu- “When the terrorists put car bombs in Dahiyeh, Dahiyeh says, “we never sleep. We have our eyes on
ture.” Hezbollah told the Lebanese government, ‘Either them always.”
you do your job, or we’ll do it for you,’” he says. “And
Ali’s grizzled friend seems to agree. “Assad is just a we’ve had to do their job sometimes when they were It’s been more than a decade since war erupted
figurehead,” he says. “He has no real power. We won unable to. We’ve caught hundreds of attempted ter- between the two sides, and many think a new con-
this war, not the regime.” rorists trying to carry out attacks in Lebanon. No flict might soon arise. Hezbollah put up an impres-
matter how hard we try or how many we catch, there’s sive fight against Israel in 2006, and since then, the
For Lebanese Sunnis, Assad’s victory means He- group has become far better armed.
zbollah will continue to dominate their country –
and some aren’t taking it well. Mohammad, a Salafi Israeli leaders seem increasingly concerned about
sheikh who maintains a small militia in the Tripoli the Shiite group’s arsenal and recent battlefield ex-
neighborhood of Bab-al-Tabbaneh, runs his little perience. Hezbollah is said to possess GPS-guided
fiefdom from a shop he owns. short-range ballistic missiles that can hit Tel Aviv
with 1,100 pounds of explosives, as well as Russian-
Mohammad is in his mid- to late 30s, with a trade- made anti-tank, anti-ship and cruise missiles.
mark Salafi beard. He says he was fighting in Syria
with Jabhat al-Nusra and spent some time in Aleppo. In July 2016, the Israeli ambassador to the United
“We will return and fight again,” he says, “and keep Nations claimed the group’s missile arsenal is now
fighting until we bring down this brutal regime.” larger than those of the European Union’s NATO
states combined. “Our Christmas day is when the Is-
Mohammad is passionate about the plight of the raelis come for a ground invasion,” the commander
Lebanese Sunni community – and he blames what in Dahiyeh boasts. “Israel is just a big fuss for noth-
he calls their inferior standing on Hezbollah and ing. It is weaker than a spiderweb.”
Iran. “Sunnis in Lebanon are weak,” he says. “They
don’t have much power because Hezbollah controls Despite his bravado, the Shiite group seems in no
the government. The Sunni population is left all alone hurry to return to the battlefield against its nem-
on the battlefield, being slaughtered by these people. esis. In January 2015, for instance, Israel hit one of
the group’s weapons convoys in Syria with targeted

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 47

INSIGHT COVER STORY

airstrikes. Hezbollah retaliated by launching an anti- time the group didn’t respond. And perhaps with When that changes, however, Ali, the Hezbollah
tank missile at an Israeli convoy, killing two soldiers, good reason. Israel has a far more powerful army fighter, says and he and his comrades will be ready.
but the group immediately announced it had no de- than Hezbollah, and the consequences of a war As he speaks, he smiles confidently. “The Israelis
sire to escalate the fight. would be severe for the group – and its home coun- have been losing this game since 2006,” Ali says.
try. So it seems the strategy of “mutual deterrence” on “Because we are with God, and we don’t think of
More than a year later, in November 2016, Israel both sides will continue – for now. anything else.” 
again struck a Hezbollah weapons convoy, only this

48 Vero Beach 32963 / January 26, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

Time for the Vero City Council to get moving

On a partial electric sale pretending that the sale of all of Vero Electric is So please, let’s pick up the pace on doing what is
suddenly a real possibility. They profess excite- possible: concluding the sale to FPL, at the above-
If it seems like just last week that proponents of ment about the recent expression of willingness by market price of $30 million, of Vero Electric’s cus-
the sale of Vero Electric regained control of the Vero a new leader of the Florida Municipal Power Asso- tomers in Indian River Shores.
Beach City Council, that’s understandable. ciation to try to come up with a price for releasing
Vero from its many entanglements. A partial sale will be good for Vero, good for the
Two pro-sale candidates, Laura Moss and Lange Shores, and the best way of ending an unfortu-
Sykes, were elected to the City Council the very This might sound good if you didn’t realize (a) the nate period of acrimony between two 32963 island
same day that Donald Trump was elected President process of coming up with the FMPA number will neighbors.
last November. drag on and on; (b) the number will ultimately be,
for all practical purposes, a gazillion dollars; and (c) On a Stormwater Utility Fee
But while Trump only took office last Friday, Moss many millions more would be needed to exit the ill-
and Sykes were sworn in less than two weeks after advised contract the Winger-Kramer Council signed On February 7th, the Vero Beach City Council is
the November election. Some two months have al- with the Orlando Utilities Commission. finally expected to vote on whether to implement
ready passed since they joined Harry Howle to form a a Stormwater Utility Fee to fund drainage projects
3-to-2 pro-sale Council majority. We understand why Moss, Howle, Sykes and FPL aimed at decreasing the flow of contaminants into
find it politically necessary to pay lip service to ul- the Indian River Lagoon.
That means the pro-sale troika has had two timately concluding a full sale. But that isn’t going
months in which to get things moving, and fewer to happen. The bad contracts one City Council af- To us, this seems like a no-brainer.
than 10 months left in which to conclude the sale of ter another entered into over the last few decades At present, only about one third of the Vero Beach
Vero Electric’s customers in Indian River Shores to have rendered Vero’s departure from FMPA Mis- runoff after each rainfall is treated in some fashion
Florida Power & Light. While things hopefully are sion Impossible. before it is discharged into the lagoon.
edging forward, we nevertheless worry Moss, Sykes, The other two thirds of the surface water washes
and Howle are not sufficiently focused on the fact into the waterway untreated, carrying with it what-
that the clock is ticking. ever contaminants were on Vero lawns, driveways,
parking lots, streets and other hard surfaces.
Why the urgency of concluding the partial sale be- Could Vero address its drainage problems by allo-
fore this coming November? cating more money for this from existing property
tax dollars? Sure. But when the Council is faced with
We frankly viewed the restoration of a pro-sale competing demands at budget time, other things al-
majority on the City Council last November as little ways seem to take priority.
short of a miracle. Thus, we are left with the current idea – which has
been studied now for some two years – to create a
But the naysayers, led by duplicitous former May- dedicated fee paid by everyone within the Vero city
ors Dick Winger and Jay Kramer, have not given up, limits who gets a utility bill, with the proceeds only
and they still have a distressing number of followers. to be used to reduce pollution of the lagoon.
It all seems both fair and simple. Even tax-ex-
There is another election coming up in Novem- empt properties like churches and schools, whose
ber, and with two seats – one of them Howle’s – up large parking lots are a contributor to the discharge
for grabs, the Vero Electric Forever forces will have a problem, would pay, and the average monthly fee on
chance to recapture control of the City Council. homeowners utility bills would be $5.
While some call this a new tax, and feel the City
It is a mistake to underestimate these people. For Council should submit it to a referendum, we dis-
all their whining about large campaign contribu- agree.
tions to Moss and Sykes during this past election It is high time for the City Council to move for-
cycle, they have access to very deep pockets them- ward and enact a Stormwater Utility Fee. 
selves. We suspect they will be a bit better organized
this November. We wouldn’t bet against them.

In the meantime, their strategy is clear: Stall. Play
for time. Don’t let anything final happen before the
clock runs out on the pro-sale majority’s year.

This strategy, at least for the moment, involves