10/10/2019 ISSUE 41

Virgin Trains deaths fuel drive
for new safety regs. P9
Marina expansion seen

10- to 20-year project. P8
Shores v. Vero water battle to
resume with mediation Oct. 25. P10

MY VERO Assistant Public Defender Stanley For breaking news visit
Glenn directs questions to potential
BY RAY MCNULTY jury members during the selection Sebastian Inlet
process Oct. 3, 2019. Park may drop
Experts find big problems its fees for some
in school HR department

Interim Schools Superin- PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES BY HENRY A. STEPHENS
tendent Susan Moxley, who Correspondent
has done an impressive job of Jones’murder defense: Hard to understand?
cleaning up the administrative Beginning next year, more
and financial messes she in- BY LISA ZAHNER the protracted criminal pro- graphic details, crime scene than 20,000 residents of the
herited from her overmatched Staff Writer ceedings against accused killer photos and now, from one me- northern part of Indian River
and often-wrongheaded pre- and former PNC Wealth Man- dia outlet, 14 Twitter updates County may be able to fish
decessor, requested a review Over the past five years, agement advisor Michael Da- per day on the rather boring from or visit the Sebastian Inlet
of the district’s Human Re- readers following the story of vid Jones have been swamped minutiae of the past week and State Park free or for a reduced
sources Department shortly murdered 26-year-old Moor- with information. a half of jury selection. charge.
after she arrived. ings resident Diana Duve and
What’s out there includes CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 A proposal to lower or
Moxley knew the department eliminate fees for people who
was rife with problems, many live in the Sebastian Inlet Dis-
of which were exacerbated dur- trict – most of them in Brevard
ing the tumultuous, four-year County, but some in Indian
reign of former superintendent, River – is in a bill state Rep.
Mark Rendell, who resigned in Randy Fine (R-Melbourne
May to become the principal Beach) is filing for the Legisla-
at Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior ture’s 2020 session.
High School.
The Indian River County
Those problems have been portion of the Inlet District in-
well-chronicled by this news- cludes the barrier island north
paper. of Old Winter Beach Road and
some unincorporated coun-
“I saw and heard some things try plus the City of Sebastian
during my first few weeks here, on the mainland.
so I had an idea,” said Moxley,
a career educator and admin- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
istrator who was hired in May
to run the district’s operations Home split between
until a new superintendent is counties may finally
go to Indian River
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
BY GEORGE ANDREASSI
Central Beach sand replenishment hits snag Staff Writer

BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ Costa d’Este Beach Resort & The borderline separat-
Staff Writer Spa and a handful of other ing Indian River and St. Lucie
property owners refuse to let counties runs right through
A major sand replenish- county contractors place sand neurosurgeon Oszkar Szen-
ment project in the critically on their oceanfront property. tirmai’s oceanfront home. He
eroded Central Beach area
could be compromised if the The county has plans for CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

October 10, 2019 Volume 12, Issue 41 Newsstand Price $1.00 ‘Autumn in the Park’
weekend was a
News 1-12 Faith 50 Pets 40 TO ADVERTISE CALL work of art. P16
Arts 25-28 Games 41-43 Real Estate 61-72 772-559-4187
Books 38 Health 45-49 St. Edward’s 39
Dining 54 Insight 29-44 Style 51-53 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 34 People 13-24 Wine 55 CALL 772-226-7925

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

2 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Sebastian Inlet Park fees “It started in June when a fisher- public fishing pier and the park itself.” governs state parks, Sebastian Inlet
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 man came to me and said this just isn’t She suggested a discount for In- State Park took in $1.8 million between
right,” Fine said recently. “He said, ‘I July 2018 and June 2019 and spent $1.3
The bill, after expected modifications, pay my taxes to the Inlet District. But let District residents instead of free million on park maintenance, person-
would either eliminate or discount the every time I want to go fishing, I have admission, a compromise Fine said nel and other operations.
park’s $8-per-carload admission fee – to pay to go into the park.’ … Nobody could be agreeable to him.
as well as the lesser fees for bicyclists, should have to pay taxes twice.” That makes a difference of about
pedestrians and single-occupant cars The state legislative delegations of $500,000, which goes to the DEP in a
– for Inlet District residents. State Sen. Debbie Mayfield (R-Mel- Indian River and Brevard counties trust fund to support all state parks.
bourne), whose Senate District 17 in- both took votes in favor of Fine’s bill.
How to make the proposed change cludes both sides of the park and the That’s the part that would be affect-
work, since the Inlet District doesn’t Inlet District, noted the complexity of But it should be a statewide “general ed by the free admissions, Fine said.
own the state park, will be a challenge the jurisdiction. bill,” Mayfield said, since it really tar-
for the legislative staff and commit- gets how much money Sebastian Inlet Meanwhile, the Florida Department
tees before it ever reaches the House “The Sebastian Inlet District main- State Park can send to the state after of Transportation announced last week
or Senate floor. tains the inlet and the jetties, but the letting district residents in at free or that the Sebastian Inlet Bridge, which
Sebastian Inlet State Park is totally reduced rates. carries Highway A1A over the popular
separate,” she said. “It maintains the boating and fishing inlet and connects
According to the Florida Department the two halves of the state park, is struc-
of Environmental Protection, which turally deficient and will have to be re-
placed within the next six years. 

Jones murder defense
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

But despite all that reporting, if you
want to know what it’s really like to
sit in the courtroom where Jones is
scheduled to be tried for first-degree
murder this month, you need to know
one thing that no one mentions.

Jones’ lead defense attorney is very
hard to understand.

It’s probably not politically correct
to write about this, but it’s a rather
unique – and important – element of
this high-stakes capital murder trial.

Assistant Public Defender Stanley
Glenn, 44, was born partially deaf in
both ears.

His father, a Negro League baseball
pitcher, related in a book he wrote in
2006 how his son as a boy struggled in
public school, but did great in a Cath-
olic school with small classes. He sub-
sequently earned an undergraduate
degree from Virginia Wesleyan College
in 1997, a Juris Doctorate degree from
Catholic University in 2000, according
to Martindale-Hubbell, and was ad-
mitted to the Florida Bar in 2001.

In the courtroom, Glenn is a skilled
lawyer who comes off as well-prepared,
highly intelligent, flexible, hardwork-
ing and genuinely dedicated to provid-
ing the best possible defense. He treats
everyone with respect and empathy. A
blog which deals with issues related to
the hearing impaired said judges “find
him remarkable.”

But while Glenn speaks as best he
can despite his challenges, it requires
the listener to devote much effort to
hear and understand him.

The first time we covered a hear-
ing in the Jones case where Glenn
argued a motion for the defense, and
had a lot of trouble understanding
what was being said, we immediately
called Public Defender Diamond Lit-
ty to ask her about Glenn. Litty told
Vero Beach 32963 that Glenn is one
of her best attorneys and that she has

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 3

NEWS

utmost confidence in his ability to separate court reporter who sits as Glenn’s adversary in this case is argu- how to drive a point home – with color-
represent clients. close as possible to Glenn whenever ably one of the most effective com- ful language or humor, if necessary.
he speaks – usually less than a yard municators in State Attorney Bruce
But during the first week of weeding away – and who types every utterance Colton’s stable of criminal prosecutors. When sensitive matters call for a soft-
through a pool of more than 200 pros- in the court record into a computer er touch, Assistant State Attorney Brian
pects, trying to pick a 12-member jury that displays text on a screen for Glenn Deputy Assistant State Attorney Tom Workman is more than adept at playing
to decide Jones’ fate, numerous people to read in case he does not pick up on Bakkedahl possesses a huge personality “good cop” to Bakkedahl. The two pros-
had a tough time understanding Glenn. what’s said via a combination of hear- and a booming voice to match. So far in ecutors, so far, make a formidable team.
ing aids and careful lip reading. the proceedings, Bakkedahl has taken
During just one hour of the “voir command of the courtroom. He can get Despite the fact that Jones enjoys rep-
dire” or jury selection process last Compounding the challenge is that loud, bombastic even, and he knows resentation by a team of at least three
week, three jurors asked Jones’ attor-
ney five times to repeat what he had CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
said. Over the next few hours, that
number of requests doubled.

The court reporter assigned to take
down the verbatim account of the case
had also complained, as had one of
the other journalists covering the case.
Glenn acknowledged in court that he
needs to remember to speak up and
project his voice so people can hear
him. At one point, a microphone was
installed at the lectern where Glenn
was speaking, but it was later removed.

One of Jones’ other lawyers, As-
sistant Public Defender Dorothy
Naumann, even asked to excuse one
woman from jury service because she
had asked Glenn to repeat himself too
many times. Naumann found out via
questioning that the woman herself
was hard of hearing. The combo of
hers and Glenn’s hearing impairment
was too high a hurdle to surmount.

She was released. But the fact that
Naumann raised the challenge signals
that the defense is very much aware
that some people do have significant
trouble understanding Glenn.

Jury selection, for the potential ju-
rors, provides the best-case scenario
for understanding Glenn. Glenn and
the jury pool were only a few feet
away from each other. He addressed
each juror directly and individu-
ally, focusing on just one person at a
time, checking in frequently by asking
them, “You with me?”

Members of the jury pool were close
enough to easily look Glenn in the
face and match his expressions and
lip movements to his words.

During the actual trial, things will
be much different.

Glenn will be mobile, facing vari-
ous directions, questioning witnesses,
talking to the prosecutors or to the
judge, and jurors will not have the op-
portunity to stop the proceedings and
ask for things to be repeated.

When no one is asking “You with
me?” will the jurors put in the hard
work to understand every word Glenn
says? Or over the course of an expect-
ed four-week trial, will jurors mentally
check out?

The other problem is that Glenn can
hear only a fraction of what anyone
says, even with his state-of-the-art
digital hearing aids, according to the
hear-it.org blog article.

Glenn works with the help of tech-
nical accommodations, including a

4 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Jones murder defense My Vero Chairman Laura Zorc said. “It certain- with the goal of improving its services,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 ly validated what many of us already and that HR failed to provide to them
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 knew – that we needed to have an as- on a regular basis data regarding the
taxpayer-funded attorneys – a fourth sistant superintendent for HR to prop- principals’ staffs, including staff atten-
has been present in the courtroom at hired, which could happen as soon as erly oversee that department. dance, leaves and performance.
the defense desk, but has not spoken a next month.
word on the record – Glenn is expect- “Unfortunately, the previous super- Principals were critical of the timeli-
ed to do much of the talking during “But I wasn’t overly familiar with intendent saw that position as unnec- ness and consistency of HR’s respons-
the trial. where we were with our HR Depart- essary and eliminated it,” she added. es to their inquiries and the depart-
ment,” she added, “and I felt it was im- “Thanks to Dr. Moxley, that position ment’s failure to promptly return their
Assistant Public Defender Nau- portant to get input from the people has been restored.” phone calls and emails. The principals
mann, who has been on the Jones who utilize those services.” also called for HR to establish one set
case from the beginning in June 2014, The district’s new assistant super- of procedures for all principals in the
is more than capable of arguing force- To get the answers she needed, Mox- intendent, Benjamin Osypian, started district.
fully on Jones’ behalf, but at least dur- ley brought in a team of experts from work in September, and Moxley said
ing jury selection, she has seemed to the Florida Association of District he already has begun digging into the In fact, the report states that “vari-
lack enthusiasm for the case. Assis- School Superintendents last summer issues cited in the 33-page FADSS re- ous staff members” shared the FADSS
tant Public Defender Shane Manship, to conduct a comprehensive review of port, which also included the consul- team’s concerns about a lack of written
Jones’ third lawyer, openly admit- the HR Department’s services and in- tants’ recommendations. HR protocols and procedures – partic-
ted to a small group of the jury pool teraction with district employees. ularly for situations involving staff dis-
last week that he probably chose the The report’s findings fell well-below cipline, low performers and employee
wrong profession because he does not During a three-day visit to the coun- the FADSS-recommended satisfac- investigations – resulting in a lack of
like speaking in public. ty in late June, FADSS consultants tion rate of at least 90 percent: Only 60 consistency in addressing such issues.
conducted a survey of 25 principals, percent of the principals queried said
So the impassioned and compas- interviewed district employees, spent they were pleased with the level of ser- “It was reported that individuals
sionate Glenn, challenges and all, may time in the HR office, and gathered vice they receive from HR. who request [information about] how
be Jones’ best hope of mounting a rig- information from School Board mem- certain HR functions are handled of-
orous defense and avoiding the death bers, HR personnel, school staffers Likewise, just 60 percent reported ten receive different answers from dif-
penalty if convicted. and newly hired teachers. that they began the school year with a ferent staff members or receive con-
full staff, and only 48 percent reported flicting responses when compared to
Interestingly, when Jones attempt- The review’s findings, which FADSS that they were satisfied with the sup- how certain functions were handled in
ed to fire his entire legal team back in sent to the district’s leadership in July, port HR provides in their efforts to the past,” the report states.
August, he did not list Glenn’s hearing revealed a list of deficiencies that were improve or get rid of poor or low per-
impairment or his communication troubling – even alarming, though formers. Worse, the report exposed a glaring
challenges as one of the reasons why not shocking – to people familiar with flaw in the district’s handling of em-
he wanted new lawyers.  problems at the department. The survey also revealed that a ma- ployee misconduct: There’s no policy
jority of principals said the HR De- for determining what types of cases
“There wasn’t anything in the re- partment did not routinely seek feed- should be investigated at the school/
port that surprised me,” School Board back and input from district staffers

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 5

NEWS

department level, or by the HR De- “We’ve seen a lot of these investi- with issues before they get to the point “The district’s employees need to be
partment or outside legal counsel. gations – too many of them, and they where there needs to be an investigation.” able to go there without fear of retalia-
go too far,” Zorc said. “One of the first tion or fear that HR will go to their su-
The result has been a series of questions Dr. Moxley asked when she For that to happen, however, district pervisors,” Zorc said.
sometimes-lengthy, often-costly and got here was: ‘Why are we having all employees need to be able to trust the
usually fruitless investigations that these investigations?’ HR Department – something many of Moxley echoed that sentiment, say-
unnecessarily were farmed out to out- them have said they were unable to do ing,” We want our employees to feel
side attorneys. “She believes that we should try to deal during the Rendell years.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero Sector 5 – but the project could be un- are typically higher up on the beach the resort’s] direct participation in the
dermined if oceanfront property owners than summer tides – it’s more likely project required the hotel to grant a
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 and homeowners associations refuse to that sand will not perform the way it perpetual easement that did not guar-
sign an agreement allowing the county should and it’s likely to erode quicker, antee perpetual sand replenishment.
they have an avenue – that if they have to place sand above the mean high tide because there are these gaps in be-
a work-related issue, they can feel line on their private property. tween sand placement. We would like “The proposed easement also called
comfortable going to HR to address it.” to avoid that so this project is as cost into question issues regarding the
So far, the county has received a effective as possible and also as per- public’s right to use the beach behind
It’s now Osypian’s job to rid the HR green light from 63 property owners formance effective as possible.” the hotel, as the community has done
Department of Rendell’s influence and is still waiting to hear back from for decades. For those reasons, Costa
and create a safe and welcoming en- 8 others. Four oceanfront properties, The push-back stems from language d’Este declined to participate. This
vironment for employees, all while including Costa d’Este, have rejected in the agreement that allows the county decision will not impact the county’s
he works to produce a manual of HR the agreement. a perpetual easement for future beach ability to proceed with the project or
policies and procedures. renourishment projects and allows the the community’s continuing right to
The standoff comes in the wake of public to use the sandy land above the access the public areas of the beach
“Those are high priorities and we’re a state law that went into effect a year wet beach for recreation, county offi- behind the hotel.”
addressing them,” Moxley said, adding, ago that took away local governments’ cials and property owners said.
“My takeaway from the feedback we re- power to simply declare beaches pub- Milton added the resort will assume
ceived in the FADSS report is that many lic through the ‘customary use doc- “The county has always had to ask full responsibility for replenishing the
of the HR Department’s issues could be trine,’ putting in place a requirement for [temporary] beach construction beach behind the hotel at its sole ex-
traced to not having an assistant super- for a court ruling to settle disputes easements prior to beach projects,” pense.
intendent for almost two years.” about public access to privately- Cope said. “This perpetual easement
owned beach above the high tide line. has been crafted specifically since the Two additional projects, slated to
She didn’t mention Rendell – be- county is doing three beach projects begin in November 2020, also require
cause she didn’t need to.  “If we don’t obtain these easements, over the next year and wants to pre- the signatures of private property
we’re are going to be forced to have the serve the traditional recreational uses owners, Cope said.
Central Beach sand contractor stake out that private proper- of the beach. The easement does not
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ty and then bypass that property when grant any new recreational activities” Those projects will infuse roughly
we go to place sand,” said Kendra Cope, or violate property-owners rights. 900,000 cubic yards of sand at a cost of
a $6 million project slated to begin in the county’s coastal resources coordina- $25.75 million along a 6.6-mile stretch
November that will place 205,000 cubic tor. “That then leaves holes within the Costa d’Este spokeswoman Jes- of shoreline between the north island
yards of sand from Tracking Station Park project so then the project will not per- sica Milton told Vero Beach 32963 in community of Seaview and Turtle Trail
to Castaway Cove – a stretch known as form as well as it was engineered to do. an email, “Costa d’Este supports the beach park near the Carlton condomin-
county’s initiative as it relates to the ium, an area the county calls Sector 3,
“During our king tide events or our broad area detailed in the plan . . . [but and in Sector 7, a 2.2-mile stretch that
wintertime seasonal tides – which extends from Seagrove to the Moorings.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 7

NEWS

Between them, those projects re- Indian River County commissioners the counties regarding permitting, im- reviewed by the St. Lucie County Plan-
quire 336 signatures. So far, no prop- were set to vote this week on a resolu- pact fees and taxes. ning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 17,
erty owners have declined to sign on tion to support the boundary change. 2016. But the project stalled because the
the dotted line, county officials said. Commissioners gave preliminary ap- Approximately 60 percent of the developer failed to provide required infor-
proval on Sept. 17. house is in Indian River County, so that mation about tree mitigation, said county
The other holdouts on the Central county's growth plan, zoning code and Planning Manager Linda Pendarvis.
Beach project include the small com- St. Lucie County commissioners ap- permitting regulations applied. Indian
mercial plaza at 3426 Ocean Drive, proved a similar resolution Oct. 1 and River received 60 percent of the im- St. Lucie County first approved the
north of the Holiday Inn, and two included the boundary change in their pact fees and St. Lucie got 40 percent. site plan for Round Island Plantation
single-family homeowners.  2020 state legislative priorities. on Aug. 23, 2006.
Oszkar and Gretchen Szentirmai
Home split between counties The proposed county boundary bought the house in June 2013 for Plans call for 13 oceanfront condos
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 change still needs approval from the $1,480,000, according to property records. on a 2.37-acre beachfront lot and 31
state Legislature during the 2020 ses- single-family homes on 41.6 acres on
steps back and forth across the border sion, which starts Jan. 14. The Szentirmais’ property tax bills the west side of Highway A1A. A pe-
many times each day. for 2019 are $13,926.35 for Indian Riv- destrian tunnel beneath the highway
If the bill to amend Florida statutes er County and $8,097.54 for St. Lucie connects the two sites.
Coincidently, an unfinished subdi- passes, the boundary change would County, records show.
vision across State Road A1A, Round go into effect July 1, 2020. Dr. Szentirmai’s efforts to have his
Island Plantation, features six lots in Dr. Szentirmai works as a neuro- beachfront property entirely in Indian
Indian River County and 25 lots in St. Brian Sullivan, Indian River Coun- surgeon at Cleveland Clinic Tradition River County initially were resisted
Lucie County. ty’s legislative affairs and communica- Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Martin by St. Lucie County because of the
tions manager, pitched the boundary North Hospital. difficulty, Assistant St. Lucie County
So, when Dr. Szentirmai asked for the change to the county’s legislative del- Administrator Mark Satterlee said.
St. Lucie County portion of his lot to be egation on Sept. 24. Meanwhile, the land swap could But the chance to obtain the 5.56 acres
moved into Indian River County, officials jump-start the development of the on the northern edge of Round Island
proposed shifting the six Round Island No objections have been raised so Round Island Plantation on the west Plantation made it worth it for St. Lucie
Plantation lots into St. Lucie County. far by other Indian River County tax- side of A1A, which is owned by SBM As- County to give up the .43-acre slice of Dr.
ing agencies, such as the School Board, sociates LLC of Plantation. Szentirmai’s lot, Satterlee said.
“It just kind of made sense,” said Hospital District and Indian River
Indian River County Administrator Mosquito Control District, Brown said. The developer conceptually supports “We think that is an equitable swap,”
Jason Brown. “The taxable values are the boundary change on the condition Satterlee told the St. Lucie County
pretty similar right now. All of the “It doesn’t make sense to have one St. Lucie County approves the develop- commissioners. “I think it would just
property owners are in agreement.” home in two counties,” Brown said. ment of the six northern lots consistent make it easier for the development
with the 25 lots already in St. Lucie, re- process to clean up the Round Island
The two-story, four-bedroom, four- cords show. Plantation development site.” 
bath house at 2498 S. Highway A1A,
Vero Beach, was completed in 1992 un- Updated plans for 31 single-family
der a Feb. 12, 1991, agreement between houses in Round Island Plantation were

8 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Vero marina expansion seen as a 10- to 20-year project

BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ An office building on the property present the facts and master plan Moss out clarity on issues pertaining to pre-
Staff Writer formerly occupied by the Waddell was seeking, city officials said, adding venting further pollution of the lagoon,”
Insurance agency is in good condi- the project will be built in phases. Indian River Neighborhood Association
The City Council has decided to move tion and could be rented out to a new Executive Director Dan Lamson said.
forward with a major revamp and ex- tenant if the city so desires, or demol- “It’s important to point out that just
pansion of the deteriorating Vero Beach ished to create more parking. having the master plan doesn’t give But Mayor Val Zudans said the new
Municipal Marina that could take up to anybody any authorization to do some- design will improve the health of the la-
two decades to complete. “It’s not going to happen overnight,” thing,” City Manager Monte Falls said. goon because it will include individual
Brackett said, adding the plan is not “Every stop along that road map will have pumps at each slip to dispose of waste.
The board in a 4-1 vote last week set in stone and can be tweaked by the to come back to council for approval.”
chose the most dramatic among sev- current or future councils. “We can’t just assume it’s going to
eral possible facelifts for the dilapi- The council’s choice was applaud- be worse just because we’re changing
dated facility, which will include new The dissenting vote belonged to ed by some who said the changes are something,” Zudans said.
dockage along the southern shoreline, Councilwoman Laura Moss, who was long overdue, but the decision drew
a one-way drive with angled parking skeptical of the plan because it was opposition from some Central Beach The marina, located at 3611 Rio Vis-
near the dog park, an expanded moor- short on specifics. residents who believe the renovation ta Blvd., is comprised of roughly 100
ing field and a pedestrian bridge from will bring mega yachts and commer- narrow slips made for older, smaller
the marina to Riverside Park. Coastal Tech-G.E.C. Inc., a local en- cial businesses to the site along with boats. The facility can accommodate
gineering firm the city hired earlier this traffic congestion. Environmental- some 50- to 70-foot boats and has one
The project – which Councilman year for more than $100,000 to come ists also voiced concerns about waste slip for a 100-foot boat. Some parts of
Robert Brackett anticipates could take up with concept plans for the marina’s from even more boats being dumped the facility standing today were con-
10 to 20 years to compete – also calls for redevelopment, outlined three rede- into the ailing Indian River Lagoon. structed in the 1930s.
the replacement of the northern dock to velopment options that varied in in-
relocate it farther north; demolition of tensity, but did not have details about Although the expansion concept The city earlier this year put the marina
what’s known as the lagoon dock and an how many parking spaces and boat calls for additional and bigger boat in a better financial position by using $2.9
increase in the number of slips on that slips would be added. The company slips, mega yachts – boats 78 feet or million from the sale of Vero Beach Elec-
dock; repair or replacement of the float- also lacked specifics on the cost and longer – are expected to steer clear of tric to pay off the remainder of a $4.7 mil-
ing dock; additional vehicle parking; revenue a new marina would generate. the city since they tend to dock in Palm lion loan taken out in 2007 for the marina.
repair or replacement of the dry storage Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami,
building; and dredging near docks to “We don’t really don’t know any- Marina Manager Sean Collin has said Loan payments were draining
open moorings for larger boats. thing,” Moss said. “We know very little.” to quell concerns of island residents. $338,000 a year from the marina’s bud-
get, leaving the enterprise fund too
Coastal Tech representatives plan to “We cannot support expansion with- strapped for cash to keep up with need-
come back to council at a later date to
ed repairs or undertake expansion. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 9

NEWS

29 Virgin Trains deaths fuel push for new safety regulations

BY GEORGE ANDREASSI our citizens in mind,” Mayfield said at speed passenger rail systems being train safety legislation in 2020. “We meet
Staff Writer a press conference last month. developed in Florida.” and exceed the highest standards set by
the Federal Railroad Administration.”
Efforts to establish state safety regu- Florida has no regulations for when FDOT is developing a computer
lations for Virgin Trains USA passenger fencing should be installed along rail- model for improving safety at railroad But Mayfield and other rail safety
rail service are gaining momentum as road tracks or who should be respon- crossings, deploying drones along the advocates said the consultant’s report
deaths mount, track construction ac- sible for the costs, according to an Oct. Central Florida Rail Corridor to study showed the need for state regulations
celerates and passenger rail projects 31, 2018 report by CPCS Transcom ways of reducing trespassing and en- in addition to federal requirements for
progress throughout Florida. Inc., of Ottawa. couraging enforcement of trespassing passenger trains traveling between 81
laws, O’Brien said. mph and 125 mph.
Virgin Trains and its predecessor The consultant recommended set-
company Brightline killed 22 people ting new regulations for trains travel- FDOT also vowed to work with May- State Representatives Erin Grall (R-
from Jan. 1, 2018, through May 31, ing 81-to-125 mph, including fenc- field and others concerned about pas- Vero Beach) and Thad Altman (R-Indi-
2019, federal records show. Since then, ing requirements, minimum at-grade senger rail safety. alantic) joined Mayfield and Harrell in
media reports attributed seven more crossing standards and state certifica- writing letters to Republican Gov. Ron
deaths to the passenger train. While tion of new passenger rail lines. Although past attempts to enact DeSantis in support of more safety ini-
some of these were suicides, the total new state regulations have gone no- tiatives for high-speed passenger rail.
number of deaths has attracted legis- The consultant also recommended where in the legislature, Mayfield and
lative attention. clarifying the Florida Department of others said they believe the chances “I’m more optimistic than I have
Transportation’s role in regulating pas- are greater in 2020 because of mount- been because it narrowly focuses on
The body count, along with in- senger rail systems and cracking down ing public interest. safety and we have been able to show
creased media focus on passenger rail on trespassing along the tracks. where the deficiencies are in the fed-
and a consultant’s report identifying “I think it has a better shot this time eral government’s oversight,” Grall said
holes in state and federal train safety “There’s no doubt we are going to than it had previously because we have about her work with Mayfield in the
regulations, is providing a power boost have high-speed passenger rail in the more areas of the state impacted and past couple of years to promote rail
to state Sen. Debbie Mayfield and oth- state of Florida,” Mayfield said. “That’s we’re really now getting the evidence safety legislation.
ers campaigning to enhance rail safety. why it’s important to get these policies as to how dangerous this is,” said state
and procedures in place before they Sen. Gayle Harrell referring to the rail “We’ve both done a lot to educate
“The legislation I’m going to intro- start building them.” safety report. senior leadership with the governor,
duce next year is going to be directly re- and bring other members of the House
lated to the findings [of the consultant’s Last week, FDOT broke six months “Safety is the top priority at Virgin and Senate to a greater understanding
report] to ensure we have the safety of of silence about Mayfield’s rail safety Trains,” the company said in a statement of those issues,” Grall said.
campaign, saying “The department following Mayfield’s Sept. 10 news con-
recognizes the concerns with higher- ference about her intention to file new CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

10 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Virgin Trains deaths “I think the governor and legislature
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 will be rightfully concerned about the
death toll and safety, both because it is
The DeSantis administration has not an important policy issue and because
responded to repeated requests by Vero politically there may be public pres-
Beach 32963 since March for comment sure to require it,” Jewett said.
on the consultant’s rail safety report and
Mayfield’s calls for regulations for trains But Mayfield and her allies would
traveling 81-to-125 mph. have to overcome the powerful anti-
regulation forces in the Republican-
Virgin Trains began running pas- controlled legislature, Jewett and oth-
senger service between West Palm er political experts said.
Beach and Fort Lauderdale in January
2018 and added a stop in Miami that It might be easier to convince De-
May. The company started construc- Santis to direct FDOT to increase over-
tion on new tracks along State Road sight of Virgin Trains, Jewett said.
528/Beachline Expressway in June
and plans to begin work in Indian Riv- “DeSantis seems to have positioned
er and Brevard counties next summer. himself as somewhat of a populist in his
governing philosophy and increased
Virgin Trains plans to send 34 trains oversight to increase safety seems like
per day through the Space and Trea- it might be a good fit for his governing
sure coasts at speeds of up to 110 mph style,” Jewett said.
en route between Orlando and Miami
starting in summer 2022. The com- “Still if Virgin Trains comes out
pany has also announced plans to ex- strongly against such a move,” Jewett
tend service from Orlando to Tampa said, “the governor might decide that
along the Interstate 4 corridor. current levels of scrutiny are adequate
and the state should not microman-
Another longstanding proposal calls age the project.”
for the re-establishment of Amtrak service
from Jacksonville to West Palm Beach. Susan MacManus, a distinguished
professor emeritus of political science
Several political observers said the at the University of South Florida, said
string of train-related deaths, the start the fate of any passenger rail safety bill
of construction and the spread of pas- hinges on DeSantis.
senger rail projects have improved
Mayfield’s chances of winning approv- “I think it will go how far it will go
al for new passenger rail regulations. will depend on the governor’s involve-
ment,” MacManus said.
Aubrey Jewett, a political science
professor at the University of Central “There will probably be more at-
Florida, pegged the odds of the legis- tention paid by legislators in the
lature imposing new regulations for route to the safety side,” MacManus
Virgin Trains at “50-50.” said. “A lot of these regulatory things
take multiple tries. My guess is, may-
be not this session, but a later ses-

sion.” 

SHORES V. VERO WATER BATTLE
TO RESUME WITH MEDIATION
SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 25TH

BY LISA ZAHNER rates to county rates, but Vero offi-
Staff Writer cials say the type of reuse water de-
livery the Shores receives is different
Postponed by Vero officials due to from any service the county offers,
preparations for Hurricane Dorian, and therefore the rate restriction
a mediation session in the utility dis- does not apply.
pute between the Town of Indian River
Shores and the City of Vero Beach is The Shores Town Council also takes
now scheduled for Oct. 25. issue with the manner in which Vero
has maintained, or failed to main-
Indian River Shores claims Vero tain, aging water lines within the old-
breached its 2012 water-sewer util- est parts of the town and especially in
ity franchise agreement with the town John’s Island.
when Vero refused to reduce Shores’
residents’ reuse irrigation water rates Vero’s attorney John Turner, when
from 67 cents per 1,000 gallons to 21 asked to clarify whether the session
cents in January after Indian River would be a mediation, or what is be-
County reduced utility customers’ re- ing termed a settlement meeting, said,
use rates to 21 cents. “It’s a mediation under the terms of the
franchise agreement. Whether it set-
The franchise agreement ties Shores’ tles or not is anyone’s guess, and any

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 11

NEWS

settlement would have to approved by it will be (City Manager) Monte Falls, existing franchise agreement to adjust proceeding with working out a settle-
City Council at a public meeting.” (water-sewer director) Rob Bolton and rates for the “pressurized reuse” irriga- ment with Vero Beach. This is our pri-
me,” Turner said. tion water it provides to Shores cus- mary goal at this time.”
Trial attorney Louis B. “Buck”Vocelle tomers.
is representing Indian River Shores, Vero Beach Mayor Val Zudans is on After conferring with Shores Town
and the mediation is being held at record staunchly supporting the city’s Shores Mayor Tom Slater said of Attorney Chester Clem, Shores Town
the Vero offices of H. Randal Brennan, position that it had the right under the the mediation, “Indian River Shores is Clerk Laura Aldrich said, “Chester and
who represented Vero nearly a decade I agree, there will be no shade meeting
ago in a federal lawsuit filed by then- since there is no pending litigation.”
councilman Brian Heady while Heady
was in office. The Shores has not filed a breach of
contract suit against Vero yet – only
Turner said previously that he’s not put Vero on notice about its claims of
positive whether Vero will decide to breach, which started a 90-day cure
bring in outside legal help to work on period, which expired over the sum-
the dispute, or whether he will repre- mer. The Shores’ franchise agreement
sent the city. “I don’t have a final list of with Vero binds the town to Vero Utili-
participants for the City but for now
ties until 2027. 

Crab Stop restaurant
moving to location of
the former Cajun Cove

BY RAY MCNULTY

Staff Writer

The Crab Stop is on the move, leaving
its 14th Avenue location in downtown
Vero Beach this week and reopening
next week at Royal Palm Pointe – on
the site of the now-closed Cajun Cove.

Crab Stop co-owner Ellis Buckner
said the new location provides a back
patio in a more-enticing waterfront
setting, where the wildly popular res-
taurant will expand its offerings to in-
clude a full liquor bar and dinner ser-
vice until at least 9:30 p.m.

“The move has a lot of advantages
for us, but the key is the location,”
said Buckner, who, along with his wife
Brandy, opened the Crab Stop five-
plus years ago, after a heart attack
forced him to retire after 25 years as a
county firefighter and paramedic.

“People like eating crabs on the
water, so that back patio should be a
big draw,” he added. “We’ll also have
parking available all around us. With
the appearance and size of the build-
ing, it’s a better fit in every way.”

Local commercial real-estate bro-
ker Billy Moss said he suggested six
weeks ago that the Buckners look at
the Royal Palm Pointe property. The
deal to purchase the Cajun Cove’s
equipment, furnishings and liquor li-
cense – as well as to lease the building
– was finalized in late September.

Buckner said he’s planning for a
“soft opening” at the new location as
early as Monday, Oct. 14.

“When that spot became available,
I thought it was a natural for them,”
said Moss, who also brokered the deal
for the Buckners’ expansion to Sebas-
tian’s scenic riverfront, where their

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

12 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in dolphins in lagoon

BY SUE COCKING Oceanographic Institute and collabo- “The dolphins are acting as a sentinel sewage treatment doesn’t necessarily
Staff Writer rators from other research groups test- of what’s in the environment,” Schae- break down these medications.
ed bacteria samples collected from the fer said. “It’s an early warning system
Scientists have found antibiotic- blowholes, gastric fluids and feces of for human health threats in the lagoon. Of the 733 samples taken from the
resistant bacteria in a high percentage 171 bottlenose dolphins in the lagoon The patterns we see in dolphins mirror 171 dolphins, more than 88 percent
of bottlenose dolphins living in the In- between 2003 and 2015. patterns we’re seeing in human health.” were found to contain bacteria resis-
dian River Lagoon, raising concerns of tant to at least one antibiotic. Schaefer
an increased risk to humans who eat Harbor Branch epidemiologist Dr. Schaefer said antibiotics themselves said the most common antibiotic to
fish from the lagoon or come in con- Adam Schaefer, the study’s lead au- or the bacteria that have mutated to re- which bacteria found in dolphins were
tact with the water. thor, said they found a “significant in- sist them are making their way into the resistant was erythromycin – a broad-
crease” in antibiotic-resistant bacteria lagoon through wastewater discharges, spectrum drug commonly used in
Researchers from Harbor Branch in the animals over that period of time. drainage canals or septic tanks. He said both human and veterinary medicine.

Resistance to ciprofloxacin by E.
coli bacteria more than doubled be-
tween sampling periods, reflecting re-
cent trends in human infections, the
study found.

“Antibiotic resistance is a global pub-
lic health threat,” Schaefer said. “We
wouldn’t want to run out of antibiotics
that work against bacterial infections.”

At least 2 million people contract an-
tibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S.
each year, and at least 23,000 people die

from those infections. Now, Schaefer
says, “antibiotic resistance is not isolated
to hospitals and community-acquired
cases. It’s in the environment.”

He said two of the most important
ways people can curb this trend is to
avoid taking antibiotics when they
are not needed and not flush unused
medicines down the toilet.

The study, published in the journal
Aquatic Mammals, was performed in
collaboration with Georgia Aquarium,
the Medical University of South Caro-

lina and Colorado State University. 

Crab Stop moving
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

second Crab Stop restaurant replaced
Salty’s Bar & Grill in early 2018.

“As popular as it was downtown,
the Crab Stop belongs on the water,”
he added. “And the Cajun Cove was
a very-well-thought-out restaurant,
so most of what they need is already
there, including that patio.

“At Royal Palm Pointe, the new loca-
tion can easily be accessed from both
the island and the mainland.”

Though the Crab Stop usually stops
serving dinner at 7:30 p.m. in down-
town Vero, Buckner said he could
serve as late as 10 p.m. at Royal Palm

Pointe “if the demand is there.” 

Corbin Diaz
and Nicole Diaz.

AWESOME ‘AUTUMN IN THE PARK’
WEEKEND WAS WORK OF ART P. 16

14 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Imagine that! Volunteers unite for ‘Day of Caring’

Pam Dampier with Liam and Kelly Baysura. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Rachel and Rygel Estillore with Sofia Holzman. Cary Allen, Mary Cone and Ryan Fowler.

Jess and Ed Decker with Katie Kirk and Karen Schlitt. Ann Kellum and Leslie Stokes. Carli and Ellie Israel.

BY MARY SCHENKEL Eve Ballance and Caitlin Puppo. I just want to say thank you,” said Kint, stable, 90 percent of third-graders
Staff Writer before introducing the 2019-2020 cam- perform at grade level and the over-
paign co-chairs, cousins Bob Schlitt all health of all residents is improved,
An early-morning shower gave way and Jeff Schlitt of Schlitt Services, both adding, “Imagine all of this becoming
to a beautiful rainbow as participants longtime supporters of the United Way. a reality right here in our community,
in the United Way of Indian River because all of this is possible.”
County’s annual Day of Caring gath- “With our size and speed, this is as
ered Saturday at the Vero Beach High close as we ever came to being on a “Through partnerships with local
School Citrus Bowl. The rainbow was football field,” joked Jeff Schlitt. nonprofits, agencies and organizations
a fitting symbol of the organization’s that do some truly amazing work, we
Live United dictum and was the per- The two recognized Publix for their can turn these goals, this imagination,
fect way to start a day which saw volun- year-round support of United Way, in- into reality, creating the best Indian
teers spreading out across the county cluding as the major sponsor for the River County for all of us,” said Bob
to help others. event, and noted the generous contri- Schlitt.
butions of Torchbearers, who commit
“Today we’re celebrating our 25th corporate and employee donations “Today we have students here from
anniversary of this special community before the campaign even begins, and around the county, assembling week-
event,” said Michael Kint, UWIRC CEO. Elite Sponsors, who contribute dollars end snack packs that will be distrib-
“Not only are we celebrating this mile- to underwrite campaign costs. uted to our students who need some
stone of our Day of Caring, but today is extra food during the weekends when
also National Do Something Nice Day.” “The theme for this year’s campaign they are not in school,” said Pam
is ‘Imagine.’ If you think about it, a lot Dampier, School District of Indian Riv-
He added that about 1,200 volun- of great things happen when people er County assistant superintendent. “I
teers would be working at roughly 60 use the power of imagination,” said Jeff am so proud of our students and their
projects at local nonprofits, schools Schlitt. dedication and efforts to do good for
and churches. their peers and for the community of
He asked people to imagine an Indi- Indian River County.” 
“On behalf of all those organizations an River County where lower-income
families become more financially



16 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Awesome ‘Autumn in the Park’ weekend was work of art

Tammy Bursick and Joan Edwards. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Dianne Upmal. Sue Elznic.
Susan Schadt and Beverly Dillon.
Art enthusiasts made their way to Riverside Park last weekend to browse
for treasure at the 32nd annual Autumn in the Park hosted by the Treasure
Coast Pilot Club, which had stepped things up this year in honor of the
City of Vero Beach Centennial. Attendees strolled under the majestic oaks
oohing and aahing over the juried items, which included arts, crafts, jewelry
and plants, before partaking of the variety of food offerings available
and settling in to hear local entertainment and speakers expounding on
Vero’s history. The primary focus of the Pilot Club, which is comprised
of professional businesswomen, is to support the community through
financial contributions and service projects, as well as encouraging
leadership development, community service and patriotism. 

Carol Zinck and Charlotte Harris with Trecie.

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

PEOPLE

Jackie Hill and Monique Schick. Debbie Adrean and Jane Bentley. Lyssa Bowen.

Weston Wells, Taylor Cassara, Dr. Brad Grasman with Amber Grasman.
Evelyn Wells and Gina Wells.

Louise McAndrews and Kathryn McAndrews. Amelia Bongino and Myriam Marshall.

Kathi and Gene Sandburg with Helene and Tom Petrovich.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Finding support for rare cancer fight at ‘Hunt for Hope’

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Terry Arnold and Dr. Holly Hamilton. Devin and Kathy Garfield. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE of the proceeds earmarked for IBC
Staff Writer research.
in the past 30 years as current treatment IBC indications include swelling, pain
A bevy of pink-clad scavengers scur- is based upon protocols developed for or a rash in the breast area. In another local connection, the MD
ried about Sebastian during the seventh other forms of breast cancer. Highlight- Anderson Cancer Center named its IBC
annual Hunt for Hope to raise aware- ed on the foundation’s website and in Dr. Holly Hamilton, owner of River- Research Program and Clinic after the
ness about inflammatory breast cancer their literature is the tagline, “No lump side Family Dental in Sebastian, hosts late Morgan Welch, a former local resi-
and fund clinical research through the – still cancer.” the annual scavenger hunt in memory dent who succumbed to the devastat-
IBC Network Foundation. of her friend, Dr. Lori Grennan, who ing disease when just 24 years old.
IBC is a rare, highly aggressive form died six years ago after launching the
Teams left Riverview Park with an of breast cancer that typically goes un- first Hunt for Hope event in Ohio. “We have a lot of fun with this event,
endless list of tasks – everything from detected until it presents visually at but the results of what happens after-
taking videos of teammates asking Stage III or IV. Nationwide, Hunt for Hope events ward with the money that is donated,
strangers for autographs, to spinning have raised more than $1.3 million and the education to you and to the
team signs on a street corner. Partici- Unlike other types of breast cancer, since its inception, with 100 percent people you meet, goes beyond anything
pants were wrapped in toilet paper, today,” said Hamilton.
executed magic tricks, made snow an-
gels in the sand, and performed a litany An example of a true fighter, Hamil-
of comedic tasks at local businesses to ton wore a bandana to cover evidence
help educate the public about a serious, of the treatments she is currently un-
lesser known disease. dergoing for her own diagnosis of tri-
ple-negative cancer, bringing home
“IBC is a brutal disease. A mammo- the importance of finding a cure for
gram won’t find it. An ultrasound won’t all cancers.
find it,” said Terry Arnold, IBC survivor
and foundation founder. “IBC is an or- The ORC Nation team took First Place,
phan disease. Pharma companies don’t competing against 11 other teams with
want to fund research to cure it because such witty names as Hope Distributors,
there is no profit margin.” the IBC Boobie Brigade, Team TaTa and
Hakuna-Ma-TaTas.
IBC survival rates haven’t improved
For more information, visit theibcnet-
work.org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 19

PEOPLE

Patti Fuchs, Holden Fuchs, Solange Correa and Zac Correa. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
Colin Alexander, Corey Alexander, Luke Sabino, Sandra Alexander and Sonia Sabino.

Rob McKinney, Alan Warrick, Adam Ogilvie and Michael Payne. Hannah Rincon, Erika Rincon, Johnny Rincon and Jake Rincon. Nancy Wheelwright, Susan Shine, Laura Aldrich and Sherida Billman.

Adam Roberts, Denny Stokes, Brad Marshall and Sam Speak.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Brad Marshall, Mark Speak and Adam Roberts.

Brandi Cross, Angie Stokes, Kathleen Brown
and Cierra Cross. Back: Tommy Perry.

Carla Wasmer and Carol Stacy. Kelly Speak and Jennifer Roberts. Susan Hammond and Rick Hoch.

#NoToDomesticViolence #CourageToLeave #EmpowermentToThrive

40th Birthday BashPresented by Joe & Margaret Richebourg Temple
Saturday October 19 @ 6PM • $200 Per Person

Register Online at: SafeSpaceFL.org/events
or call (772) 223-2399

Purple Cocktail Attire Encouraged

Cocktails • Dinner • Entertainment • Fundraising



22 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Glimpse of chimps heartens supporters of sanctuary

BY MARY SCHENKEL Dr. Val Kirk and Todd Archer. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 trust through positive reinforcement
Staff Writer techniques to improve the process of
Dr. Andrew Halloran and Michelle ‘Shelly’ Lakly. caring for their every need. The chimps
Michelle ‘Shelly’ Lakly, the new ex- range in age from 12 to 55, and can live
ecutive director of Save the Chimps, connected to hurricane-proof build- up to about 60 years old, so the com-
spent last Saturday becoming ac- ings in which chimp ‘families’ of eight mitment is enormous.
quainted with supporters during to 24 enjoy their thrice daily meals.
Members Day – a rare treat, as the In addition to more than 700 per-
sanctuary is not open to the public. At stations set up along the 1.25-mile sonalized meals of mostly fruits and
Lakly was previously employed in nu- tour, visitors learned about the loving vegetables a day (including about 1,300
merous capacities at the Nature Con- care these magnificent animals re- bananas daily), the sanctuary provides
servancy and Zoo Atlanta. ceive from STC caregivers committed exceptional veterinarian care and en-
to their welfare. They also frequently richment activities.
The largest privately funded sanctu- heard from the chimpanzees them-
ary in the world, STC relies 100 percent selves, who called out with pant-hoots. Looking toward the future, Lakly
on donors to care for their nearly 240 wants to share their expertise with
residents, all rescued from research “This is Ryan and he is going to show sanctuaries around the world and
laboratories, the entertainment indus- off. So he’s playing,” said Lakly about would also like to get involved in global
try and the pet trade. one particularly vocal male. “He may conservation efforts to protect chim-
jump around, and what he’s doing is panzees in their native habitats.
“A majority of these animals came showing you how strong he is.”
from research facilities and they spent Additionally, she noted that in 2015
their entire lives in medical research,” Despite their years of abuse, STC the sanctuary community compelled
said Lakly. “It was just a horrible, hor- caregivers have slowly built back their the passing of the Chimp Act, which
rible life for sentient animals.” forbids any more testing on chimpan-
zees.
Taken from their mothers at six
months, they lived for years in tiny 5- “That’s only half the battle,” said
by 5- by 5-foot cages where they con- Lakly. “We still have about 500 of these
tinually underwent biopsies and never guys in similar laboratories. They’re
interacted with other chimps. not being tested on, but they’re still
in those tiny cages getting nothing
Save the Chimps was formed in 1997 more than fed; no interaction, nothing
to rescue 21 chimps discarded as “sur- more.”
plus equipment” by the U.S. Air Force
when no longer needed for NASA’s The push now is finding sanctu-
space research program. The chimps ary homes for them. Save the Chimps
had been sent to the Coulston Founda- is currently at capacity, but they hope
tion, a biomedical laboratory so abu- to eventually build three or four more
sive it soon lost its government fund- islands, which would enable them to
ing, resulting in STC rescuing another provide additional chimpanzees a
266 chimpanzees. chance to enjoy the freedoms they de-
serve.
Today, the tranquil 150-acre sanc-
tuary boasts 12 moated islands, each For more information, visit sa-
vethechimps.org. 



24 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Pam Miller, Jill Uttridge and Marianne Arbuckle Lisa Cataline and Joseph Lucas.
Lee Olsen and Phillip Keeling.

Established 18 Years in Indian River County

(772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com
3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960

CULTURES, TRADITIONS WOVEN INTO
‘BASKETRY IN AMERICA’ EXHIBIT

26 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Cultures, traditions woven into ‘Basketry in America’ exhibit

BY PAM HARBAUGH
Correspondent

Functional art can weave its way Carla Funk, executive director and can culture
through a nation’s history, stitching chief curator of FIT Museums. and art.
together the traditions and peoples of
multiple communities and even cul- PHOTOS BY LEAH DUBOIS C u l t u r-
tures. al Origins
mathematics in the patterning and features tra-
That’s just one aspect to “Rooted, designs should be very appealing to ditional baskets
Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in engineers, which we have a lot of here made for specific
America,” the new exhibition running at Florida Tech.” purposes. It also reflects the
through Dec. 4 at the Florida Institute many faces of the people com-
of Technology in Melbourne. “Rooted, Revived and Reinvented” prising America.
is organized into quarters – Cultural
“There’s something for everyone Origins, Living Traditions, Basket as “There’s a beautiful berry
in this exhibition,” said Carla Funk, Vessel and Beyond the Basket. In con- basket from the Tlingit na-
director of museums at Florida Tech. cert, the sections are designed for the tion, circa 1900,” Funk said. “It
“It’s really a big show. It’s a real histo- viewer the explore basketry history, was made for picking berries. It’s
ry of American basketry from Native aesthetics and their place in Ameri- small and you can hold it in the
American to contemporary fine art.” palm of your hand. It’s a

The exhibition, on tour by the Na-
tional Basketry Organization and the
University of Missouri, comprises 92
objects, ranging from utilitarian to
conceptual. The works are informed
by traditions of Native Americans,
European immigrants and enslaved
people brought here by the African
diaspora. It is funded in part by the
Windgate Charitable Foundation and
the Center for Craft, Creativity and
Design.

Funk, who is no relation to the mu-
seum’s late founder, Ruth Funk, ex-
pects the exhibition to broaden the
institution’s audience. She also hopes
people leave it with an appreciation
of just how wide the scope is when it
comes to textile arts, which, she said,
is generally perceived as dealing only
with cloth and fabric.

The museum’s previous Japanese
basketry exhibition was well received.
Funk expects the same with “Rooted,
Revived and Reinvented.”

“Bringing in fiber arts is really ex-
citing because it expands the defini-
tion of what we do,” she said. “I think
that’s a big impact … The complex

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 27

ARTS & THEATRE

classic form follows function, and it’s “They play with the relationship membrance and Resistance: Histori- who use modern materials to tell the
beautiful.” and your perception of what a basket cal Encounters in the Baskets of Con- histories of their people, highlighting
would look like,” Funk said. temporary Native American Women the history of colonization and ste-
Funk said that section also features Artists.” Featured in her talks will by reotyping. The reception for Schwain
a basket from the South Carolina low One in particular deconstructs the work by artists Pat Courtney Gold, begins 5:15 in the library.
country. Although made around 1970, traditional form. That comes from Shan Goshorn and Gail Tremblay,
it is deeply informed by traditional artist Shan Goshorn of the Eastern The Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts
baskets made by African slaves. Band Cherokee Nation. is on the campus of Florida Tech, 150
W. University Blvd., Melbourne. Regu-
“It’s beautiful,” Funk said. “It’s a “Inside the basket, you can see texts lar hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday
seagrass and palmetto lunch basket of historical accounts of the Indian through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m.
made by the Gulla people.” Removal Act,” Funk said. “And on the Saturday. Admission is free. Admis-
outside, you see a woven painting of sion to the Friends of Textiles lectures
There’s also an apple picking bas- the Cherokee in a traditional double is $10 each, but free for members of the
ket by Albin Werner made before 1930 weave basket. It’s really amazing. Friends of Textiles and free for Florida
that reveals German influence. It is The materials really charge the work Tech faculty, staff and students. Call
made from willow branches and can symbolically. They document historic 321-674-8313 or visit textiles.fit.edu. 
be fastened onto a belt. persecution of her tribe and ancestors
but at the same time commemorates
Living Traditions shows how art- the traditions, memorializes them
ists are using traditional basketmak- and continues their culture. They call
ing techniques but come up with new it an interweaving of past and pres-
forms. ent.”

“They’re keeping traditions going Beyond the Basket expands percep-
but it’s people looking at them from tions of baskets even further.
a design perspective and creating art
forms through weaving,” Funk said. Unusual fabrics and material are
used, including stainless steel, sta-
A humorous example is a basket ti- ples, printed paper, found paper and
tled “Yuppie Indian Couple,” created more. Artists form them into non-
in 2003 by Pat Courtney Gold. traditional, non-utilitarian, purely
sculptural forms. Some of them are
“It looks exactly like traditional even figural.
basketmaking of the Wasco people,
but interpreted in a new way,” Funk You see images of someone riding a
said. “She’s known for reviving tradi- chicken, crows formed by plastic and
tional techniques.” records, and even a teapot comment-
ing on the American pop-culture
The basket features a contempo- movement of the mid-20th century.
rary couple created by geo-
metric forms iconic in For example, in the 2005 “Lichten-
Native American art but stein, Teapot/Girl with Ribbon,” art-
dressed in contem- ist Kate Anderson used waxed linen,
porary clothing. One thread and stainless steel to fashion
side has a bird, the a tea pot.
other an airplane.
Basket as Vessel “She’s copying Lichtenstein so she’s
explores basketry commenting on high/low art,” Funk
not as functional, said. “She’s appropriating Pop Art,
but as a vessel for new which appropriated everything, and
points of view. commenting on craft not being a part
They are non-utili- of high art. She’s having a nice dia-
tarian, sculptural pieces logue with that one teapot. It’s fun.”
where the inside of the ves-
sel will be exposed and Programming has been designed
rendered as impor- to enhance the exhibition. Moreover,
tant as the out- it’s timed to coincide with National
side. Spinning and Weaving Week. The
museum will present lectures and lo-
cal weavers demonstrating weaving
techniques in the galleries from Oct.
8-12.

Kristin Schwain, professor of
American art at the University of Mis-
souri, will be featured at the Friends
of Textiles lecture beginning 6 p.m.
on Nov. 12 in the Evans Library at
Florida Tech. She will speak on “Re-

28 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! ‘Naughty and Nice’ way to kick off film series

BY PAM HARBAUGH Nation’s Cultural Contributions in the program includes live jazz from the
Correspondent Arts” March 17 to April 14. Each pro- Indian River Charter High School
gram meets Tuesdays for four weeks. Jazz Band and the Fort Pierce Jazz
1 The Vero Beach Museum of Art Students may sign up for either a 1:30 and Blues Society. There will also be
begins its Film Studies programs p.m. or 7 p.m. time slot. Each class in- a game of Ocean Trivia, a Very Selfie
cludes a film, a pre-film discussion Booth, displays of cars and RVs, and
this season with “Naughty and Nice: and a post film question and answer food vendor Chick-A-Bock Chicken
period. The “Naughty and Nice” series Bowls. The Vero Beach Lifeguard
Films from the Pre-Code era and Set- also includes a bonus film on Oct. 17. Association and Waldo’s will be sell- “Naughty and Nice:
Tuition to each four-week session is $80 ing beer, wine and rum buckets with Films from the
ting the Stage for the Me-Too Move- museum members and $90 for non- partial proceeds going to the Thom-
members. The Vero Beach Museum as Warren Memorial Scholarship Pre-Code era and
ment.” “Naughty and Nice” begins of Art is at 3001 Riverside Park Dr. Call Fund. Guests are invited to bring Setting the Stage
772-231-0707 or visit VBMuseum.org. blankets and chairs to enjoy the eve-
Tuesday and runs through Nov. 12. It ning under the stars. For more infor- for the Me-Too
mation, visit wosnfm.com. Movement”
explores, in part, the Hays Code, which starts
Oct. 15
tried to clean up moves of the late at VBMA.

1920s. But it wasn’t until 1934 when en- of the Marine Turtle Research Group
at the University of Central Florida,
forcement took over and Hollywood’s when he speaks 3:30 p.m. Saturday at
Capt. Hiram’s, 1606 Indian River Dr.,
“Sin City” persona was sanitized … Sebastian. A special Sunset cruise to
Pelican Island will set sail 5 p.m. Sat-
somewhat, at least. This first install- 2 Vero’s Centennial Jazz on the urday. Cost for that is $45. For more
Lawn will be held 6 p.m. to 10 information, visit http://www.firstre-
ment in the museum’s film studies fuge.org/indian-river-birding-fest-na-
ture-art-show. 
also explores how the pre-code movies p.m. Friday at Pocahontas Park. The 3 National Wildlife Refuge Week
begins this Friday with an exhibi-
continue to give context for today’s Me- free, family-friendly event is pre-

Too Movement. Other subjects in the sented by 97.1 Ocean FM, 93.7 GYL tion of work by the Sebastian River Art

series include “Jersey Gems: Tales from and Newstalk WTTB 1490AM/105.7 Club. A special reception is planned 6

the Garden State,” Nov. 19 to Dec. 17; FM. Radio hosts include: Scott and p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. The work can be

“Profiles in Creativity: Weird and Won- Chelsea from 93.7 GYL’s Morning viewed later 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,

derful Visionary Tales” Jan. 7 to Feb. Show; 97.1 Ocean FM’s Hamp El- and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The ex-

4; “Northern Lights: Warm Tales from liott; and News Talk WTTB 105.7 hibition will be at the Sebastian River

Cold Climates” Feb. 11 to March 10; FM/1490 am talk show hosts Bob Art Club, 1245 Main St., Sebastian.

and “American Roots: Celebrating Our Soos and Marcia Littlejohn. The Listen to Dr. Llewelyn Erhart, founder

Join the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery MusicWorks and Paris Productions

For the Opening of the 59th Season! PRESENT A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

Opening Reception Saturday, October 12 HERMAN’S HERMITSSTARRING
––– PETER NOONE –––
5:00 - 8:00 pm

Members free,
Public $20 or join!

OF THE BEST

AnnuAl Juried Art exhibition

October 4 — November 15, 2019

500 North Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34950 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 7:00 PM
772-465-0630 • BackusMuseum.org
The Emerson Center · 1590 27th Avenue, Vero Beach

Doors Open at 6 pm, Seating at 6:30 pm

Tickets: www.MusicWorksConcerts.com (800) 595-4849

PRESENTING SPONSORS: Cindy O’Dare & Fenia Hiaasen

NON-PROFIT PARTNER: VNA and Hospice Foundation

COME EARLY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY TASTE OF CHAMPAGNE



When Lori Fraleigh unwrapped the to be spectacular and a test to see if out financial hardship. A mother who plane that carries it to an altitude of
present her husband had given her for she has the right stuff. spends weekends ferrying her children about 40,000 feet. Then SpaceShipTwo
her 38th birthday, she found a curious to soccer, baseball and music lessons, is released, fires its engine and rockets
surprise: a model of a spaceship. It was Fraleigh has dreamed of being an she doesn’t look like a thrill seeker. off through the atmosphere.
cool, sure, but a toy would be better astronaut since she was a kid and has
suited for her young children, then 5 solid space geek credentials, includ- But now she’s preparing for a ride in For decades, people have dreamed
and 1, not her. ing having attended Space Camp as a Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, a sleek of such adventures. After the Apollo
teenager. spaceplane with a rocket motor strong missions, Pan Am started a waiting list
Then she noticed the ticket. It took for tickets to the moon that by 1971
Fraleigh, a Silicon Valley executive, a Left: Future astronaut Lori Fraleigh, at the Virgin stretched 90,000 names long. Famed
moment to realize what her husband hotel in San Francisco, was gifted a Virgin Galactic CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite
had purchased for her: a trip to space trip to space by her husband. signed up, as did future president Ron-
with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galac- ald Reagan.
tic. “I went through a lot of crazy emo- But she didn’t think she could be- enough to send two pilots and as
tions, like, ‘Did you really buy this?’ ” come a NASA astronaut and instead many as six passengers more than 50 Later, in the 1970s and early 1980s,
she recalled of the moment in 2011. became a tech executive in Silicon miles high, where the Federal Aviation NASA was so convinced that the space
“Do we still have enough money to re- Valley, a career that meant her family Administration says the edge of space shuttle would, as the name implied,
model the kitchen?” could absorb Virgin Galactic’s charge begins. The spaceship is tethered to offer regular service to Earth orbit that
($200,000 per ticket in 2011) with- the belly of a large, twin-fuselage air- a committee was formed to sort out
Today, her children are 13 and 9. The the sticky problem of how to choose
kitchen remodel has long since been the first private citizens to fly.
completed. But Fraleigh is still waiting
for her trip to space. For today’s space companies, it’s
anyone willing – and wealthy enough
For years, Branson has been push- – to pay the steep cost.
ing a quixotic vision for the future,
where his spacecraft would ferry pas- NASA said it would cost $35,000
sengers off Earth as frequently as air- a night for stays on the ISS, and the
planes. But for all the talk about a new price to get there is estimated to be
Space Age full of citizen astronauts, $50 million. Virgin Galactic has said it
the journey has been fitful, and filled may in the short term raise the price of
with setbacks, including the death of its tickets, which today cost $250,000.
a test pilot in 2014 after a harrowing
crash. Despite the high costs, Virgin Ga-
lactic expects high demand from the
But now, 15 years after Branson wealthy. While it completes the test-
founded Virgin Galactic, space tour- ing phase of the spacecraft this year,
ism could be tantalizingly close to the company projects flying 66 pay-
becoming a reality. The company has ing customers in 2020, more than 700
flown to the edge of space twice and in 2021 and nearly 1,000 the following
says its first paying customers could year. By 2023, when it expects to fly
reach space next year. 1,562 paying passengers on 270 flights,
it plans to have nearly $600 million in
Another space venture, Blue Origin, annual revenue.
founded by Amazon founder and chief
executive Jeff Bezos almost 20 years Earlier this year, Virgin Galactic an-
ago, hopes to conduct its first test nounced it would go public by merg-
flight with people this year, though it ing with a New York investment firm,
hasn’t announced prices or sold any a move that Branson said would “open
tickets. space to more investors and in doing
so, open space to thousands of new
And NASA recently announced that astronauts.”
it would allow private citizens to fly
to the International Space Station on Already, 600 people have signed up
spacecraft built by SpaceX and Boeing. for what Virgin Galactic describes as
a transformative experience of seeing
Which means that Fraleigh may Earth from space, what astronauts call
soon finally get her five minutes of the “overview effect.” That’s more peo-
weightlessness, a view that promises ple than have been to space since 1961,

when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin general sadness at the cost.” But he was
became the first person in space. also inspired by the company’s perse-
verance, “the unwavering commitment
Craig Wichner, who runs Farmland to just keep moving forward,” he said.
LP, an organic farmland investment
fund in San Francisco, has been wait- Now, however, the opinions of his
ing for the opportunity for more than own children, ages 13 and 8, matter.
a decade. In 2008, he plunked down They’re old enough to understand the
several thousand dollars as a deposit consequences of failure.
to ride on Virgin Galactic’s Space-
ShipTwo with a bunch of friends who “Sometimes they’re excited about
thought it’d make a great adventure. me going into space, and sometimes
they’re scared,” he said. “And so it’s not
“Who wants to do this with me?” a worth doing if they’re scared.”
pal said at the time.
NASA’s leaders were convinced that
“Yep, I’m there,” Wichner responded. the space shuttle could turn ordinary
But it wasn’t just the adventure that at- citizens into astronauts and set about
tracted Wichner; it was the opportunity trying to decide which private citizens
to help push humanity out of the atmo- should go first.
sphere, he said. Buying a ticket was like
casting a vote for Branson’s spacefaring “Space flight belongs to the public;
vision of the future – “my way of actually they pay for it,” reads a NASA memo
supporting his mission, his dream and from 1982. “Therefore NASA’s objective
helping advance humanity.” has been to maintain the openness of
the program and to invite the public to
Virgin Galactic founder participate to the extent possible. Now
Sir Richard Branson a new opportunity has emerged. With
the advent of the Shuttle, people need
VSS Enterprise prototype is destroyed no longer participate vicariously but
Oct. 31, 2014 during a test flight. may participate directly.”

Future astronaut At the time, NASA Administrator
James Beggs “was being barraged by
Craig Wichner, at the people wanting to fly,” said Alan Ladwig,
who ran what NASA called its “space-
Virgin hotel, paid his flight participant program.” “He was get-
ting all these VIPs and reporters calling
deposit in 2008. him and saying they wanted to fly.”

In the years since, the dream has un- The singer John Denver was among
furled slowly as Virgin Galactic learned those keen to go. He lobbied NASA for
that building a spacecraft was not as a ride, touting that he was an airplane
easy as initially thought. But the re- pilot and an amateur astronomer who
peated delays had an upside. They al- kept in shape by running four to five
lowed Wichner to meet many of the miles a day.
other “future astronauts” who’d signed
up with Virgin Galactic, space enthusi- “If given the opportunity, I would
asts from 60 countries who now form a go tomorrow,” he said at a Senate
sort of exclusive fraternity. They meet hearing about flying private citizens
occasionally, bonding over the pros- on the shuttle.
pect of a wild adventure.
In 1984, NASA surveyed artists about
“It was just this wonderful, eclec- the prospect of a writer or painter
tic mix of people from all around the going to space and got this response
world,” Wichner said. from Maya Angelou, the award-win-
ning poet, according to a Chicago Tri-
Now, as the company gets closer to bune article from the time:
flying and his number may soon be
called, there are other factors to con- “As poets over the centuries concen-
sider. Weighing on Wichner is the real- trated on Grecian urns, nightingales, ra-
ization that spaceflight is dangerous. In vens and romantic love, I am certain that
2014, during a test flight, the spacecraft poets in the future will focus on the con-
came apart, killing Michael Alsbury, figuration of planets, stars, weightless-
one of the test pilots and a father of two. ness and the discovery of our universe.”

Wichner’s reaction to the crash was “a Ultimately, NASA decided to take
people who could communicate the
experience to others. First a teacher,
then a journalist. NASA leaders “felt as-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

32 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 INSIGHT COVER STORY

tronauts weren’t the greatest storytell- “I want to do the Super- ed, and, backed by the FAA, was able
ers,” Ladwig said. man pose, and look at the to keep the regulations relatively lax.
Earth and see the very thin
But first came a pair of powerful bands of the atmosphere. Today, space tourism, like bungee
politicians. I just hope I’m not crying jumping or skydiving, is governed un-
and miss it all because it’s der an “informed consent” standard:
Jake Garn, a Republican senator Passengers acknowledge they un-
from Utah who headed the appro- a big wet blur.” derstand the considerable risks, and
priations subcommittee that oversaw zoom, off they’ll go to space. And to
NASA’s budget, pushed to go, saying it Future astronaut Dee Chester, at the Virgin hotel in San Francisco, used an inheritance to buy her ticket. secure a launch license from the FAA,
was his obligation to “kick the tires” of the companies have only to demon-
NASA’s newest spacecraft. Less than a the private sector kept pursuing it. In Worried that someone would die in strate how they will protect people
year later, Bill Nelson, then a Demo- 2004, a venture backed by Paul Allen, his spacecraft, Allen sold the rights to and property on the ground in the
cratic congressman representing the the billionaire co-founder of Micro- the technology to Branson, who set off event of a crash.
Florida Space Coast, hitched a ride. soft, made history when it flew the first to build the bigger, more robust Space-
private vehicle to the edge of space to ShipTwo. And after the X Prize, Con- Late last year, two pilots flew Bran-
The White House, though, was look- claim the $10 million Ansari X Prize. gress took notice, growing concerned son’s SpaceShipTwo to the edge of
ing forward to the flight of another ci- over what they saw as dangerously space. Though it did not go into orbit,
vilian, Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from The flights were heralded as a new loose regulations governing the indus- it was the first launch of a spacecraft
New Hampshire, who had been select- Space Age, one where the private sector try. Former congressman James Ober- with humans from U.S. soil since the
ed out of 11,000 applicants to fly on would end the government’s monopoly star, of Minnesota, criticized the FAA as space shuttle was retired in 2011.
space shuttle Challenger in 1986. And on space. But while the SpaceShipOne having a “tombstone mentality – wait
NASA was deep in the process of pick- flights were successful, they were also until someone dies, then regulate.” Then, in February, Virgin Galactic
ing the next civilian to fly – a journalist – harrowing; in one, the navigation sys- repeated the feat, this time with a crew
when on Jan. 28, 1986, the Challenger’s tem went awry and the pilot had to fly The industry pushed back, saying member, Beth Moses, whose job is to
booster exploded, killing McAuliffe and blind; in another, the spacecraft spun burdensome rules would stifle a grow- prepare Virgin’s customers for their
the other six astronauts on board. like a top all the way to space. ing industry just as it was getting start- rides to space. For her, the trip was
“mind-blowing,” as if “the sands of time
The shuttle would stay grounded for of your life have stopped for a moment.”
more than 2½ years and never achieve
the frequency of flight NASA lead- Now that Virgin Galactic is getting
ers had initially envisioned, averaging closer to flying customers, Moses is
fewer than five flights a year. starting to prepare them to make sure
they get the most from the experience.
No journalist ever flew. And the “The one question I ask every one of
dreams of opening the shuttle to the our customers long before training
general public were deferred. is what do you most want to get out
of your spaceflight?” she said. Some
While NASA shied away from flying
private citizens after the explosion,

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 33

INSIGHT COVER STORY

“want to do somersaults,” others want space experience,” she said. “If you she came into her inheritance. She said frank conversation with his children,
“a Zen, private experience.” Others are are concerned about any aspect of the she has no hesitation about going and who remain wary.
flying “to honor someone. . . . It’s an flight, that’s what we’ll walk through can’t wait for when her “little nose prints
amazing variety.” and just explain it.” are on every window” of the spacecraft. “It’ll happen naturally, and I think
they’ll be fine with me going,” he said.
But she knows some will have con- Dee Chester, a 62-year-old retired Now that his day of flying is get-
cerns. Part of her job is to allay them, so schoolteacher from Newport Beach, ting closer, Wichner is getting excited, Until they are, he won’t commit, leav-
participants “arrive ready to savor your Calif., bought her ticket in 2017, when as well. But he still needs to have the ing the future uncertain: “I don’t know
that I’m actually going to go.” 

34 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

Ending Vero’s reliance on ‘Enterprise Funds’ way overdue

BY VAL ZUDANS use of violence or fraud, protect pri- ing against the private sector. To the that government should not be in busi-
vate property, and enforce consensual extent that government chooses to get nesses where it has no business. And I
Around 1920, the City of Vero Beach, civil contracts. Everything beyond that into business, first ask why private en- can predict the marina will become a
in one of its first actions, bought pri- that can be handled by private busi- terprise is not doing it. And, it is bigger new target for future City Council raids.
vately owned Vero Electric and de- nesses, non-profits, and individuals than finances. City Councils have decided they can
clined the first offer to provide electric with a very small limited government. operate marinas better than private
service from FPL. Despite multiple FPL Our water source, according to Flor- businesses. At a minimum, protect the
offers over many years, there was an In the rare instances where the pri- ida DEP, is in “pitiful condition” and in marina from future raids by banning
element in the community that was vate sector is unwilling or unable to 2017 three million gallons of sewage transfers to the general fund.
strongly resistant to getting out of gov- provide a needed service, then govern- spilled in Bethel Creek in an environ-
ernment electric. Why? ment should provide those services at mental nightmare. If the water and Does getting government out of the
cost and not seek to profit off taxpay- sewer department had not been trans- way work? Yes. Selling government
In 2008, Vero City Council, with the ers. I am all for private enterprise and ferring $1.3 million every year to the electric was the best example we have
help of the city manager and city at- the profit motive. I am not for govern- general fund, that money could have ever seen. Are there some limited situ-
torney at the time, signed a 20-year $2 ment competing in the private sector been used for infrastructure mainte- ations where government can step in?
billion electric contract with Orlando or exploiting a captive audience. nance or reduced rates. I would point to some roads, some
Utility Commission that included up parks and beaches, and our airport.
to $50 million in exit penalties. Why? Every major historical mistake of The same can be said about the ne-
our local government can be directly glect of the City Marina including a The reason that our airport is our
Our 2018 City Council finally got us linked to a violation of that principle. 1970s master plan that was recently best run city department is that the
out of this deal, saving rate payers $24 What kind of chutzpah does a part-time dusted off, abysmal decision making airport manager is excellent and our
million per year and ending the bleed- $10,000-a-year City Council member by a prior City Council that massive- airport ‘enterprise fund’ requires that
ing of hundreds of millions of dollars have to think he or she is capable of suc- ly overpaid for antiquated dry stor- every dollar goes back into the airport.
from local residents and businesses. cessfully negotiating or signing off on a age, and embarrassing decay of our Politicians are unable to raid that
The resistance was vigorous. Why? $2 billion hedged electric contract? City Marina that saw a dock collapse fund. That should be the model for all
plunging a patron and their dog into our enterprise funds.
What were the opponents fighting Government should not be enter- the lagoon.
for? Did they like paying 30% higher ing businesses to try and make a profit The City of Vero Beach is in year two
rates than those charged by FPL? Did off citizens. It should not be compet- The marina situation breaks the rule of a 5-year transition away from gov-
they not want the $60 million in pro- ernment electric enterprise transfers.
ceeds from the sale? Did they not want We are ahead of schedule. In three
something of higher and better value years, we should begin the transition
at Centennial Place? Why resist? away from transfers from the remain-
ing enterprise funds.
The resistance was based on an in-
fatuation with ‘enterprise funds.’ The At the current pace we could be out
resistance was protecting net trans- of all enterprise transfers by 2026, and
fers of $2.4 million in hidden taxes we could be in the position to ban all
from the electric ‘enterprise fund’ to future enterprise transfers without
the city’s general fund even though raising tax rates one cent. It’s high
this cost area ratepayers $24 million in time for this community to choose
higher electric rates. The opponents of fiscally conservative, limited govern-
this sale were insanely bad at math. ment and low taxes? 

What is the essential role of govern- The views expressed in this column
ment? I believe it is police, military, by Mayor Zudans do not necessarily
and courts of law that prosecute the represent those of Vero Beach 32963.

ARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE TIBIAL (SHIN BONE) OR FEMORAL © 2019 VERO BEACH 32963 MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
(THIGHBONE) OSTEOTOMY
PART III
SURGICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS If you have arthritis damage in just one area of your
FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE knee and/or your leg is bowed or knock-kneed, your
doctor may recommend an osteotomy. This surgical pro-
If conservative treatment for arthritis of the knee is not cedure is used to improve knee alignment by changing
providing adequate pain relief, it may be time to consider the shape of your bones. Often performed in combina-
a surgical solution. tion with other types of knee surgery such as cartilage
surgery, osteotomy helps shift your body weight off the
ARTHROSCOPY damaged part of your knee joint by adding or remov-
ing a wedge of bone to your shin bone or thighbone. In
Arthroscopy is a relatively minor surgery orthopedic most cases, knee osteotomy relieves arthritis pain and
surgeons use to visualize, diagnose and treat problems postpones the need for total knee replacement surgery
inside the knee and other joints. While it has a limited by 10 to 15 years.
role in treating osteoarthritis of the knee, it is excellent
for treating: SURGICAL FUSION OF THE KNEE JOINT (ARTHRODESIS)
 An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
Ligaments are short bands of tough, flexible fibrous con- Knee fusion, also known as arthrodesis, is reserved for
nective tissue that connect two bones or cartilages or use in patients who have undergone and failed all other
hold a joint together. ACL is one of the four types (ante- repair methods appropriate for their problem. It is one
rior cruciate, posterior cruciate, medial collateral and lat- of the last options available to obtain a stable, painless
eral collateral) of ligaments that connect the shin bone knee in a diseased or damaged knee joint which cannot
(tibia) to the thighbone (femur). be reconstructed or replaced.
 A meniscus tear This procedure, also called internal fixation, fuses the
Meniscus are two wedge-shaped pieces of cartilage that shin bone and thighbone at the knee, usually by secur-
act as tough and rubbery “shock absorbers” to help cush- ing the joined bones with plates and screws. After sur-
ion the knee joint and keep it stable. gery the knee can no longer bend and the patient will
 Cartilage wear have a permanent limp. Knee arthrodesis may relieve
Cartilage in the knee is the rubber-like padding that cov- pain and remove the need for additional surgery or ex-
ers and protects the ends of the shin bone and thighbone tensive postoperative rehabilitation.
inside the knee joint. Fortunately, the need for surgical fusion is decreasing
Arthroscopy uses a small telescope called an arthro- as knee replacement surgery is now highly effective and
scope and other small instruments. The surgeon makes successful.
small incisions in the knee to look into the joint space. Next time we’ll conclude this series with a discussion of
He or she is able to remove cartilage and loose particles, partial and total knee replacement surgeries for osteoar-
clean bone surfaces and repair damaged tissue. thritis of the knee. 
Your comments and suggestions for future topics are al-
ways welcome. Email us at [email protected].

103 Properties Sold/Under Contract Since January 2019

John’s Island

It’s your lifetime. Spend it wisely.

John’s Island is the place where everyone wants to be. A private, luxurious seaside community full of people who–like you–have a zest
for the good life. Indulge in 1,650± tropical acres along miles of pristine beaches beside the Atlantic Ocean. From sunrise to sunset, enjoy
the active and legendary social lifestyle and world-class amenities including three championship golf courses, 17 Har-tru tennis courts,
pickleball, professional squash, croquet, an abundance of water activities, and a health & wellness center. A picturesque seaside
landscape and near perfect climate complement the outstanding calendar of social and recreational activities for all ages. Savor our
fresh, seasonal dishes available at any of the three renovated clubhouses, including the spectacular Beach Club overlooking miles
of sparkling shores. We invite you to discover life at John’s Island.

Bob Gibb, Broker : Judy Bramson : Jeannette Mahaney : Ba Stone : Michael Merrill : Kristen Yoshitani : Susie Perticone
Open 7 days a week : 1 John’s Island Drive : Vero Beach, Florida 32963

All information herein has been supplied by third parties, and is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. We cannot represent that it is accurate or complete. Buyer is advised to verify information to their satisfaction. This offering is subject to errors,
omissions, change in price or withdrawal without notice. Rendering and floor plans are for marketing purposes only and are approximate. All rights reserved, duplication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. © 2019 John’s Island Real Estate Company.

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38 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

According to Frank Lloyd Wright, there was no the jewel-box-like Unity Temple in Oak Park, Ill. Five terrible ways in which literal fire kept coming after
greater American architect than he, and as a gen- years had passed since he had abandoned his wife, Wright in the years that followed, but the extent to
eral matter, measured across his lifetime, Wright Kitty Tobin, and their children, for Mamah Borthwick which he was burned by the events of his life and
was right. Cheney, the wife of a client. The scandal had played sometimes by his own actions.
out in all the newspapers, in which Wright came off
Born in rural Wisconsin not long after the Civil as obtuse and entitled, if not morally bankrupt. He’d This thick volume is not meant to serve as an in-
War, he became famous for bringing light, air and since established some calm at his Taliesin estate in troduction to Wright or his artistic trajectory – his
space into the home when most houses were dark, Spring Green, Wis. But on Aug. 15 of that year, while relationship to Japanese aesthetics, for example, or
overstuffed and stale. He went on to complete 1,100 Wright was in Chicago, this new life was destroyed: the Arts and Crafts movement, or larger Modern-
designs and realize more than 500 projects. By his A crazed servant named Julian Carlton set fire to ist forces. (I suspect Hendrickson himself might
death in 1959, he had reinvented the family shelter Wright’s residence and murdered Cheney, her two recommend the slimmer “Frank Lloyd Wright: A
many times over and reimagined virtually every el- young children and four others with a shingling ax. Life” by the late great critic Ada Louise Huxtable
ement of the built environment along the way. Just for that purpose.) That is not to say that it doesn’t
a few months ago, eight of Wright’s buildings were What can a person do after such a thing? And cover Wright’s notable projects or his notions about
added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list – including where can a biographer go? In Hendrickson’s case “organic architecture” with a great deal of attention
the spiral-shaped Guggenheim Museum, on Fifth the answer is wherever the search for Wright’s psyche and care. If anything, the author overdoes it, pars-
Avenue in New York, and Fallingwater, the house leads him. The title of this book refers not only to the ing too many chronologies and splitting too many
that cantilevers out over Bear Run in southwestern hairs with previous Wright biographers.
Pennsylvania.
But Hendrickson’s persistent and expansive cu-
These works notwithstanding, it seems the ar- riosity, which has driven books on the Vietnam era
chitect never stopped working on his greatest cre- and the American South, among other subjects,
ation: himself. As Paul Hendrickson puts it in his also takes readers beyond Wright in important, re-
new book, “Plagued by Fire: The Dreams and Furies velatory ways. No man – no self-indulgent designer
of Frank Lloyd Wright,” the man in the cape and the of handsome spaces – is an island, and a lot of effort
wide-brimmed porkpie was “such a fantastic fab- here goes into learning about other human beings,
ricator” on his own behalf “that it’s become some- many of whom were beset by their own troubles:
thing of a cliche among his chroniclers to say he family members, clients and even the insane, mur-
barely grasped the basic concept of truth telling.” derous Julian Carlton. And so Wright’s narrative
Also well known, at least among the architecture becomes part of a larger story that also involves
set, are “the vulgar narcissism and arrogance and the Great Migration, the horror of the Tulsa Race
bombast and egocentrism and reckless financial Riot, the legacy of the Transcendentalists, the tradi-
– not to say moral – ways” of this self-proclaimed, tion of the New England pulpit and the beginning
and yet actual, genius. of suburban sprawl. What this suggests: There is no
American life that isn’t bound up with our larger cul-
That may sound off-putting. But readers of this bi- tural history.
ography will begin to see these things as only part of “If harmony and order were his great artistic ide-
a complex self. As he did in his last book, “Heming- als,” Hendrickson says, “Wright could find little of
way’s Boat,” Hendrickson, a former Washington Post them in his own debt-plagued, scandal-wracked,
reporter, employs tremendously rigorous research death-haunted history.” Passing through his dark-
to interrogate the myths that hang around his larger- nesses makes you see his buildings, and all that flow,
than-life subject. His is not an effort to exonerate but beauty and light, in a new way. 
to dig deeply into who Frank Lloyd Wright really was.
PLAGUED BY FIRE
“So much of his history was attended by the gothic
and the tragic, encircled by it, pursued by it,” writes THE DREAMS AND FURIES OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
Hendrickson, who lays his narrative foundation with
a horrific event from Wright’s life. In 1914, Wright BY PAUL HENDRICKSON | KNOPF. 624 PP. $35
was already well known. He had built the homes that REVIEW BY JOHN GLASSIE, THE WASHINGTON POST
would come to exemplify the Prairie style, as well as

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 39

ST. EDWARD’S

St. Ed’s students have outdoor class down to a science

BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ
Staff Writer

Class has barely started when Karl Leonhardt. Thomas Leonard, Tristan Roberti and Payton Andrews. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES
11-year-old Payton Andrews shouts,
“There’s an Anhinga,” as she points to- said Tristan Roberti, 11. “You’ll also Although some students are less ex- “We have much more leeway to try
ward the lagoon where the bird’s snake- find them near water because that’s cited than others about studying birds, different things. “I’m happy when
like neck rears back before attacking its where they eat insects and fish.” Leonhardt isn’t disappointed at all. students learn they have an interest in
prey hidden in the water. things they weren’t even aware of be-
Tristan is already an experienced “My goal is to find out what they are fore they were exposed to it.
Her sixth-grade classmates are brief- and knowledgeable bird-watcher. His passionate about,” he said.
ly mesmerized, before excitedly joining passion for the hobby was planted early “The biggest reward is seeing the stu-
in and shouting out the names of a doz- by his grandfather, who began taking “Because we’re a private school, we’re dents happy about what they are doing
en or birds they’ve also spotted. Tristan on bird-watching expeditions not subject to the state’s standardized and happy to be here.” 
almost as soon as the boy learned to curriculum.
Welcome to teacher Karl Leonhardt’s walk.
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“Our students are really fortunate to
have a lagoon and pond right outside Payton Andrews prefers learning 11 NIGHTS MAY 11, 2020.
their school door,” says Leonhardt, who about fish, no surprise since her father,
has been teaching science at the school Carter Andrews, is a professional fish- MIAMI TO MIAMI, INCLUDING BAHAMAS, BERMUDA, NORFOLK & CHARLESTON.
for nine years. “One of the best things erman.
is it gets the students out of the class- Orchid Travel
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day sitting behind a computer. years ago,” said Andrews, motioning to
the ocean beyond the lagoon. “It took OVER 50 YEARS
“I’d rather expose them to the out- me 30-40 minutes to reel it in.”
doors and show them things they might of travel experience
not otherwise notice.” Classmate Finn Secunda is slowly
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Leonhardt said. The younger students dents spotted dolphins leaping in the
care for chickens housed in a large water, or the time a manatee wandered
chicken coop behind the school. into the lagoon.

By the time they reach middle school, But Secunda’s real passion is talking
they’ve also learned about plants and about the environment itself. When he
insects near and around the pond and gets to high school, he’ll be able to con-
lagoon. duct experiments to learn more about
the habits of the birds, mammals, am-
The lagoon and nearby pond are phibians, plants and insects the stu-
home to more than 50 different bird dents have studied.
species, Leonhardt said. There are also
manatees, sharks, dolphins, snakes and “I want to study the water and sedi-
literally hundreds of different kinds of ment in the lagoon,” he said. “I already
insects and plants. know it’s not very healthy because the
boats and pollution are affecting the
Leonhardt’s class is focusing on birds natural habitat out here.”
this year, which includes one to two vis-
its to the lagoon and pond each week.
The students, armed with binoculars
and a clipboard, take notes of each bird
they spot and its environment.

The goal is for the students to be able
to identify at least 50 bird specifies by
the end of the year, and also learn what
the birds eat and where they live, Leon-
hardt said. During the yearlong project,
students also keep track of patterns of
the species through the different sea-
sons.

“Most of the birds like to live among
the mangroves, and other trees be-
cause they can hide behind the leaves,”

40 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10 , 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PETS

‘No Tail Left Behind’: Love for pooches conquers all

Hi Dog Buddies! me really happy.” Her eyes; when I came face-to-face
“Coldwell Banker throws this with her in the window, I cried,”
I’m taking a couple of weeks off, but said Samantha Miller. Pointing to
was happy to give over my column lovely event and all we have to Chris she added, “And he knew that
this week to this story after hearing do is show up and bring dogs we were leaving with her.”
the good news about a recent spate and find them homes,” said
of adoptions at the Kate Meghji, Six-year-old Diamond’s tail was
wagging nonstop after being select-
Benny.PHOTO: KAILA JONES ed by another loving family.

HSVBIRC “We just came here to see what
was going on,” said Melissa Colgan,
executive director. “I adding with a smile that one look
was all it took for her children to fall
second annual No like that this is a really in love.
Tail Left Behind event at the Walking
Tree Brewery, sponsored by Coldwell family-focused event. Nwiciothle KTauhclkuear Meghji noted that while dogs previ-
Banker Paradise Maybe they come and ously might have remained
plan on getting a brat- at the shelter for months,
I could hardly contain my excitement adoptions are happening
when I learned that SEVEN dogs from wurst, and end up get- pointing to much more quickly now
the Humane Society of Vero Beach and thanks to a general over-
Indian River County had been adopted ting a new best friend.” Benny, an “all-American haul of practices, includ-
on the spot that day. ing such post-adoption
Their tongues loll- shelter dog” enthusiastically accepting support as training
“Watching animals get adopted is classes, phone consul-
my favorite thing,” said event organiz- ing and tails wagging, the dogs all put the pats being lavished on him from a tations and even train-
er Shalyn Warren, a Realtor with Cold- ing animals in people’s
well Banker Paradise and a Humane their best paws forward as they were circle of children. homes.
Society volunteer. “I love watching “It’s really about
these babies find homes; that makes rotated in and out of the air-condi- It was clear that Macey, a sweet dog giving people the
tools, because you
tioned Mobile Adoption Unit, each one with blue eyes and a patch of pink on have to train the peo-
ple sometimes more
thoroughly reveling in the attention. her nose, was eager to go home with than the dogs,” said
Maghji. “So we’re
“Can you imagine a happier dog Samantha and Chris Miller. doing really well.”

than that? He’s like, ‘Maybe some more “She caught me right away; I don’t Till next time,

hands can fit on my body,’” said Meghji, even know what kind of dog she is. The Bonz

Don’t Be Shy

We are always looking for pets
with interesting stories.

To set up an interview, email
[email protected].

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 41

INSIGHT BRIDGE

NORTH

SLAMS WERE NOT BID, BUT WERE MAKABLE AK873

By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist 43

These last few weeks, we have had five six-heart contracts. This week’s deal might have A 10 2
been played in that contract, but at the 16 tables on bridgebase.com, the contract was four
hearts 15 times and four spades once. A84

How should South play in six or seven hearts after West leads the club king? WEST EAST
J 10 6
The given auction was uniformly popular with the robots (computer-controlled opponents). 8 94
I believe a human would have been more circumspect over two hearts. Agreed, it seems J764
as though four hearts will be the right spot, but that prime 15-count has slam potential if K Q 10 7 6 Q975
South’s heart suit is robust. North might rebid three clubs. Here, South would continue with
three spades. Then North could envision South’s holding queen-third of spades and ace- Q9853
king-queen-sixth of hearts, which would give a good play for seven hearts. If hearts are 3-2,
you can handle a 4-1 spade break, but the converse is not necessarily true in seven spades. 95

In seven hearts, South should win the first trick with the club ace and immediately take a SOUTH
heart finesse. Here, when it succeeds, declarer plays a spade to dummy’s king, repeats the
finesse, draws trumps and cruises home. Q52

One might well adopt the same line in six hearts, but there is a case for cashing the heart A K J 10 6 2
ace and king. If the queen drops, great. If not, you hope the defender with the heart queen
has three spades so that the club losers can disappear on the diamond ace and fourth K
spade. But here the 4-1 heart break kills that line.
J32

Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Neither

The Bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
1 Hearts Pass 1 Spades Pass
2 Hearts Pass 4 Hearts All Pass LEAD:
K Clubs

42 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (OCTOBER 3) ON PAGE 60
INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS DOWN
1 Nearly (6) 1 View or outlook (6)
4 Paradise (6) 2 Country house (5)
9 Flamboyance (7) 3 Give in (7)
10 Boulders (5) 5 Pulse (5)
11 Largest Ionian Island (5) 6 Small flute (7)
12 Sceptical (7) 7 Evaluate (6)
13 Mixture (11) 8 Principal actress (7,4)
18 Petty (7) 14 Beginnings (7)
20 Sport’s instructor (5) 15 Diplomatic (7)
22 Lead or conduct (5) 16 Part of a flower (6)
23 Thaw (7) 17 Talkative (6)
24 Help (6) 19 Objects (5)
25 Drowsy (6) 21 Unaccompanied (5)

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 43

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 103 Anagram of “hedonism” 61 Small bandThe Washington Post
107 _________ 62 Oakland team
1 Alvin Childress role 110 Chinese premier, 1949-76 63 Excited
5 Maybelline concern 111 “The Velvet Fog” 64 Was broached
9 Picnic director Josh 112 Grab some Zs 65 Molly of Ulysses
14 What “he’s making” 113 Free of flubs 66 Game of Clue piece
19 Tea farewell 114 Lancaster/York badges 67 Ear or eye, e.g.
20 “Available to serve” 115 Authority on the march 72 Yalies
21 Muse with a lyre 116 Kool-Aid holder, often 73 Theater-floor slant
22 Chowderhead 117 Like Hotspur 74 Flattered
23 _________ 76 Common excuse
27 Travails DOWN 77 Gal Friday
28 Pseudopod possessors 1 Big bang origin? 78 Good points
29 Bustling 2 Bamako’s country 80 Indicating two
30 Thumb and Waits 3 Singer Redding
31 Yemen city 4 Be economical, or more
32 Measures in a bottle 82 Jai ___
34 New York county in a way 83 Part of a fern,
5 It produced Dallas
or lake 6 “I’m in” actions in France
37 Arrow-release 7 A surgeon does it in 84 Comic relief?
86 Antenna bristles
sound effect closing 87 Actress Stark who was once
38 Rum-lemon-pineapple 8 1960s aftershave, ___ Karate
9 Teresa Brewer plea of 1954 one of Prince Andrew’s
juice cocktail 10 He’s Hank in escorts
41 _________ 88 Asian body of water
47 Antonym of Touch of Evil 89 Deliveryperson
11 Arena proceeds 93 Norton’s milieu
“glanced at” 12 Get from ___ (progress) 94 Cultural combiner
48 Fateful day in Rome 13 Nick’s better half 95 Actress Patricia’s
49 A triglyceride 14 Lemon or lime namesakes
50 Regarding 15 Fringe member 96 Marijuana dregs
51 Saldana of Avatar 16 ___ altogether (bare) 97 Undoing of many
52 A dyeing class 17 Use soap pads a star
53 Mexican restaurant exit 18 Stretches 100 Antonym of 99 Across
55 Words to live by 24 Damaged, 101 “Same for me,” more formally
57 Big talkers rattle them 102 Drive-___
60 Corny place as popularity 103 Put away
61 Junior Miss jewelry 25 Dolor 104 Icelandic stories
62 _________ 26 Twilled wool fabric used in 105 Flower of one’s eye?
68 “___ God’s plenty” (Dryden) 106 The Tooth Fairy, e.g.
69 Nightcap for Andy Capp jackets and blankets 108 On this side: prefix
70 Where eagles have landed 31 “Je t’___” 109 Rhapsodic rhyme
71 Certain collars 33 “Society’s Child” singer Janis
72 Copy desk catches 34 Words after Wizard SOMETHING IN COMMON By Merl Reagle
75 Have ___ at (try) 35 Off
76 Giant’s hat 36 Perry’s creator THE Art & Science
79 Where Linz lies: abbr. 37 Singer Pia
80 The Academy’s founder 38 Actress Dillon of Cosmetic Surgery
81 Lid or cover, 39 Cut
40 Corn lily SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
in Spanish 42 Louis of law • Minimal Incision Lift for the
83 Big name in pens 43 Bit of madness,
85 _________ Face, Body, Neck & Brow
90 Stirring song to Mimi • Breast Augmentations
91 Mahogany relative 44 Gluck work
92 Itinerary segments 45 Stop the flow anew & Reductions
93 Promgoer, perhaps 46 Meterless medium • Post Cancer Reconstructions
96 Munro’s pen name 52 Basics • Chemical Peels • Botox
97 Word in “The Witch Doctor” 54 More like a seaman, perhaps • Laser Surgery • Tummy Tucks
55 Fungi finish • Obagi Products • Liposculpture
refrain 56 Tatters • Skin Cancer Treatments
98 Kin of suis, in Strasbourg 57 British gun
99 Somewhat 58 Flaws and all
59 A dash more sage?

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44 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Grieving for the parent you had – and the one you wish you’d had

BY CAROLYN HAX That if it’s messy, it must be wrong.
Washington Post The suppression effect could also explain why,

Dear Carolyn: My mother died re- when the perfectionist pressure came off suddenly
with your mother’s death, you were able to open up
cently. Ours was a complex relation- with your family as never before.

ship; because of earlier life traumas It’s also normal, and common, for surviving chil-
dren to grieve both the parent they had and the par-
and later mental illness, she came ent they wish they’d had.

across as a coldhearted perfection- So your big, erratic feelings sound like a necessary
and healthy reckoning.
ist who was always right. Asking for
Grief support tends to be a more accessible kind of
help or making a mistake was akin to failure. She was therapy – ask a local hospice provider for suggestions
– so if you still feel this surge of feelings and ques-
also rather closed-minded from a diversity perspective. tions, then please don’t hesitate to get more in-depth
help.
Her death has resulted in many mixed feelings on
Dear Carolyn: I’m in my late 60s, fiancee early 70s,
my part. As never before, not even when my father first marriage for both. My niece wants her girls, now
2 and 4, to be flower girls. I feel this is just embarrass-
died while I was a child, this experience has allowed ing for a 68-year-old first-time bride. I’m not 25 and
don’t think the wedding should be like one for a young
for conversations within my own family, including our couple. How do I get her to back down?

many imperfections, faith, love and death. – Bride

The unexpected part is that I continue to have waves Bride: You say, “No, thank you,” and then, if she’s
still pushing this on you, you say, “No, thank you.”
of tears at unpredictable times, even while exercising.
The things people will apply pressure for will never
(The shower seems to be a constant one, however.) cease to amaze me.

I suppose this represents some sort of mourning for ity of their surges is OK, the predictability of crying in While I’m here, though: A 68-year-old first-time
the shower is OK. bride gets whatever wedding she and her intended
what may have been, and at some point, it will become want. Please make embarrassment the thing you re-
And crying while exercising? Physical activity can fuse to include. 
less unpredictable – but, really, is this normal? Some- loosen up our feelings, so that’s more of an “especial-
ly while” than an “even while.”
times it just hurts so much. It almost feels disingenu-
This is just my surface take, but the emotional en-
ous to feel sad about what I missed. vironment you describe – an abundance of human
frailty plus a scarcity of patience for it – can have a
– Crocodile Tears? powerful suppressing effect. Its message being: Don’t
think too much, don’t show too much, don’t share
Crocodile Tears?: No, you are not doing grief wrong. too much. Having that ethos drilled into you could
The heart of everything we cry about is “what may explain why you’re so skeptical now of your own grief.
have been.”
What you’re feeling is OK, being caught off-guard
by the size of those feelings is OK, the unpredictabil-

NEW TRIFOCAL LENS SEEN AS
A NO-GLASSES GAME-CHANGER

46 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

New trifocal lens seen as a no-glasses game-changer

Dr. Stephen Tate.

PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE

BY TOM LLOYD ‘Cataracts affect more
Staff Writer than 24.4 million

At the end of August the Food and Americans age 40 and
Drug Administration announced ap- older ...’
proval of the first trifocal replacement
lens for patients undergoing cataract – The American Academy
surgery: the PanOptix lens by Alcon. of Ophthalmology

That, according to Dr. Stephan Tate out glasses after cataract surgery,”
at Vero Beach’s New Vision Eye Cen- according to the manufacturer. “It’s
ter, opens the door for dramatically called ‘The Next-Generation Trifocal’
improved no-glasses vision for peo- because it is designed to provide cor-
ple who have cataract surgery, but it rection at all three distances.”
comes with a price and possibly a cou-
ple of potential hiccups. Cataract is the clouding of the natu-
ral lens inside your eye, which gradually
The PanOptix lens is “designed to
provide you with clear vision for near,
intermediate and far distances with-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 47

HEALTH

PanOptix lens. “That’s why everybody is $3,000 per eye range, though he quick- tic with this lens. Like I said, there has
very happy that this PanOptix ly adds that at New Vision, “we have a long been some downsides to some
obscures vision. lens has now been approved in whole team of insurance specialists” earlier multifocal lens options but my
The condition is com- the United States – because it fills who will provide patients with a more colleagues out of the country that I’ve
in a couple of the shortcomings of the precise figure based on their individu- spoken to and some of my partners
mon because, as people previous generation of multifocal lens al insurance coverage. have spoken to have all expressed a
age, the eye’s natural lens implants.” very, very high level of satisfaction
starts to get hazy or cloudy. Typically it The bad news is that Medicare will The only other potential hiccups with these newly approved PanOptix
also changes color, turning yellowish not pick up the tab for the new lens- are functional ones that Tate says can lenses.”
or brown over time, seriously affecting es. It will cover the cataract removal occur even with bifocal lenses – with
your vision. procedure, but being glasses-free is the PanOptix lens in place, patients Dr. Stephen Tate is with New Vision
The American Academy of Ophthal- something it won’t pay for. may see thin rings around lights at Eye Center at 1055 37th Place in Vero
mology says “cataracts affect more Which means the out-of-pocket cost night or possibly find that, in dim Beach, directly across from the Cleveland
than 24.4 million Americans age 40 for these PanOptix implantable lenses, light, vision is not as sharp as they Clinic Indian River Hospital. The phone
and older, and by age 75, approxi- according to Tate, is in the $2,500 to would like. number is 772-257-8700. 
mately half of all Americans have cata-
racts.” Still, Tate says he is “very optimis-
The National Eye Institute at NIH
claims that “by 2050, the number of
people in the U.S. with cataracts is ex-
pected to double from 24.4 million to
about 50 million.”
Looking at numbers like those – and
before broaching the price and po-
tential hiccups – Tate is enthusiastic
about the FDA’s action.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” says Tate
of the FDA greenlight for trifocal lens.
“Nobody was really expecting it to be
approved as quickly as it was.”
He cites two likely reasons for the
swift action. First, he says, “they had
very positive results in the [clinical]
trials,” with the PanOptix lenses gar-
nering a patient satisfaction rate “of
approximately 99 percent.”
The second factor Tate cites is his-
tory. This particular lens, he says,
is “on a platform that’s been used in
probably over 100 million lens im-
plants [in other countries], so it’s not
a new lens material or a new shape of
any kind and it’s known to be very,
very safe.
“It is available in 70 other countries
around the world and has been for
several years. The FDA process is a
little bit more of a drawn-out process,
which is both good and bad.
“It’s bad,” Tate continues, “because
sometimes we’re a little slower to get
nice technology, but it’s good, in that
if they do approve it, you can feel quite
comfortable that it’s a safe and effec-
tive product.”
Earlier cataract replacement lens-
es, according to Tate, have been more
like bifocal lenses that allow pa-
tients to have better distance vision
and improved “up-close” vision, but
leave something to be desired when
it comes to intermediate range vision.

48 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Flu knew? More vaccine options this year than ever before

BY TOM LLOYD ever before. Dr. Charles Callahan.
Staff Writer For starters, after a three-year hiatus,
PHOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE
If you think ‘the flu’ is nothing more the nasal spray vaccine is back and it
than an annoying cold, think again. may have some benefits flu shots don’t.

According to the Centers for Disease The nasal spray contains a “live” vi-
Control and Prevention, 80,000 people rus, Callahan explains. “It’s the only
in the U.S. were killed by influenza vi- vaccine that’s live. The thought process
ruses during the 2017-18 flu season. being that it generates what’s called IgA
immunity, which is a secretory anti-
Colds don’t do that. body that’s mostly found in the upper
Dr. Charles Callahan, an infectious airways and in the lungs and nasopha-
disease specialist at the Cleveland Clin- ryngeal where the flu first infects. And
ic Indian River Hospital, says bluntly of that’s how it prevents the flu.”
the danger flu poses, “I think the most
important thing is to get vaccinated.” “All of the other vaccines,” Callahan
Now. continues, “are IgG mediated, so they’re
Today, with near universal availabil- an actual blood antibody. And we know
ity at easily accessible places includ- that [while] the flu shot helps prevent
ing Walgreens, CVS, Target and Publix death and helps prevent hospitaliza-
there is no excuse for not getting vacci- tion, it doesn’t do as good a job at pre-
nated – and it probably won’t cost you a venting the actual flu infection.”
dime, according to Callahan.
“I would say every single private in- Callahan says the live vaccine can
surance company that I’m aware of be used by “anyone except people who
pays for the flu shot,” he says. Indeed, are immunocompromised, pregnant
many flu shot locations even reward women, children under the age of 2 and
you with free gift cards. people over the age of 49.”
And, this year, according to Callahan,
there are more vaccine options than That last age limit obviously excludes
Vero’s many seniors.

Nevertheless, getting an annual flu
vaccination – in the form of a shot or

nasal spray – may benefit you in other perate and tropical climate, influenza
ways besides reducing the risks posed B is pretty much year-round. We see
by influenza. spikes of influenza B in the summer-
time periodically. Last year we did see
“There have been some good studies,” a pretty decent amount of influenza B.
says Callahan, “that suggest that getting So, I would recommend the quadriva-
the flu vaccine yearly prevents over- lent over the trivalent.”
all hospitalization for people who have
chronic diabetes or chronic heart dis- Admittedly, no flu vaccine is ever
ease. We think the flu vaccine has an im- 100 percent effective, but as Drugs.com
mune up-regulation effect, which basi- points out, getting vaccinated “drasti-
cally wakes up your immune system and cally reduces your chances of getting
prompts it to do its job. And that halo ef- the flu and passing it on to others, and
fect kind of protects you against all other it dramatically lessens the severity of flu
kinds of upper respiratory infections.” symptoms if you should be infected with
the virus.”
And speaking of infections, Callahan
points out that here in Florida the flu sea- Finally, if you happen to be one of
son is actually 12 months long, because the less-than-1-percent of the popula-
“influenza B is a year-round disease.” tion with an egg allergy, you likely still
have nothing to worry about despite the
That’s an important consideration. fact that most flu vaccines are grown or
Generally, flu shots are either tri- “cultured” in eggs.
valent or quadrivalent, meaning they
guard against either three or four differ- As the Mayo Clinic says, “if you have
ent flu strains. Callahan recommends had an allergic reaction to eggs in the
the quadrivalent option. past, talk to your doctor before getting a
“All of them,” he says of the shots, flu vaccination. Your doctor may choose
“have H1N1, which is the old Spanish to give you the vaccine made without
flu from the 1918 epidemic flu. And all eggs or send you to a physician who spe-
of them have an H3N2 which is the cur- cializes in allergies,” but adds, “you’ll still
rent most common strain seen in the probably be able to get the flu vaccine.”
United States as well as the rest of the
world. And then the quadrivalent vac- Dr. Charles Callahan is an infectious
cines have two influenza B types. The disease specialist with the Cleveland
trivalent vaccines have one. Clinic Indian River Hospital with offices
“I would recommend the quadriva- in the Patient Pavilion just east of the
lent because we have influenza A sea- hospital’s emergency department. The
sonally but … because we’re in a tem- phone number is 772-567-4311. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 49

HEALTH

‘Smoking harms nearly every organ in your body’

FRED CICETTI tem and increases the risk of infections. ney and cervix. low birth weight, and sudden-infant-
Columnist • The general health of smokers is in- • Smoking increases your risk of death syndrome.

During my research on many health ferior to the health of nonsmokers. developing sciatica, a pain that runs • Smoking dulls your senses of taste
topics I have been amazed repeatedly • Many illnesses in smokers last lon- down the back of your leg from spinal- and smell.
by how pervasive the negative effects of disc pressure on a nerve. Smoking can
smoking are on the body. ger than in nonsmokers. block the body’s ability to deliver nutri- • Smoking makes your skin age faster.
• After surgery, smokers have a great- ents to the discs of the lower back. • Smoking increases the risk of sexual
I quit smoking cigarettes in 1969, five impotence.
years after the U.S. Surgeon General’s er risk of complications and a lower sur- • Smoking causes cataracts. [In the second installment of this se-
first report said that smoking causes vival rate. • Smoking during pregnancy is linked ries on smoking, we’ll report on nicotine,
lung cancer. I was convinced the report with the higher risk of miscarriage, pre- cigarettes of all kinds, cigars, pipes and
was right when it came out, but it took • When smokers get skin wounds, mature delivery, stillbirth, infant death, smokeless tobacco.] 
me five years to develop the willpower they take longer to heal than those in
to give up my Marlboros. But, at the non-smokers.
time, I didn’t realize that smoking could
harm you in so many more ways. • Women who smoke usually reach
menopause sooner.
A later Surgeon General’s report on
the health consequences of smoking • Smokers tend to have lower bone
said “smoking harms nearly every or- density. Postmenopausal women
gan of your body, causing many diseas- who smoke have an increased risk for
es and reducing your health in general.” hip fracture than women who never
The report also said, “quitting smok- smoked.
ing has immediate as well as long-term
benefits, reducing risks for diseases • Smoking cigarettes causes heart
caused by smoking and improving your disease, the leading cause of death in
health in general.” the United States.

If you smoke, you owe it to yourself • Smokers who have a heart attack are
to quit. And I believe you have an obli- more likely to die within an hour of the
gation to try to help others to quit. I’m heart attack than nonsmokers.
going to do my part with this unusual
three-part series. No scolding or exag- • Cigarette smoking doubles a per-
gerated scare tactics. I’m going to give son’s risk for stroke.
you just the facts in a chain of bulletins.
• Cigarette smoking causes emphy-
You can tack these columns up on sema, which destroys a person’s ability
bulletin boards and refrigerators. I rec- to breathe. An early warning sign of em-
ommend giving them to a smoker you physema is “smoker’s cough.”
love.
• Smokers commonly suffer from
Here goes: chronic bronchitis.
• Smoking damages the immune sys-
• Smoking causes peripheral artery
disease that can affect the blood flow
throughout the entire body.

• Smoking causes many types of
cancer, the second leading cause of
death in the United States. These in-
clude cancer of the lung, esophagus,
larynx, mouth, bladder, pancreas, kid-

50 Vero Beach 32963 / October 10, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ON FAITH

Establish a faith regimen to achieve spiritual excellence

BY REV. DRS. CASEY AND BOB BAGGOTT Mundanity of Excellence” because his When we heard of Chambliss’ study outcast, or the lonely with an exemplary
Columnists conclusion was that excellence, such and his conclusion, we began to won- response. Their years of careful practice
as that demonstrated by a medalist at der if the same principle of the mun- prepared them. They had fine-tuned
Sociologist Daniel Chambliss un- the Olympics, is pretty mundane. Says danity of excellence might apply to their character and their behavior. They
dertook a multi-year study to better Chambliss: “Superlative performance our spiritual performance as well as were at peak performance, spiritually
understand what separated swim- is really a confluence of dozens of small our athletic performance. We often speaking, and able to excel as God’s
mers who became Olympic medalists skills or activities, each one learned or look at outstanding spiritual leaders people, when called to do so.
from those who did not. Was it talent? stumbled upon, which have been care- (we might even call them saints) and
Opportunity? Great coaching? Careful fully drilled into habit and then are fit- suppose they just have more talent Are you shaping your spiritual life to
diet? Sleek swim attire? All of these or ted together in a synthesized whole. for such matters than we do. Perhaps prepare you for what challenges may
something else? There is nothing extraordinary or su- they are naturally more attuned to lie ahead? True, we may never be called
perhuman in any one of those actions; God’s call, more adept at prayer, more upon to face the extreme challenges
The results of the study may surprise only the fact that they are done consis- skilled at conveying a needed mes- that the saints of our faith have some-
you. Chambliss titled his study “The tently and correctly, and all together, sage, more gifted at offering forgive- times faced. But we will surely be called
produce excellence.” ness or compassion or hope. upon to face at least a few unavoidable
challenges such as illness, loss, betray-
In other words, successful Olympic But if outstanding athletic perfor- al, disappointment or grief. How well
athletes could not be distinguished mance bears any similarity to outstand- we perform spiritually in those circum-
from their less successful competitors ing faith performance, then perhaps stances may depend on how well we
by virtue of superior innate ability. The the saints are not so different from us. have practiced our faith in anticipation
difference between them lay in this: They simply invested a whole lot of en- of those trials.
the most successful athletes paid at- ergy and practice into perfecting their
tention to the details of their perfor- faith lives. Then, when their moment Why not establish a faith regimen?
mance and practiced their best moves to perform occurred, they were ready Keep praying, studying, caring and
over and over and over again – until to face the cross, the lions, the scoffers, giving until you’ve perfected the exer-
they had fine-tuned them and could the doubters, the hungry, the needy, the cises of faith. Then you’ll be ready for
repeat them as second nature. Then most anything. 
when their big Olympic moment came,
nothing was left to chance. A near per-
fect performance could be expected.