03/02/2017 ISSUE 09

Shores approves beach access
adjoining A1A lot. P8
Moorings Habitat
Classic Weekend. P16

High notes at ‘Friend Raiser’
for Atlantic Classical Orchestra. P20

$9.9 million spec Holy Cross Church
home being built gets a big surprise:
on South Beach ‘No Parking’signs

BY STEVEN M. THOMAS BY RAY MCNULTY
Staff Writer Staff Writer

Developer Mariann Casa- An aerial view of the expansive campus of Indian River Medical Center. PHOTO BY BRUCE CADY Two Mondays ago, Father
rella went on what she calls Richard Murphy met with
an “intergalactic search” to Complications galore as hospital options weighed Vero Beach code enforcement
find the perfect spot to build officials to discuss safety is-
her next luxury spec home – BY MICHELLE GENZ Medical Center, his expert ad- hours. Some of them heard sues Iris Lane residents say are
starting in Wilmington, North Staff Writer vice and analysis will be eager- him speak again last month caused by Holy Cross Catholic
Carolina, and driving her ly awaited. in Seattle, when a group from Church attendees parking on
Mercedes all the way down When consultant Jamie Or- IRMC visited Virginia Mason their street.
the coast to South Florida, likoff speaks to the new col- The last time Orlikoff came Health System; Orlikoff is
checking out likely sites. laborative committee study- to Vero two years ago, he kept vice-chair of the board. “The city officials sent me
ing the future of Indian River an audience of 40 hospital away with the impression that
She found what she was leaders riveted for seven long CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 we could work out a compro-
looking for when Premier mise that would address the
Estate Properties broker/as- problem,” the Holy Cross pas-
sociate Clark French showed tor said, “then they pulled the
her a rolling 2.3-acre lot in the rug out from under our feet.”
estate section of Vero’s barrier
island. Two days after the meet-
ing, city workers installed “No
“Clark took us to the right Parking” signs along the south
place at the right time,” says side of Iris Lane, adjacent
Casarella. “We had an offer to the church – a move that
written up within 15 minutes sparked outrage from Holy
after arriving at the property Cross parishioners and left
Murphy questioning the in-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 tegrity of Vero Beach officials.

MY ‘Coach Joe’ Gifford principal Murphy also was puzzled by
VERO sharply criticized the timing: Not only were the
in teacher survey signs posted without warn-
back in school, but ing during the height of Vero
questions remain Beach’s busy season, but the
city installed them only days
BY RAY MCNULTY BY KATHLEEN SLAON
Staff Writer Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Fifteen months after Sebas- Gifford Middle School, which many island students attend. STAFF PHOTO After Vero Beach 32963
tian River High School teach- revealed serious problems
er Joe Nathaniel physically with student discipline and
subdued a violently aggres- teacher turnover at Gifford
sive youth during a classroom Middle School, District Super-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

March 2, 2017 Volume 10, Issue 9 Newsstand Price $1.00 Gallery at Windsor
welcomes season’s
News 1-10 Faith 72 Pets 73 TO ADVERTISE CALL featured artist. P30
Arts 33-38 Games 51-53 Real Estate 75-88 772-559-4187
Books 50 Health 55-59 St Ed’s 71
Dining 64 Insight 39-54 Style 60-63 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 48 People 11-32 Wine 65 CALL 772-226-7925

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

2 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Gifford teacher survey tifying code to get online to fill out the teachers at Gifford responded, many of teachers’ input or suggestions. The
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 document. There were no questions them slamming Decker in harsh terms. mass exodus of SKILLED teachers over
that asked specifically about Decker’s the years supports this statement.” (Gif-
intendent Mark Rendell rushed to the performance. And no space was pro- The survey was conducted at 20 oth- ford has lost approximately 20 percent
defense of Gifford Principal Roxanne vided for written comments. er Indian River County schools in ad- of its teachers so far this school year.)
Decker, providing the School Board dition to Gifford Middle, and Decker
with copies of a survey he said showed Rendell did not supply the School received far more negative comments The prompt, “This administrator
teacher support for her. Board with the results of another, than any other principal. resolves problems using a variety of
more comprehensive survey that paint problem-solving techniques,” resulted
Rendell said there was a 66-percent a devastating picture of conditions at The prompt, “This administrator in half, or 15 respondents, responding
response rate to the survey, which was Gifford Middle School, and constitute uses multiple sources of data, includ- “rarely” or “never.” Nine teachers wrote
sent out by Decker, with 36 out of 55 a serious indictment of Decker. ing staff input, to make informed de- negative comments, including these:
teachers participating. cisions,” resulted in 11 “rarely” and six
Conducted at the end of the last “never” responses out of 30, and elic- “She seems to follow unquestion-
But there were noticeable problems school year by the Indian River County ited 14 negative written comments, ingly anything sent down from the . . .
with the undated, 6-question survey. Education Association, this survey in- including this one: [district administration] office. She de-
While it was supposed to be anony- cluded 16 questions and was specifically nies that there are problems when fac-
mous, teachers had to enter an iden- designed to elicit feedback from teach- “This principal is extraordinarily anti- ulty presents concerns and she lashes
ers on their principals. Thirty out of 55 teacher. She does not value staff input/ out at those who speak up. Faculty is
opinions and regularly goes against overwhelmingly afraid of retaliation
for speaking up. This administrator is
a bully and has become dangerous.”

“She fires teachers and goes directly
to the district level prior to ever con-
fronting the teacher.”

“This administrator routinely under-
mines staff, refuses to listen and con-
tinuously refuses to address student
behavior on any meaningful level.”

Twelve teachers responded “never”
or “rarely” when asked if Decker “pro-
vides and/or facilitates teacher sup-
port on corrective student behavior
methods to promote a positive learn-
ing environment,” and there were 12
negative written comments on the
topic, including these:

“Mrs. Decker is not in the ‘trenches’
with correcting student behavior . . . I
have seen her disregard students who
have gone to her to express they are
being bullied, slapped and slandered.”

“Repeat offenders return to cause
the same disturbances . . . Guidance
counselors are becoming test admin-
istrators and not available to counsel
students . . . The Alternative School
is empty when more students belong
there for a time and the code of con-
duct is too lenient.”

“She has been known to cancel deten-
tions when a parent calls, not support-
ing the teacher. This does nothing to
promote morale . . . [at the same time]
we have been asked to brag about all the
wonderful things we do here at GMS.”

A second question having to do
with school safety asked whether,
“This administrator develops and/or
implements procedures that promote
a safe school environment.” Fourteen
out of 30 teachers responded “rarely”
or “never,” and there were 14 negative
written comments:

“We need a principal who is stricter
with students . . . Students yell pro-
fanities at teachers, are allowed on
campus wearing ankle bracelets due
to criminal activity, are given lenient
discipline for major infractions . . . No
wonder our teachers are leaving!”

“Students know they run the school.”
“The students run GMS with no
consequences.”

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 3

NEWS

“I feel that the students at GMS are My Vero him to work. Board members clearly meeting that cleared Nathaniel, have
out of control and their chaos causes had real concerns about the bogus to say now?
an unsafe environment. Likewise CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 case put forth by Superintendent Mark
there are far too many students wan- Rendell, who somehow saw a teacher "No comment,” he replied when asked.
dering around during classes unsu- altercation, the School Board finally bullying a student when almost every- Well if School Board members want
pervised. Car and bus duty are both admitted its top administrator was one else saw a teacher dutifully step- the past 15 months to be something
understaffed and I fear that a student wrong to try to fire him. ping forward to take control of a po- more than an embarrassing and ex-
is going to be seriously hurt.” tentially dangerous situation. pensive waste of time and energy, they
It was telling that the board voted must insist that Rendell provide an-
“This has gone from an unfriendly, unanimously to exonerate Nathaniel, But what does Rendell, who uttered swers to some tough questions.
accusatory workplace to a dangerous, end his paid suspension and return nary a word during the 75-minute
hostile work environment and this ad- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
ministrator should be removed from
her position. . . Would love to elabo- Exclusively John’s Island
rate but fear retaliation.”
Enjoy beautiful vistas of the 18th fairway and practice range from this custom
The prompt, “This administrator designed 2BR/2BA tennis townhouse affording privacy and tranquility with
maintains honesty in all professional all the benefits of a central location. Just a short walk to all Club amenities,
dealings and doesn’t make malicious or this 1,600± SF retreat features custom built-ins, lushly landscaped terrace,
intentionally false statements about a unique and large pantry under the stairway, guest bedroom with bay
colleague,” drew eight “rarely” or “never” window, custom closets, vaulted ceiling master suite, new weather-resistant
responses, about 30 percent, and there balcony, bonus A/C storage room, impact doors/windows, & 1-car garage.
were the same number of comments: 111 John’s Island Drive #15 : $585,000

“Our teachers are not safe – she has three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
been known to fabricate situations health & fitness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equity membership
that never occurred.”
772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
“We have the lowest morale at this
school I have ever seen.”

“I have been lied to and have heard
many reports of others being lied to or
about.”

“Mrs. Decker does not treat the
teachers equally. She goes after cer-
tain teachers. It is very uncomfortable
to witness it.”

“She would tell teachers to change
student grades if the parents wanted it
to happen.”

The prompt, “This administrator
maintains a professional, respectful
manner when communicating with
teachers,” garnered 11 negative writ-
ten comments and only five answers
of “always” out of 30 participants.

Responses to this prompt included:
“Roxanne Decker promotes nega-
tivity. She tries to play her teaches
against one another, but fails. She is
a malicious person who has no busi-
ness being in an administrative posi-
tion working with our youth.”
“There are so many great teachers
and staff at GMS but we are losing
people more and more. She is driving
out some of our best. They are leaving
because of her, whether or not they
tell her this face to face. Our school
has been destroyed . . . How many
more of us have to leave before things
change? I would be embarrassed by
the numbers who have left if I was in
charge. It is a travesty what she has
done to our school.”
Rendell and school board members
were asked to explain the disparity
between Decker’s personal survey and
the teachers’ union survey. Neither
Rendell nor any of the School Board
members responded.
What steps are being taken with
Decker and to improve school safety
also went unanswered by the board
and superintendent. Decker also
chose not to comment. 

4 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero he trusted the wrong people, but the
evidence was there. Both the Sheriff's
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Office and State Attorney's Office told
them I did nothing wrong. But they
 Why did Rendell bypass lesser wouldn't listen.
punishment and immediately recom-
mend that Nathaniel, a popular and "They didn't listen until they got it
beloved teacher and mentor with a from the judge."
previously unblemished record, be
fired? Why didn't they listen?
"Because, as I've been saying all
 Why did Rendell rely so heavily along, this was never about what hap-
on student-recorded videos and give pened in that classroom," Nathaniel
so little weight to the Sheriff's Office's said. "This was personal. They were
investigation, State Attorney's Office's retaliating because I went public with
recommendation and public show of the BBC thing."
support, all three of which sided over- Nathaniel has maintained that Ren-
whelmingly with Nathaniel? dell and Fritz wanted to get rid of him
because he publicly criticized the dis-
 Why did Rendell and Assistant trict's investigation into his complaint
Superintendent for Human Resources that assistant football coaches at Se-
William Fritz, who headed the dis- bastian River High School were deri-
trict's investigation, see something sively referred to on campus as "The
in those videos – an angry black man BBC" – big black coaches.
instigating and escalating a confron- Now, Nathaniel simply wants to re-
tation with a harmless, innocent stu- turn to his Sebastian River classroom
dent – that reasonable, independent and resume teaching his dual-enroll-
observers from three outside agencies ment, criminal justice course – some-
did not see? thing that won't happen until next
year, if at all, depending on whether
 Better yet: What is Rendell going the school retains the program.
to do with the allegations that Fritz With so little time remaining in the
underhandedly attempted to coerce current school year, he'll be placed in
the mother of the youth Nathaniel a classroom where students serve in-
subdued to support the district's case school suspensions. In the meantime,
by offering to use his influence to he plans to lobby for his criminal jus-
try to get criminal charges dropped tice program with hopes of teaching
against her son? the courses next year.
"I don't see why they would move
You can be sure at least some of me," Nathaniel said. "I didn't do any-
these questions will be asked when thing wrong."
Nathaniel, affectionately known on Fifteen months later, the School
campus as “Coach Joe,” files a lawsuit Board finally and unanimously
against the district. agreed, prompting a celebration that
filled the room with cheers, tears, hugs
Nathaniel said he was "publicly hu- and high-fives.
miliated" when the district released "I'm glad it's finally over and the
the ill-gotten, student-recorded video truth came out," Nathaniel said. "I'm
to the news media. (School Board pol- very grateful for (Board Chairman
icy prohibits students from using their Charles) Searcy's support. He made
smart phones to record teachers and the difference in this thing."
staff members during school hours.) The rest is up to Rendell.
And you better believe he's being
He also said Rendell's accusations watched. 
have damaged his reputation, profes-
sionally and personally.

"Rendell said he couldn't trust me
around kids," Nathaniel said. "Maybe

Holy Cross parking “The first we heard about any prob-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 lem was a couple of weeks ago when
the code enforcement people contact-
before the start of Lent, a 40-day, pre- ed us.”
Easter period when even many less-
devout Catholics attend Mass. City Manager Jim O’Conner said
city officials have received calls and
“People have been parking there for emails from “almost everybody on Iris
30 years, and it has never been an issue,” Lane.” The complaints cite “uncon-
Murphy said. “Now, all of a sudden, it’s a trolled parking” and “erratic driving,”
problem? Two days after we meet, they including churchgoers backing onto
put up signs? Without a warning? lawns, damaging yards and some-
times knocking down mailboxes.
“We don’t want to fight with the
city or the people who live there,” he “It’s not just that they’re parking
added. “We’re prepared to do what- there – it’s the way they’re parking and
ever we’re supposed to do to make this how they’re driving to get in and out,”
work for everybody. But nobody from O’Connor said. “I lived on Iris Lane my
that street has come to talk to me. first year here, so I’m familiar with the
situation.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 5

NEWS

“Some people choose to park on Murphy, who estimated the Holy for the past six years and had never which limits the available space. That’s
the street, even when there are spaces Cross lot can hold upwards of 350 ve- heard any complaints about parking why people park on Iris Lane.
available in the church lot, because hicles, said Vero Beach police issued on the street – until now.
it’s more convenient,” he added. “At warning tickets to churchgoers who “For the busiest masses, I’ll bet
this time of year, that can be a hectic parked along Iris Lane last weekend. “This is the first year anyone has there are 50 to 70 cars parked there,
parking lot to get out of after Mass, so mentioned it,” Black said. “Parking from A1A to Mockingbird Drive,” he
people prefer to park on the street.” Winter resident Jim Black said he has always been an issue because the added. “This isn’t just the busy sea-
has been attending Mass at Holy Cross church’s lot is in a live oak canopy,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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12 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

12

5

MARDY FISH CAPTIONS

1. Mason Jacobs, Peter Gilson, Ed Mellett, Bill Biersach.

2. Frank DiFazio and Mardy Fish. 3. Ken and Sheryl

Dowd, Andrew Witteck, Bill Meyer. 4. Jarrod Owen.

3 4MARDY FISH PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 5. Sally Fish. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD

Mardy Fish golf tourney suits kids’ charities to a tee

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Nashville recording artist, and Mardy players. More than 2,000 children when it’s for a good cause like this
Staff Writer Fish, former top-ranked tennis player, participate in the after-school tennis one,” said Rhoden.
teamed up for the Mardy’s Tennis & programs each year.
Close to 70 golfers teed up at the Jake’s Music Fest. Before announcing the winners,
Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation “We are taking over the Indian board member Joe Pappalardo said,
Charity Golf Tournament last Tues- “Giving back to the community River Tennis Foundation’s scholar- “The winners are going to be happy
day, enjoying a beautiful morning of that gave so much to me was my mo- ship programs,” shared Alison Mays, because the prizes are fantastic, but
golf on the Windsor Golf Course while tivation for starting it,” shared Mardy MFCF executive director, “for those the real winners on the course today
raising money to support the founda- Fish. “The community support has kids that want to take tennis to the are our kids. We are happy that all
tion’s varied children’s programs. been amazing and I could not do it next level and go to college.” of you are truly investors and share-
without their support. They are a ma- holders in our foundation.”
During the awards ceremony and jor part of the success of the founda- They have also invited local clubs
luncheon, MFCF Chairman Tom Fish tion.” to adopt schools, and have a new Commenting that the obesity rate
told participants, “Your money today transitional program for kids show- in Indian River County for low-income
is going to help a lot of kids in this “Mardy and Jake are just regular ing an aptitude and interest in com- preschoolers is almost 15 percent,
community. We’re going to change kids from Vero Beach, but they fol- petitive tennis. Pappalardo added, “Every day we try
some lives and give a lot of kids an lowed their dreams, and it’s a great to tackle the complex safety health
opportunity that they wouldn’t have lesson for the kids in this community Former Los Angeles Dodgers and fitness challenges faced by chil-
without your money. Since 2006 we that if you dream big great things can pitcher and celebrity golfer Rick Rho- dren in our community. Our mantra
have raised over $2 million, giving happen,” said Tom Fish. den lent his support on the course, is that opportunity not circumstance
back to the kids in this community having met Mardy and his father at should determine a child’s life.”
and helping them with fitness and He noted that monies raised a tournament in Lake Tahoe a few
health programs.” through the tournament will support years ago. The 2017 Mardy Fish Children’s
the nonprofit’s after-school tennis Foundation Tennis Championships
The foundation got its start when programs: Kids on Court and Kids in “They invited me to play, and will be held April 21-30 at Grand Har-
childhood friends Jake Owen, famed Motion, Mardy’s Six Healthy Habits when good people ask you to do bor Golf & Beach Club. For details, visit
and scholarships for up-and-coming something for kids, you do what you VeroBeachTennisTickets.com. 
can to make it happen, especially



14 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

6 78
MARDY FISH CAPTIONS
MARDY FISH PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
6. Bill Meyer, Alison Mays and Rick Rhoden.
7. Maryann Wolonowski, Joe Pappalardo and Nicole
Green. 8. Ardelle Fish and Tom Fish. 9. Jim Deasy, Tom
Fish, Frank DiFazio, Bob Barrows and Joe Pappalardo.

9

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 15

PEOPLE

10 11 12
13

MARDY FISH CAPTIONS 14
15
10. Ken and Sheryl Dowd with Bill Biersach. 11. Karl
and Courtney Dietrich with Jack Searcy. 12. Fredy
Delacruz and Jim Buck. 13. George DiBenedetto Sr.,
Bob Putnam, Jim Pagano and George DiBenedetto Jr.
14. Matthew Challenor, Janel Griffin, Kathy
Klingenstein, Mikael Pernfors and Tom Fish.
15. Joe Pappalardo.

16 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Moorings Habitat Classic gala another ‘home’ run

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF ing that they were also involved with
Staff Writer Habitat when they lived in Massachu-
setts. “Over 90 percent of the money
The fun-filled 14th annual Moor- Kent and Ann Seeley with Heidi and David Sommers. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE goes to the actual end recipient. It is
ings Habitat Classic Weekend cul- a very efficient model and directly
minated last Monday evening as lineup for those who wanted to chal- touches families.”
The Moorings Yacht & Country Club lenge their mental fitness.
hosted a gala Habi-Cocktail Party to “In 1999, members of The Moor-
celebrate the success of another great On Monday evening, more than ings Yacht & Country Club became
event to benefit Indian River Habi- 450 guests enjoyed cocktails and pe- the first private country club to form
tat for Humanity. Proceeds from the rused auction items before heading a committee to recruit volunteers
fundraiser will enable the nonprofit into the Royal Palm Room for a spec- and raise funds to support Indian
to build three new houses. tacular dinner buffet, complete with River Habitat for Humanity pro-
grams. They also generously shared
The three-day event kicked off on their successful ideas with five other
Friday with a Hab-A-Heart Shopping communities who followed suit and
Day at The Village Shops, and con- became Habitat partners as well,”
tinued through the weekend, where said Andy Bowler, Habitat President/
attendees participated in a 5K run, CEO.
walk and bike event as well as bridge,
golf and tennis tournaments. “We are incredibly proud of the
partnership we have with the Moor-
“We added new events this year
to broaden the appeal and coverage
for club and Moorings members,”
said event co-chair Heidi Sommers.
On Friday, members enjoyed an af-
ternoon of croquet, champagne and
sweets at Hawks Nest, and on Satur-
day a mahjong luncheon joined the

John Larsen, Nancy Fette and Lynn and Tom Elwell.

a raw bar, carving, pasta and dessert ings community. For 18 years, the
stations. Moorings have faithfully supported
families through partnership with
“We have been a part of Habitat for Indian River Habitat for Humanity.
years because we believe in what they What began many years ago with two
do. They make such an impact on volunteers has grown and become a
so many lives,” said Shirley Becker, community-wide commitment that
whose family came out in full force to includes giving and support for the an-
support the organization, all wearing nual Moorings Habitat Classic.”
their trademark Kelly green.
Through contributions totaling
“We are so fortunate to have more than $3 million, Moorings resi-
members who work alongside staff dents have provided the funding and
ensuring our charitable programs volunteers to build 56 Habitat homes
make the biggest impact whenever and make 38 home repairs, and have
and wherever possible,” said Ursula also funded $100,000 toward scholar-
Gunter, Moorings director of mem- ship programs.
bership and marketing.
“The Moorings have helped give
This year’s event, under the chair- a hand up to hard-working families
manship of Heidi and David Som- whose willingness to do their part
mers, netted more than $200,000. has enabled them to become Habitat
The Sommers were assisted by co- homeowners,” said Bowler. “Neither
chairs Kent and Ann Seeley, who will we nor the 56 Habitat families whose
assume the position of lead chairs for lives have been changed and improved
2018. by the Moorings take this support for
granted. We are truly grateful.” 
“Habitat is a very effective char-
ity,” explained Heidi Sommers, add-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 17

PEOPLE

Shirley Becker, Andy Bowler and Sandy Patterson. Walt Nelson with Jim McManus and Matt McManus. David and Belinda Becker with Alexander Becker.

Olivia McManus, Jennifer Peshke and Kerri Mazzarella. Katie Nelson, Judy Moore and Irina Woelfle. Teena Jackson, Fran Devitt and Barbara Stewart.

Bill Cooney, Pam Spellane, and Jim Kendall

Connie Mason, Alex Hislop, Christine Blair, and Sally Bissell. Mary Ann Whalen with Bob and Miriam Mugford.

Chris Manning, Miguel and Tasha Cruz, Tammy and Chris Glaser and Dick Winkler.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Randy Rolf with Laura and Rick McDermott. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Bob and Emilie Burr with Ron and Kathy Edwards. Jeff Pickering, Ann Marie McCrystal and Ray Oglethorpe.

Givers receive props at IRCF Annual Reception

BY MARY SCHENKEL to deal with all the tax aspects and dian River Community Foundation’s went out the door in grants. That’s
Staff Writer paperwork and seamlessly handle all 10th anniversary,” said IRCF CEO Jeff bigger than most community founda-
the investments. It’s awesome.” Pickering. Harkening back to 2008, he tions as a percentage of our assets and
Indian River Community Founda- referenced the nationwide housing we’re very proud of that.”
tion Vice Chairman Neill Currie and “Over the years I’ve been involved crisis, high local unemployment and
wife Linda opened up their spectacu- with lots of philanthropic stuff, but the Dodgers’ surprise departure. Thanks to strong leadership, the
lar Bay Drive home last Thursday eve- I’ve got to tell you, this is a unique city, IRCF received National Standards
ning as hosts of the IRCF Annual Re- a unique area and unique board,” said “I think the eight most important Accreditation in 2016, recognizing its
ception, celebrating the philanthropy Neill Currie during a brief presenta- words that were uttered that year accountably, transparency and effec-
of its fund holders and founders. tion. “Thank you so much for your was the question that attorney Robin tiveness.
involvement to get the Community Lloyd asked Ann Marie McCrystal
As guests enjoyed cocktails and Foundation where it is and remain in- and Rick McDermott, and that was, “We’re extremely proud of what
hors d’oeuvres, they admired the volved to get it to the next level.” ‘Would you like to start a Community we’ve done and we’re really excited
sweeping panoramic views of the Foundation?’ And they said yes.” about the direction that we’re head-
Indian River Lagoon from the three “The trajectory of this organiza- ed. Our board is super-focused on our
breathtaking vantage points of the tion is really powerful,” said board Founders initially raised about business and our business is philan-
home, which the couple completely Chairman Scott Alexander, who also $1.75 million to build an organization thropy.”
renovated before moving into it in acknowledged IRCF founders, who focused primarily on “building a bet-
2015. provided capital to launch the foun- ter community through donor-driven Pickering commented that their
dation, fund holders, current and past philanthropy.” To date, the IRCF has new IRCF logo symbolizes the bridges
“I’ve rowed past this spot but didn’t board members, former executive di- taken in roughly $70 million and has connecting the community and also
know who owned it,” said Chris Ryan, rector Kerry Bartlett, members of the awarded $40 million in grants; 83 per- represents the spark behind donors’
attending as an IRCF fund holder Alma Lee Loy Legacy Society, who cent of those to local nonprofits. philanthropic objectives.
through his family foundation and providing charitable legacies through
two Vero Beach Rowing funds. “I their estates, and to Ellie McCabe, “We continue to be one of the “As we look to the 10th anniversary
wouldn’t have a foundation without who provided incubator space during most active grant-making founda- and the years to come, we’re going
the Community Foundation; it’s too their critical first eight years. tions among all community founda- to be asking, ‘What sparks your gen-
massive an undertaking. The key is tions around the country; last year erosity?’ We hope to engage in many
they enable people with small groups “On July 1 this year we begin an we were number seven,” said Picker- more conversations about the future
18-month period celebrating the In- ing. “Twenty-six percent of our assets of what we can do together with our
philanthropy.” 

PINEAPPLE

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

head shaved, raising more than $1,000
as her lovely locks were shorn.

Dr. Don Eslin, a pediatric hema-
tologist and oncologist at the Arnold
Palmer Center for Children’s Cancer
and Blood Disorders, spoke to the dis-
parity in research funding.

“People don’t realize that we are
underfunded. The largest funding
comes from the federal government,
but if you look at that compared to
funding that goes to adult cancer re-
search, it’s very small,” said Eslin, not-
ing that only 4 percent of federal fund-
ing is dedicated to childhood cancer
research.

Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s nation-
wide has provided $200 million in re-
search grant funding, making it the
largest childhood cancer research
funder.

“I hope someday they will be able to
put me out of business,” said Eslin.

Jayme and Val Bryan, whose son
Princeton was diagnosed with neu-
roblastoma at age 2 and is a patient of
Eslin, are big believers in the work of
St. Baldrick’s.

Although Princeton often accom-
panies his parents to St. Baldrick’s
events, Jayme Bryan said he had opt-
ed that night to hang out with friends,
“which is normal and that’s a wonder-
ful thing.”

Guests had the pleasure of meeting
three young ladies – Payton Elward,
11, and sisters Nina, 11, and Nadia Pet-
tit, 9 – who will each have their locks
shorn at the Big Shave on March 25.

“It makes me so scared and sad to
think about what kids with cancer are
going through,” said Payton.

“Compared to having cancer, get-
ting my head shaved is nothing,”
explained Nina, whose sister Maya
passed away from a rare form of leu-
kemia.

Their mother, Cara Pettit, founded
Maya Matters to provide financial
assistance to help cover expenses for
others whose children are battling
cancer.

“I’m very proud of my girls for shav-
ing their heads,” shared Pettit. “I think
it helps them feel connected to Maya.”

“I am blessed to have no one in my
family who has been stricken with
cancer. I do this out of sheer love for
these kids,” said event co-chair Frank
Mannino, who has had his head
shaved the past 14 years.

“We have raised more than $500,000
since Frank, and I started five years
ago,” said Elward. “Indian River
County is the second largest St. Bal-
drick’s supporter in Florida.”

The fifth annual St. Baldrick’s Signa-
ture Head Shaving fundraiser will be
held from noon to 6 p.m. March 25 at
Capt. Hiram’s Resort in Sebastian. To
“Brave the Shave,” visit StBaldricks.org/
events/IndianRiver2017. 

24 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Much ado about ShrimpFest & Craft Beer Hullabaloo

Norma Barbe, Paul Petersen and Chuck Hartzell. Tiffany and Charlie Larson, and Katie Newman.

Kieth and Lynda Cannon. Bob Starbird and Terry Thielen.

Gorgeous weather and the promise of enticing shrimp creations
by area restaurants, ice-cold samples of locally brewed craft
beers and home brews, and wonderful live entertainment lured
large crowds to the second annual ShrimpFest & Craft Beer
Hullabaloo last weekend, which took place on the grounds of
the Historic Fellsmere School. The event was jointly hosted
by the Sebastian Rotary Club and the Fellsmere Exchange
Club to benefit local youth sports teams as well as nonprofit
organizations throughout northern Indian River County. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 25

PEOPLE

Jennifer and Kevin Kinel. PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD Kelly and Tom Moore. Paula Thompson and Beth Christie. Devin Batts and Nicolette Parra.

Cairra Bowman and Bryan Padgett. Janet Gomez and Bruno Stoeckli. Whinette and Mike Conran. Taylor and Jack McDaniel.

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

PEOPLE

A salute to ‘awesome’ kids at CHS dinner party

BY MARY SCHENKEL achieve their ambitions. The festive the cocktail hour many guests took was growing up, they do without.”
Staff Writer event featured as its honorary chair advantage of photo ops with the vin- After learning that at least one of
Master Chief SEAL (Ret.) Richard tage aircraft parked just outside. They
The Corporate Air Hangar was “Rick” Kaiser, who now serves as ex- also took time before dinner to peruse the young people attending the event
awash in Americana last Saturday ecutive director of the National Navy the silent- and live-auction items, and that evening will be going into the Air
evening as supporters of the Chil- UDT-SEAL Museum. purchased what they hoped would Force, he said that he hoped others
dren’s Home Society gathered at a be the winning key to open the fully- would apply to serve, even as SEALs.
patriotic Reach for the Stars Dinner The hangar, owned by CHS Trea- stocked liquor cabinet.
Party, hoping to raise funds to enable sure Coast Advisory Board Chairman “Mental toughness is the one thing
abused and neglected youngsters to Rodger Pridgeon, was decked out in a “This year’s theme maintains a lit- they [recruiters] can’t measure,” he
sea-to-shining-sea décor, and during tle bit of a patriotic stance,” said event added, noting a high dropout rate
chair Kelly Donovan, owner of the among prospective SEALs due to the
evening’s presenting sponsor, White mental strength required. “These kids
Orchid Spa. “Rick Kaiser is incredibly are awesome; they’ve had a tough row
special. He was in SEAL Team 2 and to hoe and they keep going with the
he was the brains behind the rescue of help they’re getting. Hopefully they’ll
Black Hawk Down.” all succeed.”

For his part, Kaiser said he is im- “Last year Children’s Home Society
pressed with the children assisted by touched the lives of over 11,000 chil-
CHS programs and services. dren and young adults on the Trea-
sure Coast,” said Sabrina Sampson,
“The kids and the young adults they executive director of CHS Treasure
support are very resilient; they’re a lot Coast. “Since July 1, 2016, our adop-
like the SEALs in that way. It’s not the tions team has helped 110 children
most physically fit or athletic SEALs unite with their forever family; 25 of
that make it; it’s the ones with the men- those children were from Indian River
tal toughness and resiliency,” said Kai- County.”
ser.
She related that one reason she re-
“These kids’ lives have been so chal- mains committed is that her own
lenged. Stuff I took for granted when I family background is not terribly dif-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 27

PEOPLE

Sabrina Sampson, Master Chief SEAL (Ret.) Rick Kaiser, Kelly Donovan and Rodger Pridgeon.

Pat and Mark Ryan with Trudie Rainone. Diane and Vinnie Parentela. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE TOP CHEF QUALIFYING EVENT
Monday, March 20, 2017
Hal and Nancy Ofstie with Harriet and David Dyer. Libby Thompson and Bill King.
6:00 p.m. • 8:00 p.m. Judging
Bent Pine Golf Club

TICKET OPTIONS

Qualifier Ticket Includes - $85

Open Seating, Two Drink Tickets (Cash bar to follow)
Appetizer tasting from all Chef Stations

Concierge Table Includes - $1200 per table

Seating for up to 6 people, Server Attended Table
Two Drink Tickets per person
Bottle of Red & White Wine

Appetizer tasting from all Chef Stations
Dessert Plate, Complimentary Valet Parking

TOP CHEF CHALLENGE FINALE
Monday, April 3, 2017

6:00 p.m. Cocktails • 6:45 Dinner
Bent Pine Golf Club

Vickie and Dan Lautenbach. Melissa and Joel Shine. TICKET OPTIONS

ferent from that of the children they laborate with my team and our great Finale Ticket - $185
serve. community as to how we will impact
the next generation.” 5 Course Tasting Meal, Two Drink Tickets
“I have felt firsthand the differ-
ence love, encouragement and sup- Before a Have a Heart appeal, guests V.I.P. Table - $1500 per table (limited availability)
port makes in the life of a human be- also heard from a young woman, cur-
ing,” said Sampson. “I get to make the rently a resident of the Youth Transi- Seating for up to 6 people within earshot of judge’s dais
choice to stand where my feet have tion Center, who shared how her life 5 Course Tasting Meal, Two Drink Tickets per person
been planted, partner with generous has been positively impacted by the Complimentary Valet Parking, Goody Bags
donors such as each of you, and col- generosity of CHS supporters. 
Tickets may be purchased by calling 772- 567-5537
or on-line at www.hopeforfamiliescenter.org

The Hope for Families Center enables our clients to re-establish self sufficiency through structured programs and
links to community health, education and human services. We serve four counties. Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie and

Okeechobee. The Hope for Families Center is a 501 (C) (3) organization.

28 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Road Rally revs up funds, rolls into ‘car heaven’

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF After a light repast, drivers cause. They do a good job in our car enthusiast. “Jay Leno’s collec-
Staff Writer donned their gloves and goggles, tion on the West Coast might rival
metaphorically, and rubber met the community and I’m a great believer this one.”
Treasure Coast Community pavement as the convoy made its
Health took the “show” on the road way to “car heaven,” the American that you have to give back to your TCCH was founded 23 years ago
again last Saturday for their annual Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne. to provide medical services to mi-
Vero Road Rally, Tour Magnifique community.” grant farm workers in Fellsmere,
fundraiser. Past years have taken Once there, guests milled about and has since grown to include five
the nonprofit’s rally to various car- in the anteroom enjoying lunch Guests spent the day in the locations in Indian River County.
centric destinations around the and perusing silent- and live-auc- They provide healthcare services to
state, ending their journeys at spots tion items. Vero Beach has a high 123,000-square-foot museum, more than 16,000 patients, offering
such as the Palm Beach and Sebring concentration of car collectors and a range of services including prima-
International Raceways. several were on hand, anxiously viewing more than 265 classic ve- ry, women’s, pediatric, dental and
awaiting the opening of the main mental-health care.
This year participants met at the showroom doors. hicles, mostly American-made, in-
TCCH facility in Fellsmere to get “Many of our clients have health
a peek at its oldest health center, Owner Mark Pieloch’s car col- cluding Shelbys, Hudsons, Camaros insurance and can afford to pay
which they hope to update using lection is second to none and you for medical care,” said Dennis Bar-
funds raised from the road rally. didn’t need to be a grease monkey and Indy pace cars. Thrown into tholomew, director of Business De-
Plans include enlarging the den- to appreciate its beauty. velopment, noting that one out of
tal operatories and upgrading the the mix were bicycles, boat motors, every seven county residents uses
equipment. For many, it was a trip down TCCH for their medical, dental or
memory lane; viewing cars similar Porsches and a Ferrari. behavioral needs. “Those clients
“You are all contributing im- to those their parents drove and help fund TCCH so people living in
mensely to the future of the health eliciting memories of family road The museum opened in October poverty that can’t afford to pay for
of our community,” said Vicki Soulé, trips from the ’60s. medical care can receive the servic-
TCCH CEO. “Funding will go toward and is not open to the public, mak- es they need.”
our dental services. The area is too “I’m here today to support TCCH,
old, too cramped and not capable of but I’m a car guy too,” said Tom ing the opportunity to view these For more information, visit TC-
servicing 7,500 people per year.” Lockwood. “Having the opportuni- CHInc.org. 
ty to see this facility is pretty spec- fully-functioning, mint-condition
tacular. TCCH is a very worthwhile
cars and trucks almost as rare as the

classic vehicles themselves. TCCH

was the first nonprofit outside of

Brevard County to host an event at

the facility, which opens its doors

only to charitable fundraisers, car

events and school tours.

“This is probably one of the top

two or three car museums in the

country; certainly on the East Coast

and absolutely in Florida,” said Karl

Steene, a TCCH board member and

The Salvation Army Of Indian River County presents the 7th Annual

SOUP, SOAP AND SALVATION BENEFIT DINNER

Saturday, April 8th 2017 ▪ 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Oak Harbor Country Club, Vero Beach FL

KEYNOTE SPEAKER TRAVIS ROY
At twenty-years of age Travis Roy entered into his first
collegiate hockey game. Eleven seconds into his first shift,
his life changed forever as he crashed into the boards and

cracked his fourth and fifth cervical vertebra, paralyzing
him from the neck down. Now a quadriplegic with limited
control of his right bicep, Roy has become one of the
nation’s most prominent advocates for people with spinal
cord injuries, and helping others who can’t help themselves.
Christopher Reeve Courage Award Recipient.

An opportunity to double your gift! An anonymous donor has committed a $10,000
matching gift. At the end of the dinner there will be a call for support to donate to the event.
Great silent auction items for bidding. NO TICKET REQUIRED, RSVP only, Donation
requested at the end of the dinner. Sponsor a Table of 10 people for $1200 Donation to
include a gift from the Salvation Army for each member of your sponsored table.

Surf and Turf Dinner ▪ RSVP: 772-978-0265 Ext. 104
or email [email protected]

Mail a matching contribution to: The Salvation Army of IRC
PO Box 2864 Vero Beach, Fl 32961

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 29

PEOPLE

1 23

6

ROAD RALLY CAPTIONS

1. Bonnie Steene and Karl Steene. 2. Cathie Callery and

Dr. Rob Callery. 3. Mark Pieloch, Dennis Bartholomew

and Tetiana Diakova. 4. Ryan Lilley and Wendy

Gonzalez. 5. Bob Snyder and Patti Rooney. 6. Marsha

Gerber, Nate Kruse with Marion and Dennis Parks.

7. Wayne Sandlin, Tom Lockwood, John Stefanacci

4 5 7 and Bob Carnevale PHOTOS: BENJAMIN THACKER









34 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Show time is go time for Riverside’s music director

BY MICHELLE GENZ isn’t often visible to audiences. She is Anne Shuttlesworth. P HOTOS BY GORDON RADFORD she paused her piano playing at di-
Staff Writer in the pit, sunken below floor level be- rector Brennan’s cue, she seamlessly
tween the stage’s apron and the front and conducting.” turned to her laptop on a table next to
High above the stage at Riverside row. Even when it’s Clifton who is mu- Along with conducting, accompani- her, and sneaked in a transcription of
Theatre’s last musical, “Chicago,” au- sic directing, Shuttlesworth is often the passage she had just played.
diences got to witness music director there during performances playing the ment is its own musical specialty and
Anne Shuttlesworth in action. second keyboard. she has loved it since she first played There are times she must reduce the
piano for her high school chorus. notes scored for an entire section of the
And action there was, there on the In most rehearsals, she’s working un- Growing up in a town of 750 in western orchestra into a single treble and bass
elevated platform where the orches- der the director – in the case of “Mame,” Pennsylvania, Shuttlesworth spent her line for piano. “A second keyboardist
tra played. Shuttlesworth was that it’s James Brennan. Accompanying the childhood and adolescence studying will be replacing a 30-piece string sec-
hyperkinetic conductor with the bob- cast on the piano, she plunges into a piano and singing at school. tion,” she says. “I’ll take the violin book
bing blonde mane, leading the group phrase then stops abruptly as Brennan and I’m putting every one of the notes
through that fabulous music. breaks for a pointer. Other rehears- At the University of Cincinnati Col- into the laptop.”
als involve just her and the actors. Her lege-Conservatory of Music, she stud-
When “Mame” opens March 7, she coaching ranges from giving word-spe- ied performance as an undergrad and And for the next show, “Saturday
won’t be quite so obvious. But just as cific tips to helping them learn not just accompaniment in graduate school. Night Fever,” for which she will act as
she has in dozens of Riverside plays, notes but the “cut-offs” – the agreed- Her interest was in opera and art songs. associate music director to Clifton,
her presence will be felt just the upon points to take a breath. It wasn’t until she was almost through she’ll program sounds into the com-
same. From the actors’ vocals to her her master’s program that she sudden- puter and run that through the key-
own piano and the rest of the pit or- Two weeks before the show opens, ly got hooked on Broadway, when she board. “It’s great because I can do it on
chestra, Shuttlesworth puts the mu- the orchestra arrives in town; it is Shut- was hired to go on the road as associ- a plane,” she says.
sic in musicals. tlesworth who will run their rehears- ate conductor with the pre-Broadway
als, too. That’s when the bobbing be- tour of “Annie.” It was 1996; Nell Carter That’s important. While Shuttles-
She also puts the music on the page gins in earnest and with purpose as she starred. worth works essentially full-time at
– literally. Before every show, from the exuberantly plays piano while marking Riverside, there are times with other
first rehearsals, she is tapping away at time with the rest of her body. After the tour settled in on Broadway, gigs overlap, like a recent mad dash to
her laptop using special software to re- Shuttlesworth stayed in New York. She Orlando to fill in for the associate mu-
duce and transcribe the score for the “My accompanist professor took a moved to Vero Beach 12 years ago and, sic director of “Wicked” when his wife
limited instruments that will play. video of me once, and said, ‘Watch this. soon after, began playing at Riverside. went into labor.
You move too much.’ But something’s
Just like the theater’s on-staff music got to move if you’re playing the piano After two decades in the business, Along with “Chicago” and now
director Ken Clifton, Shuttlesworth her fingers fly over a laptop loaded with “Mame,” recent shows at Riverside
software that types not letters but mu- for which Shuttlesworth has direct-
sical notation. During an early rehears-
al of a dance sequence in “Mame,” as

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 35

ARTS & THEATRE

ed the music include “Hello, Dolly,” ISLE TAKE IT! AT KOMAN GALLERY, VERO’S
“Swingin’ On a Star,” “I Love a Piano” SOLD ON ROSE’S BAHAMIAN PAINTINGS
and “How to Succeed in Business
(Without Really Trying).” BY MICHELLE GENZ a pile of Queen conchs glisten on (and one-time boat builder), he first
the deck before him. His heavy craft sailed to the islands in 1977 when, on
It’s a grueling schedule, fun though Staff Writer seems to levitate rather than float a trip from New England to the Ca-
it seems. “The sheer amount of work atop the turquoise surface beneath it. ribbean, he began to have problems
that goes into putting something up For gallerist Steve Koman, it’s hard with his boat somewhere off Cape
– it’s kind of huge,” she says. “Reduc- to count the ways in which artist Jerry “I’ve never been to the Bahamas, Hatteras.
ing (the score) and creating the band Rose’s painterly charms delight him but people say Rose understands the
parts, that’s a lot when it’s a show as as well as his visitors to Koman Fine water he paints,” says Koman. “I put in at the first port I could
big as ‘Mame.’ None of that pre-exists Art, the beachside gallery on Vero’s find in the Bahamas for repairs,
the show.” Cardinal Drive that is currently fea- Rose asserts that he has had plenty
turing Rose’s paintings. of practice. An experienced sailor CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
And then there are the unlucky
breaks. One came before rehearsals “One reason we like him – well, we JAW
even started. like him for a lot of reasons,” says Ko- DROPPING
man about the artist, who for many
“We lost a day of rehearsal when half years lived in Palm City and Stuart GEMS
the cast was snowed in in New York and and exhibited his works in a number
physically couldn’t get here. Losing a of shows and galleries. JOIN US FOR A TRUNK SHOW WITH
day is huge. We’ll make it up and no one “ROCK” STAR JEWELRY DESIGNER
will know, but losing an eight-hour day “We like the variety of his work,
is no small thing.” which ranges from almost abstract to SUZY LANDA
very realistic.”
And there are times when pushing FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 3 – 4
through the pressure finally takes its Rose’s subject matter is as narrow
toll. “I had walking pneumonia the last and as broad as the wilds and waters SEE THESE AND OTHER FINE THINGS AT VERO’S FINEST
10 days of ‘Chicago,’” she says. She “ate near his costal home in Sedgwick, COLLECTION OF AMERICAN-MADE ART AND JEWELRY
a zillion cough drops” for fear of having Maine, where he moved in 2010, as
a coughing jag with the orchestra aloft well as the Bahamas, which he visits THEL AUGHINGDOGGALLERY.COM 2910 CARDINAL DR.
on the stage. on his sailboat every winter to paint. VERO BEACH, FL
7 72 . 2 3 4 . 6711
The night the show closed, she did “I don’t stick to any one style, I
not put herself on bedrest. On the con- respond with the style that fits the
trary. “I did close to an all-nighter writ- idea,” said Rose, reached aboard his
ing charts for a Valerie Lemon concert boat as he readied it for his annual
of Marvin Hamlisch music in Naples,” painting trip.
she says. It wasn’t until Hamlisch’s
widow Terre Blair Hamlisch texted her His more impressionist, bravura
“You need amoxicillin” that she finally style seems earmarked for the fleet-
went to a doctor. ing effects of Maine’s precious light,
while his finer and more detailed
And even that didn’t stop her from brushwork is reserved for the harsh-
an emergency fill-in days later for the ly-lit details of an all-but-vanished
national tour of “Wicked” in Orlando, Bahamian lifestyle.
when the music director’s wife went
into labor. At least she wasn’t wing- There are plenty of examples of
ing it – she herself had toured with both themes at Koman’s gallery,
the show as associate music director where two seascapes surge against
last summer. the rocky Maine coast in the gallery’s
front windows, while the main part of
In “Mame,” the cast of 28 includes a the gallery vaunts sunny skies and ce-
child actor on stage, 10-year-old Berg- rulean waters.
man Freedman, a New Yorker who is
making his regional theater debut. He Rose and his work came to the gal-
plays the orphan Patrick who comes lery on the recommendation of a cus-
to live with his Auntie Mame. The mu- tomer who owns a number of Rose’s
sic Shuttlesworth is working on with watercolors. That collector assured
him includes some of Jerry Herman’s Koman that Rose would be a good fit
best-known songs: “We Need a Little for the gallery.
Christmas,” “My Best Girl” and “Open
a New Window.” Koman responded by inviting Rose
to an initial showing in 2015.
Bergman may not realize it, but he’ll
won’t be the only kid around on open- “We only got a few works that year
ing night. In the pit, next to Shuttles- and we sold them,” Koman says.
worth, will be her daughter Elexia. Mad
about theater, she tags along to every This year, Koman began with 25 of
show she can; she was even up on that Rose’s paintings. Since going on dis-
platform in Chicago. This time, she’s play less than a month ago, they have
got her own child-size armchair to again proven to be a hit with the Vero
lounge in – black, so it doesn’t stand out Beach audience: At least nine of the
in the pit. Bahamian paintings have sold, at
last check.
Just like her mother, Elexia has put in
some hours of preparation for the show It is easy to see why. Take his just-
– at Riverside Children’s Theatre. finished “On Board a Conch Smack,”
which shows a lone fisherman squat-
“She’s ready,” says Shuttlesworth. ting on the edge of his wooden boat;
“She’s been taking the ‘Mame’ class
next door.” 

36 Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 ARTS & THEATRE

A Jerry Rose painting at the Koman Fine Art Gallery.
PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD

“View from Backus’ Jamaican Studio” and I’ve been going back every year of which falls on and around Staniel
20” x 24”, Circa 1972 since,” he says. Cay, one of 365 tiny islands that com-
Value of $25,000 prise the Bahamas’ Exuma district.
Warming to his subject, Rose ex-
Raffle Painting Drawing & plains that the Bahamas occupies “They’ve got some remote settle-
“All You Should Eat” more area than the Caribbean: “The ments there,” says Rose.
Backus Brunch islands begin at the same latitude as
March 5, 20107 Stuart, and extend all the way down Rose tells the story of the islands’
to the southern tip of Cuba!” black inhabitants, descended from
Brunch served from enslaved West Africans. Some of
9:30 A.M. to Noon. His favorite spot to drop anchor is them came with white settlers in the
Brunch Tickets $20.00 in advance the Central Exumas, the midpoint mid-17th century; others came to the
($25.00 at the door,
Kids under 12 $10.00)

Raffle Tickets to Win the
Backus Painting $20 each or 3 for $50.

Call 772/465-0630 or visit the Backus Museum
to Purchase Tickets

500 N. Indian River Dr., Fort Pierce, FL 34950
772-465-0630/Backusmuseum.com

Sponsored by the St. Lucie County Tourist Development Council

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 2, 2017 37

ARTS & THEATRE

A Jerry Rose painting at the There they found in my dingy to follow them into nar- ner. To the lower left, a pile of pink-
Koman Fine Art Gallery. freedom and subsis- row water,” Rose says. lipped conchs lay in mute entreaty.
PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD tence as fishermen,
especially of conch, One of the sights he saw again and Clark’s level features, shown again
British-held islands with their white which was bounti- again is exemplified by the painting in shadow, are the definition of in-
Loyalist owners after the Ameri- ful in those days. Tra- “Conching, Exumas” from last year’s scrutability.
can Revolution. Still other Africans, ditionally found in trip.
freed from slave ships, settled in the cays’ shallow waters, Rose describes his demeanor as
Bahamas after England abolished its conches were easily In it, two men in a tiny wooden din- “regal.”
slave trade in 1809. After 1820, Amer- gathered from small ghy ply their trade in sparking green
ican slaves and Seminole Indians, wooden boats. Due shallows. The man in the bow bends During an early visit to the Ba-
aided by the Bahamians, escaped to to overfishing, these over to peer into a glass-bottomed hamas, a portrait Rose did of Clark
the islands. hunting grounds start- cask he steadies in the water with one turned out so well that he invited
ed to decline a century hand; this will allow him to see the Clark and his fishing companions to
ago. mollusk on the sand below. The fish- come aboard his sailboat to view it.
erman’s other hand grasps the end of
In 1977, when Rose a long pole; hooks at its end will snag When Clark demurred, Rose
began to make his an- his prey. asked, “Don’t you want to see your
nual visits, traditional picture?”
conch fishing was mor- Beside him a slender man in a
ibund. Rose got to know white T-shirt and with trousers a few It was one of the other fishermen
some of the Exumas’ re- sizes too big for him stands in the who clued Rose in. “Jake is blind,”
maining conch-fishing stern stabilizing the craft with a sin- the man said.
families and, returning gle oar. Silhouetted against the sky,
year after year, watched his head is turned toward us. The Clark died in 1996, but thanks to
their children grow up. man’s features, thrown into shadow Rose’s 30 years of on-site painting in
by a faded bill cap, seem to acknowl- the Bahamas, as well as the artist’s
Living on his 37-foot, edge our presence, while his erect decades-old resource photos, Jacob
custom-built aluminum sailboat- posture bespeaks the confidence of Clark, as well as the type of old-style
studio for months on end, Rose and one who knows this boat and these fishing boat he oared, and the sim-
his vessel became such a familiar waters well. ple ways of his fellow fisher folk, live
sight in these communities that fish- on in Rose’s paintings.
ermen soon paid little mind to the Hanging to the left of this picture,
doings of the inquisitive artist. a portrait titled “Jacob Clark” (2016) “All the boats then were wooden
gives us a better look at this dignified vessels,” Rose sighs.
“I spent weeks keeping my sailboat man. He is again shown holding the
in sight of their smacks, and went out end of his oar, which disappears from In fact, he says, the only type of
the composition at its lower right cor- boat he paints nowadays are wooden
Bahamian conch boats.

“I am still tied a little bit to tradi-
tional ideas in my paintings,” he ad-
mits. 















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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43 INSIGHT COVER STORY

Wearing a dark suit and lime-green tie, price, and a few cards went down each the time. Just 13 were signed. The most I asked about price appreciation, sepa-
Cilliers told newcomers that if they time. At $70, I counted eight bid cards generous valuation I could come up rate staffers gave the same response:
wanted the free Champagne or raffle still up, when he abruptly concluded with – assigning a value of zero to the “We can’t predict the future.” Scaglione
tickets, they needed to sign up for a bid the bidding, taking in a quick $560. It unsigned ones – put the price of a single told me, “The place we’re at now is so
card. Once they were seated, he made would’ve been confusing for anyone signed picture at $7,400. Later I found a nice. Did we ever have an auctioneer
clear he wanted buyers, not oglers. “If who didn’t understand that that exact precise figure: In 2011, Swann Auction selling art as an investment? We did.
you’re here to watch the show,” he said, picture wasn’t for sale – that Park West Galleries in NewYork had sold one of the We fired them.”
“you’re in the wrong place.” A waiter had hundreds, possibly thousands, Mirós for $3,360, including fees. Sure,
passed flutes of mimosas and Cham- of identical copies from the print run prices shift from year to year. But had I One thing Scaglione didn’t want to
pagne. “This isn’t television,” Cilliers in its warehouse. (Some sore winners paid what could be seen as Park West’s discuss was ParkWest’s 2011 settlement.
said, pointing to his eyes and then back of such rounds later told me they’d 317 percent markup, I’d have joined I had found, buried in the docket for a
at the audience. “I can see you.” thought the game would continue un- their roster of unhappy customers. separate case, the amount the company
til there was a single remaining bidder, had paid to resolve the matter, including
Cilliers started with a Peter Max of leaving them time to drop out.) Being safely off the ship, I got in legal fees and damages: $1,154,435.47.
a man holding an umbrella – a “one- touch with Park West’s founder and During a good year, that would be a
of-a-kind” on canvas. Estimated retail To finish off with a bang, Cilliers filled chief executive officer, Albert Sca- single day of revenue. It explained a lot
was $23,800, he said, but he’d start bid- about the company’s durability.
ding at $20,000. After a flurry of unin- the stage with five Peter Max pictures The Dalí Destino prints
telligible auctionese, Cilliers banged worth, he said, $31,460 – but avail- Rembrandt was the last Park West
his gavel on the side of the podium able for $9,999. No takers. He added a glione. “We’re not out there cheating mystery to solve. Bialon had said he’d tell
and asked for a round of applause for sixth image to the bargain. It was of the people,” he said over the phone. Sca- me the whole story when he got back to
the Max. It hadn’t sold, but that didn’t Statue of Liberty surrounded by votive glione said that since the lawsuits he’s his house in Pennsylvania, where the re-
seem to be the point. He’d conditioned candles, flowers, and an American flag. beefed up his compliance department, tired computer systems analyst spends
the crowd into thinking anything un- which reviews videos of every auction. his time breeding tropical fish in 40
der five figures might be a bargain. “What was yesterday?” Cilliers asked He disputed that Park West’s prices are aquariums he keeps in his basement.
the crowd. inflated, arguing they’re the market
Soon, Cilliers racked up sales. A bronze prices for his way of selling art. “We’re By phone, he said he picked up the
statue of a cat, retail $6,400, went to a sole “Monday!” they shouted. not Sotheby’s or Christie’s,” he said. Old Master on a Park West cruise seven
bidder for $4,900. Then a trio of pictures Cilliers, with a beleaguered look, years ago. It was a self-portrait etching
came to the block, valued at $19,150. An reminded them that it had been the Scaglione, 77, did say he was sympa- of the artist wearing a flat cap. It had
American couple had arranged a first anniversary of Sept. 11. He contin- thetic about the confusion during auc- been printed in the 1800s from copper
bid of $9,790 and was hoping nobody ued sweetening the deal with more tions regarding whether works were plates that Rembrandt van Rijn made
pushed it higher. Cilliers searched the pictures, until there were 10 Maxes in original paintings. “It’s often garbled, during his lifetime in the 1600s, ac-
room for competitors, found none, and all, still for $9,999. No one bid, and the it goes too fast,” he said, suggesting he cording to the Park West appraisal that
banged his wooden hammer. The room crowd filed out toward the casino. might introduce better signs explain- came with the picture. The document
erupted with applause. The husband, When the Epic returned me to Rome, ing things. valued the etching at $11,800, the same
the back of his buzz-cut neck flushed the first thing I did at my desk was re- Bialon had paid for it.
red, beamed with relief. search whether the Miró lithograph I’d The seemingly high prices for prints
admired was a good deal at $14,000. It that went for less on land? “You might But nowhere did the appraisal say
Cilliers also sold a vellum manu- turned out to be part of a set of 39 sold find one in an obscure auction in Aus- where the etching had come from –
script page, with red and black Latin by Christie’s in London in March 2015 tria that sold for a third,” he said. “These its provenance. Now Bialon wanted
script on it that he described as “a for the equivalent of about $96,000 at things aren’t always available.” The Dalí to know. “The thing has been sitting
piece of history,” to another lone bid- Destino prints? ParkWest had set its pric- around for a couple hundred years,”
der for $4,100, as well as a giclée of es as the exclusive marketer of the prints, he said. “Somebody had it.” In late Sep-
leopards by Andrew Bone to a man he said, and any other prices are, at best, tember, Bialon called Park West, gave
wearing a Yankees T-shirt for $1,025. from “people who bought from us, who them the registration number off the
(When I spoke to the Yankees fan later, are selling,” he said. He also said, “how appraisal, and asked if they could send
he referred to the purchase as a “paint- do you know it’s not a forged Destino?” him the picture’s history. At first Bialon
ing on canvas,” and I didn’t have the was told he’d get the information in the
heart to tell him otherwise.) I told Scaglione that I’d noticed one mail in a week. When nothing arrived,
reform on the Epic: Not once did I hear he called and got bounced around,
The American couple’s $9,790 pur- the auctioneers make promises of in- only to be told he’d get a certificate of
chase had earned them the close at- vestment return. In fact, the two times authenticity and nothing more.
tention of Park West staff. One perched
herself over their shoulders, whisper- When I spoke to Scaglione, he was
ing. Minutes later, Cilliers offered a aware of Bialon’s case and was firm
Romero Britto picture, saying it was about refusing him the provenance.
worth up to $4,200 but could be had “We get things from families, we get
for a bid of $1,390. The couple, now them from clients,” he said. “We do not
the toasts of Le Bistro, nodded. Cilliers and will not provide the sources.”
banged the gavel as his assistant of-
fered the couple more Champagne. The day before this article went to
press, Scaglione sent me an e-mail. It
Amid the auction lots came games. was another chance to observe how
Park West is known for sprinkling in di- Park West operates. During our earlier
versions like raffles and mystery items. phone call he had requested that I not
(At one auction I won a gift box with use an audio recorder. Now he revealed
a watch, pen, and case for business that he’d been using a recorder on his
cards. I gave it to the Filipino man who end and suggested I submit for his verifi-
cleaned my stateroom.) Another tactic cation “anything whatsoever that I said.”
is bidding by elimination. I watched
as an assistant brought out a print val- Scaglione also wrote, “[W]e have
ued at $300, and Cilliers asked anyone video tapes of all the auctions you at-
willing to pay $5 to raise his bid card. tended” on the Epic. “We have a video
“If you don’t have $5,” he said, “I’ll give of each work of art that came up and
you $5.” Almost every card in the room when you took notes and when you did
went up. Cilliers started to increase the not.” In at least this one respect, Park
West has learned to value the art of au-
thentication. 