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Published by Vero Beach 32963 Media, 2019-12-05 15:28:27

12/05/2019 ISSUE 49

VB32963_ISSUE49_120519_OPT

Dignity Village: 100 tiny homes
for the homeless. P10
Rave reviews for
‘Friends Luncheon.’ P18

Praise for selfless stars on
National Philanthropy Day. P28

For breaking news visit

School’s outside lawyer Major renovation
disdains NAACP input set for hospital’s
in writing deseg report maternity ward

BY FEDERICO MARTINEZ
Staff Writer

The NAACP and Indian Riv- FlightSafety Academy surrenders accreditation BY MICHELLE GENZ
er County School District may
be headed back to court due BY RAY MCNULTY pits of commercial airlines have gone on to become Staff Writer
to a dispute over a report that Staff Writer and corporate carriers across professional pilots since the
is supposed to be submitted America and around the company’s founder, Albert L. At least 20,000 babies born
in federal court by Dec. 14, Nationally known Flight- world for more than 50 years. Ueltschi, opened the school at Indian River Medical Center
detailing efforts to comply Safety Academy inVero Beach at what is now Vero Beach Re- have one shared experience:
with a 52-year-old desegrega- has been training entry-level In fact, a FlightSafety execu- gional Airport in 1966. they first opened their eyes
tion order. pilots and filling the cock- tive said last week that 25,000 to the same surroundings – a
of the academy’s graduates CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 maternity ward unchanged for
According to NAACP Presi- more than two decades.
dent Tony Brown, the report
is supposed to be a collabo- Now that setting is about to
ration between his organiza- change, as one of the most sen-
tion and the School Board. timental spaces in the hospital,
But the NAACP recently dis- which became part of Cleve-
covered school district attor- land Clinic Florida in Janu-
ney Suzanne D’Agresta had ary, gets ready for an extensive
already written the report $12.25-million renovation.
without any input from the
NAACP or the district’s own Hospital District trustee Al-
Equity Committee. len Jones delivered the good
news last week that the capi-
“We’ve contacted our at- tal campaign for maternity
torney and are looking at our ward improvements is being
options, including possible launched.
litigation,” Brown said.
He also announced that in-
D’Agresta’s report doesn’t fant and maternal health in
include any reference to a list the county is getting better,
of failures by the district or crediting the improvement to
recommended steps for im- Partners in Women’s Health – a
provement that were submit- Hospital District-subsidized,
Cleveland Clinic-run OB-GYN
practice providing maternal

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Home nurses accused of defrauding seniors remain free Tow trucks busy hauling cars out of Old Dixie lot

BY LISA ZAHNER to go to trial, no trial date has been set. BY RAY MCNULTY day on weekends, be sure you pay or
Staff Writer McGee and Shepherd (aka Sophia Staff Writer your car probably will be towed.

Nearly a year after the serious fel- Brown) are accused of stealing from If you’re going to park in the down- Towing was infrequent during late
ony theft case against home health their elderly patients, John’s Island town lot across Old Dixie Highway summer and early fall after Deerfield
nurses Chiquita Lashae McGee and residents Alfred and Michelina “Aline” from the Kilted Mermaid and Fishack Beach-based Global Parking Services
Sophia Monae Shepherd was expected Martinelli, defrauding their banks after 5 p.m. weekdays or any time of began enforcing its pay-to-park sys-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

December 5, 2019 Volume 12, Issue 49 Newsstand Price $1.00 Festival of Trees
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© 2019 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

FlightSafety Academy (ACCSC), which had placed the acade- McComis added: “The commission because the ACCSC vacated its pro-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 my on “warning” in 2017 and then “pro- cannot overlook that, as of the February bation order in December 2018 and
bation” in 2018, was a failure to maintain 2018 report date on the Graduation and renewed the academy’s accreditation
For the past three months, however, a graduation rate of at least 50 percent Employment Chart, the graduation rate through April 2020.
the academy has been operating with- for its professional pilot program. for the professional pilot program not
out accreditation, which it surren- only falls 37 percent below the gradua- Despite being back in compliance
dered on Aug. 30, ending a three-year According to the ACCSC, the acade- tion benchmark, but is representative of with ACCSC standards, however,
struggle to comply with standards set my’s reported graduation rates for that only one student successfully graduat- FlightSafety officials decided last sum-
by a long-established, U.S. Depart- program plummeted from 38 percent ing from the program.” mer to sever ties with the accreditor.
ment of Education-recognized organi- in July 2016 to 14 percent in July 2017
zation that evaluates post-secondary to only 3 percent in February 2018. Those numbers prompted the ACC- Nily informed students of the acad-
vocational and technical schools. SC, which had issued a detailed “warn- emy’s decision to “voluntarily with-
“The commission found that the ing letter” in December 2017, to place draw” from the ACCSC in a letter dat-
Among the more-alarming deficien- graduation rate for the professional pi- the academy on probation in June 2018. ed Sept. 27 – nearly a month after the
cies cited by the Accrediting Commis- lot program continues to deteriorate,” flight school surrendered its accredita-
sion of Career Schools and Colleges ACCSC Executive Director Michale FlightSafety officials apparently ad- tion, which it had held since the 1970s.
McComis wrote in a June 6, 2018, letter dressed the commission’s concerns
to Academy Manager Peter Nily. and made the necessary corrections, In his letter, Nily wrote that “Flight-
Safety has taken a researched evalua-
tion of our programs in relation to the
demands for our pilots” and decided
to focus its “administrative resources”
entirely on Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration certifications and ratings “to
best serve our students and the avia-
tion community waiting to hire them.”

He also wrote that the academy was
“in good standing with the ACCSC,” add-
ing that the withdrawal “will not change
or have any negative effect on our cur-
rent students or training programs.”

Reached at his office at the Vero
Beach airport, Nily declined an inter-
view, referring all inquiries to Steve
Phillips, vice president for communi-
cations at FlightSafety International’s
New York headquarters.

Phillips downplayed the absence of
accreditation, saying, “There’s no neg-
ative story here. What we do is a posi-
tive thing. What we’re doing in Vero
Beach is a good thing – good for Flight-
Safety, our students and the industry.”

He said withdrawing from the ACCSC
“doesn’t mean a whole lot” and that the
accreditation “doesn’t add any value to
the school” because the academy’s pro-
grams are regulated by the FAA and U.S.
Department of Transportation.

“If there was a benefit to being ac-
credited,” Phillips said, “we would be,”
despite the fact that FlightSafety did
maintain its accreditation for more
than four decades.

Aiming to refute any inference the
academy is struggling, Phillips said the
school’s current enrollment is “about
500 students,” though the exact num-
ber fluctuates depending on the time
of year and from year to year.

If anything, the academy’s enroll-
ment has increased in recent years be-
cause of a national and global short-
age of pilots, Phillips claimed, adding
that the school is equipped with 70
airplanes – which can be seen taking
off and landing dozens of times each
day – and employs 250 people.

He said 65 percent of the academy’s
students come from outside the United
States, and many of them are sponsored
by airlines in their home countries.

“FlightSafety contributes significant-
ly to the local economy,” Phillips said.

Established in 1965 and based in Ar-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 3

NEWS

lington, Va., the Accrediting Commis- The International Professional Pi- emy students were approached by in part, to a shortage of instructors at
sion of Career Schools and Colleges lot Program runs 15 months and the Vero Beach 32963, but all refused the school.
is a privately owned, nonprofit orga- tuition is just over $111,000 or just to be interviewed for this story, de-
nization that evaluates and accredits under $84,000, depending on the spe- clining to give their names and say- The academy responded to the ACC-
post-secondary educational institu- cific program selected. ing only that they were unaware the SC’s early warnings by claiming it would
tions, primarily vocational and tech- school was no longer accredited. put into effect new incentives – includ-
nical schools. Those dollar amounts do not in- ing referral bonuses for current employ-
clude additional costs, such as hous- The plummeting graduation rate in ees who helped recruit new flight in-
Nearly 800 schools serving more ing, meals, headsets, FAA examiner the academy’s professional pilot pro- structors, and bonuses for newly hired
than 250,000 students are accredited fees and aircraft rental. gram that pushed ACCSC to place the instructors – and put out more job post-
by the ACCSC, which assesses an in- school on probation was due, at least
stitution’s administration and man- More than a dozen current acad- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
agement, educational requirements
and faculty qualifications, as well as
its student recruiting and admissions
policies and student achievement.

Three other Florida-based flight
schools are still accredited by the ACC-
SC: Aviator College of Aeronautical Sci-
ence and Technology, which has cam-
puses in Fort Pierce and Kissimmee;
L3 Harris Commercial Aviation and
Airline Academy in Sanford; and Peli-
can Flight Training in Pembroke Pines.

McComis said seeking accredita-
tion from the ACCSC is voluntary, but
he believes the sanctioning and stan-
dards set by the commission benefits
the schools it oversees and the stu-
dents who attend them.

He said accreditation also can impact
the availability of government funding
for student financial aid and the secur-
ing of visas for foreign students.

“You need to attend an accredited
institution to be eligible for federal
funds and programs,” McComis said.
“And, typically, accreditation is a re-
quirement for international students
to attend schools in the United States.”

Phillips, though, said the academy’s
lack of accreditation will not limit stu-
dents’ financial aid sources, nor will it
make it more difficult for foreign stu-
dents to obtain visas.

Pierre Lavial, vice president for aca-
demic affairs at Aviator College in Fort
Pierce, said the “multiple benefits” to
being an accredited school go beyond
student eligibility for federal grants
and loans.

“The standards, the reviews, the
accountability – it’s all part of being
accredited, and it provides a better
environment for students,” said La-
vial, a former French Navy pilot who
also serves as an FAA examiner at the
school, which has 500 students in Fort
Pierce, 300 in Kissimmee and also of-
fers associate’s degrees.

“But adhering to the accredita-
tion standards and going through the
reviews takes a lot of effort and re-
sources,” he added. “It costs us at least
$15,000 per year, based on our enroll-
ment and annual financial reports.
For us, it’s worth it.”

According to the FlightSafety’s cata-
logue, the Commercial Pilot Program
runs 10 months and the tuition is just
under $60,000, while the Professional
Career Pilot Program runs 15 months
and the tuition is just under $84,000.

4 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

FlightSafety Academy Jones, for whom maternal and in- delivery,” said Megan McFall, director ing in their current state: “Try lathering
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 fant health has been a pet project since of women’s healthcare at both the hos- your hair in there with a postpartum
2015, proudly reeled off the latest data pital and at the Partners clinic. “Now belly. It’s quite interesting,” she said.
ings, embracing social-media market- from 2018 at last week’s Hospital Dis- that the baby stays with the mom;
ing to attract new instructors. trict meeting: the only time they go to the nursery The renovation, which has no start
is when they’re having some kind of date as yet, will be more extensive than
The academy also hoped to in- The county’s maternal mortality complication. There, they get one-on- last year’s $1.2 million renovation of 96
crease graduation rates by “improving rate was zero; the neonatal mortality one care and a pediatric hospitalist.” patient rooms, similar to the renovation
the flow of training” to directly im- rate was zero; and the infant mortality four years ago of patient rooms used in
pact student motivation and program rate was one-fourth the statewide rate. The new way of thinking began to conjunction with the Scully-Welsh Can-
completion rates. In addition to add- Adequate prenatal care as measured take hold at Indian River about 10 cer Center. That renovation also turned
ing instructors, the school planned to by a nationally recognized index was years ago, said McFall, who says pro- three rooms into two, creating space for
increase the time faculty spent inter- 81.1 percent in this county, compared viders now think in terms of the “moth- guests to stay with cancer patients.
acting with students and implement to 70 percent for Florida as a whole. er-baby couplet.” They also encourage
stronger controls on training quality. having a family member or friend stay The renovated maternity ward will
“When you think about that and in the mom’s room, including for new- leave space for future needs as well.
Despite those initiatives, the ACCSC where we were just a few years ago, this mom education. “The construction anticipates expan-
wasn’t convinced the academy could is an incredible achievement on the sion for the population to grow or the
raise the graduation rates for its profes- part of doctors, nurses and staff that “Family-centered care is a new gen- acuity to change,” VanLith said, add-
sional pilot program to a minimally ac- make the Partners program what it is,” eration of care,” said McFall. ing that the hospital currently delivers
ceptable level, noting that the rate contin- Jones said. about 1,100 babies a year.
ued to worsen after the school received In addition to making rooms more
the December 2017 warning letter.  The maternity ward re-do, the first spacious, the renovation will upgrade Having successfully wrapped up a
in 22 years, will reduce the size of the plumbing, medical gas systems and $10.5 million stroke center campaign
Maternity ward nursery while enlarging patient rooms wiring, including improved IT hard- that topped its goal by $400,000, Liz
by 50 percent. That’s because nowadays ware in anticipation of the installation Bruner, Cleveland Clinic Indian River
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 babies stay mostly with their mothers, of new medical records software in the Foundation president, said the ma-
the majority of whom deliver their ba- near future. ternity ward capital campaign will be
care for three-fourths of births in the bies in the same room they recover in. the first to target younger donors, in
county. “It’s not a facelift, it’s a complete re- particular, those thinking of starting a
Space is also needed for new sleep do,” said Rick VanLith, vice president of family or having more children.
Partners doctors, nurses and soon- sofas, added so that a friend or fam- strategy and business development at
to-be-added midwives provide pre- ily member can stay overnight with the the hospital. “For the small rooms be- “For the past 10 or 15 years, the
natal and postpartum care to women mom. Those fold-out sofas were part of ing enlarged, we’ll take it down to the foundation has facilitated a lot of
regardless of their ability to pay. a $500,000 spend this fall on maternity studs, so there’ll be new bathrooms incredible philanthropic gifts. All
and neonatal furniture and equipment. that are handicapped accessible." of them have been focused on life-
threatening emergency issues that our
“Before this change took place, the Upgrades will include enlarging shower population fears the most: heart care,
new baby would go to the nursery after stalls, which McFall joked are challeng-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 5

NEWS

stroke care, cancer care,” Bruner said. a hospital- and home visit-based pro- When the Partners clinic began in The zero maternal mortality rate last
“Now that we have all those wonderful gram for new mothers run through the 1993, Indian River County’s rate of in- year compares to 17 per 100,000 state-
things, we’re stepping back and seeing state’s Department of Health. Healthy fant deaths in the first year of life was wide. That zero rate has held steady
what else needs our attention. It’s re- Start has been “embedded” in the Part- 12 for every 1,000 live births. In 2018, here for 14 years, according to McFall.
ally exciting to do this.” ners clinic, as Jones put it, since 2015, it was down to 1.5 deaths per 1,000
when Jones helped launch a quality births, far below the state average last Indian River County’s neonatal
The renovation will include creat- initiative to reduce infant mortality. year of 6 per 1,000 births. mortality rate of zero last year is down
ing offices for Healthy Start Coalition,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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Maternity ward particularly for maternity care, Jones case passed away nearly two years ago. end of 2018. Despite the serious charges
pointed out. But while the health of the victims against the defendants, Vaughn eased
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 the terms of McGee’s pre-trial release
“Often hospitals are trying to get deteriorated, both defendants have allowing her to remove her ankle moni-
from the county’s rate averaged over away from this cost of delivering ba- continued to enjoy their freedom, out tor and leave home to attend her child’s
the previous three years of 3.7 deaths bies if they can,” Jones said. “Cleveland of jail on fairly lax pre-trial release re- school functions. Shepherd had been
per 1,000 live births. In Florida, the Clinic is doing the opposite, I think strictions. permitted to ditch her ankle monitor
2018 rate was 4.1 per 1,000 births. probably in part because taxpayers are months earlier.
Neonatal mortality refers to the death supportive of this Partners program, Indian River Shores detectives who
of an infant within 28 days of birth. but certainly mostly because Cleveland investigated the case say McGee and McGee was represented by a pri-
Clinic believes it’s in the best interest of Shepherd bought clothing and jewelry vate defense attorney, but the money
Despite the improvements, McFall the community to have healthy babies items at Nieman Marcus and Ralph for legal fees presumably ran dry. Now
says there is “laser focus” imposed by and healthy mothers.”  Lauren stores, stayed at The Plaza ho- McGee is being represented by Assis-
the new leadership of Cleveland Clin- tel in Manhattan, rented a Rolls-Royce tant Public Defender Dorothy Nau-
ic Florida on promoting breastfeeding Home nursing aides Ghost for transportation, took cruises mann. Shepherd is being represented
and reducing C-sections, episioto- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and paid for plastic surgery and cos- by attorney Robert E. Stone of Vero
mies and transfers to other hospitals. metic dental procedures, charging all Beach. In November, the defense was
throughout 2017 and using more than the bills to the unsuspecting Martinellis. granted an eighth continuance due to
Two weeks ago, McFall added an- $543,000 of the Martinellis’ money the change in attorneys.
other concentration: maternal opioid and credit for luxury purchases. The arrest affidavits describe the
addiction, after she attended the Flor- position McGee and Shepherd held Evans, who prosecuted CNA Gina
ida Perinatal Quality Collaborative McGee and Brown were arrested in as one of “trust and confidence,” and Albrecht, who is serving a 30-year sen-
kick-off of a new initiative to combat March 2018 and in April 2018 formally say the women allegedly used the rela- tence for the aggravated manslaugh-
the problem, seen as a significant con- charged with the first-degree felony tionship forged via their employment ter of 81-year-old Marbrisa resident
tributor to maternal mortality. of Exploitation of the Elderly and the as CNAs to, by deception or manipu- George May, argues that swift pros-
second-degree felony of Scheme to lation, steal from the Martinellis via ecution of McGee and Shepherd is
Economics play into the chal- Defraud a Financial Institution. “a systematic, ongoing course of con- warranted because of the age of the re-
lenges of keeping women and in- duct with intent to defraud.” maining victim. Back in August, Evans
fants healthy as well. Nearly half the Assistant State Attorney Lev Evans asked that defense counsel be placed
births in Florida – and 47.7 percent has been pushing since August to get Defense attorneys for the two former on and held accountable to a strict
in Indian River County – are to wom- the case on the docket as soon as pos- Indian River Home Health Care CNAs pre-trial schedule.
en struggling enough financially to sible while the lone surviving victim in December 2018 told Judge Cynthia
qualify for Medicaid. But Medicaid is still alive. The second victim in the Cox they could be ready for trial in Jan- Elderly victim Alfred Martinelli – re-
reimbursements to the doctors who uary 2019, but that proved false. tired CEO of the Penn Central Corpora-
care for them are notoriously low, tion and former chairman of Buckeye
Judge Dan Vaughn took over the cas-
es against Shepherd and McGee at the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 7

NEWS

Pipeline Corporation – died on Jan. 17, Tow trucks busy on Old Dixie that many seasonal residents, visitors Darby Cox, whose car was towed on
2018, just shy of his 90th birthday, leav- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and newcomers to Vero Beach don’t Nov. 23, when she spent an hour at the
ing his 88-year-old widow Aline as the know they must now pay to park in that Kilted Mermaid.
key witness. tem, which charges customers $4 per lot.
hour. “It was dark out, and I was concen-
Mrs. Martinelli, who court records “The signage is inadequate,” she said. trating on looking for a parking space,”
say “resides in a nursing home and is In September, only four cars were At the very least, it’s confusing: While she added. “I hadn’t been there in a
disabled,” asserts that neither she nor towed from the lot, but that same num- blue-and-white signs, each with a large while, and I didn’t know you had to pay.
her late husband authorized the ex- ber were hooked up and hauled away “P” on them to indicate public park- So when I came outside and my car
travagant expenditures. last Friday night, when Vero Beach ing, are posted along the exterior of the was gone, I thought it had been stolen.
32963 witnessed two cars being re- property, red-and-white signs at the
After Alfred Martinelli died, Indian moved within a 30-minute span. lot’s entrances warn that it is a “TOW “It never occurred to me that it was
River Shores Public Safety officers and AWAY ZONE” 24 hours a day, seven days towed.”
Chief Rich Rosell fought hard to get A total of 33 vehicles were towed in a week.
the case prosecuted as the crimes al- November. There’s no sign at any of the entranc- Cox said she remembered seeing a
leged represent serious exploitation of es identifying the facility as a pay-to- “girl in a blue shirt” – the Global atten-
wealthy elderly Shores residents. “We’re not in the towing business,” park lot, nor is there any sign inform- dant who works the lot – “but she never
Global executive assistant Margarita ing customers of the cost to park. said anything to me, never gave me any
The schedule Evans is seeking Perez said Monday. “We don’t wake up Not until you’re onto the lot will you kind of warning.”
would require the defense to com- on Friday mornings waiting to see how find occasional blue signs stating – in
plete all depositions of the state’s wit- many vehicles we’re going to tow that relatively small print – that you must Instead, Cox said she was forced to
nesses by Jan. 31. Then Evans wants weekend. It doesn’t make us happy. pay to park there. borrow $140 in cash to get her car back
a list of defense witnesses by Feb. 15 To find out the cost to park in the from Charlie’s Towing the next day.
and depositions of defense witnesses “We started our business there in lot, you must walk to a pay station,
completed by March 15. “The case May, and we gave a three-month grace where you can pay cash or use a credit Kenny Byrd, co-owner of Char-
shall be tried by no later than May 31, period to let people get used to it being a card. Global also offers an app that al- lie’s Towing, said many of the people
2020,” Evans requests in his motion. paid-parking lot,” she added. “We didn’t lows customers to pay via their smart- who’ve had their cars towed from the
start towing until August, and the own- phones and provides notifications that lot told him they didn’t know they
The motion was set to be argued this ers of the establishments there – Fish- the time you paid for is about to expire. needed to pay to park there.
Wednesday. Despite Evans’ frustration ack, Kilted Mermaid and American Icon “I saw no signs that said, ‘PAID PARK-
over the case dragging on, defense at- Brewery – know it’s a pay-to-park lot.” ING,’ but I wasn’t really looking for any, “It’s unfortunate that people aren’t
torneys are likely to fight to extend the either, because I had parked there many paying attention,” Byrd said. “But I’ve
time before trial. Evans confirmed that But do their customers? times before without paying,” said Raya also seen the attendant tell people they
the state has offered plea agreements Kilted Mermaid co-owner Linda need to pay, and they just ignore her.”
to both McGee and Shepherd and nei- Moore said she and her employees try
ther took the deal.  to warn customers, but she’s concerned Byrd said he’s heard complaints
from people who angrily accuse his
company of giving “kickbacks” to

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

8 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Tow trucks busy on Old Dixie “I’ve seen multiple trucks taking
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 cars out of there,” Hogan said, “and
I’ve seen people running out to their
Global, and he called them ridiculous. cars, which are already on the truck.”
Perez also denied participating in any
scheme that violates Florida law. Perez conceded that some people
could be confused by the conflicting
“We don’t care if they charge for park- signage, but she said the “TOW AWAY
ing, but this seems a little suspicious,” ZONE” signs should be a “red flag” that
Moore said. “They have an attendant alerts them to a need to explore the re-
out there on site, but you never see her quirements for parking in that lot.
attempt to get anyone to pay for park-
ing. She sits in her car and waits until She said Global has no plans to add
the people walk away, apparently not or improve the signage at the lot.
knowing they have to pay, and then she
immediately calls a tow truck. Perez also said the attendant may
– and does – tell unknowing custom-
“They even get the people who pay ers they need to pay to park there, but
for parking but go over their time,” only when she isn’t tending to other
she added. “As soon as soon as they go duties, which include helping people
past time, the tow truck is there. It all use the pay station, checking for ve-
seems very predatory.” hicles that were parked without pay-
ment and calling the tow trucks.
The privately owned lot was pur-
chased as part of the Vero Beach Fi- “Chasing down people who didn’t
nancial Center by a North Miami- pay isn’t her first priority,” Perez said.
based investment group that spent
nearly $7 million to acquire the down- Perez said the attendant has the
town complex in November 2018. discretion to offer a grace period, de-
pending on whether the lot is crowd-
The lot was built to provide on-site ed, but it’s not required.
parking to the tenants of the two office
buildings to its immediate north, but “It bothers us when we have to
the property’s owners are leasing the tow, because we know complaints
facility to Global, which hopes to turn are coming and it’s a very uncomfort-
a profit by charging the public to park able situation,” Perez said. “But we’re
there on nights and weekends. providing a service to the community.
We’re providing a safe, clean, well-lit
It marked the first time a paid-park- parking lot with an attendant there to
ing system had been installed in Vero help. That’s our business.
Beach since the city leaders ordered
the removal of street-side meters de- “If you park for free, you’re stealing
cades ago. from us.” 

According to the Vero Beach Police School Board’s outside lawyer
Department, which must be notified CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
every time Charlie’s Towing removes a
car from that lot, five cars were towed ted by the Equity Committee and ac-
in August, four in September and five cepted by the School Board during an
in October before the number soared Oct. 30 meeting, Brown said.
to 33 in November – the start of the
community’s busy season. At that meeting, it was agreed the
report to the federal judge would be
Local realtor Herb Hogan, who fre- a collaborative effort between the
quents the Kilted Mermaid, said he School Board, the NAACP and the
and others have run out to warn cus- Equity Committee, with attorneys for
tomers who parked without paying, both sides would not be involved.
especially when they see a tow truck
on the lot. Brown said the NAACP recently sent
an email outlining its concerns about

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 9

NEWS

D’Agresta’s report to Interim Superinten- outstanding issues for inclusion in the D’Agresta denied any knowledge of torney. He has my number and knows
dent Susan Moxley and the School Board. report, or as a separate statement.” the controversy during an interview how to get ahold of me.”
on Nov. 26.
Brown declined further comment Moxley acknowledged the dispute, D’Agresta also denied knowledge
and referred questions to NAACP at- but declined comment. She referred “Nope, this is the first I’ve heard of of the agreement between the School
torney David Honig. further questions to D’Agresta, who it,” D’Agresta said, contradicting Mox- Board and NAACP to collaborate on
Moxley said has been informed of the ley. “I’m not aware of any problems. the report – even though she was pres-
In a brief statement Honig said the NAACP’s concerns.
NAACP has “completed a review of the “I haven’t heard from the NAACP’s at- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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

NEWS

The Source plans Dignity Village, 100 tiny homes for homeless

BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ tian ministry that provides cold night pavilion, a chapel, a community garden fers at its current location would be
Staff Writer shelter, emergency hunger relief, coun- and village green, along with clusters of transferred to its new south county
seling and benefit referrals to the coun- 500-square-foot homes. facility when it’s complete. The “Main
A well-established Vero Beach char- ty’s growing homeless population, has Building” is expected to take a year to
ity plans to build a picturesque but already raised $500,000 of $2.7 million The nonprofit recently had to build, while the tiny homes would be
highly functional village of 100 tiny needed to purchase the 25-acre prop- change its plan to transform its former built in phases, at a cost of $27,500
homes in south county to provide erty where it plans to build Dignity Vil- 4,000-square-foot thrift store at 1239 each. Rent would be $400.
housing for homeless people and peo- lage, according to the organization’s 16th Street into an overnight shelter
ple in danger of becoming homeless in executive director, Anthony Zorbaugh. for 100 homeless individuals enrolled The tiny homes aren’t just for the
Indian River County. in job training programs after the homeless, Zorbaugh added. They’re also
The village will include an adminis- building was sold, Zorbaugh said. intended for individuals one paycheck
The Source, a Vero Beach-based Chris- tration and services building, an event away from losing a roof over their heads.
Many of the services The Source of-
“The housing first model works,”
Zorbaugh said. “If we can provide
people with housing and wrap ser-
vices around them, people are more
likely to be successful.”

The charitable organization, which
receives no government assistance, is re-
lying on generous Vero residents to help
make Dignity Village happen in order to
improve the lives of homeless citizens.

A Department of Housing and Urban
Development survey taken this year
found nearly 500 homeless people liv-
ing in Indian River County, an increase
of about 8 percent from the prior year.

“We solely rely on donors in our com-
munity and we need their support to
help transform lives,” Zorbaugh said. 

School Board’s outside lawyer
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

ent during the Oct. 30 meeting when
the agreement was made.

“I had an opportunity to work on the
report two weeks early, so I did,” said
D’Agresta, who did not explain why she
didn’t inform the NAACP of her efforts.

The dispute comes after several
months of cooperation between the
School Board, NAACP and the Equity
Committee to improve African-Amer-
ican student achievement, graduation
and retention rates and the district’s
efforts to recruit and hire more Afri-
can-American teachers.

Under the leadership of former Su-
perintendent Mark Rendell and a pre-
vious board, the district spent more
than four years and $775,000 fighting
a lawsuit filed by the NAACP to force
the district to comply with the deseg-
regation order, which has been in ef-
fect since the 1960s.

Since Rendell’s forced resignation in
May, the current School Board and Mox-
ley have exhibited a dramatic change of
heart in working with the NAACP and
complying with the desegregation order.

The Equity Committee, NAACP and
School Board are tentatively scheduled
to meet Dec. 9 to work on the report but
Brown said that meeting is now in lim-
bo due to D’Agresta’s actions. 

Katrina Tellez,
Jaeden Tellez,
Angela Tellez

THOUSANDS HOT TO ‘TURKEY TROT’
FOR UNITED AGAINST POVERTY P. 22

12 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Festival of Trees weekend ‘leaves’ everyone ecstatic

Doug and Beth Hager. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
Bob and Wheatie Gibb, Rennie Gibb, Suzi Locke, Fuzzy and Eric Billings.
BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Riverside Theatre kicked off the Russell and April Minton, Mike and Mary Ann Garavaglia, Heidi Waxlax and Baerbel O’Haire
holiday season with a perennial fa-
vorite for children of all ages – the Roby and Jeane Blevins. Christmas into the Woods ginger- longer available due to a Grinch-
22nd annual Festival of Trees week- bread house – her very first ever. “I like Health Department ruling. For
end event to benefit Riverside for Kids just loved the idea,” said Martello. those who missed their fix, volun-
programming and scholarships. The “This is my third or fourth Christ- teer elves said they may try selling
entire campus was aglow Friday eve- mas here and I thought, let me try recipe cards next year.
ning at the opening Gala. my hand at it.”
The highlight of the evening had ev-
Inside the Ann Morton Theatre Gala guests enjoyed passed hors eryone movin’ and a groovin’ in their
and Agnes Wahlstrom Youth Play- d’oeuvres from Orchid Gourmet seats with a Motown and More Christ-
house, volunteer designers had fully Catering as they perused and pur- mas concert on the Stark Stage, featur-
embraced the Winter Wonderful chased the creative creations, as ing jazzed-up Christmas favorites and
theme, filling the Festival Forest with well as gifts from the Festival Mar- hits by artists from Stevie Wonder and
imaginative Christmas trees of vari- ket vendors. James Brown to the Supremes and the
ous sizes. There was everything from Temptations. Champagne and assort-
elegantly traditional, such as Andrea Outside, mesmerizing icicle lights ed delicious goodies from Wild Thyme
Beck’s red and gold bird-themed dripped from mossy oak trees and Catering closed out the festive evening.
‘Cardinal Rule’ (most Traditional little white lights adorned palm tree
small tree), to wonderfully whimsi- trunks. They provided the perfect The campus was packed again Sat-
cal, including Catalina Pine’s delight- backdrop for dining at tables set up urday and Sunday with a continuation
ful ‘Coastal Wonders’ – a teddy bear all around the Loop to sup on a buf- of the festival which also featured visits
driving an old-fashioned red pickup fet of dishes by Elizabeth D. Kenne- with Santa, “ice” skating and addition-
with a tree in the back (Most Whim- dy & Co. while being entertained by al performances by Riverside Theatre
sical small tree). Best in Show was talented Riverside Theatre Perfor- for Kids students and apprentices.
awarded to an enormous traditional- mance Apprentices.
style tree by Dillard’s. Riverside Theatre Performance Ap-
Inside the theater’s Orchid Lobby prentices will also perform at the Out-
“It is just magical; everything is so were more vendors and the always- lets on Saturday, Dec. 14, during its
beautiful,” said Beth Hager, market- popular Christmas Shoppe, where Santa Celebration.
ing director of Vero Beach Outlets, past attendees lamented that the
the festival’s presenting sponsor. famed ‘Blue Cheese Spread’ was no For more information, visit riverside-
theatre.com or verobeachoutlets.com. 
There were also assorted wreaths
in the hallway, and exquisitely elabo-
rate gingerbread houses that seemed
more inventive than ever.

“My granddaughter is coming and
this will be in her bedroom waiting
for her,” said Jeanine Harris, of the
‘Elsa’s Ice Cookie Castle’ she had just
purchased. The snowy “Frozen” con-
fection created by Cody Estes won
Most Whimsical.

Ali Martello said she used more
than five pounds of confectioners’
sugar in just the trees alone for her



14 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 Anna Valencia Tillery with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Kerryane Monahan and Robson Diniz.
Melanie and VBPD Chief David Currey.

Robyn Flick and Heather Sultzman. Nicki Maslin with Joseph and Mandy Robinson and Faith Robinson. Alissa Corr, Avery Twiss and Lee Curry.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 15

PEOPLE

The playing’s the thing at St. Helen’s Harvest Festival

Beckett Bloss. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Logan Thomas.

Mason Grayam. Lindsay Bieber, Lily Rhue and Hailey Eisert. Ellie McAndrew, Hannah and David Stott. Emily Tankersley.

The roar of rollers coasters and
children’s laughter filled the Jack-
ie Robinson Training Complex
during the recent 55th annual St.
Helen’s Harvest Festival presented
by St. Helen’s Catholic Church.
The festival has a rich legacy of
providing the community with a
way for families to bond over old-
fashioned, wholesome fun. As fes-
tival-goers made their way down
the midway, volunteers threw out
challenges of enticement for them
to try their hands at carney games,
the cakewalk and even bingo (back
after a hiatus). Children delighted
in the variety of rides, which in-
cluded a few for those of a more
daring nature to test their mettle
on – Zipper, Super Shot and the
Himalaya. Older folks got in some
early Christmas shopping at the
Lady Bug Boutique and, of course,
there was plenty of yummy fes-
tival food to nosh on, as families
squeezed out the last bit of fun
from their adventure. Proceeds
from the Harvest Festival benefit
the St. Helen’s Catholic School. 

16 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Bicego’s ‘classic’ jewelry stars at glittering get-together

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Cathy Padgett, owner of Veranda Ed Reilly, Tammy Theoharis, Nikki Bates and Hans Kraaz. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Cathy Padgett and Marco Bicego.
on Ocean Drive, recently opened
her spectacular Riomar Bay home to ant pavé diamonds. wearing another stylish gemstone
friends and longtime customers for an “This is all hand engraved; there’s necklace. “It’s just so classic. I love the
intimate cocktail reception to spend color.”
time with Italian jewelry designer Mar- actually a tool that you use to brush it,”
co Bicego. said Livingston. “He brought the tools The delightfully engaging Bicego is
into the store to demonstrate. It is a real continuing the legacy his father start-
“He’s a premier designer; he’s world art to be able to do this.” ed in 1958. He established his own
renowned,” said Padgett, who was brand in 2000, working in his Vicenza
wearing one of his unique coil tech- Many of the guests sported a few of atelier in northeastern Italy, where he
nique necklaces. Padgett said she con- their own favorite Bicego jewelry, pur- was born and raised, and spoke of two
tinues to be impressed by the quality signature techniques.
and innovation of his work.
“One is hand-engraving; we have
“His whole thing is that you can wear a special technique where artisans
his jewelry during the day and you brush all the gold by hand. Another
can wear it at night,” added Veranda’s technique is with the coils; it’s just one
store manager, Allison Livingston. “He wire, twisted around, that is a unique
wants you to be able to enjoy it all the technique of my father’s. Everything is
time. He introduces a lot of color with 18-karat gold. I love combining the yel-
semi-precious stones.” low gold with the colored gemstones.
Also, we are using some diamonds,
Livingston pointed to a stunning definitely,” said Bicego.
long, gold necklace being modeled by
Sue Johnson that featured hand-ham- Calling the Vero connection
mered single stations inspired by the “amazing,” Bicego said, “I’m having a
Lunaria flower, interspersed with radi- great time. I just want to say thanks
to Cathy for having me. I’m very hap-
Kathy Faber and Mary Ellen Cowhey. py and honored to be here to spend
my evening with all the beautiful and
chased over the more than 10 years great people here.” 
that Veranda has carried the designs.

“I love the versatility of them. I can
mix and match and do all sorts of things
with them,” said Sandy Rolf, wearing a
delicate mixed gemstone necklace that
could be worn either full length or dou-
bled up. “I can tell you, he’s a real artist.
They’re lightweight and comfortable;
they’re just pieces that people can wear
without being over the top.”

“I love his work,” said Carol Kanarek,

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 17

PEOPLE

Teresa Winslow with Roger and Nancy Lynch. Paula Holden, Robert Trafford and Celeste Pertz. Mike and Cathy Curley with Dale and Matilde Sorensen.

Sandy and Randy Rolf with Sue Johnson. Robyn Nolan, Sean and Gisella Carrick, Christine Kahler. Lewis and Scottie Campbell with Scott Johnson.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Rave reviews for Broadway-themed ‘Friends Luncheon’

BY MARY SCHENKEL Jan McCoy, Eve Hoffman, Wheatie Gibb and Sandy Hammonds. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE flowerless chocolate dessert.
Staff Writer Blair said becoming involved with
individuals. They’re giving to us but tablecloths and gold napkins, high-
The annual Riverside Theatre hopefully we’re giving back to them lighted by gorgeous white hydrangea Riverside Theatre was a natural fit for
Friends Luncheon channeled the too. I just thought that was a good seal centerpieces that were punctuated her.
‘Great White Way’ this year, treat- of approval; that this event matters.” by gold stars. Elizabeth Kennedy and
ing guests to a delightful luncheon Co. catered a delicious Asian chicken “Theater is my passion. I worked for
and a wonderful performance by the The co-chairs chose a sophisti- luncheon that concluded with a lush a large regional theater in Portland,
Broadway Tenors – Matt Cavenaugh, cated décor that featured sparkly red Oregon, in the literary department;
Kevin Kern and Kyle Dean Massey. that’s where my other home is. I love
theatre. I see or read hundreds of plays
“It is a Great White Way, Stars a year,” Blair explained.
on Broadway, Red Carpet type of
theme, even though it’s a lunch. It’s Paraphrasing David Mamet and
elegance at noon,” laughed Mary Oscar Wilde, she added, “I really feel
Blair, who co-chaired the event with like theater is communion. It’s people
Renee Gallagher and Kate Graham. coming together experiencing live art,
experiencing emotion, experiencing
“We have 510 ladies today. It’s the stories in real time with each other.
biggest ever, so far,” added Graham. We listen to stories and we learn and
“I don’t know where they’re going to we share.”
put tables after this.”
“We just want to support this won-
“This was a really great year in derful asset that Vero Beach has. It’s
terms of the generosity of the lo- very unique; it’s a great theater. They
cal businesses. We were able to of- really give back to the community and
fer eight gift packages instead of the so we want to support it,” said Gra-
usual five or six,” said Blair. “Be- ham. “It’s great; the businesses have
tween the raffle and the silent auc- stepped up, the people have stepped
tion, we were given over $22,000 in up. Vero is coming along.”
prizes from 74 local businesses and
For more information, visit river-
sidetheatre.com. 

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 19

PEOPLE

Kate Graham, Mary Blair and Renee Gallagher. Marlynn Scully and Barbara Doble. Susan Smith, Suzanne Bertman and Diana Stark.

Holly Wilson, Heidi Waxlax and Hannelore White. Charlotte Shea, Margaret Bragg and Susan Bouma. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
Terry Nolan, Patty Leeds, Paula Shorts and Anne Warhover.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Kathie Pierce, Carol Kanarek and Karen Schievelbein.
Susan Zimmer, Jodie King and Wendy Riefler.

Jean Ueltschi, Ellen Kaufmann and Carol Browne. Carole Casey and Sue Scully. Baerbel O’Haire, Robbi Peirce, Sylvie MacLean and Nat Jackson.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 21

PEOPLE

Chris Ryall, Ben Earman and Deb Polackwich.

Elizabeth Cote and Connie McGlynn. Ro Smith, Laura Frick, Henriette Churney and Susan Pyles. Ray Griffiths and Cathy Padgett.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Thousands hot to ‘Turkey Trot’ for United Against Poverty

BY MARY SCHENKEL erside Park to benefit United Against runners from all over the United ers of Southern Social and Filthy’s.
Staff Writer Poverty (UP). States, from infants in a stroller di- Michelle Griffith and her Center-
vision to seniors keeping pace with
More than 2,200 runners and George E. Warren was again the participants half their age. Many State Bank team returned to serve
walkers, plenty of four-legged com- presenting sponsor of the affection- were in town to enjoy Thanksgiving up the delicious fare, under the
panions and easily another 1,000 ately named Turkey Trot, a beloved with their Vero Beach families, and watchful eye of an enormous 25-foot
volunteers and onlookers started off tradition that unites the community the gorgeous weather was an added tall ‘Trotting Tom’ turkey, sponsored
their Thanksgiving morning at the in an effort to help brighten the lives bonus, especially for those visiting by Dyer Auto.
12th annual Thanksgiving Day Trot of fellow residents who are less for- from stormy northern climes.
Against Poverty 5K Run/Walk at Riv- tunate. To encourage team and individ-
Prior to the start of the main race, ual fundraising, a new Run for Pie
The festive family affair draws parents and grandparents herded initiative was instituted this year.
their eager little ones into place for Walmart Bakery donated 100 pies
a children’s quarter-mile fun run which were given out to anyone who
to the Memorial Island Bridge and raised more than $100. There were
back, cheered on with encourage- also awards to the top team and in-
ment along the way. dividual fundraisers; Lift Fitness,
with its team of 52 runners, and
The yummy reward for everyone Phillip Keeling, respectively.
getting up early on a Thanksgiv-
ing morn was a delicious breakfast “It is such an exciting time for us,
of cinnamon-scented sweet potato because this 12th annual Turkey
pancakes and sausage. Nicole Capo- Trot is sort of welcoming our tran-
bianco and Jimbo Carroll, owners of sition into our new building,” said
Niki & Jimbo’s Roadhouse, stepped Annabel Robertson, UP executive
up to the grill this year to flip rough- director. She added that they will
ly 40 gallons of pancake mix donat- soon receive their certificate of oc-
ed by Marsh Landing and sizzle up cupancy for the building, which is
more than 3,000 sausage links do- scheduled to have its grand opening
nated by Angela & Nick Novak, own- on Jan. 25.

“The new building is 46,000 square

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 23

PEOPLE

feet, and it will include our Member- want for themselves and their fami- training program. We’re really excit- leb Pottorff at 14:45, and the first-
ship Grocery program, nine co-lo- lies; economic, employment and ed- ed that there will be 27 community place woman was Melinda Dubose
cated partnership organizations and ucation,” said Robertson. partners teaching in the space, as at 18:45.
a medical clinic. Our goal is to be a well as the nine that are co-located.
resource for people in the communi- “The new center will have an ex- We really believe that this is going to For more information, visit upirc.
ty to access services and help them panded health, wellness and nutri- be a true example of collaboration.” org. .
move forward to reach the goals they tion program. It will also have an
expanded business entrepreneurial The overall race winner was Ca- PHOTOS ON PAGE 24

24 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

STORY ON PAGE 22 Krithik, Akshay and Karishma Carrington.
Hamp Elliott, Annabel Robertson and Canieria Gardner.

Jim and Meredith Van Veen. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Grace Gumpel and April Gumpel with Bear. Pam Burdgick and Jean Peppers.

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PEOPLE

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28 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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National Philanthropy Day: Praise for selfless stars

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Church director of music, led the event co-chair with Kerry Bartlett.
Staff Writer audience in a customized version “Their good deeds and the lives they
of “Heart and Soul” to honor the impact are the soul of this commu-
Volunteers and donors were outstanding achievements of local nity. From the vital services and re-
showered with praise at the 2019 individuals and groups and to cele- sources to the world-class cultural
National Philanthropy Day Awards brate ‘Philanthropy – the heart and experiences, there is not a facet of
Celebration, presented by the Asso- soul of our community.’ this community that is not touched
ciation of Fundraising Profession- by philanthropy.”
als, Indian River chapter at the Vero “Our community is full of great
Beach Museum of Art. individuals with hearts full of grace Throughout the program, some of
who give of their time, talent and those touched by acts of kindness
Jacob Craig, First Presbyterian treasure,” said Jessica Schmitt, and generosity shared their per-

Sassy and Mike Smith. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

Jessica Schmitt and Trudie Rainone.

sonal stories before the winners in
each category were announced. To
ensure impartiality, winners had
been selected by the AFP Jackson-
ville chapter.

The Outstanding Youth in Phi-
lanthropy Award was presented to
Ryan Baudo and Marcus Fini, both
nominated by Crossover Mission for
their work with the sports-based tu-
toring and mentoring program.

Baudo said his favorite moments
are as students finally understand,
and their eyes light up. “You realize
that you get to share your under-
standing with them. That’s a beau-
tiful thing to me and that’s what
makes it all worth it.”

“Philanthropy is about fostering
relationships and actively helping
to improve the lives of people in
your community,” said Fini. “My
work with Crossover Mission these
last two years has really taught me
the value of this work and the dif-
ference you can make in people’s
lives.”

The Unsung Hero Award was pre-
sented to Bruce McEvoy, nominated
by the Alzheimer & Parkinson As-
sociation, for his dedication to-
ward helping others grappling with

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 29

PEOPLE

They encouraged me and I couldn’t ing where or when their next meal
stop,” said McEvoy. is coming from. Within two miles
of this museum, there are folks who
Sassy and Mike Smith, recipients depend on Meals on Wheels for
of the Outstanding Volunteer Fun- their one hot meal of the day,” said
draiser Award, were nominated by Mike Smith. “This award is very
the Senior Resource Association. nice and deeply appreciated, but we
Dubbed “Champions for Charity,” can’t stop until everyone who needs
the couple founded the SRA’s an- a meal gets one and has it delivered
nual Charity Golf Pro-Am and Golf to their door.”
Croquet Tournament, which has
enabled more than 39,000 hot, nu- The Outstanding Group Support-
tritious meals to be served to home- ing Philanthropy Award was pre-
bound seniors.
STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 31
“No one in this room is wonder-
PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Al and Carol DeRenzo, Jean and Gene Cravens and Anna and Dick Lanam.

NOMINEES:

Unsung Hero: Ryan Cobb, Chef Joe Faria and Dick Gates.
Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser:

Wendy Person, Norman Rickard and Chief Rich Rosell.
Outstanding Group Supporting Philanthropy:

·Bernard A. Egan Foundation, John’s Island Community
Service League and PNC Foundation.

Outstanding Individual Philanthropist:·
Jean and Gene Cravens and Bradley Lorimier.

memory or movement disorders. nonprofit it is today.
McEvoy, current board president, is “Ten years ago, I was diagnosed
credited with raising awareness and
revenue for its vital programs, help- with Parkinson’s disease. I got de-
ing it to become the strong, thriving pressed about it and then started to
meet people like those in this room.

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30 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 Hope Woodhouse with Dale and Betty Jacobs and Kathleen Tonkel. Mike Bielecki, Rep. Erin Grall and Ryan Cobb.
Stu and Diane Keiller with Jean and Dick Gates.

Darlene and Chief Richard Rosell. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
Jeremiah and Natalia Willis.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 31

PEOPLE

STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 “What a benevolent little town. What Philanthropists Award, nominated by direction,” said Larry Mulder, noting
a difference you people make,” said the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River that staff members at the nonprofits
sented to Henriette Churney, current Churney, of the support Vero Beach County for their extensive philanthro- are the ones doing the real work every
Hibiscus Indian River Guild president. residents give to help abused, neglect- py. day.
The group was nominated by the Hi- ed and abandoned children live better
biscus Children’s Center for their out- lives. “We live in a polarized world. It’s “Congratulations to all the honorees
standing commitment and generosity, really good to be in this room tonight tonight. Your acts of kindness and gen-
raising more than $8 million since its Karen and Larry Mulder were hon- because all of us here, for a little while, erosity are the heartbeat of this com-
inception 22 years ago. ored with the Outstanding Individual are pretty much traveling in the same munity,” said Schmitt in closing. 

32 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 Phil Barnes with Karen and Larry Mulder and Elizabeth Thomason. Cathy DeSchouwer, Marcus Fini, Ryan Baudo and Antoine Jennings.
Barbara Hammond with Famous Erwin and LaKisha Harvey Erwin.

Greg Nelson, Carrie Maynard-Lester and Bernadette Emerick. Judy Lemoncelli with Bruce and Ann McEvoy and Peggy Cunningham. Mackie Duch, Christine Enders, Henriette Churney and Diane Wilhelm.

OEUVRE TIME: TEGER GOES ALL IN
WITH ‘PHOTO POEMS’

34 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Oeuvre time: Teger goes all in with ‘Photo Poems’

BY ELLEN FISCHER Allan Teger.
Columnist
PHOTOS BY KAILIA JONES
The old and new, the untried and the A Boston Globe overview of May 4, ties are equally valid – and we can, in
true, from the oeuvre of photographer 1980, art events described Teger’s fact, move back and forth between Despite his success with that series,
Allan Teger, a Moorings resident, de- Bodyscapes as “an affirmation of Te- multiple realities.” decades of photographing titillating
buts at the Center for Spiritual Care this ger’s belief that many different reali- topographies have produced in the art-
Friday, Dec. 6, with a special reception Back then Teger, who holds a Ph.D. ist a yen to compose photographic ar-
for the artist from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in psychology from the State Univer- rangements in which the human figure
sity of New York, Buffalo, was an asso- is not present, but is implied by inani-
Titled “Metaphor: Photo Poems,” ciate professor at Boston University. mate objects alone.
Teger’s exhibition contains none of his He has long since left the academic
Bodyscapes, the black and white pho- life for that of the professional art- “I’ve got a lot of stuff from the
tographic figure studies for which he ist, winning top honors for his figural Bodyscapes,” he says. “Miniature trees
is best known. Those close-up studies photography in major arts festivals in and things like that.”
of nude female torsi that support stra- Florida and in group shows in other
tegically-placed miniature landscape parts of the U.S., including the Sin Teger’s collection also holds finely de-
elements have, Teger asserts, decoyed City Gallery in Las Vegas and the Se- tailed doll house furnishings – a Queen
many an art fair-goer into his booth attle Erotic Art Festival. Anne dining table, a comfy leather
on the mistaken assumption that what lounge chair and a mission-style lamp
was being presented were pictures of His photos have been published in table, among others – as well as bibelots
desert dunes, lofty Everests or water- print magazines and in books in Ger- he has collected in his travels.
filled oases, instead of buttocks, breasts many, Russia, Hungary, Norway, Italy,
and belly buttons. Spain, France, England, Indonesia, While the disembodied photos in Te-
Malaysia, South Korea, China and Bra- ger’s “Photo Poems” exhibition may be
Teger’s argument that things can zil, among other countries. Since about new to gallery-goers, the gelatin silver
be made to have interchangeable 2008, references to Teger’s Bodyscapes prints in the show date from as early as
meanings goes back 40 years, to the on the Internet are legion. 1996. The color images on display were
beginnings of his Bodyscapes series shot this summer in Teger’s Ohio studio.
(his human forms, sans heads, arms
and legs are deliberately objectified). The oldest works on display are

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 35

ARTS & THEATRE

unique prints (Teger identifies them as at its center; two chairs on either side women or any of that stuff,” he says. resentation, perhaps, of the rhetorical
artist’s proofs) that address the end of of the table are half-buried under con- Teger’s new group of color prints “elephant in the room.”
a marriage. Teger was at the time going ical piles of pebbly sand.
through a divorce, and the works “Dy- uses some of the same dollhouse fur- The image was inspired, Teger says,
namic Equilibrium,” “The Impasse” The only multiple image in the show niture that appeared in the relation- by Belgian Surrealist René Magritte’s
and “The Relationship” contemplate a is “The Relationship,” a sequence of ship series of 30 years before, as well as painting “Time Transfixed.” That work
situation that is tenuously balanced, if three photographs positioned one his small “Spiritual” series – also in the shows a steam locomotive charging
not completely out of whack. atop the other. The top photo shows show – from 2006. into a bourgeois sitting room via its
the same kitchen table and two chairs fireplace.
With the exception of one work, all in a dark, depthless setting; the sec- Teger’s favorite color image in the
are single images printed on a piece of ond one shows the chair at our right, show is titled “Avoiding the Obvious.” “The nice thing is that I finally feel
photographic paper about twice the as though frozen into a block of ice. In It depicts two formal dining chairs on that I don’t have to follow a formula. The
size of the image, which appears at the final photo, flames leap from the which rest two identical wooden cubes. Bodyscapes really locked me in. I like
the top half of the paper. The bottom chair at left in idiomatic dialog with its The chairs are placed on either side of a them, but they’re my day job!”
half holds a descriptive phrase or title, icy companion. fireplace whose mantle bears a cathe-
which was exposed onto the same dral-style radio. A massive (in relation- Teger’s Metaphor: Photo Poems exhibi-
piece of photo-sensitive paper by If this series reminds you of Duane ship to its surroundings) wooden ball tion runs Dec. 6-27. For more informa-
sweeping a penlight above it through Michaels, whose nine-photo series is situated between the chairs; a rep- tion, visit centerforspiritualcare.org. 
a transparency bearing the typeset “Things are Queer” of 1973 used doll
words in dense black. The result is a furniture and sequential photography
minor miracle of darkroom printing: to make a point about the unreliability
a seamless photo image under which of truth as seen through the camera’s
a caption appears in sharply outlined eye, you are right on the money.
white letters against an ambiguous
patch of grey fog. “Duane Michaels spoke at Boston
when I was there; in 1995 or so. I was
As clever as the mixed printing of impressed by him. I have always liked
image and words is in this small se- his work,” says Teger, who recalls Mi-
ries, Teger’s theatrical imagery speaks chaels encouraging his listeners to “Tell
for itself, without subtitles. “Dynamic the truth – some of it will be beautiful.”
Equilibrium,” for instance, presents
the viewer with a four-poster bed Teger says that his photographic
whose mattress supports a spinning career has been spent creating im-
gyroscope. ages that promote divergent impres-
sions of reality.
“The Impasse” shows us a simple
wood kitchen table with an hourglass “It was always about perception, al-
ways about playing with reality; it was
never about dollhouse toys or naked

36 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! Music and comedy ‘Light’ up Riverside

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA found herself working in the Virgin ley, Lily Jaramillo, Shara Kyles, Dennis
Staff Writer Islands, as a salesperson for Frito Lay. Love, Alexander Martinez and Guild
“Imagine that!” says she. “Selling Dori- on the Go director Larry Strauss bring
1 An already, always spirited tos where half of the people smoke pot! you, says the Guild promo, classics by
weekend happening, Riverside Talk about yer ‘market niche’!” Open- Gershwin and Irving Berlin, Broadway
ing for Scoggins will be Queens, N.Y., showstoppers such as “New York New
Theatre’s Live in the Loop cranks up native Doug Almeida, a retired kick York,” holiday favorites and, of course,
boxer and corporate presenter for, says “more.” Showtimes: Friday, 7:30 p.m.;
the merry and the festive lights this his bio, “one of the largest financial Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Tickets:
planning firms in the country.” His Adults, $15; students, $5. 772-562-8300
month with “Holiday Lights and Rock ability to turn dull-as-dirt insurance or verobeachtheatreguild.com.
presentations into comic art led him to
n’ Live Music,” paired this weekend, become a kick-booty comic hit. Show-
times: Comedy Zone, 7:30 p.m. and
Dec. 6-7, with the Comedy Zone. Out- 9:30 p.m.; Live in the Loop, 6 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. Tickets: Comedy Zone, start
side, “In the Loop,” the Bobby Owens at $16; Loop, free. 772-410-0470.

Band brings Friday’s free live music, 2 Vero Beach Theatre Guild’s “Puttin’
on the Ritz” this weekend.
serving a heaping holiday helping of 3 The artsy, laid-back vibe of
Downtown Vero Beach’s First right for someone on your Christmas
classic rock. Saturday’s musicmeisters list. Also, now, the First Friday Gal-
lery Stroll includes complimentary
are the Casey Raines Band, kicking the Friday Gallery Stroll will have a spe- transport – a six-passenger shuttle
courtesy of Golf Carts of Vero. It’ll be
dust up with country and classic rock. cial holiday feeling this Friday, Dec. 6, running a continuous loop to Gallery
14, Artists Guild Gallery, Tiger Lily Art
Both bands will throw in some holiday when the galleries along and around Studios and Gallery, Flametree Clay
Art Gallery, the Other Half Gallery,
faves as well. As always, two full bars 14th Avenue fling open their doors Raw Space, MSVB Studios, Gallery
of Hope, Florida Highwayman Land-
and a (great) grill offer all sorts of food 2 The Vero Beach Theatre Guild’s with a warm welcome and a wealth scape Art and Highwayman Gallery.
intrepid and talented traveling Hours: Stroll – 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; shuttle
and bev choices. (Don’t BYO.) Inside, of wonderful art. As always, down- – 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

a pair of stand-up comics will make troupe of performers has been en- town’s restaurants, shops and pubs

sure you make your weekly laugh goal: tertaining all over the community will be open, so you can stroll, grab

Picture a 6-foot-2 southern ex-trucker, for decades. Especially this holiday a bite and a brew, and just absorb all

cab driver, baseball mascot, pooper- season, we all need more than a little that holiday spirit at your leisure. Gal-

scooper . . . and charm school grad. Ju- Christmas, and Guild on the Go is up lery 14’s “Strokes of Genius: An Art-

lie Scoggins is all that and, says River- to the task, presenting “Puttin’ on the ists’ Invitational” is but one of the ex-

side, “one of the funniest comics (male Ritz” this Friday, Saturday and Sun- citing exhibits awaiting you. Amongst

or female) on the circuit today.” At day, Dec. 6-8, at the Guild. Expect glitz all the wonderful art, there’s a good

one point, the well-travelled Scoggins and glamour, as vocalists Scott Fresh- chance you’ll discover a treasure just

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Something strange is sailing toward onto the roof of his observatory in Se- most powerful telescopes, exoplanets did not find the oval path that com-
us. Something small and cold and ex- wanee, powers up his three telescopes are not discernible as anything more ets typically make around the sun. In-
traordinarily fast. No one knows where and angles them skyward. than specks of light. And no human stead, the orbit was hyperbolic – it did
it came from or where it is going. But alive has a hope of traveling to another not close in on itself. The object was
it’s not from around here. Every night, the comet grows big- star – merely approaching the nearest also traveling at the blistering speed of
ger and brighter in the sky, expelling one would take 40,000 years. 93,000 miles per hour, far faster than
This is an interstellar comet – an streams of gas and dust that may offer any comets, asteroids or planets orbit-
ancient ball of ice and gas and dust, up clues to its history. On Dec. 8, it will Scientists’ best hope for closely ex- ing our sun.
formed on the frozen outskirts of a make its nearest approach to Earth, of- amining another solar system was to
distant star, which some lucky quirk of fering researchers an up-close glimpse wait for a piece of one to come to us. “Wow,” said Davide Farnocchia, a
gravity has tossed into our path. before it zooms back into the freezing, navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Pro-
featureless void. It was Aug. 30, in the quiet moments pulsion Laboratory, who was among
To astronomers, the comet is a care before dawn, when a self-taught as- the first people to determine that the
package from the cosmos – a piece of Far below in the darkness, Durig will tronomer in a Crimean mountain vil- comet came from another star. “I was
a place they will never be able to visit, be waiting. lage spotted a faint smudge low on the not expecting to see anything like that.”
a key to all the worlds they cannot di- horizon, barely distinguishable against
rectly observe. Each star in the night sky represents the glittering background of stars. There has been only one other in-
a possible solar system. Every light in terstellar object spotted in our solar
It is only the second interstellar in- the universe is, more likely than not, Gennady Borisov submitted his ob- system: a cigar-shaped rock named
terloper scientists have seen in our so- some alien planet’s sun. servations to the Minor Planet Center, ‘Oumuamua, a Hawaiian word that
lar system. And it’s the first one they’ve the astronomers’ clearinghouse for translates to “messenger from afar.”
been able to get a good look at. By track- This is the chief lesson of two decades information about small bodies in the
ing the comet’s movement, measur- of studying exoplanets. Scientists have solar system, so other scientists could But ‘Oumuamua was already on its
ing its composition and monitoring its identified thousands of worlds be- take a look. way out of the system when it was dis-
behavior, researchers are seeking clues yond our solar system: gas giants and covered in October 2017, and it was so
about the place it came from and the tiny rocky spheres, worlds lit by dim One night later, halfway across faint that scientists were never able to
space it crossed to get here. They have red suns and ones that orbit the spin- the planet, the strange report caught view it as more than a single pixel of
already found a carbon-based mol- ning remains of collapsed stars. There Durig’s eye. light.They were not quite sure what they
ecule and possibly water – two familiar are even planets circling medium-size had seen – was it a metallic, rocky as-
chemicals in such an alien object. yellow suns like ours – though nothing “I was the second person to observe teroid or an icy, dusty comet? And they
found so far can match the breathable it,” Durig said. “That confirmed the were unsure whether the detection was
As the sun sinks behind the Tennes- atmosphere and deep, blue oceans of comet was real.” just a lucky fluke, never to be repeated,
see mountains, and stars wink into Earth. or a harbinger of things to come.
view, astronomer Doug Durig climbs Within a couple of weeks, scientists
Yet even when viewed through the had collected enough observations to
calculate the comet’s orbit. But they

So researchers were thrilled when, AT THE CORDELL-LORENZ OBSERVATORY, the basic ingredients for life: water,
less than two years later, another in- ASTRONOMER DOUG DURIG WAITS FOR IMAGES OF THE COMET 2I/BORISOV. carbon, even complex organic com-
terstellar traveler arrived. pounds. Now 2I/Borisov could tell us
tronomer at Queen’s University Belfast. like planet formation was solved,” said whether life’s essential molecules were
The new comet, which has been “Let’s open it up and see what we have Malena Rice, an astrophysicist at Yale among the building blocks of a world
named 2I/Borisov (indicating its dis- with this particular present from an- University. “And then all of a sudden beyond our own.
coverer and its status as the second other star.” there are all these strange systems that
known interstellar object), is expected don’t fit our picture.” This fall, Bannister’s colleague Alan
to be within reach of telescopes until Exoplanet discoveries revealed we Fitzsimmons produced the first-ever
fall 2020. At its closest approach this live in a crowded cosmos. But they also Interstellar comets are uniquely use- detection of a chemical compound
weekend, it will be twice as far from awakened Earthlings to how lonely we ful for confronting this conundrum. emitted by an interstellar comet. Sep-
Earth as Earth is from the sun. are. Most planetary systems discov- They are born of the same swirling disk arating light from 2I/Borisov into its
ered in recent decades are wildly un- of gas and dust that produces planets component parts, his team found a sig-
Though it entered the solar system familiar, and the most common type around an infant star. But then they nature of cyanogen, a molecule made
from the direction of the constellation of exoplanet – a body larger than Earth get stranded at the icy edges of solar of a carbon atom and a nitrogen atom
Cassiopeia, scientists do not know yet but smaller than Neptune – doesn’t ex- systems, where they can preserve the bonded together. The gas is common
where 2I/Borisov came from, or how ist near our home. early ingredients of planet formation. in comets around this sun.
long it has flown through the desola-
tion of interstellar space. Given its cur- When astronomers had only our own Comets in our own solar system “When I saw that, I shouted in my
rent speed, it has certainly been travel- solar system to go by, “it used to seem have been found to contain some of office . . . something not repeatable in a
ing for millions, if not billions, of years. respectable newspaper,” Fitzsimmons
recalled.
As the object gets closer to the sun’s
warmth, ices on its surface turn into A few weeks later, astronomer Adam
gas. This creates the characteristic McKay detected oxygen streaming off
halo-like “coma,” which scientists can the comet, an indicator that sunlight is
scrutinize to determine what the com- striking water on the surface and break-
et is made of. Already, 2I/Borisov has ing up the molecule. If confirmed, this
been observed more than 2,000 times. would be the first-ever detection of
alien water in our solar system. It is
“That’s going to be fun, in terms of also another sign that 2I/Borisov is
looking at this object . . . as it comes in much like the comets we know.
from the deep freeze for the very first
time,” said Michele Bannister, an as- CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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42 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 INSIGHT COVER STORY

“Even in these other systems where ILLUSTRATION OF THE PATH OF COMET 2I/BORISOV. IN LEFT PANEL, THE COMET’S STRAIGHT PATH IS SLIGHTLY DE- vatory, cluttered with stacks of ob-
their architectures are very different, FLECTED BY THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF OUR SUN. AT RIGHT, THE COMET’S POSITION IS SHOWN RELATIVE TO EARTH servation records and piles of broken
maybe the underlying physics and WHEN THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVED IT OCT. 12. IT WAS ALMOST 261 MILLION MILES FROM EARTH. equipment he hopes to one day re-
chemistry is still pretty similar,” said fashion into something usable, “we’re
McKay, a research scientist at NASA’s stead, he must take hundreds of im- Unlike discoverers, follow-up observ- doing essential science,” Durig says.
Goddard Space Flight Center. ages of the same spot, then use a com- ers do not get to put their names on “We’re filling in all the gaps.”
puter program to layer them so dim anything. And unlike researchers work-
Models of our solar system suggest lights become clear. ing at the world’s largest observatories, Once his telescope has captured an
that about 90 percent of the leftover someone such as Durig faces real hur- hour’s worth of snapshots, Durig com-
material from planet formation was The astronomer checks the focus of dles in achieving the findings that get piles them into stacks of 100. In the
ejected into interstellar space. The his 12-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain tele- published in prestigious journals. images that emerge, colors are invert-
space beyond Neptune still harbors scope and sets it to work, snapping ed, so stars appear as black smears on
millions of icy bodies, which over mil- pictures of the place where the in- Still, extraordinary discoveries must a white background. In the lower left is
lennia can be knocked out of orbit and terstellar comet is expected to be. He be confirmed and refined, again and a dark dot encircled in a halo of fuzz.
slung away from the sun. rubs a hand across his eyes, itchy from again, by ordinary people. News may
hours spent beneath the dim red lights be made by breakthroughs, but knowl- Durig clicks forward to the next
If any of these scattered fragments he uses to protect his night vision. edge is cemented in the follow-ups. stack, and the dot moves by a centime-
happen to be pulled into another sys- ter. Another click, and it moves again.
tem and start to glow in the heat of its It is tiring and often tedious work. Here in Sewanee’s cramped obser-
star, they will appear as interstellar That’s how he knows he is looking at
comets to whoever might be watching. the comet, something swift and sur-
rounded by dust, something that does
“There’s a universality to that, which not behave like anything else in the sky.
is amazing,” Bannister said. “Our plan-
etary system is woven together with Durig sends his images and a record
another planetary system by these lit- of the comet’s location to the Minor
tle wanderers roving across the galaxy.” Planet Center – another drop of data
in the bucket of scientific knowledge.
With just an hour to go until day-
break, 2I/Borisov is due to appear Consistent observations like this,
above the horizon and make its way conducted by the same people using
across the eastern sky. Durig’s long the same instruments every night,
night is almost over. will be even more important once the
comet becomes visible in the South-
Sewanee: The University of the ern Hemisphere, where many of the
South, the 1,600-student liberal arts world’s biggest telescopes are posi-
college where Durig works, does not tioned. They need to be pointed with
have the massive instruments needed extreme precision, so astronomers
to resolve faint night-sky objects. In- must have a firm handle on the com-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 43

INSIGHT COVER STORY

et’s trajectory and things that might exact direction it’s coming in . . . maybe message in a bottle back to the person vealed so much else. It will have told
subtly alter it, such as outbursts of gas. we can find out what the origin system who sent it millions of years ago from us something about the birth of solar
is,” said Farnocchia, the Jet Propulsion billions of miles away. It may not turn systems. It will have connected our
An accurate orbit is also key to as- Laboratory engineer. out to be possible, most scientists ac- home to the workings of the wider gal-
tronomers’ most ambitious plan for knowledge. axy. And now that we have seen it, it
the comet. Identifying the comet’s parent star is easier to believe that more are out
would be a tremendous feat, the as- But maybe that’s okay, they say. Be- there to be found. 
“If we can get the best possible tra- tronomical equivalent of tracing a cause the comet will have already re-
jectory, so we can trace it back with the

44 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

Workaholics, the Internet, and the growth of economic inequality

To the question of who created to- 1,930 to 2,109, an increase of 9 percent. Leamer and Fuentes. Take the erosion hours well in excess of the usual 40
day’s economic inequality, there is The gain for those with just bachelor’s of manufacturing jobs. Since its post- [hours a week]. … The benefits … ac-
now a new and intriguing answer: the degrees was 7 percent, from 1,872 hours World War II peak of 32 percent in crue primarily to the few who can use
Internet. (1980) to 2,009 hours (2016). For other 1953, the manufacturing sector’s share the new technology to create value
workers – ranked by education – the of total jobs has dropped steadily. It is during the long hours. This requires
It has apparently turned millions changes in hours were negligible. The now about 8 percent, as automation both natural talent and high levels of
among us into workaholics, lugging gain in hours for workers with a high has eliminated traditional factory jobs. education.”
around our laptops, ready at a moment’s school diploma was less than 1 percent.
notice to tackle the latest digital chore. Many of these jobs once command- To repeat: The opportunities were
The trouble is that all this extra work – This factor – working hours – Leam- ed high wages – stemming from work- strongest among a minority of work-
and the income it generates – is heav- er and Fuentes call “effort.” They say it ers’ role in sustaining expensive pro- ers who could take advantage of digi-
ily skewed toward the economy’s upper has been underrecognized in explain- duction systems. Globalization and tal technologies. About 75 percent of
strata. Hence, the leap in inequality. ing inequality. outsourcing amplified the adverse im- Americans use the Internet, report
pact on factory workers. As these jobs Leamer and Fuentes. But only about
This change in lifestyles is something From 1980 to 2016, the average in- vanished, workers migrated into lower- 16 percent of full-time workers over 25
most of us have witnessed. The barriers crease in wages for those with ad- wage jobs in retail, health care, and lei- have advanced degrees, while 26 per-
between work and family are collaps- vanced degrees was 41 percent, from sure and hospitality. cent have bachelor’s degrees, accord-
ing before the relentless demands of al- $67,349 to $94,967. The gain for college ing to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
gorithms. Work has become a constant graduates was 17 percent, from $56,262 Meanwhile, the opposite was happen-
companion and an indestructible nag. to $65,865. For everyone else, inflation- ing at the top of the economic spectrum. There are many studies on inequal-
adjusted incomes over the period were Incomes were rising. Workaholics were ity – what caused it, what the conse-
Whether this is good for the national negative. Prices increased faster than multiplying. Write Leamer and Fuentes: quences are or might be (political as
psyche is an open question worthy of wages. The loss for high school gradu- well as economic), and what should or
scholarly study. What’s less debatable is ates was 12 percent. “The innovations in personal com- could be done about it. The Leamer-
that this digital imperative is more than puting and internet-based communi- Fuentes study adds to our understand-
a curiosity. It’s not just a reflection of Hours worked – or not – compound- cations have allowed individual work- ing by illuminating how these trends
growing economic inequality, it’s also a ed other effects on inequality, say ers the freedom to choose weekly work are already changing the way labor
contributor, says a new study by econo- markets function.
mists Edward E. Leamer and J. Rodrigo
Fuentes. (The study has been published The present trends, if continued,
as a working paper by the National Bu- do not bode well for the future. If the
reau of Economic Research.) labor force splits between well-paid
workaholics and everyone else, there is
Leamer and Fuentes, who collabo- bound to be a backlash – there already
rated on the study at UCLA, noticed that is – among people who feel they’re
higher-income employees were spend- working hard but can’t find the results
ing more time working, whether “at the in their paychecks.
office,” home or somewhere else. The
biggest increases were largely confined But remember: There is a conflict
to workers with bachelor’s or advanced between the flexibility and freedom
degrees (professional or doctoral de- that we want and the greater inequal-
grees). ity that we don’t. 

Here are some numbers: Between This column by Robert J. Samuelson
1980 and 2016, the annual average first appeared in The Washington Post.
number of working hours for employ- It does not necessarily reflect the views
ees with advanced degrees rose from of Vero Beach 32963.

DIAGNOSING AND TREATING and detaches (and later reattaches) the shoulder’s © 2019 VERO BEACH 32963 MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
A COMPLETE ROTATOR CUFF TEAR deltoid muscle to be able to see and access the
area where the torn tendon is located.
When a person is told he or she has a complete, full-  Mini-open repair
thickness rotator cuff tear that means that one or Starting as an arthroscopic procedure through
more of the four tendons in the rotator cuff is com- small tubes, the surgeon inspects and reattaches
pletely separated from the head of the upper arm the torn tendon if possible. If severe damage is
bone (the humerus). This can be caused by an injury found, a larger incision is made for an open repair.
or degeneration over time.  Tendon transfer
DIAGNOSING A COMPLETE ROTATOR CUFF TEAR If the torn tendon is too damaged to be reattached,
If your doctor suspects you might have a full tear, your a nearby tendon may be used as a replacement.
range of motion and muscle strength will be evaluat-  Shoulder joint replacement
ed and you will be asked to demonstrate movements If complete tears are part of massive rotator cuff
that cause pain. Your doctor may order X-rays, MRI injuries, shoulder joint replacement surgery in which
and/or ultrasound. an artificial joint is implanted may be recommended.
Most complete tears cannot heal on their own. While  Reverse shoulder joint replacement
you may be able to function without surgery, if you are Reverse shoulder replacement surgery is advised
active – and especially if you use your arm for overhead for patients diagnosed with rotator cuff tear ar-
work or sports – surgery will likely be suggested. thropathy, a problem that occurs when a person
SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR has serious shoulder arthritis and a rotator cuff
A COMPLETE ROTATOR CUFF TEAR tear that cannot be repaired or reattached. A reverse
Surgery to treat a full tear involves stitching the ten- shoulder implant swaps the natural location of the
don back to its original location. ball and socket of the shoulder joint. Instead of im-
Surgical options include: planting a metal ball at the top of the arm (as with
 Arthroscopic tendon repair traditional shoulder joint replacement), the ball is
The surgeon inserts a tiny camera called an ar- placed on the shoulder blade. Likewise, rather than
throscope and tools through small incisions into implanting the socket on the shoulder blade, the
your shoulder joint. The camera displays live images socket is placed on the top of the arm bone. This
on a television screen which the surgeon uses to backwards configuration allows the deltoid muscle
guide miniature surgical instruments to reattach to lift the arm overhead and compensate for the
the torn tendon. torn rotator cuff.
 Traditional open repair
If the tear is large or complex, a traditional open If your surgeon finds other shoulder anomalies such
surgical incision about an inch long may be required. as osteoarthritis, bone spurs, biceps tendon tears or
The surgeon makes the incision over the shoulder other soft tissue problems during surgery, it may be
possible to take care of them during the procedure.
Post-op rehabilitation and physical therapy are critical
components for a successful recovery. 
Your comments and suggestions for future topics are
always welcome. Email us at [email protected].

46 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

Biography as literature lost one of desk, testing and retesting his ideas, attention. In its creative audacity, it can’t help but recall
its modern masters when Edmund and shepherding his favored brain- the late biographer’s 14-year detour, in the midst of writ-
Morris died in May. His magnum children to manufacture, market- ing the three-volume Roosevelt trilogy, to write President
opus on Theodore Roosevelt, begun ability and profit. His wives and real Ronald Reagan’s authorized biography. When Reagan
in the 1970s and completed a decade children paid the price. As befits came to power in 1980, Morris was the toast of the lit-
ago, made a forceful impression with an American giant, Edison was not erary world for “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,” which
its intimate, puckish embrace of the merely a scientific savant. He was an won the South Africa-raised author, a former advertising
extraordinary TR, its immersion in engineer and a businessman, too, a copywriter with no academic pedigree, the Pulitzer Prize
detail and period context, its narra- before he turned 40. The Reagan entourage offered Mor-
tive pulse and verbal filigree. In this sui generis forerunner of the billion- ris what looked like a presidential biographer’s dream:
new biography, unexpectedly pub- aire wizards of Silicon Valley, where full access to the president – and full independence in
lished posthumously, Morris deploys this biography might be keenly ap- the finished product.
those extraordinary talents again to preciated. Half of this sizable vol-
sculpt a staggeringly grand likeness ume is the chronicle of a gifted but The deal was irresistible, perhaps, but it had sad con-
of the American genius Thomas Alva clumsy corporate tycoon who lost sequences. One was a desperate book, when it finally ap-
Edison. many millions “in a career remark- peared in 1999, and an intellectual defeat for its author;
able for profligate spending and unable to plumb the void he found at the heart of his
In the late 19th century, the un- subject, Morris was driven to wild invention and near-
schooled Edison was the mastermind wasted opportunities.” reverie to cope. The other consequence was the delay
of then-unimaginable, even magical, Yet his frequent failures and in the completion of the Roosevelt trilogy. But complete
technologies that revolutionized society in his lifetime it Morris did with “Theodore Rex” (2001) and “Colonel
and ours: to name just the most transformative, the in- constant frustrations, in Morris’ judgment, had Roosevelt” (2010), both fulfilling the great promise of the
candescent lightbulb and the electrification of cities; the their roots in the very qualities that made him prevail first volume.
phonograph record and the machine to play it; the mo- over his rivals, of whom there were many: “an impatient
tion picture and the way to screen it. Edison’s volcanic willingness, compulsion even, to take enormous risks,” The literary streak in Morris’ narrative approaches
brain and relentless drive spawned most of the conve- “his certainty that any idea, no matter how revolution- gave us both the errant excess of “Dutch,” the Reagan
niences we take for granted and the world of screens we ary, was realizable through sheer doggedness of experi- book, and what, held in just enough check, makes the
inhabit today. ment,” “his habit of excitedly publicizing breakthroughs Roosevelt books so sublime. This almost mischievous
in advance, and his contempt for speculators, which did stripe turns up instantly in “Edison.” Many a biography
There were many hundreds of inventions, and hun- not stop him from betting on himself,” Morris writes. (or novel for that matter) begins with a funeral and then
dreds more Edison didn’t have time to complete or never goes back to the beginning. This is the first one I can
thought through. (And Morris loved lists, curating them With the kind of relish and study that would exhaust remember that tells a life story backward, from end to
with expertise and wit.) “On a single day, when he was 40 most biographers, Morris evidently set himself the task beginning, marching decade by decade from Edison’s
and full of innovative fire, he had jotted down 112 ideas of understanding and mentally replicating every one of death in 1931 to his birth in 1847.
for ‘new things,’ among them a mechanical cotton pick- Edison’s scientific and engineering schemes.With energy
er, a snow compressor, an electrical piano, artificial silk, a and boundless curiosity Morris wades into every patent The biographer is not here to speak for himself, but
platinum-wire ice slicer, a system of penetrative photog- dispute, corporate merger, partnership and estrange- one can surmise his attraction to a narrative arc that
raphy (presaging radiology by 12 years), and a product ment and lawsuit that preoccupied Edison when he was builds slowly to the peak – that is, to Edison’s yeastiest
unlikely to occur to anyone else, except perhaps Lewis not in the laboratory, or, as could happen, off fishing for years of invention in the 1870s and 1880s. Written con-
Carroll: ‘Ink for the Blind.’” That Edison was almost en- a few days with the boys or taking his family on a lavish, ventionally, the climax would have come too soon. For-
tirely deaf from the age of 12 made his determination to weeks-long vacation. tunately, both Edison and Morris were eccentric and
capture and broadcast sound all the more poignant. brilliant enough to make even a life told in reverse a
What kind of man was Edison? At the peak of his pow- compelling experience. 
From his first teenage days as a railroad telegrapher ers, in his 30s, it depended on whom you asked. “To his
and newspaper publisher, Edison exhibited “the traits employees, [he was] an Ubermensch; to his financial EDISON
that distinguished him as an inventor – contrary think- backers, an uncontrollable fantasist, half-genius, half-
ing, obstinate repetition, daydreaming, delight in diffi- fool; to rivals, a publicity whore of no especial originality; BY CHARLES TRUEHEART | 800 PP. $38
culty,” Morris writes. All his life he was given to intense to his wife and children, increasingly a stranger; to Pat- REVIEW BY CHARLES TRUEHEART, THE WASHINGTON POST
periods of noodling, forswearing meals, sleeping at his ent Office examiners, a tireless nuisance, filing sixty ap-
plications in 1880 alone.” And more than 1,000 in his life-
time. “Edison” has a structural distinction that begs for

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 47

ON FAITH

Defining moments make us stronger and more faithful

BY REV. DRS. CASEY AND BOB BAGGOTT
Columnists

An insightful author once noted ourselves and of God every day of our lead us to be more giving, more caring, We may never find a satisfying an-
that “a person reaches maturity when lives. Why was I passed over by cancer and more loving to those now in need. swer to why tragedy strikes some and
he or she finally accepts the event that today? Why was my family passed over Third, learn to hold on gently to things of by-passes others. But we may, neverthe-
forever divided life into before and af- by a car wreck? Why didn’t I succumb worldly-worth that can all too easily be less, find great satisfaction in responding
ter.” to a heart attack today? Why isn’t my swept away. Learn to hold tightly only to as faithfully and effectively as we can to
town experiencing a plague or a fam- things most sacred to you – your family any tragedy that has divided the lives
History recounts so many mo- ine? Why has catastrophe passed us by? and friends, and the hope of your faith. of others into “before and after.” 
mentous events that must have been And even more importantly, as faithful
“before and after” turning points for people, what is our responsibility in
those who lived through them. Imag- light of our good fortune? What should
ine living through the Black Plague, or our attitudes, dispositions and spiritu-
the French Revolution or the Civil War! al convictions be, in light of some trag-
While these are long past, there are edy that has struck not us this time, but
many alive today that experienced the the people of some neighboring state
world-altering, life-changing events or some distant country?
of Hurricane Katrina, or the great tsu-
nami of 2004, or California wildfires. Let us suggest three possibilities for
a response to tragedy that passes us by:
Of course, when such a cataclysmic First, never overlook the opportunity
event occurs in a life, it takes some that this new day brings to us. Today is
time to make a sober assessment of a fresh start. Appreciate it and make it
the damage and come to grips with count. Second, we humans learn best
it. It takes time to accept that life has how to love when we are a bit broken
forever been divided into before and and our myths of self-sufficiency are
after. shattered. We probably know a little
about the brokenness that comes with
Has there been such a decisive and the hardships of life. Let that awareness
life-dividing event that has impacted
your life? Some of us have experi-
enced such events. But far more often
than not, tragedy passes us by, and
leaves us wondering. Why does trag-
edy strike one place and not another?

Actually, when you come to think
of it, we could ask that question of

48 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PETS

This amazing K-9 earns Bonzo’s SEAL of approval

Hi Dog Buddies! dle puppies, and we still train any toys?”
“Are you kidding?”
This week, I innerviewed a pooch every day. When the Navy or law “Treats?”
with a Very Serious Job. He’s a member “Seriously?”
of a team of seals an, when I first heard enforcement need a K-9, they go “Whaddya you eat?”
about that, I was, like, Wait! What? “It’s a very strict diet. All raw.
Aren’t those the funny-looking ani- to Baden. Me an Hooman start-
mals with flippers that live around the Chicken. Veggies. An tripe. I’m crazy
water? ed being partners when I was 5 for tripe. Part of the training for me
an Hooman is a fast every couple
Then I Googled. Finn’s team is hu- months old.” weeks, cuz you can’t eat in the field,
man and pooch, an you hafta spell it or 24 hours before a flight. It isn’t bad
all in big ledders, cuz it stands for Sea, “I think I unnerstand. I felt for us or anything.”
Air an Land. SEALS is a Special Ops
force for the Navy. Did you know that? that way about my Mom,” I Note to self. Google tripe.
I didn’t know that. “Do you sleep with Hooman?”
said, wiping my nose with my “The first night after I moved in
The innerview was at the National with Hooman, he slept on the floor
Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce paw. “What sorta stuff are you with me cuz I was still mostly a pup-
and, woof! is that uh-MAY-zing! Me an ster and everything was New an Un-
my assistant were shown to a special trained to do?” fuh-MILL-yer. Now, I sleep in my own
innerview room: there was a lady, anna bed.”
man in a uniform, an this good-looking “I’m a fully trained War- Several times during the innerv-
poocheroo. He was a Malinois; looked a iew, Hooman’d come over an give Finn
lot like a German Shepherd but smaller. rior Dog,” Finn said, in a not- Finn.PHOTO: KAILA JONES some pats an ear-rubs and say soft
He hadda Cool Kibbles uniform vest on, bragging-at-all way. “Swim- words. An Finn never took his eyes
one side had a silhouette of a K-9, an the ming, jumping outta planes, off Hooman for more than a second.
other side hadda American flag and an Obviously, although Finn was very
eagle holding an anchor anna kinda infiltratin,’ taking down bad CORE-jull, Hooman was No. 1, an there
pointy-looking fork. weren’t any other numbers.
guys, sniffin’ out explosives Heading home, I was still in awe
“Good morning, Mr. Bonzo. Come on thinkin’ about the things K-9s like Finn
in. I’m Finn. This is my partner (Finn an IEDs. I‘m also flu-unt in German.” hopped onto a bench, looking Crispy can do, an how important they are to
indicated the man). I call him Hooman. the humans who work to keep the rest
He’s a U.S. Navy SEAL. An this is Elaine, I shook my head. What a dog! Dog Biscuits and ready for a photo op. of us safe. When I got home, I Googled
she’s in charge of museum PR.” “tripe.” I wish I hadn’t.
“The SEALS use a lotta Malinois. Elaine showed me an my assistant
“I can’t wait to hear all about you an Till next time,
your job. An how come you don’t have a We’re more portable than German some Super Cool Kibbles Navy stuff.
last name?” The Bonz
Shepherds: we can ride on our part- You pooches should totally check it
“I do. But me an Hooman are Active Don’t Be Shy
Military, an lots of SEAL assign-mutts ners’ shoulders, get in an outta small out, ’specially the gigantic helly-cop-
are Super Secret, so we don’t dis-CLOSE We are always looking for pets
that stuff. Except for my first name.” spaces, are Super Excellent at agility, ter called a Blackhawk. I’ve never seen with interesting stories.

“Woof.” I was impressed. “So, how’d an very stable. We’re polite an frenly ANYthing like it. I pickshured Finn in To set up an interview, email
you get into this line of work?” [email protected].
with good humans. But with bad guys, his combat gear jumpin’ out of it with
“It’s all I’ve ever known, Mr. Bonzo.
Me an my brothers and sisters were we instantly become fearless, ferocious Hooman, on a Super Secret Assign-
born at Baden K-9 in Canada. Not to
brag, but us Baden dogs are elite, highly warriors. Since 9/11, we’ve lost numer- mutt.
trained canines: we start school as lid-
ous brave fellow K-9s in combat. I’m SO Later, I asked Finn about that eagle

proud of my brothers an sisters in the and fork-thingy on his vest.

military, law enforcement and as com- “That’s the official SEAL insignia. We

panions to vet-uh-runs. K-9 teams work wear it proudly. It’s called a TRI-dent

together like we were just one pooch or and it means we’ve made it through

human. We know our partner can pro- SEAL training, which most human and

tect us just the same as we can protect dog trainees don’t. You earn your tri-

them. dent every day.”

“My assign-mutt here or out in the I was getting more an more im-

community is to educate an enlighten pressed. “Whaddya do for fun, you

the public about the SEAL museum know, to chill out?” I wondered.

mission, an how important K-9s are to “I don’t DO chill-out. I’m a working

it. Hey, wanna take a tour? C’mon!” dog. I always hafta have a TASK. But

He and Hooman led the way into the Hooman makes TRAINING fun. He

display area. There were lots of grown- calls it positive reinforcement. Like, for

ups and liddle kids lookin’ around. Ev- scent training, he hides a sock an I sniff

erybody wanted to talk to Finn and pat it out. I especially like water training.

him. I’m a Florida pooch, after all. We train

“S’cuse me for a sec,” Finn said. He every day.”

an Hooman greeted the group; Finn “Um (I was almost afraid to ask),

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 49

INSIGHT BRIDGE

NORTH

SAY YOUR PIECE, THEN HOLD YOUR PEACE AQ652

By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist Q975

This is an interesting comment about a potential partner: The wrong one will find you in 96
peace and leave you in pieces, but the right one will find you in pieces and lead you to
peace. WEST 72
K EAST
At the bridge table, if you do not keep your peace at the right moment, you could leave your 63
partnership’s score in pieces. Q8752 4
J 10 9 5 4
Look at today’s North hand. Partner opens one spade, and West passes. Do you agree with AKJ82
the four-spade response? After that, East doubles, South passes, and West advances with
five diamonds. What about North’s five-spade rebid? K J 10 4

I do not mind North’s “weak freak” raise to four spades. He would normally have had a Q63
singleton or void, but a slam was unlikely, and he might have silenced the opponents when
they should have been in the auction. SOUTH

Here, East had enough to double. Then West should have advanced with four no-trump to J 10 9 8 7 3
ask his partner to pick a minor.
10 4
Finally, North should have passed over five diamonds because his hand was full of losers. If
he had, South would have doubled five diamonds, and North-South could have been plus A3
500, taking the spade ace, the diamond ace, the club ace-king and a club ruff in the North
hand. That would have been better than making four spades. AK8

How did five spades get on? Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Neither

Any lead was going to defeat that. At the table, West chose the heart six. East won with The Bidding:
his jack, cashed the ace and continued with the heart eight, which West ruffed with the
spade king. SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
1 Spades Pass 4 Spades Dbl.
Pass 5 Diamonds 5 Spades All Pass LEAD:
6 Hearts

50 Vero Beach 32963 / December 5, 2019 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (NOVEMBER 28) ON PAGE 68

ACROSS DOWN
1 Pig (3) 1 Position (4)
3 Labour (4) 2 Dress in (4)
5 Trounce (4) 3 Financial hub (4,6)
8 Asian nation (8) 4 High repute (6)
10 Animal tooth (4) 6 Choral work (8)
11 Corn spike (3) 7 Got there (anag.) (8)
13 German sub (1-4) 9 Custom (5)
14 Closely bound (5-4) 12 Shocking (10)
16 Consumed (3) 14 Palpable (8)
17 Frozen water (3) 15 Produce (8)
19 Make effort (9) 18 Eros (5)
21 Waterfowl (5) 20 Ordained cleric (6)
22 Brooch (3) 22 Agreement (4)
24 Rhythm (4) 23 -- and tidy (4)
25 Special honour (8)
The Telegraph 26 Oversized jug (4)
27 Responsibility (4)
28 Small child (3)

How to do Sudoku:

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

The Telegraph


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