02/10/2022 ISSUE 06

Vero offers novel argument in
lawsuit with Shores. P14
Sandridge to get
new clubhouse. P13
Vote set on $50 million

bond for conservation. P10

For breaking news visit

MY VERO Covid claims 45
more lives here
BY RAY MCNULTY since Christmas

Starting to get hopeful
about the Vero riverfront

For the first time in what BY STEVEN M. THOMAS days among residents who – AMAC Alex MacWilliam, Inc., BY LISA ZAHNER
seems like years since the pro- Staff Writer even if they aren’t all multi- the oldest real estate agency Staff Writer
cess began, I’m starting to be- millionaires like him – do on the island.
lieve I’ll live to see the so-called If Thurston Howell III ran mostly wake up in the morn- While the number of new
“Three Corners” property be- aground on the Riomar Reef ing in million-dollar houses. It was Jan. 27 and MacWil- COVID-19 infections reported
come the riverfront dining, and paddled ashore with liam was sitting behind his to the Florida Department of
social and recreational desti- Gilligan and the Skipper, he “There is nothing in Cen- desk in his office on Ocean Health declined another 41
nation our community sorely would feel right at home on tral Beach, east or west of Drive, looking at MLS percent last week, Indian Riv-
lacks. Vero’s barrier island these A1A, for under a million,” said data. “The lowest price is er County is not coming out
Buzz MacWilliam, broker at of the Omicron-variant surge
That’s saying plenty, given CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 unscathed. At least 45 local
the Vero Beach City Council’s residents died of COVID since
history of moving at the speed Christmas.
of erosion when it comes to
making impactful decisions, According to the Centers for
particularly when they per- Disease Control and Preven-
tain to any type of meaningful tion, 11 Indian River County
development. COVID-positive residents
died between Jan. 30 and Feb.
And, for that reason alone, 6, on top of five deaths the
I applaud the four City Coun- previous week.
cil members who last week –
urged on by a packed Council On average, one local COV-
chamber – possessed the fore- ID-positive resident has died
sight, wisdom and courage to every day since Dec. 25, bring
push forward with the project the countywide death toll to
and approve a master plan that 615, based upon Florida De-
dares to dramatically enhance partment of Health reports
our quality of life.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Sheriff Flowers hoping vague apology on Facebook will save his job Gold jewelry, exotic cars, luxury hotels figure
in trial of caregivers for elderly island couple
BY RAY MCNULTY own personal high standards.”
Staff Writer He later published the BY LISA ZAHNER Island couple for 10 months in
Staff Writer 2017.
Five days after Vero Beach statement on his personal
32963 reported that Sheriff Eric “Sheriff Eric Flowers” Face- A staggering amount of evi- Assistant State Attorney Lev
Flowers had been caught hav- book page – but not on the dence is expected to be used Evans recently sent the court
ing an extramarital affair, he is- “Indian River County Sheriff’s later this month against for- a list of allegedly fraudulent
sued an in-house memo to his Office” Facebook page. mer home-health nursing as- credit-card transactions – to-
500-plus employees Monday in sistant Chiquita LaShae Mc- taling more than $115,000 –
which he apologized to his wife, He did not face reporters at Gee when she goes on trial that he intends to enter into
to the agency and to the com- a news conference. for exploiting an elderly John’s evidence at trial.
munity for “not living up to my
Flowers didn’t mention the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
affair in his statement, which

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

PHOTO BY KAILA JONES

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2 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero And that’s just on the north side of Anything’s possible, of course, and turns much quicker than other parts
the 17th Street Bridge. referendums do sometimes fail. But of the state.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 there’s a good feel to this one, a posi-
On the south side, current home of tive community buzz that makes me It’s worth the gamble.
This potential-filled plan – albeit the city’s wastewater treatment plant, believe this is the right plan at the right As for the other concerns expressed
only conceptual in its design – doesn’t the plan envisions a Youth Sailing Foun- time in the right place. by opponents: There’s nothing on the
settle for merely keeping Vero Vero, a dation training and competition facility, list that can’t be addressed in ad-
nostalgia-driven notion too often tak- recreational amenities and cultural ar- Despite the naysaying and what- vance.
en to extremes. eas, including a performance stage. iffing we heard from the plan’s op- Our city officials have managed this
ponents – they argued a hotel wasn’t process exceptionally well, given the
Instead, the City Council-endorsed The third corner – a 4.3-acre par- necessary, traffic congestion would challenges presented by the COVID-19
plan promises to make Vero better by cel on the southwest corner of Indian become problematic, the community pandemic, and they’ve earned the ben-
transforming 33 acres of riverfront prop- River Boulevard and 17th Street, where lacked the demographics to support efit of the doubt in choosing the right
erty, now occupied by an abandoned Florida Power & Light built a substation it, and developers shouldn’t be trusted developer for the project.
power plant and outdated wastewater on the southern half of the property – is with a 99-year lease – there’s no good In fact, city officials already have
treatment facility that eventually will be not included in the plan but could be- reason to not enthusiastically em- reached out to nearly a dozen devel-
relocated, into a special venue that will come part of the project if needed. brace this project. opers that have shown interest in the
be celebrated for decades. project, and they’ll surely will hear
That decision, though, will be made Not only has the City Council reached from more if the referendum passes.
“I’m 100 percent for this project,” by the project’s developer, which will out to all sectors of the community, in- Then they’ll whittle the list down and
Vice Mayor Rey Neville said before the be chosen by the City Council if Vero cluding county residents outside Vero solicit proposals.
City Council’s vote. Beach voters approve the master plan Beach and young people, but it also has “That’s going to be a lengthy pro-
in a Nov. 8 referendum. conducted this process in the most wel- cess,” City Planning Director Jason Jef-
All of us should be. coming and transparent way. fries said.
Imagine a wildly popular, some- Specifically, voters will be asked to While the city will protect its inter-
times-festive community gathering amend the City Charter by changing Based on the feedback the city has ests, Jeffries said, officials also under-
place on the mainland’s riverfront – as the land-use designation of the 17- received, most folks agree that we stand the project must be a worthwhile
can be found in Sebastian, Fort Pierce, acre, power-plant property to allow need such a development, especially endeavor for the developer, too.
Jensen Beach and Stuart – that in- commercial ventures. The charter can’t with newcomers still pouring into the That’s why the hotel remains in the
cludes a resort-style hotel, plazas with be amended without voter approval. county and limited waterfront dining plan and there was no reduction in the
restaurants and retail shops, a day- and drinking options on the island. length of the lease.
dock marina and picturesque walking There’s no commercial use planned “We need the hotel to make it a
promenade. for the 16 acres south of the bridge, so Is there risk? destination and generate addition-
Now imagine those wonderful ame- no amendment to the charter is nec- This is Florida, where the economy al business for the restaurants and
nities in a tree-lined, park-like setting essary and that parcel isn’t included in goes through periods of boom and shops,” Jeffries said, adding that the
in which green space covers half of the the referendum. bust, so we could experience tough
property. times. But this is also Vero Beach,
Is there any chance city voters will which tends to recover from down-
reject the plan and vote “no” on the
referendum?

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 3

NEWS

hotel would probably offer 150 to 200 Million Dollar Island listing at 1971 Club Dr. at $2,345,000, Vero resident and AMAC agent who
rooms and banquet facilities. “We CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 which is basically lot value,” said Char- lives on Painted Bunting in Riomar.
also heard concerns about the 99- lotte Terry, the top luxury agent at
year lease, but developers need that $1,095,000 for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath AMAC. “From there it jumps to $5.9 Likewise, there are no single-family
type of commitment to get their fi- on Indian River Drive and the highest million, then $7.9 million and then detached homes in The Moorings for
nancing.” price in Central Beach is $2,385,000 for up to $18 million for a property on the under $1 million, and it goes without
a 4-bedroom, 3-bath on Gayfeather.” ocean.” saying that price point is only a distant
Another issue brought forth at last memory in John’s Island.
week’s City Council meeting was the And Central Beach is not an anomaly. “I just checked, and there’s nothing
fate of the now-idle power plant, af- “The lowest price in Riomar is my in Castaway Cove for under a million,” As of 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 7 there
fectionately known as “Big Blue,” and said Kit Fields, a fourth-generation were only seven houses in the entire
whether the unsightly 60-year-old
building could be repurposed into a CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
hotel.

It’s in the plan, but the ultimate de-
cision rests with the developer.

“You’re still a few years away from
seeing anything happening on that
site – if the referendum passes,” Jef-
fries said. “I’m optimistic that it will,
but we’d still have a lot of work to do
before any type of groundbreaking.”

Any chance the riverfront will be
open for business within 10 years?

“Oh, yeah,” Jeffries said. “If every-

PHOTO BY KAILA JONES

People pack City Council chambers before a
vote on the Three Corners riverfront project.

thing stays on track, you should see
dirt moving in five years.”

That’s assuming future City Coun-
cils don’t get in the way.

City Council members serve two-
year terms, and the elections for the
five seats are staggered, which means
power can shift almost annually.

Jeffries, however, said support for
the project has been “pretty consis-
tent” throughout his four years here.

“It’s an exciting time,” Jeffries said.
“I like where we’re headed.”

But we’re not even halfway there.
There’s still plenty of time for some-
thing to go wrong, especially as we
move through the next five years and
we see new faces on the City Coun-
cil, which has a long history of getting
bogged down.
We can’t let that happen, and I don’t
think we will – now that so many people
agree Vero Beach needs a riverfront des-
tination where we can dine and drink,
stroll and shop, and enjoy meeting
neighbors and newcomers.
I think the referendum will pass, the
city will find the right developer and the
riverfront will become something spe-
cial.
At age 63, I think I’ll live to see it.
And hopefully, it will have a much bet-
ter name by then. 

4 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Million Dollar Island at this point,” said Dale Sorensen Jr., Central Beach shows up in our MLS “When I got my real estate license in
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 managing partner for Dale Sorensen in April 2021,” said Fields. “It probably 1982, Central Beach houses were sell-
Real Estate. went under contract in late February ing for $100,000 to $150,000,” said Mac-
32963 area for under $1 million, accord- or early March.” William. “I bought my first home from
ing Zillow.com. They were priced from The shift to an exclusively $1-mil- my uncle in the 1980s for $120,000. It
$699,000 for a little 950-square-foot lion-and-up housing market hap- Nowhere has the dramatic jump in was on Ocean Drive on the cusp of Rio-
house in Summerplace to $900,000 for pened suddenly, in the first half of values been more striking than in Cen- mar and Central Beach. I put another
a 3-bedroom, 2-bath on Anglers Lane 2021. Prices had been rising steadily tral Beach. $20,000 into remodeling it and had
in South Beach. through the fall and winter of 2020 but a house with a brand-new roof, new
early in the new year, an afterburner A 20-block section that extends from windows, new floors, new bathrooms,
With inventory down to a one-month kicked in as cash buyers flooded the Holy Cross Catholic Church in the everything. That was my bachelor pad
supply in Vero Beach, most of those island market as part of the ongoing south to Jaycee Park in the north, filling for three or four years.”
remnant, under-a-million homes will pandemic migration. most of the space between the beach
likely be under contract by the time this and the lagoon, Central Beach was “Even 10 or 12 years ago, you could
article is published. “That is when things really took off,” the islands “affordable” section for de- get a little house in Central Beach for
said MacWilliam. cades, a middle-class haven filled with $200,000,” said Richard Boga at Pre-
“The whole island is basically luxury retirees and families living a breezy, mier Estate Properties. “It might not
“The first million-dollar sale [of a seaside lifestyle side-by-side. have been in great condition, but you
basic 3-bedroom, 2-bath house] in could get a house, and there was a lot
to choose from at $300,000.”

Fields said that when she started in
real estate in 2016, the average price in
Central Beach was up to $500,000.

By the second half of 2021, that av-
erage had hot up to $949,000, accord-
ing to MLS data provided by MacWil-
liam that shows Central Beach sales
between July 1 and Dec. 31.

“I sold a house in Central Beach as
the market was starting to accelerate
but before it got really hot,” said Terry.
“It was a 2-bedroom, 2-bath, no pool,
very neat, very tidy, with a 2-car ga-
rage, that went for $625,000.

“Six months later, when the new
owners decided to sell, I told them the
market had gone up and suggested
$750,000 as a list price. They called back
and said they wanted to list for $995,000
and we ended up getting $875,000 for
it. That was my lesson that we were in
a whole new world in terms of prices.”

Fields told a similar story about a
house on Iris, east of A1A. “Cheryl Ger-
stner and I listed it in August 2020 and a
young couple – he was doctor – bought
it for just under $1 million. It was very
outdated, and they planned to remodel
to make a nice family home.”

When the couple got bids for reno-
vation “the cost was so extreme that
they put it back on the market for $1.2
million. It sold quickly for $1,000,000.”
All within a matter of weeks.

Besides the pandemic flight of buyers
from congested urban areas to attractive
small towns, and the advent of “work
from anywhere,” the land-rush atmo-
sphere in Central Beach is fueled by its
walkability, according to island brokers.

“My Central Beach buyers love the
village feel, being close to restaurants
and shops and being able to walk down
to Cardinal or Ocean and get their cof-
fee in the morning,” said Fields.

“Being close to town has become
much more popular in recent years,”
said Terry, who sees some clients mov-
ing into Central Beach from gated com-
munities on the island to be closer to
the action.

“I have a couple of clients who lived
in Windsor for many years, like 30 years,

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 5

NEWS

and at a certain point they were not es, as well as shopping and dining. erties broker associate Cindy O’Dare. move here, but it is great for sellers –
playing golf anymore or using many “Boomers like to walk and be in the “And they aren’t speculators or inves- and for partners O’Dare and Boga.
of the facilities and didn’t want to keep tors. They are people who are really
paying all the fees, so they have moved thick of things. They are more active moving here and establishing them- Premier Estate Properties only sells
to Central Beach to be close to every- and athletic than their parents were,” selves in Vero Beach.” homes priced at $1 million or more
thing” – the theater, museum, dog she said. and 10 years ago that limited the part-
park, marina, banks and other servic- The helium in island home prices ners to a select slice of the island mar-
“People are frantically buying up is a challenge for those who want to
properties,” said Premier Estate Prop- CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Million Dollar Island for our extremely limited inventory for
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 that to happen.”

ket. Now they can list and sell pretty Fields mentions a home on Riomar
much any house on island. Drive that sold for $243,000 in 1989 and
just resold in August for $2.2 million.
“The whole time I have been here “The new owners are pouring money
with Premier my bread and butter has into it.” Fields said, suggesting that the
been homes priced $1 million to $3 renovations are a smart investment.“You
million,” said O’Dare. “Those are the really can’t over-improve in Riomar.”
listings Richard and I need that we can
sell all day long, and there are more of “The Wall Street Journal and real-
those houses now.” tor.com analyze the 300 largest met-
ropolitan areas across the country to
O’Dare called the sudden increase highlight the housing markets poised
in island prices “incredible,” but said to [most] benefit homeowners and in-
she is not shocked by million-dollar vestors,” according to a Jan. 26 article
homes in Central Beach. on marketwatch.com.

“I always thought we would go to “The top emerging markets represent
a million and up in Vero because of the places where home-price growth is
what I’ve seen in Naples, which is one expected to be stellar, while also having
of our main competing markets. Buy- other attractive amenities,” and Vero
ers who look there often look here, Beach is among the top 20.
too, and they have a little walkable
residential area near their downtown MacWilliam scoffs a little bit at the
very similar to Central Beach. term “emerging.”

“I worked on some deals over there “People have been sayingVero Beach is
with Naples agents about seven years an emerging market 30 years, ever since
ago and learned a lot about the mar- Windsor came out of the ground in 1989
ket. Teardowns were going for $1 and Prince Charles came a few times.
million to $2 million then and I have Then the Broadway star Bernadette
watched prices go up, up, up to where Peters and Gloria Estefan came, and it
those houses are now selling for $4 was the same thing, ‘Oh, Vero Beach is
million or $5 million.” emerging.’ We are always emerging! But,
in fact, I think we have emerged!”
With those kind of prices in Naples
and little island homes near down- It would seem so, with steady cov-
town Palm Beach even more expen- erage in the national real estate press,
sive, O’Dare expects values in Central a continuing flood of high-end cash
Beach and nearby neighborhoods to buyers from all over the country and
stay on an upward trajectory, as does multiple homes selling for more than
her partner who recently purchased a $20 million in the past two years.
home in Central Beach.
If he came ashore here, Thurston
Boga, who has a house in Vero Isles, Howell – who Forbes Magazine iden-
says he pulled the trigger on a 3-bed- tified in a 2006 list as one of the 15
room, 2-bath in $900,000s because he richest fictional characters – would
saw it as his last chance to get into the gravitate to the $20 million-and-up
neighborhood for under a million in social set, but he would probably
case he ever decides he wants to live feel OK adjusting his ascot in a Cen-
in or build a home on the island. tral Beach house, too, on occasion,
knowing that he was in a million-dol-
Terry and Fields see it the same way. lar neighborhood, even if his hosts
“I don’t see our prices going down,” didn’t belong to Newport Country
Terry said. “There is too much demand Club or Oyster Bay Yacht Club like he
and Lovey. 

Sheriff Flowers the messages we have received,” Flowers
wrote, “but ask that you give us privacy
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 as we work together on our marriage.”

began with him writing that he was He closed his statement by writing:
“publicly apologizing” to his wife, Ra- “I am sorry to all the agency and com-
chel, and their family “for all the hurt, munity members who I have disap-
embarrassment and anger I caused.” pointed, and I will work hard to earn
your trust and support going forward.”
He went on to state that he would not
allow his “personal life and these chal- Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb-
lenges” to affect his job performance, bie Carson said Flowers had no plans
adding that he will remain focused on to face reporters at a news conference,
leading the law enforcement agency. and that Flowers would not comment
publicly beyond the statement posted
He then inferred that he and his wife on his personal Facebook page.
were attempting to keep their marriage
intact – a change from his position last She said the statement was not
week, when he had told supporters the posted on the Sheriff’s Office page be-
couple was headed for divorce. cause it was a “personal matter” and
not agency business, adding that she
“Rachel and I both appreciate all of
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8



8 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Sheriff Flowers where he equated the deputies’ oath of more open or the public to know more.” co-defendant and sister, Sophia Mo-
office to marriage vows and said he ex- Sheriff’s Detective Joe Karman, nae Shepherd (aka Sophia Brown),
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 pected the deputies to reflect his values. were authorized to use a credit card
president of the Indian River Deputies to buy necessary items for Alfred Mar-
had not been directed to notify the lo- Others called for Flowers’ resigna- Association, said Monday his organi- tinelli. But police say that plan went
cal news media. tion, writing that he couldn’t be trusted zation had “no comment at this time” awry due to Michelina Martinelli’s de-
and apologized only because he was on how Flowers’ betrayal of trust might mentia.
By Monday afternoon, however, desperate to keep his job. impact his ability to lead the agency.
Flowers’ statement had been posted The investigation found not only the
on multiple social-media sites, includ- Even the Press Journal, which huff- Flowers clearly hoped Monday that credit card purchases, but also $85,000
ing Facebook, where the 200-plus com- ily sought to pass off the story that his Facebook posting had laid this in checks made out to McGee from the
ments on his personal page ranged Vero Beach 32963 broke a week ago matter to rest. That struck many as Martinellis’ bank account. Confused,
from supportive to hostile with many as based on “rumors,” found Flowers’ unlikely.  Michelina Martinelli told police she
criticizing his hypocrisy. statement insufficient, asking: “Should thought the CNAs were charging items
the public demand an explanation or Trial of home caregivers for her husband to their own credit
Some cited Flowers’ campaign prom- an investigation? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 cards, so she would ask them how
ises and first speech after being sworn much they spent and reimburse them
in 13 months ago at Holman Stadium, “As Flowers has said he works 24/7, The arrest warrant affidavit accuses by check, without asking for receipts.
it would make sense for Flowers to be McGee of taking pleasure trips to New
York and Miami, and purchasing pric- The CNAs were fired from Indian
ey electronics, gold jewelry, sporting River Home Health after the Marti-
goods and apparel for herself and for nellis’ daughter reported them. Susan
family members. Shea also filed a Florida Healthcare
Provider Complaint with the state.
The credit card charges on the list
don’t seem to fit the lifestyle of McGee’s Three Indian River Shores Public
patients, 89-year-old Alfred Martinelli Safety officers worked to assemble the
and his wife, then-86-year-old Miche- evidence that led to an arrest warrant
lina Martinelli. Vero Beach internist Dr. for McGee and Shepherd in January
Garrick Kantzler is expected to testify 2018. Det. Ken Barrett, Sgt. Kip Ben-
that both had dementia at the time, and ham, and Det. Rodney Grass conducted
it was noted in their medical records. interviews, gathered bank records and
interviewed store employees where
First on the list of purchases are 18 McGee and Shepherd are accused of
gold chains, bracelets and charms making fraudulent charges on the Mar-
bought from Piercing Pagoda totaling tinellis’ credit cards.
$3,889. Then there were two iPhones at
$719 each, three Apple watches ranging Not surprisingly given their more
in price from $329 to $399 each, and a than $19,000 in purchases, the Champs
smart television set from Best Buy. store manager remembered and posi-
tively identified McGee and Shepherd,
There were also $3,247 in Avis and as did other store clerks.
Budget car rentals, $9,213 in luxury
and exotic car rentals including a Rolls Arrest documents say the CNAs also
Royce from MPH Car Club, a $1,369 charged a Carnival cruise to the Baha-
stay at The Plaza in New York, two mas, a diamond ring from Zales Jewel-
nights at The Bentley hotel in Miami ers and lingerie from Victoria’s Secret.
for $1,012, plus $1,702 in home fur- They are accused of charging cosmet-
nishings from Own It Now. ic surgery, legal bills and buying gold
by the ounce for an investment.
But the most confounding pur-
chases made with the credit cards of Indian River Shores Deputy Chief
two 80-somethings were racked up on Mark Shaw said only Det. Bennett,
47 trips to Champs Sporting Goods, who joined the Shores’ force after a
where a total of $19,262 worth of mer- long career with the Vero Beach Police
chandise was charged. Department, is expected to testify at
the trial, but he praised everyone who
Court records say McGee and her worked to build the case.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10



10 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Trial of home caregivers attorney, James Regan of Fort Pierce, a
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 former prosecutor and colleague of Ev-
ans, was not available Monday for com-
“Ken and our team of investigators ment.
put a phenomenal amount of time
and energy into this case. Ultimately, McGee’s co-defendant Shepherd re-
we hope to get closure for the victim cently changed defense attorneys, de-
and family,” Shaw said. laying her trial.

Prosecutor Evans said he expects the Attorney Bob Stone had to bow out
trial – his last case before he retires – to due to a chronic health problem, so
span one week. McGee’s private defense Shepherd is being represented by As-
sistant Public Defender Dorothy Nau-
mann. 

Initiative set for November on $50 million
bond to buy up more land for conservation

BY GEORGE ANDREASSI thanks largely to matching grants, said
Ken Grudens, executive director of the
Staff Writer Indian River Land Trust.

If a planned initiative is approved “Conservation has always been a
by county voters in November, island priority of our county’s residents,”
homeowners would have to pay about Grudens said. “The county has done
$100 more annually for 15 years to en- a great job in protecting important ar-
able more land to be bought up for eas for maintaining water quality and
conservation. important wildlife habitat.”

Lands along the Indian River La- Renewing the environmental land
goon, the Sebastian River Greenway purchasing program is important
and the Atlantic Ridge near Interstate to maintaining the natural environ-
95 would be targeted for purchase. So ment and quality of life in Indian River
would working cattle ranches in west- County, Grudens said.
ern Indian River County.
“It’s no secret the Treasure Coast is
County Commissioners voted 4-1 on growing and developing at a very fast
Feb. 1 to direct county administrators pace,” Grudens told the commissioners.
to prepare for a referendum on Nov. 8 “If you look around, there is no shortage
on the initiative to borrow $50 million of development projects in our county.
to acquire and preserve environmen- Everywhere you turn, blocks of impor-
tally significant land. tant wildlife habitat are being lost.”

The county would repay the loan Commissioner Joe Flescher, the lone
with the proceeds from a proposed dissenter, said he was concerned about
property tax rate of nearly 19.6 cents an economic downturn that could in-
per $1,000 of assessed value. crease the tax burden on property own-
ers.
If the proposed tax is approved, the
owner of a house with a taxable value “My reservation is purely financial,”
of $500,000 would pay $98 more an- Flescher said. “All the boats are coming
nually – and the owner of a $1 million down except for the price you pay at the
home would pay $196 more annually market.We have some more challenges.
– in county property taxes. We’re not out of the COVID lag yet.

The commissioners anticipate re- “I think we need to pause again,” Fle-
viewing the proposed ballot language scher said. “I don’t think that it’s pru-
for the bond referendum during their dent. We don’t know what the predict-
March 8 meeting. ability of the market is or will be and
there is some concern.
The land preservation proposal is
backed by the Indian River Land Trust, “I don’t think it’s very responsible to
Indian River Neighborhood Associa- move forward and harness the taxpay-
tion, Pelican Island Audubon Society, ers with a 15-year commitment when
Ocean Research and Conservation As- we have too many uncertainties,” Fle-
sociation, and Pelican Island Conser- scher said.
vation Society.
But the other four commissioners
The groups had initially pitched the expressed full support for the environ-
initiative in early 2020, but backed off mental land bond.
because of the economic uncertainty
surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think we still have an obligation to
protect our citizenry, protect our envi-
Voters had previously approved en- ronment, protect our lands, make sure
vironmental land bonds for $26 mil- we have drinking water, make sure
lion in 1992 and $50 million in 2004. we have recreation and wildlife,” said
Commissioner Joe Earman.
The $76 million investment yield-
ed property valued at $148.5 million CONTINUED ON PAGE 14





Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 13

NEWS

COVID update nity spread is still characterized as high
by the CDC.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Public health officials throughout
and the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker. To the pandemic have used a 10 percent
put those numbers into perspective, positivity rate as a reference point for
the Delta variant surge killed 33 local COVID-19 spread becoming serious
people in one week in mid-August. in a community, so until Indian River
County is safely in the single digits for
While nearly one-third of the coun- a stretch of weeks or even months, the
ty’s total COVID-19 deaths since the virus is handily spreading throughout
pandemic began have been residents schools, clubs and workplaces.
of long-term-care facilities, only one-
fifth of the deaths of COVID-19 posi- Indian River County remained at
tive people between Christmas and or below the 10 percent positivity rate
Jan. 29 were people from local nurs- mark for nearly 10 weeks from late Sep-
ing homes and assisted-living facili- tember to mid-December, the brief re-
ties. spite between Delta and Omicron.

According to CDC data, the number Since March 2020, more than 31,000
of new hospital admissions improved locals have tested positive for COVID-19,
somewhat, dropping to 24 per week making up roughly 20 percent of the
from 31 the previous seven days. county’s population. Some 76 percent,
or 117,000 Indian River County residents,
Though the number of new cases have been vaccinated against the virus.
documented by the health department
has plummeted 65 percent from our all- The two age groups with the most
time high of 2,225 on Jan. 13 to 758 on infections reported are 25 to 34 years
the Feb. 3 report, Indian River County old, and 55 to 64 years old, which to-
still sits at a 20 percent positivity rate – gether make up 28 percent of all cases.
meaning one out of five people tested The 65 to 74 age group and the 75-plus
get a positive test result – and commu- age group each account for 10 percent
of cases. 

Sandridge golf course to build a new clubhouse

BY RAY MCNULTY borrow money from another fund and
Sandridge will pay it back using future
Staff Writer revenues generated by the club.

Barring any setbacks, the county- “I’m excited,” Nagy said. “I’ve been
owned and wildly successful San- here for 27 years, and I’m not planning to
dridge Golf Club will have a new go anywhere, but this will be my legacy.”
18,000-square-foot clubhouse – with a
restaurant, bar and banquet facilities – Nagy said discussions about renovat-
in the fall of 2023. ing and expanding Sandridge’s existing
clubhouse, which was built in 1992,
The new clubhouse will be built in began six years ago. It was during those
a now-vacant area northwest of the talks that County Public Works Director
existing clubhouse, which will remain Rich Szpryka, after evaluating the aging
operational until the new place opens structure, recommended it be replaced.
and then be leveled to create an ex-
panded golf-cart staging area and ad- County Administrator Jason Brown
ditional parking. and the County Commission agreed.

In fact, the architectural design ap- “Whenever you evaluate a building,
proved by the County Commission last you look at all options,” Szpryka said.
week would increase Sandridge’s park- “It’s like evaluating a car: You have to
ing capacity from 80 to 206 vehicles. decide whether it’s worth fixing the
one you have, or if you’re better off
The plan also includes construc- buying a new one.
tion of a new 1,100-square-foot turn
station immediately east of the prac- “When I evaluated that clubhouse,
tice green. The facility would offer the best option was to build a new one.”
grab-and-go food service, a unisex
restroom and self-service breezeway The new clubhouse will be equipped
where golfers can get water and ice. with a commercial-grade kitchen and
two banquet rooms, each of which will
According to longtime Sandridge golf seat 100 people, as well as a restaurant
director Bela Nagy, county officials are and bar. It also will have a covered
expected to begin seeking bids from porch and 5,000-square-foot event
construction firms in July and hope to lawn for outdoor festivities.
break ground on the $5.5 million proj-
ect early this fall. The banquet facility will overlook
the 18th green of the Lakes Course,
The clubhouse project will be fund- and the restaurant and bar will over-
ed by user fees generated by Sandridge. look the 10th green.
If the user-fee funds aren’t enough to
cover the initial costs, the county will “We do over 40 golf events a year,
but we don’t have space for 150 people,”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Sandridge es – the other is the Dunes – during the Vero Beach comes up with curious argument
2020-21 fiscal year. in its water-sewer lawsuit with the Shores
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
As the county continues to grow, BY LISA ZAHNER road at the end of the franchise agree-
Nagy said. “With the snack bar we have Nagy said he expects his numbers to ment.
now, we can handle 60 people indoors do the same, adding, “We’re experi- Staff Writer
and 70 outdoors. But it’s just a snack bar. encing an incredible surge in activity.” How could the county beat that?
Whether Vero will win or lose the The deal was signed in October 2012.
“The new clubhouse will provide us Acknowledging Sandridge’s success, breach of contract lawsuit filed against Instead of letting the Shores’ franchise
with full banquet facilities,” he added. the County Commission unanimously it by the Town of Indian River Shores is with Vero expire, the new agreement
“We also expect to attract new oppor- supported moving forward with the still in the hands of the court, but the simply supplanted the old one, and
tunities, such as weddings and other project last week. arguments made last week by Vero’s was extended to 2027.
parties. legal team might give pause to any
“The Sandridge location certainly has entity contemplating doing business Vero and the Shores abided by the
“This gives us the ability to have more proven to be one of the more coveted with the city. agreement for more than six years un-
events and generate more revenue.” governmentally operated golf courses til the county decreased its reuse wa-
in the state,” Commissioner Joe Flescher In 2012, Indian River Shores was ex- ter rate from 67 cents per 1,000 gallons
More than 112,000 rounds of golf said. “This shot in the arm will only im- actly where it is now – a few years short to 21 cents per 1,000 gallons in 2019.
were played on Sandridge’s two cours- prove its value and operations.”  of the end of a water-sewer franchise
agreement with its service provider, Vero refused to give the Shores’ cus-
Vero Beach Utilities. tomers the 21-cent rate, and the cur-
rent dispute arose.
Then-Mayor Tom Cadden, like cur-
rent Shores Mayor Brian Foley, was In the hearing before Judge Janet
staring down a deadline to give Vero Croom, a great many legal terms, case
notice of termination of the franchise, citations and quoting of Florida Stat-
and the town council was seeking the utes flew back and forth between Vero
best value for Shores residents and City Attorney John Turner and the
club communities. Shores’ outside attorney Paul Berg.

Both Indian River County Utilities Boiled down to its essence, Vero’s
and Vero Beach Utilities pitched for the argument now is that it was illegal for
Shores’ business – Vero News 32963 the City of Vero Beach to enter into
was there in the room for the presen- a franchise agreement that ties the
tations by both utilities. There wasn’t rates of one customer class (i.e. the
much daylight between the deals pre- Shores) to a rate-making authority
sented, except for reuse irrigation wa- other than the City of Vero Beach (i.e.
ter rates. the county).

Reuse water is wastewater treated But there’s another part of Vero’s ar-
enough to not be hazardous, but a nu- gument that’s the head scratcher: Vero
trient-rich water source when sprin- is arguing that the town of Indian River
kled on lawns and golf courses. Shores was legally bound – as an entity
contracting with a municipal utility –
Indian River Shores uses a tremen- to know that it was illegal for Vero to
dous amount of reuse irrigation water have proposed such an agreement.
to keep the town green and beautiful.
Vero’s reuse water rates were about So it’s all Indian River Shores’ fault for
three times what the county charged. signing a contract with Vero that they
should have known was illegal, this
Then-Vero City Manager Jim line of argument goes, and Vero can set
O’Connor, a smart negotiator, thought whatever rates it wants.
of a way to knock the legs out from
under the county’s proposal. He told Town Manager Jim Harpring said he
Cadden and the rest of the Shores heard from Town Attorney Pete Swee-
council that the town could have the ney that it could take 30 to 90 days for
best of both worlds – stick with Vero Judge Croom to issue her ruling. If
for service for 15 more years, and the Vero wins, she will grant a summary
city would match Indian River Coun- judgment in the city’s favor. Or the
ty Utilities rates for water, sewer and case will move forward to trial. 
most importantly, for reuse irrigation
water.

The deal he proposed would start
immediately, instead of years down the

Conservation land well-being, for our recreation, for our
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 lifestyle.

“There’s never a good time to place “If we can just preserve a little bitty
additional funding on the taxpayer,” slice of old Florida and old Indian River
Earman said. “I think it’s the most County, we’re better off,” Earman said
important increase we could have
for our county as a whole for our Commissioner Laura Moss added,
“I think this is coming not a moment
too soon and we need to move on it as
quickly as we can.” 

Shawn Smith
and Kendra Haines.

PIZAZZ … AND ALL THAT JAZZ!

MUSEUM’S ‘MASTERWORKS’ GALA

16 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Museum’s ‘Masterworks’ gala: Pizazz … and all that jazz!

Janet Tribus and Xaque Gruber. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Marlen and George Higgs. Mary Ellen Brophy and Gordon Brunner.

Brady Roberts with Emily and Ned Sherwood. Bob and Wheatie Gibb with Elaine and Jeff Lovell.
Randy and Sandy Rolf.
BY MARY SCHENKEL tures the privately owned works of “Eu-
Staff Writer ropean Old Masters, historic American
Art, American and European Modern-
Supporters of the Vero Beach Mu- ism and global contemporary art” on
seum of Art jazzed it up recently at the loan from local collectors and curated
2022 Gala: Masterworks in Art and Mu- by Anke Van Wagenberg, VBMA senior
sic, ‘celebrating jazz, swing and boogie curator.
woogie’ and each other’s company all
night long. A delicious gourmet dinner catered
by Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co. that
Led by gala chair Janet Tribus and included crab Napoleon, a stuffed fil-
her co-chair Xaque Gruber, the gala let of beef and, for dessert, a choco-
committee – “the bee’s knees” – had late Marquis cake, was served in the
planned a delightful evening, thanks impressively decorated Holmes Great
to support from “the cat’s meow” gala Hall and spaciously renovated Laura
sponsors. The event was highlighted and Bill Buck Atrium. Later, guests “cut
by remarkable artworks in the galleries a rug” on a dance floor in the Stark Ro-
and entertainment by the jazzy sounds tunda Gallery, dancing the night away
of the Mickey Freeman Trio and Quar- and closing out the delightful evening.
tet.
Funds raised by the event support
The sell-out crowd of some 400 the museum’s numerous exhibitions
guests began the evening, cocktails in and programs offered to children and
hand, getting a first peek at the impres- adults throughout the entire commu-
sive new exhibition, “Vero Collects: nity.
Hidden Treasures Revealed.” A num-
ber of those in attendance had actually For more information about current
contributed to the exhibit, which fea- exhibits and activities, visit vbmuseum.
org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 17

PEOPLE

Ned and Sherry Ann Dayton with Dawn and Ted Michael. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Nancy and Ron Rosner with Shirin Kaufman and Jim Marver.

Jonna Chewning and Ron Hartwig.
Peter Thompson and Lucinda Gedeon.

Dale and Matilde Sorensen.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Eddie and Sylvia Brown.
Virginia and Warren Schwerin.

John and Susan Von Hagen. Bill and Laura Buck. Sally and John Spilman.

Join us for Sunday Worship Hughlett Kirby and Peter Stifel with Elwood and Betsy Bracey.
8:30, 9:30 and 11:00 AM

Quality discipleship, fellowship, music,
youth programs, and more - for all ages!
We would love for you to join our church family!

Sunday, February 13th

This week’s message:
“Minimizing the Woes of Life”

Luke 6:17-26

Dr. G. Timothy Womack, Senior Pastor

520 Royal Palm Blvd First Presbyterian Preschool
Vero Beach, FL 32960 www.firstpresbyterianpreschool.org
(772) 562-9088 PRIMO School of Performing Arts
www.FirstPresVero.org
www.PRIMOMusic.org

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 19

PEOPLE

Drs. Divya and Anand Haryani. Paul and Nancy Knapp.

Bruce and Gale Gillespie. Finn and Kim Wentworth. Anke Van Wagenberg with Dennis and Dorann Sheehan.

Marilyn Mustapick with Duhanne and Doug Tansill.

Carol and John Sebbane.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

At ‘Relay Reunion,’ vows to crush fundraising goal – and cancer

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF more than $67,000, thanks to the sup-
Staff Writer port of 38 teams, 89 participants and
three sponsors.
American Cancer Society Relay for Debbie Thorpe, Linda Schoenthal and Bessie Weaver.
Life of Indian River team leaders and “Through the empowerment of
participants jump-started this year’s honor those lost to cancer, and offer each other is how we celebrate all
fundraising season with a Relay Re- hope and support to survivors and cancer survivors,” said Baldry before
union at the Heritage Center, which those currently battling the disease, announcing the 2022 goals.
they described as a best of the best while rasing awareness and funds for
kickoff revivals, in advance of the cancer research. “Last year, with no relay, we were
main event on April 2 at Riverside still able to raise close to what our
Park. “Relay for Life is a powerful move- goal was. We’re going to crush it this
ment,” said Baldry, reflecting on the year,” he said, before announcing a
“When we ‘Relay for Life,’ we cele- harsh reality that cancer affects the fundraising goal of $70,000.
brate, remember and fight back,” said young and old without distinction.
event chair Boyd Baldry at the recent To close out the evening, attend-
gathering, an evening filled with in- Theresa Woodson, ACS staff ees participated in a reflective walk
spiration and information. partner for the Treasure Coast, an- along a luminaria lit pathway, which
glowed in honor of survivors, individ-
Attendees participated in a cancer-
centric trivia game that renewed their
belief in the mission of the American
Cancer Society “to save lives, cel-
ebrate lives, and lead the fight for a
world without cancer.”

Baldry enthusiastically announced
that the 2022 western-themed Relay
in April would be “Back in the Saddle:
Let’s Give Cancer the Boot.”

The annual Relay for Life events

Theresa Woodson, Brian Cook and Boyd Baldry. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

nounced a new ACS childhood can- uals battling cancer and those who
cer initiative, Gold Together. have been lost, a poignant reminder
of the cause.
“About 4 percent of the dollars dis-
tributed by the National Institute of “Not many people can say they
Health goes to childhood cancer re- don’t know someone that has suc-
search. The American Cancer Soci- cumbed to cancer,” reflected Cindy
ety has decided to do something to Horner, event committee member.
switch that up,” said Woodson.
Relay for Life 2022, presented by
Event committee member Nancy Piper Aircraft, begins at 4 p.m. April
Madsen noted that despite having 2 at Riverside Park.
to hold its Relay events virtually last
year, Indian River County still raised For information, visit relayforlife.
org/indianriverfl.com. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 21

PEOPLE

Herb Whittall, Judy Landgrave, Candy Caldwell and Rick Ferretti.

Sue Carter and Terri Schmalfuss. Jennifer Keeler and Russ O’Brien.

Carol and Victor Theriault with Steve and Pam Vavonese.

(front) Christine and Paul Correia; (back) Amber Correia, Kimber Murdock, Shelby Barnes and Shelly Brackett.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Frog Leg Festival: Fellsmere revels in tasty claim to fame

Olivia and Harper. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
Madison Pope, Jesse O’Brien and Winnie Wilcox.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF mining or take a walk back in time, gers brought in 400 pounds of frog legs
Staff Writer checking out displays of ‘hit-and-miss’ which were quickly devoured.
combustible engines, tractors and
Folks leapt at the chance to attend horse buggies from yesteryear. This year, organizers started the
the 31st annual Fellsmere Frog Leg weekend off with 4,000 pounds of frog
Festival recently, held on the grounds Live music from a half-dozen local legs and 4,000 pounds of gator tail, said
of the Historic Fellsmere School Com- bands kept things lively throughout Indian River County Commissioner
plex, proclaimed as the Frog Leg Capi- the weekend, and on Friday, the Fells- Susan Adams, who also served as may-
tal of the World. mere Elementary School Mustangs or of Fellsmere from 2008 to 2015.
showcased their talents to a crowd full
Families strolled along the midway, of family and friends. Adams grew up with the festival,
perusing vendor booths selling every- as her mother, Fran Adams, a county
thing from homemade wares to jerky. Children’s giggles and screams filled commissioner from 1992 to 2004, was
People could try their hand at gem- the air as they flew through the sky on one of its founders.
roller coasters and tried their hand at
The festival holds two Guinness
Ethan and Bailey. Book World Records for the Most Frog
Legs served in one business day and
midway games along the way, and the the Largest Frog Leg Festival in the
scent of cotton candy and fried dough world.
wafted on the breeze, tempting festi-
valgoers to enjoy a treat. The festival has drawn 80,000 at-
tendees at its peak, during which 7,000
Long lines wended their way through pounds of frog legs and 2,000 pounds
the grounds as attendees waited to grab of gator were served.
a taste of the famed frog leg and alliga-
tor tail dinners. Those still not ready to Donations over the past 30 years
hang out in a crowd were able to drive have exceeded $1 million, with pro-
through and pick up their meals. ceeds supporting youth recreation ac-
tivities and the restoration of the Old
The festival has grown considerably School, which continues to serve as
since the first year, when local gig- home to the festival and as the Fells-
mere City Hall/Government Center.

“This year we’re saving up so we
can help the city renovate their senior
league baseball fields and concession
stand,” said Adams. 



24 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

Angela Garcia.

Aniya, Kyla and Ty Stinson.

Rachel and Jett Dabelow.



26 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

And ‘sew’ it goes: Quilt Guild’s unique art draws raves

BY MARY SCHENKEL chosen for this show. Members have pro- art judged by two professionals in small, A quilt appraiser was on site, some-
Staff Writer vided items to numerous charities over medium and large sized pieced, appli- thing Miller said is essential for insur-
the years, such as sewing placemats for qued and mixed techniques, as well as ance purposes. For example, she ex-
The impressive display of quilts at the Meals on Wheels and Our Father’s Table, miniature, wool quilted with batting, plained that without an appraisal, an
recent Vero Beach Quilt Guild (formerly fidget quilts for dementia and Alzheimer wool only, abstract/art and block of the insurance company may only reimburse
Sunbonnet Sue) Quilt Show at the Indian patients, and quilts and teddy bears for month categories. $20 for damage to what they consider a
River Fairgrounds confirmed that quil- the Indian River County Sheriff’s Vic- blanket, whereas a show quilt might ac-
ters are engaged in a complex art form, tim’s Advocate Unit. Additionally, Martha Mook exhibited tually be valued at thousands of dollars.
one that spans multiple continents and 13 works she created as entries in the
thousands of generations. Baron described the 120 members of Hoffman Challenge, using cotton made The guild, founded in 1979, garnered a
the guild as “quilters supporting quilters. by Hoffman California Fabrics. Hoff- lot of attention in 2019 with the raffle of
The two-day exhibition, co-chaired If someone needs help piecing or learn- man chooses a specific fabric that must its “A Day at the Beach” Centennial Cel-
by Cindy Baron and Diane Miller, was ing wool quilting or other techniques, be used in the quilts, whose maximum ebration Quilt.
itself put together like a patchwork quilt, people will help them out.” perimeter must be 160 inches or less.
showcasing fiber art in a wide assort- “After that, we changed our name
ment of sizes, techniques and materials. Miller said that while she is a hand “I don’t remember how many I’ve from Sunbonnet Sue to the Vero Beach
quilter, Baron prefers working on long- made; maybe 25 or 26. I designed them Quilt Guild because we’re more recog-
In addition to more than 160 quilts, arm machines to create larger works. all and made them all myself,” said nizable that way,” said Baron.
many of museum quality, there were Mook.
vendors selling everything from mate- Explaining the process, Baron said, Although COVID forced the rear-
rials to longarm sewing machines. And, “You have your quilt top, and you have “Everybody in the U.S. and Europe rangement of their odd-numbered year
while many in attendance were quilters, your backing. The warmth of the quilt is gets the same material, each person, and biennial show, they hope to be back on
others came just to view the exhibits. what you put in-between. It’s like mak- you’d be surprised how different they track with their next show, tentatively
ing a sandwich. But you have to tie those are,” said Baron. scheduled for Feb. 10-11, 2023. Quilters
“It’s an art. You don’t have to be a quil- quilts together somehow. So, in the old of all skill levels meet Thursdays from
ter to come and admire the quilts,” said days, the women used to sit around and Given that the show was benefiting the about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., currently at St. Au-
Baron. hand-sew or you would do it on a quilt lifeguards, there was also a Turtle Chal- gustine Episcopal Church.
rack by yourself. Now you can longarm it lenge, with members creating 20-inch
Guild members had also crafted items on a big machine, or you can pay some- by 20-inch wall hangings that needed to For more information, call 303-506-
to sell at their Boutique Booth, with all body to do it.” contain at least one turtle. Those whim- 0456. 
monies raised donated to the Vero Beach sical, colorful quilts were judged by two
Lifeguard Association, the nonprofit Women who wished to had their fiber lifeguard captains. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 28



28 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 Anne White and Liz Locke. Irene McGlinchey and Laura Myers.
Mary Tyro and Patti Bohrer.

Nikki Watkins. Margie Averill and Suzanne Wagner. Jamie Covey and Janice Milhollin.

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30 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

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Coastal Connections benefits in the long (and short) run

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF The sun hadn’t even risen that
Staff Writer Sunday morning, as half marathon
participants began their 13-mile
There was nothing slow about the journey over the Barber Bridge and
pace kept by runners and walkers through the streets of Central Beach.
during the second annual Vero Beach And while the long haulers were still
Half Marathon and Sea Turtle 2-Miler pounding the pavement, the 2-miler
at Riverside Park put on recently by crowd made quick work of their short
the Running Zone Foundation to ben- journey.
efit Coastal Connections.
“We are so thrilled to be the benefi-

Keith and Gloria Salo with Ruby and Jason Beal. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES

ciary for the second year in a row for many more years of monitoring their
this event. It’s been such a pleasure to nesting activity and collecting im-
get to work with Running Zone,” said portant data about where they travel
Kendra Cope, Coastal Connections and how many are in certain areas at
founder and executive director. “We a certain time, before we can get the
are excited about the programs that best and most accurate understand-
it’s going to support and the children’s ing of how that population is doing.”
lives that we’re going to be able to im-
pact this year thanks to that funding.” On Feb. 26, Sailfish Brewery Vero
Beach is teaming up with Costal Con-
Proceeds will support their ef- nections as sponsors of a 9 a.m. Coast-
forts to protect coastal habitats for al Cleanup, followed by a celebration
sea turtle survival by educating the from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the brewery to
community about turtle research and salute the restaurant’s commitment
rescue, and connecting people to the to going plastic-free through Coastal
environment. Connection’s Vero Goes Zero initia-
tive.
“Sea turtle nesting season officially
starts on March 1. So, eight months “Check out all of their new plastic
out of the year, we’re in nesting sea- alternatives and celebrate with us
son,” Cope explained. that they’re going plastic-free,” said
Cope. She added that Sailfish is the
“We’re still learning the cycle of sea third Vero Beach restaurant that they
turtles. They are an interesting spe- have worked with to promote the
cies that take an extremely long time transition from plastics to sustain-
to mature. We are only in the infant able options.
stages of learning what the greater cy-
cle is for their recovery story. We have And don’t put your running shoes

Dryer Vent Cleaning

Call for free inspections
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Veteran Owned & Operated

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 31

PEOPLE

Russell and Donna Wagner.

Diana Starr with Ethan and Danielle Ames. Rob and Kimberly Atkins with their children,
Zoey and Kensie Atkins.

Giannina, Arturo and Daniela Castro.

away just yet. Coastal Connections
will host its Tipsy Turtle 2-Mile Run/
Walk fundraiser beginning at 8 a.m.
April 9 at Sexton Plaza, which gener-
ally includes some family-friendly,
turtle-centered activities.

For more information, visit coastal-
connections.org. 

SEA TURTLE 2-MILER PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
Overall winner: Jake Kramer, 10:21 Elizabeth and Carmine Morano.
First-place female: Tara Perrin, 12:34

H A LF-M A R ATHON
Overall winner: Joe Rodbard, 1:19:22

First-place female:
Jennifer Absher, 1:28:07

32 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Sara DiPardo and Cathy Morrison. Althea Chandler and Sharissa Kershaw.
Mike and Pam Kirwin with C. Kirwin, Jake Kirwin and Finn Kirwin.

Ashley Sanders and Ann Rogak. Sara Dipardo and Cathy Morrison. Shannon and James Trayers.



34 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

– Hidden in this canyon of crimson -- Brother Chrysostom eagles hunt for rainbow trout. Black
sandstone cliffs encompassed by miles bears, coyotes and cougars prowl the
of federally protected wilderness, the pinyon- and sage-scented Santa Fe
Monastery of Christ in the Desert National Forest, which surrounds the
seems like an ideal place to ride out a monastery.
pandemic.
Despite the difficult journey, outsid-
For more than 50 years, a small com- ers have flocked to this serene abbey
munity of Benedictine monks has qui- for decades in search of spiritual re-
etly lived, worked and worshiped here newal. As adherents of the sixth-cen-
in a cluster of off-grid adobe buildings tury Rule of Saint Benedict, which
along the banks of northern New Mex- teaches that monasteries are to treat
ico’s Chama River. visitors as they would Jesus himself,
the monks graciously welcome out-
Considered the most remote Cath- siders.
olic monastery in the hemisphere,
it can be reached only by a 13-mile As many as 30,000 people make the
single-lane earthen road that winds pilgrimage each year, including past
through the canyon. Abiquiú, the notables such as the artist Georgia
closest village — population 151 — is O’Keeffe and the actor Matthew Mc-
25 miles away. Groves of cottonwood Conaughey. Guests are an integral part
and willows line the river where bald of Benedictine monastic life and have
been for 1,500 years. “Monasteries,”

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 35

The Monastery of Christ in the INSIGHT COVER STORY
Desert is set in a canyon along
the banks of the Chama River
in northern New Mexico.

Guests are welcome to Brother Chrysostom, the monastery’s monks from the monastic community Brother Chrysostom said. “They just
attend services and Mass bearded guestmaster, who joined the of Mount Athos in Greece have died disregarded the gate and came in any-
in the solar-powered adobe fellowship in 2017. “We can only go so of covid-19. Last February, two nuns way. Some understood, and some were
chapel with the monks. long without guests, and not just for fi- at the St. Walburg monastery in Villa very upset about it. It was just what we
nancial reasons. For identity reasons. Hills, Ky., died after 28 sisters were in- had to do. If one of us gets covid, we all
Saint Benedict wrote, “are never with- Not having visitors would betray the fected with the coronavirus. Outbreaks get it.”
out them.” whole Benedictine charism.” occurred in monasteries worldwide,
including in Italy, the Philippines and It was a decision they did not make
That was true for Christ in the Des- The monks had little choice. Given Ukraine. With elderly brothers at the lightly. The guesthouses and gift shop
ert until March 2020, when the coro- their communal living arrangements, Christ in the Desert – the oldest is 95 have traditionally served as the mon-
navirus pandemic forced the monks to monastic communities are particu- – a coronavirus outbreak could have astery’s primary sources of income, a
close their doors to the outside world. larly vulnerable in a pandemic. Nine proved a death sentence. necessity to fulfill Benedict’s order that
For nearly two years now, guests have monasteries be self-sustaining.
been prohibited from staying at the To protect themselves, the monks
monastery, leaving the monks in a po- blocked the entrance with a gate. In exchange for a donation ranging
sition they have never faced before. “PLEASE DO NOT ENTER OUR PROP- from $85 for individuals and $170 for
ERTY,” a prominent sign pleaded. “WE couples, guests receive a simple room
“Guests are part of who we are,” said HAVE HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS IN and three daily meals. They may at-
OUR COMMUNITY.” tend services and Mass in the chapel
with the monks, explore the canyon
Some outsiders ignored their request. and, if they wish, work alongside the
“People tried to storm the door, and brothers during their morning labor
I’d say, ‘No, you can’t come in here,’ ”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

36 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 INSIGHT COVER STORY

period. The monastery has eight guest Below: The monastery’s guesthouses Father Zachary works in the weaving Brother David stops to greet Matty, a
rooms available and can accommo- and gift shop have traditionally served room at the monastery. A YouTube guard donkey, while walking the grounds
date 13. Guests stay a minimum of as its primary source of income. The channel has showcased the monks of the monastery. Below: A wooden
two nights and can arrange visits last- monks have acquired sheep – as well as at work. sculpture stands on the grounds of the
ing several weeks. goats, chickens and a donkey – as part guesthouse at the monastery.
of an ambitious agricultural program. The isolation allowed the monks
Benedictine monasteries have al- space to devote time to new projects. tors. They continued to work on a five-
ways provided spaces for refuge, ingly lining up 2,000 dominoes that Since 2020, they have transformed year program during the pandemic to
peace and reflection, a reprieve from wound through his room in a dazzling their property through an ambitious develop gardens, livestock, pastures
the stormy fellowship of human life, display of brightly colored labyrin- agricultural program spearheaded by and orchards on the land. They re-
as Saint Augustine put it. World-weary thine loops, spirals and patterns. He Abbot Christian Leisy, who was elect- cently constructed a greenhouse to
pilgrims have especially sought them posted a video of his achievement on ed to the position in 2018. grow fresh fruit and vegetables.
out in times of collective national dis- YouTube.
tress and hardship. The monks acquired a herd of Na- The isolation during the pandemic
“Being quarantined for 2 weeks has vajo-Churro sheep, goats, chickens has provided the monks the opportu-
After World War II, monasteries been wonderful,” he wrote on his chan- and a black-and-white guard donkey nity to experiment in ways that would
worldwide received an influx of appli- nel. “I could go [on] for a few more named Matty who chases away preda- have been more difficult with guests,
cations. In the months after the Sept. weeks if it was not for the fact, I am un- said Father Columba, a monk from
11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Christ in the able to attend Mass.”
Desert was flooded with guests seek-
ing spiritual guidance. But in this pres-
ent moment of collective trauma and
loss, the monks have been restricted
from providing such a haven, unable
to fulfill a part of their divinely or-
dained mission.

While the monastery was closed to
guests for the first time since it was
founded in 1964, the brothers turned
inward. The community also shrank,
from almost 60 in 2019 to 23 today.

“One thing that has changed is that
it has allowed us to consolidate and
coalesce as a community. Without vis-
itors, we just have ourselves,” Brother
Chrysostom said. “We’re less self-con-
scious about what we’re doing, espe-
cially younger monks. It’s so easy to
get into a performance sometimes.”

The monastery keeps a tight sched-
ule, and in that regard, life among the
brothers changed very little while it was
closed to guests. They still rose before
dawn for Vigils at 4 a.m. and returned
throughout the day to chant the psal-
ter together inside the solar-powered
adobe chapel; they attended Mass ev-
ery morning and ate communal meals
in silence. They worked on projects to
sustain the community, focusing on
weaving, cooking, laundry and mainte-
nance. And they prayed, continually, for
those suffering from covid-19, for the
world, for God’s grace in exceedingly
trying times.

The monks also responded to the
pandemic in ways that feel relatable
to those who have experienced it be-
yond the safety of the canyon. Broth-
ers who made trips to town for sup-
plies quarantined before reentering
the community.

Before health officials brought life-
saving vaccines in early 2021, the
monks kept their distance from one
another during services in the chapel
and meals in the dining hall. For more
than a year, some monks never left the
canyon. Because of these measures,
no one at Christ in the Desert has test-
ed positive for the coronavirus.

When Brother David quarantined as
a precaution for two weeks in March
2021, he passed the time by painstak-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 37

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Canada who is overseeing much of the letter and he built an apiary to provide ic orchestra and a jazz trio in his past this month, nearly two years after the
monastery’s agricultural endeavors. honey for the community. Years ago, the life, he occasionally retreats to a small gates went up.
monastery’s last attempt at beekeeping adobe outbuilding – where he stores a
“It gave us the enclosure, to be hon- was thwarted by a bear that ransacked double upright bass and a keyboard – Like much of the rest of the world, the
est, to develop unhindered,” he said. the hives. to play in his free time. The walls are pandemic, despite all its horror, gave
“The donkey is very territorial. When decorated with icons of Saint Ruth, the monks an opportunity to pause and
we have guests we won’t be able to do As a former academic with several Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint John reset. Guests who return may discover a
what we’ve been doing. We’ll have to advanced degrees, including from the Chrysostom, his namesake. A photo of different place from the monastic com-
enclose.” Massachusetts Institute of Technol- jazz bassist Charles Mingus sits on a munity they visited before the closure.
ogy, Johns Hopkins and the University small table.
The agriculture projects have al- of Pennsylvania, Brother Chrysostom “I think that it’s been a very good
lowed the monks to become less reli- spent the pandemic earning a certifi- Brother Chrysostom and his fel- time for us. A restful time. It has been a
ant on trips to town for supplies. cate in hotel management from Cor- low monks are looking to 2022 as the chance for us to slow down and actually
nell University and he’s pursuing an year that normalcy returns. In late Au- become acquainted with one another,”
“We’re not anywhere close to self- MFA in creative writing at the Univer- gust, the monks began receiving day Brother Chrysostom said. “People will
sufficient,” Brother Chrysostom said. sity of St. Thomas in Houston. visitors. They plan to finally welcome probably notice a different feel in the
“We rely on our Our Lady of Walmart back overnight guests at the end of community as a result of it, in a positive
and Costco.” As a musician who was part of a civ- direction.” 

Unable to share their life and work
in person, some of the monks creat-
ed YouTube channels, which provide
a glimpse of life behind the adobe.
Brother David, who goes by the social
media alias “The Desert Monk,” has
showcased the brothers building a
solar-powered irrigation system, cook-
ing in the kitchen, installing an elec-
tric fence, harvesting Christmas trees,
weaving wool in their shop and raising
a baby lamb named Shadow.

On the monastery’s official YouTube
channel, Abbot Christian led a tour of
spring flowers, introduced viewers to
a new hen, Linda, and walked through
the vegetable garden full of squash, let-
tuce, onion, pumpkins, cherry toma-
toes and kale. “Wish you were here,” he
laments on camera, standing next to a
new chicken coop. “We all know why
you’re not.”

The entrepreneurial spirit is noth-
ing new for the monastery. To sup-
port themselves financially, the monks
have adopted creative income streams
over the years. Until recently, they
grew hops and sold Monk’s Ale beer; in
the mid-2000s, they played a starring
role in a reality show on the Learning
Channel – “Truly it is a challenge to use
television to spread the Gospel,” the
abbot at the time remarked afterward –
and they signed a record deal to make
albums of their chanting.

As early adopters of the Internet in
the mid-1990s, they built their own
website and realized that they had a
knack for Web design. Using a modem
connected to a mobile phone powered
by solar panels, they started a busi-
ness building websites that became
an international media sensation.

They consulted with the Vatican
on the Holy See’s website. At one
point, the high level of traffic to their
monastery site caused the entire In-
ternet in the state of New Mexico to
crash. The enterprise was so success-
ful, however, that they had to shut it
down; monks work only a few hours a
day, and the website-design business
risked crowding out other spiritual
disciplines.

Without guests to care for, Brother
Chrysostom, 57, has explored new pur-
suits. He writes the monastery news-

38 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

Weeks before the world’s best ski- The Thaiwoo Ski Resort in Zhangjiakou’s tourism industry since water from surface runoff, rainfall and
ers and snowboarders descended on in Zhangjiakou. Beijing won its bid for the Winter Olym- melted snow. Water from a reservoir
Zhangjiakou, a main site of the Beijing pic Games in 2015. Today it has seven in Yunzhou, a town that’s a two-hour
Winter Olympics, a dozen machines fu- China may have needed as much as bustling ski resorts and the city receives drive away, will be piped in as well, ac-
riously churned out snow to cover the 2 million cubic meters of water to cre- 3 million skiers annually. cording to Zhao.
mountains they will race down. ate enough fake snow to cover ski runs
and access roads during the Games, One of Zhangjiakou’s most popu- Experts warn that the approach
The slopes were soon blanketed in according to Carmen de Jong, a geog- lar ski resorts, Thaiwoo, now sits in a would still interrupt the region’s natural
white, but the canons didn’t stop there. rapher at the University of Strasbourg. booming snow town lined with lux- water cycle. The International Olympic
Their deafening sound continued as they “There is bound to be some impacts in ury shops selling ski gear, expensive Committee even flagged the issue as
coated the rest of the grey landscape to a region where there is nearly no water hotels and restaurants. one of its chief concerns when consid-
complete a perfect snowy backdrop that in the winter. For half a year, during the ering China’s bid to host. Beijing “un-
could be broadcast around the world. snow sports season, the water stays Still, officials are aware of the strain derestimated the amount of water that
away from the natural ecosystem.” the Olympics puts on Zhangjiakou’s would be needed for snowmaking,”
The water droplets they sprayed into water supply. Zhao Weidong, a spokes- noted an IOC evaluation report pub-
the air hovered like white smoke over In Zhangjiakou, the dry weather person for the Beijing Winter Olympic lished in 2015, and has “overestimated
the venue as freezing temperatures and means a significant amount of water has said that almost 10% of water con- the ability to recapture water used for
chemicals helped turn them into ice. tends to be lost due to evaporation sumed in Chongli, a district of Zhangji- snowmaking.”
and strong winds during the snow- akou, will be used to make snow.
Artificial snow has become a Win- making process. Engineers also have Despite promises of prosperity that
ter Olympics fixture as climate change to pump water into the dry soil to To alleviate that pressure and re- the ski resorts would bring, some local
shrinks the number of countries that freeze the ground before fake snow duce groundwater extraction, China residents have found only incremental
get enough natural snowfall to hold the can be added above. has built 11 water tanks near the ven- improvements to their daily lives.
event. But Beijing is the first host to rely ues to collect 530,000 cubic meters of
completely on man-made powder. But none of these challenges has Ren, 54, was forced to relocate after his
stopped China from investing heavily village was demolished to make room
This year’s Winter Olympics are the for luxury hotels. The development has
culmination of a six-year effort to turn destroyed forests and degraded soil in
Zhangjiakou into China’s version of the the area, says Ren, who only gave his
Alps, creating an upscale winter holi- last name. He earns 2,750 yuan ($430) a
day destination. month cleaning ice off the street; the job
was part of the deal he made with the
But part of the challenge has been developer who took his land.
that the Beijing-Zhangjiakou region isn’t
ideal for manufacturing snow. Over the But Ren now earns less than he used
last four decades, average winter pre- to as a farmer. “It just pays too little,” he
cipitation was only 7.9 millimeters. The said.
European ski town of Davos in Switzer-
land gets nine times that amount just in Perhaps it is just as well that Florida
a typical December. does not have mountains that ambi-
tious developers could try to turn into
Experts worry that the push to trans- ski resorts. 
form Zhangjiakou will worsen the ag-
ricultural region’s severe water scarcity, A version of this column ran first on
which ranks among the worst in the Bloomberg. It does not necessarily re-
country. flect the views of Vero Beach 32963.

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

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 39

INSIGHT OPINION

When Kristen Nelson canceled her trip "100 percent money back" guarantee. You canceled more than two days ed companies around the world, the fu-
to Iceland because of COVID, the mon- We notified them to cancel our reserva- before your scheduled rental, so you ture of our company has been secured
ey she had been charged in advance tion as soon as our flight was canceled should have received your money back. throughout this difficult period with a
for a rental car was frozen. The rental in July 2020. Can you help me get my So why didn't you? survival agreement with our bank," the
company wants her to accept a credit. $545 back? company noted. "However, the finan-
Can it do that? An Iceland Car Rental representative cial restructuring of the company could
ANSWER: tried to explain it in an email to you. not include the refunds of outstanding
QUESTION: "The coronavirus outbreak has resulted reservations for the foreseeable future;
This shouldn't have happened. Most in thousands of cancellations," he ex- therefore, we will not be able to refund
I'm trying to get a full refund from Ice- car rental companies don't charge you plained. "This means that a lot of peo- your booking."
land Car Rental for our trip to Iceland until you pick up your car. I reviewed ple have applied for refunds – including
in August 2020 that was canceled be- the terms of your agreement with Ice- you. Each refund application is handled This appears to be a different argu-
cause of COVID. At the time we booked land Car Rental, and it works a little individually. And with the great amount ment. The car rental company was re-
the rental in March 2020, they offered a differently. If you cancel your reserva- of cases that we’re currently processing, structuring, which means the old com-
tion up to two days before your pickup the waiting time is currently too long." pany – the one with which you had the
date, you get a "100% refund." If you're reservation – technically no longer ex-
within the 48-hour cancellation win- But after you asked how long it might ists. The new Iceland Car Rental appar-
dow, they'll charge you for your rental. be, you got a different answer. ently didn't feel it had to honor some
of the obligations of the old company.
"As is the case for many tourism relat-
But the Iceland Car Rental you were
dealing with shouldn't have charged
your card in the first place. I think you
would have had a legitimate case for a
credit card dispute, had it come to that.

It didn't. I contacted Iceland Car Rent-
al on your behalf, and it issued a full
refund. 

Get help with any consumer prob-
lem by contacting Christopher Elliott at
http://www.elliott.org/help

40 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

In his new book, “The Power Law: Venture Capital Once Apple had money, and the whispers started to thing it called “the prepared mind,” and it had decid-
and the Making of the New Future,” journalist and spread, everyone wanted in. (Independent thinking ed that characters like Zuckerberg fit the profile.
Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Sebas- is only worth so much.) Rock even shut out a young
tian Mallaby covers mind-numbingly well-trodden partner named Dick Kramlich because there wasn’t In what might be the book’s most controversial –
ground: Silicon Valley’s venture capitalists, who have enough Apple equity to share. but also convincing – segment, Mallaby argues that
financed start-up businesses turned all-powerful gi- Silicon Valley effectively created China’s technology
ants, from Apple to Google to Facebook. The book’s ti- But Kramlich got the last laugh. A London-based boom. He details how the Chinese VCs that emerged
tle comes from what Mallaby calls “the most pervasive friend of his came to visit, so desperate to invest in were “quasi-American” in their educations, profes-
rule in venture capital,” the “power law,” which posits Apple that he sat in the company’s lobby all day. sional formations and approach to venture capital.
that a few good investments will compensate for a host Eventually, he was told he’d gotten lucky: That very "Far from vindicating the industrial strategy of the
of losers. That’s because the successful companies are day, Wozniak had decided to sell $450,000 of equity. Communist Party, " Mallaby writes. "China’s tech
usually wildly successful, or, as Mallaby writes, “Win- He wanted to buy a house. The friend gave Kramlich success was a triumph for the financial model cre-
ners advance at an accelerating, exponential rate.” For half of his stake, which was a bigger share than any ated by Arthur Rock.”
instance, Mallaby reports that at VC firm Y Combina- other VC had gotten.
tor, in 2012, three-quarters of its gains came from just Later, Mallaby returns to China to wonder about
two of the 280 outfits in which it had invested. Mallaby also recounts stories from the early days the new geopolitics of venture capital, now that in
of Facebook, such as when Mark Zuckerberg arrived both countries, leaders are “less inclined to see glo-
But Mallaby’s angle is fresh. Most people who write at the offices of a prominent VC firm called Accel balization as a win-win and more inclined to view
about Silicon Valley do so from the viewpoint of en- Ventures with a business card that said “I’m CEO … the world in terms of competition.” He adds, “Ven-
trepreneurs who built companies with the backing bitch!” and refused to speak for more than two min- ture capital has become a pillar of national power; it
of venture capitalists. Mallaby writes from the per- utes about his vision. Accel wasn’t deterred by the cannot be left out of geopolitical calculations.”
spective of the venture capitalists themselves. He rudeness because, as a firm, it had focused on some-
tells his story through an accumulation of smaller Unlike most journalists who write about Silicon
stories, each one phenomenally detailed and engag- Valley, Mallaby doesn’t treat the people he profiles as
ing. In so doing, he’s written a book that is a must- invincibles, superheroes who simply aren’t capable
read for anyone seeking to understand modern-day of screwing up. Kleiner Perkins was once the Valley’s
Silicon Valley and even our economy writ large. most celebrated firm; lead partner John Doerr, whose
investments included Amazon and Google, was
Start with the characters who populate Mallaby’s “magnetic and messianic” and “the go-to investor for
book. In a bit of a contrarian spin, he traces the fearless founders.” But Kleiner got culture wrong. In
founding of venture capital to 1957, when a group of part because no one could say no to Doerr, the firm
eight engineers wanted to break free of a company made a number of beautifully intentioned but failed
that had been started by William Shockley (regarded bets on cleantech energy.
as the father of the semiconductor) because they
were “fed up with Shockley’s heavy-handed leader- The schadenfreude can be quite delightful. Take
ship.” With financing from a New York broker named Goldman Sachs, which essentially told partner Sya-
Arthur Rock, who in 1961 quit the brokerage business ru Shirley Lin to get lost when she served up an in-
and moved to San Francisco, they started a semicon- vestment in the Chinese e-commerce company Ali-
ductor company called Fairchild. Mallaby reports baba on a silver platter. Senior people at Goldman
that by 2014, an “astonishing 70 percent of the pub- insisted that she offload the $1.7 million stake she’d
licly traded tech companies in the Valley could trace taken. Upon Alibaba’s IPO, that stake would have
their lineage to Fairchild.” been worth an astounding $4.5 billion.

Some of the stories Mallaby tells, like that of Ap- In the end, Mallaby is an unabashed defender of
ple, may be well known, but he brings fresh details venture capital. While luck does play a role, the stories
to them. When Apple set out to raise money, many he tells show that isn’t the only factor that makes a VC
established VCs refused to invest with the very odd- firm succeed. He argues that most of the out-of-con-
seeming Steve Jobs, but they kept passing Jobs’ name trol behavior at Big Tech happened after companies
along. Eventually, Jobs and Apple co-founder Steve grew beyond venture capital, and it is not up to VCs
Wozniak found their way to an engineer named Mike to rein them in but rather government and society. 
Markkula, who had made his money at Fairchild
(of course) and was arguably the Valley’s first angel THE POWER LAW
investor, meaning an entrepreneur who after get-
ting rich becomes a venture capitalist themselves. VENTURE CAPITAL AND THE MAKING OF THE NEW FUTURE
BY SEBASTIAN MALLABY | PENGUIN PRESS. 482 PP. $30
REVIEW BY BETHANY MCLEAN, THE WASHINGTON POST

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 41

INSIGHT BOOKS

It might be hard to think of the honey bee (Apis mel- As the bees establish their home, they face some helped. But how do bees become a natural part of
lifera) as a forest creature. Most of us picture honey threats. Beekeepers typically view anything other a healthy forest? Consider that a healthy forest pro-
bees in the context of hives in wooden boxes, man- than honeybees in the hive as a threat. And certain- vides a constant supply of plants in all seasons. But
aged by beekeepers in heavy white jumpsuits.We don’t ly, this is true for the deadly Varroa mite. The para- forest honey does not primarily come from forest
think of them living in trees. We don’t think of colonies sitic tracheal mite is no more welcome to a hive. Nor flowers. It’s based on the secretions of aphids and
thriving without human intervention. But forest- are the comb-eating wax moths or the small hive scale insects – which, as the authors tell us, “is actu-
dwelling honey bee colonies do exist in the wild. beetles that gobble pollen, honey and brood. With- ally not as disgusting as it first sounds.”
out the presence of an ever-vigilant beekeeper, how
This is the most basic truth you’ll come to under- do wild honey bees fare against these foes? Aphids tap into trees by sinking their mouthparts
stand when reading Ingo Arndt and Jürgen Tautz’s just below the surface of the bark, seeking amino
“Wild Honey Bees,” a fascinating work on forest bees Here is where we begin to see what Arndt and Tautz acids and nitrogen-rich compounds. In the process,
in Central Europe. Yet, it’s not the only thing you’ll see – that forest honey bees are part of an ecosystem they also suck up a lot of sugars that they don’t need.
learn. Arndt and Tautz have produced a book that of closely interlinked organisms. “Bees in the forest So, they must excrete this substance, known as hon-
will change the way you think about bees forever. have helpers” to do battle against some of their more eydew. Honeydew is not good for a forest. It coats
pressing threats. One such helper not normally found tree needles and leaves. If left unchecked, this sticky
That sounds like a bold claim. Even the book jack- in artificial hives is the book scorpion. Book scorpi- residue can lead to black fungus and mildew. Bees,
et makes it, promising to show us the “fascinating ons are so small, they can hitch rides on the backs of however, lap up the honeydew and bring it back to
secret world of wild honey bees.” Some of us have bees. They don’t need to be large to be mighty, though. their nest to process into honey.
read a zillion bee books over the years, and we are Book scorpions are voracious eaters of Varroa mites.
jaded. We think we’ve seen it all. We’re wrong. Their presence is more than welcome. Arndt and Tautz show in many ways how bees de-
pend on the forest and how the forest depends on
The authors’ mission was to observe and photo- This is one small example of how the bees are bees. Their book tells an important story, but it is the
graph forest honey bee behavior and uncover any photos that make this story come alive. Arndt shot
hidden insights about how these insects live. The more than 74,000 pictures over an eight-month pe-
lives of domesticated bees are well documented. Are riod to capture these secret lives. He shows the bees
wild bees doing anything differently? at all stages of life – from the tiny eggs glued to the
bottom of their cells to the fat larvae they later be-
You couldn’t be in better hands in pursuit of an- come to the ghostly-white pupae they transform into
swers. Arndt is one of the world’s leading nature pho- as they await adulthood. From his images, we learn
tographers. Tautz is a gifted behavioral scientist and to discern the flat-capped brood cells that signify
bee expert. gestating worker bees from the domed-capped cells
that foretell the arrival of drone, or male, bees. We see
Forest bee life is centered on the nest. A bee nest emerging adult bees gnawing open the caps to their
is a fortress filled with valuable resources – namely, cells. We see the bees collecting and carrying pollen
honey – as well as great numbers of plump larvae back to their nest. The pollen is pressed tightly into
and pupae, all of which could make a convenient open cells, stored for later use. Each image is crisp
and protein-rich snack for some hungry animal. and detailed, a wonder to look at and study.
Think Winnie the Pooh; A.A. Milne wasn’t so far
off the mark. That’s why it is imperative that bees If you are a beekeeper, you will recognize many
choose wisely when looking for a place to build of these essential moments, which are a part of the
their forest home. It can’t be too big. The bees must daily rhythm of a living hive. Arndt’s photos are ex-
regulate the nest’s climate by heating and cooling it. traordinary, yet there is one image that transcends
And the nest can’t be too small. There must be room them all. He presents us with a breathtaking photo of
for the colony to grow. The nest must offer protec- a queen bee surrounded by her entourage as she lays
tion from the elements and must be out of reach of a single egg into an empty cell – an almost sacred act,
predators. given that it ensures the survival of the colony by pro-
viding a future generation of bees. To have captured
Hollow trees offer ideal environments for forest this intimate moment is a stunning achievement. 
bees. The bees cannot create tree cavities themselves,
so they rely on others. Arndt and Tautz devote an en- WILD HONEY BEES
tire chapter to chronicling how a forest bee swarm can
convert a woodpecker nest into a bee nest – a process AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT
that takes more than a year. The bees painstakingly BY INGO ARNDT AND JÜRGEN TAUTZ | PRINCETON. 189 PP. $29.95
build honeycomb, one tiny wax scale at a time. Comb
serves “as production facilities and storage space for REVIEW BY BRENNA MALONEY, THE WASHINGTON POST
honey, a repository for pollen, a nursery for larvae and
pupae, and a ‘phone network’ for communication.”

ATTENTION RETIRED
REPORTERS AND/OR EDITORS

Bored with bridge? Weary of Wordle? Tired of talking to the dog?
Vero Beach 32963 is looking for highly experienced retired journalists interested in fulltime
or parttime work – as little as a day or two a week – helping us cover our special community.

Unlike other TC publications, we do NOT hire kids just out of school
who think social media is journalism.

We have always sought out top-tier reporters from major news organizations,
and are hoping Vero may be home to a couple of bored retirees ready
to demonstrate they still have “the right stuff.”

If you have a strong newspaper background and are interested in exploring this further,
please send an email outlining your credentials and interests to [email protected], and

we will get back to you. Please, no texts or phone calls.
Milton R. Benjamin, Publisher



Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 43

INSIGHT BRIDGE

NORTH

A WORLD RECORD IS A WORLD RECORD J86

By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist Q765

W. Somerset Maugham said, “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no —
one knows what they are.”
WEST A 10 7 6 4 3
A good friend of mine, Dennis Spooner, was a scriptwriter for television shows like “Jason 932 EAST
King” and “The Avengers” (when Diana Rigg and Joanna Lumley were Emma Peel). He 942
told me that there are only five storylines and that everything is a version of one of them. 10 7 6 5 4 2 AQ5
Q
Spooner (who died of heart trouble in 1986 at the age of 53) always added a bridge A8
element to his scripts. For example, in one episode the bad guy was known to own two
nightclubs. What was his name? AKQJ983

Spooner also wrote amusing bridge stories under the headline “Diary of a Palooka.” This K
deal appeared in the original edition of “Popular Bridge Monthly” in 1974 (now defunct).
It is described as it happened, with Spooner and his anonymous partner setting a world SOUTH
record that has probably not been matched.
K 10 7 4
Spooner wrote: “As a palooka (a weak player), I know how disconcerting it can be when
you take away another palooka’s conventional bid, so I sailed in with two diamonds. I felt I K J 10 3
had a good out anyway.
—
“My left-hand opponent doubled for penalty, and this bid was passed around to me. My
moment of glory had come. So this is how Belladonna (a 16-time world champion) feels. J9852
With superior confidence and a smug look on my face, I redoubled. There follow three
passes. Dealer: East; Vulnerable: Neither

“In a stunned stupor I watched my partner table his hand.” The Bidding:

In his 0-0 fit, Spooner took four tricks for down four, minus 1,400 in those days. And East- SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
West had no game available. ?? 2 Clubs
OPENING
The bad guy’s name was Stayman — two clubs Stayman!
LEAD:
5 Diamonds





46 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (FEBRUARY 3) ON PAGE 725

ACROSS DOWN
1 Ray (5) 1 Funeral attendee (7)
4 Hobble (4) 2 Lent sign (anag.) (8)
7 Cat (4) 3 Wow (5)
8 Of concern (8) 4 Young sheep (4)
9 Painkiller (9) 5 Dosh (5)
10 Organ of sight (3) 6 Film studio location(6)
12 Ditch (6) 11 Cut short (8)
14 Semi-precious stone (6) 13 Eager; substantial (6)
16 Candle material (3) 15 Sincere (7)
18 Prophetess of doom (9) 17 Subside (5)
21 French loaf (8) 19 Not sour (5)
22 Region (4) 20 Leave (4)
23 South-eastern county (4)
24 Robbery (5)

The Telegraph

ANY TIME How to do Sudoku:

HOME WATCH Fill in the grid so the
Bonded and Insured numbers one through
Personal Property Manager nine appear just once
17 Years Experience in Florida in every column, row
Peace Of Mind While Out Of Town and three-by-three
Veteran Owned Business square.

772.696.3132
[email protected]

ANYTIMEHOMEWATCH.COM

The Telegraph

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 47

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 113 Send out 63 Gives the eye The Washington Post
1 Fleece job 114 Vitamin bottle abbr. 67 Marie Tussaud,
5 Icy coating 116 Perfect gift for an actor? THE PERFECT GIFT By Merl Reagle
9 Deprive 120 Perfect toppers for for one
12 Optometrist’s job 68 Manipulates unfairly
19 Alice’s balladeer puzzle-book gifts? 69 Jungle weapon
20 Perth pets 122 “A poem lovely ___” 70 Checker’s dance
21 Gram or tome opener 123 Dog doc 71 Role for Jodie
22 Madonna’s kid 124 Concerning 72 Cars or horses
23 Perfect gift for a preacher? 125 Passing piece 73 Certain Nebraskan
25 Perfect gift for an attorney? 126 Anagram of “Seattle” 74 Former money of Spain
27 Emergency ___ Only 127 85 Down units: abbr. 77 Lucci role
28 Russian sea 128 School kid 78 Sibelius, for one
29 Kin of hombre 129 Warrior Princess of 1990s 79 Clump of dirt
30 Actor Waterston 81 In shape
31 Perfect gift for a physicist? television 82 The Women director George
35 Spiritual spinoffs 83 Ms. Gaynor
39 Rodent reaction DOWN 85 That old thing?
40 Glyphics opener 1 1940s actor from India 86 Top Iranian, once
41 The third 2 New, as bills 90 Jett Rink’s words about
43 Duc’s king 3 Woolf man
44 Hangs loose 4 H2O, e.g. the oil in Giant
48 Perfect gift for a female 5 Busted again 91 Slangy fisherman
6 “See what ___, jelly bean?”
bioengineer? 7 Muslim teacher (anagram of RESTOR’D)
52 Song sung solo 8 Rough amt. 92 Greets rudely
53 Brown shade 9 Master all over again 93 Sleuth Charlie
55 Gift coverage 10 Airy shoe style 95 Willis’s role in
56 Per unit 11 Hateful human
57 Perfect gifts for 12 Building wing Moonlighting,
13 London louts David ___
ambassadors? 14 Steppe region 96 Sch. officials
63 It means “straight” 15 Ticket to the Big House 100 Opposed (to)
64 Customer alerts 16 Citrus drink 103 Horse speeds
65 Ball-whacking game 17 Ring VIP 105 Word of love, in Latin
66 Double yellow, for one 18 Spelled letter 106 Brazen
67 Game of Clue suspect 24 Presentation prop 107 Overact
69 Perfect gift for a carpenter? 26 Common verb 108 Investigation
72 Golden Triangle flowers 29 Hook’s chum 109 That Drood dude
75 Show sorrow 32 Fit for a king 111 Bobbing on the briny
76 Border 33 Prefix meaning “wood” 115 Cinema canine
77 Finger-lickin’ estab. 34 Costa ___ 116 ___ de tête (headache)
80 “How about if ___ you 36 Invent 117 Sugar finale
37 Response to a riposte 118 Huge container
halfway?” 38 Suck 119 Worked (up)
81 Perfect gift for a knight? 42 Devilish one 120 Jazz club habitué
84 Out-to-launch grp. 44 Duchamp’s art school 121 Mix it up with De La Hoya
85 Without editing 45 Like Australia’s climate
87 Einstein’s birthplace 46 Little bites Give Yourself a Valentine’s Gift,
88 ___ uncertain terms 47 Places to shower The Possibilities Are Endless....
89 Perfect gift for a model train 49 Scottish fabric
50 “Service” that makes the SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
buff? • Minimal Incision Lift for the
94 Jack the Ripper’s U.S. nervous
51 The Galloping Gourmet and Face, Body, Neck & Brow
neighborhood • Breast Augmentations
97 Plant that makes good straw others
98 Herb drink 54 On the pinnacle of & Reductions
99 1959 Nobelist Severo 58 In the place cited: abbr. • Post Cancer Reconstructions
101 Defunct detergent 59 Pouting grimace • Chemical Peels • Botox
102 Hitches 60 Crossword creator’s role • Laser Surgery • Tummy Tucks
104 Perfect gift for a plumber? 61 Gifts from Goodyear • Obagi Products • Liposculpture
110 “I see” 62 Like Gilligan • Skin Cancer Treatments
112 Subatomic particle

The Telegraph Proudly caring for patients over 29 years.

3790 7th Terrace, Suite 101, Vero Beach, Florida

772.562.5859

www.rosatoplasticsurgery.com

Ralph M. Rosato
MD, FACS

48 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Pregnancy delights her, but rattles her husband and son

BY CAROLYN HAX tial reaction.What words of wisdom do pregnancy will call attention to your not much adjustment time. Worry if he
Washington Post family?! OH HELL NO, being notice- needs more than nine.
you have for me? able is middle school torment; 4. you
Dear Carolyn: I’m just reminded him he has parents, He will be less available to support
overjoyed to find my- – Expecting OH HELL NO. You might as well be you, granted – so treat this as an oppor-
self pregnant at age on TikTok dancing on the lawn of his tunity not to set each other up for fail-
42, having suffered Expecting: Congratulations! school. ure. Give him his time and space and
from secondary in- However, “By what?” is a question I line up resources you can count on.
fertility since my son did not ask in reference to your son’s Just guessing. Could be wrong.
was born 11 years ago. What a won- embarrassment. He’s 11, therefore As for your husband, babies are Last thing, which I should have put first:
derful thing to happen at this dark he’s embarrassed that 1. you and your hard, so hard. Plus you’re both older Don’t decide, please please don’t, that
and dreary time, right? husband have sex; 2. everyone he and higher-risk, plus pandemic. You you won’t “ever get over” his initial reac-
Except my husband is glum and my knows will also know that, OH HELL know all this – and that two months is tion. That’s just not realistic or fair to any
son is pouty and “embarrassed” – by NO; 3. even if they don’t think that, a of you. The ways we react to big news,
what, you ask? I’m not sure. My hus- before we’ve had a chance to order our
band keeps grimly telling me how old thoughts and remember our manners,
we’ll be when this child is through col- are often terrible. Your husband was
lege and how much it will probably settled into one thing and you surprised
cost. My son is declaring he won’t share him with another. That the surprise was
his room – it was never a consideration good does not magically erase all the
– or change any diapers. implications of a steep change.
We’ve finally started telling people His need to adjust could even, non-
and I don’t know what to say when they contortionally, be a sign of his happi-
assume my husband is ecstatic and my ness with you and your life together.
son excited. “Change?! What? Why?”
Why is my family acting this way? My As for what to say to people, just say
husband keeps saying he needs time to they’re in shock. [Eyeroll/shrug/laugh.]
adjust but it’s been almost two months I don't mean to invalidate you. It is
and this is a child we can very well af- lousy you're alone in your joy. But be
ford and have always wanted – what is patient, please, and as aware of their
there to adjust to? viewpoint as you want them to be of
I don’t think I’ll ever get over his ini- yours. And turn to friends or a prena-
tal group, if that's what it takes, to cel-
ebrate your wonderful news. 

‘I just keep exploring’

Cree Scudder cherishes
an artful life

50 Vero Beach 32963 / February 10, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

‘I just keep exploriAnRTgS’& THEATRE

Cree Scudder
cherishes an

artful life

BY ELLEN FISCHER | COLUMNIST When it came time to go to college,

Painter and collage artist Cree Scud- Cree was set to attend her father’s alma
der relocated to Vero Beach in 2017, af-
ter a 38-year sojourn in La Jolla, Calif., mater, the University of Florida, in
by way of Princeton, N.J., where she
met her husband, Ned Scudder. Gainesville.

Raised in Coconut Grove, Fla., Cree Cree Scudder. Smiling, she recalls her father’s de-
attended prep school through 12th
PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES cree: “I think it will be a fine spot for

you, Cree.”

However, when Cree suggested that

she wanted to study art at UF, her fa-

ther put his foot down.

grade at Miami’s Ransom Everglades “Dad said, absolutely not! You are

School where, as an engaging girl going into business.”

with a wide smile and a creative bent, Cree has a strong streak of pragma-

her high school artistic endeavors in- tism; to please herself and her father,

volved, as she puts it, “poster making, she settled on a B.S. in journalism. The

things like that.” outgoing Scudder decided that with