03/31/2022 ISSUE 13

Changing streetlight bulbs:
It’s not a joke. P10
Strunk president

responds to suit. P16
Home nursing aide gets
12-year sentence for theft. P10

For breaking news visit

MY VERO PHOTO BY KAILA JONES COVID-19 cases
here decline to
BY RAY MCNULTY Elite Airways again flying from Vero Beach Airport under 6 per day

Two months later, still no BY RAY McNULTY a schedule that now also in- date a runway resurfacing BY LISA ZAHNER
update on Milo Thornton Staff Writer cludes year-round flights to project at the Vero airport. Staff Writer
and from Portland, Maine,
Two months after Deputy Elite Airways last week and White Plains, New York. “So far, the loads have As a new stealthier virus sub-
Chief Milo Thornton was sus- resumed its wildly popular, been very good,” Vero Beach variant causes surges in COV-
pended with pay, he still hasn’t commercial-jet service be- The boutique carrier had Airport Director Todd Scher ID-19 infections in Europe and
returned to duty at the Sher- tween Vero Beach and New- temporarily moved its Vero said Monday. “The number lockdowns in China, cases here
iff’s Office, where the Internal ark, returning to town with Beach service to Melbourne of passengers has been in continued to decline last week
Affairs division launched an in September to accommo- to a daily average in single dig-
investigation into allegations CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 its.
that he created a hostile work
environment at the County Indian River County had
Jail. only 59 new COVID-19 cases
for the week ending March
The specifics of the allega- 24, and on Monday, the Cen-
tions, however, remain a mys- ters for Disease Control and
tery – because Thornton isn’t Prevention reported an even
allowed to comment on his lower number of 37 new cases
suspension, and the Sheriff’s for its seven-day moving aver-
Office has refused to even ac- age – fewer than six new cases
knowledge the investigation. per day.

In fact, Sheriff’s Office For comparison, at the worst
spokesperson Debbie Carson of this winter’s surge, Indian
didn’t respond to multiple River County reported 2,255
phone and text messages left new COVID-19 cases here dur-
by Vero Beach 32963 the past ing the week ending Jan. 13.
two weeks seeking an update
on Thornton’s status. Of the 37 new cases report-
ed to the Florida Department
Since Thornton was still sus-
pended as this week began,
though, it’s fair to assume the
agency’s investigation has un-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Neurosurgeon Basil Keller, slowed by long covid,retires Iostlhaenrdtoreyssi’dpeonwtserwliutxhu‘rcylasstsoircacgaerbsoaonmd
BY MICHELLE GENZ
Staff Writer BY STEVEN M. THOMAS third of the available units –
Staff Writer and remaining spots were go-
Neurosurgeon Basil Keller wasn’t planning ing fast.
to retire, though he is among the longest prac- By the time partners Joe
ticing physicians in the area. What prompted Schulke and Vic Lombardi got “110 percent,” Lombardi
his decision, after nearly six decades of treat- site plan approval for their told Vero Beach 32963 when
ing everything from spinal injuries to brain third luxury storage project two asked what percentage of his
tumors, is that Keller has a patient he can’t weeks ago, island residents had buyers live on the barrier is-
already reserved more than a land. “Seriously, almost all are
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

PHOTO BY KAILA JONES

March 31, 2022 Volume 15, Issue 13 Newsstand Price $1.00 Firefighters’ Fair
sees big crowds
News 1-16 Editorial 48 People 17-40 TO ADVERTISE CALL bask in fun. P36
Arts 55-60 Games 51-53 Pets 72 772-559-4187
Books 50 Health 61-66 Real Estate 81-92
Dining 74-77 Insight 41-54 Style 68-71 FOR CIRCULATION
CALL 772-226-7925

© 2022 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Elite Airways returns “We’re seeing almost-full flights.” While Newark-bound flights will the airline is offering same-day service
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Elite customers also will notice a depart from Vero Beach on Mondays between Vero Beach and Newark.
slight change in the airline’s schedule, and Thursdays, the return flights are
the 40s, which isn’t bad, considering particularly for service connecting Vero scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays. Elite’s flights from Vero Beach to
our security program currently limits Beach and Newark. The airport here will Portland will depart on Saturdays,
us to 50 seats. no longer see those flights arrive and The lone exception is the Easter- while flights from Portland to Vero
depart the same days. week flights Elite has added – on April Beach will arrive on Sundays.
15 and April 22. On those two Fridays,
Elite’s service between Vero Beach

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 3

NEWS

and White Plains, however, is limited to make the second booster available locally of about 2 percent, Indian River week, and will be broke in April. That
to Wednesdays. to everyone over age 50, but other County residents are still concerned increases the likelihood that restau-
White House officials have said funds enough about COVID-19 to get tested rant, retail and other part-time or con-
Scher said he didn’t know why the are only available to provide shots free in large numbers. Nearly 3,000 people tract workers who don’t get employer-
airline changed its schedule, and Elite of charge to those age 65 and older. were tested last week, but the afford- provided health insurance may not get
president John Pearsall could not be ability of that testing is now also in jeop- tested if they are sick.
reached for comment. The White House said the program ardy, according to the White House.
which funds COVID vaccines for the un- Right now, the federal government
Pearsall said last fall that Elite planned insured will stop taking new claims on The program which provided free owns every dose of COVID-19 vaccine,
to offer seasonal service between Vero April 5, and will run out of cash in May. COVID-19 testing to uninsured people but Moderna is considering launch-
Beach and Asheville, North Carolina – stopped accepting new claims last
a once-popular route that hasn’t been Despite the low case positivity rate CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
offered the past two summers because
of the COVID-19 pandemic – probably
starting in May.

However, Asheville is not currently
included on the Elite Airways route
map.

“They haven’t told us their plans,”
Scher said, “and they really don’t have
to.”

The runway shutdown was necessary
for the city to embark on an $8.5 mil-
lion resurfacing project, primarily paid
for with funds provided by the Federal
Aviation Administration and Florida
Department of Transportation.

The runway was reopened on Feb.
28, and Elite flights returned to Vero
Beach last Friday.

Elite began flying betweenVero Beach
and Newark in December 2015. 

COVID-19 cases decline
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

of Health last week, the CDC said only
two people with COVID-19 had been
hospitalized. Hospitalization num-
bers topped 100 new admissions per
week during the winter surge.

But the big question was: How long
does Indian River County have to en-
joy very low virus transmission be-
fore the BA.2 subvariant – sometimes
known as “stealth Omicron” – begins
spreading rapidly in the Florida?

And the other question up in the air
was whether a fourth COVID-19 vac-
cine shot – called a second booster
– would be widely available for senior
citizens before this new subvariant – 60
percent to 80 percent more transmissi-
ble than the BA.1 Omicron classic vari-
ant – causes a new surge in cases here.

It takes at least a couple weeks for a
booster shot to increase immunity.

People with certain serious health
problems which put them at special
risk for severe COVID illness can al-
ready get the second booster, but not
everyone who wants another booster
meets the narrow criteria.

Who may be on deck next for shots
was unclear as the week began. Both
Pfizer and Moderna have petitioned
the FDA to grant emergency approval
for a fourth shot, Pfizer asking for peo-
ple age 65 and older to be eligible and
Moderna expanding its ask to cover all
adults.

President Joe Biden said he wanted

4 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

COVID-19 cases decline suspended in an effort to stain his re-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 cord?

ing its shot on the private market. If Local law-enforcement sources have
that happens, it’s not clear if or how it told me that Thornton, despite being a
would be covered by private insurance member of the Sheriff’s Office’s com-
and Medicare – especially if a fourth mand staff, had never been embraced
shot (second booster) is permitted via as a confidant in Flowers’ inner circle.
an Emergency Use Authorization as
opposed to full FDA approval.  Even more curious was Flowers’ de-
cision to avoid a direct confrontation
My Vero with Thornton, and delegate to Un-
dersheriff Thom Raulen the unpleas-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ant task of telling the deputy chief he
was suspended.
covered evidence it views as sufficient
to prevent him from returning to his The reason for all this is unclear, but,
job. according to sources, some of Flow-
ers’ closest advisors had warned the
But make no mistake: With Sher- sheriff that Thornton will eventually
iff Eric Flowers’ credibility already on run against him – possibly in two years
shaky ground in the wake of his pub- – and shouldn’t be entrusted with in-
licly exposed and acknowledged mari- formation that could be used during a
tal infidelity, the evidence gathered future campaign.
during this investigation better be
overwhelming and significant. To be sure, Thornton is popular
among some of the county’s power bro-
Indeed, Flowers will have plenty of kers and has the makings of a formida-
explaining to do if we learn the initial ble candidate, but he has said nothing
allegations weren’t meaty enough to publicly about running.
warrant immediate suspension.
Might this suspension, along with
You don’t bench the No. 3 in your the circumstances surrounding it,
agency’s hierarchy on hearsay about prompt Thornton to step into the
some minor violation of regulations. political ring against Flowers sooner
You don’t let the highest-ranked Black rather than later?
law-enforcement officer in the coun-
ty’s history twist in the wind for more The outcome of the Sheriff’s Office’s
than eight weeks unless you’re pursu- investigation could impact any such de-
ing serious charges. cision, especially if the findings prompt
Flowers to take severe disciplinary ac-
You don’t act hastily, especially tion, such as termination, suspension
when you’re confronting uncorrobo- without pay or reduction in rank.
rated and possibly bogus allegations
that could diminish the stature and Not knowing the extent and cred-
damage the reputation of someone ibility of the evidence produced, how-
who has earned the community’s re- ever, it’s difficult to predict how Thorn-
spect and, in many cases, admiration. ton would respond.

Unless, of course, that’s what you’re The same is true if the findings reveal
trying to do. only a minor infraction that doesn’t re-
sult in any substantial penalty, though
Certainly, the timing of Thornton’s Thornton surely would wonder why
suspension on Jan. 26 is curious, com- he needed to stay home the past two
ing just days after Flowers learned his months.
own extramarital affair was no longer a
secret – news that soon made headlines. The most intriguing outcome would
involve the Sheriff’s Office – after eight
Even as Flowers’ attempts at dam- weeks of digging, weighing evidence
age control continue – he stars as “your and then presenting to Thornton the
Indian River County sheriff” in every case against him – ultimately exonerat-
agency-produced, social-media video ing him.
on the latest shooting, arrest and un-
solved crime – Flowers can’t help but That could happen.
be concerned about the dent the affair As of Monday, Thornton hadn’t yet
left on his prospects for re-election. formally responded to the allegations.
But he’ll get that opportunity, possibly
Thornton’s suspension also came as soon as this week, during an inter-
only three weeks after Vero Beach rogation by the Sheriff’s Office’s inter-
32963 published a story about the steps nal affairs investigators.
he had taken to vastly improve health- Under the Florida Law Enforcement
care services for inmates and reduce Officers’ Bill of Rights, Thornton may re-
costs since assuming management of tain legal counsel who would be present
the County Jail in January 2021. during the session, which must be re-
corded and preserved as a public record.
Is it really a reach to wonder wheth- It’s possible, of course, the Sheriff’s
er a politically wounded Flowers saw Office could dismiss the case after the
Thornton as a potential challenger in interrogation, if Thornton success-
the 2024 race for sheriff, and had him fully rebuts the allegations.
But what then?
Does Thornton simply go back to
work at the Sheriff’s Office, which sure-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 5

NEWS

ly would be an uncomfortable place, Or is their relationship irreparably Flowers takes some type of disciplin- er Thornton is on the ballot, more
and forget how shabbily he was treated? damaged – to the point where Thorn- ary action against Thornton. than a few county voters might re-
ton takes Flowers to court, and then member what happened in January
Does Flowers concoct some excuse runs against him in 2024? Either way, though, eyebrows will be 2022 and find the timing of Thorn-
about receiving bad information and, raised and, as is typical of today’s Amer- ton’s suspension too convenient for
because of Thornton’s high profile, You’ve got to think that last scenar- ica, people will take sides. Flowers.
offer another public apology as he io is a possibility, even if the Sheriff’s
did for his affair? Office upholds the allegations and That’s not good for Flowers. That’s even worse. 
At the very least, regardless of wheth-

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6 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Basil Keller retires Sakalas in the ER of the Vero hospital. Space was his first love, growing up At the time, as Keller remembers it,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Whatever he recommended was in the 1950s in a hamlet in West Vir- there were no neurosurgeons in Mel-
ginia. His dad dissuaded him from be- bourne, or for that matter in Vero or
seem to cure – himself. always conservative and when he did coming an astrophysicist claiming his Fort Pierce. His practice would even-
Keller, 84, is suffering from the neu- recommend surgery, his patients did math skills weren’t good enough. “And tually grow to include three neurolo-
well,” said Sakalas. “Everybody had a besides, you’ll starve. You don’t make gists and four neurosurgeons, until he
rological effects of long COVID, having good vibe with Basil.” money as an astrophysicist.” left the clinic in the early 2000’s and
come down with the virus a few days be- came to Vero Beach full time. In his ca-
fore Christmas. “I got up on Christmas Lately, Keller’s good vibes are fading. Instead, he pushed his son to be like reer, he performed surgery at Holmes
Eve, and it felt like I’d been slammed The once-outgoing doctor has had to his grandfather – a doctor. Ultimately Regional Medical Center, and eventu-
into a wall. It just knocks all the energy add depression to his long COVID self- Keller graduated in biology fromVillano- ally Sebastian River, Lawnwood and
out of you.” diagnosis. va University near Philadelphia, where Indian River hospitals.
the family had moved. But his pre-med
Keller was fully vaccinated, but the In a specialty as complex as neurol- studies only served to push him toward Within months of opening his pri-
booster shot he got just two days be- ogy – Keller stopped performing surgery space instead. “I told my dad I just didn’t vate practice in Melbourne, Keller was
fore he tested positive would not have more than a decade ago – a physician want to be a physician,” he recalls. invited to be present “as a consultant,”
had time to kick in with protection. He must sift through layers of information he said, at the lift-off of Apollo 17, the fi-
ended up sick enough to be hospital- to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment. He gave astrophysics one last shot nal mission to the moon. It was the only
ized for five days. That mental exertion has become over- by applying to Princeton; his interview night launch in the Apollo program, and
whelming, said Keller, known for having at the observatory was memorable, half a million people had gathered on
In the three months since his hospi- a hand in every aspect of patient care, conducted by a German scientist who the Space Coast to watch it.
talization, COVID-19 symptoms have even insisting on reading scans and X- had worked with Albert Einstein, he re-
never completely resolved. Along with rays himself. called. But in order to be accepted, he Keller had a prime seat in an amphi-
severe fatigue, he suffers cognition would have had to retake all of his un- theater filled with dignitaries; he was
problems and memory loss, keenly Before COVID, he would see seven to dergrad math courses.That was enough not far from where legendary newsman
annoying for a doctor who has treated eight patients a day, typically spend- to drive Keller back to medicine. Walter Cronkite was broadcasting. Sud-
brain-related conditions most of his ing an hour with each. Mentally sort- denly, Keller’s pager went off. He raced
life, and whose own high-functioning ing through their charts and conversa- “That’s when I started thinking, well, for a telephone and dialed the number
brain has driven his success. tions has become significantly more maybe I’ll be a space doctor.” on his beeper, a nurse at Holmes Re-
difficult, Keller said. Interruptions are gional, taking care of one of his patients.
“He’s a very brilliant individual to be- harder to recover from. And it galls Keller earned a medical degree from
gin with, and he’s a very nice man,” said him to have his mind refuse to release Sidney Kimmel Medical College on “She wanted to know if she could give
Dr. Romas Sakalas, a now-retired neuro- a word or phrase in conversation. Philadelphia’s Walnut Street, and did the patient an enema,” Keller recalled.
surgeon who came toVero in 1977 when a residency at Pennsylvania Hospital.
Keller was practicing in Melbourne; This, in a man who once studied as- He spent two years in the Air Force be- “Here’s three men sitting on top of
they got to know each other in the late trophysics in his leisure time. Keller, a fore moving to Melbourne in October a rocket blasting off to the moon, and
1990s when Keller started covering for fanatic about space, came to Florida 1972 to start a neurology clinic – and I’m giving the OK for an enema. That
not for the weather but for the launch- to be near the Cape.
es from Cape Canaveral. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8



8 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Basil Keller retires deal with all the demands placed on
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 me. I never had to worry about enough
referrals. People respected me because
brought things down to earth.” of all my experience still looking at
For years, after Keller left his Mel- complex cases.

bourne practice and moved to Vero “I was still going full blast until CO-
Beach, Keller had a home in the Moor- VID hit me,” he said.
ings, along with a 45-foot sailboat. To-
day, Keller lives on a horse farm west of Keller tries to keep up with his wife
Vero with his wife of 46 years, Donna, Donna; she is 14 years younger and an
who has served as his office manager. avid cyclist and swimmer. But with his
energy flagging post-COVID, Keller’s
The couple had two daughters, then workouts are limited to walking on the
adopted two sons and a daughter; with beach.
four daughters from a prior marriage,
Keller is the father of nine. “That’s one Even that doesn’t always go well.
reason I kept working for so long. I had Not long ago, he was walking behind
a big family to support,” he said. the Ocean Grill. That day, the sand was
especially soft and deep, and when he
It was a blow when a dozen years tried to break into a jog, he tripped
ago, hospital officials told Keller he over his feet. A small crowd saw him
could no longer perform surgery at go down.
what was then the Indian River Medi- “All the other old people on the
cal Center. He was well past retirement boardwalk came running down and
age, but he did not give up his practice. stood there looking at me. It was so
embarrassing that you just had to
“Even after I stopped doing surgery, make a joke. I said, ‘You don’t have to
I was able to see complex patients and call anybody. I’m a brain surgeon!’” 

Luxury storage boom
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

from the island. I think we might have Joe Schulke and Vic Lombardi, developers of
two so far who aren’t.” storage facility on U.S. 1. PHOTO BY KAILA JONES

“The people on the island are im- with lights, air conditioning and snug
pacted by the ocean,” said Schulke. inside 7 ½-inch-thick, steel-reinforced
“Their classic cars and other toys are concrete walls, beneath steel roofs.
detrimentally affected by salt air.
They like the idea they can get their Lombardi, a prominent island build-
treasured items off the island and out er, and Schulke, one of the busiest engi-
of that corrosive salt environment.” neers in town, are also pitching the stor-
age units as good investments.
Besides providing super-secure stor-
age for vintage Corvettes, valuable They note that units can be leased
boats and luxury RVs, the solid concrete out for income, appear as a solid real es-
units – which range from 880 to 1,320 tate asset on a personal balance sheet,
square feet and cost between $199,000 and potentially have tax benefits. Based
and $319,000 – are designed to serve as on recent sales and market conditions,
hurricane shelters for the owners. they are likely to appreciate.

“The structures are built beyond “We have had some resales in the
code requirements – as close to ‘hurri- first project,” said Lombardi. “A unit
cane-proof’ as possible – and located we sold in 2019 for $180,000 resold
outside the limits of flooding and storm for $270,000, and one we sold for
surge,” according to the project web- $250,000 resold for $310,000. We think
site. The partners “expect many beach- that shows the value of ownership and
side residents to use their MotorHaus the strong demand for storage space.”
2.0 units as a hurricane refuge during
evacuations of the barrier island.” Lombardi said he is close to a deal,
which he expects to sign this week, to
But it is not like owners and their fam- sell an entire six-unit, 5,000-square-
ilies will have to try to nap on a cold con- foot building to a single island buyer
crete floor beside their belongings until who wants it for personal storage and
the storm blows over. investment purposes.

The units are set up to be customized Put it all together and the com-
as luxurious hangout spots with hard- mercial condo units at Motorhaus
wood floors, mezzanine levels, bath- 2.0 are attractive to financially savvy
rooms, kitchenettes, wine bars and big
screen TVs. Lombardi says some buyers
in the two earlier projects “really decked
their units out.”

The buildings have backup genera-
tors, like hospitals and police stations,
that owners can connect to for a fee, so
they can ride out a big blow in comfort,

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 9

NEWS

island residents who need extra space. went out to all those people. That gave
But the builder and engineer knew us a strong head start that nobody else
would have had.”
that going in – which is why they de-
cided to make the third storage proj- In addition, the partners are using
ect larger than the first two combined, a unit at the U.S. 1 location that they
with 98 units, a carwash, an RV waste kept for their own storage purposes
dump and other features. as a model for the upcoming project,
which is only a quarter mile away.
Schulke discovered the untapped
market niche when he and some of his They have it set up with two great-
partners at Schulke, Bittle & Stoddard looking 1970s corvettes that Lombardi
were searching for an ideal place to store owns – the red one a car lift above the
and work on their classic cars back in midnight blue one – and a BMW that
2018. belongs to Schulke, along with a seat-
ing area.
When they couldn’t find a suitable
place, they decided to build the product Pretty handy.
they were seeking, judging correctly that The partners put the Motorhaus 2.0
other “car guys” would want in. site under contract in June, did their due
diligence, and closed on it in November,
The group bought 2.8 acres of vacant paying $950,000 for the 6.4-acre parcel.
land on 12th Street, paying $420,000, and They plan to clear the land in April
created a plan for a development they and start construction in May.
named Autohaus with 37 oversize units. Schulke says it will take 12 to 14
months to complete 66 first-phase
They chose the German-sounding units, meaning people will move in
name because so many high-end cars next summer. Phase 2, with another
– Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, BMW – are 32 units, will be done eight months af-
German and they thought it “would ter that, in early 2024, if all goes to plan
strike a chord with potential buyers.” and the market stays strong.
They chose the location because of its The partners say most of their buy-
proximity to the 17th Street Bridge, mak- ers so far are car collectors, but a few
ing it a quick hop for the island collec- are seeking RV storage and others will
tors they saw as their primary market. store business-related inventory, in-
cluding furniture used to stage houses.
Schulke said 27 of the Autohaus Units can’t be used as a business ad-
units were sold by the time the proj- dress and no active business can be
ect was complete and the rest sold out conducted there.
within four months. Aside from the fortress-like build qual-
ity, with tilt-up, steel-webbed concrete
Seeing that success, Schulke teamed walls, and the sheer size of the units – the
with Lombardi to do a second project largest ones are as big as a small house
on a narrow strip of land along U.S. 1 – the partners cite a number of features
between 41st Street and 45th Street, they feel make the project desirable.
which they called Indian River Mo- The facility will be fenced, with indi-
torhaus. vidual gate codes required for access,
and the compound will be under vid-
That 17-unit project sold out before eo surveillance 24 hours a day, view-
the walls went up, bringing a happy able from a computer or smart phone.
feeling to the developers’ hearts and Aisles between buildings will be 50 or
inspiring them to launch a third, much 60 feet wide, allowing plenty of room
larger venture. for maneuver with large vehicles.
Unit garage doors are 12 or 14 feet
The original Motorhaus had two ben- wide and 14 feet high, and units have
efits besides profitability for the partners. individual 100-amp electric panels, fire
alarms and are internet ready. They are
Because of its location on heavily pre-plumbed for bathrooms and RV
trafficked U.S. 1, the sign in front gen- hookups, and come with floor drains
erated a flurry of leads that continued to contain oil or spilled fuel.
after the project was sold out. Included in the marketing materials
is a page of to-scale sports cars, sedans,
Cool architecture isn’t something trucks, boats and RVs that can be cut
usually connected with storage build- out and arranged in scaled unit draw-
ings, but the partners hired Ken Labron ings to get a sense of how much space
at Caribeño Architectural Group in a buyer might need.
Melbourne and collaborated with him The partners say the project’s loca-
to come up with a sleek, Bauhaus-in- tion is another big plus. It is 10 min-
spired gray and red design that jibes utes or less from both the Wabasso and
with the project name and turns heads Barber bridges, and only a few minutes
along the busy highway. more from the 17th Street Bridge, con-
venient to the island.
“It is not the kind of building we usu- Twenty-seven of the 66 first phase
ally design but it turned out to be a fun units were reserved or pending as of
project,” says Labron, who’s also de-
signing the latest project. “Vic and Joe CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
are both great guys and they had a vi-
sion that we were able to bring to life. It
was a positive experience for all of us.”

“By the time we found the prop-
erty for Motorhaus 2.0, I had 50 or 60
names, phone numbers and email ad-
dresses,” said Schulke. “As soon as we
had the marketing material together, it

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

NEWS

Luxury storage boom unit cost will be due at completion.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Even thought the future seems partic-

last week, and if Lombardi gets a check ularly uncertain at the moment, Lom-
this week for the 6-unit building, half bardi and Schulke are looking ahead to
of the spaces will be off the table. another luxury storage project.

Reservations, which require a 5 per- “We have our sights set on a number
cent, fully-refundable deposit, will be of pieces of property,” says Lombardi.
converted to sales contracts in the “We haven’t bought anything because
next month, when the condominium there is no sense inventorying high-
documents are recorded. Another 5 priced land this far out.
percent will be due with the contract
along with an additional 20 percent “At some point, as this project gets
when work begins. The balance of further along, we will take a snapshot
of conditions – building costs, land
costs, the state of the market – and de-
cide what we want to do.” 

Changing streetlight bulbs: It’s not a joke

BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING-BAITA According to Mutterback, “based on
Staff Writer Geographic Information System (GIS)
data,” 886 lights are owned and main-
How many calls to utility depart- tained by Vero Beach including those
ments does it take to change a street- in city owned properties, parks and
light bulb? parking lots.

Well, when that bulb illuminates an is- Then there are another 459 lights
land street, or one of Vero Beach’s bridg- owned by FDOT that fall within the city
es, the answer can get a bit complicated. limits, including state road 60, the Bar-
ber Bridge, A1A, the 17th Street/East
It depends on who owns that particu- Causeway Boulevard and the 17th Street
lar light – the City of Vero Beach, Flor- Bridge. Of these, 385 are maintained by
ida Power & Light, the Florida Depart- the city, 54 by FPL, and 20 are main-
ment of Transportation, or Indian River tained by the county, Mutterback said.
County. Each of the entities is respon-
sible for specific lights. Of the 1,463 lights owned by FPL,
1,440 are maintained by FPL, but to
Vero Beach 33963 has been con- make matters more confusing, 23 are
tacted recently by residents who have maintained by the city. And Indian River
noticed lights out around town, includ- County owns and maintains 20 lights
ing on and around Ocean Drive on the within the Vero Beach city limits.
barrier island and on the Barber Bridge,
and Vero Beach Public Works Assistant Confused yet?
Director Richard Mutterback says the Well, we haven’t even begun to discuss
city fields quite a few calls as well. the lights owned and maintained by var-
ious homeowners associations.
But if the light or lights in question are Having multiple entities involved,
not owned and/or maintained by the Mutterback agrees, can get confus-
city but by one of the other entities, Vero ing. And getting burned out light bulbs
workers can’t pop over and fix the prob- changed, it turns out, is often no joke. 
lem.

Former nursing assistant gets 12-year sentence for
stealing from John’s Island seniors in her care

BY LISA ZAHNER AND KAILA JONES about every major milestone of her two
Staff Writers younger daughters’ lives.

Former nursing assistant Chiquita "I hope it was worth it," Circuit Court
Lashae McGee, 33, had a wild ride while Judge Dan Vaughn told McGee.
it lasted – stealing more than $300,000
in cash and luxury goods bought on Vaughn doubled security before
the credit card of two 80-something- handing down the stiff 12-year sentence
year-old John’s Island residents in her in a courtroom filled with two dozen
care. McGee supporters and close friends,
who testified to her good character, to
Last week, she found out she’ll be her involvement in her Ft. Pierce church
45 when she gets out of state prison, and to her being a good mother to her
will miss her oldest daughter’s high three daughters.
school graduation this spring, and just
In what appeared to be an effort to

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12



12 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Nursing aide sentenced who is yet to be tried, several of those family friend said he’d watched all four The two sisters’ cases have been
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 who came to the courtroom portrayed of the daughters in McGee’s family grow handled separately because the alleged
McGee as the good sister led astray by up in tough circumstances, and that fraudulent purchases were all made on
deflect blame for the crimes onto Mc- a bad influence. McGee and two others had become separate platinum credit cards, McGee
Gee’s older sister, co-defendant Sophia productive citizens, while the older using one card and Shepherd/Brown
Monae Shepherd (aka Sophia Brown), McGee’s pastor and longtime land- sister had seemed to take the “wrong using a credit card on a different bank,
lord said she had warned McGee against path.” according to court records.
“following her sister,” and a longtime

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NEWS

The case against Shepherd/Brown ing. Other family members were visibly derly and a second-degree felony charge “Regarding the sentencing, I am very
has been continued until late April shaken, one collapsing to the ground in of defrauding a financial institution. As happy, as justice has been served. The
due to several recent changes in de- the parking garage. it was too late for a negotiated plea deal, sentence fits the crime. Those inclined
fense attorneys, McGee took an open plea, meaning that to prey on the elderly will think twice
Last month, on the morning that jury she could have been sentenced to up to before committing such crimes in In-
McGee’s supporters cleared out of the selection for her trial was to begin, Mc- 45 years in state prison, with a mini- dian River Shores and elsewhere in the
courtroom after the sentencing, one of Gee pleaded no contest to a first-degree mum sentence of 37 months.
McGee’s daughters screaming and cry- felony charge of exploitation of the el- CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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16 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Nursing aide sentenced tel stays, a cruise and cosmetic pro- Chiquita McGee was sentenced to 12 years Indian River Shores Public Safety De-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 cedures could not be recovered, but in prison on Thursday by Circuit Court partment is holding that property.
bank records show the money ben- Judge Dan Vaughn. PHOTO BY KAILA JONES
county,” said Indian River Shores Pub- efitted McGee. Evidence seized in Susan Shea, daughter of victims Al-
lic Safety Director Chief Rich Rosell, the case included clothing, dozens of fred and Michelina Martinelli, said
whose detectives handled the case. pairs of high-end athletic and dress McGee “destroyed their golden years.”
shoes, gold jewelry, cellular phones, Shea testified that her parents’ spend-
“I am grateful to the State Attorney Apple watches and televisions. The ing on the credit cards went from
not only for the prosecution of this $2,000 to $3,000 per month to $10,000
case but for their assistance from the per month, and that she got suspicious
very beginning,” Rosell said. when she saw charges to the Hollis-
ter and Abercrombie and Fitch stores,
Assistant State Attorney Lev Evans, which cater to a younger demographic.
who for four years prosecuted the
case against McGee and Shepherd/ Shea reflected on her father’s two
Brown, said “McKee systematically tours in Korea and how he had worked
stole an obscene amount of money multiple jobs to provide for their fam-
over nine months. She got what she ily. She said her father was totally con-
deserved.” fined to a chair during the time McGee
worked for the family, and that he ob-
Evans’ retirement is effective today. viously had not been in a position to
The case against Shepherd/Brown will rent the Rolls Royce and other exotic
be handled by Assistant State Attorney cars charged to his credit card.
Michelle McCarter.
“No one should have to tolerate el-
More than $85,000 in cash, plus der abuse,” Shea said. “It was a night-
tens of thousands spent on trips, ho- mare for my family.” 

Strunk Funeral Homes president responds to libel lawsuit

BY RAY MCNULTY false statement in her Facebook post. agree with him or defend themselves.” forward a witness who will testify on
Instead, Kopchak claims her com- Reached by phone last weekend, his behalf.
Staff Writer
ments were made in defense of her- Young said Kopchak was “just respond- “He was a witness to all the events
Strunk Funeral Homes & Crematory self, her siblings and their reputations. ing to what was in the newspaper,” add- that night,” Young said.
president Mary Kopchak has responded ing that he’s looking forward to getting
to a libel lawsuit by defending her social- She also argues thatYoung’s “negligent her deposition. In his libel suit, Young accuses Kop-
media comments about the owner of a and intentionally malicious” statements chak of “falsely and maliciously” posting
company that claims to have purchased to the newspaper – specifically, his ac- After a hearing in Vero Beach earlier defamatory comments about him on a
the properties on which her family’s cusation that Kopchak and her siblings this month, Circuit Judge Janet Croom Facebook page titled“Indian River Coun-
longtime Vero Beach business operates. stole the business from their stepmother ruled last week that Kopchak can be ty Community Round Up” on Nov. 23.
by getting their father to sign documents questioned about only the libel case,
The libel suit, filed in late November “on his death bed” – initiated, instigated though Young’s attorneys may “reason- The suit states that the remarks writ-
by Millennium Funeral Home & Cre- and justified her public response. ably inquire” about issues that “overlap ten by Kopchak, who succeeded her fa-
matory owner James Young Jr., is a spi- with issues in other pending litigation” ther as the Strunk company’s president
noff of the slow-moving legal drama Kopchak’s filing contends Young “en- as long as it doesn’t become “abusive.” in the days prior to his death, damaged
surrounding the dispute over those couraged media coverage” of the case Young’s reputation for “honesty, integri-
properties. and thus “assumed the risk of drawing Kopchak’s Vero Beach attorney, Kevin ty and trustworthiness in this commu-
public comments about himself when Rollin, said his client’s deposition hadn’t nity and in his profession.”
Young also has filed a lawsuit in Tal- he volunteered inflammatory comments yet been scheduled, but he wouldn’t
lahassee, where he’s seeking to have the to news media about pending litigation comment further on the case. Kopchak wrote that Young is “trying
Strunk Funeral Home’s license revoked (that) might trigger a proportionate or to undermine our business, hoping
by the state funeral board, which still otherwise appropriate response …” “As I’ve said all along, I’d rather let to gain something for which he is not
hasn’t approved the company’s change the publicly filed papers do the talk- worthy.”
of ownership. Those responses could include, the ing,” Rollin said. “My client does not
filing states: allegations that his state- wish to litigate any legal or personal She went on to write: “Unfortunate-
In a 13-point answer to the libel ac- ments to the news media were false; matter in the press. She continues to ly, unscrupulous people do unscrupu-
tion, Kopchak – daughter of Glenn questioning his motive for making believe she will win.” lous things, which I am afraid is the
Strunk, who owned and operated the such statements; and calling into ques- case with Jim Young & Dorothy Strunk,
Strunk Funeral Home for 47 years before tion the propriety of his “unscrupulous According to court records, Kop- as will be shown as our legal matters
he died in February 2020 – argues the attempt to litigate in the press.” chak appeared to successfully defend unfold.”
remarks she posted on a Facebook page her remarks about Young, who worked
were legally protected because they Finally, Kopchak argues that Young for Strunk Funeral Home in the 1980s, Dorothy Strunk was married to Kop-
were made in response to news-media “elevated himself” to the status of a having been fired by her father – a chak’s father for 40 years until his death.
coverage of matters under litigation. “limited public figure” who has invited claim corroborated by one of the busi- She sold the properties on which the
public comment and scrutiny. As such, ness’ long-retired funeral directors. Strunk businesses operate to Young for
Kopchak claims her comments she adds, he bears the legal burden of $3.1 million in June 2021.
about Young were “pure opinion,” true proving her statements were false and In a deposition given in January,
or substantially true, and made in a that her intent was malicious. David Hincemon testified that Young Kopchak and her siblings have gone
good-faith effort to rebut false allega- was fired for conduct “unbecoming of to court to challenge the transaction, ar-
tions he made to Vero Beach 32963. She concludes her defense by a funeral director,” recalling the inci- guing that their stepmother didn’t have
claiming: “Plaintiff cannot make in- dent in detail and attributing Young’s the authority to sell the properties.
She states in her court filing, in flammatory comments to the media, behavior to youth and inexperience.
fact, that she “reasonably believed” gain widespread public recognition as Young claims in his complaint that
her comments were true when she a member of the local funeral-home Young, however, still denies that he Kopchak’s social-media post has sub-
wrote them and did not “intentional- business community and then com- was terminated – he claims he quit be- jected him to “hatred, distrust, ridi-
ly, negligently or maliciously” make a plain when others respond to dis- cause the funeral home refused to pay cule, contempt and disgrace,” and that
him overtime – and said he will bring he should be compensated for “mental
anguish, torment and humiliation.” 

Sheree Schleicher
and Barbara Kali.

ART FOR THE ADORING MASSES AT
SUPER ‘UNDER THE OAKS’ SHOW P. 22

18 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

All fur one, one fur all at Humane Society’s Cause for Paws

Scott Morton and Joan Busch. Robert Fabian, Michael Roe, Greta Willis, Eva Willis and Ellie Willis. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF

Marilyn Wallach, James Wallach and Ansley Brown. Anne Dunwoody, Kate Meghji and Wendy Trimarche. Dori Stone, Michelle Quigley and Tad Stone.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF “This is a lovely tribute to the love wanted pet stays with their people, mal welfare has ever seen. It wasn’t
Staff Writer and compassion that we all have to- our shelter is able to provide even that long ago that countless animals
ward our [shelter] animals, the ani- more to the animals who need a little were losing their lives in shelters.
Guests received enthusiastic, but mals in our lives, and our commu- more TLC before they find their new What used to be distinct overpopu-
wet, greetings by well-behaved dogs nity,” she said. families,” said Meghji. lation of homeless animals, today is
as they made their way into the Oak manageable because of you.”
Harbor Club for the Cause for Paws “It’s been a tough couple of years Last year the Humane Society
fundraiser to benefit the Humane So- to keep our organization going with placed 1,798 homeless animals, cele- Turcott related that the biggest cri-
ciety of Vero Beach and Indian River this pandemic. Everybody has re- brated a 90 percent save rate, fostered sis animals currently face is the lack
County. ally stepped up to make that happen. 635 animals, and cared for 3,107 ani- of accessible veterinary care. By pro-
We’re celebrating the impact of what mals. viding low-cost pet services, the Hu-
The pups wagged their way into the your generosity allows us to do for the mane Society has reduced the num-
hearts of attendees – a furry remind- animals and for our community.” Susan Schuyler Smith, steering ber of animals in the shelter, which
er of the need to support the Humane committee chair and immediate has enabled it to address the needs of
Society and its efforts to provide hu- Kate Meghji, executive director, past president, introduced the guest other animals.
mane care and shelter for homeless noted that the Humane Society ac- speaker, Deborah Turcott, founder
animals, and to provide a variety of complished a great deal despite CO- and principal of Oriana Solutions. She suggested that the time has
services and programs. VID challenges. come to shift the focus to “what ex-
“Deb leads a team of highly experi- ists right here in your backyard,” re-
As guests dined, images of shelter “Last year, we launched our Afford- enced consultants in their collective ferring to local wildlife and agricul-
animals tugged at heartstrings, elic- able Pet Care program, generously effort to strengthen communities by ture animals.
iting oohs and aahs as dogs frolicked funded by PetSmart Charities, to advancing the work of nonprofits.
in a pool, peacocks preened, pigs ensure that pet parents in Fellsmere The partnership-oriented, solution- After her impassioned speech,
snuffled, and kittens, well, kittens and Gifford would have access to ex- driven firm centers itself on the re- guests bid on an impressive selection
just melted hearts with their inno- tremely low-cost services for their lentless pursuit of forward-thinking of live-auction and raffle items be-
cent blue eyes. pets.” and action-driven strategy,” said fore closing the evening with a pad-
Smith. dle raise to support the animals.
Wendy Trimarche, board president, As a result, families were able to
welcomed everyone back to the first keep their beloved pets at home, rath- Turcott praised the Humane Soci- For more information, visit hsvb.
in-person Cause for Paws since 2019. er than surrender them to the shelter. ety and its supporters for their part in org. 
“the single greatest success that ani-
“By ensuring that every loved and

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 19

PEOPLE

Jeffrey and Eilis Powers. Steve and April Ross. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
Virginia and Warren Schwerin. Deborah Turcott and Ronald Forman.
Charlotte Shropshire and Jean Shropshire.
Christine and Christian Hammarskjold.
Peter Trimarche and Susan Schuyler Smith.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Cindy Nady and Becca Russell. George and Sue Sharpe.
Gildamar Tait and Fran Jaffe.

Russell Orlando, Leslie Sorensen and David Teneralli. Brian Shambo, Xaque Gruber, Joann Gruber and Jeremy Schwibner. Allyson Bootes and Jacque Petrone.

Join us for Sunday Worship Patricia and Mark Ashdown with Brian Shambo and Mary Eichert.
8:30, 9:30 and 11:00 AM Liz Riley, Rob Kusch, Mary Catherine Morton and Kim Rennier.

Quality discipleship, fellowship, music,
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Sunday, April 3rd

This week’s message:
Cost of Discipleship: “Expect God’s Greatness”

Psalm 126

Dr. G. Timothy Womack, Senior Pastor

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 21

PEOPLE

Melinda Cooper and Bob Broten. Debbie Brower, Jeff Maffett, Jayne Kenyon and Annette Maffett.

Charles Mappin, Kathy Cruice and Robert Franklin. Cheryl Johns with Dale and Kay Keyser. Jeff Bush and Cynthia Nielson.

Janet Gallagher, Catherine Cooke, Ellen Mendez-Penate and Barbara Edwards.

Diane Langevin, Lynne Bortree and Patricia Willis.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Art for the adoring masses at super ‘Under the Oaks’ show

Elise Geary with Ken and Margaret Watson. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

BY MARY SCHENKEL cooler conditions on Sunday. And Riverside Park on Friday morning, WINNERS:
Staff Writer the 207 artists and many thousands lining up even before the 9 a.m.
of visitors weathered it all with start. Richard and Lillian Becker Family
The 71st annual Under the Oaks aplomb. Foundation Award: Best in Show –
Fine Arts & Crafts Show, presented The fast-moving storm on Satur-
by the Vero Beach Art Club, expe- Attendance was a far cry from two day was the only hiccup, but event Karen Hibbs
rienced most every meteorological years ago, when Under the Oaks was chair Alicia Quinn said that luckily,
condition that Florida offers – hot among the first events shut down by there was no damage to the art or Anne Maryl Barnes Memorial Award:
and humid on Friday, a wet and COVID, and last year, where folks tents. Outstanding Artist of Merit in Graphics/
blustery front that blew through were still being cautious. This time,
on Saturday, and picture-perfect, eager to get first pick of the excep- “We knew it was coming. We had Pastels/Printmaking/Watercolor –
tional works, crowds poured into been watching it and waiting,” said Witha Lacuesta
Quinn. “All the artists closed their
tents when it started raining heav- Alicia B. Callender Memorial Award:
ily and then reopened them after Distinction in Pottery/Ceramics –
about an hour.” Mina Heuslein

VBAC members volunteer in Ron Miler Memorial Award: Friend,
various capacities throughout the Artist Volunteer/Excellence in Art –
entire process for what is the Art
Club’s largest fundraiser. Proceeds Joan Earnhart
fund local scholarships as well as
enrichment programs that promote Jean Nagy Memorial Award: Excellence
art through education. in Acrylic/Oil – Evan Schwarze

Artists are selected through a ju- First Place Acrylic/Oil: James Carter
rying process each fall, whittled First Place Graphics/Pastels
down from hundreds of applicants
from around the country, and Printmaking/Watercolor: Aletha Jones
sometimes abroad. A percentage of First Place Photography/Digital Art –
spots are reserved for VBAC mem-
bers, who compete for those spots Lorri Honeycutt
amongst themselves.
First Place Pottery/Ceramics/Glass:
To keep things fresh and exciting, Mark Sudduth
some 30 percent of artists were new
participants. First Place Jewelry: Sheko Sarkis
First Place Sculpture/Sculptural Mixed
“We couldn’t be happier with the
diversity of their work. If you don’t Media/Wood: Leslie Young
find something here, you just don’t
like art,” said Quinn. ings are evocative of our natural
environment, won first place in his
Among the newer artists was category as well.
Adam Conrad, Zoto Original Oil
Paintings, who recently moved to Another newcomer was Michelle
Vero Beach and plans to throw him- Wood Nevaeh, a former executive
self into the Vero art scene, includ- chef, whose stunning woodworks
ing at Under The Oaks next year. made from exotic woods, epoxy and
barn wood are crafted in her Vero
Also new was Leslie Young, who Beach studio.
took first place in her category for
her unique ‘nautilus shells’ made Monetary awards were deter-
with a scroll saw, using various wood mined by a trio of out-of-town judg-
varieties or resin, some with inlays. es – Dana Hargrove, Audrey Hope
and Rosa Valladares.
Vero artist Evan Schwarze, whose
fluid, multi-dimensional oil paint- For more information, visit vero-
beachartclub.org. 

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24 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Jennifer and Chris Huck. Kathy Reid and Noreen Erklauer
Mary Anderson, Joni Harbert and Jeannie Brazil.

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 25

PEOPLE

Dana Shirley.
Walford Campbell.

Michael Thiele.

Magali Cereghino-Groves.

26 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘Habitat’ donors thanked for creating ‘generational change’

BY KERRY FIRTH
Correspondent

At a recent Donor Appreciation Re- Matt Rundels, Connie Poppell, Susan Chenault Hahn and Rick Hahn. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES
ception at Holy Cross Parish Hall, Trev-
or Loomis, executive director of Indian
River Habitat for Humanity, personally
thanked supporters and gave an im-
passioned presentation about the ac-
complishments made by the nonprofit
over the past 30 years.

“This community has a very gener-
ous donor base, making it one of the
largest Habitat organizations in the
country,” said Loomis. “Out of about
1,200 Habitat for Humanity branches,
Indian River is number 20.”

Over the past 30 years, our local Hab-
itat has built 420 homes and helped
more than 2,000 families achieve their
dreams of home ownership. Loomis
proudly announced that this Habitat
raised $1.6 million last year, even in
the midst of the pandemic, and built
14 homes. Additionally, they repaired
71 homes, 14 of those for veterans, and
provided scholarships for 59 students.

“We are facing challenges with

Gifford and Patti Hampton. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES ceive an interest free mortgage.”
Habitat homeowner Bruno Soltic
building costs rising 30 percent and
lumber costs soaring 200 percent, but said that as a divorced father of three,
we are still planning on building four he faced insurmountable obstacles in
more houses than we did last year, his quest to purchase affordable hous-
expanding our school program, and ing.
launching an early childhood educa-
tion program. This is the way to create “I am so grateful to Habitat for Hu-
generational change,” said Loomis. manity for helping me secure a safe
home for me and my children. I am
“Home ownership empowers working as an adjunct teacher at Indi-
working families, providing them an River State College and as a driver at
with strength, stability and self-reli- Quail Valley while I finish up my edu-
ance, by giving them a place where cation. I never would have been able
they can grow. Families get a hand to afford it if not for the sweat equity
up, not a handout, in this program, down payment and zero interest loan.”
where homebuyers can use sweat
equity for a down payment and re- Acceptance into the program is de-
termined by an applicant’s needs and
their ability to pay for and maintain a
home. They must complete 300 to 500
sweat equity hours, meet a monthly
savings requirement, and attend fi-
nancial management and homeown-
ership classes. Much of the work is ac-
complished by the future homeowners
under the guidance of skilled volun-
teers and staff members.

On April 2, Habitat will hold an is-
land-themed fundraiser at the Grand
Harbor Beach Club to celebrate 30
years of building and revitalizing com-
munities, with proceeds helping to
build and repair more homes, while ex-
panding the futures of Habitat home-
owners and their dependents through
scholarships.

For more information, call 772-562-
9860. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 27

PEOPLE

Jeff Francisco, Bruno Soltic and Dave Johnson. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
Trevor Loomis and Barbara Middleton with Charlie and Rachel Shain.

Marcia Salmon and Eve Kyomya Vendryes. Rene Donars and Mary Lewisy with Beth and David Johnston.

28 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 Robert Garrison, Ken Potter and Jan Garrison. Ron and Rose Virgin.
Sammy and Fran San Miguel.

Linda and Boyd Faust. Jeremy and Jamie Odom with Jason Brown. Renee and Martin Bireley.

Robin Mosena and Jay Laudano with Anna and Dick Lanam.

Martha Loomis with Jean and Gene Cravens and Carol De Renzo.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 29

PEOPLE

Pelican Island Wildlife Fest at birds’ home, tweet home

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF tion,” he explained. PICS, the ‘friends’ “History is not just about the envi- Wildlife Service said other issues in-
Staff Writer group for the refuge, is dedicated to its ronment or people. It’s about both of clude invasive aquatic animals taking
care through awareness, conservation them. History is a connection between over habitats and diminishing the food
The Pelican Island Conservation So- and stewardship. them,” said Ruth Stanbridge, county supply for native species. Along with
ciety brought the birds home to roost historian and Indian River County informational material, Galvez had
during its annual Pelican Island Wild- On Saturday, the event featured ex- Historical Society president, about the fish tanks displaying several invasive
life Festival, which celebrated the 119th hibitors, historical re-enactments and deeply rooted historical connection to and native fish species.
anniversary of the founding of the Peli- a wildlife display, and on Sunday there Pelican Island.
can Island National Wildlife Refuge. was a pontoon boat tour around Peli- At the FAU Harbor Branch Oceano-
On March 14, 1903, President Theodore can Island that left from the Environ- “Pelican Island Audubon Society graphic Institute tent, Christopher Sp-
Roosevelt established the refuge, the mental Learning Center. has had a close, important relationship agnolia and Natalie Howard spoke of
first in the nation, to protect birds from with the refuge since the beginning,” their ongoing research using the Indi-
being slaughtered for their plumage. The exhibitors each had missions said Richard Baker, Ph.D., PIAS presi- an River Lagoon Observatory Network
that align with the conservation efforts dent. of Environmental Sensors to monitor
This year, the celebration took place of PICS. the health of the lagoon.
on the section of refuge grounds open He said ornithologist Frank M.
to the public. Pelican Island itself is off- “They are all folks that have some- Chapman, an Audubon Society mem- “Protecting the water is the base of
limits to visitors. While Paul Kroegel, thing to do with the history of the ref- ber, had been one of the visionary all our life. It gives all the food to the
the country’s first wildlife refuge war- uge or are committed to doing research naturalists to initiate the conservation manatees, the fish and the birds,” said
den, lived in Sebastian, the refuge is lo- on the water quality issues and things movement, which ultimately formed Howard, explaining their hands-on ex-
cated on the barrier island. in the lagoon. The refuge has expanded the refuge system. periments to determine salinity, tem-
greatly beyond the initial island,” said perature and water clarity.
“When we held the event in down- Glover. PIAS works to preserve, protect
town Sebastian, people would have and educate people about dwindling The Pelican Island National Wildlife
fun, buy a trinket, and walk away, not Historical re-enactor Joe Wiegand, habitats through bird activities and Refuge, located off A1A alongside the
really knowing who we are or what the in his role as President Theodore Roo- research, Baker explained. He noted Historic Jungle Trail, is open daily to visi-
refuge is, or even where it is,” said Tim sevelt, chatted with guests about his that we have lost 70 percent of our tors from 7:30 a.m. to sunset. For more
Glover, PICS board member. environmental efforts as they strolled birds due to loss of habitat caused by information, visit firstrefuge.org. 
along Centennial boardwalk. The wastewater, stormwater, septic tanks
“We felt it’s more important to be planked walkway leading to the Pelican and sewer systems. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
here, on-site. Our priority is educa- Island Overlook chronicles the history
of the nation’s wildlife refuge system. John Galvez of the U.S. Fish and

30 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF
Ruth Stanbridge with Peggy Lyon and John McCoy.

Morgan Fabian, Teddy Roosevelt impersonator Christopher Spagnolia and Natalie Howard.
Joe Wiegand and Eddie Perri.

Dave and Barb Hirt. Cherrie Sporer with Steve and Dot Hamilton.

Kristie and Jim Gallagher with grandson Sid. Kate DeVries and Tim Glover.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 31

PEOPLE

John Galvez and Cedric Doolittle. Kathy Lehnhardt and Morgan Fabian. Joan and Mike Hoben.

Sally and Joe Spadaro. Richard and Karin Warner with Harvey Horton. Lorna Thibeault, Eddie Perri and David Cox.

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32 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Land Trust successfully going for – and acquiring – the green

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Toni Robinson and Ken Grudens. continue that progress of protect-
Staff Writer ing land along the lagoon from de-
velopment and for wildlife habitat,
Indian River Land Trust support- to create restoration and provide
ers were feted recently during the research and educational opportu-
annual Conservators’ Reception at nities, and to grow our land stew-
Quail Valley River Club, hosted by ardship endowment so that we can
Laura and Bill Buck with Sally and make sure that we can take care of
Dick Brickman. these properties in perpetuity.”

“We’ve had a fantastic campaign. He added that over the years, the
As a direct result of that, every single Land Trust has acquired 1,200 acres
time we go over the Barber Bridge, and 12 miles of shoreline, and that
we’re going to see green instead of they are forging ahead with the de-
construction,” said Greg Casalino, velopment of a living classroom at
IRLT board chair, referencing the the 220-acre Coastal Oaks Preserve.
acquisition of the 65-acre Hoff-
mann property, below and north of “We’re really excited to have this
the Barber Bridge. place which holds a myriad of dif-
ferent habitats. Coastal Oaks Pre-
“In addition to that tremendously serve is our key project for the next
successful campaign, at the other 12 months along with continuing to
end of the county, we’re going to acquire land and build our endow-
have a world-class living classroom ment,” said Grudens.
at Coastal Oaks Preserve,” said
Casalino. “We’ve had some success thanks
to you with our campaign. I think
He encouraged everyone to sup- we’ve made an impact on this com-
port the Nov. 8 bond referendum, munity,” said Grudens challenging
backed by local environmental attendees to help reach the chal-
groups, to enable the acquisition lenge match goal.

Mary Juckiewicz, Peter Moor and Chris Baker.

and preservation of environmental- “We got a $1 million gift last
ly significant land. The referendum spring from Meg and Don Steiner
supports the goal of the Land Trust with a challenge to raise anoth-
to preserve land for conservation er million dollars. We only have
and wildlife habitats while provid- $70,000 to raise left on that $1 mil-
ing access for public recreation and lion challenge. Our goal is to do that
education for future generations. by March 26.”

“It’s been two long, tumultuous Before returning to conversa-
years since we’ve had this chance to tion, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres,
be together, and I wanted to share Grudens showed a portion of the
some progress we’ve made with this PBS “Changing Seas” television pro-
campaign to protect the land that gram that aired last summer fea-
protects the lagoon,” said IRLT ex- turing the work being done in the
ecutive director Ken Grudens. county regarding fishery research
and mosquito control.
Grudens said that objective of
the ongoing campaign is threefold: For more information, visit irlt.
“To acquire land that will help us to org. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 33

PEOPLE

Sally and Dick Brickman with Debbi Peniston. Marlen Higgs, Gael Habernickel and Betty MacMillan. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
Sheila Marshall, Barbara Butts and Ingrid Caruso.

Joan Gee, Lee Adamson and Stephanie Hurtt. Jill Kaneb, Stephanie Smith, Lucia Bailey and Anne Lanier. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF

34 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHPOHTOOTSOSCOCNOTNITNIUNEUDEDFROONMPPAAGGEE331 3
Roz Allen, Laura Buck and Paul Landry.

Rody Johnson with Davis and Peter Benedict.

Linda Beardslee, Katy Dyreby and Karen Meyer.

Michael Hoben, Gael Habernickel and Joan Hoben.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 35

PEOPLE

Polly and John LaDuc. Chris Marine and Bill Beardslee. Gregg Casalino and Jim Dyreby.

Chris Clifford and Lucia Bailey. Bill and Peg Regan.

Daniella Diminich and Ivonne Roschach.

Joan Matthews and Margie Wagner.

36 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Maskless masses bask in fun of county Firefighters’ Fair

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF
Staff Writer

Given the roller coaster ride we’ve Rachael Cory. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF & KAILA JONES Avid and Andrew Baron. Mike and Amelia Morgan.
been on the past couple of years, it’s
no wonder that families flocked to way of blood donations, One Blood.
the 43rd annual Indian River Coun- The fair also supports the commu-
ty Firefighters’ Fair at the IRC Fair-
grounds to enjoy a bit of family fun. nity by promoting the agricultural
endeavors of local youth through the
In March 2020, the fair was can- Indian River County Youth Livestock
celed before it began, and last year it and Horticulture Activities Show.
opened under pandemic safety pre-
cautions. This year, despite minor
weather-related setbacks, attendance
was up, said Jeff Raynor, assistant
manager.

“We’re kind of starting over, re-
building again. We pride ourselves on
giving the community a good show at
least once a year and they pay us back
by coming.”

Proceeds from the 10-day event
support the IRC Burn Fund, high
school scholarships, fairground im-
provements and charitable organi-
zations, which this year included the
American Red Cross, United Against
Poverty, the Salvation Army and, by

Kenzie Bloss.

“It wouldn’t be a county fair with- see in team sports, Flynt said, the
out animals. They are the backbone experience affects the exhibitors for
of a county fair,” said Raynor. years to come.

Activities in the barn included “They have memories and awards
the crowning of the Barn King and that last a lifetime,” said Flynt. “In a
Queen and a whip-cracking contest, world where we see so much ‘me, me,
and youth projects – including cit- me, me,’ we see these exhibitors com-
rus trees, swine, poultry, rabbit, Boer ing together and supporting each oth-
goat, sheep, steer, cavy and breed er selflessly time and again. It creates
stock – were judged and auctioned. better citizens.”
In the exhibition hall there was stiff
competition at the baked goods and The dizzying sights, sounds and
candies, creative crafts, and canning scents tempted fairgoers with car-
contests. ny food, games and rides, as well as
daily shows, demonstrations and en-
The goat yoga class was a big hit tertainment, including Vero Beach
again this year, with sessions selling Recreation Department Aerial Antics
out in less than a day. While there was performers and the annual Firefight-
more cuddling than ‘downward dog’ er Training Show, which gives chil-
and ‘sun salutation,’ the benefits of dren the opportunity to learn about
playing with the “kids” was well worth fire safety.
the chilly morning temperatures.
And each day, one lucky person
David Flynt, president of Indian had a chance to visit the Cash Cy-
River County Youth Livestock and clone presented by Toyota Kia of Vero
Horticulture, said they were thrilled Beach, stepping inside a booth and
to have a new, school-based 4-H club grabbing as much moolah as possible,
join the competition. with proceeds supporting the Gifford
Youth Orchestra. 
Likening it to the camaraderie you

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 37

PEOPLE

Chris Jones, Ron Angelone and Jeff Raynor. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
Kirstin Klein with Jezebel.

Maggie Bender with Bucky.

Barn Prince Giorgio Semprevivo
and Barn King Joseph Semprevivo.

Emma Guthrie, Harper Hall, Coral Hall,
Taj Hall and Bethany Hall.

38 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 PEOPLE
Vivianne Sprenger and Ayla Seegott.
We’ll ‘show’ you! Riverside’s
Kristi Challenor and Stephanie Dilella. Spring Gala oozes optimism

BY KERRY FIRTH
Correspondent

It was a perfect Florida evening Gloria Anderson and Kathleen Poole.
as some 350 guests, dressed in
their finest attire, ascended the ever, and that this gala broke all
grand steps of Riverside Theatre
for its Spring Celebration Gala, its net financial records for any pre-
first since 2019. Excitement filled
the air as they mingled on the vious event held at the theater.
outside veranda at sunset, greet-
ing and toasting each other with Cheers erupted when Mitchell
new hope that the pandemic is
fading, and a new life filled with took center stage accompanied
promise is beginning.
Christian Miller. by his pianist. Once dubbed by
“We are so excited to have a
wonderful crowd tonight,” said the New York Times as ‘the last
Oscar Sales, Riverside’s market-
ing director. leading man,’ he did not disap-

“We haven’t had a gala in over point, opening with a rousing
two years, and we’re excited to
have Brian Stokes Mitchell on rendition of “There’s No Business
stage. We have such beautiful
weather tonight and all the beau- Like Show Business.”
tiful people are here supporting
our theater. We can’t wait to get Mitchell spoke of his own ter-
back to doing what we do best.”
rible bout with COVID and how
Sales enthusiastically an-
nounced that Comedy Zone it gave him a new perspective
performances will begin the
weekend of April 8 and will run on life and a renewed feeling of
through the end of the year, as
will the free outdoor Concerts in hope. Later, he reflected about
the Loop.
how the pandemic of 1917 was
Although the theater was forced
to lower the curtain on its produc- followed by the Roaring ’20s and
tion of “Carousel,” the last show of
the season, “Almost Heaven: The expressed his eagerness to em-
Music of John Denver” is expected
to open May 10 and run through brace a new awakening after this
the end of that month.
current pandemic with robust
After the lively cocktail hour,
the theater aficionados were es- love and energy.
corted into Stark Main Stage
where they anxiously awaited the Those messages were conveyed
appearance of Tony Award-win-
ner Brian Stokes Mitchell. through songs that included

Gala co-chairs Kathleen Poole “How to Love a Woman,” “Wheels
and Gloria Anderson thanked
the Friends of Riverside commit- of a Dream” and “Feeling Good.”
tee for their dedication and hard
work in putting on the event, as And the house lights were turned
well as the sponsors and support-
ers of the theater for their contin- on during his performance of
ued backing throughout the pan-
demic, even when the stage was “If Ever I Would Leave You,” en-
dark.
abling him to focus on a few lucky
Alan Cornell, producing artis-
tic director, took the stage to an- women in the audience who were
nounce that despite being shut
down for two years, the theater captivated by his serenade.
is back better and stronger than
The enchanting evening ended

with a formal three-course din-

ner catered by Elizabeth D. Ken-

nedy & Company and served

on elegantly decorated tables

adorned with cherry blossom flo-

ral arrangements.

Throughout the entire evening

one sentiment was abundantly

clear: The show must and will go

on.  

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 39

PEOPLE

Lisa Slater, Nancy Shoemate, Anna Bain Slater and Emily Slater. Jim Poole with Ginger and Glenn DeSimone. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40
Mel and Linda Teetz with Lisa Amorosa and Ron Hunt.

Sally and Tony Woodruff with Sherry and David Brown.

Lisa and Kyle Miller. Cheryl Sangbush and Tony Schnur.

Ned and Sherry Ann Dayton. Clay and Mary Stobaugh.

40 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39 Hunt Rounsavall, Ann Dillon, Cindy Rounsavall and Ann Jones. Jim and Buff Penrose with Kate Graham.
Judy and Allen Cornell with Baerbel O’Haire.

Hearing Loss & Cognitive Decline

Aaron Liebman, Au. D. progression of cognitive decline. decrease noise and increase speech Bill and Eva Gurley.
Doctor of Audiology clarity,” said Liebman. “This more Marlen Higgs and Anke Van Wagenberg.
The most common cause of hearing sophisticated computer software
Hearing loss affects nearly half the loss, according to MayoClinic.org, is has provided us with the ability to Alan and Sue Jackson.
people in the United States older than sensorineural, which occurs when the adjust the hearing aids to provide Cynthia and David Bardes.
65. Yet according to the Centers for inner ear, hearing nerves or hearing an acceptable sound quality for our
Disease Control and Prevention and structures in the brain become patients.”
Better Hearing Institute, the statistics damaged. In adults, the aging process
for screening are alarming. While is the most common cause of this type “Most people are not aware when they
74 percent of adults have their eyes of damage and hearing loss. need help. They’ll often blame it on
examined every two years and 63 other people mumbling, background
percent will visit a dentist each year, “First and foremost, my goal as an noise, or say the TV or radio volume
only 23 percent of adults receive any Audiologist is to perform a proper is too low,” said Liebman. “So they’re
form of hearing screening. diagnostic hearing test so I can decide surprised when they get tested and
whether a patient needs to be referred realize what they can’t hear.”
Research by John Hopkins University to an ear, nose and throat physician for
has confirmed what many audiologists a medical evaluation, or if this is strictly Florida requires licensed audiologists
and physicians have long suspected: a permanent hearing loss that needs to have a doctorate in audiology
that there is an irrefutable link between help with hearing aids,” Dr. Liebman requiring years of study concerning
hearing loss and cognitive decline. said. “That is what really differentiates hearing, hearing rehabilitation,
In fact, studies have shown that me from a traditional hearing aid anatomy, and function of the
individuals with moderate hearing loss salesman. I’ve got a Doctorate in hearing mechanism and hearing
were three times more likely to develop Audiology and my diagnosis is based aid technology. Dr. Liebman utilizes
dementia. “Losing one’s cognitive on years of education, not a few a range of manufacturers and
ability is the No. 1 fear of people of all months of hearing aid salesmanship. technologies and does not believe
ages,” said Dr. Aaron Liebman, board I will take the time to screen and one manufacturer is “the best.”
certified audiologist and owner of assess all the data prior to making
Aaron’s Hearing Care in Vero Beach. a recommendation for hearing aids. “If we determine that it is not the
It’s now scientifically proven that the Even AARP says that you are more best for you, then we’ll change to a
slow onset of hearing loss can have a likely to be successful with a hearing different style or manufacturer to
significant impact on several key brain aid fitting by seeing an audiologist determine which is best for you.”
functions, including the memory. The than a hearing aid salesman”. “Furthermore”, he adds, “in addition
proactive management of hearing to providing the best technology
loss may delay or slow down the “In the years just prior to computer possible, it is also vital that the “fitter”
digital and computer programmable understands that technology, so the
hearing aids, differences between chosen hearing aid can benefit the
hearing aids made by different patient at the highest possible level
manufacturers were not significant,” possible, in terms of comfort and
said Liebman, discussing how sound quality.”
hearing aid technology has advanced
and how an audiologist works with If you are a candidate for hearing
patients to ensure they have the aids, you should get them fitted
appropriate device for their needs, properly and wear them consistently
expectations and budget. to stimulate the brain. Early detection
is the key.
“Research discovered that a digital
processing chip could automatically Aaron’s Hearing Care is located at
evaluate more aspects of incoming 925 37th Place in Vero Beach. The
sounds, speech and noise, and make phone number is (772) 562-5100.
decisions on how to adjust itself to



42 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

The clear, sparkling water around Below: 1. Katsumoto harbor on Iki island in October. The fishing port boomed
Japan’s “Lucky Island” belies a prob- after the Second World War as Japan’s economy expanded. Now, fewer
lem. and fewer boats line the docks. 2. The morning market in Katsumoto
originated a few centuries ago, with farmers laying out their agricultural
In the middle of the sea between produce along the street and others offering seafood. 3. A worker at
Japan and South Korea, the waters the fishery holds a crate of frozen isuzumi, one of the species that have
around Iki may look pristine to the moved into the area as waters warmed. The government pays a bounty
thousands of tourists who visit each for each isuzumi destroyed.
summer, but for the islanders — the
fishermen, farmers and free divers 12
that gather abalone — the clear, em-
erald-green sea tells a more disturbing biggest of five on Iki, in his office over- “When I was a boy, there weren’t 3
story, one of rapid decline in the sea- looking the dock where daily catches isuzumi around here,” says Okubo.
weed and marine organisms that once are auctioned each day. “We are getting more and more south- tinue,” he said. Last winter, he took a
fed vast shoals of fish. ern fish.” construction job near Tokyo to make
Years ago, the now clear waters were ends meet.
Iki was the first city district in Ja- dark, thick forests of seaweed that fed On the wall of Okubo’s office, old
pan to declare a climate emergency sea urchins, abalone and fish. As the photos show the port in its heyday, For Iki’s fishing fleet, there’s an irony
in 2019 — a unique and beautiful eco- temperature warmed — by about 1 with a parade of ships in the 1960s, in the decline of stocks. While fishing
system that has been thrown out of degree Celsius in the past few decades, 1,000 tuna offloaded in a day, 4,250 communities adopted unsustainable
balance by global warming. Known according to the city — other fish spe- boxes of squid. Back then, boys from practices such as bottom trawling that
as Lucky Island for its beauty and its cies migrated into the area from tropi- the ports skipped high school to be- wiped out shoals, Iki’s boats stuck to
location out of the path of Japan’s cal waters in the south, eating the sea- come fishermen, Okubo among them. traditional pole and line fishing. “We
frequent natural disasters, Iki is now weed faster than it could regrow. Few now want their children to follow never even discuss that path because
reeling from extreme weather events in their footsteps.
and the devastating effect of rising sea One morning late last year, three
temperatures. fishing boats docked at Katsumoto “The water is completely differ-
port after sunrise and dumped their ent now,” says Tsutomu Shinozaki,
Climate change has already arrived catch onto the concrete wharf. The a 54-year-old abalone diver, who
here, forcing the islanders to choose fish were dead or barely alive, but couldn’t find even 10 of the prized
between trying to maintain their tra- the fishermen didn’t care. Most are shellfish in the six-month season
ditional marine-based way of life, or invaders such as isuzumi — striped through September. He remembers
to embrace big bets on wind and solar brassy chub that have little commer- when he could get 70 in a day. “I don’t
power that are unlikely to restore the cial value. A fisherman takes pictures know how long I will be able to con-
island’s prosperity and could acceler- of the haul to send to the government,
ate the destruction of its traditional which pays a bounty for each migrant
economy. fish that is caught and destroyed in an
effort to stem the tide of destruction.
Iki is Japan’s climate nexus — an Then the fish are taken to a freezer to
example of the paradox many rural join others waiting to be incinerated.
communities around the world face
as they try to rein in global emissions. In contrast, when a boat brings back
a butterfish or a red snapper, the catch
“It’s hell for us either way,” said is carefully placed on a bed of ice in an
Terutaka Okubo, 75-year-old head of individual box, ready to be sold.
Katsumoto Fishery Cooperative, the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 43

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Right: An auction of the
daily catch in Katsumoto one
Wednesday morning in late
October. Each fish is carefully
displayed on a bed of ice.

Terutaka Okubo on the dock in change. For fishing communities like
Katsumoto port. He says rising Iki, the decrease is exacerbating the
temperatures are turning rich problem of population decline as
fish grounds into an undersea young adults leave to find jobs in cit-
desert. ies. Iki’s population has halved since
1955, to less than 26,000.
we know our resources will be wiped
out,” Okubo said. “It’s the biggest ta- One proposal to stem the economic
boo for us. It may give us a one-off decline is to invest in renewable en-
boost, but it will bring misery in the ergy. On Iki, farmland is being turned
long-term.” over to solar panels and a solitary
wind turbine by the shore may be the
Japan’s total fish catch dropped by harbinger of the island’s future. Wind
more than 70% between 1986 and and solar generate about 13% of the is-
2019, according to the United Nations land’s power now, with most of the rest
Food and Agriculture Organization, supplied by oil-fired generators, and
largely due to overfishing and climate Mayor Hirokazu Shirakawa wants to
reach 100% renewable power by 2050.

That would mean building big off-
shore windfarms.

“This is the frontline of the energy

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

44 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 INSIGHT COVER STORY Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43 A free diver returns in his boat.
Divers say they used to find
A group of junior high school dozens of abalone a day. Now
students collect trash along a they are lucky to get 10.
beach as they learn about caring
for the environment. Iki, in Na-
gasaki Prefecture, gets garbage
washed up from Japan, South
Korea and China.

Iki Dolphin Park & Resort is one Matsuko Kido has been cutting
of the island’s ventures that hair in her tiny barber’s shop in
are trying to help revive the Gonoura for three decades.
economy by attracting tourists.
It’s a far cry from the 1970s, Right: Miyuki and Kazuyoshi
when local fishermen used to Nonaka and their dog Mameta
cull dolphins to stop them stand next to the wreck of their
eating the squid. asparagus greenhouse, which
was destroyed in September
by a typhoon.

Below: An abandoned sushi
restaurant, one of many
vacant stores.

Hisae Takeo, one of the last of the to make jelly, to buy a baseball glove. for particular species. Some fisher-
island’s famous ama divers, on a bluff He made a fortune in construction men on Iki worry that even the effects
overlooking the sea. For more than five during the post-war boom as the is- of construction, combined with the
decades, Takeo has been watching the land built breakwaters and docks for damage due to rising temperatures,
changes in the ocean. Below: Takeo the booming fishing industry. As the could irreversibly reduce fish stocks.
keeps photos of friends who were fisheries declined and the town lost
Ama divers taken years ago. people, he diversified into tourism, a Nor are they the only ones feeling
nursing home and renewable energy. the effects of climate change. Mayor
revolution,” says Tatsuo Nakahara, 76, He’s trying to persuade fishermen that Shirakawa, 71, the son of a rice farm-
whose eponymous construction firm the wind farms won’t damage fishing er, says the rainy season that used to
runs the existing wind turbine and is grounds and could provide revenue to typically bring steady showers that wa-
bidding to expand offshore. “Let’s ride subsidize fishery cooperatives. tered crops has become more prone to
it and get wealthy together.” violent downpours that cause flooding
Studies of the effects of building and landslides. “The weather has be-
Nakahara grew up on the island – as and running offshore wind suggest come extreme,” said Shirakawa. “The
a boy he gathered and sold agar, used that the noise affects the behavior of farmers know it well.”
fish and other marine life, but there’s
not enough data yet to determine A few miles inland, Kazuyoshi Non-
what the long-term effects could be aka and his wife Miyuki walk through
farmland to a damaged greenhouse,
accompanied by their dog Mameta,
a rare Kai Ken breed. In September,
against his wife’s advice, Nonaka
had gone out during an approaching
storm to check on the asparagus crop
and had watched dumbstruck as the
wind ripped off the roof of the green-
house.

“I was stunned. I spaced out,” said
Nonaka, 42, looking at the pipes stick-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 45

INSIGHT COVER STORY

of Okubo’s old photos shows dolphin one day to captain a cruise ship, but sensitive. When the wind turbines go
fins rising from blood-filled water. he’s disheartened by the amount of in, they will be gone.”
garbage the sea is washing in. “There’s
But keeping Iki pristine for tour- no end to it,” he sighs. Takeo still dives, beginning and
ists also has its challenges. Iki sits in ending each season on a bluff over-
a channel between Japan, Korea and Iki shows that the effects of even a looking the ocean with prayers to
China, and some beaches are littered small rise in temperature can have far a dragon god, but she says the sea
with cans, Styrofoam boxes and plas- reaching effects on the way of life in around the island is changing. Tidal
tic bottles labeled with Japanese, Chi- local communities that depend on na- currents have shifted, typhoons have
nese and Korean characters. ture, and create stark choices over how become worse, and without the buf-
we will need to adapt. fer of seaweed, waves have become
“A lot of tourists come to Iki and I stronger. The warmer water means
want it to be beautiful for them,” said “Wind power won’t restore the sea,” she can dive for longer, but there’s
13-year-old Yuga Abiru, one of four said Hisae Takeo, 73, one of the last of less to gather.
dozen seventh graders who recently the island’s famous ama divers, who
fanned out across a local beach to has gathered abalone and sea urchins “The sea is dead now,” she said. “At
clear the litter as part of a lesson in car- each summer for half a century. “Aba- the bottom of the sea, it really feels like
ing for the environment. Abiru hopes lones and other sea creatures are very death.” 

ing out of the wreckage. The storm
cost him about 2 million yen, or 10%
of his annual sales.

A 2020 report by Japan’s cabinet of-
fice says warmer temperatures are
raising the amount of water vapor in
the air, increasing the frequency and
intensity of heavy rain.

Even if the wind and solar farms are
built, they’re unlikely to bring back the
lost fishing jobs.

“Only if fishermen make money will
the town be lively and people come
to shop,” said Matsuko Kido, 72, who
has run a single-chair barber’s shop
for more than 30 years in Gonoura,
once the busiest town on the island.
“But not many fish are getting caught.”
Nearby, a shuttered pachinko parlor
and other failed bunesses testify to the
island’s decline.

Some local entrepreneurs are hop-
ing the island’s beautiful coastline,
ancient shrines, and local seafood can
lure tourists from the mainland.

“Iki doesn’t have many other thriv-
ing industries,” says Yoichiro Kawa-
saki, 44, who works at the Iki Dolphin
Park & Resort, where visitors relax in
an airy wooden café, eating pancakes
made with local eggs and watching
trainers coax dolphins to jump and
perform.

“They’re our partners,” Kawasaki
said. “They give us jobs.”

It’s a far cry from the 1970s, when
local fishermen would cull wild dol-
phins because they ate the squid – one





48 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

BY DAVID IGNATIUS than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Fascists for capturing the popular “Spirit,” or Dukh.
Putin’s words sound perverse, even blasphemous, Ilyin saw Russia as a perpetual victim of the West
After a month of brutal fighting, Vladimir Putin is
obsessed with Ukraine, angry at his generals, para- to us in the West. Putin’s army has bombed maternity that needed a “manly” leader who would become
noid about enemies at home and abroad, and wrap- hospitals, shopping malls and opera houses in Ukraine. “the living organ of Russia,” according to Snyder.
ping his bloody deeds in spiritual language almost But this twisted version is evidently what Putin believes.
mystical in its vision of Russia’s past and future. Putin embraced this mystical Russian ideal. “Be-
Putin’s religiosity is a little noted but powerful part ginning in 2005, Putin began to rehabilitate Ilyin
Putin’s mind-set was on display at a recent stadium of his personality. Putin’s mother, Maria, was a “deep- as a Kremlin court philosopher,” Snyder writes. He
concert, as he invoked a Russian Orthodox warrior- ly religious” woman, according to biographer Ste- brought Ilyin’s remains back to Russia, placed flow-
saint who spoke of his own battles as “thunder- ven Lee Myers, who survived the siege of Leningrad ers at his grave and cited him in articles.
storms” that would “glorify Russia.” in World War II. When her son Vladimir was born in
1952, she "secretly baptized the boy,” Myers writes. At the heart of Putin’s worldview is a sense that Rus-
“This is how it was in his time; this is how it is to- sia has been humiliated by a Western conspiracy. In
day and will always be,” Putin said of Fedor Ushakov, Putin is said to wear a small aluminum cross that Putin’s view, the “Euro-Atlantic countries” have lost
an 18th-century admiral reputed never to have lost a was given to him by his mother, according to a 2012 their spiritual anchor, according to biographer Myers.
battle and canonized as a saint in 2001, shortly after biography by Chris Hutchins and Alexander Korobko. “They are denying moral principles and all traditional
Putin became president. He didn’t display it while serving in the KGB, but when identities: national, cultural, religious, and even sexu-
he went to Israel in 1993, Putin claimed he “put the al” and are on “a direct path to degradation and primi-
Putin’s short remarks offered a reminder that his cross around my neck. I have never taken it off since.” tivism,” Putin said in a 2013 speech quoted by Myers.
personality is more complex – and perhaps more
dangerous – than the usual stereotype of him as an Putin’s passion for the Russian Orthodox church Putin’s rage at Western elites and their Russian
ex-KGB officer who wants to revive the Soviet Union. underlies the sense of “oneness” between Russia friends was on vivid display in a March 16 video
and Ukraine that he expressed in a rambling essay speech. He ranted at “scum and traitors” who support-
Putin is something different – a Russian Orthodox he wrote in July 2021. ed “the so-called collective West” rather than Russia.
Christian believer rather than an atheist, with an He scorned those who “cannot make do without foie
ideology closer to Benito Mussolini’s fascism than Putin noted the roots of his faith were in Kyiv, where gras, oysters or gender freedom, as they call it.”
Vladimir Lenin’s communism. St. Vladimir in 988 converted from paganism to Or-
thodoxy. The Orthodox faithful were often repressed Russia’s enemies are immoral, Putin argued. “They
Penetrating the riddle of Putin’s psyche is a life-or- over subsequent centuries but they persisted in Rus- believe that everything is for sale and everything can
death matter these days, as the Ukraine war grinds sia and Ukraine, Putin wrote. “We are one people,” he be bought, and therefore they think we will break
on and the world worries about the danger that Putin proclaimed. down and back off. But they do not know our history
will escalate with chemical or even nuclear weapons. and our people well enough.”
Experts say Putin isn’t irrational in the usual clinical Though Putin often seems nostalgic for the Soviet
sense. But he has entered a realm where his decisions Union, his July essay blasted the Soviets for creat- Putin does not appear to be simply a bully or an
are driven by a grandiose sense of his place in Russian ing what he claimed was a false sense of a separate opportunist, who can be swayed by economic pres-
history. In his own mind, his mission is transcendent. Ukrainian identity, enshrined in a separate republic sure or vanquished by arms. He believes deeply in
carved out of Mother Russia. “The Bolsheviks treat- the evil that he is doing. He sees the destruction of
The concert speech is a good place to start de- ed the Russian people as inexhaustible material for an independent Ukraine almost as a religious duty.
coding Putin’s outlook. Putin used the gathering their social experiments,” Putin wrote. “One fact is
as a flag-waving pep rally for the brutal invasion of crystal clear: Russia was robbed.” Two obvious warnings emerge from this narrative:
Ukraine he launched on Feb. 24. Handle the volatile mix that is Putin with care, lest it
In place of communism, Putin proposed what Yale explode in a far wider war. And do not let him suc-
Putin described the bloody assault as salvation for professor Timothy Snyder has described as “Russian ceed. 
Ukraine – and spoke of a religious duty “to relieve fascism.” Its ideological guru was philosopher Ivan Il-
these people of suffering.” Astonishingly, he quoted yin, who fled Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution. Il- A version of this column appeared first in TheWash-
the Bible to justify his blitzkrieg: “I recall the words yin admired the Italian dictator Mussolini, and praised ington Post. It does not necessarily reflect the views of
from the Holy Scripture: Greater love hath no man 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 / March 31, 2022 49

INSIGHT TRAVEL

Before Tom Moran bought his 58" Sam- Then, in another email, they claimed ANSWER: I'm not sure what the representa-
sung Smart TV, he asked if the unit was there was no fault with the television tives meant when they said your TV
compatible with the MLB app. Samsung and there was nothing they could do. Samsung should have given you the was past the return window. For your
said it was – but it wasn't. Doesn’t he de- correct advice. The TV you ordered was TV, you had a one-year warranty – but
serve a refund? I believe Samsung should take re- not compatible with the MLB app. But that didn't apply to this situation. The
sponsibility for its mistake. They sold you wouldn't discover this until the monitor worked fine. It just didn’t work
QUESTION: me the wrong television. I'd like to baseball season started, months after as promised.
return the TV and get a refund. I hope your purchase, and that complicated
I went on Samsung's website and re- you can help me with this. matters. I'm in awe of the paper trail you
quested a recommendation from their kept. Not only did you save the on-
salesperson for a television that was line chat between you and Samsung
compatible with the MLB app. I have – the one where they said the monitor
a copy of the chat. I purchased a 58" would work with the MLB app – but
Class TU7000 Crystal UHD 4K Smart you also have an email in which Sam-
TV based on the company's written sung promised to accept the return of
recommendation. the TV. That's all you needed to resolve
this case.
I could not test the television until
the baseball season started. When I Or was it? When I reviewed Sam-
did, the app didn't work. sung's paper trail, it appeared to back-
track, telling you it had no record of a
I have copies of all e-mails between promise made about compatibility,
Samsung and me. First, Samsung said claiming the TV was out of warranty
the TV was past the return deadline. (when it technically never was "in" war-
Then they promised they would give ranty), and then pivoting and agreeing
me an in-warranty repair. But the prob- to an in-warranty repair, which was
lem with that is you can't make a televi- doomed to fail. What a mess.
sion compatible with a simple repair.
You could have appealed this home
run of a case to Samsung's executives. I
list the names, numbers and email ad-
dresses of Samsung's customer service
managers on my consumer advocacy
site, Elliott.org.

I contacted Samsung on your behalf.
It refunded the purchase price of your
TV, as promised. 

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

50 Vero Beach 32963 / March 31, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

When Ernest Hemingway arrived in Paris, he AFTER THE ROMANOVS have needle skills – embroidery, knitting and tat-
found a city crowded with Russian emigres who ting being favorite feminine pastimes in the rich
had fled the Bolshevik Revolution more than four RUSSIAN EXILES IN PARIS FROM THE BELLE ÉPOQUE old days. Several thousand Russian woman were
years earlier. In February 1922, he observed: “They eventually employed by the Parisian garment
are drifting along … in a childish sort of hopeful- THROUGH REVOLUTION AND WAR trade, and by 1935, Russian emigres had founded
ness that things will somehow be all right, which BY HELEN RAPPAPORT | ST. MARTIN’S PRESS. 336 PP. $29.99 27 new French fashion houses.
is quite charming when you first encounter it and
rather maddening after a few months.” REVIEW BY CLARE MCHUGH, THE WASHINGTON POST Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna – whose father,
Grand Duke Paul, son of Czar Alexander II, was
By then, the writing was already on the wall for Rappaport is a mistress of the telling detail. Cha- shot by the Bolsheviks at the St. Peter and St. Paul
those Russian exiles who chose to read it. Despite nel, she reports, took pity on Count Sergei Kutuzov, Fortress in 1919 – bought a Singer sewing machine
their hopes, dreams and expectations of returning former governor of Crimea, by making him head on credit and eventually started Maison Kitmir,
home, the new “blood-red” regime, as they dubbed receptionist at her atelier on Rue Cambon. An en- named for a legendary dog in Persian mythology
it, showed no sign of imminent collapse. Of the tire company of ex-Cossacks staffed the Gare de that Russians considered lucky. Her business flour-
50,000 displaced Russians who eventually settled l’Eastern time as porters and freight handlers. A ished until the rage for Slavic-style clothes cooled
in the French capital, only a handful would ever Russian could be spotted among the workers who in 1928. She then moved to New York, was hired
see their native land again. And as they lingered in poured out of the Renault factory at Quai du Point- as a style adviser by Bergdorf Goodman, and wrote
the cafes on the Boulevard du Montparnasse, long- du-Jour at day’s end “by the fact he was generally her dramatic memoirs. When in 1941 the United
ing for a lost world of luxury and ease, their real cleaner and better dressed and even wore a tie,” she States joined the Soviet Union in the war against
task was to scratch out a living in this pinched and writes. Germany, the Grand Duchess sailed to Argentina
hostile new one. in disgust.
The wives and sisters of these men were lucky to
British historian Helen Rappaport – author most As Rappaport skillfully recounts, staunch mon-
recently of “The Race to Save the Romanovs” in archists among the exiles took time out from wor-
2018 – has produced an engaging group biography rying about their finances to argue over plans for
of this melancholy crowd: “After the Romanovs: an eventual restoration. After an absurd three-
Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque sided battle of pretenders, Grand Duke Vladimir’s
Through Revolution and War.” She begins in the eldest son declared himself the Emperor Kirill of
last years of the 19th century, when the czarist no- All the Russias in 1927. He kept office hours every
bility treated the French capital as their Las Vegas weekday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in his house in the
– a place to spend lavishly and live indulgently. The Breton fishing village of Saint-Briac, issuing proc-
last czar’s uncles, Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand lamations and various directives. “It isn’t even the-
Duke Alexis, were carousers-in-chief, regularly de- ater,” sniffed one unimpressed fellow exile. “It’s a
scending on the city in pursuit of food, wine and puppet show.”
women.
The Soviet secret police, the NKVD, eventually
After the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty in infiltrated the emigre community and in 1937 kid-
1917, plenty of those who had formerly traveled to napped Gen. Yevgeny Miller, a former leader of the
Paris on luxury train cars embarked on a desperate White Army, smuggled him from Paris to Moscow,
and hazardous flight from the Red Army. South to where he was tortured and then shot. Subtler tac-
Crimea and then across the Black Sea in rickety and tics were used to lure back various homesick emigre
overcrowded boats, Russian refugees soon filled the artists and writers. Sergey Efron, husband of Marina
fetid slums of Constantinople. The lucky ones who Tsvetaeva, today considered among Russia’s great-
had the means to travel on to France generally ar- est poets, was secretly enlisted by the NKVD, and
rived with their funds exhausted. both he and the couple’s daughter went home. Ts-
vetaeva only reluctantly followed. In Stalin’s Great
Coco Chanel, who enjoyed a love affair with Terror, Efron was shot and their daughter arrested
handsome Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, once the and tortured. Tsvetaeva herself was never accepted
fourth-richest man in Russia, described him and his by the Soviet literary establishment and died by sui-
friends as “almost emasculated by their poverty.” A cide in 1941.
few of the better-educated exiles wrangled positions For the emigres in Paris, hopefulness and nostal-
as bookkeepers or bank clerks. But mostly these for- gia eventually turned into something far more pain-
mer princes, army officers and high government ful, as they were forced to witness from afar the evil
officials found themselves working as taxi drivers, that consumed their beloved homeland. 
waiters or on factory assembly lines.