07/20/2023 ISSUE 29

News 1-12 Arts 37-40 Books 30 Dining 52-55 Editorial 28 Games 31-33 Health 41-47 Insight 23-36 People 13-22 Pets 56 Real Estate 59-68 Style 48-51 July 20, 2023 Volume 16, Issue 29 Newsstand Price $2.00 TO ADVERTISE CALL 772-559-4187 FOR CIRCULATION CALL 772-226-7925 Retired engineer will oversee Three Corners project. P12 New drug for high cholesterol. P44 Vero budget prioritizes raises for city workers. P11 ‘Roast and Toast’ tribute to theater legend Putzke. P20 © 2023 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. For breaking news visit It may strike many island residents that they are powerless in the face of skyrocketing insurance rates, with little option but to gratefully write a check if they can get homeowners coverage at all. But some are fighting back. A growing number of homeowners are taking the advice offered in TV commercials of one leading insurance company to “Pay only for what you need.” While this is not quite as simple as it sounds, industry experts say there are several steps residents can take to control their costs for insurance, depending on where they live and what level of risk they’re willing to assume for themselves. One piece of advice the experts agree on unanimously: Don’t give up on Vero Beach, and don’t even THINK about Appeals court denies Shores’ rehearing bid The Fourth District Court of Appeals has rejected a request by Indian River Shores for a rehearing of an appeal of the town’s breach of contract lawsuit against the City of Vero Beach, but the legal battle is likely not over. Indian River Shores still believes the town has a good case in its claim that Vero unjustly reneged on a 2012 water-sewer utility franchise agreement. But at this point, the case can only be resolved by the Florida Supreme Court – if the town’s legal team can convince the state’s court of last resort to take up the case. “I fully expect the (town) council to authorize the seeking of certiorari from the Florida Supreme Court, to exhaust all of our legal options,” Mayor Brian Foley said Monday. Should the Florida Supreme BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 County buoyed by windfall from state for beach work State funding to reimburse Indian River County for planned beach replenishment on the island will be more than double the previously expected amount in the coming fiscal year, but the funds must be used by 2025, so work must get underway as soon as possible. The county is now set to receive $7.7 million instead of the anticipated $3.7 million from the Florida Department CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Real estate is very much a family affair for Lily O’Dare. Most people around town know the stylish 32-year-old as BY STEVEN M. THOMAS Staff Writer O’Dare flair: Real estate collaboration BY CASEY STAVENHAGEN working well for father-daughter team Staff Writer a successful Realtor who is the daughter and business partner of Cindy O’Dare, one of the star agents on the barrier island. But she also works on real estate deals with her father, CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 It’s going to be a long four years, and it will feel even longer as thousands of new residents move into the Vero area. More new homes. More new drivers. More cars crossing the busiest bridge to the island – on two fewer lanes. That’s what’s coming to our community, starting with the September arrival of statehired work crews that will begin the latest round of repairs to the troubled 17th Street Bridge – a multi-faceted project that includes rebuilding the eastern end of the span and won’t be completed before the summer of 2028. BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer MY VERO Homeowners here are fighting rising insurance premiums BY PIETER VANBENNEKOM Staff Writer Emeritus CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAN ALEXANDER

2 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Beach replenishment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Homeowners’ insurance moving somewhere else in the Sunshine State. As bad as things are here at the moment with insurance, they’re worse in other parts of Florida. Why is Vero better? Apparently because people tend to be more honest here in their dealings with insurance companies, and the incidence of fraud or suspect claims is lower. Costs have risen even more – and of Environmental Protection. FDEP has also waived the requirement for local match funding. Beach replenishment can be planned and designed now, but construction work can’t get underway on the island until after Nov. 1 when Sea Turtle Nesting Season is over. “ Sectors 3, 4 and 5 – spanning from Seaview, north of Windsor, south to the Riomar golf course in Central Beach – will receive $2.6 million, $2.3 million and $885,600, respectively. The funding also allocates $1.8 million for Sector 7 beaches, though the planned project for that South Beach area has been scrapped and the funds will likely go unused. Sectors 1 and 2 – running from Sebastian Inlet to Seaview – are also funded by FDEP, though in a separate grant as the Sebastian Inlet District manages those sectors. The funds there also doubled from about $335,000 to $690,000. Sector 3 in Windsor, Orchid, Wabasso and Indian River Shores and Sector 5 in the City of Vero Beach are deemed to be critically eroded, and any projects pursued along these sections could also qualify for additional Federal Emergency Management Act funding, if necessary. County engineers say the 2025 deadline for spending the state grant money is ample to design and execute the projects – as long as the county does not run into difficulty obtaining easements from residents. South Beach residents refusing to sign easements for dune replenishment have delayed getting sand on Sector 7 beaches for years, leaving that area vulnerable to millions of dollars of damage from erosion each storm season. Only 67 percent of property owners signed the required easements, with 85 percent the threshold for moving forward with the work. Sector 4 from John’s Island to Tracking Station Beach will need to hit a similar target mark of easement signatures for work to begin on its restoration project, which is anticipated to cost nearly $6 million. The Town of Indian River Shores saw its beaches severely chewed up by last summer’s storms, and Shores Mayor Brian Foley said he looks forward to seeing the town’s shoreline replenished soon. Regarding the easements, he said Town Manager Jim Harpring has been coordinating closely with county staff. “We’ll do whatever we can to encourage residents not to shoot themselves in the foot. We’ve got a problem and the problem is not isolated to 500 feet of beach here or 500 feet of beach there,” Foley said. “We are encouraged by the recent increase in available funding for a Sector 4 dune project from both the State’s fiscal year 2023-24 budget and additional County funding opportunities,” Harpring added. “Given the County’s previous approval of engineering and permitting for a Sector 4 dune project, we are hopeful that this project will begin at the earliest opportunity after turtle nesting season closes.” availability of insurance is even less – on the Florida Gold Coast including Palm Beach, Broward and MiamiDade counties as well Monroe County which consists of the Florida Keys, where inflated claims are a major problem. And along the Gulf Coast, insurers are still skittish from the billion-dollar loss they suffered last year in the wake of Hurricane Ian. In the Panhandle, they’re still recovering from similarly destructive storms. And many places in Central Florida face a sinkhole problem that has made insurance companies very reluctant to write any policies at all. The first piece of advice to control insurance costs is to try, if you can, to pay off your mortgage. This will give a homeowner more freedom to determine how much and what kind of insurance coverage they want to carry, and how much risk they are willing to take. If you have a mortgage, mortgage lenders will require that you carry full insurance coverage on the home – and they don’t care how much it costs. If you balk, they’ll just slap the outrageous cost of “force placed” insurance – also called “lender placed” insurance – on top of your monthly mortgage payments.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 3 hue, “and in order to have a somewhat reasonable premium, the deductible has risen to about $50,000. In other words, the deductible is at a point where it might make sense to self-insure, which more owners of high-end properties are doing. The chance of having a loss of that magnitude, although it certainly can occur, is slim.” On the mainland, at the Cambridge Park development on the south side of State Road 60 close to I-95, the Board of Directors of the Home Owners Association (HOA) is trying to change the bylaws which at present require all homeowners to be fully insured. “Allowing us to self-insure our homes individually could save us approximately $2,000 per year, depending on future rates,” explained Martha Bear, who just completed a term of service on the HOA board. Anyone planning to go the selfinsurance route, however, should research their HOA rules first before dropping or changing coverage. Arnie and Monique Summers (he’s retired; she’s not yet) found another solution for their home on the mainNEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Although some people have tried to fight this, in the end there may be little you can do about it. Once you own your home outright, however, nobody forces you to carry any insurance at all. However, Dick Haverland, a retired insurance executive who now lives in John’s Island but still stays in touch with the industry, said that whatever you decide about insuring or not insuring against natural disasters, you will still want to carry liability insurance, which is generally still available and affordable. “You don’t want some tradesman, delivery person or visitor to slip and fall in your home and sue you for a million bucks,” Haverland explained. Haverland said some people who own their homes outright may want to consider self-insuring their property(ies) – with the exorbitant insurance rates they would have to pay for insurance over a period of a decade or so, they might actually save money even if they have a catastrophic loss. “You may also want to consider a high deductible,” Haverland said. “If you own a million-dollar home without a mortgage in this area, you probably have a good-size IRA and some other assets, so you have the ability to absorb a decent-size loss yourself. Therefore, if you’re willing to agree to a $50,000 or maybe even a $100,000 deductible, you can still get a homeowners insurance rate against catastrophic loss that’s quite adequate. You then become a very appealing prospect to the insurance companies and an attractive proposition to them.” The crisis in the insurance industry was caused mainly by the inability of the reinsurance companies to absorb more capacity, but high-deductible policies do not put extra strain on the re-insurance giants, which makes them an excellent tool to combat exorbitant price increases. Becoming self-insured is just what Jody and Janet Goodhue, snowbirds from Connecticut, are considering for their home in the Sea Colony development off North State Road A1A on the barrier island in Indian River Shores. They had been with the Amica Mutual insurance company for their automobiles and home in Connecticut for 55 years and were happy with their carrier; the company had always achieved top ratings among insurance carriers. When they bought their Vero Beach home in 2015, now valued at just over $1 million, at first Amica said they weren’t in the Florida market and wouldn’t insure it, but the company relented after a home inspection because of the long-standing relationship, and Amica has insured the local home for the past eight years. “However, the annual premium has been climbing every year,” said Good-

4 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ land just behind the Indian River Mall. They were able to keep their homeowners’ insurance premium to just under $1,000 a year by accepting considerably less coverage. Basically, they now have their home insured only against fire, which they believed was their main risk. They no longer have insurance against wind, storm and water damage – in other words, hurricanes – because they considered that was a justifiable risk to assume where they are several miles inland. “I saved over $1,000 when I last renewed our policy, even though I know it was with less coverage,” said Summers. He said he had been close to dropping all insurance coverage because of the threatened price increases of more than double the previous rate, but he found keeping protection against fire an acceptable compromise. If dropping or severely limiting your coverage is not an option for you, or if you’re not comfortable enough with it, you want to think carefully before giving your insurance company an excuse to cancel you. If they want you to put on a new roof as a condition for renewal, it may well be cheaper than being forced to find a new policy elsewhere. If they insist on a new hot water heater, you may not want to argue. It may be a good idea NEWS DISCLAIMER: Information published or otherwise provided by Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and its representatives including but not limited to prices, measurements, square footages, lot sizes, calculations and statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed and are subject to errors, omissions or changes without notice. All such information should be independently verified by any prospective purchaser or seller. Parties should perform their own due diligence to verify such information prior to a sale or listing. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. expressly disclaims any warranty or representation regarding such information. Prices published are either list price, sold price, and/or last asking price. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. participates in the Multiple Listing Service and IDX. The properties published as listed and sold are not necessarily exclusive to Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and may be listed or have sold with other members of the Multiple Listing Service. Transactions where Premier Estate Properties, Inc. represented both buyers and sellers are calculated as two sales. Cooperating Brokers are advised that in the event of a Buyer default, no commission will be paid to a cooperating Broker on the Deposits retained by the Seller. No commissions are paid to any cooperating broker until title passes or upon actual commencement of a lease. Some affiliations may not be applicable to certain geographic areas. If your property is currently listed with another broker, please disregard any solicitation for services. Copyright 2023 Premier Estate Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your Trusted Advisor for Vero Beach Luxury Real Estate 772.234.5555 675 Beachland Boulevard OUR INCOMPARABLE GLOBAL NETWORK 730 LAGOON ROAD $3.95 Million Info: www.V266875.com Bob Niederpruem 772.538.4859 9055 SOMERSET BAY LN UNIT #202 $1.45 Million Info: www.V269632.com Bob Niederpruem 772.538.4859 3 WEST SEA COLONY DRIVE $1.95 Million Info: www.V267725.com Hendricks | Schwiering 772.559.8812 548 CONN WAY $1.78 Million Info: www.266428.com Brown | Talley 772.633.0407 745 LAGOON ROAD $4.199 Million Info: www.V266550.com Bob Niederpruem 772.538.4859 PremierEstateProperties.com 618 Lantana Lane $3.995 Million Info: www.266562.com Brown | Talley 772.633.0407 1025 ANDARELLA WAY $2.799 Million Info: www.V250160.com Brown | Talley 772.633.0407 Explore More Of Our Exceptional Vero Beach Collection SUNDAY OPEN HOUSE | 1 -3 PM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Homeowners’ insurance

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 5 to just try to buy some time and hope the insurance climate will improve in a year or two. Dan Collins of the independent Tom Collins insurance agency says insurance is typically a cyclical industry and the pendulum will swing back at some point. But no one knows just how soon. The homeowners insurance reform law passed late last year by the Florida state legislature should help as it prohibited the assignment of claims to third parties like lawyers, who tend to drive up the cost of claims. The new law also sought to make the state-owned insurance company of last resort, Citizens, a less attractive option, thus making it more feasible for commercial carriers to enter or reenter the Florida market. That should create more competition. However, independent brokers have not seen much effect from the new Florida law yet in lower rates. Former Vero Beach Mayor Harry Howle, who also runs an independent insurance agency on the island, said he believes that by August of this year, most if not all of the pending cases in litigation over claims assigned to third-party lawyers will have wound their way through the justice system, and the insurance companies should start to see their claims experience improve. In the meantime, carriers like Farmers Insurance continue to pull out of part or all of the Florida market, NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 DISCLAIMER: Information published or otherwise provided by Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and its representatives including but not limited to prices, measurements, square footages, lot sizes, calculations and statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed and are subject to errors, omissions or changes without notice. All such information should be independently verified by any prospective purchaser or seller. Parties should perform their own due diligence to verify such information prior to a sale or listing. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. expressly disclaims any warranty or representation regarding such information. Prices published are either list price, sold price, and/or last asking price. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. participates in the Multiple Listing Service and IDX. The properties published as listed and sold are not necessarily exclusive to Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and may be listed or have sold with other members of the Multiple Listing Service. Transactions where Premier Estate Properties, Inc. represented both buyers and sellers are calculated as two sales. Cooperating Brokers are advised that in the event of a Buyer default, no commission will be paid to a cooperating Broker on the Deposits retained by the Seller. No commissions are paid to any cooperating broker until title passes or upon actual commencement of a lease. Some affiliations may not be applicable to certain geographic areas. If your property is currently listed with another broker, please disregard any solicitation for services. Copyright 2023 Premier Estate Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your Trusted Advisor for Vero Beach Luxury Real Estate 772.234.5555 675 Beachland Boulevard OUR INCOMPARABLE GLOBAL NETWORK 730 LAGOON ROAD $3.95 Million Info: www.V266875.com Bob Niederpruem 772.538.4859 9055 SOMERSET BAY LN UNIT #202 $1.45 Million Info: www.V269632.com Bob Niederpruem 772.538.4859 3 WEST SEA COLONY DRIVE $1.95 Million Info: www.V267725.com Hendricks | Schwiering 772.559.8812 548 CONN WAY $1.78 Million Info: www.266428.com Brown | Talley 772.633.0407 745 LAGOON ROAD $4.199 Million Info: www.V266550.com Bob Niederpruem 772.538.4859 PremierEstateProperties.com 618 Lantana Lane $3.995 Million Info: www.266562.com Brown | Talley 772.633.0407 1025 ANDARELLA WAY $2.799 Million Info: www.V250160.com Brown | Talley 772.633.0407 Explore More Of Our Exceptional Vero Beach Collection SUNDAY OPEN HOUSE | 1 -3 PM

6 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Florida Department of Transportation put the finishing touches on the most recent repairs to the county’s southernmost bridge, after a May 2020 inspection found crumbling concrete and rusting metal supports exposed on the underside of the easternmost section of the span, which was deemed “structurally deficient.” That project – which was supposed to take six months to complete but lasted more than two years – required reducing bridge’s four lanes of traffic to one in each direction and resulted in daily backups, especially during our busy season’s daytime hours. We also saw heavier traffic on the Barber Bridge, as many local motorists tried to avoid the construction-related congestion on the 17th Street Bridge. Look for the traffic snarls to be worse this time. “It’s certainly not going to be better,” Vero Beach City Manager Monte Falls said last week. “It’ll be like it was before, when the temporary work was done, except with more people. “We know there are going to be traffic delays on the 17th Street Bridge, because we have them already, but those delays will be noticeably longer during the heart of the season,” he added. “As a result, we know people who can use the Barber Bridge will use it, even if it’s a little out of the way. “This project is going to impact both bridges, and it’s going to carry through four winter seasons.” All while the area continues to grow. Indian River County’s population, which was just under 160,000 when the 2020 census was taken, has already surpassed 165,000 and continues to climb toward 170,000. We can expect it to be in the neighborhood of 175,000 by the time the work crews pack up their trucks. Falls said 22,000 vehicles cross the 17th Street Bridge each day, and that another 20,000 cross the Barber Bridge. Those numbers aren’t likely to decrease, despite the project, nor is the traffic on A1A along the stretch between the bridges. “There’s only one lane in each direction,” Falls said, “so we’re going see delays there, too.” We already do, even during the slower summer months and with both of Vero’s bridges operating at full capacity. Take away two lanes and add a few thousand more motorists, and we’ve got the makings of a traffic nightmare. But at least the 17th Street Bridge won’t be shut down. Confronted with a choice – closing the bridge entirely and finishing the job in 2 years and 9 months, or keeping open two lanes and completing the project in four and a half years – the Vero Beach City Council unanimously voted last week to approve the partial closure. “At the end of the day, you have to pick the least-worst option, and the least-worst option is to leave one lane open on each side,” Council member Tracey Zudans said at last Tuesday’s meeting. “I hate that solution, too, but you have to do it.” To do otherwise would’ve been as irresponsible as it is inane. Can you imagine the traffic disaster – not to mention the outrage from residents of the island’s southern half – if the council had told FDOT to shut down the bridge completely? Sending more than 42,000 vehicles per day over the Barber Bridge? For nearly three years? “We would get a lot more complaints if the bridge were closed completely,” Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey said. “Even with both bridges fully open, we get complaints about drivers cutting through residential side streets to avoid the backups on A1A, heading south toward Beachland Boulevard. “Some access is better than none, even if it’s just one lane each way,” he added. “Not only do we have the northbound traffic coming up from St. NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Homeowners’ insurance leaving homeowners and businesses searching for coverage. And as for the main underlying problem in the insurance market, the limited capacity for reinsurance, Haverland predicts that some of the “big-money boys” will see an opportunity to get into the business and provide more capacity, thereby making the pendulum swing back there, too, and ease the crisis. “But these things don’t happen overnight,” Haverland said. “It’ll take time. My prediction is that it’ll take about two years before we start to see any kind of stability in the reinsurance market.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 My Vero And all we can do is prepare ourselves for the inevitable traffic congestion, adjust our travel routines when possible and try to make the best of a bad situation. Again. It was just 14 months ago that the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

8 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Court agree that it has jurisdiction, it would send a Writ of Certiorary to the appeals court asking that the 4th DCA prepare the case and send it up to Tal - lahassee. What may entice Florida’s top judges to hear the Shores’ case is a chance to affirm one of the high court’s own rul - ings from 1955. Here’s how the present case and the 1955 case are similar. In 2012, Indian River Shores’ watersewer utility franchise agreement with the City of Vero Beach, signed in the 1980s, was coming up for renewal, so the town sought proposals to obtain the best utility deal for the next 15 or 30 years. Both Vero Beach Utilities and Indian River County Utilities made presentations to the Town Council, which at the time was led by Mayor Tom Cadden. Vero and the Shores had a long his - tory, but Indian River County was of - fering better utility rates for many res - idents. The county’s reuse irrigation rates were especially attractive be - cause the town relies heavily on reuse water to keep its lush lawns, landscap - ing and golf courses green. Plus, town officials generally agreed that county’s leadership would maintain more sta - ble, lower rates than Vero through dis - ciplined fiscal management. The political backdrop to that as - sumption, and to a distrust that Vero would keep its rates low, was the on - going battle at the time over efforts to sell Vero Electric to Florida Power & Light after Vero’s rates soared in 2009. Those trying to block the sale of Vero Electric did not want to give up the millions of dollars the city siphoned off the utility to keep Vero property taxes low. And as was the case with the electric utility, Vero also transferred millions from its water-sewer utility into the general fund as well. Shores officials viewed – and continue to view – this practice as unfair. A grassroots effort to convince Vero to merge its water-sewer utility with the county utility was rejected by Vero in large part because the city relied heavily on these profits. Lucie County on A1A, but we’ve got St. Edward’s School and a Fire Rescue sta - tion on the southern part of the island. “We’ve also got a Fire Rescue station next to the Barber Bridge, and those first responders would have to deal with the increased traffic there.” Potentially adding to the traffic mess are the planned development of the Three Corners site and relocation of the city’s wastewater-treatment plant, both of which are located at the west end of the 17th Street Bridge. Falls said the city will monitor the situation and adjust accordingly, but he was quick to add: “This is an FDOT project, so FDOT and its contractor will be responsible for traffic control.” For those who don’t know: This $22.3 million project, which includes replac - ing the eastern 400 feet of the bridge and sealing the full length of the span’s surface, was initially scheduled to be - gin this past May and end during the spring of 2026. The start date was delayed – pur - portedly because of supply-chain is - sues – and the work will now begin deep into an Atlantic hurricane season that could further delay the project. The reconstruction became neces - sary to address the deterioration of the concrete at the bridge’s east end, some of which sits below the water line and has been compromised by the salty environment. FDOT awarded the project to Vecellio & Grogan Inc., the same West Virginiabased contractor hired to build a new North Causeway Bridge in Fort Pierce. There, the existing bridge will remain intact while the new one is under con - struction. Work began in May and is scheduled to be completed in 2027. The timeline of the Fort Pierce proj - ect prompted an obvious question from Vero Beach Mayor John Cotugno: Why can the same contractor build a new bridge in Fort Pierce in less time than it will take to rebuild a 400-foot section of our bridge? Paul Lampley, FDOT’s transportation operations director for our district, said time needed to be built into the sched - ule to accommodate the relocation of AT&T and Comcast utility cables and equipment currently on the bridge. In addition, he said, Florida Power & Light transmission lines on the bridge must be “de-energized multiple times” during the project. “The utility work,” Lampley said, “adds over a year to the overall schedule.” According to FDOT, the project will be completed in two phases, with the westbound lanes to be demolished and reconstructed first. As for the other obvious question – Why is our bridge in such need of repair? – Falls said construction stan - dards at the time it was built didn’t re - quire “high-strength concrete.” The good news? Falls said FDOT of - ficials have told him that once this job is done, the bridge should remain us - able through 2054. First, though, we’ve got to get through the next four and a half years. NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 My Vero CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Shores’ appeals court setback

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 9 But then-Vero Beach City Manager Jim O’Connor and the council members he answered to did not want to lose Indian River Shores as water utility customers. So O’Connor pledged to Cadden that the city would match Indian River County Utilities’ published rates for Indian River Shores, including the all-important reuse irrigation water rate. That deal was memorialized in a utility franchise agreement, which was approved and executed by both parties in October 2012. Shores customers were switched to Indian River County rates, and the rate charged for reuse irrigation water dropped dramatically, saving residents and homeowner associations hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Then in 2019, the Indian River County Commission reduced reuse irrigation rates from 67 cents per 1,000 gallons to 21 cents per 1,000 gallons. After seven years of matching county rates for the Shores, Vero Beach did not reduce Shores’ customers’ reuse NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

10 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ rates to match these new lower rates. Indian River Shores sued for breach of contract and lost in circuit court. Judge Janet Croom agreed with Vero’s application of state statute, which gives the city the power to set its own rates, charges and fees. Croom also agreed with Vero that the city could not subsidize lower rates for Shores’ customers with the higher rates needed from other customers to cover costs. The Shores then lost in appeals court. On July 9, the town requested a rehearing of the appeal so it could get “clarification” on the 4th DCA’s ruling because the legal issues involved, the town claimed, are a matter of great public importance. Municipalities all over Florida rely on utility franchise agreements, so the Shores contended the ruling could have broad consequences. In 1905, the City of Gainesville wanted the University of Florida to build its main college campus in Gainesville. Gainesville not only donated land, but promised the University of Florida, in a written agreement, free water service to school buildings. At the time, UF had 135 students. By 1950, the Gator Nation had grown to more than 11,000 students and the elected officials of Gainesville decided the city could no longer afford to give free water service to every building on the sprawling UF campus. In October 1950, Gainesville began sending water bills to the college. UF refused to pay and the parties landed in court. Gainesville argued that in 1948 and 1949, it had made huge capital investments to serve the growing needs of the university and needed to recoup those costs. The case ended up at the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled that the City of Gainesville must honor the 1905 deal to give UF free water service. The opinion says, “We attach no importance to the phenomenal growth of the university as itself a reason to relieve the city of the burden. From a moral standpoint, it seems to us that the inducement to secure the advantage of a university of one hundred thirty-five students is shown to have been justified by the presence of a university with eleven thousand. So, were we to stop here we would hold that the citizens in 1905 struck an excellent bargain, and that the present size of the institution is all the more reason the city should be held to it.” Then the court outlined the pertinent legal issues, pointing out that various cities were competing to have the UF headquartered in their locales, and Gainesville used the free water to gain a competitive advantage. The court found it was well within the powers of the city to make such a deal. “The donation was, in effect, one for the benefit of the State, as well as the city, and was made to agents of the State with apparent sanction of the State. This, of course, would apply to any city offering a similar inducement,” the court said. The condition of the free water was that the UF campus remained in Gainesville, so the court found that as long as the UF campus remained in Gainesville, the university was legally entitled to free water. “We find nothing in the record to support the position that the city was bound only to furnish water as long as it could afford it, or until some arbitrary period subsequently to be determined,” the court concluded. Shores officials are hoping the Florida Supreme Court agrees to hear its current case and sees the commonalities. Since the breach of contract suit has been filed, Vero has changed its entire rate structure and in January began sending utility bills to town customers with double-digit rate increases. Vero approved the rate increases in part to cover increased operational costs, but mostly to build up reserves to construct a new wastewater treatment NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Shores’ appeals court setback plant on the Vero Beach Regional Airport property. That project is expected to cost in excess of $156 million. The new plant would open in 2027 or possibly 2028. Indian River Shores’ water-sewer franchise agreement with Vero expires Oct. 1, 2027, and town officials are in talks with county officials to obtain service from Indian River County Utilities, in part because of the recent disputes with Vero over rates. Town Manager Jim Harpring said negotiations are progressing “now that a county attorney has been named and the new county administrator, John Titkanich, has gotten his feet wet.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Father-daughter realty team Rory O’Dare, currently representing a mid-century modern house in Central Beach that her dad bought last year, renovated in consultation with her, and put on the market in June. It is the fourth real estate project the two have worked on together and they seem delighted with their collaboration. “Lily has a tremendous work ethic and excellent taste, which is critical,” said Rory O’Dare, when asked why he listed his latest flip with his daughter. “She works with you, has a sense of what is fair and just, and has great resources behind her at Sotheby’s and with her mom’s team.” “Both of my parents [who are divorced] have always been very generous and empowering with my sister and I,” said Lily O’Dare. “They are very different people, but as soon as I got interested in real estate, they were both so supportive in their own ways. My dad actually gave me my first listing when I started in the business a couple of years ago. “His temperament in life is similar to his temperament in business. He is very easy-going but knows how to get things done. He is patient and confident.” Rory O’Dare, who says “bird-dogging” is one of his best skills, spotted the house at 610 Flamevine last year, when it was a run-down rental. The owner put it on the market in early November, asking $899,000. There was immediate interest at that price in Central Beach, but the property fell out of escrow twice, possibly because of its condition, which opened the door for bargaining. “It was lucky timing,” said Rory O’Dare, who bought the property with a partner for $800,000, closing on Dec. 7 and commencing a month-long, fourdumpster renovation the next day, acting as managing partner on the project. “When I walked in the door, the house was crying out for a complete rehab,” said Rory O’Dare. “We took it down to the studs. Changed the wiring and panels, replaced the copper pipe, put in all new impact windows and doors and new metal roof. We upgraded and modernized the ductwork and put in a new pump and valves for the pool. It has a brand-new kitchen with all new appliances and quartz counters. “It is basically a new 2023 house.” Built in 1963, the three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath, 2,075-squarefoot house is a split-level – a popular style in the 1960s and 1970s that fell out of favor for a while but now is coming into vogue again. “It’s an architectural style that’s poised for a comeback,” according to Alexandriastylebook.com, and Apartment Therapy reports “that some homebuyers are specifically seeking out split-level homes, with Google searches using those terms steadily increasing” over the past decade. In addition to their retro Mid-mod appeal, split-levels attract buyers because they maximize living space on the lot compared to a ranch house while keeping the virtues of a ranch and creating more privacy within the house. Typically they have main living spaces – including living, dining, kitchen and sometimes a den – on the entry level, with a half-flight of stairs leading up to bedrooms and another half-flight leading down to a rec room or additional bedroom and the garage. Original terrazzo floors on the main level that Rory O’Dare discovered beneath worn out vinyl are one of the home’s most compelling features. O’Dare had the stone ground down by a marble company to renew the finish and the floors are as smooth and gleaming white today as when they were laid down during the Kennedy administration. Bedroom floors are bamboo. “People flip over the terrazzo,” said Lily O’Dare. “We have had several interested buyers from Miami who were like, ‘Wow, these are beautiful floors!’ “I think more people today are attracted to charm rather than just something that is new and modern,” said Lily O’Dare. “So many people walk in here and say they are reminded in a good way of some other place and time, a home they were in years ago.” The charm extends to the lushly landscaped yard, which Lilly O’Dare said was inspired by Coconut Grove. “My dad did all the landscape design,” she says proudly. “He is from Miami and used to have a nursery and landscape design business there, and he brought that look of old Coconut Grove to this house. Landscaping is a huge hobby of his.” Lily’s contributions to the house included staging it, a task her father invited her to undertake. “I love interior design, so I jumped at the chance,” Lily O’Dare said. “I want-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 11 NEWS ed to do lots of neutrals and whites and greens.” The surfing photo she put in the living room is a nod to her father’s favorite pastime, which he likes even more than landscaping. He calls her staging design “perfect! It is understated and elegant and just right for the house.” The house is listed for $1,775,000. Lily O’Dare jumped into real estate in October 2020, after a 10-year career in the hospitality industry that included a stint as manager of Global Social Media for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and other gigs creating and managing social media accounts and content for other hotel companies – not to mention worldwide travel to some of the world’s great cities. “A lot of people don’t know how strong her social media background is,” said Rory O’Dare. “When it comes to marketing a property, no one else can really measure up to her expertise.” When COVID-19 briefly crushed the travel industry, Lily decided to come back home to Vero, where she was born and raised, and give real estate a try. Much as she valued her parents’ encouragement and advice, she wanted to make her bones on her own and hung her license at ONE Sotheby’s as a single agent. That worked out and she sold $12 million during her first year. Vero Beach budget prioritizes city employee raises The Vero Beach City Council this week took up the first city budget without an influx of cash from the electric utility in possibly 100 years. Since the sale of Vero Electric to Florida Power & Light in 2018, the city had been on a programmed “glide path” to wean itself off the more than $7 million in direct and administrative transfers Vero used to harvest from the municipal utility each year to balance the books. Despite all the dire predictions from those who wondered how the city would get by without the cash from Vero Electric, the Vero Beach Police Department remains fully funded, and other city services remain intact. There’s even money to help municipal employees cope with inflation. “One of the top priorities for this proposed budget is a cost-of-living adjustment salary increase for all employees citywide,” City Manager Monte Falls said in his budget message to the City Council. The city’s millage rate of $2.69 for every $1,000 in taxable value will remain About a year and a half after she joined ONE Sotheby’s, Cindy O’Dare and her partner Richard Boga moved their team to the brokerage and Lily signed on with them. Her dad gave her that first listing in early 2021, which was his own condo in Vero’s South Beach section. Not too long afterward, he invited her to look at another unit he was interested in at the Sterling Bay Condo in Central Beach. “She is the next wave, the new thing, so I wanted to see what she thought of the place,” Rory O’Dare told Vero Beach 32963. “As soon as we walked in the door, she turned around and said, ‘Get me the keys. I will take it!’” That led to a father/daughter renovation with Lilly managing the project and Rory putting in lots of sweat equity. “My dad and I did it together. He was so great. He helped me fix it up and find renters.” Next came a flip at 1615 Coral Ave. in Vero’s South Beach section. Rory O’Dare and two partners bought the property two blocks from the ocean just south of the 17th Street Causeway for $880,000 last June, renovated it and listed it with his daughter, who sold it for $1,325,000 in March. That sale helped bolster her strong numbers for 2023 to date – $9.5 million sold or pending and another $9 million in listings – but it’s clear when speaking with her and her father that their real estate collaborations are at least as much about being together and strengthening their karmic bond as it about playing with buildings and making money. Lily talks about how her father comes unasked to take care of the yard at the house where she lives on the mainland, indulging his love of plants and landscape design while helping his daughter, and about how much trust he has placed in her to sell his projects for him. “Lily has great integrity, generosity and spirit,” says Rory. “She is a beautiful person.” BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

12 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach City Manager Monte Falls has opted to retain – on a contract basis – a retired civil engineer who lives locally to manage the planned Three Corners development at the west end of the 17th Street Bridge. NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 City budget flat, unless the Vero Beach City Council voted on Tuesday to increase it. Taxable real property assessments in the city are up 12.33 percent this year, bringing in $1.2 million in additional revenue without increasing the tax rate. Water-sewer rate hikes imposed in January, plus another round of increases slated for Oct. 1, will bring in $1.9 million extra this coming year. Utility customers will contribute $400,000 more into Vero’s general fund than last Retired engineer will ‘quarterback’ the planned Three Corners project BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer year – half of that in direct transfers, and the other half in administration charges allocated to the water-sewer utility. Total transfers from the water-sewer utility into the general fund are budgeted at more than $2.9 million. Vero’s overall proposed budget for 2023-24 is $32.4 million, up 5.1 percent from the current year’s budget of $30.8 million. City staffing remains fairly constant this year, with only two positions being added citywide for a total of 334 employees. At its height, with the electric utility, the City of Vero Beach employed 508 people. Peter Polk, founder and director of the Texas-based Occam Consulting Group, will serve as the city’s Three Corners project manager. He is expected to start on Aug. 1, and will be paid $8,000 per month. “We looked for people to work inhouse, and it didn’t pan out,” Falls said last week. “Peter came to us early in that process, but he has his own consulting firm, and he didn’t want to be a full-time city employee. “He was the best guy, so we decided to go the contract route,” he added. “He’s local. He knows this community. He’s a good fit.” Polk, who has an extensive background in engineering and as a project manager, will answer to Falls and work closely with both him and Vero Beach Planning Director Jason Jeffries. Initially, Polk will assist Falls and Jeffries as they finalize the requests for proposals (RFPs) the city will send out to potential Three Corners developers. He’ll then assist in the selection process. Once a developer has been chosen by the City Council and the site plan is approved, Polk will oversee all aspects of the project and serve as city’s liaison to that developer. “He’s our quarterback, and his job is to handle day-to-day issues of the project,” Falls said. “He has been involved in this kind of work for years, and he has a wealth of knowledge and experience.” Polk, 74, is a registered professional engineer in both Florida and Texas. His work history dates back to 1971, and he has founded or co-founded engineering and consulting firms in Virginia and Texas. He could not be reached for comment. The city wants to create a dining, retail, social and recreational hub on 33 acres on the mainland’s waterfront – on the sites of the now-defunct municipal power plant and still-operating wastewater-treatment facility that is scheduled to be relocated to the Vero Beach Regional Airport. City officials have optimistically predicted the new development could open as soon as the summer of 2028. Falls said he interviewed 15 to 20 candidates for the project manager’s position, and that his list of applicants included engineers, contractors, architects and management consultants. “We had several people say they were interested in being full-time employees, but when we called them, they never called us back,” Falls said. “I guess they didn’t want the job.”

‘SWIM TO THE WRECK’ A RAFT OF PATRIOTIC PADDLERS P. 18

14 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ A Caribbean vibe rolled through Riverside Park during an inaugural Island Daze Party for a Cause, hosted by the Rotary Club of Vero Beach Oceanside to benefit the Learning Alliance. Families strolled through the park listening to the Tru Phonics perform and shopping at vendor stalls, and little ones frolicked in the Kids Zone, visited animals from LaPorte Farms, and enjoyed bookmaking at the Learning Alliance’s Moonshot Rocket. Centerfield, those who had purchased wristbands sipped and nibbled their way through nine food truck and local brewery pairings, each offering quite substantial “samples.” Keeping to the Caribbean theme, the food and brewery vendors had collaborated to create some tempting pairings, said Rick Gromis, whose vision resulted in the successful undertaking. Sailfish Brewing Company paired with the Dignity Food Truck; Orchid Island Brewery with Pepper & Salt BBQ; American Icon Brewery paired with M’s Sweets n Treats; State of Sunshine Brewing with Off the Hook; Mash Monkey Brewing Co. with Smoked on the Water; Walking Tree Brewery with Dolly’s Table; Florida Keys Brewing Company with Aubrey Cakes Kitchen; Pierced Ciderworks with Wafflini’s; and Pareidolia Brewing Co. with Tavos Tacos. The intent behind the event was to raise awareness and funds to support the Learning Alliance’s Moonshot goal to have 90 percent of Indian River County students reading at grade level by third grade. The work of the Learning Alliance, a nonprofit that provides students with in-school and afterschool tutoring, and teachers with professional development, aligns with the Rotarians’ efforts to create lasting change, explained Gromis. “The goal of getting third-graders to read on grade level by the third grade dramatically increases the chances of them graduating high school and going on even further,” said Gromis. “Until the third grade, you learn how to read. From the third grade on, you read to learn. If you can’t read, you’re not going to learn. We all felt that was a pretty important charity to get behind,” he added. “We work with the public school system, providing interventionists for struggling readers and coaches to help teachers,” said Barbara Hammond, TLA CEO and co-founder. “We can’t do it alone. The school district can’t do it alone. Parents can’t do it alone. That’s why we work Rotary’s ‘Daze’ benefit fully focused on Learning Alliance BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Staff Writer Bridget Lyons and Peggy Jones. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS Marie O’Brien, Barbara Hammond, Vicky DeMuth and Susan Oglesby. Dee Crosdale and Natalie Jenkins. Cheryl Thibault, Rachel Garceau, Andy Mayo and Stacy Bond. Jennifer Adams. Elizabeth Applehof. Milia Pfeiffer and Moondance. John Chianis and Alden Bing. Taylor Welchel and Toni Moore.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 15 with community leaders like the Rotary Club of Vero Beach Oceanside,” said Hammond, citing reading by third grade as the No. 1 determinant of a child’s success. “When we reach the goal we will have dramatically improved community wellbeing, reduced social ills and healthcare costs, and created a more robust pipeline of talent for our businesses,” said Hammond. “We need every elected official, every businessperson and every civic organization to ask, ‘What can I do to help build the literacy skills of our children, starting at birth?’” Noting that as many as 50 percent of children enter kindergarten behind their peers, some up to two years behind, Hammond said, “Parents need support, and we’re here to help.” Rotary Club of Vero Beach Oceanside meets Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. at BigShots Golf. For more information, visit Rotary VBOceanside.org or TheLearning Alliance.org.

16 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Jaxton, Scarlett and Mavis Richter. Sophia, Acacia and Ragina Barros. Raelynn and Brandie Rago. Carrie and Joe Tague with daughters Remi and Raelyn. Meg Feller, Avery Feller and Ellie Delagrange. George and Ruby Trusty with daughters Georgette and Ruby. Residents and visitors were treated once again to a spectacular fireworks display to celebrate the July Fourth holiday at Independence Day on the Indian River, hosted by the City of Vero Beach and presenting sponsor Mulligan’s Beach House Bar & Grill. Thousands viewed the patriotic display from various locations, including lining the bridges and roadways, as well as floating in boats in the lagoon. Families wearing their best red, white and blue attire flooded Riverside Park, arriving early to stake their claim to the perfect viewing spots and enjoy the food trucks, children’s activities and music. As day turned to evening, all eyes turned skyward to watch as the fireworks exploded over their heads, reveling in our country’s 247th birthday. Independence Day on Indian River: The spot for 4th fun!

Theadore Lynn.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ ‘Swim to the Wreck’ attracts a raft of patriotic paddlers “By the dawns early light” held true as several hundred swimmers, kayakers and paddle boarders colorfully dotted the ocean first thing in the morning of July 4 to take part in the annual Swim to the Wreck, a more than four-decade-long tradition to toast our nation’s anniversary. A victim of our offshore reefs, the SS Breconshire, better known locally as the Boiler Wreck, sank in 1894 and rests in about 15 feet of water, less than a quarter mile from Sexton Beach. Now home to a wealth of marine life, the wreck is a popular dive spot. Around Independence Day, the spot is recognizable from shore by an American flag hoisted atop the wreck in honor of the late Michael Blatus, an avid snorkeler and environmentalist. Lily, Catherine and Liam Blum. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS Julia, Lanette and Kevin Lyons. Tyler Blaylock, Ashton Wetmiller, Peyton Skidmore, Rylee Skidmore and Austyn Sorge. Casey Schoenfeld and Dounia Bezzari. Josh and Sarah Cross.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ There was nothing ‘staged’ about the Roast and Toast held at the Italian American Club to honor the 68-year theater career of Jon Putzke, which included memories of the many productions he has been involved with since arriving on the Treasure Coast in the early 1980s. With faded newspaper clippings and memorabilia on display, his son, Brandon Putzke, shared highlights from the perspective of someone who has grown up in the theater’s wings. “All of you in this room tonight have one thing in common. You are all part of making my dad’s career what it is to date. Many of you worked with him at various stages over the years and on various stages,” he said. Many in the room had worked with Jon in various venues around town, including Riverside Theatre, where the Vero Beach Theatre Guild was first located, and at the current VBTG location. Where the Vero Beach Book Center is today was a vacant movie theater that he converted into Encore Alley, and he also performed in Musicana at the old Sheraton Resort. Bitten by the theater bug in a production at age 7, Putzke had set his sights on becoming a director and designer by his sophomore year. With help from a group of friends and his father’s construction company, Jon converted a boat barn into a summer theater and has never looked back. “The real hero in this room is my mom, Marg Putzke,” said Brandon, adding that his parents began dating in seventh grade. “Mom has continued to be my dad’s leading lady, musical director, and costumer on stage and off for 58 years.” After producing, designing and directing at numerous theaters throughout the Midwest and Southeast, Jon eventually realized his dream of building a 300-seat theater-in-the-round, equity company in New Buffalo, Mich. The couple eventually decided it was time to seek a warmer climate and ended up in Fort Pierce, where Marg’s sister lived. “Dad not only produced a lot of theater in Vero Beach but over the past 41 years, he was also directly involved in the Vero Beach Theatre Guild, beginning in 1984 when he appeared on the Riverside Theatre stage as Happy in ‘The Death of a Salesman’ and directed ‘Brigadoon,’” said Brandon. “Having cast Allen Cornell in the [‘Brigadoon’] lead and Mark Wygonik in his first play ever, Dad launched two longtime theater careers – one who still leads the professional company at Riverside and one that was active as the head of the Theatre Guild for many years.” With VBTG, Jon has been involved with 31 productions, served a threeyear term as board president, and as its full-time artistic director for two years. Among his credits, Jon directed Florida premiers of “Evita,” “A Chorus Line,” “Amadeus,” “La Cage aux Folles,” “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamNo upstaging this theater legend at ‘Roast and Toast’ tribute BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Staff Writer STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 Mary and Brandon Putzke with Marg and Jon Putzke. Robin and Mary Volsky with Robbi Rose. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS

22 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ coat” and “The Best of Abba” (the longest running show ever produced on the Treasure Coast). He also traveled the world installing casts into shows on cruise ships. “Critics have declared him a ‘Visionary,’ ‘An artist ahead of the time,’ and ‘One who has the ability to transform a bare outdoor stage into a dynamic setting for live theater,’” said Brandon. “Is this a retirement party we’re celebrating tonight? Dad says, ‘No!’ He’s still got one good one left,” said Brandon, raising a glass in a toast. “Tonight we celebrate my dad’s 68 years in the theater, over 400 productions to his credit. He has literally touched the hearts and minds of thousands of actors, behind-the-scenes personnel and audience patrons. To those sitting here in this room tonight, especially Mom and all those who couldn’t be with us, Dad thanks you from the bottom of his heart for helping to create his legacy of live theater for the Vero Beach community.” STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

24 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT COVER STORY A half century after the word "plastics" burned itself into the public consciousness in the iconic movie, The Graduate, residents of Provincetown, Mass., crowded into an auditorium this spring for the yearly town meeting – the democratic exercise where locals vote on everything from school budgets to playground construction. Around 8 p.m., they began to discuss Article 17, the agenda item that had brought Madhavi Venkatesan, associate professor of economics of sustainability at Boston’s Northeastern University, to this wind-swept tip of Cape Cod. Dr. Venkatesan is the founder of Sustainable Practices, a nonprofit environmental action group that is working to reduce plastic waste and use across the region. Over the past four years, she and other grassroots activists had mobilized towns across Cape Cod, including this one, to ban single-use plastic water bottles. This evening, she hoped to push the town’s anti-plastics stance a step further. She and other volunteers had helped organize a citizens’ petition that introduced a policy to ban single-use plastic food takeout containers and utensils. It would be a small but important move, Dr. Venkatesan says, in fighting what has become a global deluge of plastic production, consumption, and waste. It would also be part of a trend. Nearby Nantucket, Massachusetts, had implemented similar regulations some months earlier. Other municipalities across the country had banned everything from plastic bags to plastic straws to plastic takeout boxes. And governments big and small, from California to China, have passed bans with similar goals – a sign, many say, of a growing public awareness, and concern, about the world’s proliferation of plastic. For much of that April evening, Dr. Venkatesan felt hopeful. But when the initiative came up for a vote, the tide seemed to change. While the idea sounded nice, was it practical? What would it mean if mom and pop businesses had to switch to more expensive takeout materials while supermarkets could still sell plastic from their cooler sections? What were the economic consequences? Someone motioned to table the discussion. And then Provincetown – a small, progressive New England tourist town, known for its environmentalism and civic action – decided not to By Stephanie Hanes | Christian Science Monitor Below: A heap of plastic bottles awaits recycling in Kenya.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 25 INSIGHT COVER STORY eliminate what pretty much everyone agreed was a pollutant and environmental hazard. This transformation, residents voted, was just too complicated. And this, in many ways, is the story of plastics regulation. There have been hundreds of new plastics-related policies introduced over the past decade, according to researchers at Duke University, who have been compiling a public database of such legislation from around the world. But even in places seemingly most ripe for change, there have been setbacks, loopholes, and unintended consequences. Meanwhile, plastic consumption – and waste – continues to increase. Our world runs, sometimes quite literally, on plastics, the broad term for a category of materials made from synthetic polymers that are bendable, lightweight, strong, and able to be shaped into everything from your carpet to your cellphone to, yes, your running shoes. But as the world’s plastic consumption has skyrocketed, so has the amount of plastic waste, and the ecological damage that goes along with it. According to the United Nations, the world now discards more than 440 million tons of plastic every year, twice as much as two decades ago. The vast majority of that is burned or dumped in landfills, or it “leaks” into the environment in the form of plastic litter. Take a walk pretty much anywhere in the world, and it’s hard to avoid an errant candy wrapper or plastic bag or some other bit of plastic trash. The amount of plastic in waterways is even worse. Increasingly, scientists – and laypeople – are learning how plastic breaks up into so-called microplastics: tiny bits of plastics that take up residence in the ocean, plants, our food, and even ourselves. One much-repeated study from the University of Newcastle in Australia found that humans on average consume 5 grams of plastic a week – about the size of a credit card. “I think there is a greater awareness about the problem of plastic pollution – we see it with our own eyes, we see it on our beach vacations, plastic bags in the trees; they’re everywhere,” says Melissa Valliant, communications director of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics. “But a lot of this we’re not seeing. Plastics typically break up into smaller CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 A discarded plastic bag languishes along a road in Sacramento, California. The state has banned single-use plastic bags. Amy Young, owner of The Beet, holds up a sustainable takeout bowl that her company has adopted in response to Nantucket's islandwide ban on single-use plastics. A ban on single-use plastics was promoted by Madhavi Venkatesan (second from left), founder of Sustainable Practices.

26 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 INSIGHT COVER STORY pieces of plastics, and they’re ending up in food, soil, drinking water, air, rain.” Much of this waste, Ms. Valliant and other advocates point out, is from what is called “single-use” plastics – the food packaging and straws and plastic grocery bags and water bottles that are made to be used once and then discarded. According to the Minderoo Foundation’s Plastic Waste Makers Index, more single-use plastic was made in 2021 than ever before – 6 million metric tons more than in 2019. Half of all the plastic the world produces every year is intended for single use, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Most plastics become trash within a year,” Dr. Kara Lavender Law of Sea Education Association says. “Most plastics are not a computer or a telephone. If you look in your trash, most of it is packaging. It’s plastic film.” This reflects not just a waste problem but also a climate one. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from single-use plastics in 2021 was equivalent to the heat-trapping gas emissions of the entire United Kingdom, according to the Minderoo Foundation. Greenhouse gases are emitted when plastics are made, when they are shipped, when they break down chemically, and even when they are recycled. And that latter bit, the recycled plastics, makes up only a tiny percentage of the world’s plastic waste. Despite the near-ubiquitous triangle of arrows on plastic objects (a symbol that, advocates point out, was developed by the plastic industry), only 9 percent of the world’s plastic has ever been recycled. Less than 4 percent of plastic is recycled in the United States, the world’s largest generator of plastic waste. (Although Asia is often blamed for plastic waste generation, data analysis by Dr. Law and others shows that the U.S. is the main culprit.) The good news in this plastic deluge, say Ms. Valliant and others, is that people are increasingly recognizing the problem. Increasingly, there is pressure on governments to do something. When Rachel Karasik, a senior policy associate at Duke University, started creating an online database of plastics regulations in 2019, she and her team were able to find around 270 policy documents from around the world. Now, they have cataloged close to 900. In 2019, for instance, Mexico City passed a ban on single-use plastics, phasing it into enforcement for the city of 9.2 million people over two years. First came the ban on plastic bags in 2020, and then the broader ban on items like utensils, straws, and to-go trays in 2021. Many agree the implementation initially felt promising. Most grocery stores stopped providing plastic bags at checkouts, delivery from formal restaurants began to arrive in paper bags and biodegradable packaging, and many informal stalls cut back on plastic straws or utensils. But, more than two years into implementation, the law has fallen short on the broader hopes for an enforced ban on plastics. “There has been change, but it’s insufficient,” says Juan Carlos Carrillo, program coordinator at the Mexican Center for Environmental Law. Hurdles have included the pandemic, which saw many vendors and clients doubling down on single-use plastic use in the belief that it provided an extra measure of sanitation. “The pandemic completely changed the context of the law,” says Mr. Carrillo. “By 2021, we were in the middle of the pandemic, inspections were suspended, and COVID-19 really intensified the consumption of takeout food – and plastics. That was when this law started to die.” In fact, that many vendors assume the law no longer applies. “The ban on single-use plastics was canceled because of the pandemic,” says Alfonso, who runs a barbacoa stand outside a large hospital in central Mexico City with his wife and young son every weekend. It’s a misconception repeated by many vendors across the city. China in 2020 announced a plan to curb plastic pollution with a national ban on single-use plastics. Under the three-phase plan, China would gradually restrict plastics with the ultimate goal of banning the production, use, and recycling of disposable plastics nationwide by 2025. So far, the implementation has been uneven, according to experts and Chinese media reports. In Beijing, major supermarket sales of plastic shopping bags fell 37 percent in 2021 compared with 2020, accordA trash collector picks up plastic along Port Bouet beach outside Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Cristian Cantú, a coffee and sweet bread seller in Mexico City, says that alternatives to disposable plastics are more expensive.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 27 INSIGHT COVER STORY ing to a report in China Daily. At the same time, the pandemic and China’s strict “zero-COVID” policies contributed to major increases in single-use plastics, from takeout containers to medical supplies, experts say. In India, street vendors and smallshop owners say they are bearing the brunt of their country’s ambitious new plastics regulations. As of July 1 of last year, India banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of 19 specific single-use plastic products with “low utility and high littering potential,” including cutlery, candy sticks, and wrapping films around sweets and cigarette packets. Starting this year, the ban also applies to plastic carry bags with thickness lower than 120 microns. Sachin Kumar, a vegetable and fruit vendor, says authorities of Delhi enforced the ban strictly at the start. “I followed the ban, but customers quickly stopped buying produce from me. They all asked for plastic carry bags,” he says. Kumar says he tried to use the costlier cloth alternative, but he incurred a loss, so he began to hide plastic carry bags in his cart. Many advocates say the burden of plastics regulation should be shifted to the companies who make the material in the first place. At the end of last year, California attempted to do just that, tasking the plastics industry with reducing the percentage of single-use plastic that needed to be recycled. While some advocates say there are still loopholes for industry in California’s law, it is widely seen as one of the country’s first broad “extended producer responsibility” regulations, which works to shift environmental burdens from consumers to corporations. Across the Atlantic, entrepreneurs in the European Union are trying to make plastic-free life easier for consumers, bolstered by new single-use plastics bans. Berlin-based product designer Julian Nachtigall-Lechner, for instance, saw a way to reduce plastic consumption and reusing another kind of waste by creating a reusable coffee cup made of discarded coffee grounds. That gave rise to his company, Kaffeeform. In 2015, the company started with just three vendors, but today more than 2,000 locations sell more than 100,000 Kaffeeform mugs a year across Europe – a boom that coincided with EU-wide legislation banning single-use plastics for which affordable alternatives are available. EU law now mandates that shops accept customers’ containers. The law also says plastic utensils, drinking straws, stirrers, cotton swabs, and other single-use items can no longer be produced within the EU. In the U.S., Alison Rogers Cove runs a company called Usefull, which combines technology and reusable metal containers to create a plasticless takeout system for colleges and municipalities around the country. The idea is straightforward: Customers take their to-go food in one of Usefull’s containers, and then return the container later at a drop-off location. She hopes that for the college students using Usefull on campus, this sort of reuse will become the norm, and the consume-discard model will evolve into what’s strange. With more municipal plastics bans across the country, she hopes to expand her model into more cities and neighborhoods. “This is a very practical thing,” she says. “It’s expensive to use single-use plastic, it’s a waste of resources, and it’s not a great user experience. ... I think mindsets will change.” A man carries compressed plastic bottles collected from the Nile last year ahead of World Cleanup Day. Inexpensive plastic products feature prominently in this public market stall helmed by Pilar González (left) and Andrea González in Mexico City. A national ban on single-use plastics has left many vendors scrambling. Provincetown, Massachusetts, residents gather at Town Hall in early April to discuss, in part, a ban on single-use plastics.

28 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT EDITORIAL During the coronavirus crisis, our Pelican Plaza office is closed to visitors. We appreciate your understanding. Hollywood is on strike – and it’s not entirely about the money. For the first time in more than six decades, both writers and actors have walked off the job. While they are protesting, in part, the disruption to residual payments in the age of streaming, the more important issue is actors are fighting to prevent studios from using their digital likenesses without their consent. It’s a delicate time. The arrival of ChatGPT last November sent ripples through the creative industries. The chatbot’s ability to churn out believable, detailed text material had scriptwriters wondering if their skills would one day no longer be needed. Then, as artificial intelligence started displaying jaw-dropping capabilities in generating images and video, actors started to envision something even more disruptive: What if AI could eliminate the need for real filmmaking entirely? The technology to make this a reality isn’t quite ready, but it is developing at an intense pace thanks to billions of dollars in venture capital funding and big tech R&D. Last week, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for the striking Screen Actors Guild, said during a press conference that studios were already gearing up for the time when the work of “background performers,” or extras, would involve being scanned, getting a single day’s pay, after which studios own those likenesses for the rest of eternity. Studios challenged that characterization, saying their proposals included “groundbreaking” provisions that would allow of the use of AI but give actors ultimate consent on how any digital replicas would be used. One dystopian (and highly entertaining) take on how this might play out has come via Black Mirror, the future-gazing Netflix series that in its latest season includes a portrayal of actors’ worst nightmare. In the episode, Salma Hayek, playing herself, unwittingly signs away the rights to allow her digital likeness to act out absolutely anything – with disgusting results. The series is designed as a dark comedy. But in creative circles, the lack of agency over one’s actions is an immediate and serious concern. At Bloomberg’s Technology Summit last month in San Francisco, Hilary Krane, chief legal officer at Creative Artists Agency which represents thousands of film stars and other creatives, said: “If we’re in a world where technologists believe that the likeness of human beings does not belong to those human beings, because they're reducible to zeros and ones, we've upended a major pillar of our economy.” Krane is right. An actor’s right not to be in a production should be heavily protected, not just for financial reasons but on artistic principle. Building a body of work, and deciding what to include in it and when, is a deeply personal process. Until studios start to grasp this, they will be airing a lot of reruns. The threat to artists doesn’t just come from movie and TV studios trying to exert control and cut costs. It’s also from the coming torrent of AI tools that will mean just about anyone could recreate a person’s likeness and have them appear to engage in performances or acts without their consent. Just last week, an image allegedly depicting actress Jennifer Lawrence – very scantily dressed – proliferated on Twitter, receiving more than six million views. The image was subsequently deemed AI-generated after a very close look showed six fingers on her right hand. This is the very tip of the iceberg. Likewise, the now-conjoined writers and actors strike represents just the beginning of dealing with the repercussions of AI in film and TV. Over the course of decades, compromises will need to be made: It would be naive to try to prevent AI from playing a large role in the future of film. But creatives should have input in how and why AI is used. We are a long way from being able to craft compelling entertainment solely from AI. Indeed, that day might never come. Writing in Vanity Fair earlier this month, John Lopez, who is part of the Writers Guild of America’s AI working group, described Hollywood as essentially being in the business of capturing the “miracle of human connection into a moving image.” There’s no doubt that machines can easily grasp the technicalities around the second half of that aim. But human connection? You won’t find data that can explain why great creative works work. If and when the time comes, and studios start churning out cheap AI-powered entertainment, we may well find that people instinctively vote with their wallets, rewarding productions that maintain the essence of great filmmaking, with all its human complexities. A version of this column by Dave Lee first appeared on Bloomberg. It does not necessarily reflect the views of Vero Beach 32963.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 29 INSIGHT OP-ED When William Houck returns his rental car to LAX, Budget tries to charge him a fee for refueling and cleaning. But he brought the car back with a full gas tank, and it was clean. How can he fight these charges? QUESTION: I rented a car from Budget at Los Angeles International Airport recently. I returned the vehicle with a full tank of gas after stopping at a station a few blocks away. After I dropped off the car, I received a receipt that indicated they would charge me a $90 fuel service fee. I immediately called Budget, and they agreed to reverse the charge. Today I received a letter from Budget that they will charge me $125 for a cleaning fee. I absolutely dispute this. I contacted Budget again and asked them to remove the cleaning fee. Budget refuses. Supposedly, they had to send the car to a detailer for cleaning. I feel as though I am being scammed. Can you help me get rid of this $125 cleaning fee? ANSWER: If I didn't know any better, I'd say Budget was trying to make a little extra money off your rental – first with the refueling charge, then with a cleaning fee. I'm glad you could get the refueling fee removed. Always remember to keep the gas station receipt and to take a picture of the gas gauge on "full," which will help prove you returned your rental car with a full tank. But the cleaning fee is a mystery. Budget sent you photos, but you say they are not of the car you rented. I'm reluctant to intervene in disputes like this. It's difficult to advocate in a 'he said, she said' circumstance, where no proof is available. Sometimes, the car rental company makes a mistake. I recall a Budget case last year where the company tried to charge a customer $450 to clean up after his dog. He didn't have a dog. Could this be one of those times? It looks like you did your best to resolve this in writing using the proven Elliott Method for resolving consumer complaints. You also reached out to the Budget customer service executives I publish on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. But Budget wouldn't budge. I was on the fence about your cleaning bill until I read your invoice. According to Budget, you returned your car on the day you picked it up. Since you had rented the car for a week, that was unlikely. Maybe Budget confused you with another customer? I asked Budget about your cleaning fee. In response, Budget told me it would waive the charge. It also contacted you and zeroed out your bill. Get help with any consumer problem by contacting Christopher Elliott at http://www.elliott.org/help BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT

30 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT BOOKS In August 2021, a nine-hour search for a missing California couple, their 1-year-old baby and their dog ended in tragedy – but also in mystery. All four bodies were discovered on a hiking trail just a few minutes’ drive from the family’s home near the town of Mariposa. But the cause of death was unclear: Was it snakebite? Some sort of toxic algae? Two months later, the deaths were found to be the work of a much more quotidian source: heat. The young parents, Jonathan Gerrish and Ellen Chung, were healthy and fit – but the day the family died, temperatures near the ground on the trail were 109 degrees. They had carried water but were in the middle of a steep climb back to their truck. There was little shade. If there is a lesson from their deaths, journalist Jeff Goodell writes in his new book, “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet,” it is that extreme heat can kill anyone. You just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. For years, journalists and writers have struggled to describe the toll of global-warming-induced extreme heat. The changes in our climate so far – on average, our planet has warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius (or 2 degrees Fahrenheit) since humans began using fossil fuels widely for energy – seem small, the difference between relative comfort and ever so mild discomfort. But the true toll of climate change is not the average temperature but the extremes: 125-degree days in Phoenix. A sweeping heat wave in Paris. The week in Jacobabad, Pakistan – considered one of the hottest cities in the world – where temperatures were over 126 degrees, with humidity, every day. In 14 whirlwind chapters, Goodell, a longtime climate journalist and contributing editor for Rolling Stone, earns his book’s grim title. The chapters travel from the Arctic Circle to the tropics and back again, tracing the effects of heat on melting ice and suffering corals, but also on enthused mosquitoes, whose ranges are stretching wider as temperatures warm. Goodell is at his most effective when he describes how heat affects the human body. Most of us don’t think much about how sweat – our “internal sprinkler system,” as Goodell calls it – allows us to survive in temperatures and situations that would otherwise lead to a swift death. Humans evolved to sweat to gain a hunting advantage; releasing up to three gallons of water a day through pores enabled early humans to chase prey for hours and hours, until the antelope or deer collapsed because of heat exhaustion. Even with this critical tool, however, humans are fairly weak creatures, at least where temperature is concerned. Without protective clothing and heating, we die quickly in the cold; without air conditioning and water, we die just as quickly in the heat. When the body gets too hot, blood rushes to the skin in an attempt to cool off, abandoning the internal organs. At 102 or 103 degrees Fahrenheit, Goodell writes, one might feel wobbly or pass out (the brain’s attempt to get more blood to fulfill its basic functions). At 106 degrees, the body convulses into seizures. Above 107 degrees, things start to break down at the cellular level. “As the heat rises, the proteins unfold and the bonds that keep the structures together break,” Goodell writes. “At the most fundamental level, your body unravels. … Your insides melt and disintegrate – you are hemorrhaging everywhere.” We have, as a society, tried to insulate ourselves from heat. The greatest example of this is air conditioning, which has enabled a vast population of Americans to settle in the Sun Belt, comfortably living in areas that stretch the boundaries of habitable. But in certain moments, that triumph shows itself to be razor-thin. A/C units already account for about one-fifth of all energy used from buildings – in a heat wave, with millions of A/Cs churning at once, the electricity grid can be in danger of collapse. What it leaves behind is a society that has forgotten the architectural methods of dealing with heat: airflow, white roofs, thick walls. “Air-conditioning is not just a technology of personal comfort; it is also a technology of forgetting,” Goodell writes. Then there are the places that never adapted to heat in the first place. In 2021, more than 600 people died in a heat wave in normally cool British Columbia, as temperatures spiked 36 degrees above normal. Goodell brings up an earlier example – the 2003 heat wave that killed 15,000 people in Paris alone. Historically mild temperatures created a city with no “climate culture,” as Goodell calls it: Parisians aren’t used to dealing with any sort of extremes. They have built beautiful zinc-roofed apartments that are ill-suited to rising temperatures. And affection for the city’s historical architecture makes those buildings difficult to transform. Yet people in places like Paris, one of Goodell’s sources notes, have only three choices: “Roast, flee, or act.” In one grisly anecdote, a young woman returned home to her apartment to find it filled with blood. Her elderly upstairs neighbor had died during the heat wave; fluids from her decomposing body had leaked through the floor into the downstairs unit. Shortly after I finished “The Heat Will Kill You First,” I went for a twohour drive through central Oregon in a car with a broken air conditioner. It wasn’t brutally hot, only in the mid90s, but the car’s mini-greenhouse effect trapped heat as I drove down Interstate 5. I opened a window and hung my arm out of it, feeling the blood in that arm cool and circulate through the rest of my body. I was reminded of Goodell’s graphic descriptions of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, and also of a recent conversation with emergency room doctors in Phoenix, who had explained how quickly someone can get heat stroke in a car with no climate control. The barrier between safety and heat felt thinner than ever. The scariest thing about the heatinfused future, Goodell notes, is that we don’t treat it with the respect and concern it deserves. When the heat rises, plants, animals and people die. But the coronavirus pandemic showed just how much death and destruction a society can accept. Suffering and death “will become part of what it means to live in the twenty-first century,” Goodell writes. “Something we accept.” The Heat Will Kill You First Life and Death on a Scorched Planet By Jeff Goodell | Little, Brown. 383 pp. $29 Review by Shannon Osaka | The Washington Post

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 31 The bookmaker loses yet again By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist Bridge is a game of odds. If you always make the percentage play, you will come out ahead of the pack. However, there are times when the “wrong” play works while the “correct” play doesn’t. This fact has helped to give bridge its longevity, and it gives the weaker player a chance to beat an expert. In today’s deal, how should South plan the play in seven clubs after West leads the spade queen? South opened with a strong, artificial and forcing two clubs. North gave a positive response promising a suit headed by at least two of the top three honors and 8 or more high-card points. After that, clubs were agreed. Then South used Blackwood and took an understandable shot at seven clubs. South was faced with a spade loser. One possibility was to take the heart finesse: a 50- 50 proposition. Alternatively, he could play to establish the heart queen as a winner. This required finding either the heart king with at most two other cards, or king-fourth and a 2-1 club break: altogether, just over a 64% chance of success. After winning trick one, South played a heart to the ace and ruffed a heart with the club nine. He continued with a club to dummy’s eight, another heart was ruffed with the club queen, the club 10 was overtaken by dummy’s jack, and the heart seven was ruffed high in hand. Finally, the carefully conserved club two was led to dummy’s four and the spade three was discarded on the established heart queen. Grand! Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West NORTH 7 6 2 A Q 8 6 3 Q 4 J 8 4 WEST Q J 10 9 4 10 7 2 10 7 6 3 6 SOUTH A K 3 4 A K A K Q 10 9 3 2 EAST 8 5 K J 9 5 J 9 8 5 2 7 5 The Bidding: OPENING LEAD: Q Spades SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 2 Clubs Pass 2 Hearts Pass 3 Clubs Pass 4 Clubs Pass 4 NT Pass 5 Diamonds Pass 7 Clubs Pass Pass Pass INSIGHT BRIDGE CARPET ONE CREATIVE FLOORS & HOME Creative Floors & Home has more for your entire home from the floor up! With Flooring, Tile, Cabinets and even vacuum cleaners! 772.569.0240 1137 Old Dixie Hwy • Vero Beach creativefloorscarpet1verobeach.com Professional Cabinet Design Available

32 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The Telegraph How to do Sudoku: Fill in the grid so the numbers one through nine appear just once in every column, row and three-by-three square. The Telegraph SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (JULY 13) ON PAGE 58 ACROSS 1. Group of singers (5) 4. Munched (6) 7. Robbers (7) 8. Nobleman (4) 10. Edible bulb (5) 11. Heavenly (7) 14. Unit of heredity (4) 16. Forbidden (6) 18. German songs (6) 21. Profit (4) 23. Absolutely determined (4,3) 26. Category (5) 27. Painful; angry (4) 28. Stupid (7) 29. Had a deficiency (6) 30. Cardinal number (5) DOWN 1. Q-tips (6,4) 2. Point of view (7) 3. Retaliation (7) 4. Exchange for money (4,2) 5. Adversary (5) 6. Sign up (5) 9. See torches (anag.) (10) 12. Food shop (4) 13. Falsehood (3) 15. Rim; advantage (4) 17. Indicate agreement (3) 19. Slope (7) 20. Sketch (7) 22. Close by (2,4) 24. Smell (5) 25. Glossy (5) INSIGHT GAMES

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 33 ACROSS 1 Innocent and others 6 Pageant headwear 11 Leaflike part that encloses a flower cluster 17 Spanish entree, carne ___ 18 Marryin’ Sam’s creator 20 Drag race participants 22 Stage backdrop 23 Gymnast’s horse 24 Giving a ribbing 26 Relaxes 28 Asian sea 30 In place of 31 Part of B.C.E. 32 Zip 33 Get hold of 34 Monza money, once 35 Composer Alban 36 David McCullough’s love 37 Like omelet ham 38 Singer O’Connor 41 Stretch out 42 Storm rating 43 American Graffiti auto 44 Endeavor 45 Lynn’s sister 46 Monthly payment 47 Crowns 48 Climber’s tool 49 Camper’s tool 50 Fervent 51 Sorry 54 Mill morsel 56 Fizzled 58 Wises (up) 59 Parking places 60 Maran or mester opener 61 Invisible Man portrayer 62 Le Guin et al. 63 Soliloquy start 64 Defensive wall 67 Iron worker 68 Destroyer detector 69 Hogans and igloos 70 In ruins 71 New York borough 72 Gray wolves 73 More substantial 74 To-do 75 Role for Michael J. 76 Tidal grass used as feed 77 Faucet woe 78 Bonus spot, in Scrabble: abbr. 81 Round rd. 82 Of an Italian poet 83 Baedeker 85 Alienate the affections of 87 Subtle aspect 89 Kooky 90 Miser 91 Phony 92 Flintstone’s boss, Mr. ___ 93 Jungle-picture props 94 Hot Lips, for one 95 Fitzgerald et al. DOWN 1 Tomato concoction 2 First name in franks 3 Winter wear 4 Peter Gunn’s girl 5 Golf great 6 TV event 7 Amo 8 Wile E. Coyote’s brand 9 Run into 10 Common Halloween or Hollywood outfit 11 First American in space 12 Standard operating procedure 13 Up 14 Cyclo finish 15 “___ convenient” 16 Buildings 19 Fern holders 21 Noisy nappers 25 Like some eggs 27 Explorer maker 29 River skipper 33 Water tank 34 Jazzed (up) 35 Hollywood Parks 36 Impedes 37 What de singer sings 38 Subway steadier, once 39 Wild goats 40 Prime time hour 41 Some clerics 42 Gargantua and Pantagruel et al. 44 Theatrical Price 45 Dressing ingredient 47 Besmirches 48 Like flowers 50 Spanish shawls 51 Magazine-rack lingerer 52 See 32 Across 53 Swami topper 55 Self-contradictory situation 56 Opener of many doors 57 Layers 59 Ode subject 62 Foam plastic 63 Nail sites 64 Regal residence 65 Put an end to 66 Benigni and Rossellini 67 Babble 68 Hitchcock film feature 70 Tosses, as the sea 71 Money, in Manchester 73 Crude bed 74 Decorative band 76 Actress Dominique 77 Conveyors of a sort 78 Bottom line 79 “A ___ help you are!” 80 Certain terriers 82 Abbr. on many bumper stickers 83 Growl (or backwards, tolled) 84 Type of investor 86 Seance sound 88 The Sun Devils, briefly The Telegraph The Washington Post ...Step right up NOTE: In this themeless challenger, all question marks, which usually indicate the trickier clues, have been omitted just to be 89 Across. Stairway to Knowledge By Merl Reagle INSIGHT GAMES

36 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT BACK PAGE Dear Carolyn: My spouse and I both work full time for now, but my spouse’s parents have offered to support my spouse financially. This makes it possible for my spouse to stay home full time with our 11-month-old. (I am intentionally keeping our genders vague, because I don’t want that to bias your readers.) Under that plan, I would still need to keep my full-time job. The problem I am having is that there was no discussion of doing it the opposite way, with my spouse going to work and me staying home, even though, theoretically, that could be a good and in some ways better option for our child. I brought this up to my spouse and was told my in-laws would not be willing to give us these monetary infusions if they were for my benefit, not my spouse’s. I think that is a very narrow way to look at it, because whatever plan we come up with will benefit BOTH of us, plus, obviously, our baby. But perhaps I am just whining and should be glad my spouse will get to stay home and not worry about money, while I continue to toil? And just accept that people will always have stronger feelings about their own children than about their in-laws? – Forever an In-Law Forever an In-Law: I have a problem with this arrangement, too. Your in-laws are certainly entitled to spend their money as they see fit. However, you are also entitled to turn away meddlers in the mechanics of your family. Assuming your spouse agrees that you two share the last word – because the alternative is not defensible – you both need to decide whether it’s better for your child to have one parent home, and which of you is in a better position to quit your paid work. And whether it’s better for your marriage to refuse even a wanted gift that has these deeply meddlesome strings. If this were my issue to unsnarl, then I would start with the question of who could be this at-home parent, and at what cost. There are a lot of variables, both emotional (temperament to be an at-home parent, for example) and financial (cost of leaving career, comparative difficulty reentering workforce, value of each spouse’s benefits, etc.). So: Choose whether one of you will quit your paid work, choose the right spouse to become an at-home parent, then negotiate the in-law strings as needed for your marriage’s health. Readers’ thoughts: I would respectfully add: 1. Before accepting any funds, have a conversation with your partner along the lines of, “What would we do in the absence of your parents’ money?” Possibly you will both learn something about your mutual short- and long-term priorities. 2. Recognize that, if you choose to accept the money, it may come with expectations, not merely set by your in-laws but also – especially given the letter – potentially set by your partner. For example, “My folks are funding my staying at home so we MUST go on vacation with them,” or whatever. Your mileage may vary, of course. Your in-laws don’t see you as a marital unit. That’s a huge flaw that I hope you grab on to and don’t let go. Your spouse needs to acknowledge that fact, too. Remember that scene in “Fargo” when William H. Macy’s character needed money and his father-in-law said he’d only ever help his daughter and grandchild but not him? Yeah, you’re Macy’s character in this scenario. (Please don’t hatch a kidnapping plan.) BY CAROLYN HAX Washington Post In-laws want to pay spouse to be stay-at-home parent

ARTS & THEATRE 38 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ BY DEBBIE TIMMERMANN Correspondent Before she could retire and become a full-time artist, Nannette Nielsen utilized her talents working in a variety of arts-related fields. “I knew I would have to support myself, so I went into interior design,” says Nielsen, who hails from Denver and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Colorado State University. Upon graduating she moved to New York City and found a job at China Seas, a textile and wallpaper firm that imported batik and exotic fabrics from Indonesia and China. The husband of the owner happened to be the chairman of Newsweek, which resulted in a high-society New York clientele, including Jackie Onassis, Babe Paley and Mica Ertegun. Nielsen oversaw their domestic line and production, and eventually began designing fabrics for the company’s home furnishing line and for fashion house designers such as Mary McFadden and Donna Karan. She says she was influenced by an art exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art called “The Great Wave,” which featured Hokusai’s “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” which is thought to have inspired works such as Debussy’s “La Mer” and Rilke’s “Der Berg.” The two schools of art were displayed side by side in the exhibition. “It showed the influence of Japanese woodcuts on French prints. It combined my two biggest influences, French Impressionism and Asian art,” says Nielsen. Missing the Colorado lifestyle, she moved back to Denver in 1975, where she continued to represent high-end fabric and furniture lines, including China Seas, calling on designers and architects, adding, “The contacts and experiences I gained in New York City were invaluable.” She eventually worked for the luxury design firm Kneedler Fauchère, running their Denver showroom for 20 years. “Kneedler and Fauchère were kind of the vanguards of the industry, helping all of those famous fabric houses like Angelo Donghia, Clarence House, and Jack Lenor Larsen, get started,” Nielsen says. To satisfy her own creative juices, she took classes off hours at the Denver Botanical Gardens and, after eight years, became certified as a botanical illustrator. Botanical illustrations, realistic and precise watercolors of flowers and plant life, are meant to depict perfectly drawn images of plant species against a blank background and without showing the artist’s hand. Her painstakingly detailed botanicals are worked in watercolor or graphite. Nielsen says she finds it challenging, as it is often a race against time to capture the details of a specimen before it wilts or PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS ‘Vary’ appealing: Multiple art genres draw Nielsen’s interest

ARTS & THEATRE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 39 loses color. Since moving to Florida, the rich, natural flora has again piqued her interest in painting botanicals. After retiring, Nielsen arrived in Vero Beach in 2018, joining her three sisters who had, one by one, moved to the Treasure Coast. She began taking classes in abstract expressionism from Vickie Marsango at Vero Beach Museum of Art, the complete opposite from botanicals, and in 2019, a Renaissance art exhibit at the museum rekindled that interest. “I had studied Renaissance art while going to summer school in Vienna, Austria, in 1971. The paintings in the exhibit mostly depicted deep jewel tone colors, with rich velvet and damask costumes and religious subjects, which influenced my abstract painting titled ‘Ascension,’” says Nielsen. “Abstracts need to be more spontaneous, your feelings just come out. You just kind of let go. It’s scary; the painting goes through an ugly stage, but you just keep going and it usually works out,” she explains, adding that she doesn’t even let the paint dry, preferring to work on it to its completion. “In abstract, it is more intuitive. If you think too much about composition, it looks too contrived. But at the same time you do have to have composition. It’s hard to explain, you have to just let yourself go.” Nielsen also enjoys plein air painting, and has taken part in live and online conventions led by artist Eric Rhoads, publisher of Plein Air Magazine, who similarly hosts Watercolor Live, Pastel Live and Realism Live. She has also participated in a plein air retreat in Scotland. She prefers to use oils for her more detailed plein air paintings, such as one called “Happy Retirement,” which won First Place at the Vero Beach Art Club’s Inspired Works exhibit. Depicting the former Seaside Grill, Nielsen painted it on the last day it was opened, when the owners retired after 30 years in business. She finds inspiration for her creativity everywhere, with nature and the beauty of the environment topping the list. “I will get overwhelmed sometimes, as I am interested in so many things,” says Nielsen. Her varied styles include abstract expressionism, landscapes, local scenes, still life, botanical illustration and botanical art, and collages, meaning she regularly has a wealth of materials at hand, such as oils, acrylics, watercolors and pastels, cold wax, crayons and pencils. Whatever the style or medium, though, what stands out is the quality of her work. Nielsen is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, Laguna Plein Air Painters, Vero Beach Art Club, and Vero Beach Art Club Plein Air Painters. Her paintings can be viewed at the Vero Beach Art Club Gallery, and at the Gallery 14 Crystal Jubilee, its 15-year anniversary exhibit.

ARTS & THEATRE 40 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ The Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup takes place 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at various spots in the Treasure Coast. For Vero residents, that means the Riverside Park boat ramp, the Vero Beach Municipal Marina, the Wabasso Causeway boat ramp, the Sebastian Main Street boat ramp and the Sebastian Inlet Marina. Along with other communities, the goal is to clean up 125 miles of waterways in three counties – Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River. Since the organization was founded in 2008, it has involved more than 13,000 volunteers with more than 3,000 boats removing nearly 100 tons of trash from Treasure Coast waters. The event is designed for all ages to participate. Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and boats will receive a special flag to fly. For more information, visit TCWaterwaycleanup.com. The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra begins its next season with Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” The symphony will be performed by the full 88-piece orchestra led by Aaron T. Collins. The concert also features professional musician Andrew Cleaver performing Michael Kamen’s Concerto for Saxophone. Cleaver performed with numerous bands affiliated with the U.S. Air Force, and teaches privately and at schools throughout Brevard. He performed on numerous Grammy Awardwinning albums. While with the USAF, Cleaver performed for numerous world leaders. Also on the concert program is a piece from the 1995 film “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Concertgoers aged 18 and under or with a college ID are admitted free to every SCSO concert. The concert begins 3 p.m. Sunday, July 23, at the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd St. For more information, visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org. Riverside Theatre has a lot to offer this week. For the young audience members, the theater’s children’s programming presents Disney’s “Newsies JR.” The show is performed by theater students ages 8 to 13 years. As the “junior” name might suggest, this show is a 60-minute version of the longer 2012 Broadway musical. It tells the story of newsboys in turn-of-thecentury New York City. The show’s pedigree is a strong one led by Tony Award winners Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, who wrote the music, and Harvey Fierstein, who wrote the book. The storyline follows Jack Kelly who inspired newsboys (newsies) to strike against unfair working conditions. The show is a fully staged production and is held on Riverside’s large Stark Main Stage. The curtain goes up at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 21, and at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22. Tickets are $10. There’s also entertainment planned for adults, courtesy of Riverside’s Comedy Zone. This weekend, the stand-up comics are Andy Beningo and Des Mulrooney. Beningo prides himself on being a “clean” comic. Mulrooney co-stars in the upcoming film “The Road Dog.” Steve Kalisk is the emcee. All seats are $25. The Comedy Zone performs 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22. The Live in the Loop free concerts presents Dave and the Wave performing classic rock, Motown, smooth jazz and more, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, July 21; and Lionheart Band performing rock, reggae, Calypso and beachy music from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 22. Live in the Loop concerts are free. Bring a chair if you want to make sure you have a place to sit. Riverside Theatre is at 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772- 231-6990 or visit RiversideTheatre.com. “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opens Friday, July 21, at the Vero Beach Theatre Guild. It runs until Aug. 6. The musical, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice, follows the misfortunes and then fortunes of Joseph, whose father gives him a beautiful coat, much to the dislike of his jealous brothers. There will be an “Joseph Opening Night After Party” with complimentary snacks and a welcome drink at the American Icon Brewery, 1133 19th Place, Vero Beach. Tickets to the party are $35. Tickets to the show are $35 to $40. The Theatre Guild is at 2020 San Juan Ave. Call 772-562-8300 or visit VeroBeachTheatreGuild.com. 4 2 3 BY PAM HARBAUGH Correspondent

PERFORMANCE NUTRITION HELPING ATHLETES GET A COMPETITIVE EDGE

HEALTH 42 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Serious athletes train hard to achieve their goals. They are dedicated and disciplined. Yet some plateau and never seem to get over that hump that differentiates them from the rest of the pack – and conquering that hump could well be the key to getting a college scholarship or being recruited as a professional athlete. Dr. Matthew Zoffer, DO, a physician, researcher, performance nutritionist and former athlete who is “passionate about sports,” helps athletes clear that hurdle and become the best they can be. Dr. Zoffer is a graduate of the International Olympic Committee Program in Performance Nutrition. The two-year post-graduate program taught him how to fuel, fortify and supplement for a wide range of sports in ways that improve an athlete’s performance while reducing the risk of injury. “I can take an athlete and help them, their coach and team to get better [at their sport] safely,” Dr. Zoffer said. “After a comprehensive analysis of the latest research in their chosen sport and a sport-focused physical and nutritional evaluation, I work with their coach to create a customized plan that gives them a competitive edge. Utilizing performance nutrition, athletes will jump higher, run faster, lift more weight, and, at the end of the day, they train more frequently and get injured less.” Athletes and coaches generally know that diet and performance are linked. After an in-depth multipart evaluation, Dr. Zoffer personalizes a plan that spells out exactly how much protein, carbs and hydration is needed for athletes to improve in their sport. “You have different energy systems that you utilize in your body to turn food into fuel,” Dr. Zoffer explained. “Think about driving your car. You start it. You back it out of the garage. Then you get on the road and drive. You have used three different energy systems. You used the gas in your carburetor to start the car, the gas in the line, and the gas that’s pumped through from the gas tank. “You have the same three energy systems in your body. The first is the fuel inside your muscles that initiates the fight or flight response. The second is the energy in glucose that supplies you for the first 60 to 90 seconds. That’s the kind of energy that lets you run really fast for a short period of time. And the third is when you have found your groove and you can run long distance. That energy provides for endurance in a sport.” Different athletes use these energy systems differently, and knowing which energy they use can be integrated into their training. “It’s complex,” Dr. Zoffer continued. “Take runners, for example. When I train a sprinter, I will focus on that first energy system that enables the athlete to fuel the muscles as quickly as possible. If I’m training a marathon runner, I will focus on the third energy system that builds endurance. This explains the difference in physique between a sprinter and a marathoner as well.” Each sport has its own nuances. A soccer player runs five or six miles during a two-hour match, but they run those miles in spurts. If they are training for endurance, they will not get better. What they really need to do is train to sprint and accelerate quickPerformance nutrition helps athletes get competitive edge BY KERRY FIRTH Correspondent Dr. Matthew Zoffer with Eva Heran. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS

HEALTH Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 43 ly to the goal. Golfers walk about five to six miles yet very few golfers train for endurance. Stamina, or strength over time, is what makes a golfer better. Understanding how muscles use energy is unique to each sport and is crucial to optimizing performance. Hydration is a primary focus in Dr. Zoffer’s practice. Most athletes don’t have a hydration strategy and don’t realize that hydration can affect their performance. “Acclimatization is the process of an athlete adapting to his environment,” Dr. Zoffer continued. “Whether the athlete is shivering in freezing temperatures while waiting for a downhill ski run or trying to stay cool in the oppressive Florida heat, there is an energy cost to his body to keep it regulated. Replacing those calories with just water will leave him fatigued and his performance will suffer.” Athletes can lose 1 percent to 2 percent of their body weight when dehydrated, so anticipating that loss before competition can improve their performance. That can be done by analyzing the athlete’s body fat percentage and daily weight fluctuations. A state-of-the-art hydration monitor that goes on the tongue can be used real-time during competition or in between matches. “I can predict fluid losses in my athletes before they occur, improving their performance and also preventing dehydration,” Dr. Zoffer confided. “Replacing that fluid with just water isn’t enough. When people perspire they don’t just lose water, they lose sodium. For peak performance, an athlete must drink enough to stay hydrated but also ingest enough electrolytes to offset their sweat. The amount of salt that needs to be replaced during and after exercise can be determined by the sodium concentration of a sweat sample collected during the activity.” Dr. Zoffer is undertaking a sweat sodium level study for MX3 LAB and is looking for a local sports team to participate. The MX3 Sweat Sodium Test contains everything needed to collect a sweat sample and determine its sodium concentration with laboratory-grade accuracy. Each measurement result is used to generate a personalized sodium replacement strategy for sodium intake before, during and after exercise. If there is a local Treasure Coast team out there that wants to increase their performance, the coach or manager can call Dr. Zoffer to get the details. Dr. Matthew Zoffer is a board-certified OB/GYN physician who received his medical degree at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York, served his internship at St. Clare’s Hospital in Manhattan, and completed his residency at SUNY Health Science CenterUniversity Hospital of Brooklyn. He is the founder of the performance nutrition business Nutrytics. With 30 years’ experience in competitive judo and other combat sports, and 15 years as a coach, trainer and instructor, he is passionate about nutrition’s impact on performance. You can call Dr. Zoffer at 772-696-3606 or visit nutrytics. com to set up a time for him to meet you at your gym, in your home, or on your sports turf for a personal consultation.

HEALTH 44 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ A new medication and enhanced emphasis on lifestyle changes are the latest tools being offered to people with high cholesterol, a condition that affects nearly 25 million adults in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In March 2023, news about the latest medication – bempedoic acid – was reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. Turns out the drug significantly lowers cholesterol and the risk of heart attacks, as well as reducing the need for a procedure that unblocks clogged arteries. “Statins are the cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention, and they are recommended to a large number of people who either have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Steven E. Nissen, chief academic officer of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic. “But anywhere from 7 percent to 29 percent of patients experience adverse effects they can’t tolerate from use of statins. The primary problem is muscle pain.” Bempedoic acid doesn’t cause muscle side effects because it’s not activated in muscle and other tissues around the body, Dr. Nissen explained. Until the medication gets to the liver, it’s not activated at all. According to Dr. Robert Watine, who is board certified in internal medicine and practices with Steward Internal Medicine in Barefoot Bay, medications and available treatments have changed significantly since Mevacor and other statins were introduced in the 1980s. “When we prescribe cholesterol medications to our patients, we have to consider risk versus benefit. People need to be able to tolerate side effects,” Watine said. And since you have to be treated if you’re high risk, it’s significant that we now have other options available.” According to WebMD, some of the current drugs prescribed to treat high cholesterol – in addition to bempedoic acid – are: Fighting high cholesterol: New drug, lifestyle changes help BY JACKIE HOLFELDER Correspondent Dr. Robert Watine. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

HEALTH Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 45 Bile acid resin drugs or bile acid sequestrants. They work inside your intestines. They attach to bile from the liver and keep it from being absorbed back into your blood. Bile is made largely from cholesterol, so these drugs whittle down the body’s supply of cholesterol. Ezetimibe, which lowers LDL cholesterol by blocking its absorption in the small intestine. PCSK9 inhibitors, which are drugs used by people who can’t manage their cholesterol through lifestyle changes and statin treatments. The drugs block a protein called PCSK9, making it easier for the body to remove LDL from the blood. Some are used by themselves and some in combination with statins. Dr. Watine, who helps his patients find a healthy path to treating their cholesterol, says that homeopathic treatments, such as red yeast rice, work for some people. “I frequently refer my patients to nutritionists or dietitians to help them get on the right track,” he says. “People have to stop eating garbage.” Plus, exercise is key. In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Watine is both a certified strength/conditioning specialist and a certified personal trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. “You have to do aerobic exercise so that you get rid of body fat. Your metabolic rate stays elevated for up to three hours after you’re finished exercising. The answer isn’t Ozempic or the fenphen diet, which will make you lose weight but not fat.” Other suggested lifestyle changes, according to Kaiser Permanente, include Eat healthy, nutrient-rich foods. Quit – or don’t start – smoking. Limit alcohol. Reduce or better manage stress. Consider over-the-counter supplements like soluble fiber and omega-3 fat/fish oil. Dr. Watine offers patients a holistic approach as they deal with their cholesterol issues. “I really try to get people’s attention about the need to make healthy choices. I try to empower them to make better decisions and help them to feel more positive about their diet and lifestyle,” he said. “My goal is to convince them they need a formal exercise program, not just a walk at work. And I help them learn ‘cookbook medicine’ in an effort to keep the problem from getting bigger.” The most current FDA guidelines state that a healthy LDL blood level is less than 100 mg/dL. A healthy HDL blood level is 60 mg/dL or higher. Guideline numbers change periodically and the understanding of the role of dietary cholesterol has been revised over the years as new scientific findings have been published. One thing that has remained constant is that the majority of people don’t know they have a cholesterol problem until they are tested. There are basically no symptoms. The latest guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association call for healthy adults who do not have heart disease to have their cholesterol levels tested every four to six years, starting at age 20. Dr. Robert Watine graduated from University of Miami School of Medicine and did his internship and residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He is affiliated with Steward Health Care, which operates Sebastian River Medical Center and Steward Medical Group, and works at Steward Internal Medicine, 8000 Ron Beatty Blvd., Barefoot Bay. He is accepting new patients and can be reached at 772-664-1388.

HEALTH 46 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Q. How can you tell when you should go to a doctor for memory lapses? A. This is a serious question that demands a joke for openers ... Because they are forgetful, an elderly husband and wife go to the doctor. The doctor tells them their problem isn’t serious and they should just write down reminders. One evening, the husband is watching TV and his wife is in the kitchen. “Honey, can you get me a dish of ice cream? And don’t forget to write it down.” “I don’t have to write it down.” “Yeah, but I want some whipped cream.” “I’ll remember.” “And some nuts and a cherry on top. Write it down.” “For God’s sake, you want a sundae. I can remember a sundae.” A half-hour passes and the wife brings out a tray with scrambled eggs, link sausages, coffee and juice. “I knew it!” the husband cries. “You forgot the toast.” So, when should you go to your doctor to discuss your memory lapses? That’s a personal judgment call. I’ve found that I can’t remember the names of movie stars and ballplayers the way I used to. I attribute this to what I call the “overloaded filing cabinet.” As we get older, we accumulate so many memories that it’s impossible to find the one we want. I’m not sufficiently worried about my memory difficulties to mention them to my doctor. But if you are worried, get tested. The unfunny truth is that Alzheimer’s begins with difficulty remembering the familiar – people, things, events. Or, you start having trouble doing simple arithmetic in your head. These annoyances are common to seniors with healthy brains, so most of us don’t get too worked up over them. But, as Alzheimer’s progresses, it can make people forget how to brush their teeth or change channels on a TV. And it gets worse until patients require complete care. If you’re having some memory lapses that worry you, go to the doctor with a positive attitude. Many different medical conditions may cause Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and some of these medical conditions may be treatable. You could be suffering from the effects of a high fever, dehydration, poor nutrition, reactions to medicines, thyroid problems, a minor head injury – or just normal agerelated forgetfulness. And then there are those pesky emotions. Feeling sad, lonely, worried or bored can affect people facing retirement or coping with the death of a loved one. Adapting to change can make you forgetful. There are benefits to an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Knowing early helps patients and their families plan for the future. It gives them time to discuss care while the patient can still participate in decisions. Early diagnosis also offers the best chance to treat the symptoms of the disease. Scientists are working to develop new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s. Although research is helping us learn more about the disease, we still do not know what causes Alzheimer’s, and there is no cure yet, though some new drugs do slow progression of the disease. [In my next column, I’ll report more about memory and aging.] BY FRED CICETTI Columnist When should you ask your doctor about memory lapses?

HEALTH Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 47 Occasionally feeling tired during the day is normal – especially as you get older. But no matter your age, some simple steps may be helpful. “There are plenty of things you can do through lifestyle eat the right foods, get enough exercise, stay connected with others – to help keep energy reserves up,” says Rosanne M. Leipzig, a professor in geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and author of “Honest Aging: An Insider’s Guide to the Second Half of Life.” But if your energy lags enough to make daily activities challenging, she recommends seeing a doctor to rule out or fix a health issue that may be at fault. (See “Five energy sappers,” below.) And consider these strategies. Check your medications Some medicines can cause drowsiness, says Lillian Min, an associate professor of geriatric and palliative medicine at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. One common offender is diphenhydramine, found in some over-thecounter cold medications and allergy drugs like Benadryl. Beta-blockers for high blood pressure, such as acebutolol (Sectral) and metoprolol (Lopressor), may also make you tired. In addition, certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants may have sedating qualities, as can muscle relaxants and opioids, says Richard Marottoli, a geriatrician at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. In these cases, talk to your doctor; switching to another class of drug with similar benefits may help. Get some light in the morning Going to bed and getting up at the same time each day is important, especially the getting up part, says Christina Pierpaoli Parker, a geriatric behavioral sleep medicine psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. This helps regulate your body clock and energy levels. On awakening, expose yourself to natural light as soon as possible. “It’s highly alerting and can provide energy throughout the day,” says Shelby Harris, a clinical associate professor of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. This can also improve sleep quality. Try a morning walk, throw open your curtains or blinds or consider a sunrise alarm clock, which mimics natural sunlight. Drink plenty of fluids Older adults may be more likely to be dehydrated. “As you age, your thirst cues become blunted,” says Jessica Sylvester, a clinical dietitian and national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. As a result, you’re less likely to drink enough fluids, and one small study suggests that even minimal dehydration can cause fatigue. To prevent dehydration, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that women generally get about nine cups of fluid per day and men about 13 cups. (Foods like soup and produce also contain fluids.) “I suggest to my older patients that they get a water bottle they like, and drink three of them each day,” Sylvester says. Eat the right stuff Because your appetite may become smaller with age, it’s important to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need to maintain strength and energy. So every meal and snack should include complex carbohydrates – produce or whole grains – plus protein or a bit of healthy fat, or both, Sylvester says. “The combination of at least two of these macronutrients helps slow down digestion and absorption, so you don’t see as big of a spike in blood sugar,” she says. “This helps prevent a blood sugar crash that contributes to low energy.” Also, limit processed and refined foods. These tend to be high in simple carbs, which may cause blood sugar jumps and crashes that leave you low in energy, she says. Pay particular attention to protein. People over 65 should strive for 0.45 to 0.55 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily (68 to 83 grams for a 150-pound woman, and 81 to 99 grams for a 180-pound man). Try to spread it evenly across meals. A 2013 study in the Nutrition Journal found that uneven distribution of protein throughout the day was associated with frailty, slower walking speed and fatigue in older adults. Most animal sources of protein are also rich in B12, a nutrient that becomes hard to absorb with age. Move around more Aerobic exercise is key. “It improves cardiovascular function, so your body can move oxygen-containing blood around your body more efficiently,” says Joshua Keller, an exercise physiologist at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. As a result, you feel more energized, and actions like lifting a heavy object or climbing stairs become easier. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that older adults get 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking. If that’s daunting, start with less and ramp up slowly. “We want to meet people at their level. If you feel too tired, then just try to walk around the block, and gradually increase distance and intensity every week,” Keller says. Resistance training is important for maintaining energy, too. Muscles typically lose 1 percent to 3 percent of their strength every year after age 60. About 30 percent of adults over age 70 have trouble walking, getting out of a chair or climbing stairs, according to the National Institute on Aging. Keller suggests strength training or exercises that also incorporate balance, such as tai chi and yoga, twice a week. He recommends adding brief bouts of exercise – a minute or two – throughout the day, as well. A 2022 review concluded that this can boost overall fitness and heart health. These mini-workouts, whether it’s marching in place, doing push-ups against the wall or doing squats, can be energizing, too. If such DIY techniques don’t help enough – you still feel stressed, or very anxious or depressed – contact your doctor. Feeling tired? These 5 tips may help you rev up your energy BY HALLIE LEVINE The Washington Post and Consumer Reports

48 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Eiffel Tower glinting majestically in the sun. Filmy black dresses fluttering in the breeze as the models stalked along a cobblestone catwalk by the Seine. Heavily bejeweled, boucle-jacketed clients fanning themselves (is a collective of Chanel haute-couture customers called a Tweed?). Models in boho headscarves and printed floaty dresses, which looked very 1970s St. Tropez, and others dressed in boaters and gold-brocade skirt suits. This was concentrated parfum de Frenchness and the audience lapped it up. Hardened journalists seemed to be enjoying it too. (At any rate, this one did). There was even a soundtrack, on repeat, of a little-known song (outside France at least) of Elton John singing in French with France Gall (a name so French it stretches the boundaries of plausibility). The song is called Donner pour Donner and it’s as cheesy as a Croque Monsieur. And as pleasurable. It’s not always easy to predict how well a live show will travel in pictures. Chanel’s last collection – in L.A. – was far better received by those watching it IRL than by those viewing it on screens. I wasn’t in L.A. for that show but I was in Paris for this one, which I much preferred. Maybe it really was a better show. I could see lots that would work This was the most French Chanel show ever BY LISA ARMSTRONG The Telegraph

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 49 Style in what passes for the “real” lives of Chanel’s uber-wealthy couture customers, starting with the slim, goldbuttoned maxi coat that Caroline De Maigret opened the show in (and a shorter version on Jill Kortleve), both with narrow sleeves and classically Chanel high armholes. Beaded, floral evening gowns were pretty. The closer you looked, the more special they appeared. The slim, structured maxi skirts, some with embroidered or plain shirts, will do nicely too. One made from thickly woven khaki, white and navy stripes, partnered with a black, silk blouse, was everything you want from Chanel – spirited, relaxed but unmistakably expensive looking. Virginie Viard, Chanel’s creative director, often gets heat for not moving the creative dial at this house. Her efforts in this direction included dropping the waists on her skirts a fraction, which altered proportions quite a lot for those with a keen eye. There was a bumper crop of tweed jackets (including a pearl-trimmed flecked corker), gold and black Mary Janes with low block heels (already a Chanel best seller from previous outings) and another return to sheer black tights. But dial moving is not what Chanel’s legions of fans want. This is a chess board of a house – “all” a designer here has to do is move the pieces around each collection and create a compelling board. This time, mission accomplished.

50 Vero Beach 32963 / July 20, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style It’s surprisingly rare that I find myself wanting anything I see in a couture show. Sure, much of it casts a temporary spell the way pieces in a museum do. You can admire the creativity and get a kick from the number of hours it took to complete a few square inches of intricate embroidery. But most of the time, the clothes are conceived for a life it’s hard to picture yourself wanting to lead for more than about seven minutes. When money’s no object, it’s surprisingly easy to lose sight of what the object really is. Clothes you can wear? In a life that’s remotely imaginable? Not really the point. However, I don’t know about you, but I could easily figure out a fantasy life into which Dior’s latest couture collection by creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri would seamlessly slot without looking anything other than quietly beautiful. There’d be a bit of wafting around on a proper yacht, as opposed to one of those tediously noisy, inflated gin palaces. Those long, drape-y, Greek goddess dresses for instance would be just the ticket for cocktails on a sweeping teak deck. And you’d need some elegantly grand parties (the kind at which selfies are banned) where you could make a Grace Kelly, circa 1962 entrance in a floor-length column dress with a fluttery cape. But you could also get some useful work achieved wearing those pleated cape-sleeved contoured tunic tops and matching trousers. Meanwhile your next beach holiday would definitely be better off with one of those silky ankle-length shirt dresses. “This collection began with a sentence from Christian Dior,” explained Chiuri. ‘’He talked about how he drew inspiration from clothes from antiquity because of their simplicity. The starting point was the silhouette, rather than the embroideries.” If this sounds as though it could use a few more bells and whistles – it’s couture after all – well, there are couturiers who pretty much literally put bells and whistles on their clothes. What Chiuri and the Dior workrooms did here demands a dizzying commitment to perfection to achieve such apparent “simplicity.” Proportions were layered: a cropped jacket over a long empire blouse over a slim maxi skirt, everything with flat shoes, Dior’s totemic Bar jacket was reworked, lighter than ever, in silk or iridescent wool, and painstakingly constructed trios of pleats gave skirts and dresses a soft structure. In a palate of cream, white, gray and taupe, these clothes are a continuation of a minimalist line Chiuri has been following since her collection in Mumbai in May. The bright pinks and saffron shades of that show made the pared-back approach seem joyful and bold. Here it was purer and more ethereal: Gandhi meets Audrey Hepburn. This is about luxury as private pleasure, not some silly side show that has to yell for attention. Stealth wealth has had so much exposure this year, it’s in danger of losing the stealth angle. But not here. Dior’s couture collection was luxury as private pleasure BY LISA ARMSTRONG The Telegraph