04/11/2024 ISSUE 08

Community opposition prompted developer WGI Inc. to scrap a proposal to build a 97-unit townhouse project in Lakewood Park and switch to a single-family subdivision with 61 houses. The Fort Lauderdale-based developer proposed building the Sabal Palm Grove Planned Unit Development on a 19.44- acre agricultural parcel on the southeast corner of Emerson and DeLand avenues. WGI scaled back the townhouse project to 89 units after the county Planning and Zoning Board voted Oct. 19, 2023, to recommend the County Commission approve the plan with a reduction in density. WGI opted for a single-family subdivision after running into more opposition during a Jan. 9 Nearly 300 students and amateur stargazers gathered Monday outside the Hallstrom Planetarium at Indian River State College’s Massey Campus in Fort Pierce for the “Great North American Eclipse.” Students were let out of class early and parents took off VOLUME 9, ISSUE 8 YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024 A8 A14 B6 New SLW Starbucks? Traffic analysis plannned Multiple myeloma New drugs lift survival rate ‘Bard on Broadway’ IRSC presents unique cabaret ‘Color Fort Pierce’ event honors Crayola founder Binney. Pages B1, B12 Commissioners OK scaled-back subdivision plan PETS ARTS/PEOPLE GAMES SPORTS A1-A12, A24 A13-A23 B25 A25-A40 B24 B1-B17 B28-B30 B31 © 2024 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. IN THIS ISSUE NEWS HEALTH ADVICE REAL ESTATE Mosquito Control District spreads 1 ton of larvicide BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] CONTINUED ON PAGE A4 CONTINUED ON PAGE A11 The St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District spread larvicides by airplane over Hutchinson Island marshes to cull mosquito larvae throughout the week of April 1-5. The airplane spread around 1,870 pounds of solid pest-killing granules at a rate of 10 pounds-peracre throughout the 4,400 acres of wetlands it manages, according to county spokesman Erick Gill. The larvicide covers 106.8 acres of marshland impoundments on North Hutchinson Island, 48.4 acres on South Hutchinson Island, and 31.8 acres north of the Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute as of April 4. “Due to the size and dense vegetation of the mangrove salt marsh, the safest and most effective way to larvicide these areas is by airplane,” Gill said. “Only the fringes of the impoundments are being treated.” The following wetland areas are in line for aerial larvicide treatment, according to a March 28 news release by St. Lucie County. SABAL PALM GROVE CONTINUED ON PAGE A9 Home Depot and WaWa planned at Becker and Village Trotting north after training locally What one owner describes as “the best training facility in Florida” for Standardbred horses – which will soon migrate to the northeast to seek fame and fortune – is right in our back yard. Story, Page 6. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent STATE HONORS FISH & WILDLIFE OFFICER KILLED IN 2022 CRASH A Home Depot and a WaWa convenience store are among the businesses planned on a 41.35- acre parcel at the intersection of Village Parkway and Becker Road in southwestern Port St. Lucie. The Port St. Lucie City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve the rezoning of the agricultural property to Master Planned Unit Development, which allows a mix of residential and commercial development. The northern 20 acres is designated as a Residential/Commercial Mixed Use Area with 12.41 acres for residential use, city records show. The southern CONTINUED ON PAGE A9 BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent See story, Page 3 ECLIPSE MANIA HITS IRSC Visitors to IRSC’s Hallstrom Planetarium theater; a look through the telescope. PHOTOS: CHARLES CALOIA

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS April 11, 2024 3 Left: The dedication ceremony for Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission investigator Kyle Lee Patterson. Above: An ad-hoc memorial stands near where Patterson died in 2022. PHOTOS: FWC OFFICERS ASSOCIATION FACEBOOK PAGE, LEFT: CHARLES CALOIA, ABOVE Okeechobee Road section renamed for FWC officer killed in 2022 crash BY CHARLES CALOIA | Correspondent A two-mile stretch of Okeechobee Road/ State Road 70 was renamed “Kyle Lee Patterson Memorial Way” during a ceremony on March 29 in honor of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission senior investigator killed in a June 2022 head-on collision. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on the road’s dedication on May 30, 2023. Patterson, 35, a decorated 15-year FWC veteran, died on June 9, 2022, from injuries sustained in the line of duty in a head-on collision at the intersection of Okeechobee Road and South Header Canal Road. Florida Highway Patrol records show a 24-year-old Tampa woman in a green Kia sedan traveling east-bound in the westbound lanes collided with Patterson’s white unmarked FWC Ford pickup at 12:11 p.m. Both drivers died on-scene, FHP records show. The FHP’s Florida Advanced Investigation and Reconstruction unit investigated the crash as a homicide due to Patterson’s on-duty death. FWC spokeswoman Ashlee Sklute said Patterson “was the only FWC personnel to lose their life in St. Lucie County from Jan. 1, 2019, to present that we have record of.” Patterson is survived by his wife Alisha, two children, Kole and Kinsey, his parents and two sisters. Patterson was a native of Christmas, Florida, who grew up on farms, learning horse and cattle husbandry. Throughout his life, Patterson was involved in the Orange County Farm Bureau’s 4-H Show Stoppers, said Jacquelyn Adams, the St. Lucie County group’s leader. Patterson’s son Kole follows in his father’s footsteps as a recent inclusion to the Show Stoppers, Ad-ams said. FWC records include seven commendations Patterson received throughout his career, Sklute said. They include a 2010 Lifesaving Award, a 2017 letter of commendation and recognition for his work in storm relief after Hurricanes Irma and Michael in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Patterson also received the 2018 Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Award for his sea turtle egg poaching investigations in Palm Beach County. His efforts led to three arrests and the return of 444 eggs to their habitat. Patterson’s obituary on the Haisley Funeral Home website said that donations could be made to the FWC Officers Association, the St. Lucie County Farm Bureau Youth Enhancement Fund, and a trust fund for his two children.

4 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com South Hutchinson Island between Bear Point Sanctuary and the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant. A small area of North Hutchinson Island. A small section north of FAU Harbor Branch. “Missions over the area north of Harbor Branch and the sites on North Hutchinson Island are completed but winds have delayed completion of the rest of South Hutchinson Island and we hope to complete those before Friday,” Gill said. Gill said the SLCMCD contracted the work to Vector Disease Control International (VDCI), a pest control firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The VDCI operated one airplane, a Cessna T188C Ag Husky out of Vero Beach Regional Airport, to spread larvicide granules throughout Hutchinson Island’s salt marshes. The plane made 11 larvicide sorties over Hutchinson Island: two on April 1 and April 2, one on April 4, and six on April 5, according to logs collected on the FlightAware website. The plane did not fly over Hutchinson Island on April 3 due to wind gusts exceeding 50 mph, Gill said. Rainy conditions throughout that week hampered efforts to spread larvicide throughout South Hutchinson Island in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specifications. The SLCMCD “only applies products approved by the EPA and in accordance with the label’s guidelines,” Gill said. The SLCMCD’s latest round of larvicide distribution is being conducted after the county’s unusually rainy dry season starting last October. “As rain totals increase, the risk of mosquito emergence also increases,” Gill said. “Weather also impacts the department operationally. For example, if the winds are too high or if it is raining, per the label’s guidelines, we can’t make treatments.” The county’s larvicide efforts primarily target the Black Salt Marsh Mosquito (species Aedes taeniorhynchus) that can emerge en masse during the spring and summer. “Treatments are applied to documented larval sites and products used are labeled for that environment,” Gill said. The SLCMCD uses the granular pesticides Altosid XRG Ultra and Vectoprime FG for their aerial larvicide distribution, Gill said. Altosid uses the hormone Methoprene to stunt larval growth and prevent mosquitoes from reaching adulthood. A 2017 National Institute of Health review ruled that Methoprene was “not toxic to the vast majority of vertebrates and invertebrates tested in laboratories.” Vectoprime FG works by infecting larvae with spores from Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) bacteria strains commonly found in soil. Bti specifically affects “the larvae of only mosquitoes, black flies and fungus gnats” and poses minimal risk to other species such as pollinators like honeybees, according to a U.S. EPA website page last updated June 20, 2023. Black Salt Marsh Mosquitoes lay between 15,000 and 40,000 eggs per square foot in the mud throughout the SLCMCD’s impounded wetlands, Gill said. Unlike other species that lay their eggs atop the water, Black Salt Marsh Mosquito nests are regularly washed away by the SLCMCD’s spring/summer impoundment pumping. “This impoundment pumping occurs between April and September each year and drastically reduces potential salt marsh mosquito emergence each year,” Gill said. “Thanks to our impoundment program, on average since 2019, SLCMCD only needs to conduct aerial larviciding missions one to two times per year,” Gill said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 MOSQUITO CONTROL The larvicide distribution plane, a Cessna T188C Ag Husky, returning from its last sortie over Blind Creek near the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant the evening of April 5. PHOTO: CHARLES CALOIA

6 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com Standardbred horses set to trot north after training locally As the annual migration of snowbirds back to their northern homes gets underway, most seasonal Treasure Coast residents may not be aware that they will be joined on the journey by a sizable contingent of fourlegged colleagues – Standardbred horses who have been trained locally during the winter and will now begin their trek to the harness racing tracks in the Northeast where they will compete for fame and fortune. Vero Beach boasts what co-owner Ove Bender immodestly – but probably accurately – describes as “the best training facility in Florida” for Standardbreds, a 64-acre spread at 66th Avenue and 53rd Street known as the Palema Trotting training camp, which the Bender family co-owns with fellow-Swede Ake Svanstedt, who was honored last year as harness racing’s Trainer of the Year at a big ceremony in Orlando. The Benders and the Svanstedts have owned homes on Vero’s barrier island for more than a decade. They say they love Vero Beach because its cleanliness reminds them of Sweden, and it’s not overpopulated – another similarity with their native country. There are other horse training facilities for Standardbreds around Florida in places like Orlando, Ocala and Pompano Beach where horses can train all winter long in our mild weather for the summer racing season up north, but Bender said some horse owners have left those facilities to come to Vero Beach because “we have the best.” The summer harness racing season at the 17 tracks around New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Kentucky starts in May, and Bender and Svanstedt have high hopes for some of the horses they have trained at Palema Trotting’s 1,000-meter track for the past few months. They have the track record to be optimistic. Bender himself won harness racing’s blue-ribbon race, the annual Hambletonian held in the first week of August at the Meadowlands, with Alf Palema in 1992, and more recently, Team Svanstedt won the same race twice, once in 2017 with Perfect Spirit and again in 2021 with Captain Corey. Svanstedt has won more than 7,000 races during his 40-year career, 30 of those years in his native Sweden. He jokingly says that amounts to “a lot of flowers,” since winners there get flowers instead of medals. Harness racing is a totally different sport from Thoroughbred racing. In harness racing, no jockey rides on top of the horse; instead, the horse pulls a lightweight, twowheeled vehicle called a sulky in which the driver sits. Drivers do not need to be as small as jockeys as the driver’s body weight in the sulky doesn’t make much difference to the trotting horse. In Europe, harness racing is big in the Scandinavian countries and in Italy, while in France, it’s equally as popular as Thoroughbred racing. While Thoroughbred racing may be considered slightly more glamorous than harness racing in the U.S., and the winning purse at the Kentucky Derby may be larger than first prize at the Hambletonian, that race is still worth a cool $1 million to the winner. While 100,00 people can flock to a Triple Crown Thoroughbred race, the Hambletonian may draw about 20,000 spectators. Both Bender and Svanstedt have been around horses their whole lives and love the animals but they’ve always preferred Standardbreds to Thoroughbreds. “Our trotter horses are much nicer to work with,” Bender says. “Thoroughbreds tend to be more temperamental.” Palema Trotting has 29 different paddocks and 107 boxes, meaning that every season, more than 100 horses can be trained here – mostly as trotters, a few as pacers – and readied for the northern racing season. Bender and Svanstedt bought the property in 2010 when it was a showplace for jumping horses, and have since added most of the stables and other facilities as well as living quarters for trainers, BY PIETER VANBENNEKOM | Staff Writer Emeritus Ove Bender, Ake Svanstedt, Happy Jack (horse), Sarah Svanstedt and Ulrica Bender.

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS April 11, 2024 7 some of whom also come from Sweden. Bender has been coming to Florida for many years as he owned a roofing tile factory in the Ocala area. Originally, he looked at a winter home in the Miami area, but found South Florida traffic too busy and chaotic and came to Vero Beach instead on the recommendation of a friend. He never looked back and hasn’t once regretted his decision to build a home here. As a businessman, Bender readily admits that manufacturing roofing tiles is a more profitable venture than training horses. He sometimes wonders if the horses are more of a hobby than a business. “If you want to make a lot of money, you shouldn’t be in the horse racing business, but we do it for the love of the horses,” he says. “We find it inspiring. It makes us happy. Of course, we’re happier if our horses win.” Still, the trotter training facility brought in almost $10 million last year, which was nothing to sneeze at. At last year’s auction, about 950 yearling Standardbreds came up for sale, and the average selling price was about $90,000. It costs between $60,000 and $80,000 to train a horse for a season and get it ready for racing at a facility like Palema Trotting in Vero Beach, so horse owners can be $150,000 in the hole before they can earn back even a penny from race winnings.

COVID-19 caused the death of 44 St. Lucie County residents so far in 2024, including one during the week ending March 29, according to a Florida Department of Health database. Overall, the virus has caused the death of 1,155 county residents since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, the database shows. Updated statistics show COVID-19 caused the death of 140 county residents in 2023, 334 in 2022, 637 in 2021 and 413 in 2020, the database shows. As of March 29, a total of 2,297 St. Lucie County residents have been diagnosed with the virus so far this year. That includes 28 county residents who tested positive for COVID-19 during the week ending March 29. Overall, 89,311 St. Lucie County residents have been diagnosed with the virus since March 2020, the database shows. A total of 4,130 county residents have received COVID-19 vaccines in 2024, as of March 29, the state database shows. That includes 12 county residents who received vaccines during the week ending March 29. Overall, 320,519 St. Lucie County residents have received COVID-19 vaccines as of March 29. 8 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com ROOFING LOCAL • TRUSTED • RELIABLE CALL TODAY! 561-945-9577 772-323-9981 Experienced Insurance Adjuster on Staff FREE Inspection & Evaluation of Your Roof Shingle Roofs Tile Roofs Metal Roofs Roof Repairs Insurance Coverage In Jeopardy? BBB Angi 5.0 Rating DELOROOFING.COM $550 OFF ANY METAL ROOF Good for 30 days. COVID HAS CAUSED 44 DEATHS HERE IN 2024 – GEORGE ANDREASSI Starbucks wants to build a 2,160-squarefoot coffee shop with drive-through service on the southwest corner of St. Lucie West and Cashmere boulevards in St. Lucie West. Equity One (Florida Portfolio) LLC, of San Antonio, Texas, plans to develop the Starbucks on a triangle-shaped 1.04-acre lot just northeast of the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Motor vehicles will access the Starbucks through the existing Cashmere Corners Shopping Mall off St. Lucie West Boulevard and Cashmere Boulevard. There will be enough space for a total of 15 vehicles to line up in the drive-through service lane, said Bethany Grubbs, a city planner, during a meeting of the Port St. Lucie Planning and Zoning Board on April 2. A preliminary analysis indicates the line for the drive-through lane will not extend onto Cashmere Boulevard during the morning rush hour, Grubbs said. A detailed traffic analysis will be conducted as part of the site plan review for the project, Grubbs said. A 6-foot-tall hedge will be installed along the length of the drive-through lane on St. Lucie West and Cashmere boulevards to shield neighboring properties from the vehicles, city records show. A resident in the nearby Lake Forest subdivision, David Sontag, called for a traffic analysis for the intersection of St. Lucie West and Cashmere boulevards before the approval of the special use permit. “My specific concern is about that intersection. The traffic there is already a nightmare,” Sontag said. “I don’t believe Cashmere Boulevard can support the additional traffic. “I know the high schoolers are going to drive to that Starbucks a lot,” Sontag said. “My recommendation is to table this until specifically a traffic study can address the intersection.” The city Planning and Zoning Board voted 6-1 last on April 2 to recommend the City Council approve the special use permit with a condition that allows minor changes to the conceptual site plan based on the full traffic study. Board member Peter Spatara, the lone dissenter, also expressed concern about the impact the proposed Starbucks would have on traffic on Cashmere Boulevard. BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] Starbucks planned at St. Lucie West and Cashmere blvds. Site of proposed Starbucks on southwest corner of St. Lucie West and Cashmere boulevards. PHOTO: LINDA KLOORFAIN

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS April 11, 2024 9 21.35 acres is designated as a Commercial Mixed Use Area. The uses proposed in the Commercial Mixed Use Area include a hotel, restaurants, retail, professional and medical offices, self-storage and institutional uses, city records show. A proposed site plan for the 21.35-acre parcel includes a Home Depot store and a 5,915-square-foot WaWa convenience store and gas station. The city’s Site Plan Review Committee approved that major site plan on Jan. 24. It still faces review by the city Planning and Zoning Board and City Council. Developer Mattamy Palm Beach LLC plans to provide four driveways with limited access on Village Parkway and two driveways with limited access on Becker Road, city records show. One of the driveways aligns with Legacy Park Drive to the west. A traffic signal is required at the intersection under an agreement between the city and Mattamy Palm Beach. CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 HOME DEPOT AND WAWA CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 SABAL PALM GROVE public hearing before the County Commission. County commissioners voted 4-1 on April 2 to approve the rezoning of the parcel and the preliminary site plan for Sabal Palm Grove. Commissioner Larry Leet, the lone dissenter, said the single-family subdivision plan was better than the townhouse proposal, but still too dense. “I like this plan better,” Leet said. “What I don’t like about the planned development right now is all the concentration on the inside. I don’t foresee having the wildlife being preserved in there with the larger oak trees. “You don’t have the lot size you would need that is more in conformity with the rest of Lakewood Park,” Leet said. “Keeping with the Lakewood Park area, I think it would be more suitable to keep this kind of design and keep the lot sizes at 75 feet. Let the people plant oak trees that can grow up to be large oak trees. “You’re eliminating wildlife with the trees and the look of Lakewood Park,” Leet told WGI’s representatives. “For that reason, I cannot go along with this subdivision.” Commission Chairwoman Cathy Townsend said she believed lot sizes were large enough and the single-family subdivision was preferable to the prior townhouse proposals. “This is a much better project,” Townsend told WGI’s representatives. “I could not support the one you came in with before.” Some Lakewood Park homeowners expressed support for the project during a meeting WGI held on Feb. 13, Townsend said. “There were residents there who did approve of the project,” Townsend said. “They were OK with it. I was actually shocked that two of them stepped up and said they thought this was a better plan. “You’re keeping it conducive with what’s in the neighborhood,” Townsend told WGI’s representatives. “It’s not something that I don’t think will blend with the neighborhood. I think with all the conversations that happened, we’re going to end up with a good product. I’m not 100 percent on board, but I can approve this project. This is a better deal.” Jerrod Purser, a project manager with WGI, said the feedback from the neighborhood homeowners and county commissioners helped the developer improve the Sabal Palm Grove plans. “It is a better project because of the process that we’ve gone through with you all and the residents,” Purser said. “We do appreciate that and feel it’s much more compatible for the community.” The 19.44-acre site is owned by Beacon One Holdings LLC, of Lake Worth, according to county Property Appraiser records. It has a market value of $834,400. Beacon One Holdings bought the land for $950,000 on Aug. 16, 2022, from Emerson Villas H LLC, county Property Appraiser records show.

The Tradition Commerce Center in southwestern Port St. Lucie will soon be home to a 552,670-square-foot warehouse project called Tradition Commerce Park. Tradition Commerce Park LLC, of Fort Lauderdale, plans to develop seven warehouse buildings with a total of 470,794 square feet of warehouse space and 81,870 square feet of office space. The development site is a 34.17-acre parcel west of Interstate 95, south of Trade Center Drive, east of Tom Mackie Boulevard and north of Marshall Parkway, city records show. The Port St. Lucie City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve the master site plan for Tradition Commerce Park. The project will generate an average of 1,757 daily motor vehicle trips, including 224 during the evening rush hour, city records show. A continuous southbound left-turn lane will be built in front of the site along Tom Mackie Boulevard. A northbound right-turn lane will also be constructed on Tom Mackie Boulevard. Phase 1 of the project will consist of two warehouse buildings totaling 73,600 square feet, city records show. The rest of the buildings will be built in Phase 2. The City Council also voted unanimously to enter a grant agreement with Florida Department of Transportation that provides $3 million toward the $7.4 million extension of Tom Mackie Boulevard from East/West 2 Road to Marshall Parkway. The remaining $4.4 million is being covered by money from the federal American Recovery Plan Act. Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo thanked FDOT and Gov. Ron DeSantis for providing the funding for Tom Mackie Boulevard, a north-south thoroughfare running through the middle of Tradition Commerce Center. “This is an important corridor for our economic development,” Caraballo said. Port St. Lucie obtained 1,200 acres in Tradition Commerce Center for free in June 2018 after the landowner announced it would no longer pay more than $5 million per year in property taxes and special assessments. The city has been marketing and selling parcels in Tradition Commerce Center ever since. The center is roughly bounded by I-95, Becker Road, Village Parkway and Tradition Parkway. The 34.17-acre warehouse site was part of a 40-acre tract Tradition Commerce Park LLC purchased from the city for $4,969,600 on March 10, 2022, city and county records show. The company is a subsidiary of Miller Construction Co., of Fort Lauderdale. 10 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] Council OKs large warehouse project in Tradition Commerce Center A Walgreens Pharmacy is the first business planned in a new shopping center in the works on the northwest corner of Village Parkway and Marshall Parkway in southwestern Port St. Lucie. The 10,000-square-foot Walgreens will be located on a 1.8-acre lot carved out of a 15.6-acre parcel owned by Mattamy Palm Beach LLC, which is in the process of developing 7,100 residences and 1.2-millionsquare-feet of commercial space on 2,800 acres. There were no specific plans for the development of the remaining 13.89 acres as of the April 2 meeting of the Port St. Lucie Planning and Zoning Board. The overall plan for the property calls for a mix of residential, commercial, office and institutional uses along with parks and playgrounds, city records show. The shopping center is south of Stars and Stripes Park, east of a conservation tract and the Heron Preserve subdivision, north of the Del Webb gated community and across Village Parkway to the west from the Tradition Commerce Park warehouse project. The Port St. Lucie Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously on April 2 to recommend the City Council approve the rezoning of the 15.6-acre agricultural property to Master Plan Unit Development. The MPUD concept plan calls for two limited access driveways on Village Parkway and a limited access driveway and a full access driveway on Marshall Parkway, city records show. WALGREENS PHARMACY PLANNED ON VILLAGE AND MARSHALL PARKWAYS BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected]

from work to see the eclipse, the last for two more decades. The April 8 solar eclipse is the second eclipse visible throughout the Treasure Coast and the United States in six months, the last being on Oct. 14, 2023. Floridians will see their next eclipse on Aug. 12, 2045, when its path of totality will pass through the state’s center, including St. Lucie County. Visitors at Monday afternoon’s viewing were treated to telescope viewings and demonstrations given by the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society (TCAS) in conjunction with IRSC’s astronomy students. The moon’s coverage of the sun over IRSC began at 1:48 p.m. It reached peak coverage of around 60 percent at 3:03 p.m. Planetarium director Jon U. Bell did not attend the April 8 viewing, instead photographing the eclipse’s path of totality in his hometown of Avon, New York. Six of Bell’s students from IRSC’s Astronomy Club, led by Bell’s assistant Leslie Lopez, presented demonstrations with some TCAS members including Doug Latshaw, Rick Allen and Richard Green. Lopez, 33, found herself ushering in swarms of visitors to the planetarium theater to see the eclipse’s path of totality over Middle America. “It’s been a little chaotic,” Lopez said. Lopez said that the theater’s gift shop and nearby bookstore sold out of protective glasses by noon, before the viewing began in earnest. “This morning, we had 20 single-packs and about four three-packs. Before that, we had a few hundred,” Lopez said. “I didn’t expect there to be as many sold before I came in, but they had been selling them in the bookstore for about a week To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS April 11, 2024 11 CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 ECLIPSE CONTINUED ON PAGE A12 Nearly 300 students and amateur stargazers gathered Monday outside the Hallstrom Planetarium at Indian River State College’s Massey Campus in Fort Pierce for the “Great North American Eclipse.” At right, inside the Hallstrom theater, where the streaming eclipse is seeon over Arkadelphia, Arkansas. PHOTOS: CHARLES CALOIA

12 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com Time Away From Life’s Demands Quality Service, Reasonable Pricing & Relaxation Spring Blooms Anew ...so too can your skin with the right care and attention. 451 SW Bethany Dr., Suite 102 (in the medical building) By appointment only. (772) 828-1599 ahmassageandskincare.com Massage • Skin Care • Waxing • Body Treatments • Nails MM23468 CE10040150 Mother's Day is 5/12 Get your Gift Certificates today! now,” Lopez said. Ella Gagliardi, another club member, gave demonstrations of the crescent cast from nearby shadows as the moon reached peak coverage at 3:03 p.m. “We’re all volunteers here just helping the crowd observe the eclipse doing what we can,” said Gagliardi, who has served as club historian since joining the fall before the Oct. 14 eclipse. With the supply short, viewers shared the special eyeglasses that enabled them to safely view the eclipse. Christina Bradley, a local CPR nurse, sat in the grass outside Hallstrom with her daughter, Tighin, and sons, Mike and Logan, to watch the skies with a small telescope. Bradley said she took the day off to be with her children who were let out of school early. “I think it’s important, especially for our young people,” Bradley said. The next solar eclipse visible in the United States will occur on Aug. 23, 2044, though only visible in Montana, North and South Dakota, and parts of Canada. A major project on the agricultural land at the Indrio Road Interchange of Interstate 95 in northern St. Lucie County received two important approvals on April 2 from the County Commission. County commissioners voted unanimously to approve the rezoning of the 177.87-acre Bedner Farms property, located north of Indrio Road and east of Interstate 95, to the Planned Retail/ Workplace designation. That vote included approval of the regulating plan and preliminary development plan for a 420,000-square-foot shopping center and 1,090 residences. The commissioners also chose the option of having more smaller parks in the residential subdivisions instead of fewer larger parks. Open space accounts for 26.8 percent of the development site, said Brad Currie, a land planner representing the developer. The developer increased the open space in the project by 3.7 acres at the request of the commissioners, Currie said. The new plans reduced the number of single-family houses by 15 and increased the number of apartments by 15, county records show. Earlier, county commissioners voted unanimously to amend the county’s Land Development Code to accommodate the proposed lot sizes in the residential subdivisions. In addition, county commissioners voted unanimously to continue a public hearing until May 7 on Lennar Corporation’s request to amend the county’s Land Development Code to permit a “Hamlet Planned Unit Development” on a 1,027-acre site between the Bedner Farms property and the Indian River County line. Plans for 962 homes were approved for part of the property in 2005, but the approval expired, county records show. In another major project planned at the Indrio Road Interchange on I-95, county commissioners approved plans for 2,683 residences and 1 million square feet of commercial space on an 834.43-acre site south of Indrio Road and east of I-95. SHOPPING CENTER, 1,090 RESIDENCES APPROVED AT INDRIO ROAD AND I-95 BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer [email protected] MORE NEWS ON PAGE 24 CONTINUED FROM PAGE A11 ECLIPSE IRSC Astronomy Club members Leslie Lopez, left, and Ella Gagliardi. PHOTO: CHARLES CALOIA

Within our bone marrow where blood cells are made, a battle can sometimes erupt between good and bad plasma cells. Healthy plasma cells help fight infections by making proteins called antibodies that find and attack germs. But sometimes bad, cancerous plasma cells build up in the bone marrow and crowd out the healthy blood cells. Instead of making helpful antibodies, the cancer cells make proteins that don’t work right which lead to the complications of multiple myeloma. “Think of the blood cells as an army,” said Alex Mejia Garcia, M.D., director of hematology and clinical research at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. “Within the army you have different groups like the Air Force and Marines, all fighting the bad guys or infections. One group becomes abnormal and become terrorists attacking the good guys. So, while the cells started out as fighters of infection, they become infected themselves and turn into myeloma.” According to Mayo Clinic, the disease begins with one plasma cell in the bone marrow. Something happens that turns the plasma cell into a cancerous myeloma cell. The myeloma cell multiplies quickly, and cancer cells build up in the bone marrow and crowd out the healthy blood cells. The myeloma cells continue trying to make antibodies, but the body can’t use the monoclonal (or M) proteins they produce. Instead, the M proteins build up, lowering the body’s ability to fight infections and causing damage to the kidneys and bones. The exact cause of multiple myeloma remains a mystery, but several factors are thought to contribute to its development, including genetic predisposition. Those with a family history of multiple myeloma have a higher risk of developing the disease. Being over the age of 65 is another significant risk factor. Males get the disease more than women and Black Americans are more at risk than other groups. “Typically, an individual will go to their primary care physician because they are suffering from fatigue or anemia,” said Dr. Mejia Garcia. “Or they show up in the emergency room with acute kidney failure or a fractured bone. Doctors diagnose the condition through blood and urine tests as well as bone marrow biopsies. Treatment for the disease will depend on the progression of the disease as well as the patient’s age and overall health.” The first stage of treatment is likely to be targeted therapy with combination of immunotherapy drugs intended to kill as many myeloma cells as possible. The drugs are administered via a combination pills and subcutaneous injections. A bone marrow transplant is the next step for patients who are viable candidates for the procedure. A bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, replaces diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow. “The combination of treatments is the first step of cleaning the bad cells from the marrow so there’s a good population of good cells remaining in the marrow,” Dr. Mejia Garcia explained. “Once we know that’s the case, we collect the patient’s bone marrow with a machine and a catheter that goes into the blood vessels. Then we store those cells while the patient undergoes chemotherapy to destroy the diseased bone marrow. Chemotherapy is only used for patients getting a bone marrow transplant. After the chemotherapy, the stem cells are put back into your body where they travel to the bones and begin rebuilding bone marrow.” Dr. Mejia Garcia likens the process to a rose garden overtaken by weeds. “The weeds are the cancer cells, the roses the healthy cells. You apply just enough weed killer (chemotherapy) to enable you to take out the roses and store them. Then you go back and apply a super weed killer to kill any weeds that are left. Only then do replant the roses when they can once again thrive in a healthy environment. The chemotherapy is used in preparation for the transplant.” After treatment, the patient is put on a maintenance program and monitored closely. They may be given additional oral medication or subcutaneous injection therapy for a limited time depending on their recovery. The American Cancer Society ranks multiple myeloma as the third most common hematological cancer, with 35,700 new cases diagnosed each year. “Fortunately, there are new medications 14 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com Beating multiple myeloma: New drugs increase survival rate STUART Stuart Center 2295 SE Federal Hwy. (772)286-8453 ST. LUCIE WEST Towne Center at St. Lucie West 1707 NW St. Lucie West Blvd. (Suite 106) (772)340-4070 PALM CITY 2870 SW Town Center Way (772)221-9233 TRADITION The Landing at Tradition 10640 SW Village Parkway (772)345-3622 We Match All Competitors Prices Including Online. LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 2007! Sports Nutrition • Vitamins • Herbs Bars/Drinks • Beauty • Aromatherapy Expires 4/25/24. Only Valid at 4 GNC locations listed below. Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. $5 OFF Any purchase of $50 or more Coupon #10080 $10 OFF Any purchase of $80 or more Coupon #10649 *see store for details BY KERRY FIRTH | Correspondent Dr. Alex Mejia Garcia. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH April 11, 2024 15 and treatments for multiple myeloma entering the marketplace and the survival rate has increased dramatically,” Dr. Mejia Garcia said. “Right now, the expected survival rate for a standard risk myeloma patient undergoing a transplant is more than 10 years. Just 20 years ago it was only six months. “We now have medications that target plasma cells based on certain proteins that they express on their sources. And now we have smart ways to target them using immunotherapies. We have new BITEs (Bi-specific Antibodies) that bind proteins on cancer cells and cancer killing T cells to bring the patient’s own cancer-fighting cells in close proximity to cancer cells. We also have CAR-T or chimeric antigen receptor T-cells to target these plasma cells in an enhanced manner.” Cancer care has become so complex and so specialized that each cancer has its own pill, and Dr. Mejia-Garcia aims to continue the refinement of care. Clinical trials are crucial in the search for new treatments and potential cures, and Dr. Mejia Garcia was transferred to Cleveland Clinic’s Indian River Hospital from the healthcare company’s Ohio Taussig Cancer Institute with the goal of bringing preliminary cancer drug trials to Vero Beach. Dr. Alex Mejia Garcia’s office is in the Scully Welsh Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic’s Indian River Hospital, 3555 10th Court, Vero Beach. The phone number is 772-563-4673. Most people think that their level of self-awareness is pretty high. But Jane Coyle, LCSW, a psychotherapist who’s been in private practice on the Treasure Coast since 1992, says that’s often not the case. Self-awareness is the ability to tune into your own feelings, thoughts and actions, and is related to the practice of mindfulness, which is gaining traction in the traditional medical world. When people are self-aware, they understand their strengths and challenges and know what helps them thrive. They also understand that how they see themselves may be different from how others see them. An article in the Harvard Business Review suggests that when we see ourselves clearly, we’re more confident and more creative. We make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. Sounds good, but Coyle says our society doesn’t encourage people to be in touch with their thoughts and emotions – particularly men. “Many parents influence their kids to hide their emotions. They’ll tell a crying child to ‘buck up.’ “If your bigger child knocks your smaller child down, it’s sad if you say, ‘you’re not really hurt.’ You should pick him or her up … take them on your lap” and let them know it’s OK to be afraid or angry. Let them know you are there to protect and accept them and “help your child build a foundation where they can grow up and feel OK about expressing how they feel,” Coyle says. “People who were raised in families where emotions weren’t cared for develop their own ways to not feel their feelings,” that THE POWER OF SELF-AWARENESS: LEARNING TO BE IN TOUCH WITH YOUR THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS CONTINUED ON PAGE A16 BY JACKIE HOLFELDER | Correspondent Jane Coyle, LCSW. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

16 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com often are not good for them. “For example, they might engage in avoidance, which means they try to avoid places, people or situations that remind them of their distress, or take their negative feelings out on others,” according to Medical News Today. Other coping strategies can include excessive screen time, binge watching television to experience other people’s emotions instead of their own or passing hours lost in TikTok reels. Excessive drug or alcohol use and other addictions such as sex addiction and exercise addiction are other ways people avoid facing and dealing with their feelings in healthy ways. A recent report on NBC News offered suggestions from mental health experts on how to cultivate or enhance your self-awareness. Included were such topics as: Be curious about who you are. To be self-aware, a person needs to be curious about themselves. Everyone has roads they do not wish to take and some roads they feel are worth exploring. Understanding yourself depends on what you’re ready to explore and experience. Let your walls down. Try to let go of judgment and the instinctual urge to protect yourself. Sometimes this means you must be willing to see yourself in a less-than-positive light. Look in the mirror – literally. When people first look at themselves, they are often very critical. If they learn how to shift their perspective and use their reflection for deeper self-awareness, they can learn to track their attention and emotions and gain new insights into how their thoughts are affecting them in real time. Keep a journal and note what triggers feelings. Journaling helps you learn how to be mindful. Substitute people time for screen time. Science tells us that we need reflections to develop our sense of self in relation to others. As we spend more time on devices, we miss this essential human mirroring. The symptoms of lack of mirroring include increases in anxiety, lack of empathy and intense self-objectification (as in the selfie craze). Ask others how they see you. Talk to friends and loved ones and be courageous enough to ask how they perceive you in various situations. Getting perspective on how you behave or come off in certain situations can help you to be aware of something that was previously invisible to you. Keep checking in with yourself. The most effective method for the development of self-awareness is a pause and brief check-in with oneself: ‘How am I feeling right now? What do I think might be driving that feeling?’” Coyle says one of the exercises she uses most effectively when she’s teaching patients mindfulness is diaphragmatic breathing, which means the stomach, rather than the chest, moves with each breath, expanding while inhaling and contracting while exhaling. Deliberately paying attention to each breath serves to calm and quiet the mind. “At first, many of them think, it’s nuts, but I can’t tell you how many say later that learning deep breathing is one of the things that helped them most. “I tell them to practice whenever their anxiety goes up, whether they’re on line at the grocery store or stuck in traffic. No one knows you’re doing it, but it allows you to step back and give yourself permission to take care of yourself.” Besides providing a calming focus of attention – that might otherwise be focused on upsetting or anxious thoughts – deep breathing has direct effect on brain waves through various pathways in the nervous system, making the mind quieter and calmer via changes in brain chemistry. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that is effective for a range of problems, including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, marital problems, eating disorders and severe mental illness. “CBT is based on the realization that psychological problems are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking and on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior,” according to the American Psychological Association. People often tell themselves very negative stories about their feelings and circumstances that are not accurate. By learning better, more accurate ways of thinking from a therapist, simple techniques, patients frequently are able to cope much better, relieving their symptoms and becoming more effective in their lives. It’s another of Coyle’s tools for treating her patients. “I use CBT a lot. It helps people learn how to be aware of what their thoughts really are.” Mayo Clinic says that CBT can be an effective tool to help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations. PositivePsychology.com, a science-based, learning environment for helping professionals, outlines benefits of developing self-awareness. Perspective-taking. For effective social interaction, you must understand that you’re separate from others and that they have different needs and thoughts. Increased perspective-taking enables increased empathic responses, which improves relationships and connections with other human beings. Self-control or improved self-regulation. When people understand the expected social norm behavior, it’s typically internalized. They feel shame when social standards aren’t met. Self-awareness can restrain anti-social impulses and increase personal responsibility to keep you on track to meet higher personal and social standards. Increased creative achievement. Highly creative people often go through a long process in the creation of their projects. For the best outcomes, artists deeply reflect on their work so they can make adjustments and improvements. High self-esteem and pride. If you see yourself as falling short of social standards, the effect will be negative. However, the opposite is true if you see yourself as a good, responsible person. Children who realize that success in tasks is internally accomplished will have higher self-esteem. Coyle says we each have a rational mind and an emotional mind. The emotional mind is quicker, imprecise, and more suited to situations requiring spontaneous reactions. The rational mind is more precise, but slower. We make thousands of decisions every day, from the most trivial to the most important. “The healthiest people allow both sides to work together. Self-awareness helps us reach that point.” Jane Coyle is a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety disorders, relationship therapy, and narcissistic personality disorder. She has a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, a Master of Science in Social Service degree from Boston University School of Social Work, and is certified in clinical social work by the National Association of Social Workers. Her practice, Coyle & Mattern, LLC, is located at 2770 Indian River Blvd., Vero Beach. The phone number is 772-569-9300. CONTINUED FROM PAGE A15 SELF-AWARENESS

Up to 250 million people worldwide have lymphedema, including an estimated 10 million in the United States, according to the Lymphatic Education & Research Network. That is more than all of those who have HIV, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and ALS combined. Cleveland Clinic defines lymphedema as swelling that happens when something harms your lymphatic system. Lymphedema often affects the arms and legs but may also affect other areas of the body and there is no cure for the condition. Tracey Weber, DPT, CLT, a certified lymphedema therapist at Steward Rehabilitation Services, says that although there isn’t a cure for lymphedema, a good therapist can help patients learn how to self-manage their condition. “Primary lymphedema is rare and may appear at any time, although it stems from a genetic mutation present at birth,” Weber explains. “Secondary lymphedema is far more common and results from damage to the lymph nodes or lymphatic system from such things as cancer treatment, infection or surgery.” The lymphatic system is a network of vessels, nodes, and ducts that collect and circulate excess fluid in the body. It is part of the immune system, maintains fluid balance and plays a role in absorbing fats and fat-soluble nutrients. There are 500-600 lymph nodes throughout the body that swell in response to infection due to a buildup of lymph fluid, bacteria, or other organisms and immune system cells. Medical News Today writes that the recommended treatment for moderate to severe lymphedema is decongestive lymphedema therapy (DLT), which combines manual lymphatic drainage, compression therapy, exercise, and skin care to reduce swelling and improve symptoms. For those who are overweight or obese, losing weight can help alleviate lymphedema symptoms by reducing the added stress on the lymphatic system. Maintaining a moderate body weight can generally help reduce swelling and improve lymphatic function. Weber says that lymphedema comes on gradually. “Once you start to see swelling, you should wear knee-high compression stockings. Get a recommendation from your primary care doctor for a lymphedema massage therapist or vascular surgeon.” Jane Coyne, a medical message therapist, offers a variety of holistic health services at Sandalwood Massage & Bodywork by Jane, including targeted medical massage therapy to treat lymphedema. She says that initially lots of people ignore swelling somewhere in their bodies. “They think it’s a sign of aging,” she says. When a patient first comes to Coyne for a medical massage, she suggests they make an appointment with a vascular surgeon since there’s usually a vascular issue involved with lymphedema, often a blockage. Mayo Clinic cites the most commons causes of lymphedema as: Cancer. If cancer cells block lymph vessels, lymphedema may result. For instance, a tumor growing near a lymph node or lymph vessel could enlarge enough to block the flow of the lymph fluid. Radiation treatment for cancer. Radiation can cause scarring and inflammation of lymph nodes or lymph vessels. Surgery. In cancer surgery, lymph nodes are often removed to see if the disease has spread. (However, this doesn’t always result in lymphedema.) Parasites. In developing countries in the tropics, the most common cause of lymphedema is infection with threadlike worms that clog the lymph nodes. Coyne says that both pre- and post-surgical lymphatic massage are important. “If you have a massage several days prior to surgery, it helps rid your body of toxins and you will heal more quickly.” Johns Hopkins University outlines the four stages of lymphedema and how they should be treated: Stage 1: Abnormal flow in the lymphatic system. No signs or symptoms. Stage 2: Accumulation of fluid with swelling. Swelling resolves with elevation. Pressing on the area may leave a dent. Stage 3: Permanent swelling that does not resolve with elevation. Pressing on the area no longer leaves a dent. Changes in the To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH April 11, 2024 17 LYMPHEDEMA: No cure, but many effective treatment options BY JACKIE HOLFELDER | Correspondent CONTINUED ON PAGE A19 Tracey Weber, DPT, CLT. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

18 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com “Caring for women of all ages and stages of their lives for over 50 years” • 10771 SW Trade St., Port St. Lucie • 501 NW Lake Whitney Pl #106, Port St. Lucie • 3498 NW Federal Hwy Jensen Beach Schedule Your Exam and Mammogram Today! 772-261-9636 3 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! • WWW.WHSFL.COM CARDIO-ONCOLOGY: Reducing the side effects of cancer therapies Heart disease and cancer are the top two leading causes of death in the U.S. and treating one can sometimes aggravate the other. While advances in cancer therapy have significantly increased survival rates for many types of cancer, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and newer targeted therapies can have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system that range from mild conditions like hypertension to heart failure, myocardial infarction and arrhythmias. For cancer patients, especially those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, these complications can be life-threatening and may lead to interruptions in cancer treatment. Now, an evolving field of practice has emerged that focuses on the interplay of cardiology and oncology: cardio-oncology. “This is a relatively new field of cardiology that emerged about five to eight years ago,” said Dr. Vikranth Gongidi, of Premier Cardiology. “Basically, this is coming from years of experience. We’ve noticed that cancer patients are getting different chemotherapies and we found that some of those treatments were causing cardiac side effects and toxicity. So, by addressing one issue, like killing the cancer cells, treatments were harming other things, including the heart. “One of the first recognitions of this was a medicine called doxorubicin that was used for breast cancer. Patients getting treated for breast cancer showed signs of cardiomyopathy or something that stops functioning properly and they ended up having congestive heart failure. “Once that was identified, oncologists knew they had to figure out what doses were accurate for each patient based on their weight, frequency and development of the cancer. Over the last eight to 10 years there’s been a big explosion in oncology and how cancer patients are treated. We have chemotherapies that can actually cause regression and sometimes cure cancer, but then we’re finding that five or 10 years down the road, these patients have a higher incidence of heart disease.” These side effects led to the growth of cardio-oncology, a subspecialty that identifies, monitors and treats cardiovascular diseases caused by cancer therapies. The goal is to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment on the cardiovascular system. Cardio-oncologists are medical doctors who are specialists in their fields of cardiology or oncology and have received additional training to learn how to check and control cardiovascular risk before, during and after cancer treatment. They help decide which chemotherapies are safe for a patient’s heart and have the technology and expertise to monitor the heart muscle and heart valves during and after your cancer treatment. “If a patient is diagnosed with cancer, our goal is to get them through that theraDr. Vikranth Gongidi. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS py safely,” Dr. Gongidi said. “Our goal is not to stop anything, because we want them cured of cancer, if possible. At the same time, we want them to have a good quality of life after the treatments. “That’s where the partnership between the patient, the oncologist and the cardiologist begins. Together, we have to figure out which drugs will be best for the patient based on their risk factors and we need to closely monitor the patient during the treatment. The European Society of Cardiology is one of the first societies to devise guidelines for managing these patients and I have developed a protocol for my patients based on their recommendations.” Before starting cancer therapy, the cardio-oncologist assesses the patient’s cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking and heart conditions. Blood may be drawn and often an echocardiogram or ultrasound is administered to detect any underlying issues. This comprehensive exam provides a baseline to follow as the cancer treatment progresses. Throughout the cancer treatment, cardio-oncologists monitor patients closely for signs of cardiovascular toxicity. They may perform regular imaging tests, such as echocardiograms or cardiac MRIs to detect any changes in heart function early on. If a cardiovascular complication arises BY KERRY FIRTH | Correspondent

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH April 11, 2024 19 skin with scarring and thickening. Stage 4: Elephantiasis (enlarged, deformed limb), skin thickening with “wartlike” growth and extensive scarring. Treatment for lymphedema depends on the severity and extent of the condition. Prevention and controlling lymphedema play an important role since there is no cure. Decongestive treatment is commonly recommended for the first two stages of lymphedema. Treatment options may include exercise, wearing a customized compression sleeve or elastic bandage, eating a well-balanced diet, and controlling body weight and preventing infection. Once lymphedema has progressed to stages 3 or 4, surgical intervention may be recommended. Options include physiological and excisional procedures. Both procedures aim to restore lymphatic flow. Physiological procedures involve rewiring the lymphatic system within the limb, while excisional procedures focus on removing diseased tissue. Your medical professional will discuss which procedure is most appropriate for you if it becomes necessary. Both Weber and Coyne stress the connection between chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and lymphedema and suggest those who suffer from the former be alert to possible progression to the latter. It is estimated that about 30 percent of the population has some form of venous disease and for many of those it’s CVI. Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when veins in your legs are damaged. As a result, they can’t manage blood flow as well as they should, and it’s harder for blood in your legs to return to your heart. CVI causes blood to pool in your leg veins, leading to high pressure in those veins. A common complication of CVI is secondary lymphedema. Tracey Weber is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist and Certified. She works at Steward Rehabilitation Services, 2400 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island. Call 321-637-2878 or visit rockledgeregional.org/services-directory/rehabilitation-services for more information. Jane Coyne is the owner of Sandalwood Massage & Bodywork by Jane. She is a board-certified massage therapist and a certified medical massage practitioner with certification of Manual Lymphatic Drainage. She works at two locations: 333 17th St. Suite E, Vero Beach, and 2251 Town Center Ave, Suite 101, Unit 20, Viera. Call 772-779-1137 or visit sandalwood. glossgenius.com. during cancer treatment, the cardio-oncologist collaborates with the oncology team to manage these issues. This may involve adjusting the cancer treatment regimen, prescribing medications to support heart function or recommending lifestyle changes. “I had a young patient who was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, and I had been monitoring her for the past two years. We did ultrasounds every two to three months. There was one episode where her heart function changed a bit, so I called her oncologist and suggested we extend the chemotherapy from every four weeks to every six weeks. We discussed the revised treatment schedule based on updated data from the ultrasound and proceeded with treatment. That close monitoring between her oncologist and cardiologist potentially averted any complications.” Even after the cancer treatment ends, the cardio-oncologist continues to follow up with patients to monitor their cardiovascular health. Cancer survivors are at an increased risk of developing heart disease later in life, making long-term surveillance essential for early detection and intervention. “I monitor some patients every three to four months after they’ve completed their therapy,” Dr. Gongidi said. “The effects of therapy on the heart can linger, with complications happening up to five years later. The biggest risk is usually during the first year after you finish your therapy and the risk goes down with time, but it never goes down to zero. “If you’ve had radiation therapy on your chest, you have a higher risk of heart attacks because the radiation accelerates atherosclerosis that can cause blockages in the heart. Those patients need to be monitored a least twice a year to make sure they aren’t developing any heart blockages.” By bridging the gap between two disciplines, cardio-oncologists strive to improve cancer survivorship and provide a healthier quality of life for cancer patients. Patients diagnosed with cancer now have the option of consulting with a cardio-oncologist prior to treatment to reduce the risk of cardiac complications. Dr. Gongidi recently opened Premier Cardiology, a concierge/hybrid practice where members can choose between having direct 24-hour access to him, or seeing his skilled nurse practitioner, under his supervision, on a fee basis covered by insurance. Dr. Vikranth Gongidi is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and he completed his internal medicine internship and residency at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hill, Michigan. His cardiology fellowship was completed at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Stratford. His office is at 787 37th St. Suite 250, Vero Beach. You can call 772-494-0794 or go to premiercardiologyvb.com for more information. CONTINUED FROM PAGE A17 LYMPHEDEMA Jane Coyne.

20 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com

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22 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH www.stlucievoice.com NEW STUDY FINDS MOST SUDDEN INFANT DEATHS INVOLVED UNSAFE SLEEP HABITS More than three-quarters of sudden infant deaths involved multiple unsafe sleep practices, including co-sleeping, a recent analysis suggests. A study published in the journal Pediatrics looked at 7,595 sudden infant death cases in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention registry between 2011 and 2020. The majority of deaths occurred in babies less than 3 months old. The statistics revealed that 59.5 percent of the infants who died suddenly were sharing a sleep surface at the time of death, and 75.9 percent were in an adult bed when they died. Though some demographic factors such as sex and length of gestation were not clinically significant, the researchers found that the babies sharing a sleep surface were more likely to be Black and publicly insured than those who didn’t share sleep surfaces. Soft bedding was common among all the infants who died, and 76 percent of the cases involved multiple unsafe practices. The analysis mirrors known risk factors

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | HEALTH April 11, 2024 23 for sudden infant death. Current recommendations direct parents and other caretakers to provide infants with firm, flat, level sleep surfaces that contain nothing but a fitted sheet. Though room sharing reduces the risk of sudden infant death, CDC officials discourage parents from sharing a sleep surface with their child. Exposure to cigarette smoke during pregnancy was more common among infants who shared surfaces when they died. Though most infants were supervised by an adult when they died, the supervisor was more likely to be impaired by drug and alcohol use among those who shared a sleeping surface. The available data could be incomplete or biased because it relies on witness reports taken in what can be a “chaotic scene,” the researchers note. Because caregivers didn’t report their reasons for sharing a sleep surface or engaging in unsafe sleep practices, it could be difficult to help families follow the current recommendations, the study adds. Overall, the researchers write, “Surface sharing in the absence of other unsafe sleep factors was rare.” “These are known risk factors for SUID [Sudden Unexpected Infant Death],” Fern Hauck, a physician at UVA Health and the University of Virginia School of Medicine and co-author of the paper, says in a news release. – ERIN BLAKEMORE/THE WASHINGTON POST

The Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial Foundation and city will dedicate the Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial of Florida on April 20. The ceremony will start at noon at Veteran Memorial Park at Rivergate, 2100 SE Veterans Memorial Parkway. City Council member David Pickett is organizing the ceremony. “We’ve been working since 2022 to put this monument up,” he said. This is the foundation’s first memorial. It aims to build in all states Iraq and Afghanistan war memorials with the names of servicemembers from the respective states who died in those campaigns. Among the 355 names on the Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial of Florida is Port St. Lucie’s Jordan C. Schumann and other servicemembers from the Treasure Coast who were killed while serving in support of operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom and their successor missions from 2001 to 2021. Schumann died with two others in an attack in Paktia Province, Afghanistan, in July 2011. The names are from the Department of Defense’s Defense Casualty Analysis System. Organizations use a couple methods for attributing servicemembers to states. For example, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society credits Medal of Honor recipients to the states where they had entered the service. The Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial Foundation uses servicemembers’ home addresses. PG Memorials designed and built the memorial. It consists of three 4-foot-by-6-foot India black granite panels. The monument is two-sided, what’s called a walkaround. The front features the campaign ribbons for service in Iraq and Afghanistan along with the outlines of the two nations. Additionally, it has the seals of the services that existed during operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. The Space Force was established at the end of 2019, so did not exist until after the operations were replaced by successor missions. Operation Enduring Freedom–Afghanistan transitioned to Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in 2015. President Donald Trump started an end to Operation Freedom’s Sentinel with the 2020 Doha Agreement, “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan,” a four-page document U.S. and Taliban negotiators signed in Doha, Qatar. President Joe Biden completed the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August 2021. Pickett represents District 2, which includes St. Lucie West and part of Tradition. He served in the Army for eight years, then in the Florida National Guard for 23. Pickett was deployed as a guardsman to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. Among other honors, Pickett was awarded the Florida Distinguished Service Medal. Additionally, when Pickett was active duty in the Army, he served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm. “One of the additional reasons this memorial is near and dear to my heart is there’s a name on the wall of a soldier in my unit who died,” he said. That was PFC Brandon Wadman of Cape Coral. “He was 19 years old,” said Pickett. “We had just got in country. We were in country less than 72 hours.” Wadman was in a vehicle traveling from Bagram Airfield to Kabul. “I’d seen him load on the truck,” Pickett said. “I said a prayer for him. … About an hour later, I see all these medivac helicopters flying into the base. I said, ‘Oh man that’s not good.’” Wadman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery in West Palm Beach after he volunteered to serve in Afghanistan. The vehicle he was in was traveling fast to avoid enemy attacks. It hit an obstruction and flipped, injuring 16 and killing Wadman. “Here we are some 20 years later and it still bothers me,” Pickett said. “It still saddens my heart. I had kids who were that same age, and a little older than him. I looked at him as one of my kids.” 24 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | NEWS www.stlucievoice.com PSL set to dedicate Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial of Florida BY PATRICK McCALLISTER | Correspondent

Beautiful Vitalia pool home features impressive upgrades 12194 SW Bayberry Ave. in Vitalia in Tradition: 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, 2,445-square-foot pool home offered for $733,500 by Cesar Trujillo, 772-626-2504 of Keller Williams Realty of Port St. Lucie

26 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com It’s always great to return to Vitalia, a 55+ community in Tradition, because each home has so much to offer, and the community is one of the most desirable around. The home at 12194 SW Bayberry Ave. is beautiful inside and out. I have often written about a home with lake views and this one has those splendid views, a rock garden and a backyard, as well. Inside, the kitchen is a chef’s delight. At 12 feet by 17 feet, it is spacious indeed, and has a contemporary vibe with neutral tones and stainless-steel appliances. The chef will love the double convention oven and induction cooktop, large quartz kitchen island, dry bar with quartzite top, a wine refrigerator, huge, professionally organized pantry and a dining area. Adjacent is a living room, a generous 16-by-24. You can whip something up in your kitchen while chatting with guests, who are free to stay inside or slip outside to the pool area. Grandchildren will love playing board games with grandma and grandpa and then enjoying a game of Marco Polo in the pool. The master suite begins with the bedroom, a nicely sized 14-by-19. The wood floors and view of the lakes make for a tranquil, peaceful room, and a surprise study loBeautiful Vitalia pool home features impressive upgrades BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Columnist [email protected] D ™ owDecorating ecorating Over 39 Years Experience Your new home for decorating in St. Lucie West IN-HOME SERVICE - MEASURE - INSTALL Mon-Thu 10am-5pm Fri 10am-4pm or By Appointment Kathy & David Blinds, Shades & Shutters New Upholstered Furniture MADE IN AMERICA … right here in Florida! Come on in & have a seat Draperies Upholstery Beautiful Fabrics Valances & Cornices Pillows Bedspreads & More! [email protected] www.JacquelineSellsFL.com 772-529-1368 Jacqueline Cohen Real Estate Agent YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR LESS STRESS WITH AN AGENT WHO CARES

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE April 11, 2024 27 cated off the bedroom is ideal for relaxing, reading, playing the piano, or just thinking. There are two large closets and a spacious master bath with separate sinks and a large shower. There are two other bedrooms (11- by-14 and 12-by-12), an additional full bath and a cabana bath. Outside, you step onto the covered and screened lanai, on special paver stones that remain cool as you or guests walk around. The heated saltwater pool beckons, and you can have a pool party or just come out in the morning with a cup of coffee and enjoy the early-morning views of the lake. You’ll want to come out in the evenings, as well, to enjoy Neighborhood: Vitalia in Tradition Year built: 2015 • Construction: CBS Square footage: 2,445 sq. ft. Total square footage: 3,654 sq. ft. Bedrooms: 3 • Bathroom: 2.5 • Flooring: ceramic tile, wood Security: owner alarm system, entry phone, manned gate Additional features: lake views, heated saltwater pool, completed 2022, new hybrid water heater that is energy efficient, exterior and interior recently painted, plantations shutters throughout, impact glass, exterior custom lighting, upgraded HVAC system, one-year home warranty Community amenities: billiards, cabana, clubhouse, community room, fitness center, game room, library, pickleball, pool, putting green, spa/hot tub, tennis Listing brokerage: Keller Williams Realty of Port St. Lucie Listing agent: Cesar Trujillo, 772-626-2504 Listing price: $733,500 FEATURES FOR 12194 SW BAYBERRY AVE. CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

28 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com TOP SALES OF THE WEEK An extremely robust fortnight for local real estate sales saw 64 transactions of single-family residences and lots reported (some shown below). The top recent sale was of the home at 11858 SW Westcliffe Lane. Listed in January for $1,200,000, this 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom residence sold for $1,050,000 on March 27. Representing the seller in the transaction was agent Cesar Trujillo of Keller Williams Realty. Representing the buyer was agent Richard Jean of Richards Realty. SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES AND LOTS PORT SAINT LUCIE 11858 SW WESTCLIFFE LANE 12/15/2023 $1,200,000 3/27/2024 $1,050,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11940 SW SAILFISH ISLES WAY 10/30/2023 $874,900 3/29/2024 $775,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11983 SW VANO WAY 1/24/2024 $790,000 3/27/2024 $770,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11902 SW POSEIDON WAY 1/21/2024 $739,500 3/26/2024 $723,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11861 SW POSEIDON WAY 1/11/2024 $749,900 3/28/2024 $700,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 7229 RESERVE CREEK DRIVE 1/9/2024 $745,000 3/26/2024 $695,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11481 SW HALF MOON LAKE LANE 10/6/2023 $724,900 4/1/2024 $667,500 PORT SAINT LUCIE 12127 SW BENNINGTON CIRCLE 8/27/2023 $639,900 4/4/2024 $610,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 1302 SW MAPLEWOOD DRIVE 1/25/2024 $629,900 4/1/2024 $591,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 13012 SW AMBRA STREET 2/8/2024 $625,000 4/4/2024 $570,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 615 SW BARBUDA BAY 2/9/2024 $569,999 4/1/2024 $550,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 7206 NW FARNSWORTH CIRCLE 2/15/2024 $587,500 4/5/2024 $540,000 PORT SAINT LUCIE 11252 SW PARK VILLAGE COURT 9/26/2023 $537,707 4/4/2024 $509,707 ORIGINAL SELLING TOWN ADDRESS LISTED ASKING PRICE SOLD PRICE TRADITION AND ST. LUCIE WEST REAL ESTATE SALES Stats were pulled 4/6/24 10:40 AM

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE April 11, 2024 29 Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: Listing Date: Original Price: Sold: Selling Price: Listing Agent: Selling Agent: HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP RECENT TRADITION AND ST. LUCIE WEST REAL ESTATE SALES 1/11/2024 $749,900 3/28/2024 $700,000 Arthur Bimonte Signature Best Florida Realty Pamela Cohen Century 21 Realty Professionals 11861 SW Poseidon Way, Port Saint Lucie 1/21/2024 $739,500 3/26/2024 $723,000 Carla Lopez Berkshire Hathaway Florida Realty John Bailey Exit TwoAndAHalfMen Real Estate, LLC 11902 SW Poseidon Way, Port Saint Lucie 1/24/2024 $790,000 3/27/2024 $770,000 Isabelle Pollock Lang Realty Raelene Marek Central Coast Realty 11983 SW Vano Way, Port Saint Lucie 10/30/2023 $874,900 3/29/2024 $775,000 Arthur Bimonte Signature Best Florida Realty Arthur Bimonte Signature Best Florida Realty 11940 SW Sailfish Isles Way, Port Saint Lucie

30 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com a glass of wine as the sun goes down. For Cesar Trujillo of Keller Williams Realty of Port St. Lucie, the word for this home is “impeccable.” “This home in Vitalia, a premier 55+ resort-style living community in Tradition, has a larger lot size and private location with stunning long lake views,’’ he said. “Inside, the home is an entertainer’s dream, with lots of prep and entertaining space. The home has many upgrades, from large porcelain tile, wood floors in all the bedrooms, to a gourmet, easy-to-maintain kitchen and tranquil master suite. Outside, you can relax in your heated, saltwater pool or sit on the lanai, with a picture frame pool enclosure and stateof-the-art paver deck that is smooth, cool and comfortable to walk on. Add in Vitalia’s amenities and all that Tradition offers, and this is a home that exemplifies the Florida lifestyle.” This is certainly a home with upgrades in both form and function that make it a comfortable and classic residence. You will find attention to detail at every turn. You may leave to enjoy all that Vitalia, Tradition and the area have to offer, but you’ll return to your private oasis and retreat. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE April 11, 2024 31 Giant robots made by Austin startup Icon began 3D-printing an entire neighborhood of suburban homes in late 2022; last Tuesday, the company introduced an AI architect to design them. It’s a technological leap that Icon says could one day spell the demise of cookie-cutter suburbia, ushering in an era of lower cost, lower carbon and climate-resilient homes in wildly novel forms. That’s the promise, at least, of a suite of new technologies Icon previewed for Bloomberg Green as its machines finish construction on the world’s largest 3D-printed neighborhood, a 100-house Austin subdivision at Wolf Ranch for home giant Lennar Corp. The innovations, formally introduced Tuesday at SXSW, range from the AI architect to low-carbon concrete and a new robot that can 3D-print two-story buildings, roofs and foundations included. “There’s no reason to build ugly-ass spec homes anymore,” Icon founder and chief executive officer Jason Ballard tells me at the company’s headquarters near downtown Austin (while wearing his customary white cowboy hat). “We don’t just need to make housing more affordable; it actually also needs to get better.” Icon has spent 18 months developing its artificial intelligence program – named Vitruvius after an ancient Roman architect – which uses a chatbot to converse with would-be homeowners about their dream projects. After the user responds to a series of prompts, Vitruvius offers several versions of a house, complete with exterior and interior renderings and floor plans. “It has an intuitive awareness of both the laws of physics and a bit of building code and building possibility,” Ballard says. When he asked Vitruvius to design a 3D-printed treehouse, for instance, it included a support column as it knew a tree alone couldn’t bear the weight. For now, humans are still needed to turn Vitruvius’s plans into buildable reality. By year’s end, the program will be able to produce its own construction schematics, according to Ballard. He says Vitruvius is at least a year away from being able to draw up full construction documents, permit applications, budgets, bills of materials and a building schedule – an ambitious timeline for an untested technology tackling a complex interplay of tasks. But if those processes can be automated, Icon estimates the software could shave at least $100,000 from the price of a home. Getting there, though, will necessitate acquiring untold quantities of data and training the program on a plethora of factors, including building codes, the geography of construction sites and perhaps even the peculiarities of homeowner association rules. Icon is counting on thousands of Vitruvius users to help refine the system (free for now) once it launches. Judging by the requests of about 100 beta testers, the AI will have plenty to work with: Design asks so far include everything from Barbie dream homes to Hobbit hideaways. “Let’s play. What do you want?” Ballard asks me as he launches Vitruvius on a conference room screen and a chat window pops up. “I’m here to help you design a home,” it says. It’s something few prospective homeowners ever hear. Unless you have the budget to hire an architect, options dwindle to mass-produced models offered by suburban developers or what’s been built before. I ask Vitruvius to show me a 1,500-squarefoot, three-bedroom, two-bath home. I specify a contemporary style with expanses of glass. Location: the beach town of Bolinas in Marin County, California. “Sounds like you’re envisioning a contemporary one-story home with an open feel,” Vitruvius responds. “Before we proceed with the design, can you tell me more about your lifestyle and how you envision using the space in your home?” I tell the AI that two people and a dog would live in the house and that I want a seamless flow between home and nature, plus a work space. “Considering your location in Bolinas and desire to integrate with nature, would you like the design to include This AI architect will design your climate-friendly dream home BY TODD WOODY | Tribune

32 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com specific outdoor features such as a deck patio or garden areas?” it asks. I would. Within seconds, Vitruvius displays a collection of stunning homes and floor plans in a setting that resembles coastal California. The homes include conventional construction as well as a 3D-printed model that takes advantage of the technology’s ability to create undulating walls that blend into the landscape. (Vitruvius always includes at least one 3D-printed version of a home, which Ballard says would-be homeowners seem to favor.) Developers typically tamp down generative AI programs’ tendency to “hallucinate,” or provide information that’s untethered from reality. Icon initially did the same until, “We realized when you turn hallucination to zero, you get the most offensive version of cookie-cutter developments,” Ballard says. “You actually need a little bit of hallucination to get 3D-printed tree houses.” The key is balancing creativity against what can practically be built. “You can’t hallucinate construction budgets,” he quips. Ballard credits the inspiration for Icon’s AI architect to a chance encounter with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at a conference two years ago, before the release of ChatGPT triggered an AI gold rush. Ballard told Altman about his idea for architecture software that might eventually add AI. “He said, ‘Your timeline is wrong. You should start building it as an AI system right now,’ and gave me some tips and pointers,” says Ballard, who sent a beta of Vitruvius to Altman. A representative for Altman did not respond to a request for comment. Maria Paz Gutierrez, an associate professor of architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, says 3D printing “in principle can offer unique advantages to address affordable housing prices issues because it can substantially decrease building time and potentially material usage.” So, is architect the next human job under existential threat from artificial intelligence? Ballard says Vitruvius will relieve architects of onerous design duties like drafting construction documents. Icon is also offering architects an opportunity to profit from its 3D-printing tech if they submit plans to the company’s new catalog of ready-to-print home designs, CodeX. “Every time we build one of your designs, we will send you a check so that people have access to good architecture again without paying $30,000, $60,000, $100,000 or $200,000,” Ballard says. Icon’s CodeX program will pay architects 1% of the construction costs for any home built using their blueprints and will help them design for 3D printing. CodeX is launching with 63 plans for homes, ranging from under $99,000 to well over $1 million. The catalog includes some 40 designs from famed architects Bjarke Ingels Group that take advantage of 3D-printing to create avant-garde wildfireand storm-resilient homes. (One model, for instance, mounts kitchen cabinets high off CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

34 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com the floor to minimize flood damage.) But Icon’s ability to execute on Vitruvius and CodeX designs depends on the company’s next-generation robot, called Phoenix. During my visit, a prototype worked across the street to build a large Gaudí-esque structure whose walls ripple across the lot like an infinite wave. The robot behind Icon’s 3D-printed neighborhood, Vulcan, consists of a crossbar that moves up and down between two towers that travel along fixed rails straddling a building site. A nozzle attached to the crossbar extrudes a proprietary concrete mixture called Lavacrete, which the robot lays down layer upon layer to form the exterior and interior walls of a one-story building. The nozzle on Phoenix, on the other hand, sits at the end of a 23-foot-long arm attached to a small platform with tanklike treads that can freely rumble around a building site. In Austin, Phoenix’s arm swoops down to the curving 100-foot-long structure, adding layers of Lavacrete to the second story of what will be a 27-foot-tall building when completed. Phoenix’s height and maneuverability gives it the capacity to build multi-story structures in more free-flowing designs and further automates construction. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

38 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | REAL ESTATE www.stlucievoice.com Q: I’m curious. There are several abandoned homes in my area. They are/were beautiful, but year after year, they sit empty. Similarly, there are a number of empty storefronts in my area, all with substantially high, competitive rates. Why leave these spaces empty? Why not lower the rates on the rents, rather than letting these properties sit vacant, year after year? Why not sell the homes for a dollar? Are the owners getting a kickback from the government because these properties are losing money for them? I can understand, in the case of homes, there could be many reasons (like probate, etc.), but storefronts? A: Let’s start with the homes in your area that you say are abandoned. In many instances, and in some neighborhoods, homes might be truly abandoned. We saw this 15 years ago, during the Great Recession, in cities like Detroit, where blocks of homes were abandoned by their owners, and the city eventually tore them down. In some situations, these homes aren’t really abandoned. The owners have died and the next of kin were, perhaps, never even aware that their relatives owned the homes. In other cases, the owners may be non-residents or undocumented. They may have purchased the homes but have perhaps died, leaving no heirs, or have left the country. And, in some cases, the owners simply don’t want to sell these homes and believe that holding on to them may give them greater value in the future. Even if they stay empty for years. A big part of the answer lies in these homes’ property taxes. Are the owners current? If not, then these homes might ultimately get sold to investors. But, that process can take several years to complete. In the meantime, homes and neighborhoods get run down, as do property values. So, there are many reasons why homes may be abandoned or look abandoned. You may also find that some homes may look abandoned, but people are still living in them. Seniors may live in a house, rarely leave it, and not be able to take care of the exterior. So, they look abandoned. We have seen a house that looks abandoned – except for the occasional light that goes on. The house hasn’t had any work done to the exterior in more than 20 years. The paint is peeling. The brickwork needs tuckpointing. The roof looks like it should be replaced. We’ve never seen anyone exit the property. A car in the driveway hasn’t moved in years. It has a flat tire. In some communities, local governmental agencies work with owners to get those properties sold and into the hands of new buyers who want to renovate and live in those homes. But it’s not always easy to facilitate that transition. It can take time to find the rightful owners, to get the paperwork in order, and to find a buyer willing to do the work. On the other hand, commercial real estate is an entirely different kettle of fish. Business decisions generally determine whether a property remains vacant or not. For example, if a tenant decides to move out of a space but continues to pay rent, the landlord won’t fill the space with another tenant while the existing tenant continues to pay rent. Sometimes, landlords have various properties available for rent in an area and are afraid that lowering the rent on one property will force them to lower the rent on all of their properties when it comes time to renew leases. Commercial properties are valued based, in great part, on the rent they generate. Lower rent levels can have a huge negative impact on the value of their properties. It can make it very difficult for the owner to refinance or sell. In fact, lower valuations could trigger default provisions in the owners’ loan documents. Loan documents frequently contain provisions that tie the performance of the buildings to the lender’s agreeing to continue to loan money on the property. So, owners may prefer to keep a retail store empty than admit to a lender that their property value has gone down. Also, commercial leases tend to be longer term. Sometimes these leases last five to 20 years. The landlord does not want to agree to a lower rent today that will reduce the value of their income stream for all of those years. They might prefer to wait for the right tenant than agree to a 20-year bad deal. Finally, there is basic supply and demand. Sometimes there are just too many stores available and too few retailers and other businesses wanting those spaces. Even lowering the rent won’t take care of that situation, as local economic forces make it very tough to find tenants. Why do property owners let homes and storefronts sit empty? BY ILYCE GLINK AND SAMUEL J. TAMKIN | Tribune

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River Nights invites you to bring a lawn chair or blanket and come out to enjoy a free outdoor concert with music by Rough Shot. The event includes food and drinks for purchase. It runs 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at Veterans Park at Rivergate, 2200 SE Veterans Memorial Parkway, Port St. Lucie. For more information, call 772-878-2277. This year’s “Tip a Cop” will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Meating Street Steakhouse, 10553 SW Meeting St., Port St. Lucie. The event features Port St. Lucie police officers as celebrity waiters working alongside Meating Street wait staff. Funds raised will benefit Special Olympics athletes. For more information, call 772-871-5012 or visit CityOfPSL.com. American alternative rock band Gin Blossoms and special guest Fastball will perform outdoors at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 13. Gin Blossoms’ first single, “Hey Jealousy,” was a top 25 hit that went gold. Other chart-topping singles include “Allison Road” and “Until I Fall Away.” The group has shared the stage with Barenaked Ladies and Hootie & the Blowfish. Tickets start at $50 plus tax and fees. The MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center is at 9221 SE Event Center Place, Port St. Lucie. For more information, call 800-514-3849 or visit MidFloridaEventCenter.com. The Caring Community Cleanup Day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 13. This is the 29th annual event CONTINUED ON PAGE B6 fun, festivities food THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024 YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SECTION 3 BY PAM HARBAUGH | Correspondent 1 Coming Up! ROUGH SHOT BRINGS THE TUNES TONIGHT AT ‘RIVER NIGHTS’ 2 4 ‘COLORING’ COORDINATION! Kids of all ages helped ‘Color Fort Pierce Beautiful’ in honor Edwin Binney, a St. Lucie County resident who invented Crayola crayons. The Fort Pierce Art Club hosted the event at the Fort Pierce Community Center on March 30. Top photo, birthday girl Victoria Zuech, 6, and her brother make chalk drawings. Left, Yi-Mell Bello, Sean Boyle and John ‘BookMan’ Cesar, all of the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County, handed out books to youths who attended. Above, Aria Hunt, 4, creates her own Crayola art. See story, Page B12.

ARTIST PROFILE BY DEBBIE TIMMERMANN | Correspondent B2 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com For much of her life, Kathryn Heuzey was able to transform and enrich the lives of others by combining her artistic skills with her scholastic training to work as an art therapist, including at the Pilgrim State Hospital, a psychiatric facility in New York. After graduating from Skidmore College with a bachelor’s degree in studio art, she earned a master’s in art therapy from New York University. While at NYU she was greatly influenced by the renowned Austrian artist, therapist, teacher and author, Edith Kramer. A pioneer in the field, Kramer is considered the mother of art therapy. Kramer established a graduate program at NYU titled the Art Therapist’s Third Hand Intervention, which calls for the art therapist to be a ‘third hand.’ The concept is for the therapist to encourage and assist a patient’s creative process without imposing their own ideas or artistic values. It utilizes the true healing properties inherent in the creative process as a supplement to psychotherapy. “Art therapy teaches you to express yourself, especially really psychotic people. It helps people to talk about their feelings, and being a part of a conversation, and to be sensitive to what people are saying. Schizophrenic people can’t really see the person,” she explains. She says that when treating people who are seriously hurting, art can be quite calming and can help them to improve. At NYU, they were taught to work in many mediums, so as to better relate to and help troubled minds, often a complex road to travel down. Through the artistic process, Heuzey was essentially teaching patients how to heal and move to a healthier and happier place. “It’s how people can express themselves through art and helping them work through their feelings. While soothing to the patient, it is a tool in therapy to help a patient really get their feelings out.” For example, she recalls working with a woman who was mourning the loss of her husband and had her paint a picture of a bouquet given to her by her children. “The woman whose husband passed away, drew the background of her painting of the floral gift from her children in black. Art therapy teaches me to be sensitive to what troubled people are trying to say,” says Heuzey. Heuzey says that what she learned through the study of art therapy and the hands-on practice of working with patients, helped her to become a better artist and teacher of art. Although she and her husband were from Long Island, N.Y., they often visited Vero Beach, and would then return home. COVID changed that; they decided to stay. Having lived here for six years now, she has learned the lay of the land and has become more involved in Vero’s vast art scene. She also appreciates that the cultural offerings here are so alive and rich. “I really love it here. The atmosphere in Vero is inspiring, partly because of the people. It’s gentler, more relaxed, an easier place to be. People are so polite; I even love going to the supermarket,” says Heuzey. “I was so sad to leave New York and my big studio, but I have pared down in my smaller space. I feel very inspired here; the atmosphere of this place. It’s just a relaxing place to be.” When she visited the Vero Beach MuseHEALTHY OBSESSION Kathryn Heuzey taught art therapy – and its lessons continue to inspire Kathryn Heuzey. PHOTO: JOSHUA KODIS

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS April 11, 2024 B3 um of Art for the first time, she says she was “just blown away. Their exhibits are so great, and the whole facility; they have terrific teachers.” Interested in pursuing all aspects of art, Heuzey frequently takes classes at the museum as well as online, particularly the Great Courses site, where she recently purchased a class on drawing with colored pencils. “I now love drawing in color,” says Heuzey. “A lot of the masters said a good painting begins with a good drawing.” Her drawing skills are impressive; even when drawn in black and white. Her exquisite pencil on paper portrait, “Katie,” 2022, was selected to be included in the inaugural exhibition Treasure Coast Creates: A Tribute to Local Artists, which was on display at the Vero Beach Museum of Art last summer. Heuzey has found she also likes to work with clay and has taken classes at the VBMA in that medium as well. Among her works are tall and skinny vases, contemporary works that bring a person to mind, although when one viewer suggested adding a head to the top, Heuzey declined the proposal, preferring that people draw their own conclusions as to her intent. Heuzey has created giclée prints of many of her oil paintings, wanting to give people who like her work the ability to buy a painting without incurring the cost of an original. She says the idea came about as a way to gift paintings to her children, even after the originals had been sold. A giclée is a high-quality reproduction of a painting produced with pigmented ink and printed onto canvas or high-quality paper. “You have to start with a really good photo of the original, loaded into a computer, so you will always have that image to create another giclée at any time, to sell again and again,” says Heuzey.

B4 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com ‘WEBBER’ OF INTRIGUE: Barber & Co. bring Broadway to Lyric It’s hard to pin countertenor Terry Barber down. He moved from Stuart a few years ago, lived in St. Louis for four years, and now lives in New Jersey, between New York and Philadelphia. He calls himself a “touring artist,” and that he certainly is. A former member of the multiple-Grammy-winning ensemble Chanticleer, he toured the world with the group. Now, he stays a little closer to home. “I’m mostly in the U.S. and Canada,” he said. “I’ve been doing my own tours since 2013, focusing on classical, musical theater and rock.” Barber is equally at home in all three genres. He made his New York City Opera debut in 2001, performed at the International Spoleto Festival and sang the role of Orlovsky from Die Fledermaus with the National Chorale. His album, Reimagined Mercury, a deep dive into the life and music of Freddie Mercury, was considered for a Grammy nomination. Musical theater is a longtime love. Barber and several of his closest friends bring “The Best of Broadway: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and more …” to Stuart’s Lyric Theatre April 27. It is presented by Artists for a Cause, a group Barber founded in 2009. The nonprofit helps visual and performing artists use their talent for community improvement by creating employment opportunities for artists who are doing good work for their communities. “Our mission is to support artists using their talents to support the communities, but we’ve also facilitated scholarships for arts education and supported mentorships and training,” Barber said. “It’s about the arts improving the world by supporting artists.” The concert at the Lyric is very special to Barber for several reasons. He first performed this show at there, and he had three collaborators – Jack Star, Jonathan Cummings and Robert (Bones) Moltedo – who were an integral part of the show and who have since died. “We are going to be thinking of them,” he said. “This concert is special to me because I’ve toured it all over the United States, Canada and Mexico, but it started off at the Lyric and we’re coming back there.” For this show, he will be joined by singer and actress Shelley Keelor, pianist Brandon Glick, Cellist Jackie Robbins, violinist Ian Wilkerson, and singer and actress Sydney Carbo. Center stage will be the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. “People love this music,” he said. “The repertoire is beloved, from ‘Cats’ to ‘Evita’ to ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ to ‘Phantom.’ Since the first show, I’ve purchased a background set of the Paris Opera, where the first Phantom appeared. A chandelier fell and a woman was killed.” “Phantom of the Opera” and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music have big parts in the show, but it is not the only musical that will be featured. “’Phantom’ is the longest-running show on Broadway and I see why people Love BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Staff Writer [email protected] Terry Barber and Shelley Keelor. PHOTO: THOMAS WINTER

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS April 11, 2024 B5 When “Sweeney Todd” opened on Broadway in 1979, the former head of the Metropolitan Opera, Schuyler Chapin, is said to have remarked that he would have staged it at the Met if he’d had the opportunity, because it was “a modern opera.” The Stephen Sondheim show about “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” won the trifecta of Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score, as well as an Olivier Award on the West End for Best New Musical. There have been numerous revivals, including one on Broadway right now, and a film adaptation followed. The Barn Theatre in Stuart will present “Sweeney Todd” May 9-26. It is a dark story, about a Victorian-era barber who returns home to London after 15 years in exile to take revenge on the corrupt judge who ruined his life. When revenge is elusive, he swears vengeance on the human race and vows to murder as many people as he can. A shopkeeper, Mrs. Lovett, makes questionable meat pies nearby. This is not typical musical theater fare, but Bryan Childe, artistic director at the Barn and director of this production, asks the audience to keep an open mind. “It’s a dark show with a lot of funny humor,” he said. “If you don’t know it, it still has many parts that will make you chuckle. The music is gorgeous.” Childe is planning a simple-seeming set with some bells and whistles. “It’s a minimalist set that is still a little elaborate,” he said. “We’re modeling it after the show that is currently running. There will be a touch of ‘how did they do that?’ There are tricks with the bodies and the meat grinder. The set has two levels, and the bodies will disappear in front of your eyes.” Childe has brought in some heavy hitters to help create the atmosphere. The lighting is being done by Nick Hogan, a professional from Orlando who started at the Barn, and the sound is being coordinated by Sophia Fuentes, also a Barn alum, now at the Maltz Theatre. Childe is excited about his cast, many of whom have not appeared at the Barn before. “It’s one of the top casts and I’m really enjoying working with the new people,” he said. “For our ensemble, nine of the 18 have never been on our stage. A lot of people have seen our shows and want to be a part.” The cast includes Josh Roland-Bramkamp as Sweeney Todd and Sharon Owen as Mrs. Lovett. Four of the major characters are portrayed by actors new to the Barn; they include Lila Fuchs as Johanna, Rick Decker as Judge Turpin, Michael Dodds as Beadle Bamford, and Sam McCulley as Tobias. Andy Morejon as Anthony Hope and Dave Murray as Pirelli round out the named cast. Childe noted that the current Broadway revival closes on May 5, just a few days before the Barn production opens. If you can’t get to New York, come to the Barn. You’ll still see a great show. The Barn Theatre, 2400 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, presents “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” May 9-26. Call 772-287-4884 or visit the website barn-theatre.com. BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Staff Writer [email protected] Demonically delightful ‘Sweeney Todd’ at Barn Sharon Owens (Ms. Lovetts) and Josh Roland-Bramkamp (Sweeney Todd) will appear in “Sweeney Todd” at the Barn Theatre. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BARN THEATRE it,” Barber said. “They’re taken by the story and the entertainment aspect. ‘Les Mis’ my favorite musical and I’ll sing ‘Bring Him Home.’” I asked Barber if, between “Memory” from “Cats” and “Bring Him Home,” his intention was to have a cry-fest. “There are romantic things, sad things, angry things, silly things,” he said. “The goal is to help the audience to feel.” To add some leavening, Barber and Keelor will do a duet from “Spamalot.” There will also be music from “Chicago,” “Hamilton” and “My Fair Lady.” An interesting side note is that Barber was friends with Marni Nixon, the singer who was the film voice of Eliza in “My Fair Lady” as well as many other musicals. Her son, Andrew Gold, wrote some songs for Barber’s first album. Barber has been busy with a new project, a trio called EleMenTrio, which he calls “a modern three tenors.” It’s a new venture and he is enjoying it. Still, he is looking forward to his return to the Lyric. “I see so many friends” he said. “The arts community (in Stuart) is a special one and it’s one of the things I loved best about living there. With the artists, the volunteers and the audience, it will always be a home to me.” The Lyric Theatre, 59 SW Flagler Ave., Stuart, presents “The Best of Broadway with Terry Barber.” April 27. Call the box office at 772-286-7827 or visit lyrictheatre.com.

B6 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | ARTS www.stlucievoice.com IRSC ‘SHAKES’ THINGS UP WITH ‘BARD ON BROADWAY’ CABARET Shakespeare and cabaret. Those are two words you usually see together. Indian River State College performing arts students will bring them together when they present “The Bard on Broadway” May 30-June 2. The show is a scripted revue featuring songs from shows that are based on Shakespeare’s works. First, a few housekeeping details. Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” which was scheduled to be presented April 25-28, has been canceled. Alec Kanter, master instructor for theater at IRSC, cited “incredible career opportunities for our students” as the reason for the cancellation. “The Bard on Broadway,” originally slated for the summer, will now serve as the last show of the subscription season. Anyone with tickets for “Private Lives” can exchange them for free for “The Bard on Broadway.” Now, on to the show. “This production is the first time we’ve combined two summer traditions at IRSC, Shakespierce and the summer cabaret,” Kanter said. “This show is a scripted revue with songs from Broadway shows based on Shakespeare, including “Kiss Me, Kate” (The Taming of the Shrew); “West Side Story” (Romeo and Juliet); “The Lion King” (Hamlet); “The Boys from Syracuse” (A Comedy of Errors); “Two Gentlemen of Verona-The Musical” (Two Gentlemen of Verona); and “All Shook Up” (Twelfth Night), featuring the music of Elvis. Elvis? Kanter, who wrote the script, delved deeper into the show. “The cool thing is that BY SHELLEY KOPPEL | Staff Writer [email protected] Alex Kanter rehearsing the IRSC cast of “The Bard on Broadway.” PHOTO: NIKKI HERNANDEZ it features songs as well as scenes from the original Shakespeare plays they’re based on,” he said. “The entire production is set at a 10-year high school reunion in 1989. As characters at the reunion relive memories from 10 years ago, the memories are played out in scenes and songs. They’ll be wearing fancy black tie; reunion wear.” Among the songs that will be featured are some great ones, including “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” “One Hand, One Heart,” “Falling in Love with Love,” “Hound Dog” (you do remember the mention of Elvis) and “Great Balls of Fire.” In the “there’s always something to learn column,” it turns out the Jerry Lee Lewis hit was from “Return to the Forbidden Planet,” which was based on “The Tempest.” Who knew? Kanter will be at the piano and there will be a live band of student musicians, as well. Kanter hints that the audience might even hear him sing. He noted that combining the summer Shakespierce and cabaret keeps the legacy of both going. “It provides opportunities for acting, singing and dancing students,” he said. “We could have been doing a fiveto-10-person revue, but this ends up having more than 30 performers. It’s a really nice way to cap off the season.” Indian River State College presents “The Bard on Broadway” May 30-31 and June 1-2 at the McAlpin Fine Arts Center, 3209 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce. Call 772-462-4750 or 1-800- 220-9915 for more information. CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1 COMING UP and is run by Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful (see related story on Page B23). Volunteers pick up litter at designated locations throughout the city. It begins at City Hall, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. There will be refreshing drinks, face painting, balloons and free shaved ice from Kona Ice. Walmart will provide breakfast and FCC Environmental Services will provide lunch. Music will be by Bryan Vitta Entertainment. There will also be a raffle for Mets tickets and free T-shirts while supplies last. For more information, call 772-871-7000 or visit CityOfPSL.com. The St. Lucie Earth Day Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Oxbow Eco-Center & Preserve, 5400 NE St. James Dr., Port St. Lucie. Free admission. It includes ideas for sustainable living, a showcase of local organizations and businesses, handson activities, a nature playscape for the kids, life animal encounters, festival prizes and more. Parking is free at the north side of the festival at Southern Oaks Middle School or Rivers Edge Middle School. You can either take a 10-minute walk to the festival grounds or use the free festival shuttles. For more information, visit CityOfPSL.com or call 772-785-5833. 5 CONTINUED ON PAGE B8

B8 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE www.stlucievoice.com St. Andrew Church and Academy Invites Youth to Join in the Fun! St. Andrew’s Youth Group ministry focuses on engaging and connecting with young people aged 12 to 18. We provide activities based on faith and spiritual awakening. Our ministry offers a safe space for youth to learn and grow with one another. Come and join us as we journey together for the glory of God. We are located at 295 NW Prima Vista Blvd. Port St. Lucie, FL, 34983. Please contact Maya Pinhassian, Youth Director. We are growing and shaping a new group of youth and would love you to join us. Cell: (818) 447-9078 Email: [email protected] The Pineapple Playhouse closes out its 2023/2024 season with the uproarious comedy “Exit Laughing” by Paul Elliott. Running from April 12-18, this delightful production delivers a perfect blend of wit, humor and heart, while captivating audiences with its witty dialogue and endearing characters. Shows are Fridays at 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at pineappleplayhouse.com or by calling the box office at 772-465-0366. Pineapple Playhouse is located at 700 W. Weatherbee Road, Fort Pierce. PINEAPPLE SEASON OPTS TO ‘EXIT LAUGHING’ Two choruses and one orchestra join forces Sunday in “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.” It will be performed by members of the Vero Beach Choral Society, the Vero Beach High School Chorus and a 55-piece orchestra with a string section comprising select students from the Brevard String Academy. The concert will be led by Jacob Craig, the Choral Society’s artistic director and conductor. “Each movement of this work is impactful,” he says. “Daily we learn about the horrors of war in conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, and Israel and Palestine. We must remember to strive for peace always, and this work is that reminder.” The 13-movement work is by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. It is based on the traditional Catholic Mass. It includes Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Benedictus. There are also elements from world religions. Featured performers include soprano Julia Glunt, alto Laura Glunt, tenor James Morris, baritone Eric Martinez and cellist Ben Walding. The concert begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center, 1707 16th St., Vero Beach. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted at the doors before and after the concert. For more information, call 207-650-0094 or visit VeroBeachChoralSociety.org. CONTINUED FROM PAGE B6 COMING UP 6 – CONTRIBUTED

To Advertise (772-633-1115) ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE April 11, 2024 B9 7 Live from Vero Beach presents Classic Albums Live performing “The Who – Who’s Next” at 7 p.m. this Friday, April 12, at the Emerson Center. Classic Albums Live is known for creating concerts that are exact replicas of the albums covered and performed by professional musicians. This album includes iconic rock tunes “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Tickets are $45 to $90. The Emerson Center is at 1590 27th Ave., Vero Beach. Call 800-595-4849 or visit MusicWorks Concerts.com.

B10 April 11, 2024 ST. LUCIE VOICE | PEOPLE www.stlucievoice.com Donna Martin lost her son Brad in 2019. It was the opposite of sudden; it was a 14-year battle. Brad Martin died as a result of one of the rarest of the rare “orphan” diseases, Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC), which strikes less than 1 in 1,000,000 people. For seven years, Martin, a resident of PGA Village, helped Brad deal with various medical issues, including bone marrow failure and related sicknesses. Their doctors were stumped as to the cause, thinking it was an autoimmune disease. Through her own private research, she pieced together various clues and pointed her doctors toward DC, a genetic disorder. After extensive testing, Brad’s DC was confirmed. After Brad’s eventual diagnosis, extensive testing continued and took place primarily in Maine and Boston. Brad was eventually accepted at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as the first patient ever to be considered for a “triple” transplant: bone marrow, double lung, and liver. Unfortunately, in November 2019, Brad contracted an infection, which spread, and his body never made it to transplant. Brad passed away that month. DC is a rare genetic disorder which causes various sicknesses, most notably pulmonary fibrosis, bone marrow failure, and liver failure. For Martin, the pain of seeing her son slowly die was magnified by the lack of effective doctors and other health professionals; most were not aware of DC and knew nothing as to how to treat the disease. They, unfortunately, could not even recognize the patterns of symptoms. Along that cruel path, and sufficiently before Brad’s passing, Martin discovered an organization specifically for DC. At the time it was called DCO, Dyskeratosis Congenita Outreach. It is now called Team Telomere (teamtelomere.org). Through this organization, she learned of a retreat that was being held at Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, close to where she lived in Maine. Camp Sunshine is a place where patients and their families meet for a retreat with a knowledgeable medical advisory board, where they can share their feelings, receive support, and learn of the latest medical information regarding their very specific diseases. There, she met other families afflicted with DC, as well as other doctors and professionals with the latest cutting-edge facts relative to treatment. It was a lifeline during Brad’s latter years. Martin is still involved with Team Telomere and Camp Sunshine to this day. While at the camp, Martin learned of the latest research being done in the laboratory of Dr. Suneet Agarwal, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. His study focuses on the advancing of the tools and understanding of our DNA, our genetics, and how future diseases can be known at the earliest possible time. In 2011, Dr. Agarwal asked Brad if he would consider being part of his very specific bone marrow study. Brad agreed and stated to his mom that “even though I may not live to benefit from this study, someone else will.” Brad donated genetic samples to this study; astonishingly, his DNA has catapulted research so much that they are hoping to release the first-ever oral medication for DC patients. This medication, even though not a cure, may help his brother Garrett, as well as other DC patients. Brad is not here, but his samples lead the fight for a cure. Martin displayed courage and strength during the constant fight to find a cure for Brad while he lived, and for her and her husband Bruce’s other son, Garrett, who also has DC. After Brad’s passing, she has focused her energies and talents along the same lines. She wrote a book, “You Won’t Believe It (But It’s True),” in which she relives the struggles, pain and constant daily efforts she went through to save him. The book is a short 136 pages. In addition to the intimate, painful efforts of both her and Brad during this long ordeal, she relates in the book a lot of good, useful information on how a mother needs to function in an often-hostile environment, where real, useful knowledge and facts must be vigorously sought, poked and prodded out of the medical profession and WE WORK FOR YOUR SUCCESS! More than 10 Years in Business INCOME TAX Personal & Corporate ITINs • Bookkeeping Services Sales Taxes • Payroll • Notary Affidavits • Translations • Company Registration Audit Representation - If you owe more than $10k to the IRS, we can help! We represent you so you never meet with the IRS. We offer affordable solutions to businesses and individuals. Luly Gonzalez Kahr, EA. IRS Enrolled Agent Federally Licensed Tax Practitioner (772) 464-0712 • [email protected] • www.VTaxCL.com 1401 S. US Hwy. 1, Fort Pierce Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Saturday by Appointment BY LARRY DAVID ALLMAN | Correspondent BELIEVE: Son’s courageous battle with rare disease spurs local mom to tell story and raise awareness