03/24/2022 ISSUE 12

Vero to vote on pay hike for
City Council. P12

Brightline upgrades
to force detours. P10
High-fives for nonprofits
picked as Impact 100 finalists. P16

For breaking news visit

MY VERO PHOTO BY KAILA JONES Craig Fletcher, 79,
twice Vero mayor,
BY RAY MCNULTY urged electric sale

USTA partnership: A big
plus for Riverside tennis

Most of the arguments put Ron and Nancy Rosner made a $10 million multi-year pledge to the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital's Health and Wellness Center. BY LISA ZAHNER
forth earlier this month by Staff Writer
opponents of the Vero Beach Ron and Nancy Rosner donate $10 million to hospital
City Council’s interest in part- In a tragic end to a life of
nering with the United States BY LISA ZAHNER residents Ron and Nancy Ros- children, free medical clinics service to his country, to sci-
Tennis Association to manage Staff Writer ner show gratitude for their and the YMCA, the Rosners ence and to the City of Vero
and maintain the Riverside Park success, and compassion for have generously contributed to Beach, two-time Vero Mayor
Tennis Complex were nonsen- Philanthropy is a deeply in- those in need. causes and charities from Vir- A. Craig Fletcher was found
sical. grained Rosner family value. ginia to Vero Beach. dead in his home Sunday eve-
Giving back. Paying it forward. From children’s literacy to ning. He was 79.
Too many of the remarks It’s how longtime John’s Island college scholarships, programs So it was natural that when
were filled with misinforma- to help homeless women and No matter what personal
tion, disinformation and not CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 troubles dogged him in his last
enough information about the few years as he approached his
USTA Florida Section’s offer to 80th birthday in April, Fletcher
enhance the city-owned facil- will be remembered gratefully
ity and expand its operations. by many electric ratepayers
from Indian River Shores to
Indeed, only one of the claims the far reaches of the South
had any real merit – that there’s barrier island, and by restau-
nothing USTA Florida can do rants and businesses on the
here that the city’s Recreation mainland, too.
Department couldn’t.
Fletcher, who served a to-
That statement, repeated at tal of eight years on the City
both the City Council’s meet- Council, was one of the stal-
ing last week and a Vero Beach wart city officials who, in the
Recreation Advisory Commis- early days, pushed the wheel-
sion session a week earlier, is barrow of the Vero electric sale
entirely true. uphill, sometimes through the
mud. After a tour in Vietnam
The city could make the back in his Army days, maybe
much-needed improvements
to the complex, where four of CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Will planned new home construction bring French government honors Vero Beach veteran for WWII heroism
an early end to the real estate crunch here?
afford to embark on a second
BY STEVEN M. THOMAS of new houses, condos, town- BY GEORGE ANDREASSI career, pursuing his passion
Staff Writer houses, duplexes and triplexes Staff Writer as a reading teacher champi-
planned or approved in the oning the cause of literacy.
Is the real estate inventory county stirs a sense of opti- Lots of Vero Beach resi-
crunch in Indian River Coun- mism. dents knew 97-year-old But it wasn’t until his grand-
ty about to come to an end? Harold Granitur was so suc- children started asking him
Figures compiled by the Com- cessful in business he could
A quick look at the number CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
PHOTO BY KAILA JONES

March 24, 2022 Volume 15, Issue 12 Newsstand Price $1.00 Floral flourishes
at museum’s
News 1-14 Editorial 42 People 15-36 TO ADVERTISE CALL ‘Art in Bloom.’ P34
Arts 51-56 Games 47-49 Pets 74 772-559-4187
Books 46 Health 57-63 Real Estate 77-88
Dining 69-73 Insight 37-50 Style 64-68 FOR CIRCULATION
CALL 772-226-7925

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

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

NEWS

New homes and condos paper houses and condos, brokers, demand and such a severe undersupply factor constraining an increase in the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 builders and county officials shake their there’s no way new construction is going new home supply.
heads slowly when asked if new con- to relieve the imbalance anytime soon.
munity Development Department struction will end the inventory short- “It is like walking a gauntlet,” Orsi said.
show nearly 4,500 new single-family age any time soon. “Even if most of the homes proposed “State requirements, county regula-
homes have been proposed but not were to come on the market, I don’t tions, municipal rules – everyone takes a
yet approved, along with about 1,200 “I can’t predict the future but based on think it would cure the problem we whack at you. We had to redo our traffic
condos and townhomes. what I have seen during my years with have. We are at a 50-year low in terms of study, our turtle study and our surveys.
the county, only about half of the pro- our supply and it will take several cor- It takes a long time to get approvals and
In addition, the county approved an- posed units will actually be approved rection years to fix that.” permits. It is no worse here than any-
other 2,595 lots or units in 2021. and only about half of those that are ap- where else, but it’s still an ordeal.
proved will be built in the next year or “The new homes you see being built
That is 8,295 new front doors pro- two,” said Ryan Sweeney, head of current out there aren’t helping with the inven- “Add that to everything else that is
posed or approved and in some cases development planning at the county. tory problem for a lot of reasons,” said going on with the supply chain and in-
under construction. While some are on Berkshire Hathaway agent Chip Land- flation and you think you hear Rod Ser-
the island, most are on the mainland. “Whenever we have a hot market, the ers. “Most of those under construc- ling in the background saying we have
fluff factor increases,” Sweeney added, tion have already been sold. When you entered another dimension we have
And that number does not include meaning an increase in the number prospect with builders for homes to never seen before. Next stop the Twi-
subdivisions that were green-lighted in of people jumping into development list, you are lucky if you get one spec.” light Zone!”
2020, 2019 or earlier that are now being who won’t necessarily follow all the
built – places like the latest phases of way through the arduous process from With demand for houses higher than Orsi said anti-growth sentiment is
Waterway Village. napkin sketch to handing over keys to a ever on the island and mainland, and another factor slowing new home con-
happy homebuyer. prices rising at record rates, it seems struction here and across Florida. “The
It does not include the 830-home like the obvious solution would be for municipalities don’t want to grow expo-
Heritage Reserve subdivision in Vero “A lot of it is pie-in-the sky stuff,” said established builders to simply ramp up nentially, which is understandable, and
where the developer hopes to begin Bill Handler, president of GHO Homes, their operations and build more houses. you always have that sentiment among
construction by the end of the year, but who is building a dozen subdivisions Double the number. Triple the number! residents who say, ‘Thank you for letting
which was first presented to officials in Indian River and St. Lucie counties, me in. Now please close the door.’”
many years ago and does not show up including several on the island. “This is But there is no quick fix in that di-
in current figures. the most challenging time I have seen rection. Supply chain problems, mate- That sentiment can lead to govern-
to develop land and build homes. I rial price fluctuations, labor shortages ment boards and departments slow-
Altogether, it looks at first glance like don’t think new construction is going and long waits for permits have build- walking new development. At the same
there are well over 10,000 new places to end the inventory shortage in the ers hemmed in, struggling to keep pace time, the county building department
to live in the pipeline in Indian River near future.” with current projects. is swamped with all the new projects
County. So, please, enjoy a moment of that are underway, which results in
optimism. “Every new home helps,” said ONE “Every builder I know is trying to long waits for inspections and building
Sotheby’s broker associate Michael build as much as they can to accommo- permits.
It won’t last. Thorpe. “But there is so much pent-up date buyers, but it is a tough task with all
Despite the impressive number of the supply chain issues and other prob- Sweeney said home production here
lems,” said John Groza, who has proj- is 10 times what it was during the slow-
ects going up and down the coast from est period of the great recession, but
Melbourne to Hobe Sound, including at there aren’t 10 times as many inspec-
Bridgepointe on Indian River Boulevard tors.
where he bought the remaining lots last
year and is building six triplexes. “Instead of two months, it takes
three or four months to get a building
“Trying to get what we need to com- permit,” said Landers.
plete homes is like playing Whac-A-
Mole,” said Handler. “For a couple of The disconnect here between the
weeks it was garage doors. We could number of homes planned and the
not get garage doors to close houses to number built is part of a nationwide
save our lives. We are begging and bor- phenomenon. According to Housing-
rowing for concrete every day. Win- wire.com, the annual rate of new home
dows are a continuing problem. Appli- permits in February was a strong 1.9
ances – forget about it! It is flooring. It million, but home completions lagged
is paint. It is everything!” that number by more than a third, with
only 1.2 million homes on track to be
“With housing prices and rents going completed this year.
up, we have lost a lot of our labor force
because they can’t afford the housing And yet there is some good news,
in our markets,” said Groza. “They are too, about new construction and in-
moving away to look for work in places ventory.
where housing is cheaper.”
As Thorpe said, “Every new home
“All builders would love to increase helps,” providing a place for a family to
their output to meet this strong de- live and put down roots. And there are
mand,” said Karen Kicinski, co-owner some bright spots in the housing sup-
of Lifestyle Homes which is building ply picture in Indian River County.
new houses at Bent Pine Preserve and
two other subdivisions in Indian River GHO Homes still has more than 20
County. “But I think many builders are single-family luxury homesites avail-
trying to be as responsible as possible, able in The Strand, and the county ap-
taking care not to ‘over promise and proved Handler’s Seaglass subdivision
under-deliver’ due to the uncertainty of last year across from the Disney Resort,
the supply chain and rapid inflation.” where sitework is underway and 72 new
homes will soon be offered for sale.
Michael Orsi, owner of Sunfield
Homes, who is developing Heritage Just across the Wabasso Bridge, at
Reserve near the Vero Beach airport, route 510 and U.S. 1, the county ap-
cites the age-old bugbear of builders – proved Harbor isle in October, a 270-
bureaucratic slowdowns – as another home subdivision by Divosta that will
open for sales later this year.

Just last month, two builders bought

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 3

NEWS

land in Grand Harbor where they will grams – especially for juniors in the af- city officials have been looking for side Park complex and make it worthy
be offering a combined 64 new homes, ternoons, when the courts are deserted ways to reduce the costs of providing of its picturesque surroundings.
and, according to Thorpe, there is – to help grow the game in our commu- recreation-oriented amenities and op-
strong interest in another Grand Har- nity. erations, preferably by raising fees and USTA Florida currently manages
bor parcel where an additional 78 pursuing public-private partnerships. municipally owned tennis complexes
houses can be built. But the city won’t. in Cocoa Beach, Fort Walton Beach and
And maybe it can’t, given the con- The USTA is proposing such a cost- Gainesville. According to Vero Beach
The county last year approved Ve- fines of the Recreation Department’s cutting marriage, offering to our city its Recreation Director Jim O’Connell, of-
netian Grove, a 900-unit subdivision budget and the City Council’s seeming expertise in managing and maintaining ficials in those cities have been pleased
near the Vero Beach Outlet Mall being unwillingness to increase spending. public tennis facilities – an expertise with the results.
built by Coral Gables developer, The Over the past several years, in fact, that might increase activity at the River-
Kern Company. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Three other mainland subdivisions
with more than 500 homes each are
in the proposal stage and Orsi is mov-
ing ahead with his 830-home Heritage
Reserve, where he hopes to begin con-
struction by the end of the year.

“We are still forging ahead,” Orsi
said. “It takes the patience of a saint
sometimes, but what are you going
to do? We have chosen this profession
and you just have to go with the flow
as best you can and get some houses
built. Somebody has to do it!”

Despite the severe shortage of homes
and all the obstacles to building new
product fast enough to keep up with
demand, “new home construction does
have potential to help with inventory
shortage, especially for homebuyers
who have the flexibility to wait to move
into their new homes,” according to Ki-
cinski.

“For those buyers who are not in a
huge rush to get into their new home,
new construction is a great option as
the buyer will ultimately get a brand-
new home tailored to their wishes and
needs.

“To the extent the builder has the
means to do so, some builders are also
building spec homes or ‘quick move-
in homes’ in communities, which also
has the potential to ease the pain of
the inventory shortage.”

Kicinski said Lifestyle will deliver
between 80 and 100 new homes this
year, while Groza expects to complete
about 70 homes on the Treasure Coast
in 2022. Handler said he will complete
between 200 and 250 houses, most in
Indian River County, and dozens of
other builders and developers, large
and small, are chipping in. Their ef-
forts won’t end the inventory crisis,
but they’ll make it at least a little less
severe. 

My Vero

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the 10 courts still need to be resur-
faced, there are no on-court water
fountains, fences are rusting, unse-
cured wind screens flap in the breeze
and the lights are better suited for
softball.

The city also could hire experienced
tennis professionals to introduce league
play, run tournaments and add pro-

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

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My Vero “It’s common for residents to view initial contract would be for only three into the realm of managing public ten-
USTA Florida as an outsider who is years. nis facilities around the state five years
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 coming in to change everything,” Bow- ago, Bowen said the goals have been
en said in a statement released in re- “We see ourselves as a community the same – to prevent tennis courts
In all three places, USTA Florida offi- sponse to questions and issues raised partner that is willing to take our re- from being eliminated due to lack of
cials consulted with community mem- by opponents of the proposed partner- sources and expertise and apply them use and provide communities with as
bers to assess their tennis needs and ship with Vero Beach. “It’s also com- to bring more tennis play opportuni- many tennis programs and play op-
desires, then tailored programs and ser- mon for people to view USTA Florida ties to the community,” Bowen said. portunities as possible.
vices to meet them. Those partnerships as just leagues and tournaments.” “We understand that it takes a little
have produced improved facilities and bit of a leap of faith on both sides to “We are not paid anything from the
increases in activity and revenues. But the USTA isn’t the evil bogeyman go into a partnership, but the outcome cities for our services,” Bowen said.
it was portrayed to be by some of the has universally been positive.” “Quite the opposite: To date, we have
Still, USTA Executive Director Laura Riverside Park players who addressed invested more than $2 million in the
Bowen understands why some – if not the Recreation Commission and City The USTA is a not-for-profit orga- three facilities we manage.
most – of the dozens of people who play Council. nization that is, as Bowen put it, “will-
at the Riverside Park complex might be ing to absorb extra costs” to get more “Every dime we have collected in
skeptical. USTA Florida is not attempting a people playing tennis locally. revenue has gone into programs, play
hostile takeover of the complex. The and facility improvements,” she added.
Since USTA Florida first ventured “When and if the facility is profitable,
we put that month back into the facil-
ity. We also provide clear and transpar-
ent financial reports to our city part-
ners.

“The city sees exactly what we spend
and what we bring in.”

For those wondering: USTA Florida
didn’t make the first move.

Bowen said she personally received
a request last summer from local “ten-
nis advocates” who invited her to Vero
Beach to discuss the possibility of man-
aging the Riverside Park complex.

Opponents of the proposed part-
nership, which many feared would re-
sult in an increase in the cost to play at
Riverside Park, might be surprised to
learn that USTA Florida has assessed
the complex’s operations and actually
recommended the daily-use fees be
reduced.

Apparently, the drop-in rates the city
charges are higher than at other public
tennis facilities around the state.

USTA Florida did note that the costs
of some of the memberships offered
were too low – some also were deemed
reasonable – but the City Council would
ultimately set the prices and fees.

Currently, the Riverside Park com-
plex has 56 annual members, only 32
of whom are city residents. Annual
single-person memberships currently
run $250 for city residents and $300 for
non-residents.

What won’t change, however, is the
current access to courts during the
morning hours, when the complex
sees most of its daily activity. The reg-
ulars who play there multiple times
each week will still be afforded the
same opportunities.

Contrary to what some opponents
told the City Council, they will not be
required to become USTA members,
or join USTA Adult League teams, or
compete in USTA-sponsored tourna-
ments. They can simply go out and
play with the same people.

“We want to expand programs, not
replace them,” Bowen said. “Morning
round-robin play seems to be vibrant
and should continue.”

Similarly, USTA Florida would con-
tinue to provide free court time, prob-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 5

NEWS

ably during the afternoon hours when ers – but they would be scheduled with the St. Edward’s School’s tennis staffing at the Riverside Park complex.
the courts at most tennis facilities in during the after-school hours and on teams, which practice and play match- The people who play there now like
the state aren’t busy. weekend afternoons. es at Riverside Park, Bowen said.
Gaby Dwyer, who supervises the city’s
USTA Florida would try to develop The addition of summer camps for Something that would change – an tennis operation. They say she has
junior programs at the complex to juniors is also likely. emotional issue for many of the oppo- done a good job for a long time. They
bring more children into the game – nents of the proposed partnership be- want her to stay.
and develop competitive tennis play- Those programs, though, would not tween the city and USTA Florida – is the
impact the city’s existing agreement CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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

NEWS

My Vero There is none, regardless of what Rosner donation est gift ever, right behind the $12 mil-
we’re hearing from the small-but- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 lion donated to establish the Scully-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 vocal opposition that shouldn’t be Welsh Cancer Center.
permitted to derail a partnership that the family was reeling from a heart-
For that to happen, however, she offers so much and asks for so little breaking loss, instead of turning in- The Rosners became supporters of
would need to be hired by USTA Florida, in return. ward, the Rosners stretched out their the hospital shortly after moving to the
which will manage a new Riverside staff. arms to help others in a big way. area, joining the ranks of the Golden
Judging by what we’ve seen and Eagle Society. “It’s so important to
And the freelance tennis pros who heard thus far – both the city officials Their grandson Evan was a stellar have quality healthcare in Vero Beach,”
currently teach at the complex would and USTA Florida representatives have student and a heavily recruited base- Nancy Rosner said.
not be allowed to continue. Bowen been completely transparent – there’s ball player, a left-handed pitcher. A
said USTA Florida directly employs all no downside to any of this. caring and selfless young man, Evan Though the $10 million gift is un-
of its teaching pros to ensure they are called his grandparents frequently and restricted, Ron Rosner said he hopes
certified, trained and have undergone We’re not giving away the Riverside always asked about their lives before the money will help raise awareness
background checks. Park Tennis Complex. We’re not run- sharing his own news. Evan and his about the dangers of fentanyl so no
ning off the Riverside Park regulars. brothers were “The Three Musketeers” family has to go through a similar
Some opponents reached so far for We’re not changing the face and feel of until, in a tragic moment on March 17, loss. “We really need this education
a reason to reject the proposed part- Riverside Park. 2021, there were only two. for the community,” he said. “If just
nership that they argued a USTA Flor- one life can be saved, it will have
ida pro shop on the property would Partnering with USTA Florida would Well-educated, widely traveled and been worth it.”
compete with – and negatively impact not ruin Vero Beach or turn our town involved in their community, the Ros-
– local tennis stores in Vero Beach. into Fort Lauderdale. ners knew nothing of the powerful The hospital, in a statement, said:
and potentially lethal opioid drug fen- “The Rosners’ gift will fund several
Bowen, though, said the existing It would bring in the expertise, en- tanyl. But their Evan took a Xanax pill initiatives, including educating phy-
building at the complex appears to be ergy and resources – USTA Florida has that was laced with fentanyl, and died. sicians, increasing healthcare access
“too small for an operation that would access to millions of dollars in grants for residents in the community and
compete” with any local tennis shops, and foundation funds – needed to re- “It (fentanyl) seemed to be some- providing caregivers with resources
adding that USTA Florida probably juvenate a one-vibrant, too-often-idle thing we were not aware of. We became to enhance patient care for decades
would sell balls and offer racket-string- tennis complex in one of the prettiest aware of it in an unfortunate way,” Ron to come.”
ing services, but doesn’t typically stock settings in the state. Rosner said of the drug, that’s said to be
other tennis-related merchandise. 100 times more potent than morphine. Emphasizing that the education
And at no cost to the city, which im- offered would be “inclusive and ex-
So what’s the big negative to allow- mediately would save $55,000 in staff On the one-year anniversary of tensive,” the hospital said the trans-
ing the City Council to continue its salaries. Evan’s death, Cleveland Clinic Indian formational gift from the Rosners
discussions with USTA Florida and River Hospital announced that the would help fund “the addition of out-
schedule a public meeting where the Yes, the City Council could make the Rosner Family had made a $10 million patient behavioral health services for
organization can present its offerings same commitment and investment gift to the hospital. It’s the second larg- children, teens, adults and seniors,
and answer questions? necessary to do all of this without USTA
Florida. But it won’t. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

This is the next-best thing. 



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

NEWS

Rosner donation “When there are the bumps along ing those will be the Rosner Family First Class in the U.S. Army were
the way – hopefully not the devastat- Health and Wellness Center on the single-handedly accepting the sur-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 ing one we felt losing our grandson – Vero Cleveland Clinic Indian River render of more than 180 German
whether the loss is losing a job or some hospital campus. soldiers, risking his life to warn com-
including funding for education pro- other kind of loss along the way, you manders about an enemy tank posi-
grams focused on drug use among have something and you lose it, and The Health and Wellness Center tion and getting wounded twice in
teens, and young adults.” you grieve, and hopefully in the end it currently houses the offices of more battle.
makes you stronger. than 50 hospital physicians, includ-
Nancy Rosner said she hopes the ing experts in such specialties as car- “Despite his injury, he continued
donation provides services to make “You never know the lives you might diology and cardiovascular surgery, to fight in Normandy and Northern
young people more resilient to life’s touch,” Nancy Rosner said of the do- neurology, infectious disease, ortho- France (at Avranches, Le Ham, Saint-
challenges, and to educate parents nation to the hospital, and all the peo- pedics, urology, rheumatology, pul- Jores and St. Hilaire-Petitville),” ac-
and grandparents on how to sup- ple who will benefit. monary medicine, primary care and cording to an account provided by the
port their young people through bet- endocrinology. French Consulate in Miami.
ter awareness. She has a great deal of The Rosners already have a YMCA
compassion for people who have hit a and a college athletic stadium named Established and highly respected Granitur’s unit landed on Utah Beach
rough patch in life. after them in Virginia in recogni- members of the John’s Island com- on June 8, 1944, two days after D-Day,
tion of their philanthropy and join- munity, the Rosners bought their first and he spent the next year fighting for
home in Vero Beach in 2003, relocat- the liberation of Europe. “While pro-
ing from West Palm Beach. gressing to the East of France, he par-
ticipated in combats in Chateau Thiery,
He grew up in Queens, N.Y., and Verdun and Fort Driant,” the French ac-
she in McLain, Va., but they met at count says.
a golf tournament at Doral National
Golf Club in the 1980s. Now they are Still fit and standing tall, Granitur
looking forward to their 33rd wed- humbly accepted the “Chevalier de
ding anniversary in May. la Légion d’Honneur” (“Knight in the
Legion of Honor”) last Thursday from
Philanthropy was always some- French Consul General Vincent Flo-
thing they agreed would be a prior- reani while being applauded by some
ity as they settled down and started 200 well-wishers.
a family.
“This is a great honor for me,” Gran-
Nancy describes growing up in a de- itur told the crowd in the conference
vout Christian home and learning that room at Indian River Estates. “I appre-
charitable work and giving were a way ciate the fact that all these people who
to live out God’s command to “do unto I’ve never met before – but I appreci-
others as you would have them do ate that you’re here – have come to
unto you.” Ron learned how blessed he pay me this great honor which I hope
was during an eye-opening two years I justly deserve.”
serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in
Quito, Ecuador, where among other A humble hero, Granitur said he had
things, he coached basketball. just been doing his duty while earning
two Purple Hearts, one Silver Service
“It was a far cry from New York City,” Star with arrowhead, the Combat In-
he said. When Rosner returned state- fantry Campaign Badge 1st Award, the
side, his outlook on life changed and Sharpshooter Badge with a Rifle Bar,
as his career in the automotive indus- the Bronze Star Medal, the Honorable
try advanced, he established a pattern Service Lapel Button WWII, the Presi-
of giving to worthy causes. dential Unit Citation and the World
War II Victory Medal.
Now as chairman of Rosner Motor-
sports, Rosner said he surrounds him- “My dad has been very quiet about
self with community-minded people this for years and years and years,” said
to exchange ideas. Through those so- son Eric Granitur. “The kids started ask-
cial contacts he learns about organi- ing questions about four or five years
zations with great outcomes like the ago and that’s when he really opened
Learning Alliance literacy program, up about it.
which he admired so much that he
donated seed money to replicate it in “He never really made a big deal
Virginia, and the Boys and Girls Clubs about it,” Eric Granitur said. “He really
here locally. just took it as part of his job. (After)
walking those 180 German infantry
The Rosners have traveled exten- troops in, the other U.S. troops took
sively, and that’s helped them keep life over and he just walked away like
in perspective. “Our quality of life here nothing happened.
in Vero Beach is phenomenal, and it’s
something we don’t take for granted,” “Beside serving in World War II, he’s
Nancy Rosner said.  just a great person. Obviously, a lot of
people here, they like him, or there
WWII vet honored wouldn’t be this crowd here. Obvious-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ly, I’m very proud him.”

about his experiences during the Allied After the war, Granitur devoted
Forces invasion of France in 1944 that himself to his business career and his
his true heroism during World War II family, and eventually a second career
came to light to his family and friends. as an elementary school teacher in
Livingston, N.J., and reading special-
Among his exploits as a Private ist at New York University.

Granitur and his late wife Adele
moved to Vero Beach in 2002 and had

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 9

NEWS

been married 71 years when she passed Nearly 1,600 medals have been itur said. “I didn’t expect anything. compromising and getting along.
away in 2018. He has three grandchil- awarded to veterans of the U.S. Armed It’s a wonderful thing they did for me. “It’s good when people respect each
dren, Sydney, Caroline and Luc. Services who fought in France, Flo- It’s good to be appreciated. Everyone
reani said. should be appreciated.” other,” Granitur said. “It’s the best thing
It was their questions about hisWWII in the world. That’s what I call com-
service that led to the French govern- After the ceremony, Granitur said Despite his heroism during an in- promising. You show respect for me, I
ment presenting him with the nation’s he was grateful for the recognition. ternational conflict of epic propor- show respect for you and we help each
highest honor. tion, Granitur said he believes in other.” 
“I can’t express my gratitude,” Gran-

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

NEWS

Craig Fletcher engineer, and the fact that he was en-
trenched inVero’s old-guard community.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
A multi-generation Vero Beach na-
Fletcher was primed for that fight. tive and longtime McAnsh Park resi-
Former Mayor Pilar Turner said Mon- dent, one of Fletcher’s grandfathers
built the first bridge over the Indian
day she was in shock about Fletcher’s River. And Fletcher’s father also served
passing. “I am grateful for Craig’s years as Vero’s mayor. Fletcher could speak
of service to Vero Beach and his fer- to the segment of the community that
vent support for selling Vero electric feared big changes as only one of their
to FPL,” she said. own could.

An aeronautical engineer retired Utility activist Glenn Heran said Fletch-
from McDonnell Douglas Missile Sys- er’s affiliations and reputation bolstered
tems at Cape Canaveral, Fletcher rou- the sale effort that was sometimes criti-
tinely called the city’s Big Blue power cized as being imported by people from
plant a “dinosaur” and urged the city outside the city limits.
to jettison the riverfront money pit be-
fore a catastrophe happened, expos- “Craig represented a group of ‘Old
ing the city to financial peril. Vero’ people, many of whom were very
reluctant to get on board with the sale,”
Amy Brunjes, who served as FPL’s Heran said. “If you didn’t have him on
external affairs director during the de- council at that time, you wouldn’t have
cade-long effort to purchase Vero’s elec- had his vote and you wouldn’t have his
tric utility, said Fletcher was very smart base of support. Without guys like that,
and had a strong vision for Vero after it wouldn’t have gotten off the ground.”
the electric sale.
Fletcher’s public life was not free of
“He was definitely one of the earli- controversy. He faced a recall campaign
est champions of the sale effort and he during his tenure as mayor for his strong
was not afraid to stand up to the nay- stance that the prayer said before Vero
sayers. Craig had the technical abil- Beach City Council meetings should be
ity and he saw that it could be done,” offered by a clergy member of a religious
Brunjes said. organization – not by a Humanist group.

“He always kept things close to the In 2019, Fletcher was arrested, and
vest and kept everything in the public. took a plea deal for probation in a spe-
He had an open mind and we often cial veterans’ court, after pulling a fire-
didn’t know which way he was going arm on a landscaper at his home. Police
to go, but he surprised us with his sup- records from recent calls to the home
port for the sale.” suggest that Fletcher’s life was increas-
ingly distraught as of late, culminating
When he advocated for selling the in his death on Sunday of a self-inflicted
electric utility to Florida Power & Light, gunshot wound. He is survived by his
Fletcher’s voice carried weight for two longtime wife Arlene and daughter,
reasons – his technical knowledge, hav- Edith Collins, plus extended family. 
ing worked nearly four decades as an

BRIGHTLINE UPGRADES TO CAUSE TRAFFIC
DELAYS ON SOUTH END OF ISLAND IN APRIL

BY GEORGE ANDREASSI April 25 until 6 p.m., Thursday, April
Staff Writer 28, the company said.

Residents of 32963 seeking to enter Motorists seeking to get on or off the
or exit the island at the south end in island on those days will need to use
Fort Pierce can expect to face a month one of the bridges in Vero Beach.
of delays and detours while Bright-
line upgrades the railroad crossing at Brightline is spending $2.7 million
the west end of the North Causeway upgrading the Florida East Coast Rail-
Bridge. way tracks between West Palm Beach
and Orlando, including the installation
Construction is set to start 6 a.m., of a second set of tracks, and building
Monday, April 11 and continue through new tracks between Cocoa and Orlan-
Wednesday, May 11 on the railroad do International Airport.
crossing just west of Harbortown Drive.
Brightline anticipates operating 32
The construction will require the full passenger trains per day through Indi-
closure of the railroad crossing from an River County at speeds of up to 110
6 a.m., Monday, April 18 until 6 p.m., mph as part of a 3-hour and 15-min-
Thursday, April 21, Brightline said last ute trip between South Florida and
Friday in a news release. Orlando International Airport.

Brightline will also fully close the Brightline is spending $33 million to
railroad crossing from 6 a.m., Monday, replace the 97-year-old St. Sebastian

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12



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

NEWS

Brightline new bridge traversing the North Canal
Railroad Bridge near Dixie Highway.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
Brightline closed the Eastbound Se-
River Railroad Bridge, and also is add- bastian Boulevard railroad crossing
ing new railroad bridges across the through March 19 for construction of
Main Canal in Vero Beach and North new tracks and safety mechanisms.
Canal in Winter Beach.
The westbound Sebastian Boulevard
A massive crane has been mobilized railroad crossing was closed last week
for pile-driving operations for the new for construction.
bridge traversing the Main Canal Rail-
road Bridge between U.S. 1 and Vero Brightline employees have been con-
Beach Municipal Airport. ducting qualifying operations on the
FECR tracks between West Palm Beach
Brightline also plans to mobilize a and Cocoa to prepare engineers and
crane for pile-driving operations for the conductors for the start of passenger
service. 

VpearyohBikeaecfhorwCililtvyoCteoiunnNciolvmemembebreorns

BY RAY MCNULTY “From a practical point of view, the
amount of focus and energy the City
Staff Writer Council puts in warrants a raise,”
Young said. “Governing in Vero Beach
Vero Beach voters will decide in No- is a multi-level operation. It’s not just
vember whether future mayors and going to meetings.
City Council members should get a
$175-per-month pay raise, starting with “There’s the airport, marina, the po-
their next terms. lice department, water and sewer, rec-
reation and all the other departments,”
If approved, the mayor’s annual sal- he added. “And you also have to inter-
ary will increase 15.5 percent from act with news media and the public.
$13,500 to $15,600, while City Council
members’ annual salaries will jump “I don’t see the salary increase as
19.4 percent from $10,800 to $12,900. any encumbrance on the public, and
while you don’t serve for financial rea-
The City Charter requires that such sons, it might actually help in recruit-
raises be approved by the voters. ing more candidates for the council.”

“We just followed the Charter Re- Even with the monthly raises, Howle
view Committee’s recommendation,” said, the job demands considerably
Mayor Robbie Brackett said after the outweigh the salaries.
City Council unanimously agreed to
put the proposed pay hikes on the He said he actually sacrificed po-
Nov. 8 ballot. tential income from his full-time job
as a risk management specialist and
“It hadn’t been done in years, and partner at the Gottzmann Insurance
I believe it’s the right thing to do, but Group to serve on the City Council.
I’m glad the committee recommended
relatively small increases,” he added. “I was not making as much as I
“Our pay should provide some com- could, even with the supplement from
pensation for our time, but it’s not being a council member, because of
supposed to be a livable wage. the time I lost at work,” Howle said.
“Anybody who tells you it’s just a part-
“You take this job to give back and time job isn’t telling you the truth.
serve your community,” he said.
“No, you don’t do it for the money,
Two of Brackett’s mayoral predeces- but if you consider the time and en-
sors who no longer serve on the City ergy you invest, $10,000 for a coun-
Council, Tony Young and Harry Howle, cil member and $13,000 for a mayor
said they supported the pay increases. doesn’t cut it,” he added. “That’s not
much more than a stipend.”
Council members also qualify to en-
roll themselves, their spouses and de- And that’s why, Howle said, younger
pendents in the city’s employee health people are unwilling – or unable – to
plan during their time in office, a ben- make such a commitment.
efit that’s helped attract self-employed
people and younger retirees who are “If you’re younger, married with kids
not old enough for Medicare. and a job, you might want to serve,
but it’s impossible because of the time
Both Young and Howle expressed commitment,” Howle said. “So you’re
hope that the salary raises might en- essentially ruling out a whole group of
courage more Vero residents – partic- people.
ularly younger people with full-time
jobs and families – to make the time “Instead, you end up with a lot of
commitment necessary to serve on older and retired people on the City
the City Council. Council,” he added, “because they’re

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 13

NEWS

not working and they have the free referendums asking Vero Beach voters posal because the City Council would vard and 17th Street, north of the Alma
time needed to devote themselves to to approve reviewing the City Charter no longer endure decade-long stretch- Lee Loy Bridge.
the job. every eight years and increasing the es without raises.
salaries of the mayor and City Coun- City voters will be asked to decide
“Think about it: What’s the average cil members whenever non-union city Among the other potential changes whether to allow commercial develop-
age of our City Council?” employees receive pay raises. to the charter on the Nov. 8 ballot will ment on the property, which the City
be the fate of the so-called Three Cor- Council hopes will become a waterfront
Currently, it’s 73.2. Brackett said he endorsed the pro- ners property at Indian River Boule- social, dining and recreation hub. 
The Nov. 8 ballot also will include



CINEMA LOVERS MAKE THE SCENE
AT VERO FILM FEST ‘WHITE PARTY’ P. 20

Bob Stanley, Jerusha Stewart, Patti Lyons,
Dr. Anne Lewis Cruz and John Cruz.

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

PEOPLE

High-fives for nonprofits picked as Impact 100 finalists

Tracy Sorzano and Kris Rohr. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Linda Downey and Adam Schnell. Angelia Perry and Jay Lundy Sr.

Peg Regan, Beth Livers, Beth Wright and Suzi McCoy Shriner. Kate Hoffman, Kay Harvey and Gladys LaForge.

BY MARY SCHENKEL MaryEllen McCarthy and Stu Keiller. the front of the room carrying mylar and we are so lucky that we have
Staff Writer balloons that spelled out a whop- great, devoted dynamic women as
Membership recruitment is criti- ping $483,000. It was slightly shy of part of our group,” said McCarthy,
Indian River Impact 100 members cal, as the number of members de- their ‘Strive for Five’ goal but, un- before announcing this year’s final-
gathered at the Riverhouse recently termines how many $100,000 grants deterred, Shriner said she’s heading ists:
for a Meet the Finalists Celebration, are possible that year. into next year with a ‘Chicks for Six’
sponsored by Campione, Campione goal. Ballet Vero Beach – Ballet Vero
and Leonard P.A., eager to learn Sorzano thanked the member- Beach Fellowship Initiative
which area nonprofits had been se- ship committee, led by Suzi McCoy “This is my second favorite day
lected as finalists in the 2022 Im- Shriner, for their tireless efforts to of the Impact year, because this is Gifford Youth Achievement Cen-
pact 100 grant selection process. build the membership, calling them the day where we announce the fi- ter – Youth Employability Program
“amazing cheerleaders” for the or- nalists” said Mary Ellen McCarthy,
“Today, we have the pleasure of ganization. grants chair and president-elect. Treasure Coast Community
announcing the nonprofits and proj- Health – The Vision Program
ects that you, our members of Im- Committee members walked to The grant selection process is an
pact 100, will have the opportunity intensive one, with 35 grant com- United Against Poverty – Going
to vote for at our annual meeting on mittee members, panelists and fi- UP Bus
April 13,” said Tracy Sorzano, board nancial experts, who extensively
president. “It’s also an exciting day vet the projects to ensure they are Youth Sailing Foundation –
because we are happy to announce community centered, impactful, Homeless Children Sail for Life
the amount of funds we have avail- measurable and sustainable.
able for our grant awards.” The five finalists will make their
McCarthy said the grant volun- case before the Impact 100 member-
To become an Impact 100 mem- teers began evaluating the applica- ship at the Annual Meeting on April
ber, women annually contribute tions in November, taking time out 13. Members will vote that same
$1,100 ($100 is an administrative of their busy schedules to ensure day and will present four $100,000
cost) and vote at the annual meet- that programs meet Impact’s de- transformational grants to Impact
ing to decide which finalists will re- manding criteria. 100’s newest Community Partners.
ceive that year’s $100,000 transfor- The board will decide what portion
mational grants. “And we have a very challenging of the remaining funds will be dis-
process. Our eyes are always open tributed as a Merit Grant this year.
to the new needs in the community,
For more information, visit impact
100ir.com. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 17

PEOPLE

Lynn Bynes, Kathleen LaCroix and Isabel Squires. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Kathleen Allston and Ruth Sit. Barbara DiMarzo, Elizabeth Van Dyk and Dawn Habgood.
Mary Ann Miskel and Bobbie Walker.

Jean Hyde and Ann Seeley.
Liz Locke and Lorena Cook.

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

PEOPLE

Gladys LaForge and Vicki Soule.

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Matt Tanner and Tracy Sorzano.
Nancy Fette, Sulu Grant, Tricia Chambers and Dianna Chianis.

Join us for Sunday Worship Brenda Lloyd, Leslie Bergstrom, Elke Fetterolf and Judy Peshio
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Vero Beach, FL 32960 www.firstpresbyterianpreschool.org
(772) 562-9088 PRIMO School of Performing Arts
www.FirstPresVero.org
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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 19

PEOPLE

Mary Beda and Linda Kloss.

Deb Polackwich and Jean Kjellman. Linda Triolo, Priscilla Hammond, Barbara Samson and Lina Sullivan.

Priscilla Reilly, Christine Rooks and MaryEllen McCarthy.

Joanne Falzone Cherubini, Barbara Burrows and Jeanne Tyson.

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

PEOPLE

Cinema lovers make the scene at Vero Film Fest ‘White Party’

David Yakir, Heather Stapleton and Xaque Gruber. Angela Morgan, Etta Schaller and Debra Louis. Dede Gilbert, Zoe Kron and Isabel Garrett.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF sponsored by Tree House Vero Beach
Staff Writer owners Pam and Jake Hund, will help
fund the return of the much-anticipat-
Vero Beach experienced a whiteout ed Vero Beach Film Festival, a rede-
on the grounds of Tree House Vero signed version of the Vero Beach Wine
Beach, as guests descended upon and Film Festival, founded in 2016 by
the outdoor venue clad in white from Jerusha Stewart.
head-to-toe for the annual Vero Beach
Film Festival Cinema de la Mer Super- “We made the decision to concen-
Secret White Party. trate on the films themselves and the
people that put everything behind
Proceeds from the Back to the Mov- those films,” said VBFF president Da-
ies-themed cinematic celebration, vid Yakir. The Vero Beach Film Festival

PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Beata Brewster, Jenn Kite, Kristi Challenor, Rusty Cappelen and Bill Brewster. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LABAFF

will return to the big screen June 9 to centric blanc themes, such as white
12 at various locations. rabbits and witches, Vanna White and
Betty White, and the Lady in White.
Forging ahead under Yakir’s lead- Guests took their table décor seriously,
ership, the nonprofit is holding fast laying out designs that included rab-
to the job of celebrating independent bits and wizards, the fanciful and the
filmmaking and enriching the com- fantastic.
munity, culturally and economically.
As the new board was making the de- The Best-Dressed Table Award was
cision to move forward with the film presented to sisters Diane Reheis and
festival, they did so with COVID in Tammy Adams who, with their guests,
mind. created a movie-themed design featur-
ing a Three Stooges film reel, printed
“It will be smaller,” said Yakir. “We’ll menus, chair covers and Oscar trophies.
try to orchestrate it so there’s social
distancing, and we’ll have alternating “This room is filled with artists and
programs. It will be quieter, but we’re people who love film,” said Xaque Gru-
hoping it will still have the impact that ber, emcee and VBFF board member.
it has always had.” “It unites us all, and it’s a special thing.”

They plan to utilize a more concen- In true Hollywood fashion, the en-
trated number of venues in downtown tertainment featured the jazzy Mick-
Vero Beach and have a goal of mak- ey Freeman Combo, Victoria Schultz
ing a year-round impact. “We have big playing movie theme songs on a harp,
dreams,” said Yakir. a Marilyn Monroe impersonator woo-
ing the crowd, and Ballet Vero Beach’s
Down the road, he said, they hope to Camilo A. Rodriguez, en tutu, per-
find a permanent home – ideally at the forming the “Glorious Swan Song”
historic Theatre Plaza on 14th Avenue. with his usual sassy panache.
They intend to have a film studies pro-
gram in partnership with Indian River Next on the marquee is an Exclusive
State College and hope to eventually Oscar Night celebration on March 27 at
partner with and support local non- a historic home in Vero Beach. For more
profits. information, visit vbfilmfest.org. 

Table hosts were assigned film-

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

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 Susan Keller Horn and Jill Landes. James Luihn, Laurel Briggs and Doris Kwek.
Diane Reheis, Bob Porreca and Tammy Adams.

Jake and Pam Hund. Lynne Bortree, Diane Langevin, Alicia Quinn and Pat Willis. Andrea Mears and Marie Healy.

Joanne Montgomery and Mark Wygonik. Nina Langpaul and Doris Landsman.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 23

PEOPLE

Sea Oaks Arts & Crafts Stroll: Showing, telling – and selling

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

The creative talents of Sea Oaks Suzi Keegan, Pat Miller and Diane Lynn. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 Debbie Timmermann and Linda Vincent.
residents were on display at the 2022
Sea Oaks Arts & Crafts Stroll, which to set up their wares once more in the PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Residents mostly biked or walked
featured 24 artists displaying a variety driveways of homes along Bent Oak over on the beautiful, sunny day,
of art forms, including paintings, pho- Lane, a lovely oak canopied cul-de- could participate. many accompanied by their well-be-
tography, sculpture, jewelry, floral ar- sac. “We’re doing a silent auction for haved canine pals. It was a particu-
rangements, quilts and gift items. The larly congenial group, as folks visited
recent show, which was not juried and However, since there are no walls in the first time. We have six artists with their neighbors and chatted with
was open to all residents, primarily the great outdoors, she said they were who have participated in that,” said the artists about the works they had
featured items that were for sale, and raising funds to purchase additional Timmermann. And at the end of the created, some during the pandemic
others that were strictly for show. display panels on which to hang the cul-de-sac, entertainment was pro- downtime. 
artwork, so that even more people vided by the Sea Oaks Band, who
“It’s a great idea,” said Elaine Si- Timmermann described as their
gler, whose specialty is Ikebana, Japa- hometown band.
nese floral arrangements. “We have
so many talented people here in Sea
Oaks.”

“Originally this was held on the sec-
ond floor of a cramped community
center and because of COVID we de-
cided to do it outside last year. Every-
body absolutely loved it,” said event
chair Debbie Timmermann.

Because the outdoor venue was
such a success, they opted to continue
in that fashion, inviting participants

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

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 Faith and Wayne Halstrom. Nikki Pfeiffer.
Linda O’Dowd, Louise Duffy and Bonnie Billings.

Barbara Hill. Susan Frost. Steve and Donna Harris with Lynn Hardcastle.

Kathy Hochheiser and Carol Calder. Peter Post.

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

PEOPLE

Aura of excitement at Boys & Girls Clubs’ Angel Dinner

BY MARY SCHENKEL Before introducing Emmanuel Sa-
Staff Writer las, a Fellsmere Club member and
their inspirational Youth of the Year,
Supporters of the Boys & Girls Elizabeth Thomason, Jaquan Pledger and Nancy Lynch. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Thomason explained that the desig-
Clubs of Indian River County visited nation recognizes the clubs’ best and
one of three places where the magic license, sold his first house, and is brightest and is the highest honor a
happens during the 20th annual An- working toward a business degree. member can attain.
gel Dinner, held at the Vero Beach fa-
cility. There are also club facilities in “The Boys & Girls Club helped me “Candidates are judged on their
Sebastian and Fellsmere. to become the person I am today. I service to home and family, moral
am very grateful to everyone here,” character, community service, school
Guests braved the elements to so- said Pledger, before thanking all the leadership and service, academic per-
cialize with club members during sponsors, particularly presenting formance, service to Boys & Girls Club,
the cocktail hour, chatting about the sponsor John’s Island Real Estate. life goals, a written essay and public
many activities the children enjoy speaking ability,” said Thomason.
thanks to their support. Later, in the Elizabeth Thomason, BGC execu-
gymnasium, they dined on a buffet Salas was born in Mexico, where he
dinner by Elizabeth Kennedy & Co. was raised by his grandmother for 11
at tables set with train engine smoke- years before moving here to be with
stacks that highlighted the “Back on his parents and siblings.
Track” theme of the event.

Event chair Nancy Lynch and ‘co-
conductor’ Jaquan Pledger com-
mented that the last Angel dinner
took place in March 2020, two weeks
before the world shut down. Pledger,
a club member from age 9 until grad-
uating from high school two years
ago, has since acquired a real estate

Youth of the Year Emanuel Salas with Avie, David and Serenity.

Established 18 Years in Indian River County tive director, introduced Chad, the “In 2016, I arrived in the United
Vero Beach Youth of the Year; Lizeth, States, and back then I wouldn’t have
(772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com the Fellsmere Club Junior Youth of been able to say a word to you in Eng-
3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960 the Year; and Elana, the Vero Club lish,” said Salas. Shy and insecure in
Junior Youth of the Year, who led the school because of difficulties com-
Pledge of Allegiance, Club Code and municating, he joined the club a year
prayer, respectively. later and, over time, said its cultural
diversity made him more confident
The night was a bittersweet one for and secure.
Thomason, who has resigned after 12
years to become the foundation di- “The club helped me learn about
rector for Treasure Coast Community what I could do for myself and the
Health, and who was lauded for her community,” said Salas, who began
stellar leadership of the organization. volunteering within the club and else-
where. He is a member of the National
“This is the first time we’ve ever Honor Society, a Student Council se-
hosted an Angels dinner on our home nior class officer, enrolled in the In-
turf, and it feels great,” said Bob Bauch- ternational Baccalaureate program
man, board co-chair with Bill Grealis. and plans to attend the University of
Central Florida.
Commenting that they reduced
the number of children by 60 percent “Life is not easy and standing here
during COVID to stay open safely, is an accomplishment that I would
he said they are slowly adding more never have done if it were not for the
children as they find additional qual- people that believed in me, did not
ified staff. give up on me, and still have not given
up on me,” said Salas.
“It has been difficult, but the board
and administration are working For more information, visit BGCIRC.
closely together to achieve our goal org. 
of returning to pre-pandemic num-
bers,” said Bauchman.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 27

PEOPLE

Judy and Bill Munn. Roger Lynch with Liz and John Blanchard. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
Bob Gibb, Rennie Gibb and Wheatie Gibb.

Bill and Marlynn Scully. RoAnn Costin with Trinity. Gloria and Kim Anderson.

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

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 Georgia Davala, Joan Marra and Lynn Yardley. Ba Stone with Jim and Jean Ueltschi.
Jeff Powers with Brian and Trinity.

Virginia and Warren Schwerin. Anne and Herb Gulquist.

Jan McCoy with Ned and Sherry Ann Dayton.

Tauna and Ben Donaldson. Liz and Tommy Farnsworth.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 29

PEOPLE

John Campione and Leslie Bergstrom with Karen and Bob Ritter.

Barbara Hotchkiss, Barbara Cross, Shaun Yelle and Sherman Hotchkiss.

Maureen and Bob Bauchman. Connie McGlynn and Teresa Winslow.

Kathie and Michael Pierce. Gay and Fritz Blaicher.

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

PEOPLE

Inspirational stories highlight Literacy Services’ 50th bash

BY MARY SCHENKEL acy and English language programs. advancements in reading, writing
Staff Writer The nonprofit recently hosted and speaking English.

In America, a country built by im- Stories by the Sea at the Sea Oaks “I am grateful to be in the United
migrants, the ability to speak English Beach Club, a spectacular beach- States because I know I can achieve
is a common denominator among side conclusion to a series of events, my goal to become an aeronautical
those who prosper and succeed, and sponsored by Don and Sandy Mann engineer,” said Moreno, who still
for the past 50 years Literacy Servic- and Byron and Nancy Sugahara, meets with Duguid, works full time
es of Indian River County has helped throughout its 50th anniversary and takes classes at Indian River
adults do just that through its liter- year. The evening included cock- State College. “These teachers in my
tails, a scrumptious Sea Oaks buffet life put me on my way.”

PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 Appreciating that education was
her ticket out of North Dakota, tutor
Ursula Duguid and Micheld Moreno. Karen Leedahl, whose parents were
Norwegian immigrants, obtained a
by the pool, and entertainment by master’s degree and became an or-
the Collins & Company band. dained pastor. Her first LSIRC stu-
dent grew up in Mexico and married
The highlight of the evening was a man from Indian River County.
a program led by Bonnie Levison, a
senior storytelling coach at the Moth “She so wanted to become a citizen
Podcast and Moth Radio Hour, that and I really wanted her to succeed,”
featured inspirational stories from said Leedahl. When she did, “I could
a student, tutor, board member and tell that she was so happy, and I felt
alumna. like a proud mother. I am now work-
ing with my third citizenship stu-
Jessica Schmitt, LSIRC executive dent, and I absolutely love it.”
director, recalled the thick German
accent of her grandmother, who Indian River County Sheriff’s De-
studied a dictionary to learn Eng- partment Lt. Joe Abollo said his par-
lish, and who told her that education ents had emigrated from Argentina
was something no one could take to build a better life for their fam-
from you. ily. One of his father’s proudest mo-
ments was becoming an American
“Growing up, I took for granted her citizen. However, as a child, Abollo
ability to communicate with me,” struggled with homework and felt
said Schmitt. “I didn’t know how isolated from his schoolmates, as
hard she worked for it until I came Spanish was his primary language.
to Literacy Services. Until I saw the Now a LSIRC board member, he ap-
dedication and commitment of our preciates how life-changing its pro-
students to their learning journey. grams can be.
Until I saw the joy they shared with
their friends and family when they “As you can imagine, I can relate
achieved these moments.” directly, as my parents came here
from Argentina with that struggle
Don Mann said the organization to try to achieve that success,” said
relies on donations for workbooks Abollo.
and training for tutors to teach stu-
dents from many different coun- Alumna Marie Gutierrez could
tries. not speak English when she, her
husband and children emigrated
“Without our tutors, there would from Venezuela, so she took a job as
be no literacy services,” said Mann. a housekeeper and later a server at
Sea Oaks. A visit to the library, where
“When the adults learn to speak she discovered Literacy Services,
English, the kids learn to speak changed their lives completely. Her
English. And the kids get a new ap- tutor helped them to become citi-
preciation for their parents, for what zens, and she has since received a
they’ve sacrificed to do,” said Mann, master’s in social work from the Uni-
stressing that learning English helps versity of Central Florida.
end generational illiteracy.
“Now my dream is to have my pri-
Student Micheld Moreno, from vate practice next year. All this jour-
Bogota, Colombia, highlighted the ney could not be possible without
teachers in her life, from the uncle the help of Literacy Services,” said
who introduced her to mathematics Gutierrez. She added that Literacy
as a child, to LSIRC tutor Ursula Du- Services expanded her dreams and
guid, who has helped her to achieve planted a seed for her children to
have even bigger dreams.

For more information, visit Literacy
ServicesIRC.org. 



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

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Guille Cendejas, Linda Barker and Marisela Kempf. Jessica Schmitt, Bonnie Levison and Lorna Stengel.
Carol and Paul Kanarek with Janie Gould.

Diana and Chris Locke with Lorna Stengel. Nancy and Bryon Sugahara. Priscilla Engel, Sarah De Fino and Margarita Greenwood.

Maria Gutierrez, Karen Leedahl, Lt. Joe Abollo and Bonnie Levison.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 33

PEOPLE

Camilo Rodriguez and Adam Schnell. Ross and Patti Rennie. Stuart and Kitty Kennedy. Cindy Day and Linda Beardslee.

Sandy and Don Mann.

Wanda Lincoln and Sven Frisell.

Trudie Rainone and Elke Fetterolf.
Doreen and Tom Mead.

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

PEOPLE

Fantastic floral flourishes at museum’s ‘Art in Bloom’

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF
Staff Writer

Art blossomed once more during Beth Werwaiss and Barbara Hathaway. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Martha Moore and Madeline Long.
the annual Art in Bloom Luncheon at
the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Un- ists responded to Vero Collects and “There would be no Art in Bloom this beautiful business: pesticides and
der the green thumbs of luncheon co- our current collection, all I can say if not for our extraordinarily talent- the carbon footprint of shipping flow-
chairs Barbara Hathaway and Beth is I’m glad I don’t have to vote,” said ed floral designers. They have given ers.”
Werwaiss, and exhibition co-chairs Brady Roberts, VBMA CEO/executive these works of art new life through
Ann Jones and Ann Webber, the event director. It was the guests who deter- their creative interpretations.” “To be able to do my part to some
returned to its former full bouquet fol- mined the winners. degree in growing things sustainably
lowing last year’s modified format. More than 400 guests, attending in and for myself. It’s not all altruistic. I
two sittings, viewed the array of living have an insatiable appetite for flow-
Inspired by artworks featured in the art before enjoying a presentation and ers, as I suspect some of you may also.
museum’s collection and current ex- demonstration by master floral de- And why plant 10 tulips when you can
hibition, Vero Collects: Hidden Trea- signer and author Ariella Chezar, who plant 10,000 tulips,” said Chezar.
sures Revealed, 13 talented local de- Roberts said is admired for her “or-
signers created 12 interpretative floral ganic, seasonally focused approach to Afterward, the room was abuzz
designs that captivatingly played off floral design.” with chatter and ideas, as attendees
the colors and shapes in the works. mulled over Chezar’s tips and ideas as
Chezar also teaches floral design they dined during the Gardenia and
This year’s designers were Julie at workshops and retreats across the Azalea seatings on a luncheon catered
Herrmann, Ann Jones, Barbara Kay- globe and said she garners a great by Elizabeth Kennedy & Co.
tes, Lee LaPointe, Suzanne Mallory, deal of inspiration from the seasonal
Betty McCarthy, Cress Meier, Sharie blooms on her farm in upstate New Wanting to take full advantage of
Mortimer, Nancy Murray, Pinkie Roe, York. the lovely afternoon, guests also did
Elaine Sigler, Ann Webber and Arun a little shopping at the Museum Store
Wijetilleke. Her belief that “we’re only as good Trunk Show of Italian made bags by
as the quality of our product” was the Solo Perché.
“I think this is one of the best years driving force behind her decision to
ever for Art in Bloom. The way the art- start the flower farm. It also allowed Vero Collects: Hidden Treasures Re-
her to make a difference in what she vealed will be on display through May
referred to as the “dark underbelly of 15. For more information, visit vbmu-
seum.org. 

MEET THE DESIGNER TRUNK SHOW

BUNNY BRADLEY DESIGNS
& HER BEAUTIFUL TRAVEL

BAGS AT TRIMMINGS

THURSDAY, MARCH 31
11 AM TO 4 PM

3201 Cardinal Drive
772 213 8069 • shoptrimmingsvb.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 35

PEOPLE

Ann Dillon and Ann Jones. Ann Webber and Betty McCarthy. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
Mary Lee Stallkamp and Sandy Rolf.

Laura Buck and Mary McElroy. Suzanne Mallory and Brady Roberts. Marlen Higgs and Dhuanne Tansill.

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

PEOPLE

BEST IN SHOW Rennie Gibb and Alie Saraceno. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35
Floral Designer: Julie Herrmann Ellen Ferro and Janet Bailey. Courtney Kagan and Pat Terrien.
Artwork: Nelson Davies, Portrait

of Jean Armstrong

BEST USE OF TEXTURE
Floral Designer: Elaine Sigler
Artwork: Charles E. Burchfield,

Midsummer Afternoon

BEST USE OF COLOR
Floral Designer: Arun Wijetilleke
Artwork: Martin Johnson Heade,

Hummingbird Perched
on the Orchid Plant

BEST INTERPRETATION
Floral Designer: Barbara Kaytes
Artwork: Charles Sheeler, Hydro

Electric Power, Hoover Dam

CURATOR’S CHOICE
Floral Designers: Ann Jones

and Ann Webber
Artwork: Marvin Cone, Untitled

Kitty Mountain and Sally Youker. Ellen Melvin, Joan Maddy and Bea Dinger.



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

INSIGHT COVER STORY

University of Pennsylvania's Lia
Thomas looks on at the Ivy League
Women's Swimming and Diving
Championships at Harvard
University, Feb. 19, 2022.

At a recent Ivy League swim meet, spectators were category. In a new and rare interview, Ms. Thomas those who support and oppose Ms. Thomas’ partici-
split over which side of the pool to look at. told Sports Illustrated, “I want to swim and compete pation.
as who I am.”
At one end, several women jackknifed their bodies It’s a sensitive subject that many people are afraid
in flip turns for the final lap of the 500-yard freestyle. Swimmer Lia Thomas’ participation in the NCAA’s to discuss publicly. But a good-faith debate is also
On the other end, a swimmer named Lia Thomas national championships last week – she won the underway. Sports figures, researchers, and observers
had already finished and broken the Harvard pool 500-yard freestyle title – offered an opportunity to are offering competing visions of how to preserve
record. discuss the experience of transgender athletes and fair competition while also facilitating maximum
to consider what constitutes fairness when it comes inclusion within those parameters. Their conversa-
In the 7.5 seconds it took for the second-place to their inclusion in sports. tions may ultimately influence how the public and
swimmer to arrive, Ms. Thomas adjusted her swim- sporting bodies think about these issues.
ming cap, took off her goggles, and took in the scene A number of people believe that Ms. Thomas
around her. In an online video of the race, which has should not have been eligible to swim in the wom- Last month, South Dakota banned transgen-
been viewed over 5 million times, a visible banner en’s category at the NCAA Division I championships. der girls and women from participating on female
near Ms. Thomas’s lane bears the slogan “8 Against They claim that she has an outsize advantage – not teams in school and college sports. It joins a growing
Hate.” just in her considerable height, but also in physical number of states barring trans young people from
strength having gone through male puberty. school sports.
The sign, meant to oppose hatred of any kind by
the eight Ivy League Universities, is a form of sup- Others hail the athlete as a trailblazer for LGBTQ Ms. Thomas has become a proxy in these battles.
port for Ms. Thomas, a transgender woman. She’s rights. They believe that Ms. Thomas, as a transgen- “I just want to show trans kids and younger trans
made a splash not just in her sport but in the tem- der woman, absolutely belonged in the women’s athletes that they’re not alone,” the economics ma-
pestuous culture wars. The fifth-year senior at the category. The high-stakes controversy – affecting jor told Sports Illustrated. “They don’t have to choose
University of Pennsylvania has tallied record-setting women’s sports, Title IX, and even the Olympics – between who they are and the sport they love.”
wins in her first season competing in the women’s spawned strident op-eds and social media posts by Ms. Thomas, who is from Austin, Texas, started

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Lia Thomas swimming in a qualify-
ing heat of the 500-yard freestyle
event at the Ivy League Women's
Swimming and Diving Champion-
ships, Feb. 17, 2022.

swimming at age 5 and swam competitively in high Yale's Iszac Henig competes in the
school. In the NCAA championship, she finished 100-yard butterfly finals during
the 500-yard freestyle in 4:33.24, beating Virginia's the Women’s Ivy League Swim-
Emma Weyant by 1.75 seconds. But her time fell far ming and Diving Championships,
short of Katie Ledecky's NCAA-record of 4:24.06. Feb 18, 2022. Henig is a trans-
gender athlete who hasn't begun
Sports Illustrated says that “the most controversial hormone treatments yet.
athlete in America” has become a “right-wing obses-
sion.” Yet the controversy over Ms. Thomas doesn’t
neatly fit into a right-versus-left culture war, says Cyd
Zeigler, co-founder of Outsports, a publication that
focuses on LGBTQ issues and competitors in sports.

“People who think that trans women should be
treated as women in employment, in housing, in
education, on their driver’s license, can all agree on
that and supporting her – and, at the same time, say
she doesn’t belong in women’s sports,” says Zeigler.

He has observed that many people in the LGBTQ
community – including some who are transgender –
do not believe Ms. Thomas should be competing in
the women’s category.

COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

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

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39 INSIGHT COVER STORY

Last year, a Gallup poll found that Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas Above: Yale's Iszac Henig (left), researcher at the School of Sport, Ex-
62% of respondents believe that ath- smiles after winning the 100-yard Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas (cen- ercise and Health Sciences at Lough-
letes in competitive sports should freestyle final. ter), and Princeton's Nikki Venema borough University in the U.K., sits
“play on teams that match birth gen- stand on the podium following a somewhere in the middle of those two
der.” Among Republicans, 83% agree Ms. Thomas, who says that she’s aim- medal ceremony after Ms. Thomas views. Her first-ever case study? Her-
with that statement, among Demo- ing to qualify for the Olympics. won the 100-yard freestyle at the self.
crats, 41% agree, and among indepen- Ivy League Women's Swimming
dents, 62% agree. Those who oppose limiting the par- and Diving Championships, When she started her hormone
ticipation of transgender athletes con- Feb. 19, 2022. therapy treatment in 2004, she began
In the media and on social media, tend that it’s not clearly established logging the rapid decline in her per-
debates about Ms. Thomas often get that testosterone confers an advan- tage for transgender athletes. Others formance times as a competitive long-
nasty. In response, Lucas Draper, a in the academic community strenu- distance runner. Similarly, since Ms.
transgender male athlete on the swim- ously disagree, pointing to numerous Thomas started hormone therapy in
ming and diving team at Oberlin col- primary research studies on muscle May 2019, her performance times have
lege, penned a guest editorial in Swim- strength and muscle mass. slowed. But Ms. Harper says that even
ming World Magazine. He called for after testosterone suppression, trans-
civility and human decency in conver- Joanna Harper, a Ph.D. student and gender athletes are going to maintain
sations about the athlete. some strength advantage.

“No matter what your stance is on “My initial paper was a study of dis-
whether transgender athletes should tance runners,” says Ms. Harper, who
be allowed to compete, it takes no real has become a prominent voice in con-
effort to at least identify them prop- versations about transgender partici-
erly,” says Mr. Draper in a Zoom in- pation in sports. “Strength doesn’t re-
terview. “I didn’t think that it was fair ally matter for that sport, but strength
that people were targeting Lia because does matter for swimming. So Lia will
she’s following the [NCAA] rules as maintain both height and strength ad-
they were set out.” vantages over the cis women that she’s
swimming against.”
In elite sports, the rules govern-
ing transgender athletes are in flux at Ms. Harper believes that eligibility
an international and national level. shouldn’t just be purely determined by
Various sports bodies have tradition- gender identity. She’s an advocate for
ally tested the testosterone levels in factoring in testosterone levels. That
transgender athletes. (Similarly, many stance has drawn the ire of some LG-
professional sports prohibit the use of BTQ activists.
anabolic steroids, which is a synthetic
testosterone that boosts muscle mass “I’ve been called ‘a traitor to trans
and strength.) people,’” she says.

The NCAA has historically required Gregory Brown, a professor of ex-
that transgender women undergo at ercise science at the University of Ne-
least 12 months of testosterone sup- braska Kearney, believes that the focus
pression prior to competing in the on testosterone is ultimately too nar-
women’s category. A longtime com- row. He says that those who’ve gone
petitive swimmer, Ms. Thomas be- through male puberty tend to be tall-
gan hormone replacement therapy er and have larger wingspans, larger
in 2019, two years prior to entering body mass, larger muscle fibers, larger
the women’s category, which met the hearts, and larger blood vessels.
NCAA’s requirements.
“A trans woman still has XY chromo-
In January the NCAA announced it somes,” he says. “And there are effects
would leave requirements for trans- of the Y chromosome that are very im-
gender athletes to the national gov- portant to keep in mind as far as how
erning body of each sport. USA Swim- the physiology works and administer-
ming responded by setting new rules. ing hormones doesn’t necessarily ne-
It required a threshold of testosterone gate those effects.”
tests as well as a requirement that
transgender athletes submit evidence Ms. Harper counters that the hor-
to a panel that they do not possess an mone therapy transition may actually
unfair biological advantage over non- create disadvantages for transgender
transgender competitors. women athletes, such as reduced mus-
cle mass and a loss of aerobic capac-
The NCAA subsequently decided that ity. The lower level of hemoglobin in
changing its rules midseason was un- blood also diminishes athletic perfor-
fair, which made Ms. Thomas eligible to mance. For her, any remaining biologi-
compete in last week’s tournament. cal advantages that Lia Thomas has are
within a reasonable parameter.
“There is a minority of extremely
loud, extremely influential people who “But the difference is not so large that
are pushing for no transition require- it endangers women’s sports at all,” says
ments,” says Mr. Zeigler. “Those people Ms. Harper.
have a lot of influence in the NCAA.”
This year, Iszac Henig, a Yale swim-
The NCAA did not respond to re- mer who is a transgender man, has
quests for comment. competed several times against Lia
Thomas. Although he has had chest re-
The International Olympic Com- construction surgery, he has not begun
mittee recently indicated that it is taking testosterone because he wanted
going to scrap its testosterone test to be able to continue competing on a
requirement. That may be a boon for women’s swim team.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 41

INSIGHT COVER STORY

To some, the coexistence of the two category at elite levels of sports. Ms. ing with each other, adds Mr. Pike. It’s We’re going to say you’re in the open
transgender swimmers in the same Howe, a feminist philosopher, believes the reason why adults don’t compete competition.”
race brings into question the mean- it isn’t fair to the other swimmers. against kids or the reason why there
ingful differences between men’s and are senior categories in golf and mara- Ms. Harper’s response to the idea is
women’s events. “I have a fair bit of experience in thons. Weightlifting and boxing each unequivocal: “No, I just can’t go along
the past, as a lesbian, in participating have weight classes. Other games, such with that,” she says.
“The same advocates who say Lia in gay tournaments,” says Ms. Howe, as the Special Olympics, include im-
Thomas belongs in the women’s cat- who enjoys sports such as rowing. pairment categories. “Trans women are not men who
egory, will also say that Iszac Henig But, she adds, when it comes to main- think they’re women,” she adds. “Our
belongs to the women’s category and stream sports, “it doesn’t matter what To maximize inclusion, the trio pro- gender identity is such a fundamental
belongs in the men’s category,” says your sexuality is or your identity. When poses that the men’s category of sports part of who we are.”
Mr. Zeigler from Outsports. “How can we get into playing, it’s about the bod- be replaced by an “open” category that
somebody belong in both the men’s ies competing against each other, and would include transgender athletes. These different perspectives seem,
and the women’s category at the same we have to make those categories fair.” perhaps, fundamentally irreconcilable.
time?” “You do not have to declare yourself But Mr. Brown is optimistic that if such
Many sports – with the exception of, to be a man in order to compete here,” debates continue in good faith, and
Meanwhile, 16 of Ms. Thomas’s team- say, shooting and sailing – already fac- says Mr. Pike. “We are not going to if there’s willingness to make conces-
mates sent an anonymous letter to their tor what types of bodies are compet- say, ‘You’re in the men’s competition.’ sions, then it may ultimately be pos-
school and Ivy League officials contest- sible to find an optimal solution. 
ing the swimmer’s right to swim in the
category because of “an unfair advan-
tage.” Several parents of swimmers
on the team have also expressed their
disquiet over the effect on the sport in
anonymous interviews with the press.

To some, the biological debates over
just how large or small an advantage
transgender athletes may or may not
have ultimately leaves too much mar-
gin for error. It would be fairer, they
say, to simply draw the line between
those who have and haven’t gone
through male puberty.

Yet some sports thinkers have been
mulling the question of whether it’s
possible to preserve the women’s cat-
egory – and at the same time facilitate
opportunities for transgender athletes.

Nancy Hogshead-Makar, a former
gold medal Olympic swimming cham-
pion and now a civil rights lawyer at the
Women’s Sports Policy Working Group,
opposes Ms. Thomas’s inclusion in the
women’s competition. Instead, she
proposes a Solomonic solution. She
says transgender athletes such as Ms.
Thomas could still compete in an exhi-
bition race (in which her results would
not count). It’s the swim meet equiva-
lent of auditing a class.

But that idea doesn’t sit well with
some.

“[I]n a way, what it does is put more
focus on Lia Thomas, and I don’t think
it’s great for them because it sort of
‘others’ them,” says Jon Pike, former
Chair of the British Philosophy of
Sport Association and a senior lecturer
in Philosophy at The Open University
in Milton Keynes, U.K. “If there’s eight
lanes when you’re using one lane as
an exhibition lane for Lia, then some-
one else could be in that lane, and you
are, in fact, still excluding someone …
for a result that won’t count.”

Mr. Pike has an alternate proposal.
He recently co-authored a paper with
Leslie Howe, a professor in the Depart-
ment of Philosophy at the University of
Saskatchewan in Canada, and Emma
Hilton, a biologist at the University
of Manchester in the U.K., titled “Fair
Game.” They believe it’s vital to exclude
transgender women from the female

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

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

The annual World Happiness Report came out last If we applied the American definition of happi- a lifetime have a big component of fortune to them.
Friday and, sure enough, the usual rich Nordic and ness to a world index, the Scandinavians would not We may choose our non-familial relationships, but
northern European countries clustered at the top. come out on top. Their version of happiness is dif- it takes luck to be in a position to cultivate them.
Finland and Denmark ranked as the happiest and ferent. In fact, it takes fortune to be born into a situation
second-happiest corners of the planet, and the top where you have the capacity to try to make yourself
eight were all in northern Europe. The most important observation about true hap- happy, whether by forging bonds to others or by oth-
piness is that it is very different from the simple feel- er means.
Afghanistan, Lebanon and Zimbabwe brought up ing of pleasure or enjoyment. The word itself has a
the rear, as war-torn and impoverished countries complex history in English. But when we speak of it Acknowledging the good-fortune component of
always do. Data for the survey, issued by the Sus- as a human ideal, we are, or should be, referring to happiness – as Aristotle himself did – gives a reason
tainable Development Solutions Network, a United a specific meaning: happiness as well-being or hu- to look askance at the typical interpretation of the
Nations affiliate, was compiled before the Feb. 24 man flourishing or thriving. global surveys. Ordinarily, the point of these indi-
invasion of Ukraine by Russia presumably reduced ces, whether for freedom or gross domestic product
human happiness pretty much everywhere. This is what Aristotle called “eudaimonia” and de- or literacy, is to motivate policy makers to improve
fined as living well and faring well. It is what Thomas their ranking.
The U.S. was No. 16, about where it usually shows Jefferson was referring to in the Declaration of In-
up. For a country supposedly dedicated to “the pur- dependence when he put the pursuit of happiness The nominal idea is that no country wants to be
suit of happiness” – not to mention self-boosterism alongside life and liberty in his troika of inalienable lower in the rankings than it “should” be. This is the
– the result is always a bit disappointing. Americans rights. His 18th-century “happiness” was meant as a ideology of simpleminded meritocracy. We rank all
wonder at it, shake their heads and ruminate in their translation of Aristotle’s notion, via the Latin felici- the pupils from first to last on the dubious theory
political silos about the causes. There’s often a big tas. Jefferson’s ideal happiness was something deep- that the ranking will motivate everyone to work
difference between how people feel about their in- er than the smiliness of today. harder, especially those at the bottom.
dividual well-being and what they think about the
state of the nation. To be sure, there are different ideas about what But to the extent that luck contributes significant-
constitutes human flourishing or thriving. How im- ly to the happiness index, the ranking isn’t going to
And every year I gnash my teeth. Ranking happi- portant is it, for example, to be contented with your motivate anyone. People in Rwanda (No. 143 and a
ness like a medal count at the Olympics makes little lot? Some people would say that it’s the secret to flour- perpetual low finisher) know that they are struggling
sense. To begin with, ranking comparative happi- ishing. Others would say that accepting the world with violence and poverty. Presumably they want
ness is only logically coherent if we have an agreed- around you makes you less likely to be motivated to to improve their lot – but not because they want to
on conception of what it is. We don’t. It isn’t an ab- improve it, or yourself, or your circumstances. rank higher on the happiness index.
stractly measurable quantity.
The second important aspect of the word happi- The Finns may enjoy being told they are the hap-
To talk about it, much less purport to measure it, ness in English is its etymological association with piest people on earth. But they won’t set their social
is to express a belief about what it should mean. Self- luck or fortune. The word “hap” means luck, as in policy to win this race in particular.
reporting from different countries therefore doesn’t happenstance. To be happy once meant to be lucky
reflect standards that are common from place to or fortunate, at least to English speakers. Ranking happiness, or trying to, expresses a fan-
place. It reflects the way people in those countries tasy that it is some attainable quantity – and that
conceptualize happiness and the way they measure Luck obviously plays a big role in the various con- someone else might have more than we do. Happi-
themselves against their own conceptions. ceptions of happiness measured in the world report. ness as well-being is a wonderful goal to set for our-
No one chooses where they are born or whether they selves, individually and collectively. But ranking it,
Today, in ordinary American English, “happiness” are enter the world rich or poor. The luck of being for a person or a country, misses the point of happi-
means something more like smiling joyfulness, well fed and healthy undoubtedly explains some of ness itself. 
whether deeply felt or merely passing. Americans why citizens of richer countries on average tend to
are a smiley people, judged by the world’s cultural say they are happier than those of poor ones. A version of this column by Noah Feldman first ap-
norms. peared on Bloomberg. It does not necessarily reflect
Even the human connections that we forge over the views of Vero Beach 32963.

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

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 43

INSIGHT TRAVEL

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT cruises, as well as the potential for border closures. derbird who specializes in booking trips to Central and
The Russia-Ukraine conflict threatens travel far Amy Boyle, a photographer from Chicago, started Eastern Europe, says the biggest change she’s recom-
beyond Eastern Europe. Gas prices are rising, and mending to clients is that they add emergency evacua-
there’s a growing sense of unease about the upcom- planning her trip by doing a deep dive on her desti- tion plans to their travel insurance policies.
ing travel season. So how do you protect your vaca- nation, as well as by checking State Department ad-
tion from a distant war? visories, local media and social media posts. So far, “If a client has a trip planned to Central Europe,
That’s what travelers such as Dawn Pick Benson all of her research suggests her vacation will be safe. I would suggest nonmedical evacuation coverage,”
are trying to figure out. She’s planning to visit Alba- she says.
nia, Kosovo, Macedonia and maybe Montenegro this “I don’t want to put myself or others at risk,” Boyle
summer. And she’s keeping a watchful eye on events says. “But I also feel strongly that canceling all our But experts say it isn’t enough to check all the boxes
in Eastern Europe. travel plans will continue to hurt other countries’ on a destination, ensuring that the State Department,
Benson, a marketing strategist, monitors official economies as well as the growing importance for us your travel adviser and local news reports agree that
sources, such as State Department travel advisories as humans to connect in person again.” it’s safe for travel. It’s the “what if” that’s worth pon-
and news reports, and relies on an unofficial network dering. Specifically: What if the conflict spreads be-
of friends and contacts at her destinations. She’s al- Aside from research, what can you do to protect yond Ukraine? Then there’s the wild card: the corona-
ready crossed Romania off the list, because it’s too your vacation from war? virus. What if it flares up again this summer?
close to the conflict.
“I would reconsider my trip if contacts in the re- “Insurance, insurance, insurance,” says Laura So is travel to Europe safe? That’s what I’ve been
gion advised me to do so and if unrest spreads to ar- Heidt, an insurance expert at Brownell Travel, a trav- wondering, because it’s time for me to make arrange-
eas closer to the locations I plan to be,” she says. “As el agency in Birmingham, Ala. ments to travel to Turkey and Greece this spring.
of today, I'm still planning to travel.”
Many Americans are doing the same thing. A little And not just any insurance. Most travel insurance Experts say it is – for now. Christine Petersen, CEO
less than half of U.S. travelers (47 percent) are holding policies are of the “named perils” type, which protects of SmarTours, a tour operator that offers tours in
off on their travel plans to Europe because they want policyholders under limited circumstances, such as if Europe, says “a big mistake would be grouping all
to see how the war in Ukraine evolves, according to a you get sick on your trip or your airline loses your lug- countries in the region together."
survey by MMGY Global, a marketing agency that spe- gage. These policies usually exclude wars. But a “can-
cializes in travel. Roughly the same amount of peo- cel for any reason” policy lets you cancel your vacation Ukraine and Russia are red zones, of course, says
ple (50 percent) say they’re concerned about pos- if you don’t feel safe and get 50 to 75 percent of your Harding Bush, a security operations manager for
sible delays and cancellations of flights, trains and prepaid, nonrefundable expenses reimbursed. Global Rescue. Poland and Moldova are yellow zones.
(Poland because of the refugee situation, and Moldo-
“Cancel for any reason” insurance costs more than va because experts say it may also get drawn into the
regular insurance – typically somewhere between conflict.) Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, while safer,
10 and 12 percent of the value of your trip. “But it’s should still be “at the bottom” of your list, he says.
worth it in uncertain times,” Heidt says.
“War,” he says, “is not a tourist attraction.” 
Annie Erling Gofus, a travel consultant with Wun-





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

INSIGHT BOOKS

The wind blows hard and benders and drunken- troubling that he mentions it to us a few pages into
hot through the Santa Ana the story: When he was just starting off on the force,
Canyon in Susan Straight’s driving citations – rou- he interrupted a brutal assault up in the mountains.
new novel, “Mecca.” By high- During the altercation, he killed a white man. The
way, this is a realm not far from tine work randomly circumstances made him too afraid to report what
the glitter of Hollywood and happened, so he buried the man’s body and told no
the animatronic joy of Disney- sparked with perilous one. Ever since, he’s been riding past that canyon re-
land, but by any measure that membering what he did, what he failed to do. Every
matters, it’s light-years away. chases and gruesome time it rains, he expects the corpse to wash out of its
unmarked grave and destroy his carefully regulated
Straight’s characters are crashes. “Nobody in life. That one impulsive act, understandable but
the backbones of agriculture, criminal, has held him suspended in anxiety and
healthcare and hospitality – the world was happy distanced him from others throughout his career.
those people of color who pick,
wipe and disinfect for long hours to see me,” Johnny Straight no sooner spins this captivating story
on low wages. Through the tint- than she shifts to another one that seems entirely
ed windows of a speeding Mer- says, “unless they’d unrelated. Suddenly, we’re following the life of Xi-
cedes, their communities may mena, a young Mexican woman smuggled into the
look as plain as the desert, but been in an accident United States by a brutal coyote. Ximena works at a
under Straight’s capacious vision, spa for wealthy women getting plastic surgery. The
they appear in all their vibrant and were scared of labor is hard; the supervision humiliating. With ICE
humanity. agents constantly circling, the Mexican staff mem-
dying.” bers know they mustn’t voice any complaints or
“Mecca” is, among many things, commit even the slightest infraction. So when Xi-
a shrewd deconstruction of racial Patrolling the mena finds a newborn baby abandoned in one of
categories and the racist assump- the luxurious hotel rooms, she panics.
tions built upon them. Straight highways, which al-
tackles not only the way prejudice Between the poles of these two ambiguous crimes
motivates violence but the way it ways carried risks, – committed 20 years apart – Straight strings the de-
distorts the response to violence. In this country, tails of a terrifically engaging novel about a network
crimes are framed by certain assumptions about has grown more un- of people related by blood, love and duty. A subplot
culpability and innocence based on skin color, and detailing the way children struggle with loneliness
that corrosive system determines who can report a predictable lately. during the COVID pandemic is heartbreaking. An-
crime, how it’s investigated and what the punish- other one involving a mother’s response to a police
ment – if any – will be. “Every time I got off shooting is a tour de force that could spin off and
persist on its own as a classic short story.
What’s more, Straight introduces us to men and the bike and walked
women whose families have been on this land for But what might be most impressive about this
centuries, far longer than the white folks who re- to the passenger novel is how large it becomes without ever feeling
gard them suspiciously as “illegal aliens.” They’re bloated by extraneous plotlines or too neatly sewn
descended from Mexicans, Native Americans, Span- side,” he says, “I up. Instead, what initially appears to be a disparate
iards, enslaved Africans and more – a rich melange collection of experiences gradually develops inter-
of cultures flattened by a thuggish Immigration and was waiting for weaving tendrils to create a celebration of families
Customs Enforcement agent who grunts, “So you’re – a celebration made all the more poignant by the
Black.” someone to shoot constant threat of being separated, exiled, wounded
or even killed. Remarkably, the most persistent im-
The novel’s structure cleverly reflects this diver- me.” When Johnny pression here is not one of suffering but of deter-
sity: The chapters move from character to character, mined survival, even triumph. 
some with first-person narrators, some with third. stops someone
One particularly devastating chapter written in the MECCA
second person, you will never forget. these days, he’s
BY SUSAN STRAIGHT | FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX. 384 PP. $28
At the center of “Mecca” is Johnny Frías, a Cali- likely to be told, “Maybe I need to see REVIEW BY RON CHARLES, THE WASHINGTON POST
fornia patrol officer who covers at least 200 miles a
day on his motorcycle. Straight lays out the strange your ID, make sure you’re not a bad hombre your-
rhythms of his job: mostly speeding tickets, fender
self.”

Such disparagement doesn’t ruffle Johnny, who

describes himself as “moreno,” but it interests him.

Like Straight, he’s an attentive student of language,

that elastic system of sounds that carries the culture’s

hopes and fears. Having grown up speaking Spanish

at home and then English at school, he’s forever fas-

cinated by “a third language: American” – that mer-

curial dialect of metaphors, idioms and profanities,

e.g. toke, baked, holy cow. He catalogues them all in

notebooks like a motorcycle-riding linguist. “I was

obsessed with how people talked to me,” he says,

“and what I should say back.”

But that’s just the slightest element of this fantasti-

cally complex hero. Two decades ago, Johnny was the

only one of his friends to graduate from the police

academy. Now 39, he’s starting to wonder whether

the sacrifices he made – forgoing a wife, a family –

were worth it. In bleak moments, he worries his deci-

sion was based largely on fear. “Keep to yourself,” he

thinks, “and you’ll have fewer people to lose.”

But Johnny’s reluctance to get close to anyone is

driven by something more sinister, something so

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 47

INSIGHT BRIDGE

SOMETIMES YOU CAN WAIT TOO LONG WEST NORTH EAST
52 764 A K Q J 10
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist 84 QJ3 10 9 7 5 2
A7632 K9854 —
Lucille Ball said, “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about 9542 A 10 763
your age.” One assumes she took her own advice during her 77-plus years.
SOUTH
In last week’s deal, East needed to take a trick with his diamond ace slowly, so that he 983
could be directed by West’s discard. However, on some deals, waiting for a while might AK6
be fatal — as it would be here. What should happen after West leads the diamond three Q J 10
against three no-trump? What do you think about the auction? KQJ8

This is the world’s most popular auction. Here, though, East might have doubled three no- Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West
trump to tell his partner that he had a solid suit. If he had, what should West have led?
The Bidding:
After the diamond lead, East might pitch a discouraging heart two or club three. Then
South will win the trick and return a diamond. If West ducks, choosing to wait for more SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
guidance from his partner, East’s next signal will be too late. South will cash out, taking 1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass
two diamonds, three hearts and four clubs. LEAD:
3 Diamonds
Instead, at trick one, East should make things crystal clear to partner at the potential cost
of an undertrick by discarding a dramatic spade ace. That would wake up even the most
soporific of partners.

Finally, if East doubles three no-trump to indicate a solid suit, West is not sure whether
it is spades or hearts. So he should lead the diamond ace to be guided by the dummy.
Then the contract goes down two in double-quick time, East knowing that West will lead a
spade at trick two.

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

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (MARCH 17) ON PAGE 76

ACROSS DOWN
1 Spectre (5) 1 Beautiful (8)
5 Characteristic (5) 2 University city (6)
8 Attain (5) 3 Hoarded riches (8)
9 Rummage (5) 4 Be astonished (6)
10 Exploit (9) 5 Slender (4)
11 Lughole (3) 6 Quantity (6)
12 Gobbledegook (6,5) 7 Not wild (4)
15 Prize for second place(6,5) 13 Taken off (8)
19 Target (3) 14 New Year celebration(8)
20 Alpine peak (4,5) 16 Madness (6)
22 Italian city (5) 17 Paltry (6)
23 Be of the same mind (5) 18 -- and Hardy (6)
24 Chasm (5) 20 Game (anag.) (4)
25 Hold-up (5) 21 Prejudice (4)

The Telegraph

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 49

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 87 Chopper 48 Part on a dolly The Washington Post
1 Poets, old-style 88 Effort: abbr. 50 Actress Jeanne
7 Happy refrain 89 Arizona Indian 53 1956 Jayne Mansfield film,
12 Harry of the SFPD 90 “___ be praised”
20 Specialized groups 91 Out of touch The Girl Can’t ___
21 Trap in the garment district? 94 Mutt’s medic 54 Later
22 Study of Mars 95 1988 Dan Aykroyd film, My 56 Actor from Englewood, N.J.
23 With 45 Across, a query put 57 Cute kid or dog,
Stepmother Is ___
to Bob Hope in 1939’s The 97 “___ after the show” cinematically speaking
Cat and the Canary 98 Set ___ (have something to 58 Future terrors of the desert
25 Medicinal solution 60 Informants, sometimes
26 Wall climbers work toward) 62 Len Deighton novel
27 Keen and lively 100 Balcony scene? 64 “This ___ of those
28 Witch doctor whammies 102 See 75 Across
29 Where to trawl the line 104 50 below and 120 above, for songs ... ”
30 Act shamelessly? 67 Greek letters
31 Math pioneer Karl example 69 Podiatry concern
32 Disease fighters 105 Gropes 71 Fantasts
35 Two-hulled vessel, 106 Wine sampler 72 Give “temporary” money to
for short 107 Mecca for kids with cash
36 Je, in the objective case 108 ESP, for example a third party
37 Vergil guided him down 109 Marriage sites 74 Baloney
38 Tries on the set 75 Poet Ogden
39 Luxury DOWN 76 “You’re kidding!”
42 Rock legend Hendrix 1 Found by a whole new 77 Revel of 1773
43 $500-a-plate attire 78 Bible verb
44 Fluctuates generation 79 Like sconce troughs
45 See 23 Across 2 Harold Arlen song 83 Zoomed
49 Upright 85 Baseball pitch or skidding
50 Ways and ___ Committee of 1931
51 “Hitman” of boxing 3 Matchbox vehicle, e.g. player
52 Torture chamber or pool hall 4 Kitchen or luncheon ending 86 John of Monty Python
gizmo 5 Lee’s legions 90 San Antonio fort
53 Co-star of The Bodyguard 6 Govt. funds for the disabled 91 One-thirteenth of this clue
55 Queue after Q 7 On ___ (busy)
56 Monogram of one of the “3 8 Pay number
Bs” 9 Abundant 92 Rings out
59 He played Mary’s boss 10 Dieting buzzword 93 Lighten the mood of
61 Munchies from Mañuel 11 Word before how or hoo 96 Perform without ___
63 Pudding type 12 Let the ___ 97 Snick-and-___ (machete)
65 German article 98 Pertaining to grandparents
66 Game show icon Trebek (spill the beans) 99 Nucleus
68 Accommodates, 13 Melodic 100 Word after get or jet
as a portraitist 14 Gives for a time 101 Prefix meaning “outside”
70 Wooley of “Purple 15 Touched in the cabeza 102 Possibilities
People Eater” fame 16 Bluesy instruments 103 Landing time, approx.
71 Damage 17 Welcome mat’s secret
73 Dudgeon 18 Farming: abbr. HAPPY HAUNTING GROUND By Merl Reagle
74 Cartoon oldie, 19 Scientific Bill
___ Quest 24 Requiring fertilization THE Art & Science
75 With 102 Across, Bob 28 Go “poof!”
Hope’s reply 30 Loads of lifetimes of Cosmetic Surgery
79 Christmas time 31 Tag, for one
80 One of the “if-I-only-hads” 33 Overhaul SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
from The Wizard of Oz 34 Not care ___ • Minimal Incision Lift for the
81 Big name in theaters 36 Contact in person
82 Goes across, in Italian 37 Severs relations Face, Body, Neck & Brow
84 Bottlenecks 38 Find or be found • Breast Augmentations
85 Queen Mary’s subjects 40 Has at a lollipop
41 Irish exclamation & Reductions
42 Post-coup regimes • Post Cancer Reconstructions
43 Seafood sauce • Chemical Peels • Botox
46 Tobacco-drying kiln • Laser Surgery • Tummy Tucks
47 Pulpit talk: abbr. • Obagi Products • Liposculpture
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50 Vero Beach 32963 / March 24, 2022 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Dad struggles with wedding toast to ‘selfish,’ ‘ungrateful’ son

BY CAROLYN HAX crucial time, this giving part of himself, and believe in
Washington Post it more.

Hi, Carolyn: My son is getting Dear Carolyn: So, over the past two years, I have real-
ized I could just stay home forever.
married, and I’m expected to give a
Don’t get me wrong. I am not agoraphobic. I do get
toast. I am struggling to say some- out to run occasional errands and, very infrequently, to
socialize. But frankly, I don’t want a steady obligation of
thing nice about him. He’s selfish, in-person interaction. I work from home, and I like it.
I talk to my co-workers on the phone. I take care of my
excessively frugal, and doesn’t do for family. They get out more than I do, and that’s fine with
me as well.
others except (thankfully) for his fu-
My interests are kind of solo interests. I read, garden,
ture wife. He is, in a word, ungrateful. cook and watch movies. But I worry this is unhealthy,
that I am allowing myself to fall into patterns that will
I’ve tried to talk with him about his anger and depres- eventually leave me isolated. How do I balance a natu-
ral inclination to love being alone with the risk of be-
sion but he won’t discuss it. He’s ruled therapy out. coming a misanthropic hermit?

Do I just thank everyone for coming and wish the – Hermit

couple well in their future lives? That seems inadequate Hermit: With a healthy dose of realism. This works
for you now, so enjoy it. But also recognize you may be
and impersonal. I’m at a loss. retired and living alone someday, which would mean
even your tiny need for human contact – which you
– Upset Dad currently satisfy with family and colleagues – will re-
quire some effort for you to meet. If that happens, then
Upset Dad: Yikes. These ideas have nothing to do with a wedding toast you’ll be grateful to your younger self for not letting all
I do appreciate your candor, but I’m also wincing at but everything to do with how you see your son (and your social muscles atrophy.
chickens and eggs. When did your not liking him start, how that reflects back?). Maybe seeing his struggle
and his selfish behaviors begin? from a different angle, through a lens of compassion, You don’t need to bedazzle your calendar with
I’m also wondering if those five negative traits – self- will give you kinder words to say. “steady” plans. Just make enough plans for it not to feel
ishness, frugality, ingratitude, anger, depression – are weird – and actually show up for them, too, through
really just one condition with five symptoms. Depres- Even without that, even if I’m wrong, you have the temptation to beg off and stay home instead. 
sion could explain it all. this: He is generous with his future wife. So there’s
Envision for a moment all the behaviors you cite. your toast. Describe how beautifully he treats her,
They’re all versions of curling in on oneself against the how she brings out his best, and how welcome she
rest of the world. is in your family. Share with the world the version of
Generosity and gratitude, by contrast, as well as your son that you see when they’re together. Maybe
selflessness and joy, open us to the world and expose you both need to hear that.
our vulnerabilities. Maybe he’s hoarding – conserving
– himself as part of his illness. Maybe it’ll set the example that helps him see, at a