VB32963_ISSUE17_042816_OPT

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 51

INSIGHT GAMES BRIDGE

NORTH

RULES ARE MEANT TO BE TAKEN FLEXIBLY QJ7

By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist 985

Margaret Drabble, an English novelist, biographer and critic, asked, “Why can’t people A Q J 10 9
be both flexible and efficient?”
WEST 65
At the bridge table, if your mind is flexible, you will usually play efficiently. In particular, 10 9 8 6 4 3 EAST
there are many guidelines like “third hand high” and “cover an honor with an honor.” But —
you must be flexible in your thinking, not just follow those adages as if they are etched in 7 52
stone, because they are not. 10 8 7 4 3 2
AQ4
In today’s deal, for example, how should East defend against six hearts? West leads the
spade 10. K86432

North’s three-diamond response promised at least eight points and five or more J9
diamonds. Then, when North raised hearts, South used regular Blackwood before
bidding the slam. SOUTH

When this deal was originally played, South took the first trick in his hand, played a AK
diamond to dummy’s ace and called for a sneaky heart five. East, thinking about second
hand low and not wanting to make a revealing hesitation, smoothly followed suit with K J 10 7 6 3 2
his four. South followed the percentages by playing low, and the five took the trick. Then
another heart lead held East to one trump trick, and the contract made. 5

East should have realized that if South had started with ace-king-third of spades, he AKQ
would have won the first trick on the board. So, the diamond ace was his only dummy
entry (since East could overruff dummy on the third round of clubs). If East had just won Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West
the first heart, the contract would have failed.
The Bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
2 Clubs Pass 3 Diamonds Pass
3 Hearts Pass 4 Hearts Pass LEAD:
4 NT Pass 5 Diamonds Pass 10 Spades
6 Hearts Pass Pass Pass

52 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™
SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (APRIL 21) ON PAGE 74
INSIGHT GAMES & CO.

ACROSS DOWN
1 Terrible; urgent (4) 2 Most suitable (5)
4 Confiscate (5) 3 Ruler (7)
8 Unsophisticated (8) 4 Ecclesiastical council (5)
9 Tempt (4) 5 Unlawful (7)
10 Pellets of ice (4) 6 Register (5)
11 Make fun of (8) 7 Confidence (6)
12 Stock of wine (6) 13 English architect (7)
14 Perceive (6) 14 German city (7)
16 Barrier (8) 15 Fee; accuse (6)
19 Snare (4) 17 Explosion (5)
20 Rescue; except (4) 18 Rope; telegram (5)
21 Witty conversation (8) 19 Principle (5)
22 Flavour (5)
23 Memorandum (4)

The Telegraph

How to do Sudoku:

Fill in the grid so the
numbers one through
nine appear just once
in every column, row
and three-by-three
square.

The Telegraph

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 53

INSIGHT GAMES & CO.

ACROSS whale oils? DOWN 57 ___ with (about The Washington Post
63 Scottish river or 1 Site of a Samson the same as)
1 Fasten with rope GET-WHALE CARD By Merl Reagle
5 Minor area? firth bashing 58 Fool
9 Prompted 64 The Color of 2 Astringent stuff 60 He won at
13 Aliment in the 3 Needlecraft brand
Money star Gettysburg
a.m. 66 Napoleon was name 61 Wheel connectors
17 Director Kazan 4 Unlucky 62 North Caucasic
18 By and by, to a one 5 ___-garde
67 Gloomy, 6 Subgroup language (or a
whale? 7 India and invisible good name for a
20 Worry for the poetically 8 An ocean: abbr. fast-food self-
69 Jai ___ 9 Writer Willa serve
unwary 70 Sells at inflated 10 Extremely restaurant?)
21 A whale of a 11 Ms. Fitzgerald 65 Whale’s
prices 12 Turns one’s exclamation?
drama? 72 Massive 68 Drawing-board
24 Hopes for the head? place
computer 13 Lithper’th problem 71 Lewis’s
balding 76 Rid 14 Whale’s favorite Timberlane
25 Toss from 78 In England, 72 Hoover Dam’s
veggies? lake
nightmares they’re 15 Blabs 73 Type of insurance
26 Foundation-stone “squashes” 16 Honeymoon 74 Sporting event
79 He hatched 75 Sea eagles
abbr. Horton spoiler 77 Congers
27 So that ... not 80 Level 19 John or Thelma 79 Withered
28 Virginia willow 81 Speeches 22 Big do 82 “All that thou
83 1992 black 23 Pahlevi and son ___ is mine”
genus comedy, ___ 28 “Oh” (Gen. 31:43)
29 Grain beard Becomes Her 30 Throws cold 83 Words between
31 Retort in a kid’s 84 Airliner type smiles?
85 Second water on 84 Whale relative
card game transactions 31 They’re thicker 86 Singer Snow
34 Molière’s 86 Announcer Don 87 Danceable quality
87 Gives a leg up than water 89 TV trophies
Harpagon, e.g. 88 Half a fly 32 Nabisco 90 Pebble-strewn
36 D.C.’s paper, 89 Honor, to Hans 91 Bones
90 Wall Street bestseller 92 Start of a Fifth
familiarly advice 33 Whale’s favorite Dimension hit
40 The Red and 91 D’accord 94 “Don’t look ___!”
93 Lox actor? 95 “Pants on fire”
others 96 Percussion 34 Castle protector person
41 Copier additive sound 35 A fan of 96 Regretted
42 User of Keene’s 100 Impatient whale- 36 “Toodle-oo” 97 Improved, as
watch comment? 37 Arranges music cheese
cement 103 Only pro sports 98 Big name in
44 Director team whose for whale belligerence
name is the hangouts? 99 Trapeze
Riefenstahl same upside- 38 Assassin Gavrilo safeguards
45 Emulate William down and Princip’s country 101 Incorporate
right-side-up 39 Like Farrah’s hair
Jennings Bryan when printed in in a famous
46 Crotchety fellow lower-case letters poster
47 Le ___ du 104 Company 41 More accurate
specializing 42 Type of bear or
printemps in whale body
48 Prolonged, in cosmetics? 43 MENSA
105 “___ the picture” disqualification
music 106 Church section 45 When on a date,
50 James of flute 107 Gaelic hold these
108 Whirlpool 46 Lake transit
repute 109 Much-chronicled 49 Ellen Burstyn’s
52 Quicker picker- real first name
crime-fighter 50 Written thrice, an
uppers? Elvis flick
53 Steve’s long-time 51 Longs
54 Cuts, as coupons
partner 56 Staff opening?
54 Camp David

Accord area
55 Plant’s

adaptation to
a new
environment
57 Funny
59 American painter
known for his

The Telegraph

54 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Don’t dis sis-in-law … at least ’til divorce is final

BY CAROLYN HAX support him, but is that reasonable or even possible? And that means the kids don’t know their par-
Washington Post A sanity check, please! ents are splitting, which means if you invite the
whole family except their mother, they’re going to
Hi Carolyn, – Concerned Sibling ask some really excellent questions now that your
My siblings and parents all brother wants to answer in June.
live very close to one another Dear 'Concerned Sibling':
back in my home state. They You aren’t supporting him, though, are you, as The wisdom of all of this is not up for any discus-
see each other frequently and much as you’re supporting their children? sion we’re invited to join, so don’t even mentally
are very involved in each oth- Presumably that’s the whole point of waiting: Your wade into those weeds. Stay focused: What’s left for
er’s lives. brother and sister-in-law have decided to upend the you (and now me) to navigate is logistics, phrasing
My brother recently learned kids’ summer instead of their schooling. and the amount of pucker on your face when you
that his wife has been cheating on him, not for the greet your sister-in-law.
first (or even second) time. When this happened be-
fore, he tried to stick with it and work it out for their The degree of difficulty in full inclusion depends
children, but this time they have agreed that divorce on how ambitious the events are that your fam-
is the next step. ily has planned. If there’s any way to minimize ev-
They may maintain the facade until the end of the eryone’s ambition until your brother’s divorce is in
school year. In the meantime, he wants to pretend progress, then that’s your sanest bet. But if plans
everything is normal. My brother insists that our are already in full awkward bloom, then your only
parents and siblings continue to treat my sister-in- choices might be to speak your disgust or swallow
law completely normally. I could understand if he it, which, around the kids, is really no choice at all.
wanted us to treat her civilly, difficult as that might
be, but he also wants everyone to include her in fam- You can of course express your concerns and even
ily events at their homes and even go on family vaca- set limits in private conversation with your brother.
tions with her. You can exercise your prerogative not to invite your sis-
Carolyn, she has had repeated affairs, lied to him ter-in-law to your home, for example. You can promise
for years, showed another family member the steamy civility but not acting. Discretion but not fiction.
texts she sent her lover — the list goes on. We all feel
that she is taking advantage of his loyalty and com- But with every choice you also have to accept the
mitment to his family. Do we really have to go along laws of ripple effects: Her infidelity means his time-
with the farce that nothing is wrong until the divorce release divorce means your shunning your sister-
is final, no matter how long it takes? We all want to in-law means their kids get rocked by the wake. It
always ends in the kids.

So the apt motto might be: Suck it up. There’s an
end date, and everyone else in this mess has it worse
than you do. 

NATURE

Love Nature, Love Self

PHOTO AND TEXT BY MOLLY STEINWALD,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER

Description: Scientists and educators recognize that traditional meth-
ods of environmental outreach are not enough to turn the tide on many
conservation issues. Yet stewardship of our natural resources is needed as
a growing population puts increased pressure on the environment that
sustains us. Daily life has changed radically in just decades. People are
spending an unprecedented amount of time indoors, in front of screens,
interacting less with nature and other living creatures, and less with each
other. Not coincidentally, the incidence of depression, ADHD, obesity
and other physical and mental health problems are increasing at alarm-
ing rates.

Research increasingly shows contact with nature is necessary for human
wellbeing. Recognizing that people are a part of nature – not separate
from it – and that human health and survival is integrally intertwined
with environmental health is critical to the success of current and future
efforts to engage people to protect and preserve the environment. The
number of collaborative community projects involving environmental
scientists, educators, health professionals, social service agencies and
others working together to create green spaces and nature programs
where people live, work and play is increasing around the world – and
that is good news, because healing the environment also heals society.



56 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Fibromyalgia sufferers benefit from acupuncture

BY MARIA CANFIELD Dr. Alistair Kennedy. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Acupuncture physician Tammy Anderson. parameters such as levels of pain,
Correspondent depression and the overall impact of
sion are common among those with The 153 patients who participated in the disease on their lives.
As sufferers know too well, effec- fibromyalgia. the study did not know which group
tive treatment for fibromyalgia can they were assigned to. At the 10-week mark (one week af-
be hard to come by, in part because The study, conducted at Doňa Mer- ter the end of the study), the tailored
its exact causes are not well under- cedes Primary Health Centre in Se- Each patient received weekly acupuncture group reported a 41
stood. So, a recent study from Spain ville, compared tailored acupunc- 20-minute-long treatments (either percent drop in pain, with the sham
– which looked at the use of acu- ture (the course of treatment was tailored or sham) for 9 weeks. The acupuncture group reporting a 27
puncture to ease the symptoms of determined by the needs of individ- participants completed question- percent reduction. By the 12-month
fibromyalgia – is welcome news. ual patients) with sham acupuncture naires before the study, at 10 weeks, mark (about 10 months after the
(no needles were actually inserted). at 6 months and at 12 months, rating study ended), the tailored group and
Fibromyalgia is considered a rheu- the sham group reported 20 percent
matic condition, because it impairs and 6 percent reductions in pain,
soft tissue and joints and causes respectively. Also at 12 months, the
pain. Other life-disrupting symp- tailored group reported a 22 percent
toms can include fatigue, headaches, reduction in fibromyalgia’s negative
muscle stiffness, irritable bowel syn- impact on their quality of life, while
drome (IBS) and sensitivity to tem- the sham group reported a 5 percent
perature, sounds and bright lights. reduction.

Dr. Alistair Kennedy, MD, a Vero These results show acupuncture
Beach rheumatologist, says, “Fibro- has a positive impact on fibromyal-
myalgia is diagnosed by excluding gia well above and beyond the place-
other conditions. Because its causes bo effect – a phenomenon in which a
are unknown and it is difficult to sham treatment can sometimes im-
treat, it is thought of as the orphan of prove a patient's condition or reduce
rheumatology.” Not surprisingly, the their level of pain.
condition takes an emotional as well
as physical toll; anxiety and depres- Tammy Anderson is a Florida-li-
censed and nationally board certi-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 57

HEALTH

fied Acupuncture Physician in Vero a building block for the next. Once cient sleep is essential. In addition on your good days, you may have
Beach; she also holds a Master of Sci- there is pain relief, patients can cut to allotting enough time for sleep, more bad days. Moderation also
ence in Oriental Medicine. She says back; perhaps to a monthly mainte- practice good sleep habits, such as means not self-limiting or doing too
she and her colleagues have success- nance treatment.” going to bed and getting up at the little on the days when symptoms
fully treated many fibromyalgia suf- same time each day and limiting flare. Try to do something every day
ferers. The Mayo Clinic offers the follow- daytime napping. that you find enjoyable and fulfill-
ing lifestyle advice for those with fi- ing.
“Patients often come to us after bromyalgia: • Exercise regularly. At first, ex-
they have exhausted traditional ercise may increase your pain. But Dr. Kennedy’s office is located
treatments offered by Western med- • Reduce stress. Develop a plan to doing it gradually and regularly of- at 1300 36th Street, #1A; the office
icine, but still have pain,” Ander- avoid or limit overexertion and emo- ten decreases symptoms. Appropri- phone is 772.569.8550.
son say. “Acupuncture can be very tional stress. Allow yourself time ate exercises may include walking,
beneficial; we see patients begin to each day to relax. Try stress man- swimming, biking and hydrother- Dr. Anderson practices as part
function well again, relieved of their agement techniques, such as deep- apy. Stretching, good posture and of Absolute Integrated Medicine at
pain.” breathing exercises or meditation. relaxation exercises are also helpful. 1575 Indian River Blvd., Suite C136;
the office phone is 772-770-6184;
Dr. Anderson emphasizes that • Get enough sleep. Because fa- • Pace yourself. Keep your activity the website is http://verobeachacu-
each acupuncture treatment is cus- tigue is one of the main character- on an even level. If you do too much puncture.com/. 
tomized to the individual, and may istics of fibromyalgia, getting suffi-
change session to session depend-
ing how the pain is “presenting” that
day.

In keeping with the holistic nature
of acupuncture – its purpose, ac-
cording to Dr. Anderson, is to bring
the body into homeostasis (balance)
– customized dietary recommenda-
tions are also provided.

Fibromyalgia affects an estimated
5 million Americans, 90 percent of
whom are women. While doctors
don’t know what causes the condi-
tion, it most likely involves a number
of factors working together, such as:

• Genetics. Fibromyalgia tends to
run in families; certain genetic mu-
tations may make people more sus-
ceptible to developing the condition.

• Certain illnesses. Some illnesses
appear to trigger or aggravate fibro-
myalgia. Dr. Kennedy says viruses
can be a culprit, and that sufferers
are at a heightened risk if they are at
a low ebb, either physically or psy-
chologically.

• Physical or emotional trauma.
Post-traumatic stress disorder has
been linked to fibromyalgia. Dr.
Kennedy says, “Anything that pro-
duces stress can aggravate the con-
dition.”

Medications are often prescribed
to reduce the pain caused by fibro-
myalgia, including over-the-counter
pain relievers such as acetamino-
phen (e.g. Tylenol), ibuprofen (e.g.
Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen
sodium (e.g. Aleve). Non-narcotic
prescription pain relievers, anti-
depressants and anti-seizure drugs
also are prescribed to help ease pain
associated with the disease.

Perhaps because of the lack of
medical treatments for fibromyal-
gia, one study found that more than
90 percent of sufferers seek help
from alternative treatments such as
acupuncture, massage, yoga and hy-
drotherapy.

Those who opt for acupuncture
should be treated two or three times
a week to start with, according to
Dr. Anderson. “It’s like going to the
gym,” she says. “Each treatment is

58 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Progress on Parkinson's:
There’s help if you seek it

Dr. Neetu Dhadwal. PHOTOS: LEAH DUBOIS

BY TOM LLOYD The National Institute of Neurologi-
Staff Writer cal Disorders and Strokes cites trem-
ors or trembling of the hands, arms,
More than a million Americans live legs, jaw and face along with stiffness
with Parkinson's disease and nearly of limbs, slowness of movement and
60,000 new diagnoses are made each impaired balance and coordination as
year. the most common symptoms of Par-
kinson’s.
According to the Parkinson's Dis-
ease Foundation, the dollar costs are As the disease progresses, those
high. symptoms become more pronounced
and can eventually become life-
Treatment expenses and other re- threatening – leading to falls, difficul-
lated financial factors – including lost ty in swallowing and pneumonia.
income from those afflicted with the
disease and those who help care for Parkinson’s patients are four times
them – are estimated at more than more likely to contract and die from
$25 billion a year. pneumonia than the population at
large, and 70 percent of all Parkinson’s
The emotional cost can be even related deaths are attributed to aspira-
higher.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 59

HEALTH

tion pneumonia. able for those who seek it. cells, allowing them to continue pro- Any disease affecting the brain can
According to the Mayo Clinic, Par- “We actually understand more ducing dopamine despite the presence be exhausting and frustrating for pa-
of Parkinson’s but by the study's own tients and family members but Dhad-
kinson’s causes certain nerve cells or about Parkinson's disease than many admission, more extensive research is wal points out that, “With Alzheimer's
neurons in the brain to break down other forms of neurologic disease,” still needed. we can't really improve the brain func-
so they are no longer able to produce Dhadwal says. “We know the etiology tioning but with Parkinson's we can
the chemical neurotransmitter known and what part of the brain is affected. Also in 2015, a drug called Tasigna control [most] motor symptoms.”
as dopamine. When dopamine levels We [can enable] quite a significant im- originally approved by the Food and
decrease, the brain is no longer able provement in quality of life and symp- Drug Administration for the treatment “We now have medications that in-
to control a wide variety of functions tom control with medications. of leukemia showed “significant and tensify the dopamine you have avail-
resulting in those tremors along with encouraging changes in toxic proteins able so although [the disease] is not
balance and swallowing problems. “A lot of the motor symptoms of Par- in the brain linked to the progression curable, it is definitely treatable.”
kinson’s disease are amenable to med- of Parkinson’s,” according to a study
And the emotional toll? ications [and] we can help modify a lot presented at the Society for Neurosci- Dr. Neetu Dhadwal is at 13855 U.S.
The National Parkinson’s Founda- of the non-motor symptoms, too.” ence’s annual meeting in Chicago. Hwy. 1, Suite 4 in Sebastian. The phone
tion reports that over 60 percent of number is 772-581-8247. 
those diagnosed with Parkinson’s also “I think the biggest problem for us
develop moderate to severe depres- is early detection of the disease and
sion. The sheer frustration of no lon- finding a point where we can inter-
ger being able to perform simple tasks vene earlier,” says Dr. Dhadwal.
feeds that depression, and it can be
just as bad for caretakers. “There are currently no blood or
As Bruce McEvoy of the Indian River laboratory tests that have been prov-
County Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s en to help detect the presence of Par-
Association pointed out in an inter- kinson’s disease” before it becomes
view last year, “65 percent of Parkin- symptomatic, according to the Na-
son’s caretakers die before the patient tional Institutes of Health, but once
does.” the disease is diagnosed, drugs such as
The Parkinson's story is not all doom Levadopa and Carbidopa help control
and gloom, though. symptoms.
Dr. Neetu Dhadwal, a board-cer-
tified neurologist with the Sebastian Research is turning up additional
River Medical Center who served a medications that show promise.
clinical neurophysiology fellowship at
Manhattan's famed Mt. Sinai hospital, A 2015 study from the Harvard med-
says there is a great deal of help avail- ical school and the Nanyang Techno-
logical University of Singapore seems
to show a decades-old anti-malarial
drug, Chloroquine, might have the
ability to protect the brain's nerve

60 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Prince broke all fashion rules – and damn, he looked good!

BY ROBIN GIVHAN
The Washington Post

A retrospective of the late artist
through his famously striking public
attire.

Was there ever a male performer
more enamored with ruffles — or lace
or velvet — than Prince?

He wore it all beautifully, seductively
and powerfully. With his frilly shirts
and velvet suits, his brocades and silks,
Prince played with gender stereotypes
and moved us to reconsider our rela-
tionship to our own sexuality. He used
fashion as an aphrodisiac. It was fore-
play and afterglow — and the divinely
sweaty middle.

Prince took a single royal hue and
made it his own. He slipped on purple
and never took it off. When he wore the
color, it became complicated, sexy and
mysterious. It was just a color, sure, but
he pumped it full of emotional content.
His emotions.

Worn by Prince, purple became
a kind of soulful lament. His use of
fashion was intimate and personal;
it wasn’t driven by labels and trends.

He wasn’t known for wearing a played coy
particular designer’s clothes — or vague.
although he once performed a In his fash-
long and spectacular private concert ion, Prince
after a Versace show that left a fashion didn’t exist in an an-
crowd breathless. The clothes were not drogynous gray zone. He
a source of status or trendy relevance. declared — both on stage
They were his unique creative expres- and off — that a man de-
sion, his cool, impressionistic, multi- served to be swaddled in satin
layered riff on masculinity. and velvet because he had earned it,
because he looked good in it and be-
Prince crossed the border between cause he was pretty sure that the ladies
masculinity and femininity by refus- liked him in it, too. There was nothing
ing to be tied to traditional notions self-conscious or awkward about his
about what was appropriate for women style. Was it transgressive? Yes. But not
and what was correct for men — about to him. He made it look so easy. The
what was acceptable in polite compa- clothes were his. His choice. His style.
ny. He wore head wraps and scarves, Uniquely him. He did not appear to be
and all sorts of frippery, but he never

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 61

searching for himself in fashion. No, back. Some of them were undeniably hide behind them. Instead, no matter bare. He expanded the language of
from the beginning, with his trench costumes — a fashion dare. It takes a if he was slipping into a chiffon shirt, menswear. It didn’t have to be stoic,
coat, bandana and briefs on the cover brave soul, after all, to put one’s but- a fringed jacket or a purple metallic he-mannish or boho. A man could be
of “Dirty Mind,” to his wingtip shirt tocks on naked display — no matter redingote, he was stripping himself raunchy, beautiful and divine. 

and brooch on “Controversy,” and on how magnificent it might be. But there
and on, he seemed certain of his public were other clothes in his later years, the
persona and he reveled in it. elegantly tailored suits, for instance,
that might be worn with a slinky shirt
He wore heels. High heels. And yes,

they boosted his diminutive stature, or a fluid scarf that spoke to a confi-
but he also seemed aware that heels dent, peacock style of preening and
change the wearer’s posture. They that called to mind predecessors like
make the tush more prominent, for James Brown or Jackie Wilson, per-
one thing. And way back in the days of formers who knew that the flash and
pantaloons, breeches and Louis IVX, beauty of their clothes was part of their
men wore heels — especially aristo- swaggering confidence and, by exten-
cratic men. And wasn’t a man named sion, their magnetism. As Bruno Mars,
Prince Rogers Nelson deserving of a whose style owes a debt to Prince, says,
noble flourish? “Got kiss myself, I’m so pretty.”

Prince exuded soulful, assertive, Prince was pretty — with his coiffed
old-school machismo. He was pure tes- curls, magnificent afro, blow-outs and
tosterone poured into flared jumpsuits shag. He was not a performer who
and velvet suits and pants that had no wore his clothes like armor. He didn’t

62 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Diane von Furstenberg: As always, effortless and seductive

BY BETHAN HOLT woman to kick things off. The one-
The Telegraph time Princess, inventor of the icon-
ic wrap dress and president of the
Diane von Furstenberg confirmed CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers
her status as a fashion world legend of America) discussed everything
at the inaugural "What She Said" talk from feminism – she’ll do “anything”
last week. The new initiative from for it – to Anne Hathaway’s concep-
W Hotels brings together “dynamic, tion at the discussion, where she was
inspiring women from around the joined by London fashion week de-
world” and really you couldn’t have signer, Mary Katrantzou.
chosen a more honest, outspoken
As one of the few women in fashion

who still owns, controls and designs One example of von Furstenberg’s
for her own label, 69 year-old von Fur- no-nonsense approach to empower-
stenberg reflected that “every person ment came when she was asked to be
is a brand now and obviously I can part of Sheryl Sandberg’s Ban Bossy
relate to that.” In fact, she’s the epit- campaign in 2014. Along with other
ome of what you might call “a strong high-profile women like Beyoncé
woman.” Von Furstenberg is dismis- and Victoria Beckham, DVF joined
sive of that term, though. "I never met in with calls for the word “bossy” to
a woman who wasn't strong” she de- stop being used to describe women.
clared, “but I think men and religion “I really resented that campaign”
can make them hide it. It’s telling that she sighed. “I always put my name to
when tragedy strikes it's always the anything that's to do with feminism
women who take over.” but I felt that belittled us. Never be a
victim.”
Von Furstenberg, whose mother
was a survivor of the Holocaust, Although her position as one of
might have become a figurehead for the most powerful and influential
modern feminism but that doesn’t women in fashion might seem like
mean she’s happy to compromise it required a carefully calculated
the business instincts which have career path, von Furstenberg says
helped her to amass a fortune of $1.2 she’s never really been a planner. “I
billion. “You always compete with had no idea what I was going to do
other women,” she laughed when with my life” she remembered. There
questioned by host Calgary Avansino were just a few prerequisites when
about being part of “the sisterhood,” her came to her ambitions as a young
quickly adding “but you respect and woman. “All I knew was that I wanted
admire them too.” to be liberated, pay my own bills and
sleep with whoever I wanted.” It’s a
“I wanted to be liberated, pay my simple enough wish-list.
own bills and sleep with whoever I
wanted.” Her incredible trajectory was fu-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 63

Diane von Furstenberg
and Mary Katrantzou.

vice to brands hoping to grow their to change a lot” she predicted. “It's
business. As president of the CFDA, going through the biggest turmoil
von Furstenberg has been closely right now. Revolution is coming and
involved with the wider fashion in- that’s always bloody.”
dustry for nearly a decade, so her in-
sights about the state of fashion right If there’s anyone to guide fashion
now were telling. “Fashion is about safely through a revolution, though,
it’s DVF. 

eled, of course, by that famous wrap Anne's father in one of your tulip
dress which has become a symbol print wraps – I still have it, actually"
of classic American elegance and said von Furstenberg. “Then she told
has been worn by a diverse group of us Anne was actually conceived in
women from Michelle Obama and that dress.” It’s a great story, but also
Gwyneth Paltrow to the Duchess encapsulates the understated appeal
of Cambridge. “One day I just made which made the wrap such a classic
this dress and suddenly I'd sold a item.
million” she told the audience, like it
really was as simple as that. It wasn’t, “To be effortless is so seductive”
of course. “I was doing social media was how DVF summed up the phi-
before that was even a thing” von losophy which led to its creation.
Furstenberg laughed, remembering
traveling to “exotic” places like Okla- Von Furstenberg is happy to pro-
homa to meet stores and show them claim that “I sell confidence,” but
her dresses. she admits that “sometimes I wake
up feeling like I'm the biggest loser
One of the biggest moments in in the world.” At this point Mary Ka-
von Furstenberg’s career came in trantzou recalled that at the very be-
1976 when she appeared on the ginning of her career, she had been
cover of Newsweek magazine wear- discouraged from starting her own
ing a green and white printed wrap label. But when she met Anna Win-
dress. She was always careful not to tour in Paris and showed her how
let herself get caught up in such big serious she was about going it alone,
moments though. “Yes I was on the Wintour immediately said, “We’ve
cover of Newsweek magazine in five got to find you a mentor. Do you
continents” she said, “and I was only know Diane?”
29, but it only lasted a week.”
It’s not just Katrantzou who von
It took meeting Anne Hathaway’s Furstenberg has been sharing her
mother to make her appreciate the wisdom with. She was in London
far-reaching effect of her dresses. with a group of 10 young American
“Anne introduced me to her mother designers who are all part of the
and she told me, ‘You know, I seduced CFDA’s Incubator program which
offers mentoring and business ad-

64 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Simon Miller bags: The smallest 'It' bag ever

BY ALICE NEWBOLD
The Telegraph

A men’s denim brand doesn’t ing to whittle down which lip balm Corrigan and Hansford have been scale of the mini model, the brand is
sound like the purveyor of fashion’s to fit in the Bonsai. Japanese fabri- pleasantly gratified by the bag’s planning a larger-sized Bonsai, plus
latest cult bag. But, Simon Miller, cation, mixed with modern Ameri- overnight success. “Coming from a a selection of roomy totes, to come.
headed up by Daniel Corrigan and can craftsmanship, are the brand’s denim background, it is always so
Chelsea Hansford, has topped the steadfast principles, with advanced hard to find the right fit, wash and After all, not all good things come
covetable designer bag lists with its treatments forming the base of all shape to appeal to the masses. To see in small packages ... 
sell-out miniature Bonsai style. the $540 Bonsais. the Bonsai bag simply carried by so
many girls we have been inspired by
Blink and you might miss the din- The time-consuming production over the years is amazing.”
ky-sized bucket bag, carried by the has helped the brand reach its exclu-
likes of style influencers Harley Viera sive status. “It was sold out on Bar- The waiting list for the pint-sized
Newton and Garance Doré. Crafted neys’ pre-order before the bags even pieces is still in place on the U.S. site,
from French leather, which is tanned hit stores,” the duo told The Tele- however the brand does promise to
by hand, and fastened with circular graph. “We keep trying to produce replenish UK stock at Matches Fash-
metal handles, the compact carry- more, but also keep the quality and ion and Mouki Mou throughout the
case looks large enough to fit only distribution where we want it, slow SS16 season.
small essentials in (read: an iPhone 6 and steady.”
is apparently not an essential). And if you can’t quite fathom the

“We wanted to create something
cool and cute, and to help women
streamline their lives by only allow-
ing the essentials," Miller has said
of the decision to branch out from
men’s denim into womenswear and
accessories – and to make mini bags
a priority.

The process sounds as easy as try-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 65

PETS

The Bonz goes gaga for Angelina and Lana

Hi Dog Buddies! coupla humans had felt sorry in Homestead, we had
for me and bought me some
When I first met Angelina Neal I Slim Jims. Mom thought that'd a big field to play in, we
would've never, in a million years, be bad for my tummy, so she
guessed her story. She came to the door asked them if I was their dog. I really like our new back
with her Mom and, I woof you not, she's wasn't. She asked whether they
a knockout! Long wavy hair the color of could take me to a vet or some- yard. There's GRASS to
honey and cream, parted smack down thing, but they couldn't.
the middle, tail to nose. Big dark eyes, roll in, and we come right
long, blond lashes.” “Mom had to get to class so
she started to drive off. But she back inside when we get
“Mr. Bonz! It's YOU! I'm honored!” looked back and saw me still sit-
she said, approaching for the Wag and ting there looking lost and sick. pooped out. We go on
Sniff. “I'm Angelina Neal. This is my So she came back for me and got
Mom, Leslie. My little sister's runnin' a friend to watch me ’til she got lotsa walks. I stop A LOT
around here somewhere. Come'on in!” back from class. To tell you the
And off she bounced. truth, Mr. Bonz, me and Mom to smell the roses, well,
both thought I probly wouldn't make it
“Thank you, Angelina, I can't wait to ’til she got back. But I did. Just barely. everything, akshully. And
hear your story!” I couldn't resist add-
ing, “You certainly have a beautiful “Mom cleaned me up and gave me Angie always waits for me.
coat. All those long curls!” a trim and found out I hadn't gone
through the No Puppies Program. Her Isn't that So Nice?”
“Why, thank you. Mom thinks I'm vet took pictures of my insides and
mostly a Bearded Collie. But they found out I still had puppies in me and “It certainly is,” I re-
ushully have sorta straight hair, so I some kind of big stone, too, and said I
Googled. And I think I'm part Poodle, needed an operation right away. I made Dalai Lana and Angelina. PHOTO BY LEAH DUBOIS plied. “So, how'd you get
too. Mom's gonna have my DNA tested it through, but my puppies didn't.” such an unusual name?”
to find out for sure.”
“I'm so sorry.” Digging and Jumping. I go on lots of “Mom wanted to call
“Your what?” “Thank you. I think it was for the best.
“My DNA. It's a bunch of really small, When I was recovering at the vet's, Mom walks in the park, and … ” me something to 'honor my heritage'
twisty thingys that have, like, special came to see me and I talked, and talked
instructions on how to make dogs. Hu- and talked to her. Dog, was she happy! I Just then a little furball flew by, same and Pekingese were bred and loved by
mans, too. Probly even cats. Everything, was, too. I felt safe. Before that, I thought
ackshully. What color eyes we get, stuff humans didn't even LIKE dogs. pretty color as Angelina, and skidded to the Dalai Lama. She wanted to be re-
like that. There's different instructions “Later, when I was getting my teeth
for every breed. So maybe I'm a Bear- cleaned, the doctor found a bad dis- a stop in front of us. Well, not exactly a spectful, so she made my name sorta
doodle.” ease in my mouth. I hadda go to a dog
“Or a Poolie,” I suggested helpfully. cancer doctor. I got radiation and other stop, more like a bounce-in-place, with different, but sorta the same, too.”
“So, tell me your story, Miss Angelina.” medicine to 'boost my immune sys-
“It was a week before Christmas 2004. tem,' Mom says. That's like I have a tiny lots of barking. “I'm glad we found Lana,” interject-
My Mom (she's a teacher) stopped at little army inside me fighting bad stuff.
the post office in Florida City on her Mom calls me her Miracle Dog. “I wondered where you'd got to,” said ed Angelina. “See, I had a rough puppy-
way to teach a class and there I was, sit- “And, GUESS WHAT? Mom always
ting out front. I was a mess. Too weak thought I was laid back, but I'm NOT. Angelina. “Now sit still and shush and hood, never learned how to play til we
to walk. Mom thought I was brown cuz I was just really sick when she met me.
my coat was so dirty and matted. A She found out I'm Bouncy. And I LOVE meet The Bonz. He's that newspaper got Lana. NOW, I love to run and roll in

columnist I told you about.” the grass and make chirpy sounds. And

The bouncing and barking were re- I have a Toy! My Squeaky Squirrel.”

placed by vigorous wagging. And here Heading home, I was thinking about

was this Pekingnese looking up at me. how lucky Angelina and Lana and their

“Mr. Bonzo, this is my goofy little sis- Mom all were to have found each other.

ter Dalai Lana. Me and Mom rescued And about how beautiful Angelina's

her a coupla years ago in Homestead. long, wavy coat was. Sigh.

She was a Dog of the Streets, but we put

her on the Right Path.” Till next time,

“Pleased to meet you Miss Lana.” The Bonz
“Oh, Mr. Bonzo, can I be in your sto-
ry, too? I'll be really polite and I won't

innerupt.” Don’t Be Shy
“Sure!” We are always looking for pets
“Oh, boy! Hey Angie, can I puleeze

tell about how we play? Puleeze?”

“Go for it,” Angelina said. with interesting stories.
“OKAY, so, me and Angie have the To set up an interview, email
BEST time playing in the park and [email protected].
chasing squirrels. An even though,

Pets are our very best friends. They are driving skills and they are more than willing Over the years many incredible animal want to be there to hold your hand when it is
there for us 24/7. We can always rely on to watch a good movie and snuggle anytime stories have been told of pets coming to time to say good-bye to your best friend.
them for comfort, companionship and of the day or night. the rescue or refusing to leave the side
they are awesome at being good listeners. of their master after their master has Divine Animal Hospital is a state of the art
Although they don’t respond when we tell Pets can sense our pain and sadness and become deceased. hospital that is able to offer you the many
them how we are feeling, it is just a fact that also know when we are happy. We are look- services you will need over the years under
we are letting these feelings out instead ing for a good friend and that is what your Divine Animal Hospital knows just how just one roof. We happen to feel the pet
of bottling it up inside that makes ani- pet is looking for as well. special your four legged family member is that makes himself available to you 24/7
mals good listeners and best friends. They to you. We know how much you depend on deserves an animal hospital that will care
never judge us. They never complain about We can get through life without a few your pet. We want to be your hand holder for him 24/7. That is a pretty big commit-
leftovers, how we look in the morning, our things but we should not go through life with- from the very beginning of the relationship, ment on both of our parts. We even have a
out our pets. Without the companionship of the many beautiful years of bonding, and we mobile unit and offer house calls.
our best friends we find ourselves miserable.

66 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

DINING REVIEW

Chill & Grill: Oh, those addictive steamed clams

BY TINA RONDEAU Heirloom Tomato
Columnist Salad.

What keeps people flocking to a Blackened Mahi. a piece of sensational ricotta cheese- Prime Pork Chop. PHOTOS BY LEAH DUBOIS
restaurant in the middle of nowhere cake ($6) for dessert. The house-made
– a smallish building in an out-of-the- Southern Fried Quail. Key Lime pie also is excellent. courage you to send feedback to me at
way location that for many local din- [email protected].
ers is about as inconvenient as it gets. The wood oven roasted chicken While it does not have cocktails,
with garlic mashed potatoes is a won- Chill & Grill has a more than adequate The reviewer dines anonymously at
I can’t speak for all this restaurant’s derful comfort dish, and the other en- selection of wines, and an interesting restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach
fans, but in my case, the explanation trées got high marks as well. selection of specialty craft beers on 32963. 
lies in the steamed clams. draft.
On our previous visit, I had dined on Chill & Grill
The Chill & Grill is hardly the only beautiful large diver scallops ($27.99), Dinner for two with a couple of
local restaurant serving a steamed perfectly sautéed and served on a bed glasses of beer or wine should run in Hours: Dinner from 5 to 9 pm
clam appetizer. And at $13.99, it is of greens. Fantastic. My husband had the $90 area before tax and tip. daily except Monday
certainly not the least expensive the fork-tender short ribs ($21.99), and
around. our companion chose the very tasty In its US 1 home, Chill & Grill has Adult Beverages: Beer
smoked brisket served over mac and developed an intensely loyal cadre of and wine
But no one prepares a more sump- cheese ($17.99). customers who come from both Se-
tuous, addictive bowl of steamed little bastian and Vero. Address:
necks than chef Scott Burch – for six We have also over the past year 7401 US 1, Vero Beach
years executive chef at Windsor. enjoyed the grilled lamb chops, the While the location may require a bit
seared duck breast (beautiful thin, of a drive, try Chill & Grill and I think Phone: (772) 562-5477
Steamed in a pinot grigio, garlic and medium rare slices of duck on a bed you will agree the 15 or 20 minutes in
clam sauce, the broth is to die for. And of spinach), and the blackened shrimp the car was time well spent.
the bowl is brought to the table with and grits (a great rendition of this
a delicious baguette (why do so many Southern classic). I welcome your comments, and en-
restaurants scrimp on the bread?) for
soaking up every last drop. To conclude this last visit, we shared

Perhaps that is part of the explana-
tion for the success of Chill & Grill, a
place with a casual vibe and fine-din-
ing cuisine now completing its third
year on US 1 midway between Vero
and Sebastian.

While I obviously try to visit a wide
variety of restaurants to prepare these
dining reviews, I confess I have been
drawn back to Chill & Grill twice this
past month by the wonderful, heav-
enly steamed clams.

On our most recent visit, we decid-
ed to go a bit late on a weeknight since
Chill & Grill does not take reserva-
tions. Arriving at 7:45 on a Thursday,
we were ushered by chef Burch’s wife
Csilla to a nice spot in the middle of
this cozy grill.

(Our timing proved to be fortu-
itous, because every table in the din-
ing room was filled 15 minutes later
by a stream of people who apparently
had the same dining-on-the-late-side
idea.)

Beyond the steamed clams, the oth-
er “don’t miss” starter here is the cala-
mari fries ($9.99).

While they look just like French
fries, they are made from calamari cut
lengthwise, rolled with panko bread
crumbs, and deep fried. Served with
aioli, they make a tremendous appe-
tizer to share.

For entrées on this most recent visit,
I chose the half-chicken ($18.99), my
husband went for the Chill & Grill’s
version of a surf and turf, a tenderloin
and crabcake dinner ($29.99), and our
companion opted for the clams with a
white linguine sauce ($16.99).

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 67

WINE COLUMN

‘Somm’-thing new: Doodles based on wine descriptions

BY DAVE MCINTYRE Beard Award in the humor category.
The Washington Post “Lightning strikes a rose garden,

Making fun of wine tasters should blasts rain dampened earth in your
be an official amateur sport. It’s easy face,” reads one tasting note brought
enough, with our pretentious sniff to life by Chevriere’s doodle pen.
and swirl of the glass, followed by so- Would anyone guess nebbiolo for that
cially awkward gargling as we aerate one? Who cares?
the wine in our mouths. And oh, the
spitting. “Man-eating shark with a laser on its
head. But a friendly one.” That’s a vin-
Well, OK; even if we’re not spitting tage champagne, of course.
at a formal tasting, we are known to
wax poetic about exotic flowers, spic- And her favorite? A wine that “re-
es or stones we perceive in our wines. ally started to fatten up after a while
Blackberries, currants, even sweaty in the glass.”
saddle leather have been known to
make cameo appearances in a wine- “I just drew a fat baby in a red dia-
glass. And then there’s “cat’s pee on per resting in a wineglass,” Chevriere
a gooseberry bush,” a classic descrip- laughs.
tion of New Zealand sauvignon blanc
— even though most Americans have Chevriere grew up in Boston, but her
never tasted a gooseberry. family hails from Bordeaux, France,
where “there was a winery once,” she
Maryse Chevriere has a profession- says. Before moving to San Francisco,
al interest in the silly language of wine she worked at Terroir, a wine bar in
tasting. As a 29-year-old sommelier at New York City that specializes in “nat-
Petit Crenn, a high-end restaurant in ural” wines.
San Francisco, and a certified som-
melier in the Court of Master Somme- “I like underdog grapes: classic,
liers program, Chevriere scours social sommy high-acid wines like Riesling
media platforms such as Instagram, and chenin blanc, or wines from Al-
Vivino and Delectable for tips on sace,” she says. “I like wine that’s fun
wines that might be worthy additions to drink; interesting but not super, su-
to a wine list. per challenging.”

And while most of us might read a When she started her blog, Chevri-
wine description and wonder what ere looked for reviews by other som-
the wine tastes like, Chevriere takes meliers and wine trade professionals
a different tack: She visualizes the for material. It was a way of “poking
description and puts pencil to paper, fun” at her colleagues, she admits.
with surreal and witty results.
“Now I think it’s helpful,” she says.
“I was studying for my certified “Maybe a review sounds ridiculous,
exam and had recently watched the but it’s an expression of how wine
‘Somm’ documentary,” she explains, evokes emotional responses. I kind
referring to last year’s movie about of like the weirder descriptions more
the master sommelier program. now. I like really weird wine, any-
“Looking through my phone, which way. It can come off as snobby, but
is always full of wine apps, I came it’s also a way of looking at wine as
across a particularly fantastic wine more fun.” 
description and thought, ‘I wonder
what that would look like.’ So I start- favorable mention by Food and Wine
ed doodling and put it up on Insta- lent some notoriety; Chevriere’s Ins-
gram, and it became a great way not tagram account now has more than
to study.” 2,900 followers.

The tasting note that fired her imag- Those lampooned often revel in
ination and inspired her first doodle getting “the FCGH treatment.” Last
said simply, “Never thought I’d see so month, she was nominated for a James
many roses in one room,” Chevriere
recalled recently in a phone interview.
After each pencil sketch, she goes
over the drawing in pen and colored
marker, then snaps a photo of it on her
smartphone.

The distraction soon became
an Instagram account, which she
dubbed Fresh Cut Garden Hose, af-
ter a particularly outlandish wine
description dropped by Ian Cauble,
a sommelier featured in “Somm.” A

68 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Vero & Casual Dining

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 69

Vero & Casual Dining

Thai & Japanese Cuisine Live Music and Jazz
Sushi
Tues – Thurs, 6 pm - 9 pm
Beer, Wine, Sake & Fri & Sat, 6 pm - 10 pm
Full Liquor Bar
$2 Off Martini Tuesdays
Dine in & Take Out
Lunch

Mon - Sat 11:30am - 3 pm

Dinner

Nightly 4:30 pm -10 pm

713 17th Street|(17th Shoppes Center)
Phone:770-0835|Fax:770-0831

70 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Vero & Casual Dining

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 71

Vero & Casual Dining

72 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ST. EDWARD’S

For Alexis, the A’s have it – academics, athletics, art

BY RON HOLUB Alexis Paul, in navy. over Paul’s five seasons. Jeff Lamscha
was her coach for three years before
Correspondent other dancers. But in soccer there are his protégé Jaclyn Pancotti took over
11 players on the field and every girl in 2015. That transition was lot easier.
Senior Alexis Paul felt that she need- counts.
ed a change of educational venue Paul was on board for Lamscha’s
when she enrolled at St. Ed’s in sixth “In eighth grade it was definitely 300th career victory in 2014. “I think
grade, but the adjustment to her new hard being with a bunch of upper- that was a lot of pressure on all of us,”
school was hardly quick or smooth. classmen on the varsity. It wasn’t like she said. “He really knew a lot about
classic middle school-type soccer the game and always made a big im-
Now with graduation only weeks where you just kick the ball around. pact on our soccer season. Most of
away, Paul was able reflect on seven I grew as a person knowing that you the girls cried when he left. He really
years as a Pirate and realize that a have to help put your team in position cared about us as individuals and not
strong commitment to academics, to compete in all of those big tourna- just as players.”
athletics and art guided her through ments – districts and possibly region-
the rough patches and sent her on to als and states. The two seasons under Pancotti
a premed track at the University of made her feel just as comfortable, if
Miami. “It definitely helped me become a not more. For obvious reasons, the girls
leader – especially during senior year.” on the team found little difficulty relat-
“I had been going to a public school ing to a female head coach. Addition-
until I came to St. Ed’s,” Paul said. “I St. Ed’s varsity girls soccer teams ally, Paul and her sister Alana, a sopho-
guess I needed a little change of scen- never had a losing season and com- more, were teammates this season.
ery to a private-school setting. It was piled a cumulative record of 50-22-5
kind of a hard transition at first and Paul was also on the varsity tennis
you wouldn’t think that would hap- team as a junior and will always fond-
pen in middle school because you are ly remember that one season on the
so young. court. “I was the only undefeated one
but I was also one of the last-seeded
“High school definitely got better players. So I wasn’t playing at that high
for me. At first I wanted to leave and a level, but I feel pretty good about it.”
go back to the public school (Fresh-
man Learning Center @ VBHS), but What see also feels good about is
looking back I realize that being here how her passion for art developed
was a lot better for me. I put my focus and how it has grown into an entre-
on academics and didn’t really worry preneurial and philanthropic venture.
about anything else. St. Ed’s has pre-
pared me for the outside world in “In middle school I was basically
many ways.” forced to take art as an elective,” Paul
recalled. “I never really thought much
Soccer was another vital method by about it. It was cool, I was pretty good
which Paul was able to weave her way at it, and it was a way to let go of my
into the St. Ed’s fabric. She was on the feelings.
varsity team for five years.
“As a freshman I started doing more
“Athletics to me means learning artistic things like painting, drawing
about leadership qualities and all of and stuff like that. My ability increased
the typical cliché stuff,” Paul told us. and I was put into the honors program
“You learn so much about team ca- as a sophomore. This year I’m doing
maraderie and you get a feel for who photography for my AP portfolio.”
people are. That’s why I joined the
soccer team in the first place. Taking her artwork one step further,
she has created a company – MyCom-
“I had danced competitively until I muniTees – with a charitable purpose
was 13. When you’re dancing solo you and mission statement that reads:
are not really concerned about the
The mission of MyCommuniTees
is to create a lasting impact on my
community through innovation and
be able to support local charities. I
knew that I have always wanted to
do something involving my artworks.
I am able to do something that I have
a passion for and reciprocate that into
an organization that helps people in
need. I hope to achieve enough mon-
ey to eventually spread this company
outside of my community, expanding
into other communities with new art-
ists and new ideas. This way new art-
ists are able to share their ideas and
also help a charity near them.

Even with all of this going on, Paul
will soon be off to study “something
science-related” on her premed track
at the University of Miami. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 73

ON FAITH

How to assess the status of your life

BY REV. DRS. CASEY AND BOB BAGGOTT Surely he would starve, they told the they said. This was disastrous. But or the move, or the new relationship,
Columnists farmer, without the help of his horse. the farmer simply replied, “Is it bad? or the prize possession we acquired
But the farmer simply replied, “Is it Is it good? Who knows?” will prove less satisfying than we
How do we assess the events in our bad? Is it good? Who knows?” dreamed. And equally possible, the
lives? Can we truly discern whether A few days later the old farmer losses, the illnesses, the hardships
the things that happen to us are good The farmer’s only son set off into watched as columns of marching and heartaches we think we are un-
or bad? Sometimes it’s hard to tell, as the hills to find the lost horse and soldiers approached his house. The able to survive may become the path-
an old Chinese story demonstrates. returned several days later leading a war lord leading this army was con- ways to growth, or fulfillment, or an
The story says that there was once whole herd of wild horses from the scripting all able-bodied young men ultimate joy we never envisioned.
a poor old farmer who relied upon hills as well as their lost horse. Now to march with him to distant battle
his steady and reliable horse to help the farmer’s corral was full. This was grounds. Seeing that the farmer’s Many, many years ago, Paul of
in the tilling of his fields. The farm- a development that would surely en- only son was unable to walk due to Tarsus made the provocative pro-
er awoke one morning to discover rich the old farmer, the neighbors a broken leg, the soldiers marched nouncement that all things work to-
that his horse had found the gate of said. But the farmer simply replied, on without him. Hearing the aston- gether for good for those who love
its enclosure unlatched in the night “Is it bad? Is it good? Who knows?” ishing news, the farmer’s neighbors God. With that statement Paul moves
and had disappeared into the sur- ran to his home to congratulate him the analysis of “bad” or “good” from
rounding hills. The farmer’s neigh- The farmer’s son worked hard to on his good fortune. But the farmer the particular events in question to
bors came to offer their condolences. tame the wild horses from the hills, simply replied, “Is it bad? Is it good? the ultimate trajectory of history.
but one morning a particularly spirit- Who knows?” Without denying the brokenness of
ed horse threw the son off its back. In lives and the hardships in our world,
his fall, the farmer’s son broke his leg How do you assess the status of he encourages us to see that the pur-
badly and needed to remain in bed your life? Is it bad? Is it good? The poses of God will prevail, no matter
recuperating. The neighbors came truth is, as the Chinese parable what. And how would we describe
to the old farmer’s house to commis- makes clear, that our initial assess- the purposes of God? They’re good,
erate. Now the farmer had no one to ment of events may be mistaken. they’re all good! 
help him with the work of the farm, Perhaps the dream job we landed,

74 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CALENDAR

ONGOING APRIL p.m. at Riverview Park in Sebastian, featuring MAY
Professor Pennygoode’s Mighty Flea Circus.
Riverside Theatre: Sister Act on the Stark 28 Silver Resource Association’s Silver BYO chair. 1 Breakfast at Tiffany’s High Tea, 2 p.m. at
Stage thru May 1. 772-231-6990 Tones Chorus Concert, featuring Vero Beach Country Club hosted by the
the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, 7 p.m. 30 March of Dimes March for Babies, a PEER Group, charted by The Arc of IRC, with
Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis at First Presbyterian Church with reception 6- or 1-mile team or individual walk for music, artwork, silent auction and a Fashion
Championships at The Boulevard Tennis Club following. $15 advance; $20 at door. 772- stronger healthier babies, 7:30 a.m. registration; Show featuring daughters of the PEER group as
thru May 1. 917-770-0843 469-3148 8:30 a.m. walk at Riverside Park, with kids activ- models and guest speaker Katie Henderson, an
ity area, food, music and awards. 772-562-0115 artist and designer born with Down syndrome.
Vero Beach Museum of Art: Oscar Bluem- 28|29 Let Go, an Indian River $40. 772-569-0228
ner: Selection from the Vera Bluemnar Kouba Charter High School Dance 30 Children’s Art Festival, 10 a.m. to 3
Collection thru May 22, John Baeder’s Ameri- Theatre Production, offering the audience a p.m. at Vero Beach Museum of Art. 1 May Pops Season Finale presented by
can Roadside thru May 15 and Nature Illumi- chance to self-reflect through movement, text, Indian River County Juried Student Exhibition the Helen & Dick Post Family, with Chris-
nated: Landscapes and Still Lifes by Heade and live music, 7 p.m. at IRCHS Black Box The- Award Ceremony 12:30 p.m. (exhibit runs topher Confessore conducting the Brevard
and his Contemporaries thru June 5. 772- atre. $5. 772-567-6600 ext. 144 thru May 22), and 2016 Congressional Art Symphony Orchestra and guest soloists Hugh
231-0707 Competition 10 a.m. to Noon. Free. 772- Panaro and Kristi Tingle to benefit Indian River
29 Nautilus Chamber Choir Spring Concert, 231-0707 Medical Center Foundation, 3:30 p.m. gates
McKee Botanical Garden: Roar of the Dino- A Mass Mixture, 7 p.m. at Community open to Windsor Polo Field for picnics on the
saur exhibit thru May 1. 772-794-0601 Church. Donations appreciated. 772-469-2320 30 All American Country BBQ Bash, 5 to 8 lawn, and VIP luncheon reception, with con-
p.m. at and to benefit St Francis Man- cert at 5:30 p.m. $25 lawn tickets; children
Polo Sundays at BG Polo, gates open at 1 p.m. 29 Sebastian Chamber’s free Concerts or, with BBQ, games, entertainment and silent 12 and under free to lawn area only. $225 VIP
for 2 p.m. matches thru May 1. 772-999-3709 in the Park series, 5:30 p.m. to 8 auction. $25; $15 ages 11 to 20; 10 and under seating. 772-226-4955
free. 772-562-8575

Solutions from Games Pages ACROSS DOWN 1 Atlantic Ringers Spring Concert, The Bells
in April 21, 2016 Edition 7 FAWN 1 RAVINE Go to Hollywood and Motown, 4 p.m. at
8 EVERYDAY 2 INDICATE Community Church. Donations appreciated.
9 DILIGENT 3 BENEATH 772-469-2320
10 HELP 4 JETTY
11 PENALTY 5 MYTH 1 Kinderblock 66: Return to Buchen-
12 SPATE 6 BALLET wald, a film jointly presented by Uni-
15 ACRES 13 PRIMROSE tarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach
17 TRAIPSE 14 PREPARE and Temple Beth Shalom, 4 p.m. at UUFVB,
20 LOAF 16 CLOVES followed by a discussion with survivor Alex
22 APPARENT 18 SUNDAE Moskovic on his experience as a teenage
23 BEHAVIOR 19 BASIL boys forced to live in Kinderblock 66, and a
24 SEAM 21 FEAR brief memorial service led by Rabbi Michael
Birnholz and Rev. Scott W. Alexander. Free.
Sudoku Page 50 Sudoku Page 51 Crossword Page 50 Crossword Page 51 (RIB TICKLER) 772-778-5880

VERO BEACH 32963 SERVICE DIRECTORY

Advertising Vero Beach Services | If you would like your service to appear in our directory, please call 772-633-0753

ECCO • FLORSHIEM • THINK • DANSKO • MERRELLS
TROTTERS • HELLE • SPERRY • BROOKS • NEW BALANCE
OOFOS • NAOT • MBT • BIRKENSTOCK • ROCKPORTS
LA PLUME • FINN COMFORT

This directory gives small business people eager to provide
services to the beachside community an opportunity to

make themselves known to island readers at an affordable
cost. This is the only service directory mailed each week
during season to all 11,000+ homes on the Vero Beach
barrier island. If you are interested in a listing in the Vero
Beach 32963 Service Directory, please contact marketing

representative Kathleen Macglennon at
[email protected] or call 772-633-0753.

INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY VIEWS REIGN
AT SEAGROVE WEST ESTATE

385 Riverway Court in Seagrove West: 5-bedroom, 7.5-bath, 6,920-square-foot house listed
by Kay Brown and Jeanine Harris of Premier Estate Properties for $2,295,000: 772-234-5332

76 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

REAL ESTATE

Intracoastal views reign at Seagrove West Estate

BY SIOBHAN MCDONOUGH groups. Children can play basket- the Intracoastal Waterway. da Nelson, owner, said of the
Staff Writer ball in the driveway or ping pong in The 5-bedroom, 7.5-bath home has 6,920-square-foot courtyard home
the recreation room, teenagers can listed with Kay Brown of Premier
This house at 385 Riverway Court enjoy a game of billiards in another a versatile layout featuring a huge Estate Properties for $2,295,000. “It
in the neighborly and nicely land- spacious room, while adults enter- great room, a guest wing and plenty feels warm and cozy.”
scaped Seagrove West gated barrier tain poolside, and everyone can jump of outdoor spaces in which to sun-
island community south of the 17th on the boat docked at the foot of the bathe, daydream by the river, read a Warm and cozy and yet spacious is
Street Bridge offers much for all age property to take a cruise or sail down book on a patio or enjoy a meal on a the house that Nelson and husband
covered lanai. Tom purchased in 2011.

“It’s a true family house,” Lin- “I love every living space because

CREATIVE FLOORS

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF PROVIDING
THE BEST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.

CARPET • WOOD • TILE • VINYL • AND MORE

CREATIVE FLOORS CARPET ONE
1137 Old Dixie Hwy. • Vero Beach, FL 32960

772-569-0240 • www.CarpetOne.com

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 77

REAL ESTATE

of the amazing views of the river,” and living room flow seamlessly, all
she added. “Both upstairs and down- with either a bay window or French
stairs have views.” doors allowing fine views of the river.

Featuring a creative, livable layout “It’s a great cooking kitchen,” Nel-
with a versatile guest wing, this tra- son said, pointing out the openness
ditional-inspired residence offers an of the room and its top-of-the-line
open plan with the riverfront beauti- appliances, two sinks, six-burner
fully showcased. The kitchen – which gas stove and plenty of counter
has a breakfast nook – dining room space. “You can get a lot going on in

78 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

REAL ESTATE

Service. Savings. this kitchen, which contributes to in closets are paired with two master
Results! entertaining.” baths, one with a soaking tub.

FULL SERVICE Wood-paneled ceilings and wood- A den with handsome built-ins and
REAL ESTATE like tile floors add textural warmth river views is located on the first floor,
COMMISSION to the expansive space opening to the as well.
40+ Years Combined porch. The floors can take a beating
and never show signs of it. In another wing is a family room
Experience. that can double as a bedroom with
Local Knowledge The large riverfront office has a full full bath. This is where the current
bath. And a large laundry room and owners have their billiard table in a
Since 1987. abundant storage throughout the room overlooking the pool and patio.
Kim Small 772.480.4660  [email protected] home allow for smooth running of
Ron Small 772.579.8226  [email protected] the household. The guest quarters provide a liv-
ing room with kitchenette and spiral
625 Beachland Boulevard, Suite 1 The serene downstairs master suite stairs to a 23-foot by 10-foot loft plus
Vero Beach, FL 32963  772.217.3553 is in its own wing and overlooks the a bedroom with en-suite bath. Easy
river from the vaulted bedroom with access to the pool and patio are pro-
We speak fluent Canadian seagrass floor coverings. Two walk- vided through French doors.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 79

REAL ESTATE

Two bedroom suites are upstairs in The location of the house offers
the main wing. gracious living in the peaceful beau-
ty of a guard-gated barrier island
Bedroom sizes are spacious: 18 x 20 neighborhood with tennis courts and
feet; 17 x 19 feet; 20 x 13 feet; 18 x 14 docks. Vero Beach’s charming seaside
feet; and 20 x 13 feet. village is just a few minutes north.

“It’s been an ideal place for the The Nelsons bought the house
children’s friends to come to play,” when their kids were in the fourth
Nelson said. “It is a great gathering grade and sixth grade, and they had
spot. A courtyard home is wonderful a flow of out-of-town family coming
for entertaining.”

VITAL STATISTICS
385 RIVERWAY COURT

Subdivision: Seagrove West
Year built: 2000
Lot size: .84 acre

Home size: 6,920 square feet
Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 7 full baths; 1-half bath
Waterfront: 197 lineal frontage on the Indian River Lagoon
Additional features: Intracoastal Waterway views; dock; garden court-
yard around the pool/spa; first-floor master suite; rich interior wood-

work; guest wing; 2-car garage
Listing agency: Premier Estate Properties,
Listing agents: Kay Brown, 772-234-5332, and

Jeanine Harris, 866-220-8195
Listing Price: $2,295,000

80 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

REAL ESTATE

for visits. Now, those family mem- er views over ocean ones. She enjoys
bers have moved to Vero and the walking the family dog down to the
couple has one child headed to col- dock after work. “Sitting there, you
lege in the fall, so it seems like time get that serenity.”
to downsize.
“Living here my whole life, I can’t
“The water is so peaceful,” said Nel- get over coastal living,” she said. “It
son, who teaches third grade at Saint is such a beautiful town in a beauti-
Edward’s School and is partial to riv- ful area.” 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 81

REAL ESTATE

Listing your house? Why to be wary of the weekend

BY MARSHALL PARK tos help sell homes faster, too. Homes held open within a week of being put property isn’t getting much interest.
priced between $400,000 and $499,999 on the market do fetch higher prices When you plan to put your home
Washington Post sold three weeks faster when photo- and sell more quickly. However, we
graphed with a professional camera. don’t know whether that is related to on the market, know that the first few
Thinking about selling your home? the open house itself or to the fact that days and the first weekend especial-
Based on a data analysis, here are some Although smartphone and point- the home had a strong overall debut. ly can be hectic with buyers coming
strategies to sell your home fast and for and-shoot cameras have come a long If the agent feels the home is desir- through. It can be helpful to have an
the most money possible: way, they fall short when it comes to able, she might be more likely to hold open house, just from the perspec-
real estate photography. A professional it open the first weekend. An open tive of giving people a window of time
What’s the best day to put my house will understand how to compose a shot house a few weeks after the home to see your home without having to
on the market? Thursday. Homes that to showcase your home’s features. Pro- has been listed can be a sign that the make an appointment or schedule
hit the market Thursday typically sell fessional photographers know how to with their real estate agent. 
faster and for more money, with al- maximize light and take wide-angle
most one in five getting above the ask- shots to capture a full room. They also
ing price. Homes listed on Thursdays have the right lenses to better capture
in April do even better, with 21 per- smaller spaces such as bathrooms.
cent going for above the asking price.
Redfin’s analysis found that a typical How should I price my home? Just
$500,000 house will fetch about $2,830 right. Testing the waters with a higher
more if it’s listed on a Thursday in- price is self-defeating, because homes
stead of a Sunday. Yet only 18 percent get five times more online views the
of sellers list Thursday. day they hit the market than they do
a week later. If buyers dismiss your
Homes listed toward the end of the home as overpriced early on, they
workweek tend to fare the best overall, might never come back. And a home
and homes listed on Saturday, Sunday that sits on the market gets stale.
or Monday perform worst. Why?
Even if you drop the price later,
Well, buyers start making their you’ve missed a critical window for
weekend plans to tour homes at the getting buyers’ attention. New listings
end of the workweek, helping those get almost twice as many views on
newly listed homes make a strong Redfin.com the day they hit the market
opening weekend debut. If the prop- than the day a price is lowered.
erty is desirable, the agent may set an
offer deadline on the following Tues- When you’ve had a higher price and
day or Wednesday. That strategy can you drop it, the buyer will start won-
often lead to a bidding war, which can dering what’s wrong with it. If you
net the seller more. price a home higher than what it’s
likely to sell for, that’s a warning sign
Are professional photographs worth to all the buyers.
it? Yes. Most buyers will first see your
home online and will make a quick de- Do open houses make a difference?
cision based on the photos whether to The answer is, not really. Open hous-
tour it in person. Without good photos, es seem like a great way to get atten-
you may be turning off buyers before tion and get people through the door,
they even get inside your home. but they rarely lead to a higher price
or quicker sale. In Washington, we
Our analysis found that homes with found that of homes that had an open
photos taken using a professional cam- house, 18 percent sold above the ask-
era typically fetch more money and sell ing price, while 19 percent of homes
faster. Sellers who used a high-quality that didn’t have an open house sold
camera and lenses for their listing above the asking price.
photos got an average of $3,400 more
for their properties. Professional pho- However, timing matters. Homes

82 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

REAL ESTATE

7 top tips for buying a home in a seller’s market

BY JONNELLE MARTE ple came to the open house and if it 5. Tug at the heart strings. Are you to $400, may not get the house. But
is likely to receive multiple offers, he and the person selling your home the effort shows you have some skin
Washington Post says. “That in turn will inform me as both veterans? Can you already pic- in the game and are serious about the
to how aggressive we have to be,” he ture little Jonnie playing on the tire home, she says. And you can decide
Emboldened by low interest rates, says. It also lets buyers know if they swing or attending that great school then if you are comfortable with any
rising rent prices and a stronger sense should prepare for a bidding war. in the neighborhood? When sellers repairs that need to be made or you
of job security, more people are mak- are facing multiple offers, getting can choose not to make an offer if the
ing the leap into home ownership. But 3. Add an escalation clause to your a personal letter from buyers that issues are too problematic.
as they do, many face fierce competi- arsenal. Bidding wars reached re- shows why they love the house or
tion, limited choices and the pressure cord levels leading up to the housing 7. Pay more cash up front. Really.
to act quickly. how they plan to use it might help to
bubble of the early 2000s, and they set the offer apart, Wiard says. Sure, Not all home buyers need to put 20
The biggest challenge for many haven’t really gone away since then. many sellers are just going to go with percent down when they make an
would-be buyers is that there are not If you expect to compete with mul- the highest bidder. But some people offer on a home, especially when it
enough homes on the market. In some tiple offers on a property, consider with emotional attachments to the comes to programs that are meant
areas with low inventory, homes are using an escalation clause, which lays home they’re selling may want to to encourage first-time home buy-
being snatched up within a matter of out how much more you are willing know it is going to a family or couple ers. Still, you may juice up your offer
days. That’s despite the rise in home to pay over a competing offer. The that will look after it and appreciate it by providing more money up front
prices, which increased by 4.9 per- clauses are more common in popular as much as they did. in what is called the earnest money
cent in April from the year before, ac- neighborhoods with low inventory, deposit. The earnest money is cash
cording to the most recent data from says Suzanne Des Marais, a broker 6. Get a pre-inspection. Anything provided by the buyer, ranging from 1
the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller based in Washington, D.C., but they you can do to speed up the buying percent to up to 5 percent of the pur-
20-city home price index. “Good for aren’t used on every home. process and make it easier for the sell- chase price that gets held in escrow
homeowners, not good for potential er might improve your chances of get- until the sale closes.
buyers,” says Lawrence Yun, chief 4. Be flexible with timing. You can ting the home you want, brokers say.
economist for the National Associa- improve your chances of landing the For example, some people might pay The cash works as insurance for
tion of Realtors. home you want if you can show that for a pre-inspection before they make the home seller in case the buyer
you are willing to move as quickly – the offer so that they know ahead of backs out of the deal. If all goes as
In short, it’s getting harder to find a or as slowly – as the seller needs, says time if the house is in good condition. planned, the money goes toward the
good deal. Will Wiard, a broker who works in That eliminates the need for further down payment and closing costs. “It
D.C. and Virginia. A seller looking to negotiation with the seller after the just shows how committed some-
More homes are being built, but close the deal within 30 days won’t be offer is made. body is to that sale,” Des Marais
the pace is still not strong enough to too interested in an offer from some- says. You should ask for clear expla-
meet demand, analysts say. Construc- one who won’t be ready to move for Pre-inspections are usually shorter nations on how it would work for you
tion started on 685,000 single-family 60 days, he says. The same for a seller than a regular inspection, says Des to receive a refund and what condi-
homes in June, up 14.7 percent from a who needs more time before moving Marais. Some people who pay for a tions would cause you to lose the
year earlier but still close to 40 percent out of the property. pre-inspection, which can cost $300 money, she says. 
less than what was typical in 2007, ac-
cording to a report released Friday by
the U.S. Department of Commerce.

So what should home buyers do in
such a tight market? Here are a few
steps people should take to increase
their chances of landing the winning
bid – and to protect themselves from
paying more than they should.

1. Before you do anything, get a
pre-approval letter. You only need to
get one. The pre-approval shows the
seller that you have been vetted fi-
nancially. It also gives you an idea of
how much of a mortgage you can af-
ford so that you can limit your search
to houses within your price range.

In some markets, you may not get to
see a house more than once or twice
before you move in, so a pre-approval
letter also can help you act quickly
when you see a home you love. Keep
in mind, however, that a pre-approval
letter is not a guarantee for a mort-
gage, brokers say. So be ready to check
with other lenders.

2. Make sure your broker knows
the competition. Knowing how many
people are interested in the house
can help you come in with an offer
that will be taken seriously, says Brian
Block, a realtor in northern Virginia.
Your broker might be able to find out
from the listing agent how many peo-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 83

REAL ESTATE

Credit score key to winning down payment battle

BY KENNETH R. HARNEY on credit issues and debt-to-income
Washington Post ratios. Last year, FHA slashed its own
premiums, and they’re now the less-
If you’re planning to buy a home costly choice below 700 FICO.
with a low down payment, you need
to be aware of some important but But FHA-insured loans have a key
virtually unpublicized price changes drawback: Unlike private mortgage
underway in the mortgage market. insurance, you generally can’t cancel
premium payments once your equity
If you’ve got good but not great reaches a certain threshold. So you could
credit, such as a FICO score in the end up paying monthly premiums in-
mid to upper 600s, you’re going to get definitely. That’s a real turn-off. 
hit with higher fees on a conventional
(non-government) loan with a low and the smaller your down payment,
down payment. Count on it. On the the higher the add-on fees charged by
other hand, if you’re part of the credit Fannie and Freddie.
elite – your FICO score is 760 or higher
– congratulations: You’re in line for an Mortgage insurers say they were
unexpected discount on fees, despite forced to make the pricing revisions
making a tiny down payment. because Fannie and Freddie rejig-
gered capital requirements on them.
What’s going on? Put simply, the “We had to end up charging more,”
mortgage insurance premiums on said Michael Zimmerman, a senior
loans eligible for sale to giant inves- vice president at MGIC, a major in-
tors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac surer. The “cross-subsidization” in
underwent a shake-up this month. premium rates that previously exist-
Applicants with lower scores and ed – where borrowers with excellent
smaller down payments got whacked. credit were charged a little more in
premiums so that lower-FICO bor-
To illustrate: According to one mort- rowers could pay a little less – has
gage insurer’s rate sheet, the buyer of “now been eliminated.”
a $400,000 house with a 660 FICO, a
3 percent down payment and a fixed Fannie and Freddie officials say
rate of 4.25 percent would have paid the revised capital requirements
$2,359 a month in principal, interest were necessary to ensure that the
and mortgage insurance before the companies they deal with have suf-
premium changes took effect April 4. ficient strength to handle future de-
Today, the same borrower would be fault and foreclosure claims. Andrew
charged $2,495 a month – $136 more Wilson, a spokesman for Fannie Mae,
a month, $1,632 more a year. said the mortgage insurance com-
panies could have revised their rates
At the same time, a borrower with a differently, limiting the impact on
760 FICO seeking the same size loan lower-score home buyers, but they
with a rate of 3.875 percent would chose otherwise.
now be charged $162 less per month
– $2,002 vs. $2,164 – because of the Bose T. George, managing director
pricing revisions. of equity research at Keefe, Bruyette
& Woods, a highly regarded mort-
What about slightly larger down gage industry analyst, says Fannie
payments, such as 5 percent ($20,000) and Freddie also had choices: They
on the same $400,000 home pur- could have reduced their own “sig-
chase? If your FICO is a 620, you would nificant” fees on lower-down-pay-
have paid $2,261 a month before the ment, lower-FICO borrowers, fees
change. Now your mortgage will cost that they have had in place since
you $2,407 a month – $146 more. the housing crisis. “They have never
revised their fees, and to expect pri-
If you’re at the higher end of the vate companies to subsidize lower-
credit spectrum, with a 760-plus score borrowers is unrealistic,” he
FICO, the 5 percent-down loan would told me in an interview.
have required $1,931 a month in pay-
ments before April 4. That now drops Putting aside these inside-the-in-
to $1,890. dustry spats, what do the new chang-
es in insurance premiums mean to
A little background here: When you you in practical terms? If you’ve got a
make a down payment of less than FICO score in the mid to upper 600s
a 20 percent on a conventional loan, and you want to make as small a down
private mortgage insurance is re- payment as possible, you’ll probably
quired, to limit some of the potential want to look to the Federal Housing
risk for the lender or investor. Typical- Administration for your financing.
ly, the premiums get tacked on to the
monthly payments. Fannie Mae and FHA offers 3.5 percent minimum
Freddie Mac also add their own extra down payments and is more flexible
charges on low-down-payment mort- and lenient than Fannie and Freddie
gages. The lower your credit score

84 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate Sales on the Barrier Island: April 14 to April 20

The third week of April saw a record number of high-end real estate transactions on the barrier island,
with 6 properties selling for more than $2 million.

The top sale of the week was of an exceptional waterfront retreat with breathtaking views of John’s Island
sound.

The home at 800 Manatee Inlet, placed on the market Nov. 19, 2015 for $7.4 million, went under contract
for the full asking price in just five days. The sale closed on April 15.

Both the seller in the transaction and the purchaser were represented by John’s Island Real Estate.

SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES AND LOTS

SUBDIVISION ADDRESS LISTED ORIGINAL MOST RECENT SOLD SELLING
ASKING PRICE ASKING PRICE PRICE
$3,950,000
$4,275,000 $370,000
FLORALTON BEACH 776 REEF ROAD 1/15/2016 $425,000 $4,275,000 4/20/2016 $2,150,000
RIVER MEWS CONDO 2070 LAS RAMBLAS 9/25/2015 $2,259,000 $425,000 4/19/2016 $425,000
$685,000 $2,500,000
RIOMAR 885 OLD OAK LANE 11/6/2015 $2,995,000 $2,259,000 4/18/2016 $2,000,000
$3,295,000 $537,500
OCEANRIDGE 1987 OCEAN RIDGE CIRCLE 8/24/2015 $639,000 $449,000 4/18/2016
$380,000
MOORINGS 1830 CUTLASS COVE DRIVE 9/2/2014 $2,595,000 4/15/2016 $515,000
$245,000
OCEAN PEARL 330 BLUE WAVE LANE 2/24/2015 $3,295,000 4/15/2016

SUMMERPLACE 1890 CAYMAN ROAD E 7/2/2015 $575,000 4/14/2016

TOWNHOMES, VILLAS, CONDOS, MULTIFAMILY AND INVESTMENT

SAWYER PARK 2611 OCEAN DRIVE, #12 9/15/2014 $459,900 $419,000 4/20/2016
LA MER CONDO 5554 HIGHWAY A1A, #301 3/3/2016 $650,000 $650,000 4/15/2016
PORPOISE BAY VILLAS 300 HARBOUR DRIVE, #205E 12/16/2015 $325,000 $285,000 4/15/2016

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 85

REAL ESTATE

Here are some of the top recent barrier island sales.

Subdivision: Floralton Beach, Address: 776 Reef Road Subdivision: Riomar, Address: 885 Old Oak Lane

Listing Date: 1/15/2016 Listing Date: 11/6/2015
Original Price: $4,275,000 Original Price: $2,259,000
Recent Price: $4,275,000 Recent Price: $2,259,000
Sold: 4/20/2016 Sold: 4/18/2016
Selling Price: $3,950,000 Selling Price: $2,150,000
Listing Agent: Matilde G. Sorensen Listing Agent: Cindy O’Dare & Clark French

Selling Agent: Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Selling Agent: Premier Estate Properties

Matilde Sorensen Dan Downey & Anne Wallace

Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Berkshire Hathaway Florida

Subdivision: Moorings, Address: 1830 Cutlass Cove Drive Subdivision: John’s Island, Address: 110 Island Creek Drive

Listing Date: 9/2/2014 Listing Date: 12/1/2015
Original Price: $2,995,000 Original Price: $2,950,000
Recent Price: $2,595,000 Recent Price: $2,950,000
Sold: 4/15/2016 Sold: 4/14/2016
Selling Price: $2,500,000 Selling Price: $2,950,000
Listing Agent: Cindy O’Dare & Clark French Listing Agent: John’s Island Real Estate

Selling Agent: Premier Estate Properties Selling Agent: John’s Island Real Estate

Judy Hargarten John’s Island Real Estate

The Moorings Realty Sales Co. John’s Island Real Estate

CASTAWAY COVE SallyWoods MARSH ISLAND
PROFESSIONALISM
I N T E G R I T Y ~ R E S U LT S

VERO ISLES

East of A1A! Elegant 5BR/5BA home across from Vero’s best Beautiful waterfront 3BR/4BA home on deep water canal, Lakefront building lot in prestigious, gated community,
beach, beautifully appointed, ocean views from 2nd floor screened heated pool w/spa, dock, access to Intracoastal clubhouse, deep water marina slip available for purchase
$1,100,000
$890,000 $399,000

Y our satisfaction is my highest goal, real estate is a lasting relationship.

direct 772.492.5333 | cell 772.538.1861 | [email protected] | www.sallywoods.com

86 Vero Beach 32963 / April 28, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

REAL ESTATE

Here are some of the top recent barrier island sales.

Subdivision: Oceanridge, Address: 1987 Ocean Ridge Circle Subdivision: Ocean Pearl, Address: 330 Blue Wave Lane

Listing Date: 8/24/2015 Listing Date: 2/24/2015
Original Price: $685,000 Original Price: $3,295,000
Recent Price: $449,000 Recent Price: $3,295,000
Sold: 4/18/2016 Sold: 4/15/2016
Selling Price: $425,000 Selling Price: $2,000,000
Listing Agent: Lynn O’Malley Listing Agent: Cindy O’Dare & Clark French

Selling Agent: Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Selling Agent: Premier Estate Properties

Kelly Fischer Cindy O’Dare & Clark French

Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl Premier Estate Properties

Subdivision: Summerplace, Address: 1890 Cayman Road E Subdivision: La Mer Condo, Address: 5554 Highway A1A, #301

Listing Date: 7/2/2015 Listing Date: 3/3/2016
Original Price: $639,000 Original Price: $650,000
Recent Price: $575,000 Recent Price: $650,000
Sold: 4/14/2016 Sold: 4/15/2016
Selling Price: $537,500 Selling Price: $515,000
Listing Agent: Janet Lawrence Listing Agent: Christine M. Hughes

Selling Agent: North Beach Realty, Inc. Selling Agent: Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc.

Not provided Christine M. Hughes

Not provided Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc.