06/01/2017 ISSUE 22

Sneak ‘Peak’ at plan to restore
legendary wave. P21
Conquistadores
race for a cure. P15

Film lovers savor fest’s
Desserts & Directors event. P20

MY VERO Plans of new owners
of Sebastian River
BY RAY MCNULTY a concern for IRMC

No reason for ouster
of Beachland principal

It wasn't too long ago that Memorial Day service BY MICHELLE GENZ
Schools Superintendent Mark held on Veterans Island. Staff Writer
Rendell tried to fire a success-
ful, respected and beloved PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD It was probably not the of-
teacher at Sebastian River High fer of a free salmon dinner
for doing exactly what his job School District cleans house at Gifford Middle that drew such a large crowd
required him to do. to Costa D’Este Resort on a re-
BY KATHLEEN SLOAN cipal and assistant principal Simchick staunchly defended cent Wednesday night. What
Fortunately, a state adminis- Staff Writer have been fired. Principal Roxanne Decker, packed the hotel’s chandelier-
trative law judge stopped him, denying there were problems lit Crystal Ballroom was cu-
mocking Rendell's wronghead- Four months after Vero At the time the articles at the school. riosity about Steward Health
ed allegations in what most of Beach 32963 began report- were written, School District Care Systems, the rapidly ex-
us saw was a trumped-up case, ing on problems at Gifford Superintendent Mark Ren- But district documents re- panding Massachusetts-based
and strongly recommending Middle School, both the prin- dell and School Board mem- leased on May 23 show that chain that recently bought Se-
that the School Board return bers Tiffany Justice and Dale bastian River Medical Center.
the teacher to the classroom. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
What attendees may not
Now, Rendell is at it again, have learned was that the new
this time firing Caroline Bark- hometown hospital chain was
er, the successful, respected poised to become the largest
and beloved Beachland Ele- privately-held for-profit hos-
mentary School principal who, pital system in the nation.
throughout her two decades
as an educator in this district, Just two days after the Costa
has done exactly what her job event, Steward signed a deal
required her to do. to acquire IASIS, a Franklin,
Tenn.-based chain of 17 hos-
And, again, somebody needs pitals in five states spanning
to stop him.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Premier Estate Properties team on Regulars turn out
for Seaside Grill’s
track for record year amid changes 25th anniversary

BY STEVEN M. THOMAS Concierge Auctions, the ru- A surprise 25th anniversary party for Seaside Grill. PHOTO BY GORDON RADFORD BY RAY MCNULTY
Staff Writer mors began to fly. Staff Writer

The barrier island real es- Along with his partner Cin- On a sun-splashed, post-
tate community is both close- dy O’Dare and their associ- card-perfect Friday afternoon
knit and fiercely competitive, ate Richard Boga, French has at the east end of Jaycee Park,
and when news leaked out been a leader in luxury sales in a festive crowd gathered to
recently that Clark French, a Vero for a decade.
high-profile island agent, had CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
“suddenly” taken a job with In 2015, the French & O’Dare
team at Premier Estate Proper-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

June 1, 2017 Volume 10, Issue 22 Newsstand Price $1.00 Grateful grads
cherish ‘bonds’
News 1-10 Faith 59 Pets 58 TO ADVERTISE CALL to St. Ed’s. P12
Arts 27-30 Games 41-43 Real Estate 61-72 772-559-4187
Books 40 Health 45-48 St. Ed’s 26
Dining 52 Insight 31-44 Style 49-51 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 38 People 11-25 Wine 53 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2017 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero correct Rendell's mind-boggling mis- boring county would be smart enough Worse than Rendell's decision,
take. to hire her. It would be their gain and though, was the way he broke the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 our loss. news to Barker, who received a two-
Technically, Barker wasn't fired. Her paragraph letter, dated May 16, that
The School Board, thus far, has contract wasn't renewed. But the re- Rendell, whose two years as super- stated: "I will not be recommending
shown no inclination to do so. For sult is the same: As of July 1, she'll no intendent have been marked by an the renewal of your contract for the
some inexplicable reason, the people longer be the principal at Beachland, alarming run of district controversy, 2017-2018 school year."
elected to represent us have chosen to or even a district employee. has told one of the best principals on
stand by their man instead of standing Florida's Treasure Coast that she's no The second paragraph informed her
up for what's right. Unless she gets rehired by the dis- longer wanted here. that her job-related benefits would be
trict – she has applied for principal po- terminated on June 30 and she would
Maybe it's a lack of conviction. May- sitions at another elementary school That's not only wrong; it makes no be receiving COBRA information for
be it's a lack of courage. Either way, and middle school, as well as an open- sense. Barker isn't merely very good at any health, dental or vision plans in
it's now up to us. It's up to the people ing for a high school assistant princi- her job, but she's also a credit to our com- which she participated.
of this community to remind board pal – she'll be out of a job. munity. This move should make all of us,
members that we put them there. It's including the members of our School There was no expression of ap-
up to you to change their minds and Probably, with her impressive cre- Board, wonder whether someone else preciation for her years of service, no
dentials, she wouldn't be unemployed should be making these decisions. acknowledgement of her accomplish-
for long. Surely, someone in a neigh- ments, no explanation as to why her
contract was not renewed.

Surely, after 22 years as a teacher
and administrator, Barker deserved
more than two lousy paragraphs – a
cold, impersonal, plug-in-the-name
form letter.

She deserved advanced notice that
her job was in jeopardy. At the very
least, she was owed some reason for
her non-renewal.

Rendell's handling of her dismissal
was as gutless as it was disgraceful. It
was well beneath what we should ex-
pect and demand from our school dis-
trict. And if we allow him to get away
with this, then shame on us, too.

Contacted by phone, Barker said
she did not wish to comment on her
situation.

District sources, speaking on the
condition of anonymity because they
feared retribution, said Barker can't
comment because she doesn't want
to hurt her chances of getting rehired
here – or getting a good reference that
she might need to get hired elsewhere.

Fortunately, others have rushed to her
defense and have spoken on her behalf.

Last week, 28 members of Beach-
land's faculty and staff sent a letter
to the School Board, stating that they
were "stunned and concerned" by
Rendell's decision to not renew Bark-
er's contract and "wish to have her re-
main at our school."

The letter, acknowledging that a
school's "success" is now "measured
in terms of data and test scores," cited
Florida Department of Education and
district statistics to bolster the teach-
ers' case.

Beachland had the "highest gains in
the entire district this academic year,"
the letter read, crediting the school's
performance to Barker's leadership.

"A school is defined by the climate
that it creates due to the leadership
of the principal, as well as the perfor-
mance of the faculty and staff," the
teachers and staff wrote, adding, "Our
students love school because of the
climate we have."

The letter also described the May 15
emergency meeting, called by Rendell to
inform Beachland's faculty and staff of

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 3

NEWS

his decision – a session at which he was phone calls and emails to the district "deep concerns and sadness" upon another position was not offered to
asked why Barker would not be back. and School Board offices – from par- learning of Barker's ouster. her," he added. "As a leader and man-
ents who were surprised and upset by ager of people for over 35 years, it is
According to the letter: "Dr. Ren- the news Barker had been fired. "I have observed her interaction difficult to understand an employer's
dell replied that he did not have to get with the faculty, staff, parents and stu- decision to release an employee when
into the reasons for his decision and One such email was sent to Rendell dents," Melvin wrote. "She is a person they have had very fine reviews.
would not discuss them. However, he by Cliff Melvin, pastor of Christ by the of deep integrity and personal caring
indicated by using hand gestures that Sea United Methodist Church, who for the children in her care. She is re- "If there is any way to change this
we did not meet his level of expecta- wrote on May 18 that he has known spected by her team. decision or find her another posi-
tion. The faculty was left feeling that Barker since she was an assistant tion within the county school system,
we had failed our students." principal at Beachland. He expressed "I am in shock that her contract was
not renewed and that, at minimum, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
The letter closed with Beachland's
faculty and staff referring to the school Exclusively John’s Island
as a family, stating that, "Caroline
Barker has always put children first Offering 130’ of ocean frontage, this architecturally distinguished 3BR
and has always been there for them, retreat commands breathtaking ocean views. Custom finishes and
as well as for her teachers." reclaimed wood appointments grace the 7,364± GSF home with marble
surround pool and tropical landscaping. The foyer with gold leafed
If that show of loyalty and devotion ceiling reveals the generous living room with graceful arches showcasing
doesn't move you, maybe this one will. spectacular ocean vistas. Features include a hand-carved gourmet island
kitchen, office, billiards room, bunkroom, and private beach access.
Margaret Ingram – the 1988 Florida 670 Ocean Road : $5,850,000
Teacher of the Year and Christa McAu-
liffe Ambassador for Education who three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
spent 29 of her 35 years in the district health & fitness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equity membership
at Beachland – was so disturbed by
Rendell's decision to dump Barker 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
that she felt compelled to speak at last
week's School Board meeting.

There, she praised Barker's efforts
and her school's success despite a
"significant change in the diverse
make-up of the students Beachland
serves," and asked the board to recon-
sider the move.

Ingram pointed out that, in 2016,
the number of students receiving free
or reduced-price lunches at Beach-
land increased to 53 percent – up from
38 percent when Barker became the
school's principal five years ago.

"We know that there is a direct cor-
relation between economically disad-
vantaged students and performance,"
Ingram told the board, adding, "Yet
Mrs. Barker and her team weathered
this change and pressed forward with
fervor and innovation."

Ingram noted that Beachland,
which also is undergoing a massive
reconstruction project that causes
considerable disruption to normal
school activities, remains among the
highest-scoring elementary schools in
the district.

"Even in the face of recent change
brought on by shifting demographics
in student population, Beachland has
remained steadfast in its mission," In-
gram said. "And for the last five years,
Caroline Barker has led the charge."

She reminded board members of
the "effective" evaluations Barker re-
ceived throughout her five years as
Beachland's principal and the "highly
effective" rating she received for the
2015-16 school year.

"I would not be here tonight if I did
not think that she deserved another
chance to continue championing the
uphill battle of making the students at
Beachland among the brightest 21st-
century learners," Ingram said.

Schools sources said Barker also
has received strong support – through

4 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero tract, however. Also, he did not re- Sebastian River chain led by Harvard cardiologist
spond to my emails, sent to his ad- Ralph de la Torre, who took over as
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 ministrative and executive assistants, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CEO for the failing system owned by
requesting a comment on the matter. the archdiocese of Boston.
where she has devoted a great deal of Louisiana to Utah. That total, added
her life, many people in this commu- Perhaps he was too busy. Or maybe to the eight hospitals added in the Torre’s original mission was to pro-
nity would be appreciative." he doesn't deem us worthy of an expla- Sebastian hospital deal, brings Stew- vide less expensive care to working-
nation. ard’s total to 36 hospitals in 10 states. class communities in Massachusetts.
Rendell's response? Revenues for the consolidated group He proved visionary in his belief that
"Making a change in leadership at I mean, who are we to question his are projected at $8 billion in 2018, ac- healthcare shouldn’t just focus on the
any school or department is an ex- decisions? cording to the company. The deal is sick; it should keep people from get-
tremely tough decision," Rendell wrote expected to close this summer or early ting sick, saving money in the pro-
in a May 21 reply that was copied to Sure, we pay his six-figure salary, fall. cess.
Barker. "I do value the effort that Mrs. but does that mean we have a right to
Barker has put in at Beachland and know why he decided to fire a success- At Costa d’Este, doctors did hear The shared-risk plans he start-
throughout her career in the school ful, respected and wildly popular prin- about Steward’s healthcare model ed with Blue Cross Blue Shield ex-
district. She will be duly considered for cipal who devoted the past 22 years of of delivering affordable quality care panded to Medicare and Medicaid
other positions in the district." her life to educating our children? through ACOs, or Accountable Care through Obamacare programs. He is
Let's hope so. Organizations, and sharing the sav- frequently quoted as calling his busi-
Let's hope Barker gets more than "That's his job," School Board ings with physicians. The savings ness plan “an ACO on steroids.”
considered. Let's hope she gets one Chairman Charles Searcy said of Ren- come from treatment plans that in-
of the jobs for which she has applied. dell's authority to make personnel de- clude healthcare outside of hospitals, Cerberus’ deep pockets were
Better yet: Let's make sure our School cisions. "We trust him." including clinics, out-patient ser- tapped in 2010, when Steward Health
Board makes sure we don't lose a valu- vices, in-home care and preventive Care Systems was formed as a Cer-
able educator, especially when no rea- But should we? medicine. berus affiliate to acquire the Catholic
son was given for getting rid of her. Should we trust that Rendell had com- hospital chain.
For the record: Rendell did say at pelling reasons for making this decision, Dr. Mark Girard, president of Stew-
last week's School Board meeting that even if he won't share them with us? ard Health Care Network, led the pre- With the latest IASIS merger, should
any changes in leadership are made Should we trust his judgment, de- sentation at the oceanfront hotel. In it go through, the Birmingham, Ala.-
"based on what we think is best for the spite some of his previous decisions, a phone interview later, he said Se- based REIT, Medical Properties Trust,
school," that "a lot of factors" are con- including his ridiculous push to fire bastian River Medical Center is simi- stands to make its third major invest-
sidered, and that such decisions are Sebastian River High School teacher lar to the hospitals Steward runs in ment in Steward real estate, this one
not "made in a vacuum." Joe Nathaniel, who physically sub- Massachusetts: community hospitals valued at $1.4 billion.
He did not specifically address the dued a classroom thug? serving medium-size communities.
decision to not renew Barker's con- Is it possible that Rendell is right “The populations are similar as are That follows its first purchase of
and everyone else is wrong? the doctor mix and the payor mix. nine Steward properties in Massa-
Apparently, the members of our This is a very replicable model.” chusetts, worth $1.25 billion. The
School Board think so. Now it's time to 8-hospital deal in which Steward ac-
tell them what we think.  Payor mix refers to the proportions quired the Sebastian River Medical
of patients using private insurance, Center, as well as Brevard County’s
Medicaid or Medicare. two Wuesthoff medical centers, in-
volved real estate worth $301 million.
“It’s a totally different business That deal, which closed in early May,
model from what this community gave the fast-growing Medical Prop-
has had before,” said Dr. Val Zudans, erties Trust ownership of the real es-
an ophthalmologist. “It sounds very tate of 269 hospitals in the U.S. and
interesting and compelling.” Europe.

Zudans said Steward passed out a In all, Steward Health Care Systems
sample provider agreement in which employs 1,800 physicians with sev-
the doctor delegates authority to eral thousand more “aligned” phy-
Steward to negotiate private insur- sicians – those who have signed on
ance contracts. “The incentive is be- with Steward’s accountable care pro-
cause they have negotiating leverage grams.
with insurance companies, they can
get you higher reimbursement rates.” That affiliation doesn’t preclude
doctors from also practicing at Vero’s
Beyond its care-giving and physi- Indian River Medical Center. Nev-
cian recruitment strategies, the se- ertheless, at last week’s IRMC Board
cret to Steward’s apparent success of Directors meeting, a clearly con-
likely owes much to the deep pockets cerned Dr. Hal Brown, IRMC’s chief
of Cerberus Capital Management, of staff, spoke of the presentation at
the private equity firm that backed Costa d’Este, which he said was at-
Steward, which went into business in tended by 170 doctors.
2010.
Brown brought up with an omi-
The current growth spurt is a man- nous tone a Massachusetts news
ifestation of Cerberus’s effort to “cut story about a lawsuit filed by a small
Steward in two,” according to Eileen group of doctors who claimed Stew-
Appelbaum, who is with the Center ard had not paid them bonuses and
for Economic Policy and Research. rent. He did not mention Steward’s
countersuit charging that officials of
Last September, Cerberus sold the doctors group, Compass Medical,
Steward’s real estate holdings to a real had “knowingly received at least $3.5
estate investment trust. Now, Stew- million more than they were owed
ard leases back its hospitals from the from Stewart,” according to the ar-
REIT, meaning it has to pay rent be- ticle in the Boston Globe.
fore turning a profit on its healthcare
services. “We’re hearing stories but we don’t
know if their relationships with phy-
Steward has its roots in a nonprofit sicians are what they claim to be,”











10 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

French and O’Dare NEWS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
Cindy O’Dare and Richard Boga. PHOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE “My first sale was a $2 million prop-
businessman father and interior de- erty in an equestrian community in
signer mother, Boga grew up in India, Boynton Beach,” Boga says. “That gave
Germany, Malaysia and Singapore, me an appetite for real estate and I de-
arriving in the U.S. at age 10, after his cided to make it my career.”
parents split up and his mother mar-
ried a general contractor and develop- He joined French & O’Dare in late
er in South Florida who builds homes 2009 and has played an expanding role
in the $2 million-to-$30 million range. ever since.

Boga started selling real estate for “Probably because of his back-
his stepfather while still attending ground, he has a way with interna-
Florida Atlantic University, where he tional clients,” says O’Dare, noting
earned a business degree. that she and Boga are well-matched in
terms of preferred schedules.

“Cindy is up at 5 a.m. sending emails,”
says Boga, “but it takes me a while to get
going in the morning.”

“But if you drive by our office at 7
p.m., Richard’s car is in the parking lot.”
O’Dare says.

The pair have had to put in long com-
bined days this year, when they say they
have averaged 15 to 20 showings a week,
all of properties valued at $1 million or
more, Premier’s calling card.

“This is the first week it has slowed
down at all and started to feel a little
bit like summer,” Boga said last week.

O’Dare attributes the team’s success
to fat rolodexes, consistent, tightly tar-
geted marketing, and good relation-
ships with other island brokers who
bring buyers to the team’s listings.

“The secret of our success is that we
market to the other realtors,” she says.
“We make it so easy for them. Agents
say all the time, ‘If I get a last minute
buyer, I know I can call you and you will
drop everything to help me get them in.’

“Every time I have a showing with an
outside agent, I am encouraging and
supportive and do everything I can to
help them get a deal done,” O’Dare says.

“Cindy is very nice and easy to work
with,” says Debbie Bell, a top producer
at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Florida Realty, “I look forward to con-
tinuing to work with her and Richard
in the future.”

Boga says new development has been
another key factor in their success.

“We are the island leader in new con-
struction and the appetite for new con-
struction is and has been high the past
couple of years. A lot of our success is
attributable to new construction.’

O’Dare, Boga and French are list-
ing agents for more than $50 million
in new construction at Sandy Lane
Subdivision and the Surf Club and 21
Royal Club townhome projects, new
developments where they have also
brought many of the buyers. They co-
list the two townhouse projects with
fellow Premier broker associate Kay
Brown and co-list the multi-million
Sandy Lane homes with developer and
Premier agent Dolf Kahle.

“Their sales have been extraordi-
nary,” says Liguori, “and we fully expect
that to continue with Richard as a part-
ner and Clark continuing to make im-
portant contributions to the team.” 

SNEAK ‘PEAK’ AT PLAN TO
RESTORE LEGENDARY WAVE P. 21

12 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Fr. Tommy Matthews delivers the invocation at the Saint Edward’s School Commencement.

The Upper School Mixed Ensemble performs “Homeward Bound.” PHOTOS: GORDON RADFORD Head of School Michael Mersky addresses the Class of 2017.

Grateful grads cherish ‘lasting bonds’ to St. Ed’s

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF percent receiving acceptance from now?” he pointed out that the future tured at Saint Edward’s.
their first or second choice. This year’s that awaits them is unlike that which Alerte shared that not everything
Staff Writer graduates are headed to 50 different their parents, grandparents or teach-
campuses in 18 states, with 68 percent ers faced when they left high school. they learned came from within the
As the 66 members of the Saint Ed- of those collegiate-bound students confines of the classroom, noting, “I
ward’s Class of 2017 sat on the stage leaving Florida. “The base has been provided. The believe that we can take a little bit from
of the Waxlax Center for the Perform- foundation poured. Today as you en- every interaction that we have. We can
ing Arts last Saturday morning for the Attorney Kevin Barry, chairman ter this transition I want you to con- learn from every person that we cross
school’s 44th Commencement Exer- of the board of trustees, told the stu- sider what you want your story to be,” paths. High school is as much about
cise, their emotions flitted from ex- dents, “While the future is a mystery, Zugrave continued. “Many of the jobs learning from each other and form-
citement to trepidation, reflecting on it is the tools that you acquire when that you will have in your lifetime cur- ing lasting bonds as learning from the
the symbolic ending of childhood and you are young that will forge a path rently do not exist. It is a truly wonder- teachers.”
looking toward a more focused ma- of bright opportunities. Many of the ful time to become an adult.”
triculation. tools in your toolbox are there thanks The class of 2017 performed more
to what you have learned at Saint Ed- Following the presentation of stu- than 8,500 community service hours
With family and friends gathering to ward’s School.” dent awards, the school’s technical throughout what they call their year of
celebrate their achievements, gradu- director, Jeremy Baker, was honored service. Salutatorians Michael Burke
ates recalled everything from the first Head of School Mike Mersky’s mes- with the Richardson Family Founda- and Rachel Gambee shared details of
day of school and favorite science fair sage to the seniors was to focus on tion Chair for distinguished teaching. the projects and nonprofits the stu-
projects, to winning championships their character and heart rather than The award pays tribute to a member dent’s worked with.
and that awkward first school dance. reputation. of the faculty who demonstrates the
highest standards of excellence in “In light of the service-oriented
“Today we celebrate the Class of “It was Martin Luther King that teaching. nature of this school year and of our
2017, honoring their accomplish- stated that reputation is what they unique connection with this organi-
ments and, as a community, formally talk about when you enter a town and Valedictorians Fawaz Naeem and zation, the class of 2017 has decided to
bringing closure to their Upper School character is what they talk about when Zachary Alerte, who are both leav- break with the tradition of giving a gift
years,” said Bruce Wachter, Associate you leave town,” said Mersky. “Worry ing at the highest levels of academic to the school and instead give a gift in
Head of School and Head of the Upper more about your character than your standing, garnered chuckles from the school’s name to Charity Water to
School. “We do so with great enthusi- reputation. One comes from what oth- their classmates as they shared recol- aid their international projects,” Gam-
asm and pride but also with a twinge ers think and the other comes from lections of their years as Pirates. bee announced. “We hope that this
of the bittersweet as they turn the pag- what you know is true in your heart.” will set an example for future gradu-
es of the next chapters of their futures Naeem’s message to his classmates ating classes and that they too will be
and their lives.” Gregory Zugrave, history teacher, was “to never be afraid to do what part of strengthening our culture of
basketball coach and department you want no matter how impossible service here at St. Edward’s.” 
Historically, 100 percent of Saint chair, was chosen by the senior class or daunting the task may seem.”
Edward’s students are accepted to to be this year’s guest speaker. After PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
four-year colleges, with more than 90 asking the students, “What will you do He credits this life lesson to the
nonjudgmental environment nur-



14 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 Liz Diaz, Evelyn Grace Cutting, Kendra Mathes and Margaret Taylor. Nicholas Pennell and Michael Burke.
Caitlin Carrick, Molly Cartwright and Carly Conboy.

Ritter Marchant and Mariah Birchall. Brian Minella and Clayton Hadnot Jr. Lou Festagallo and daughter Francesca.

Tiffany Leiva, Dylan Toomey, Angie Herman, AJ Leiva and Mackenzie Leiva.
Bill Keating, Rachel Gambee and Carrie Monahan.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 15

PEOPLE

Conquistadores racers ‘Tri’ their best to find a cure

234
1

56

Roughly 100 racers spanning

ages 14 to 75 and cheered on by

onlookers bounded into the surf

at Jaycee Park for a fast .5 km (3.1-

mile) ocean swim, followed by a

20 km (12.4-mile) bike ride along

A1A and .5 km run along Ocean

Drive as participants in the

7 recent LLS Conquistadores Sprint
Triathlon to benefit the Leukemia

& Lymphoma Society. LLS is

dedicated to finding a cure for

leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s

disease and myeloma, and

provides services and support

to improve the quality of life of

blood cancer patients and their

families. 

1. Front: Carol Koiro and Pat Draper. Back:

Jessica Upchurch, Meg Sweetland, Cynthia

Falardeau, Jillie Sweetland and Sarah Bristol. 2.

Maria Addonizio, Ed Burrows and Karen Vitale.

3. Heather Reeb, Carson McCoy and Amy McCoy.

4. Diamond Litty, Dr. David O’Brien and Jennifer

Trefelner. 5. Jeremy Lendermen, Pam Oser and

A.J. Wold. 6. Overall winner John Reback. 7.

Pam Meredith, Gene Greenberg and Lin Reading.

8. Evan English, Mallory English and Craig

Meyers. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

8

16 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Crossover Mission has a ball celebrating kids’ success

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF children between the ages of 7 and 16
Staff Writer through a shared love of basketball.
Since the program’s March 2014 in-
Volunteers gathered at the new 42nd ception, more than 140 students have
Avenue home of Crossover Mission as had the opportunity to participate in
guests of an inaugural Appreciation a team sport while receiving academic
Bar-B-Q last Tuesday evening to cel- mentoring.
ebrate another successful year of aca-
demic achievement. More than 40 volunteer tutors work
one-on-one with students in the areas
Crossover Mission draws in at-risk of literacy and math while developing

Joanna and Alonzo Phillips with Antoine Jennings, Avonti Jennings, LaMario Smith and Malaysia Smith.

Everett Schleter, Jalene Floyd, Michelle Willis, Morgan De Schouwer, Cathy De Schouwer, Kim Hanley and Robi Robinson.

a mentorship relationship. Youngsters to banana pudding, Jennings and De
involved in the program have achieved Schouwer took everyone on a tour of
a 100 percent passing rate with 95 per- the nonprofit’s facility, which houses
cent of the students achieving a mini- offices and study spaces, conference
mum of a 2.0 grade point average. and recreation areas.

Mentors generally work one-on-one Thanks to grants from the commu-
with students and don’t often interact nity, Crossover Mission has purchased
with each other, so the evening also a number of computers – a mixture of
gave them a chance to mingle as they iPads, laptops and desktop computers
united to celebrate the successes of the – which they have set up in a study area
children over the course of the past with carrels where students can have a
year. quiet space for independent work.

“We have a combination of people Tucked away in a backroom is a sub-
here tonight. Parents who volunteer stantial array of sound equipment,
often, tutors who come regularly and which De Schouwer said was donated
board members who are also volun- in large part by the John’s Island Foun-
teers,” Cathy De Schouwer, Crossover dation. The group uses the equipment
Mission co-founder with Antoine Jen- during basketball tournaments and
nings. “We are also here to celebrate has plans in the works to develop sev-
our new space.” eral creative music projects.

Before they sat down to a full south- Jennings’ office and an area outfit-
ern spread catered by Sonny’s BBQ, ted with an Xbox to encourage team
featuring everything from sweet tea building are located upstairs.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 17

PEOPLE

Diantha Harris with Judy and John Vanderzee. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Shannon Troutman, Ronda Solomon and Skylar Eggleston.

Charles and Anna Weise with William and Julia. Linda and Rich Bradley with Fallon Jennings.

Phil Chadeayne and Maryann Ronan-Lamson with Diantha and Bill Harris.

“We record all the games, and then of education and support.”
Antoine comes back and watches them The students attend regular prac-
with the kids,” De Schouwer explained.
“It gives him the opportunity to men- tices and receive academic support
tor and train the players.” throughout the year, utilizing sports as
a means to build self-confidence and
Rich Bradley works with students in instill a high level of accountability,
the Course Recovery program, which both on the court and in the classroom.
allows students to re-take courses to
meet grade promotion requirements. A crossover dribble occurs when a
player makes a change in direction
“I feel that it’s my responsibility while dribbling by switching the ball
as a person to help these kids. They from one hand to the other. The ball-
need to be able to read, do their work handling technique mimics Cross-
and have some kind of guidance in over Mission’s goal of redirecting
their life,” said Bradley. “Basketball at-risk youth through sports while
is the draw and teaches them disci- at the same time, building a bridge
pline, to work together and how to of friendship and understanding be-
win and lose. This is an environment tween cultures. 

18 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Susan Adams and Beth Mitchell. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Bob Hickerson and Gene Muckridge. Jason Adams.

Chefs dish up ‘mmm mmm good’ riddance to lionfish

BY MARY SCHENKEL more than 550 attendees of the sec- of the harmful impacts of lionfish on ist, said they purchased the fish for
Staff Writer ond annual Sebastian Lionfish Fest our coastal ecosystems. the chefs from ReefSavers, a com-
at Capt. Hiram’s Resort can attest. mercial fishing organization working
Lionfish are an invasive species Chefs from eight local restaurants to get lionfish into a broader market.
with venomous spines and few natu- The festival was held in conjunc- whipped up tapas-style dishes at the
ral enemies that are devouring native tion with statewide Florida Fish Making Delicious Dishes from De- “I’m really excited that this event is
marine life and causing reef habitat & Wildlife Lionfish Removal and structive Fishes-themed cookoff, vy- encouraging these people to try lion-
havoc, but they do have one redeem- Awareness Day festivals and tourna- ing to take home the coveted Golden fish and see how delicious it is,” said
ing quality. They’re quite tasty, as ments held annually the weekend af- Plate Trophy. In the end, the blacked co-chair Alexis Peralta, IRC’s Storm
ter Mother’s Day to raise awareness lionfish with mango habanero salsa Water Division coordinator. The Se-
served by The Wave at Costa d’Este in bastian River Area Chamber of Com-
Vero Beach emerged victorious, with merce and a host of volunteers also
a tight two-vote lead over the onion- assisted with the festival. “A big part
crusted lionfish with caramel citrus of this is encouraging restaurants to
glaze and side of slaw served
by the Yellow Dog Café in serve more lionfish.”
Malabar. “If we like them and we
eat them, we are doing
Some chefs of- our part to get them
fered versions of out of the water-
traditional fare, ways,” said Anna
such as the Old Valencia Tillery.
Fish House in “I’d say it’s
Grant, which like a snap-
offered bowls per; it’s a flaky,
of lush lionfish moist, delight-
chowder, and ful fish,” noted
Micco’s Chubby Michael Natale.
Mullet, which A number of ed-
proffered smoked li- ucational organiza-
onfish dip with jalape- tions and ecologically-
nos and banana peppers.
oriented vendors spanning
Chelsea’s Gourmet in Vero Beach Indian River and Brevard counties
served lionfish croquette morsels were also on hand to provide infor-
topped with rocoto (a type of pepper) mation on resources available to
sauce or avocado remoulade, and the public, FFWC showed how to
Cobalt at the Vero Beach Hotel of- filet lionfish safely, and one young
fered lionfish pozole with endive and lady had a most unique display.
radicchio in a cilantro citrus crema.
“This was my high school science
Sebastian’s Captain Hiram’s en- fair project,” said Emily Kerness,
ticed palates with blackened lionfish a junior at Elwood Junior Senior
nachos drizzled with wasabi crème High School in Merritt Island. She
and teriyaki sauce, and Mulligan’s explained that she used a DNA bar-
served comfort food in the form of coding kit to send off some lionfish
fried lionfish sliders topped with stomach content to a lab to deter-
fried onion and bacon. mine the species of its prey. “I ac-
tually found that they were eating
Event chair Kendra Cope, Indian other lionfish, a lot of shrimp and
River County Public Works sea turtle other types of fish.” 
coordinator/environmental special-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 19

PEOPLE

Laura John and Jamie Sanchez. Yellow Dog’s Jennifer Stone, Michael Yarbrough and Nancy Borton. Vanessa Finkley and Alexis Peralta with Emily and Danny Guynn.

Emily Kerness and Ryan Cilsick.

Dustin Veatch with son Kyle.
Cobalt sous-chef Thomas Dolan.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Gordon and Janis Nordstrom with Claudette Roche and Jeff Woolnough. Vincent Obriskie, Dominic Traverzo, Dr. John Stein and Colby Blackwill. Rosemary Hernandez, Patti Lyons, Anthony Aruffo and Heather Stapleton.

Barbara Sotos, Susan Kintner, Susan Keller Horn,

Debra Scuderi and Jerusha Stewart. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE Kathleen O’Brien and Marilyn Ragland. Arthur and Julie Eisdorfer with Barry Shapiro.

Movie lovers savor film fest’s Desserts + Directors event

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF from Frosting while waiting for the Rifkin will also be here,” said Stew- the way through; whether we hated
Staff Writer much-anticipated unveiling of the art. it or not. It could have been the worst
Film Festival’s schedule. The four- movie ever made, but we watched it
Local film buffs had the chance to day event runs from Thursday, June 8 Reynolds’ film, about an aging, for- from beginning to end.”
rub elbows with some of the directors through Sunday, June 11. mer movie star facing the reality that
of the upcoming second annual Vero his glory days are behind him, will Directors from the Vero Visions
Beach Wine and Film Festival at the Festival founder Jerusha Stewart be shown during the opening night and Next Up categories shared tidbits
recent Sweets at the Suites: Desserts + also announced that this year’s Life Cinema Uncorked party at Riverside about their films, promising every-
Directors event held at the Springhill Worth Living Legend Award honoree is Theatre on Friday, June 9. thing from local actors to aliens and
Suites by Marriott. Burt Reynolds. leaving guests anxious for the films to
Jeff Woolnough, award-winning roll. The student films will be screened
Guests sipped sparkling wine and “What makes this really, really spe- director of “Vikings” and this year’s on Saturday morning beginning at 10
indulged their sugary side with an ar- cial is that we will have the Florida pre- honorary festival chair, only moved a.m.
ray of scrumptious mini cupcakes miere of his new film ‘Dog Years.’ The to Vero Beach last October, so the
producer, Neil Mandt and writer Adam 2017 film festival will be his first. According to Stewart, all the films
fit the festival’s theme, “A life worth
“Jerusha was telling me that last living,” which is inspired by Suncoast
year was a big success and it was so Mental Health Center, the festival’s
well rated that you’ve become known beneficiary.
as the summer Sundance,” said
Woolnough. “In a few years, hope- “I’m so glad for Suncoast to be the
fully, Sundance will be known as the beneficiary for the second year of the
winter Vero.” Wine and Film Festival; it really helps
out our agency,” said Debbie Scud-
A Film Submission committee eri, Suncoast’s acting CEO. “We are a
watched several hundred films at community mental health agency that
the home of Susan Horn, festival co- serves adults and children. We really
founder and director of film, who want to try to make an impact on their
noted, “You have to really love film to lives. It is a community issue, and it’s
do this. I’m so excited about the films important to get the message out there
we are going to have this year. They that it’s okay to get help because just
are fun, funny and some will make like a medical disorder, mental health
you cry.” is also something that we can help.”

“We took this very seriously,” said For an up-to-date schedule, visit VB-
committee member Barry Shapiro. WFF.com. 
“We watched every single movie all

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 21

PEOPLE

Sneak ‘Peak’ at plan to restore a legendary wave

BY CYNTHIA VAN GAASBECK trying to raise is going toward a fea- and party in the back. Kristin Meek and Lelani Armstrong.
sibility study that involves physical Under a cloudless sky and shaded PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
Correspondent models and computer models,” said
Enjo protege Jeremy Anderson. by moss laden oaks, picnic tables,
With 72 miles of beaches, many lo- camp chairs and blankets quickly
cal residents live to grab their favorite The surfer community is a strong filled up with revelers enjoying craft
surf board and lose their troubles on one, as evidenced by John Robson beers and restaurant samples while
the waves. But what happens when and Gay Nemeti’s choice of birthday rocking out to great music from four
the wave itself is lost? parties for their five-year-old opera- bands.
tion. The Old Florida-style Surf and
If you’re Justin Enjo, you earn your Sport was literally business upfront For more information, visit first-
degree in coastal engineering while peak.org. 
still obsessing over the loss. You surf
the world’s best spots while carving
out a career as a creator of man-made
waves. And you vow to bring that lost
wave home.

A gathering of 200 or so surfers last
Saturday at Sebastian Inlet Surf and
Sport was Enjo’s first public forum
to outline his mission to restore First
Peak to the north jetty of Sebastian
Inlet State Park. The Florida Insti-
tute of Technology graduate spent his
youth in Melbourne Beach and cur-
rently lives in West Palm Beach.

On the front porch of Surf and
Sport, the young engineer gave a
short history of the iconic wave to a
crowd split between longtime surfers
and youthful shredders.

“The jetty as we know it was com-
pleted in 1972. In the late ’90s, it was
found to be falling apart,” he said, “so
the best idea was to just build a new
one right on top of the old one.”

It was a simple and effective solu-
tion. Except that it pulled the plug
on the legendary wedge that nur-
tured world champions. Superstars
Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach and twin
brothers C.J. and Damien Hobgood
of Satellite Beach regularly trekked
to the inlet to hone the skills that put
them on the world stage of profes-
sional surfing.

The wave was itself an unintended
consequence, produced by reflected
energy as incoming waves slapped
against returning waves that had
bounced off the jetty’s rock and pil-
ing wall. The repair placed a row of
pilings in front of the old wall, dissi-
pating the energy.

“It just chews everything up,” Enjo
said. “It’s like a blender. The wave hits
it, it mashes it up and when the wave
reflects off it, it mashes it up again.”

So what’s the fix? “All we really
have to do is improve that reflection,”
he said.

There are a number of ways to cre-
ate a wall on which the waves can re-
bound and Enjo’s First Peak Project is
exploring the options, such as panels
made of composites, steel restoration
jackets and underwater bolt-ons.

“The initial funding that we are

22 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 Jeremy Anderson, Dave L, John Robson and Justin Enjo. Neil Hamilton and Acacia Woodley.
Marc Grimes, Aaron Adams and Maria Cochran.

Fran Buchness, Linda Ouellette and Karen Hedley. Roger Sinigoy, Jamison Fleming, Ed and Karen Toothe.

Fran and Alex Buchness. Miriam, Giuliana and Danny Trujillo. PHOTOS: BENJAMIN THACKER Zach, Tom and Brett Shope.

Chauncey Robinson and Molly Kirk. James, Maria Elena, MacKenzie and Taylor Marks. Eric Schwarze and Shannon Shneyder.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 23

PEOPLE

Summery attire, attitude
rule at Cobalt White Party

Drs. Jeff and Tamra Brown with Kelly and John Dixon. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

BY MARY SCHENKEL High-energy DJs heated things up,
enticing guests to dance the night
Staff Writer away, and there was even an appear-
ance by Elvis, who entertained with
Dressed in shades of white from a couple of hip-shaking songs and
dazzling to dreamy, a fashionably all then posed for selfies with his ador-
white-clad crowd ushered in the start ing fans.
of summer at the Vero Beach Hotel
and Spa with Cobalt’s annual Memo- The relaxing ambiance was an ide-
rial Day White Party last Saturday al way for people to begin to decom-
evening. The ‘whiteout’ event, which press now that our busiest season is
took place overlooking the ocean by finally winding down. Many said the
the hotel’s Heaton’s Reef Bar & Grill, siren’s call of the azure blue ocean
is a nod to the style directive of only was beckoning to them, and they
being permitted to wear white be- were looking forward to spending re-
tween Memorial Day and Labor Day. laxing days at the beach.

Although cool white fabrics are es- And while our wonderful snow-
sentially de rigueur all year round in birds are a substantial benefit to the
Florida’s seeming endless summer, area, there are distinct advantages to
the tongue-in-cheek event had folks the informal summer lifestyle, with
rummaging in their closets for their increased availability at restaurants
best summery sundresses, flowing and less congestion on the roadways.
gauzy tops, linen pants, Panama hats
and Guayabera shirts – all in white, of “My favorite thing in summer is
course. partying; wining and dining with-
out whining about traffic,” said Pat
It was the perfect evening for din- Anwyl. An avid volunteer during the
ner by the sea, with a lovely ocean hectic social season, Anwyl said she
breeze and clear skies, as guests likes to spend summers taking a rest
sipped on tropical white-themed and “volunteering for myself.”
cocktails and dined at tables on the
beachside patio and at high-tops fac- “I’m here off and on in the sum-
ing the beach. Cobalt’s attentive staff mer,” said artist Mimi Stickley. “I love
continually replenished the gener- it because it’s quieter; I like to catch
ous hors d’oeuvres buffets, featuring up on my work and my painting. It’s
salads and antipasto platters, copi- so relaxing.”
ous amounts of fresh shrimp, BBQ,
carved roast beef and a host of lus- “We love it year round; I don’t know
cious desserts. why people leave,” added Tom Mur-
phy, echoing the sentiments of many
fulltime residents. 

24 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
Sandy Binder, Bert Oosterloo, Rian Rulink, Sherrey Maher and Herb Myers.

Martin Lavander and Fé Domenech. Mimi Stickley, Tom Murphy and Carol Presley.

Cynthia Callander, Fran Vitale and Pat Anwyl. Peter and Carol Charbonneau, Susan Krull and Dale Knight.

Isabella Myers and Bram Oosterloo. Catherine Corbella and Jeffrey Pupo.

Rebeca Pupo, Chris Emmershy and Lori Smith. Barbara Biasotti and Dolores Lenane.



26 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ST. EDWARD’S

St. Ed’s student-athlete has Georgia on her mind

BY RON HOLUB Angela Schwerer. lining. Angela had hoped I want to study in college. I think that
to join her older brother at I have a strong suit in writing, so I’m
Correspondent PHOTO: DENISE RITCHIE Clemson University. John- considering maybe journalism or
ny Schwerer graduated public relations. I’ve also thought
St. Ed’s graduate Angela Schwerer organization. I really loved that.” from St. Ed’s in 2015 after about doing something completely
just finished a two-sport high school Her high school years are liberally quarterbacking the foot- different – going the pre-dental route
athletic career in the same joyful and ball team for two seasons. and being a pediatric dentist.” Den-
thoughtful fashion that characterized dotted with examples of volunteer ser- The University of Georgia tistry runs in the family.
her entire approach to the transition vice in the community and at school. was the only other school
from adolescence to young adulthood. This was best illustrated when she Angela considered. Volleyball was clearly the top sport
was nominated by the Junior League for Schwerer. However, when she took
“I came here in the middle of third of Indian River for 2017 Woman of the “I’m going to the Univer- up weightlifting for cross training
grade and I’ve been at St. Ed’s ever Year in the Rising Star category. An- sity of Georgia,” she said. purposes, she was hooked. “I wanted
since,” Schwerer told us. “I’ve loved gela praised the winner, Melanie Cop- “I applied to both schools and I vis- to strengthen myself for volleyball and
my whole experience here. Ms. (Lou- pola, while describing the event as a ited Georgia early on. I knew I loved it I got attached. Mr. Rogers (weightlift-
ise) Kennedy teaches English and she “sweet little ceremony.” when I saw it, but I didn’t think I was ing coach Les Rogers) helped me a lot
had a big impact on my time here. She going to get in. I put it off to the side and I had a really close bond with my
was really inspiring and it was nice to The process of finding the right col- because I had my heart set on Clem- teammates. It was a small but mighty
have her as a role model. But I’ve loved lege was a genuinely disappointing son. team. I couldn’t detach myself from
all of my teachers and I couldn’t have episode that ultimately had a silver weightlifting and wanted to stick with
asked for anything better.” “I heard back from the two schools
on the same day and God worked it it my senior year because I enjoyed it.
“I’ve been involved in volleyball out for me. I didn’t get into Clemson It was also a commitment that I want-
and weightlifting all four years of high but I got into Georgia. I was actually ed to follow through with.”
school. Volleyball did so much for so happy about that.”
me. I started on the JV team in eighth Sid Parker coached Schwerer for her
grade and having all of those girls to That was a sterling example of senior year on the volleyball court.
look up to was one of the most amaz- Schwerer’s openness in discussing He said, “Angela was a valuable as-
ing things. That impacted my whole the coming-of-age realities that many set to the St. Edward’s varsity volley-
high school life. high school graduates must face. Op- ball team. She always demonstrated
portunity doesn’t always come neatly leadership both on and off the court
“Once I got be a freshman I formed wrapped from a wish list. She freely throughout our season. She was a
so many relationships that I still have articulated about how faith guides her strong hitter with a definitive pres-
today, especially with the older girls. through uncertainty and fortifies her ence on the court both offensively and
As a sophomore and junior I was able with hope. defensively. She will be missed in the
to be that kind of role model for the upcoming season. With her outstand-
younger girls.” “Honestly, I don’t quite know what ing personality, I know she will do well
wherever she goes.”
When asked about some of her most
memorable moments at St. Ed’s, the It’s now time to move on. About that,
answer had nothing to do with sports. Schwerer said, “As it comes down to
That came as no surprise to those who the last few days it’s going to be kind of
crossed her path. sad, but I’m excited to start these next
few chapters of my life. I can’t wait.” 
“There are just so many great ones
that I would have to think about
that,” she said, but didn’t ponder very
long. “I had a lot of fun doing com-
munity service this year. It started
out as the Key Club last year and we
transformed and spiraled it more
into student based activities rather
than being attached to the Kiwanis



28 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Harp-guitar duo’s ‘Journey’ produces dynamic CD

BY MICHELLE GENZ Gretchen Cover. classical guitarist, to create seemingly esoteric reasons. Once, it
PHOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE works that also featured was the sound of Cover’s English-made
Staff Writer harp. It turned out that harp strings; she switched to French-
had a long career performing and his composition for harp made, at her harpist friend’s suggestion
It took some arm-twisting to get teaching at universities before mov- was extremely challeng- and it made all the difference. “We had
Gretchen Cover to take up the harp ing to Miami in 2010. Not long after, ing: “He hears harp but he to eat a studio session,” Cover says rue-
again. After minoring in the instru- when he moved to Vero, he tapped thinks guitar,” says Cover. fully.
ment in college, then studying with into the town’s unusually strong “His music is very, very dif-
a world-class harpist in Washington, church-based music programs. He ficult on the harp.” Another time, reviewing a day’s
D.C., she found she had nowhere near soon found himself in demand for worth of recording, they noticed an ir-
the three hours a day it took to keep concerts and services. Start to finish, the CD ritating scratching sound from Cover’s
up her skills while raising her son and has been a two-year pro- track – it turned out her pant leg was
working full time. It was Flores who suggested Cover cess, including the time it brushing against the harp.
give a duo concert with Bonachea. The took to find and commis-
It would be 25 years before she took response to their music was so enthu- sion the composer. Then As for Bonachea, he had an even more
up the instrument again. siastic that the two decided to form there was a pause while peculiar issue: ping pong balls. Because
Vero Duo and market themselves as Cover’s finger healed classical guitar requires strumming
Today, she and Vero-based classical music for not only church services but from being smashed in a with fingernails, he has for 25 years im-
guitarist Miguel Bonachea have just parties and events. car door on vacation in provised fake nails with pieces of ping
released their first CD, “Sketchbook of Hawaii. Things were fur- pong balls, attaching with Crazy Glue to
a Journey,” playing works written spe- Bonachea’s classical guitar reper- ther delayed when first the inside of his natural nail. As the stu-
cifically for them by an American-born toire rarely includes parts for the harp. her father died, and then dio session loomed, however, the local
composer in Florence, Italy. When the two decided to record, they her mother. Sports Authority only carried the brand
turned to composer Sidney, himself a in orange. So that the sound would re-
Cover has lived in Vero Beach since Finally, score in hand main consistent, he sported orange
1999, when she and her family left – or rather, on their iPad nail tips for a year, the time it took to
Washington and bought a home on the Pros, which they both rehearse and record the CD. “They gave
south barrier island.
Miguel Bonachea.
A few years ago, she became involved P HOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE
with the annual Cantata at Christ-by-
the-Sea Methodist Church. Once music
director Marcos Flores learned Cover
could play harp, he begged her to pro-
vide harp music for the cantatas. She
obliged him by providing a harpist
– and paying the fee – but she refused
to play herself. “I paid someone else
to play so I wouldn’t have to,” she says
with a laugh.

The third year, Flores insisted. “You
yourself are going to play this time,” he
told her.

“The same switch that went off in col-
lege just went off again,” Cover recalls.
Having sold her harp years ago, she
rented one and began to play, building
up both the mental and physical endur-
ance she’d had so many years ago.

In March 2013, Flores introduced
her to Miguel Bonachea, a Cuban-
born classical guitarist who had left
Cuba for Cali, Colombia. Bonachea

rave over – they signed on with a top- me the sound that I wanted,” he says. “I
tier Orlando recording studio, Phat couldn’t change back to white because
Planet Studios, discovered through the it would change the sound.”
Grammy Award-winning producer of
a harpist friend of Cover’s. Phat Planet Cover commissioned two works
was the only place around that the level from the composer, Anthony Sidney:
of equipment required to produce the “Sketchbook of a Journey,” a 30-minute
“special feeling,” as Bonachea puts it, work of seven segments; and “Sonata
that the two were after. for Harp and Guitar.” The album also
includes 1993’s “From a Chinese Water-
Phat Planet, accustomed to recording fall” for harp and classical guitar. And
pop and rock music, proved masterful there is one more Sidney piece, played
at delivering classical music. But be- by only Bonachea: “Florentine Pre-
cause they were new to the genre, it took ludes,” composed in 2011 for solo guitar.
much longer to set up. The first day, it
took eight hours to set up the mics for The CD is available through CDbaby.
the harp and five more for the guitar, com, and it can be streamed from Ama-
Bonachea says. zon, iTunes and Spotify. The trailer for
the CD was shot at the Moorings by Ian
Session results were tossed out for Rosaaen, one of Bonachea’s students. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 29

ARTS & THEATRE

‘Classic Albums Live’ concerts rock the King Center

with this crowd and venue since our cert, the series includes: Rush – 2112 on
first ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ show,” he June 17; Led Zeppelin – IV on July 22;
said. “The (audiences) are knowledge- Supertramp – Breakfast in America on
able and passionate music fans and Aug. 19; Music of Woodstock, Sept. 16;
support live music and Classic Albums and Lynyrd Skynyrd on Oct. 14.
Live faithfully.”
Individual ticket start at $24.75. Series
The King Center concerts have grown tickets also available starting at $138.
in popularity to such a degree that the
venue regularly offers affordable picnic The King Center is at 3865 N. Wickham
meals before the concerts. Rd., Melbourne. Call 321-242-2219 or vis-
it KingCenter.com. 
Along with this week’s Beatles con-

BY PAM HARBAUGH The visionary behind Classic Al- LOGGERHEAD’S UP!
bums Live is Craig Martin. In 2003
Correspondent he decided to form the organization It’s nesting season, so watch out for sea turtles.
to present the greatest rock albums And after your beach walk, check out our
Chances are, Pink Floyd’s not going to on stage, recreated by the best musi- collection of turtle artworks, well adapted
be floating into town any time soon. cians. Many of the musicians are stu- for nesting in your home.
dio musicians frequently employed
But Classic Albums Live is. And with by big-name artists who need addi- SEE THESE AND OTHER FINE THINGS AT VERO’S FINEST
them comes great, hard-driving rock ’n’ tional musicians for their recordings. COLLECTION OF AMERICAN-MADE ART AND JEWELRY
roll music from iconic bands like Led
Zeppelin, Rush and Pink Floyd, whose As Martin put it in a press release, THEL AUGHINGDOGGALLERY.COM 2910 CARDINAL DR.
music from the album “Dark Side of the “Think of it as a recital.” He said the al- VERO BEACH, FL
Moon” was featured in the first of a six- bums the band replicates are “historic 7 72 . 2 3 4 . 6711
concert series that launched last month and stand the test of time.”
at the King Center.
The organization has presented
This Thursday, it’s the music of the live concerts of albums by the Doors,
Beatles, and Brevard Symphony Or- the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater
chestra is joining in, in what promises Revival, U2, Fleetwood Mac, the Ea-
to be a riveting concert. (See accompa- gles and more. In this series they’re
nying story on P. 30) focusing on Pink Floyd, Led Zeppe-
lin, Supertramp, Lynyrd Skynyrd and
The Classic Albums Live organiza- performers at Woodstock.
tion, made up of professional musicians,
takes the concerts very seriously. Its Rather than becoming tribute bands,
touring bands perform entire albums, the groups touring in the Classic Al-
cut by cut, note by note and with all the bums Live concerts do not dress up in
same head-banging attitude you’d ex- costumes and impersonate musicians.
pect channeling the original artists. They let the music do all the talking.

In the 14 years since the act has been “We just stand there and play,” Mar-
in existence, they have created quite tin said. “All of our energy is put into
the loyal fan base. Enthusiasts show up the music. We want the performance to
at the concerts dressed in appropriate sound exactly like the album.”
T-shirts, get into the party atmosphere
and then try to stay in their seats. The organization tours across North
American, performing more than 100
That frequently proves impossible. shows a year.
The fans, most of them an older de-
mographic, may also drag their teen- Dedicating themselves to the integ-
age children, whose ughs quickly turn rity of the music is what separates Clas-
into shouts of woo when they discover sic Albums Live from tribute bands and
this is not some cheesy tribute band, every day cover bands, Martin said.
but instead, some seriously authentic
rock ’n’ roll. Classic Albums Live musician Nicho-
Indialantic resident Dave Fredericks las Hildyard has been performing with
introduced his children, ages 15 to 20, the organization since it began in 2003,
to Classic Albums Live and they loved it. singing the “Zeppelin IV” concert that
“They had never been to a rock con- year. He’ll be performing again July 22
cert before,” he said. “They got to listen when the group hits the stage at the
to Led Zeppelin as if Jimmy Page and King Center in that same concert.
Robert Plant were up front. It was awe-
some for me to watch them appreciate Hildyard has performed “countless
that style of music.” albums” all over the country as vocal-
A pianist who studied at the Berklee ist, percussionist, guitarist, keyboardist
School of Music in Boston, and a sup- and more. He’s also performed live on
porter of the Brevard Symphony Orches- radio and television.
tra, Fredericks appreciates the Classic
Albums Live talent and the attention to One of his favorite venues is the King
the musicality in their concerts. Center because of the massive enthu-
“This is a great outlet,” he said. siasm displayed by the audiences. He’s
played there for summer concerts as
well as special New Year’s Eve concerts.

“We have had a mutual love affair

30 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 ARTS & THEATRE

BREVARD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Coming Up: Buzz builds for
ADDS SPICE TO ‘PEPPER’ CONCERT Wine and Film Fest sequel

BY PAM HARBAUGH fessore will make BY SAMANTHA BAITA
sure they find the Staff Writer
Correspondent correct balance
between electric 1 With rave reviews of 2016’s inau-
Everyone’s getting in on the Classic guitar and acous- gural event, excitement mounts in
Albums Live act. tic strings.
anticipation of the second annual Vero
The Brevard Symphony Orches- He’ll also make
tra joins forces with the rock ’n’ roll sure that the or- Beach Wine and Film Festival, launch-
group to celebrate the 50th anniver- chestra musicians
sary of the release of the Beatles “Sgt. match length of ing its sophomore year next Thursday, Comedian Philly
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Christopher Confessore. notes and articu- Plowden.
lations. June 8. Last year, Vero Beach 32963 Juanita Lolita.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on
Thursday, June 1, at the King Center “In faster songs wrote “They came for the wine, they
– the actual 50th anniversary of the there is a tendency for the orchestra
album’s release date. to be slightly behind the rock band, came for the films, they came to inter- ita Lolita. Plowden paces the stage,
so we’ll look to play on top of the beat chatting up the audience and keep-
While this marks the BSO’s first and that always fixes it,” he said. act with the independent filmmakers ing his rapid-fire routine fairly PG.
collaboration with Classic Albums Plowden’s subjects range from his
Live, it is not the first time conduc- The Classic Albums Live Presents and vintners – but, most importantly, own real-life experiences – his mom,
tor Christopher Confessore has led a – The Beatles: 50th Anniversary Sgt. kids and spouse – to observations
symphony with rock musicians. Pepper with the Brevard Symphony they came. And in impressive numbers.” about “the human condition.” IMDB.
Orchestra concert begins 7:30 p.m. com speaks of his “fun, outspoken na-
“They’re always fun,” he said. “No Thursday, June 1 at the King Center, With an activity-packed four-day sched- ture” and, says his film, theater, stage
major challenges in preparing this 3865 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne. and commercial roles “have ranged
type of program. The primary issue Tickets begin at $43. Call 321-242-2219 ule and planners anticipating a couple from comedic sidekick to darker/dra-
for the tech crew is making sure the or visit KingCenter.com.  matic characters.” Plowden is also
orchestra can be heard.” thousand attendees, this one should be said to be a great cook. Wife, mother
and grandmother, Juanita Lolita’s ca-
To that end, the orchestra will be absolutely fabulous. Screening of more reer in comedy began in ’08 when she
amplified. And, in rehearsal, Con- won an open-mic contest at a local
than 75 multi-award winning indepen- club, then placed fourth in the Flor-
ida’s Funniest Person competition.
dent short, feature and documentary Since then, the blue-eyed blonde
with a “Latin flare and a hillbilly heri-
films from filmmaker across the globe, tage” has appeared in venues across
the state. Her bio states she’s “out to
including U.S. and Florida Premieres, change the face of comedy and prove
that clean can be hilarious!” Tickets
will take place at 10 local theater, res- are $16 and $18. Shows are at 7:30
p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
taurant and museum venues, includ-

ing main screening venues the Theatre

Guild, Riverside Theatre and the Vero

Beach Museum of Art. Wine tastings are

scheduled at various locations through-

out the event, and before most film

screenings. Formal, four-course water-

side Vino Veritas Vintner Dinners will

kick off the festival Thursday night, at

Costa d’Este and the Quail Valley River

Club, followed, appropriately, by the

Florida Premiere of “Decanted.” On Fri-

day night, June 9, it’s “Cinema Uncorked!

The Biggest Bash of The Weekend!” – a

stellar night honoring Florida’s very own ‘Watershed.’

film legend Burt Reynolds with the VB-

WFF Life Worth Living Legend Award.

The Florida premiere of Reynolds’ new

film “Dog Years!” will be screened, and

you can expect an impressive list of

filmmaker luminaries at the Filmmaker

Jury Awards Ceremony. With a plethora

of exciting choices, you’ll definitely want

to check out vbwff.com ASAP to view the

movie trailers and investigate the nu-

merous opportunities this event offers. 3 A visually breathtaking collec-
tion, “Watershed: Contemporary
Passes start at the single-day $40 cin-

ema pass, and range upward, so you can Landscape Photography,” opens this

go conservative or all-out. All of net the Saturday at the Vero Beach Museum

proceeds will benefit Suncoast Mental of Art Schumann and Titelman Gal-

Health Center. leries. The brochure explains that the

exhibition focus is a subject of global

2 These days we could all use a concern – the “fraught relationship
good laugh – or six – and River-
between humankind and the environ-

side Theatre’s popular laughfest The ment.” It features works from the per-

Comedy Zone is just the ticket, bring- manent collection of the Telfair Mu-

ing you two heaping helpings of live, seum in Savannah, Ga., and is divided

stand-up comedy this Saturday and into four sections – Objective, Atmo-

Sunday. Delivering the giggles this sphere, Exposure, Narrative – covering

week will be actor/comedian Philly the trends in landscape photography

Plowden and native Floridian Juan- beginning in the 1970s. 













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38 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

The ocean sustains humanity. Humanity treats it with contempt

Earth is poorly named. mands explanation. Three reasons for Some of these problems are easier ships switch off their tracking systems,
The ocean covers almost three- it stand out. One is geography. The bulk to deal with than others. “Ocean blind- the chances of collisions rise, and so do
quarters of our planet. It is divided into of the ocean is beyond the horizon and ness” can be cured by access to infor- premiums. Greater traceability gives
five basins: the Pacific, the Atlantic, below the waterline. The damage being mation. And indeed, improvements consumers who are concerned about
the Indian, the Arctic and the South- done to its health is visible in a few lim- in computing power, satellite imag- fish a way to press seafood firms into
ern oceans. Were all the planet’s water inal places – the Great Barrier Reef, say, ing and drones are bringing the ocean behaving responsibly.
placed over the United States, the body or the oyster farms of Washington state. into better view than ever before.
of water on top of our country would Thanks to technology, the ocean’s
be an incredible 82 miles deep. But for the most part, the sea is out On the surface, aquatic drones can expanse and remoteness are becom-
The ocean provides 3 billion peo- of sight and out of mind. It is telling get to remote, stormy places at a far ing less formidable – and less of an ex-
ple with almost a fifth of their protein that there is only a single fleeting ref- smaller cost than manned vessels. cuse for inaction. A U.N. meeting on the
(making fish a bigger source of protein erence to the ocean in the Paris agree- From above, ocean-color radiometry ocean this month in New York is a sign
than beef). Fishing and aquaculture as- ment on climate change. is improving understanding of how that policymakers are paying more at-
sure the livelihoods of one in ten of the phytoplankton, simple organisms that tention to the state of the marine realm.
world’s people. Climate and weather A second problem is governance. The support marine food chains, move and
systems depend on the temperature ocean is subject to a patchwork of laws thrive. Tiny satellites, weighing less But superior information does not
patterns of the ocean and its interac- and agreements. Enforcement is hard than 20 pounds, are enhancing scru- solve the fundamental problem of
tions with the atmosphere. If anything and incentives are often misaligned. tiny of fishing vessels. allocating and enforcing property
ought to be too big to fail, it is the ocean. Waters outside national jurisdictions – rights and responsibilities for the high
Humans have long assumed that the the high seas – are a global commons. Transparency can also mitigate the seas. And the effectiveness of incen-
ocean’s size allowed them to put any- Without defined property rights or a second difficulty, of ocean governance. tives to take care of the ocean varies.
thing they wanted into it and to take community invested in their upkeep, More scientific data ought to improve Commercial pay-offs from giving fish
anything they wanted out. Changing the interests of individual actors in ex- the oversight of nascent industries. As stocks time to recover, for example, are
temperatures and chemistry, overfish- ploiting such areas win out over the col- sea-floor soundings proliferate, the su- large and well-documented; but the
ing and pollution have stressed its eco- lective interest in husbanding them. pervision of deep-sea mining, which is rewards that accrue from removing
systems for decades. The ocean stores overseen by the International Seabed plastic from the high seas are unclear.
more than nine-tenths of the heat Fish are particularly tricky because Authority in areas beyond national ju-
trapped on Earth by greenhouse-gas they move. Why observe quotas if risdiction, should get better. Above all, better measurement of
emissions. Coral reefs are suffering as a you think your neighbor is hauling in global warming’s effect on the ocean
result; scientists expect almost all cor- catches with impunity? Satellite monitoring can provide does not make a solution any easier.
als to be gone by 2050. clues to illegal fishing activity: craft that The Paris agreement is the single best
By the middle of this century, the Third, the ocean is a victim of oth- switch off their tracking devices when hope for protecting the ocean and its
ocean could contain more plastic than er, bigger processes. The emission of they approach a marine protected area resources. But the limits agreed on in
fish by weight. Ground down into tiny greenhouse gases into the atmosphere excite suspicion, for example. Such data Paris will not prevent sea levels from ris-
pieces, it is eaten by fish and then by is changing the marine environment make it easier to enforce codes like the ing and corals from bleaching.
people, with uncertain effects on hu- along with the rest of the planet. The Port State Measures Agreement, which
man health. Appetite for fish grows nev- ocean has warmed by 0.7°C since the requires foreign vessels to submit to in- Indeed, unless they are drastically
ertheless: almost 90 percent of stocks are 19th century, damaging corals and spections at any port of call and requires strengthened, both problems risk get-
fished either at or beyond their sustain- encouraging organisms to migrate to- port states to share information on any ting much worse. Mankind is increas-
able limits. The ocean nurtures human- wards the poles in search of cooler wa- suspected wrongdoing they find. ingly able to see the damage it is doing
ity. Humanity treats it with contempt. ters. Greater concentrations of carbon to the ocean. Whether it can stop it is
Such self-destructive behavior de- dioxide in the water are making it more Clearer information may also help another question. 
acidic. That tends to harm creatures align incentives and allow private capi-
such as crabs and oysters, whose cal- tal to reward good behavior. Insurance A version of this column first ap-
cium carbonate shells suffer as marine firms, for instance, have an incentive to peared in The Economist. The views do
chemistry alters. ask for more data on fishing vessels; if not necessarily reflect the views of Vero
Beach 32963.

STROKE, PART I PRE-TEST look for and use an automatic external defibrillator (AED) to start his © 2017 Vero Beach 32963 Media, all rights reserved
or her heart beating again.
Today we begin a series on stroke. Before we start, take this self-test to  True  False
measure your current stroke savvy.
9. If the patient gets to the ER in time, the clot-dissolving drug called tis-
STROKE PRE-TEST sue plasminogen activator (tPA) can be administered, but only if he or
she presents with an ischemic type of stroke (related to a blood clot).
1. A stroke can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of race, gender  True  False
or age.
True False 10. Strokes can be prevented and treated.
2. A stroke is a “brain attack,” a brain equivalent of a heart attack, that  True  False
results when the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain is blocked.
 True  False Answers: 1. True; 2. True; 3. B and C; 4. True; 5. True; 6. A and C; 7. B and
3. The two main causes of a stroke are (pick two): C; 8. False (heart doesn’t stop beating with a stroke); 9. True; 10. True
 A. Low blood pressure
 B. Blood clots that block arteries near or in the brain SOME STARTLING STATISTICS
 C. A blood vessel that bursts/leaks and causes bleeding in the brain
In the United States:
4. About 20 percent of all strokes are related to an irregular heart rhthym  Someone has a stroke about once every 40 seconds.
called atrial fibrillation (A-Fib).  A stroke accounts for 1 of every 20 deaths.
 True  False  A stroke kills someone about every 4 minutes.
5. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are “mini-strokes” that can cause  Strokes rank No. 5 among all causes of death, killing nearly
irreversible damage. 133,000 people a year.
 True  False  From 2004 to 2014, the stroke death rate decreased 28.7 percent,
6. The two types of strokes are (pick two): and the actual number of stroke deaths declined 11.3 percent.
 A. Ischemic (from blood clots that block arteries near or in the brain)  Each year, about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent
 B. Hypotensive (from low blood pressure) stroke. Approximately 610,000 of these are first attacks, and
 C. Hemorrhagic (from a blood vessel that bursts/leaks and causes 185,000 are recurrent attacks.
bleeding in the brain Worldwide:
7. Two risk factors for stroke are (pick two):  In 2013, prevalence of stroke was 25.7 million, with 10.3 million
 A. Fever people having a first stroke.
 B. Carotid artery disease  A stroke was the second-leading cause of death behind heart di
 C. Diabetes ease in 2013, accounting for 11.8 percent of total deaths.
8. The first thing to do when you think someone is having a stroke is to  A stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability.

Source: American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and other government
sources. 

Your comments and suggestions for future topics are always
welcome. Email us at [email protected].













46 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Lawnwood NICU: Where tiny patients get excellent care

BY TOM LLOYD Melanie Munar, Naomi Seymour, licopter or an ambulance. and
director of Women’s Services, and In 2016, nearly 60 per-
Staff Writer Dr. Jaideep Gupta. PHOTO: MITCH KLOORFAIN Ivanelsie Delgad.
cent of all Lawnwood’s
Each and every year roughly ture babies. NICU admissions re- PHOTO: MITCH KLOORFAIN
500,000 tiny newborn babies in this Seymour says, at Lawnwood, “we quired level three care.
country spend their very first hours PICU] units are extremely proud of
and days in a very strange new world. have micro-preemies that have a Calling her work with the work that they do. We live in a
very low birth weight of only about infants “highly reward- community that is in desperate need
That world consists largely of me- 465 grams.” ing,” Seymour admits that of these intensive care services,”
chanical ventilators, incubators, as- “when things don’t go Seymour concludes.
sorted rows of polyvinyl chloride That is just slightly over 1 pound. well it can be very devas-
tubing, and banks of digitized moni- For comparison, the average full- tating. We get very emo- To learn more about Lawnwood’s lev-
toring devices: It’s called a neonatal term baby born in the U.S. weights tionally attached to the el three NICU or the PICU, you can call
intensive care unit, or NICU. about 7.5 pounds. family members as well as the hospital’s main number at 772-461-
The unflappable Seymour then the baby,” but she quickly 4000 or visit its website at lawnwood-
A Norman Rockwell scene, it ain’t. points out that Lawnwood is “the bounces back to further med.com. Or, call 1-800-382-3522. 
That said, Parenting Magazine only level three neonatal intensive praise her team.
calls NICUs “the safest place for a care unit on the Treasure Coast, and
sick or premature baby” and points I believe we’re the only pediatric “We have an excellent
out NICUs boast an incredibly high intensive care unit on the Treasure OB hospitalist group here
survival rate for premature births – Coast, as well.” at this facility,” Seymour
well over 90 percent. Neonatal ICUs are ranked from states proudly. “They’re
Naomi Seymour, director of Wom- level one to level four, with four be- here 24 hours a day, seven
en’s and Children’s Services at Lawn- ing the highest certification. days a week around the
wood Regional Medical Center in The American Academy of Pediat- clock, so if anything hap-
Fort Pierce, oversees both the hospi- rics says level three NICUs such as pens, somebody walks in
tal’s NICU and its Pediatric Intensive Lawnwood’s “are differentiated by and there’s a dire emer-
Care unit (PICU). their ability to provide care to new- gency, they are here to
“In the neonatal intensive care born infants with widely differing take care of them.”
unit,” Seymour explains, “we take degrees of complexity and risk.”
care of neonates from 22 weeks ges- And while it might seem both On a bit of an enthusi-
tation through full-term.” complex and risky to transport frag- asm-powered roll, she then adds, “It’s
The Stanford University Children’s ile, newly born infants or premature the same way with our neonatologists.
Health Center in Palo Alto, Calif., babies from, say, Sebastian or Vero They’re here 24 hours a day, seven days
says, “an NICU combines advanced Beach down to Lawnwood, Seymour a week, as well as our nurse practitio-
technology and highly trained says it does happen. ners. We have the services available.
healthcare professionals to provide “We do about two to three trans-
specialized care for the tiniest pa- ports a month,” says Seymour. “We “What we want the community to
tients.” have our own neonatal intensive know is that you have peace of mind
That’s precisely what Seymour care transport team [and] … a spe- when you choose to have your baby
along with Dr. Jaideep Gupta, Dr. cial team of our nurses. The child here or when you choose to bring your
Ivanelsie Delgado and NICU clinical would need to be stabilized and then small child here.”
manager Melanie Munar and some we would come and get them and
60 others who staff the entire second bring them here,” using either a he- “I think the staff in both [the NICU
floor at Lawnwood are doing: pro-
viding highly specialized care to the
youngest among us.
When a baby is born, the way its
body functions has to change dra-
matically. Its lungs must take in and
let out air. Its heart and circulatory
system must operate independently
of its mother. Its digestive system
must process its own food and its
immune system is on its own, as
well. Even under the best of circum-
stances that can be a challenge, but
when a baby is born prematurely, the
adaptive challenge is far greater.
The March of Dimes lists anemia and
breathing problems – including bron-
cho-pulmonary dysplasia, persistent
pulmonary hypertension, pneumonia
and respiratory distress syndrome – as
among the most common problems af-
fecting premature babies.
Those and other health difficulties
can be caused or compounded by ex-
tremely low birth weights in prema-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 47

HEALTH

STUDY: SCREENING TECHNIQUE CUTS COLORECTAL CANCER RISK

BY MARIA CANFIELD into the rectum. Air is then pumped  Guaiac-based fecal occult blood
in to spread the barium in a thin, test (gFOBT) and fecal immunochemi-
Correspondent smooth layer though the colon. X- cal test (FIT) are used to find tiny
rays are then taken. It requires bowel amounts of blood in the stool that
According to recent results from prep, but no sedation. could be a sign of cancer or large pol-
a United Kingdom study, a screen-  In a CT colonography (also called yps. (However, many times the cause
ing test called a sigmoidoscopy cuts virtual colonoscopy), air is pumped is a non-cancerous condition, such as
the risk of developing colorectal into the rectum and colon, and a CT ulcers or hemorrhoids.) These tests are
cancer by over 30 percent. The Flex- scanner is used to take images of the taken at home with a kit patients re-
ible Sigmoidoscopy Screening Trial colon. Like the barium enema, it re- ceive from their doctor’s office.
(UKFSST) started in 1994 and is still quires bowel prep, but no sedation.
ongoing; it has followed 170,000 peo- CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
ple over an average of 17 years, mak-
ing it the longest study ever done on Dr. Georgia Daniela Shapiro. PHOTO: DENISE RITCHIE
the effectiveness of sigmoidoscopy in
the prevention of colorectal cancer.

Dr. Georgia Daniela Shapiro, a Vero
Beach oncologist, says that the UK
study is sound and well-researched.
She says, “While the study did not
compare sigmoidoscopy with other
screening techniques such as colo-
noscopy, it clearly shows the impor-
tance of colorectal cancer screening,
while attempting to illustrate an ef-
ficient technique in which to screen
the more commonly affected left side
of the colon.”

Although they have the same intent
and are administered in a similar fash-
ion, there are differences between a
sigmoidoscopy and a colonoscopy. A
sigmoidoscopy requires less prepara-
tion and does not involve sedation,
which makes it easier on the patient.
However, a colonoscopy is more com-
prehensive – it examines the entire co-
lon, while a sigmoidoscopy only exam-
ines the distal (left side) of the colon.
Dr. Shapiro says the preferred screen-
ing test in the United States is a colo-
noscopy, when available.

In sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy
procedures, a doctor inserts a thin
flexible tube equipped with a camera
to look at the colon. Both tests can find
polyps – small growths – on the bowel
wall, which can become cancerous if
left untreated. Polyps, if found, can
be easily removed during the testing
process, usually by passing a tiny wire
loop through the tube.

Colorectal cancer (also known as
bowel cancer or colon cancer) affects
the colon, or large bowel, and/or the
rectum. It is a slow-growing cancer,
and may be present for up to 10 years
before it starts to spread. It is well
known that regular screening is one
of the most powerful weapons for pre-
venting this type of cancer.

Preliminary screening tests shown
below can look for polyps or suspicious
areas; if anything is found, a follow-up
colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is per-
formed:

 A double-contrast barium enema
involves putting a liquid called barium

48 Vero Beach 32963 / June 1, 2017 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 47 HEALTH

In a significant diagnostic advance, guard test is that it is non-invasive, but POT EXTRACT CUTS SEIZURES
the FDA approved a DNA test, Colo- that it must be repeated every three IN RARE FORM OF EPILEPSY
guard, in 2014. The patient uses a kit years and currently has a false positive
to collect a stool sample, which they rate of about 10 percent. BY LENNY BERNSTEIN GW Pharmaceuti-
mail to a lab. The lab then looks for cer- Washington Post cals, which funded
tain gene changes that are sometimes Dr. Shapiro says prevention is the Devinsky’s research,
found in colorectal cancer cells. If the most potent treatment we have for re- An oil derived from the marijuana plans to submit the
test shows possible cancer or pre-can- ducing the incidence of colorectal can- plant sharply reduces violent seizures
cer cells, the patient would have a colo- cer, and has this guidance for the com- in young people drug for approval by
noscopy to confirm the results, and re- munity: “Colorectal screening is an suffering the Food and Drug
move any polyps. absolute necessity for all adults age 50 or from a Administration in
older, and for others under the age of 50
Cologuard is not intended for every- based on specific criteria and history.”
one – it’s only appropriate for people
with no past history of colorectal can- Dr. Shapiro practices as part of Scott,
cer or pre-cancerous polyps. Vero’s Dr. Weeks, McGarry & Shapiro, located at
Shapiro says an advantage of the Colo- 1460 36th St in Vero Beach; the office
number is 772-562-7777. 

rare, severe form of epilepsy, accord- the
ing to a study published last week that middle
gives more hope to parents who have of this year
been clamoring for access to the med- with the hope that it could
ication. be available by prescription in 2018 for
children with Dravet and another se-
Cannabidiol cut the median number vere form of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut
of monthly convulsive seizures from syndrome. The company announced
12.4 to 5.9 in 52 children with Dravet in March 2016 that an earlier stage of
syndrome who took the medication the study had shown the drug to be ef-
over a 14-week test period, according to fective.
research published in the New England “The important thing for us is that
Journal of Medicine. Fifty-six children patients like this deserve a pharma-
using a placebo saw the number of sei- ceutical solution,” said the compa-
zures drop only from a median of 14.9 ny’s chief executive, Justin Glover.
to 14.1 per month. “They should not be moving across
the country. They deserve the right
“Medical marijuana has been docu- to have access” to the drug, which
mented as a treatment for epilepsy go- GW calls Epidiolex. The company
ing back 3,800 years,” said Orrin Devin- conducted 18 years of basic research
sky, director of the Comprehensive before beginning the development of
Epilepsy Center at NYU Langone Med- the drug three years ago, he said.
ical Center, who led the research. But Marijuana remains a Schedule
the randomized, placebo-controlled 1 drug in the United States, which
study represents the first research to means it has no legitimate medical
demonstrate the product’s value in a use. If the FDA were to approve Epid-
scientific way, he said. iolex, the Drug Enforcement Admin-
istration would change that listing.
Unlike THC, the compound in mari- The substance was difficult to obtain
juana that produces a high when con- even for research purposes, Devinsky
sumed, cannabidiol is not psychoac- said. The lab had to install a safe that
tive. The main side effects suffered by was so heavy that it consulted with
the children in the study, whose aver- structural engineers to make sure the
age age was just under 10, were vomit- floors would support it, he said.
ing, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Devinsky said cannabidiol appears
to bind to a receptor in the brain that
But the product is not available any- dampens the excitability of nerve
where in the world, except to about cells that lead to seizures. It isn’t ad-
1,500 children who are receiving it dictive and causes no high. It may
from the manufacturer, GW Pharma- someday prove to be valuable as a
ceuticals, under compassionate-use treatment for many kinds of epilepsy,
rules for the condition. Dravet syn- which afflicts 3 million people in the
drome causes ongoing seizures, cogni- United States, he said.
tive problems and risk of early death. In an editorial that accompanied
the study, the New England Journal of
There is no FDA-approved treatment Medicine praised the study for finally
for Dravet, so many parents have been bringing academic rigor to the debate
traveling to Colorado and other states about medicine derived from canna-
that offer medical marijuana in search bis. “The trial represents the beginning
of cannabidiol. Other medicines have of solid evidence for the use of cannabi-
proven largely ineffective; the children noids in epilepsy,” the journal wrote. “It
in the study had tried an average of four requires replication.” 
anti-epilepsy drugs each.