10/28/2021 ISSUE 43

Charges awaited against teacher
involved in shooting. P8
Utility dispute seems
headed to mediation. P10

Proposal rejected to put all of
32963 in same county district. P6

For breaking news visit

MY VERO COVID-19 cases
lowest locally since
BY RAY MCNULTY start of July surge

GOP Executive Committee
here embroiled in turmoil

Depending on who you ask, A Halloween hayride was a highlight of a HALO Howl pet adoption event in Indian River Shores. PHOTO BY KAILA JONES BY LISA ZAHNER
the Indian River County Re- Staff Writer
publican Executive Commit- John’s Island reaches compromise with state on vaccine
tee is either as strong and vi- Indian River County’s new
brant as ever, or it’s embroiled BY RAY MCNULTY law prohibiting private busi- According to a well-placed COVID-19 infection rate has
in so much turmoil that the Staff Writer nesses, schools and other or- source with knowledge of the dropped to an average of seven
organization is dangerously ganizations from imposing situation, Florida Department cases per day, and the county’s
close to imploding. John’s Island members were vaccine requirements, but at- of Health officials agreed to case positivity rate has been
prepared to challenge allega- torneys for both sides avoided discontinue their investigation in the 2 percent to 4 percent
Committee Chairman Jay tions that their club had vio- such a confrontation by nego- into the alleged violations, ac- range, causing the Centers for
Kramer, a former Vero Beach lated a recently enacted state tiating a compromise. Disease Control and Preven-
mayor and Central Beach CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 tion to label the county as an
resident, said the recent rash area of “moderate” transmis-
of high-profile resignations sion of the virus as October
– and the removal of Sheriff draws to a close.
Eric Flowers and Property Ap-
praiser Wesley Davis for miss- The 49 new cases reported in
ing too many meetings – is the week ending Sunday bring
not cause for alarm. the local numbers down to
pre-surge conditions in mid-
Nor, apparently, was the June. At the peak of the Delta
harsh rhetoric, verbal snip- surge, that weekly total rose to
ing and personal attacks that 1,300 new cases per week.
some of the more-established
members say made them un- Three neighboring coun-
comfortable at the group’s past ties of Brevard, St. Lucie and
two meetings, starting with Osceola are still considered
the Sept. 8 session at which areas of “substantial” trans-
Kramer presided over a vote to mission of COVID-19, as is the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Seven candidates vie for two seats on
Vero Beach City Council in Nov. 2 vote

BY LISA ZAHNER posture in three pending Tracey Zudans, Charlie Wilson and John Cotugno have the largest campaign war chests of Vero’s seven Council candidates.
Staff Writer disputes over Vero’s water-
sewer service.
The next Vero Beach City
Council will mold the de- The two people elected
velopment of the city’s two next week may either help
riverfront utility sites and Mayor Robbie Brackett hold
determine the city’s legal the line on taxes, or priori-

CONTINUED A PAGE 11

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2 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

My Vero The People” mob that endorsed the board and requested that they rescind “A lot of people are resigning,” she said.
censure – who’ve infiltrated the com- the ill-advised censure. At least a dozen members have re-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 mittee in recent months and begun signed since the Barefoot censure,
dictating policy. The response was ugly. committee sources said, and more
censure School Board Chairman Brian “They brutalized her,” Indian River departures were expected after the
Barefoot for endorsing a mask man- On Oct. 1, Teetz, past president of Shores Public Safety Director Rich Teetz-organized Lincoln Day Dinner
date on school campuses. the 400-member Republican Women Rosell said. “You don’t speak to anyone on Monday at Bent Pine Golf Club.
of Indian River group, attended the like that, particularly someone of her The list of those who’ve resigned
“I go to a lot of REC meetings around committee’s closed-door board meet- stature. It was unlike any REC meeting includes Rosell, School Board Vice
the state and, compared to some of ing and accused Kramer of conduct- I’ve ever attended.” Chairman Teri Barenborg, Tax Collec-
them, ours are rather mundane,” Kram- ing an “illegal vote” that resulted in the Reached by phone last week, Teetz tor candidate Brenda Bradley and the
er said. “I’ve been to some meetings that censure of Barefoot, a lifelong Repub- said she appreciated the support she organization’s membership commit-
have gotten very heated. We’re surpris- lican held in the highest esteem in his received in the meeting’s aftermath, tee chairman, Stuart Kennedy.
ingly very humane to each other here. John’s Island community. when word of the hostility shown to Asked if she was considering sub-
her quickly spread throughout the lo- mitting her resignation, Teetz replied,
“People have arguments and dis- She cited Kramer’s failure to give cal Republican community. “Good question,” then didn’t answer
agreements,” he added. “That’s noth- advance notice of the censure vote by But she said the venom and verbal it. Current Republican Women of In-
ing unusual. It’s politics. I’m used to it. placing it on the meeting’s agenda and attacks didn’t bother her. dian River president Pat Stelz, mean-
It’s nothing that surprises me.” require a show-of-hands vote instead “It was rude and crude, and a lot of while, said she was “seriously thinking
of an aye-or-nay voice vote that pro- people were shocked at how vicious ev- about” resigning this week.
Several traditional, old-guard com- vided no legitimate count. erything became,” Teetz said. “I didn’t “The way they spoke to Linda was
mittee members, however, say they intend for all this turmoil to happen. an embarrassment,” Stelz said. “But
were appalled by the lack of respect, She also questioned the purpose of Unfortunately, they stacked the room. we’re listening to the newest and loud-
nasty tone and absence of decorum trying to publicly chastise Barefoot. “Obviously, there a lot of people who est group in the room, and there are
they witnessed during their Septem- don’t understand how the rules weren’t members of the old crowd who are ex-
ber and October meetings. She then asked Kramer to resign as followed, or maybe they don’t care,” cited by it and say, ‘These people are
chairman. she added. “They wouldn’t even bring doing something.’
They were especially troubled by the my motion to rescind the censure to a “But what are they doing?”
shabby way many in the crowd at this “If you don’t know the rules, you vote. So there’s nothing I can do. Kramer acknowledged that “some
month’s gathering treated longtime shouldn’t be our leader, so I asked him “Right now, I’ve got a lot of enemies.” people have resigned,” calling it a
island resident Linda Teetz, a promi- to step down,” Teetz said. “I was hop- Teetz also has a lot of Republican “personal choice.”
nent and influential party leader who ing he would back down gracefully, friends who donate a lot of money As for Flowers and Davis being re-
has a long history of raising big money but when the other board members to the party, but not enough of them moved from the committee’s member-
for Republican causes. asked if he would resign, he dug in his were at the meeting. There will be even ship list, Kramer said they missed too
heels and said, ‘Absolutely not.’” fewer at the committee’s next meeting.
Teetz, though, was critical of Kram-
er’s leadership, which incited many of His refusal prompted Teetz to ad-
the newer members – recruits from dress committee members at the
the local “Moms For Liberty” and “We group’s Oct. 6 meeting, where she re-
counted her appearance before the

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 3

many meetings – three unexcused ab- past week. That number rose to more have found in fully vaccinated people. erna vaccine provided it’s been at
sences – which is grounds for removal than 120 per week at the peak of the As of last week, 60.7 percent of In- least six months since their second
under Florida Statutes. Delta surge locally. dose. Certain people who received the
dian River County residents, 69.5 per- Johnson and Johnson vaccine can get
“We don’t kick anybody out, but It was a big news week in terms of cent of Indian River County adults and a booster two months or more after
missing meetings shows a lack of in- COVID-19 vaccines, as the U.S. Food 88.9 percent of local seniors over the their first shot.
terest,” Kramer said. “We need to en- and Drug Administration expanded its age of 65 were fully vaccinated, ac-
sure we have a quorum or we’d never Emergency Use Authorization to in- cording to the CDC. The Emergency Use Authorization
get anything done.” clude “booster” Moderna and Johnson applies not only to people age 65 and
and Johnson COVID-19 shots to com- Now, people age 65 and older and older, but also to adults at risk for serious
Also removed from the committee bat the waning immunity researchers those in high-risk groups can get a
this month for the same reason was shot of either the Pfizer or the Mod- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Ted Pankiewicz, the local Republican
Veterans Club president who has been
a loyal and active member for 15 years.

Neither Flowers nor Pankiewicz re-
sponded to requests for comment, but
Davis accepted his removal, saying job
conflicts caused him to miss meetings
and that he would apply to rejoin the
committee.

“I’ve been to two meetings in 2021,
and they haven’t thrown me out,”
Rosell said. “But the Republican Exec-
utive Committee throws out a Repub-
lican sheriff? It’s very suspect.”

Why does any of this matter?
The Republican Party dominates
our local politics, holding all but one
countywide elected office. The lone
exception is Democrat Mara Schiff,
who won election to the School Board
three years ago in a No Party Affilia-
tion race.
The Republican Executive Com-
mittee, which is charged with getting
Republican candidates elected and
promoting the party’s agenda, is the
umbrella organization under which
all the county’s Republican clubs op-
erate.
So, historically, the committee has
had some clout.
But if more high-profile Republi-
cans resign and are replaced by mem-
bers of a more-combative, less-classy,
take-no-prisoners faction – if Teetz
decides her fundraising efforts would
be more appreciated elsewhere – the
committee’s influence could wane.
“It’s very difficult for me to say any-
thing because of my position,” said
Republican State Committeewoman
Elly Manov, who sits on the local com-
mittee’s board, “but I am glad people
are realizing we have some problems.”
How should the Republican Execu-
tive Committee address those prob-
lems?

Depends on who you ask. 

COVID-19 cases down here
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

state of Florida as a whole, while most
of the rest of the United States is con-
sidered an area of “high” transmission
according to the CDC’s Covid Data
Tracker map.

As the number of new cases sub-
sides, hospitalizations of people with
COVID have also decreased to 12 this

4 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

COVID-19 cases down here The FDA declined to approve boost- bills to protect Floridians from job loss under a state of emergency due to the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 er shots for children or teenagers at and other negative consequences due COVID-19 pandemic, so these laws
this time. This Tuesday, the FDA’s Vac- to federal vaccine and testing require- must go through the Florida House and
covid disease due to underlying condi- cine and Related Biological Products ments. Florida Senate process, rather than be
tions or at risk of exposure due to their Committee was set to hear evidence handed down by executive order.
occupation or the communal setting for and against the expansion of the The vaccine requirements will ex-
where they live, such as those in nursing FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization of tend to employers with 100 or more Florida Sen. Debbie Mayfield, who
homes or assisted-living facilities. the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 employees via a rollout of new regu- represents Vero’s barrier island and
to 11. lations by the U.S. Department of La- serves as the Republican Majority
The FDA also said it’s OK to “mix bor’s Occupational Safety and Health Leader in the Florida Senate, issued a
and match” vaccines when the booster As federal agencies, the military, Administration. statement supporting the special ses-
is given, so people who got the Mod- companies, universities and school sion. “I have heard from many con-
erna or J&J vaccine can get Pfizer as a districts across the nation have im- “Your right to earn a living should stituents who are concerned that their
booster, and vice versa. The Moderna posed vaccine mandates, Gov. Ron De- not be contingent upon COVID shots,” abilities to provide for their families
booster that was authorized is half the Santis announced a special session of DeSantis said. and make healthcare decisions for
dose given as a first or second shot. the Florida Legislature would be held themselves are being threatened by
in November, with the aim of passing The scope of that proposed state the Biden Administration’s sweeping
legislation is yet to be seen, but DeSan- COVID-19 mandates. I look forward
tis said it would include re-instituted to working alongside (Florida Senate)
COVID-19 civil liability for companies President Wilton Simpson and Gov.
that impose vaccine mandates, mean- Ron DeSantis to preserve our individu-
ing that if an employee was forced to al rights and safeguard Floridians from
get the covid vaccine and had an ad- their federal government’s overreach.”
verse reaction the employer could be
held liable. DeSantis said he and Florida Attor-
ney General Ashley Moody are also
The state relieved businesses from working with select plaintiffs who have
most civil liability related to COVID-19 already lost their jobs due to vaccine
in 2020 to prevent frivolous lawsuits mandates to file lawsuits because De-
from people who claimed to catch the Santis and Moody believe the federal
virus from activities such as shopping
at a store or eating at a restaurant. mandates are unconstitutional. 

DeSantis said Florida is no longer

John’s Island vaccinations prepared to go to court to contest any
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 penalties imposed by the state, which,
under the so-called vaccine-passport
cepting John’s Island’s argument that law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in
the club is exempt from the ban be- May, carries fines of $5,000 per viola-
cause the members own it. tion.

“We’re not patrons, or customers, or “We have infinite resources,” the
employees,” the source said, speaking source said. “We were not going to roll
on the condition of anonymity. “We’re over. We were prepared to defend our
equity members of the club, and we rights.”
believe the members who own the
club have the right to do what they The law is so poorly written that its
believe is necessary to protect them- legality ultimately will be decided by
selves.” Florida’s courts, which have issued
mixed rulings when school districts
In return, John’s Island agreed to challenged the DeSantis-endorsed,
back off its mandate that all club staff- Health Department ban against
ers be fully vaccinated – a require- mask mandates in public schools, the
ment that took effect Oct. 15 – and is source said.
now allowing employees to work on
the premises as long as they undergo Also, the source said, it would be po-
regular COVID-19 testing. litically unwise for DeSantis to engage
in a high-profile battle with John’s Is-
Employees with legitimate medical land, which is heavily populated with
issues also may opt out of the club’s affluent Republican donors.
vaccination requirement.
DeSantis is seeking re-election as
The source said he wasn’t sure how governor next year, and his name is
the compromise would impact guests, among those mentioned as a potential
who previously were required to be candidate for president in 2024.
vaccinated to enter the property, but
John’s Island’s “vertical membership” During a press conference last
included immediate family members week, DeSantis announced that he
as club members. planned to call for a special session
to ask the Florida Legislature to bol-
Reached via text message last week,
John’s Island General Manager Brian
Kroh declined to confirm the resolu-
tion or comment on the matter.

State Health Department officials
did not respond to a phone message
or an email sent to the agency’s com-
munications staff.

The source said John’s Island was

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 5

ster statewide prohibitions on vaccine said, adding that many of the club’s John’s Island has connections and can cluded St. Edward’s School, but school
mandates and support his efforts to members are “older” and continue get away with things. We weren’t trying spokesperson Monica Jennings said
undermine federal requirements that to take precautions to protect them- to get away with anything. the Health Department was mistaken.
employees be vaccinated against the selves from COVID infection.
coronavirus. “We disagreed with the allegations, “We never had a vaccine mandate and
As for the club resolving its differ- and we came up with a compromise.” don’t plan to,” Jennings said. “We don’t
The vaccine requirement at John’s ences with the state, the source said, know how we got on the list, because it
Island hasn’t been an issue, the source “We don’t want the public to think The state’s list of 100-plus alleged vi-
olators of the vaccine-passport ban in- was never even a discussion.” 

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COMMISSIONERS REJECT PROPOSAL TO
PUT ALL OF 32963 IN SAME DISTRICT

BY RAY MCNULTY the public hearing to voice their con-
cerns about the Gifford community’s
Staff Writer lack of representation in local gov-
ernment.
County commissioners last week
rejected a redistricting proposal that The county, which was incorporat-
would have put the entire barrier is- ed in 1925, has never had a Black com-
land in the same district, opting in- missioner or constitutional officer.
stead to move forward with a plan that
most resembles the existing map. “We would like to be heard,” Gifford
resident Myra Ferguson told the com-
The commissioners, who are sched- missioners. “We do not like the idea of
uled to approve a new district map feeling like we are invisible. We would
at their Dec. 7 meeting, voted 4-1 like to be at that table when decisions
to send the plan they favored – Pro- are made.”
posed Plan 1 – back to the county
staff with instructions to “tweak” the Other Black speakers, including
boundaries. Indian River County NAACP chapter
president Tony Brown, cited the con-
The instructions included not split- siderable wealth disparity between
ting up municipalities among more their communities and the affluent
than two districts, reducing the dis- residents of Orchid, Windsor and
parity in district populations, keeping other areas of the island’s northern
Vero Beach’s McAnsh Park neighbor- tier.
hood intact in one district, and squar-
ing off the northeast corner of District Brown said the “underserved, im-
3. poverished communities” of Gifford,
Wabasso, Oslo and Fellsmere, want
The commissioners said they will the commission to understand and
review the revised map at their Nov. 2 respond to their needs and concerns,
meeting. adding that lacking such representa-
tion in local government is “problem-
“I don’t believe we can satisfy every- atic.”
body,” Commission Chairman Joe Fle-
scher said, “but we’re here to serve the The commissioners listened intent-
masses.” ly to Brown, Ferguson and other Black
speakers who went to the podium, but
State law requires counties to re- when the public-hearing segment was
draw district boundaries every 10 concluded, they quickly dismissed
years based on population shifts iden- Proposed Plan 3.
tified by Census data. The county’s
redistricting criteria requires districts Moss said putting the entire island
to be compact, contiguous and nearly in one district “seems logical,” but she
equal in population – within a 3 per- worried that the plan was “flirting with
cent deviation – with lines drawn bringing back segregation” – at least
along natural and man-made bound- on a socio-economic level.
aries, such as major roads, rivers and
canals. Commissioner Susan Adams, who
represents District 1, said residents
Paige Lester, the county’s Geo- of the island’s northern tier have dif-
graphical Information System analyst, ferent issues and concerns than their
presented the commission with three neighbors to the south, despite their
proposed maps, including one that socio-economic similarities.
would have put the entire barrier is-
land into District 5. Laura Moss cur- The island’s population isn’t large
rently holds the District 5 commission enough to fill an entire district.
seat.
According to the recently released
The island currently is split between Census numbers, the county’s popu-
District 2, where Flescher holds the lation grew from 138,028 in 2010 to
seat, and District 5, with the Wabasso 159,788 in 2020. Dividing that total
Causeway (State Road 510) as the di- into five equal parts, each of the newly
viding line. drawn districts should have a popula-
tion of 31,958, or be within 3 percent
Under Proposed Plan 3, as it was of that figure.
called, District 5 would have included
all of the barrier island and a stretch of The island’s population is 16,291,
the mainland east of U.S. 1 from 45th which required Lester to include a siz-
Street to the St. Lucie County line. able stretch of mainland to construct
Proposed Plan 3, which deviated the
Not only did that plan offer the most from the existing map.
least disparity in population among
the county’s five districts, but it also The county, however, is not district
drew the greatest support from a pa- sensitive, meaning that while com-
rade of Black speakers who attended missioners must live in their districts,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8



8 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

County redistricting “We have some wiggle room,” Com- Prosecutors to decide how to proceed in
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 mission Vice Chairman Peter O’Bryan case of school teachers involved in shooting
said, “as long as we stay under the 3
they are elected by and serve voters percent threshold.” BY GEORGE ANDREASSI at the Preserve at Oslo apartments,
countywide. Staff Writer Sheriff Eric Flowers said Oct. 18 dur-
District lines needed to be redrawn ing a news conference. He is expect-
Thus, districts are relevant only because the disparity in populations State prosecutors expect to decide ed to recover.
in terms of ensuring that the entire under the existing boundaries after this week on criminal charges against
county is represented – by prevent- the 2020 Census was too large in two public school teachers implicated A security video from the apartment
ing a majority of commissioners being District 2 and too small in Districts in a bizarre shooting at an Oslo apart- complex shows the victim running
residents of one municipality or sec- 3 and 5. ment complex. away from two men and the sound of
tion of the county. four gunshots after they move out of
Under Proposed Plan 1, the great- “We haven’t made a decision yet on view of the camera.
By choosing to focus on Proposed Plan est disparities in population would what the charges are going to be,” As-
1, the commissioners are embracing a be in District 2 (32,810) and District sistant State Attorney Bill Long said Cohen was being held in the Indian
map that creates the largest disparity in 3 (31,065). The population in District Friday (Oct. 22). “We’re in the process River County Jail in lieu of $750,000
population among the five districts. 5 (32,160) would be the closest to the of reviewing the case.” bail. No defense attorney was listed in
the court records for Cohen’s case.
average ideal figure of 31,958.  Both Akkua Jamel Hallback and
Darius Tyonne Cohen, who were em- Ballistics tests were being con-
ployed by the school district at the ducted on a firearm found in Cohen’s
time of the incident, have been fired. bedroom, to see if they matched slugs
found on the grounds of the apart-
Prosecutors hope to reach a charg- ment complex following the shooting.
ing decision by next Thursday, which
would be 21 days after the Oct. 14 ar- “Detectives are awaiting the results
rest of Cohen, 26, who taught physical of several tests, including ballistics,
education at Indian River Academy for while they continue to work leads and
two months, on an attempted murder conduct interviews,” Sheriff’s Office
charge in connection with the shoot- spokeswoman Debbie Carson said last
ing, Long said. Friday. “This is an active investigation
still in its early stages.”
The victim was shot one time in the
back shortly after 4 a.m. on Oct. 10 Hallback, 26, who taught physical

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10



10 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Arrested teachers started with a night of drinking and
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 featured Hallback visiting a woman’s
apartment for a couple of hours before
education at Sebastian Elementary things went sideways when Cohen
School for two months and allegedly had to go to the bathroom.
accompanied Cohen during the inci-
dent, was charged with possession of The duo backtracked to the wrong
Adderall without a prescription and apartment and got into a fight with
released on $15,000 bond. the apartment’s irate occupant, Sher-
iff’s reports show.
Adderall, an amphetamine-based
drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hy- After being notified of the facts in
peractivity Disorder but often abused the case, School Superintendent Da-
as an upper, was found in a backpack vid Moore said he immediately fired
in Hallback’s bedroom in the house Cohen and Hallback, who were pro-
he shares with Cohen in Vero Lake Es- bationary employees still within their
tates, records show. first 90 days on the job.

Hallback’s defense lawyer, Charles Cohen and Hallback passed their FBI
Shafer of Fort Pierce, said Saturday he background checks and drug screen-
intends to present information to the ing as part of the hiring process, Moore
State Attorney’s Office that will exon- said Friday during a radio interview.
erate his client.
“They unfortunately made a series
“Mr. Hallback is completely innocent of very bad decisions, which ultimately
of any charges,” Shaffer said. “From my led to them being terminated from our
point of view, my client has no criminal school system, being arrested,” Moore
history. He’s a nice young man.” said. “They’re going to be dealing with
some legal issues that will probably
“I think it’ll turn out he was trying impact them for the rest of their lives.”
to make sure everything stayed peace-
ful and didn’t get out of hand,” Shaffer “It is sad, it is unfortunate, but we
said. “We’re already acting proactively hold everybody accountable to a stan-
to contact witnesses that will show dard we as a community and a school
this was a mistake of fact and not an system can be proud of,” Moore said.
intentional act of criminality, at least “As a school district, any behavior –
on my client’s part.” whether it’s inside the school or in the
community – that isn’t conducive and
Cohen and Hallback’s misadventure puts light upon themselves and us as a

system, we can’t tolerate.” 

Utility dispute seems headed to mediation

BY LISA ZAHNER ty would agree not go after Vero’s water-
Staff Writer sewer customers on the South barrier
island and Indian River Shores. But the
The Vero Beach City Council is not city does not want to give the county
thrilled with terms Indian River Coun- what it wants to gain that assurance.
ty proposed to settle an ongoing legal
dispute over Vero’s water-sewer ser- In order to make a deal, the county
vice territory, and county officials are wants control over the rates its un-
frustrated that Vero seems unwilling incorporated South Beach residents
to compromise to strike a deal. would pay for the next five to 10 years,
with no surcharge on top of the regu-
One aspect of the county’s latest pitch lar rates. The county also wants Vero
would work to Vero’s benefit – the coun- to end its long-standing practice of

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 11

transferring a portion of the water- Taylor Dingle Brian Heady Rey Neville first-choice candidate. But who will
sewer utility revenue into its general get the second vote of Zudans voters?
fund, and to ensure that unincorpo-
rated county customers of Vero’s util- John Cotugno, Charlie Wilson and
ity get the same level of service as peo- Taylor Dingle seem to be vying for the
ple who live in the city limits. second vote of Tracey Zudans’ conser-
vative supporters. If that vote is split
“We agree on two of those. We agree three ways, it could leave plenty of
that there shouldn’t be an outside the room for incumbent Rey Neville, who
city surcharge, and we agree that all has very little in common with Zu-
our customers receive the same level of dans, to slide back into office.
service,” City Manager Monte Falls said.
“But when it comes to rates, we have Campaign dollars can be a good way
been firm in saying that the city should to tell who may be in the lead, but in
be able to establish rates that are just most city elections, people who can-
and equitable to recover the cost of op- not vote – but who still have a vested
erating our utility. That’s the same man- interest in how the city is governed –
ner in which the county sets its rates.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Falls said it’s also not reasonable for
the county to dictate how the city runs
its utility business. He said the law allows
a surcharge, as does the 1987 franchise
agreement with the county, but the city
over time agreed to stop charging the
outside city surcharge. And the 6 percent
transfer into the general fund is the city’s
return on investment for owning and
operating the utility – all perfectly legal.

“If the county is not interested in the
city’s customers, and wants to avoid
unnecessary litigation, it should ac-
knowledge the terms of the 1989 ter-
ritorial agreement, that are consistent
with state law, and accept the terms of
the franchise agreement that we think
are reasonable,” Falls said. “If not, it’s
time to stop wasting time and move
onto the next step of the 164 proceed-
ings, which is mediation.”

Vero has been serving the unincor-
porated South Barrier Island residents
without a franchise agreement for the
past four years after a 30-year contract
signed in 1987 was allowed to expire
because the parties could not agree
on the terms of a new agreement. Vero
had begun charging South barrier is-
land customers Indian River County
rates, but there is no guarantee that

would continue. 

Vero council candidates
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

tize spending on pet projects over fis-
cal responsibility.

Six men and one woman hope to win
one of two seats on the council. Candi-
dates do not run for a particular seat, so
the office of city council member goes
to the top two vote getters. When there
are seven people running it makes for
an interesting dynamic, and a less pre-
dictable outcome because oft times,
the person who is the “second choice”
of the most voters enjoys the victory.

That factor may very well come
into play in this election. In terms of
campaign money, endorsements and
name recognition, Tracey Zudans
would seem to be the favorite as a

12 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Vero council candidates wife of former Vero Beach mayor Val Collector Carole Jean Jordan, Sheriff be adept at handling tough situations.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 Zudans, more than doubled the mon- Eric Flowers, Indian River County Hos- “We have an incredible opportunity
ey of her next nearest competitor so in pital District Board Trustee Ann Marie
contribute substantial dollars. That terms of sheer resources available, Zu- McCrystal, former Vero mayor Harry to simultaneously resolve these law-
wasn’t the case this election cycle as dans dominates. As of Oct. 15 Zudans Howle, the Vero Beach Police Officers suits, fund a state-of-the-art sewer facil-
much as over the last decade when the had amassed $23,075 in contributions, Association and the Indian River Fire- ity and keep rates the same or better,”
sale of Vero Beach electric drove bar- loans and in-kind donations. fighters and Paramedics Local 2201. she said. “It is about building and re-
rier island residents outside the city to pairing relationships and I am the can-
back pro-sale candidates in a big way. Zudans pulled in the most promi- In terms of the city budget, Zudans didate most able to make this happen.”
nent endorsements as well. Among is consistently against new taxes or in-
Here’s how the candidates’ war her supporters are Vero Beach Mayor creased taxes, and she’s a proponent of Management consultant and Cen-
chests were shaping up as of Oct. 15, Robbie Brackett, Indian River School limited government. When asked in a tral Beach resident John Cotugno is
which is the last date included on the Board Chair Brian Barefoot, Florida local candidate questionnaire to share hoping to build on his momentum
Oct. 22 report. Senate Majority Leader Debbie May- thoughts on the current legal dispute from the past two city elections, and to
field, Florida House Rep. Erin Grall, In- with Indian River Shores, Zudans said do so, he raised a respectable $10,100
Tracey Zudans, former Indian River dian River County Property Appraiser she thinks she’s the right person to jump in contributions, loans and in-kind
Hospital District Board member and Wesley Davis, Indian River County Tax into the negotiations, as she’s known to donations by Oct. 15.

Sailfish CRISTELLE CAY A member of both the city’s Util-
ity Advisory Committee and the Three
One must not wait until dusk to see how splendid life can be Corners Steering Committee, Cotugno
has been involved in two of Vero’s most
Oceanfront Cristelle Cay is entirely surrounded by preserves in perpetuity pressing issues. That volunteer ser-
Find matchless quality and value in a wide pristine beach setting vice, combined with his professional
Each condominium has a 32’ x 8’ direct oceanfront patio balcony background and involvement in vari-
ous charitable causes in the commu-
All windows and sliding glass doors exceed the Florida Building Code nity, has won Cotugno some friends.
Custom design ceilings~Marble Bathrooms~Engineered wood floors~Painting
“My ongoing civic involvement
Custom Gourmet Kitchen has uniquely prepared me to address
9-unit SAILFISH has four 3-bedroom & 3-bathroom condos remaining the key issues facing Vero Beach: The
12-unit MAHI-MAHI has six 2-bedroom & 3-bathroom condos remaining Wastewater Treatment Plant reloca-
Garage parking - AC storage units - Gym - Gated Entry - Dog Walk - Barbecue tion, Three Corners development, the
Marina refurbishment, and the ongo-
Design-Developed by Cardinal Ocean Development LLC ing issue of lagoon health,” Cotugno
52-years Florida oceanfront condominium development states in his campaign pitch.

Peer-reviewed engineering integrity Cotugno’s notable donors include
former County Commissioner Bob So-
Now Under Construction lari, Corporate Air, Tim Girard of Girard
Equipment, former Vero councilman
4804 Atlantic Beach Boulevard (A1A) North Hutchinson Island, Florida Joe Graves, Lowther Cremation, the
Fifteen minutes south of Vero Beach 17th Street Bridge Vero Beach Life Guard Association’s Erik
Email: [email protected] Tel: 772.321.9590 Toomsoo, and local attorney Barry Segal.
from $1,025,000
Charlie Wilson, who was elected to
Mahi Mahi the Vero City Council and took bold
steps to get the ball rolling on the Vero
electric sale during his short stint in of-
fice, is eager to return to city politics
after a few years out of the spotlight.
He certainly knows the ins and outs of
how the city government works, and he
knows all the personalities involved.

Most importantly, Wilson knows how
to tell when things aren’t working – and
he’s not afraid to speak up, on the dais
or from the public podium. In 2009, and
later with his Operation Clean Sweep
campaign, Wilson’s prime focus was to
push the sale of Vero electric. This time
around Wilson, feels it’s time to back a
police, anti-crime platform.

In terms of the riverfront develop-
ment, Wilson sees the utility sites as re-
ally the bookend to the electric sale – an-
other huge, multi-year effort that needs
someone like him to push it forward.

“More than a decade ago, I and oth-
ers started the movement to sell Vero
Electric. I also promised to protect
Vero’s quality of life after the sale. It
took nine years to complete the sale
and unfortunately, it appears that if
nothing is done to move things along,
it may take another nine years to com-
plete the job of retasking the old plant

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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14 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Vero council candidates place the public can go with pride. As to-face can pay off, despite being a rel- the electric issue and was defeated for
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 I did with the electric issue, I pledge to ative newcomer to Vero city elections. re-election. He was later appointed to
have a plan, approval from voters and Dingle has not run previously, but he fill a vacancy but was also not re-elect-
site for the future. I have a record of beginning construction by the end of did apply for Joe Graves’ council seat ed running a second time as an incum-
accomplishment and getting things my two-year term,” Wilson said. when he resigned in March. bent. In-between, Daige has served be-
done. I can do this too,” Wilson said in hind the scenes on various committees
response to an Indian River Neighbor- As of Oct. 15 Wilson had reported a to- As of Oct. 15, Dingle had a total of and speaks from the podium at almost
hood Association candidate survey. tal of $6,425 in contributions, loans and $6,295.36 in contributions, loans and in- every city meeting. As of Oct. 15, Daige
in-kind donations. Notable donors to kind donations. Notable donors: Utility has raised $3,655 in contributions,
“I applaud what they have accom- Wilson’s campaign include local accoun- activist and Moorings resident Steve Fa- loans and in-kind donations. He de-
plished but I just don’t think we are tant Kathryn Barton, Arlyne Zorc, attor- herty, Republican Women’s Club leader clined to be photographed.
there yet,” Wilson said of the Three ney Charles Sullivan and former Indian Linda Teetz, former Republican State
Corners Steering Committee’s efforts. River Shores Vice Mayor Jerry Weick. Committeeman Joe Coakley and the Daige has some support from the
“We need a plan with a 100-year vision Realtors Political Action Committee. “Keep Vero Vero” crowd. His notable
that compliments Riverside Park, the Taylor Dingle, founder of the Vero donors this time around include Vero
Museum of Art, Riverside Theatre. A Beach Young Republicans group, is Ken Daige wants to return to the city Councilman Dick Winger, Mike Jo-
trying to prove that energy and doing council for a third time. He served one hannsen (Chair of Indian River Neigh-
the hard work of meeting voters face- full term, but was on the wrong side of borhood Association), Shamrock Real
Estate, Indian River Shores residents
John and Judy Orcutt and Susan Carr.

Candidate and former Vero council-
man Brian Heady does not solicit cam-
paign funds, as Heady has long argued
people already know what he stands
for. Outspoken and often seen as a bit
eccentric with his wild beard, his color-
ful signature patriotic shirts and his oc-
casional earthy language, Heady favors
practical solutions to problems and ac-
countability for taxpayer money.

If you take the non-fundraiser Heady
out of the equation, incumbent Rey Nev-
ille places dead last in terms of monetary
support for his campaign. As of Oct. 15,
Neville raised $3,550 in contributions,
loans and in-kind donations.

Neville, a Central Beach resident,
was one of the biggest supporters
of the stormwater utility tax and he
wanted the city council to increase
the property tax rate this year to make
room for all the items on a wish list
that the city staff had compiled, but he
was outvoted. An avid boater, Neville
is a big proponent of renovating the
city’s marina, including the construc-
tion of a boat barn to help meet the
need of local boaters for dry storage.

Neville has high hopes for the
planned riverfront development, ac-
cording to his published responses to
a local candidate questionnaire about
pressing city issues.

“I personally think the now defunct
electric plant can be turned into a phe-
nomenal asset to the community and
a destination for residents and visitors
alike,” Neville said.

Notable donors to Neville’s campaign
include Indian River Shores residents
and lagoon enthusiasts Judy and John
Orcutt, and Mike Johannsen, chair of In-
dian River Neighborhood Association.

Also on the Vero ballot will be a refer-
endum approving the lease of a parcel
of city-owned property for an existing
communications tower which supports
public safety radio traffic as well as cell-
phone carriers. In return for this lease,
the county agreed to give Vero $500,000
plus oceanfront property adjacent to
South Beach Park, and land adjacent to

Charles Park on the mainland. 

Carol Franz, Dennis Natoli,
Cindy Davenhall and Mary Bradley.

PEP WALK: ‘STRIDERS’ ENERGIZED
TO STOMP ON BREAST CANCER

16 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Pep walk: ‘Striders’ energized to stomp on breast cancer

Dante and Nicole Ercoli with Kirk and Patty Maes and Susan Keller Horn. PHOTOS: KAILA JONES Theresa Woodson, Jennifer Cornwell and Dan Chappell.

Raphael Thiney, Luc Thiney and Dr. Anastasia Tousimis. Mimi Kuriger, Leslie Nulton and Dianne Neveras. Stan Labanowitz, Margaret Fly and Christy Labanowitz.

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF level high with help from Edmund referencing last year’s pandemic can- man, offered a moment of silence
Staff Writer and Cathi Nalzaro, who kicked things cellation. for those who lost their battle with
off singing the National Anthem, fol- the disease, and prompted a rous-
Breast cancer advocates length- lowed by an energetic performance by “It is so good to see you here gath- ing round of applause for the sur-
ened their stride this year to support the Good Life Dancers. ered together, channeling your pas-
the 16th annual Indian River County sion and purpose and determina- vivors who were able to attend,
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer “This is the 17th year since we first tion to make a difference in the fight some proudly striding along with
walk at Riverside Park, hoping to rid started Making Strides Against Breast against breast cancer. Enjoy knowing the support of family and friends.
the world of breast cancer with every Cancer in Indian River County. Today that today, each and every one of you The Vero Beach High School cheer-
step through cancer research, care, will be our 16th walk, and we all know is appreciated for the impact you are leaders led the charge, cheering on
education and treatment. why,” said Theresa Woodson, ACS making,” she added. the survivors and those walking in
community development manager, remembrance of loved ones, as El-
While the pandemic may have Dan Chappell, ACS board chair- liot talked participants through three
stopped the event in its tracks last year, turns around the 1-mile course.
it did nothing to dim the enthusiasm Proceeds from MSABC supports
of the pink-clad participants who de- “survivors, thrivers and caregivers,”
scended upon the park this year. The with the nonprofit making the pledge
American Cancer Society started the to use funds to help breast cancer pa-
walks more than two decades ago as a tients and their families navigate ev-
way to unite communities in their ef- ery step of the journey.
forts to eradicate this deadly disease. Research indicates that breast can-
cer is the most common form of can-
By event day, the local walk had cer among women, apart from skin
raised more than $73,000 of their cancers. In 2021, an estimated 281,550
$110,000 goal to ‘fund the future’ new cases of invasive breast cancer
through the efforts of some 250 indi- were expected to be diagnosed in the
viduals and 45 teams. Top funders: U.S., plus another 49,290 new cases of
Dr. Baker’s Buddies, Top Fundraising non-invasive breast cancer.
Team; Marilyn Kolar, Top Participant;
and Sebastian River Medical Center, For more information, visit acs
Top Company. events.org. 

Emcee Hamp Elliot kept the energy

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 17

PEOPLE

Debbie Stanley, Raffaela Liuzzo-Mazzocchi, Iyaad Hasan and Dr. John Petersen. Leslie Stokes, Christy Hilburn, Mariner Pete, James Griffin and Kayon Ashley.

Maureen Leu and Mary Helen Sullivan.
Paige Rhymes and Kate Olea.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Lei’d-back vibes and serious fun at Youth Guidance luau

BY MARY SCHENKEL “That says a lot for you guys,” said directors, who he said have taken the ing with five different trades: HVAC,
Staff Writer Saffer. “It says a lot for this commu- organization “to the next level.” plumbing, welding, carpentry and
nity, and it says a lot for this organiza- electric. Our goal is to give these kids
While ‘Aloha’ is recognized as a tion. When you see the words Youth “Also, I want to thank the team real world skills that will help them
greeting or farewell, the word also Guidance Mentoring, you know at Youth Guidance and our volun- down the road, later in their lives. I
means love and friendship, and to somebody is trying to change the teers. None of this would be possible thank each and every one of you here
native Hawaiians defines “a force world. And you’re doing it right here.” without you. And last, but certainly for helping us accomplish that.”
that holds existence together.” All not least, I want to thank everybody
are fitting thoughts for the support- Kevin Moree, current board chair- standing right here and our spon- Before launching into the auction
ers of the Youth Guidance Mentoring man, introduced Philip Barnes, sors. You’re the reason we’re able to of unique items and experiences,
Academy, who gathered recently for Youth Guidance executive director, do what we do,” said Barnes. He also Saffer asked everyone to raise their
the 44th annual Tropical Night Luau commenting on his remarkable lead- paid tribute to presenting “Aloha” glasses in a toast, saying of Barnes,
at the Boulevard Village and Tennis ership. sponsor Trudie Rainone, who was “Not only is he wise beyond his years,
Club. unable to attend. passionate and dedicated to the kids
“Three things about Phil: Phil has and the community, but today’s his
As guests in colorful Hawaiian at- the passion, the ability to fundraise “This is our 48th anniversary of birthday.”
tire began to arrive and were gifted and the management skills to run Youth Guidance; we’re coming up on
with floral leis, some laughed that the organization. I’ve been here for 50 years here in Indian River County. And then it was time for a mouth-
the evening’s sultry humidity gave 10 years, my second trip as the board We provide one-on-one and group watering Hawaiian feast, complete
the occasion a decidedly island feel. chair, and he’s the fourth executive mentoring programs for kids ages 5 with a whole roasted pig, presented
Tables were spaced for pandemic director that I’ve been with. And he and all the way up to 24. Your support by chef proprietors Anthony and Lisa
comfort inside the clubhouse and out is by far the best we’ve ever had. He’s here today guarantees that they’ll Damiano of Counter Culture Vero, the
on the covered veranda, keeping ev- young, he’s got a lot of energy, he’s re- be able to access life skills training restaurant and bar at the Boulevard.
eryone dry even later in the evening ally amazing. His passion for the kids and vocational skills programs,” said
when the skies opened up. is special and his fundraising ability Barnes. Proceeds from the event will go
is amazing, as is his ability to run the toward afterschool programs and
While invitees sipped cocktails and organization.” “We’re launching a pre-apprentice- healthy meals for approximately 200
nibbled on passed hors d’oeuvres, ship program next week; it’s the first local children with limited resources.
auctioneer Neil Saffer commented on Barnes recognized attendees for one of its kind in the county. Kids will For more information, visit youth-
the impressive longevity of the event. their support, the Boulevard for the be getting six different professional guidanceprogram.org. 
use of the facility and the board of certifications and they’ll be graduat-

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 19

PEOPLE

Susan Becker, Shirley Becker and Susan Appel. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LaBAFF George and Elke Fetterolf with Barbara Petrillo and Duncan MacLeod. Lori and Trey Higdon with Boo and Heather MacIntyre.

Sue Dempsey, Judy Landgrave and Candy Caldwell. Dr. Carl and Stephanie DiLella with Jennifer and Dr.Phillip Nye. Marie Conforti with Jack and Carolyn Norris.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Mission accomplished! Astronaut
Stott’s stories of space scintillate

BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF that goes by that those three things
aren’t swirling around in my head
Staff Writer for whatever decision I’m making,”
said Stott.
Retired NASA astronaut Nicole
Stott launched this year’s Indian “The International Space Station,
River Chapter of Military Officers in one form or another, has been on
Association of America luncheon orbit for over 20 years with represen-
Speaker Series, held recently at the tatives from five international space
Vero Beach Yacht Club. agencies, representing 15 different
countries, and somehow they are
“Let’s put Nicole’s space expe- peacefully and successfully working
rience in perspective,” said Terry on this mission in space. Ultimately,
Treat, MOAA vice president, provid- everything about it has to do with
ing some background information improving life on earth. We should
by way of introduction. be living like crew here on spaceship
earth as well.”
He noted that just 562 people have
flown missions in space since Rus- While in space, Stott painted a wa-
sian astronaut Yuri Gagarin first or- tercolor image that is now on display
bited the earth in 1961. in the Humans in Space exhibit at
the Smithsonian National Air and
“That is one in 14 million of the Space Museum on the National Mall
world’s current population of 7.8 bil- in Washington, D.C. Back on planet
lion,” said Treat. “The first woman in earth, she now devotes much of her
space was Soviet cosmonaut Valen- time to sharing her space flight ex-
tina Tereshkova in 1963, who at age periences with children in pediatric
26 remains the youngest woman in cancer centers and refugee centers
space. Since then, 64 more women, around the world, through space-
to include Nicole, have ventured into themed art therapy programs.
space. That’s roughly one in 120 mil-
lion in the world or the entire popu- As a co-founder of the Space for
lation of Japan.” Art Foundation, Stott said one of
their current projects involves creat-
Stott is a veteran of two Interna- ing a spacesuit decorated with kids’
tional Space Station expeditions art.
and three space shuttle missions, in-
cluding a 6.5-hour spacewalk during Following the luncheon, several
one of those missions. She was also MOAA members gathered to toast
a member of a six-person crew that the placement of a World War I mon-
spent 18 days in the Aquarius Under- ument on Veterans Memorial Island
sea Research Habitat, testing equip- Sanctuary that will be officially
ment and techniques for future dedicated during the Veterans Day
lunar operations. Stott flew space Ceremony there, beginning at 9 a.m.
missions between 2009 to 2011, re- Thursday, Nov. 11.
tiring from NASA in 2015 after 27
years of service. The bronze statue is of a WWI “Di-
xie Doughboy” that the MOAA mem-
During the luncheon, Stott shared bers are fondly referring to as “Alex,”
stories of her experience as an astro- honoring Alex MacWilliam Sr., for
naut, commenting on photographs his military service and his role in
taken throughout her career, which the creation of the peaceful island
began as a NASA operations engi- sanctuary to honor our veterans.
neer. She credited her parents for
inspiring her to fly by sharing what Carroll Oates, MOAA president,
they enjoyed doing, specifically her said the Doughboy stands proudly,
father’s love of building and flying “Springfield rifle fixed with bayonet
small airplanes. leading the charge. We’re very proud
of this. MOAA has planted a flag on
Scott said she wrote her recently the island by getting that done.”
released book, “Back to Earth: What
Life in Space Taught Me About Our MOAA is a nonprofit organization
Home Planet – And Our Mission to open to current, former and retired
Protect It,” to emphasize the need to officers from all service branches,
combat climate change. their spouses, and surviving spous-
es. Members meet monthly in sea-
“I came home with three very son and also participate in commu-
simple lessons. We live on a planet. nity events.
We are all earthlings. The only bor-
der that matters is that thin blue For more information, visit moaafl.
line of atmosphere that blankets org/Chapters/IRCMOAA. 
and protects us all. There’s not a day

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 21

PEOPLE

Terry Treat, Nicole Stott and Carroll Oates. PHOTOS: STEPHANIE LaBAFF Caroline Riordan and Connie Webb. Tad Woodhull, Patricia Geyer-Patton and Marty Zickert.

Dale and Dawn Content. Mike and Joan Di Scipio. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
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22 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 Bethany and Michael Fortunato with Michelle and Ken Dale.
Patti and Dennis Makielski with Doris and George Derifield.

Robert Scheppy and Bill Duffy with Jay and Margaret Torres.



24 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

DENALI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska den menace was lurking under the the closure would continue through senior senator, few officials embody
surface. the entire summer of 2022. this tension more than Lisa Murkows-
– Denali National Park has just one ki (R).
road in and out. And each year, hun- And it has woken up. Federal park officials now say they’re
dreds of thousands of visitors fill the Halfway along the route, as the road analyzing a $53 million plan to bridge In an August Facebook post,
park’s trademark buses for tours, hop- curls past the steep cliffs and chutes of the creeping pile of earth, with Con- Murkowski touted her work to secure
ing for a glimpse of a wolf or a brown Polychrome Pass, park scientists have gress poised to approve the money. federal money to fix the landslide. And
bear in the shadow of North America’s discovered that a rocky glacier lies un- less than a week later, her campaign
highest peak. derneath it. Warming temperatures But for at least the next few years, scheduled a political fundraiser at the
are accelerating the glacier’s move- the slow-moving landslide will inter- Anchorage home of the top Alaska ex-
The road’s 92-mile route winds up, ment downhill, carrying 300 feet of fere with one of Denali’s prized tourist ecutive of oil company ConocoPhillips
over and around sheer mountain roadbed with it and jeopardizing con- sites. And as continued warming de- – the state’s top crude oil producer.
passes before dead-ending at an old tinued access to some of the park’s key stabilizes other key planks in Alaska’s
mining community at its westernmost attractions. economy and threatens its infrastruc- Murkowski and the rest of Alaska’s
point. When it was built, designers In August, the slide prompted park ture, the state’s elected leaders con- congressional delegation have blasted
made what seemed like a reasonable managers to close the road just short tinue promoting the oil development the Biden administration’s moves to
assumption that worked for nearly a of the halfway point, forcing lodges on that is helping to fuel the problem. block oil development in the Arctic
century: The mountainsides support- the far side to conduct a costly evacua- National Wildlife Refuge, and they sup-
ing the road would be stable. tion and end their summer tourist sea- Alaska ranks as the nation’s fastest- port expanding drilling in the National
son early. This week, they announced warming state, and it gets roughly Petroleum Reserve-Alaska through
But it turns out that at one of the one-fourth of its discretionary spend- ConocoPhillips’ Willow project.
road’s most precipitous points, a hid- ing from oil and gas revenue. And as its

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 25

At Alaska’s most popular national INSIGHT COVER STORY
park, climate change threatens the
only road in and out. A bus of tourists and visitors drives
along the park road in Denali National

Park and Preserve, Alaska.

The Robotic Total Station poised just The threatened road site at
beyond the weak part of the road at Pretty Rock in Denali National
Pretty Rock collects data on the shift-
ing geography of the area. Park and Preserve.

Climate activists in Murkowski’s Brooke Merrell, Deputy Superintendent that human-caused emissions are
home state argue that those efforts of Denali National Park and Preserve, driving global warming. But Murkows-
are incompatible with a recent Inter- stands on the Park Road. ki has taken a more moderate ap-
national Energy Agency report that proach and accepts that the burning of
says there’s no room for new oil fields fossil fuels plays a role.
if the world hopes to reach a “net zero”
energy system by 2050 — a target the In a phone interview, Murkowski
world must hit to limit global warm- rejected the idea of an inconsistency
ing to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees between her work to address global
Fahrenheit). warming’s effects on Alaska and her
oil company ties, describing the in-
“She’ll say climate change is real dustry as a key player in the transition
and that it’s human-caused,” said Em- to a lower-carbon future.
ily Sullivan, an Alaska climate orga-
nizer who lives part-time in the Denali “You need to be working with the
area. “But the words are hollow if she industry. You need to be working with
continues to pursue new extraction the private sector. You need to be
projects.” working with academia. You need to
be working with the environmental
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) has groups. We all need to be working to-
questioned the scientific consensus
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

26 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 INSIGHT COVER STORY

gether,” she said. “Sometimes I think The Park Road in Denali National Park Matt Shaefer, Facility Manager of
all we want to do is fight and bicker and Preserve has approximately 140 Denali National Park and Preserve,
and prove that we can’t get things threatened sites. stands on the threatened road site at
done.” Pretty Rock. Shaefer says that after
One of many prisms that collects data
Alaska’s political leaders have sup- on the shifting geography of Pretty Rock. just two days of no maintenance,
ported some climate-friendly policies. The information collected by the prisms the road has shifted two feet.
Dunleavy has solicited investments in is sent and interpreted by the Robotic
green energy from companies outside Total Station. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) walks out
his state, and his administration is of the Senate chamber in Washington.
studying whether it can leverage state
forests to sell carbon credits. Passengers ride one of the many buses
in Denali National Park and Preserve
Murkowski helped frame major en- on Sept. 4
ergy legislation approved by Congress
last year that puts hundreds of mil-
lions of dollars toward wind, solar, tid-
al and geothermal power, along with
carbon capture technology.

But critics say that they aren’t mov-
ing urgently enough to stave off major
climate effects in the state. One study
by University of Alaska Anchorage
professors predicts that global warm-
ing could cost the state more than
$500 million a year over the next few
decades, or roughly 1 percent of its
gross domestic product.

Denali’s visitor industry, which park
officials say generates more than $600
million a year in local spending, is not
the only economic sector being hit by
climate change in Alaska.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which
carries nearly 5 percent of the nation’s
daily oil production, has been affected
by thawing permafrost and flooding,
requiring its owners to invest in costly
repairs.

Federal scientists are reporting that
precipitous declines in crab stocks
in a warming Bering Sea could cost
fishermen tens of millions of dollars
in harvests. And in September, Alaska
Native groups asked Commerce Sec-
retary Gina Raimondo to declare a
fisheries disaster given the collapse in
the Yukon River’s salmon population
– a crucial subsistence harvest for the
region that also fuels a small commer-
cial fishery.

North Slope oil companies, mean-
while, are engineering projects to in-
clude more chilling devices to help
insulate the tundra their infrastruc-
ture sits on from the effects of climate
change. And in response to permafrost
thaw, one of Alaska’s largest mines re-
cently spent $19 million on upgrades
to its wastewater treatment system.

The Denali landslide is one of Alas-
ka’s most visible climate effects – one
that Murkowski, the top Republican
on the Senate panel overseeing the
National Park Service’s budget, has
seen firsthand.

“I just kept looking up at that land-
slide area and down where it passes,
and how narrow that road was and
how much it had slipped from the
year prior,” she said. “And I tell you: I
just wanted to get out of there.”

Murkowski, along with park of-
ficials, stress that risks to tourists

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 27

INSIGHT COVER STORY

are low. And even with the park road mon Hamm, co-owner of the high-end After less than two months without road, in addition to the Pretty Rocks
closed at Polychrome Pass, visitors Camp Denali lodge, which evacuated maintenance this fall, the 300-foot landslide.
can still ride buses halfway into the 30 guests. (Their consolation prize: section of road has fallen some 30 feet,
park and turn around short of the Witnessing a wolf take down a caribou according to park managers. Park managers have identified more
landslide. on their drive out.) than 140 “unstable slopes” on the
They’re working urgently to advance route. And some of those will prob-
But it will probably be at least two The road closure cut off the last construction of the bridge over the ably be affected by the widespread
years before a bridge can be built that two weeks of the lodge’s short sea- landslide. But that will take time, leav- permafrost thaw predicted to happen
will return the park’s busy tourist eco- son, costing it roughly $250,000 in ing some Denali tourism businesses throughout Denali in the coming de-
system to normalcy. lost business, stranding it with ex- facing continuing uncertainty as they cades.
cess supplies and food and sending recover from a difficult coronavirus
At Denali, park managers say insta- seasonal workers home early. Those pandemic. “It’s highly likely that we will see
bility at a spot known as Pretty Rocks losses rippled out to the regional mass movement events affecting the
has long been a minor nuisance. economy, because the business pays Hamm is reluctantly considering road in a very expensive way,” said
bed taxes to the local borough and whether to start bringing in lodge Louise Farquharson, an Arctic geolo-
In that area, the dirt roadbed is cut buys locally harvested food, such as guests by air. gist and research professor at the Uni-
into a shelf on the mountainside. And salmon and grains. versity of Alaska Fairbanks. “This isn’t
Denali scientists have discovered that Scientists say they expect warming to a one and done.” 
at Pretty Rocks, a 300-foot stretch sits exacerbate problems along the Denali
atop what’s called a rock glacier — ice
mixed in with a large amount of rocky
debris.

For decades, the rock glacier slid
downhill just a few inches a year, cre-
ating small cracks in the road that re-
quired only sporadic maintenance.
But in recent years, amid record
warmth and rainfall, the glacier’s de-
scent has sped up dramatically.

During the tourist season, mainte-
nance crews have kept the road level
by dumping gravel onto the slide. But
the road shuts down for months each
winter. And without the added gravel,
the glacier has begun carrying the 300-
foot shelf multiple feet downhill each
offseason – detaching it at both ends
from the rest of the road and leaving
nearly cliff-steep slopes where it once
connected.

The road typically stays open to its
western end through mid-September.
But by August this year, the move-
ment had accelerated to more than a
foot per day, forcing park managers
to cut off access to Polychrome Pass a
month early.

At a site visit last month, as rock-
fall tumbled down into a ditch on the
uphill side of the road, park officials
wearing hard hats described their
maintenance crews’ intense efforts
to keep traffic moving before the
closure. Just before the decision was
made to close the road, dump trucks
were delivering dozens of loads of
gravel to the site each week, with pe-
riodic breaks to allow buses through.
(The road is closed to most private
vehicle traffic during the summer
season.)

“It just reached this point where it
becomes unsustainable,” said Matt
Shaefer, Denali’s top maintenance
official. “You’re kind of running on a
treadmill, but going backwards.”

The closure caused major disrup-
tions to the park’s tourism industry
and, combined with an impending
snowstorm, left the lodges at the west-
ern end of the road scrambling to
evacuate guests.

“We informed them during break-
fast, and told them they had 45 min-
utes to go gather their things,” said Si-

28 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT OPINION

Back in the cockpit after time off recovering from While some airlines are providing pilots with ad- Rajee Olaganathan, an assistant professor at the
COVID-19, an airline pilot forgot to start his plane’s equate retraining, others are offering “the bare mini- university, found one such ASRS report in the eight
second engine for takeoff, a mistake that could have mum,” if anything at all, said Harter. months before March 2020, then 10 in the next eight
ended in disaster if he hadn’t aborted the flight. months.
It’s not as if authorities are blind to this. The Interna-
Another pilot, fresh from a seven-month layoff be- tional Civil Aviation Organization, which sets industry The obvious dangers posed by poor pilots, even
cause of the pandemic and descending to land early standards, and the International Air Transport Asso- before Covid, have made the job one of the most
in the morning, realized almost too late he hadn’t ciation have seen the risks looming for months. Both strictly controlled on the planet. United Nations
lowered the wheels. bodies, as well as Europe’s top aviation regulator, have agency ICAO usually requires pilots undergo two
published detailed training guides to help airlines proficiency checks every 12 months and perform
Weeks earlier, a passenger plane leaving a busy transition out-of-practice pilots back into the air. three takeoffs and landings every 90 days. They’re
airport headed off in the wrong direction, flown by also subject to examinations from doctors special-
a captain who was back on deck for the first time in But interviews with pilots from Asia and Europe – izing in aviation medicine.
more than six months. and the database of anonymous accounts in the U.S.
– reveal varying degrees of ability and confidence When the pandemic began, ICAO allowed airlines
These potentially disastrous errors all took place among those who have returned to duty, including flexibility in meeting these rules because the virus
in the U.S. in recent months as pilots returned to pilots who have completed retraining programs. was devastating enough, as long as carriers incor-
work. In every case, crew blamed their oversight on porated other safeguards. But with flying on its way
a shortage of flying during Covid, the most deadly Aviation has largely been defined by its colossal fi- back, the Montreal-based agency says it’s becoming
pandemic since the 1918 influenza outbreak and nancial losses – $138 billion last year alone and anoth- less lenient.
certainly the only one to have wreaked such havoc er $52 billion expected in 2021 – since Covid brought
on what was a burgeoning global aviation industry. travel to a standstill. As the industry tries to claw back “There’s going to be a point beyond which you
some of its lost revenue, managing the safety risks can’t stretch standards,” said Ian Knowles, a tech-
The incidents are among dozens of mistakes, con- posed by returning pilots is an additional burden and nical officer within ICAO’s air navigation bureau,
fidentially declared by out-of-practice pilots since one that airlines with stronger balance sheets have the which leads the agency’s response to crises.
the start of the pandemic, that are stored on a low- luxury of handling more proficiently than others.
profile database designed to identify emerging safe- Even so, ICAO is still offering 41 exemptions from
ty threats. The monitoring program, funded by the The scale of the problem is partly documented on the standards in 11 countries including Cambo-
Federal Aviation Administration, is decades old but the U.S. Aviation Safety Reporting System, the data- dia, Nigeria and Pakistan, according to its website.
is now flashing warning signs as planes return to the base of safety incidents voluntarily reported by pi- Air Niugini in Papua New Guinea, for example, has
skies across the world. lots, crew and air-traffic controllers. The ASRS reports been allowed to stretch its pilot-proficiency checks to
don’t name the crew, airlines or airports involved. 12-month intervals because Covid restrictions make
Deep cuts by airlines left some 100,000 pilots glob- it difficult to access flight simulators in nearby Austra-
ally working skeleton hours or on long-term leave, In a line of work where there’s little room for pro- lia and Singapore.
according to consulting firm Oliver Wyman. Many fessional error, the dangers become stark. While
haven’t flown for more than 18 months. But as rising most of the mistakes are minor – they include flying While commercial flying in the U.S. is 17% off nor-
vaccination rates allow travel to resume, concerns are momentarily at the incorrect altitude or speed, or mal levels, activity in Western Europe remains down
growing that a lack of proficiency, confidence, or sim- taxiing across a runway in the wrong place – some of 35%, according to OAG. The shortfalls are even great-
ply one moment of forgetfulness could lead to tragedy. the worst aviation disasters are rooted in seemingly er in the Middle East, Southern Africa and Southeast
inconsequential missteps. Asia, where many international borders remain shut.
“It is really a critical situation,” said Uwe Harter,
a grounded Airbus SE A380 pilot for Deutsche Luf- And worryingly, the number of incidents tied to a Evidence suggests more oversight is needed in
thansa AG who’s also the executive vice president for lack of pilot proficiency climbed almost immediately certain regions. 
technical and safety standards at the International after the pandemic began to disrupt commercial fly-
Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations. “The last ing schedules, according to a February study by the A version of this column by Angus Whitley and An-
thing the industry needs now is a bad accident.” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. urag Kotoky first appeared on Bloomberg. It does not
necessarily reflect the views of Vero Beach 32963.

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

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 29

INSIGHT OPINION

Air France canceled Jim Shea's flight one year ago. Cook Travel has asked Air France to make you wait one year representative told you that your trav-
during the pandemic. But he's been me to be patient, but now they are is outrageous. el agent had the money. The travel
waiting a year for a re-fund.Where is it? not responding to my inquiries. I've agency says it does not have the re-
tried to dispute the charges with Ci- Your travel agency should have fought fund. It appears that they just pointed
QUESTION: tibank, my credit card issuer, but a for your refund. After all, aren't travel the finger at each other until they lost
repre-sentative told me too much agents supposed to represent you? And interest in resolving your case.
Last year, I bought tickets to fly from time has elapsed. I've tried to reach how about your credit card? Citibank
San Francisco to Stockholm on Air out to executives at Air France and could have easily accepted your dis- You could have reached out to some-
France. I booked the tickets through Cook Travel but have gotten no re- pute. The Fair Credit Billing Act, the one higher up at Air France to resolve
Cook Travel, a travel agency in NewYork. sponse. Can you help me? law that protects credit card customers, this. I list the names, phone numbers
I paid for the tickets with my credit card. does not prevent your bank or credit and email addresses of Air France ex-
ANSWER: card issuer from getting involved in a ecutives on my consumer advocacy
Air France canceled the flight be- dispute, even if it's been longer than 90 web-site, Elliott.org.
cause of the pandemic. Cook Travel If an airline cancels a flight, it has to days. Citibank could have done better.
promised me a full refund. That was send you a refund within seven busi- I contacted Cook Travel. A repre-
ness days. That's not my rule; it's the Based on the correspondence be- sentative looked into your refund and
U.S. Department of Transportation's. tween you, Cook Travel and the airline, concluded that Air France had tried
If I had my way, I'd make them refund here's what happened to your money. to send the money. You checked with
it as quickly as they took your money, your bank, which contradicted the Air
which is within a few seconds. So, for Air France tried to refund the ticket France claim. According to your bank,
directly to your credit card. For some Air France did not attempt to transfer
reason, that failed. Then an Air France money to your account. It's possible
that the airline had the wrong account
number or routing number.

Air France ultimately agreed to can-
cel the original transfer request and
create a new one, which it did. You fi-
nally received a full refund. 

Get help with any consumer prob-
lem by contacting Christopher Elliott at
http://www.elliott.org/help

30 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOKS

How the New England Patriots evolved from a forgetta- And here’s where Belichick’s politics were afraid to take
ble NFL franchise into the most dominant force in sports their stories diverge: a stand, Wickersham writes, because it
is a relationship story. It is about two men desperate to Belichick calculated might have jeopardized the one thing that
win and addicted to success once they do. They push that even the most mattered most in their building: winning.
the limits of football and of each other. They are stronger accomplished quar-
side by side but not always happier. Resentment brews, terback ever wouldn’t The book consistently delivers that
eyes wander. And after 20 mostly great years together, an thrive in his 40s, so type of fly-on-the-wall access, taking
old axiom prevails: All good things – even those with six the coach planned the reader to seemingly impenetrable
Super Bowl rings – must come to an end. for life after Brady, places, such as when:
which caused inevita-
The professional divorce of quarterback Tom Brady ble strain. Meanwhile, Belichick’s mentor, Bill Parcells, tells
and coach Bill Belichick in early 2020 is still a buzzy Brady’s inner circle his protege he’ll never make it as a
topic but may ultimately be a sliver of their story, nudged him to recon- head coach.
considering that each, with support from the other, sider his life’s balance.
became singular in National Football League history: What’s more important Kraft confides to friends that Belich-
Brady the greatest quarterback, Belichick the greatest – the relentless pursuit ick is “the biggest f---ing ---hole in my
coach, together the greatest tandem. of the next ring or an life.”
overall healthier exis-
In “It’s Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots tence? Brady decided he Brady, as a rookie, runs naked on
Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness,” Seth Wickersham could simultaneously his condo’s lawn as penance for los-
explores the relationship of these two men, and the role achieve both, but not un- ing a video game.
of team owner Robert Kraft, as they win at an unprece- der Belichick. In March
dented rate, flout rules along the way and leave 31 teams 2020, Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Brady, as a veteran, sheepishly
trying to replicate their success. The book also tackles a then led them to a Super Bowl victory. carries his wife’s dog into work in a
bigger question: What is the cost of greatness? handbag (yes, Gisele Bündchen’s Yor-
Wickersham elegantly demonstrates the grander kie – in a Louis Vuitton).
Belichick, 69, is depicted as brilliant, tireless, me- themes at work after watching them play out from the Reporters have breathlessly covered the
ticulous and ruthless. He lacks empathy and is, to put it start. A former high school quarterback from Alaska, his Patriots over the years, leaving little room for new re-
bluntly, a jerk. “The job turned good men into ---holes,” first job out of college in 2000 was at ESPN the Magazine. veals, but Wickersham advances the ball with anec-
Wickersham writes about NFL coaching, “or maybe it About a year later he was assigned to profile the Patriots’ dotes that unpeel the personalities of the franchise’s
self-selected for ---holes.” Belichick thrives in a league quarterback, who, like Wickersham, was a 24-year-old significant figures. He also adds nuance to long-dis-
in which sentimentality is a bad business model – savvy just trying to make it in the game. cussed topics among Patriots fans.
teams know better than to reward a player for past per- A common barroom debate in New England is who’s
formance, and he repeatedly, dispassionately discards As an NFL reporter in search of the league’s biggest sto- more responsible for the franchise’s success – Belich-
men who no longer serve his needs. He is the smartest ries, Wickersham found that his GPS repeatedly pointed ick or Brady. It’s an impossible hypothetical, but over a
man in the room, and he has complete power; now just in the direction of Foxboro, Mass. Not only were the Pa- round of Harpoon Octoberfests, it’s bound to bubble up.
do as he says. Belichick’s leadership style is effective but triots successful, they were scandalous. They ran afoul of Brady’s championship in his first NFL season away from
grating, particularly if exposed to it for two decades. The league rules in 2007 when they videotaped an opposing Belichick may have swayed many to his side. Belich-
cost of his stern approach is the loss of relationships. team’s signals and then again in 2015 when they reduced ick, now with his handpicked quarterback, rookie Mac
the air pressure in footballs. Later in 2015, Wickersham Jones, will get a chance to even the score, though this
Brady, still a superstar at 44, is confident, affable and fellow ESPN senior writer DonVan Natta Jr. reported season’s start has not been very promising.
and driven by slights. Those traits endured even as his how the league’s harsh discipline of the Patriots for “De- In “It’s Better to Be Feared,”Wickersham does not at-
personality underwent a quirky evolution, shaped in flategate” was, in one owner’s view, making up for the tempt to answer the unanswerable but instead aims to
part by the unavoidable fame his success brought. He light treatment they received for “Spygate.” chip away at Brady and Belichick from a more existen-
surrenders to his celebrity – not so much basking in tial perspective. The book, he writes in its prologue, is
its glow but determining that the only way to live is The 21st-century Patriots started off as charming about “understanding the Patriots’ greatness and the
to dedicate himself fully to the calling that shapes his underdogs but became less endearing the longer they larger idea of greatness itself – what they traded for it,
identity. He long suppressed his ego to help make his reigned. Brady, Belichick and Kraft’s ambiguous sup- what they received in return, and what ultimately they
football relationships work: He took pay cuts so the port of Donald Trump before the 2016 election polarized sought but did not find.” 
Patriots could sign better players around him, and he them further. When Belichick wrote a glowing letter to
took grief from Belichick so teammates knew that no- Trump, and the eventual president read it at a campaign IT’S BETTER TO BE FEARED
body was above criticism. Every choice, including the rally, the coach’s explanation to his team was uncharac-
restrictive diet he adopted, was made with a 100-yard teristically insincere. It’s the type of incident that could THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS DYNASTY
focus. The cost of his discipline was an inconsistent divide a locker room, but players who disapproved of
presence with family and friends. AND THE PURSUIT OF GREATNESS

BY SETH WICKERSHAM | LIVERIGHT. 506 PP. $30
REVIEW BY MARK SELIG, THE WASHINGTON POST

Vero's Largest Book & Specialty Toy Store

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 31

INSIGHT BRIDGE

THE TANTALIZING PLAY MAY BE IRRESISTIBLE WEST NORTH EAST
AQJ65 92 10 8 4 3
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist 7 AKQJ3 64
K973 854 QJ62
Philip Guedalla, an English barrister, historian and writer who had a sharp sense of J 10 8 652 Q97
humor, said, “Autobiography — that unrivaled vehicle for telling the truth about other
people.” SOUTH
K7
What is the truth about today’s deal? What happens in four hearts after West leads 10 9 8 5 2
the club jack, and how would four spades doubled have fared? A 10
AK43
North leapt straight to four hearts for two reasons. First, he did not want to give the
opponents any room to discuss their future in spades; and the Law of Total Tricks Dealer: South; Vulnerable: East-West
advises when in a competitive auction to jump straight to the four-level with a known
10-card fit and no slam potential. The Bidding:

Here, four spades would have gone down one, West losing one heart, one diamond SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
and two clubs. 1 Hearts 1 Spades 4 Hearts All Pass
LEAD:
Many players would go down in four hearts, though, because they would be unable J Clubs
to resist the tantalizing temptation to win the first trick. Then they would draw trumps
and return to clubs. However, East would be able to take a trick in that suit and shift
to spades. Then, assuming West does not err by playing a third round of the suit after
taking his two winners there, South will lose two spades, one diamond and one club.

Now go back to trick one and let West win it with his club jack. Probably he will play
a second round of that suit. But declarer can win, remove the trumps and discard a
spade from the board when the clubs obligingly split 3-3.

If you can win a trick that will not disappear, spend a moment or two wondering if you
should duck.

32 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (OCTOBER 21) ON PAGE 58

ACROSS DOWN
1 Skin growth (4) 1 Old building materials
3 Noble (4)
6 Exclamation of delight (3) (6,3,4)
9 Pub game (5,8) 2 Polish (3,2)
10 Wonky (8) 4 Made amends (6)
12 Illness (4) 5 Old instrument (4)
13 Lentil (3) 6 Fruit (7)
15 Confused (6) 7 Fairground ride (6-7)
18 Plants from damp places (6) 8 Bed lice (anag.) (7)
19 Delay (3) 11 Hold back water (3)
21 Skilful (4) 14 Vehicle registration
22 Outdoor cooking (8)
25 One who digs up the past (13) document(7)
26 Flying mammal (3) 16 Shortfall (7)
27 Garden; paradise (4) 17 Fish (3)
28 Equipment (4) 20 Aplenty (6)
23 Illegal act (5)
24 Chess, e.g. (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 / October 28, 2021 33

INSIGHT GAMES

ACROSS 93 Seemed weak 44 What Pop and Reg are The Washington Post
1 Nova’s intro? 96 Neckwear for Magnum missing?
6 Addition place 97 1936 classic, THE AND GAME By Merl Reagle
10 Mérida Mrs. 45 Lawn implement
13 Rough-hewn sort ___ Godfrey 46 On ___ (busy)
16 Wrist 98 Suspicion studio 47 Enthusiastic
17 Author Seton 99 Fleece seeker 51 Italian wine city
18 Bills 100 Kitchen appliance 52 Brought into being
20 Practically ___ 102 Dieter’s preoccupation? 53 Kiss and cuddle, in
21 What Dollywood was built 105 Auto safety feature
106 Fish feature British slang
on? 107 “No dinner for me, 54 Nancy from Hong Kong
23 A time zone, on Spanish 55 Shakespearean plotter
thanks” 56 Misrepresent
TV 108 Something on a 57 Spondulix
24 Certain Dodger stat 58 Quilt piece
25 Vine-covered lattices composer’s “to do” list? 60 Recorded history
26 Shoeshine product that 110 Author Levin 61 Improvise
111 Caustic cleaners 65 “___ smile be your
never sold too well (and 112 Actress Thompson
probably wasn’t a good 113 “___ of Honey” umbrella”
idea in the first place)? 114 Abbr. on a VCR 66 ___ about
29 See 95 Down 115 Some dads: abbr.
30 Great effort 116 81 Down dweller (approximately)
31 No, in Glasgow 117 Becomes lopsided 69 Macabre cartoonist
32 Creepy-crawly sci.
34 Ad ___ DOWN Wilson
35 Literary potpourri 1 Patio party 71 Actor Parker
36 What quick-drying cement 2 Loot playwright Joe 72 The Marshall Plan offered
should do? 3 Cricket, for one
38 Subtle amount 4 Balls of fire it to Eur.
41 Spelling, informally 5 Pharaoh’s snake 75 It’s a horse race
42 Clayton and 6 Muck full of bones 76 The Little King cartoonist
Clement C. 7 Community near
43 Crook had a little accident? Otto
48 Tanning abbr. Sherman Oaks, Calif. 79 Tracer’s need
49 Garland co-star, 1939 8 Nikita’s noes 80 Ending for beat or refuse
50 A word to a dog 9 What Mrs. Dash lacks 81 Genesis setting
51 Muscles in ads 10 Screenwriter 82 Computer units
54 What the new 11 Made a harsh sound 83 Lift
“Smoochie-Koochie” 12 Concerning 84 Personal-ad abbr.
lipstick is an example of? 13 Not-quite-a-turkey rating 85 Out of control
59 Savors, as a bone 14 Source of inflation? 86 Annual book of facts
62 Rouse from sleep 15 Retirement mecca: abbr. 87 32-card card game
63 It borders Calif. 16 Ski rack location 90 Feudal lord
64 Gel ingredient 19 ___ Troy 92 More clichéd
67 Explosive stuff 21 Routes 93 Tokyo temple
68 Quite a while back 22 Slippery ___ eel 94 Hindu retreat
70 Like my nose during the 27 Comrade ___ 95 Mississippi Senator
winter? 28 ETAs, ETDs, etc. 99 Holy war
73 This instant 30 Phnom ___ 100 Agave plant fiber
74 Euro-range 33 84 Across et al.: abbr. 101 Rely on
77 Plasm preceder 35 Late-night guy 103 Robert of Airplane!
78 Wilt 36 Polloi preceder 104 She, in Siena
79 Poster girl for the 37 Night Must Fall playwright 105 Not pro
Generosity Society? 106 Christmas tree
84 N California peak Williams 109 Enjoy Thanksgiving
88 Sponsorship 39 Positive aspects
89 Concentrate or purify 40 L.A. suburb,
91 Christopher’s lecture?
West ___
41 Non-exiting,

as traffic

The Telegraph

34 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Partner with ‘unfortunate past’ turns jealous, possessive

BY CAROLYN HAX ness, isolation, invasions of privacy, volatility. Don’t and all the pain she still bears, and still leave. There
Washington Post take it from me – read this from the One Love Foun- are two main reasons for this: 1. You never have to
dation, or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, stay with anyone. Bottom line. Free will. 2. Pain is not
Dear Carolyn: My partner of four 800-799-SAFE. a free pass to mistreat others.
years has an unfortunate past, in-
cluding an alcoholic mother and “Lost and alone” is how people usually feel when Terrible things happen to people – often not their
several failed relationships due to they’re treated this way, which is, ironically, one of the fault. Competent adults are responsible, however, ul-
her partners cheating on her, and reasons they stay. It is also hard to see clearly from up timately, for how they deal with these things.
has now accused me of infidelity. close.
Her assumption is false but she keeps insisting she is That means we are accountable for our choices in
right. But you feel it, don’t you? Unhappy, stuck, in sus- the wake of something bad happening to us. So if our
She also demanded that I end a friendship of 10 pense for the next outburst? That alone is reason to car dies, we have to call for help. If we get cancer, we
years because she thinks my friend insulted her and is leave. are responsible for making our treatment decisions.
interested in me. Yesterday she became upset because I If we have an alcoholic parent and get cheated on by
did not provide her with passwords to my accounts. I You can feel sympathy for her “unfortunate past” multiple people, we have to take responsibility for our
told her I am not comfortable sharing that because we own emotional recovery from these traumatic things
are not married and have separate finances. She has so that we don’t shift the burden of our unresolved
given me the silent treatment while I am traveling on traumas on other people.
business.
She has broken up with me three times, but we keep Her rough treatment by others was not her fault,
reconciling as long as I promise to change. I am ex- but her using it to justify accusing you of lying over
hausted and afraid of what I will be accused of next. and over and over without evidence, prying into your
I am seeing a therapist and we did couples counsel- private accounts, vilifying your friends, living this
ing, which she said was a waste because I am the one endless misery loop, and declaring herself blameless?
with problems. I am feeling lost and alone. This is her doing.

– Trust Issues Staying anyway? That’s yours.
If you really are as untrustworthy as she accuses,
Trust Issues: How does your having an unfortunate then she needs to break up with you. If she is so emo-
present honor her unfortunate past? tionally hobbled that she is unable to break up with
you despite how untrustworthy she believes you to
What you describe are several markers of an abusive be, then she is not well enough to sustain a commit-
and/or controlling relationship. Jealousy, possessive- ment to anyone.
Again, regardless – you never have to stay.
Please see this, get (more/better) help, and get out. 

GLASS ACT: PRENTICE’S MOSAICS
ARE SING-ULAR SENSATIONS





38 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Glass act: Prentice’s mARoTsSa&iTcHsEAaTRrEe sing-ular sensations

Anita Prentice.

PHOTOS BY KAILA JONES

BY MARY SCHENKEL | STAFF WRITER whose exhibit is called Facing Truth. there will be a poetry reading on Satur- that she attended Pima College in Tuc-
The shows open with a reception from day of the mosaics in the songs. I’m also son and Columbia College in Chicago,
Mosaic glass artist Anita Prentice is 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday Nov. 5 during showing some landscapes, royal poinci- studying music and theater. “You know,
bringing her unique art form to Gallery the First Friday Gallery Stroll. anas and some palms, on the other wall. something you can really make a living
14 as one of two innovative artists in So I’ve got the song wall and the land-
shows running there Nov. 2-26. Prentice, “The show that I’m doing is kind of scape wall. I’m very excited because I
whose framed mosaics show is titled Vi- two shows in one,” says Prentice. “I cu- love mixing it up.”
sions of a Song, will be joined by mixed rated a song list of classic rock, like Jimi
media collage artist Christine Peloquin, Hendrix, Chris Whitley, the Who, and Prentice explains that music has al-
I’ve done mosaics of the songs. Then ways been a part of her life, adding

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 39

ARTS & THEATRE

work, such as on benches, she draws the
design with chalk until she’s happy with
it and will then go over it with a marker
before attaching the glass, which she
mostly buys wholesale. Prentice uses a
type of mortar for the benches and other
cement pieces, and a kind of clear glue
for the smaller pieces.

“I had to do a lot of trial and error. I
learned the hard way, but sometimes it’s
best when you teach yourself,” she says.

“I have been able to make a decent liv-
ing in art. It’s the only way I make a living
and it’s going really well, thankfully. I’m
happy. I like what I do, and I lead a com-
fortable life.” 

at,” she says with a laugh. I covered it in mirrors,” Prentice recalls,
“I have had the thought for this show explaining that most fish ‘taxidermy’
are now actually fiberglass replicas.
in my head for a long time. It just sort of
evolved. And then adding the spoken Her next fish was a snook, which has
word, it’s kind of nice to mix the differ- a tell-tale black line down its side, so
ent art thoughts together.” she purchased some glass pieces from
a stained-glass artist, and her works
Prentice says she sent the gallery pho- quickly began garnering attention.
tos of some of the song mosaics, and be-
ginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, “I did a big installation at Immo-
members of the Porch Poets of the Laura kalee, the estate in north Fort Pierce of
Riding Jackson Foundation will be read- the Crayola heiress. I ended up doing
ing poems they have written, based on a huge above-ground pool that would
those pieces. never have water in it again. So that’s
kind of where I cut my teeth; it still ex-
“I’m proud of it. One of the poets that ists,” says Prentice, adding that “one
I know who can’t be in town is going to thing led to another.”
have someone read it. He just sent me
the most beautiful poem. It’s an amaz- She has created colorful glass replicas
ing piece of poetry.” of Highwaymen paintings on the grave
markers of five of those famed Black art-
While she uses stained-glass pieces ists, and will soon do one for a sixth, Wil-
as a medium, Prentice says that her pro- lie Daniels.
cess is dissimilar.
“What I do is I copy one of their paint-
“I glue it to a thin piece of wood and ings in the glass on cement, and then I
grout it, but the grout lines are very attach it to their grave. The graves are
thin. So they’re not heavy, like you the type that lay down, so I’ve got quite
would think a mosaic is. Since I do mo- a nice sized canvas.”
saics on wood, you don’t see through
these,” says Prentice. She has also been commissioned to
create nearly 200 mosaic benches, that
“And I also do something else a little promote the history and culture of St.
different; I paint the grout. I grout them Lucie County.
in white and then I come back, and I
paint them in acrylic. So the mosaics are “I prefer being challenged. So do I like
a little different than what you’re accus- the big stuff? Yeah. Would I only want
tomed to with stained glass.” to do the big stuff? No. You grow better
when you’re challenged.”
A native of Michigan, Prentice trav-
eled the world before settling in Fort She says each project has its own chal-
Pierce, where she has lived for the past lenges.
35 years in a 16-unit 1926 building called
Casa Caprona, which has a rich history “Some of the glass I used in some of
of its own. these framed pieces is a quarter of your
pinky fingernail. They’re teeny. And
“Amelia Earhart stayed here for a then some of them are bigger when you
couple nights, and Beanie Backus had have a bigger space. But you can only get
his first show here,” says Prentice. “It the detail with the really small glass. For
actually was apartments; they were some of the really minute detail, I just
going to build this whole new form of have a way of doing it with glass, much
living in the 1920s. All you had to bring like a painter does,” Prentice explains.
was your clothes, and it had furniture
and art and linens.” “I’ve been doing this for 27 years now,
so I’ve got some glass,” she says with a
Her career as a glass mosaic artist had laugh. “A woman that was a stained-
a somewhat inauspicious beginning. glass artist who was retiring, never
threw a scrap of glass away for 30 years.
“I was dating this guy that only went Did I go get it? Yes, I did. Did I need it?
shopping in Dumpsters for gifts for me, No, I did not! But I love culling through
about 30 years ago. the boxes of this scrap glass; it just
makes me happy.”
And he found a taxidermy 6-foot mar-
lin in a dumpster and brought it home. She explains that for the larger cement
I didn’t have any stained glass then, but

40 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

COMING UP! Maze craze just part of CountrySide fall fest fun

BY PAM HARBAUGH the place to get lost in a towering corn a zip line and a Hillbilly
Correspondent maze, settle back with your sweetie on Hootenanny. And, hidden
a hayride, let loose in the Barnyard Ball among the Corn Maze are
1 You’ve got an opportunity for Zone, take a ride on the Orange Blos- riddles called “Cornun-
some great old-fashioned fun at som Train, stroll the Pumpkin Patch, drums” which can win
play the Giant Tic Tac Toe or Chess you bragging rights. Chil-
CountrySide Family Farms’ Fall Festi- games, stroll through an Old Florida dren ages 2 to 5 can give it
nature trail, Rubber Ducky Races a try in the festival’s new
val and Maze, which runs through this and so very much more. There’s even Kiddie Maze. There will be
tons of food like El Sid Ta-
Sunday, Oct. 31. The 20-acre farm is cos, house-made guac and
chips, farm-made pizza,
salads, burgers and more. Leni adapted his silent 1928 romantic
Leave room for the down- melodrama from the 1869 Victor Hugo
home sweets like Key Lime novel. It is the film that established
Pie, Big Cinnamon Buns, that mad, crazed, grotesque smile
Donna Sue’s Pecan Pie and seen even today in Hollywood horror
much more. Don’t forget films (think of Batman’s Joker), so ex-
the Flashlight Nights where you can pect to get at least a little bit spooked
bring your own flashlight and explore out. Galuska, the church’s director of
that corn maze. All stations have hand music and fine arts, has been playing
sanitizer and regular cleaning sched- organ to silent films for about 15 years
ules. Masks are not required. Tickets now around the country and has built
purchased online start at $12.95 plus a good reputation. He chose this film
tax. Tickets purchased at the gate start to add to his repertoire. “It’s a very ob-
at $15.95 plus tax. All tickets subject scure and wonderful horror/love story,
to handling fees. Children 2 years of very similar to ‘Phantom of the Op-
age and younger are admitted free of era,’” he says. “It takes many hours of
charge. The Festival and Maze hours sitting and watching every detail of the
are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 film to begin to piece together a film
and Sunday, Oct. 31. Flashlight Nights score. I try to capture the pathos of the
run 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. overall film as well as different scenes
29, and Saturday, Oct. 30. Countryside … It is mainly a large-scale improvi-
Family Farms Fall Festival & Maze sation based on the film.” The creepy
is at 6325 81st Street, Vero Beach. For fun begins 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 at the
more information, call 888-550-5745 Community Church of Vero Beach,
or visit CountrySideCitrus.com and 1901 23rd St. There is a suggested do-
click onto “Visit the Farm.” nation of $10. Please wear masks and
remain socially distanced. Call 772-
2 Keep up the Halloween theme at 562-3633 or visit CCOVB.org. 
the Silent Film and Organ Con-

cert featuring organ soloist Andrew

Galuska Friday, Oct. 29, at the Commu-

nity Church of Vero Beach. The silent

film will be “The Man Who Laughs.”

German expressionist filmmaker Paul

MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT:
IDENTIFY AND TREAT RISK FACTORS

42 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Mild cognitive impairment: Identify and treat risk factors

BY KERRY FIRTH Dr. Lori Posk.
Correspondent
PHOTOS: KAILA JONES
You get up from your recliner and
walk into the next room to get a drink,
but by the time you get there you for-
get what you were going for. Or you
can’t recall the name of a friend you’ve
known for years. We’ve all experi-
enced these temporary memory blips
– but when should it be recognized as
a problem to discuss with your doctor?

In normal aging, a person may oc-
casionally forget names and words
and misplace things, but when one
frequently forgets conversations and
information that one would normally
remember such as an appointment or
important task, the condition is iden-
tified as mild cognitive impairment,
or MCI.

According to the Alzheimer’s Asso-
ciation, MCI causes cognitive changes
that are serious enough to be noticed
by the person affected and by family
members and friends, but do not af-
fect the individual’s ability to carry out
everyday activities. MCI can develop
for multiple reasons, and individuals

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 43

HEALTH

living with MCI may go on to develop early stage before it develops into full- “Make sure that any test you take nore it. MCI won’t go away by itself, but
dementia while others will not. blown dementia is so important.” is validated and normalized because early identification and modification
there is a lot of variability in tests,” Dr. of risk factors can make a big difference
“MCI affects about 6 million U.S. If you or someone you know are ex- Posk advised. “Cleveland Clinic has a in your daily life.”
citizens,” said Dr. Lori Posk, an inter- hibiting signs of MCI, the best course of website (www.HealthyBrains.org) that
nal medicine doctor with Cleveland action is to discuss it with your primary offers an interactive platform designed Dr. Lori Posk earned her medical de-
Clinic Indian River Hospital. “MCI is care doctor. Oftentimes the person ex- to provide individualized brain health gree from Michigan State University and
seen in about 15 to 20 percent of pa- periencing the memory loss doesn’t assessment tools, lifestyle tips and completed her internship and internal
tients over the age of 65. Worldwide, want to admit or recognize there might medical news. A brain checkup test de- medicine residency at Cleveland Clinic
MCI is expected to grow to 10 million be a problem. In those cases, a family veloped by Cleveland Clinic measures Foundation in Ohio. She just celebrated
cases per year with an estimated 150 member can get in touch with a physi- cognitive impairment through recall her 30th anniversary with Cleveland
million cases by the year 2050. The cian and then the physician can weave it of words and images, and is used by Clinic and was transferred to Cleve-
global cost of treating MCI is predict- into the conversation or, better yet, make many doctors in the diagnosis of MCI land Clinic Indian River Hospital in
ed to be about $1 trillion. With our it part of their routine yearly checkup. and dementia. August 2019. Her office is in the Health
aging population we are seeing more and Wellness center located at 3450 11th
cases all the time. But a lot of people If you want to test yourself before you “If there are any concerns about Court in Vero Beach. To schedule an ap-
don’t know that there is an oppor- go to the doctor, there are numerous memory, please address them with pointment, call 772-794-3364. 
tunity to decrease the prevalence of online cognitive tests that you can ac- your doctor,” Dr. Posk added. “Don’t ig-
MCI if it’s diagnosed early enough.” cess in the privacy of your own home.

Examples of memory and think-
ing problems that might be indicators
of MCI include memory loss, such as
forgetting recent events, forgetting
the names of family and friends, and
repeating the same stories and ques-
tions. Having trouble coming up with
desired words or difficulty under-
stand written and verbal communi-
cation is another warning sign. The
inability to focus and struggling with
planning and problem solving are
other red flags.

“It’s estimated that 32 to 38 percent
of patients with MCI will convert to
dementia within a five-year follow up
period,” Dr. Posk said. “But there are
modifiable risk factors that can be
treated and make a dramatic differ-
ence in the patient’s life.

“Risk factors are based on the stages
of life. Earlier in life, less education is a
risk factor and predictor in developing
dementia later on. One of the things
to pay attention to during mid-life is
the loss of hearing. If people just used
hearing aids, we could decrease the in-
cidence of MCI by 8 percent. Traumatic
brain injuries due to sports or falls con-
tribute to about 3 percent prevalence.
These are modifiable risk factors that
can be addressed and treated.”

Altogether, there are key identifi-
able and modifiable risk factors for
MCI and dementia: less education,
hypertension, hearing impairment,
smoking, obesity, depression, physical
inactivity, infrequent social contact,
excessive alcohol consumption, head
injury and environmental pollution.
Modifying those factors might prevent
or delay up to 40 percent of dementias,
according the Lancet Commission on
dementia prevention.

“Limiting alcohol intake, wearing a
hearing aid, maintaining good blood
pressure, treating sleep apnea and be-
ing physically and socially active are
ways to control MCI,” Dr. Posk said.
“There are some disease-modifying
medications coming down the pipe-
line that might stop the progression of
the disease but not necessarily reverse
it. That’s why identifying patients at an

44 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Tips for starting therapy –
and getting the most out of it

BY ERIN BLAKEMORE that list to the therapist and identify
some goals together.
The Washington Post
Pick a therapist: When it comes to
This summer, while friends an- choosing a therapist, consider identity-
nounced pregnancies and career related preferences. “For instance, do
changes, and others held postponed you prefer someone of a certain gender,
weddings in the brief window between racial background or nationality? Is it
the vaccine rollout and the delta surge important for you to see someone who
despair, I quietly marked a milestone is LGBTQ knowledgeable and affirm-
of my own: 52 therapy sessions in 52 ing? Do you want someone who under-
weeks. stands anti-racism? Your faith? These
are all things that go into your person-
If you’ve never engaged in therapy, hood,” Anderson said.
this might seem insignificant. But ther-
apy is not just a casual chat on a comfy If you plan to use insurance, ask your
couch, as it is so often portrayed in tele- provider for a list of in-network mental
vision and movies. For me, committing health professionals. If you’re paying
to contending with past trauma while out of pocket, you may cast a wider net
simultaneously experiencing a year and consult directories such as Psy-
of upheaval was no small feat. Know- chology Today and Therapy Den. “Look
ing what to expect from the process closely at the therapist’s profile,” said
could have made some of it easier, so Brittany A. Johnson, a licensed mental
I’ve come up with some tips based on health counselor in New Albany, Indi-
my experience and advice from mental ana, specializing in anxiety, depression
health experts. and trauma. “What credentials and
experience do they have? Find some-
Determine your needs: As licensed one that speaks directly to your pain
therapist and trauma expert in Bir- points.”
mingham, Alabama, Candyce “Ce” An-
derson said, “you don’t have to have a Ask whether they offer a free consul-
crisis to see a therapist.” There are innu- tation. “Before you open up to someone,
merable reasons people seek therapy, you want to have a baseline level of con-
including personal growth, relationship fidence that they’ll be able to help you,”
issues, coping strategies and support to said Sana Powell, a licensed profession-
address a mental health condition. al counselor in Austin with expertise in
holistic and trauma-informed care. “Go
If you’ve decided to take this step, through your own screening process
“figure out what you want to get out of and feel empowered to ask questions.”
therapy,” said Aisha R. Shabazz, a ther-
apist, licensed clinical social worker Take time to settle in: The first ses-
and anxiety specialist in metropolitan sion often involves info-gathering, so
Philadelphia. Make a list of goals, such you’ll likely touch on a number of topics
as processing trauma or grief, or acquir- rather than dive deep into one (before
ing tools to cope with anxiety. If you your appointment, you may be asked
aren’t sure yet what your goals are but to submit an intake form). Shabazz
just know you want someone to talk to, said this session, combined with the
write down the issues that prompted consultation, if you’ve had one, serves
you to consider therapy. You can bring as a jumping-off point. You can expect

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Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 45

HEALTH

questions about your family, relation- it’s normal to try a few before finding a place it with the new behavior (bound- on to help process your therapy experi-
ships, mental health conditions and match. ary setting, perhaps) that you’ve dis- ences. “Sometimes you need someone
goals. cussed with your therapist. – who understands and affirms therapy
Engage with your therapist: The pro- as a part of self-care – to talk to or just sit
“Your first session may be over- vider is there to support you, but you’ll Your therapist may provide home- with you,” Anderson said.
whelming emotionally, because this need to participate. Ask questions, re- work or resource recommendations to
is probably the first time you’ve said quest clarifications, and take notes, if help you apply what you’re learning, Expect ups and down: There were
things out loud that you’ve been hold- you find that helpful. If you’re doing a but if they don’t and you work best with weeks I made leaps forward and days
ing in,” Anderson said. It’s normal to form of therapy where notetaking isn’t defined tasks, ask. You can also write when I felt I’d been yanked backward.
feel tired after being so open, but a well- feasible, such as somatic work, which down questions that surface through- But my therapist and the experts con-
trained therapist will do their best to focuses on the connection between out the week and bring those to your firmed this is normal. “A lot of people
“send you out zipped-up,” Powell said. physical sensations and the mind, en- appointments. think when you enter therapy, it’s going
They may, for example, offer grounding list the help of your provider. “Ask if they to be this gradual uptick. But it’s not,”
techniques. can help you summarize during the last Create a buffer: You may have residu- Johnson said. “You will have ebbs and
few minutes of your session,” Shabazz al feelings, emotions and thoughts after flows.”
Don’t make a snap judgment. “Give said. “Or have a notebook on hand and a session, Shabazz said. “Give yourself
yourself three to four sessions to see if write down your takeaways after you space, physically and also emotionally, The bad days don’t negate your prog-
it’s a fit,” Johnson said. “Make sure when leave.” before moving on to the next thing,” ress; they’re part of it. “Sometimes you’ll
you’re talking to them you feel seen and such as taking the long way to work or leave the session feeling relieved. Other
heard.” If you’re attending teletherapy, elimi- going for a walk. “You want to signal to sessions dredge up things from your
nate distractions as much as possible. your mind and body that something past. It’s not always going to feel good,”
If it doesn’t feel like a fit, consider “Try to cultivate a similar space of confi- significant just happened. If you just go Powell said. “It might feel like you’re tak-
communicating concerns before termi- dentiality and sacredness as you would through the flow of the rest of your day, ing a couple of steps back sometimes,
nating the relationship. “While thera- for in-person sessions,” Shabazz said. you’re not allowing yourself to differen- but that’s part of your growth process.”
pists are helpers, we’re also human,” tiate it from another event.”
Anderson said. “There are moments we Practice between sessions: Engaging Celebrate: Your mental health achieve-
may not give you exactly what you need, during sessions is a solid start, but, as I You may also need time to regulate ments deserve to be celebrated like the
but we’re open to making adjustments.” discovered and the experts confirmed, your nervous system with strategies other milestones in your life. Therapy re-
She recommended using direct lan- much of the work happens outside of such as deep breathing and progressive quires time, effort and courage.
guage. You can say something like, “I’d that time. “You have to do the work muscle relaxation – to take you out of
like to share a concern. What you said between sessions to really solidify and the hypervigilant mode. “Find healthy “Before you even started working
made me uncomfortable.” What if you process everything,” said Powell. For outlets that are grounding for you,” with your therapist, you’ve already
offer feedback and your therapist reacts example, if you’re working on changing Powell said. “That might be things like overcome so many barriers by prioritiz-
adversely? “Find a new therapist,” An- a behavior such as fawning (appease- gardening, exercise or crafting.” ing your mental health and making that
derson said. ment that can be a result of trauma), appointment,” Powell said. “Commend
you’ll need to learn to recognize what Share on your own terms: The ex- yourself. It takes a lot of courage, and
If the first therapist doesn’t work triggers that response in you and re- perts recommended finding a trusted you can inspire others to prioritize their
out, don’t lose hope. The experts said friend or family member you can count mental health, too.” 

46 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

The best of Carrie Bradshaw’s new ‘mid-life chameleon’ wardrobe

BY CAROLINE LEAPER eclectic as ever; spanning androgy- when it comes to pushing forward
The Telegraph nous tailoring and tulle skirts, floral Bradshaw’s famously off-beat sense
hair accessories and lilac washing up of styling.
Is there anything that Carrie Brad- gloves, often all worn at the same time.
shaw wouldn’t wear? As filming for The character has always been a
the “Sex and the City” spin-off “And Bradshaw, played since 1998 by true fashion chameleon – and even if
Just Like That” continues in New York, actress Sarah Jessica Parker, now 56, you are not inspired to precisely copy
we have been treated to a first look has been dressed by costume design- her mismatched looks, the chances
at the character’s wardrobe now she ers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago are that you will have embraced some
has reached her 50s. Her outfits are as for the show. The duo have very much essence of her way of getting dressed,
taken their lead from the original se- and the normalization of ‘anything
ries costume designer, Patricia Field, goes’ fashion.

Here we take a look at the best cos-
tumes so far from the set of “And Just
Like That,” taking in Carrie Bradshaw’s
new mid-life wardrobe.

The date look

The Gucci muse look

The latest pictures from the set of This outfit, particularly, has divid-
“And Just Like That” appear to show ed the Internet. It’s a pile-it-on look;
Carrie on a date with a new man, af- a pink gingham Batsheva dress is
ter leaving her on-screen husband styled with multiple silk head scarves,
Mr. Big. What to wear on a first date in diamante Jimmy Choo sunglasses, li-
your 50s? Bradshaw’s answer is a soft lac gloves and, for a final curious plot
pink color satin jacket, matched to a twist, the Mary-Jane shoes are left
metallic Paco Rabanne bag and worn undone. Some say kooky-cool Gucci
over a delicate floral maxi dress. ambassador, others say Red Riding
Hood’s grandmother wolf.
The wedding guest
For what appears to be an Indian The sexy bodycon dress
wedding guest look, Bradshaw wears There are a couple of bodycon dress-
a lehenga set by Indian label Falguni es both from the original “Sex and the
Shane Peacock, with flowers woven into City” series and the first film, which
her plaited hair. The character’s well-
documented love of vintage fashion is
also threaded into this outfit – both her
beaded bag and her orange stone neck-
lace have been sourced by the costume
team from Etsy, and from New York-
based dealer Alp Sagnak, respectively.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 47

were dubbed the “Carrie dress” – nota- muse, this look is comprised entire- worn with Manolo Blahnik heels.
bly a little black dress from series two, ly of vintage 1980s Norma Kamali
and a white one-shoulder dress with clothing – a rainbow checked jacket The fan-favorite shoes
an enormous corsage from the movie. and jumpsuit. The one fashion item which has
been directly brought back for the
So what would modern-day Brad- The tulle skirt new series? Bradshaw’s jeweled,
shaw’s mid-life take on the look be? blue Manolo Blahnik Hangisi shoes
This pale blue, ruched jersey, one- – originally worn at her wedding blue corsage. Could this be her way
shoulder dress by Norma Kamali to Mr. Big in the “Sex and the City” of showcasing sustainable shopping
may well be it. Worn with a Max movie, and copied by thousands of habits and encouraging fans to dust
Mara cream jacket, it looks as sexy brides around the world since. off their own wedding shoes? 
as it does easy to wear – even when In her more pared-back rewear-
paired with sky high crystal Aquaz- ing, the character’s now-10-year-old
zura shoes on cobbled streets. heels have managed to be kept spot-
less and are teamed with teal satin
The clogs culottes and a cream jacket, with a

One of the most divisive fashion Another item of clothing synony-
items to make a comeback in fash- mous with Bradshaw is the tulle
ion generally this autumn is the clog. skirt. In the opening credits to the
And here is Bradshaw, game for what original television series, she spins
is likely the most uncomfortable it- around New York city in a ballet skirt
eration of the trend, as is true to her – a look now immortalized as a fancy
character who never seems to com- dress costume. For her 2021 take,
plain of back ache or blisters. Hers are Bradshaw is seen in a layered white
styled with a linen embroidered tunic maxi skirt, worn with white Chanel
dress, layered over a staple white top. ankle boots, a sequined Fendi bag
and a simple multicolored stripe top.
The pantaloon jumpsuit
Yes, those are pantaloons. Proving The androgynous suit
once again that she is the ultimate Bradshaw’s version of the oversized,
‘I’ll wear anything once’ fashion androgynous suit is in a pinstriped
burgundy fabric, rather than a typi-
cal black, gray or navy. That said, it is
still a classic; hers is vintage Gucci and

48 Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Dior deal cements tennis star as fashion’s new golden girl

BY TAMARA ABRAHAM the U.S. Open in September, has been surrounding Raducanu
The Telegraph announced as the new face of Dior. and her fashion potential
Raducanu, 18, will be an ambassador since her U.S. Open vic-
The hint was there, if we’d known for the luxury label’s womenswear, tory, it’s thought that her
to look for it, when Emma Raducanu makeup and skincare, joining Jenni- deal will be something in
wore a Dior dress to the “No Time to fer Lawrence and Natalie Portman on the region of – if not ex-
Die” premiere last month. its exclusive celebrity roster. ceed – that figure. As part
of her contract, Raduca-
Now, three weeks later, the teenage It’s not known what Raducanu will nu will likely be expected
tennis champion who became an in- earn from Dior, but it was reported in to appear in campaigns
stant household name after winning 2014 that Lawrence was paid $15 million for the brand, as well as
for a three-year contract. Given the hype wear it exclusively on the
red carpet.
Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour
It represents a major to attend the prestigious Met Gala, for
coup for Dior, but the which she wore Chanel, fueling ru-
choice of an athlete as mors that she would become an am-
the face of its campaigns bassador for the French luxury house.
also reflects themes that
we saw in the Dior Cruise In fact, there have probably been
show back in June, which several global fashion giants compet-
was staged at the birth- ing to sign her as a face of their brand.
place of sport, the Pana- Raducanu is half-Chinese and speaks
thenaic Stadium in Ath- fluent Mandarin, making her a valu-
ens. Grecian-inspired able asset to labels eager for growth in
goddess gowns (like the the lucrative Far-East market.
one Raducanu wore to
the Bond premiere) were In netting sport’s golden girl, Dior
teamed with sneakers has scored an ace. 
and celebrated fit, strong
bodies.

“The body’s always
been so important in
Greek culture,” said
Creative Director Maria
Grazia Chiuri, who has
reimagined the label
with a feminist point of
view since her appoint-
ment in 2016. “It has
never been about being
the ‘right’ size, but about
freedom.”

Chiuri referenced
sport again in her most
recent show at Par-
is Fashion Week last
month, describing it as
a means of liberation
for women, as well as
making womenswear
in general more com-
fortable – just what we
need after 18 months in
loungewear. It’s no wonder, then, that
Dior has signed one of the world’s most
exciting new sportswomen as a new
ambassador.

Raducanu’s career beyond tennis
has been in the offing since she signed
with global talent management com-
pany IMG while she was still on the
juniors circuit. She already has a deal
with Nike, and was named as the face
of Tiffany & Co just days after her US
Open victory, having worn the jew-
eler’s diamonds on court.

After her win, she was invited by

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / October 28, 2021 49

The 6 celebrity style muses of autumn 2021

BY KRISSY TURNER, CAROLINE LEAPER, and cozy chunky boots. – KT back this season. It’s completed by flecked dress is by British brand 16
TAMARA ABRAHAM and EMILY CRONIN a pair of black leather boots by The Arlington, and featured a fun asym-
Stella McCartney Row – the narrow ankle and squared metric skirt and slight cut outs on the
The Telegraph Stella McCartney made an excel- toe bring the entire ensemble straight stomach. I’m not saying I could pull
lent case for the statement wool coat into 2021. – TA off the exact same silhouette, but I
Autumn is officially here, and the while out in Paris earlier this month. love the mix of textures and the way
big wardrobe switchover has begun. The designer wore a camel jersey Amal Clooney she has got in early with the sparkly
Swapping our sandals for boots, and top, matching trousers and trusty Is it too soon to seek party dress- accessories, ready for a party season
pulling out our best coats and chunky Adidas trainers which made for a ing inspiration? Amal Clooney’s foil like no other ahead. – CL 
knits from storage, is an annual ritual stylish, albeit simple, trans seasonal
for all – including the A-list. look – which is where her oversized
houndstooth maxi coat comes in. In
So who has been trialing autumn’s a timeless colorway, it acted as a qui-
new trends first, and what styling tips etly statement cover-up, which felt
can we all apply to our outfits at home? less outrageous than a bold hue and is
Here our fashion editors pick the six infinitely easier to wear. It would look
stars to hail as your 2021 style muses ... equally as good over a knitted dress
and with burgundy knee-high boots
Kate Moss for the office. – KT
Spotted in Paris earlier this month,
Kate Moss brightened up an all-black Beyoncé
autumnal outfit by wearing a vintage If you’ve spotted a photo of Beyon-
velvet tie neck shirt, in an unmissa- cé in your Instagram feed recently,
ble shade of red. With her platform then you’ll know the megastar has
boots, cropped leather jacket and been in London, supporting hus-
flared trousers, the outfit had all the band Jay-Z in his promotional du-
proportions I want to copy at home ties for Netflix’s new release, “The
– I will be dutifully tucking all of my Harder They Fall” (he’s a producer).
own blouses into high-waist, wide- So far, her trip has brought us deep-
leg trousers from now on. – CL V cleavage, va-va-voom red-carpet
looks – and one major power blazer.
Demi Moore The black-and-white mini-dress by
Minimalists, take note. There are Sergio Hudson has all the big blazer
two fashion mantras that make light energy we love from Dynasty. One
work of autumnal dressing. Firstly, a to keep in mind when planning next
tonal outfit is a one-way ticket to a pol- week’s office outfits, surely. – EC
ished, pulled-together ensemble. Sec-
ondly, all-cream, in particular, looks Kendall Jenner
super expensive. Combine these two Model Kendall Jenner’s update
learnings and throw tailoring into on the jeans-and-sweater formula
the mix, and, as Demi Moore proves, is a masterclass in paying attention
it’s a chic, winning look. The actress to the tiny details that turn a boring
wore her oatmeal outfit to sit front outfit into a Fashion Look. The knit,
row at the Chloe show at Paris Fash- by Acne Studios, features oversized
ion Week, pairing it with equally con- polka-dots in a luxe-looking palette of
sidered accessories: oversized square browns, while the jeans are boot-cut,
sunglasses, a coordinating clutch bag a shape that is making a big come-