The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search
Published by Vero Beach 32963 Media, 2016-09-22 14:10:22

VB32963_ISSUE38_092216_OPT

VB32963_ISSUE38_092216_OPT

Island brokerage on track for
$700-million year. P8
Volunteers help
clean up coast. P18

After PSC denial, is federal
antitrust suit in the offing? P36

For breaking news visit

MY VERO Demolition of old county hospital, which later was county admin building and School District headquarters. PHOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE Hospital exec
who departed
BY RAY MCNULTY Building that served Vero for seven decades demolished paid $782K

Preparing troubled kids BY ALAN SNEL Thousands of locals – from the corner of 26th Street and BY MEG LAUGHLIN
for success in real world Staff Writer teachers and school officials 20th Avenue. Staff Writer
to doctors, nurses, county
Until a few days ago, I knew A building that played a key workers and people seeking Built in 1950 as the third Newly released records
as much about the Indian role in 20th centuryVero Beach to renew their driver’s licens- version of the county hos- show that a former Indian
River County School District’s will be nothing but a memory es – passed through the doors pital, the concrete block River Medical Center execu-
Alternative Center for Educa- by the end of the month. of the worn-out structure at building later served as the tive, who departed in 2013
tion as most folks in our com- ostensibly as a cost-saving
munity. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 move, was subsequently paid
more than three-quarters of a
Almost nothing. million dollars after she left.
In fact, before my after-
noon visit to the center – ge- Former Chief Operating Of-
nerically called the "alterna- ficer Cindy Vanek, a longtime
tive school" by folks who have registered nurse at the hos-
no connection to the place – I pital who served five years as
assumed it was nothing more COO, resigned her position at
than a warehouse for teen Indian River Medical Center
troublemakers whose bad be- in August 2013, according to
havior cost them their places a memo put out by CEO Jeff
in other classrooms. Susi at the time, who called
As I pulled into the parking her departure “a mutual deci-
lot on 28th Court, just north of sion“ to save money.
the Gifford Middle School and
across the street from the Gif- Now, newly released tax re-
ford Health Center, I fully ex- cords show that Vanek actu-
pected to find a campus that ally remained on the hospi-
had more in common with tal payroll until Oct. 1, 2015
a juvenile-detention facility – more than two years after
than anything resembling a she stopped working there –
school. grossing close to $800,000 in
That's the perception I
carried with me as I walked
through the front door. And

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Local battle over tax sharing with charters may shape state law School District manager overspent on
private janitors, then tried to cover up
BY KATHLEEN SLOAN school districts throughout mediation, then to the Divi-
Staff Writer the state share property tax sion of Administrative Hear- BY KATHLEEN SLOAN authorized to spend.
dollars with charter schools. ings and now to circuit court. Staff Writer At a recent School Board
An Indian River County
court case before Judge Paul The five charter schools Kanarek first heard the School District Director of meeting it was revealed that
Kanarek of the 19th Judicial in the county school district charters’ request for imme- Physical Plant John Earman he exceeded his $50,000 pur-
Circuit is the first case of its brought the case more than diate action, in which they is in hot water for spending chasing authority and tried to
kind in Florida, and the out- a year ago, and it has been sought a temporary injunc- money that he had not been cover the expenditure with a
come may determine how working its way up through tion that would have forced
judicial venues, first going to CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

September 22, 2016 Volume 9, Issue 38 Newsstand Price $1.00 Day of Service
embraced at
News 1-8 Faith 39 Pets 40 TO ADVERTISE CALL St. Ed’s. Page 12
Arts 19-22 Games 41-43 Real Estate 55-64 772-559-4187
Books 38 Health 23-27 St Ed’s 28
Dining 48 Insight 29-44 Style 45-47 FOR CIRCULATION
Editorial 36 People 9-18 Wine 49 CALL 772-226-7925

© 2016 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

My Vero Nor did the School Board. Hart, a former teacher and Storm Grove trict administrators felt it necessary to
It wasn't until Hart gave an in-depth Middle School assistant principal who remove them from their schools – at
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 presentation at a meeting last year is starting his second year at the center. least temporarily.
that board members had a full under-
it's a perception still shared by many, standing of – and appreciation for – "The kids we get are sent here for a rea- According to Hart, the middle
including students arriving at the the transformative, life-altering work son, but we don't see them as bad kids," school and high school students sent
school for the first time. being done at the center. he continued. "We see them as good kids to the center have violated the dis-
It wasn't until I spent two hours talk- who come out of bad circumstances trict's code of conduct with infrac-
The center's principal, Denny Hart, ing to Hart and Keondra Eberhardt, that, quite often, are beyond their con- tions deemed serious enough to war-
said one student was surprised to find the center's student support special- trol. Maybe they need more attention. rant disciplinary measures beyond
doors on the bathrooms. Another told ist, and touring the campus that I real- Usually, they need more structure. suspension. The process, which could
him he had heard "everybody there ized how wrong I had been. take up to eight weeks, involves dis-
is crazy" and that "there are lots of The center is, in every way, a school. It's "Whatever the cause of their prob- trict intervention that includes both
fights" on campus. a good school. It's also a necessary school. lems, whatever their needs, we'll cre- academic and behavioral evaluations.
"We tell the kids when they first come ate a plan that addresses them," he
"One girl said she heard this place here: We're treasure hunters, and we're added. "It's our philosophy that all Only after all intervention efforts
was like a jail," Hart said. "So even going to find the treasure in you," said kids can learn." have been exhausted is a student
the kids don't know much about what transferred to the center.
we're doing here." That includes misbehaving kids who
were so defiant and disruptive that dis- "This is a pit stop, like in a car race,"
Hart said. "We change the tires, add
some oil to the engine, fill up the tank
with gas and send them back onto the
track. It's not permanent."

Middle school students stay for ei-
ther 45 or 90 days, while high school
students are there for a full 90-day se-
mester. Then, if they've proven they're
ready and able, they return to their
home schools.

As of Monday, 52 students were en-
rolled at the center, but Hart said that
number was expected to more than
double by the end of the school year.
Last year, 125 students were sent to
the center.

Hart said about half of the center's
current enrollment were at the high
school level and that most of the stu-
dents were boys. He said a "majority"
of the students were black.

Though the center has lost some kids
to the criminal justice system, Hart
said only one student has dropped out
since he took over. "And I'm still work-
ing on him," he added.

Hart, whose father, Victor, was a
longtime community leader in Gif-
ford, said he has a "passion" for his job
and believes "no student should be
left behind."

So what, exactly, does he do?
How do Hart and his staff – the cen-
ter has 12 teachers and five teaching
assistants – turn around teens with a
history of causing trouble in class and
instill the behavioral and academic
discipline these students need to suc-
ceed at their home schools?
"We brainwash them," Hart said.
He was joking . . . sort of.
Students at the center get the same
standard education, take the same
courses and must meet the same
benchmarks as students at their home
schools. But they do so with as few
as seven and no more than 15 kids in
each classroom.
They're offered more individual at-
tention in a demanding and highly
structured environment. In addition
to their academic work, students are
asked to set goals, solve problems and
embrace strategies for success. They're
also expected to behave responsibly, be

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 3

NEWS

accountable for their actions and seek Since the beginning of the 2015-16 voluntarily send their kids there. fact that it’s the last chance for wayward
assistance or counsel when they need it. school year, only two of Hart's stu- We then embarked on a tour of the students to embrace public education.
dents returned for a second semes-
"We're very big on self-efficacy," Hart ter, and he said they chose to do so campus, where Hart and Eberhardt The center was started 21 years
said. "We want these kids to believe in because they felt they still needed the showed me the classrooms, cafeteria ago, and most folks still know almost
themselves and in their own abilities to structure the center provided. and other facilities. They introduced me nothing about it. They still call it the
complete tasks and achieve their goals. to teachers, teaching assistants and oth- "alternative school." They still think
At the same time, we also want them to Hart said he's flattered that he now er members of the staff. They took me it's a place to warehouse teen trouble-
come to us when they need help. gets calls from parents who have heard through a typical day of school there. makers whose bad behavior cost them
what's happening at the center, with its their place in the classroom.
"You know the old cliche: They don't smaller classes and more-structured And, yes, it's a school, maybe our
care how much you know until they educational environment, and want to most important school, given the life- They're wrong – and until a few days
know how much you care," he added. changing work done there and the hard ago, so was I. 
"We try to show them every day how
much we care about them." NEW LISTING

After being searched as they enter Exclusively John’s Island
the center – their cellphones are col-
lected, then returned at the end of the Traditional architecture and elegant interiors grace this exceptionally renovated
day – students recite the "Kids at Hope 3BR/3.5BA retreat designed with attention to detail. Nestled along Indian Lake
Pledge," which reads: "I am a Kid at on a quiet cul-de-sac street, this 4,768± GSF showcases lush pool & lake views.
Hope. I am talented, smart and ca- Features include an abundance of natural light, European hardwood floors, custom
pable of success. I have dreams for the millwork, gourmet island kitchen adjoining the family room, expansive living area with
future, and I will climb to reach those fireplace opening onto the bright lanai, summer kitchen, guest suites with private
goals and dreams every day." gardens, and two 1-car garages. Must see! 741 Shady Lake Lane : $2,550,000

They also are given weekly point three championship golf courses : 17 har-tru courts : beach club : squash
sheets that measure their daily suc- health & fitness center : pickleball : croquet : vertical equity membership
cess in academics, behavior, dress
code and transition (conversation, use 772.231.0900 : Vero Beach, FL : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
of appropriate language and move-
ment from class to class).

That point sheet, along with the re-
quirements they achieve a 96-percent
attendance rate and at least a C aver-
age, is used to monitor students' prog-
ress and earn privileges, such as par-
ticipation in extracurricular activities
and an easing of the dress code.

The center's dress code requires a
student to wear belted, black or blue
khaki pants and a white collared shirt
that is tucked in, and closed-toe shoes.

"The academy look," Hart said.
"These kids need structure in their lives,
and this is the only place some of them
get it. The dress code is part of that.

"One of the biggest challenges here
is that most of these kids haven't expe-
rienced success in school," he added.
"We're teaching kids that if they want to
be productive citizens, we will provide
strategies where they can be successful."

Are the center's efforts working?
Hart believes they are, and he's
proud of the successes he has seen
thus far. In his smartphone are pho-
tographs of former students who went
on to get their diplomas. He also has
video of a graduate who came back
to visit the center and talk to students
about his experience there.
"We graduated 12 kids from here last
year," Hart said, adding that two were in
the Honors and International Baccalau-
reate programs. "This year, I've got two
kids filling out applications for dual en-
rollment at Indian River State College."
Hart said the center takes seniors on
a tour of the college, sends them to job
fairs and brings in Workforce Develop-
ment representatives.
"Whether they choose to go to col-
lege or not, we're here for the long
haul," he said. "We're preparing these
kids for the real world."

4 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

School District manager But school board members Shawn Rendell said the incident would be of charges from February to July, show-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Frost and Charles Searcy said it’s not reflected in the employee’s file. ing hundreds of entries, demonstrat-
the vendors’ job to track how the ing the company is used consistently
second purchase order. The district’s school spends its money, “It’s their Earman tried to get the unauthor- and not on a substitute basis. The bill
new procurement officer Jeff Carver job to sell stuff,” Searcy said. ized purchase order approved to pay claims about $73,000 in cleaning ser-
refused to issue the rogue P.O., re- for janitorial services. The district vices were delivered, of which $27,000
porting the infraction to the board. “It is unacceptable to have pro- employs a staff of union janitors but was paid and $55,000 is owed.
cesses out of control,” Frost said. Morrison said Earman hired an out-
Chief Financial Officer Carter Mor- “There is no reason to punish busi- side contractor to do “deep cleaning” Earman took out a “blanket” pur-
rison played down the mistake, say- ness owners and their employees for at schools over the summer because chase order for “sub-custodial”
ing it was a “rare instance when the work done.” staff janitors could not do the job. for $35,000 in February and then a
rules were not followed.” He said $45,000 purchase order in July. Carv-
district department heads and the Frost asked Morrison to explain However, records show the hiring er rejected the second purchase order
vendors Earman hired both were re- what checks and balances have been of outside janitors from LF Staffing because it came after, not before, the
sponsible for making sure there was a put in place to stop this from hap- of Fort Pierce goes well beyond sum- services were purchased. Purchase
purchase order with sufficient funds, pening again. Morrison said “We will mer cleaning. The company submit- orders are intended to ensure sec-
and “we’ve put the vendors on no- beef up internal procedures.” ted time cards for about $8,000 for the ond-party oversight of expenditures,
tice.” summer cleaning work, which was not preventing one person from having
Frost asked if Earman would be for deep cleaning, but for “fast clean” too much purse-power.
reprimanded and if termination was work. They also submitted a summary
a possibility. Superintendent Mark

Hospital exec paid $782K At the time, Hospital District chair- an additional $215,094 in fiscal year Further, Clark responded to a ques-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 man Tom Spackman wrote Hospital 2014, which ended Sept. 30, 2015, bring- tion about a 5.5 percent pay cut that
Chairman of the Board Wayne Hock- ing her total payout in the two years af- Susi announced he was taking between
compensation after her departure, at a meyer and asked for an explanation of ter her departure to $782,772. 2013 and 2015 by saying the cut was to
time when the hospital was struggling the $568,000. his base pay. Tax records show that Su-
with dramatic cuts in staff. Her 2014 “compensation” was only si’s supplemental retirement bonuses
Susi replied that when Vanek left at about $12,000 less than what her re- and other benefits turned the salary
A year ago, Susi said the $568,000 the end of August 2013, she was due placement, Steve Salyer, made that cut into a compensation increase of
Vanek collected the first year after she 52 weeks of severance pay, made up year actually working at the hospital. over $100,000 for that period. The just-
left was “no more or no less than she of salary, health benefits and a supple- released tax document shows that Susi
deserved.” He also called her “an in- mental retirement bonus, making the Hospital Communications Direc- made $1,078,061 for fiscal year 2014.
valuable member of IRMC’s executive $568,000 amount she was paid about tor Lewis Clark said that Vanek received
team” – even though he played a signif- $100,000 more than she earned the $279,988 in severance pay between Sep- In his response, Clark added that
icant role in the decision to let her go. year before, when she worked. tember 2013 and September 2015, but Susi’s salary cut was voluntary and re-
did not explain the additional $502,784 mains in effect today. 
Now, tax records showVanek received in compensation she received.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 5

NEWS

The school board recently discussed Weisberg say Earman is trying to do er $360,000 is budgeted for cleaning the board’s consideration and rejec-
privatizing all janitorial services to re- an end run around the board, priva- teams, turf management, grounds tion of privatizing those services.
duce costs but decided against going tizing services piecemeal. maintenance and “supplement to
that route. sites.” If this is the case, Earman, possibly
Budget documents show “custo- with Morrison’s and Fritz’s support,
Communications Workers of Amer- dial substitutes” cost about $340,000 These figures seem to show there is not just exceeding his purchasing
ica union president Mike Murray during the past two years with has already been a systemic privati- authority; he’s usurping the board’s
and janitors’ representative Maureen $155,000 budgeted this year. Anoth- zation of janitorial services, despite right to make that policy decision. 

A SELECTION OF OUR ULTRA LUXURY

LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES

675 Beachland Boulevard Royal Harbour Luxury Townhome Starting at $1.87 Million
Brown/O’Dare 772.234.5332
772.234.5555
More Info: www.v172998.com
Our Unrivaled Global Network Premierestateproperties.com

Pool Optional

36± Acre Riverfront/Deeded Beach Access $6.9 Million Indian Bay 3+ Acre Intracoastal Lot $5 Million Summerplace Oceanview $1.095 Million
French/O’Dare 772.234.5056 Info: www.v150309.com Brown/Harris 772.234.5332 Info: www.v166061.com O’Dare/French 772.234.5093 Info: www.v169758.com

6 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Tax sharing with charters The charters’ attorney, Shawn Arnold, They claimed they were duped into ter schools about $1.3 million, which
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 said “The parties have several options thinking they were getting a fair share is about $2 million short according to
[going forward]. We’re still in the middle of the tax levy, and said even a whiff of the charters, not including interest.
the school district to at once start of discovery and we haven’t had a status insolvency or failing to meet academic
sharing property tax revenue on an conference on the other complaints.” goals would give the school board an Cocotas disputed the charters’ al-
equal, per-student basis, claiming excuse to yank their licenses to operate legations. She said the school district
that a delay in the additional funding The only school board member who – even if the problems were caused by held a town hall in 2012 to inform the
would cause irreparable harm. chose to comment on the case, Shawn the district withholding needed funds. public why it needed the money the
Frost, also was the only board member 60-cent property tax would produce.
The school board’s attorney, Viv- to vote against the court fight. The charter schools want about 13 Three charter school administrators
ian Cocotas, argued the charters had percent of the revenue from a 60-cent attended and “were on notice,” she
not proved irreparable harm, which “This is just the beginning of what tax levy passed several years ago, which said, that they would get 5 percent of
by legal definition, cannot be fixed by will likely be a very protracted and represents their portion of the student the revenue, not a per-student share.
money. Yet the charters are asking for expensive legal battle,” Frost said. “I population, not the 5 percent they have
money, she said, as a solution to their personally remain concerned with the been given. They claim irreparable Both sides hired experts on school
teacher-retention and other problems. amount of money the district spends harm has been done to their students funding who interpreted various laws
each year on legal actions and would by the funding shortfall and say that differently. The charter schools’ expert,
Cocotas also questioned the timing of rather see those dollars working to every day money is withheld creates Dr. Andrew Binns, said the “discretion”
the suit, brought two years after the tax educate students in our classrooms.” further harm, because each student- given by law allows the school board to
went into effect, undercutting the char- year presents a unique educational op- decide whether to put the levy on the
ters’ argument for immediate action now Gene Waddell, spokesman for the portunity that can never be regained. ballot, but if passed by voters, it must
when they failed to complain earlier. charters and chairman of the Indian be disbursed on a per-student basis.
River Charter High School Board, said The tax began July 2013 and ends
After hearing the district’s counter ar- he wasn’t surprised they lost the first June 2017. Voters, during the Aug. 30 The school board’s expert, Dr. Craig
guments, Kanarek last Wednesday de- round. To prove irreparable harm, “we primary, approved an extension of Wood, said the law gave school boards
nied the charters’ request, stating they had to show we were in dire financial the special levy for another four years. no authority to share any of this partic-
had not proved that irreparable harm condition. If you do that, you are set- This referendum guarantees charter ular levy’s revenue with charter schools,
would result from a delay, nor met other ting yourself up for endangering your schools will get an equal per-student calling into question the legality of In-
standards required for an injunction. charter with the district [on the basis of share of the funds, beginning in 2017 – dian River County School Board having
financial incompetence or insolvency].” which is the remedy the charters want shared 5 percent of the proceeds so far.
Now the charters’ additional com- applied retroactively and going for-
plaints will be considered by the judge, Beleaguered charter school adminis- ward until the new levy kicks in. This is the first time a case arguing
including the claims that there has been trators walked that tightrope while giv- charter schools’ rights to property tax
a breach of contract by the district and ing testimony. They told stories of the In the past three years the district revenue has been heard in Florida, so
that the school board’s unequal dis- district hiring away their teachers, in- has collected about $26 million from whatever Judge Kanarek decides will
bursement of tax money is illegal. ducing them with higher salaries, mak- the 60-cent tax and has given the char- set a precedent that likely will have
ing it difficult to meet academic goals. impact throughout the state. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 7

NEWS

Building demolished ter facility on 37th Street was built in Brown said the school district had tion, the county determined that the
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 1978-79. After the doctors and nurses a sweet deal with the county – paying most cost-effective option was to de-
moved out, the county acquired the $3,750 a month for space that accom- molish the structure,” Brown said,
county government center and school 7.39-acre property and converted the modated the superintendent’s offices, adding that there are no plans for any
district headquarters. building into the county administra- school board meetings, teacher training specific projects on the site, which will
tion center, starting in 1980. sessions and administrative gatherings. remain as open land available for fu-
“Our county commission offices ture needs.
were in the operating room, and the In 2007, the county moved out of its In 2014, school officials decided to
school offices were in the old mater- section of the building into the new build a new school district complex Summit Construction of Vero Beach,
nity wing,” said Indian River County complex two blocks north. at 6500 57th Street after being told it LLC won the demolition contract with
historian Ruth Stanbridge, who was would cost $4.3 million to fix the build- a bid of $109,000, which was approved
a county commissioner from 1998- Indian River School District officials ing it was leasing from the county. by the County Commission in March.
2002. “The building served the coun- began renting space in the building in
ty’s needs.” 1982 and spent the next 33 years there, After the district moved out, the Fort Pierce-based L.E.B. Demolition
up until last November, when the last county made the decision to knock Consulting Contractors Inc. is the sub-
On a site visit earlier this month, district personnel moved out, said the building down. contractor actually tearing the build-
County Administrator Jason Brown spokesman Flynn Fidgeon. ing down.
watched as two massive backhoes “Based upon the building’s condi-
smashed into rubble the building Nine dump trailers are removing
where he was born and later worked the debris, with steel being salvaged at
as county finance director. two cents per 100 pounds, according
to Randy Beckford, co-owner of L.E.B.
“When I worked here, I used to say Demolition.
I haven’t gotten too far [in life], since I
was born down the hall from my office,” “They certainly got their use out of
quipped Brown, who rose through the it,” Beckford said of the building as
ranks to take the top job in county the backhoes continued to tear big
government this year. He recalled that chunks out of the 66-year-old edifice.
when he worked in the building it still
had the old wide hospital doors that Beckford said he expects demolition
swung open and even the big eleva- to be finished by the end of Septem-
tors, sized to carry gurneys. ber, after the concrete slabs are pulled
out and transported to a dump.
The 32,000-square-foot building
served as the county hospital until “That’s what I want to do when I
the current Indian River Medical Cen- grow up – demolition,” joked Brown
as he watched the building and part
of his past being demolished. “Time
marches on.” 

8 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

NEWS

Island brokerage remodeling office, on track for $700-million year

BY STEVEN M. THOMAS co-founder Dale Sorensen Sr. and 20 ect management to remodel the ting a complete new look inside and
Staff Writer agents have their offices. 3,000-square-foot building, which they out, with fresh flooring, different
own and have occupied since 2004. paint colors, new artwork and fancy
In August, Matilde Sorensen, co- “One thing led to another,” she says new tilework and fixtures in the bath-
owner/broker of Dale Sorensen with a slightly rueful smile. “The building has great bones,” says rooms. Telephone and internet infra-
Real Estate, got the idea to have a Indian River Project Management own- structure is being upgraded as well.
little painting done to spruce up the “They blame it on me,” says Sally er Steve Kovaleski. “We didn’t have to do
company’s office at 5065 North A1A. Woods, one of the company’s top pro- anything from an engineering stand- “We hired a professional office fur-
Before she knew it, a full cosmetic ducers, who has had her headquar- point. It is a purely cosmetic upgrade niture design person for the furni-
remodel was underway, with new ters at the A1A office for years. “When but will definitely make a big difference ture,” says Matilde Sorensen. “There
flooring, furniture, windows, doors, Matilde said they were going to paint, I and be much nicer when we are done.” will be a much lighter, brighter look
bathrooms and landscaping going said they might as well replace the win- with white furniture in place of the old
in at the building where company dow, too, and then . . . you can see what The latest storm-resistant windows wooden desks. We want it to be pretty
happened.” and doors are the single biggest im- and kind of beachy.”
provement, but the office is also get-
Sorensen hired Indian River Proj- “I am very excited about the chang-
es,” says Woods. “Matilde is not cutting
any corners. She is doing a wonderful
job and it will be a big benefit to me
and my clients.”

Woods typically brings clients into
her office to look at a range of proper-
ties on a 60-inch video screen to get
a sense of what houses they like and
narrow down choices before driving
around to look at properties. She says
having a bright, updated office will
bolster her sales efforts with new cli-
ents and also be appreciated by exist-
ing clients who stop in to see her.

“It is also a great opportunity to get
rid of clutter that has built up over the
years,” Woods says. “I am not taking all
the junk back in there that we took out.”

The job started at the beginning of
September and will be complete in
October.

“We fast-tracked it for Matilde,” says
Kovaleski, who has had six- to eight-man
crews on the job everyday this month.

During construction, Woods and
other agents have moved operations
to the Sorensen’s downtown office on
14th Avenue.

“I am all set up and fully functioning
downtown,” says Woods. “Everyone
over there has been very welcoming
and gracious.”

The remodel is just one example of
a constant push for improvement and
growth that has powered the extraor-
dinary expansion of Sorensen Real Es-
tate in recent years.

Revenue has grown from $121 mil-
lion in 2009 to more than $600 million
last year, as the company has steadily
increased both income and market
share on the barrier island and main-
land Vero, and expanded into Brevard
County in a big way, opening offices in
Indialantic and Viera.

Dale Sorensen Jr., who is leading the
expansion, just provided sales figures
for the first eight months of 2016 that
show the company on track to do more
than $700 million in business this year.

“Dale Junior is constantly provid-
ing marvelous opportunities with new
technology and training for us to ad-
vance and grow,” says Woods. 



10 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Step into Kindergarten: Giant leap for kids’ education

BY MARY SCHENKEL
Staff Writer

Having children kindergarten Title 1 District Coordinator Karen Malits, Education Foundation Executive Director Cynthia Falardeau and Dodgertown kindergarten teacher Christina Lindgren
ready – “prepared across the five
critical domains: social/emotional, Krista Sadlers, Title 1 teacher and STEP into Kindergarten lead teacher. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE and Principal Liz Tetreault with K’Amarian.
physical health and well-being, cog-
nitive, communication and adap- Education Foundation coordinates school setting.” explains Krista Sadlers, district Title
tive learning” – is an integral part of with school district administrators They stress the importance of chil- 1 teacher and lead teacher for STEP
the countywide Moonshot Moment to formulate and present grants and into Kindergarten.
goal of reaching 90 percent literacy then provides oversight. dren entering kindergarten knowing
by third grade. One major tool in exactly what to expect and how to be- “We utilize evidenced-based cur-
that arsenal is STEP into Kindergar- “In a sense we’re like the Commu- have, so that the entire focus can be riculum facilitated by our school dis-
ten (Summer Transition Enrichment nity Foundation for the school dis- on learning. trict teachers, many of which are kin-
Program), a community partnership trict,” says Falardeau. “The power- dergarten teachers, and we also have
funded through the Education Foun- ful message is that the community “So there has to be a private or out- highly qualified teacher assistants,”
dation of Indian River County and is really investing in this and sees side funder and that’s where the Edu- adds Malits.
implemented by the School District its value. Our mission is to increase cation Foundation comes in. We are
of Indian River County. the community’s investment in our leveraging and accessing dollars the “Right now we believe, based on the
schools. In this way, it brings new district wouldn’t otherwise have ac- community needs assessment, that
STEP into Kindergarten began with donors and donor groups into our cess to,” says Falardeau. we’re serving almost 20 percent of
just 45 students in June 2013 and has schools.” incoming kindergarteners to schools
since expanded into a six-week June She adds that a consortium of within our county,” says Falardeau.
and July program with 177 children STEP into Kindergarten students Florida education foundations is now “Ideally we want to continue to grow
this past summer. are those who have completed Volun- looking to replicate outstanding pro- that, but it I think it comes down to
tary Pre-K (VPK) but who might need grams such as this one, to be featured funding.”
The program targets students en- more time to become kindergarten in a grant to the Kellogg Foundation.
tering kindergarten in the district’s ready. “It’s almost like we’re starting up
nine Title 1 schools which have a high “That would give us funding for a whole new school year in the sum-
percentage of children from low in- Karen Malits, Title 1 district ad- our program and it would give other mer. We plan lessons, we have trans-
come families: Citrus, Dodgertown, ministrator, explains that every fam- counties a chance to replicate what portation for students, we’re hiring
Glendale, Fellsmere, Indian River ily in Florida, regardless of income, has been successful. This isn’t hap- teachers. It just depends on funding
Academy, Pelican Island, Sebastian, is eligible for free Voluntary Pre-K for pening elsewhere. There is VPK ev- and how we can grow the program,”
Treasure Coast and Vero Beach El- children entering kindergarten the erywhere but there is not a summer agrees Malits, noting that ideally
ementary. following year. extension program, a Kindergarten they would like to add a program co-
Readiness program like this that we ordinator.
“If you’re not preparing children “The important thing is this is not are aware of anywhere else in the
early, then how do you expect them VPK. These students have completed state,” says Falardeau. Comments from principals, teach-
to be successful later on? The idea that,” says Malits, adding, “We had ers and parents alike have all been
is that by investing early you’re not students from many, many providers They are encouraged by the stu- positive.
spending money remediating later around the county.” dent improvements they’ve seen.
on,” says Education Foundation Ex- Children meet one-on-one with the “Every week literature or books
ecutive Director Cynthia Falardeau. “At the end of the day, all those teachers to determine developmen- were sent home to parents to make
“Our board felt this was a way that children come together and they tally appropriate baseline data, as- sure that we were really making the
we could support the district in that sometimes have varying strengths sessing students academically and connection between school and
goal.” and preparedness,” adds Falardeau. observing the social, emotional and home and really establishing the
“One of the most valuable points of behavioral components; basing the school and family partnership,” says
The John’s Island Community Ser- this project is that it helps prepare academic and behavioral checks on Malits, referencing the interactive
vice League granted the program children for that social, emotional, the district’s kindergarten report workbooks, parental guides and oth-
its initial funding, spearheaded in behavioral component. Just because card. er information sent home with the
the effort by Hope Woodhouse, who a child knows their beginning sounds children.
serves on the JICSL board and is on doesn’t mean that they can attend a “Our goal in choosing the assess-
the Children’s Services Advisory and task, that they can follow directions, ments was to bridge the 4-year-old “Based on what you shared, it’s go-
Kindergarten Readiness Collabora- that they can transition, share or co- standards that they were expected ing to increase the momentum for
tive. operate with other students: typical to know at the end of VPK with what next year because people have said,
areas needed to function well in a we would like to have them ready to wow – this is really worthwhile,”
“But, and this was critical, they also begin when they enter kindergarten,” agrees Falardeau.
stood up in front of other funders and
said you need to invest in this pro- “If we have strong, vibrant schools,
gram. This is delivering results; this that’s really an indicator of the success
is really where you can make an im- of our community. I think it’s exciting
pact. It’s almost like they endorsed that people want to buy into that and
it, which enabled us to gain the at- be a part of it. We have tremendous
tention of United Way,” Falardeau community support, but there are still
explains, referencing the receipt of so many more children that we could
funding through a new United Way reach.” 
Community Impact Grants initiative.

The project has also received fund-
ing from the county’s Children’s Ser-
vices Advisory Committee, the In-
dian River Community Foundation
and other community partners. The



12 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

‘Good’ time! St. Ed’s students embrace Day of Service

BY MARY SCHENKEL coordinator. “Most importantly, students had engaged together in
Staff Writer when they finished their hard work a community-wide improvement
and could visually see the impact project.
What happens when all 248 Saint they had made as a united group, I
Edward’s Upper School students believe it was a meaningful sense of The breakdown included 57 fresh-
participate en masse in a Day of Ser- accomplishment.” man wor+king at Riverside Park, 61
vice? sophomores at Gifford Youth Achieve-
Organized by Terry Moody, dean ment Center, 27 juniors at the Habitat
“One word: Incredible! Our stu- of students, and Father Tommy for Humanity Restore, 37 juniors at
dents did an amazing job,” said Shel- Matthews, the morning-long effort Shining Light Garden, 20 seniors at
by Fontana, International Program last Tuesday was the first time the Dasie Hope, 23 seniors at St. Francis

Josh Canevari and Sean Eigendorff. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

Zion Atwater, Gabby Carlson and Jada Clay.

Manor, and 23 seniors at Charles Park.
“It was hard work, but a great ex-

perience in that we, as a grade, were
able to get out of the classroom en-
vironment and actually contribute
to the community in a meaning-
ful way,” said 11th-grader Spencer
Greaves.

“This was such a great opportunity
for Saint Edward’s students to share
their time and energy to assist the
many sites and agencies that are so
important to our community,” said
Bruce Wachter, head of the Upper
School and associate head of school.
“It was an absolute pleasure observ-
ing our students quite literally dig-
ging into their respective projects
and chores. We all are in the benefit
of such an exercise and look forward
to doing it again.”

Head of School Mike Mersky add-
ed that the activities exemplified the
school’s concept of a Private School
with a Public Purpose. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 13

PEOPLE

Louise Kennedy helps the St Edward’s freshmen at Riverside Park. Christopher Schulze and J.P. Battista. Paul Siegl, Zoe Zhou and Jackson Jennings.

Teachers Aaron Lee and Ann Bixels with Logan Reimsnyder. St Edward’s junior class at the Shining Light farm.

Julie Young and Hannah Pyles.

14 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

Community Foundation honors Shannon Bowman

BY MARY SCHENKEL granted to Bob Puff in recognition of through donor-directed philanthropy. He explains that in addition to her
Staff Writer his superb leadership as board chair- Certainly our view as an organization, formal education, which includes a
man, 2013 through 2015. Puff has se- and my view as an individual, is that master’s in philanthropy and develop-
At the annual Indian River Commu- lected Shannon Bowman, executive leadership is important,” says Puff. ment, Bowman is committed to both
nity Foundation Cocktail Reception director of Childcare Resources of In- “As we’ve looked out there around the her own leadership development and
last February, board chairman Scott dian River, as the inaugural recipient of community, I had always been im- that of others in the field. “She’s what
Alexander announced the institution the $2,500 grant, to be used for her own pressed with Shannon personally. I they call a lifelong learner. Beyond that,
of a new Chairman’s Nonprofit Lead- personal development. think she certainly handles herself ex- though, we were aware that Childcare
ership Award, stating that the honor tremely well; she’s very gracious and Resources is somewhat of a unique or-
of selecting its first recipient would be “The role of the Community Foun- warm in her manner.” ganization in our community.”
dation is to build a better community
Childcare Resources provides qual-
ity, affordable early education to the
children of low-income parents who
live between 150 percent and 200 per-
cent of the federal poverty level and are
employed full time, attend school full
time, or are engaged in a combination
of the two.

“Their mission, and the way they
go about it, is unique and appealing.
Shannon led it through a successful
capital campaign,” says Puff, referenc-
ing the $1.8 million Bright Futures Cap-
ital Campaign which enabled a move
into a more spacious location. “I think
that’s a sign of good, strong leadership;
that they could declare the need and
then go out and make it happen.”

Bowman says she was surprised and
honored to be chosen, adding, “I’m so
grateful because I would have never
had discretionary funds to engage in
an opportunity like this. I wanted to do
something that would benefit my per-
sonal development but that would also
help benefit the organization and the
work we do here in the community.”

After thoughtful consideration, she
has engaged a leadership coach and
says, “We’re just getting started. We
created some goals and she’s going to
try to help me meet those goals and
help me be a better leader for my orga-
nization. I’m really looking forward to
it.”

In a similar vein, Childcare Re-
sources was also one of three organi-
zations awarded grants from the Com-
munity Foundation’s Unrestricted
Fund toward programs aligned with
the Moonshot Moment goal of 90 per-
cent of third graders reading at grade
level by 2018. The $68,675 grant they
received is being applied to the pro-
fessional development of educators of
children 6 weeks to 5 years at childcare
centers throughout the county.

“In the case of Childcare Resources,
that was an interesting grant,” says Jeff
Pickering, IRCF’s CEO. “We had fund-
ed them in the past to do preschool
teacher development. We gave them
the first grant a few years ago to do that,
and then they’ve continued that prac-
tice. What they’ve learned over the last
three or four years is that it’s one thing

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 15

PEOPLE

Teacher Marie Heaton with 3 year-olds Zoie, Emberly,
Aubree and Sierra.

Shannon Bowman with 4 year-olds Rebecca and Zamiah. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE “We open it up to any childcare
center in Indian River County free of
Jeff Pickering, Shannon Bowman and Paulette Maggiacomo. Jeff Pickering with 4 year-olds Maddox and Alaini. Bob Puff with Stephanie and Jeff Pickering. charge; the workshop and the coach-
ing are funded by the grant,” says Bow-
to give these seminars, but it’s another help them hire a coach.” ees. The full-time coach will assist man. “It’s really, really exciting that we
to be able to offer those teachers who Childcare Resources now hosts four teachers and directors to implement are going to be able to do this and give
show up some additional coaching. So strategies learned and to develop and these teachers the tools they need to
we added some funding to be able to seminars a year, taught by nationwide achieve their own goals. inspire the children they’re working
experts, which draw up to 200 attend- with every day. We want to have them
ready for kindergarten and life – that’s
our goal.”

Pickering said that in addition to
programmatic grants, he would like to
assist nonprofit organizations to im-
prove their organizational capacity by
building on their sustainability.

“The key to that is leadership,” says
Pickering of the idea behind the Lead-
ership award. “If there is a singular
characteristic that makes us comfort-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

16 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 Pickering says Puff has an innate ter community and this concept of miliar with the community founda-
sense of recognizing the leader- funding leadership. Shannon’s lead- tion donor-advised concept, having
able with making a discretionary ship qualities of others, adding, “so I ership is good; hopefully with this been a contributor to the substantial-
grant, we’re actually making it a habit thought it was kind of cool that this grant it will become even better for ly larger Greater Kansas City Com-
now to contemplate a leader. I think first award, we gave that privilege to herself and the organization.” munity Foundation.
the types of people who are going to him. We do make the connection be-
be selected from this effort are going tween our mission of building a bet- Puff, who with wife Nancy became “I saw the Indian River Community
to use it wisely.” a Vero Beach resident in 2007, was fa- Foundation at that point as a startup

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 17

PEOPLE

organization, and I had always been to put into practice some of what I contribute to the improvement of the fund leadership development for oth-
a sort of a small company guy. In my had learned in close to 40 years in the community. What better way to do er worthy candidates in Indian River
career I liked the challenge and the investment management business,” that than to invest in the leadership County. You’ll never find a classroom
excitement of building something says Puff. of nonprofits that are worthy? There’s or a monument or anything relative
rather than joining something that a uniqueness to this that we hope will to what we’re trying to do with this
was fully established. I saw in the “To some degree I think the com- be resonant and perhaps other orga- application, but we think it’s very im-
community foundation a way for me munity foundation is trying to think nizations in time will find a way to portant nonetheless.” 
about some unique ways that we can

18 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

PEOPLE

KIRB enthusiasm: Volunteers help clean up coast

1 23

4

KIRB CAPTIONS

1. Maurice, Adam and Yossi from the Boys and
Girls Club help out on Jaycee Beach. 2. Chris
Butler, Shannon Hauser, Fenia Hiaasen and
Jennifer Croom at the Vero Beach Marina. 3. Julie
Torres, Bailee Torres, Stacy Gordon, Miley Torres,
Audrina Votrobek and Alyssa Carter with the
Piper team at Jaycee Park. 4. Jeanne and Michael
Bills at Ambersand Beach.

PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

More than 700 volunteers, armed
with trash bags, gloves and hand
sanitizers, fanned out across the
county to clean up other people’s
trash at the 31st annual Ocean
Conservancy’s International
Coastal Cleanup, coordinated lo-
cally by Keep Indian River Beauti-
ful (KIRB). A mind-boggling 6,000
pounds of trash was collected last
year from Indian River County
beaches and parks, the Indian
River Lagoon shoreline and spoil
islands. Overall, in 2015, this
world’s largest one-day cleanup
effort netted more than 18 mil-
lion pounds. Dubious honors to
the top 10: cigarette butts, plastic
beverage bottles, food wrappers,
plastic bottle caps, straws/stir-
rers, general plastic bags, glass
beverage bottles, plastic gro-
cery bags, metal bottle caps and
plastic lids, along with another 3
million tiny trash pieces, of the
sort often ingested by marine
life. 2016 marine litter numbers
will be tracked and included in
the Ocean Conservancy’s Ocean
Trash Index. 



20 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Clay artists proud to call ‘Peacock’ studio home

BY ELLEN FISCHER
Correspondent

When it comes to an open clay studio, Ginny Piech Street and Holly Theuns work on a mold at the Peacock Clay studio in Fort Pierce. PHOTOS BY MITCH KLOORFAIN
Peacock Clay Collaborative in down-
town Fort Pierce is “the only game in
town,” says Victoria Beck, one of the
gallery’s resident artists.

Beck is justifiably proud of the busi-
ness that she and her partners in clay
– Bridget Abernethy, Martha Cross, Ei-
leen DiTullio and Ginny Piech Street –
opened last fall.

There are few places on the Trea-
sure Coast where seasoned clay artists
can get some independent studio time,
where students of the craft can take
classes, and where the creatively curi-
ous can indulge in a clay workshop.

Other than a couple of places in Stu-
art and the classes at the Vero Beach
Museum of Art, “I don’t think there’s
anything else,” Beck says.

She and the four other Peacock own-
ers – or resident artists, as they call
themselves – were assembled around
a work table at the North Second Street
studio on a recent Saturday, the down-
town space that was once the bead

shop Baubles and Beads. ing table space and equipment that
“This place is perfect for us,” says everyone shares: potter’s wheels, slab
rollers and an extruder. Members also
Beck. The artists share three adjoin- enjoy the use of storage space for their
ing work areas brimming with books, in-progress projects. The firing of all
glazes, test tiles, finished pieces and clay pieces is done in-house by the
works-in-progress, along the studio’s resident artists.
north wall.
The open studio concept works as
With the exception of a small gallery well as it does because “we’ve been re-
behind the front windows, the rest of ally lucky to have a nice group of mem-
the space is a communal work area that bers,” says Piech Street, a full-time art-
the resident artists share with 15 mem- ist who makes her home in Vero Beach,
ber artists. Members pay a monthly fee as do six of the members. The others
(just like in a gym, says Piech Street) to come to the studio from Port St. Lucie
work on their own anytime during the as well as Fort Pierce.
studio’s open hours.
It also helps that the studio’s resident
Members are required to have their artists have been active individually in
own clay tools, but everything else a the Fort Pierce art scene for years; to-
clay artist needs is right there, includ-

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 21

ARTS & THEATRE

gether they are a tight-knit group. versity. She is currently employed as a with six others joined DiTullio at Wild- drive-through, where their kiln was in-
The resident artists with the highest children’s art therapist at an in-patient fire, while Piech Street “kind of floating stalled. And while some people knew
mental health facility. in and out.” about Peacock’s location – one flight up
profiles in the community are Eileen on the building’s mezzanine – the spot
DiTullio, who teaches ceramics at Lin- Beck’s art work tends toward fan- Wildfire closed a few months later. was not conducive to walk-in traffic.
coln Park Academy, and Martha Cross, tasy. On display at Peacock are two The present group reformed as Pea-
an art teacher at John Carroll High stoneware female torsos decked out in cock Clay Collaborative in September The move to Peacock’s current loca-
School. They have been friends since savage clay finery. One of them wears of last year. tion gave its resident artists everything
the 1970s. a skimpy number trimmed with real they hoped for: a place to show and sell
feathers that a certain warrior princess At that time the group rented second- their work, offer classes, and have a kiln
“If you walk down the street in Fort might give her eye teeth for. Beck teach- floor space in downtown Fort Pierce’s along with studio space.
Pierce you will either run into a student es workshops in clay at the studio. art studio haven in the former Sun
of Martha’s or a student of Eileen’s,” Trust Bank building. But that space Tucked between two home goods
Piech Street teases. Abernethy, who has a long history of proved barely workable for the group, stores along a busy stretch of the down-
volunteerism in the arts in Fort Pierce, which had to roll carts filled with frag- town, Peacock Clay Collaborative is
In addition to producing their own acts as Peacock’s bookkeeper. Her work ile green ware out of the building and easy for shoppers and students to find.
work at Peacock Clay Collaborative, in clay features slab-built forms pierced across the parking lot to the bank’s tiny
the two instruct classes at the stu- with geometric shapes. “We fit right into that,” says Cross. 
dio. Cross, whose forte is hand-built
sculpture, has a painterly glaze tech- Piech Street admits to spending
nique that is particularly effective on “pretty much most” of her time at the
her series of biomorphic forms. She studio.
teaches a children’s clay class on Sat-
urday mornings. DiTullio, known for When she is not teaching a weekly
her elegant bowls, vases and boxes hand-building class or working as its
as well as her sea life-inspired sculp- de facto facilities manager, she spends
ture, teaches a weekly evening class in her Peacock time on her own work. In
wheel-throwing for adults. addition to completing private com-
missions, Piech Street is known for her
Beck can personally attest to DiTul- large, semi-abstract totem sculptures
lio’s teaching skills; back in middle and her current line of quirky bird figu-
school she was a student in DiTullio’s rines, each with its own open-edition
art class. number and “travel box.”

“That was the class from hell,” mut- With the other resident artists and
ters DiTullio. members, Piece Street exhibits and
sells her work at Peacock Clay Collab-
That prompts a protest from Beck. orative. She is also an exhibiting artist
“But I was the golden child!” at Flametree Clay Gallery in down-
town Vero Beach, where DiTullio also
Apparently, she was. “Vicky had a showed her work for a time.
great portfolio in high school,” DiTul-
lio says of Beck, who won a scholar- In Fort Pierce, the forerunner of Pea-
ship to the Florida School of the Arts cock was Wildfire Clay Studio, which
in Palatka. DiTullio opened as her private work
space in December 2012. It didn’t take
Beck went on to earn a degree in art long for the studio to go co-op, how-
education at the University of Cen- ever; Abernathy, Beck, and Cross along
tral Florida, and a Master of Science in
clinical art therapy at Long Island Uni-

22 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ARTS & THEATRE

Coming Up: ‘Threepenny’ simulcast at the Majestic

BY MICHELLE GENZ gins in earnest with simulcasts of Lon- well as Nick Holder, Rosalie Craig and Oct. 11), at either 1:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Staff Writer don plays scheduled to start Thursday. Haydn Gwynne. The simulcast is at 2 The next series starts Nov. 15 un-
Rufus Norris directs a new translation p.m. with a repeat at 7 p.m. The Majes-
1 It was great to see a larger-than- of “The Threepenny Opera.” Bertolt tic also hosts the Met Live in HD pro- der the theme “Passages: Films about
normal turnout at the Majestic Brecht and Kurt Weill’s “play with ductions of operas from New York, as Finding Our Life Rhythms.”
music” is intended to be a socialist well as the Bolshoi Ballet performanc-
Theatre for National Theatre Live’s critique of capitalism (wear your Feel es. They’re all listed on the Majestic’s On a side note, the museum offers a
the Bern T-shirts). This over-the-top, website (cwtheaters.com/vero) under library of more than 3,000 film titles to
repeat screening last week of a very darkly cartoonish production stars the “Events” tab at the top. borrow with the Film Society level of
Rory Kinnear (you may remember him membership – $25 a year, on top of the
modern and very excellent produc- as Hamlet, Othello or James Bond), as museum membership of $45.

tion of the Arthur Miller play, “A View

from the Bridge.”

This week, the NT Live season be- 2 There’s one more weekend of 4 Sunday, a film in a different
“Sylvia” at the Vero Beach The- context: National Geographic’s

atre Guild. The story of a stray dog spectacular documentary footage

that puts her new owner in the dog- of the Grand Canyon will screen be-

house features the snappy talents of hind Space Coast Symphony Orches-

Abby Bolduc as the emotionally intru- tra’s performance of “Grand Canyon

sive labradoodle Sylvia. Ben Earman Suite” at 3 p.m. at the Vero Beach High

directs an obviously fun-loving cast. School Performing Arts Center.

Performances run through Sunday’s 2 Ferde Grofé’s evocative work is

p.m. matinee. meant to convey the changing beauty

of the canyon during a rainstorm, at

3 Meanwhile, at the Vero Beach sunset, and at daybreak.
Museum of Art, the first of the
Also on the program, another Grofé

season’s Film Studies courses starts effort: his arrangement of Gershwin’s

Oct. 6 with a theme of immigration. “Rhapsody in Blue.” It will be per-

“Arrivals and Departures: Tales of Im- formed by Brian Gatchell, owner of

migrant Journeys,” led by Diane Thel- Atlantic Music Center and founder of

an. The series screens a movie each the Florida Tech Piano Jazz Festival

Tuesday for five weeks, (except for coming up in November. 



24 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Century unlimited: More seniors living to 100+

BY TOM LLOYD birthday, but this centenarian’s star
Staff Writer quality still shines brightly at Vero’s
Brennity senior living facility and
1916 was a very good year. at the offices of her cardiology and
Jackie Gleason, Betty Grable, Di- internal medicine specialist, Dr.
nah Shore, Gregory Peck, Glenn Charles Celano.
Ford, Olivia de Havilland and Walter
Cronkite were all born in 1916. Only a relative handful of Ameri-
So was Vero Beach’s Roberta Kirby. cans manage to live past the century
Kirby just celebrated her 100th mark but the number is increasing.
A report by the Reuters news agency

Roberta Kirby with Dr. Charles Celano. PHOTO: DENISE RITCHIE

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 25

HEALTH

this year says “the number of Ameri- The soft-spoken Celano contin- freely admits she smoked cigarettes used to come to the house. We never
cans living beyond their 100th birth- ues by adding, “The other thing that for upwards of 35 years. went out to a doctor. The doctor al-
day has now surged by nearly 44 per- happens is every part of the body ways came to us and would sit on the
cent.” ages differently. The skin, the eyes, Then there’s her continuing fond- bed and talk to you.”
the lungs, the heart, the intestinal ness for the occasional shot of Ca-
The Centers for Disease Control tract, they all kind of age a little dif- nadian whiskey – something Celano While that’s a part of history that
and Prevention chimes in by citing ferently in different people.” has no problem with. “The fact that seems unlikely to repeat itself, with
better medical care as the key reason someone drinks an alcoholic bever- the number of centenarians more
why the ranks of this country’s cen- However, there is currently no sci- age on a regular basis is not uncom- than doubling every decade since
tenarians have climbed to well over entific way to predict the effects of mon in people who live to this age,” the 1950s, Celano may soon have
72,000 in recent years, and adds that someone’s genes on their longevity he confides. more super-seniors to help care for
more than 80 percent of today’s cen- prospects. here in Vero Beach.
tenarians are women. U.S. News and The most common trait Celano
World Report found there are more “You see genetic testing advertised sees in his centenarian patients is And if those newly minted cen-
than 4,000 people 100 or older living on television now so you can find activity. Not that they were or are tenarians are anything like Kirby,
in Florida. out more about your ancestry,” says gym rats he says, but rather that, their biggest problems may not even
Celano, “[but] we’re not that good yet “they were active, and outdoor ac- be medical.
Kirby, a Deerfield, Massachusetts, with predictions on longevity. I was tive more than indoor active.”
native, has her own ideas about why just updating myself on that, too, Whether it’s because of good
someone born the same year that and while there are studies going on Kirby certainly fits that bill. An genes, good luck, an active, outdoor
Woodrow Wilson won his second trying to identify specific genes or avid swimmer and water-skier in her lifestyle or modern medical care,
term in the White House has re- markers for longevity, we’re just not younger days and a math teacher for Kirby matter-of-factly states, “I nev-
mained healthy, bright and alert. “I there yet.” over 40 years, she still gets around er remember being deathly sick. I
think it’s a mixture of my Irish and pretty well with the help of her walk- had colds. I had appendicitis. I even
German blood,” says Kirby with a Still, Celano has more experience er. had to have my appendix out,” but
gleam in her eye. with centenarians than most doc- in 100-plus years, one of her biggest
tors. Two years ago he was caring for Kirby, who came to Florida in consternations has come far more
While the Italian-American Cela- five patients 100 years old or older. 1978, lost her first husband to a heart recently.
no might not buy the Irish-German Today he still cares for three, includ- attack here in Vero. Eight years later,
theory, he does agree that genetics ing Kirby, which he says is still “re- at the age of 75, she re-married af- “Smartphones,” says Kirby with an
play a key role in longevity. markable.” ter meeting another Massachusetts impish smile, “are just beyond me. I
man and had another 24 years here taught math for 40 years, [but to use
“I was actually just looking at a Perhaps equally remarkable is the with her second husband. a smartphone] I need a teacher of my
statistic that says under [the age of] fact that Kirby isn’t really a Pollyan- own.”
90, 25 percent of longevity is impact- na-ish poster-child patient for mod- Asked about the biggest differ-
ed by genetics and 50 percent by en- ern medicine. ence between going to see a doctor Dr. Charles Celano is with Indian
vironment . . . but once you get over now versus her days in Deerfield, River Medical Center. His office is at
90, it’s driven a lot more by genetics.” Her father had a tobacco farm up the quick-witted Kirby doesn’t miss 3607 15th Avenue in Vero Beach. The
north when she was a child and she a beat, promptly replying, “Well, he phone is 772-562-8522. 

26 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

HEALTH

Making noise about dangers of ‘silent’ heart attacks

BY MARIA CANFIELD Hard to miss, or to misinterpret.
Correspondent Those are indeed the classic symp-

We all know what a person expe- toms of a heart attack. But, according
riencing a heart attack looks like, to a study done at Wake Forest Baptist
right? They’re in obvious pain, and Medical Center, it turns out nearly
may clutch their chest. Their skin is half of all heart attacks do not present
pale and they are sweating. They are in this way; in fact, there may be no
having trouble breathing, and they signs or symptoms at all.
look like they’re about to pass out.
Despite the lack of outward signs,
“silent” heart attacks still affect blood

Dr. Arley Peter. PHOTOS: DENISE RITCHIE

flow to the muscle of the heart (this tacks. The tell-tale signs of a silent
is called ischemia) and can be just as heart attack are usually detected later
dangerous as symptomatic heart at- by an electrocardiogram (EKG).

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 27

HEALTH

Vero Beach cardiologist Dr. Arley period, the Wake Forest researchers perience heart disease in differ- heart attack, they may not receive the
Peter agrees that some heart attacks found 386 people had heart attacks ent ways – in fact, 25 percent more treatment they need to prevent an-
are not accompanied by any symp- that featured classic symptoms, and women die within a year of having other one.”
toms; other times, he says, there are 317 people had silent heart attacks. a heart attack than do men, probably,
symptoms, but not the type people The researchers continued to look at in part, because women are generally Dr. Peter says the most important
associate with heart attacks. “Peo- another 20 years of data to gather in- older than men when they experi- thing he tells his patients is to have
ple may feel a little light-headed but formation on heart-related disease, ence a heart attack. Dr. Soliman says a “low threshold” when deciding to
have no pain, and they don’t think deaths from heart attacks, and other the results of the study underscore look for help. “Vero Beach doctors are
about going to their doctor for a health outcomes. the importance of caring for men and highly engaged in keeping their pa-
check-up, even though their doctor women differently when it comes to tients healthy. Be aware of what your
wishes they would.” Study leader Dr. Elsayed Z. Soli- heart health. body is telling you, even if the symp-
man and his team also found that toms are subtle. We want to see you to
Researchers from Wake Forest although silent heart attacks were Says Dr. Soliman: “The outcome make sure you’re OK.”
Baptist Medical Center in Winston- more common in men, they were of a silent heart attack is as bad as a
Salem, N.C., wanted to investigate more deadly in women. This out- heart attack that is recognized while Dr. Peter’s office has recently moved.
the outcome of silent heart attacks come was not unexpected, as it is it is happening. And because patients The new address is 787 37th Street,
– how common and how danger- known that men and women ex- don’t know they have had a silent Suite E260. The phone number has
also changed; it is 772-999-3996. 

Despite the lack of

outward signs, “silent”

heart attacks still

affect blood flow to the

muscle of the heart (this

is called ischemia) and

can be just as dangerous

as symptomatic heart

attacks. The tell-tale

signs of a silent heart

attack are usually

detected later by an

electrocardiogram

(EKG).

ous are they? They concluded that
45 percent of heart attacks were of
the silent type, and that experienc-
ing a silent heart attack tripled the
chances of dying from heart disease
later in life.

To reach their results, the team
pooled data from nearly 9,500 adults
who were in involved in a study called
Atherosclerosis Risk in Communi-
ties, which began way back in 1987.
In looking at data over a nine-year

28 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

ST. EDWARD’S

Tough tests suit competitive St. Ed’s golfers to a tee

BY RON HOLUB Head coach Scott Mohr. want to play college golf.” er and uses that to his advantage.
Correspondent Chiarenza carded 78, 81 and 81 in “GP Battista is only a ninth-grader
tions to play beyond high school. Mohr
Head coach Scott Mohr is steering understands that and has adjusted his three matches through last Thursday. but he already has a tremendous golf
the six boys on his St. Ed’s varsity golf mentoring accordingly. Over the same period Meadows shot resume. He has played all over the
team toward the district tournament 79, 81 and 80. Mysore finished with world. He has the talent to be shooting
in October, and he structured the reg- “I’ve made a lot of changes in terms 80, 84 and 82. Those scores were good right around par. I hope that happens
ular season knowing that some tough of strategy and what we are doing for enough to make the top three for the for him on a regular basis.
competitors will be waiting for them the team this year,” said Mohr, now in cumulative team score.
from start to finish. his second season as head coach. “We “KC Barry can do a little bit of every-
are having a lot more 18-hole matches Battista was twice able to break into thing and has always been passionate
“We have four returning players to and we have scheduled a couple of in- the final slot for team scoring by fin- about golf. I’m looking forward to see-
the golf team this year,” Mohr said. “We vitational tournament events. ishing fourth with rounds of 85 and 84. ing his game come into form as a mem-
have a stable of three juniors with Trey Barry did it one time at 86. ber of the team this year.
Meadows, Anthony Chiarenza and An- “We have taken the program up a
irudh Mysore. Our fourth returner is level, in my opinion, because a lot of “Anthony Chiarenza has a beauti- “Ryan Niederpruem is new to the
freshman GP Battista. So it’s really ter- our guys are super competitive and ful golf swing,” Mohr told us, when de- team this year. He is very disciplined
rific to have all of that returning talent. scribing the attributes of the golfers on and extremely hard working.”
his team. “He can really pound the ball.
“We were also joined by senior KC ... We really have high hopes for him. While the individual scores have
Barry and freshman Ryan Nieder- been impressive, they have yet to trans-
pruem. We have a lot of pure talent “Trey Meadows is a single-sport ath- late into major success in team compe-
with a wide range of different skills. It lete. Golf has been his passion for a tition. The Pirates were 0-4 (including
was just exciting to get back on the golf long time. ... The biggest thing we see one tri-match) after a dual-match last
course this year.” about Trey is length. He’s driving the week with Pine School. Everyone is
ball over 300 yards at times. He’s not now aware that talented young golfers
The guys with previous high school one-dimensional, though; he’s got the don’t only reside at St. Ed’s.
experience have already proven that whole game. I really hope it comes to-
they are capable of shooting in the high gether for him this season. “This is a more serious venture,”
70s to low 80s. Five are eligible to come Mohr acknowledged. “We are playing
back next year, and a few have aspira- “Anirudh Mysore is more of a tacti- against some really good teams. It’s
cian in how he works his way around exciting to play in really competitive
the golf course. He is a very smart golf- events.” 

Pro Sports Total Joint
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS MEDICINE Replacements
& ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY
Rotator Cuff Repairs
NEW PATIENTS WELCOME l SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
Arthroscopies
DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC AND SPORTS MEDICINE CARE IN VERO BEACH.
Knee Injuries
Peter G. Wernicki, M.D. Christopher Talley M.D. Kyle J. Moyles, M.D. Worthington S. Keville, III,
Carpal Tunnel
Board Certified Board Certified Board Certified PA-C
Trigger Finger
Fellowship Trained Fellowship Trained Fellowship Trained Hand Surgeon Physicians Assistant,
Certified Platelet Rich
peterwernicki.com talleymd.com melbournehandcenter.com Plasma Injections

ACL Reconstruction

Sports Injuries

1355 37th STREET, SUITE 301 l VERO BEACH, FL l MEDICARE & MOST INSURANCE ACCEPTED

772.978.7808



30 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT COVER STORY

There may be music in the roar of the sea, as By- An unusually high tide, sometimes called a king tide, sweeps Marshallese people to live and work in the US with-
ron eulogized, but the waves can also bring creeping through the island nation’s capital city, Majuro. out a visa, ends in 2023 and there are no guarantees
unease. On low-lying fragments of land like the Mar- it will be extended.
shall Islands, the tides are threatening to take away Surprisingly, the largest Marshallese community has
what they previously helped support: life. gathered around Springdale, an unremarkable cor- Those already living in the US would be able to
ner of Arkansas. stay but, if the agreement isn’t extended, those living
Hilda Heine surveys the latest temporary sea wall in the Marshall Islands will be treated like hopeful
that cleaves her property from the waves. It has been A third of the Marshall Islands’ 60,000-strong migrants from any other country.
knocked down twice since February by floods and population now resides in the US and some of those
she frets about her plants that will probably face a left behind fret that many more will follow, with the The looming expiration of the American deal
salty demise. archipelago’s unique culture blemished by each de- means there is a “concern that more people will
parture. The Marshallese government has openly leave, definitely,” Heine concedes. “It’s hard being in
Her vista would, sadly, be unremarkable in the worried “about massive outmigration in recent years” competition with the United States. But I don’t think
Marshall Islands were it not for the policeman lan- – a fifth of the population left between 1999 and 2011. we should give up. These are our homes.”
guidly guarding the corrugated metal wall – Heine
is the president of the Pacific island nation. Here, no As the seas rise, the pathway to the US could be While the Marshall Islands would fulfill most aes-
one is spared the rising seas. closing. A compact of free association, which allows thetic criteria for an island paradise, it’s easy to see
why this selection of 29 coral limestone and sand
“I need a better wall, one with rocks,” Heine mut- atolls and five islands, strewn across 750,000 square
ters. Her presidency will probably be defined by cli- miles of ocean, are so vulnerable to seas that are ad-
mate change. vancing due to melting glaciers and thermal expan-
sion.
The Marshall Islands faces the existential threat of
sea level rise and, with it, the potential exodus of its The islands are arranged in broken arcs around
population. large lagoons. The islands are coin-flat and incred-
ibly narrow – at some points just a dozen yards sepa-
“The numbers are increasing, of people leaving,” rate one coast from the other.
Heine says. “We see that almost every day. I think to a
certain extent people are thinking about the sea level Water is, claustrophobically, everywhere. Its
rise and they’re wanting to make sure they’re on se- handiwork is evident even in its absence – graves
cure land.” that are sliding into the sea and spilling bones onto
what remains of the beach, the Sisyphean labor of re-
There is one destination at the top of the list for patching flood defenses, the gnawed-away coastline
departing Marshallese: the USA. More than 20,000 releasing the determined grip of precipitously angled
people from this remote sprawl of islands, located trees, one root at a time.
between Hawaii and Australia, are now in the U.S.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 31

INSIGHT COVER STORY

Between 1946 and 1958, the US conducted nuclear
weapons testing on the islands, peppering
Bikini atoll alone with 23 bombs.

Silhouette at dusk, Majuro, Marshall Islands.

In 2014, after 16-foot swells inundated Majuro Top: A woman cooks on Likiep Atoll, Marshall Islands. The Marshallese may use faded US dollar bills,
for the third time in a year (historically, something Bottom: Residents in the northern part of the capital city of daub murals of LeBron James and Steph Curry on
that only happened once every few decades), the Majuro watch as their neighborhood floods with seawater. walls and retain the names Rita (after Rita Hay-
U.S. Geological Survey released sobering research worth) and Laura (after Lauren Bacall) for the two
that shows that a mix of sea level rise and maraud- ends of the curved Majuro island, but the relation-
ing waves means “many atoll islands will be flooded ship with America is a complicated one.
annually, salinizing the limited freshwater resourc-
es and thus likely forcing inhabitants to abandon A U.S. military base remains at Kwajalein, where
their islands in decades, not centuries, as previously unarmed missiles periodically land, fired from Cali-
thought”. fornia. Many Marshallese serve in the U.S. army,
while the rest of the population each gets around
The escape route is there, for now, but it has come $500 a year via a trust fund set up to compensate
at a cost. The option of moving to the U.S. was born the harrowing nuclear tests. Still, many feel it’s not
from the Marshall Islands’ misfortune of being under enough given the legacy of trauma.
US administration during the cold war.
“It appalls me the way the U.S. has treated the
Between 1946 and 1958, the US conducted nucle- Marshallese people out here,” says Jack Niedenthal,
ar weapons testing on the islands, peppering Bikini a native Pennsylvanian who came to the Marshall Is-
atoll alone with 23 bombs. The largest, known as the lands with the Peace Corps in 1981 and never left.
Bravo shot, was 1,000 times more powerful than the
Hiroshima bomb and vaporized three small islands. “It’s just a really dark spot, I think, in U.S. history.
In my mind, the cold war was really fought and won
While Bikini was evacuated, the wind blew radio- by the United States on the shores of Bikini.”
active detritus on to the inhabited atolls of Rongelap
and Utrik. “Within hours, the atoll was covered with Lani Kramer’s grandmother was moved from Bi-
a fine, white, powder-like substance,” says Jeton An- kini as a 12-year-old. Along with other evacuees, she
jain, who led the eventual evacuation of Rongelap. was dropped on to Kili, a sparse, unforgiving place
“No one knew it was radioactive fallout. The children that felt nowhere like home. Today, more than 800
played in the snow. They ate it.” people are crammed into a scrap of land barely a mile
long, a place that depends on regularly shipped con-
Cancers, particularly of the thyroid, riddled many tainers of food to survive.
of those who came into contact with this radioactiv-
ity. But the wounds of dispossession are the ones that “No one from the U.S. government has ever come
run deepest, 70 years on. to Kili and asked us: ‘Are you guys doing OK, what can

CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

99 Properties Sold/Under Contract Since January 2016

Life on John’s Island, a magnificent private paradise surrounded by miles of Intracoastal Waterway and pristine beaches.
Embodying the island’s beauty and spirit, the 1,650± acre community offers three championship golf courses, 17 Har-tru tennis
courts, professional squash, pickleball, croquet, health & fitness center, spectacular Beach Club, vertical equity memberships
and more. All treasured by families that live and play here. Come discover why John’s Island is simply the right place to be.

Exclusively John’s Island | JohnsIslandRealEstate.com

Follow us on Robert M. Gibb, Broker : Judy Bramson : Jeannette W. Mahaney : Ba Stone : Terry Crowley : Michael Merrill : Kristen Yoshitani
Open 7 days a week : 1 John’s Island Drive : Vero Beach, Florida 32963

Exclusively John’s Island

NEW LISTING

Timeless 4BR/6.5BA Lakefront Retreat With Lush Landscaping Beautiful 4BR/5.5BA Retreat Along 4th Fairway of North Course Desirable 4BR/4BA In Heart of JI, 4,575± GSF
8,878± GSF, Tropical Pool w/ Fountain & Spa, Handsome Library 5,179± GSF, Lush Tropical Landscaping, Pool/Spa, Screened Porch .48 Acre Large Corner Lot, Pool, Private Street
Gracious Living Room w/ Fireplace, Vaulted Ceiling Island Kitchen Spacious Living Areas, Cabana w/ Kitchenette
Updated Island Kitchen, 3-Car Garage, 2nd Floor Guest Suite
150 Sago Palm Road : $3,900,000 581 Sea Oak Drive : $2,350,000 380 Llwyd’s Lane : $1,975,000

Beautiful .42± Acre Homesite On Private Cul-de-sac Gorgeous 3BR/2BA End Unit With Southern Exposure Handsomely Renovated 2BR/2BA+Office Golf Cottage
One Of Developer’s Favorites, Multiple Golf & Lake Views 1,825± SF, Gorgeous Oceanside Views, Private Entrance 1,691± SF, Gorgeous Multiple Fairway & Lake Views
Gourmet Kitchen w/ Custom Finishes, Pool & Beach Access
Desirable SE Exposure, Pre-Approved Plans Available Unique Open Plan, Island Kitchen, Office, Laundry Room
280 Pelican Way : $1,495,000 700 Beach Road #257 : $890,000 203 Silver Moss Drive : $825,000

NEW LISTING NEW PRICE

Beautifully Updated 3BR/3BA N. Village Townhouse Renovation Opportunity! 2BR/2BA S. Village Townhouse Island House – Two-Story, 1BR/1BA Studios
1,900± SF, Lushly Landscaped Views, Sm. Office 1,200± SF, 1st Floor, Great Fairway Views, Large Terrace 590± SF, Next To Beach Club, Courtyard Pool
Private Tennis Courts & Pool, 1-Car Garage Kitchenettes, Full Baths, Private Beach Access
777 Sea Oak Drive #719 : $565,000 1-Car Garage, Private Pool & Tennis, Near South Gate
431 Silver Moss Drive #122 : $299,000 400 Beach Road : $225,000 - $265,000

772.231.0900 : JohnsIslandRealEstate.com
luxury estates : condominiums : homesites : townhouses : cottages

It’s your lifetime. Spend it wisely.

34 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 INSIGHT COVER STORY

we do for you guys?’” says Kramer, who relentlessly play out in the US, even if it is cloaked in the lan- A child plays in a cemetery on Majuro.
ear-bashes American officials as an advocate for the guage of duty. Family bonds are sprawling yet iron- With the increase in King Tides, some cemeteries
Bikinian people. A lack of a US-funded cancer clinic clad in Marshallese culture – moving countries is
is a particular frustration. “It was so easy for them to largely aimed at helping the family thrive financially on the island are being washed out to sea.
spend millions of dollars to do the testing but why is or socially.
it so hard to help the people that they moved off of I’m going to be one of the last people to leave. If the
Bikini atoll? A lot of people are very upset.” “A lot of people feel like the United States is the roads get so bad that you can’t drive any more, and
promised land, and that’s where a lot of them wind the people’s houses keep getting washed away, I just
The prospect of climate change finishing off what up going,” says Niedenthal, the former Peace Corps think people will start leaving en masse.”
nuclear bombs started fills Kramer with horror. member who has helped administer the trust fund
for years but is now packing up his office, disillu- For those who don’t have the means or desire to re-
“When the next uprising from the sea comes and sioned. “Most times they buy one-way tickets. It’s not locate to the U.S., the future is particularly precarious.
washes away all the crops and stuff from people’s a great thing to say, but to me, it’s almost hopeless.
houses, then what?” she says. “We are going to go Marlyna Laibwij, a teaching assistant in the com-
under. The water is going to keep coming up and “I think this place is going to be gone. I feel like
we’re going to have nowhere else to go. We’re going to
have no place.”

The Marshall Islands are so remote that they make
you feel like a reasonably well-equipped castaway.
Everything needs to be imported, meaning that tasks
such as car repairs are expensive and often left to fester.

The need for speed isn’t pressing given that Ma-
juro, where half the population lives, has just one
proper road, connecting two hotels, two ATMs, a
couple of restaurants. The heat can be blistering all
year round. Life proceeds at a plod, the cars trundling
along at barely 15mph, the friendly populace show-
ing few signs of impatience or haste.

The minimum wage is just $2 and that is if you are
lucky – the unemployment rate is around 36%. The
country produces coconuts and breadfruit, and sells
fishing licenses for the international trawlers that
scour Marshallese waters for tuna, but it leans heav-
ily upon the aid of others.

Half of the Marshall Islands population is aged un-
der 24 and many inevitably wonder how life would

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 35

INSIGHT COVER STORY

munity of Laura, has seen her neighbours abandon organized the construction of a sea wall, essentially come from the same thing, from climate change.”
their coastal homes and move inland. Shells of con- rocks bundled in bags. It has provided some tempo- Should the waves advance further, however, Laib-
crete caked in vegetation dot this stretch of Majuro. rary relief.
wij isn’t sure if her family could remain. As we leave
Laibwij says the increasing flooding made her “I would have abandoned my house but I would her house, in a moment of tender devastation, she
“sick because of worrying.” Earlier this year, after have missed it very much,” Laibwij says. “I loved my confides: “I think we can be here for another year or
the waters yet again lapped at the walls of her family home and I didn’t want to abandon it. Life is get- two. That’s what I think. What do you think? Do you
home, she pleaded with the local mayor for help. He ting hard, and I believe that all of these [changes] think we can be here that long?” 

36 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT EDITORIAL

Denied again by PSC, is federal antitrust suit in offing?

BY LISA ZAHNER that Florida Power and Light and Vero decided the commission has no au- Florida Supreme Court. That is one of
could bridge what was at the time a $30 thority to question or regulate the the options Shores officials will discuss
Staff Writer million chasm blocking the sale of the rates of a municipal electric utility the on Thursday.
Shores customers and utility assets to way it closely scrutinizes every penny
Residents of the Town of Indian FPL. When FPL came back with an of- that Florida’s investor-owned utilities Another possibility, which came up
River Shores may be getting the most fer more than double the initial $13.6 charge their customers. during May’s presentation before the
elaborate and expensive bureaucratic million amount, the Shores hoped Vero PSC, is the fact that customers like the
runaround in history from the agen- officials would see the wisdom of hav- Thus the question remains: Who Shores may just have fallen through a
cies and entities designed to protect ing $30 million in cash to use to pay is supposed to be looking out for the crack in the system. If no robust regu-
their rights. off debt, to dig out of the city’s massive rights of electric customers who can- latory mechanism exists, or if no state
pension hole, or to invest. not vote for the city council members agency, court or board tasked with
Hopes for relief from high electric who oversee the operation and rate- protecting utility customers will do its
rates were dashed yet again last week NEWS ANALYSIS setting of the electric utility? job, the matter might be ripe for federal
when the Florida Public Service Com- court. A federal antitrust lawsuit, with
mission voted 4-1 not to open up Vero But when the matter came to a vote “The PSC’s preliminary decision is all of Vero’s 20,000 or so customers out-
Beach’s electric service territory for re- on Aug. 16, only two members of the clearly disappointing to all the disen- side the city limits joining together in
view so that Shores customers can be council were amenable to the deal – franchised customers of the city elec- protest, could be the way to go.
served by Florida Power & Light. Councilwoman Pilar Turner and Coun- tric utility who have been subject to
cilman Harry Howle. The remaining unregulated monopoly abuses for far Attorney Floyd Self, who represent-
With the vote, the Commission ba- three, led by Mayor Jay Kramer, orches- too long,” Shores Mayor Brian Barefoot ed Indian River County in a PSC mat-
sically admitted its inability to protect trated a major switcheroo, denying the said after the decision in a statement. ter that ended up at the Florida Su-
Vero electric customers outside the $30 million offer a straight-up vote and preme Court, and who has practiced
Vero city limits from what Shores’ at- instead voting to accept a phantom During the discussion, PSC commis- before the PSC for 30 years, said he’s
torney Bruce May called an “unregu- $47 million price that was never on the sioners suggested that the Florida Leg- been watching the Shores proceedings
lated price monopoly.” table. islature might take action that would closely.
help. Unfortunately, that avenue to get
This decision comes more than a That epic fail landed the hot potato a handle on municipal-owned utilities “If ever there was a problem that was
year after PSC staff attorney Kathryn of the Shores’ petition squarely back in has been tried more than once in re- crying out for a solution, this is it, and
Cowdery convinced Judge Cynthia Tallahassee last week, where once again cent years without success. I certainly believe that the commis-
Cox that the circuit court had no au- commissioners sniped at the Shores’ ar- sion has the authority to do something
thority to decide the territorial dispute guments and fawned over Vero’s utility Each time members of the House about this,” said Self, a partner with
between the Shores and Vero because attorney Robert Scheffel “Schef” Wright and the Senate or the Auditor Gen- Berger Singerman in Tallahassee.
the PSC has “exclusive and superior” and his repeated proclamations that eral’s Office try to take the Florida Mu-
power over electric service territories. Vero has the right and responsibility to nicipal Power Agency and its 30-plus With regard to the antitrust issue,
serve the Shores with electricity in ac- members to task, the yet-unregulated Self said he’s brought a utility antitrust
So the Shores took its beef up to Tal- cordance with what the Vero claims is a municipal power industry comes out case in federal court before and that it
lahassee to the five political appointees permanent service territory. fighting with big-ticket attorneys and was successfully settled.
who were supposed to, finally, have the bigger-ticket lobbyists, their fees ironi-
power to rectify the situation. Shores Wright also rejected all allegations cally funded via the electric rates paid The Town Council will meet Thurs-
Town Manager Robbie Stabe pled the that Vero’s rates, which are more that by the same customers who are being day in a previously published, closed
residents’ case, along with Council- 30 percent higher than FPL’s rates and fleeced. legal strategy session called a “shade
member-elect Bob Auwaerter and among the highest electric rates in the meeting” as permitted under Florida
Shores electric customers Dave Mor- state, are unreasonable. Every dime A written order is scheduled to be law, and then will bring residents up to
gan and Paul Nezi. Attorney May con- can be justified, Wright asserted. published on Oct. 3 and memorial- speed on the Shores legal battle with
cluded the Shores presentation with ized on Oct. 24 should the Town decide Vero electric at 2 p.m. in the Indian Riv-
the finer points of the legal arguments. In the end, the members of the PSC not to mount a protest to the PSC. The er Shores Community Center. A Town
proper appellate court to challenge an Council meeting and consideration of
The PSC in July had delayed ac- order of the PSC, once it is final, is the the 2016-17 budget will follow. 
tion on the Shores petition in hopes

MEDICARE ENROLLMENT PERIOD IS organization (PPO) approved by Medicare, initial enrollment period (the seven-month
JUST AROUND THE CORNER, PART III operated by a health insurance company. period that includes three months before
TWhHerAeT’iSs TnHoE “BbEeSsTt PpLlAanN.”? While Original your 65th birthday, the month of your
Mark Twain said, “Age is an issue of mind Medicare is sometimes called the Cadil- birthday, and the three months after your
over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t lac of health insurance, if you hardly ever birthday month), you may have a penalty
matter.” get sick and don’t use services, you may that you will have to pay each month for as
be paying higher premiums unnecessar- long as you have Medicare drug coverage.
But, if you’re 65 or older, making timely de- ily. On the other hand, if you have chronic
cisions about what type of Medicare cov- medical problems, you like the doctors in FNoErEmDoHreELinPf?ormation, visit www.Medicare.
erage you want, does matter. The choices the network, and you usually stay close gov or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-
you make during the 2017 Medicare enroll- to home near network providers, a Medi- 800-633-4227). Free one-on-one counsel-
ment period – Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2016 care Advantage Plan (C) might be a better ing is also provided through S.H.I.N.E. (Serv-
– can have long-lasting health and financial choice for you. Talk to a certified insurance ing Health Insurance Needs of Elders) at
consequences. agent. It’s not unusual for agents to recom- www.floridashine.org or 1-800-963-5337.
mend one type of coverage for a wife and Along with you, they may be assisting fel-
Parts I and II of this three-part series cov- another type for a husband based on each low Baby Boomers Lynda Carter, Phil Col-
ered “Original Medicare,” which is accept- individual’s unique circumstances. lins, Tony Danza, Jane Seymour or Sting,
ed by most hospitals, doctors and providers AEnVrOolIlDmFeInNtAinNMCIeAdLicParEeNiAs lLiTmIEitSed to certain who are all turning 65 this year.
across the U.S. We also discussed supple- times. You can’t always sign up when you And be encouraged by the words of Albert
ment plans called Medigap which cover want, so it’s important to know when you Einstein: “I have reached an age when, if
most or all out-of-pocket costs not paid by can enroll in the different parts of Medicare. someone tells me to wear socks, I don’t
Original Medicare; Medicare’s Prescription Especially with Part C (Medicare Advantage have to!”
Drug Plans (Plan D); and Medicare Advan- Plans) and Part D (Medicare Prescription
tage Plans (Plan C), which work like man- Drug Plans), timing is critical. For example, Your comments and suggestions for future topics are
aged care plans, i.e., you must use doc- if you don’t sign up for Part D during your always welcome. Email us at [email protected].
tors, hospitals and providers that are part
of the plan’s network. With Plan C, care is © 2016 Vero Beach 32963 Media, all rights reserved
delivered through a health maintenance
organization (HMO) or preferred provider

38 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BOOK REVIEW

Just a few months before Pearl Har- of the civilian population. land and reassuring the Soviet Union shown in movie theaters – offering
bor, when isolationist zealotry was “Got any ideas?” of American high-minded intentions little more in wartime than approved
high in the United States, President As Pulitzer Prize-winning histo- with great evenhandedness. A close footage and uplifting propaganda – al-
Franklin D. Roosevelt received an insis- student of paradoxical behavior, Lely- most invariably showed him seated: at
tent memorandum from Gen. George rian Joseph Lelyveld writes in “His veld considers Roosevelt in his many his desk, in a car, at a head table, greet-
C. Marshall bemoaning the lack of Final Battle” – a psychologically in- guises as egotistic, humanitarian, a ing visitors,” Lelyveld writes of the con-
military preparedness among mis- tense analysis of FDR in 1943, 1944 restless operator, a fatigued president, cealment effort, “his head typically tilt-
guided civilians. Roosevelt had been and early 1945 – this teasing left Mar- an over-optimistic diplomat, a cagey ed back at a jaunty angle, his cigarette
working around the clock to awaken shall with a salient reminder: U.S. opponent, a jocular friend, a charming holder held aloft, an animated, hearty
isolationists to the looming danger of presidents don’t command civilian actor and a devious Machiavellian. He expression on his countenance.”
World War II and to improve the U.S. sentiment in the way a five-star gen- is amazed that in 1944 and early 1945
military forces. Therefore, the playful eral orders troops. As Marshall later Roosevelt was able to juggle Big Three There is, however, to my mind, a
Roosevelt responded by mocking Mar- admitted to a biographer, Roosevelt diplomacy, battlefield strategy, person- fundamental shortcoming to Lely-
shall, good-naturedly paraphrasing his “always had a wider point of view, nel appointments and the presidential veld’s analysis of how FDR envisioned
unnecessary note: of necessity, than I did.” This little election, even though his precarious the postwar world. Obsessed with
Roosevelt-Marshall exchange is also health was compromised. the ghost of Woodrow Wilson and the
“In effect you say: illustrative of the overarching thesis failed League of Nations following
“The boys in camp are O.K. of Lelyveld’s probing study: Others Getting at the root of how Roos- World War I, Lelyveld gives short shrift
“The parental influence hurts the in Washington officialdom perhaps evelt struggled in his enfeebled last to the gigantic role his distant cousin
morale of many of them. had the right strategic ideas about 18 months is the overriding concern Theodore Roosevelt played in FDR’s
the world at large, but only Roos- of “His Final Battle.” Because most of geopolitical thinking. For his entire
“Please, Mr. President, do some- evelt knew how to methodically turn Roosevelt’s medical records were de- life FDR followed the TR blueprint:
thing about this weakness on the part isolationists into internationalists stroyed, Lelyveld relies on personal ob- Harvard, New York state legislator and
and then organize the U.S. armed servations and often-contradictory as- governor, assistant secretary of the
forces and industrial facilities to win sessments of the extant polio, chronic Navy, ardent conservationist and so
a global two-theater war with Allied sinusitis, high blood pressure, arterial forth. When FDR decided to promote
nations in tow. disease and congestive heart failure. his pet United Nations idea around
Throughout the book, Lelyveld con- Yet the verdict on whether these con- the leading postwar powers that he
stantly weighs the scales for evidence ditions affected Roosevelt’s leadership called the Four Horsemen – the United
as to whether FDR was too sick to run skills as commander in chief – with the States, the Soviet Union, Britain and
the government during the later war possible exception of the Yalta confer- China – it was pure TR realpolitik in
years, and by the end he leans in favor ence – remains unclear. Quite moving- action. Not for a minute did FDR ask
of Roosevelt as an emblem of the indis- ly, Lelyveld describes Roosevelt visiting himself what Wilson would do if he
pensable-man theory. wounded soldiers at a military hospi- were in his shoes. The lessons of Wil-
Pinning down FDR’s innermost tal, lifting the morale of many recent son were what not to do. But because
thoughts is always an elusive goal for a amputees, bravely allowing these men both Wilson and FDR were plagued
scholar, but Lelyveld – who spent nearly to see his wasted-away legs. by chronic illness at the end of their
four decades as a top-tier reporter and respective wars, Lelyveld can’t resist
editor at the New York Times – has the The covering up of Roosevelt’s myr- constantly linking them together; it’s
fortitude and skill to properly analyze iad illnesses is ably explored through- too convenient. 
FDR’s decision-making process. What out. Just how ill Roosevelt was at the
makes “His Final Battle” so exceptional start of his fourth term is made abun- HIS FINAL BATTLE
is Lelyveld’s admirable ability to write dantly clear by the fact that he died in THE LAST MONTHS OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
nonfiction with highly stylized lyrical only the 12th week of that term (the
beauty. The narrative depicts such im- third-shortest tenure after William BY JOSEPH LELYVELD
portant events as framing the United Henry Harrison’s 32 days in 1841 and Knopf. 399 pp. $30.
Nations, promoting a democratic Po- Abraham Lincoln’s mere six weeks in
1865). “News photos and newsreels Review by Douglas Brinkley,
The Washington Post

COMING ATTRACTIONS! RECOMMENDED CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND VERO BEACH BEST SELLERS

Thursday, September 29th TOP 5 FICTION TOP 5 NON-FICTION BESTSELLER | KIDS
at 6pm 1. Razor Girl 1. Best. State. Ever. 1. Ada Twist, Scientist

Acclaimed astrologer and BY CARL HIAASEN BY DAVE BARRY BY ANDREA BEATY
bestselling author
2. The Woman in Cabin 10 2. Killing the Rising Sun 2. What Do You Do With a
LESLIE MCGUIRK Problem? BY KOBI YAMADA
BY RUTH WARE BY BILL O'REILLY & MARTIN DUGARD
presents 3. Dog Man BY DAVE PILKEY
THE POWER OF MERCURY 3. Commonwealth 3. Scorched Earth 4. Harry Potter and the Cursed

Understanding Mercury Retrograde BY ANN PATCHETT BY MICHAEL SAVAGE Child BY J.K. ROWLING
and Unlocking the Astrological 5. The Worst Class Trip Ever
Secrets of Communication 4. A Great Reckoning 4. Armageddon BY DICK MORRIS &
BY DAVE BARRY
BY LOUISE PENNY EILEEN MCGANN

5. A Gentleman in Moscow 5. The Fall of Heaven

BY AMOR TOWLES BY ANDRW SCOTT COOPER

Join us for a 392 Miracle Mile (21st Street), Vero Beach | 772.569.2050 | www.verobeachbookcenter.com
COSMIC COCKTAIL

AFTER PARTY
7:30pm until 9:30pm
on the pool deck at

Costa d’ Este
with LESLIE!

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 39

INSIGHT ON FAITH

Let God be your bedrock when you need support

BY REV. DRS. CASEY AND BOB BAGGOTT
Columnists

A ccouple years ago, writer David ing them with a slurry of mud and clay, also remained dry. Though a horren- confess that our lives have been built
Dunlap reported on a remarkable as- lowering steel rebar into the slurry, dous catastrophe had been endured, with the assistance of people, resourc-
pect of the construction of the Twin then pumping heavy concrete into the because the wall held, an even greater es and perspectives that undergird it
Towers which had influenced the out- trench, which displaced the slurry and tragedy was averted. all. These beneath-the-surface agents
come of rescue and restoration efforts hardened around the rebar. of strength grant us resilience and
after the attack of September 11, 2001. The National September 11 Memo- make resurgence possible for us when
As Dunlap phrased it, some of the he- Numerous difficulties were encoun- rial Museum will feature an exposed we are deflated and defeated.
roes of 9/11 had performed their life- tered in constructing the slurry wall at portion of that slurry wall in its exhib-
saving work long before the attack. Who the World Trade Center site including its. The lowly underground wall, quietly What supports your life and keeps it
were these heroes? … the engineers and uneven bedrock and jurisdiction dis- serving its purpose for decades, has be- from toppling when adversity strikes?
construction workers who designed putes. But the wall was eventually com- come a symbol of stability, resilience, Is family your wall of defense? Are
and built what is known as the slurry pleted and the building project followed. and the possibility of resurgence. friends your bulwark? Has your faith
wall, which surrounded the entire foun- allowed you to face adversity and
dation of the World Trade Center. Yet it was not until the collapse of the The symbolism of that modest but transcend it? Do you allow yourself
Twin Towers in 2001 that the signifi- essential wall is clear, isn’t it – not only to rely upon God as your rock-solid
The slurry wall was intended to pre- cance of the slurry wall was fully ap- for the city of New York, but for all of foundation?
vent ground water from seeping from preciated. Despite enormous pressure us? While a few lucky souls seem to
the Hudson River into the spongy lay- from the ground water after the Towers build lives of towering significance If whatever upholds and sustains
ers of landfill that made up the build- fell, the slurry wall held. And because with apparent effortlessness, for most you goes unnoticed, it may be time
ing site. In other words, the slurry wall that humble underground wall held of us it’s not that easy. Many of us to dig down and take a good look at
was supposed to stabilize the area and its own, the 70-foot-deep foundation would find the ground of our lives too what holds you up. Acknowledge the
make construction possible. under the fallen buildings did not fill spongy, shaky or unstable for building heroes of your life, be they human or
with water. Because the wall held, the if it weren’t for some deep supporting divine. Give thanks that you need not
When the slurry wall was proposed, subways which ran through the area structures. Most of us would have to stand alone. 
it was a somewhat novel solution to
the problem of establishing a stable
foundation for the great buildings.
Constructing the slurry wall began
with digging trenches 70 feet deep, fill-

40 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT PETS

Bonz says Salty’s one pepperpot of a pupster

Hi Dog Buddies! was only 8 weeks old when I got here. how chewy they are.”
Rowan named me. He said I’m a Salty
This week I yapped with a pupster Dog. He’s pawsome!” “Yes. Yes I do,” I admitted.
who was discovered on the inner-net.
Salty Collings is a black Labradoodle Salty was taller than me, and he “I go to work with Mom
with a puppy personality, really sweet had big fluffy paws. His hair was wavy
and funny and playful. And, even though and silky, not curly like a poodle, and sometimes. I love humans.
he’s only 15 months old, he Follows the it flopped rakishly over his face. A real
Rules. Mostly. Chick Magnet. I get two walks a day. Some-

When me and my Assistant “Mom and Dad thought Labradoo- times Mom drives the golf
knocked, Salty was right there at the dles don’t shed, which was Very Impor-
door, bouncing. His Mom was holding tant to them. Then they discovered – I cart and I run along. Week-
his collar cuz he was So Excited. But shed. It’s cuz I’m only a first-generation
he had the Wag-and-Sniff down, and Labradoodle, more Lab than Doodle. ends we ushully go to the
wasn’t the least bit shy. I was afraid they’d demand a refund,
but thank Lassie, they love me anyway Dog Park. I usta go to the
“HeLOO, Mr. Bonzo! Please come and would NEVER return me. Plus,
in. I’m Salty Collings and this is my when I shed, it makes soft little black Canine Country Club, To-
Mom, Laurie. My Dad’s Joaquin and Dust Bunnies, which are very cute.
my human brother’s Rowan, he’s 10. tally Cool Dog Biscuits. We
Come’on, let’s go sit down. But NOT on “I usta be crated. Didja see my big
the couch. It’s for Humans Only. Wow! crate by the door? But not much any- didn’t hafta stay in cages.
That’s a nice notebook.” more. See, I am Very Tidy and don’t
jump up on the furniture, even when We were sorted by size, in
We all sat down and Salty started I’m home alone. And I have this special
munching my notebook (just the edges) Potty Bark. When Mom or Dad or Row- our play groups. And we
‘til his Mom suggested he should stop an hear it, they know they hafta let me
cuz I needed it to write about him, and outside Right Away to Do My Duty.” slept together in one big
told him to go get his toy.
“Good for you Salty!” (That’s not al- room on soft mats, like hu-
“Oh, right. Sorry Mr. Bonzo. I’ll be ways easy for us pooches to figure out.
right back.” Some of us, not me, ask forgiveness in- man puppies in kindergar-
stead of permission.)
He trotted off and came back with a ten. But I gotta admit, Mr.
purple and green Halloween squeaky toy “Whaddya do for fun?” I inquired.
with a ball on one end. It said, “Black Bat “I chase geckos and frogs. But I don’t Bonzo, some stuff scares
Chews, Sweet and Salty.” catch ‘em. I probly could, but I just
don’t wanna. I mean, they creep me me.”
“These are yummy. You should get out. I’m a good swimmer but I don’t
your Mom to get you one. I can share if like the pool, just the lake. When it’s “That lizard in the
you want,” he offered, slurpily. real hot I like to sit in it up to my nose.
I don’t do that much anymore cuz lake?” I suggested.
“That’s very thoughtful, Salty. But I’ve it makes Mom nervous. Something
gotta take notes. Tell me about yourself.” about a big lizard who lives there, who “Nope. It’s TRUCKS. Salty. PHOTO BY DENISE RITCHIE
could bite my nose off. They’re Real Scary. Even
“Okay. I was the first dog Mom and “Balls are fun, too. I can crush a tennis
Dad ever got as a puppy. They saw my ball. And I like to break a coconut open our car and boat. They’re
picture on the inner-net and went to and munch for hours. Totally Yummy!
Orlando to meet me. We played for I also like chewing pencils and paper. so LOUD. And BUSHES. They’re al- “At night, we watch TV together. I
three days and we were comPATibble. One time, I accidentally ate Mom’s spe-
That means I like to get patted and cial sandals. And her flip-flops.You know ways rustling and I’m pretty sure there’s ushully sleep with Mom, when Dad’s
they like to pat me. It also helped that
I was On Sale, cuz I don’t have a tail. I something in there that’s gonna jump at work. Sometimes I hog the bed, but

out and GET me. I’m soft and fluffy so it’s OK.”

“Mom says I’m a Fraidy Cat, but I say The time had passed quickly.

I’m being cautious, cuz you just never Heading home, I was looking at the

know. Ya know? And another thing. munched-on corner of my notebook

STAIRS. When I was little, I’d stand at and thinking how lucky I am to get to

the top and bark my ears off. Then I’d meet so many cool poocheroos.

tumble down ‘em. Took me the longest

time to get up the nerve to step on ‘em. Till next time,

I still stay right in the middle. But I love The Bonz
my vet. I’m not even scared of Shots.”

“Wow! So, whaddya like to eat?”

“I get kibbles and froot and veg-tubble Don’t Be Shy
snacks: strawberries, cucumbers, sweet
potatoes. An looky what I can do!” We are always looking for pets
with interesting stories.
Salty’s Mom held up a snack and
said, “Sit!” “Shake!” and “High Five!” To set up an interview, email
And he did ‘em!

“Cool, huh, Mr. Bonzo?” [email protected].
“Totally!”

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 41

INSIGHT GAMES BRIDGE

WHICH FINESSES SHOULD SOUTH TAKE? WEST NORTH EAST
K63 752 10 9 8 4
By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist Q J 10 9 8 63 72
K72 A Q 10 6 5 J4
Rex Stout, who wrote the Nero Wolfe novels, said, “To read of a detective’s daring 85 A43 K9762
finesse or ingenious stratagem is a rare joy.”
SOUTH
In this week’s deal from Steve Conrad of Manhasset, New York, South is in three no- AQJ
trump, faced with finesses in three suits. What is his optimum strategy? AK54
983
This is the most common auction of all, leading to the most popular contract. But what Q J 10
is the least common contract?
Dealer: South; Vulnerable: North-South
South starts with five top tricks: one spade, two hearts, one diamond and one club.
If both black-suit finesses are working, that would get his winner total up to nine. Or The Bidding:
if both diamond honors are onside, that would also be good enough. But if a finesse
loses, the defenders will presumably establish West’s heart suit. Then, if West can SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST OPENING
regain the lead, he might cash too many tricks for declarer. 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
LEAD:
That suggests starting with the spade finesse, because the spade king is West’s Queen Hearts
only possible entry. But getting to the dummy for that finesse introduces other
complications.

Much simpler is to take two diamond finesses. The first loses to East’s jack and a
heart comes back, but South ducks that, wins the next heart, then — key play —
runs the club queen. (Agreed, if declarer deduces who has which kings, this isn’t
necessary, but it avoids guesswork.) East takes that trick and shifts to a spade, but
declarer wins with his ace, repeats the diamond finesse, and has nine tricks from one
spade, two hearts, four diamonds and two clubs.

The least common contract is five no-trump, which has all of the risk for no gain.

42 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT GAMES & CO.

SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (SEPTEMBER 15) ON PAGE 54

ACROSS DOWN
7 Facts (4) 1 Utopia (8)
8 Conceited (8) 2 Pal, chum (4)
9 Ability (6) 3 Snackbar (7)
10 Gentle breeze (6) 4 Award (5)
11 Jug (7) 5 Aubergine (8)
13 Blunder (5) 6 Jealousy (4)
16 Worth (5) 12 Vital (8)
17 Aspect (7) 14 Eagerness (8)
19 Elder (6) 15 Quill (7)
21 Aim (6) 18 Charlatan (5)
23 Organism (8) 20 Shade of beige (4)
24 Wealthy (4) 22 Cooked lightly (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 / September 22, 2016 43

INSIGHT GAMES & CO.

ACROSS Wallace DOWN 64 Funny in a twisted The Washington Post
63 Choice wines? 1 Assault weapon way
1 “It came ___ 66 Trash trawler 2 Place for a darts THE GENU-WINE ARTICLE By Merl Reagle
a midnight ...” 69 Inclined 65 Editor Brown et al.
71 Wine order? game 67 Ejections of a sort
5 Name in golf lore 73 Play with robots 3 Ring sound 68 Takes by force
10 Slangy attempt 74 Bovary and 4 Good for you 70 Indict, as a
14 Benji could do it 5 Has an oracle’s
17 1964 British epic Butterfly president
76 Empty, to a baby talent 72 Zip
set in Africa 77 Occupied 6 Omphaloskepsis 74 One place to
18 Country-rock 79 Insignificant folk
80 Paris’s “Little focus see R.E.M.
singer Steve 7 Roberts and 75 Great wonder
19 Walker, the Sparrow” 76 Dogfight
81 Inits. of Ford’s Stoltz 78 Wink, in biology
bourbon 8 Singing voice 80 Luau chow
21 Coffin cover VP 9 Vegas job 84 Slightly cupped,
82 Memory aids 10 Ms. Belafonte
22 Words of doubt 83 Limericks 11 Indy test as some bones
23 Juan’s wife 84 Like the film 12 Short on rainfall 86 Batman Returns
24 Juan’s friend 13 Airport carousel
25 Dot on a map Blood Simple and others
of the Pacific 85 Ideologies pileup 89 General meaning
26 Wine-party 87 David’s partner, 14 Low parts of 90 Had a little

empties? once operas something
30 Meteors from 88 Unscripted 15 Ms. DeGeneres 91 Put the ___ on
16 A Daly co-star
Montana? comment 20 Very, to Verdi (squelch)
32 Way out 90 Dog show org. 21 Galileo’s 93 A Is for Alibi
33 Manhattan 92 Compounds
birthplace author’s
transfers, found 27 It’s all in your mine first name
sometimes in wine 28 The Occidental 94 Florida city
34 Pepin’s 94 Farmer’s parcel 95 Like Rosanne
illegitimate son, 98 A curtain goes Oil Co., in Rosannadanna’s
Charles ___ up on it headlines voice
35 Let it out, 100 Cold sufferer’s 29 Succeeded and 96 Character
perhaps need then some of a culture
36 Austerity 102 Wine taster’s 30 Leap, to Luigi 97 King beaters,
38 Fair race in practice? 31 Bottle examiner? often
The Time 105 1970s 34 Screwed (up) 99 Yule emotion
Machine Wimbledon 35 Lead-in to torch or 100 Indiana Jones
39 Swan lady winner tune creator
42 Invective 106 Tender Mercies 37 Terrible 101 Words of
43 “Who goes writer 40 Police who tag resignation
there?” reply 107 When prompted along 103 ___ pieces
48 Place to warm 108 Open a tad 41 Part of LED (collapse)
your hands 112 Souvanna 42 Big, warm 104 ___ account
50 Lancelot’s Phouma’s greeting (never)
address country 44 Donut shape 109 Federalist papers
51 Self-applauding 113 50 Across, 45 Grape’s lament? coauthor John
circus performer for example 46 Rested 110 It goes chopping
52 Open 114 Slowness symbol 47 Project 111 Divest
acknowledgment 115 A hack show? extension?
53 Longtime 116 Grandpa 49 Unit of work
60 Minutes guy Munster player 51 Jack London
54 Of an eye part Lewis and others book (with The)
56 Pigged out 117 Go-getter 52 Dispatch boat
57 Commit a 118 Downs and 55 Seles’s forte
contretemps Walters 56 Like a Senator
58 Wine lover’s 119 Examined who
concern? never gets
60 Spider’s nest re-elected
61 Author Brown 59 Stares at
and actress 62 Oscar Night
turnout

The Telegraph

44 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

INSIGHT BACK PAGE

Trapped by loneliness? Try to seek out a community

BY CAROLYN HAX I accept my fate in life and enjoy the results, despite example, that the people in your life are not terribly
Washington Post proactive.
the fact that the process exhausts me and makes me
Dear Carolyn: I am not the type I also believe that while the particulars of your
of friend you ask out to dinner. I question my friendships? story might feel familiar only to some, loneliness in
am the type of friend whose call general is epidemic. What you describe is so binary
you sometimes answer and whose – Friendship-Lite – either you make plans with people or you’re home
invitation you accept, when I alone – and it’s increasingly what social lives look
make it. Friendship-Lite: I’m sorry you feel like filler. I sus- like now, when there used to be more of a commu-
As I approach 50, I can see this very clearly. I have pect there’s something less Darwinian at work – for nity element to them.
a handful of “friends,” but for whatever reason – my
independence or my being less-than-engaging – I So, my answer is actually different from what you
don’t often make it to the top of anyone’s list. I’m an predict. I agree with your therapist on approaching
afterthought, I’m a filler. I’m about to give up and ac- the call-and-make-plans aspect of socializing, but
cept my lot in life: I’ll always be lonely unless I con- also think you should expand your efforts to intro-
stantly do the legwork, call again, make another in- duce some form of community to your life.
vitation, etc.
In reading your column for years, I believe your ad- Take it from someone who works out of her home
vice would be to get new friends. But it isn’t that easy, – all of the ways you choose to live can be oppor-
I’m set in my ways or I’m stunted socially. If I don’t tunities to circulate, if you make them. The exercise
work at it, I’ll sit home alone. class you go to regularly will make you a familiar
All of this makes me sad. I “should” focus on the face to others there. The place you volunteer regu-
positive – if I make a lot of effort, I have an almost larly will, in time, host pleasant exchanges about
decent social life. But I’d much rather my phone ring, how everyone’s week was, etc. The small business-
rather than leaving another round of messages, hop- es you patronize will come to expect and welcome
ing one of my few friends will have a cancellation you. Choose places that align naturally with your
this week. interests, and it’ll just be an effort to live a full life vs.
Honestly, I’m all but certain no one would miss me. filling a particular void.
My therapist tells me I’m making myself unhappy
by focusing on the process (always initiating con- It still requires effort, yes, and admittedly isn’t
tact), not the results (that I do get out some). Should a substitute for the friend who actively seeks you
out. But for people to whom connecting doesn’t
come naturally, community is opportunity – to
hone skills, to meet others like you, to matter to
someone new. 

Gorgeous flowering vine
holds our beaches in place

BY JANICE BRODA

Railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae) is a remarkable morning glo-
ry vine that stabilizes the shifting sands of our beaches. Look on
the ocean side of the beach dunes for its pinkish lavender fun-
nel-shaped flowers with dark centers from May to November when
flowering is most prolific.

The appealing flowers, which are 2-3 inches across, open in the
early morning and begin to close up in the afternoon. Full of nec-
tar, the showy flowers attract a variety of pollinators including but-
terflies, moths, bees, ants, beetles and flies. The flowers fall off the
vine the day after blooming. If the flower is pollinated, a round,
brown fruit capsule will begin to form. Inside will be four velvety
dark brown seeds.

Its seeds are sea beans. Sea beans are seeds that drift with ocean cur-
rents, and, hopefully, wash ashore to germinate. Only 1 percent of
the world’s seeds are sea beans. Railroad vine, also known as beach
morning glory and bay hops, is one of the most widely distributed
beach plants in subtropical and tropical regions of the world.

The vine’s resilient and succulent leaves are about 3 inches across
and are shaped like a goat’s foot, as the species name, pes-caprae,
indicates. This prostrate vine can grow to be more than 50 feet
long with adventitious roots that reach down as much as three feet
into the sand. A hardy beach pioneer, railroad vine tolerates the
overwash of waves and can be covered with sand and re-emerge to
grow onward usually toward the ocean.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 45

Velvet! Corsets! Ruffles! The 8 newest looks from NY Fashion Week

BY LISA ARMSTRONG & VICTORIA MOSS
The Telegraph

1. Velvet: not just for Christmas 1. Victoria Beckham 2. Self Portrait 3. Altuzzara 4. Proenza Schouler
When Victoria Beckham explained
that she’d wanted to find a way to the ruffle remains strong with us. may even have ambitions to work as flatter your boobs.”
wear velvet that was “modern and However, its shape has shifted an alternative jacket. The idea is to Victoria Beckham’s were more knit-
cool,” we nodded along sympatheti- wear them over shirts or sweaters and
cally. Accessories and jackets are one slightly. The most popular variant use them to feminize otherwise an- ted bra than bustier – but with the same
thing, but getting an entire ensemble came in diagonal or asymmetric form. drogynous oversized slouchiness. “I goal of adding color contrasts and in-
to work in the fluffy stuff is not always Jonathan Saunders’ delicious first out- love them with baggy trousers,” says trigue under dresses and jackets. It was
straightforward or, indeed, flattering ing for DVF offered them, Altuzzara Tibi’s Amy Smilovic. “It’s such an el- left to Carolina Herrera, the Guardian
(fitted trousers, we’re mostly looking also spiced up his cherry printed slip egant way to define your waist and Angel of Upper Side chic, to make them
at you). But when she unveiled her dresses with slanted ruffle detail, at
super lightweight, crushed shimmer- Tome ruffles livened up pencil skirts CONTINUED ON PAGE 46
ing peppermint-and-lilac drawstring and blouses, while at 3.1 Phillip Lim
skirts and matching loosely worn they feathered along the edge of stripy
scoop-neck vests with their pretty trousers.
iridescent glow, we thought yes, Mrs.
Beckham, you’re onto something 4. Big, bold color
here. Imagine if you will, pairing If you’ve found the recent affec-
said ensemble with a lightly tanned tation for simpering pastels a little
shoulder and glass of frosé. Com- dry, then be encouraged by the pro-
pletely delicious. liferation of sharp, bright, unapolo-
getically bold colors which have been
2. Fancy tops from the man who cheering up the schedule. Newcomer
made us fall in love with lace cut-out Sies Marjan (the label by ex-Dries Van
dresses Noten designer Sander Lak everyone
is talking about) indulged in vibrant
Self Portrait, the London-based line yellow, rose pink and tangerine sat-
designed by Han Chong, has been in ensembles, but it was at Proenza
balancing precariously in the tricky Schouler – a serious highlight of the
hinterland of “so hot right now, but week – that color really came into
what do we do next?” Having rein- its covetable own. Mondrian block-
vented the cocktail dress into an af- striped knit dresses with feathered
fordable, foxier option – if you’ve been hems worn with hefty platforms, red-
to a wedding this summer you’ve no and-black-striped Bar jackets over
doubt encountered at least one of his silk handkerchief hem dresses, and
cut-out lace confections – the onus a red, graffiti zebra-print coat worn
has been on him to, well, do some- over a blue-and-red-speckled skirt
thing else. Those dresses might be felt exciting and fresh.
white-hot, but it doesn’t take much for
even the most incendiary of trends to 5. Corsets. Yes, really
wane. But a change of pace has indeed It’s been a while since the corset
come: While those dresses are still in enjoyed any kind of limelight, but
effect, they are edgier and punkier, the plucky little body constrictor is
and alongside this he’s upped the sep- mounting a comeback. This time it
arates ante – and is hopeful of doing means business, literally.
the same for fancy tops (shirts with Forget the provocative cone-shaped
added punch are one strong theme) thrustiness of Madonna’s early-1990s
as he has done for the frock. We not corsets. The new generation are gently
only applaud his sterling effort but moulded and politely intentioned – it
note the Robert Clergerie shoe collab-
oration with nothing less that interest
highly piqued.

3. Ruffle mania
If you cast even a cursory interest
over recent trends, you can’t have es-
caped the ruffle mania that overtook
skirts, tops and dresses on a woman
near you. If this is something you’re
still coming to grips with, then take
heart that you have another season to
dip a toe in, or indeed if you went full-
ruffle, be reassured that the next time
the sun’s out, you’ll still have a sharp
option in your wardrobe arsenal – for

46 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Style Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

West, a practical rebuff to the weather
or a styling tic that could get irritat-
ing? All of the above, but we’d still love
one of those hoodie Lacoste dresses
on bad hair days.

5. Carolina Herrera 6. Tibi 7. Lacoste 8. Adam Lippes 8. Smaller brands making a big
impact
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45 per-wear barometer into operation 7. Haute hoodies
means every dress bought needs to The trend for sending models While the U.S.’ economy is relative-
cross-generationally appropriate and look current for several years. For down the catwalk semi-obscured by ly buoyant, retail, at least in New York,
sweet, slipping one of her signature Team Telegraph’s money, some of the a sweatshirt hoodie you just know is not. In SoHo, a prized location for
white shirts beneath a shirred-top bod- best on offer in New York two weeks costs several hundred dollars is gain- global luxury brands as well as niche
ice dress with a feather black. ago came from DVF and Tibi, where ing ground. It started at Vetements in names, there are a worrying number
the lineup of silk crepe dresses came Paris last season. It has now spread of empty stores. There are ominous
6. The new dress code? Easy dresses in a myriad of shapes and sleeve op- to New York, where Lacoste showed signs, too, that America’s premium
Even though there isn’t as much tions. We especially like the idea of knitted toweling, canvas and Aertex marquee names have lost their luster.
call for summer dresses in Northern wearing them with boots and knits hoods attached not just to tunics and Some smaller brands are zooming,
Europe as in New York, when you do on cool days. We have to get our mon- waterproofs but shirt-waisted dresses. however. “TIbi’s on fire,” says Net-A-
need one, nothing else will do for ey’s worth somehow. Is this an attempt to out-hood Kanye Porter’s Sarah Rutson.
ease and coolness. Putting the cost-
Meanwhile, Adam Lippes, who used
to work for Oscar de la Renta and es-
chews big shows for intimate presenta-
tions in his 1830s apartment on Wash-
ington Square, told me his revenues
have increased 60 percent from last
year. Luxurious, classic-but-modern
and prices that “have to be a little lower
than some of the superbrands” are
no doubt helping him make quite the
name for himself with a new genera-
tion of uptowners. Plus he’s blond, very
personable (the new Michael Kors?),
keeps labradoodles – and makes the
best wide trousers in town. 

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Style Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 47

Anna Boss Carolina Christian DKNY Lacoste Marc
Sui Herrera Siriano Jacobs

Michael Kors Narcisco Oscar de Prabal Ralph Vera Zac
Collection Rodriguez la Renta Gurung Lauren Wang Posen

48 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

DINING REVIEW

Quilted Giraffe: Delightful dishes trump tired décor

BY TINA RONDEAU
Columnist

For years, people have described the Cracker Crusted Lump Crab Cake. at bringing in more customers. Pan-seared Wild Salmon
décor of the Quilted Giraffe – one of On Wednesday nights, there is Doo Crusted with Walnuts
Vero’s longest-running restaurants – as PHOTOS BY DENISE RITCHIE
eclectic. Or quirky. Certainly unique. Wop music (think the early Motown Quilted Giraffe, he has re-energized
Chocolate Mousse. sounds of the Inkspots and the Temp- it and brought it back to the top tier of
But on our most recent visit, the de- tations). There also is live music for places to dine on the Vero mainland.
scriptive word that came to mind was marks to their entrées as well. The pap- dancing Friday and Saturday evenings.
“tired.” And that’s too bad, because the pardelle with big chunks of braised The next challenge for Tomassi is up-
food and service at this restaurant – short rib was “delicious,” and the day And on Sundays, there is both an dating the Quilted Giraffe so the décor
which has been around since the 1990s, boat scallops – five succulent beauties, increasingly popular brunch from 11 matches his excellent food and atten-
half of that time at this south U.S. 1 lo- broiled in chardonnay and drawn gar- a.m. to 2 p.m., and on some Sunday tive service.
cation – is arguably better than ever. lic butter and served in a chafing dish evenings, performances by Theatre-
– were “absolute perfection.” Go-Round, a dinner theater group that I welcome your comments, and en-
Under proprietor Patrick Tomassi, three winters ago began using the Gi- courage you to send feedback to me at
who breathed new life into the Giraffe For dessert, we shared a plate of a raffe as its home base. [email protected].
when he took over five years ago, the very light tiramisu ($8).
restaurant today offers a mix of great (Check for shows and dates at The reviewer dines anonymously at
food, great music, great fun and, if you A party of two can have a full meal http://theatregorounddinnertheatre. restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach
bring along a coupon from this paper, with wine for about $90, before tip. The com/2017Shows.html.) 32963. 
great prices! Quilted Giraffe currently also offers
buy-one-get-one-free deals on entrées Tomassi is very much a hands-on Quilted Giraffe
When we arrived last Thursday for pi- which can reduce the price further, proprietor, hovering attentively from
ano bar night, Tomassi quickly ushered making dining here great value for table to table. Since he took over the Hours: Wednesday to Sunday,
us to a table a couple away from pianist money. For our party of four, the BOGO 4:30 pm to closing
Johnny Nick, whose classy arrange- discount saved us $60!
ments for the next two hours provided Beverages: Full bar
the perfect accompaniment for dining. The Quilted Giraffe also has imple- Address:
mented a variety of approaches aimed
After we got settled and our server 500 South US1, Vero Beach
took our wine order, we decided to take
Tomassi up on his suggestion that we Phone: 772-978-4242
let him select the appetizers. The two
brought out for us to share were the
eggplant rollatini ($10) and the grilled
brie ($13).

The melted petite brie, served warm
off the grill, was adorned with marinat-
ed tomatoes, rosemary spiked Melba
sauce and French crostini. A good com-
fort dish.

But the eggplant rollatini was the big
winner. The eggplant was sliced ex-
tremely thin, wrapped around chevre
cheese, and served in a sundried to-
mato and pan tomato sauce. If you
have ever thought you were not a fan of
eggplant, this melts-in-your-mouth ap-
petizer will quickly change your mind.

Following the starters, three of us
had house salads (included with din-
ner), while one of our companions en-
joyed a light, creamy seafood chowder.

For entrées, I ordered the evening’s
seafood special, sautéed wild shrimp
($32). My husband chose the filet mi-
gnon ($38). One of our companions opt-
ed for the day boat scallops ($32), and
the other went for the braised short rib
Bolognaise over pappardelle pasta ($28).

My very fresh Gulf of Mexico shrimp
were served over rice pilaf, surrounded
by arugula, a sun-dried tomato sauce,
and topped with gorgonzola. My hus-
band’s filet was grilled just right, and
served with a flavorful green pepper-
corn sauce. The steak was accompa-
nied by chef’s potatoes and onions.

Both of our companions gave high

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 49

WINE COLUMN

World awakening to a red dawn for Chinese wine

BY VICTORIA MOORE crazy thing that happens when from the mythical Shangri-La, close up his involvement, spending a chunk
The Telegraph you get involved with China’s to Tibet in the remote southwest of of time in Ningxia for the harvest for
oldest, biggest (and clearly very China. LVMH believes the best grapes the first time in 2015. I tasted three
The domed caps of the creamy solvent) wine producer. can be grown here, benefiting from of the cabernet sauvignon-based
stone towers echo those at Valençay. high-altitude, UV-rich light and a Changyu-Moser wines last week and
The fountains with their cherubs “At first I didn’t take them long growing season of up to 150 days. was surprised by the drinkability of
(faintly) evoke the Boboli Gardens in seriously,” says the wine- the Moser XV Cabernet Sauvignon
Florence. It’s magnificent. It’s also maker. “Then I saw this enor- There are just 2,000 cases (24,000 2015, which is expected to retail for
brand new and, considering it was mous construction site, I bottles) of the inaugural 2013 vintage about $15.
finished in 2013, was slightly overwhelmed.” and LVMH says there is little capacity
after just two The XV represents the fact for vineyard expansion. The ambition The Moser Family Cabernet Sauvi-
years of con- that the Austrian is the 15th is not for volume but for a wine that gnon 2013 (around $40) had the most
struction and generation of his family to confounds expectations. pure, cassis-like, cabernet scent. I still
at a cost of $100 be involved in winemaking. struggle to enjoy the top-of-the-range
million, there’s The Chinese are keen on that By contrast, Changyu claims to be Chateau Changyu Moser XV, which is
only one place type of thing and feel that an one of the world’s biggest wine pro- like a car crash of Fronsac, California
it could be – international winemaker – ducers, with eight châteaux and 100 and tannat from Uruguay.
China. Moser has worked for Mon- winemakers who make 150 million
davi in California as well as bottles a year. Chateau Changyu- I think the question in everyone’s
“This is the in his native Austria – gives Moser produces a half-million bottles mind is: Where is China heading?
beauty of Chi- credibility. a year. Both LVMH and Moser are keen to
na. If they do make a red that has a distinctly Chi-
it, they do it For Moser’s part, his origi- Putting this in the context of Chi- nese taste, which has yet to be identi-
big,” says Lenz nal interest in China – popu- na’s overall wine output is difficult. fied but might be “spicy.”
Moser. Château lation: 1.4 billion – was its China is also the world’s fifth big-
Changyu- potential as a market. The gest wine consumer, but in 2014, 80 Andrew Shaw, a group wine buying
Moser XV idea of being a pioneer who percent of wine drunk there was director at Britain’s leading wholesal-
bears his brought Chinese wine to the produced domestically. For cultural er, signed up Changyu-Moser when
name. rest of the world soon proved reasons, China is predominantly a he traveled to China in the spring and
This a greater lure. He has compe- red-wine consumer, though Moser says he intends to buy wines from
is the tition here, however, most no- is managing to import an impressive other estates, too.
sort tably from LVMH, which has 120,000 bottles of white wine – gruner
of a facility in Ningxia and just veltliner – a year. He puts the conundrum in a nut-
released the first vintage of Ao shell. “Tasting, I feel Chinese wine
Yun, its upmarket Chinese red And while LVMH bets on Yunnan has probably doubled in quality in
wine. for Bordeaux-style red wines, Moser, two years – and the rate of improve-
like many others, has gambled on ment is accelerating. There’s a huge
Ao Yun is based on cabernet Ningxia, an inland region about 750 potential blind spot on the winemak-
sauvignon and comes from miles west of Beijing. ing planet that either has arrived or is
austere territory, a few hours going to arrive, and whoever gets in
After years of working for Changyu first will be able to own it.” 
as a consultant, he recently stepped

50 Vero Beach 32963 / September 22, 2016 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™

Vero & Casual Dining

DAILY BEACH-FRONT HAPPY HOUR
WITH FOOD AND DRINK SPECIALS

4:30-6PM

COMPLIMENTARY VALET PARKING

LOCATED AT THE VERO BEACH HOTEL

3500 Ocean Drive,Vero Beach, FL 32963 | 772.469.1060 | CobaltRestaurant.com HeatonsReef


Click to View FlipBook Version