04/06/2023 ISSUE 14

One of the worst traffic jams in island memory left hundreds of South Beach residents fuming last Wednesday when FPL workers installing a pole created a backup on A1A that extended from the 17th Street Causeway intersection all the way south past St. Edward’s School. “At 11:30 today, I departed the Moorings for a meeting at McKee. I reached 17th and A1A at 12:30," wrote frustrated Moorings resident Wayne Sandlin in an email entitled “Nightmare at 17th Street.” News 1-14 Arts 47-53 Books 42 Dining 72-76 Editorial 40 Games 43-45 Health 55-67 Insight 35-46 People 15-34 Pets 54 Real Estate 79-96 Style 68-71 April 6, 2023 Volume 16, Issue 14 Newsstand Price $2.00 TO ADVERTISE CALL 772-559-4187 FOR CIRCULATION CALL 772-226-7925 Vero Beach Opera’s ‘Rising Stars’ shine bright. P50 New therapy for skin cancer. P56 Covid infections drop here after one-week spike. P10 ‘Hope for Families: Impressive show of support. P16 © 2023 Vero Beach 32963 Media LLC. All rights reserved. For breaking news visit In a week when Russian czar Vladimir Putin was shamelessly jailing a Wall Street Journal reporter and accusing him of being a spy, a mini-czar wannabe was staging her own crackdown on the free press here in Vero Beach. The scale of the two actions was obviously very different, but the principle is the same. Mainland readers no longer can pick up copies of Vero Beach 32963 or Vero News – or any other local publication – at the Indian River Chamber of Commerce’s downtown offices. Apparently, it’s our fault. We dared publish on the front page of our March 23 editions a news story about former Vero Beach socialite Valerie Esposito accepting a plea bargain that sent her to prison for having a five-month sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy. Voucher increase seen as boost for private schools A controversial new law puts a private-school education within financial reach of hundreds or potentially thousands more Indian River County students this fall, as the expansion of Florida’s school choice vouchers makes every school compete for students. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law House Bill 1 last week expanding the state’s successful school choice program to allow any kindergarten through 12thgrade student who is eligible to attend one of Florida’s public schools to apply for a scholarship worth about $7,700 per student to pay for tuition and fees at the school of their parents’ choosing. Should the private school cost more than $7,700 or whatever the final per-year amount BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 Determined to find a proven “quarterback” to lead Vero Beach’s much-anticipated efforts to develop its Three Corners properties, City Manager Monte Falls has begun interviewing candidates BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 City manager seeking a ‘quarterback’ to oversee Three Corners development for the project manager’s job. He met with four applicants last week, and he was scheduled to meet with three more this week. The city plans to contract with a developer to create a dining, social and recreational hub on the mainland’s waterTraffic ‘Nightmare at 17th Street’ haunts A1A drivers PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS MY VERO BY RAY MCNULTY Chamber doesn’t want you to read all about it BY CASEY STAVENHAGEN Staff Writer Traffic along the AIA last Wednesday was backed up from the 17th Street Causeway intersection to beyond St. Edward’s. What do you call a collection of 18 new residences – some large, some cottages, some condos – all being built to the same exacting standard by the same island builder, but tucked BY STEVEN M. THOMAS Staff Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘Virtual subdivision’ bringing 18 new homes to island market into island neighborhoods stretching from Riomar to Central Beach to the Bermuda Club? A virtual subdivision, according to Palm Coast Development and Douglas Elliman, who are marketing them as a portfolio to the Bob McNally and Sally Daley.

2 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ house-hungry 32963 island, where demand continues to outpace supply, with inventory about half what it was in a typical pre-pandemic April. The 18 residences include a pair of cottages at the north end of Club Drive, a large single-family home in Riomar Bay II, three charming side-by-side, singlefamily houses on Azalea Lane in Central Beach, and 12 big riverfront condo units in two new buildings in the Somerset Bay Condominium development. They range in size from 3,000 square feet to 4,800 square feet and in price from $2.4 million to $6.85 million, with an aggregate value of more than $50 million. Despite their geographic and price diversity, the properties are being presented like a subdivision, with a single hardcover book highlighting details of all the residences and a unitive marketing push online and in print, extending to the far reaches of the Douglas Elliman real estate network. NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ‘Virtual subdivision’

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 3 another $675,000 on a .36-acre parcel on Club Drive, where the matching set of cottages will be built. In November, McNally decided to expand the portfolio, shelling out $4 million for the last two pads in the Somerset Condominium development where a dozen 3,000-square-foot riverfront condos will be built. “They will be like houses in the sky,” Daley said of the large apartments. “We ask ourselves where the market is going then try to figure out how fill a void in the market.” McNally broke ground on the Lake Drive house in late 2021 and completed it in March. He has cleared the lots on Azalea Lane and expects to pour slabs there within the next month. All three Azalea houses will be built at the same time and when the last one is dried-in this summer, McNally will move his crews to Club Drive to commence construction there. Daley is accepting reservation deposits on both projects now. McNally said the Azalea houses will be complete by next April, followed by the Club Drive cottages three months later, sometime early in summer of 2024. NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 “You have Coke buyers and Pepsi buyers,” said broker-associate Sally Daley of the Vero Douglas Elliman office. “If someone is looking for waterfront we have that, or if they want to live in Central Beach or in a condo with wonderful river views we have that too, with a wide range of prices.” At the same time, the properties have enough in common to justify the subdivision metaphor. All will be brand new when families move in, a top-of-the-wish-list-item for many buyers, and all are being built by the same well-established island builder. Palm Coast president Bob McNally told Vero Beach 32963 every residence will include “the exact same” windows, custom millwork, premium flooring, high-end appliances and market-sensitive design. “We wanted to make this diverse offering to attract the largest pool of prospects while also offering a product with a great deal of consistency and value,” said McNally. The dwellings are similar enough that the estate house at 785 Lake Drive in Riomar Bay II will serve as a model home for the entire portfolio – until it is sold – allowing buyers to see and touch the finely-fitted, luxury finishes and features that will be found in all the properties. McNally and Daley decided to offer their virtual subdivision to the public now because the 4,820-square-foot Lake Drive house was just listed, giving them a move-in ready product, along with residences under construction that can be reserved with refundable deposits. The current offering and innovative business plan have been in the works for more than three years. “It really started when I was selling my last spec house, back in 2019,” McNally said. “I sat in that house every weekend to show it to prospective buyers, and I am really glad I did. I learned a lot from the feedback. “What emerged was a dichotomy. People were really keen on new construction but also wanted to be in an established neighborhood, and proximity to town was overwhelmingly important to many of them. “That started us on a mission of looking for places between the bridges – and we found them. We found one, then we found two, and then we found more.” “Several of our purchases were off market,” said Daley, who was the chief birddog in the deal. “We weren’t going to wait for things to come to market.” McNally bought an empty .82-acre site near the entrance of Riomar Bay II in October 2020, paying $625,000. Six months later, in March 2021, he bought three side-by-side empty lots on Azalea that total .75 acre for $1.9 million. In December 2021, he spent

4 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Engineers are still putting the finishing touches on the two condo building designs. McNally has site plan approval for the buildings and plans to begin construction and start taking deposits in September. Judging by a walk-through of the Lake Drive house and architect renderings of the other properties, all of the residences McNally and Daley are bringing to market will appeal to buyers. The four-bedroom, four-bath house in Riomar Bay II comes with 10-foot doors, 12-foot ceilings, crema marble floors, elaborate, white-painted custom millwork that feels as smooth as glass to the touch, a two-room guest house with bath and kitchenette, a gorgeous, oversize pool with waterfall spa, and a dock on the river. The house looks like a typical upscale subdivision house from the curb but turns into an expansive, beautifully designed Anglo-Caribbean estate when you step through the heavy double front entry doors. The lot is more than 200 feet deep, almost like something you’d find in the estate section, and there’s a 1,600-foot sight line from the front door, across the great room, through the massive glass sliders, and out across the lot and water to a far tree line. The house is listed for $6,850,000. The three houses on Azalea Lane look homey and architecturally reNEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 ‘Virtual subdivision’ DISCLAIMER: Information published or otherwise provided by Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and its representatives including but not limited to prices, measurements, square footages, lot sizes, calculations and statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed and are subject to errors, omissions or changes without notice. All such information should be independently verified by any prospective purchaser or seller. Parties should perform their own due diligence to verify such information prior to a sale or listing. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. expressly disclaims any warranty or representation regarding such information. Prices published are either list price, sold price, and/or last asking price. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. participates in the Multiple Listing Service and IDX. The properties published as listed and sold are not necessarily exclusive to Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and may be listed or have sold with other members of the Multiple Listing Service. Transactions where Premier Estate Properties, Inc. represented both buyers and sellers are calculated as two sales. Cooperating Brokers are advised that in the event of a Buyer default, no commission will be paid to a cooperating Broker on the Deposits retained by the Seller. No commissions are paid to any cooperating broker until title passes or upon actual commencement of a lease. Some affiliations may not be applicable to certain geographic areas. If your property is currently listed with another broker, please disregard any solicitation for services. Copyright 2022 Premier Estate Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your Trusted Advisor for Vero Beach Luxury Real Estate 772.234.5555 675 Beachland Boulevard OUR INCOMPARABLE GLOBAL NETWORK 1511 OCEAN DRIVE $2.25 Million Info:www.V257483.com Brown I Talley 772.234.5148 1450 SEAWAY DRIVE $2.25 Million Info:www.V264038.com Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 442 CONN WAY $1.295 Million Info:www.V267425.com Brown I Talley 772.234.5148 925 BAY OAK LANE $4.995 Million Info:www.V263814.com Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 745 LAGOON ROAD $4.55 Million Info:www.V266550.com Bob Niederpruem 772.257.7456 618 LANTANA LANE $3.995 Million Info:www.V266562.com Brown I Talley 772.234.5148 726 Riomar Drive $3.295 Million Info:www.V263499.com Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 PremierEstateProperties.com Explore More Of Our Exceptional Vero Beach Collection

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 5 fined in the renderings and will offer an ideal version of Vero’s village lifestyle, located just a block from Cardinal Drive and Casey’s, two blocks from Sexton Plaza and the beach. The three-bedroom, three-bath, twostory houses with big, beautiful kitchens and two-car rear garages are located at 765, 775 and 785 Azalea Lane. They range in size from 3,328 square feet to 3,573 square feet and are being offered preconstruction starting at $3.5 million. The rear garages, which make for an attractive, new-urban street view of the houses, came about because McNally didn’t want to butcher the existing oak canopy on the lots. He asked the city for a variance to put the garages behind the houses along a shared driveway and the city approved the plan. “They were fantastic,” McNally said. “The plan passed unanimously with the planning board and city council. I really didn’t want to cut those oak trees down.” The three-bedroom, three-bath, 3,150-square-foot cottages on Club Drive just south of Causeway Boulevard, where a small commercial building is now, are pleasingly symmetrical mirror images of each other. They will sit across from a little piece of Indian River Land Trust conservation property and offer residents the easiest possible access to the mainland or anything north or south on A1A. They’re within walking distance of the South Beach restaurants and South Beach Park, closer to St. Ed’s than homes in Central Beach or Indian River Shores, NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 DISCLAIMER: Information published or otherwise provided by Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and its representatives including but not limited to prices, measurements, square footages, lot sizes, calculations and statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed and are subject to errors, omissions or changes without notice. All such information should be independently verified by any prospective purchaser or seller. Parties should perform their own due diligence to verify such information prior to a sale or listing. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. expressly disclaims any warranty or representation regarding such information. Prices published are either list price, sold price, and/or last asking price. Premier Estate Properties, Inc. participates in the Multiple Listing Service and IDX. The properties published as listed and sold are not necessarily exclusive to Premier Estate Properties, Inc. and may be listed or have sold with other members of the Multiple Listing Service. Transactions where Premier Estate Properties, Inc. represented both buyers and sellers are calculated as two sales. Cooperating Brokers are advised that in the event of a Buyer default, no commission will be paid to a cooperating Broker on the Deposits retained by the Seller. No commissions are paid to any cooperating broker until title passes or upon actual commencement of a lease. Some affiliations may not be applicable to certain geographic areas. If your property is currently listed with another broker, please disregard any solicitation for services. Copyright 2022 Premier Estate Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your Trusted Advisor for Vero Beach Luxury Real Estate 772.234.5555 675 Beachland Boulevard OUR INCOMPARABLE GLOBAL NETWORK 1511 OCEAN DRIVE $2.25 Million Info:www.V257483.com Brown I Talley 772.234.5148 1450 SEAWAY DRIVE $2.25 Million Info:www.V264038.com Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 442 CONN WAY $1.295 Million Info:www.V267425.com Brown I Talley 772.234.5148 925 BAY OAK LANE $4.995 Million Info:www.V263814.com Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 745 LAGOON ROAD $4.55 Million Info:www.V266550.com Bob Niederpruem 772.257.7456 618 LANTANA LANE $3.995 Million Info:www.V266562.com Brown I Talley 772.234.5148 726 Riomar Drive $3.295 Million Info:www.V263499.com Lange Sykes 772.234.5034 PremierEstateProperties.com Explore More Of Our Exceptional Vero Beach Collection

6 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ And we did so under a completely accurate headline – “Chamber’s 2019 ‘Volunteer of the Year’ headed for prison” – that was sure to draw readers’ attention. That headline, though, also caught the attention of Chamber president Dori Stone. Less than an hour after Mario Corbiciero, one of our advertising representatives, delivered a couple of bundles of newspapers to the Chamber as he had done every week for years, he received a phone call from one of Stone’s staffers. Come take back the newspapers, he was told, or they would be thrown away. When Corbiciero asked why, the staffer replied that it was “because of the headline on the article about the Chamber on the front page.” He promptly removed the newspapers, despite seeing other local publications still on display. and only a mile or so away from Ocean Drive shopping and dining. The 12 condominium units will be updated and improved versions of the existing Somerset Bay condos, with cleaner more modern lines and wideopen southerly views of the Indian River lagoon and Intracoastal Waterway. McNally started in construction and development working for his father’s company in New Jersey, where he climbed through the ranks to become CEO. “We built 3,700-some condominium units and 2 million feet of office space,” he said, noting that the company needed just a two-person service department to service the thousands of condos they delivered, an indication of high-quality construction. He came to Florida in 1995, working for a couple of years for his wife’s uncle, Phil D’Angelo, building mega-mansions in Stuart – up to 34,000 square feet – before concentrating his efforts on the barrier island. Here, he has built 278 custom homes and 45 condo units, including those in Ocean Park, the highly regarded condominium and retail development at Humiston Park. NEWS The Finest PreOwned Rolex Watches Le Classique Jewelers and Watchmakers Every Rolex Watch comes backed with our 1 year Warranty. All Rolex Service and repairs are done on premises. Prices Upon Request 3001 Ocean Drive # 105, Vero Beach, FL 32963 772-231-2060 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 ‘Virtual subdivision’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 My Vero “I walk my jobsites every day,” McNally said. “So I don’t take on much work outside of Vero. I just turned down a really good job in Satellite Beach because it would have been too time-consuming to go up there daily.” Daley is banking on McNally’s building expertise and reputation, along with continued post-pandemic migration to Florida, a shortage of new homes on the island, and higher prices in Palm Beach, Miami and Naples – Vero’s competing markets – to make the virtual subdivision a success. “The migration hasn’t slowed one bit and there continues to be strong demand, so we have scarcity on our side,” Daley said. She’s also counting on the magnetic appeal of brand new, up-to-code homes that incorporate of-the-moment design and finishes – and Vero’s nostalgic small-town appeal. “Sally and I talk about this all the time,” McNally said. “They aren’t making no more waterfront and they aren’t making any more places like Vero Beach. Our buyers mostly come from the northeast, a lot from New Jersey and Connecticut, and they grew up in established neighborhoods where you could take a walk in the evening and your kids could ride their bikes. “They don’t want to live in some planned community someplace. They want to live someplace like they did when they were kids, and Vero offers them that. Along with warm weather and low taxes!” Last week, Corbiciero again attempted to make his usual Wednesday delivery – a task he has undertaken since joining the Vero Beach 32963/Vero News team in July 2015 – and he was turned away. It didn’t matter that there were no front-page stories mentioning the Chamber in our March 30 editions. Or that our company has been a Chamber member for the past 15 years. Or that Corbiciero sits on the Chamber’s board of directors. It didn’t matter that many of our advertisers are Chamber members who benefit from the additional readers their ads reach when mainland residents pick up our newspapers, which have become the most-read source of local news in the Vero Beach area. It didn’t matter that the Chamber’s primary function is to promote the community and the businesses that operate here. Not after that headline, anyway. Shortly after seeing our Esposito story, in fact, Stone sent an email to the Chamber’s board members, alerting them to the headline and informing them that she hadn’t yet formed her response. A week later, however, she ordered the removal of our newspapers and other local publications from the Chamber’s premises.

8 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ NEWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 My Vero The timing of her actions was, at the very least, curious. Stone, though, called it coincidental. When contacted at her office last week, she flatly denied that the headline or story were factors in her decision to remove our newspapers. Stone said the Chamber began putting newspaper racks outside after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the building was closed to the public – an explanation she also provided to board members last week in an email alerting them to my phone call and questions. During that time, she explained, the Chamber became a popular mainland location for residents to pick up Vero Beach 32963. Many of those readers made weekly trips downtown solely for that purpose. Two weeks ago, however, Stone decided the Chamber should remove the racks and return to its “pre-COVID policy,” as she wrote in her email to the board. She said her staffers have been instructed to tell people seeking copies of Vero Beach 32963 where in town the newspapers are available. “Staff and I have discussed this over the past several months, and it seemed like an appropriate time to do it,” Stone wrote, adding that the Chamber is not listed as a pickup site on our company’s veronews.com website. Stone also told me the newspapers were creating a “litter issue” on windy days, when she needed to send staffers outdoors to pick up papers that were blowing around the property and have them reloaded into the racks. She claimed in her email to the board that this was happening “several times a week.” In addition, she wrote that her frontdesk staff received “numerous complaints” from people asking about the availability of the newspapers. “These complaints were – more often than not – rude, loud and abusive,” Stone continued, adding, “I’ve worked the desk, and it happens every day.” She then estimated that her staff spends three to four hours per week fielding the complaints and dealing with issues related to having newspapers on the grounds. Ultimately, Stone decided the Chamber would no longer make available to the public any newspapers or other local publications, implementing a bad policy that went into effect last week. And she did so without the board’s blessing. “I run the Chamber’s operations,” Stone replied when asked if she had consulted with board members before taking action. Her decision, however, raises questions about her judgment. Even if you accept Stone’s explanation for removing the newspapers, the decision still makes no sense, given the Chamber’s goodwill mission in our community. The fact that the decision to provide newspaper racks outside the building was made in response to COVID is irrelevant. It was a good idea. Mainland residents who do not receive the paper in the mail knew where they could pick up their weekly copies of Vero Beach 32963, and they showed up in sizable numbers. There was no good reason to take those away those racks. As for people complaining: It’s the Chamber staff’s job to try to help people – including those who come in frustrated, griping and rudely demanding answers – and make them feel better about our community. And if Chamber staffers occasionally need to spend a few minutes picking up wind-blown newspapers on a breezy day and putting them back in the racks? They should embrace the chance to get outside and take in some of that fresh air and sunshine they’re supposed to be selling to newcomers and visitors to Vero Beach. Besides, promoting our newspapers is good business. Until two weeks ago, we were delivering to the Chamber several bundles of Vero Beach 32963 each Wednesday, and doubling back on Fridays to drop off several bundles more. By Monday, usually, all of them had been taken. Clearly, the demand is there – for our news content, society pages and, yes, advertisements placed by local businesses. So if Chamber staffers need to devote three or four hours per week to tend to

10 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ of funding turns out to be, parents would be responsible for the balance. St. Edward’s School, the barrier island’s only private school, already accepts school choice scholarships for students with unique abilities and financial need, so it would be in the pipeline to be referred students eligible for the expanded Florida Empowerment Scholarship. “We already have a constantly evolving, robust marketing plan in place that focuses on the Saint Edward's School experience. We cover many different marketing funnels to reach the greatest number of families in our community and beyond,” said Director of Marketing Monica Jennings. With a current enrollment of 263 students in the lower school, 157 in the middle school and 210 in the upper or high school, St. Ed’s has a long-standing reputation as the county’s premier college-preparatory school for those who can afford it, so the school has benefitted from the influx of people buying property in upscale neighborhoods and making Vero their new home. “Our boost has actually already happened with the influx of families movNEWS COVID infections, hospitalizations fall BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 School choice law ing to Vero Beach over the last two years. We're in a bit of a ‘wait and see’ moment as this legislation evolves, and we're ready to welcome students and families who go through the admission process and fit the mission,” Jennings said. “We do have openings for next year in select grades, and we anticipate full enrollment by the time the 2023-24 school year starts in August.” Vero students who have come up through the Catholic school system have a decision to make when it comes to high school – travel north to Melbourne or south to John Carroll Catholic High School in Fort Pierce. For most barrier island families, John Carroll is a shorter commute. The school is growing, with 384 students enrolled this year, 412 students signed up to attend next year and a waiting list for freshmen. “With the passing of this bill ... families will have more options to determine what school choices will be best for their students,” remarked Gary Gelo, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Palm Beach, on behalf of John Carroll. “Our diocese is proud to continue its vision of growing its schools through having a strong Catholic identity and mission, academic excellence, leadership and governance, along with operational vitality.” The long-standing voucher program had been limited to certain groups of students – children with a valid Individual Education Plan, certain at-risk kids, very low-income students, and the children of law-enforcement officers and the military. Siblings of students receiving the school-choice scholarships have also been considered for funding that would place children from a family in the same school. Certain low-income students have also been awarded $750 per year for transportation costs if the school of their choice is some distance from their home. Participation in certain portions of the voucher program had been capped at one percent growth per year, leaving qualified special-needs students on a waiting list. The expanded eligibility signed into law a week ago eliminates the waiting list for those families and opens the opportunity up to all children regardless of family income or ability. Though there is no financial need criteria for the new vouchers, the first priority will be students whose families’ income is up to 185 percent of the poverty level or less than $52,000 for a family of four. The next priority tier is students whose families’ income is up to 400 percent of the poverty level, or less than $111,000 for a family of four. After a one-week spike, the number of new local COVID-19 infections are back down to pre-spring break levels, and hospitalizations fell sharply, too. The Florida Department of Health reported Friday that 59 people had tested positive for the COVID virus during the week ending March 30, down from 110 cases the previous week. The current case positivity rate for test results reported to the health department is 8.5 percent, lower than the 10 percent benchmark public health officials look at to determine when community spread is on the rise. Local hospitalizations dropped from 11 patients admitted with three patients in critical care last week to four patients hospitalized on Monday and only one in critical care. “We are definitely trending in the right direction,” Cleveland Clinic spokesperson Arlene Allen-Mitchell said of the weekly statistics. Across the nation, the Midwest and Great Plains states, plus Maine reported the highest number of new infections per 100,000 population. Florida ranked in the category with the least cases compared to population, with fewer than 20 new cases per 100,000 people compared to a national average of 42 new cases per 100,000. World public health officials have been watching China closely to see what may result from the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the country as people resume unimpeded travel in and out of China this spring. Some media outlets reported last week that China’s public health officials have discovered 120 new Omicron subvariants among the country’s 1.4 billion people. The highly transmissable XBB.1.5 subvariant is currently the dominant one in the United States, responsible for approximately 74 percent of cases, followed by the BQ.1.1 subvariant with 15 percent of cases in March. The subvariants driving the spread of COVID-19 in China this spring are the BA.5.2 and BF.7 versions of the virus, which together account for nearly 90 percent of China’s cases according to a recent Chinese study published in the Lancet medical journal. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 newspaper-related issues, it’s time well spent. Stone should realize that. She should realize the value of having newspapers on the Chamber’s premises and reconsider her decision, making it unnecessary for her staffers to send people to the other mainland locations where Vero Beach 32963 is available: The Indian River County Public Library (main branch). The county’s Intergenerational Center (Oslo Road). Main Street Vero Beach (downtown). C.J. Cannon’s restaurant (Vero Beach Regional Airport). Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce (downtown). She also should realize her organization wasn’t alone – that Esposito, prior to her arrest in 2019, fooled many prominent folks here and regularly attended high-profile social and charitable events. Instead, in her email to her board, Stone wrote that she finds it “laughable” that her decision to remove our newspapers, along with other local publications, is newsworthy. We’ll see if the Chamber’s board members think this is funny. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 My Vero

12 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ After that, more affluent students will be considered. Florida Senator Debbie Mayfield, who represents Vero’s barrier island in Tallahassee, sent out a message last week praising the new law, calling Florida “a leader in school choice.” Mayfield and the other state leaders who pushed the bill through the legislature cited a variety of reasons why parents might want to opt for a private or homeschool program, ranging from rigorous academics and smaller class sizes, to extracurricular activities and religious education. “If parents don’t like what’s been taught to their children in school, then they should have the choice to send the child to a different school,” Mayfield said. The law extends the length of time for teachers to finish course requirements and convert temporary teaching certificates to permanent certificates from the current three years to five years. It also NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 School choice law

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 13 NEWS impanels a group to look at eliminating outdated, needless or overly cumbersome regulations that govern public school teachers and schools. DeSantis said House Bill 1 will work hand-in-hand with generous teacher pay raises in the coming school year’s budget that takes effect July 1 to improve Florida’s public schools. DeSantis said the expansion of school choice means all schools – public, charter and private – will need to innovate and perform to attract and keep students, and their dollars. “They either offer a product people want, or they don’t,” DeSantis said, adding that Florida’s schools need to be a place where every child can succeed, regardless of income, race or family background. Teachers’ unions have opposed any expansion of school-choice vouchers, and so has the Florida Policy Institute, which decried the bill signing in a dramatic statement. Concerns focus on the fact that budgeted funds normally paid on a per-student basis from the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ “When I returned from my meeting two hours later, the same mess was still in effect.” FPL has routinely been replacing aging power poles up and down A1A to harden against storm damage, but this time the combination of high season, spring break and an overtaxed, twolane stretch of highway caused the perfect storm. The stop-and-go traffic backup was exacerbated when St. Ed’s students were dismissed from school for the afternoon and parents joined the seemingly endless line of cars. “We were not made aware that FPL was replacing power poles on A1A south of 17th Street until we started receiving complaints,” Vero Beach Police Department Capt. Matt Monaco said. Chief David Currey said the backup was caused by the re-routing of all the northbound traffic into the turn lane – which gets backed up on the average weekday under normal conditions – so drivers had a tough time turning left, and drivers who wanted to go straight across the intersection got caught up in the mess. “We go out there to take a look at it. People think we can perform magic, but there’s not much we can do,” Currey said. “We had a similar situation a couple of weeks ago on the (Indian River) Boulevard when FPL was working and FDOT was doing work cleaning out a drainage ditch at the same time.” FPL and FDOT manage the traffic with their own personnel, Currey said. “They send their people, they have people who are trained, they call them ‘flag men’ who set up the cones and reroute and direct the traffic.” After Vero police became aware of the situation, the department addressed the issue in a “Traffic Alert” on social media around 2:30 p.m. “Florida Power & Light is currently performing power pole construction on SR A1A south of E. Causeway/ 17th St. which is causing traffic to backup on A1A. FPL states that the construction work will be completed today. The only alternative route available is N. Causeway (A1A) located in Fort Pierce,” police said. By the time a varsity baseball game ended at St. Ed’s, the northbound lane of traffic was moving normally – but even the normal flow of vehicles on that stretch of A1A has been interrupted with construction detours and crews working along a 1.7-mile stretch of road from just north of Castaway Cove to Beachland Boulevard. The Florida Department of Transportation project, which started in August last year, will continue all summer (weather permitting) with the target completion date sometime this fall. The $5.6 million project, according to FDOT, involves milling and resurfacing the existing roadway with some widening; installing bike lanes and sidewalk; upgrading drainage, signage, pavement markings, crosswalks and curb ramps; adding signalized pedestrian crossings; and constructing and adding right turn lanes. The work set to be done during April includes drainage upgrades and road widening along northbound A1A between Jasmine Lane and Banyan, with “around-the-clock” shoulder closures and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. lane closures, according to an FDOT Treasure Coast Traffic Report. Installation of a signalized pedestrian crossing at Iris Lane will take place in Phase 2, Step B of the project. The same type of crossing is set to be installed at Dahlia Lane as well, though it is not indicated when this will occur. Meanwhile to the north, Florida City Gas crews have the A1A roadside torn up as they lay natural gas pipelines to meet up with an under-river crossing parallel to the Wabasso Causeway to bring residential gas service to the Sea Oaks area, Indian River Shores and the City of Vero Beach. The gas-line construction will eventually move south to reach the Ocean Drive and Cardinal Drive business districts, and if the demand warrants it, gas lines will be run as far north as Windsor. Staff Writer Lisa Zahner contributed to this report. front – on 33 acres at the west end of the 17th Street Bridge – that Falls has optimistically said could open during the summer of 2028. That developer will work with the project manager, whose sole job will be to oversee that development from start to finish, Falls said, adding that he expects to have someone or some firm hired by June. One applicant – former St. Lucie County deputy administrator Alphonso Jefferson – didn’t show up for his interview last week and later told Falls he already had accepted another position. “We’re happy with who’s on our list, but if we get another good applicant or two, we’ll talk to them, too,” Falls said last week. “But if, after we get through these interviews, there’s somebody we’re convinced is right for the job, we’ll make an offer. “The goal is to hire the best person we can get.” Joining Falls in the interviews are City Planning Director Jason Jeffries and Human Resources Manager Gabrielle Manus, but Falls said the final decision as to whom to hire “ultimately rests with me.” Falls‘ list of applicants includes engineers, contractors, an architect and a management consultant. That consultant, in fact, is former City Council member Robert McCabe, who spent 31 years as a finance specialist with General Motors but, according to Jeffries, also oversaw the redevelopment of former industrial properties when the company began decommissioning manufacturing plants. McCabe was among the candidates interviewed last week, along with two retired engineers who live in the Vero Beach area: Derrick Cave, who previously worked in the local Kimley-Horn & Associates office; and Peter Polk, who founded two firms in Texas and is also a transportation specialist. Falls and his team also interviewed David Milton, a Vero Beach resident who owns and runs a construction and consulting company and is a principal and managing member of the Stillwater Wealth Management Group. Milton, though, preferred that the city hire his company to manage the project. “He didn’t seem to be interested in becoming a city employee,” Falls said. Among those scheduled for interviews this week were Anthony Donadio, owner of Donadio & Associates, the Vero Beach-based architectural firm that has been doing business for more than 32 years. Falls also planned to interview Steve Weronik, a Port St. Lucie resident who founded the Legends Grill sports restaurant in Connecticut, where he has previous experience as a project manager, contractor and highway construction engineer. Colin Eichenmuller, deputy public works director for the city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was supposed to be interviewed last week, but the meeting needed to be rescheduled. Prior to overseeing Oak Ridge’s construction of a new water-treatment plant, Eichenmuller worked for the city of West Palm Beach, where he was the construction supervisor who managed the Clematis Streetscape Restoration project. “We’re looking for someone who has previously done this kind of work,” Falls said. “We could go with a firm, if that’s the best option, or we could hire someone to join our staff. We haven’t made that decision. “At this point, I’m not going to close any doors,” he added. “This is a very important position who will be managing a very important project for the city. It’s important that we bring in the best person available.” NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A1A traffic nightmare CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Three Corners Florida Department of Education to county school districts to help run their schools will now go to private schools, or to homeschool families. Instead of recognizing that all families pay taxes into state and county coffers to support public schools, even those whose children do not take up a seat in public school, detractors of the expansion of school choice don’t feel middle or upper-income families should get tax dollars back in the form of vouchers. “By opening up the floodgates of funding to private education, including by giving vouchers to the wealthiest families in the state, HB 1 presents a significant long-term risk to the funding for our public schools, which currently educate 87 percent of K-12 students in Florida,” the Florida Policy Institute said. School-choice scholarships can be used to fund hybrid private-school/ homeschool programs where students attend a private school two or three days per week and are homeschooled the balance of the time, or to pay for homeschooling expenses. If a student does not use all of his or her scholarship for full-or part-time enrollment in a private school, the money can also be used to pay for private tutoring, or to purchase homeschool curriculum materials or assistive technology. Florida’s population has grown by more than 700,000 people since the 2020 U.S. Census and is now 22.6 million and adding on average about 900 new people per day. Projections estimate Florida will grow by another 3.5 million people by 2030, followed by another 3 million by 2040, putting the population at just less than 29 million people. That’s about a 30 percent increase from 2020 figures. The state’s new voucher program – derided for stripping public schools of needed funding – could make public school class sizes more manageable and reduce the need for new schools and portable classrooms. Presumably that would save money in the long run, and allow capital funds to be used for refurbishing existing school buildings. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 School choice law

MAKE IT A DOUBLE! VAN DEINSE NETS 2ND ‘KING OF THE HILL’ TITLE P. 20 James Van Deinse.

16 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Supporters of the Hope for Families Center enjoyed a real showstopper with its recent fundraising dinner – An Evening on Broadway – at the Bent Pine Golf Club. Co-chairs Barbara Rigby, Millie Young and Lee Albro and their hardworking committee enlisted help from students at Indian River Charter High School, who came specially dressed for the occasion in costumed attire. There was Broadway-style entertainment by vocalist Natalie Palmer, a huge assortment of auction items and the always popular Mystery Box raffle, and Chef Brian Jones and his staff put the icing on the cake with a delicious gourmet dinner. Despite the glitz and glamour of the evening, the overreaching goal was to raise funds to support the families attempting to regain control of their lives through the Hope for Families Center, the largest homeless shelter for families on the Treasure Coast. In addition to shelter, families receive supportive services to assist them in transitioning from homelessness to sustainable permanent housing. “Culture, connection and cultivation is an important part of HFC and moving families forward in breaking the cycle of homelessness,” said Marty Mercado, HFC executive director. “We have created a culture of supportive case management that meets our families as they walk through the door of the shelter. We work with the families on financial education, education for children, medical support, mental health support, three meals a day and security.” The connection part of the puzzle includes collaborating with other local nonprofits. “Working with United Against Poverty helps residents to find more than just a job. It gives them the training and opportunity to find a career. Habitat for Humanity helps families understand the opportunity of homeownership. This connection with the community gives our residents resources for when they leave us,” said Mercado. “Finally, this cultivation helps families to become independent, thriving families that drive community.” A video presentation showcased the journey of a mother and her three daughters, who, as one girl described it, had gone “from house to house to house, and then hotels, just back and forth, back and forth.” The mother said they had been to every hotel in Vero Beach, including some she was reluctant to take her children to. “We had a lot and then we lost everything. Bad choices. There was addiction involved, there was a motorcycle accident, it just was one thing after another,” she said. “Living paycheck to paycheck, hoImpressive show of support at Hope for Families benefit BY MARY SCHENKEL Staff Writer Bill Stewart and Sue Scully with Doug and Dhuanne Tansill. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Pat and Dick Fava with Betsy and Dick Tompkins. Gerri Smith and Dr. Bill Cooney. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 Barbara Rigby, Millie Young and Lee Albro.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 17 tel to hotel is no way, especially when you have kids. It’s hard as a parent to see them upset and not wanting to really talk much about it.” After speaking of the embarrassment of the school bus picking them up in front of motels, one girl said, “I didn’t really have much hope for anything.” Their situation changed completely after finding HFC. “It was like we came here, and everything just fell into place; it’s getting back into a routine,” the mother said. “You just feel like you’re alone and this is never going to change, but that changed coming here.” Today, her children are in daycare or in school, she has a good job and the family has moved into their own home, which she said was exciting for all of them. “We were able to accomplish a lot. And again, it may not seem like that much, but to us it was huge,” she said. For more information, visit HopeForFamiliesCenter.org.

18 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Josh and Marty Mercado. Weasy and Doug Carmack. Revs. Elizabeth and David Johnson. George and Sue Sharpe. Dottie Connolly with Matt and Dee Reiser and Pat Doheny. George and Sheila Marshall with Susan and John Kiley. Joan Peirce with Mark and Susan Anderson. Sandy Divine, Terrie Divine and Louise Schmitt. Millie Young, Ellen Stryker, Judy Drexel and Linda Braun. Ralph and Ros Evans with Lela and David Remmert. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 19 Annie Trotter, Alaska Jasmine, Gabrielle Manu and Destiny Matheny. Kim Wallace with Danielle and Blake Miner. Chuck and Cathy Fountain. Matt Tanner and Kay Brown. Joyce Doehler and Barbara Lowry. Bill and Cathy Cronin. Bob and Susan Kintner. Al and Angela Diaz.

20 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ James Van Deinse of the Vero Beach Tennis and Fitness Club emerged victorious in the 28th annual King of the Hill Tennis Tournament to benefit the Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy. This is the second KOTH title for Van Deinse, who previously won in 2017. Tyler Rios of the Magnolia Lakes Club in Port St. Lucie was the runnerup in the competition, which was played in front of a crowd of several hundred fans at the Boulevard Village and Tennis Club. The pair were awarded a main draw doubles Wild Card into the upcoming Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation’s USTA/ITF World Tennis Tour Pro Circuit Tennis Tournament, being held April 24-30 on Van Deinse’s home turf. They will play their first-round doubles match against world-ranked touring professionals at 6 p.m. April 24. The other two finalists in the competition were James’ brother, Joseph Van Deinse, also of the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club, and Christian Docter of the Sea Oaks Beach and Tennis Club. Founded in 1996 by Gigi Casapu, this year’s King of the Hill began Jan. 19 with the Open Division First Round, followed on subsequent Thursdays by the 40’s Semifinal Division, 50’s Semifinal Division, Open Semifinal, 50’s Final, 40’s Final and Open Finals. The 2023 50’s Division winner was Mario Cobo from the Mariner Sands Country Club, and the 40’s Division winner was Lennart Jonason from the John’s Island Club. For the past 50 years, Youth Guidance has provided one-on-one and group mentoring programs to children, teens and young adults through its afterschool and summer sessions. “These programs are focused a lot on life skills, vocational training and academic enrichment,” said Phil Barnes, executive director. Youth Guidance is in the midst of a $1.5 million Capital Campaign to turn its 62-year-old building into a state-of-the-art facility to house its many mentoring, life skills and workforce development programs for participants ages 5 to 24. Typical programs for younger children include tutoring and homework help and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) curricula while older children also learn bicycle repair, boat mechanics and web design. Life skills include cooking and food preparation, sewing, gardening and agriculture, and money management. There is also a pre-apprenticeship program where participants can learn trades such as HVAC, welding, plumbing, carpentry and electric, receiving up to six professional certifications upon completion. And more recently, Youth Guidance introduced a parent aid program, where parents receive support in the home environment. For more information, visit YouthGuidanceProgram.org. Make it a double! Van Deinse nets 2nd ‘King of Hill’ tennis title BY MARY SCHENKEL Staff Writer James Van Deinse, Joseph Van Deinse, Gigi Casapu, Tyler Rios and Christian Docter. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 Phil Barnes and Gigi Casapu. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL Riley Bowers, Sandy Allen and Colleen Crafton. Maureen Lee and Charlotte Klein.

22 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Richard Bradley, Susan DeCuba and Debbie Biedenharn. Joe and Kim McAuliffe. Teresa Hilton and Keith Michelfelder. Ed Shanaphy with Dana and Geoff Berger. Karrie Fiorentini, Deb Doughty, Jill Belardi and Wendy Orthober. Mauri Clarke and Talbot Clarke. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 23 Trudie Rainone, Michael Pierce, Sue Tompkins, Tom Rollando and Raz Ilie. Terri Randazzo and Lynn Southerly. Paul and Diane Schnupp. Dr. Kathy Scures-Gutierrez, Chris McGuire, Alex and Stephanie MacWilliam, and Margaret and Mark Hollister. Russ and Irene Battye. Debbie Bochte and Randy Walker.

24 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ At a Meet the Finalists Reception at the Heritage Center, fittingly on International Women’s Day, the ladies of Indian River Impact 100 were introduced to representatives of the 11 nonprofits whose proposals made it through an extensive grant application process. “I am so excited with what we’ve come up with and what the grant panels have done,” said Mary Ellen McCarthy, board president. “I want to give my personal thanks to each and every one who has worked so hard.” “When you look at the groups that you have sponsored with major gifts over the last 15 years it’s just astounding,” said premier sponsor Robin Lloyd of Robin Lloyd and Associates. “You’ve made such an impact.” Thanking returning and new members, Suzi McCoy Shriner, presidentelect, said there were 490 members this year. And, as committee members carried numbered balloons to the front of the room, she announced that $571,900 was available to be awarded this year. As a result, members will vote to award $100,000 grants to five nonprofits at the annual meeting on April 12, and the remaining six will receive merit awards. Prior to introducing the finalists, grant chair Liz Locke applauded her team of 60 members who evaluated the applications in a “thoughtful, intelligent, diligent manner,” and said how impressed they were with the submitted proposals. She added, “Every nonprofit that applied is working hard to make Indian River County a better place.” Finalists: Ballet Vero Beach – Fellowship Initiative for Dancers Expansion Builds on a program launched last year whereby students learn dance at a professional level while getting a free college education and learn to use BY MARY SCHENKEL Staff Writer Lorena Cook and Liz Locke. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS Lee Moore and Joan Vinas. 11 worthy nonprofits in the running for Impact 100 grants

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 25 dance to improve children’s literacy in partnership with the Learning Alliance. Bike Walk IRC – Wheels on Wheels To hire a staff person and expand their Bike Rehab program for the transportation disadvantaged, hoping to increase bikes given away from 360 in 2022 to potentially 800 annually. IRC Healthy Start – Fatherhood Initiative IRC To comply with a state-mandated program by funding specialized training, computers and support tools, incentives and programming, and marketing the program to fathers. Junior Achievement of PB & TC – From Youngsters to High School Graduates To fund an employee to recruit high school students and volunteers to teach age-appropriate JA programs, including financial literacy, to elementary school children. Learning Alliance – The Moonshot Lab School and Hub for Teacher Training To fund an arts integration coach for the children’s literacy program and fund professional development for teachers, especially teaching the science of reading. McKee Botanical Garden – Nurtured by Nature/Environment To fund two nature-based children’s programs, for underserved children during the summers of 2023 and 2024 and class field trips for all first- and second-graders during the school year. Senior Resource Association – Meals on Wheels Waitlist Relief To reduce the MOW waitlist of foodinsecure seniors by expanding the program to 69 more seniors and providing partial staff funding to meet the increasing need. The Gifford Youth Orchestra – GYO Audio, Recording, and Communications Studio To fund equipment and a technician for a sound studio in a new music center being built to serve at risk children, where they can record college/job interviews, create podcasts, and learn audio and sound engineering. The Source – Dignity Wellness To fund the training of staff and community members in mental health first aid triage for the homeless community, including assessment, treatment plans, and navigation services for mental health and wellness resources. Vero Beach Theatre Guild – Theatrical Learning Center For scholarships, transportation, meals, play scripts and facility changes for an artistic center where students can support each other in the arts through summer camp and afterschool programs. Whole Family Health Center – WFHC Mobile Medical Office To outfit a mobile medical office to provide preventative and continuum care to the underserved and vulnerable suffering from chronic diseases or multiple comorbidities. For more information, visit Impact 100IR.com. Tracy Sorzano, Suzi McCoy Shriner and Mary Ellen McCarthy. Jean Gaul and June Fitzgerald. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

26 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Bobbi Kleinschmidt and Elizabeth Thomason. Pilar Turner and Suzanne Conway. Linda Triolo and Margaret Anne Evans. Brenda and Robin Lloyd. Barbara Ruddy and Carol Kanarek. Andrea Berry and Taylor Farnsworth. Anne Lanier and Kiki Rohr. Kim De Magistris and Melanie Pauley. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 27 Terry Turko, Nancy Donner and Dianna Chianis. Barbara Butts, Joanna Neely and Peg Regan. Chris Rud and Leslie Bergstrom. Barbara Hammond and Kristen Matteucci. Gina Griffin and Colleen Scerr. Christine Hobart and Amy Shoemaker. Crystal Bujol and Casey Lunceford. Michael Naffziger and Lisa McNamee.

28 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ As they wandered through the Vero Beach Boys and Girls Club, guests at the 21st annual Angel Dinner were greeted by members of the Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere clubs, all eager to talk about their many interests, from education and career development to the arts and sports. “We are thrilled to have you with us tonight and see our kids in their own environment, showing off their activities and projects,” said event chair Nancy Lynch, thanking everyone for their generous support. Former and current club members spoke about their experiences in the afterschool and summer programs, appreciative of the guidance, support and assistance they receive. “It is so rewarding to hear from these kids, and isn’t this what it’s all about? We want every child to have the opportunity to experience all that the clubs have to offer,” said Lynch. The cost for a child to attend the all-day summer program is $600, and the afterschool program is $300, which for some families is just not within their reach. Roughly 80 percent of participants qualify for free and reduced lunch and almost 50 percent are from single-parent households. “We are committed to providing our youth with the best possible facilities, programs, activities and education in Indian River County,” said Lisa Bell, CEO, relating that they served more than 750 children this past year. “We, all of us together, are truly making a significant difference in the lives of the kids we serve,” said Bell. “We are here to help. Youth that come to the Boys and Girls Clubs learn quickly that this is a space where they can be themselves, be safe and be heard.” Bell said they have re-implemented their volunteer program and are currently seeking mentors and tutors. Additionally, a new incentive program, Club 105, honors club members who have attended at least 105 days during the year. “Research has shown that the more often youth attend our clubs, the greater their prospects are for Youthful exuberance contagious at ‘Angel Dinner’ event BY MARY SCHENKEL Staff Writer Ann and Doug Bermingham with Wheatie and Bob Gibb. PHOTOS: MARY SCHENKEL PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 29 graduating from high school on time with a specific plan after high school, improved grades for all of our members, and a broad sense of well-being within our membership,” said Bell. “Tonight we celebrate our youth, but we also celebrate you, our donors, our patrons, because without you our staff could not do what they do every day to help improve and change those we serve,” said Bell. She introduced two alumni, Chad Taylor, 2022 Vero Club Youth of the Year, and Emmanuel Salas, 2022 County Youth of the Year, who recognized all the generous event sponsors. Laura Luettger, director of operations, introduced the members chosen this year as the embodiment of the clubs’ three areas of priority – leadership, character and service. Junior Youth of the Year Serenity Marsh, a seventh-grader at Oslo Middle School, has been a Vero Beach Club member since age 9. She is on the AP Honor Roll, and has earned more than 150 community service hours in the past year. Jasmine Taylor, a Vero Beach Club member since age 8, is the 2023 Youth of the Year, and will soon compete in the state competition. She is dual enrolled at Indian River State College, is a member of the varsity soccer team and aspires to become a criminal defense attorney. After hearing from the young ladies about their impressive journeys, Bob Bauchman, board co-chair with Paul Hanson said, “I hope you recognize the difference you are making in the lives of the hundreds of kids we serve.” For more information, visit BGCIRC.org. Roger Lynch, Jr., Luke and Molly Webb, and Jordan Stewart. Dr. Michaela Scott and Raelyn.

30 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Established 18 Years in Indian River County (772) 562-2288 | www.kitchensvero.com 3920 US Hwy 1, Vero Beach FL 32960 Nancy Lynch and Lisa Bell. Kimberly and Paul Huchro with Brigida and Melissa. Susan and Paul Hanson with Youth of the Year Jasmine Taylor. Rachel Leyda with Dakota and Rhianna. Chad Taylor, Bob Bauchman and Journey Wynn. Trip O’Donnell, Brian Patterson, Mia Safarzynska and Steve Burr. Lauren Roth, Michael Moriarty and Leslie Hodges with Selena and Jayla. Bill and Susan Bailey with Matilde and Dale Sorensen. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 31 Gay and Fritz Blaicher with Jean Ueltschi. Jim and Priscilla Morphy. Joan Marra and Lynn Yardley. Sherry Ann and Ned Dayton with Anne and Herb Gullquist. Jaquan Pledger with Debbie and John Phillips. Ginger and Glenn DeSimone.

32 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Supporters of the Indian River Land Trust gathered at the Quail Valley River Club for the annual Conservators Reception, hosted for the 10th year by Laura and Bill Buck and Sally and Dick Brickman. As he welcomed guests, Dick Brickman noted that the group has grown significantly over the years. “As the group grew, your generosity grew. We’ve been able to do some really remarkable things and there’s more to come,” said Brickman. IRLT board chair Greg Casalino recalled that during a recent visit to the IRLT’s Coastal Oaks Preserve, he had seen a pair of swallow-tailed kites. “Those swallow-tailed kites have experienced an 80 percent population loss. They’ve gone from habitat in 21 states down to seven. If not at properties like Coastal Oaks Preserve, where are those swallow-tailed kites going to be able to breed?” asked Casalino. Highlighting their efforts to protect the land that protects the lagoon, IRLT executive director Ken Grudens said that to date they have protected 1,200 acres and more than 12 miles of shoreline through what they refer to as the three Ps. “We preserve and restore wildlife habitat, protect the scenic waterfront, and provide access for education, recreation and research,” explained Grudens. He also noted that seagrass, fishery and terrapin research is ongoing at Land Trust properties. “While the Land Trust continues to strengthen what I call our conservation culture in this community, unfortunately, every year we’re losing areas that are important for fish and wildlife habitat, and we’re still seeing our water quality decline,” said Grudens. He attributed seepage from degraded septic systems as one factor impacting our waterways. To accelerate the elimination of these aging residential septic systems, the Land Trust is working on a pilot project in the City of Vero Beach, in partnership with the Clean Water Coalition of Indian River County and the Economic Opportunities Council, “to convert aging septic systems in a low economic neighborhood that is directly and greatly impacting the lagoon.” A significant gift from Bill Buck was the catalyst that got the project off the ground, he said. “The nitrogen and the phosphorous that come from the septic systems are the leading cause of the seagrass die out and manatee starvation,” Grudens explained. He said that when he moved to Vero Beach nearly 20 years ago, he would camp on the spoil islands with his son’s scout troop, recalling the bucolic days watching the boys enjoy the water “without a care in the world.” “Today, I don’t think I would encourage anyone to wade or swim in the lagoon. I think that our entire Land Trust – and I speak for our board and our staff – would not be satisfied until everyone has a chance to be able to be back in that lagoon and not wondering if the fish that they’re fishing for are safe to eat or worrying that a scratch on their leg might turn into a significant infection,” said Grudens. “We want your great-grandchildren to be able to sit and watch their children enjoy a completely safe and healthy lagoon. Your support makes that difference. It really truly does. I thank you for being there and for doing that for our community.” Closing the evening on a high note, he promised more news next year about the Coastal Oaks Preserve and its Living Classroom project, before sharing a video about the recently opened Oyster Bar Marsh Conservation Area, the third of the Land Trust’s public conservation areas, where people can hike or bike. For more information, visit irlt. org. At Land Trust’s Conservators Reception, a focus on progress BY STEPHANIE LaBAFF Staff Writer Ken and Natalie Grudens. PHOTOS: JOSHUA KODIS Dick and Sally Brickman.

PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 33 Trudie Rainone and Dave Fuss. Joe Huber and Meg Steiner. Toni and George Hamner. John Moore, Toni Robinson and Lee Moore. Charles Brashears and Este Brashears. Marsha Sherry and Collier Proctor. PHOTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

34 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 PEOPLE Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Carole Russell, Scott Alexander and Emilie Brady. Rhonda and Tom Lowe. Chris and Teri Ryan with Bill Beardslee. Walt Noonan with Richard and Elise Carr. Lucia Bailey and Susan Bell. PHOTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

36 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT COVER STORY The mantra for making it into America’s top schools reverberates from California to New York to Florida: Whatever it takes. College consultants charging as much as $750,000 to build standout applications starting in seventh grade? Worth it, says Hope Choi, whose son applied to 22 schools and has already won a spot at Yale. Ivy League prices approaching $90,000? “What’s a couple thousand more dollars in debt?” asks 18-yearold Addison Witucki, who set her hopes on going to Harvard or Brown – and then medical school. Despite public outcry about America’s student loan crisis and soaring college costs, the appeal of an elite education has only gotten stronger. Acceptance rates have plunged below 5%, meaning securing a spot at the top institutions feels akin to winning the lottery. It’s leaving parents and students wanting a prestigious-if-expensive degree now more than ever, and hunting for the best ways to boost their chances. Miniscule acceptance rates at some of the top colleges illustrate the necessity of finding an edge. Out of the more than 59,000 students who applied to the University of Pennsylvania, 2,400 were accepted. Yale University’s acceptance rate this year was 4.35%, with the application pool being the largest in the college’s history after growing by nearly 50% since 2020. Top colleges are getting more selective as application pools grow The sense of exclusivity only makes students and parents want it more – the Varsity Blues scandal demonstrated the extreme lengths some wealthy families will go to get their kids into the best schools. Eric Sherman, a counselor at college counseling firm IvyWise, compares the veneration of namebrand colleges to a Hermes bag. “You hit a certain point where quality is legitimately increased, and then everything above that is just brand,” said Sherman, who’s also director of college counseling at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, California. “I think that there is a really powerful element here where parents, if they’re at a cocktail party they might want to say, ‘Oh, I drive a Maserati and my daughter goes to Penn.’” There’s also the return on investment to consider

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 38 for those willing to cover an elite college’s exorbitant costs. According to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, four-year private schools offer the highest ROI based on the average debt taken on and median salaries 10 and 40 years after enrollment. Private, non-profit schools tend to have a higher return on investment. “Tuition and cost of attendance is not just going up at Ivy League and competitive schools, it’s going up everywhere,” said Christopher Rim, the CEO of college consulting firm Command Education. “If a Rolls-Royce and a Toyota are the exact same price, which one would you want?”

38 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 INSIGHT COVER STORY For the Choi family, the answer is a Rolls-Royce – Choi’s son has already been accepted into Yale, Columbia and the University of Chicago, and is still waiting to hear from his dream school, Stanford. Like many families living in New York City’s Upper East Side, the Chois have paid hundreds of thousands already to put him through private school since kindergarten. “We are fortunate that price is no object,” said Hope Choi. “Prestige carries a lot of weight and we want him to attend the best college for his future.” To supplement his schooling, they’ve been working with Command Education since he was in ninth grade, considering it a worthwhile investment in his future. The consulting firm charges as much as $750,000 to work with students starting in seventh grade and as much as $500,000 starting in ninth grade. Altogether, Rim estimates many of his clients spend “over $1 million” to prepare their kids for college. “No client is paying us these fees to get into a random school,” Rim said. Affordability was cited the least as the top deciding factor for college. To be sure, the decision by many schools to no longer require standardized tests has caused application numbers to balloon. This has artificially deflated universities’ acceptance rates by bottom-loading the application pool, experts say. “These schools every year get better and better at getting students to apply,” said Brian Taylor, managing partner at Ivy Coach, a private college counseling firm. “As an extreme example, more C students applying to Harvard does not make the Harvard applicant pool more competitive.” New York University received a record-breaking 120,000 applications for the class of 2027, 13% more than last year. Next fall’s freshman year class will be around 5,700 students, bringing their admissions rate down to 8% – a steep drop from 35% a decade ago.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 39 INSIGHT COVER STORY The trend is hard on the many students who don’t get accepted. Addison Witucki found out Thursday that she didn’t get into Harvard or Brown, and is planning to go to the University of Kentucky in her home state instead. Her mother, Sarah, said Addison was disappointed but also relieved that she’d have to take on significantly less debt – the school costs $33,150 total for in-state students versus nearly $85,000 for Brown. “Even that’s still so much money,” Sarah Witucki said. “The fact that a state school costs this much is mind blowing.” For those who do get in, aid is often an essential part of the equation. Because elite schools with billiondollar endowments and robust financial resources are able to help students lower the final cost of attendance, it’s sometimes more affordable to attend a private school than a public one, college consultants say. The gap between graduates with federal student loans is relatively small: In 2021, bachelor’s degree recipients from four-year state colleges had an average federal debt level of $21,400, compared to $22,600 for private universities, according to the College Board. When Preeti Singh’s daughter was applying to college this year, she recalls telling her, “If you’re going out of state then it has to be something really, really good, because I’m not sending you to the neighboring state just for you wanting to be away from home.” For the Ohio family, who have a second child who will also be applying to college in a couple of years, price was top of mind. Her daughter applied to both state colleges and more selective schools, Singh said. When she was accepted to Stanford in December, they decided it was worth paying around $65,000 a year for her computer science degree over about $15,000 at Ohio State University. Singh said that after looking at the aid her daughter received, the cost is “manageable” for an elite education.

40 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT EDITORIAL During the coronavirus crisis, our Pelican Plaza office is closed to visitors. We appreciate your understanding. By Lara Williams There’s a sea monster lurking in the Atlantic Ocean that could help save the planet. Weighing about 10 million pounds, this goldenbrown creature is harmless enough floating in the sea – but if it lands on a beach, you’re in serious trouble. Washing up as a thick, tangled mass of tentacles, it smothers delicate coral reefs and precious mangroves. When it starts to rot, it scares away tourists, not only blocking access to pristine sandy beaches, but releasing a toxic gas called hydrogen sulfide, with an ungodly stench of rotten eggs. The gas is irritating and can cause breathing problems. The name of this monstrosity? The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. This 5,000-mile stretch of floating seaweed patches is getting a little out of control, to say the least. Sargassum seaweed has existed for millennia in the Sargasso Sea, providing a habitat to ocean dwellers including tiny crabs and the grumpy-looking sargassum fish. There, it’s such an integral part of the sea’s rich biodiversity that it’s sometimes referred to as the “golden floating rainforest.” But in the past decade or so, it has bloomed in terrifying proportions, becoming more of a threat than an oasis for coastal ecosystems and business owners alike in Florida and the Caribbean. Hotel owners have seen drops in occupancy rates during beaching events, and fishermen are struggling both with the seaweed’s effect on local fish populations and on their equipment. These huge blooms are likely an issue of our own making, as altered sea conditions caused by fertilizer runoff and environmental changes have allowed sargassum to metastasize. But some are seeing potential in the problem. There is a lot of research and interest into seaweed cultivation as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method at the moment, but U.K.-based seaweed startup Seafields was attracted specifically to sargassum for a couple of reasons: Even though research shows its carbon uptake isn’t as high as other seaweed species, it grows rapidly, and it doesn’t need a surface to grow on. Seafields’s ultimate ambition is to remove as much as 1 gigaton of carbon dioxide annually – 40Gt of CO2 was emitted globally in 2022 – with 94,000 square kilometers of modular farms roughly the size of Portugal in the middle of the South Atlantic gyre, a large system of circulating ocean currents. The idea is to cultivate sargassum and extract useful materials to create products such as bioplastics and biofuel or compress the seaweed into bales that will be sunk to the bottom of the ocean, storing the CO2 captured by the plants. Achieving that vision will be years in the making. In the meantime, Seafields wants to set up so-called “catch-and-grow” farms later this year to stop the sargassum from beaching in the first place. The business will ultimately be funded by selling both sargassum-derived materials and carbon-removal credits for the sunken bales. But one challenge, along with the initial fundraising, is that the carboncredit market as it exists today is too cheap and not trustworthy enough, as more carbon offsets prove to be little more than bunk. “It’s unfeasible to think that you can permanently remove a ton of CO2 for $5, it needs to be closer to the IMF’s $75-per-ton target,” John Auckland, co-founder and chief executive officer of Seafields, said recently. CDR markets will need independent measurement, reporting and validation (MRV) of each method as well as a robust understanding of the environmental impacts – something that’s particularly important when dealing with delicate natural ecosystems, which may not always act as expected. Indeed, studies of both kelp and sargassum have suggested that their carbon-removal efficacy may be reduced once the whole ecosystem and feedback mechanisms are taken into account. That's why some scientists are concerned about the sudden influx of interest in seaweed-based CDR. “Several companies are running before we can walk,” Ana Queiros, a senior marine and climate change ecologist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said. Queiros is part of a team finalizing a review into the carbon benefits of seaweed farming and her conclusion is that, while seaweed does have great carbon uptake potential, aspects such as farm location, species and ecosystem-wide effects still need to be better understood before we can confidently claim any climate-mitigating effects. For Seafields to be viable, it’ll have to ensure scientific rigor throughout the whole process. That includes closely monitoring the potential impacts of largescale farming on the high seas and dropping bales on the ocean floor. Though the South Atlantic gyre is sometimes referred to as an oceanic desert due to low concentrations of phytoplankton, it’s still home to iconic migratory species including manta rays and baleen whales. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has acknowledged that CDR will play an important role in mitigating the climate crisis. Therefore, we will need to harness our human power to influence the planet in order to start reversing the damage we’ve caused. Projects like Seafields can be part of that. A version of this column first appeared on Bloomberg. It does not necessarily reflect the views of Vero Beach 32963.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 41 INSIGHT OP-ED When Maura Ruzhnikov transferred money to a stranger by mistake on Zelle, she tried to undo the transaction. That's easier said than done. Will she ever get her money back? QUESTION: I accidentally sent $3,825 through Zelle via First Republic Bank to the wrong person, by entering a wrong email address. The person who received the deposit was initially going to send it back, but his bank advised him against this since he does not know me. He asked me to file a claim with Zelle. The stranger now claims the money is being "held" by Zelle. He told me to contact them, but a Zelle representative told me I must go through their bank partners. I tried going to a local branch of the recipient's bank, which said it could not help me as I am not the account holder with their bank. I filed a police report and I have filed two separate claims with my bank. At this point I have no idea where the funds are.Can you help me get my money back? ANSWER: I'm sorry for all the trouble you experienced. But the stranger did the right thing. The reason? Sending money to someone you don't know is one of the biggest Zelle scams. Zelle is a peer-to-peer payment system, so the money is transferred directly from your bank to the recipient's bank. Each participating bank has a dispute process, and I asked about your situation, but your bank would not tell me who had the money. In the end, it doesn't really matter – it's your money and you're entitled to it. If necessary, you could have petitioned a small claims court for a refund, and you would have received it. But working your way through the system – however painful it may have been – was the right move. I outline the ways to get your money back in my guide to getting your money back from a Zelle scam or accidental money transfer. It looks like you followed the steps I recommended but still fell short. I would have leaned on your bank for a resolution. How do you prevent this? Make sure you always double-check the email address of the recipient before you send. If you send money to someone by mistake, cancel immediately. Your bank may be able to reverse the transaction. I contacted First Republic Bank on your behalf. A representative contacted you and told you that the money had been moved from the recipient's account to his bank, where it was being "held." A month after your erroneous transaction, you received a full refund. Get help with any consumer problem by contacting Christopher Elliott at http://www.elliott.org/help BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT FORTIFIED STORAGE CENTER 1500 SF Units 25 FT Wide x 60 FT Deep AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY Exclusive 15 Unit Private Luxury Storage Condominium for Boats, Motor Coaches, Fine Automobiles, and More Fenced & Gated Video Security System 70 FT Drive Aisles 14 FT x 14 FT Garage Door Designed For 170 MPH Wind Speed 421 3rd Lane SW Vero Beach, Florida fortifiedstoragecenter.com Telephone 772-258-6636 PRICING Starting at $299,000 ONLY 3 UNITS REMAINING

42 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Unless readers are aficionados of Woodrow Wilson’s presidency, they may possess only vague knowledge that a debilitating stroke incapacitated him in his administration’s final year and that his wife Edith became the unofficial “acting president.” This intriguing tale of how a first lady, with minimal formal education and no government experience, effectively took the reins from the partially paralyzed chief executive and guided his White House, from October 1919 to March 1921, is as riveting as it is improbable. By virtue of her DNA, author Rebecca Boggs Roberts is well acquainted with Washington’s power dynamics. The daughter of the late political commentator Cokie Roberts and granddaughter of the late House Democratic Majority Leader Hale Boggs, Rebecca also counts on her family tree grandmother Lindy, who served nine terms in Congress after Hale disappeared, and was declared dead, following a 1972 plane crash. Equally genetic, given her father Steven Roberts’ journalistic career, is Rebecca’s flair for writing crisp and engaging narratives. Her book “Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson” is quite simply a compelling yarn. How did Edith Bolling, born and raised in Wytheville, Va., a sleepy town nestled in post-bellum Appalachia, ultimately become one of the most powerful first ladies in American history? As a teenager, she followed her married sister to Washington and embraced the cultural and social life of the booming Gay Nineties city. In 1896, she married the successful, if unexciting, owner of a thriving jewelry store who was almost a decade older than the new Mrs. Edith Bolling Galt. He died a dozen years later, leaving Edith a widow of some means at age 35, unable to bear children after her only pregnancy resulted in a difficult birth and the death of the Galts’ infant son. Unlike most women of her era, Edith lived independently, traveling abroad when the spirit moved her, tooling around the nation’s capital in an electric automobile (as the first woman to earn a D.C. driver’s license) and eschewing large soirees for intimate dinners with extended family. She had little interest in politics, opposed women’s suffrage and declined a friend’s invitation to attend Woodrow Wilson’s 1913 inaugural parade and a presidential tea. A friend, the White House physician Cary Grayson, introduced her to the grieving president shortly after Wilson’s first wife, Ellen, died of kidney disease in the second year of his first term. Although a strait-laced Presbyterian and stodgy academic, Wilson immediately bonded with Edith, 16 years his junior, finding her beautiful, stylish, charming and vivacious. The merry widow added gaiety to his life, and he was as smitten as a teenage schoolboy. Realizing that his lovesickness would appear unseemly so soon after his first wife’s passing, the president initially confined his ardent courtship to secret assignations with the more restrained Edith. Roberts’ description of Wilson’s wooing springs to life through her careful research of the love notes the couple exchanged almost daily. In addition, the author skillfully deconstructs the second Mrs. Wilson’s 1939 memoir, the first book of its kind penned by a former first lady. This biography is the only one to reflect the recently transcribed memoir chapters written in Edith’s scribbled penmanship and preserved at her birthplace. The Wilsons’ 1915 marriage cemented a fruitful partnership, as the president’s new spouse sustained him through World War I, accompanied him to the Paris peace talks and supported his dogged efforts to secure Senate approval of the Treaty of Versailles. Establishing what modern political scientists now label “the rhetorical presidency,” Woodrow Wilson firmly believed that he could lead Congress and the people by speaking to them directly and in person. It was his overly ambitious cross-country whistle-stop tour that exhausted the president and induced a catastrophic cerebral hemorrhage, paralyzing his left side, affecting his speech and weakening his cognitive ability. Roberts’ storytelling soars as she leads the reader through Edith’s machinations to hide her husband’s disabilities while maintaining his White House’s functions. She manipulated the Cabinet, Vice President Thomas Marshall and members of Congress to disguise the worst of the president’s symptoms, while making it appear that he maintained control over his faculties and public policy. She literally became his left hand, holding down documents as he signed them with his dominant and unaffected right hand. From his 1919 stroke until his death in 1924, Edith Wilson maintained the fiction that her husband was functioning normally. She spent the remainder of her long life promoting his legacy as an advocate for freedom at home and abroad. One of her last public appearances, before her death in December 1961 at age 89, was to meet with President John F. Kennedy in the Oval Office when he signed the bill creating the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Commission. In that sense, Edith was no different from all the modern first ladies (including Eleanor Roosevelt, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Pat Nixon, Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton) who supported their debilitated husbands, laid low by illness or scandal, and tried to solidify their legacies if they outlived them. Yet even the influential Roosevelt and Clinton never became “acting presidents.” As Roberts relates, it was JFK’s assassination that prompted the 25th Amendment’s ratification in 1967, providing for the vice president to assume the presidency upon the chief executive’s documented incapacitation. We can be grateful that Edith Wilson’s unprecedented and unofficial substitution for her husband demonstrated the need for such a constitutional remedy for presidential illness. UNTOLD POWER THE FASCINATING RISE AND COMPLEX LEGACY OF FIRST LADY EDITH WILSON BY REBECCA BOGGS ROBERTS | VIKING. 302 PP. $30 REVIEW BY BARBARA A. PERRY, THE WASHINGTON POST INSIGHT BOOKS EASTER EGG-STRAVAGANZA FIND YOUR LUCKY EGG FOR PRIZES & DISCOUNTS! Saturday, April 8 • 11AM to 3PM 3201 Cardinal Drive • Next to Chelsea’s Market • 772 213 8069 • shoptrimmingsvb.com President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Edith Wilson.

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 43 INSIGHT BRIDGE WHICH SUIT SHOULD BE ATTACKED FIRST? By Phillip Alder - Bridge Columnist Last week, declarer had to try to keep East off the lead so that he couldn’t make a lethal diamond shift. Today’s deal is another variation on the danger-hand theme. Against South’s contract of three no-trump, West led the spade five: six, nine, 10. How should declarer have proceeded? South had five top tricks: two spades (given the first trick), two diamonds and one club. If the club finesse was working, that would provide the other four tricks. That was as far as the original declarer went. Immediately, he ran the club jack. However, East won with the king and returned a spade. Declarer finessed the queen and won the third round with the ace. Now, though, whether he played on diamonds or hearts, West got on lead to cash his two spade winners, defeating the contract. Declarer should have analyzed further. If the club finesse was working, there was no hurry to take it. All the suits were still under control. The first order of business was to dislodge West’s potential entry: the heart ace. At trick two, South should have led the heart queen. If her majesty had won, declarer could have taken the club finesse and claimed soon thereafter. But East produced the heart ace and returned a spade. Declarer won the third round of the suit and then finessed in clubs. Even though the finesse lost, declarer was safe (unless East had started with five spades). Finally, if West won with the heart ace at trick two, he couldn’t lead another spade without sacrificing a trick in the suit. The danger had been averted. Dealer: South; Vulnerable: Neither NORTH 7 6 K J 6 8 6 3 2 A Q 6 4 WEST K J 8 5 2 A 10 3 J 9 7 5 5 SOUTH A Q 10 Q 7 A K 4 J 10 8 7 3 EAST 9 4 3 9 8 5 4 2 Q 10 K 9 2 The Bidding: OPENING LEAD: 5 Spades SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST 1 NT Pass 3 NT All Pass PRIVATE OCEANFRONT RESIDENCE COMING SOON - FOR SALE (813) 323-5823 • BestMonthlyRentals.com VERO BEACH, FL 32963 • $4.7M 3 BEDS • 3.5 BATHS • 2,600 SQFT Former NBA Owner Home Proudly Serving the Treasure Coast for over 40 years 640 Old Dixie Highway Vero Beach, FL 32962 772-569-3874 [email protected] ISA Certified Arborist Hazardous Tree Removal Oak Tree Trimming Specialist Professional Mangrove Trimmers Fully Licensed and Insured

44 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT GAMES 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 SOLUTIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE (MARCH 30) ON PAGE 74 ACROSS 1 Brazilian racing driver (5) 4 Bitterness (4) 8 Run riot (7) 9 Active agent (5) 10 Category (5) 11 Fetter (7) 13 Meagre (6) 15 Handwriting (6) 17 Feeler (7) 20 Answer (5) 22 Be of use (5) 23 View (7) 24 Growth (4) 25 Coat (5) DOWN 1 Doubtful gesture (5) 2 System of names (12) 3 Layperson (7) 4 Shine brightly (5) 5 Rouse (5) 6 Realism (12) 7 Climb (6) 12 Fool (3) 13 Commend (6) 14 Longing (3) 16 Friendly (7) 18 Deprived (5) 19 Take up (5) 21 Singing voice (5)

Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 45 INSIGHT GAMES ACROSS 1 Slangy blame 4 Actor Omar 8 Subtle bidding movement 11 African nation, Guinea-___ 17 Nationality finish 18 Gator’s cousin 19 Doc Savage portrayer 20 Certain tie score 21 Nerd’s favorite lottery? 25 ___ one’s fantasies 26 In the style of 27 Swelling reducer 28 Education org. 30 Seductive singer 31 Reason the baggage handler got a hernia? 37 Beatles-bio figure 38 Site of hair growth as guys get older 39 Naval agreement? 40 Shell-collecting area 41 Regular coffee with skim milk? 46 “No kiddin’?” 50 Conductor Toscanini 51 Men’s patriotic grp. 52 Eggs 53 Greek letters 57 Small drinks 59 With 72 Across, reason to call a plumber? 64 Treaty 67 Edmond O’Brien film noir 69 “Where wast thou when ___ the foundations?” (Job 38:4) 70 Discomfort 71 Gaucho gold 72 See 59 Across 75 Little Caesar’s gun 76 Egyptian temple site, Abu ___ 78 Brother, in Bordeaux 79 Alley org. 80 Pharaonic critters 81 Noah’s comment just before he landed? 83 R sequels? 85 Green and herb, e.g. 86 Subject of Whitman’s “This Dust Was Once A Man” 87 As late as 90 Verbal threat 94 Diatribe 97 With 106 Across, a restaurant’s boast about its seafood filets? 99 Street’s boss 102 Serenade 104 Ol’ Ford, the singer 105 Actor Holm 106 See 97 Across 111 City on the Ganges 113 Mimic 114 “Exodus” hero 115 The old college cheer 116 Circumvented 118 Apt thing to say if World War III ever breaks out? 124 Lined up 125 “Where ___?” 126 Little rugs 127 Part of m.p.g. 128 Pat O’Brien role 129 Sure thing? 130 Homer, for one 131 NFL scores DOWN 1 Orthodontic device 2 Dame Peggy, the actress 3 Golfer Calvin or quarterback Rodney 4 Light tan 5 Please, to the Bard 6 Battery terminal: abbr. 7 UCLA or USC 8 Turn over a ___ 9 Infamous cow’s owner 10 Red 5, e.g. 11 Garden of Earthly Delights painter 12 Brand of chips? 13 Place for ships 14 Steel-___ (Hefty trash bag) 15 City of Syria 16 Province of N Ireland 22 Particle or Romanian name 23 Veterans’ org. 24 PaperMate rival 29 Lemon or lime drink 30 Lemon-lime drink 32 Diving bell inventor 33 Mammal seen on Alaskan cruises 34 Salon offering 35 An unfinished figure 8? 36 Actress Cates 42 Polly, to Tom Sawyer 43 Athlete’s intro? 44 The most you can pay 45 Judge 47 Delay 48 Madison, e.g. 49 Abacus, for one 54 Gold from the Treasury? 55 Columnist Joseph or Stewart 56 Burpee products 58 “Or ___ thought” 60 With “light,” a type of plane 61 Robert Blake series 62 Human-interest story? 63 A, in Arles 64 Assume as fact 65 Come up 66 Pause mark 68 Batman’s butler 72 Cellular purch. 73 Mound stat 74 Air rifle ammo 77 “It was the ___ times ...” 80 With, to Mimi 82 Lawyers’ org. 84 A prefect ending 88 Don Juan’s mother 89 Greek instrument 91 Stood around 92 Defames 93 Divine in Hairspray 95 Saturn finish 96 Girl in the shearing section? 97 SCTV’s Rick 98 A Mouseketeer 99 Bus. deg. 100 Nanny’s cousin 101 Camp-stove fuel 103 Respighi’s “The Pines ___” 107 Tot’s vehicle 108 “___ there yet?” 109 Free 110 Revealing cry 111 Oom-___ 112 Skillful 117 Like Asia 119 Computer that doesn’t need Windows 120 Biblical chest 121 “It’s just not my ___” 122 He might call out 123 Chinese concept The Telegraph The Washington Post IT’S PUNNERIFIC! By Merl Reagle

46 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ INSIGHT BACK PAGE Hi Carolyn: A lot of letters to you seem to be about how to deal with others’ unwanted, uninvited opinions, such as a recent one about a cousin’s plan to name their child Mateo. I find this – people relentlessly voicing opinions – exhausting in my own life, but so far haven’t made a dent in it. I’d like to stop people when they start to say, “I don’t like the color they painted their [X],” or, “He should do [Y],” or, “She shouldn’t [Z] so much.” But people don’t take kindly to direct responses such as, “What difference does that make?” Or, “Why do you care what they do?” I know writing an anti-opinionating opinion is ironic, but any thoughts? – Exhausted Exhausted: One, mainly: Amen, brother. My next thought may not interest you, if you have good reasons not to test your bonds with these people, but: Just because people “don’t take kindly” to your pointed questions doesn’t mean your objections aren’t appropriate or hitting their mark. Most people wouldn’t respond well to being told their negativity is trivial, presumptuous and boring, in so many words, so I don’t think it was ever realistic to think they’d appreciate your perspective. But it is both a valid perspective to have and a defensible one. Namely, you’re standing up for the people on the wrong end of these constant opinions. That is an act of decency, and your “direct responses” are actually pretty tactful. One more thing that might vault you above those potential hard feelings is to make a broader point about how you feel: “Maybe you’re right. But I’ve got opinion fatigue; I’ve got nothing left for other people’s business.” That makes it about you, which is a kinder approach than correcting others – and you’d give people a chance not to keep doing something in your presence that you find annoying. Most important, though, is you’d open the door to conversation, inviting people also to think more broadly about and even co-sign your timely, excellent point. Dear Carolyn: My girlfriend was sitting right next to me and had the nerve to talk about some girl she thought was “cute and pretty” and how she had a crush on her. I don’t want to take it to heart, but I honestly don’t know. The thing with being lesbian is that you never know if she’s just friends with someone or if she likes them. She’s been really mean to me lately, and I feel as if she’s losing feelings. Will you help me out? – Replaced Replaced: Here’s the thing about those “losing feelings” feelings: The kind of specifics you’re asking about are beside the point. You know enough. Same with being mean. So the question becomes what to do about it. (Also not much of a riddle.) Even when being part of a couple involves kids or other legal entanglements (which I’m guessing are years away in your case), the point of a close relationship is still, baseline, how you feel with that person. If you don’t feel good, supported, wanted or loved, then it’s time to consider whether staying with your girlfriend is healthy for you. Regardless of “friends” vs. “like.” This is not automatically true, by the way, about admitting crushes. Even great loves aren’t crushproof, and plenty of happy couples tell each other when they have them. It’s when you feel alone while you’re together; that’s the warning you heed. BY CAROLYN HAX Washington Post Feeling done with people ‘relentlessly voicing opinions’

CHELSEA LEHNEA VERY GREAT 8 VERO OPERA ‘RISING STARS’ SOAR EVER HIGHER

ARTS & THEATRE 50 Vero Beach 32963 / April 6, 2023 Your Vero Beach Newsweekly ™ Eight extraordinarily talented young singers, who are already making their voices heard in the lofty world of international opera, brought the audience to its feet at the thrilling conclusion of the Vero Beach Opera Rising Stars 2023 Finals Concert at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center. Before the winners were announced, BY SAMANTHA ROHLFING BAITA STAFF WRITER Very Great 8: Vero Opera ‘Rising Stars’ soar ever higher Left to Right: Matthew Cairns, pianist Anna Fateeva with Shaina Martinez and Le Bu. PHOTOS BY JOSHUA KODIS