T H U R S D A Y J A N U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 2 V O L . 1 , I S S U E 4 0

Councilman Dick Winger analyzes electric deal Page 3

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BY IAN LOVEVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

VERO BEACH -- As the new-est member of the Vero Beach City Council, Dick Winger has been hard at work learning about the Sun-shine Law and the ins and outs of conducting the people’s business in the sometimes politically-charged council chamber.

It is a new way of conducting busi-ness for the 73-year-old consultant who has a track record according to his resume of turning around failing or inefficient multi-million dollar operations into profitable compa-nies. In this case, he is not necessar-

ily squeezing every last dollar out of a deal, but making sure that the will of the voters has been implemented.

“I don’t think there was a mandate for me, I received just a hair over 50 percent of the votes,” Winger said. “I don’t think a 50 percent voter ap-proval rating is much of a mandate. What I ran on was keeping Vero, Vero. Keeping our lifestyle and the level of services we have. Ze other thing was contributing to the best fi-nancial decisions we can make.”

What he heard on the campaign trail ahead of last November’s elec-tion was the people thought their city-run electric rates were too high

and they wanted the cheaper rates afforded by Florida Power and Light.

“I went to approximately 1,000 doors around town,” he said. “Ze vast majority of the people in the City of Vero Beach wanted us to sell the electric utility. I put more store in having talked to the people of the city. Zere were roughly about 20 percent that didn’t want to sell for one reason or another.”

He understands his marching or-ders, sell the utility to the most likely buyer and that is FPL. However, he also wants to make the best deal for the city to keep his platform plank

Dick Winger: Mandate is to sell to FPLHe says voters made that clear, what is less clear is how to make that happen

DICK WINGER

of keeping Vero, Vero with its small-town feel and world-class off erings.

“I will tell you that anyone sit-ting on the City Council is expected to move forward with a sale of the electric utility as long as it is a viable proposition for the citizens,” Winger said. “I am concerned right now that I don’t know if it is viable. It is not that I necessarily think that is isn’t, I just don’t know.”

It is from that vantage point that the fi rst-term councilman has been judged by some to be against making a deal with FPL or at least standing in the way of progress. Winger has been studying in detail the sale of Vero Electric since being appointed to the Finance Commission by now Mayor Pilar Turner.

He has likened the sale of the pow-er plant to three legs on a stool, all of which must hold up if the sale is to make sense as a “viable proposition.”

One leg is the sale price. FPL has laid out a plan where it would pay $100 million for the assets, $17 mil-lion to cover unfunded pension li-abilities and other improvements to

the transmission system for a total the company estimates would cost around $130 million.

ae second leg consists of all the existing contracts the city must get out of with agencies such as the Or-lando Utility Commission and the Florida Municipal Power Agency. aose contracts are complex on a number of levels and there are some estimates that it could take two years to complete.

ae third leg involves beginning to consider decreases in the cur-rent $20 million General Fund that a sale would create. Right now the city transfers approximately $5.4 million into the General Fund from electric utility revenues to, among other things, keep the city’s property taxes among the lowest in the state. Winger is anxious to begin council discussions about where the city might cut back on resources should it lose about one-fi fth of the money going into the General Fund.

Winger has done his own analysis on the sale price and thinks FPL’s in-itial statements about what it would pay the city (they have not offi cially made a bid to Vero Beach) is about $25 million below his calculations. ae city’s own consultant, GAI, has placed a value of $184.9 million, so Winger’s estimate comes in some-

where about the middle.“Everything I have looked at says

we should get closer to $150 mil-lion,” he said. “Florida Power and Light wants to make the best deal they can and I don’t blame them. But I think they are in the range of $25 million low. Florida Power and Light has never documented their fi gure from what I have seen. a ey have never showed us the calculation.”

Winger’s calculations involve figuring opportunity costs and a host of other details that are open for argument as to their accuracy. Whether he is right or wrong in his assumptions would involve the two sides sitting down and doing some hard bargaining. He is among the only council members to state pub-licly that the $130 million fi gure put forth by FPL is low.

“I don’t think anyone expects to get $184.9 million,” he said. “And let me say I don’t blame them for off er-ing less than the utility is worth. But it is incumbent upon Vero Beach to get the best price and at this point I am concerned that it will. If Vero Beach is to remain fi nancially vi-able as an independent municipality, it will need leaders who take credit for more than turning the electric system over to a larger public utility that can operate it more effi ciently.”

As for the second piece of the ne-gotiations -- getting the city out of its existing contracts -- it has been documented how complex and dif-ficult those discussions will be. a eCity’s transactional attorney, Rich-ard Miller of Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP of West Palm Beach, has estimated it could take up to two years to complete those discussions.

Just the same, the council is push-ing the city to reach an agreement with FPL that would then be fi lled with contingencies so either side could get out of the deal should the cost of settling prove too onerous for either side. While those “big” ques-tions remain unanswered, the two sides are doing some of the neces-sary work that will also be part of any deal.

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STAFF PHOTO

Dick Winger noted at the time of his election that the people wanted to sell Vero electric to FPL.

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“[ey are focusing on the details of the sale, like what the terms of the lease of the land are going to be, whether or not there will be a service office in Vero Beach, what is covered under the unfunded pension, what employees they are going to take. [ere are many issues in there that have to be dealt with,” Winger said.

Just the same, until those costs have been worked out, Winger is not in favor of a contract full of contin-gencies.

“I see no value in a contingent contract,” he said. “[e argument will be made that it moves the pro-cess along, but I don’t know if it re-ally does if you don’t know what you owe. What you get to is I don’t see how FPL and Vero Beach get to any useful place without knowing the

consequences of the second leg of the stool.”

[e final piece of the puzzle does not involve attorneys and complex contract negotiations. It does in-volve, however, the City Council beginning to take a hard look at the budget minus the electric fund transfer. To Winger’s way of think-ing, property taxes have been kept low because of the yearly transfer and there is likely to be an increase in property taxes at least to partially offset the loss.

“There is a practical limit to the viability of a town and how high the city taxes are,” he noted. “I have dif-ficulty if we were to try to cover the $5 million shortfall by doubling the ad valorem taxes from 2.04 to 4.08. This town is not going to accept a number with a 3 or a 4 in front of it.”

The fix clearly cannot come com-pletely from raising taxes, but what cuts will the council be willing to make to balance the budget?

“I think from looking at the city organizational chart we have too many levels of management and way too many sub-departments,” Winger said. “From talking to peo-ple, they expect some reduction in the size of the city, but they don’t want things that are going to hurt. For instance, they want lifeguards, they want Leisure Square, they want police patrols. I think there is a fair amount that can be done over the next few years that can make the city efficient and cost less to run.

“I also think that when you get to the revenue side there are some things that can be done. For in-stance, there are revenue produc-ers we can look into, taking pro-grams we have and looking for donor help. Revenue is not limited to just raising taxes, there are oth-er ways that revenue can be gener-ated,” he said.

Winger is keen to begin discus-sions on this as he ran on retaining the quality of life that makes Vero Beach a special place to him.

“We haven’t gone for sprawl, we haven’t gone for maximum density,

we continue to do everything possi-ble to make this a special place,” he said. “We have a tree beautification commission, we re-paint signs, we are concerned about the quality of life, not just for Vero Beach but for Indian River County.”

The Council voted at its Jan. 3 meeting to gather in early March to begin to discuss some of these budget issues.

As the newest member on the council, one of the frustrations Winger has had to deal with are the limitations the Sunshine Law brings to these complex negotia-tions. The only time he can discuss these issues with council members to bounce off ideas and reach a con-sensus is during scheduled public meetings.

“The Sunshine Law is a real nega-tive in trying to negotiate the sale of a $100 million-plus asset,” he said. “But it does serve the people well in day-to-day issues.”

He also knows for all the com-plexities and possible land mines in the way of the deal, if the two sides want to reach an accord, it can be done.

“I have been involved in 12 turna-rounds,” he said. “What we are do-ing now is what I have been doing all my life, but without the Sunshine Law. They don’t always turn out like you think they will, but sometimes they turn out better.”

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BY LISA RYMERVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

If fourth quarter sales on the island are any indication of what the new year has in store, we may be well on our way to economic recovery.

From real estate to restaurants, ho-tels to jewelry stores, many business-es are seeing increases in revenue of up to 30 percent over last year.

“We’re going gangbusters,” said Al Benkert, owner of Vero Beach-side Sales-Rentals, who noted things started picking up in real estate home sales and rentals late November.

“gis will probably be our best year,” said Benkert, who opened his busi-ness in 2004. Last December (2010), he sent out 2,000 postcards declaring real estate had hit rock bottom.

“People realize this is an oppor-tunity to live on the island,” he said, attributing the increase in sales to northerners fed up with the severe cold of the past few winters. “Prices are down… but they’re going up.”

Condo sales, he said, are still weak.

Benkert, who is also vice-president of the Oceanside Business Associa-tion, indicated that the retailers he regularly speaks to say business is definitely better than last year.

“Sales are significantly up over last year,” said Monica Smiley, sales and marketing director for Costa d’Este Resort Beach Resort, who anticipates a strong first quarter showing as well.

ge hotel had a 90 percent oc-cupancy rate for the week between Christmas and New Year, and was sold out for the year end festivities.

“We’re pacing ahead of forecasts in both group and leisure segments,” said Smiley, explaining that the ho-tel gives incentives of 25 percent off room rates for booking reservations early.

Beachfront properties customarily have a shorter lead time, said Smiley, who draws on a market of people liv-ing within a three-hour-drive of the hotel.

“People aren’t really planning vaca-

tions. gey’re saying, ‘I have to get away.’”

ge matrimonial business at the hotel is also pacing ahead of last year, with weddings now booked on week-days as well as weekends.

Changes at the hotel’s restaurant, ge Wave Kitchen and Bar, are also attracting local business, including the introduction of a new chef, Mike Amaral.

Beginning January 8, the restau-rant will feature a Sunday brunch every week for $24.95 per person and an early bird supper menu Sunday through gursday, with a prix fixe of $21.95 for a three-course meal with loads of choices.

“We think this will help reintroduce past guests to the restaurant,” said Smiley.

Awet Sium, general manager of the Vero Beach Hotel and Spa, is equally optimistic about first quarter sales in 2012. “We will do more this January than we have the last two Januaries combined,” he said.

Coming out of one of the biggest

weeks of the year, the hotel had one of its best fourth quarters since open-ing in 2007.

“ge economy is changing, it’s get-ting slightly better,” said Sium, who offers incentives such as bottles of champagne, prize giveaways and VIP accommodations to guests.

“More people are travelling,” said Sium, who forecasts “a phenome-nal year from what we already have booked.”

And while wedding reservations are actually down at the hotel over last year, Sium said that they’re book-ing higher quality weddings that come with a bigger price tag.

For instance, one recent wedding featured the bride and groom riding a horse from the beach to the hotel’s shoreline patio.

At the south end of the beach, M.T.’s Chophouse experienced a less dras-tic increase in sales, but an increase nonetheless.

Winner of the 2011 Florida Trend magazine’s Golden Spoon Award for best restaurant, the steakhouse end-

ed the year up about 5 percent over 2010.

Owner Mark Terheggen, a restau-rant consultant and menu designer, said he was very hopeful after stellar sales this summer, which he attribut-ed to occupancy rates at area hotels.

But sales were uncharacteristically sluggish in September and October, before picking up in November.

“We had a great December,” said Terheggen, who will celebrate M.T.’sthird anniversary next month.

To help augment business, Ter-heggen hosts a martini night on gursdays featuring $5 martinis. On Friday evenings, he offers $5 appetiz-ers, cocktails and desserts at the bar.

He also sells gift cards at the restau-rant and through an online company, offering a free $50 gift card for every $100 spent.

“gis is a hard business,” said Ter-heggen, who regularly frequents oth-er island restaurants in support of his industry. “ge more restaurants, the more choices,” he said.

Veteran restaurateur, Kitty Wagner, made a bold statement about the lo-cal economy when she opened the Blue Star Wine Bar on Bougainvillea Lane this December.

Featuring a wide selection of small vintner wines, artisian beers and nightly music, Wagner offers her unique twist on traditional favorites.

Soy glazed salmon bites and lamb meatballs with a raisin reduction sauce – just some of the jewels she whips up with her usual flair for the unexpected.

And when it comes to jewelry, cli-ents of John Michael Matthews Fine Jewelry overwhelmingly chose dia-monds this year.

“Our customers seemed a little more upbeat,” said Matthews, who had quite a few sales of large-sized diamonds that made this December better than the previous two years.

With sales up 25 percent for the year, it’s no wonder that he and other businesses are still jolly after the holi-days.

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STAFF PHOTOKitty Wagner opened the Blue Star Wine Bar on Bougainvillea Lane this past December.

LOCAL NEWS

Beachside businesses say they are booming

FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

VERO BEACH — City Manager Jim O’Connor pulled a proposal this week that would have charged a new water and sewer fee on va-cant properties after hearing loud and clear opposition from resi-dents and developers who would have been footing the bill.

The readiness-to-serve charge would have been imposed on va-cant properties where city water and/or sewer lines are in place, but are not being used or even hooked up to by the property owner. Nearly 1,000 properties would have been impacted by the monthly fee of $9.77 for water and $15.83 for sewer service, or $25.60 combined.

Under the proposal the city would have raised an additional $250,000.

The fee was one of the sugges-tions in an optimization report done for the city by GAI Consult-ants, of Orlando. Part of that re-port also talked about possible reductions in staff through oper-ating efficiencies.

O’Connor said the city is looking at those aspects of the report, in-cluding contracting out lab work within the next few months and reducing staff by about six posi-tions. He noted he would work on creating efficiencies in the system before considering again the read-iness-to-serve fee.

Developments would have felt the most impact from the pro-posed fee. Palm Island Plantation, LLC, would have had to pay nearly $12,000 annually under the pro-posal.

Attorney Eugene O’Neill said the developers played by the rules 10 years ago when coming into the city and now city officials were

looking at changing the rules by imposing the fee.

One of the reasons city officials had given for proposing the read-iness-to-serve charge was that the lines and other infrastructure run-ning through the vacant proper-ties still had to be maintained and that cost was currently being ab-sorbed by other rate payers. Some of the vacant property owners, however, disputed that any main-tenance was being done on the lines that may be running through their properties.

In other matters, the city vot-ed against a request put on the agenda by Mayor Pilar Turner to provide up to $2,000 to the Indian River County Chamber of Com-merce to support its efforts to at-tract new businesses to the area.

Council members Craig Fletch-er, Jay Kramer and Dick Winger voted against providing the funds, while Council members Turner and Tracy Carroll were in favor.

The Indian River County Board of Commissioners voted in No-vember to provide $1 for every $3 raised by the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Leadership Alliance, up to a maximum contribution of $25,000.

Chamber of Commerce board members Jay Hart of Wells Fargo and Tony Donadio of Donadio & Associates are serving as co-chairman of the campaign. They hope to raise $100,000 by the end of March, to increase the to-tal combined public/private eco-nomic development budget for the chamber to $200,000.

Aside from Vero Beach the group was expected to seek a contribu-tion from the city of Sebastian as well.

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BY MILT THOMASVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Knowing that prior to 1911, Vero Beach was nothing but an endless swamp, it might be diffi cult to imagine that within 18 years, it would become a small, thriving community in need of an airport. We do know that certain early residents enjoyed fl ying, among them E.E Carter, whose father drained the endless swamp. According to his son, Marvin Carter, “Dad used to love barnstorming. He also had a glider that he launched with his Model T Ford.”

In 1928, he was named chairman of a committee to explore the possibil-ity of an airport. His committee rec-ommended a 100-acre site just north of the newly created McAnsh Park subdivision, which itself was noth-ing more than a tangled web of paved roads and property stakes.

Unfortunately, the City of Vero Beach could not aff ord the $5,000 cost to clear and grade the land, so it of-fered tax warrants for sale. ̂ at raised about half the cost and then Burton A. Becker, a winter resident from San-dusky, Ohio, purchased the rest.

So, construction of the new airport began in 1929, hindered only by the hand-to-mouth availability of funds. ^at problem was solved by another winter visitor, James D. Tew, who was president of the B.F. Goodrich Compa-ny. He traveled regularly in his private Lockheed Vega airplane called “Miss Silvertown,” and wanted an airport close to his winter home in Riomar. So he contributed to the airport fund and in return, when work was completed on March 3, 1930, the city named it the Vero Beach-Silvertown Airport.

In the early 1930s, Eastern Air Transport Company, forerunner of Eastern Air Lines, off ered passenger service between Jacksonville and Mi-ami with a refueling stop in Cocoa. V.L. Holman, who knew Eastern’s most famous executive, Eddie Rick-enbacker, talked him into refueling in Vero Beach instead. A small passen-ger depot was constructed so passen-gers could deplane during refueling and Holman arranged for attractive young ladies to hand out free orange juice. By 1932, Eastern made Vero

Airport has played important role in story of Vero Beach

ARCHIVE PHOTOS

Eastern Airlines started using Vero Beach as a refueling stop on its run from Jacksonville to Miami in the 1930s. This picture of the airport is from January 1941.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

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11LOCAL NEWS

Beach a regular stop on its route. Of-ficials at the time claimed that Vero Beach was the smallest airport in the country with passenger service.

Could air mail service be far be-hind? Only if the minimum pound-age required for each fl ight could be met. So, the Chamber of Commerce prepared a mailing list from cities on Eastern’s national route and ad-dressed air mail envelopes contain-ing advertising materials to people selected at random in those cities.

]en, Vero Beach presumably be-came the smallest airport in the country to off er air mail service.

]e next major development ac-tually had its origins in 1929, when during an exhibition, General Henry “Hap” Arnold, head of the U.S. Army Air Corps visited town. He is gener-ally credited with building the most powerful Air Force in the world, but back then, he was only looking for an airfi eld to train pilots.

By 1942, he was successful in per-suading Washington to build an air training base in Vero Beach, but they

gave it to the Navy instead of the Army. ]e small airport was then con-verted into a major training base that at one point housed 3,900 Navy per-sonnel and 250 planes on 2,000 acres.

Local folks remember the constant buzzing of aircraft in the skies over Vero. As Marvin Carter recalls, “We saw crashes all the time when planes went out of control. If they lost a plane at night they would drop fl ares suspended under parachutes. It was during the rationing days and those parachutes were made of silk. If one landed near us, my mother would

sew silk pajamas, underwear and all kinds of things from that material.”

After the war, the large base with more than 100 buildings was trans-ferred back to the City of Vero Beach. In an effort to recruit businesses to the facility, Bud Holman and others managed to talk baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers into converting the military barracks into a spring training camp. It is diffi cult to imagine today’s multi-millionaire baseball egos fi tting into those Spartan barracks, but back then, it was the perfect spot and the Dodg-

The unpaved Vero Beach Airport runways in December 1935.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

AIRPORTFROM PAGE 10

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ers began spring training in 1948. Other businesses attracted to the

vacant buildings at the airport includ-ed the Greene School of Dance. Hari-ot Greene recalled her experiences in her biography. “City Attorney Charles Mitchell wanted his daughter to have dance instruction, so he arranged for me to lease a little space in one build-

ing for a dance studio. I operated at that location for several years.”

In another book about long-time Vero Beach veterinarian, Aris Lindsey, he tells of an unusual business oper-ating out of a building at the airport. “It was Paramount Aquarium, a tropi-cal fish company that flew its stock in from South America on weekends and then sold it all over the U.S.

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Piper moved its operations to Vero Beach in 1957. This is the original building where production of the Piper Cherokee @rst began.

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13FEATURE

Yet another well known Vero Beach company, Blue Crystal, (originally Vero Beach Ice Company), was located in town near the old diesel power plant, but sold bottled water drawn from a well out by the Vero Beach airport.

Nine years after the Dodgers came, another winter resident, William T. Piper, decided to move his research and development center to Vero Beach. Sat led to construction of a Piper Aircraft manufacturing plant to build his popular Cherokee model and the rest is, as they say, history.

Eastern Air Lines discontinued pas-senger service in 1973 with a variety of small regional airlines stepping in to try and fill the void, but there wasn’t enough of a void to fill, so for now Vero Beach has no regularly scheduled air-line service. However, with more than 160,000 operations a year of private and training flights, it is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country.

Hard to believe all this started with draining a swamp.

AIRPORTFROM PAGE 12

Eastern Airlines discontinued passenger service into Vero Beach in 1973. In the background the old terminal Frst used for the passenger Eights.

Note the sleek Vero Beach terminal circa 1971. The four businessmen in this publicity shot are getting ready to board a brand new Piper Cherokee.

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LETTERS WELCOMEVero Beach Newsweekly invites you to send Letters to the Editor on topics of interest pertaining to Indian River Coun-ty. Letters should be 250-300 words and may be edited for length. We encourage an open dialogue, but reserve the right to refuse publication of letters that do not meet our editorial standards.

E-mails may be sent to verobeach-newsweekly@gmail.com or by regular mail to Letter to the Editor, Vero Beach Newsweekly, 1801 U.S. 1, Vero Beach, FL 32960.

Community Forum

City Council right to question readiness-to-serve chargeEDITORIAL

Vero Beach Newsweekly is distributed throughout Vero Beach and the barrier island.

Visit us on the web at www.VeroBeachNewsweekly.com

Mail may be sent to Vero Beach Newsweekly,

1801 U.S. Hwy. 1, Vero Beach, FL, 32960

To advertise call Martine Fecteau at 772-696-2004 (martine.vbnewsweekly@gmail.com) or Mark Schumann at 772-696-5233 (Mark.Schumann@scripps.com)

Mark Schumann, Publisher 978-2246 Mark.Schumann@scripps.com

Ian Love, Managing Editor978-2251 ian.love@scripps.com

Mike Bielecki, Sports Editor321-6105 mbwordsmith@gmail.com

Christina Tascon, Writer/Photographer978-2238 verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

Carrie ScentGraphic DesignerMarsha DamerowGraphic DesignerLisa RymerContributorMilt ThomasContributor

Scott AlexanderContributorMichael BirnholzContributorBarbara YoreshContributorMartine FecteauAccount Executive

To contact one of our contributing writers please call 772-978-2251

or send an email to verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

“Doing well by doing good.”

Wey say that nothing dies harder than a bad idea. While it is easy enough to fi nd examples of ill-conceived plans mindlessly followed to disastrous conclusions, the members of the Vero Beach City Council this week demonstrated that their minds are not crystalized.

Democracy was in action as more than a doz-en members of the public addressed the council, speaking in opposition to a proposed readiness-to-serve charge that would have raised nearly $250,000 for the city’s water and sewer system.

What had initially been presented a month ago as a standard fee similar to one charged by the county was shown to be quite diff erent. Specifi cally, the county only assesses such a fee on properties for which utility capacity has been reserved.

In contrast, the city’s proposed fee would have been assessed on nearly every vacant lot, regard-less of whether they have been slated for devel-opment. W is new fee would have unfairly and disproportionately impacted individuals and companies that invested in vacant land with no way of knowing that such a “tax” would someday be imposed.

Make no mistake about it; with a sale of the elec-tric system on the horizon, the city faces the urgent task of optimizing effi ciencies. Almost surely the city will also have to raise taxes and perhaps even some user fees. Any move to raise revenue needs to be fair and reasonable. W e proposed readiness-to-serve fee simply did not meet that test.

Next week, the recently reconstituted Utility Commission will hold its second meeting. Hope-

fully the commission’s newest members -- all of them intelligent and successful in their own pro-fessions -- will demonstrate open-mindedness and independent thinking.

As the city works its way through crucial nego-

tiations with Florida Power and Light, the Florida Municipal Power Agency and the Orlando Utility Commission, this is no time for citizen’s advisory commissions to simply be parroting the thinking of the council members who appointed them.

BY MILT THOMASVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Did you know that I am a psychic? I never realized it until recently when I read a book entitled, “How to Be-come a Psychic.” I think it was one of those vanity publications since the publisher was listed as the author’s cat.

From this book I learned that the most important quality a psychic can possess is not the ability to predict the future, but the ability to predict the obvious. For instance, if I say “2012 will bring you new challenges,” it is probably a safe bet that you will face new challenges. _ e challenge could be losing your job in a tough economy, but it could also mean your computer hard drive will crash. In ei-ther case, you will credit the author of that book for telling you in advance.

If you have ever visited a psychic, which I did once, he or she will ask you a number of questions before making a “prediction.” In this book on how to become a psychic, it ex-plains that unless a friend or relative gives you information ahead of time

about the person being psyched, you must ask a variety of your own ques-tions to hit upon something of rel-evance. _ ey must be generic in na-ture, such as “I see someone in your

life whose name be-gins with M.”

Now here’s a psychic demonstra-tion you can try on your unsuspect-ing friends, especially kids under ten. First, take a banana and hide it in your pocket or jacket, someplace accessible but out of sight. _ en ask the person to be psyched, “Name two fruits you like to eat.” If they say “banana and apple,’ then say “choose one of those.” If they say banana, you produce the hidden banana. If they say apple, then say, “that leaves…” and produce the banana. If you ask for two fruits and they say “pineapple and grapefruit,” then simply ask them to select two more until they choose the banana. _ ey will be convinced

you are a psychic.Applying this illustration to “pro-

fessional” psychics, the point is that if a psychic asks enough questions, he or she will hit on something rel-evant and make a statement about it. _e most amazing result of this tech-nique is that you will forget the many irrelevant questions and statements, but remember the few accurate ones. It’s human nature, like when your kids remember you promised to take them to see “_ e Muppets,” but for-get the qualifier “…if you clean your room.”

So, why am I bringing this subject up? Well, it’s the time of year when psychics and other prognosticators give their opinions on what will hap-pen in the coming year. So based on the revelations passed on to me by Amelia Earhart (not the long missing aviator, but the above-mentioned au-thor’s cat), I will make the following predictions for 2012:

1. FPL will purchase Vero Beach Electric and result in a 40 percent drop in rates for all customers, both in the city and the county.

2. Real estate taxes will increase 40 percent, but only for residents of the city of Vero Beach.

3. Mitt Romney will ask Rick Scott to become his vice presidential run-ning mate as a way to ensure a land-slide victory for him in the state of Florida.

4. _e Sultan of Brunei will close Piper Aircraft’s Vero Beach location and as a gesture of friendship will purchase majority ownership of FPL.

5. Tim Tebow will be cut by the Denver Broncos after throwing too many Hail Mary passes.

6. Fellsmere will host the fi rst ever Elephant Leg Festival.

Of course, not all these predictions will come true, but if only one occurs, I will always be remembered as the psychic who predicted it.

Milt E omas is a Vero Beach resi-dent and an experienced freelance writer/author with a 20-year back-ground in the music industry. He currently writes biographies, blogs, lectures, travels extensively and is an active member of the National Press Club.

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15COMMUNIT Y FORUM

Obvious and not so obvious predictions for 2012

MILT THOMAS

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To learn more, call Martine Fecteau at 772-696-2004 or Mark Schumann at 772-696-5233.The Vero Beach Newsweekly gives you the barrier island and more.

Advertise your business in Vero Beach Newsweekly to reach every home on the barrier island, plus communities such as Vero Isles, River Wind, Oak Harbor, Grand

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In land they trust

Indian River Land Trust sets about keeping

the Indian River Lagoon green Page 7

Inside

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Glaring gulf between the ‘Haves’ and ‘Have Nots’I really love living here on the Treas-

ure Coast. In so many ways, this is an absolutely lovely and idyllic com-munity. Vero Beach is a charming old Florida town, nestled in an absolutely stunning natural environment. e eChamber of Commerce has an easy job marketing Vero Beach as a great place to live, work, and play.

But being a part of this community is also to be aware of some jarring and painful social realities in our midst. First among these disquieting realities in our community is the huge and glar-ing gulf that exists here between the “Haves” and the “Have-Nots,” a gulf of profound economic disparity I am forced to witness almost every day as I ride my bike through our community.

One favorite cycling loop of mine has me start out from my beachside condo (on the barrier island near Jaycee Park) and ride north up AIA several miles past some of the most expensive and exclusive gated com-munities in America. When I get to the Disney Resort with its $300-plus a night room rates and its gated 24-hour security, I turn left and cross the 510 Wabasso bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. I then cross busy Route 1at the light and then immediately turn south onto the Old Dixie Highway through the towns of Wabasso and Gifford. On this portion of the jour-ney I ride past the extremely modest (and in many cases ramshackle and

run-down) housing of the very poor of our region.

As I weave my way further south and west through the center of Gif-ford I ride through one of the most poverty-stricken

neighborhoods of our region, perhaps

of all of Florida – where I see leak-ing roofs covered with temporary blue tarps, broken windows covered up with plywood, junked cars in the driveways and clusters of people sit-ting out under the shade of their trees because they cannot aff ord air-condi-tioning.

On an almost daily basis as I ride through our community I am remind-ed here in this place I call home of the incredibly painful and harsh dispari-ties that exist between the rich and the poor -- the comfortable and the struggling.

ee harsh economic divisions that exist here in Vero Beach are sadly re-flective of our entire nation. e e most recent national census (completed in 2010) reveals that -- economically speaking -- America is becoming a nation terribly and radically divided against itself. e e latest data released last year reveals that the income diff er-ential between rich and poor Ameri-

cans is now greater than at any time since they have been keeping such sta-tistics, and is the greatest such dispar-ity among all the Western industrial-ized nations. As one recent report bluntly put it, “Income inequality has been rising since the late 1970’s, and now rests at a level not seen since the Guided Age (1870 to 1900) a period in U.S. history defi ned by the contrast between the excesses of the super-rich and the squalor of the poor.”

Here are the profoundly disturbing numbers concerning wealth distribu-tion in America today according to Je Wall Street Journal:

.1 percent of the population (14,000 families) have 22.2 percent of the wealth

9.9 percent of the population (11.2 million families in the middle) have 73.8 percent of the wealth

While fully 90 percent of the popu-lation (102.5 million families) must make do with just 4 percent of the wealth

Other studies reveal that there are almost 50 million Americans (one-sixth of the population) living below the offi cial Federal poverty line, and another 50 million are what the NewYork Times recently called the near poor. eat means that about 100 mil-lion Americans about one-third of our total population) live in deprived households suff ering a daily scarcity of life’s necessities.

None of us -- no matter how person-ally wealthy or comfortable we are -- can or should deny or ignore the truth that poverty (life-robbing, spirit-crippling poverty), is a social ill that is crippling and poisoning America’s national fu-ture. Ultimately, there can be no safety, no health, no enduring satisfaction, well-being, or prosperity until the na-tional specter of poverty and profound economic inequality are acknowledged and addressed as the dangerous human and social diminishments that they are. How, I ask, can America be economi-cally or socially healthy with such a high percentage of its citizens struggling on a daily basis to make ends meet?

I passionately believe that America’s governmental, business, and cultural leaders – with the support of the rest of us -- must find ways to address the extreme inequalities of wealth that ex-ist in our society, and institute practi-cal, compassionate ways to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to participate in the American dream. As a nation and a people, we can only be successful and prosperous if we realize our indissoluable economic and moral connections to one another.

Rev. Scott W. Alexander is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, and has been a minis-ter, author, and educator for almost 40 years. He is an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast who loves living in Vero Beach.

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PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA TASCON Tate, Pamela, Jaime, and Kent Ellertson at The Moorings

Social | Lifestyle

BY CHRISTINA TASCONVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Whether you spent the evening qui-etly watching the ball drop in Times Square at home with family and friends or hit one of the major parties around town, 2012 came in on a perfect Florida night.

Ve weather was clear and pleasant and the sky was full of just as many bright stars as dazzling fireworks.

And then there were the plethora of glitter-filled parties. We visited a small sampling of events and found everyone to be thrilled to be out on such a pretty night as they sipped champagne and toasted the new year.

Ve Vero Beach Yacht Club has a

new club manager, Jeff Mather, and he and his staff put on an elegant event with the Len Turner and the Ameri-can Express band.   Ve tables were brightly decorated with silver palms and streamers and guests were decked out in anything but boat shoes.  Black ties and evening gowns were de rigueur and everyone looked fabulous.

Ve Peschio’s, who are members and their guests the Hartley’s, always spend New Year’s together.  “We have celebrated together for the last 15 years all over the country, but this year we wanted to be home at the club.” said Judy Peschio.

At Ve Moorings Club, they held two

Parties galore help Vero celebrate start of 2012

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Three generations celebrate at The Moorings, Saf, Donna, Jackson, Leah and Omar Atassi

Stephanie and Jess Frank and Cara and Tia Bruggeman shine at The Moorings

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18 SOCIAL | LIFEST YLE

Costa d’Este patrons Trevor Hardee, Alex Posada, Joe Perkins, Victoria Engleman, Morgan Libbey and Ryan ScarpaLarry & Leticia Wood make a cute New Year’s couple at Costa d’Este

Bobby & The Blister’s saxophonist had the ladies dancing at Costa d’Este

John & Sheryl Bush, Barbara Andrews, Linda McMahan, joe Dineen and James McMahan at Costa d’Este musical revue in Crystal Room

Simon & Marianne Atwill, Diane Smith and John Kronsnoble drinking mojitos poolside at Costa d’Este

Ryan WykoM, Chris Watkins and Ashlee WykoM dine at The Wave at Costa d’Este

consecutive “ball drops.”   _ e earlier 5:30 seating counted down a faux mid-night at 8:30 pm and again at the real midnight so their guests who wanted to be home early could still get the feel of the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Many families came to spend the night together over a lush dinner and cocktail party before heading out to various events.

_e three generations of the Atassi family consider New Year’s Eve at _ eMoorings their family tradition to end the holidays.  “_ is is our grand fi nale for the week we are visiting, we leave tomorrow morning to head back to the cold north.” said Leah Atassi.

Many of the younger set had plans to be with friends after dinner, some at the beachside party spots.

_e two most frequently mentioned future meet-up spots were the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa and Gloria Estefan’s Costa d’Este Beach Resort.

Heaton’s Reef at the Vero Beach Ho-tel off ered music by Curtiss Hill and dancing under the moon as guests en-joyed the upscale atmosphere where

many were also staying the night.  After dinner many strolled out to

the party or sat by the beachside bon-fire, one of the highlights of the Cobalt Room experience.

Terri Barrett crafted tinsel cov-ered hats for her crowd which stood out from all the rest.  “She is a local artist and Terri likes to make a big entrance,” said her friends as they sipped champagne.

Costa d’Este topped the charts for things to do in one location.  

_e Crystal Room had a former Miss USO, Jennifer Patty, wowing the audience in a musical revue paired with dinner and dancing.   _ e Wave Dining Room was fi lled with diners and the cocktail lounge was packed with revelers.  

Ashlee Wycoff was hosting a din-ner party with her friends and fam-ily.   “Costa d’Este is our spot so we thought this was the perfect way to bring in the New Year,” said one of Wycoff’s guests.

Poolside was a super high energy affair which went on until 3 a.m. and was very reminiscent of a glitzy South Beach nightclub.    Neon lights lit up

the night and Times Square was pro-jected onto the side of the pristine white walls of the building to count down with New York.

No matter where you were the night was a successful way to ring in 2012. We wish our readers a prosperous, healthy and happy new year!

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19SOCIAL | LIFEST YLE

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NEW YEARS PARTIESFROM PAGE 18

Past Commodore Howad Brewer & wife Phyllis, Annie Caton & Burton Weisbecker at Vero Beach Yacht Club

Katherine & Frank Hartley and Tom & Judy Peschio at Yacht Club dinner/dance

Ruth Ann Ranson, Penny Abs, Past Commodore Chuck Ranson, Monty and Jane Abs at VB Yacht Club

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20 Community CalendarEvery Friday: Farmer’s Market from

3-6 pm in downtown Vero at the corner of 14th Ave. & 21st St. 772-480-8353.

Every Saturday: Oceanside Business Association’s Farmer’s Market, 8 am-noon. Ocean Dr. & Dahlia Ln. www.VeroBeachOBA.com, 772-532-2455.

First Friday of the Month: Down-town Gallery Art Stroll, art galleries and businesses open house receptions all through downtown. Free event, call 772-562-5525 or 772-299-1234 for info.

Second Saturday of the Month: Oceanside Business Association Free Concert Series. 5:30-8:30 pm, music, vendors, food and drink. Ocean Dr. 772-532-7983.

Dec 15-Apr 30: Sculpting Nature, 30 large scale art pieces in McKee Botanical Gardens, 350 S US1, $5-$9, 772-794-0601, mckeegarden.org.

Jan 5, 6, & 13: Little League Spring Registration at the Courthouse Ex-ecutive Center, 2145 14th Ave, 5:30-8 pm, $90. 772-559-5040.

Jan 6-8: Vero Beach Antique Ex-travaganza, Indian River County Fair-grounds, 7955 58th Ave, Fri noon-5 pm, Sat 9 am-5 pm, Sun 10 am-4 pm. $6-$10. 941-697-6766.

Jan 7: Milonga en Color, Royal Ballroom Dance Studio’s monthly Tango, 1533 US1, $15. 772-299-5772.

Jan 7: Open Auditions for Oliver!, 1:30-3:30 pm at the VBHS Perform-ing Arts Center, 1701 16th St., chil-dren in grades 2 to 8. 772-564-5449.

Jan 8: “American Violet” will be shown at the Emerson Center’s Social Justice Film Series. Unitarian Univer-salist Fellowship, 1590 27th Ave. 7 pm. Free. 772-778-5880.

Jan 8: Art in the Park, Vero Beach Art Club members show and sell their work at Humiston Park Prom-enade, free admittance, 3000 Ocean

Dr., 772-231-0303.Jan 9: AAUW Book Review Break-

fast, “To My Daughter in France” held at the Richardson Center, IRSC Mueller Campus, 6155 College Ln., 9:30 am continental breakfast. 772-532-4712, aauwverobeach.org.

Jan 10: Bird Photography with Ron Bielefield, Island Images, 2036 14th Ave. Suite 101, $15. 772-643-6994, ad-venturephotographyworkshops.com.

Jan 10: Harbor Branch Sunset Boat Cruise to Bird Island, 3:30-5:30 pm, $25, meet at 5600 N US1, Fort Pierce, Johnson Education Center. Reserva-tions required, 772-242-2559.

Jan 11: “Bible Proofs for Catholic Beliefs” a talk series by Father John Pasquini at St. John of the Cross Chap-el, 7550 26th St., free. 772-299-7351.

Jan 11: Beginner Genealogy, IRC Main Library, 1600 21st St., 9:30 am, first in a series, $35, register online.

www.irgs.org.Jan 12: Vero Beach Museum of Art

Annual Antique Show & Sale Pre-view Party, 6-10 pm, $75, 3001 River-side Park Dr., 772-231-0303.

Jan 12: Navy League’s TC Council Dinner, Heritage Center, 2140 14th Ave., social hour, 5:45 pm, followed by dinner & speaker MG John Cle-land, “America’s War on Radical Is-lam.” $28. 772-231-6101.

Jan 12: Transformation Celebra-tion, Gala at me Moorings Club hosted by the IRMC Foundation, 100 Harbor Dr., 6 pm, $1,000 per person, Reservation, 772-226-4952.

Jan 13: McKee’s “Jazz in the Garden” series begins with Davis & Dow, 6-8 pm, regular admission fee schedule, dinner available at café. 772-794-0601.

Jan 13-15: Vero Beach Museum of Art Antique Show & Sale, Fri & Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 10 am-4 pm, $10. 3001

Riverside Park Dr., 772-231-0303.Jan 14: An Evening in Cannes at

Maison Martinique, 6:30-10:30 pm, dinner & dancing to benefit Environ-mental Learning Center, $125-$200 per person. 772-589-5050.

Jan 14: Mel meobald lecture/demo at Darby Fine Art, 1902 14th Ave., 1 pm, Photographic Image De-velopment. 772-480-0491.

Jan 14-21: Quail Valley Charity Cup Week, Quail Valley River & Golf Club, Jan 14 – Kids’ Fun Run, 7 am, $15-$25; Jan 16 – Gourmet Wine & Chef Dinner, 6 pm, $200 per person; Jan 18 – Shopping for Children, Oceanside Shops, 5:30-8:30 pm; Jan 19 – Dupli-cate Bridge, 9 am-2 pm, $65; Jan 19-21 – Tennis Tournament, 8 am, $175 per player; Jan 20-21 – Golf Tournament, 9 am, $300 per golfer; Jan 21 – Grand Gala Cocktail Buffet & Auction, 6-10 pm, 772-492-2020.

Jan 16: Youth Sailing Foundation Open House, Vero Beach City Mari-na, 3599 Rio Vista Blvd., 10 am-2 pm, tours of shop and register for children’s free sailing classes. 772-567-9000.

Jan 19: Treasure Coast Rock & Gem Society exhibition by Gary Dulac, hand-crafted fine jewelry, Vero Beach Mu-seum of Art, 3001 Riverside Park Dr., 7 pm, $5-$25, 772-231-0005 to register.

Jan 19:  Tour of Adams Ranch to benefit Harbor Branch Oceano-graphic Institute, over 65,000 acres of cattle range land, BBQ lunch, $25-$30, 9:45 am-3 pm. Reservations re-quired 772-242-2559.

Jan 19 & 26: King of the Hill Ten-nis Tournament, $5 admittance, me Boulevard Village & Tennis Club, 1620 Boulevard Ln., to benefit Youth Guid-ance. 772-770-5040, ircyouth.com.

PHOTO BY BILLY OCKER

View from the top of the Barber Bridge.

To submit your calendar listing please email: verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

THURSDAY, JAN. 5 FRIDAY, JAN. 6 SATURDAY, JAN. 7 SUNDAY, JAN. 8 MONDAY, JAN. 9 TUESDAY, JAN. 10 WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11

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Arts | Entertainment

PRODUCING BIG CITY THEATRE FOR A GREAT SMALL TOWN!

Allen D. CornellProducing Artistic Director

“Extremely

Entertaining!”–

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BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT RiversideTheatre.com OR CALL 772.231.69903250 RIVERSIDE PARK DRIVE, VERO BEACH

BY BARBARA YORESHVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Unemployment, sexual orienta-tion, parental rights, depression, self-worth, working-class angst and mari-tal difficulties. _ese problems which beset today’s society form the core of an endearing musical which opens Jan. 12 on the Stark Stage of Riverside _eatre.

Last week, two members of the cast of 5e Full Monty shared their thoughts on this near-to-life musical comedy with the Vero Beach News-weekly.

5e Full Monty, based on a 1997 British hit film comedy, has been adapted to an American setting in Buffalo, N.Y. where steel mills are closing, leaving once-proud workers unemployed, scared and lacking in self-esteem. _e book for the show was written by renowned playwright Terrance McNally and features music and lyrics by award-winning David Yazbek.

With families to feed and no pros-pects for jobs, two out-of-work best friends along with their unemployed steel worker peers, hatch an idea to regain a paycheck and their mascu-line self-worth after espying their wives’ enthusiasm while attending a male strip show.

_ough the men are not possessed of the eye-popping physiques of the professional Chippendale male strip-pers, they nonetheless embark on a plan which unites them in purpose and support and leads to individual as well as collective triumph.

So if one is hardly an “Adonis,” then how would a group of out-of-shape men entice an audience to come watch them strip? _e answer, they decide, is to go one better than the Chippendale dancers and take it all off.

But will they actually do “_e Full Monty.”

What is ultimately revealed is far more than a climactic moment of titillation; what we see in all its full-frontal realism is life.

Stage and screen veterans Tim Ew-ing (playing former steel mill foreman Harold Nichols who hasn’t told his upwardly mobile wife Vicki that he’s jobless) and Jerome Harmann, in his Riverside _eatre debut as “Horse,” a lonely and unemployed mill worker and dance maven who finds a family of sorts among the rag-tag collection of men, agree that the show’s primary thrust isn’t pelvic.

“_e word that pops into my head is ‘validation.’ And I think everyone is looking for it. _e show is about what happens to men who have lost their jobs that won’t be coming back. And when that bubble burst, people were living in fantasy land yet there had been such a sense of pride and responsibility that they had,” Ewing said.

_e reality of having to adapt to a world in which all that was known and familiar is gone is monumental, Harmann said.

“Can we maintain that (previous) standard of living? Nowadays, eve-ryone has to retrain and refocus,” he said.

Although Ewing and Harmann are portraying unemployed men, the show’s actual pertinence in today’s foundering economy is all too real and perhaps even more relevant than when 5e Full Monty was originally released as a film in 1997.

Ewing described the angst of his character who is married to a materi-alistic woman.

“I addition to everything, I lose a sense of trust because I’ve lost my job and don’t have the nerve to tell her. I get dressed every day as though I’m going to work. And what happens is a man doesn’t feel like a man and then

‘Full Monty’ opens at Riverside Theatre Jan. 12

PHOTOS SUPPLIEDStanding from left to right: Jerome Harmann, Jim Newman, Joe Coots, Tim Ewing. Front row: Brian Golub and Anthony Festa.

the bedroom suffers,” Ewing said.be entire dynamic of the men’s

employment situation weighs heavily on their respective lives and each at-

tempt to cope in different ways which invariably become counterproduc-tive.

“Jerry just gives up and turns to crime,” Harmann said. “Horse is filled with dismay, failure and a sense of confusion as well as a tremendous

amount of anger and we direct it at each other as well as internalize it.”

Amid the swirl of feelings and frus-trations, the men nonetheless begin to form a cohesive, supportive unit.

“But we realize we’ve got to get cre-ative and it’s the guys getting creative to put on a cockamamie show. We’re trying to make $50,000 and will if we sell out the show. What happens in the process is we form this crazy bond,” Ewing said.

bat shared support amid their troubles is a saving grace, both agreed. And the circumstances por-trayed in the show reflect a mirror image of life in present-day America.

“bat’s my ride. Horse has no one and these guys become my family,” Harmann said. “bey are struggling but even the people living above their means are directly tied to the way government had been function-ing.”

Ewing thinks people have lost per-spective because of the bombard-ment of the media’s mixed messages.

“We’ve been wired and hooked up to news feeds. But there’s no differen-tiation between what’s important and what isn’t. We hear about Lindsay Lohan more than about how many are being killed in war on any given day,” he said.

What *e Full Monty is able to do is portray the reality of everyday life.

“bis show is all heart,” Ewing said.

“bis is about the people and the power of theater to bring people to-gether. It’s a big show and everyone’s story gets told.”

Harmann agreed that the fiction of the show itself is nonetheless a reality in the context of life today.

“bis show is so relevant to today and what people are going through – people who can’t find work in some cases for years. We deal with what people go through and the issues are human,” Harmann said.

So do they bare all? In a nano-sec-ond of brilliantly flashed light, they do. By this time, however, they have totally bared their souls and lives more revealingly than any striptease act.

Riverside beatre’s production of *e Full Monty is directed and cho-reographed by Keith Andrews. be design team includes Ken Clifton (music director); Cliff Simon (scenic design); Lisa Zinni (costume design); Richard Winkler (lighting design); Julie Duro (asst. lighting design); Craig Beyrooti (sound design) with Kyle Atkins (stage manager) and Cas-sie Apthorpe (asst. stage manager).

*e Full Monty performs Jan. 12 – Feb. 3 on the stark Stage at Riverside beatre located at 3250 Riverside Park Drive in beachside Vero Beach. For more information, call the box office at (772) 231-6990 or visit on-line at www.riversidetheatre.com.

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THE FULL MONTYFROM PAGE 21

ARTS|ENTERTAINMENT

no longer available,” Huf f ing-ton said.

S h e noted that A m e r i -cans seem to be seeking an idealistic notion ofa leader, however.

“We are l o o k i n g for a lead-er in the

mirror – a romantic notion of a leader on a white charger that will ride in to save us. We need to update that and say what we can do to restore upward mobility because many now are worse off than their parents,” Huffi ngton said.

fe 2012 elections will be impor-tant to help defi ne which direction America and their leaders need to go.

“I feel that this will be an election in which ‘movement’ politics will be im-portant. We need a clear sense of priori-ties and kind of a North Star is needed for a leader because at the moment, there has been the demonization of gov-ernment. Our highest priority should be to rebuild America,” Huffi ngton said.

fe Emerson Center’s 2012 Cel-ebrated Speakers Series will feature presentations by Huffi ngton; column-ist and commentator Mark Shields; astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson; former Congressman Joe Scarbor-ough who hosts MSNBC’s Morning Joe; and celebrated journalist Bob Woodward. Single tickets are avail-able for $65 each and the entire series may be purchased for $275.

For more information or to pur-chase tickets, visit online at www.feEmersnoCenter.org or call the box office at (772) 778-5249.

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Entertainment Calendar

I T ’ S H A P P E N I N G A T T H E

mersonCenter

1590 27th Avenue, Vero Beach(772)778-5249

www.TheEmersonCenter.org

January - April 2012

CelebratedSpeakers Series

ATLANTIC CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA866-310-7521acomusic.orgJan 5: Pianist Lindsay Garritson, Waxlax Center of the Performing Arts, 8 pm, $55

COMMUNITY CONCERT SERIESCommunity Church1901 23rd Street772-778-1070communityconcertseries.orgJan 7: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 7:30 pm, $50Jan 13: The Phantom of the Opera, Tom Trenney, organist with h lm, 7:30 pm, $25

EMERSON CENTERat the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship1590 27th Avenue 772-778-5249TheEmersonCenter.orgJan 14: Arianna Huf ngton, Celebrated Speakers Series, 4 & 7 pm, $65  Jan 26: Cynthia Barnett – “Blue is the New Green” Florida Humanities Series, 7 pm, Free

INDIAN RIVER SYMPHONIC ASSOCIATIONCommunity Church1901 23rd Street772-778-1070irsavero.orgJan 7: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 7:30 pm $50 each, season tickets $260-$290

RIVERSIDE THEATER3250 Riverside Park Drive772-231-6990riversidetheatre.comJan 23: Distinguished Lecture Series, Gen.  Stanley McChrystal, call Box Of ce for more infoChildren’s Theatre:Jan 6, 7 & 8: “My Son Pinocchio,” 7:30 pm, $5-$16Comedy Fun Zone:Jan 6 & 7: Julie Scoggins and Myke Herlihy, 7:30 or 9:30 pm, $15Stark Main Stage:Jan 12-Feb 5: The Full Monty, 2 pm, 7:30 & 8 pm, $57-$73Skyline Room:Jan 17: New York Supper Club with Christine

Ebersol, 6:30 pm, $250, 772-231-5860

SPACE COAST SYMPHONYVarious Locations321-536-8580SpaceCoastSymphony.orgJan 6: New Year’s with the Three Tenors, Trinity Episcopal Church, 2365 Pine Avenue, 3 pm, $20Feb 5: Pines of Rome, Trinity Episcopal Church, 2365 Pine Avenue, 3 pm, $20

SUNRISE THEATRE116 South 2nd Street Fort Pierce772-461-4775sunrisetheatre.comJan 5: The Nylons, 7 pm, $29/$35Jan 8: Ft Pierce Jazz & Blues Society, Tribute to Benny Goodman, 2:30 pm, $25-$50Jan 10: Swan Lake, The State Ballet Theatre of Russia, 7 pm, $39-$55Jan 14: Ruben Studdard, 8 pm, $39/$29Jan 19: ABBA: The Concert, 7 pm, $49/$39Jan 20: Richard Nader’s Doo Wop & Rock ‘n Roll, $75/$38/$45Jan 21: Gordon Lightfoot, 8 pm, $59/$49

TREASURE COAST JAZZ SOCIETY772-234-4600tcjazzsociety.orgJan 7: Bill Allred’s Classic 8 pc Jazz Band, Vero Beach Yacht Club, 3601 Rio Vista Blvd., noon Jan 28: The Ken Peplowski Quartet,

VERO BEACH OPERA verobeachopera.org772-569-6993Box Of ce: 772-564-5537verobeachopera.orgJan 15: The Barber of Seville, 3 pm, Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center, $30-$50Feb 4: Broadway, Operetta and Zarzuela, pm, Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center, $30-$50

VERO BEACH THEATRE GUILD772-562-83002020 San Juan Avenueverobeachtheatreguild.comJan 12-22: Born Yesterday, $20-22, Hilarious play about uneducated mob gal being educated by book-smart tutor

SPONSORED BY

ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT

Arianna Hu? ngton to speak at Emerson Series

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Arianna Huf ngton

BY BARBARA YORESHVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

As a native of the country that gave the world democracy Arianna Huffi n-gton has lived life from both sides of the political spectrum. Her ideology was originally rooted in conservatism that moved to the left into liberalism.

In fact, she and her conservative counterpart Mary Matlin are co-hosts of a weekly syndicated radio show appropriately titled Both Sides Now which looks at political issues from the right and the left of the political aisle.

fe Athens-born Huffi ngton – who in 2003 ran as an independent candi-date for governor of California, is also founder of @e Huffi ngton Post, anonline blog featuring liberally-mind-ed writers, elected offi cials and ce-lebrities. She is the ex-wife of former Republican Congressman Michael Huffi ngton. In February of this year, Huffi ngton sold the Huffington Post to AOL for $315 million while re-maining on editor-in-chief.

On Jan. 14, Huffi ngton will share her views on world aff airs, the American middle class and the 2012 Presidential elections at the Emerson Center’s Cele-brated Speaker Series. Performances are held at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays at the center which is located at the Uni-tarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach at 1590 27th Ave. in Vero Beach.

Recently, Huffi ngton shared some thoughts with the Vero Beach News-weekly via a phone conversation from her AOL offi ces regarding how the average citizen can reclaim the “American Dream.”

“I think the priority has to be re-building the economy and fi ndingjobs for people. We see many, many students graduating from college who can’t get jobs and that creates a sense that upward mobility isn’t possible.

“f ere was an expectation that we’d get out of it (a recession period) much faster but a lot of traditional jobs are

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Men and women enjoying boom in cigar bars

STAFF PHOTOBob Marshbanks has owned the Pipe Den and Cigars for 34 years.

Style

BY LISA RYMERVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

de up side of a down economy is that people tend to gain a new appreciation for life’s small pleasures.

dis may explain the sudden proliferation of ci-gar lounges in Vero Beach -- from wine bars on the island, smoke dens by the river, to a new billiards hall in the Vero Bowl complex.

But, while traditional cigar lounges were set up like man-caves promoting male bonding amidst the noxious gasses, contemporary models are much more female friendly.

“So many ladies are into the flavored cigars now,” says David Rodriguez, owner of Havana Club Cigars in the former Modernage Building on Indian River Boulevard. “On weekends, 40 to 50 percent of my clientele is wom-en. Ten years ago, you would never have seen that.”

Due to the U.S. embargo on products from Cuba, known for producing premium cigars, most cigars sold in America are made from tobacco grown in Nicaragua, Honduras, Brazil and the Dominican Republic, with some of the best cigar wrapping leaves grown in Connecticut.

Rodriguez, who is originally from Cuba where his family grew tobacco, says sales are up 60 percent since his opening in October 2010.

His cigar lounge is decorated with brown leather club chairs, mahogany fixtures and a big screen tel-evision so smokers can relax, watch a sports game, even play a game of chess.

He also offers free wireless internet access, impres-sive Cuban coffee (the machine cost $3,000) and beau-tifully appointed lockers where patrons can store per-sonal belongings, including their own liquor supply.

What appeals to women, however, is the lack of fumes lingering in the air. No stinky hair, no smelly clothes, and no shortness of breath from inhaling second-hand smoke.

“I have a clean air system that cost over $10, 000,” explains Rodriguez, who is as concerned for his cli-ents as he is about his neighbors, a chocolate shop and a hair salon. In addition, he has two smoke eat-ers in the lounge that help keep things fresh.

Florida clean air laws permit smoking inside es-tablishments dedicated to the sale of tobacco prod-ucts and inside those that meet the legal definition of a stand-alone bar.

Stix, a new billiards hall and bar located in the same complex as Vero Bowl and owned by devel-oper Mike Rechter, will accommodate cigar smok-ing after the clean air system is installed this week.

“Cigars are becoming more popular every year,” says James Fiduccia, manager of Stix, who ran a pool hall for 12 years in Miami. He plans to host various events to draw aficionados, who are wel-come to bring their own cigars.

In contrast to Havana Cigar Club, which features about 25 cigar brands and 30 different custom blends specially hand rolled in Miami for Rodrigu-ez, Stix sells only one kind of cigar.

“Mi Lugar Cigar,” which translates as “My Place Cigar,” is grown from premium Cuban tobacco in Nicaragua, the flavor hints of spice and chocolate.

de band around the cigar, which in the old days pre-vented aristocratic men from staining their white gloves when smoking, can be customized for local buyers.

de brainchild of local businessman Paul Tri-paldi, Mi Lugar Cigars are kept in patent-pending humidors which he manufactures locally.

“Cigars are similar to wine,” explains Tripaldi, whose company, Cigarmidor, makes a Plexiglas-like cabinet with a Spanish cedar insert to maintain consistent humidity levels.

Just as the level of humidity impacts the cork of a wine bottle and, consequently, the taste of the wine itself, humidity determines the way a cigar burns and its flavor.

Tripaldi’s humidors come in two sizes, a five foot ki-osk and a countertop model, which is featured at Stix.

Other businesses selling the cigars in Tripaldi’s humi-

dors: Riverside Café, Cork, Pipa Movida and the newly opened Blue Star Wine Bar on Bougainvillea Lane.

“Where does a premium cigar smoker go and not im-pinge on other people?” asks Tripaldi, who also helps businesses create indoor and outdoor smoking experi-ences using air handlers and high velocity exhaust fans.

One of Tripaldi’s kiosks is on display at the Pipe Den and Cigars, the longest standing downtown businesses aside from Vero Furniture Mart.

Bob Marshbanks, the proprietor for 34 years, mentored Tripaldi and helped him get his start. He sells more than 2,000 kinds of cigars, as well as an endless selection of pipes and smoking apparatus.

While Marshbanks does carry smaller-sized ci-gars for women, he caters to a mostly male clien-tele, who stop in his shop between sales calls for a smoke and good conversation. In addition, he has a vibrant mail order business and he supplies area golf course pro-shops with cigars.

Like other cigar lounges in town, including the Cigar Cantina on 43rd Avenue, Marshbanks offers comfortable seating, reading material and a variety of soft drinks and hot beverages.

“A lot of places sell cigars,” says Gary Solis, who opened the Cantina at the height of the real estate boon and has just recently seen a slight uptick in his market. “But, you can get a better grade of cigar at a cigar shop.”

And when it comes to life’s small pleasures, why skimp?

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25DiningCobalt Restaurant: A brilliant blue jewel by the sea

BY MARK JOSEPHOn a recent

crystal clear evening, a deep blue sky and a gentle ocean breeze beckoned us to the water’s edge in search of fresh seafood. We wanted to be as close to the sea as possible, so we chose Cobalt Res-

taurant and Lounge, the signature restaurant of [e Vero Beach Hotel and Spa.

An upscale resort located at 3500 Ocean Drive, the Vero Beach Hotel and Spa offers first-class dining in a beautiful ocean-side setting. [e din-ing room is one of the most elegant in the area. We were promptly and warmly greeted by a very profession-al hostess who led us to a quiet table in the corner.

Cobalt is a favorite of guests staying at the hotel and the restaurant is also well supported by local diners. [e hotel and restaurant are popular for weddings, formal parties and special events and boasts pristine views of the beach. [e restaurant offers in-side and outside seating and includes a large cabana beach bar.

As we took our seats we were struck by the dining room’s dark rich woods, elegant lighting and large windows that overlooked one of the most beau-tiful beaches in the area. Outside on the beach, the hotel’s wrought-iron fire pit was warming patio diners and though we were seated inside, the long flickering flames that were vis-ible from our corner table provided a spectacular backdrop against the crashing ocean waves.

Dressed in the traditional Cobalt blue shirt, our waiter welcomed us and suggested cocktails. After scan-ning an extensive wine list, we made

our choice of two glasses of Cabernet Alexander Valley, moderately priced at $10 per glass. Having enjoyed this wine at other restaurants, this vin-tage did not disappoint us.

Although here for dinner, a familiar breakfast item on the list of appetizers -- “bacon and eggs” -- caught our eye and piqued our interest, as did a beet salad, one of our all-time favorites.

Enjoying our wine, our appetizers arrived along with some of the best bread in the area. [e sliced artisan bread was piping hot and crusty, yet with a soft chewy center.

Our shared bacon and egg appetiz-er was actually a twist on a traditional breakfast favorite. It consisted of a slice of tender and crispy pork belly and a single egg, perfectly poached and still warm. [is delightful dish included a crispy fried chicken skin. We savored every bite.

We also shared the beet salad fea-tured a presentation that included roasted beets that were fresh and crisp, with arugula, goat cheese, blood orange sections and pecans.

We were impressed with our wait-er’s attention to detail as he cleared

the table and announced that the Chef would begin our entrees immediately.

For dinner we both chose fish: I se-lected the sautéed Florida flounder and my dinner companion the yellow fin tuna steak.

[e freshly caught tuna were am-ple, thick slices each with a chilly red center and a warm crust of pepper-corns and spices. [e dish included a large wedge of fennel, lightly cara-melized on the grill with a natural

hint of licorice. [e dish also includ-ed almonds and citrus and then fin-ished in olive puree.

My choice was the Florida flounder which included two generous pieces of fish, lightly breaded and sautéed to a golden brown. [e fish was fresh and delicate and included a nice por-tion of quinoa (pronounced keen’-waa) which had a delicious nutty fla-vor, artichokes served two ways and

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Cuisines of Vero

3500 Ocean DriveVero Beach, FL 32963772.469.1060

NEW YEAR, NEW DAILYDEALS AND EVENTS

Monday Sweet Start: $5 chef’s choice dessertsTuesday Half off all bottles of wine priced $100 or less

Wednesday Wine Down Wednesday: all house wine glass pours $5 all dayThursday Thirsty Thursday: extended Happy Hour drinks until 7:30pmFriday Mr. Motown Curtis Hill playing at 7pm in the Cobalt Lounge

Saturday $6 Bloody Marys during brunchSunday Bottomless Mimosas at brunch for $20

Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Happy Hourand Weekend Brunch

* prices do not include tax or gratuity

3244 Ocean Drive | Vero Beach | 32963HOTEL DIRECT: 772.562-9919 | The WAVE Kitchen & Bar: 772.410.0100 | SPA: 772.410.0100

costadeste.com | Facebook.com/Costadestebeachresort

Sunday Traditions and Weekdays Specials

Simple, Savory & SeasideO]ering a menu directly sourced from local farmers, \sherman and artisanal purveyors.

Weekly 3 course Prex-FixeSunday - Thursday5:30pm - 7:00pm

Only $21.95* per person

Weekly Sunday BrunchStarting January 8th

9:30am - 3:00pmOnly $24.95* per person

Now Open for Dinner

Friendly, clean, excellent food and service.Beer and Wine.

Homemade soups and desserts.Children’s menu available.

Breakfast: Mon.-Sat. 7 am - 11 amLunch: Mon.-Sat. 11 am - 2:30 pmSunday Breakfast: 7:30 am - noon

Dinner: 5 pm - ’til close

3125 OCEAN DRIVE, VERO BEACH | 772.231.0858WWW.LEMONTREEVERO.COM

Lemon Tree – Love it!great breakfast, great lunch, great dinner

For information email Martine Fecteauat martine.vbnewsweekly@gmail.comor call 772-696-2004

Whet their appetites.Advertise in the Vero Beach Newsweekly Dining Guide

parsnips. V e vegetables were as out-standing as the fi sh and this wonder-ful dish could easily be voted as best of Florida seafood.

When presented with the list of desserts and after having been so en-chanted with the bacon and egg ap-petizer, we could not resist the sound of a dessert simply titled: peanut but-ter and jelly. It consisted of a large peanut butter tart hugging the corner of a generous scoop of creamy Con-cord grape ice cream and completed with coulis - a fresh fruit puree. V e

peanut butter and jelly desert was far from simple; it was simply delicious.

My dessert, the raspberry and ap-ple buckle, came recommended by our waiter and was right on target. It consisted of warm apple streusel with sweet, tart raspberries and enhanced with crème Anglaise and the rich raspberry coulis. V is delicious con-coction was topped with ice cream and candied ginger. It was sweet, tart and rich - the perfect combination.

Our evening of dining at this mag-nifi cent ocean side resort was complete and after a very friendly thank you and farewell from the hostess on our way

out, we left realizing why this jewel of Vero Beach is so loved by the locals.

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DINING

COBALTFROM PAGE 25

BY MICHAEL BIELECKIVERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

VERO BEACH -- Modern society is full of specialists and the sports world is certainly no exception. Rare is the “jack of all trades,” because it usually comes with the unfortunate tag of “master of none.” Even rarer is the Renaissance man -- the person who can take on virtually any task or title and completely own it.

St. Helen Catholic School principal Howard Avril has been one of those rare Renaissance men at his school for the last three decades. In addi-tion to his duties as the school’s lead administrator, he’s been the athletic director, boys’ basketball coach, girls’ basketball coach, boys’ fl ag football coach, taught English and written school plays.

Oh, and don’t forget that Avril coached girls’ basketball at John Car-roll High School in Fort Pierce for 22 years, too.

Spreading himself over several aca-demic and coaching positions over the course of 31 years is impressive enough, but the fact he held most of these posts concurrently is simply re-markable. Avril’s fi rst year coaching the Falcons started humbly enough, with him stepping up, fi lling a need and being told he would only be coaching on a temporary basis.

“\ e school sort of needed somebody and it went on longer than anyone ex-pected it to,” Avril said. “\ e principal asked me to do it for a year and they would find somebody else. One thing led into another and I just keep on do-ing it because it is a passion.”

Avril, 61, grew up the son of a New Jersey high school football coach and playing whatever sport was in season. His family later moved to Vero Beach, where he played off ensive tackle on the 1969 football team that went un-defeated in the regular season.

“Sports is part of who and what I

am, but the nice thing is I didn’t get into education to be a coach,” Avril said. “I was an English teacher and coaching was always just something I did for fun.”

To Avril, being the school play-wright is just as pleasurable as coach-ing -- if not akin to it. He remembers who played various roles in his play just as he remembers who played point guard or power forward on his league championship teams. Some of his former students have even come back to teach, and, in turn, put their own children through his programs.

“I think the thing that I admire most about Coach Avril -- and this is the No. 1 quality you can have as a coach and as a person -- is that he always got the best out of his athletes,” said Vero Beach High School Athletic Di-rector Lenny Jankowski, who taught and coached football and baseball at John Carroll while Avril was still there. “Not only from an athletic standpoint, but he also brought the best out of them as people as well. I would see these shy freshmen and sophomore girls come into the

school and their personalities would just blossom as they went through his basketball program. I think that’s a big credit to him.”

“He always seemed to have fun at what he was doing,” Jankowski add-ed. “His take on life has always been upbeat and positive and I think that rubs off on people.”

For Avril, being a coach isn’t just about winning and being a principal isn’t just about keeping a school in order. It is about something far more special to him.

“I’m pretty big into memories,” Avril

said. “\ e National Catholic Educa-tional Association does a theme each year, and one year it was a picture of a pair of Converse sneakers hanging on a hook with a couple of desks next to it with a slogan that read, ‘Catholic School is a Community with Memo-ries.’ \ at just has always stayed with me, and I tell the girls every season, ‘this is your memory.’”

With so many years having gone by, is Avril looking to lighten his load? He stepped down as boys’ coach at St. Helen some six seasons ago, giv-ing way to his assistant and former player John Negherbon. He did the same at John Carroll four seasons ago when he retired as John Carroll’s girls’ coach.

As passionate as Avril is, he must be planning a retirement party soon, right?

“\ e first year I didn’t coach at John Carroll I drove around at night a lot of times,” refl ected Avril. “I would come up to the school, ride an exer-cise bike or do something. It took a good season to get over not coach-ing at John Carroll -- I was just itchy. Coaching aff ects you, and it is a nasty bit of business because it is hard to get out of your system.”

As master of his own destiny, Avril likes the fact that he’ll get to choose when he steps down. Just don’t ex-pect him to do it too soon.

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PHOTO BY MIKE BIELECKISt. Helen basketball coach Howard Avril has won 18 league titles in 30 years.

Sports

Howard Avril does it all at St. Helen

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R. Bradford BurnhamR. Bradford Burnham, 90, died Dec.

21, 2011, at Indian River Medical Cent-er, Vero Beach. He was born in Larch-mont, N.Y., and lived in Vero Beach for 17 years, coming from Hudson, Ohio. He was president of the Samuel Moore & Co., Aurora, Ohio. He was a volun-teer for the Habitat for Humanity and was head of the Moorings chapter of Habitat for 10 years. He was a member of Christ Church, Vero Beach. He was a graduate of Yale University, Class of 1944, and was a member of the Treas-ure Coast Yale Club.

Survivors include his wife of 17 years, Joan Burnham of Vero Beach; sons, Rufus Bradford Burnham III of New York City and David Campbell Burn-ham of Fishers Island, N.Y.; daughters, Robin Burnham Owen of Bozeman, Mont., Sarah Burnham Malinowski of Fishers Island and Rachel Burnham Van Voorhis of Mattapoisett, Mass.; brother, David Campbell Burnham of Rehoboth, R.I.; 16 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memo-rial contributions may be made to the Habitat for Humanity, Indian River Chapter, 4568 N. U.S. 1, Vero Beach, FL 32967. A guestbook is available at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.

Joan Conroy CampbellJoan Conroy Campbell, 87, of Vero

Beach and Sorrento, Maine passed away Dec.16 surrounded by her family. Joanie was born in New York City and gradu-ated from Briarcliff Junior College. She married Jack Campbell and they had five children who she shepherded around the country as a military wife. She volunteered many hours working with disabled children. She loved all sports and was very active in the tennis and golf programs at John’s Island.

She is survived by sons, Michael (Barbara) of Newburyport, MA, Chip (Molly) of Tulsa, OK, and daughters Leslie Campbell of Winter Park, Lynn Campbell (Hugh Stevenson) of Wash-ington, DC and Leigh Ferguson (Gary) of Vero Beach, five grandchildren, her sister-in law Pauly Carlisle of Bangor,

Maine and several nieces and nephews. Services will be held on January 14, 2012 John’s Island Golf Club at 11:00 am with a reception following the service. In lieu of flowers please send donations to “ie Make a Wish Foundation”, 4742 N. 24th St., Suite 400 Phoenix, AZ 85016- 4862 An online guestbook is available at www.Strunkfuneralhome.com

Yolanda ‘Yo’ FedeleYolanda “Yo” Fedele, 87, died Dec.

20, 2011, in Palm Bay. She was born in Bronx, N.Y., and lived in Vero Beach for 41 years, coming from South Plain-field, N.J. She was of the Roman Catho-lic faith. Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Joseph A. Fedele of Vero Beach; son, Jerry Fedele of Longwood; daughter, Jo-Ann Moore of Melbourne; and two grandchildren. Memorial con-tributions may be made to Hospice of St. Francis, 1250-B Grumman Place, Ti-tusville, FL 32780. A guestbook is avail-able at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.

Barbara K. GerstellBarbara K. Gerstell, 74, died Dec. 24,

2011, at Indian River Medical Center, Vero Beach. She was born in Easton, Pa., and lived in Vero Beach for 18 years, coming from Greenwich, Conn. She was an active member of the Gar-den Club of Indian River County, Vero Beach, and also an avid bridge player at the Vero Beach Bridge Center. Sur-vivors include her daughters, Daphne Ford of La Canada, Calif., Alison Ger-stell of Darien, Conn., and Andrea Topper of San Francisco; sister, Susan Preusse of South Carolina; and four grandchildren. Memorial contribu-tions may be made to the Humane So-ciety of Vero Beach, P.O. Box 644, Vero Beach, FL 32961. A guestbook is avail-able at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.

Jayne GillespieJayne R. Gillespie, 49, died Dec. 19,

2011, in Vero Beach. She was born in Barberton, Ohio, and lived in Flori-da and Vero Beach most of her life. Survivors include her mother, Pat Gillespie; daughters, Karolyn Cundiff

and Kari Cundiff; son, James Cun-diff; special friend, Steve Kozlow; and three grandchildren. Memorial con-tributions may be made to the family in care of the funeral home.

Donald C. MayerDonald C. Mayer, 76, died Dec. 23,

2011, at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. He was born in West Allis, Wis., and lived in Vero Beach since 1974, coming from Titus-ville. He served as chief of anesthesia at Jess Parrish Memorial Hospital in Titusville from 1961 to 1974 and was on the board of the Florida Associa-tion of Nurse Anesthetists before join-ing Punches, Molina, Jaffe, Rossway Anesthesia Group in Vero Beach, re-tiring in 1997. He was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church in Vero Beach, where he served as president of the Parish Council, and was with the Greeting Committee and Knights of Columbus and a Eucharistic minister.

He also was a member of the In-dian River Medical Center Auxiliary. Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Mary Ann Mayer; son, Michael May-er; daughters, Kathleen Fennell and Julie Hartley, all of Vero Beach; sis-ters, Janice Hansen of Valrico, Nancy Sellers of Cullowhee, N.C., and Pa-tricia Williams of Port St. Lucie; and five grandchildren. Memorial contri-butions may be made to the Samari-tan Center, 3650 41st St., Vero Beach, FL 32967. A guestbook is available at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.

Lenora SnyderLenora V. Snyder, 80, died Dec. 20,

2011, at the VNA Hospice House, Vero Beach. She was born in Waterloo, Ind., and moved to Vero Beach in 1957 from Auburn, Ind. She was a member of St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, Vero Beach. Survivors include her sons, Randall Snyder of Sebastian, Gary Sny-der and Anthony Snyder, both of Vero Beach; daughters, Gail Snyder of Se-bastian, Diana Hammond of Chiefland; brothers, Harry Szeman of Fellsmere, Louis Szeman of Waterloo, Ind; sister,

Rose Smeltzer of Vero Beach; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchil-dren. Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA/Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Condolences may be sent through www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.

Almerinda TraceyAlmerinda Correira Tracey, 90, died

Dec. 22, 2011, at Consulate Health Care. She was born in Fall River, Mass., and lived in Vero Beach for 56 years, coming from Attleboro, Mass. She was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in 1950 in New London, Conn., and had been an active member in the local congre-gation. Survivors include two grand-children; and sisters, Irene Kidd and Alice Corrigan. A guestbook is avail-able at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.

Norman R. D’AllessandroNorman R. D’Allessandro, 58, died

Dec. 17, 2011, at his home. He was born in Milford, Mass., and lived on the Treasure Coast since 1992, coming from his birthplace. He was a former manager of Toys R Us of Jensen Beach and Vero Beach and a teller at a local bank. Survi-vors include his wife of 11 years, Cindy D’Allessandro of Fort Pierce; daughter, Jennifer Ellis of Vero Beach; son, Mat-thew D’Allessandro of California; step-daughter, Jami Stoltz; stepson, Justin Stoltz, both of Fort Pierce; brothers, Kenneth D’Allessandro of Milford, Dav-id D’Allessandro and Bobby Tondreau, both of Cocoa Beach, and Michael Ton-dreau of Rochester, N.H.; sister, Carol D’Allessandro of Fort Lauderdale; and five grandchildren. Memorial contribu-tions may be made to Treasure Coast Hospice, 5000 Dunn Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34981. A guestbook is available at www.yatesfuneralhome.com.

Lawrence BurgundLawrence D. Burgund, 84, died Dec.

26, 2011, at Treasure Coast Hospice in Stuart. He was born New York City and moved to Vero Beach in 1972, coming from Spring Lake, N.J. He served in the Marine Corps in the Pacific during the

Obituaries

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Korean War. He was a real estate bro-ker at John’s Island in Vero Beach for 30 years. Over his lifetime, he owned many thoroughbred horses and was involved in the racing industry in Flor-ida, New York and California. He was a special agent investigator in the FBI in New York City, serving under J. Edgar Hoover. He was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach.

He attended Michigan State Univer-sity on a football scholarship and later transferred to Seton Hall University, where he was named and inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Survivors in-clude his daughters, Marie, Pat, Laura and Ann, all of Martin County, and Kathie of Atlanta, Ga. Arrangements are by Forest Hills Funeral Homes, Palm City Chapel. A guestbook is available at www.foresthillspalmcityflorida.com.

Lucille K. EhringLucille K. Ehring, 93, died Dec. 26,

2011, at he Place of Vero Beach. She was born in Baltimore and lived in Vero Beach for five years, coming from Eastchester, N.Y. During World War II, she worked for Glenn L. Martin Air-craft Corp. She co-owned “Ehrings,” the family restaurant in New York City until her retirement in 1988. She grad-uated from the University of Maryland.

Survivors include her son, Edward L. Ehring of Vero Beach; three grand-children; and five great-grandchil-dren. Memorial contributions may be made to VNA/Hospice Founda-tion, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. A guestbook is available at www.lowtherfuneralhome.com.

Rebecca I. ‘Becky’ GreeneRebecca “Becky” I. Greene, 77, died

Dec. 24, 2011, at her home. She was born in Watauga County, N.C., and lived in Vero Beach for 52 years, com-ing from Boone, N.C. She was a mem-ber of Ryanwood Fellowship Free-will Baptist Church in Vero Beach. Survivors include her husband of 60 years, homas Greene; sons, homas Greene Jr. of Fort Pierce and Mike Greene of Vero Beach; brother, Nor-man Isenhour of Boone; three grand-children; and one great-grandchild.

Memorial contributions may be

made to VNA/Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. A guestbook is available at www.lowtherfuneralhome.com.

Karen R. PlantzKaren R. Plantz, 71, died Dec. 26,

2011, at the Indian River Medical Center, Vero Beach. She was born in Columbus, Neb., and lived in Vero Beach for seven years, coming from Port St. Lucie. She was a member of the American Legion. Survivors in-clude her husband of 48 years, Ber-nard Plantz; son, Steve Plantz of Vero Beach; daughter, Lashelle Halligan of Crete, Neb.; brother, Gary Robertson of Columbus, Neb.; three grandchil-dren; and one great-grandchild.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, Attn: Connie Cotherman, Asst. Develop-ment Director at P.O. Box 644, Vero Beach, FL 32961. A guestbook is avail-able at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.

Thomas Chubb Richardshomas Chubb Richards of Vero

Beach and Elkins, N.H. passed away peacefully on Dec. 25, 2011. He was born March 17, 1926 in East Orange, N.J. and enlisted in the Navy to serve four years during World War II. Fol-lowing his service in the Navy he mar-ried his high school sweetheart, Di-ana (Wheatley) and they celebrated their 62nd anniversary in October. He worked in New York City as a finan-cial and investment manager for a pri-vate family. He lived for forty years in Chatham Township, New Jersey where he served on the Board of Education.

In 1993 he moved to Vero Beach where he was a member of the Moor-ings Club and Trinity Episcopal Church. He is survived by his wife, their three daughters: Louise Pre-issler, East Lyme, Conn.; Carol Cline, Berkeley Heights, N.J.; Janet Mol-stad, Madison, N.J.; six grandchil-dren, a great-grandson; and his sister Gertrude Decker, Woodstock, Md. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to he Pleasant Lake Protective Association, Elkins, N.H. or McKee Botanical Garden, Vero Beach.

Treva L. Stephenson Treva L. Stephenson died Dec. 24,

2011 at Hospice House in Vero with family by her side. She is survived by her loving husband, William, sons Mike Chnupa (Jan), Scott Chnupa (Lisa), stepchildren, Sheri Stephenson Tanner (Jerry), Bill Stephenson, Jr., Suzzane Gowan (Dwayne), Kristy Barber (Ste-ven) and Scott Stephenson (Ashley); sister’s, Oddessa Andersen (Robert), Patsy Brown and brother Dale Hobbs; grandchildren, Michael, Jr., Candace, Tyler, David, Mandy, Corey, and Tan-ner; and great grandchildren, Jarrett, Jake, Melanie, Trace, and Tristen.

She lived in Vero Beach for more than 45 years and her careers consisted of the banking business, aviation and finally the citrus industry. Contribu-tions may be made in her name to the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960 and St. Helen Catholic Church, 2000 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960. An online guestbook is avail-able at www.strunk funeralhome.com.

Jack AtchleyJack Lee Atchley, 72, died Dec. 23,

2011, at his home. He owned and operated Jack’s Marina on the Indian River in Vero Beach. He was broker/co-owner of Atchley International Re-alty with his son. He also was a real estate broker in Tennessee. He was retired as an Auditor for the State of Tennessee. Survivors include his wife, Myra Atchley; son, Alan Atchley; daughters, Alison Albano and April Sugamura; and nine grandchildren.

Michael BradleyMichael J.P. Bradley, 77, died Dec. 26,

2011, at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach. He was born in Harris-burg, Pa., and lived in Vero Beach for seven years, coming from Fort Pierce. He was part owner in his family’s auto parts store, Bradley Auto Parts in Pennsylvania. He was a lifelong mem-ber of the National Rifle Association and served on the Police Auxiliary in Pennsylvania. He attended St. Helen Catholic Church and was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Survivors include his wife of 10 years,

Esta L. Martin; sons, Mickey Bradley of Port St. Lucie and Phillip Bradley of Eustis; daughters, Betsy Moody and Mary Ellen Stoken, both of Port St. Lu-cie; brothers, Frank and Pat Bradley; sister, Eileen Terjak; eight grandchil-dren; and seven great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be sent to the St. Helen Catholic Church at 2085 Tallahassee Ave., Vero Beach, FL 32960. A guestbook is available at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.

Rose DonovanRose A. Donovan, 89, died Dec. 29,

2011, at the VNA/Hospice House in Vero Beach. She was born in New Ha-ven, Conn., and moved to Vero Beach in 2010, coming from East Haven, Conn. Survivors include her daughter, Maureen D. Kane of Vero Beach; son, Mark Donovan of Guilford, Conn.; sister, Bernadine Costa of North Ha-ven, Conn.; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA/Hospice Founda-tion, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. A guestbook is available at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.

David A. DavisDavid A. Davis, 76, died Dec. 14,

2011, at the VNA Hospice House, Vero Beach. He was born in Covington, Ky., and lived in Vero Beach for 25 years, coming from Georgia. Before retire-ment, he was a Marine drill instructor and later was a yacht boat captain on several vessels. He was a Vietnam vet-eran with the Marines. He was of the Protestant faith. He was a member of the Vero Beach Wood Carvers.

Survivors include his wife of 15 years, Susan Davis; son, Dan Davis of Atlanta, Ga.; daughters, Buffy Perez of Virginia Beach, Va., Krista Gray of Medford, Minn., Karen Fendley of Fort Pierce, Erika Ross of Vero Beach and Stephanie Pope of Leonardtown, Md.; brother, Lou Davis of St. Simons Island, Ga.; sister, Norma Brand of Fairfield, Ohio; several grandchil-dren; and several great-grandchil-dren. Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA Hospice House, 901 37th St., Vero Beach, FL 32960.

OBITUARIES

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30 Real EstateBarrier Island Real Estate Sales – December 22-December 28

70 Beachside Dr., #203 Orchid Island 1/3/2011$989,90012/23/2011$935,000Orchid Island Realty, Inc.Bob Niederpruem Norris & CompanyDebbie Bell

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

724 Tides Rd. Silver Shores 5/3/2010 $475,00012/22/2011$475,000Treasure Coast Sotheby’s IntlMike Thorpe Dale Sorensen Real Estate, Inc.Alina Smith

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

895 Island Club Ln. Island Club of Vero 10/1/2011$379,00012/28/2011$357,000Norris & CompanyDebbie Bell Norris & CompanyChip Landers

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

800 Date Palm Rd. Veromar5/12/2011 $595,00012/27/2011 $554,500Norris & CompanyCheryl Burge Shamrock Real Estate Corp.Christine McLaughlin

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

1779 Cypress Ln. Seagrove 10/23/2011 $475,000 12/22/2011 $450,000 Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc.Rosanne Moler Dale Sorensen Real Estate, Inc.Christine Hughes

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

5601 Highway A1A, 100 N Robles del Mar 3/18/2011 $120,00012/22/2011 $100,000Alex MacWilliam, Inc.Beverly Lombardo Weichert Hallmark - VB RealtorsEva Meyers

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

5825 Magnolia Ln. Bent Pine 10/19/2009$375,00012/23/2011$355,000Treasure Coast Sotheby’s IntlClaudia Pascal Coldwell Banker Ed SchlittJoseph Schlitt

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

8290 Meredith Pl. Stoney Brook Farm 6/19/2011 $275,000 12/28/2011 $265,000 Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc.Kimberly Taylor Dale Sorensen Real Estate, Inc.Lori Davis

Address:Subdivision:List Date:List Price:Sell Date:Sell Price:Listing Broker:Listing Agent:Selling Broker:Selling Agent:

Mainland Real Estate Sales – December 22-December 28

Address Subdivision List Date List Price Sell Date Sell Price Listing Broker/Agent Selling Broker/Agent 5588 57th Ave. Vero Lago 8/11/2011 219,900 12/23/2011 205,000 The La_erty Group RE & Cnsltg/Peter Nacion Re/Max Crown Realty/Sean Prescott

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the bedroom suffers,” Ewing said.be entire dynamic of the men’s

employment situation weighs heavily on their respective lives and each at-

tempt to cope in different ways which invariably become counterproduc-tive.

“Jerry just gives up and turns to crime,” Harmann said. “Horse is filled with dismay, failure and a sense of confusion as well as a tremendous

amount of anger and we direct it at each other as well as internalize it.”

Amid the swirl of feelings and frus-trations, the men nonetheless begin to form a cohesive, supportive unit.

“But we realize we’ve got to get cre-ative and it’s the guys getting creative to put on a cockamamie show. We’re trying to make $50,000 and will if we sell out the show. What happens in the process is we form this crazy bond,” Ewing said.

bat shared support amid their troubles is a saving grace, both agreed. And the circumstances por-trayed in the show reflect a mirror image of life in present-day America.

“bat’s my ride. Horse has no one and these guys become my family,” Harmann said. “bey are struggling but even the people living above their means are directly tied to the way government had been function-ing.”

Ewing thinks people have lost per-spective because of the bombard-ment of the media’s mixed messages.

“We’ve been wired and hooked up to news feeds. But there’s no differen-tiation between what’s important and what isn’t. We hear about Lindsay Lohan more than about how many are being killed in war on any given day,” he said.

What *e Full Monty is able to do is portray the reality of everyday life.

“bis show is all heart,” Ewing said.

“bis is about the people and the power of theater to bring people to-gether. It’s a big show and everyone’s story gets told.”

Harmann agreed that the fiction of the show itself is nonetheless a reality in the context of life today.

“bis show is so relevant to today and what people are going through – people who can’t find work in some cases for years. We deal with what people go through and the issues are human,” Harmann said.

So do they bare all? In a nano-sec-ond of brilliantly flashed light, they do. By this time, however, they have totally bared their souls and lives more revealingly than any striptease act.

Riverside beatre’s production of *e Full Monty is directed and cho-reographed by Keith Andrews. be design team includes Ken Clifton (music director); Cliff Simon (scenic design); Lisa Zinni (costume design); Richard Winkler (lighting design); Julie Duro (asst. lighting design); Craig Beyrooti (sound design) with Kyle Atkins (stage manager) and Cas-sie Apthorpe (asst. stage manager).

*e Full Monty performs Jan. 12 – Feb. 3 on the stark Stage at Riverside beatre located at 3250 Riverside Park Drive in beachside Vero Beach. For more information, call the box office at (772) 231-6990 or visit on-line at www.riversidetheatre.com.

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THE FULL MONTYFROM PAGE 21

ARTS|ENTERTAINMENT