Viera Voice, January 2023

Basketball teams

off to good start

Borrows

isbooming

Food trucks, cars, music converge for grand event

Perfecting pastries

BY MARIA SONNENBERG

Delicious food truck fare, cool cars and hot music converge in a winning combination for Food Truck Wars from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 at the USSSA Space

Coast Complex in Viera.

If organizer Bob Grey has his wish, this will be the first of many similar events at the 85-acre sports facility.

“We’d like to do this every year,” said Grey, the complex’s strategic

partner manager. Grey is eager to raise awareness of the complex’s $40 million renovations.

FOOD TRUCK WARS

continued on page 4

VIERA VOICE Klinton Landress

Jayden Switzer, a senior at Viera High School, will join other classic car aficionados at the Food Truck Wars on Feb. 5.

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of Jacqueline Dittmore Rachel Blanchon adds the finishing touches to a French pastry as Christian Gillet observes at Jacqueline's Bakery in Suntree. The two were visiting the area from France to help train the staff from both of Jacqueline's Bakery locations in Melbourne. Story, page 20.

Suntree family

BY WENDY SCHEURING

The McArthur family of Suntree has a lot to celebrate.

Eric and Missy McArthur moved to Suntree in 2020 with their children, Raymond Reev, 16, and Rilee McArthur, 13.

Not only will the family be ringing in the new year together, but will also be celebrating Missy’s 49th birthday, which falls on New Year’s Eve.

The couple also recently celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary and are planning a cruise for their 15th.

Missy is a substitute teacher at DeLaura Middle School in Satellite Beach, which her daughter attends. Eric McArthur works in the automotive service department at Cocoa Hyundai. Before moving here, he worked as an automotive service technician for Acura in Wichita.

The couple met in Wichita when Missy went to visit her brother and sister-in-law.

“We met at a cowboy bar that had a rodeo inside of the club,” Missy McArthur said. “It had real bull riding.”

in the New Year

A few days later, they went on a date. And soon they started a longdistance relationship, lasting about six months.

Missy McArthur then decided to

Featured Family

move to Wichita with her young son, Raymond, to start a new life.

“In Wichita, I met my second husband, got married, and we had a daughter,” she said. “That’s our life in a nutshell.”

Missy McArthur spent a lot of her growing-up years in Denver, where her father worked as a contractor for NASA during the 1990s. She often vacationed in Florida and realized it was a great place to live. After her dad retired, her parents moved to

the Baytree neighborhood. Missy, Eric, and their children followed six months later.

The McArthurs' lives are focused on family, whether it’s taking the kids to their activities or getting together with Missy’s parents for dinner on weekends.

Raymond attends Viera High School, where he plays the trumpet in the marching band and is a thespian. Rilee also plays the trumpet and plans on joining the marching band

next year.

The beach is where Eric McArthur enjoys going for catch-and-release fishing. The family also enjoys riding jet skis on the weekend.

“I like how super friendly it is here,” Missy McArthur said. “When we moved in, our neighbors brought us food and invited us into their homes.”

“We are just so very happy to be here,” she said. VV

“I like how super friendly it is here. When we moved in, our neighbors brought us food and invited us into their homes. ”

— Missy McArthur

The idea has been on the drawing board for some time as an option to further enhance the stadium’s slate of community events, which already include everything from car shows to K-9 demonstrations.

The well-trained canines won’t be around for Food Truck Wars, but the cars will be.

“We’re expecting a lot of cars,” said car buff Joe Rodriguez, who organizes monthly car shows in Rockledge through his Space Coast Cars and Coffee group.

Jayden Switzer, an 18-year-old senior at Viera High School, plans to bring his 1940 Plymouth Coupe and 1956 Cadillac Sedan De Ville to the competition.

Switzer bought the Plymouth Coupe a couple of years ago. He repainted it to its original black and gave it a much-needed tune-up.

“It’s now more reliable than my daily driver,” he said, referring to his Chevy Traverse.

Switzer purchased the Cadillac Sedan De Ville in July.

“The Cadillac came from Atlanta and was in pretty good shape,” he said.

“It was fully loaded with power steering, power brakes, power windows and automatic high beams. It has every gold option, gold wheels and a gold grill. The

Cadillac was a dream of mine. It is kind of like my baby.”

Both cars are popular at Viera High School.

“My friends think it’s cool,” Switzer said. “I’ve taken some of them for a ride. Most of the time they think it’s roomier than expected. They are surprised at how smooth the rides are. They glide.’’

Bill Antonetz, another important player in Brevard’s car culture, will also orchestrate additional cars.

While the vehicles are eye magnets, the main event is aimed at the palate, with at least 30 food trucks vying for one of five trophies.

“The majority of the trucks are local, but we’re also bringing in some specialties from Orlando,” said April Alexander, the coowner of 321 Food Trucks.

Alexander adds that Brevard’s food truck culture is thriving, with more than 200 food trucks serving a wide range of cuisine.

•

•

•

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•

The Participants

Notorious Pig

Space Coast Hotdogs

Elite Cuisine

East Coast Taco's Soul Sushi 9

Real Jamaican Jerk

Bangkok Style Thai Food Fresht Wingz

Cajun Soul Bistro

Beach Bum Foodies

Peru Power Food Truck

Indian River Smokehouse Off The Hook Rollin Spuds

Cheesy Joe's

DeJa Tea Bobabites

Mouth Full of South Pho Wheels 321 Poke'

Cosmos Ice Cream

Tasty Freeze 2.0

Strong Island Ice Cream 7 Brew

Beach Bum Sweet Treats

Nonni's Mimi Donuts

Smoothie Express Country Kettler's Korn

Among local participating trucks is Cosmo’s Ice Cream, which is not a food truck at all, but rather a doubledecker bus. Cosmo’s has earned a great reputation among ice cream fanciers.

“It’s totally different from any other ice cream you have ever tried,” Alexander said.

Notorious Pig is another local option.

“They do a loaded pulled pork that is to die for,” Alexander added.

Menu items range from the Volcano Chicken or Soul Sushi 9 to the out-of-theordinary franks of Space Coast Hot Dog.

“These are uniquely built

VIERA VOICE Photo

A variety of vintage cars and trucks will be on display at the Food Truck Wars.

dogs like you’ve never had before,” Alexander said.

Local promoter MTI concerts has been charged with bringing some of the best local bands to the stadium’s expansive stage area. MTI Concerts hosts events such as CountryFest.

Among the bands are The Groove Kids, Daniel Jude and more.

Instructors from Tango and Ties in Rockledge will focus on dancing demonstrations on a dedicated location by the entrance to the stadium, as well as engage in mobile entertaining that should encourage attendees to join in the fun. The dance studio offers a range of dance lessons.

“We do several types of dance instruction, not just tango,” owner Jean Dove said.

Instructor Terry Yeomans, for example, specializes in country/

western social dancing.

“They are my go-to dances,” said Yeomans, who has been teaching dancing since the early 1990s.

Younger visitors will have a dedicated area of fun, with face painting and games.

Bluewater Creative Group, the parent company of Viera Voice and Senior Life, is one of five participating organizers of the event.

"This is going to be a great event for the entire community," said Jill Blue, the CEO of Bluewater Creative Group. "Bring the entire family out to see the beautiful cars and enjoy

some delicious food, music and dance shows."

To register for a vendor booth, call 321-242-1235.

With 1,200 parking spaces, parking should not be an issue, particularly since golf carts will ferry visitors from parking spots to the stadium, making every parking spot desirable.

While admission is free, there is a $10 charge for parking.

Sandwiched between the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl, Food Truck Wars offers a family fun day away from the couch.

For more information, go to usssaspacecoast.com.VV

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VIERA

Teen shows passion for classic cars at early age

BY WENDY SCHEURING

Jayden Switzer is like most teens his age, with one exception.

Meet the

Not only does the 18-yearold senior at Viera High School have a passion for classic cars, but he is the proud owner of two. As a young boy, Switzer loved playing with Hot Wheels cars.

“I would pick one up at the store and say I wanted one of these when I got older,” he said.

Since age 10, he has been accompanying his father to classic car shows.

“Seeing those cars in real life made that passion grow even more,” Switzer said.

He started working and saving money.

He worked odd jobs, helped his dad with his mobile bar business, and got a job as a part-time air conditioning technician.

It took him about 18 months to earn enough money to buy a 1940 Plymouth Coupe a couple of years ago.

Switzer remarked that when he first got the Plymouth, the “paint was pretty bad and it wasn’t running right.”

So, he had it repainted in its original black and gave it a tune-up.

“It’s now more reliable than my daily driver,” he said, referring to his Chevy Traverse.

In July, Switzer purchased a 1956 Cadillac Sedan De Ville with the help of his father.

Both of the cars are original, number-matching cars, which is important to a classic car hobbyist.

“The Cadillac came from

Atlanta and was in pretty good shape,” he said. “It was fully loaded with power steering, power brakes, power windows and automatic high beams. It has every gold option, gold wheels and a gold grill.

“The Cadillac was a dream of mine. It is kind of like my baby.”

Both have won overall

awards. The Plymouth has taken sixth and the Cadillac fourth overall.

Switzer got some experience working on motors by helping his father with motorcycles and dirt bikes. He continues reading to learn more about the subject.

Buying a 1968 Shelby Mustang and a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado is also on his bucket

list.

“My friends think it’s cool,” he said. “I’ve taken some of them for a ride.

“Most of the time they think it’s roomier than expected. They are surprised at how smooth the rides are. They glide,” he said.

Taking the Cadillac to the prom this year is also not out of the question. VV

VIERA VOICE Klinton Landress

Jayden Switzer, a senior at Viera High School, enjoys restoring classic cars. Switzer will be featured at the Food Truck Wars in Viera on Feb. 5.

Wrap up SPORTS

Hawks will rely on aggressive style, outside shooting to make up for lack of size

BY CARL KOTALA

There are a number of ways for a basketball team to make up for a lack of size. Just look at this year’s version of the Viera Hawks.

“We’re small, a little more athletic and we play more aggressive than we did last year on defense,” Viera boys coach Logan Keith said. “We’ve got to press, try to speed teams up. And offensively, we’ve got to shoot the ball well and get to the free-throw line.”

And as with every team coached by Keith, size or no size, you know the Hawks are going to play extremely hard. Keith said he was happy with the way his team worked in the offseason to prepare for this season.

That work was paying off as the Hawks had a 4-1 record led by the play of both veterans and newcomers who can shoot it from the outside.

“Everybody can shoot the ball,” senior guard Tyler Costin said. “It’s never a shot that’s a bad shot, especially from three. We trust everybody to shoot the ball. And if you don’t trust them, it’s not going to work.”

Costin, who is back at Viera after playing his sophomore and junior

seasons at Holy Trinity, is one of the team’s four seniors. Teammate Amir Cason called him, “probably the best shooter in the county.”

Justin Weatherspoon joins Costin and Cason as one of three Viera seniors with

varsity experience. Zion Cato, who at 6-foot-4 is one of the tallest Hawks this season, is new to the team.

Viera has also been getting solid contributions from guard Kamar Plain, a sophomore transfer,

freshman guard Brooks Harris and freshman forward Conlan Oakley.

“I think we have a ton of potential,” Keith said. “We need our experienced players to bring experience to the table, provide leadership. We have four seniors and three of them have had varsity minutes. We need those guys to lead us and set the tone for everybody.”

Cason, who helps direct the Viera attack on both ends of the floor, is embracing the role of taking on more leadership as the Hawks try to push for a district title.

The senior point said he likes playing for Keith because they both have the same goal in mind.

“He wants to win bad, and I want to win, too,” Cason said. “We both have that same energy.”

While Viera’s lack of height won’t necessarily hurt the Hawks on the offensive end provided their shooters

Brick Builders

Jan. 26

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Ages 5 to 11 years.

Build models in groups.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree 321-255-4404

are on, it’s on the defensive side of the ball where the team is really going to have to step it up.

“We’ve got to be in our spots, we’ve got to be more physical and we’ve got to be faster than everybody; just being more disciplined on the defensive end,” Cason said.

With a district that includes teams like Heritage (7-1) and Melbourne (7-2) that will certainly provide challenges for the Hawks, this is a team that certainly doesn’t lack confidence in its abilities.

Costin said he expects Viera to be a “powerhouse in the county.”

And after that, who knows how far the Hawks will be able to go in the postseason.

“I just want to make it as far as possible in the playoffs,” Cason said. “I think we’re capable of anything. We’ve just got to believe.”

VV

Monster Slay Day

Jan. 27, 2 - 4 p.m.

Ages 9 to 17 years.

Role-playing games will be played where you go on adventures, develop problem-solving skills and cooperatively build the story.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala

Viera High School senior guard Amir Cason leads a Hawks team that makes up for its lack of size by playing a pressing defense that leads to turnovers and helps the team get out and run. Viera was off to a 6-1 start to the season.

Holy Trinity boys basketball has everything to make playoff run

BY CARL KOTALA

After sitting out the first two months of the season with an injury, Holy Trinity senior guard Sammy Chaffiot has been taking stock of what his young teammates have been doing.

Caleb Gaskins — who could potentially push the program to the next level.

Meet the players

There have been times when the Tigers have looked fantastic and there have been times where having the calming presence of a senior leader who has been in the boys basketball program since the seventh grade could make a big difference.

But make no mistake about it, the Tigers are a very talented bunch.

“It’s honestly up to us,” Chaffiot said about the potential of this year’s team. “We’ve had moments throughout the season already … we don’t really have a limit, to be honest … where we’re just all flowing and everything’s going good. We need to capitalize on that more often and make every game like that the whole game instead of just a one-quarter spurt where it’s good.

“If we can play like that, we’re going to go far for sure.”

The Tigers, who reached the Class 3A final four last season, certainly have the pieces to make another deep run — especially after Chaffiot returns this month.

Holy Trinity has four returning juniors with varsity experience and three young players — eighthgrader Martay Barnes and freshmen Michael Otero and

“Those three guys, for a young age, are getting a lot of experience early, especially with Sammy being out,” Henderson said. “I think that’s going to help us long term down the road.”

Gaskins, a 6-foot-7 guard/ forward who was averaging a team-high 16 points a game early in the season, is not only a major talent, but he was one of only 12 high school players in the country selected to the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders program this year.

The goal of the Court of Leaders program, as described by an NBA website, is to “help young adults learn how to amplify their voices not only in their local communities, but also across the basketball landscape” in

part by pairing them with former NBA players. Gaskin’s mentor is Isaiah Austin.

“It’s worth a lot. It’s a good experience, a good opportunity to get your name out there,” Gaskin said. “You meet with a mentor and basically just have fun. They teach you different things about basketball and what comes with it all throughout high school.”

Being 14 and having a lot of expectations placed on you

can be rough, but Gaskins said he handles it by, “blocking out the noise because you’re going to have a lot of people in your ear.”

So far, Gaskins appears to be doing a great job of doing just that. And with his size, along with 6-6 junior forward Willie Thompson and 6-5 sophomore Anthony Williams, the Tigers have plenty of size to be dominant inside.

Junior point guard Elijah Reynolds runs the show, but

Chaffiot, Barnes and Cole Chanda can all play the point as well. Wyatt Chanda is a junior who has played plenty of varsity minutes, Cooper Cohen is a junior shooting guard and senior guards Chris Moore and Junes Rashwan have been contributing as well.

With only six home games and a tough schedule, the Tigers should be battle tested when they hit the postseason.

VV

VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala

Holy Trinity junior forward Willie Thompson is a key player on a Tigers team looking to get back to the state semifinals.

BY CARL KOTALA

The Viera High girls basketball team accomplished something special last season.

And given that the Hawks appear to have all the right pieces, there’s every reason to think they’re capable of doing it again.

“I have to get them to prepare for the highest level that they can get to, so I think it’s on me to push them to their maximum potential,” Viera coach Joshua Carmer said.

Last season saw Viera win the fifth district championship in school history, but it was the program’s first since 2014. With only two seniors on that team, the Hawks have a number of returners with championship basketball experience.

That includes junior center Lauren Bell, who was leading

Viera through eight games with a 17.2-point scoring average. The 6-foot-2 post player was also averaging 7.4 rebounds.

“Lauren has size and she’s got a motor,” Carmer said.

Senior guard Morgan McDermott, a transfer from Illinois who is committed to the University of South Carolina Aiken, has also given the Hawks a big boost of what Carmer called, “speed and accuracy.”

“She brought a fierce, competitive spirit,” Carmer said of McDermott. “She’s very hard on herself and she pushes her teammates to another level. When we did runs in the summer, out on the trails, she was saying, ‘let’s go faster. Let’s go faster.’”

McDermott, who was averaging 14 points for Viera through the first eight games, said the thing that’s

impressed her the most about her new team is how well the players are connected to each other and how hard they work.

But that’s not all the Hawks bring to the table.

Sophomore guard Phantasia Lauriston is averaging nine points a game and is second on the team with 29 assists. Senior forward Tricia Carmer leads the team in assists (31), steals (21) and blocks (15) and is a perfect example of how a player doesn’t have to score a lot of points to have a big impact on a game.

Senior Brielle Basham can shoot it from the outside, junior Scarlet Ackley is a solid rebounder and senior Nia Santiago sees the court well and is a good passer.

Senior guard Emma Agcaoili is also capable of hitting 3-pointers and is one of the team’s better defenders.

Junior guard Hayley Power is known for playing hard every moment she’s on the court, in a game or in practice. Freshman guard Yasmin Croom has plenty of speed and an improving shot. Sophomore Ariya Mathis has

also contributed off the bench.

“We have huge versatility,” McDermott said. “We have post players. We have guards. We have point guards. We have everything. Our bench is strong. We have a lot of good players that can do a lot of things on the court.”

If there’s an area the Hawks need to keep improving on throughout the season, McDermott said it’s communicating more on defense and not getting in their own heads when things aren’t clicking.

‘I think if we just stay confident, we know we’re a good team,” she said. “I think if we can just keep our heads high when we’re not playing well, then we’re going to be really good.”

Viera was off to a 7-2 start.

“We can definitely go far if we can show what we’re capable of doing,” Basham said. VV

VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala

Junior Lauren Bell was leading the Hawks in both scoring (17.3) and rebounds (7.4) through the first eight games of the season and will play a major role for Viera as it tries to repeat as district champions.

Holy Trinity girls basketball plans to run opponents ‘out of the gym’

BY CARL KOTALA

Memo to any opponent facing the Holy Trinity girls basketball team this season:

Be prepared to run … a lot.

“We’re really guard heavy, but I think we can run teams out of the gym,” senior guard Lynn Rieth said. “We just try to stay in condition so we can go up and down the floor because we are short on bigs.”

What the Tigers lack in height this season, they make up for with their ability to speed up their opponents into making mistakes and creating easy scoring chances for themselves.

That style was certainly working early on for the Tigers, who were off to a 7-1 start coming off a season when they reached the Class 3A regional final.

With a number of key returners back from that team, including Rieth, senior guard Marissa Cloud, junior guard/forward Alinah Sarratt and senior guard Kiki Norris, the Tigers are poised to make another run at the regional final — and beyond.

“With the players that return from last year’s team … they have a little experience of going as far as what we did,” Tigers coach Will Gibson said. “We want to go further.

I think we can with the personnel that we have.”

Cloud, who has been playing varsity basketball at Holy Trinity since the seventh grade, brings significant experience to the floor for the Tigers and is determined to make her senior season a significant one.

“Absolutely (we can go far) if we keep working together,

kind of understand that we are small so we have an advantage of running,” Cloud said. “Once we understand our team more, I think we can go far. … It’s going to be sad to leave.”

One player who has shown she can help the Tigers make that push toward the regional final is seventh-grade guard Leila Bryant, who was leading

the team with 16 3-pointers and was third on the team in scoring average at 8.3 points a game behind only Rieth (16.5) and Sarratt (11).

Junior guard Allison LaGrone has moved into a bigger role this season and has been thriving along with sophomore Isabella Henderson.

Newcomer Hailee Mokwe

is the team’s 6-foot post player who has given the Tigers a big boost in the middle and was averaging a team-high six rebounds a game. Senior Catalina Castillo can also contribute up front, but was out early in the season with an injury.

Sophomore guard Savannah Schultz, who moved up from JV to varsity late last year, is also seeing quality minutes and making a solid contribution.

Other key players include Olivia Durgin, Aniyah Francis and Jadalynn Morel.

Holy Trinity’s biggest competition in District 5 will likely come from Edgewood, which was off to a 9-0 start, albeit against an easier schedule.

The Tigers were ranked No. 7 in Class 3A and third in their region early in the season.

Gibson believes the key to success will be how well his team is able to mature and grow throughout the year.

“We’re a little younger than we were last year,” he said. “We returned a lot, but we’ve still got some younger pieces in there, so I think being able to mature and be disciplined and just continue to get better.

“As we go on, we learn more and we progress.” VV

VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala

Senior guard Lynn Rieth is the leading scorer on a Holy Trinity girls basketball team that is trying to make a run to the final four.

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Jacobsen becomes first Holy Trinity diver to win state championship

BY CARL KOTALA

The fifth of 11 rounds had just been completed at the Class 1A state championship diving meet and Holy Trinity senior Elle Jacobsen decided to take a peek at the leaderboard.

“I usually don’t look,” she said. “I was just feeling it that day to look at the standings. It helped me a lot. It drove me to do better.”

Not only was Jacobsen leading after five rounds, she was leading after the 11th round, too. And you know what that means …

Elle Jacobsen is your state champ.

“It still was a pretty big surprise at the end,” she said. “Obviously, I’ve been wanting to complete this goal for four years and to finally accomplish it was pretty awesome.

“I was just ecstatic. All my friends were there, so I was hugging them (and) my coach. It was just nice to go out that way for my senior year and end it like that.”

Jacobsen is the first swimmer or diver from Holy Trinity to ever win a state championship.

“Holy Trinity is so proud of Elle,” athletic director James Phillips wrote in an email. “Winning a state championship is a momentous achievement. It takes commitment, sacrifice, talent and great mental strength to get to this level.

“Elle Jacobson will be remembered as one of Holy Trinity’s great athletes.”

Jacobsen, who has signed to dive at Davidson University, was a swimmer and golfer in her younger days. She started diving (her mother was a former diver and her father dived for a year) when she was nine, but then took a break until the sixth grade. As a freshman in Naperville, Illinois, she finished fifth individually and was part of a state championship team.

She moved back to Brevard County as a sophomore and finished second in the state last season by 18 points. Undaunted, she kept working to tighten up her dives, even changing some positions and switching up her diving order, finishing this year with a front double pike.

Ultimately, Jacobsen scored 466.10 points to win the title. One

of her best friends, Lana Schmadeke from Edgewood finished second with 394.70 points.

Being able to stay calm and focused and nail those final dives when she knew the title was within her reach are just a sign of how far Jacobsen has come over the past four years.

“I’ve gotten a lot better with my mental state during meets,” she said. ‘Freshman year, I did well, but I was always nervous. I would always be by myself, listening to music because I thought that was the way to do it. So, of course, I’d be nervous and overthink things.

“My (club) coach that I have right now, Jim Kelly, he’s really helped me be more positive and more confident with my dives. I know at state this year, I was talking to my friends. I was dancing. I was having fun, which usually helps with the dives.

“I’ve grown mentally. And of course, my dives have changed. I’ve worked pretty hard to increase my degree of difficulty in diving and get better and more consistent with them.”

Kelly, who coaches at Osprey Zap Dive (OZD) in Sebastian, had nothing but praise for Jacobsen.

“We are so proud of her,” he wrote in an email. “She is the ultimate leader by example. She is kind, considerate, cooperative and appreciates the importance of humor — even though she doesn’t always get coach jokes.

“Her helpful style and hard work ethic shows in each practice. Her courage, determination and effort is on display in each practice. Besides being an overall beautiful human being, she is one heck of a beautiful diver. Her superstar record of the past few years speaks for itself. OZD

is so proud and so happy, Davidson is so lucky.”

Jacobsen also thanked her high school coach, Ryan Just, for helping her develop into the diver she is today.

And now it’s onto the future.

Jacobsen said her goals right now are to enjoy swimming in college and to qualify for the NCAA zone meet, which could help lead her to dive in the NCAA championships. She plans to major in biology with a track toward pre-med or pre-dentistry.

“Elle is definitely someone we are going to be watching in the future,” Holy Trinity swimming coach Tiffany DeAngelis wrote in an email. “She is a true athlete who embodies her sport with grace and fierceness. Her kindness, dedication and overall awesomeness is going to take her far.” VV

VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala

Elle Jacobsen holds up her gold medal from the Class 1A state meet. Jacobsen is the first Holy Trinity swimmer or diver to win a state championship. The senior has signed with Davidson University.

Martial arts event draws participants from across the nation, beyond

BY BETTY PORTER

A style of martial arts popular around the world known as Ueshiro Shorin – Ryu Karate will be spotlighted in Brevard County as the local group hosts a five-day event Feb. 2 to 6, drawing participants from throughout the United States and other countries to the Space Coast.

The annual Feb-in-Fl will commemorate the 60th anniversary of Grand Master Ansel Ueshiro’s arrival in the United States bringing this martial arts style of Karate with him from the island of Okinawa.

In 2004, Ueshiro and his worldwide organization of Ueshiro Shorin – Ryu Karate was transferred to his chosen successor Hanshi Robert Scaglione, who lives in Brevard County, having moved here from New York in 1987.

— Ueshiro Shorin

“We will be honoring this significant 60th anniversary milestone in the Year of the Rabbit with a long weekend of training sessions at various locations throughout Brevard County,” said Scaglione, the Shihan (director) of the Viera Dojo and CEO of USRKUSA. (A dojo is a place where karate aspirants practice and learn martial arts.)

“We expect to have 75

to 100 karate practitioners attend from our mainland U.S. locations (New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Connecticut, California, Tennessee, Pennsylvania) etc. as well as from Israel and Hong Kong,” Scaglione said.

“The events are open for the general public to come and observe. They are welcome to observe all or part of any training session,” Scaglione said.

Local Ueshiro Shorin –Ryu instructor Rob Weaver, who has been teaching for the past 12 years in Cocoa and now at the Viera Dojo, said, “All of the workouts are great to observe and the Black Belt workout which includes senior Black Belts is exciting to watch.”

The schedule of events kicks off at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Suntree/ Melbourne Dojo at the Wickham Park Community Center at 2815 Leisure Way.

On Friday, Feb. 3, there is a sunrise class at 6 a.m. at the Merritt Island Dojo

at 1835 East Merritt Island Causeway. The sunrise class will be immediately followed by seminars in the tradition of Okinawan weapons. That evening at the Viera Dojo, there will be a 5 p.m. women’s class and a class at 6 p.m. in the Viera Regional Park Community Center. Saturday, Feb. 4, activities include a workout on Cocoa Beach behind the Cocoa Beach Hilton at 9 a.m. and

again at 2 p.m. At 6 p.m., the 60th anniversary celebratory dinner and compai (a time of well-wishing) will be held at the Cocoa Beach Hilton. At 9 p.m., weather permitting, there will be a beach bonfire and informal weapons training.

The Sunday, Feb. 5 schedule calls for two simultaneous events at 10 a.m.; the annual Black Belt Class and year-end compai at

Suntree/Melbourne Dojo at Wickham Park Community Center and a Ryu Rank informal workout on Cocoa Beach behind the Cocoa Beach Hilton, also at 10 a.m.

At 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, a class and weekend recap at the Merritt Island Dojo will be led by Scaglione.

More information is available at ueshirofloridakarate.com. VV

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VIERA VOICE Klinton Landress

Pam Lohr, left, Felix Aldous and Rob Weaver practice Ueshiro Shorin - Ryu Karate.

Family shares love of horses that began at young age

BY WENDY SCHEURING

For the Biegel family of Cocoa, much of their lives revolve around their love of horses.

Dr. Patrick Biegel, an equine veterinarian, and Kim Biegel have two children who love to compete. Daughter Lennox, 11, and son Aiden, 8, have both been riding, showing and competing from a young age.

Lennox is a fifth grader at Viera Charter School. When she was in kindergarten, she had her first riding lesson on Merritt Island. It only took that one lesson for her mother to realize that Lennox was a naturally gifted rider. Lennox started competing and winning.

studies in 2009 at The University of Glasgow in Scotland. He interned in New Jersey and practiced in Ocala, before the family moved to Brevard County so that he could practice with Dr. Brad Newman.

As a young child, Patrick Biegel said he was at first afraid of horses. When he got a quarter horse at age 13, that fear turned into friendship.

The Biegels bought Newman’s practice in January 2021, renaming it Equine Wellness & Performance.

“We are now shifting our focus to becoming a performance horse clinic,” Kim Biegel said.

“We are solely an equine practice, ranging from horses, donkeys, mules and the occasional zebra,” Dr. Biegel said. “I love working with horses with lameness issues and helping them perform better.”

For more information, go to equinewellnessandperformance.com. VV

Most recently, Lennox secured the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Championship in Wellington in 2021. She has also claimed the U.S. Equestrian Federation Reserve Championship, finishing fifth respectively for the past two years.

“Lennox has resilience and she has ambitions to ride in college,” Kim Biegel said.

Lennox’s younger brother, Aiden, 8, has been riding since age 4. “He quickly wanted to follow in his sister’s footsteps,” his mother said.

The children spend their mornings before school as well as after school and weekends doing barn chores and helping the horses.

“The kids are hands on about horses and can tell you anything you want to know about their horse’s physical and mental well-being,” Kim Biegel said.

Kim Biegel is an avid rider and trainer, having ridden since age 6 and competing on an international level. When she recognized Lennox’s talent, she started working with her daughter, which also resulted in her starting a boutique riding and training program for other area riders.

Dr. Patrick Biegel completed his veterinarian

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of the Biegel family

Aiden, 8, left, and Lennox Biegel, 11, are champion riders and very knowledgeable about horses. Both have been riding and competing since they were very young.

VIERA VOICE Klinton Landress

The Biegel family loves raising and taking care of horses.

“The kids are hands on about their horses and can tell you anything you want to know about their horse's physical and mental well-being.”

— Kim Biegel

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of the Biegel family Aiden and Lennox Biegel have won many competitions in horseback riding.

More than 70 young entrepreneurs participate in Children’s Business Fair

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

The days of the lemonade neighborhood stand, although still around, have evolved with children becoming more savvy entrepreneurs assisted by encouraging parents supporting their endeavors.

For children like Haley Maduskuie and dozens of other young entrepreneurs, the Brevard Children Business Fair was the place to showcase their businesses on Dec.10.

The Avenue Viera hosted the fourth Brevard Children’s’ Business Fair with more than 70 young entrepreneurs, making it the largest since 2018.

“It’s a safe and fun environment for these talented kids and the perfect vehicle for the youth in our community to demonstrate their inner business potential for future success,” said Nora McFarland, the executive director of the Brevard Children’s Business Fair.

It was 8-year-old Haley

AWARDS

Best in Show was awarded $100 and runners-up received $50 each.

Trent Cardinal Art Best in Show

Snip and Singe Paracord

Most Original Business Idea

Jayla MacLean Cosmetics

Highest Business Potential

Everything Girly Best Presentation/Creativity

Maduskuie’s first time at the fair. She showcased beautiful plants at Haley’s Plant Boutique booth at the fair.

“I love plants,” she said enthusiastically. “I love talking to them. I plant them as babies and I’m their plant mom. My favorites are the sunroses, and I also made a plant guide that tells you how to take care of them”.

Children, ages 6 to 16, came with their parents from as far as

Orlando and Naples to present their business and marketing skills.

“These youngsters have developed their own concepts for their services and products and we’re very proud of them”, said Chris Conneen, the owner of Pizza Gallery, who serves on the board of directors of the Brevard Children’s Business Fair.

Keira Brink of Viera with Izzy and Ella Parsons of Merritt Island proudly spoke about their nonprofit Kids Conservation.

“We create our pieces with epoxy and resin and we inject colored powder and sparkles into the molds,” Keira said. “We love animals, so all our proceeds

always go to a foundation. This year, we selected the Sea Turtle Conservation Society because we love turtles,” Izzy said with a smile.

Every young entrepreneur deserved their very own story and their own booth, including handmade soaps by Emila and Brandon Bobbitt of Sunshine Soaps.

There were lots of colorful jewelry, pet food and animal toys, bees-wax candles and gooey cake made by Melbourne’s A Sweet Friendship.

Cruelty-free cosmetics created by Jayla MacLean Cosmetics and artwork displayed by 9-year-old Trent Cardinal were part of the fair. There were digital photo booths, handmade boomerangs, cake truffles and giant cookies made by the Mythical Bakehouse kids among the products presented at the fair. VV

For more photos and video, check out vieravoice.com

Tim Cooper

Trent Cardinal

Keira Brink and Izzy Parsons

• Haley Maduskuie (see video online)

Jayla MacLean

Mythical Bakehouse business team

ScoopBUSINESS

Family’s passion for music is obvious in their lives, businesses

BY BETTY PORTER

A family’s passion for music led to the operation of what is billed as the largest piano dealership in Florida.

Atlantic Music Center at 150 East Drive in Melbourne attracts people from across the U.S. and the world to select pianos from the large selection inside the 12,000-square-foot facility with an average of 175 new and used pianos in the showrooms at all times.

Company president Brian Gatchell, an expert on all things piano, is a master pianist who founded the business in Melbourne in 1990. For 11 years, he offered a seasonal concert series and brought well-known musical artists to the area.

In 2018, he moved to the East Drive location giving more space to refurbish pianos.

“In March of 2023, we will have been in business for 33 years here. I originally started the business with sales of pianos, string instruments (violins, cellos, etc.) and print music,” Gatchell said. “In 2002, one of my sons, Allen, took over the string and sheet music business. He has Atlantic Strings located on New Haven Avenue, across from the Melbourne Square Mall. Allen’s is said to operate the largest string dealership in the U.S. with a store also in Orlando.

The family’s fascination with music also includes Gatchell’s wife, Jamie, who is a jazz performer and has started her own jazz trumpet

shop called Jamie’s Trumpet Gallery, a couple of doors down from Atlantic Music Center in the same building. Jamie is a representative for Inderbinen in Switzerland and the Taylor company of England.

“Atlantic Music Center is focused on pianos,” Gatchell said. “We represent many of the best pianos in the world, including Yamaha, Bosendorfer, Schimmel, Mason & Hamlin. We are also the largest rebuilder of pianos in the Southeast United States and specialize in rebuilding great American pianos such as Steinway, Baldwin, and Mason & Hamlin. We have a staff of 10 employees and several other prominent piano technicians that work with us part time.”

Stoney Copelin works with Atlantic Music Center as a piano technician and tuner. He has become a master piano tech and has worked in the industry for 40 years. He started in high school. “It’s a passion of mine,” he said.

Sayaka Shinsei has been with Atlantic Music Center for 1½ years as a technician. She also plays the trumpet. She holds a degree from New World School of the Arts in Miami.

Iuliia Kryvossheia is a tech that has been with the company for two years. “She makes the pianos sound and look beautiful,” Gatchell said. “She’s really good at it.”

“With the typical acoustic piano having 12,500 parts, it is integral that we have amazing technicians to tune,

service and restore them,” Gatchell said.

Gatchell said his display rooms and restoration facility has customers that come from all over Florida and he sells and ships pianos across

the country. He recently was shipping pianos to Scotland and to the Cayman Islands.

Locally, he said a majority of his customers live in Viera or Vero. “Our customers range from parents looking to get their child a piano to professionals who enjoy playing piano. We have a rent-to-own program with the option to return the piano at any time, which makes parents feel at ease.” The pianos in his showroom are $1,000 and up.

“Many of my clients are surgeons who play the piano basically because it is soothing, releases stress and it is also great for keeping fine motor skills well tuned.” Gatchell said.

Gatchell, who has a master's degree in piano performance, was a Baldwin piano artist from 1975 to 1992 performing throughout the U.S. He was also a professor of piano at Heidelberg University in Ohio and a distributor for some of the best European piano makers from 1998 to 2018.

“I’ve spent a great deal of time in European countries, including Germany, France, England and Poland at piano makers manufacturing facilities,” he said.

Gatchell prides himself in owning one of the only Bosendorfer 225 Kessler Grand Bohemian pianos ever made, which has 92 keys instead of the usual 88 keys. The extras are the base (black) keys.

The design for the piano was inspired by Richard Kessler, a hotelier and art collector. The piano features a music stand sculpted to look like a majestic peacock with feathers unfurled. Some areas of the piano, like the frame, are gilded with 22-carat gold. It has a bronze cast base and is very heavy (419 kilograms), and is worth $490,000. “This is the most expensive piano that I have,” he said. “There were only two ever made, one for Kessler and one for me.” VV

For more photos, check out vieravoice.com

VIERA VOICE Klinton Landress

Sayaka Shinsei is one of several technicians who keeps customers' pianos in perfect working order.

VIERA VOICE Klinton Landress

Atlantic Music Center president Brian Gatchell is a master pianist.

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Visiting French chefs cook pastries to perfection

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

A couple of professional pastry chefs came all the way from France to train and bake delicious confections at Jacqueline’s Bakery in Suntree during the holidays.

Jacqueline Dittmore and her husband Christophe own two French bakeries in Brevard County, with their first location opening in Downtown Melbourne in 2016 and the second now operating in Suntree.

There’s no doubt the

Gillet and his associate Rachel Blanchon come all the way from France to train our staff and demonstrate their professional baking techniques.”

— Jacqueline Dittmore

French take their baking seriously and there was some incredible baking going on during the holidays.

“We were so blessed to have Christian Gillet and his associate Rachel Blanchon come all the way from France to train our staff and demonstrate their professional baking techniques,” Dittmore said.

The dynamic pair are

both teachers at a school near Grenoble, France. When the students are on vacation, they travel around the world sharing their passion for baking. They offer their expertise by instructing bakers on the art of French pastry making. Gillet became a French champion in Boulangerie in 2013 in France and he teaches baking, while Blanchon teaches science, math and physics.

Together with Dittmore and her team, they prepared delicious holiday sweets, which included Bûche de Noël, the traditional French Yule Log dessert served at Christmas. Another holiday item is the Galette de Rois (The Kings Cake), dating back to the 14th Century, a towering cake made to commemorate the Three Kings that visited Baby Jesus after his birth.

“The Galette is a threetier, bakers’ dream filled with pastry cream. It contains a small porcelain trinket hidden inside and whoever finds it is named the King or Queen for the day,” Dittmore explained.

Originally from Ohio, Dittmore spent 20 years living in France. She received her Grand Diploma and formal training in the culinary arts from Le Cordon Bleu, bringing her French baking expertise to the area.

“We’ve been making authentic French freshmade pastries and bread, all made from scratch with French ingredients, since we started,” Dittmore said

proudly. “There’s nothing like a French pastry to make the senses come alive.”

The Galette de Rois

will be available through the month of January at Jacqueline’s Bakery in Suntree.

For information, call Jacqueline’s Bakery at 321-622-4776 or go to jacquelinebakery.com VV

Brevard Zoo gets boost to restore shores

Brevard Zoo’s Indian River Lagoon restoration efforts are getting a financial boost thanks to Right Coast Independent (RCI) Optics, a premium sunglass brand based in Cocoa Beach.

Earlier this month, the Zoo’s Restore Our Shores (ROS) program was the beneficiary of a $24,000 donation from RCI Optics. This marks the third year the Zoo has received such a donation from RCI Optics — and it’s the largest gift to date.

“The Indian River Lagoon is so important to so many, from providing a home to more than 4,000 species of plants and animals to offering an amazing recreation opportunity for boaters, fishers and other local people,” said Jody Cassell, the Zoo’s Director of Conservation. “RCI Optics’ generous gift helps support our efforts to preserve and protect this incredible waterway.” VV

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of Jacqueline Dittmore

Christian Gillet, right, and Rachel Blanchon spent time at Jacqueline's Bakery in Suntree sharing their culinary skills with the staff. The two were visiting the area from France.

“We were so blessed to have Christian

Jason Pun, Susie Parente

Reetu Haave, Misty Zulli from the The Blake at Viera

Jeanne Whitman, Kathy Sorrell, Tina Christianson

Michael Ayers Bob Grey, Tom Graver

Dr. Jaya Prakash, Nicole Fuhrer, April Adler

LaChrishta Jones, Diane Hawthorne, Anjanette Wicks

Jesse Scianno, Daryl Jacobs

Joanne Martinez, Chris Tice

Andrea Gomes, Joe Rowlette, LaChrishta Jones, Barbara Fradkin, Jodi Jackson

Salty Bagel & Grill will expand to Suntree with third shop

BY JEFF NAVIN

Too often, Salty Bagel & Grill customers in Satellite Beach enter the restaurant at 1124 State Road A1A to find the sold-out-of-bagels sign.

It’s a sad note, but also a testament to the delicious bagels baked each day.

On Dec. 12, the shop opened its second location at 25 South Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach. That’s just south of Minutemen Causeway.

Sometime in early 2023, a third shop will open at 7640 North Wickham Road in Suntree. That’s behind the Dairy Queen in the former location of the Tuscany Grill.

The three shops won’t be too far from each other and that offers ample opportunity to pick up a bagel and cream cheese in the early afternoon if one store is sold out.

The two stores are open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sometimes, they close

early if they run out of bagels.

The original Satellite Beach location features bagels such as asiago, blueberry, french toast, cinnamon raisin, bialy, egg/egg everything, everything, sourdough, garlic parmesan, multi-grain, onion, eight grain, poppy, pumpernickel, salt, sesame, sun-dried tomato, plain and bacon swiss.

The cream cheese comes in plain, jalapeno cheddar, veggie, strawberry, garlic and herb, cinnamon sugar, scallion and lox.

The lunch menu features specialty sandwiches such as the Chicken Bacon Ranch, The Salty Club, Smokey the Pig, Chicken Salad, The Yankee, The Rudy, Buffalo Chicken, The Cowboy, Cordon Bleu, Black Forest and The Jerk served either on a bagel or a sub.

There’s plenty of hot and cold coffee and tea. VV

VIERA VOICE Jeff Navin

The owners of the original Salty Bagel & Grill in Satellite Beach plan to add a third location in Suntree early in 2023. In December, a second shop opened in Cocoa Beach.

VIERA VOICE Jill Blue

The Gratia Plena, which was led by Anjanette Wicks, celebrated Father John's birthday at the December meeting. For more photos, check out vieravoice.com

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GASTROPALOOZA

Gastropalooza back for third year of extraordinary culinary

delights

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

Calling all local foodies, gourmands, wine lovers and beer aficionados for Brevard’s County gastronomic event of the year!

Gastropalooza Food Festival returns to The Avenue’s Central Park for its third year on Feb. 3 to celebrate delicious food, jazzy cocktails, crafted local beers and exciting music.

Celebrating everything food, the epic evening will showcase a major culinary throwdown with large screens capturing a signature, three-course battle with returning celebrity Chef Travis Peters, a Tucson native and Food Network’s veteran on “Chopped” and “Guy’s Grocery Games” champion. Battling Peters will feature 28 North’s own executive Chef CJ Hughes.

“Last year’s Gastropalooza was a fun-filled gastronomic event and I’m sure this year even more local foodies will

come and join the party,” said Chris Conneen, owner of 28 North Gastropub who’s hosting the event.

There will be many local breweries and distilleries showcasing their brews, an artisan market, lots of great food, accompanied by great music from the local band Tru-Phonic.

A $20 wristband will provide all you can eat for the evening — appetizers, entrees and sweets. An additional $20 will include drinks, music and dancing. Proceeds will support Hospitality Life, a local hospitality service industry organization.

Tickets are on sale

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of 28 North

Chris Conneen, the owner of the 28 North Gastropub, is the host of the Gastropalooza Food Festival.

Unveiling Venezia Wine Bar in Borrows West

‘Military Makeover with Montel,’ volunteers renovate Suntree veteran’s family home

BY R. NORMAN MOODY

Volunteers and wellwishers joined “Military Makeover with Montel” to transform the interior and exterior of the Suntree home of a veteran and his family.

Between Dec. 1 and 10, the home of Air Force Staff Sgt. Brent Maney was renovated by the “Military Makeover with Montel” television show.

“We got to do a military makeover for a veteran who had been injured, still active,” said Jennifer Bertrand, the designer for the project. “This is all about making their house feel like a hug to the soul.”

Brent Maney served 12 years in the Air Force with many deployments, including to Saudi Arabia, Africa and South Korea. He also played a role in supporting NASA launches from Transatlantic Abort Landing sites in Morocco and Gambia as well as teaching Special Operations Forces in combat casualty care.

Watch the Maney family episode of “Military Makeover with Montel” on the Lifetime channel in February.

Maney and his wife of 15 years have two boys. Trudie Maney was diagnosed with an advanced young onset of Parkinson’s disease in 2007. Her health has been a big challenge for the family. In 2020, she was diagnosed with

early onset of dementia, which required her husband to be her caregiver.

The makeover included wide doorways, handrails for Trudie Maney, and the bright coastal colors they like.

“It’s all about giving them new beginnings,” Bertrand said.

The show enlists designers, builders, contractors, among them plumbers, electricians, painters, landscapers and drywall hangers to get the makeover done. They also rely on volunteers.

Sunshine State Construction led the renovation of the home.

John Drake and a crew of Drakes All in One Painting & Refurb Services painter the interior and exterior of the house.

“It’s great to give back to the community, especially the military who put their lives on the line for us,” Drake said. “It’s the least we could do.”

During a 10-day span,

volunteers and professional trades people worked long hours to complete the project.

Garren and Kim Cone, who operate AVET Project, a nonprofit organization that helps and advocates for veterans, spent more than seven hours helping on the project.

“It’s always a blessing to see those who come out to help,” Garren Cone said.

Four volunteers helping with the renovation were from AVET Project.

“It’s always a pleasure just to give back,” Kim Cove said. “It brings us joy knowing we’re helping.”

The host of the show, Montel Williams, was present for the presentation once the project was completed. The episode of “Military Makeover with Montel’’ featuring the Maney family is expected to air on Lifetime in February.

VV

For more photos and videos, check out vieravoice.com

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of Richard Abbuscato Venezia Wine Veranda, which will be owned by Richard Abbuscato, will be located on 1.3 acres across from Chick-fil-A on Hennessey Place in Borrows West. “The image we wanted to capture is that it’s not just a bar, but a showplace park where people can relax, enjoy the view and have a good glass of wine,” Abbuscato said.

VIERA VOICE Jill Blue

Friends and family, volunteers and honor guard, welcome the Maney family to their newly renovated home.

VIERA VOICE Jill Blue

TV host Art Edmonds, designer Jennifer Bertrand and Montel Williams teamed up for “Military Makeover with Montel.”

VIERA VOICE Jill Blue

Montel Williams and Jennifer Bertrand watch video of the Maney family touring their home for the first time.

Ford’s

brings prohibition-era eatery

West in Viera

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

Ford’s Garage is bringing its iconic prohibition era-themed restaurant to Viera. The opening, tentatively set for 2023 near Viera Boulevard and Stadium Parkway, is to become part of the growing master planned community of Borrows West.

The company was founded a decade ago by four entrepreneurs in Fort Myers. They were big Ford fans and envisioned an aesthetically themed restaurant reminiscent of an old-fashioned gas station, which was ironic since less than a mile away was Ford’s winter home.

When it first debuted in historic downtown Fort Myers in 2012, they didn’t have any association with the Ford Motor Company, who quickly found out about them using their name. Instead of that being an issue, Ford embraced the franchise idea with licensing agreements, providing Ford’s Garage with the rights to represent the Ford name along with their vehicles, historical photos and memorabilia, which is the prevalent theme at all their locations.

They’ve since expanded to 17 franchise-owned outposts nationwide with the intention of

opening more than 10 new locations annually, all paying homage to Henry Ford and the history of the Ford Motor Company.

Ford's Garage executes a flawless replica of a speakeasy service gas station and every little detail is a nod to Ford’s history. Each eatery is decked in vintage paraphernalia, including retro gas pumps, photos and fixtures complete with model A’s or T-Ford vehicles behind the bar.

The restaurants all feature the classic décor elements of the longlost prohibition era with old brick walls, rich wood trimmings and hand-hammered copper bar tops, providing that retro vibe.

Even the bread buns at Ford’s Garage have the Ford logo branded on them making them individualistic and a great visual prop for their flagship Angus prime burgers and sandwiches.

Their food, which consists of American comfort fare, burgers to meatloaf, shrimp mac-n-cheese and fall-off-the-bone ribs paired with special Bourbon barbecue sauce. Their menu also features vegetarian products.

It also includes a wide selection of craft beers, microbreweries and

Ford's Garage will feature the classic décor elements of the prohibition era with old brick walls, rich wood trimmings and hand-hammered copper bar tops. For more photos, check out

Quest Elementary students set to create community garden

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

What could be greater than having a garden where children learn to care for plants interacting with the community?

The idea for the Quest Community Learning Garden was born to create awareness within kids to save the environment. It is hoped to also arm students with career readiness from a young age and promote additional life skills while encouraging relationships to develop their identities.

Hannah McLaurine, a parent and garden committee member, said she wants her children to become more mindful of the environment.

“The Learning Garden is for the whole community, not just our students, to be enjoyed and to provide enrichment with outside involvement to teach them to nurture living things by creating responsibility to grow something out in the fresh air,” McLaurine said.

The garden will not only help to promote students’ academic achievement, but the project wants community involvement as well. It also will create awareness of how to grow food, promote health and nutrition and how important agricultural sustainability needs to be today.

It also will enrich and expand the teacher’s curriculum by engaging students through experiential learning

SUDOKU

DIG DAY – Bed Layout and Creation

9 a.m. - 1 p.m. • Saturday, Jan. 14 Quest Elementary at 8751 Trafford Drive, Viera

Donations are needed for garden needs, especially irrigation and pathway materials.

and promote a social and physicallearning atmosphere.

Although the project needs monetary donations and grants from businesses, once the garden is completed it will require the participation and involvement of the whole community to support the growing efforts and assist the children with their endeavors.

“Phase I will be carried out on Dig Day by raising the plant beds in a 68by 32-foot area. Pre-K through grade 6 will participate under the guidance of parents and volunteers. We also want to encourage seniors to become involved and interact with the students as well,” McLaurine said.

The garden will be planted by the end of January with plans for the harvest in late March to early April.

The S.T.E.M and Leaf Care Club along with the after-school childcare program will maintain the garden. The organizers hope to grow enough produce, which will be donated to the elementary public schools for the students Lunch and Angel Fund. VV

Solution, page 36

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of Quest Elementary School

This a rendering of the Quest Community Learning Garden planned for this month.

Follow the process on Indian River Lagoon status

How do I follow the Indian River Lagoon progress?

Good question. Here are a few ways.

The County’s Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) project has monthly meetings 8:30 to 11 a.m. on the third Friday of the month, where this outstanding $500 million restoration program is discussed in depth.

At the February, May, August and November meetings, the staff presents detailed updates on projects completed and underway. Meetings take place in person in the Florida Room at the Government Center at 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Bldg. C, in Viera, and online.

Full details are available at brevardfl.legistar.com/Calendar. aspx.

The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) works to promote restoration along the full 156 miles, five counties of the lagoon. It publishes an annual report that gives a broader summary of the progress being made through its efforts but also by the individual counties. If you have not visited their site, please do at onelagoon.org/.

The Brevard Indian River

Lagoon Straight Talk

Lagoon Coalition (BIRLC) also helps to provide meaningful ongoing updates on the progress being made. On our Facebook page, we publish an ongoing summary of projects completed (and in progress) to help you understand the continuing progress being made to reduce pollution in the lagoon and to celebrate improvement.

The associated picture shows one of our most recent Facebook posts. It reports that the SOIRL plan includes 233 stormwater projects that, combined, will reduce Total Nitrogen (TN) pollution in the lagoon by 271,170 pounds per year. The brief video post (at facebook.com/BIRLC/ videos/457284199892404)

goes on to explain that 36 of these projects around Brevard have been completed so far, eliminating 23,675 pounds per year of TN.

We also did a recent video post on six wastewater

reuse reclamation projects that are eliminating 69,823 pounds per year of TN from the reuse water many of us use to water our lawns (see facebook.com/BIRLC/ videos/494978699093966).

So, we also recommend that you follow our BIRLC Facebook (facebook. com/BIRLC) and website (helpthelagoon.org/) to stay informed on how Brevard is protecting our piece of paradise. VV

Go to HelpTheLagoon. org, facebook.com/BIRLC/ and twitter.com/HelpTheLagoon

From the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

Cauliflower — The cruciferous shapeshifter getting the wholesome spotlight

Living longer means embracing more veggies, fruits, grains and beans into our diets, plus reducing trans fats, eating less red meat and going lean with protein. After the forage of the holidays, we’re aiming to eat lighter and shed some unwanted pounds. Many have completely shunned red meat, others are flaunting vegan and embracing an all-veggie weekday. Considering we’re looking to stretch our dollar, the BOGO and weekly specials are now getting more attention than Cosmopolitan

We’re also turning to affordable and at times uninspiring contenders that will be given the welcome wagon every time they’re announced at

dinner. Who would have thought the MVP award would go to the humble cauliflower? Remove any negative thoughts that cauliflower alone is insipid — enter the Marylin Monroe of veg.

There’s a lot of admiration given to this cruciferous veg with close cousins being broccoli, cabbage, kale and Brussel sprouts. They come in colorful hybrid varieties of purple, orange, bright green and the ubiquitous white; they’re also packed full of antioxidants, vitamin C and fiber. Cauliflower is lackluster when boiled or steamed, but glorious when embellished with umami flavorings and sauces. Boiling not only screams

flavorless, but you’ve left all its nutrients in the water.

This glorious flower shouldn’t be filed under the rice/carb replacement category because cauliflower has got a GPS address and it’s not going undercover. It’s now utilized in countless ways from pizza crusts, added to brownies and gnocchi. From a silky mash, in soups, casseroles and pickled, to crispy cauliflower fritters with a yogurt sauce, hashbrowns and cooked in an Indian curry. Roast some cauliflower steaks instead of that ribeye — you’ll be flummoxed at their taste and how filling they are.

Learn how to dress-up this diva in the kitchen and you’ll be nominated

for the Julia Child veg award. The possibilities are unsurmountable with cauliflower, as it is a resilient, meaty veg, yielding spectacular results.

PANTRY RAT TIP: Veggies can’t be left to sing backup on a plate. Even lurking in a frozen steamer bag, they can become rockstars. To jazz up steamed veggies bagged or fresh, mix two to three tbsp extra virgin olive oil, some lemon zest, the juice of half that lemon, couple of shakes of garlic and onion powder, 1 tbsp of Braggs Aminos or low sodium soy and some chopped parsley (or any fresh herb) and pour over cooked veggies — truly life changing. VV

Cauliflower is one of those unsung heroes that’s not only easy on the wallet, but it is a blank canvas to work with. Here, thick steak-like slices are seasoned to perfection, roasted in the oven and are hearty and filling. The spices are kept on point to match the stellar chimichurri sauce that accompanies them. If you don’t care for chimichurri, a wine caper butter sauce, marinara or served sauce-less would be just as good.

Just know that slicing will render some loose florets, so purchase two cauliflowers and use the best slices. Ensure they are cut to the same thickness for even cooking, are well-seasoned and monitor them to ensure they don’t burn as they get tender.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 425F

2 heads of cauliflower

1 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, ground cumin, 1 tsp of salt and fresh cracked pepper mixed in a small bowl

Extra virgin olive oil spray — EVOO

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil.

Keeping the core intact after the heads have been washed, cut into ¾-thick slices. Any loose florets can be roasted alongside as well. Three steaks are the usual out of a head.

Spray olive oil on the top of each slice and add the seasonings. Roast for about 15 minutes. Carefully turn over, spray the other side and season with the same spices, roasting an additional 15 minutes. Pierce with a toothpick or knife to ensure they are tender.

Serve with sauce on the side.

Chimichurri Sauce

The avenger of all sauces because it goes perfect with any meats, grilled veggies or as a dip on its own with some crunchy baguette. It’s superb on tacos, tostadas, empanadas and sandwiches and the best part — it is easy and inexpensive to make.

1 whole bunch each of cilantro and parsley

Zest of and juice of ½ lemon

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves — peeled and passed through a garlic press

½ tsp each of cumin and ground coriander

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil EVOO

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Chop the parsley and coriander very finely. Add to a bowl with the other ingredients and mix in the EVOO. Allow it to sit at least two hours for flavors to marry and adjust condiments as desired.

PANTRY RAT TIP — Monitor your spice cabinet because as with everything, spices have a shelf life and the bane of any cook is using condiments that are bad and will spoil your dish. The stale and rancid smell is a good indication, but just in case your nose isn’t 007, the expiration date says it all.

February

We are proud to present the Boomer Guide Expo — a one-of-a-kind fun and leisure-themed event that offers boomers and seniors a chance to learn, mingle and have fun with others. A variety of exhibitors, activities, workshops and more, the Boomer Guide Expo is sure to be an event you won’t want to miss.

‘Crocodile Rock’ — Elton John

“Crocodile Rock” became Elton John’s first No. 1 hit single on MCA Records. (In time, eight more would follow.) But rather than appreciate his rare good fortune, John apparently grew weary of the song and later grumbled, “The last time I have to sing ‘Crocodile Rock,’ I will probably throw a party. It became a big hit and people love to sing along with it.

“I play to amuse people and to entertain people, but I have to say, when the last show is done at the end of the last tour, I will never sing that song again.”

I remember when rock was young Me and Susie had so much fun

Holdin’ hands and skimmin’ stones

Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own “Crocodile Rock” is a microcosm of the past. A

retrospective fueled by longing for bygone days with a girlfriend. Priceless moments impossible to retrieve. Yet John’s lyricist Bernie Taupin has admitted, “I don’t mind having created it, but it’s not

Rock,” which was fun at the time, was just pop fluff.”

John’s hit song was based on two Bill Haley oldies — “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” and “See You Later, Alligator” (“After ’while, crocodile”).

But the biggest kick I ever got was doin’ a thing called the Crocodile Rock

While the other kids were rockin’ ‘round the clock

We were hoppin’ and boppin’ to the Crocodile Rock

something I would listen to. I don’t want people to remember me for “Crocodile Rock.” I’d much rather they remember me for songs like “Candle in the Wind,” songs that convey a message, a feeling.

Things like “Crocodile

John told rock historian Fred Bronson, “I wanted it to be a record all about the things I grew up with, all the great ’50s and ’60s records that we used to love. I always wanted to write one song, a nostalgia song, a rock and roll song which captured the right sounds. ‘Crocodile Rock’ is just a combination of so many songs, really — “Little Darlin,” “Oh, Carol,” some Beach Boys, they’re in there as

well, I suppose. Eddie Cochran, too. It’s just a combination of songs.’

Elton John (who was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947) was 10 when his parents

divorced. By then, the chubby, soft-spoken lad had six years of piano playing under his belt. With his rock-music-hating father out of the picture, John received encouragement from his mother when she handed him a copy of Elvis Presley’s breakout hit “Heartbreak Hotel.”

“I went on from there,” he said. “Pop was my whole life.”

He began using his pocket money to buy records and then pick out their melodies by ear on the family piano.

In “Crocodile Rock,” John manages to create an enduring music masterpiece that roars along with highoctane gusto, pounding piano lines and whirling synthesizer riffs adding to the retro-rock feel, as do the growling guitar lines, pulsating bass notes and throbbing drum beats.

It is, one might say, a justabout-perfect pop disc. VV

VIERA VOICE Shutterstock Elton John created an enduring music masterpiece with “Crocodile Rock.”

“I wanted it to be a record all about the things I grew up with, all the great ’50s and ’60s records that we used to love.”

—Elton John

Another important conference, the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, came to a close in December on a positive note with the signing of a historic agreement to halt biodiversity loss by 2030.

As National Geographic simply put, “biodiversity is a term used to describe the enormous variety of life on Earth. … (It) refers to every living thing, including plants, bacteria, animals and humans.”

And why does it matter to us?

Well, all species play a part and are important for the balance of the whole. The more diverse the species, the more resilient it becomes. Through ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity, a strong protection tapestry is woven to safeguard the planet and the environment we rely on for air, food, water and shelter.

Biodiversity is in the words of Kimp Preshoff of TEDEd, “Earth’s own safety net to safeguard our survival.”

According to cbd.int, a group concerned about the future of biodiversity gathered at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference to discuss vital points and work at a global level to create a framework “that provides a strategic vision and a global roadmap for the conservation, protection, restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems for the next decade.”

The framework focuses on 20 biodiversity goals, which are called the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

According to The Guardian, in Dec. 2022, with the support of 330 companies and investors,

countries signed a deal that “if implemented, could signal major changes to farming, business supply chains and the role of indigenous communities in conservation.”

Eva Zabey, the director of the corporate coalition Business for Nature, added, “Target 15 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, requiring that countries ask companies to disclose their nature impacts in their corporate reporting,” reinforces the idea that business as usual is not good for forward-thinking businesses or governments.

“It is economically shortsighted, will destroy value over the long term and it will no longer be accepted,” Zabey said.

So, “after more than four years of negotiations,” The Guardian reported, “nearly 200 countries — but not the U.S. or the Vatican — signed an agreement at the biodiversity COP15, which was co-hosted by Canada and China, to put humanity on a path to living in harmony with nature by the middle of the century.”

Despite not being legally binding, this agreement is a huge step toward recognizing that businesses rely on nature too, and it is in their vested interest to preserve it.

According to The New York Times, “The agreement comes as biodiversity is declining worldwide at rates never seen before in human

history. … (Sadly) while there are multiple causes of biodiversity loss, humans are behind each one. On land, the biggest driver is agriculture. At sea, it’s overfishing. Other factors include hunting, mining, logging, climate change, pollution and invasive species.”

“(With the new agreement), we are acknowledging that protecting the natural world represents a sum of linear efforts by governments, by businesses and by us — each one of us as individuals and consumers,” said Inger Andersen, the executive director of the UN environment programme.”

We know that we all need to pitch in, but we also know that some will have more immediate and bigger impact than others.

That is the point Jason Clay of TEDGlobal makes in his talk from 2010 entitled, “How big brands

can help save biodiversity.”

Clay’s argument is that consumers cannot bear the responsibility of knowing the latest science to identify sustainable products to purchase.

The responsibility for producing only sustainable products falls on the producers. We should only have sustainable products on the shelves. Besides, one producer is able to have a much higher impact than one consumer — and faster.

The same is true about waste — the responsibility currently falls on the consumer while it should really be shared with manufacturers.

There is still much to be changed, but we are witnessing positive steps toward better solutions and those must be celebrated.

Small local efforts also deserve to be celebrated. Through the efforts of

Great Trips planned for 2023

Wizard

volunteers, supporters and partners, in six months Recycle Brevard was able to divert more than 2,500 pounds of waste from the landfill between recycling campaign signs in a project led by the League of Women Voters of the Space Coast, donating reusable materials to Brevard teachers and other projects.

This may be nothing compared to global targets, but we see the issue and have joined others to tackle it. It all adds up.

To more positive actions in 2023 — and much happiness for thee! VV

Email Marcia Booth at Marcia@RecycleBrevard. org . Booth is the president and founder of Recycle Brevard. It is an independent nonprofit organization 100% run by volunteers focused on reducing waste and promoting sustainable living.

sign up is Dec. 20.

Strawberry Festival, March 9 — $119 Join us for our annual trip to Senior Day at the Festival. Morning concert is Bill Haley Jr. and The Comets and reserved seating for the afternoon concert featuring Tommy James and the Shondells. Trip includes gate entrance, reserved seating for afternoon concert and strawberry shortcake. Sign up by Feb. 20. The earlier you sign up, the better the seat. Shen Yun, March 18 — $215 Shen Yun takes you on an extraordinary journey through 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture. Trip includes lunch and orchestra seating. Minimum of 35 needed for trip. Sign up by Jan. 15.

Glacier National Park and The Canadian Rockies Calgary Stampede Option, July 15 - 23 Or take in the Calgary Stampede join us on July 13 to begin your trip. As of 2022, Canada requires vaccination to enter their country. Rates starting at $3700 per person based on double occupancy. Deposit is $250 per person plus insurance.

American Queen Empress, July 23 - 31 Sail on a paddlewheel boat on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

Rates include 1 pre-night hotel in Vancouver Washington, unlimited beverages, wifi, daily onboard enrichment and hop on/off in each port of call. Deposit is $250 per person due by Dec. 10.

Recycle Brevard

Welcome 2023

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Red Eye Big Cup Golf Tournament

8:30 a.m.

Two-person scramble. Duran Golf Club 7032 Stadium Parkway Viera, 321-504-7776

Belly Dancing

12:30 - 1:30 p.m. The fee is $2 for members and $3 for non-members.

Martin Andersen Senior Center 1025 S. Florida Ave. Rockledge, 321-631-7549

Women's Pickleball 10 a.m. $2 per person

Viera Community Center 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way Viera, 321-433-4891

Boomer Trivia 4 - 6 p.m. Free to play.

Pizza Gallery 2250 Town Center Ave. Viera, 321-633-0397

Seaside Quilt Show Group 1 - 5 p.m. Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

New Year's Day National

Sit-n-Stitch 1 - 3 p.m. Embroidery, knitting and crochet group.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Trivia Night 6 p.m. Hook & Eagle Tavern 2300 Clubhouse Drive Viera, 321-639-3487

Sip & Smoke 5:30 - 9 p.m. Viera's only cigar- and spirit-themed monthly event. 28 North Gastropub 2250 Town Center Ave. Viera, 321-241-1159

Brevard Youth Chorus Auditions 5 - 7 p.m. For boys and girls in grades 4 - 10.

Advent Lutheran Church 7550 N. Wickham Road Suntree, 321-610-8731

Brevard Antiques & Collectibles 9:30 a.m. - noon Call to get the theme for the month.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Ballroom Dance Lessons 2 p.m. Martin Andersen Senior Center 1025 S. Florida Ave. Rockledge, 321-452-1944

2023 Duo Dash 5K 7:30 a.m.

Fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida. Viera Community Center 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way Viera, 407-478-2999

Game on! Run for Responders 5K 6 - 8 p.m. 5K Run/Walk benefiting Survive First and honoring first responders. Cocoa Riverfront Park 401 Riveredge Blvd. Cocoa, 321-302-0382

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Classic Car Cruise and Dance

Noon - 4 p.m.

All vehicles welcome.

Fresh Scratch Bistro 1940 Highway A1A IHB, 321-725-3648

Trumpeter John DePaola Concert

2 - 4 p.m. Presented by the Space Coast Jazz Society.

Veterans Memorial Center 400 S. Sykes Creek Parkway Merritt Island, 321-453-1776

Investors Business Education Group 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Group that meets to talk about stock market investments.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Election Day

Pizza With a Purpose at Pizza Gallery 5 - 8 p.m. Benefit Bridges BTC. Pizza Gallery 2250 Town Center Ave. Viera, 321-690-3464

Podcasting - Space Coast Area Podcasters 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Meet to share ideas and learn from other podcasters. 150 Sheriff Drive Viera, 321-831-2411

Wednesday Art Group

1:30 - 4 p.m.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Trivia Night 6 p.m. Hook & Eagle Tavern 2300 Clubhouse Drive Viera, 321-639-3487

Community Conversation: Mission Space Coast Noon Presented by the EDC and Space Coast Office of Tourism.

EDC Space Coast 6525 3rd St., #304 Rockledge, 321-638-2000

TGIF Seaside Piecemakers 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Quilting group Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Karaoke Night 6 - 10 p.m. Hook & Eagle Tavern 2300 Clubhouse Drive Viera, 321-639-3487

Dig Day 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Help Quest Elementary with its Community Learning Garden.

RSVP to tunyurl.com/ Questdigday2023

Quest Elementary School 8751 Trafford Drive, Viera Viera East Farmers Market 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Woodside Park 1705 Crane Creek Drive Viera, facebook.com/ VEfarmersmarket/

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Brevard Renaissance Fair Every Saturday and Sunday in January A full cast of colorful characters with more than 100 stage shows daily, varieties of foods and treats, and numerous artisan merchants with handcrafted wares. Wickham Park 2500 Parkway Drive Melbourne, 321-458-3515

Suntree Country Club 5K 7:30 a.m. Benefit for Noah’s Heart. Suntree Country Club 300 Country Club Drive Suntree, 321-242-6230

Books are Always Better Book Club 6:30 - 7:45 p.m. January's book is “Paris Wife” by Paula McClain. Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Space Coast Poets Meeting 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Sit-n-Stitch 1 -3 p.m. Embroidery, knitting and crochet group.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Storytime for ages to 7 years.

4 - 4:30 p.m. Stories, singing and a takehome craft.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Skin Cancer Awareness Lecture 2 - 3 p.m. Lisa Conway, RN, will discuss ways to prevent and treat skin cancer.

The Brennity at Melbourne 7300 Watersong Way Viera, 321-635-0130

Parkinson’s Support Group 11 a.m. Shell Harbor 2855 Murrell Road Rockledge, 321-754-1560

Lunch and Learn: Ringing Ears 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Presented by Personal Hearing Solutions. RSVP required. One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Viera, 321-751-6771

Thirsty 3rd Thursday 5 - 8 p.m. The Avenue Viera Central Park 2261 Town Center Ave Viera, 321-634-5390

Saint Paul's Festival Fundraiser 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fundraiser to prepare classrooms.

Saint Paul's Church & School 7200 N. Wickham Road Viera, 321-259-1130

Platinum Amateur Radio 9 a.m. - Noon A ham radio group. Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Cocoa Beach Kite & Beach Festival

Jan. 21 and 22 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Coconuts on the Beach Minutemen Causeway Cocoa Beach, 321-693-3159

Scottish Country Dancing 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Mondays All ages are welcome, no partner necessary. The Springs of Suntree Clubhouse 8300 Holiday Springs Road Suntree, 321-427-3587

ANA Coin Talk with Bob 6 - 7:45 p.m.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Non-Fiction Book Club 3 - 5 p.m. January’s discussion is on "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Suntree/Viera Book Club 10 - 11:30 a.m. Discussion is on “Educated” by Tara Westover.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Trivia Night 6 p.m. Hook & Eagle Tavern 2300 Clubhouse Drive Viera, 321-639-3487

Medicaid Planning 10 - 11 a.m. Seminar presented by William A. Johnson, board certified Elder Law attorney.

Registration required. One Senior Place 8085 Spyglass Hill Road Viera, 321-751-6771

Monster Slay Day 2 - 4 p.m. Ages 9 to 17 years.

Role-playing games will be played where you go on adventures, develop problem-solving skills and cooperatively build the story.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

Haven Challenge Golf Tournament 7 a.m. Hosted by The Haven for Children Board of Directors.

Duran Golf Club 7032 Stadium Parkway Viera, 321-676-6888

Brevard County Firefighters Seventh annual Chili CookOff Noon - 4 p.m. Cocoa Riverfront Park 401 Riveredge Blvd. Cocoa, 321-863-1690

Melbourne Mystic Faire Jan. 28

Marine Corps Birthday

Hot Toddy Day

Mikcey Mouse's Birthday

National Pie Day

National Hat Day

National Mousse Day

National Use Your Gift Card Turtle Adoption Day

Earth's Rotation Day National Pharmacist Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

National Cheese Lovers Day

NASA's Day of Remembrance National Daisy Day

National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day National Trivia Day National Bird Day

National Save the Eagles Day International Kite Day

National Forest Day National Popcorn Day

National Peanut Butter Day National Florida Day

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

The Brevard Prevention Coalition brought streetball heat to Viera High School, where the world-renowned Court Kingz played The Enforcers, the Brevard County Sheriff’s team, with the Kingz taking home the win (132-87) with impressive basketball moves.

Brevard Prevention Coalition is a nonprofit organization whose focus is to reduce substance abuse among youth and help to promote positive life choice in the community.

Court Kingz is also a nonprofit that works to impact youth with a solid Christian message and help other nonprofit organizations with fundraising.

The Dec. 12 event in Viera featured Grayson Boucher, “The Professor,” who told the crowd at the game that through a purpose-driven life, with tenacity and resolution, the youth of the community have many choices ahead of them. The hope is that they make the right choice.

The game also was a tribute to the Kingz general manager Simon Martinez, who passed away from COVID-19 complications in October 2021. He was the brother of Victor Martinez, the founder of the organization.

“We’ve partnered with the Kingz, also a nonprofit, to bring awareness to the youth in our community and were honored to have hosted them here in Viera for such a special event,” said Stanley Brizz, the executive director of BPC.

“With the ‘I Choose ME’ empowerment and prevention

initiative, we hope to make Brevard County a safe and friendly place to live and play. We were thrilled we had someone of Grayson’s caliber delivering our message to Brevard’s young community.”

The BPC drives diverse schoolbased prevention programs to build a substance abuse free community and demonstrate there are choices to creatively prevent addiction and overdoses.

The game was one of the varied outreach programs brought by the BPC to empower and inform young kids of the many ways to

fight substance abuse and improve mental health in Brevard County. Their aim is to highlight a positive career path, no matter what life circumstances or upbringing they’ve endured.

“Intrinsically, it’s natural for young people not to listen to adults,” Brizz said. “‘Just Say No’ isn’t enough anymore with a socially and economically distressed landscape where kids are continually turning to drugs, alcohol and addiction. With ‘I Choose ME,’ we hope to make an impact.”

Their initiatives support the

involvement of law enforcement which strengthens the efforts among nonprofit organizations, government agencies and businesses to empower long-term improvement in the battle against substance abuse.

“By having these kids watch The Enforcers play ball with a team like the Kingz, it creates a less negative impact on law enforcement and humanizes them in the eyes of our young community,” Brizz said.

For more information on BPC, visit brevardprevention.org.

For more game photos, check out vieravoice.com VV

VIERA VOICE Jill Blue

The 'I Choose ME' initiative brought streetball heat to Viera High School. It hopes to reduce substance abuse.

Romance with cars continues for Indialantic resident

BY MARIA SONNENBERG

Bill Antonetz never met a car he didn’t like.

The Indialantic resident, who orchestrates classic car shows, started his love affair with his first set of

wheels, a 1954 DeSoto, at age 12.

“My uncle was going to junk it because it needed work, but it still ran,” Antonetz said.

For a few dollars, the uncle signed over the title, and Antonetz, under the guidance of his father, began the DeSoto rebirth.

“Piece by piece, I took the car apart,” he said.

His father, who taught automobile mechanics, guided him in the restoration of the engine. Although Antonetz was too young to drive on the street, he would drive it up and down his family’s driveway, as friends looked in awe.

Antonetz’s romance with cars proved profitable during the 30 years he sold Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles in Westport, Connecticut.

“I loved going to work,” he said.

When he retired to Florida, the condominium building he chose for a residence did hamper the number of cars he could keep, but Antonetz managed to still stay close to classic cars by scheduling car shows, or gathering of cars, as he prefers to call them,

As a volunteer, Antonetz organizes three monthly

Puzzle page 32

car shows that draw hundreds of vehicles waiting to be ogled.

“I don’t do it for the money,” he said.

Food Truck Wars & Car Show Sunday, Feb. 5

USSSA Space Coast Stadium

From 8 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of the month, you will find Antonetz and a couple of hundred other motorheads at the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot in Indialantic. From 5 to 8 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month, the car gathering is in the parking area surrounding Friendly’s at the corner of Eau Gallie Boulevard and State Road A1A. He also recently added another at Fresh Scratch Bistro, usually from noon to 4 p.m. on select Sundays. He also manages similar gatherings at senior communities such as Chateau Madeleine and Victoria Landing.

As first volunteer at the American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne, Antonetz additionally helps

during the many fundraisers the venue offers as a gift to the community.

“He has been such a blessing,” said Kerry Fink, the executive director of Helping Seniors of Brevard, a nonprofit that connects older residents with needed resources such as housing.

The charity depends on an annual new car raffle for half of its budget. With his insider knowledge of the car world, Antonetz was able to direct Fink and his team to events and groups that significantly added to the bottom line of this year’s raffle of a 2023 Camaro.

“We raised $20,000 more than last year, and I have to thank Bill for that,” Fink said.

Antonetz is just happy he can share the joy.

“Everything I do, I do for the love of the hobby,” he said. VV

VIERA VOICE Courtesy of Bill Antonetz

Bill Antonetz grew up with a love for cars and continues organizing dozens of car shows each year. Solution,

Female Veterans Village residents in Cocoa given generous surprise

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

The residents of the Female Veterans Village in Cocoa were in for a sweet and generous surprise.

The Home Depot Foundation covered their mortgages for the month of December.

The Space Coast Habitat for Humanity hosted Breakfast and Birdhouses, where The Home Depot announced that its foundation would make the mortgage payment for a month for each of the veterans.

“We asked the residents to join us for Breakfast and Birdhouses to thank them for their service, but the real surprise came from the Home Depot Foundation covering their December mortgages,” said Anna Terry, the executive director at Space Coast Habitat for Humanity.

It was part of The Home Depot’s national campaign, Operation Surprise, in which Team Depot volunteers have completed hundreds of service projects and provided many surprises to honor Veterans Day in both November and December.

“Honoring veterans is very personal to The Home Depot, as more than 35,000 of the company’s associates are veterans or military spouses,”

said Frank Branson, the Team Depot captain.

The colorful birdhouses presented to veterans were handmade by the Suntree Viera Youth Football League/ Pop Warner.

The Home Depot’s gift was to support veteran homeowners. It’s part of a campaign where Team Depot completed hundreds of service projects from

Veterans Day through December to provide moments of joy and surprise along the way.

Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has invested $400 million in veteran causes around the nation. Additionally, during the past 10 years, the foundation has helped to renovate and enhance more than 50,000 veterans’ homes

and facilities. It ensures that the nation’s heroes have a safe, comfortable place to call home that fits their individual needs. They’ve partnered with many nonprofits throughout the country, according to Home Depot. Operation Surprise is all about service, giving back and upholding the Home Depot core values to paint a brighter future for many communities.

“It was a special morning for everyone and we’re also very grateful to the City of Cocoa and Diamond Square (Community Redevelopment Agency), as they’ve been so instrumental in the development and building of these homes,” Terry said. VV

“It was a special morning for everyone and we're also very grateful to the City of Cocoa and Diamond Square, as they've been so instumental in the development and building of these homes." — Anna Terry

VIERA VOICE Jill Blue

Residents of the Female Veterans Village in Cocoa were jubilant when The Home Depot Foundation paid their mortgages for the month of December.

VIERA VOICE Jill Blue

Sanjanette Scott, a veteran, lives in the Female Veterans Village in Cocoa. She moved into her home in the village on Dec. 15.

JAN. 6

Friday Night Dancing

6:30 - 11 p.m.

Dance lesson, 6:30 - 7 p.m. Music, 7 p.m. Raffles and door prizes. BYOB.

Brevard Veterans Memorial Center 400 S. Sykes Creek Parkway Merritt Island, 321-453-1776

Los Angeles Piano Trio Concert

7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Presented by the Melbourne Chamber Music Society.

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church 2030 N. Highway A1A Indialantic, 321-213-5100

Brevard Antiques & Collectibles

9:30 a.m. - noon

Suntree/Viera Library Suntree, 321-255-4404

JAN. 8

Yoga in Nature

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Registration is required the day before class.

Enchanted Forest Sanctuary 444 Columbia Blvd. Titusville, 321-264-5185.

JAN. 14

Miracle City HarleyDavidson Car & Truck Show

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Miracle City Harley Davidson 2405 S. Hopkins Ave., Titusville 321-948-7553

TAPS Support Group

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Support group for those who have lost anyone who served in the military. Suntree/Viera Library Suntree, 321-255-4404

Sea Turtle Preservation Society — Turtle Talk

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Cape Canaveral Library 201 Polk Ave. Cape Canaveral, 321-868-1101

JAN. 18

TV Tunes Tonight, Jazz on TV Jan. 18 and 19 • 7 p.m.

Melbourne Municipal Band. Melbourne Auditorium Melbourne, 321-724-0555

Neighbors Book Group

2 - 4:30 p.m.

Suntree/Viera Library 902 Jordan Blass Drive Suntree, 321-255-4404

JAN. 20

Cocoa Beach Kite & Beach Fest

Jan. 20, 7 - 9 p.m. Jan. 21, 22, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Sport Kite Competition and Festival

DARK ‘N STORMY COCKTAIL

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

A Dark n’ Stormy is a highball cocktail and a close cousin to the Moscow Mule. The only difference is the Mule uses vodka and is served in a copper mug and here rum is the superstar and it is mixed in a tall tumbler.

A drink favored by the sailing and boating set, its lineage can be traced to an island in the Atlantic and it’s Bermuda’s unofficial drink of choice. Legend says an English sailor compared the drink’s murky hue to the color of a stormy sky, unfit for sailing. Since Bermuda is a shipwreck graveyard with more than 300 sunken vessels, the drink’s name was a perfect choice.

A dark rum is needed here and the choice is Gosling’s Black Rum, since they hold the patent for the Dark n’ Stormy. It provides notes of vanilla, caramel and deep spice that aren’t carried through in other rums. Also, note that ginger ale isn’t a substitute to the spicy ginger beer, which is classic in this drink. VV

Coconuts on the Beach Minutemen Causeway Cocoa Beach 321-693-3159

The Space Race 3K 7 p.m. The Space Race 3K is a walk/ run throughout the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex that benefits United Way of Brevard.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex SR 405

Kennedy Space Center, runsignup.com

Sweetheart's Sock Hop 50s and 60s Rock & Roll 7 p.m.

Presented by the Melbourne Municipal Band.

Melbourne Auditorium 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd. Melbourne, 321-724-0555

Line Dance Social 6 - 9 p.m. The January theme is Blast from the Past. North Brevard Senior Center 909 Lane Ave. Titusville 321-269-2333

JAN. 21

Manatee Hustle 5K 8 a.m.

First Baptist Church of Indialantic 170 Washington Ave. Indialantic, runsignup.com

Space Coast Shell Festival

Jan. 21, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Jan. 22, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Artistic and scientific displays. Vendors for a great shopping opportunity. Eau Gallie Civic Center 1551 Highland Ave. Melbourne, 321-536-2896

VIERA