Vero Beach News Weekly

Page 1

Inside

T H U R S D A Y

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

V O L .

1 ,

I S S U E

2 9

Entertainment option Just down the road in Fort Pierce, the Sunrise Theatre is attracting big name artists Page 23

Lee Corso talks a little football The ESPN analyst and former college football coach lets loose at substance abuse fundraiser Page 18

FILE PHOTO

1936-2011

Billy Livings tended to a generation of Vero athletes Page 7 City Manager satisfied overall with storm response Page 3

Storm can’t stop Taste of Vero Despite some early rain, the beachside food bash turned out to be a tasty treat Page 16

FORUM 12 22 CALENDAR ENTERTAINMENT 25

TO ADVERTISE CALL MARTINE FECTEAU 772.696.2004 MARK SCHUMANN 772.696.5233


Lange & Sykes

Your Barrier Island Waterfront Specialists Selling your home in today’s competitive market takes more than just putting it into MLS and crossing your fingers. A top dollar sale comes from our aggressive marketing program and our Vero Beach marketplace know-how. Let our successfully proven talents in design, renovation, home staging, waterfront property expertise and negotiating produce results for YOU!

You CAN get rid of that shaving cream once and for all with PERMANENT LASER HAIR REMOVAL. And if you want to milk it for all it’s worth, then get rid of the bikini line, too. FOREVER!

/DQJH 6\NHV 5HDOWRUŠ Ä Ä ODQJH#ODQJHV\NHV FRP

)($785(' 3523(57<

Exceptional custom, 4br/5.5 ba Palm Island Plantation home. Private lot, pool, spa, all available builder upgrades. One of the best values on the Barrier Island!

ZZZ ODQJHV\NHV FRP

772.562.2400 Anne Harrell, CME, CCE ofďŹ ce@verocosmetic.com

&DURO\Q /DQJH 5HDOWRUŠ Ä Ä FDURO\Q#ODQJHV\NHV FRP

2901 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32963

'HQWLVWU\ IRU WKH :+2/( IDPLO\ :H VWULYH IRU ([FHOOHQFH ZKLOH FUHDWLQJ DQG PDLQWDLQLQJ \RXU VPLOH

Ä (VWKHWLF 'HQWULVWU\ ([WUHPH 0DNHRYHUV Ä 6DPH GD\ 3RUFHODLQ &URZQV )LOOLQJV Ä ,Q +RXVH /DERUDWRU\ Ä 'HQWXUHV 3DUWLDOV Ä 6SRUWV 'HQWLVWU\ Ä 'HQWDO ,PSODQWV Ä ([WUDFWLRQV

3OHDVH &DOO WK 6WUHHW 9HUR %HDFK )ORULGD

-RH 7KRPDV ''6


gCQTH dO8=

3

!

BY IAN LOVE

C oldwel l Ban ker E d S ch litt Re altors® Island Pre v ie ws International Office

FlColdwellBankerPREVIEWS.com

LUXURY OCEANFRONT CONDOMINIUMS North Hutchinson Island previews office

772-464-7007 THE ATRIUM

| + rOP- < rT;L- ( qT? lT?TMO | fTD6 r:KH; jD= | o7;?TC?PKDT?6 \AM?TPO= ]L?C:MLC:;

fg^ U(<<#!z

cNNO?OP T; {#!B-BBB

THE ATRIUM

| + rOP- <m! rT;L- ( qT? lT?TMO | rOT:;KN:HH6 n:?DK=LOP | ]:?D hO6- _OTP6 ;C fC9O jD

fg^ U((z<+%

cNNO?OP T; {#"B-BBB

GRAND ISLE - 4 Bed, 3.5 Baths, 1 Car Garage - Over 2,700sf - Beautiful Upgrades Throughout

fg^ U(("(<(

cNNO?OP T; {!+*-*BB Vero Beach Island previews office

772-231-4880 ALTAMIRA

- 3 Bed, 3 1/2 Bath, 2 Car Garage - Beautiful Unit - Ocean and River Views - Feels like a HOUSE!

fg^ U(("*<*

cNNO?OP T; {%<!-BBB

OCEAN PEARL

- 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Underground Parking Garage - Magnificent Views - Excellent Ammenities

fg^ U(<<#"+

cNNO?OP T; {"<(-BBB

PARAGON

- 3 Bed, 3.5 Bath, 2 Car Garage - Stunning Unit - Over 2,700sf - Private Elevator Entry

fg^ U(<BB"B

cNNO?OP T; {""*-BBB

N E W S W E E K L Y

pOPKQT;OP ;C g:7:?6 _OTH o=;T;O

B E A C H

CONTINUES ON PAGE 5

V E R O

conditions they were working in. People wanted to comment on the fact that they would get up in that kind of weather and do that type of work.” While there has been some public speculation the weekend outages provided evidence the city should sell the electric utility to Florida Power & Light, O’Connor had a more measured assessment. “Even if this system was state-ofthe-art you would have seen outages. I think if you go up and down the East Coast where the storm hit you will find there were outages. When you have that constant wind and 11 inches of rain it makes it difficult. “I think most people are saying the power plant is the antiquated part of the system. Well the power plant

!

had real extensive problems.” O’Connor said the overriding message heard from citizens was over the breakdown in the phone system, but that workers also received praise from residents for braving 50 mileper-hour winds and the steady downpour to restore power. “We have about 33,000 customers so I would say the number of calls was limited, but I did hear about the phone system and that seemed to be the real critical problem for people - that they couldn’t get through to anybody,” he said. “I had people call about extensive outages and I found just that one neighborhood that had an outage too extensive to be acceptable. “And then I had calls praising the work that the crews did given the

2 0 1 1

VERO BEACH -- Vero Beach City Manager Jim O’Connor said while the performance was not completely satisfactory, crews working to restore electricity to city customers during the downpour and wind gusts two weekends ago did a respectable job. “I thought the organization itself did fairly well,” he said. However, the havoc caused by 12 inches of rain and steady winds throughout the weekend, did show some weakness in the system. Most notable, according to O’Connor, was the phone system being overwhelmed by calls leaving customers literally and figuratively in the dark finding out when service might be restored or knowing if their report of

an outage had been noted. “We fell down in that department we are going to take corrective action,” the city manager said. “We were able to handle the first few calls that came in, but it eventually got to the point that it was giving the same recording to everyone so we have to address that.” O’Connor also noted that one neighborhood of about seven homes went overnight without power and termed that lapse “unacceptable.” “That was too long. The outage started on Saturday and we responded and turned it back on, but later that afternoon or evening it went out again and we were not able to get back there until Sunday,” he said. “That was unacceptable, but that was the only neighborhood that I saw that

2 0 ,

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

O C T O B E R

City Manager satisfied overall with storm response


LOCAL NEWS

Piper to review jet program, two executives leave company VERO BEACH — Piper Aircraft Inc., which just two weeks ago was touting its Altaire business jet program at an industry convention, announced this week that further development of the jet is under review and two senior executives are no longer working for the company. Gone are President and Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Berger and Executive Vice President Randy Groom. Groom joined Piper as executive vice president in June 2010 and headed up their sales efforts; Berger joined as chief executive officer in July 2010. It is unclear if their departure was voluntary, involuntary or by mutual agreement. Company spokeswoman Jackie Carlon, would only confirm that Groom and Berger were no longer working for Piper. Simon Caldecott, vice president of operations, has been named interim

president and chief executive officer. Caldecott joined Piper in 2009 and was named vice president of operations in November 2010. Caldecott said he expects a decision within two weeks on whether to go forward with the jet program. He said the company could decide to continue with the program, put it on hold, or cancel it entirely. He said employment decisions also would be made at that time. Piper sent out a press release dated Oct. 4 in which the now departed Groom spoke of the Altaire Jet as the next step for the company as it attempted to break into the business jet market. The release was timed ahead of the National Business Aviation Association convention from Oct. 10 to Oct. 12. Less a week after the business jet convention, Groom and Berger were

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

4

“Comprehensive Care, Uncompromising Service”

CALL NOW FOR OUR $97 NEW PATIENT SPECIAL! 0% INTEREST FINANCING AVAILABLE

Don’t let fear of the dentist keep you from achieving your dental goals. At Beachside Dental we are pleased to offer the latest in IV CONSCIOUS SEDATION during your dental treatment. Find comfort that goes beyond a “pill”.

Ask us about our services • IV SEDATION • Veneers • Cosmetic Dentistry • Dental Implants • In-office Whitening • Root Canals

• EMERGENCY CARE • Crowns and Bridges • Children’s Dentistry • Extractions • Denture Repair • TMD & Chronic Pain

Matthew J. Henry, DDS

772-234-5353 | www.beachsidedental.com | 5070 N A1A, Indian River Shores, In the Oak Point Building next to CVS

gone and the new jet program was under review. The company’s core business of general aviation aircraft has been performing ahead of financial expectations for the year, Caldecott said, although he still anticipates sales being relatively flat again next year. At last week’s conference, the company did announce Airline Transport Professionals, of Jacksonville, would be purchasing 10 Piper Seminoles with an option to buy 20 more. Piper’s currently employs between 840 and 850 people, with almost 200 engineers and other workers assigned to the development of the new single-engine business jet. At one time, Piper officials said they had over 200 advance orders for the new jet, which was redesigned and renamed the Altaire to much fanfare last October. The first version of the

PiperJet was slated to roll out as early as late 2011, but that was pushed back to 2014 when the re-design took place. Caldecott said Piper will take into consideration the number of advance orders it has along with the economy and market conditions in determining whether to move forward with the jet. Piper is owned by Singapore-based Imprimis, which purchased the company with money from the Brunei government. The construction of the PiperJet and the jobs it would produce was a selling point company supporters used in obtaining government incentives to keep the company in Vero Beach. The county and state came up with a $32 million incentive package, successfully competing with several other comCONTINUES ON PAGE 5


/, 1 ./ ('

/,4/7, )/&3) 27)-(

&/(/+,( S@7DF5 :FDH;R 9D7CDF5@:; 9>46R C4>>0 C47;@6ADER YUK'-#"UVR GD65 3@D26/ )MNJ.$-!"Y$% +<!!R!!!

*366.3 67$ 3('7'3(

(7,4*+/,'3 %3('

T>H66@F *UK 9::> A:=DR 7D;:3H5DE# O4D65 8576# P:7=D7 =:ED> H;E @5 6A:26/ UDH45@C4> *UK'Y#"UVR +(XXR!!! 9::># O:7BD:46/ )MNJ.$$&-YX% $'-, HF7D 2'LH?6/ )MNJ.$$<<<X% +(X"R!!!

(0+)3.7,4( 37('

/,4/7, ')7/.(

,3 %

./ (' /, 1

UDH45@C4> Y'-#" 9::> A:=D# QH65 :C V$VR =D5H> *UK'*#"UV'Y TH7R B:47=D5 ?@5FAD;R @=9:75DE +"Y"R!!! +"XXRX!! 7::CR C@7D9>HFD# )MNJ.$--(X"% 2::E C>::76# )MNJ.$$<&"!%

+537,17'3

(37 5+&3

KD=:ED>DE 9D;5A:46DR -UK'-UV H971 -!!! 6C 2' -UK'-UVR CHG4>:46 E@7DF5 :FDH; 3@D26R BH7HBD +**XRX!! +*&"R!!! 9H7?@;BR C47;@6ADE# )MNJ.$--($"% BH7HBD 9H7?@;B# )MNJ.$$((&!%

,,,#('""-!)($&'*%)(+#&'* 11+#+/4#4+12 : //11 6)$*8 "5;0$% .$57 &$*)!% <975;'* /+-,/ : 322#,/(#(4((

N E W S W E E K L Y

Q184@6@5D F7HC56=H;6A@9/ NH?DC7:;5R -#" +<XXR!!! 9@F547D684D HF7D6# )MNJ.$!<"$Y%

B E A C H

munities that were trying to lure the company away. The package called for providing $12 million in county money and $20 million from the state if the company met certain benchmarks in investments and employment. Piper used about $4 million of incentive money from the county and $6.7 million from the state in 2008, combining that with its own money

to make various capital improvements and repairs to its buildings. The company has not met the employment numbers needed for additional payments and could have to repay oneseventh of the money it received if it fails to meet certain benchmarks by the end of the year. Caldecott said even if the Altaire does not move forward, Piper can use the buildings and equipment for its core business.

V E R O

PIPER FROM PAGE 4

*7.- /(.7,4 *.7,'7'/+, N41470 -Z65:70 *UK'*#"UV F:4750H7E 9::> A:=D# +$R$!!R!!! SD6@B;D7 C@;@6AD6# )MNJ.$$&"YY%

!

couldn’t produce power because it had no lines to generate out of. The power plant was not the issue, distribution was the issue. A live oak tree will take down a line, I don’t care if it was strung the day before,” O’Connor said. FP&L spokeswoman Jackie Anderson confirmed that the electric utility had its share of outages during that Saturday, Sunday and Monday stretch. The company serves about 50,000 customers in Indian River County and over that three-day period over 12,000 of those customers were without power for some period of time. O’Connor said one of the reasons the outages were so extensive for Vero Beach electric was that not one, but

two substations went down over the weekend. “Those are transmission lines between substations,” he said. “They have absolutely no customers, but when those go down it can hit a pretty wide area. We were able to do our switching when the first line went down. To be able to do that limited the outages on Saturday and we were able to manage that much better. But when those consistent winds came on Sunday we had no backup when the other substation went down.” He also noted that having a pair of substations go down during one event is a rare occurrence. “To have two of your transmission lines affected like ours were is just something that doesn’t happen very often,” he said.

+)50/4 /(.3 3('7'3( IH5D7C7:;5 >@3@;B 2@5A E:F? H;E ADH5DE 6:>H7 +$R-!!R!!! 9::># )MNJ.$--((!%

2 0 1 1

CITY MANAGER FROM PAGE 3

2 0 ,

A little retail therapy is always a good thing, but when a buying excursion helps support breast cancer awareness it’s time to shop till you drop. About 29 beachside merchants participated in the Shopping for a Cure event last Friday, donating a portion of the day’s sales to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. In its inaugural year, the Oceanside Business Association was the largest single donor to the American Cancer Association of Indian River County, says Deana Marchant, owner of Sassy Boutique.

To raise more funds, raffle tickets were also sold at the Sunset Saturday Night concert, which was cancelled on its customary first Saturday of the month due to the rain and high winds. Nonetheless, the concert was held on the second Saturday of October, helping to augment the amount given in support. Raffle winners received gifts from The Beach Shop, Penelope’s and Shells ‘n Things; overnight accommodations at the Vero Beach Hotel and Spa and Marriott Springhill Suites; and three hours of housekeeping from Karen L. Dobson, Inc. and a broker’s opinion from Vero Beach Sales and Rentals.

,3 %

BY LISA RYMER VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

0%2, 1+))+$' 3. !(/#* !3.&# %"""-

O C T O B E R

Beachside shops support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

5

!

JFH; 2@5A 0:47 J=H75 9A:;D/

LOCAL NEWS


6

Consultant: There are others interested in Vero Beach electric and water and sewer VERO BEACH — Florida Power and Light is apparently not the only company interested in the city’s electric system, just as Indian River County is not the only entity in acquiring the city’s water and sewer system, according to Gerald Hartman, vice president of GAI Consultants of Orlando. Hartman told City Manager Jim O’Connor he would contact him about the calls he has been receiving from other companies expressing an interest in the city’s utilities. Council members also heard from one of the city’s transactional attorneys, Richard Miller of Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, who told

Indian River Medical Center welcomes

Arley Peter, M.D., FACC to Indian River Medical Associates

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

LOCAL NEWS DIGEST

Arley Peter, M.D., FACC Board Certified in Cardiology, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology and Internal Medicine

V E R O

Board certified in cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and internal medicine, Dr.Arley Peter has recently become a member of Indian River Medical Associates.

Arley Peter, M.D., FACC Diplomate of the American Board of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine Board Certified in Nuclear Cardiology and Echocardiography

Dr. Peter earned his medical degree at the University of Federal do Ceara in Brazil. His residency and cardiology fellowship were completed at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, in Miami, Florida. He is board certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialty of cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine and by the National Board of Echocardiography and the Board of Nuclear Cardiology. Dr. Peter has been a member of the Indian River Medical Center medical staff since 2010. Dr. Peter provides comprehensive cardiology services in two locations—in Sebastian and Vero Beach. His full-time practice remains in Sebastian, now in the Sebastian Medical Suites building adjacent to Indian River Medical Center's Urgent Care Center, Lab Express draw station, and Medication Management Clinic. Dr. Peter will continue to offer office hours in Vero Beach as well, now at the Kurtell Medical Center building. New Sebastian Location

New Vero Beach Location

Sebastial Medical Suites 801 Wellness Way, Suite 109 Sebastian, FL 32958

Kurtell Medical Center 787 37th Street, Suite E140 Vero Beach, FL 32960

Adjacent to Walmart on US1

.2 miles east of Indian River Medical Center

Most insurance accepted. Now accepting new patients.

Cardiology

Call 772.918.4716 to schedule an appointment.

The Right Care Right Here

them FPL might need until the end of the year to have an agreement ready for consideration as soon as possible. He said once any contract is reached with the city, FPL indicated it could be up to an additional two years before all the necessary approvals are obtained and a deal is finalized that would allow FPL to take over the utility. Any purchase would require approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. The U.S. Department of Justice also would review any deal. The Florida Public Service Commission would have to approve a new territorial agreement and the rates. FPL originally discussed paying the city $100 million in cash for the city’s system, taking over pension liabilities tied to the current city electric employees and hiring the electric employees for up to two years. Under that proposal, FPL also would offer city electric customers the same electric rate as its current customers, which have been running around 17 percent below the city’s rates. The study by the GAI consulting group appraised the city’s system at $191.3 million, or $184.9 million when transactional costs and market conditions are taken in to account. Miller said GAI had done a “very comprehensive job” and the report will be used as a starting point by attorneys in negotiations. Hartman said the calls he has been receiving in regard to the electric utility have been from out-of-state firms that may want to establish a foothold in the state. Whether these companies might offer more money than FPL is willing to pay is unknown. Hartman, however, said they wouldn’t be able to offer rates as low as FPL although they might be able to offer a rate somewhere between the city’s rates and FPL rates. As far as companies interested in the water and sewer system, Hartman said they have all indicated they would be willing to pay more than what Indian River County suggested paying for the city’s system while also offering lower rates that what city residents currently pay.

FPL says it needs more time to come up with purchase offer for Vero Beach’s electric utility VERO BEACH — Florida Power & Light Co. apparently will not have a purchase agreement ready before a Nov. 8 referendum that would ask voters to allow the City Council to lease the city’s power plant property to the company. City officials expected the utility might have at least some terms and conditions, including a proposed purchase price, ready by the end of October. But recent company statements indicate more time will be needed. FPL spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said the company is “still in the process of negotiating the purchase and sale agreement with the city and the city is concurrently working through the details of its (wholesale power) contracts with (Orlando Utilities Commission) and (Florida Municipal Power Agency). While we continue to make good progress, this can be a lengthy process, and we don’t expect to have a final agreement before the referendum vote in November.” When asked whether this meant the company would not have a proposed purchase price by that time, Anderson said she did not think the company would have a price until there is a final agreement. Council members and officials have emphasized that the vote is not on the transaction. “The referendum is only to allow for the leasing of the land under the power plant,” said City Manager Jim O’Connor. Mayor Jay Kramer, however, said the referendum may be the only chance voters have to weigh in on the sale. If approved, Kramer said three council members can approve the sale without going back to the voters for approval. Kramer said he has not spoken to FPL for months and has not heard from the transactional attorneys the city has hired about any negotiations taking place.


7 !

TRIBUTE

m9<JCL \>SOJ:JBCSG eNOJPJCN 7J:K rCPJNC: YJ<OBF )>$- I AE@$ I 3<E6E2

FILE PHOTO

Billy Livings watching an afternoon practice from his electric cart in 2002.

|~ss ikppp gz svkjzq

{o|jol>P

++9)'CD)C+@C

///|[TZ`^

kOT?KDM qOD;O?=- jDQm

nQ^P^UOZU\ O[^ q^KO x^U^QbOZTU T] wz~lvqx jz|wqosoxd gCQT;OP s;

slifpvy t^t pjedpdcdt <"!B jDPKTD _K9O? rH9Pm- [O?C rOTQL

Our team of exercise physiologists and nutritional experts will empower you to a healthy life change!

?P* :O+-I$OPC /?(?N 36 <$&%F-A / Q 6),-KI$-P2 >: 7?(8J

'!,",4,9J I,==J; (+,/8,812*5 411/&82*,1/ $#/-12*5 9/*82#/

B,GG1 <,?6&99& 6+-82#-- 7&3828-,/*,1/ )*2*"#/

$=@ FC;&KD, BCD,;9&=JC Life Coaching Expert

Now Offering A Limited Number of “BOUTIQUE GYM MEMBERSHIPS” Personalized Service • Medical Support • Beautiful Facility

&,DD 8B*,. %B= , H6"" &BC:4D8,8GBC ??? 77-%7..%227: MJ 77-%--:%:#:8 333@?6,GJ91%!&,G9!%*,=&@*CE

L

957; 0?3? FG#!1,. ;

L

/'=B )',+!( HDB=G*,

Q >L)) @O!ML)%)PK$G) 4)KI$P& Q 7B0)-L 9-PH'-+IHL)L.K 1-LL-PIA Q /NN5 9OP)A D-+# =H-L-PI)) Q E"" ;PKHL-P+)K E++)MI)* Q :$')I$!) O' 'O""OFBHMK -P* K)LG$+)

N E W S W E E K L Y

vXXLHT e\YUE\NTu k#v# 61*/& 4#/,8:#& 82 .2,#/2*5 *2& 6*/8*,/8' )#&8'82# )#&8'*5 (+,/8,812*5 9!#/*0%

5A&*J,GJ/JD" JD +JC%J(&D9J*,G !C=ECD&; B&(J*,G D69=J9JCD,G 9!&=,A1 )D9J%,"JD" ;6AAG&E&D9; )*6A6D*96=& QHC Omega 3 Fish Oil ~ IFOS 5 Star Certified >+,"J ;HJD *,=& A=C(6*9; 0&J"!9 GC;; E,D,"&E&D9

B E A C H

L L L L L L L

V E R O

ywqptbt : kypjdypj ^icf ihdpkck qtyldq

!

cB7 b@NCx

2 0 1 1

three grown children, Mike, Matt, and Livy - and extended to a community big enough to fill a football stadium every Friday fall night. Billy Livings molded and guided young men by showing them that core principles, discipline, hard work and preparation -- things that are within all of us to master -- are the keys to success. In his wake, he left us with civic leaders, doctors, lawyers, bluecollar workers and a few football stars. They will all tell you they are better people for having been coached by Billy Livings. In the following pages, we hope to honor the man they all called “Coach.” We have spoken to family, friends, former players and writers - all of whom think the world is a less fun place for them without Billy Livings in it. But, they will also all tell you they are better people for Billy Livings having been a part of their lives.

2 0 ,

Billy Livings, football coach, family man, friend, left us this week. He died at age 75 after a massive stroke. He leaves having done that for which we should all strive; he made the world -- our world – a little bit better for his being here. Billy Livings’ life could be measured by his 2007 induction into the Alabama High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, winning state football championships (two, one in Alabama in 1979 and one with Vero Beach in 1981) or district titles (15), or playoff appearances (20) or an incredible 314 wins (211 at Vero Beach High School over 26 seasons; 103 at Jefferson Davis High School over 12 seasons). But those are just numbers and hardware related to a game. Impressive as they are, his real accomplishment was the lives he touched beyond his own family – wife Rosemarie and

O C T O B E R

The man they called Coach


8

An Alabama weekend getting to know Billy Livings BY MICHAEL BIELECKI

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

TRIBUTE

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

FILE PHOTO

Billy Livings

Elect$J-H

2

(,) #*), -*/+& +$'! +,%.+$"

?B6'E/'= :9!

BEST PREPARED A0;9'=+; $'#='' (0-!'FB= B% *=9; L &7E C07)' "-BDBEJ-; L *--B7D9JD# ,8 1'0=; &B=@B=09' (7;JD';; 4'9'=0D L *=E3 GD9'FFJ#'D-'

BEST CHOICE I'9 0 K0J= <=J-'.

555>)J-H5JD#'=%B=-J93-B7D-JF>-BE 37:<1<)+: +(/&41<2&9&81 6+<( $74 +8( +6647/&( *- #<); ,<8"&4 $74 .&47 '&+)! %<1- %708)<:5

For three days in May 2010 I interviewed Billy Livings at his cottage in Alabama for my book, “Tradition: VBHS Football 1980-2010.” We also conducted interviews on his pontoon boat, at McDonald’s, at his daughter Livy’s cottage, and of course, at the coach’s favorite barbecue joint (three times). It was my first time meeting Livings, but that didn’t matter -- he put me up in his home and fed me the entire time I was there. Now that is southern hospitality. Over the three days (backed by months of research), we spoke at length about everything from fried okra to field goals, and everything inbetween. By the time we parted ways, I was saying goodbye to a friend. First and foremost, Livings was a family man. He treated his wife, Rosemarie, like a queen and treasured the time he spent with his kids, Mike, Matt, and Livy. His grandchildren were the apple of his eye; I could see it written all over him when Billy showed me their painted handprints on his boat dock. This was a man enjoying the autumn of his life. Billy’s second family was his football family. All the players from Alabama and Florida who had played for him over 38 years, all the coaches who had spent countless hours eating wings and watching game film with him and every person in Vero Beach who was a part of the “12th Man” at the Citrus Bowl most every Friday night during the fall knew Billy as more than just their coach -- he was the grandfather, father, big brother or favorite uncle most people only wished they had. No matter what walk of life a person was from, Billy could make them feel like the most important man in the room. As soon as Billy and I walked into the coach’s Fat Boy’s-north, he owned the environment. He struck up conversations with the bus boy, who was

a good high school wrestler (who called Billy “Coach”), the waitress, whom Billy asked about her kids by name and an older couple who asked where Rosemarie was (she was out of town at a tennis tournament). Even here, at his home away from home, Livings was the most popular guy in town. Over a plate of fine Alabama brisket, I listened to Billy speak without fear or filter about his life, his football career and about the people of Vero Beach. People told me he would never tell me who the best player he ever coached was, but with his guard down he told me it was Kenny Holmes of NFL fame. Revealing that was one of the few things the people of Vero Beach were wrong about. Vero Beach football luminaries like NFL alum Gary Parris and former Vero Beach High School assistant head coach Bill Wilson told me I would love Billy, and I did. “If I had to start my life over, I’d still be a coach,” Livings said. “When I graduated from Kentucky and decided I wanted to pursue a coaching career, I went to the library and checked out every single book they had on leadership -- the best was the United States Marine Corps book on leadership. It said to do your damn job better than anyone else can do it and that’s leadership. That is always what I tried to do.” Certainly a man of Billy’s intellect could have done almost anything for a living, and done it well. In Livings’ case, he was very well-versed in history and politics—it isn’t a stretch to imagine him as a senator, congressman or even as a governor. But that’s not how Billy saw it. “Coaching is like a disease - either you’ve got it badly or you ain’t coaching,” Livings said. “To be a really good coach you have to have a burning passion for excellence. When I quit coaching, I was the second-winningest coach in the history of Florida. The program at Vero was never

as good as I wanted it, but it was still pretty darned good.” Livings went 211-86 at Vero Beach High School over 26 seasons with seven state semi-final appearances and one state championship. His 104-22-4 record at Jefferson Davis High School before coming to Vero Beach was good enough to gain him entry into the Alabama’s high school hall of fame. Five other members of Alabama’s hall of fame had coached under Livings at points during their careers. “All of that showed I knew how to select coaches and it showed I knew how to coach coaches,” Livings said. We talked also about Florida’s high school hall of fame and his feelings about not being inducted to date (2010). “I don’t need to be a hall of fame nominee or winner to know I was a good coach,” Livings said. “My teams made it to the state semi-finals seven times in Florida and six times in Alabama.” Livings fully integrated himself into the Vero Beach community, joining civic clubs and going to football booster meetings regularly. He even started a woman’s football booster club. Billy was shameless in how he promoted his football program to the town. “Rosie and I would get on the phone and sell season tickets during my first years in town. Not only that, I’d get on the phone with a former season ticket holder and say, ‘Now I have the feeling you forgot to order your season tickets this year. I know you’ve been busy and haven’t had time to pick them up; do you want me to drop them off to you tonight? “How are you going to tell Billy no when he tells you he’s going to stop by to deliver your tickets?” Livings said. Now that Livings has passed, and the cries for his induction into FHCONTINUES ON PAGE 29


9 !

TRIBUTE

of business and staying out of trouble. It was like having another parent. It was a really unique time to be here. Billy couldn’t have come into my life at a better time. I’d come from a broken family and while I was doing CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

!

Medicare Open Enrollment Season Is Here

V E R O B E A C H

Call Today for a Seminar Near You!

N E W S W E E K L Y

Brian Connelly, offensive and defensive line, 1980-8: Three words that come to mind when you talk about Billy: fear, respect, and intense loyalty. No mistake about it, he demanded and commanded respect. There was no slack. There was one way and that was his way. He’d already proven that his way won football games. His reputation preceded him when he came down from Alabama, and it didn’t take any time to get us on board and make believers out of us. Looking back at those years, there was a core group of us that believed so much in his message that we were

working out on our own as a group. I look back on it now, and it was an amazing start he gave us in terms of learning about discipline and how to succeed. He brought the Vero Beach area together back then. The community made sure that you were taking care

What You Need To Know Are you aware of all your medicare choices? With so many options available, it is important to make the correct choice the first time. Ask yourself these few simple questions? 1) Does the plan meet my financial needs? 2) Are my doctors in the network? 3) Does the plan allow for me to receive benefits in other areas besides my county?

With so many questions and not enough answers, come and let a professional answer all your questions. Open enrollment period is from October 15 through December 7. This is the one time of year in which medicare eligible individuals are allowed to choose a new plan. The seminars provided by UBC are FREE and there is no pressure or obligation to enroll. All seminars are open to the public. Refreshments or a gift will be provided to ALL who attend.

• A salesperson will be present with information and applications. • For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings call 954-707-6961.

FILE PHOTO

Billy Livings speaks to his players in the locker room before a game.

2 0 1 1

best friends during football. Some of them like David Carter and Brian Connelly are now my partners in practice of law. I am confident that we would not have succeeded together like this without Billy Living’s influence and support. Billy Livings became more than just a coach to me—he was a family man with great core values. It really struck me that I had been more than a part of a winning football team or football program, I was a part of his family. He made us feel special when I played and he still made us feel special afterwards.

2 0 ,

Todd Fennell, quarterback, 1980-82 Billy Livings was smart, clever, innovative, motivated and bigger than life. I was privileged to play for him, to know him and to learn from him. But most of all, I was privileged to be a part of the big family he created in Vero Beach. Coach Livings helped us believe in ourselves and each other. He gave us nicknames and homespun stories about football and life. He referred to Rich Cunningham as the garbage truck because he said he is not real fast but he just keeps trudging down the field with guys hanging all over him. He told the team stories about some “feller” named Ledbetter who got his chainsaw out and just cut down the trees and “let the chips fall where they may.” He said sometimes in games and in life you just have to give all you can and let the chips fall where they may. He taught us to give our all and the outcome would take care of itself. Win or lose, we could feel good about our effort and play. We won a lot of games and even a State Championship. My fondest memories, however, are the camaraderie, leadership, teamwork, friends and community support around the whole program. I met some of my

O C T O B E R

Former players remember the man they called Coach

United Benefits Center, Inc Seminars Available in Martin & Indian River County 1-888-602-1664 TCN2619279


V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

10

TRIBUTE

BILLY LIVINGS

I was back at Vero Beach High School and I saw that we needed to improve the weight room—something needed to be done. I’d heard the Mets were getting all new equipment, so I purchased their entire weight room and they brought it down from NY. It was a real joy for me to do that for the program, and for Billy. I see it like this: all football teams are striving to reach the level of being a program. When you go through the program you become a better person. Coach Livings turned VBHS into a program. He made you feel like you were ready to take on the world. I credit his program for doing that for me.

FROM PAGE 9

well in school, I had no real controls or restrictions on what I wanted to do. I found that through the football team and through Billy. Getting that kind of direction at that time in my life was critical. I didn’t realize it back then, it just came natural to follow behind him. I needed that leader back then. When I look back and realize how many opportunities I had to mess up back then, the only thing holding me back was that team and my teammates. There’s no question in my mind that I wouldn’t be sitting here today if that kind of environment, friendship, and structure hadn’t been there for me. David Carter, defensive line, 1979-81 I know Billy’s football program transformed my life. If you look at my high school records from before Billy got here, from grades to delinquency, to times sent to the office, you wouldn’t have said I was a guy who was going to even go to college. I don’t think I truly appreciated it until I went away. I knew I was having fun and how much I loved these guys who were my teammates -- and how close we were -- but I didn’t know it wasn’t that way everywhere. I got to college and I saw my roommate’s friends, and they didn’t have that special bond with their hometown and former teammates. To this day my closest friends are guys that I played with on that team. Vero was a special place for me after Billy got here A few years back when Billy had open-heart surgery, my old friend and teammate Zander Clem snuck into Billy’s hospital because he didn’t know if he was going to make it. He wanted to thank him for all that he’d done that changed his life. David Barkett, kicker and tight end, 1981 Coach Livings was a top-down leader. His authority was as absolute as were his goals for the team. Noth-

FILE PHOTO

Billy Livings, gives a hug to Alex Cobb after throwing him the ceremonial first pitch before a VBHS baseball game. Cobb, who now pitches for the Tampa Bay Rays, was the quarterback for Livings during his final season as head football coach.

ing was relative, and no time or energy was ever wasted in the grey -- it was black or white. It wasn’t until trying play at the next level, and later, moving on with family and work that I began to understand one of Coach Livings’ most unique gifts -- preparation. In college and life you quickly learn how complex (preparing for a game) really is -- the calls, the reads, the adjustments on the fly. This pressure was nonexistent for us, as he and his staff carried these burdens. All we had to do was play. His ability to distill the game -and therefore the goal -- down to its most simple terms, and then accomplish that goal through the dynamic of a bunch of high-strung, adolescent kids is a fascinating and

extremely rare talent. Playing for him was truly a privilege. Dwayne Drisdom, free safety, 1979-81 When Billy came in, it was with a no-nonsense program—no eye glare was allowed, and you couldn’t wear any clothing promoting alcoholic products or tobacco products Livings coached discipline and respect. If I got nothing else from him, it was those things along with focus. Without the three, you’ve got nothing. I live in Lakeland, but I still talk about my experiences playing for Coach Livings every day to this very day. Kenny Holmes, safety, tight end and defensive end, 1989-91 When I was playing for the Giants,

Jason Pomar, receiver, quarterback and punter, 1992-94 You always wanted to give Coach Livings maximum effort and make him proud. You just didn’t want to let the big guy down. You knew he’d never settle for anything but your best, and he wouldn’t let you settle for anything less. He was going to push you and make you do things you don’t want to do. He may say things to you that hurt your feelings, but he was just trying to get everything he possibly could out of you. But that is what you want as a football player -- and as a person -- someone who makes you better. He was wonderful at getting the best out of each athlete. Jason Redmon, defensive line, 1993-95 Billy was not just a coach, he wasn’t just a father figure, he was an icon. Playing for him was like getting a chance to play for Bobby Bowden or Vince Lombardi, but on the high school level. I had a chance to play for the best. He knew everybody, but he might not call you by your name. He always called me Jason Redbone. He was a loving guy, and he was always there for his players. (Mike Bielecki and Lisa Rymer collected these tributes.)


11

TRIBUTE

!

BY GARY PARRIS

V E R O B E A C H N E W S W E E K L Y

at the Quarterback Club meeting and he’d have them all eating out of his hand. He’d talk with his country spin and put those country words out there and everybody loved it! Billy had so much charisma. He’d make you feel like you were the top person in the room. It didn’t matter if you were a banker, a ditch digger,

!

would literally get on the phone and sell season tickets. He would get out and promote his program so people would come back out to the ballgame. Attendance at Citrus Bowl was skyhigh. The guy was just such a great motivator and he demanded your attention— he was a great, gifted talker. He’d talk

2 0 1 1

FILE PHOTO

Billy Livings speaks to the crowd after posting his 300th victory on Oct. 2, 2003.

2 0 ,

(Editor’s note: Gary Parris led Vero Beach High School to an undefeated regular season in 1969 and went on to star at Florida State University. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and Cleveland Browns for the better part of a decade before retiring from the NFL and settling down in Vero Beach. Parris has broadcast Fighting Indian games since 1981, when Billy Livings led Vero Beach High School to its only football state title.) It was a very sad day in my household when we heard Billy Livings, had suffered a stroke, and it was another bad day when he passed. He was my teammate as a softball player, he was someone I worked with as a broadcaster for the 25 years, and he was my friend. The legend of Billy Livings and Vero Beach High School football is something I’ll be talking about for the rest of my life. All of the kids that played for him will talk about it with their kids and grandkids, and the legend will outlive all of us. From Johnny Unitas to Bobby Bowden, I’ve been lucky enough in my life to be around football legends. You have to enjoy them while they are around, because legends just don’t come around that often. Take from them what you can while they are around, and appreciate the gifts they have to share. There’s only been one Billy Livings, and he needs to be recognized for what he contributed to this community. He didn’t want all that attention in his later years, but in my opinion, Billy Livings is the greatest high school coach that I have ever, ever been around. He built a great program here in Vero Beach the old-fashioned way— he earned it. We called it Billy Ball, a blueprint for success that started with motivating the community. First of all, he wanted to put people in the stands. Billy and his wife Rosie

a lawyer or if you were hanging wire from a telephone pole, he wanted to make sure you were going to be in the stands on Friday night. He’d see people and say, “Hey, I’ll see you at the game tomorrow night, right?” Billy was also quite a showman. He was the Barnum and Bailey -- the Buffalo Bill -- of high school football. He put on a good show for the crowd every time out, and the 12th Man got to see some great football too. He’d turn to the audience after every game to blow them kisses, thanking them for coming. Billy loved his players, he loved his coaches, and he loved his fans. He loved his family, he loved the Lord, and he loved to coach. Many times people would come and talk to Billy, and he was a great comforter for people going through hard times. Billy was a man’s man, and I really admired him. 1981 was my first year of broadcasting the Fighting Indian games over the radio. I’d retired from the NFL, and I’d gotten to know Billy a little bit by then because we’d played slow-pitch softball together. That was the start of a great relationship. We were always close, but it didn’t mean we’d always agree. No matter what, Billy was going to run his program his way. Billy knew football -- he knew how to teach it, talk it, and knew how it should be played. VBHS won many games with less talent because our kids were more prepared to play. We all knew how fortunate we were to have Billy here. I just never got tired of watching him coach. I never wanted to see Billy quit, never wanted to see him get old. But, I knew someday it would happen. Billy Livings was the Bobby Bowden of high school football -- everybody loves Bobby, just like everybody loved Billy. Billy not only lifted his team and coaching staff, he lifted the community here in Vero Beach like nobody else in my time has ever done.

O C T O B E R

The legend of Billy Livings will outlive us all


!

12

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

Community Forum EDITORIAL

City residents should vote no on the referendum Asking for an approval prematurely is not fair to voters On Nov. 8 Vero Beach voters will decide on a referendum that would give the City Council permission to lease the riverfront power plant property as an integral part of selling the city’s electric utility. Given the City Council’s refusal to pass even a nonbinding resolution expressing a willingness to present the final terms of a sale for voter approval, the Nov. 8 referendum is a shrewd move on the part of the City Council to exclude the voting public from participating in the final decision to sell the city’s electric utility. Consequently, a “NO” vote on the referendum is the only means voters have to avoid blindly approving a deal, the details of which are weeks, if not months away from being clarified. In resolutions passed recently by the Indian River County Commission, and the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, and in letters and columns appearing in the local press we see again and again the assertion that this referendum is necessary in order for the City Council to continue negotiations with Florida Power and Light. This is simply not so. According to acting City Attorney Wayne Coment, the City Council does not need voter approval in order to proceed with negotiations with FPL. The resulting sales agreement, including a provision for a lease of the power plant property, could then be put to a referendum. Most importantly, according to Coment, if this referendum is passed, the City Council will need no further voter approval to divest the city of its most valuable, yet troubling asset. Without giving voters the vital information need-

ed to make an informed decision, such as a final negotiated sale price, a projection of net proceeds, and a time limit on the lease of centrally located riverfront property, the City Council has simply put to the voters the wrong question at the wrong time. Sometimes “NO” doesn’t mean “absolutely no, not under any circumstances.” At least in the case of the current referendum, the answer “NO” is the only way the citizens of Vero Beach have of communicating to their leaders that not enough information has been provided to allow for an reasoned, informed “YES.” Given the monumental blunders previous City Councils have made, such as allowing for an exit penalty of as much as $50 million in a contract with current power provider the Orlando Utility Commission, voters have every reason to want to see the full and final details of any agreement the City Council might negotiate with FPL. Some argue that the sale of the electric utility, with all of its implications on the city’s long-term finances, does not need voter approval. And yet, the city’s charter requires voter approval before the City Council can even enter into a lease of the power plant property. While support has been growing, and pressure building, for the city to wisely extricate itself from the increasingly complex electric utility business, now is the time to act deliberately and with patience. A logical sequence for the city to follow in selling its electric utility would be to: 1) Assess the value of the system; 2) Identify the cost of exiting existing contracts; 3) Negotiate a sales agreement with FPL; 4) Calculate the likely net proceeds from a

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

“Doing good by doing right.” Vero Beach Newsweekly is distributed throughout Vero Beach and the barrier island. Visit us on the web at www.VeroBeachNewsweekly.com Mail may be sent to Vero Beach Newsweekly, 1801 U.S. Hwy. 1, Vero Beach, FL, 32960

Ian Love, Managing Editor 978-2251 ian.love@scripps.com Mike Bielecki, Sports Editor 321-6105 mbwordsmith@gmail.com Christina Tascon, Writer/Photographer 978-2238 verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

Lisa Rymer Contributor Milt Thomas Contributor Scott Alexander Contributor Michael Birnholz Contributor

sale, and determine the consequences of a sale on the financial health of the city; 5) Finally, submit the decision to voters in a referendum. Some argue that if the voters do not approve the current referendum, then negotiations will come to a halt. They suggest that the city may for a generation be stuck owning and operating an electric utility it is increasingly challenged to manage effectively. That outcome just doesn’t seem logical, for it assumes that a sophisticated, forward looking company like FPL would walk away from the negotiating table simply because the majority of city voters send a clear signal to their leaders that they don’t want to be left out of the process. If the majority votes NO on the referendum, declining to join their City Council in getting the cart before the horse, FPL can certainly choose to see that result as nothing more or less than prudence on the part of the majority. Even if the voters decline to approve the ambiguously worded and poorly timed Nov. 8 referendum, there would be no logical reason for FPL to walk away from the negotiating table. If voters do not approve the current referendum, that result can be seen as a desire for more information and unwillingness to let the City Council make such a momentous decision without voter approval. It is certainly possible to envision a scenario in which the current referendum is declined, while a final referendum is approved; one in which the voters have before them the full details of a negotiated sales agreement. Such a referendum is one we would likely support.

Barbara Yoresh Contributor Martine Fecteau Account Executive Carrie Scent Graphic Designer Marsha Damerow Graphic Designer

To contact one of our contributing writers please call 772-978-2251 or send an email to verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

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

LETTERS WELCOME Vero Beach Newsweekly invites you to send Letters to the Editor on topics of interest pertaining to Indian River County. Letters should be 250-300 words and may be edited for length. We encourage an open dialogue, but reserve the right to refuse publication of letters that do not meet our editorial standards. E-mails may be sent to verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com or by regular mail to Letter to the Editor, Vero Beach Newsweekly, 1801 U.S. 1, Vero Beach, FL 32960.


13 !

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Indian River Charter High School appreciates coverage To the Editor: I want to personally thank you for the wonderful portrayal of the Indian River Charter High School that appeared in your publication September 15, 2011. We are using the article as a piece of promotional material because of the warm response we have received from the community. Rarely does the press generally take the time or commit to the space needed to explain the charter story. Your publication did an excellent job. Everywhere I go in the community

people come up to me to comment on how much they enjoyed the article and learned so much about the school. In fact, since the article was first published, we have had numerous visits to the campus by interested parties who are looking for a place for their students or are interested in our school and want to be a possible nonprofit contributor. R ay Adams , DM A

Assistant Director for Artistic Development Indian River Charter High School

N E W S W E E K L Y

Dick Winger is a candidate for Vero Beach City Council

B E A C H

Lynne Larkin practices contract law and is a former member of the Vero Beach City Council

Dick Winger Vero Beach

V E R O

Lynne L ark in Vero Beach

tion from the real purpose of city government, i.e., the services the public wants at the lowest cost. Nobody on Council is currently equipped to run a big business. Economies of scale say Vero Beach electric rates and FP&L rates will never cross as both go up. The way out of this Devil’s Choice is simple. Before November 8th, City Council passes a resolution for a second referendum once the deal is negotiated. Citizens will then have the opportunity to know the details of the lease and sale. Then we can all intelligently vote and not fear intrigue at City Hall. Let’s see if this Council is willing to play fair with us and do the right thing and guarantee us a voice?

!

To the Editor: What the citizens of Vero Beach need is a real referendum on Electric. We don’t need a vote where a No vote might stop the sale or a Yes vote opens the door to Council again playing unfairly with us. That unfairness might be in the length of the lease. Or it might be allowing Council to avoid taxpayers’ approval of the sale when the final terms are known. We are being offered a Hobson Choice, that is no real choice, and that is not necessary. It is time to sell the electric utility if we can get a fair price; one that pays the taxpayer-owner for our investment and one that keeps the qualities about Vero we all enjoy and appreciate. Here are three reasons for this: Electric is a publicity negative and time distraction which diverts atten-

power customers were back online nearly a week faster than those on FPL. Now we will have to do all the logistics of arranging for flesh and bone workers and trucks to get here with each contracting entity. It is not the same thing. As stated before, the City Charter prevents the sale or lease of our power plant without voter input. The first attempt to take our city utility out of local control without a pubic vote was legislation by Rep. Mayfield. Faherty and Solari backed this legal dodge of the Charter. The FMEA and the former City Council successfully opposed that effort. Who protected your rights to make a decision? The FMEA and the former council. This new city council is now in the Faherty camp, promising that a “no” vote ends our chances for any sale at all. Are they such poor negotiators? Or is it that they are not protecting your right to know the details? Following Faherty, the Council fired an experienced and intelligent city attorney, ignored the advice of expert City committees, and cancelled an association membership that pays for itself every year. They paid $250,000 to find the value of our utility, again ignored at Faherty’s insistence, but won’t pay $35,000 for insurance protection, training, and networking. City and County government have their own agendas, apparently taken from personal friends. Solari helped Faherty again. Who are your friends? The very vocal “Friends Of Our Local Sale,” Faherty and company, want us to keep quiet and follow the program. Don’t do it. Wait for the numbers, the information, before you give up your rights.

2 0 1 1

To the Editor: Who’s protecting whom? When there’s a referendum to be decided, and you need good information, your right to that information should be protected. But is it? Some on the City Council claim we must “vote yes or the FPL deal falls through,” but then they control the details of any deal. They read the City Charter to say they only have to ask us about leasing the land— we’ll get no say in what happens to the actual power plant and its income. Please sign a blank check, thank you! Challenges to this position are met by personal attacks and twisted tales from many people, including some on the City Council itself, now assisted by the County Commission. Proponent of the FPL sale, Steve Faherty, was asked by Barry Moline, Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association [FMEA] to stop spreading what Moline claims are lies about the utility sale. Bob Solari spent our tax dollars to help his friend Faherty shut down one of the more educated voices about this deal. And the entire County Commission backed him up! What is going on here? I hope a lot of city voters are asking that question. Our County representatives are representing one side only. We deserve better. First, they are trying to place the FMEA in a bad light, so FMEA will be ignored. What is the FMEA and what did it do for us? Their mutual aid disaster assistance program [not just hurricanes], has saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars by immediately connecting Vero Beach to other utilities across Florida and the U.S., getting lineworkers and equipment at a moment’s notice during an emergency. In 2004, they provided crews during the double hurricanes with no effort from us; considerable staff time was saved so our people’s first priority could be restoring power, which is why the city

2 0 ,

City Council offering no real choice to voters

O C T O B E R

Council asking voters sign a blank check


14

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

COMMUNITY FORUM

A place of beauty, a place of peace BY LISA RYMER

Before the advent of Iphones, Facebook and other diversions, the only things a person could do during a loved one’s surgery was worry, wonder and wait. That’s what I used to think, anyway. My husband was scheduled for a delicate eye operation. That morning, I filled my largest satchel with what I hoped were enough activities to get me through the day. Though not life threatening, the procedure was a dangerous one with the slightest wrong move possibly leaving him blind. At the clinic, a nurse whisked him away, leaving me with the satchel and a stack of thumbed through magazines. One by one, I pulled the items

from my bag: a Bible, a blank journal, “Middlemarch,” which I’ve always intended to read, and a knitting project faded with inactivity. Nothing, it seemed, could free LISA RYMER my mind of worry. I decided to step outside to clear my head. Furtively, I crossed the street, where amongst the strip mall shops a beauty salon caught my eye. Inside, it was a different world. Women of all ages filled the reception area and I was immediately engulfed by laughter, bright colors, floral patterns and reassuring aromas. I whispered to the receptionist

I just wanted to sit for a spell, and in a southern twang mixed with a trace of New Jersey, she asked, “Would you like some tea?” A woman to my left, her hands trembling perceptibly, addressed another woman across the room. “I can’t wait to see what she does with your hair.” “It’s going to reflect the new me,” the other woman replied, smiling broadly. The woman to my left touched my arm. “I’m having my lips stained, so I don’t have to put on lipstick anymore.” She didn’t strike me as the type who would opt for permanent makeup. “When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I got very depressed and didn’t leave the house for a year,”

she disclosed. “I couldn’t put on makeup anymore, my hands shook so. Finally, someone told me about the permanent procedure, so I did my eyes and lined my lips.” She closed her eyes and opened them again, gleaming. “Now, I feel like a woman again. Like no matter what, I can face the world.” A black woman in a wheelchair piped in about her evening’s plans. “Well I have a big reception to attend, so I’m having my hair done and then a professional makeup artist is going to make me look beautiful,” she said, trying to stifle a giggle. “My husband,” she continued, “retired after 30 years with the city’s maintenance department, and tonight they’re throwing him a retireCONTINUES ON PAGE 15

Subtleties that can turn a blessing to a curse BY RABBI MICHAEL BIRNHOLZ

One of the joys of my job is working with our Bar and Bat Mitzvah students. These young people work hard studying Hebrew and learning about Judaism as they prepare for the rite of passage that makes them literally a “Son or daughter of the Commandment,” and adult (in terms of religious responsibility) in the eyes of the Jewish community. While we joke around in the midst of practicing, the students I have come in contact with over the years are very serious and thoughtful in their learning journey. Therefore it caught my attention when I overheard the Cantor warning one of our students, “be careful with your reading you just turned praising God into cursing God!” Blessing into curse! While our students certainly do wrestle with their understanding of the divine, I could not imagine one of our students, even in jest actually

cursing God. As I asked for more details I was reminded of the subtleties of language that can lead to such problems. First you have to understand that Hebrew is a lan- RABBI guage of three let- MICHAEL BIRNHOLZ ter roots. Each root has a meaning. By adding prefixes and suffixes and changing the vowel patterns one manipulates the root into nouns, verbs, adjectives, in tense, person or gender. For example the root K-D-SH means holiness. You may have heard the rituals of wine referred to as Kiddush. With rituals of wine we don’t make the wine holy but note the holiness of the Sabbath. Second, Hebrew has many guttural letters. In addition to the “H” sound there is a “Ch” sound that is not fa-

miliar to most English speakers. This is not “Ch” as in cheese but the hard sound at the end of Bach. One of the letters that makes this sound is the Chet which is the first letter of Chanukah. That is why there are so many spellings. There is no letter in English that corresponds to the sound. Now, how does all of this translate into a student make a mistake in reading that turns blessing into curse? The root for praising is Hey Lamed Lamed which is the basis for the word Halleluyah. The root for cursing is Chet Lamed Lamed. By shifting from the breathing “H” sound in Hallel to the hard “Ch” sound in Chillel our student made an act of praising God’s greatness into a something that sounded like a curse. We all do/experience this. Not in Hebrew with shifting a letter in the pronunciation of a root but in the heat of the moment or in the course

of conversation when words, sounds and exclamations fly out of our mouth. Sometimes it is what we say, sometimes it is what is heard, but the result is the same we are inadvertently adding a little bit of curse and darkness onto our lips or into someone’s ears. It was a simple mistake by a student and certainly not intentioned. Most of the time, these mistakes do not cause real damage to our souls or our world. But we can all be more thoughtful or sensitive to the subtlety of our exclamations. How many times can we inadvertently “curse the deaf and put a stumbling block before the blind” before we pull ourselves off the path to holiness? Rabbi Michael Birnholz has served Temple Beth Shalom in Vero Beach since 2002. One of his goals is bringing Jewish values and wisdom to the wider community.


15

COMMUNITY FORUM

!

BY MARK SCHUMANN

The “sell-at-any-price” crowd is countered by an equally short-sighted group who will not even entertain the benefits of a sale, largely because they cannot see a path through the desert to the Promised Land. Specifically, they cannot envision the city recovering from its addiction to utility transfers as a way of funding government. The city will not be well served if its electric utility is hastily turned over at a fire sale price. But the city will also be no better off it clings to its electric utility with a death-defying, reality-denying grip. Because the city can no longer generate subsidies to its general fund without charging abovemarket electric rates, it is time to sell the utility. The public will not stand for anything less. As the city negotiates the many adjustments and perhaps even painful decisions that will likely follow a sale of the electric utility, it will be helpful to rest in the knowledge that the majority agreed to make this trip together. This will only be possible if the council agrees to present the final decision to voters in a second referendum. Because the council has been unwilling to pass even a non-binding resolution expressing their support of a second referendum, voters would be wise at this point to just say “NO” to the Nov. 8 referendum.

N E W S W E E K L Y

I recall hearing a corporate executive justify moving production to a country where lenient child labor laws made it possible to reduce costs and increase profits. Challenged over the morality of his decision, the executive said, “It isn’t wrong there, because it isn’t illegal there.” This business leader was confusing legality with morality. Laws are not codes of ethics. They tell us what we must and must not do, but give little guidance as to what we should and should not do. This distinction came to mind recently as I listened to a debate about whether the Vero Beach City Council should seek voter approval if it decides to sell the city’s electric system. Regardless of whether or not the City Charter clearly and unambiguously obligates the council to seek voter approval before selling the city’s most valuable asset, making such a monumental decision by referendum would be the right thing to do. As the debate progresses, it seems both extreme positions are giving way to a growing middle ground, occupied by people who agree in principle to a sale, but who also want to be assured that the city council is negotiating wisely and prudently.

B E A C H

What is legal and what is right are not necessarily the same

V E R O

ceptionist. “Got me back in shape too!” “And tonight,” said the woman across the room, “I have my first date.” “And what are you getting done?” asked the woman to my left, her hand now resting on mine. My eyes overflowed with tears as I told them about my husband’s surgery across the street. Incredibly, I realized he was scheduled to be in recovery now. As if there were some communiqué that guided these amazing women to do just what I needed most in that moment, they all joined hands and, led by the woman to my left, said a prayer for my husband and myself. That night, as I recounted my blessings, my husband in bed beside me, his vision unimpaired, I realized my ideas of vanity were skewed. There are a million reasons why a woman takes care of herself; most, I learned that day, are beyond first impressions.

The barrier island weekly never talked to Ziegler, who presumably could have steered the report in the right direction that the club has no plans, let alone the funding, to build on the park property in question.

!

ment party.” She tapped the armrest on her wheelchair. “I can’t dance anymore, but I bought a new dress just for the occasion.” My heart swelled with gratitude, enriched by the stories I was privy to here in this place where women share their most intimate musings. The woman across the room, the one who planned an outer metamorphosis to match the inner, held up a magazine of a hair style she was considering. “My husband left me and the children three years ago for another woman,” she said. “I must have gained almost 100 pounds and would still be eating my way through that loneliness had it not been for this dear friend.” She gestured to the receptionist, who wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “We started walking the bridge together every night,” said the re-

The island weekly attempted last week to stoke the fires of a controversy between the Vero Beach Museum of Art and the Vero Beach Art Club. As we reported in the Oct. 6 issue of Vero Beach Newsweekly, those two organizations have, according to the principals involved, resolved their differences. We want to be clear. We have interviewed both Cindy Gedeon, the executive director of the museum and Rita Zeigler, the president of the art club, and they maintain that the two organizations have settled their differences. We see no reason to disbelieve them. Nonetheless, the island weekly called our Oct. 6 story “under reported.” In fact, the island publisher holds

out his catch-up story (a week after Vero Beach Newsweekly broke the news of the settlement) about a “turf war” still existing between the art club and the museum as an example of the need for his readers to supplement his income to hire more reporters.

2 0 1 1

RYMER FROM PAGE 14

Stoking the fires of controversy

2 0 ,

The publisher of the barrier island weekly has taken exception to our reporting on an e-mail correspondence between himself and Barry Moline, executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association that appeared recently on a local blog. We chose to run the story on our forum page as an example of how the coarseness of public debate that we hear so much about in Washington seems unfortunately to be infecting public discourse locally. The publisher of the island weekly apparently thinks he was unfairly portrayed because, for reasons of space limitations, we excerpted some of the long-winded exchanges. We disagree and invite you to read the entire exchange at: http://beagardner.com/2011/10/heran-faherty-sayjump-and-coucil-says-how-high/

O C T O B E R

Fact Check: Fair or unfair? You can be the judge


^CQKTH u gKNO=;6HO

Taste of Vero survives despite a touch of rain BY CHRISTINA TASCON VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

The Oceanside Business Association’s Taste of Vero could have been a total washout, but for the many that braved a few showers it turned into a fun and delicious event. Adventurous foodies took the plunge, and with umbrellas in hand, hit all 19 of the tented booths along Ocean Drive getting their fill of Kobe burgers, Asian shooters and turtle sundaes. The event is an enormous undertaking for the OBA as it recruits business owners and restaurants to pair up and supply enough food for 350 people. The set up, ticket sales, advertising, breakdown and coordination with the Ocean Drive business owners and the city is daunting. It’s a big job that usually falls to a core group of volunteers and a coordinator. When they decided

to have it this year in October, they covered everything but they forgot about the month’s unpredictable weather. The week prior to the event was a memorably rainy and stormy one but it was beautiful all day up to about an hour before Taste of Vero was to start. Then the heavens opened up and power along Ocean Drive was knocked out. The restaurants could not get their equipment working until just minutes after the event was to start at 5:30 pm. Yet, with the rain, lack of electricity and a few other obstacles, this little event-that-could pulled off a successful night selling over 270 tickets and filling the happy bellies of all that attended. Georgia Irish of Marine Bank, the OBA Treasurer, said they could not just cancel and have the event another day because so much prep work was

done in advance. The expense of doing it another time would be overwhelming especially for the restaurants which had prepared all the food. Irish, who has been with the OBA for around 15 years, said that they had been getting constant requests to bring back Taste of Vero after a four year absence. After the event was set up and it started raining everyone still came out despite the weather to support the event -- and to taste the amazing food. Irish praised the vendors, volunteers, business hosts and the ticket holders who came out and made the best of the evening. She was impressed with everyone’s can-do spirit and positive attitudes despite the rain. The OBA is already planning the next event although next time it will be in the more weatherfriendly month of April.

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

16

STAFF PHOTO

Trish and Mark Ashdown, Tor and Jennifer Jones, Bob and Mary Roth

Chris and Martin Bireley


17

SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

! O C T O B E R 2 0 , PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA TASCON

!

Diane Carrow, Melanie Ajple and Jef Denning get ready to make turtle sundaes from Kilwin's

2 0 1 1

STAFF PHOTO

Tammy Volk and Jim Bursick

V E R O B E A C H N E W S W E E K L Y

Dee Benjamin, Jamie Jackson, Leila Rittmaster, Julie King and Josie Lieberman of Children's home Society

Personalized Ser vice Safety & Soundness Local Decisions Call Chris Bieber Commercial lending for over a decade in Indian River County

(772)299-6860 路 (772)473-7258 NMLS# 769923

-/(,.!+ *0.'%# )0$&/"0

(+")! *)#%#"& $' *$''"!#+&( ,&%)"!

Trish Cappello, Chase Mariposa, Linda Gonzalez, Andrew Gonzalez and Duke

801 20th Place, Vero Beach, FL 32960 路 (772)299-6860 www.centerstatebank.com

Equal Housing Lender


SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

Lee Corso speaks at substance abuse fundraiser ESPN analyst with a rock star reputation visits to support the Substance Abuse Council of Indian River County

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

18

BY CHRISTINA TASCON VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

ESPN analyst and former college football coach Lee Corso delighted PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA TASCON the crowd at the Substance Abuse Garry Dundas, President of Treasure Coast Seminole Club, with Lee Corso as he Council of Indian River County funsigns a few footballs draiser with his forthright opinions on the sport he loves. Corso was the guest speaker at the Quail Valley event last week and offered his insight into some of the major football programs in the country. When asked about Jim Tressel’s recent resignation due to a scandal involving his prior knowledge of indiscretions by Ohio State players, Corso said the former Buckeyes coach coach deserved his fate. He also threw out that he thought Urban Meyer would land as coach at Ohio State and he believed that Tim Tebow was the greatest player and man in pro football since Roger Joe Corr, Jeff Lamscha and Mike Mersky Staubach. Corso told the audience that things had changed over the years. He said that in college the players still played for the coach, while in the NFL coaches now worked for the players. After a stroke in 2009, Corso reduced his speaking engagements to just two per year. He said he chose to do the event in Vero supporting the Substance Abuse Council because of its efforts working with children and the community. Kristen Britt, who planned and organized the event, said that Corso really delivered. Sheriff Deryl Loar introduced Corso as “one of college football’s Jonathan & Amber Fitzgerald with Connor Moore

most knowledgeable, opinionated and entertaining analysts.” The sheriff added the ESPN College GameDay Show of which Corso is a part is treated by fans with the “aura of a rock concert.” Loar also said Corso’s “unique combination of daring predictions, great humor and an affinity for wild hats (or the headpiece of a team mascot) has made him a cult figure among students.” After 28 years of college level coaching, Corso said he is enjoying his job as an analyst at ESPN. He joked that it “was so much fun it was like stealing except they paid you for it.” Although Corso had many insights and predictions, his personal stories brought the most applause. He insists he is most famous not for his 28 years as a coach or 14 years at ESPN, but for being Burt Reynold’s roommate at Florida State. Corso said Reyonld’s was so handsome that he would send him out as “bait.” He also talked about the low point in his career when he was fired from Indiana and learned one of the most important lessons of his life. He said he only had one plaque in his office and it read, “28 Years of Coaching with Honesty and Integrity.” Corso noted it wasn’t his players, employers or staff who gave him that treasured plaque. He said it came from his wife and he told her it was the only plaque he would ever want buried with him. Corso ended his speech by saying it was family that mattered most and that “95 percent of your true friends live under your own roof.” Sheriff Loar also spoke about the Substance Abuse Council and the role it plays in the community. Loar said the organization’s work with kids and the community is invaluable now that less funding is available for drug programs and treatment due to the current economic conditions.


19

!

SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 1

!

Chris Bieber, Ashley Franke, Patrick Jordan and Bruce Wachter

V E R O B E A C H

Substance Abuse Chairman Sheriff Deryl Loar, Lee Corso with Shelley & Jeff Luther

Carmen & Bob Stork with Amy & John Rosati

Clay Collin, Richard Baptiste and Chris Pensch

N E W S W E E K L Y

Lee Corso


20

Ladies Night Out raises money, honors departed friend

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

V E R O

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA TASCON

The Fire Girls: Cynthia Chisolm, Kim Granere, Melinda Judson, Stacy Gabbard and Erin Graul BY CHRISTINA TASCON VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Women gathered to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and support breast cancer awareness at Kim Hubbard’s The Color Experience. October is the designated month to support the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Awareness program and many organizations have a personal reason to want to help. Kim Hubbard who put on the Ladies Night Out function at her stylist shop wanted to remember a very special mentor in her life, a woman named Linda Martens. Martens was her Paul Mitchell distributor for 29 years but taught her and other women so much more. When Martens passed away after a tough struggle with breast cancer, Hubbard never forgot her friendship and felt she could

not have opened her own business without Martens guidance. Thinking about a unique way to raise donations, Hubbard came up with a party centered on women to support a mainly female issue. With her wide business contacts plus a hugely faithful client list, she put on an event with hopes of raising money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of her friend. Her goal was $2,000 and at press time she was near her goal with donations still coming in. The attendees were able to enjoy a glass of wine or scrumptious hors-d’oeuvres by the Kilted Mermaid as they shopped the racks of stylish jewelry and clothes. Big sellers of the night were the breast cancer t-shirts which offered the humorous and hopeful slogans of “Fight Like A Girl” and “Save Second Base.” Janie Graves Hoover manned

Kim Beckett, The Color Experience owner Kim Hubbard and Cindy Goetz one tent to give away delicious cupcakes from Fillin’ and Chillin’ for the women. When asked how she became involved she said she was one of Hubbard’s salon clients. She jokingly said Hubbard “kept her a natural blond” so she wanted

to support Hubbard’s efforts. Breast cancer affects one in eight women and October’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign has raised millions of dollars for research and treatment from these small, yet vital grass roots events.


21

SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

! O C T O B E R 2 0 ,

Sally Hubbard and daughter Kim Hubbard

Janie Graves Hoover, Trish Hickey-Reid and Crystal Lemley

!

Jamie Stalquist, Nicole Dugan, Victoria Genovese and Bonnie Pfiester

2 0 1 1

Kallie Ruiz, Kim Barrett, and Diana Squires

V E R O B E A C H

3 YEARS WITH JOHN HENRY 1 NEUTER, 8 VACCINES, 32 DOSES OF FLEA & HEARTWORM PREVENTION, 1 UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION

& AN EAR BOBBED BY A BOBCAT! Owner, Amanda Wing

We’ve been through so much together. From routine well visits to emergencies – Florida Veterinary League’s award winning, experienced and compassionate team of veterinary professionals is here to help your pet in sickness and in good health. Bring ad to receive free heartworm test ($25 value) with purchase of 1 year of heartworm preventative. Offer expires 12/31/2011

(772) 567-3070 1360 US Highway 1, Vero Beach

Casey Cecilione, Stepanie Cooper, Kristy Polackwich and Heather Parris

(Across from Crispers & 12th Street Publix)

N E W S W E E K L Y

Full Service Animal Hospital


22

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

Community Calendar Every Saturday: Oceanside Business Association’s Farmer’s Market, 8 am-noon. Located in the parking lot just south of Humiston Park on Ocean Dr. www.VeroBeachOBA.com, 772-532-2455. Every Sunday: Farmer’s Market from 9 am-2 pm in downtown Vero at the corner of 14th Ave. & 21st St. Contact Eric Hessler by email: eric@ mainstreetverobeach.org or call the Main Street office, 772-480-8353. Oct 20: Cultural Council Season Kick Off Party, at new Osceola Bistro, (former Greenhouse Café,) 2045 13th Ave., 5-7 pm, free. Pick up new Event Planners. 772-770-4857. Oct 20: Senior Resource Association Activities Fair 2-5 pm. Info & sign up for the many classes, programs and groups available to those age 50+. Vendors and refreshments. Schumann Hall, 686 14th St., Kelly de Long, 772469-2062, kdelong@sramail.org. Oct 21: “Fashion’s Night Outlet” - Vero Beach Fashion Outlets – 6-9 pm. Exclusive shopping, live entertainment, food & special savings. 1st 200 guests at community room receive free gift bag. www.verobeachoutlets.com. Oct 21: Speaker Art Ciasca from SafeSpace luncheon at CJ Cannons, noon, register at 11:45 am, $17 in advance, $20 at door. Indian River NOW. Reservations required, 772-473-3037. Oct 21 & 22: Oktoberfest by Knights of Columbus at St. John of the Cross, 2355 82nd Ave. Authentic German food, beer, wine and vendor booths. $5, children under 12 free entry. “Raving Polka Band” Advance tickets at 1st United Bank. 5-11 pm Friday & 11 am-11 pm Saturday. Oct 21: Coastal Conservancy Association BBQ, 6 pm, Riverhouse, 305 THURSDAY, OCT. 20

STAFF PHOTO

If you’d like to see one of your photographs published in Vero Beach Newsweekly, please send them to us at verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com. Photos need to be at least 200 dpi and in jpeg format. Acacia Rd., $45 per person/$70 per couple. Includes BBQ, beer and wine and a year’s membership in the CCA. Raffle, silent auction, fly casting contest and boat builder’s showcase. 772473-7983, www.ccaflorida.org. Oct 22: Halloween Beach Fun Run, 5:30 pm & Kid’s Dash, Humiston Park, Ocean Drive. $10 adults, $5 kids to benefit the Vero Beach Lifeguard Association. 7-9 pm after party at Waldo’s. 908-797-8725, VeroBeachLA@yahoo.com. Oct 22: Patriot’s Golf Classic at Pointe West. $75-$85 for golfers. Master’s Academy, call Debbie Morgan, 772-794-4655, d.morgan@mastersvb.org. Oct 22: Frightening Formals on 14th – Heritage Center Fundraiser, Halloween party. Dress up in outlandish formals, door prizes, dancing & snacks. $25, 7:30-11:30 pm. Cash bar.

FRIDAY, OCT. 21

SATURDAY, OCT. 22

Reservations required, 772-770-6623. 2140 14th Ave. www.veroheritage.org. Oct 22: Energy and Technology Expo at the Indian River Mall, 6200 20th St. (SR 60), 10 am-4 pm. IRC Chamber of Commerce event. 772567-3491. Oct 22: “Howl-O-Ween Pawrade” by Dogs for Life, Inc. dog costume parade and pet expo, 3-5 pm at 12th St. & 16th Ave. Dog Park. Call Shelly Ferger, 772-567-8969. Oct 22: Riverside Children’s Theatre Pirate Themed Haunted House, 5:30-9:30 pm, interactive games, spook tours, haunted shipwreck. 3280 Riverside Park Dr., 772-2316990 for advance tickets. $5-$10. Additional shows Oct 28-30. www. riversidetheatre.com. Oct 22: Education Foundation 20th Anniversary Dinner & Dance Party. Quail Valley River Club, 2345 Hwy.

SUNDAY, OCT. 23

A1A, 7-11 pm. Tickets $100. Cash bar, 772-564-0034. Tickets online at www.edfoundationirc.org. Oct 22: LaPorte Family Farms Fall Festival & Scarecrow Contest, 7700 129th St., Sebastian, pony rides, mechanical bull, bounce house, slide, dunk tank, animals. Laura LaPorte, 772-633-0813, LaPorteFarms.com. Oct 22: Friends of St. Sebastian River is hosting the “Get Outdoors Sebastian!” Bird walk begins at 8:30 am, “spooky” evening walk at 6:30 pm and more. Friendship Park, 1225 Main St., Sebastian, GetOutdoorsSebastian.com, 772-202-0501. Oct 23: Bowl-To-Build Tournament at Vero Bowl for Habitat for Humanity. $30 includes 3 games, shoe rental & t-shirt. Contests, raffles & prizes. 1 pm. Call Debbie Parcher at 772-5629860 x232 or Jessica Schmitt, x212. Oct 24: “Feather Wars” at Majestic Theatre. Fundraiser for the Pelican Island Preservation Society, hors d’oeuvres & drinks at 7:30 pm, $15$20. Firstrefuge.org 772-770-0774. Oct 26: Peter Glen Fashion Show, 5:30-7:30 pm at Joey’s Bistro, 3 Avenues, 2075 Indian River Blvd. Skiwear and other fashions by the Vero Beach Ski Club. Free event, cash bar. 772-299-9833. verobeachskiclub@me.com. Oct 28: Halloween All Night Party at The Skate Factory, 485 27th Ave. SW. Glow skate, races, costume & dance contest. All night skating 7 pm-6 am, $17.50. Evening-only skating, 7-11 pm, $8. 772-794-3373. Oct 28: Harvest Festival, Food, games, bounce house, more. Salvation Army, 2655 5th St. SW, 6-9 pm. 772-978-0265. To submit your calendar listing please email: verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

MONDAY, OCT. 24

TUESDAY, OCT. 25

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26

72O 55O

75O 62O

79O 65O

81O 68O

82O 68O

83O 67O

82O 66O

Winds: NW 12 mph Chance of Rain 10%

Winds: N 10 mph Chance of Rain 10%

Winds: NNE 11 mph Chance of Rain 20%

Winds: NNE 15 mph Chance of Rain 30%

Winds: NNE 14 mph Chance of Rain 30%

Winds: NE 12 mph Chance of Rain 60%

Winds: NE 12 mph Chance of Rain 40%


23 !

Arts | Entertainment BY LISA RYMER

<=%:%C9%( EC <-=9C%=:!EA 4E9!

+)"" 1 %, 0/$-"'( !"*&/)"#. =96 ;96( <:%96;+3<9:) 1<5<3 ///70!(";(659:&(:3(6796#

822,-224'*,$.

#.4" %2+! 6($7, 5$-1 3$)&!, /* '%40"

@>C 9!% 6" *B=C%= B$ ;/9! 69? , .89! )5%? -9 9!% 3CE9-=E-C 3CE5%=:-DE:9 F%DDB4:!EA B$ 2%=B '%-*!0 Funding for this program was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

N E W S W E E K L Y

6ABC:B=%( EC A-=9 +1

B E A C H

<-7D #B:-D& <!?#?

Florida’s Hispanic Heritage: Commemorating 500 Years of Florida’s Connections with Latin America and the Caribbean Born and raised in Tampa, Dr. Paul Dosal is a fourthgeneration descendant of Cuban immigrants who settled in Ybor City in 1889. He is the vice provost for student success and professor of Latin American History at the University of South Florida, specializing in the modern history of Cuba and the Caribbean region.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

V E R O

6!+/-%*$. &(,2)#/ '3 7 30"" 1545

was asked to consult on the renovation of the Sunrise Theatre. During its heyday, the Sunrise Theatre, a Mediterranean Revival Style structure, was the largest performing arts center between Miami and Jacksonville, says Wilkes. But in the early ’80s, as movie houses converted to multi-screen complexes and the city of Fort Pierce’s economy declined, the Sunrise closed its doors. It would be 23 years before they opened again for business. In 1997, Main Street Fort Pierce, the city’s downtown business association, encouraged the St. Lucie Preservation Society to purchase the theater building from the Cobelgard family. Several years later, the building was listed in the U.S. National

!

&%* *!*)'-. ,*.&*) ("-)#+/ %$!/.#&#*' '*)#*'

manager of The Forum in Toronto, now renamed The Molson Amphitheater, he hired a young Jim Carrey to open for Andy Williams. “I saw his comedy act at a restaurant,” says Wilkes, who paid the then unknown actor $350 for a 30-minute performance. Carrey reprised both the Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda roles in “On Golden Pond,” with such skill, “you could hear a pin drop,” recalls Wilkes. Carrey received a standing ovation and an offer to continue touring with Andy Williams, giving him his first big break. In 2000, Wilkes was running the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota -- having already been the COO at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for five years -- when he

2 0 1 1

On September 6, 2011, as the stock market settled into what seemed a permanent slump, the Sunrise Theatre in Fort Pierce experienced a significant milestone in its long, illustrious history. As tickets became available for the 2011-2012 season, box office sales racked up $26,000 and online sales teetered at $25,000, for a grand total of $51,000. “Even though the stock market basically tanked, we had our best day ever, says Renée Page, marketing director for the theater. It was against all odds that the Sunrise Theatre would ever make it. Built in 1923 as a movie house and reincarnated at considerable expense -- $14 million, to be exact -- as a performance arts destination, the theater is a proud achievement in a city often known more for its crime than its culture. Now in its sixth season, much of the theater’s success can be credited to a team dedicated to improving the quality of life in Fort Pierce, among them Page, whose expertise lies in creating public and private partnerships, and her boss, John Wilkes, executive director of the Sunrise, who continually fills his roster with bigname artists the public wants to see. “Programming is the most important line item in any performance arts center’s budget,” explains Wilkes. “Good programming means higher revenue.” And no one can deny that the Sunrise delivers class acts. Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac fame recently performed to an almost sold out crowd. Last year, Joan Rivers’ performance was sold out. Next week, the Gatlin Brothers are scheduled, despite only playing at big venues like the Grand Ole Opry. And in a coup de grace, this year the Improv Comedy Club has a standing Tuesday night gig at the Sunrise’s Black Box Theatre, where it will

feature national comedians on tour. “I have been in the business 35 years, so I have contacts,” says Wilkes about bringing Bill Cosby, his friend for more than two decades, back to the Sunrise again this season – the third time in four years. Usually, Cosby won’t perform in a market but every three years. Wilkes cut his teeth as a program director at St. Claire College in Windsor, Ontario, where he was student vice president and was given the duty of scheduling entertainment. “I paid Bob Seeger $500 to play in a pub,” Wilkes recalls of the Detroit rock musician who gained celebrity status in the seventies and regularly performed for stadium crowds at the height of his career. Later, when Wilkes was program

2 0 ,

FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

O C T O B E R

Sunrise Theatre: programming and perseverance


24

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT

SUNRISE THEATRE FROM PAGE 23

Register of Historic Places. Wilkes helped put together a business plan that included pre-development fundraising and guidelines for the first five years of the theater when it opened. He also worked with the architects “on the flow of the building,” he says, and “to eke out as many seats as needed to make the theater economically feasible.” The renovations were capitalized primarily by private donations, the list of major contributors now displayed on a wall in the theater lobby. St. Lucie County pitched in $1 million for capital improvements, and the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs granted the project $1.5 million over three years. One of the ways Wilkes generated private interest and public support in the theater before it opened was to hold a series of performances at the St. Lucie Civic Centre demonstrating the caliber of acts that would be staged at the Sunrise. By providing entertainment for families, children and adults, the performances were well attended and piqued the interest of a community that eventually lost its civic centre after the hurricanes of 2004, says Wilkes. After 12 years of planning and two years of actual renovations, the 1,221-seat theater opened its doors in January 2006. In July, the nonprofit that had nurtured the project from a vision of a cultural hub in Fort Pierce to its completion handed over ownership of the theater to the city. The following year, Wilkes was asked to run the theater. “This has been the greatest professional challenge in my career,” says Wilkes about the task of attracting people to a town “that is not known as a theater destination.” With the help of a dedicated team of staff members, including Page, who came on board a few months after Wilkes, and the support of the city, Wilkes says he has met that challenge. The Sunrise Theatre’s annual budget is $3.6 million, comprised of ticket

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

The Sunrise Theatre drew 60,000 people to shows last year from throughout the Treasure Coast. sales, building rentals, donations, sponsorships, memberships and public dollars. This year, the city’s contribution is $610,000, down from $1.9 million in 2007. While some people balk at the city’s support of the theater, Anne Satterlee, communication and marketing manager for Fort Pierce, maintains that the Sunrise “stimulates the local economy by acting as an economic engine.” She says theater events “draw people to the downtown and waterfront areas, supporting shopping, dining and the art galleries.” The budget shortfall, in large part, depends on the innovative marketing skills of Page, who has demonstrated she has an uncanny ability to convince almost anyone to join the Sunrise Theatre’s marvelous journey. Now, with over 400 members, the

theater drew 60,000 people last year from along the Treasure Coast; a full 38 percent from Indian River and Martin counties, says Page. “We have seen a five percent growth in ticket sales from the West Palm and Jupiter markets every year,” she adds. “That’s people coming to the downtown area and spending money. You can’t put a value on that.” Last year, Page launched the Sunrise Theatre Five Star Advantage Club, which offers members a variety of benefits. For instance, the program gives members an opportunity to attend a meet-and-greet session with the artists scheduled to perform, complete with champagne and other accoutrements. That perk, says Page, helped raise $50,000 last year. The tiered membership also extends discounts on tickets, discounts

on business advertising, and private pre-show parties, depending on the level of contribution. In an effort to “take the theater to a new level,” says Page, she is attempting to reposition it on the market by launching a new logo that is more upscale and adding the tagline, “When you’re at the Sunrise, you get the red carpet treatment.” “We’re actually getting a red carpet,” she says of her determination to constantly conceive ways to enhance the theater and increase sponsorships. Upping the bar does not mean that the theater will require a black tie dress code. “You can still come in flip flops,” she says, but the “experience you’re going to have here, you can only get in New York City or Broward County.” This past summer, Page established free movies at the Sunrise, featuring such classics as “Patton,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” The movie idea helped achieve this season’s record ticket sales “because people who had never been here before saw the season lineup,” says Page, reiterating the importance of programming. Page is currently working with Art Mundo and Art Bank, two visual arts organizations in Fort Pierce, to host free exhibits in the theater for patrons to peruse before and after performances, and during intermissions. “We want to help build a bridge and get people interested in all areas of the arts,” she says. The theater also provides free school performances for students in St. Lucie County. Last year, more than 12,000 students attended events at the Sunrise. The Sunrise also hosts four children’s theater camps in the summer, teaching kids about performing, blocking, lighting and set design. At the end of the week, the young thespians have an opportunity to participate in a real production. “This is a community-supported theater that helps support the whole community,” says Page. “It doesn’t get more wonderful than that.”


ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT

25 !

COMMUNITY CONCERT SERIES

OCEANSIDE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION Beach Concert Series Ocean Drive in front of Humiston Park VeroBeachOBA.com Second Saturday of every month Free Beachside Concert Series, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, concert, food & drink vendors. No coolers allowed, bring your own chair or blanket.

SPACE COAST SYMPHONY

VERO BEACH MUSEUM OF ART 3001 Riverside Park Drive 772-231-0707 verobeachmuseum.org Oct 27: “Warm Nights, Cool Music” Jazz Concert series in the park, James Archer Trio, $10, 5-7 pm

VERO BEACH OPERA GUILD 772-569-6993 Box Office: 772-564-5537 verobeachopera.org Oct 29: Live at the Met: Wagner’s Siegfried, noon, Majestic Theatre, 772-770-0774

VERO BEACH THEATRE GUILD 772-562-8300 2020 San Juan Avenue verobeachtheatreguild.com Nov 10 - 25: The 1940’s Radio Hour, $20$22, Walton Jones 1940’s play about a radio broadcast.

SPONSORED BY '2*!

) 1 # # - $ ' $ + 12 2 ) -

/"(&,.0".%"( (",)#+. %$!.-#&#*' '*)#*'

Six Speakers · October-April

1590 27th Avenue, Vero Beach (772)778-5249 www.TheEmersonCenter.org

N E W S W E E K L Y

RIVERSIDE THEATER 3250 Riverside Park Drive 772-231-6990 riversidetheatre.com Children’s Theatre: Oct 22 & 28-30: Pirate Themed Haunted House, $5 - $10 Stark Main Stage: Oct 27-Nov 13: Boeing-Boeing, 2 pm, 7:30 pm and 8 pm, $57 - $73

VERO BEACH CHORAL SOCIETY Trinity Episcopal Church, 772-569-8165 Nov 3-5: “Better Music Reading in Three Days” $15 Varied time over 3 days. Dec 9 & Dec 11: Winter 2011 Concert, “Tidings of Joy: Sounds of the Season,” at Dec 9 at 7:30 pm and Dec 11 at 3 pm

B E A C H

Community Church 1901 23rd Street 772-469-2317 irsavero.org Nov 20: Brevard Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 pm $50 each, season tickets $260-$290

V E R O

INDIAN RIVER SYMPHONIC ASSOCIATION

TREASURE COAST SYMPHONY Emerson Center at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 1590 27th Avenue 772-778-5249 TheEmersonCenter.org Nov 13: Featured solo by cellist Aziz Sapaev, 3 pm, $15-$20.

For 500 years, Florida’s close ties to Hispanic countries and the Caribbean have remained strong influences in the state’s culture and commerce. Helping us to celebrate and better understand those relationships will be Paul Dosal, Ph.D., University of South Florida vice provost and professor who is set to speak at the Emerson Center’s Florida Humanities Series. Dosal, a fourth-generation Floridian with Cuban roots, will discuss Florida’s Hispanic Heritage: Commemorating 500 Years of Florida’s Connections with Latin America and the Caribbean on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. The popular series – now in its fifth season – features a wide variety of speakers and performers each offering a unique aspect of history and life in the Sunshine State. Through historical accounts, anecdotes, music and even through humor, series speakers and performers share the state’s unique and frequently lesserknown stories with audiences who “never knew that” about their native or adopted state. Ever since early accounts of 16th century Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon’s quest for the allegedly recuperative waters of the “Fountain of Youth” -- an unsubstantiated, though romantic story attributed to him after his death – there have been many legends told about Florida’s Hispanic history. And while de Leon may indeed have sought the “waters of Bimini” to cure his own aging, Spanish explorers were more likely to have been seeking gold and land to extend their monarch’s empires as well as finding converts for their church. Dosal, who plans to separate Florida’s history from myth and put them in proper perspective for the present, recently spoke to Vero Beach Newsweekly. “A 500-year timeframe allows a lot

of time to reflect and I want to concentrate on the 19th and 20th centuries and focus on those events up to the present to give a broad overview of what the HisPaul Dosal panic influence means today,” Dosal said. “By looking at the past we can see how important to our economic development they have been.” He noted that in the past decade, Florida’s Hispanic population has increased by 40 percent. The largest Hispanic population groups are those with Cuban and Puerto Rican roots, he said. “They’re here and they are contributing. We need to recognize what Hispanics are doing now. I want to give people practical reasons for appreciating the Hispanic influence in Florida. For example, did you know that black Cubans fought in the American Revolution for America’s freedom? These things matter because these groups reinforce and keep alive the American dream. “They seek freedom and a chance to work. Many immigrant groups were fleeing places like Nicaragua with conditions like revolution and civil war,” Dosal said. The Florida Humanities Series of six programs are all presented at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and are free and open to the public at the Emerson Center located at 1590 27th Avenue at the corner of 16th Street and 27th Avenue in Vero Beach. Seating is offered on a first-come basis. For more information, call (772) 778-5249.

!

at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1590 27th Avenue 772-778-5249 TheEmersonCenter.org Oct 27: Paul Dosal, Ph.D., Florida’s Hispanic Heritage: Commemorating 500 Years - Florida Humanities Series, Free Admission. 7 pm Nov 6: Cellist Ian Maksin, $20. 4 pm Nov 20: “An Afternoon with Basie, Ellington, & Friends,” Jazz on Sundays, $20 in advance/$25 at door/Students Free. 2:30 pm

116 South 2nd Street Fort Pierce 772-461-4775 sunrisetheatre.com Oct 28: Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers 8 pm, $39-$49

BY BARBARA YORESH FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

2 0 1 1

SUNRISE THEATRE

EMERSON CENTER

Trinity Episcopal Church

2365 Pine Avenue 321-536-8580 SpaceCoastSymphony.org Oct 22-23: “A London Symphony” 3 pm $20-$25/free for students under 18

2 0 ,

Community Church 1901 23rd Street 772-469-2317 communityconcertseries.org Nov 18: Atlantic Ringers, 7:30 pm, free with suggested $5-$15 donation

O C T O B E R

Speaker to trace 500 years of Entertainment Calendar Florida’s Hispanic heritage


pKDKDM

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

26

Fishack: Tacky island decor, but delicious food BY MARK JOSEPH FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY Joanne and Mitchell Weiss and their two children Alissa and Alex, are owners of “Pizzoodles,” a popular long-time Italian restaurant at Royal Palm Pointe. In addition to operating Pizzoodles, Joanne and Mitchell opened the “Fishack on August 1, thereby resurrecting the location that once housed the former Undertow restaurant and bar and, more recently, Stax Restaurant. Joanne and Mitchell have taken this landmark location and produced yet another winner in this quite little area of Vero Beach’s historic downtown. The confusing title and tacky decor aside, the Fishack specializes in fresh seafood, spirits and live entertainment on most nights. Upon our arrival at the Fishack on a quiet Saturday evening, we were pleasantly greeted and quickly seated. Looking around, fellow patrons this night appeared as eclectic as the decor; some obvious professionals, others perhaps blue-collar types and many clad in shorts and flip-flops. Though dressed in a button-down

shirt and pressed jeans, I quickly realized I would have felt just as comfortable in a T-shirt, shorts and sandals. After opening the menu and hearing the specials, the confusion seem to continue: a limited, low- priced wine list (approximately 12 selections) yet with “Catch of the Day” menu items including ingredients and descriptions usually found in more upscale establishments. We were hungry, so the daily appetizer selections sounded like just what we had in mind for a sleepy Saturday evening in Vero Beach. Transporting us back to New England, was a bountiful bowl of authentic steamers overflowing with flavor. The clams were tender, perfectly prepared in a light sauce and served with a side of drawn butter. Every single clam was fully opened, clean and contained no sand or grit. A second appetizer selection was a generous bowl of mussels, served swimming in a sauce of butter and with just a hint of Pernod. The mussels were also tender and fresh -- and as with the steamers --both appetizers were large enough to share and

95,(9 /5 /<" 95%(90 "!0' $0*. -525 '6+! ) 4#.0 3#)&! )%%.#,, )1% .#&#6(#/

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

$8:)2 ?84#&2 (*812 514 $+>;. <+66&:>:#3 (3 -&;;

78:'+.= BKP*X+*+ @/UUG @WOS CS$X#R OXP$" =I9VU! /1&3'+.= @/"( W(( .WPP"*R W( M$X* -&':&3'+.= 2$X* +WMX M$P% /"" %WOR* M$X* UWOSR (WS T: /"" +/G /!143'+.= @/UUG @WOS /P @*/PWX0R 7**( (SW! LU!H,"WR*

?4>'+.= >S< >WPWMX $X P%* FW./"P ?WOX&*3 FOSP$R @$"" /P =U! 0+214'+.= ?$N* !OR$, /P @*/PWX0R 7**( (SW! 1U!H'U! 01:'+.= J"WW+G >/SG J/S (SW! 1V/!HEU!

9:VV ;,*/X CS$N* 4*SW J*/,%3 A? 9E)L9 ==E<'L)<1VLV

each were served with thick slices of garlic bread, perfect for soaking up the delicious liquids left remaining in the bottom of the bowls. Next, the three of us decided on three different entrees choices which we would share. Our first choice was a Fresh Catch of the Day selection that included hefty portion of flavorful Salmon, crowned with tender lobster Florentine. The second entree selection was Yellowtail Snapper, encased in a sweet potato topping that was more than ample and finished in a butterysweet beurre blanc sauce. Both entrees were served with a crisp vegetable medley, which included niblets of corn that appeared to have been sheared right from the cob. Each of the two entrees was accompanied by a nutty brown rice, steamed to perfection. The third entree was a simple dinner salad, served with a lavish layer of lobster and dressed with a light and tasty Mango dressing that was flavored with just a hint of Chardonnay. One disappointment; a fresh basket of bread would have properly completed these three delicious entrees, especially the lobster salad; unfortunately no bread was offered for the table. The sweetest surprise of the evening was desserts made in-house. I personally was delighted at the presentation of my individually baked apple cobbler which arrived warm in its baking dish and embellished with both iced and whipped cream and drizzled with caramel. The first few bites of crisp apples kissed with sweet caramel transported me back to that of a childhood treat, found during a fall festival at a county fair. Another dessert sampling was a light and fluffy peanut-butter pie in a chocolate shell and served with

vanilla ice cream. The pie was delicious, cold and creamy, with just the right amount of peanut butter to be noticeable, but not over-powering. As for the disappointments, there were only a few: the dining room appeared more than well staffed and though the service was fairly attentive, dirty dishes were left on the table far roo long between courses. This simple attention to detail could have easily helped bring the meal closer to perfection. The decor was very eclectic if not amusing: the dining room is adorned with brightly colored orange walls with an over-indulgence of islandthemed knick-knacks. Multiple large-screen TV’s all tuned to sporting events were mounted on nearly every wall. Added to this was a live entertainer strumming soft guitar music in the corner of the bar area. Also curious was the fact that even though some menu items seemed pricey for this type of venue, everything was served on plain brown paper placemats. Throughout the evening, we wondered: What does The Fishack really want to be? A sports bar, beach bar or a fine dining establishment? Dinner for three totaled $104 before tax, not including drinks.

The Fishshack Restaurant 1931 Old Dixie Hwy., Vero Beach FL 32960 Ph: 772-770-0977 Open 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. with dinner served from 4 to 10 p.m. A late-night menu is offered from 10 p.m. to closing. Major credit cards accepted.


O C T O B E R

BY MICHAEL BIELECKI

!

^AC?;= Senior leadership takes Vero golf team into regionals

27

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

2 0 , 2 0 1 1 ! V E R O B E A C H N E W S W E E K L Y

VERO BEACH – It is little wonder that Kendall Hedgecock and Annabelle Campbell, both seniors on the Vero Beach High School girls’ golf team, provided the leadership that guided the squad to an 11-2 regular season record and into the regionals. It is in their genes. “Annabelle and I have been friends since we were both about 8-years-old,” Hedgecock said. “Our dads are both golf professionals and we played golf with the Treasure Coast Golf Tour from the time we were about 9-yearsold, so we are comfortable playing with each other. When my game isn’t up to par, Annabelle picks up the slack and vice versa.” Seniors Hedgecock and Campbell averaged scores of 39.9 and 40.7 this season, and fellow senior Nicolette Boros averaged a 51.0. Sophomores Brittany Soucek, Megan Thomas, and Marilyn Moore provided depth to the team with averages of 44.3, 46.0 , and 53.0 respectively. Freshmen Jackie Steil and Cassidy Stepanek turned in very good first-year averages of 44.6 and 47.4. “Kendall and Annabelle have been extremely competitive all year,” said second-year Vero Beach High School Girls Golf coach Jose Gibert. “Kendall has the lowest round on the team with a 37, and Annabelle has posted a couple of 38’s this year. Both of them are giving us a lot of senior leadership and we’re going to miss them terribly next year.” With no juniors on the team, fouryear players Hedgecock, Campbell and Boros represented all of the upperclassmen on the team. “We are a very tight-knit group this year,” Boros said. “The other two seniors and I have been together for the last four years, which has turned our relationship from just team members to great friends. That is the aspect that has made the season really great. We always practice together and Coach makes sure there is always friendly

PHOTO BY MICHAEL BIELECKI

Kendall Hedgecock hits an approach shot on the first hole at Vero Beach Country Club.

competition going.” Coach Gibert, who is just months removed from coaching the Vero Beach High School Girls Soccer team to an FHSAA state finals runner-up trophy, treats golf—an individual sport by nature—as a team sport. He knows it is important to have a complete team – and to have star players. His golf team is lucky to have both. “It is a great thing to have our depth,” Gibert said. “Some of the newer girls, especially freshmen Jackie Steil and Cassidy Stepanek, have been playing on the junior tour with Indian River Golf Foundation all summer. They came in prepared to play and have shown tremendous maturity for their age. “ Regional play will be held October

24 at Lake Mary and players reaching the state finals will visit Ocala on Nov. 1 and 2. “If we can get a score in the 80’s from

Brittany, and get a good score from Jackie Steil, it will be real important to us (in regionals),” Gibert said. “I think they are up to the challenge.”

=8;$ 8# 20 ;8:/!1 84 20%... ;><$1 3'-+, '7" 9'&5- *(44(:/)6

%>? =''A8 #!%$" 9+6 $2:) *4'; 0':> ('.,!

/' 5':4B,' C>:'B#? - %>@'87B, &.:8

*5" - (>8,! &':7BD') 3',!?B,B.?8

111;)>?8B@<>:7;,>@


28

Vero Beach-Sebastian: A rivalry with a cause

2 0 ,

2 0 1 1

!

SPORTS

O C T O B E R

Dollars for Scholars football game is one of the largest in the state BY MICHAEL BIELECKI

PHOTO BY MIKE BIELECKI

Vero Beach High School Principal Eric Seymour with Sheriff Deryl Loar.

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

PHOTO BY SAM WOLFE

Vero Beach won bragging rights over Sebastian, but the big winners were the students that will be helped by the Dollars for Scholars fund.

SEBASTIAN -- Sebastian River and Vero Beach High School met for just the sixth time ever in football last Friday night, with Vero Beach coming away a 26-12 winner. While the score mattered to both communities in this rivalry game, the game was played with a larger purpose of raising money for Dollars for Scholars of Indian River County. The organization has given away $7.6 million to local kids in the form of need-based scholarships. “This last May we awarded $489,000 to 72 students,” said Dollars for Scholars Indian River County Executive Director Camilla Wainright. “All scholarships given are need-based with a scholastic component. The funding we get is all local; we don’t get any government money.” Turnout for the game at Sebastian River High School’s Sharks Stadium was strong, and the school imported several sets of bleachers to accommodate the large crowd. “From the law enforcement perspective, we expected 5,000 to 7,000 if the weather held up, and it did,” Indian River County Sheriff Daryl Loar said. “The barbecue in the north end zone was a great time for everybody and most importantly, the dollars go to help the kids — that’s what it is all about. It’s an awesome night for Indian River County.” From county commissioners to school board members, the game was a gathering place for some of the most recognizable faces in In-

dian River County. “I don’t think there is anything else going on anywhere right now in Indian River County,” Vero Beach High School Principal Eric Seymour said as he looked around at the capacity crowd. “This is one of the top (Dollars for Scholars) events in the state, and when you look at Dollars for Scholars and all of that money they channel back to our kids over the years, they have been outstanding at finding quality kids that don’t have everything etched out for them to go to college—they find a way for them. “We’re going to play in Vero Beach for the next few years, so that means that the tickets and the gate will increase and we’ll have more opportunity to provide for Dollars for Scholars.” Every FHSAA high school in the state has a Dollars for Scholars game, but it is usually the first game of the season and is played as an exhibition game (the first four Vero Beach-Sebastian River games were exhibition games). Next year this rivalry, which traditionally has the highest attendance of any Dollars for Scholars game in the state, will be played the first week of the regular season. Game sponsors for this year’s game were Seaside Construction and Dyer Chevrolet. For $50 donation, fans got a VIP Pass which provided dinner with non-alcoholic beverages, a parking pass and a seat in the north end zone. “This was one of our many events and we are fortunate to have the VIP barbecue,” Wainright said. “On top of that, we get $2 from every general admission ticket sold at the game. This game, both in Sebastian and when we have it in Vero, will typically net us between $15,000 and $20,000. The last five years we’ve made $75,000 just in the football games.”


29

TRIBUTE

!

BY MICHAEL BIELECKI FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

2 0 , 2 0 1 1 ! V E R O B E A C H N E W S W E E K L Y

1. Billy Livings was one of a handful of people to interview for the head coaching job at Auburn after his first season at Vero Beach High School. He was asked to apply for the job and he had to buy a sports coat for the interview. Auburn subsequently hired Pat Dye for the job. Dye went on to go 99-39-4 over his 12 seasons as head coach. 2. Ever the family man, Billy Livings didn’t drink alcoholic beverages. In fact, he cited his distaste for alcohol-centered social functions as the reason why he never interviewed for another college coaching job after Auburn. 3. Everyone in Vero Beach knows Billy loved Fat Boys barbecue and its owners (Former VBHS coach Lawrin Giannamore and former VBHS quarterback Kirk Koehler were personal friends.) What most people probably don’t know? He was so loyal, he refused to eat barbecue brought in from Orlando by a former Indian River County Schools superintendent. Livings told him to never bring it back to Vero Beach. Fat Boys barbecue was served at the next meeting, and every meeting after that as Billy worked at Vero Beach High School. 4. It is common knowledge that Billy played center at Kentucky, but did you know he was recruited as a running back and was the team’s backup place kicker? 5. Billy is known for being a football coach, but he won multiple Alabama state titles in wrestling and baseball. 6. When Billy spoke, he often did so using country slang with a southern drawl. Livings studied English while at Kentucky and was capable of speaking as eloquently (or as poorly) as he needed to in any given situation. 7. During his last years in Alabama, Billy discovered a fantastic marching band at halftime of a game his team was winning easily. He found out the names of the young married couple responsible for the band’s leadership -- Jim and Sheila Sammons. Shortly after getting the Vero Beach job, Billy recommended them for the vacant band director position. Three decades later, Jim Sammons -- who is still at Vero Beach -- and his late wife Sheila are icons in their own right. 8. It is common knowledge that Billy was a top-notch competitive softball player, but did you know he had to try out for his spot on a team in Vero Beach? After hitting several batting practice home runs, he convinced Gary Parris to let him play on his traveling softball team. Their team was one of the top teams in the southeast region for years. 9. Billy’s eye for talent was uncanny and he was known for playing players at their best positions. Did you know he liked future NFL first-round draft pick Kenny Holmes at quarterback, safety, and tight end before playing him at defensive end for the first time as a senior? Livings had to talk Holmes into playing his fourth position in four years, but Holmes -- ever the team player -- ended up doing it for the good of the team. 10. When Sebastian River High School opened in 1994, it drew from Vero Beach High School’s deep football talent pool. Much has been made over the years about student athletes transferring between the two schools, but did you know that Billy Livings designed Sharks Stadium down to the press boxes?

SAA Hall of Fame from the Vero Beach community become amplified, just how is the FHSAA going to tell Billy no? Livings never came out and said it, nor did he mention the man by name, but the problem is current FHSAA executive director and former Indian River County Schools superintendent Roger Dearing. From 1994 to 2006, Dearing went to war with Livings seemingly whenever he could. The two fought over how many home games Vero Beach should be allowed to play, whether or not it was unlawful for students living in Vero Beach’s district to go to Sebastian River in spite of clear-cut rules saying it wasn’t, what type of barbecue to have at meetings and finally over Livings being both the football coach and athletic director. The last of these battles is one that Dearing ultimately won when Livings retired after the 2005-2006 school year. Dearing wanted Livings to teach a class and Livings disagreed. Livings hadn’t taught a class in roughly 40 years, so why should he have to at nearly 70-years-old? In spite of his feelings, he took some advice from his old confidant, Gary Parris. “I told him that maybe retiring wasn’t such a bad option,” Parris said. “Why not go enjoy yourself and do a little fishing?” Livings took his old friend’s advice and decided to retire. “Life is good,” Livings said, as we drove home from lunch. “Rosemarie and I spend our days hitting tennis balls and our nights fishing on the lake. Every now and then the phone will ring and a player I coached 30 or 40 years ago will call me. I think to myself -- they still speak to me after the way I treated them in practice? “I’ve had a great time with the people of Vero Beach,” Livings added. “I’ve had so many successes and I’ve lived a great life.”

Looking back on the time I spent with Billy, it seems surreal that he’s no longer with us. He was one of the first people to see my book on Vero Beach High School Football when it came out this spring, when I met him, Rosemarie, and his son Mike for lunch. The Livings clan loved the way the book turned out and I can’t tell you how important their approval was to me. Tradition: VBHS Football 1980-2010 was every bit as much of a tribute to Billy’s three decades in Vero Beach as it was about the teams themselves. Billy wasn’t perfect and he wasn’t a saint. What he was, though, was a pillar of the Vero Beach community for three decades. He was a shaper of the lives of young men and was a champion for female athletics as well. “I don’t know of a single person who’s done more, in my mind, for Vero Beach athletics and you can extend that into the community,” firstyear Vero Beach High School football coach Lenny Jankowski said. “Seeing his name on the field of the Citrus Bowl is a tribute to his hard work and efforts and the difference he’s made in the lives of the thousands of student athletes he coached. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t get to spend some time with somebody that has a great story about him. “I know that I am certainly appreciative of all he did,” Jankowski added. “I’m very proud and humble to enjoy all of the hard work he put into the program to make Vero Beach football what it is today.” The legacy of Billy Livings will live on through the athletic program he built, through the field that bears his name, and maybe, in some small part, in the book that showcased his career. I don’t know how I lived so long in Vero Beach without meeting Billy Livings or how it turned out that I had to go all the way to Alabama to meet him. But what I do know is I’m fortunate to have gotten to know Billy and that those three days changed my life forever.

O C T O B E R

Ten things most people didn’t know about Billy Livings

BILLY LIVINGS FROM PAGE 8


30 2 0 1 1

!

Real Estate No Photo Available

V E R O

B E A C H

N E W S W E E K L Y

!

O C T O B E R

2 0 ,

Barrier Island Real Estate Sales – October 6-October 12

Address 935 Causeway Blvd.

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

10720 Savannah Pl. W Windsor 1/25/2008 $3,250,000 10/10/2011 $2,675,000 Windsor Properties Betsy Hanley Windsor Properties Betsy Hanley

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

27 Cache Cay Dr. Cache Cay 5/18/2010 $1,075,000 10/11/2011 $995,000 Norris & Company Debbie Bell Waterman Real Estate, Inc. Andy Jansky

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

450 Arrowhead Tr. N Indian Trails 8/11/2010 $575,000 10/12/2011 $550,000 The Moorings Realty Sales Co. Daina Bertrand Peters, Cook & Company Gerry Durham

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

31 White Jewel Ct. S Ocean Pearl 5/11/2011 $515,000 10/6/2011 $425,000 Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl Mike Thorpe Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Karen Smith

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

5790 Highway A1A, 6A Fountains Condo 9/21/2011 $329,999 10/7/2011 $330,000 MarreroTeam.com Real Estate Tammy Bogart Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Ronald Spoto

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

1700 Ocean Dr. Sea Cove 7/1/2011 $350,000 10/7/2011 $325,000 Ron Rennick Auctions, REALTORS Patty King Rennick Ron Rennick Auctions, Realtors Patty King Rennick

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

914 Jasmine Ln. Ocean Corp. 10/7/2011 $299,000 10/7/2011 $260,000 Norris & Company Gretchen Hanson Norris & Company Gretchen Hanson

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

300 Harbour Dr. 201C Porpoise Bay Villas 12/8/2010 $179,000 10/12/2011 $162,000 The Moorings Realty Sales Co. Judy Hargarten The Moorings Realty Sales Co. Erika Ross

Subdivision Royale Riviera

List Date 5/25/2011

List Price $65,000

Sell Date 10/7/2011

Sell Price $50,000

Listing Broker/Agent Hoyt C Murphy Inc Realtors/Pat Murphy

Selling Broker/Agent Peters, Cook & Company/Kristin Casalino

Mainland Real Estate Sales – October 6-October 12

Address 891 Wasena

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

5380 East Harbor Village Dr. #302 Harbor Village at GH 9/21/2010 $514,900 10/11/2011 $442,000 Alex MacWilliam, Inc./Diane De Francisci Alex MacWilliam, Inc./Stacey Clawson

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

6880 51st Avenue Winter Beach Park 1/4/2011 $338,500 10/12/2011 $310,000 Dale Sorensen Real Estate, Inc. Scott Reynolds Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Craig Von Kohorn

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

995 Amethyst Dr. SW Diamond Lake 7/31/2011 $289,900 10/6/2011 $289,900 Re/Max Classic Kelly Fischer NMLS NMLS Agent

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

755 Alexandra Ave. SW Legend Lakes 8/24/2011 $215,500 10/7/2011 $214,000 Gen Real Estate & Management John Genoni Peters Cook & Company Cheryl Michel

Subdivision Sebastian Highlands

List Date 7/1/2011

List Price $225,000

Sell Date 10/7/2011

Sell Price $200,000

Listing Broker/Agent RE/MAX Crown Realty/Pat Burklew

Selling Broker/Agent NMLS/NMLS Agent


6+23 2&($16,'( aaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaa

¿QH IRRWZHDU FORWKLQJ

Intimate Apparel Children’s Fine Linens 3301 Ocean Drive | Vero Beach, Florida 32963 | www.veryfitting.com

KDQGEDJV DFFHVVRULHV 3385 Ocean Drive on Vero’s Beach...231-2772

Have you had a great conversation lately? TableTopics inspire great conversations that enrich our relationships and connect us with family and friends. Perfect for…. · Cocktail parties or Dinner Parties · Family Dinner with the kids · Big Family get-togethers · Fun conversations with friends · And more! Available at

Elegance By The Sea The Village Shops · 6230 North A1A

www.elegance-interiors.com · (772)234-7333

3241 Ocean Drive Vero Beach, FL 32963 (772) 231-1511


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

Receive Up To A $100 Publix Gift Card, Free! 7ITH PURCHASE OF SELECT &RIGIDARE $OUBE /VENS 2ECEIVE A $50 Publix Gift Card FOR ANY &RIGIDARE RANGE OVER 3EE STORE FOR DETAILS

FREE!

FREE!

PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE PAID FORT PIERCE, FL PERMIT NO. 173

FREE !

T H U R S D A Y O C T O B E R 2 0 ,

Cook 2 Turkeys at the same time!

2 0 1 1

WWW *ETSON0OWER"UY COM s TH 3TREET 6ERO "EACH s

F R E E

www.JetsonPowerBuy.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.