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Vero Beach N E W S W E E K LY T H U R S D A Y

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MARK SCHUMANN / VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Enthusiasts share a tandem kayak on a tour near Round Island Park. Local kayak firms are thriving as the 4,000-year-old watercraft design gains popularity. Story, Active Lfie

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Vero Electric: Time to plug in the numbers

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BY IAN LOVE VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

“I ﬁnally decided I would have to quantify that for the constituents of the city of Vero Beach.”

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CONTINUES ON PAGE 4

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS So Heran, who worked at one time for professional services firm KPMG, began investigating the utility and its contracts and running the numbers, eventually coming up with his model. “What this model does is quantify and describe the relationship between electric rates and tax increases and it allows you to make a lot of sensitivity analysis for different types of rate disparities, different types of sale prices, pension shortages,

question the assumptions that go into some of the numbers. Dissenters say that until those are delineated with precision, the best deal for the city remains open to debate. Heran and fellow “utility activist” Stephen Faherty have worked relentlessly the last few years to show the city needs to get out of the utility business. Heran said he began working on his model when it was suggested that city property taxes would go up with the loss of the $5.6 million transfer from the electric enterprise fund into the $20.2 million general fund. “I couldn’t quantify it, but I knew theoretically it doesn’t happen,” he said.

enjoy the 20 percent lower rates that FP&L charges its customers. But what about the Vero Beach property owners who have been enjoy low property tax rates due in part to a $5.6 million transfer from the utility fund to the city’s general fund? There is strong public sentiment that this is a good deal and the city should take the money and get out of the utility business once and for all. Glen Heran, a CPA by training, has put together a ﬁnancial model showing that, as you change certain variables, the best business case is to sell the utility. Critics of the model do not question the formula itself. They do, however,

Deal or no deal? Now it’s up to the Vero Beach City Council to decide. Now that Florida Power & Light has made known its intention of spending up to $100 million for the Vero Beach Electric system, the question becomes: Is it a good deal for the taxpayers who own the facility. Without question it is a good deal for the 61 percent of the residents on the city’s electric grid who live in the county – that’s 61 percent of all Vero electric customers – and those inside the city limits who rent their homes and therefore don’t pay property taxes. They will be able to

LOCAL NEWS

ELECTRIC FROM PAGE 3

everything,” he said. And he has put his formula to the test, making presentations to civic groups, city governments, the county and FP&L. “This is a well-thought financial analysis,” Heran said. “Really nobody has been able to argue with it to any material degree, that includes the city of Vero Beach, the county and FP&L.” At its most basic, Heran starts with the up-to-$100 million dollar figure FP&L has informed the city it is willing to pay. The utility has about $66 million in debt and about $50 million in assets, according to Heran’s calculations. That leaves $16 milMARK SCHUMANN/VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY lion in uncovered debt that you use part of Among the items the city needs to determine is how much the assets Florida Power & the $100 million to pay down. The remaining $84 million is converted Light want to purchase are really worth. into bonds or yield-paying instruments But, Heran points out, that does not mean that return approximately 4.1 percent an- Heran estimates that if no other attempts nually, on average. That produces $3.4 were made to adjust the budget by reducing a $3,000 tax bill a city resident might pay million a year that can offset the “missing” the size of city government, the city would would increase by $1,500. The city property $5.6 million the city now skims from selling raise the property tax rate from $1.94 per tax represents about 10 percent or $300 of $1,000 of assessed value to $2.90 per $1,000 the total $3,000 tax bill. That portion of the electricity. tax would go up $150 annually. That would leave a $2.1 million shortfall. – almost a 50 percent increase. In Heran’s model that $150 difference -and he does not concede that a tax increase is even a necessity if other budget cuts were ($68 5+8P8 ,P<&9"< ()68N instituted -- is a far better outcome against the savings utility customers would realize with FP&L. “I show a guy with $100,000 property assessed value would have his taxes go up $97 for the $100,000 house,” Heran said. “Yet on a 2,000 kilowatt monthly bill he would save $500.”

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SEEKING PRECISION John Lee, who served for a while as acting utility director and was in charge of providing data to FP&L as it did its due diligence, is not inclined to dispute the outcomes in Heran’s model. He did, however, say he would be an advocate of plugging in actual numbers as they become available to obtain the most accurate representation of who might win and who might lose if the utility were to be sold. Even with the FP&L letter in hand, there is still much data to be mined and positions to be negotiated before the deal can be assessed in total. For instance the $100 million price tag FP&L put out in its letter is couched with

the utility giant saying it would pay “up to” $100 million. “There is no offer on the table,” Lee said when asked about the $100 million price tag. “They sent us a letter of intent and they said up to $100 million. Well that is between zero and $100 million. They are not explaining what things they may add or subtract.” One item FP&L did make clear is that the city would be responsible for the up to $50 million penalty it may have to pay to get out of the its current contract with the Orlando Utility Commission. Heran places the figure at more like $20 million and could be even lower depending on how the escape clause is interpreted. Whatever that amount turns out to be, it will likely come out of the FP&L cash payment. There may also be an issue with the city’s part ownership of other power plants it acquired when it belonged to the Florida Municipal Power Authority. The city has a contractual obligation to purchase electricity from those plants. “The assumption, I believe, is that we can market those entitlements and sell them for money,” Lee said. “That might not be the case. FP&L asked if that could be assigned to them as part of the deal and they were told no.” Vero Beach Electric is currently buying about $2 million worth of electricity a month from those other power plants for its Vero Beach customers. Presumably it would not need to purchase that power as an FP&L customer. “In (FP&L’s) letter of intent they left those on our side of the table to be dealt with,” Lee said. “We would have to try to assign those assets to another Florida Municipal Power Authority member. The way the contract is written we can assign the asset but not the liability.” What that means is the city must find another FMPA member to buy the kilowatt hours it is currently purchasing. If they can’t, they would still have to pay for them, but without any customers to offset that bill. “The contract says we still have to pay for those kilowatt hours,” Lee said. “That is a negotiation that would have to take place aside from the one with FP&L. As you get into this I think you begin to see how complex an issue this really is.”

LOCAL NEWS

Expert says: ‘Zero, zip, zilch, nada’

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Chances of major league baseball returning to Vero?

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IMPROVEMENTS GOING FORWARD Also despite a suggestion that the Dodgertown land swap between the city and county was on hold, Callan said he is moving full steam ahead

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A DYING TRADITION? The reality is that most major league teams think Vero Beach is too small to host spring training in the 21 st century and, in fact, there are signs this annual rite may be a dying tradition on the Treasure Coast. With the departure of the Dodgers three years ago and the Nationals’ possible move to Orlando there are just three teams with Spring Training sites on the east coast of Florida – the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins in Jupiter and the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie. “The Marlins and Cardinals are negotiating an extension with a big fat clause that says if any of the four teams move they get to move too,” Reichard said. “Everyone is writing out clauses into their leases.” Minor League Baseball Vice President Craig Callan said he was left perplexed by the notion that the Nationals were considering Vero Beach as a possible spring training home. He said Minor League baseball did contact the Nationals when they heard they were considering other spring training options, but that overture went nowhere. “I would be surprised to hear that there have been conversations, because Minor League Baseball has not been involved in any since last year when we were talking to the Nationals,” he said.

The Washington Nationals are not coming to Vero Beach. Public speculation last week that the Nationals might be interested in leaving their Viera spring training facility in favor of the Sports Village at Vero Beach was baseless. There is no chance of that happening. BallparkDigest.com guru Kevin Reichard, whose website tracks team movements and stadium improvements, put the chances this way: “Zero, zip, zilch, nada.” For the record, it was Reichard who correctly predicted in the midst of the 2008 spring training negotiations between the Baltimore Orioles and city and county officials that the team had no interest in Vero Beach. In fact, Reichard pointed out that since February he’s been reporting that the Nationals and Houston Astros are in discussions to build a two-team complex south of Disney World in the northwest corner of Osceola County. “There is no interest by the Nationals in Vero Beach,” Reichard said. “They want to be away from the Treasure Coast. They are looking at the Orlando area or even Tampa.” Minor League Baseball, which is leasing the Vero Beach Sports Village from the county, has always left the door open for a major league team to use the former Dodgertown facility for spring training. To that end, they have contacted every team that has let it be known it might be shopping for a new spring training home.

BY IAN LOVE VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

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City Council told pension plan ‘not where you would like it to be’

LOCAL NEWS

BY IAN LOVE

The Vero Beach City Council met Tuesday and received updates on the pension plan, health plan and the budget process as they prepare to grapple with the next ﬁscal year spending plan.

The Council must begin the process with the FP&L letter of intent to purchase the electric utility for up to $100 million in the offing, but those negotiations could take months if not much longer to conclude. Interim City Manager Monte Falls said staff would prepare the 2011-2012 fiscal budget

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MARK SCHUMANN/VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Interim City Manager Monte Falls listens to the presentation on the pension at a special city council meeting on Tuesday.

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

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without consideration of the intent to make an oﬀer. Of immediate concern is what levels of service the city will provide with a budget that will surely be less than the $137 million it is operating with this year. How much less is still to be determined. “The ﬁrst big milestone for us is when we get the property values from (Property Appraiser) David Nolte on June 1,” Falls said. Finance Director Steve Maillet noted last year values were down double digits and all indications they will be down again when Nolte comes out with his report. “You have to think the property values are going to be down,” Maillet said recently. “I am going to guess like last year maybe as high as 10 percent, it may not sound like much but for the city’s general fund that was about $400,000 (out of just over $20 million).” Falls also told the council he is also expecting to receive less money from the state in the form of revenue from the gas and sales tax. In addition, the city is also looking at receiving proportionally less money from the state because according to

the latest census figures its population declined by 8.5 percent from 17,705 in 2000 to 15,220 in in 2010. Falls did say the city plans on appealing those numbers, but for at least this budget cycle they must figure on receiving less money from the state. One of the items that has concerned Council members is the pension plan and its unfunded liability. They heard from adviser Rocky Joyner of the Segal Company that the current plan is funded at about 61 percent. “Sixty-one percent is not where you would like to be,” Joyner said. “You would like to be at 75 to 80 percent.” Past city councils had actually been paying more than was required in previous years into the pension plan, which was funded at about 80 percent as recently as 2007. However the stock market crash wiped out nearly $10 million off the books between 2007 and 2008, throwing the plan out of balance. While the plan is not in great shape Joyner said it is not as bad as other government entities. “Vero Beach has historically paid its full contribution and a little bit more throughout the years,” he said. “Your situation is not dire, it is challenging, but it is not dire.”

LOCAL NEWS

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! T H U R S D A Y

On a split 3-2 vote, Indian River County School Board members chose one of their own staff Tuesday to serve as the district’s new superintendent of schools. Fran Adams, 64, has worked with the district since 1983 and has been in her current position as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum for the past 13 years. She has been principal of both high schools and Citrus Elementary. In 2003, she was co-superintendent with the assistant superintendent of finance. Adams was chosen over E. Wayne Gent, 56, Palm Beach County North Area superintendent, who has been with that school district for 11 years. He has been a principal in St. Lucie County schools. In 2008, he applied for the Martin County Schools Superintendent position without success. “I think there is great benefit and great challenge if Dr. Adams receives a majority vote,” said Carol Johnson, school board vice chairman, who led the move to start negotiations with Adams. “There is great challenge because these are challenging times.” “When you look at what is at stake for our school district, I really was impressed with Dr. Adams’ responses. When she was in charge she was bold, she moved forward with fresh ideas,” said board member Claudia Jimenez. “We need someone that knows the district and I think she brings that to the table.” Board member Karen DisneyBrombach dissented. “I admire and respect Dr. Adams. My concern is that we have serious deficits in various departments,” she said, citing lawsuits, a vacancy in risk management, and questionable maintenance policies. “By her own admittance Dr. Adams has not had experience in any of those areas,”

with improvements to Vero Beach Sports Village to turn it into a yearround multisport facility. One of the key elements of that transformation is building a cloverleaf of little league and softball diamonds. The site for those fields was the subject of complex negotiations between the city and county producing the land swap that was agreed to at a rare joint session between the city and county in January. Callan said he has since been working non-stop with plans to build the fields as well as other improvements to the sports village. “We are moving ahead on schedule,” Callan said. “(Two weeks ago) we had a design build pre-bid meeting where about 50 people showed up. We have a bid opening April 20 and then a selection committee re-

views them and hopefully by April 29 a design build firm is chosen.” The cloverleaf was not the only improvement envisioned at the facility and that work also remains on track. “Also on schedule are lighting the two fields,” he said. “The lights will be operational by the end of July. The contractor is going to be coming in and building the trenches to run wires in the next two weeks. The soccer field is up in the air: We have submitted plans to the county, but are waiting to hear back from them.” Presently the Sports Village is playing host to college and high school teams from around the country. Callan said they set a record for overnight stays last month. “We did 6,835 guest nights,” he said. “That is an all-time record. We just did 300 games on our fields and that is also an all-time record. My job is to manage the business and we are moving forward.”

BY MICHAEL CROOK VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

BASEBALL FROM PAGE 5

School Board chooses new superintendent from within

FRAN ADAMS Disney-Brombach said.. Chairman Matt McCain said he came to the meeting “prepared to vote for Mr. Gent. It had nothing to do with anything negative toward Dr. Adams.” He cast the second dissenting vote against pursuing Adams. After the 3-2 vote, board members cast a unanimous vote in support of Adams as a gesture of unity. The board is replacing Superintendent Harry La Cava, who is retiring in June. After nationally advertising in November, with a salary range of $145,000 to $165,000, the district received more than 50 applications. The board narrowed the list to Gent and Adams. La Cava’s contract runs through June 30. That’s also when La Cava is scheduled to exit the state’s Deferred Retirement Option Program, which allows educators to defer retirement for up to five years. At the end of the five years, educators are required to sit out for six months or lose benefits.

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LOCAL NEWS

MONA ORENDER/FOR VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY Hundreds of cancer survivors and friends of cancer survivors took part in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraiser at Riverside Park.

Beaches Relay for Life benefits cancer society BY SIOBHAN FITZPATRICK VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

More than 650 people turned out last Friday evening for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life annual fundraiser at Riverside Park. The event raised over $121,000, topping their goal of $110,000 and raising $1,000 more than last year. The event began with the traditional first walk around the track by cancer survivors, followed by friends, relatives and other supporters of the

cause, walking throughout the night. Fortunately, the sky was clear with nary a cloud in sight for the 18-hour event “It was a beautiful night. The weather couldn’t have been sweeter,” said Jane Holman, community representative for ACS. “The heat just dropped off just as soon as the sun went down. It made for a great evening. Everyone was comfortable.” Each year, ACS chooses a theme for Relay for Life; this year they chose

the movies, and their rubric was “Lights, Action, Relay for the Cure.” Teams made up of friends, family and communities--who help raise money by gaining support for their walking-decorate their campsites as well as themselves in that theme. A few of these 31 teams really put on a show. One of these was Marine Bank, that chose the movie, “TheGreat Gatsby.” “They were dressed to the hilt,” says Holman. Another team, the

Spanish Lakes, (who raised well over $20,000), also scored high on the artistic scale, with their “MASH” theme that included a “Hot Lips” kissing booth in honor of that infamous blond, Maj. Margaret Houlihan. Holman says that this creative if silly aspect of the fundraiser is not only fun, but incredibly important to the overall event. “It gives us all the opportunity to take a somber subject and be light-hearted about doing something good.”

LOCAL NEWS

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Easter egg hunt moves from shady oaks to sunny beach

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MARK SCHUMANN/VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

The annual Easter Egg Hunt will move from its traditional home at Riverside Park and will be held on the beach at Mulligan’s this Saturday.

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Grille & Raw Bar of Vero Beach; Dyer Chevrolet – Dyer Diﬀerence Award; George E. Warren Corp.; Publix; Harvro, Inc.; Wachovia; New Vision Eye Center; Wal-mart Foundation and The Tot Spot of Vero Beach, Inc. “We understood that a lot of the funding had been cut for the Recreation Department and were happy to support them in that respect,” said Tatiana Dyer of the $3,000 donated as part of the Dyer Diﬀerence Award. Parking will be available at Sexton Plaza and in the Ocean Grill parking lot, but Howard warned there may be some walking involved to reach the hunt, so plan accordingly. Each child will be given a prize and should bring a basket or other container to carry their eggs home.

about having to cancel Halloween and Easter and no ﬁreworks for the Fourth, the marketing director received approval from Mulligan’s owner George Hart and came to the city and said, “Let us help.” While the department has found enough private support to get through this year, Howard is worried that her department will be facing the same special events cuts next year. “I don’t know for sure, but the economy hasn’t gotten any better so we are probably looking at cuts again next year and we’ll be looking for sponsorships,” she said. Among the companies and businesses to contribute over $200 to help the Recreation Department sponsor events this ﬁscal year are: Mulligan’s

to 3 on the Holiday Inn’s grass lawn next to Mulligan’s. On separate areas of the beach there will be a hunt for children ages 4 and 5 and one for children 6 and up. There will also be face painting and a visit from the Easter Bunny and the Easter Chick. “We found out that there wasn’t going to be an Easter Egg Hunt this year if the city didn’t get a sponsor for it,” said Angie Schepers, Mulligan’s marketing director. “So we decided to help out.” In years past, the Easter egg hunt was held at Riverside Park, but moving it to Mulligan’s will make this a uniquely Florida beach event. Organizers are expecting as many as 700 kids and with each child taking home on average about five plastic eggs, about 3,500 will be distributed. Schepers said volunteers and parents will form a shield between the sand and the water to make sure Easter egg hunters stay on the beach and to also protect nearby sand dunes. Each age group will have five eggs with a golden ticket it in it which may be reclaimed for gift baskets donated by Publix. The Easter Egg Hunt has not been the only help Mulligan’s has provided the city. It also donated $2,000 to sponsor the Halloween Parade and will fork over $10,000 for the Fourth of July fireworks show. Howard said when she told Schepers

Local businesses have stepped up to save some cherished Vero Beach traditions. Last year, the Vero Beach City Councill left the Recreation Department without funding for most of its special events, some of which date back 50 years. “After the budget was completed we had to cancel the Easter Egg Hunt, the Halloween Parade, two nights of the Aerial Antics Circus and possibly Dancing Under the Stars,” said Assistant Recreation Director Patty Howard. But that is when the recreation folks went to work. Director Rob Slezak and Howard solicited corporate sponsorships and were able to obtain funding for the 52nd Halloween Parade, the 51st Easter Egg Hunt, the 37th Aerial Antics Circus, the 19th Dancing Under the Stars, the Fourth of July Fireworks, and the Mother/Daughter Tea Party. Mulligan’s Grille & Raw Bar has become one of the key sponsors, contributing $2,000 to save the Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for this Saturday at 10 a.m. “Mulligan’s is sponsoring it this year,” said Howard of the event that is free to children up to 9 years old. “They gave us all the money to buy the materials and hold it on their property.” The hunt will be held for ages infant

BY IAN LOVE VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

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Social | Lifestyle

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

BY SIOBHAN FITZPATRICK

Learning Alliance celebrates its success at gala dinner MARK SCHUMANN / VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Hugh and Ann Marie McCrystal, Toby and Tuny Hill

Last Thursday, the Learning Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering the latest advances in science-based education techniques to area teachers, celebrated the talents of their teachers and the success of their first full year at a gala dinner held at at Quail Valley River Club. The evening began with a lovely cocktail reception by the pool with music by Vero Beach High School String Quartet. Welcoming guests was Founding Board Member of the Alliance, Barbara Hammond. Over dessert, attendees enjoyed the Alliance’s “Faces of Hope” video, which profiled students throughout Indian River who have benefitted from the Alliance’s work. Dr. Fran Adams, current assistant superintendent of the school district (and one of two finalists for the open superintendent job of Indian River) and Claudia Jimenez, a member of Indian River’s Board of Education, delivered “messages from the Front Line” on the wonderful accomplishments of the Learning Alliance. And Ray Ogelthorpe, Founder and Chairman of the Board and former president of AOL Technologies (and the most generous donator to the Alliance) also spoke. The evening ended on a wonderful note when Bob Brunjes, president and publisher of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers presented a check from the Scripps Foundation for $25,000.

Bob Brunjes Photos on page 11: 1. Sara Coulter, Nick Thomas, Liz Woody 2. Anna Nichols, Barbara Hurley 3. Mark and Karen Morein 4. Chris and George Katilus 5. Kathy Nealy, Lisa Ross, Deborah Dillon 6. Susan DelTufo, Kelly Palmer 7. Don and DeDe Lambert 8. Lisa and Tom Hurley 9. Ray Oglethorpe 10. Don Riefler, Christine and Nick Evans, Cheri Schumann

SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

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Car buffs rally for Sun Up Center

SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

Fifty-two driving teams in a wide array of exotic, fun, everyday and unusual vehicles paraded into The Sun Up Center Saturday afternoon before taking to the streets for the 2nd Annual Vero Road Rally Magniﬁque fundraiser. It was perfect “convertibleworthy” weather for the 52 mile/2 hour route that ﬁnished at the Sun Aviation Hanger at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport. With only a few points separating the winners, Grand Bank Vice President Karl Steene presented the First Place trophies for driver and navigator to VRRM driver and navigator David and Stephanie Stawara driving a 2009

orange Lamborghini Gallardo. Second Place trophies went to driver and navigator John and Debbie Huryn driving a 1996 yellow Porsche 993. Finally, the Third Place trophies went to driver Randy Wytrval and navigator Grant McFayden driving a 1989 silver Mercedes Benz 300 CE. Proceeds from the event beneﬁtted The Sun Up Center whose mission, since 1994, has been to provide programs, services and residential opportunities to individuals with special needs. For more information about The Sun Up Center, please call Dennis Bartholomew at 772-770-6626 or visit www.sunupoﬁr.org

MARK SCHUMANN/VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

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SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

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John Walsh praises work of police, Salvation Army

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Salvation Army Board of Director Billy Collins introduces John Walsh

John Walsh has become an internationally known crusader for justice and victim’s rights since the tragic day when his son Adam was murdered. His face and the mere mention of his highly acclaimed show, “America’s Most Wanted” may strik fear in the heart of every fugitive on whom he puts his highly focused attention. Walsh says that his was the very first reality show on television. He says “but none of those shows can claim broadcasting in 35 countries; been on television for 23 years or that they have caught over 1,200 of the worst dirt bags on the planet.” Kerry Firth, owner of a local publication, came to show her support of Walsh for his help in a case that was close to her own heart. At a chance meeting with Walsh she mentioned that she appreciates of his work to help victims’ families get resolution of their cases. Her sister, Cindy, was murdered in 1984 and she still doesn’t know what really happened to her. After that chance connection, Walsh

had her contact him again and had his “America’s Most Wanted” staff research the case. Although no new evidence could be found, Firth found it touching and amazing that Walsh had taken the time to follow through and contact her personally. That is the kind of man John Walsh is known to be. Always approachable and willing to help in any way he can and do whatever is in his power to chase justice for the victims. At the Savation Army’s Annual Youth Benefit Dinner in Vero Beach, Walsh said that this had been “the worst year in the history” law enforcement with 40 officers killed this year alone in the line of duty.” He recognized the hard work and sacrifices of the police forces across the country. Walsh personally thanked Sheriff Deryl Loar for “doing God’s work” and even with the current state of the economy and constant budget cuts in law enforcement, he praised Loar for his “continuing to run a great Sheriff ’s office.” This was the third time Walsh has come to the Salvation Army’s youth

BY CHRISTINA TASCON VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

CHRISTINA TASCON/VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

James and Alvina Balog with John Walsh

benefit and just from the use of Walsh’s name; they raised $45,000 before the doors opened plus another anonymous $10,000 pledge if they could match that amount at the dinner. John Corapi, the Director of Development of the Indian River Salvation Army, says that the kids and the Salvation Army can always count on Walsh in any time of need. The money collected will be used to support underprivileged and abused children to attend summer programs and to send the children to spend some sorely needed break time at their Camp Keystone in Gainesville. Corapi said that they more than matched the $10,000 pledge and brought in a total of $32,000 from the benefit dinner and the final tally from the event was close to $90,000. John Walsh ended his speech to great applause with his highest praise of the night for the work that

the Salvation Army does. He said that when disasters strike in places like Haiti and in events like Hurricane Katrina, their help was invaluable. He said he appreciated the high profile aid given when people like Geraldo Rivera, Anderson Cooper and George Clooney came to stricken areas to help but it was the Salvation Army who stayed on and “saddled up” (a well used expression of the organization) and did what needed to be done. He praised the Salvation Army for not just giving food, shelter, clothes and a few bucks to put in the pockets of those in crisis but also in providing the caring and support these people needed to build them back up even after the media and the rest of the public went home. The Salvation Army still needs more funding and if you wish to donate, you may call the local office at (772) 978-0265 or go to www.uss.salvationarmy.org.

First Birthdays

Weddings

Addison VanDerMolen, daughter of Theresa and Brian VanDerMolen of Vero Beach, celebrated her ﬁrst birthday March 22. Chloe VanDerMolen, daughter of Theresa and Brian VanDerMolen of Vero Beach, celebrated her ﬁrst birthday March 22.

SOCIAL | LIFESTYLE

Watkins-Mitchell

Pamela Mitchell of Vero Beach, daughter of Kathryn Mitchell of Vero Beach and the late Leonard Mitchell, was married to Neal Watkins of Miami on Feb. 26 at Community Church of Vero Beach, with Bob and Casey Baggott oﬃciating. The groom iste son of Rocky Watkins of Charlotte, N.C., and Debbie Watkins of Miami. Kim Lasky of Vero Beach was matron of honor, with Danielle Maxwell, Monica Bristol and Sue Fravel as bridesmaids. Isabella

Lasky was ﬂower girl. Drew Angotti of Ann Arbor, Mich., was best man, with Charlie Watkins, Ken George and Kevin Tucker as ushers. Aidan Lasky was ring bearer. A reception at the Heritage Center in Vero Beach followed the ceremony. The bride graduated from high school in 1994 and from the University of Central Florida, Orlando, in 2001 with a B.A. in Spanish. She is employed by the School District of Indian River County as a Spanish/ ESOL teacher. The groom graduated from high school in South Miami in 2001 and from the University of South Florida, Tampa, in 2006 with a B.A. in religious studies. He is employed by Community Church of Vero Beach as a director of youth ministries. After a wedding trip to Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, the couple reside in Vero Beach.

Engagements

Anniversaries

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur McNees 67th anniversary June and Arthur McNees of Vero Beach celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary April 4 with family. The couple were married at the bride’s home in Salt Lake City. They have been residents of Florida for 29 years. Children include Tim (Deb) McNees of Salt Lake City and Brandon (Beth) McNees of Port St. Lucie. They have three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Rye-Dinsmore Elizabeth Rye of Vero Beach, daughter of Tommy and Linda Rye of Vero Beach, is engaged to James Dinsmore of Vero Beach. Dinsmore is the son of Dave and Rhonda Dinsmore of Sebastian. The couple plan to marry April 22.

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Christina Jaholkowski of Vero Beach, daughter of Mike Joholkowski of Vero Beach and Debi Brown of New Port Richey, is engaged to Dustin Bragman of Sebastian. Bragman is the son of Mickey and Mary Bragman of Satellite Beach. Jaholkowski graduated from John Carroll Catholic High in 2003 and from Indian River State College in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in exceptional student education. She is employed by Okeechobee School District as an 11thgrade inclusion teacher. Bragman graduated from Palmetto High School in 1999. He is employed by Comcast as a technician. The couple plan to marry July 30.

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Joe Hiers 50th anniversary Bobby Joe and Mary Frances Hiers of Vero Beach recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends at the Moorings Club.The couple were married March 20, 1961, at St. Helen Catholic Church in Vero Beach.They have four children, Pamela Butz, Shelly Gianotti, Kelly Hiers and Stacy Hockenhull, all of Vero Beach; and seven grandchildren.

Do you have a timely anniversary, wedding, college graduation or birth announcement you would like to have published free of charge in Vero Beach Newsweekly? Photos must be 200 dpi or higher resolution to be considered for publication. Announcements and photos may be e-mailed to milestones@verobeachnewsweekly.com. Items may be mailed to Milestones, Vero Beach Newsweekly, 1801 U.S. 1, Vero Beach, FL 32960.

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Festive fairies take over McKee Gardens

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Smiling faces and fairy wings were everywhere you looked at McKee Botanical Gardens this past Saturday as a charming Fairy Festival ﬂittered through the gardens. Even Executive Director Christine Hobart and Marketing Director Cara Chancellor got into the spirit and “winged up” for the day. From children who came costumed in fairy garb to little fairyhouse builders who collected their supplies from the “Gnome Depot,” May ﬂowers and glitter decorated the day.

Guests were greeted by “Moss Man”, Dave Mertz and “Princess Water Blossom” Cara Chancellor and “Tooth Fairy” Stephanie Willingham. Fairies danced around the Maypole; built Fairy Houses; glammed up with Fairy Manicures; designed magic wands and enjoyed the Vero Classical Ballet perform “Sleeping Beauty.” The highlight of the day was the Fairy Parade, in which three winners were selected for Best Fairy Costume. Amiah Williams was awarded ﬁrst prize, Lily Cave won second and Alyzsa Naﬀzger took home third. But all the kids looked like winners at this fun, whimsical event.

BY CHRISTINA TASCON VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

R S D A Y

Ruby Hilliard was one of the youngest fairies at the McKee Fairy Festival

CHRISTINA TASCON/VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Lynn Acor assists a bevy of fairies with the Maypole Dance at McKee’s Fairy Festival.

Fairies and parents make magical wands at McKee’s Fairy Festival.

At the Museum

American artists featured in April

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

BY CHRISTINA TASCON

ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT

families will enjoy a wonderful performance of “Jack and the Beanstalk” at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. in the Leonhardt Auditorium. The day will culminate with the presentation of the winners of the Indian River County Student Juried Exhibition at 3:30 p.m. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is at 3001 Riverside Park. Call (772) 2310707 for Museum events and (772) 231-0303 for the Vero Beach Art Club anniversary reception.

VERO BEACH

Bestsellers — Hardcover Fiction 1. Live Wire -- Harlan Coben 2. Afraid of the Dark -- James Grippando 3. The Tiger’s Wife -- Tea Obreht 4. The Paris Wife -- Paula McLain 5. The Fifth Witness -- Michael Connelly 6. The Land of Painted Caves -- Jean M. Auel 7. Mystery -- Jonathan Kellerman 8. Sing You Home -- Jodi Picoult 9. Minding Frankie -- Maeve Binchy 10. Swamplandia -- Karen Russell 11. Silent Mercy -- Linda Fairstein 12. The Jungle -- Clive Cussler 13. Night Vision -- Randy Wayne White 14. Toys -- James Patterson/Neil McMahon 15. Love You More -- Lisa Gardner

Bestsellers — Hardcover Non-Fiction 1. Unbroken -- Laura Hillenbrand 2. The Deep Sea Quest for Amelia Earhart --David Jourdan 3. Yellow Dog Café Cookbook -- Stuart Borton 4. Cleopatra: A Life -- Stacy Schiff 5. Wild Bill Donovan -- Douglas Waller 6. Rawhide Down -- Del Wilber 7. The Foremost Good Fortune -- Susan Conley 8. Revolt! -- Dick Morris & Eileen McGann 9. The Timeless Swing -- Tom Watson 10. Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? -- Ina Garten 11. Bossypants -- Tina Fey 12. Eva’s Kitchen -- Eva Longoria 13. Social Animal -- David Brooks 14. Little Princes -- Conor Grennan 15. Come to the Edge -- Christina Haag

Although the season is coming to an end, the Vero Beach Museum of Art is still bustling. An exhibition of AMERICAN MASTERWORKS: 150 Years of Painting from the Butler Institute of Art will be on display until May 22 as the museum celebrates its 25th Anniversary. The exhibition provides a remarkable selecSource: Vero Beach Book Center tion of American art and artists from the late nineteenth to the twentieth century. Also on view in the Holmes Gallery is IMPRESSIONS: Selections from the Manoogian Collection. This is a remarkable display featuring 14 signiﬁcant American Impressionist paintings chosen carefully by the museum’s executive director. On April 21t, although not a museum function, the Vero Beach Art Club, which has been connected with the Museum of Art since its opening as the Center for the Arts, will be celebrating their 75th Anniversary with a reception in the Holmes Great Hall from 5-7 p.m. Vero Beach Mayor Jay Kramer will present a proclamation from the city at 6 p.m. and a slideshow of the history of the Art Club will play throughout. Finally, on April 30h, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the VBMA will hold its 30th Annual Children’s Art Festival. This free event is a highlight in the community and will oﬀer children’s art CHRISTINA TASCON/VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY and hands-on fun art activities as well Patrons Judy Schneebeck, Cynthia Bardes, Anita Astrachan and William Schneebeck at the opening night performance of Buddy: The as entertainment. Children and their Buddy Holly Story which runs until May 1st at the Riverside Theatre.

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Community Forum

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Editorial

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Editor’s Note: As a new publication, Vero Beach Newsweekly is certainly a work in progress. Already this week we have made a number of adjustments to design and content in this our second edition. We are listening to suggestions, and welcome constructive criticism, as well as encouragement. Many are telling us is that they welcome a new editorial voice in the community. Our commitment to offer a balanced report of local news, in an unbiased a voice, seems to resonate with local readers. In an effort to serve the community, Vero Beach Newsweekly will cast a wide net in its coverage of stories relevant to all residents of Vero Beach. The paper is, in fact, mailed directly to every business and residential address on the barrier island. Quite frankly, our advertising rates will not support a direct mail circulation much over 11,000,. The most economical way to mail 11,000 copies of the paper is to deliver them to every address in selected postal carrier routes. An additional 4,000 copies of Vero Beach Newsweekly are available free in professional offices, and retail locations in the Vero Beach area. A full version of the paper is also available online at tcpalm.com/vbweekly.

Vero Beach Newsweekly is distributed throughout Vero Beach and the barrier island. Ian Love Lead Writer 978-2251 ian.love@scripps.com

Carrie Scent Graphic Designer 978-2238 verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

Mark Schumann Publisher 978-2246 mark.schumann@scripps.com

Siobhan Fitzpatrick Writer 978-2238 verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

Marsha Damerow Graphic Designer 978-2238 verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

Michael Crook Managing Editor 978-2238 michael.crook@scripps.com

Martine Fecteau Account Executive 696-2004 martine.vbnewsweekly@gmail.com

Christina Tascon Contributor 978-2238 verobeachnewsweekly@gmail.com

Mail may be sent to Vero Beach Newsweekly, 1801 U.S. Highway 1, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960 To advertise call Martine Fecteau at 772-696-2004, or Mark Schumann at 772-696-5233.

for artificially low property tax rates. Enjoying this annual subsidy, and the lower property tax rates it enables, was a good deal while it lasted, but the party is over. Essentially, the City of Vero Beach sets utility rates as high as necessary in order to generate a $5 million annual infusion into its general fund. One might reasonably make the case that in a free-market system, profits are earned by keeping expenses below income, while charging rates dictated by supply and demand. If this is an accurate definition of a profit, then the $5 million surplus the City generates each year from its electric utility is something other than a profit. Just call it a tax. It’s time for the City of Vero Beach to get out of the power business. Whether the current offer of up to $100 million made by Florida Power and Light is the best deal the City can make is yet to be determined. Certainly FP&L’s offer deserves careful consideration, and perhaps further negotiation, with the clear intention of moving toward an eventual sale.

I have just ﬁnished reading your new weekly paper. You have certainly hit the Jackpot on this one. It covers not only the beach news, but also recognizes that there are literate people on the mainland who are interested in Vero Beach news. You included the mainland in shopping, obits, social, and even the crime report. Thanks. The only problem I can see is the limited circulation area. The inaugural edition I read and enjoyed was a copy that might be classiﬁed as “stolen” as I happened to stumble upon this one copy at the hair salon where I went for a haircut. As I only get this haircut every 6 weeks, I must wait for another six weeks to “lift” another copy! When we moved to Vero Beach I was not aware that I had to move into zip code 32963 in order to be counted as a real person. Good luck and I am looking forward to my next heist!

The march of technology has led to seismic shifts in many industries. In order to survive, electric utilities, for example, have simply had to give way to the inevitable consolidations that led to greater efficiencies, lower costs, and more stable profits. There was once a day when the City of Vero Beach could operate its electric utility profitably while charging rates comparable to Florida Power and Light and other large utilities. During the years when the City was able to earn a fair profit on its electric utility, it seemed reasonable that the City’s taxpayers benefit by using the utility surplus to subsidize the overall city budget. For the City of Vero Beach, and perhaps for many other municipally owned electric utilities, the days of fair profits earned at competitive rates are over. Today the City can only earn a profit on its electric utility by setting its rates well above those charged by Florida Power and Light. This begs the question of what constitutes a profit. Essentially, the City has become addicted to an annual transfer of over $5 million from its utility in order to compensate

It’s time to sell

Mainlanders are real people, too

Three Vero Beach moms take on literacy challenges in elementary schools Pilot programs in three area schools target young readers

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

BY SIOBHAN FITZPATRICK

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Fourteen months ago, Barbara Hammond, Liz Woody and Lisa Hurley, all Vero Beach parents of children with learning challenges, started comparing notes about their previous few years’ problems trying to find appropriate educational solutions for their children. For Liz Woody, who attempted to find programs in schools-both public and private-in and near Vero Beach to no avail, this meant going out of state and enrolling her son, Mason, now 14, in Odyssey, a K-8 school for students with dyslexia and learning disabilities in Baltimore. Hurley stayed closer to home and found a tutor for her son, Will, now 11, who was diagnosed with highfunctioning autism. Hammond also employed tutors for her two sons, Parker and Tommy (11 and 13 respectively), who had no diagnosed learning disabilities, but suffered from reading comprehension and handwriting issues. Inspired by their trying experiences, the three women, led by Liz Woody, who has a master’s in Special Education/Learning Differences, decided to try and bring the wealth of their knowledge to Indian River County so that others, particularly those who lack funds for private schools or tu-

Lisa Hurley

tors, could beneﬁt. They called their quest--a nascent nonproﬁt-- the Learning Alliance.

TO FIGHT FOR OUR CHILDREN “We’re parents who want to ﬁght for our children to better help them learn,” Hammond said. Through their research, which included their personal experiences with their own children and interviews with education experts throughout the country, the three women learned that the tools to help children learn to read in specialized schools like Odyssey could help all students--not just those with learning diﬀerences. “While we are a grassroots kitchentable organization started by three moms that had kids that had struggles in school,” says Liz Woody, “we evolved very quickly to an organization that is

MARK SCHUMANN / VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Kindergartners learn reading fundamentals together.

about literacy for all students.” And according to national and local statistics, there is a huge need for reading specialists for all kids, not just those who have dyslexia or other forms of learning disabilities. A 2009 study by the National Association of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that 68 percent of fourth graders nationally are not considered proﬁcient at reading. And according to 2009 FCAT results, 24 percent of Indian River County third graders and 43 percent of eighth

graders are not considered proﬁcient readers. After reviewing these statistics, combined with their own research, Hammond, Woody and Hurley created two programs, Intervention and Prevention. Both programs are based on skills that Special Ed teachers learn and are based on the latest advances in science-based education techniques that incorporate research that neuro-scientists have discovered about the architecture of the brain and how the brain learns to read.

HELPING HANDS

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The “Intervention” program is geared towards older grade school kids (primarily fourth and fifth graders) who have gone unnoticed (or unattended) in the school system and do not know how to read. The “Preventative” program or “general curriculum” is focused on kindergarten and first-grade students. “Our hope is that our general program will prevent kids from falling through the cracks,” says Lisa Hurley. At first, the three moms discussed starting their own school, but the cost of brick and mortar was too much. So they decided to bring their idea directly to existing educators and soon they connected with the Indian River school district. To their delight, the school district was receptive, and the program, which is taught to the school educators by Liz Woody and education consultants trained in science-based special-ed methodology, has been initiated in 13 elementary schools. “We were very fortunate that our local school district is open-minded, and welcomed us in,” says Hurley. Perhaps part of their success with

the school district was because the Alliance provided all the funding for their initiative, thanks to an original $157,000 donated by Ray Oglethorpe, Vero Beach resident and former president of America Online, and his wife Jean. Also supporting the cause were two other local residents, Don and Patsy Riefler.

IMPACT 100 GRANT Since that initial seed money, the Alliance has raised over $1 million from additional private donors including this week’s contribution of $100,000 from Impact 100, a local group of 300 women, each of whom donates $1,000 to “improving their community by providing transformational grants to nonprofit organizations” locally. The program has already helped over 800 students, according to the Alliance, and is a success in the opinion of many teachers who have participated in the program. “I have watched student who were

performing on a pre-primer reading level (preschool) reach 3rd grade level reading in just six months,” says Susan Del Tufo, reading coach at Citrus Elementary in Vero Beach. “Also the confidence in these children has been incredible to watch blossom.” Robert Pianta, Dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, is not surprised by such accolades. “What we know of special education, particularly in the area of reading development,” Pianta said, “is that the curriculum certainly overlaps well with beginning readers or struggling readers because (special ed) teachers are more explicit.” Marty Sweeney, Head of the Odyssey School in Baltimore and an adviser to the Learning Alliance, concurs. “Teaching students with disabilities requires sensory hands-on experience and is equally effective with student in more main stream situations,” she says. Del Tufo said the reason for the

success of the Alliance’s dual program, compared with other reading programs, is that the Alliance includes training “Master Coaches” – teachers in the school who continue to assist their fellow teachers with the implementation of the program long after the Alliance’s educational consultants have left. “I have personally been involved in several new initiatives in the district and this is the first time that I have seen consistent professional development follow-up,” Del Tufo said. While thrilled with their progress so far, Hammond says that in the next five years, the Alliance’s goal is to expand and eventually create a center for innovation in teaching and learning in Indian River County dedicated to disseminating their knowledge, creating partnerships with other innovators and trying their model elsewhere. “We have provided a local solution to a national problem,” Hammond said. “We hope to be a model for the nation.”

Connie Law’s kindergarten class at Glendale Elementary is among those in three elementary school in Indian River County participating in a pilot reading program sponsored by the Learning Alliance.

Striving to create a revolution in literacy

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mission is to make our s cho ols the most liter ate in the countr y

Former AOL President R ay Og lethor p e’s ne w

Our Neighbors

BY IAN LOVE

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Ray Oglethorpe has spent the better part of his career on the cutting edge of the digital revolution. He is now applying that same experience that turned America Online, in the go-go 1990s, into the pre-eminent Internet destination, to make Indian River County home to the most literate schoolchildren in the country. Oglethorpe has become one of the chief benefactors of the Learning Alliance and it should come as no surprise that he supports the cutting-edge techniques the group has been employing to aid some of the most at-risk kids in Indian River County. “What stuck in my mind as I started to do some investigating is that in kindergarten through third grade, you learn to read, and after kindergarten and first grade you start to read to learn,” Oglethorpe said. “So if children don’t learn to read by the end of third grade they only have a one in seven chance of learning that skill. It is absolutely vital if we are going to compete as a society and be successful that we have a literate society.” The group has started a pilot program with the blessing of the Indian River School District to teach reading and writing to kindergarten and first-grade children at Liberty Magnet, Glendale and Dodgertown. Next year those schools will add second grade to the curriculum and at least three more schools will begin the program. The Learning Alliance is using a technique based on the Orton-Gillingham method developed at Columbia University. The system constantly engages children to learn the alphabet and then read and write through a series of sight, sound and tactile techniques. Oglethorpe became involved with the Learning Alliance when he was approached by Barbara Hammond, Liz Woody and Lisa Hurley, who were seeking alternative teaching techniques for their own chil-

MARK SCHUMANN / VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

Ray and Jean Oglethorpe in the Riomar home they have lived in since 1985.

dren, some of whom had learning challenges. He had been running his own venture capital firm since leaving AOL Time Warner six years ago. When the women came knocking in 2008 looking to help children to read, he was intrigued by their solutionbased approach. Oglethorpe has been working with them ever since.

He is more than proud of the accomplishments from the Learning Alliance. The pilot program was only implemented in February 2010 and the first prevention programs were launched at the beginning of this school year. “This has been a raging success … the results that are coming out are staggering,” he said. “The three

OUR NEIGHBORS

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Redgate was bought in 1994 by AOL founder Steve Case. Among the things the Redgate team developed for AOL was the AOL Shopping channel and the selling of advertising on the Internet service. Oglethorpe was also there when what has been called one of the most colossal failures on Wall Street took place -- the merger between AOL and Time Warner. “Many of us saw the advantages, they had tremendous content and coupled with our technology, we thought we could hit it out of the park,” he said. “But there were also many of us who had dealings with Time Warner, who knew there were a lot of warring tribes and corporate conflict and that didn’t allow the merger to work as well as it should have. “I remember we went to the music division to show them how they could put music up online and they told us to get lost.” The ill-fated merger has led to the near demise of the company he helped build. “Unfortunately at one time AOL controlled 75 percent of all the tracking that went on the Internet,” he said. “To see what it is now, searching for an identity, deeply saddens me.” Oglethorpe decided to leave after his wife had open-heart surgery and he determined the seven-day work weeks and 18-hour days didn’t hold the same priority. “The merger was difficult and we decided life is too short, let’s enjoy ourselves,” he said. And now with the Learning Alliance Oglethorpe has rekindled some of that entrepreneurial fire that helped fuel the Internet revolution. It is a great advantage that he can do it from his Riomar home surrounded by his wife, daughters, sons-in-law and his two grandchildren. “The Learning Alliance is like AOL in its hey-day in that it is a lot of work, but you can see results and see that it is working,” Jean Oglethorpe said. It is clear too, that being part of the Internet revolution has left Oglethorpe still seeking to change the

pilot school mid-year results have shown a 50 percent reduction in children at risk, That is in just a fourmonth period.” Adds Ray’s wife Jean: “It is fabulous. The kids that have learning disabilities and those that are shining stars learn the same way and are showing the same results.” Thus far the program, which is 100 percent funded by the Learning Alliance, has trained 130 teachers (all of whom volunteered their own time for training) and there are another 30 or so volunteers who are tutoring at-risk students outside the school. In the 14 months the program has been implemented as part of the regular and summer school curriculum, it has helped 800 students. “I approached this just like I would a venture capital deal,” Oglethorpe said. “I told (Hammond, Hurley and Woody) that I would give them money if they hit certain targets and they did. Then we started getting more founders because they started getting success, in the space of a little over a year it is mind-boggling how fast this thing is going.” Oglethorpe his wife Jean and their then ﬁfth- and seventh-grade daughters moved to Vero Beach in January of 1985 when he took a job with Harris Corp. in Melbourne. It was on his second day in town that he met Ted Leonsis, who had recently retired after selling Vero Beach-based Redgate to International Thompson. They became friends and when Leonsis bought Redgate back from International Thompson for the debt it had incurred after running the company into the ground he accepted an oﬀer to join the digital age. “Ted was building Redgate back up with the idea of trying to use digital solutions to solve marketing problems,” he said. “We were so far ahead of our time it was unbelievable.” He jokes that one of the things that made him attractive to Leonsis, beyond his obvious ability, was his grey hair. “It appealed to the venture capitalists that there was an adult in the room.”

Ray Oglethorpe has turned a passion for education into a cause for literacy.

world. First, he wants to conquer Indian River County and when that model proves successful then spread it across the country. “Indian River County School District mirrors the demographics of the entire United States. It matches as far as the minority composition and it matches the level of poverty,” he said. “Our goal is to make Indian River County the literacy capital of the United States. There is no reason we can’t do that.”

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Getting back to the roots of community banking

r:=KDO== BY IAN LOVE

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

When the opportunity arrived last year for Andy Beindorf to return to community banking, there was a team with a track record that had already set up shop. Beindorf, 54, who had been “retired” for two years after serving as President of Indian River National Bank (that bank has become RBC -- Royal Bank of Canada). He was sought by colleagues who had helped build that local success story into a three-county, nine-branch brand and were opening CenterState’s first Treasure Coast branch. Beindorf joined a team headed by Dan Bockhorst as senior vice president to head the loan division, branch manager Diana Walker and lenders Chris Bieber and Chris Pensch. “What made Indian River National Bank special were the people that helped grow it and their commitment to the bank and the community accepting those individuals,” Beindorf said. “Hopefully in the banking community we will all get back to that, it was a unique period of time and banking was a lot of fun.” It certainly wasn’t a fun time when CenterState opened its doors at U.S. 1 and State Road 60 in July of last year. The banking industry -- institutions large and small -- was going through an agonizing restructuring. Locally, Riverside Bank, due to its ratio of bad loans had just been taken over by the government in a Friday night coup and sold to TD Bank. But Winter Haven-based CenterState Bank has fared relatively well during the contraction. Industry watchdog Bauer Financial gives CenterState a four-star rating (out of five) and notes it is solidly funded with $1.8 billion in assets. “It is profitable and its delinquent

MARK SCHUMANN / VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

The CenterState team believes in friendly service and always with a smile.

loans look quite manageable,” said Bauer Financial President Karen Dorway. “It is well capitalized with one of our higher ratings. The look especially strong in state of Florida that has a lot of banks that are struggling. That does not appear to be the case with CenterState Bank.” One of the advantages for Beindorf is that CenterState’s Vero Beach branch, which will be moving next year into a newly-built building on 9th Avenue and State Road 60, is not saddled with a caseload of bad loans that have so battered the balance sheets of other banks. They have money to lend and he says he is beginning to see some positive trends developing. “I think things are starting to improve,” he said. “The foot traﬃc is get-

ting better, I think we are looking at some ﬁnancial statements year over year that are getting better, we are seeing more activity when people come in. But it is not going to be your typical recovery, we know that, it is going to be a slower gradual increase. I think we have to take it day by day and quarter by quarter.” Dorway says we are not there yet, but it could soon be a time for the return of more community banks to tailor services to local needs and preferences. “You are still seeing some consolidation, which is a shame because community banks are so important to the local people they serve,” she said. “There will always be that grassroots desire for local community banks. We have not seen any new banks being es-

tablished, but we do think as you move further into the recovery and we get further away from the consolidation, you will see some new ones come in.” Beindorf says the local knowledge of the ebb and ﬂow of Vero Beach’s economy allows his team to put together competitive packages for retailers, builders and those in agriculture. He comes by that knowledge honestly, having been born and raised as a fourth-generation native of Vero Beach. He has been married 30 years to the former Ana Maria Prieto and has two college age sons. “I think what you have with a local bank is access to people who know the community,” he said. “We know the local construction industry so we are able to sit down with the builders and

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to be located at 9th Avenue and State Road 60.

branch boasts $36 million in deposits and the company is looking to open a second branch in Fort Pierce in Spring 2011 “CenterState saw this was a growing market absolutely,” Beindorf said. “Any time you have a growth market and a group of individuals that have ties to the community you grow above what the community is growing and that is an opportunity for sure. “We are doing better than we have budgeted, so in that sense it is going well. Loans are picking up, so that part of the business has worked out well. But it is like anything else we have to work at it, we have to ... make sure that every customer that comes through the doors has a good experience. We are right where we need to be.” CenterState’s Chris Beiber and Andy Beindorf look over plans for the bank’s new building

give them some ideas on how we refinanced projects so we can create more cash flow for them. We understand the agriculture community very well, so we are able to step in and help because their cash flow is seasonal, so we can establish lines of credit or loans that fit their cash needs. The same thing with retailers, we understand their cash flow might be better during our traditional season so we try to match up payments with their cash flow. “Those are things that being here we are familiar with and I think we have a lot of ties with people, we understand these are tough times these are not the same period we experience before I think everybody has a lot uncertainty and concerns that we recognize and try to see what we can do.” And it appears CenterState’s bold move is starting to pay off. The Vero

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‘Some of the best flat-water kayaking in the world’

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A little human-powered boat based on a design that comes to us from the Inuits of 4,000 years ago is overtaking the canoe in popularity on the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Sebastian River. “Our business is incredibly strong,”

said Malcolm Allen, owner of Orchid Island Bikes and Kayaks in Vero Beach. “Our sales are through the roof.” Steve Cox, owner of Adventure Kayaking in Vero Beach, specializes in kayak tours, each led by a naturalist, to the most scenic places on the water locally. Spots like Pelican Island, America’s first national wildlife refuge;

Round Island; Blue Cypress Lake. His business is growing as well, and includes trips to the Everglades and the Bahamas. “Outdoor recreation improves in a down economy,” Cox said. People of the broadest span in age are enjoying kayaks. The youngest person Cox has ever put into a kayak?

BY MICHAEL CROOK VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

MARK SCHUMANN / VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

The Vero Beach yacht basin as viewed from a kayak. A lower center of gravity when sitting in a kayak affords a distinctive perspective.

“Eighteen months,” he said. “I don’t think she was awake, though,” Cox said. “Her mom was holding her.” The oldest person to whom Cox has introduced the kayak? “She was 83 when she started. I thought it was so amazing that she came out to try kayaking.” As it turned out, she was preparing for a visit from her grandchildren and wanted to join them on the water. When you ask folks why they love knifing through waters as shallow as 18 inches, they invariably talk about the quiet. “You’re not talking over a motor,” said Elaine Manny. The Mannys are a three-kayak family, a highly specialized boat for husband Dean, complete with a paddle propulsion system and a small sail; one for mom; and one for their 10-year-old daughter. “You see nature from a perspective that no powerboat can give you,” Allen said. “You can sneak into areas either for fishing or for wildlife observation without disturbing it.” According to Wikipedia, a kayak traditionally has a covered deck, and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler who strokes a doublebladed paddle. The cockpit is covered by a spraydeck that keeps the inside of the boat (and the paddler’s lower body) dry. Some modern kayaks have modified the traditional design by as eliminating cockpits and seating the paddler on top of the boat; having inflated air chambers surrounding the boat; and replacing paddles with other propulsion methods. Most kayaks commonly for sale or rent nowadays are made of polyethylene in a process that turns out a boat in one seamless piece. They’re much lighter than canoes, being constructed with few or no met-

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

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al parts. In a kayak the paddler faces forward, legs in front, using a doublebladed paddle. In a canoe the paddlers face forward and sit or kneel in the boat, using a single-bladed paddle. Therein lies another important distinction between canoes and kayaks: the singular vs. the multiple paddler. To Cox, it’s a key to the kayak’s popularity. “Kayaking is most of all an individual sport, because people can do it without having an extra partner,” Cox said. At least 4,000 years old, kayaks originally developed by indigenous Arctic people, who used the boats to hunt on inland lakes, rivers and coastal waters. These first kayaks were constructed from stitched seal or other animal skins stretched over a wooden frame. Dean Manny touches the roots of kayaking when he uses his sophisticated Hobie as a fishing platform. His hands are free to cast and reel because of its foot-pedal propulsion system. Of course, he moves about without the Arctic temperatures. On Sunday, he took his boat out to Round Island and put up its sail. Only out for about three hours, Manny covered about 3½ miles. While the solitude and quiet were sweet, Manny talks first about kayaking as “a family type of affair.” He said, “We can all go out together and spend time together.” Spend-

A group of kayakers gets “ground training” before going out on a tour of the waters near Round Island Park.

ing time together as a family is vital, Manny said, and giving children a foundation to grow from is, too. Ap-

preciating nature is an important part of that foundation, he said. Orchid Island Bikes and Kayaks carries “all the top brands that are available,” Allen said. They offer rentals, and a tryout program with new kayaks, including delivering your boat to the shore and picking it up. Group tours are also offered.

Adventure Kayaking provides year-round, full-service kayak tours throughout Florida, including the Everglades, and the Bahamas. “But some of the best flat-water kayaking in the world is found in and around Vero Beach on the Indian River Lagoon,” its website says.

Ted Allen of Orchid Island Bikes and Kayaks explains the different models of flat-water kayaks to a customer who said she wants to enjoy the view of Florida that can only be seen from the water.

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Why are restaurants combining Sushi and Thai?

jDPKTD _K9O? lTHHO6 BY NICK THOMAS

VERO BEACH NEWSWEEKLY

9:47 a.m. Friday Morning. It’s my third attempt to raise someone on the phone at Sushi-Ko, Washington, DC’s oldest (est. 1976) and best (Bon Appetit’s National Top 10 ) sushi restaurant, and the place I learned the pleasures of raw fish and seasoned rice as a much younger fellow. “Hello,” I say to Russell Gravatt, a Sushi-Ko manager. “I’m calling from a small town in Florida, Vero Beach, with what I hope is a simple question.” “Shoot,” Russell says. “Why is it,” I say, “that every Thai restaurant in my home town also serves sushi? What is the connection there? What am I missing?” “I have no idea,” Russell says. “No. Wait. I was in a bad Thai place not too long ago, and it had a sushi bar in the corner. Strange.” “I’m not kidding you,” I say. “There are no fewer than five sushi/Thai joints down here. And with the exception of a hibachi place out by the mall, there’s not one stand-alone Japanese or Thai restaurant. And to add insult to irony, we just had a new Chinese place open up, and guess what’s on the menu? Nigiri and Pad Thai.” “Funny you called,” Russell says. “There’s a group up here trying a Chinese/South American fusion thing – Chino/Latino – but at least those

two cuisines have something in common -- a similar approach to spice, similar climates, similar combinations of ingredients. Japanese and Thai cuisine could not be more different. Japan has a cold climate, and the food is all about finding the inherent goodness in simple ingredients. Thailand is in the tropics, and their food is typically very heavily spiced, with a focus on the classic interplay between sweet, salty, bitter, sour, hot.” “At least they both like rice,” I offer. “But even there, Japanese and Thai food uses wildly different kinds of rice.” Never one to accept that something is simply because it is, I’ve been asking around. Why sushi and Thai? My 18-year-old daughter is as good a source as any. “Well,” she says, just before bed last night, “sushi is sushi, and if you want sushi, you get sushi. But sometimes you’re not in the mood for cold food, or maybe raw fish grosses you out. Then you get pad thai or coconut curry or something.”

NICK THOMAS

“OK . . . ,” I say. “But why Thai? Why not Chinese food?” “Chinese food is greasy,” she says. “Nobody wants that.” My buddies up on the corner are not much more help. Not enough people in Vero like sushi enough to support a Japanese restaurant, they say. Same for Thai food. But if you combine them, then you’re in business. Again, OK. But why Thai? What about sushi and Indian? Sushi and pizza? Sushi and breakfast cereal? I’m getting frustrated here. So I’m back on the internet. Tokyo is 2,863 miles from Bangkok as the Boeing flies. No help. Japanese use chop sticks. Thais don’t. I pick up the phone and call the manager of Bangkok in Downtown, a place I eat at occasionally and enjoy. It’s one of three sushi/Thai places within a quarter of a mile of each other in downtown Vero. “Why,” I ask, “do you serve sushi and Thai food?” “More choices for the customer,” he says. “If you don’t like sushi, you can have Thai.” Huh? Nick Thomas is a lawyer and certified family mediator. Reach him at nthomaslaw@comcast.net

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Community Calendar

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

MONDAY, APRIL 18

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Wine” to benefit lifelong learning institute at IRSC. 3-5 p.m. Richardson Center, Vero Beach. $30 per person per month. 772-462-7880. April 23: Most recently seen on NBC’s “The Sing Off 2” last season and the world’s oldest and bestknown collegiate a cappella group, the Yale Whiffenpoofs perform at the King Center, 3865 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne, 7 pm, $17.50-$22. Go to www.kingcenter.com for tickets. April 23: Habitrot to Higher Education 5K Run/Walk to benefit Indian River Habitat for Humanity. South Beach Park, Vero Beach April 26: #1 NY Times Best Seller, Debbie Macomber will hold a signing of her new book, “A Turn in the Road”, at the Vero Beach Book Center. Tickets to be in autograph line will be issued with books purchased at the Book Center. www.VeroBeachBookCenter.com. 722-569-2050 April 30: Children’s Art Festival, Riverside Park, 30th Annual children’s art event will be held in Riverside Park from 10 am to 4 pm. Presented by the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Youth art and fun activities will go on throughout the day plus three puppet show performances of Jack and the Beanstalk. Free to the public. 772-231-0707 April 30: Education Foundation Charity Shoot at Windsor’s private gun club in Fellsmere from 9:30 am to 1 pm. Participants pay $150 and receive loaner guns & shells plus ear protection and includes breakfast and lunch. If you would like to enjoy the shoot from the sidelines, lunch plus a view will cost $35. 772-564-0034

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

27th Ave., Vero Beach. Call 772-7785249 for tickets. April 19: 2011 Pinnacle Award Breakfast. 8-9:30 a.m. Quail Valley River Club, Vero Beach. 772-978-5574. Apr 20-24: Cirque Dreams illumination will perform at the Kravis Center, Wed-Fri, 8 pm; Sat at 2 & 8 pm and Sunday at 7 pm. An explosion of dance, music and brilliant illumination. Tickets begin at $25. Go to www.Kravis.org or call 800- 572-8471 April 21: Vero Beach Art Club’s 75th Anniversary Celebration held at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, Holmes Great Hall, 5 - 7 pm. Wine, refreshments and catered hors d’oeuvres, music by Stringsations Quartet. Proclamation by Mayor Jay Kramer at 6 pm. Tickets are limited, $10 per person, call 772-231-0303. April 21: Jamie & Bobby Deen, sons of famous HGTV southern cooking chef, Paula Deen, will be autographing their book, The Deen Brothers Get Fired Up at the Vero Beach Book Center at 5 pm. Tickets to be in autograph line will be issued with books purchased at the Book Center. 722-569-2050 April 21: The Emerson Center Humanities Series, sponsored by Marine Bank & Trust, concludes the 2010-2011 FREE six-performance series on Thursday, April 21, at 7 p.m. Jeff Klinkenberg, a master Florida storyteller who writes about Florida culture and the people who make the state unique, will talk about “Pilgrims In The Land of Alligators,” The Role Of The Alligator In Florida Culture. April 22: “Around the World with

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Beach. $50 per person. 772-778-2223. April 16-17: The 28th Annual Vero Beach Spring Boat Show will take place Saturday and Sunday at Riverside Park in Vero Beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Riverside Park is located just west of the Riverside Theater and southeast of the Barber Bridge in Vero Beach, off of Route 60. Area boat dealers and suppliers will be displaying their product lines and will have staff available to answer questions. Parking and admission free. For more information call Laura at 562-7922 or visit www. verobeachboatshow.com. April 16: “Tumba La Casa” to benefit Children’s Home Society. 6-11 p.m. Rock City Gardens, Vero Beach. 772-778-6340. April 16: Dr. Seuss Character Lunch to benefit McKee Botanical Garden. 11:30 a.m. Mingle with characters from Dr. Seuss books. Vero Beach. $11 adults, $6 children. Reservations required. 772-794-0601 April 17: 1940s Gala to benefit Literacy Services in Indian River County. 6-9 p.m. Singer Sylvie Lewis, heavy appetizers, drinks. Orchid Isle Golf & Beach Club, Vero Beach. $150 per person. 772-778-2223. April 17: “Vero Sings for the Victims” to benefit Victims of Violent Crimes. 3 p.m. Featuring the voices of Tani Ortega-Cowan, Roberta DeCore, Eleanor Dixon, Cathi and Edmund Nalzaro, and more. Waxlax Center for the Performing Arts, Vero Beach. $20 per adult, $10 per student. April 18: Musician & comedian Andy Wahlberg stages one-night concert at the Emerson Center, 7 p.m. 1590

Through May 1: The Riverside Theatre presents the popular musical, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story on the Main Stage. A golden oldies filled tribute to the life of the musical legend who was a bright star of the fifties rock ‘n roll revolution. Riverside Theatre, Tickets $36-$65, 772-231-6990 April 14: Dan K. Richardson Humanitarian Awards Banquet to benefit the Gifford Youth Activity Center. 5:30 p.m. April 14: Smokey Robinson performs his smooth R&B soul sounds he performed with his former group, the Miracles, at the Kravis Center at 8 pm in the Dreyfoos Hall. Robinson is most known for his hits “My Girl,” Tracks of My Tears,” and “I Second That Emotion.” Tickets start at $25 and may be purchased online at www.Kravis.org or call 800-572-8471. April 15-16: Hibiscus Festival hosted by Downtown Mainstreet & City of Vero Beach. The Hibiscus Pageant will take place Friday evening at 7 pm in the Heritage Center. This annual family-oriented festival begins on Saturday at 7 am and goes until 8:30 pm starting with a 5K run at 7 am and continues through the day with a silent auction, Easter Bonnet Doggy Parade, fine art show and 150 various vendors along 14th Avenue Downtown plus live entertainment from 5:30-8:30 pm. www. hibiscusfestival.org April 15: Love of Literacy Luncheon to benefit Literacy Services of Indian River County. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Featuring author Kevin Barry. Bent Pine Golf Club, Vero

Ronnie Jean “Geech” Brinson Ronnie Jean “Geech” Brinson, 64, died April 3, 2011, at Indian River County Hospice House. He was born in Swainsboro, Ga., and moved to Indian River County in 1954, coming from his birthplace. Survivors include his wife, Vickie Brinson of Vero Beach; brothers, Tom Willie Smith and Randel Adkins, both of Vero Beach, William Brinson Suitland of Maryland and Charlie Brinson of West Palm Beach; and sisters, Adline Kent Jesup, Annie Bogan Jesup and Reva Pasley Jesup, all of Georgia, Teresa Alford and Minnie Bell Sweeting, both of Vero Beach, Dorothy Baker of Los Angeles, Lue Bertha Barton and Jessie Mae Brinson, both of Fort Pierce, and Betty Douglas of Dunnellon. Arrangements are with Hortense/Mills Memorial Funeral Home.

Obituaries

John Taylor Terry Brune John Taylor Terry Brune, 70, died March 29, 2011, at his home. He was born in New York City and lived in Vero Beach for four years, coming from Irvington, Va. He was of the Protestant faith. Survivors include his sons, William Brune of Georgetown, Maine, and Timothy Brune of Victor, Idaho; daughters, Constance Trachte of Sunderland, Vt., and Tilney Brune of Boston, Mass.; and four grandchildren. Arrangements are by Cox-Giﬀord-Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory in Vero Beach.

David “Jack” Lee Carter David “Jack” Lee Carter, 62, died March 28, 2011. He was born in Camilla, Ga., and moved to Vero Beach in 1953, where he lived until 2005, before coming to Brevard County. Survivors include his father, Thomas Carter of Vero Beach; brothers, Eddie L. Carter of Jacksonville and George S. Carter of Vero Beach; sisters, Jerry D. Williams of Vero Beach, Carol Carter and Deborah Carter, both of Atlanta, and Vicky Williams of Port St. John. He was preceded in death by his mother, Claretha Carter. Arrangements are by Hortense/ Mills Memorial Funeral Home.

Ellen Virginia Conrad Ellen Virginia Conrad, 70, of Vero Beach, passed away on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at Sebastian River Medical Center. She was born December 25, 1940 in Vero Beach, FL and was a resident of Vero Beach for 45 years coming from Memphis, TN. Survivors include her daughters Kim Geus of Vero Beach and Sandra Watson of Little Rock, AK, son Bernard Conrad of Sebastian, FL, seven grandchildren and two great granchildren, sister Vivian Douglas of Okeechobee, FL, two brothers Raymond Bishop of White City, FL and Sable Bishop of Lakeland, FL. She was predeceased by her husband Monte Conrad, son Jon Conrad and brother Leo Bishop. Arrangements are under the direction of Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory, Sebastian, FL.

William Grant Corboy William Grant Corboy, 89, died March 24, 2011, at The Arbors in Vero Beach. He was born in Altoona, Pa., and came to Florida 29 years ago from his birthplace. Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Betty L. (Gill) Corboy; son, William Jr. of Oaklyn, N.J.; brother, Robert Corboy of Twinsburg, Ohio; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Arrangements are by All County Funeral Home & Crematory Treasure Coast Chapel.

Joseph (AKA Joe) Del Vecchio Joseph (AKA Joe) Del Vecchio, 87, passed away Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at the VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach. He was born in Hackensack, N.J. After retiring in 1982, Joe moved to Vero Beach, FL. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 ¾ years, Mary, of Vero Beach, FL; son, James of Coon Rapids, Minnesota; son, Robert of Bernardsville, NJ; daughter, Ruth of Wilson, WI; daughter, Jody of Waxhaw, NC; sister Mary Fields of Southhampton, CT; sister, Bridget Criscuola of Sunnyside, NY; brother, Pasquale Del Vecchio of Birmingham, AL; 5 grandchildren and 2 greatgrandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Wycliﬀe Bible Volunteers, P.O. Box 6281, Orlando, FL 32862-8211 Arrangements are under the direction of Cox-Giﬀord-Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory, Vero Beach, Florida.

Alan Louis Duke Alan Louis Duke, 85, died April 3, 2011, at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach. He was born in Orange, N.J., and lived in Vero Beach for 22 years, coming from Rumson, N.J. Survivors include his wife, Sandra Kay Duke; daughters, Ellen Spears of Fairhaven, N.J., and Gail Pratt of Oneida, N.Y.; and six grandchildren. Arrangements are by All County Funeral Home and Crematory Treasure Coast Chapel.

Sarah Elizabeth Corby Sarah Elizabeth Corby, 85, died March 30, 2011, at her home. She was born in Franklin, N.J., and lived in Vero Beach for 47 years, coming from Oak Ridge, N.J. She was a member of Central Assembly of God in Vero Beach. Survivors include her daughters, Diane Honeycutt, Carol Barkwell, Patti Baker, Peggy Connoll and Penny Kanter, all of Vero Beach, and Iva May Norman of Franklin; sons, Allen Norman of Connecticut, and Mark Norman and James Norman of Vero Beach; 17 grandchildren; 15 greatgrandchildren; and one great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Corby. Arrangements are by Cox-Giﬀord-Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory in Vero Beach.

Dr. Paul R. Eggum Dr. Paul R. Eggum, 76, died March 31, 2011, in Nicholasville, Ky. He was born in Benham, Ky., and lived in Vero Beach and Nicholasville for 15 years. Survivors include his wife, Deborah; sons, James Eggum of Versailles, Ky., and John Eggum of Richmond, Ky.; and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 520 Royal Palm Blvd., Vero Beach, FL 32960. Arrangements are by Blackburn and Ward Funeral Home in Versailles.

She was born in Birkenfeld, Germany. She moved to the United States in 1956 and lived in Vero Beach since 1966. Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Wilbur A. Ferris of Vero Beach; daughters, Marion Wright of Gurley, Ala., Barbara Rice of Vero Beach and Patty Kapp of Jackson, Miss.; son, Andrew Ferris of Vero Beach; 14 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA/Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Arrangements are by Cox-Giﬀord-Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.

Betty P. Hunt Betty P. Hunt, 92, died April 6, 2011, at the VNA/Hospice House in Vero Beach. She was born in Montclair, N.J., and lived in Vero Beach since 1990, coming from Miami. She was of the Catholic faith. Survivors include her son, Don Hunt of Vero Beach; a grandchild; and two great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA/Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Arrangements are by Cox-Giﬀord-Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory in Vero Beach.

Chester E. “Chet” Knoll Chester E. “Chet” Knoll, died April 6, 2011 at Indian River Medical Center, Vero Beach. He was born in Philadelphia, PA and lived in Vero Beach for 38 years coming from Seven Hills, OH. He owned and operated A1 Used Appliance, Ft. Pierce for 15 years. Mr. Knoll later worked for Scripps Howard and the United Parcel Service. Survivors include his son, Douglas “Dak” Knoll of Fort Pierce; mother, Louise Knoll of Vero Beach; sister, Joi Koss of Vero Beach and his former wife, Sharman Mullins. Memorial contributions may be made to Asbury United Methodist Church, 1708 43rd Ave., Vero Beach, FL 32960. Arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home and Crematory Vero Beach.

Maria E. Ferris Maria E. Ferris, 80, died April 2, 2011, at the VNA/Hospice House, Vero Beach.

Patricia C. Long Patricia C. Long, 61, died April 3, 2011,

OBITUARIES

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! T H U R S

Louise Sybil Vasquez

Perry B. Wright Perry B. Wright, 83, died March 29, 2011, at her home. She was born in Trinidad, Colo., and lived in Vero Beach for nearly 30 years, coming from Wichita, Kansas. Survivors include her daughters, Julie Wright-Connolly of Wichita, Kan., and Erin Wright-Campbell of Vero Beach; son, Jamie John Wright of Vero Beach; sisters Iris Schweer of Valley Center, Kan., and Kay Snow of Fountain Valley, Calif.; and ﬁve grandchildren. Arrangements are by Cox-Giﬀord-Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory in Vero Beach.

Louise Sybil Vasquez, 75, died April 5, 2011, at her home. She was born in Miami and lived in Indian River County since 1990, coming from her birthplace. Survivors include her children, Lee Weirick, Peggy Cardell, Becky Diaz, Chris Vasquez Sr., Joey Vasquez, Catherine Vasquez, Eddie Vasquez and Maria Frye; 17 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by husbands Clyde Weirick and Evelio Vasquez; and one grandchild. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 3375 20th St., Vero Beach, FL 32960. Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home and Crematory in Vero Beach.

Frances Smith, 73, died March 27, 2011, at her home. She was born in Huntington, N.Y., and lived in Vero Beach for 25 years, coming from East Northport, N.Y/ Survivors include her husband of 49 years, Robert Smith; daughter, Barbara Rusnak

Richard Cole Ramer, 86, died March 27, 2011, in Vero Beach. He was born in Rockford, Ill., and was a winter resident of Vero Beach for 21 years. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Joyce G. Ramer of Vero Beach; daughter, Linsey Gregg of

Frances Smith

Richard Cole Ramer

Anne Sue Smith, 84, died March 30, 2011, at Decedent’s Residence in Vero Beach. She was born in Jeanette, Pa., and lived in Vero Beach for 15 years, coming from Fort Lauderdale. Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Albert E. Smith Jr.; daughter, Laverne Kingsbury of Port St. Lucie; sons, David Smith of Vero Beach, Albert Smith of Lantana and James Smith of Plantation; sister, Germaine Kratchovil of Level Green, Pa.; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Charlotte Leroy, Mary Friez, Jeannine Hooper and Margaret Irene Dietz. Memorial contributions may be made to VNA Hospice of Indian River Co., 901 37th St., Vero Beach, FL 32960. Arrangements are by All County Funeral Home & Crematory, Treasure Coast Chapel.

Stuart Anthony Smith, 44, died April 4, 2011, in Fort Pierce. He was born in Syracuse, N.Y., and moved to Fort Pierce and Vero Beach 20 years ago. Survivors include his wife, Sonja Smith of Vero Beach; sons, Tim and Ricky Corliss, both of Arizona; daughters, Tamara Dougherty of Palm Bay, Samantha Smith, Kayla Smith and Daphne Smith, all of Jupiter; father, Fred Smith of Vero Beach; mother, Patricia Newkirk of Fort Pierce; brother, Steven Smith of Fort Pierce; sister, Chrissy Smith of Fort Pierce; and a grandchild. Arrangements are by Haisley Funeral and Cremation Service.

Gynelle “Nell” Pierson, 91, died April 9, 2011, at Indian River Medical Center, Vero Beach. She was born in Gibson Wells, Tenn., and lived in Vero Beach for 55 years, coming from Hickman, Ky. She was a member of Lighthouse Church of God of Vero Beach. Survivors include two sons, Frederick Pierson of Union City, Tenn., and the Rev. John A. Pierson of Vero Beach; daughter, Ann Kern of Maryville, Tenn.; three grandchildren; nine greatgrandchildren; and ﬁve great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, John H. Pierson, who died in 2005; and a grandson. Arrangements by the Strunk Funeral Home & Crematory of Vero Beach. A guestbook is available online at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.

Anne Sue Smith

Stuart Anthony Smith

Mary T. Neal, 77, died April 1, 2011, at VNA/Hospice House, Vero Beach. She was born in Owensboro, Ky., and lived in Vero Beach for three months, coming from Boone, N.C. Survivors include her daughter, Tina Townsend of Vero Beach; and

Gynelle “Nell” Pierson

Jeanie Robb, 59, died April 2, 2011, in Vero Beach. She was born in Camp Polk, La., and moved to Vero Beach in 1968 from Peru, Ind. Survivors include her husband of 32 years, Carlos of Vero Beach; sons, David Roy Robb and Michael Robb, both of Vero Beach, and Andrew Robb of San Francisco, Calif.; brothers, Ted Tomes of Mexico, Ind., and Tony Tomes of Willmington, N.C.; sisters, Candy McLellan Bowers of Stockton, Calif., Kathy Morehead of Winston-Salem, N.C., Patty Rothacker of Fort Pierce, Sonia Rimer of Rogersville, Tenn., and Sheila Kabella of Westly Chapel; and nine grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Anthony Louis Robb Sr. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 865 S.E. Monterey Commons Blvd., Stuart, FL 34996. Arrangements are by Aycock Funeral Home of Fort Pierce.

Mary T. Neal

Robert Eugene Owens, 80, died March 31, 2011, at Indian River Medical Center, Vero Beach. He was a lifetime resident of Vero Beach. Survivors include his sons, Robert Eugene Owens Jr. of Daphne, Ala., Randall Scot Owens of Ocala, and Charles Edward Owens of Stuart; sisters, Dorothy Smith and Ruth Sparkman, both of Vero Beach, and Claudia Luikart of Fort Pierce; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded by his sisters, Loca Black, Lorena Hazellief, Bernice Tillis and Annie Ruth; brothers, John Wallace Owens, Felix “Shorty” Owens and Frank Owens. Memorial contributions may be made to Disabled American Veterans, Attention: Gift Processing, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. April 16 at Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home, Vero Beach.

Mandy L. Mims, 84, died March 31, 2011, at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach. She was born in Jeﬀersonville, Ga., and lived in Vero Beach for 27 years coming from Brooklyn, N.Y. She was a member of Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness in Vero Beach. Survivors include her sisters, Hattie Williams, Bobbie Stevens and Doris Hill, all of Macon, Ga.; and brother, George Hill of Macon. No services are scheduled at this time. Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory in Vero Beach.

Jeanie Robb Robert Eugene Owens

Mandy L. Mims

of Vero Beach; sons, Wayne Smith of Atlantic Highland, N.J., and Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale; and six grandchildren. Arrangements are by All County Funeral Home & Crematory Treasure Coast Chapel.

Franklin Nathaniel Mills, 64, died April 6, 2011, at the Indian River Medial Center in Vero Beach. He was born in St. Kitts, West Indies, and lived in Vero Beach for 30 years, coming from St. Croix, Virgin Islands. He was a cook and chef for several private clubs, including John’s Island, Windsor and Hurricane Harbor. He also managed Wendy’s and KFC. Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Philis Mills of Vero Beach; sons, Franklin Mills Jr. and Michael Mills, both of Orlando, Fitzroy Mills of St. Croix and Tyrone Mills, Kyle Mills, Troy Mills and Joseph Mills, all of Vero Beach; mother, Pearline Mills of St. Kitts; nine brothers; 11 sisters; and 11 grandchildren. Arrangements are with Cox-GiﬀordSeawinds Funeral Home.

Rockford; and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Indian River Humane Society, 6230 77th St., Vero Beach, FL 32967. Arrangements are by Haisley Funeral & Cremation Service.

Franklin Nathaniel Mills

three grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA/Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Services: Arrangements are by Cox-Giﬀord-Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.

at her home. She was born in Wadsworth, Ohio, and lived in Vero Beach for 41 years, coming from her birthplace. Survivors include her husband of 41 years, Phillip A. Long of Vero Beach; sons, Stephen R. Long and Michael D. Long, both of Vero Beach; brother, Philip W. Charles of Gloucester, Maine; sister, Cathy A. Duﬀer of Decatur, Ala.; and three grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Arrangements are by the Strunk Funeral Home and Crematory of Vero Beach.

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Real Estate

T H U R S D A Y

A P R I L

Barrier Island Real Estate Sales – March 31-April 6

Address 1075 Winding River Road 246 Springline Drive 406 Palm Island Circle N 8885 Orchid Island Cr. W #405 750 Beach Road #204 1001 Bay Road #304 1192 Governors Way 8865 Orchid Island Circle W #211 812 Flamevine Lane 1150 Reef Road 9385 Maiden Court E 8840 Sea Oaks Way S #204B 1700 Ocean Drive #201V 915 Tropic Drive 1134 Windrifter Way 2194 Via Fuentes 1416 Coral Avenue 1215 Winding Oaks Circle E #407 5601 Highway A1A 5100 Highway A1A, #58-G 5100 Highway A1A 935 Causeway Blvd. E #208 5400 Highway A1A

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

660 Reef Road Floralton Beach 4/9/2010 $5,900,000 3/31/2011 $4,200,000 Premier Estate Properties Premier Estate Properties

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

3325 N Savannah Place Windsor 2/25/2010 $2,100,000 4/4/2011 $1,875,000 Windsor Properties Windsor Properties

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

161 Seaspray Lane Orchid Island 8/19/2009 $2,195,000 4/1/2011 $1,560,000 Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl.

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

130 Springline Drive Anchor The Moorings 8/31/2010 $1,125,000 3/31/2011 $970,000 The Moorings Realty Sales Co. The Moorings Realty Sales Co.

Subdivision

List Date

List Price

Sell Date

Sell Price

Listing Broker

Selling Broker

Castaway Cove Moorings Palm Island Plantation Sea Oaks John’s Island West Passage Bermuda Club Sea Oaks Briggs Tierney Sabal Reef Condo Old Orchid Sea Oaks Sea Cove Silver Shores Castaway Cove River Mews Condo Ocean Corp Sea Oaks Robles Del Mar Pebble Beach Villas Pebble Beach Villas Royale Riviera Vista Del Mar

10/7/2009 3/31/2011 2/1/2007 1/13/2011 2/20/2011 4/14/2010 1/31/2011 2/11/2011 1/28/2010 2/12/2011 1/31/2011 1/31/2011 6/15/2010 1/4/2010 2/3/2011 8/13/2007 1/3/2011 2/21/2011 10/8/2008 11/2/2010 10/25/2010 12/6/2010 3/3/2011

$1,095,000 $900,000 $895,000 $699,900 $640,000 $490,000 $415,000 $390,000 $359,000 $349,000 $339,000 $329,000 $299,000 $285,000 $280,000 $279,000 $259,000 $169,000 $149,900 $148,000 $139,900 $139,000 $50,000

3/31/2011 3/31/2011 4/1/2011 4/1/2011 4/1/2011 4/1/2011 4/4/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 4/5/2011 4/6/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 4/1/2011 3/31/2011 4/6/2011 4/1/2011 4/1/2011 4/4/2011 4/6/2011 3/31/2011 4/5/2011

$795,000 $900,000 $800,000 $675,000 $545,000 $460,000 $375,000 $337,500 $335,000 $309,000 $300,000 $275,000 $245,000 $260,000 $280,000 $259,000 $236,000 $155,000 $135,000 $135,000 $120,000 $123,296 $48,000

Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Norris & Company Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Cliff Norris Real Estate The Moorings Realty Sales Co. Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Peters, Cook & Company RE Palm Pointe Realty Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. The Moorings Realty Sales Co. David Walsh & Associates RE Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl Dale Sorensen Real Estate Inc. Coldwell Banker Ed Schlitt VB Peters, Cook & Company RE Coldwell Banker Ed Schlitt VB

Premier Estate Properties Alex MacWilliam, Inc. NMLS Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl. Cliff Norris Real Estate The Moorings Realty Sales Co. Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl. North Beach Realty Peters Cook & Co. Norris & Co. Starfish Real Estate North Beach Realty Peters Cook & Co. Weichert Hallmark Vero Beach Dale Sorensen Real Estate Dale Sorensen Real Estate Peters Cook & Co. Dale Sorensen Real Estate Treasure Coast Sotheby’s Intl. Coldwell Banker Ed Schlitt Coldwell Banker Ed Schlitt NMLS Dale Sorensen Real Estate

Mainland Real Estate Sales – March 31-April 6 Address: Subdivision: List Date: List Price: Sell Date: Sell Price: Listing Broker: Selling Broker:

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

8530 8th Street Indian River Farms 4/11/2010 $549,900 4/5/2011 $375,000 RE/Max Crown Realty! Alex MacWilliam, Inc.

1065 Riverwind Circle Riverwind 1/13/2011 $395,000 4/4/2011 $370,000 Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Dale Sorensen Real Estate

Address

Subdivision

List Date

List Price

Sell Date

Sell Price

Listing Broker

Selling Broker

8255 Meredith Place 4660 Stephanie Lane SW 685 St. Annes Lane 719 Wimbrow Drive 1120 Amethyst Driver SW 6090 57th Street

Stoney Brook Farm Legend Lakes St. Anne’s Island/Oak Hbr Sebastian Highlands Diamond Lake Indian River Farms

2/3/2011 5/14/2010 4/30/2010 8/9/2010 3/23/2011 12/24/2010

$350,000 $320,000 $297,000 $225,000 $214,900 $212,440

3/31/2011 3/31/2011 3/31/2011 4/4/2011 3/31/2011 4/5/2011

$310,000 $285,000 $275,000 $203,000 $265,000 $214,000

Dale Sorensen Real Estate Dale Sorensen Real Estate Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Billero & Billero Properties Associated Home Solutions Rlty RealHome Services & Solutions

Dale Sorensen Real Estate Dale Sorensen Real Estate NMLS Re/Max Riverside Assoc. Home Solutions Rlty Custom Real Estate Services

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