January 2026 LIV VERO Magazine

TM

LIFE ELEVATED

JANUARY 2026

WITH GRATITUDE, WE STEP FORWARD 2026

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A Moment’s Notice Health Care

6th Avenue Jewelers

Design Collaborative

Alexandra Nuttall Design

Frou Frou St Tropez

Louden Bonded Pools

Rise Modern Wellness

M Bakeri

REsistance Cycle & Strength

Nuva Dental

Executive Medicine of Vero Beach

Varietals and More

Vero Beach Roofing Inc

Sassy Boutique

VB Private Jewelers

Caldwell Trust Company

Jennifer D. Peshke

Scott Tree Services

Vero Wine Bar

Prism Capital

KMK Builders

Saint Edward’s School

Vero Fitness

Florida Shutters

Premier Estate Properties Brown Talley Group

Tocqueville Asset Management

O’Dare Boga Dobson Group

Engel & Völkers Vero Beach Diane Field

The Hill Group

HBS - Impact Windows & Doors

Distinctive Cabinetry Designs

Capritta Appliance & Air Conditioning

Vernon Scott Resort Wear

Capritta Appliance & Air Conditioning

Hudson Advisors

Coastal Interiors

Vero Beach Pavers

Align Aesthetics & Wellness

SPENGA Vero Beach

Engel & Völkers Vero Beach, Hutchinson Island Claire Higgins, Broker

Luke Webb and Associates Legacy Real Estate

Reilly Construction LPL Creations

We thank our partners.

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Welcome to Frou Frou St Tropez - the symbol of timeless elegance, where each collection celebrates fashion sophistication with an effortless style.

Inspired by the beach-chic fashion of St. Tropez, Ibiza, and Mykonos, Frou Frou St Tropez collections embody casual elegance of French style, blending simplicity with a touch of avant-garde that is unmistakable and highly desired by fashion-forward individuals everywhere.

Surprising, inventive, and seductive, handcrafted brands, luxurious fabrics, and exquisite details define luxury European fashion that is both attainable and sophisticated with unique embellishments.

Each piece is created with a one-of-a-kind character, better known as savoir-faire, made avec amour.

FROU FROU ST TROPEZ 3309 Ocean Drive Vero Beach, FL 32963

The Way It’s We manage your wealth so that you can focus on what matters most.

Meant to Be. Caldwell Trust Company exists to provide personal, traditional, and independent trust services. Our team offers a full range of integrated services, tailored to your individual financial priorities, to help you enhance and protect your legacy for generations to come.

For more information, scan the QR code

772.213.9144 | ctrust.com

LUKE WEBB

NANCY HARDY

LANGE SYKES

BROKER | OWNER

ESTATE AGENT

FOUNDING AGENT

P R O U D LY I N T R O D U C I N G V E R O B E A C H ’ S F O R E M O S T, LO C A L LY O W N E D BOUTIQUE LUXURY REAL ESTATE FIRM

#1 Agent

TOP 5

HIGHEST AVERAGE SALE PRICE YTD*

VERO BEACH AGENTS

$6.59 MILLION

BY SALES VOLUME*

LUKE WEBB

LUKE WEBB

Over 98%

Over $520 Million

LIST TO SALE PRICE RATIO YTD

IN CAREER SALES

LUKE WEBB

NANCY HARDY, LUKE WEBB, LANGE SYKES

Luke Webb and Associates is a small, locally owned, ultra luxury brokerage representing some of the finest properties in Vero Beach. We deliver concierge-level service, generational local knowledge, and data-driven insight that consistently achieves exceptional results.

Our team of top-producing luxury advisors — rooted in the character and community of Vero Beach’s Barrier Island — live, work, and thrive where they serve. Every client works directly with our expert advisors, ensuring discretion, integrity, and intentional care at every step.

Our beachside, private client office is strategically located in the heart of the island on the corner of Beachland Boulevard and Cardinal Drive. We invite you to stop by and say hello.

772.222.4648 | webbluxuryrealestate.com | 3341 Cardinal Dr. Vero Beach, FL 32963 Reported lifetime sales figures include transactions completed over the agent’s professional career and are not limited to sales closed under Luke Webb & Associates. Data compiled from various sources and subject to verification. * Luke Webb, Lange Sykes, and/or Nancy Hardy’s sales in the 32963 zip code as compared to Indian River County MLS data as of 12/15/2025.

CRAFTING

TIMELESS ELEGANCE PREMIER BUILDERS IN VERO BEACH Welcome to KMK Builders, where we combine refined craftsmanship with

unparalleled

dedication

to transform your vision into a masterpiece.

Located

in

Vero

Beach, we specialize in bespoke home construction, renovation, and additions, delivering results that resonate with sophistication and excellence. With our meticulous approach, we turn dreams into stunning realities.

MICHAEL & KYLE KONDZIOLA 3201 Cardinal Drive, Vero Beach, FL 772-643-1353 kmkbuidersllc.com @kmkbuilders

WHERE VISION MEETS CRAFTSMANSHIP At KMK Builders, we believe the journey to your dream home should be as exceptional as the final result.

Our process is built around a clientfocused approach that ensures each detail is carefully managed, from

initial

consultation

to

completion. Every step is designed to reflect your unique vision while upholding the highest standards of craftsmanship.

JANUARY 2026

CONTENTS “FOR LAST YEAR’S WORDS BELONG TO LAST YEAR’S LANGUAGE, AND NEXT YEAR’S WORDS AWAIT ANOTHER VOICE.” — T.S. Eliot

16 Editors’ Letter PIECES of the larger whole

30 Front-Door Benches

The first decorative element guests notice when they arrive at your home.

HOME STYLES

34 The Florida Craftsman Bungalow Built on a modest scale to emphasize charm, craftsmanship, and comfort.

Domitria Moore. Photograph by Yuri Semenyuk.

TRANSPORTATION

40 New Air Carriers Serve Vero Beach

New flights add options while airport projects aim to ease pressures.

BEACH

48 New Sand for a Resilient Shoreline Indian River County’s long-term commitment to retaining “beach” in Vero Beach.

CULINARY

62 Word of Mouth

Domitria Moore’s immersing cooking classes have become a beloved dining experience in Vero Beach.

Vero Beach passenger terminal.

Photograph by Victoriya Knapp.

KITCHENS

66 Proud Versus Flush Installation Which appliance style fits your kitchen best?

WINE AND FOOD

68 Our New Year’s Resolution

Lifestyle rooted in quality-first wines and food from the owners of Varietals and More.

PERFORMING ARTS

72 Vero Beach Choral Society: Part 2 Bringing exceptional choral art music to the Treasure Coast. Interviews with Ms. Bobbee Larsson and Mrs. Sonya Yassi.

NEW YEAR

76 The Reset

The necessity and power of letting go.

EDUCATION

80 The SALT Club at Saint Edward’s School Promoting leadership on and off the playing field.

UNCOMMON PERCEPTION Tocqueville Asset Management was established to manage the wealth of families and individuals for the long term.

Our commitment to capital preservation and exceptional client service has not changed since we opened our doors.

To ind out more please email Joseph A. Zock jzock@tocqueville.com http://www.tocqueville.com/wealth +1 (772) 247-0400 ©TOCQUEVILLE ASSET MANAGEMENT L.P / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

BEAUTIFUL IS A WAY OF LIFE Elevated interiors with timeless elegance and vibrant character. Full-service design for homes and condos — from Vero Beach to Nantucket and beyond.

4625 HIGHWAY A1A, STE 8 Vero Beach, FL 32963 Monday through Friday 9am – 5pm (772) 231-3746 Nantucket Interior Design Office – by appointment only – (508) 844-9350 www.alexandranuttall.com Staging by Tiffani Buckley Home Instagram: @tiffanibuckleyhome Website: tiffanibuckleyhome.com

JANUARY 2026

CONTENTS

Daunara Safari Camp, Botswana. Photograph courtesy of Daunara Safari Camp.

ENVIRONMENT

84 The POOOW Movement

Good friends against plastic use on Vero Beach’s barrier island.

VERO BUSINESS

90 HBS Inc.

Quality windows and doors for over 50 years. Interview with Ray Reinhard and Rob Vaccaro.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

100 COVID-19 Six Years Out: Part 2

The U.S. government’s response violated medical ethics held sacred in Western Civilization.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

104 Falls at Home Among Seniors

A leading cause of premature debilitation and death.

TRAVEL

116 Daunara Safari Camp: Part 2

Where lions still rule, coexistence becomes the greatest form of luxury.

128 Mark Your Calendar 136 Finito

Livvero.com @livveromagazine Subscriptions at www.livvero.com 10 issues: $45.

Be heard: We want to know what you think and how we can serve you better.

Send comments to Jim Field at jim@livvero.com.

SASSY BOUTIQUE

Located at 3365 Ocean Drive Vero Beach, FL 32963

Phone: (772) 234-3998 Insta: @sassyboutiquevb

WWW.SASSYBOUTIQUE.COM

EDITORS’ LETTER

LIV VERO MAGAZINE’S RESOLUTIONS Resolution 5. Commitment to Circulation As presented on page 22, our circulation takes place on five levels—starting with mailing printed copies to every residence in Indian River County with an income denoting substantial purchasing power.

Considering these channels in aggregate, our local distribution exceeds direct competitors.

We invite you to participate in an exciting and stimulating 2026 with us. Thank you!

New Year’s resolutions are a good thing.

They are aspirational and limited in number. They define things we believe are important and set goals for them. We share our resolutions with others and, in doing so, become accountable for accomplishing them. Resolutions that we achieve make us better. Those that we botch can be resurrected next year.

LIV VERO Magazine will go on record in 2026 for five resolutions. Our accountability resides with both our readers and advertising partners. We intend to deliver on all of them.

Resolution 1. Commitment to Content We will continue to invest both time and resources in developing original content that is thoroughly researched, thoughtfully written, and focused on topics of relevance and importance to Vero Beach residents.

We will also publish content that, while tangentially related to Vero Beach, meets a high standard for artistry, insight, and reader interest.

Resolution 2: Commitment to Photography We have a deep appreciation for beautiful, poetic, and artistic photography, as well as compelling photojournalism. Our small but exceptionally talented team of photographers includes Vero Beach residents alongside artists from across the country and around the world. Investing in proprietary photography remains an important and valuable part of our work.

CO-PUBLISHER CO-EDITOR JIM FIELD jim@livvero.com

Resolution 3. Commitment to Our Advertisers Our magazine’s layout is designed with two ends in mind: to engage and entertain readers and create an unparalleled platform to showcase print advertising.

We love full-page advertisements, and are obsessed with two-page spreads. Large, gorgeous advertisements, presented well, capture eyes.

Resolution 4. Commitment to Digital We have invested to make our Instagram profile a leader in our market, and we will continue to do so. We are investing to make digital advertising an affordable and highreturn channel for LIV VERO’s advertising partners. Stay tuned.

Chris Foster. Creative Director.

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CO-PUBLISHER CO-EDITOR DIANE FIELD diane@livvero.com

55 Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Beach | www.lplcreations.com

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CINDY O’DARE | 772.713.5899 RICHARD BOGA | 772.559.4800 ODAREBOGA.COM © 2026 ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty Logo are service marks licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and used with permission. ONE Sotheby’s International Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. Any services or products provided by independently owned and operated franchisees are not provided by, affiliated with or related to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC nor any of its affiliated companies. The information contained herein is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Pricing subject to change without notice.

Where science meets beauty and wellness transforms from within

Now at Align: Dr. Ralph Rosato, MD — board-certified plastic surgeon — joins as Medical Director, alongside Nurse Practitioner Stephanie. Together, they bring expert injectables and the latest in advanced skin rejuvenation to the Align experience.

Services • Botox, Fillers, Sculptra • Luxury Facials & Advanced Microneedling • Cryotherapy, Infrared Sauna, Red Light Therapy • BBL Heroic & Sylfirm X Skin Rejuvenation • Salt Room & IV Wellness Lounge Tailored memberships available to support your beauty + wellness goals.

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TM

Our Circulation and Reach

LIV VERO® Magazine is a registered trademark of Orchid Island Publishing Group LLC. © 2025 Orchid Island Publishing Group LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution of any content without express written consent is prohibited.

CO-PUBLISHER | CO-EDITOR Jim Field jim@livvero.com Diane Field diane@livvero.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Foster

On Five Levels

MAIL

Magazines mailed to EVERY residence in Indian River County (all 8 zip codes) with incomes equal to or greater than $200,000.

DIGITAL

Electronic Edition sent to curated, expanding list of over 3,200 email addresses.

IN PERSON

Hand delivery of 1,500 copies to advertising partners, other businesses, organizations, individuals—including hotels, airport, restaurants, real estate offices, physician offices, country clubs, drop points.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John Stearns, Renee Morad, Amanda Blumberg, Diane Field, Chris Foster, Jim Field ART CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Yuri Semenyuk, New York Victoriya Knapp: realestatephotographybyvictoriya.com ADVERTISING AND EVENTS 703-851-0703 DIGITAL WEBSITE: livvero.com INSTAGRAM: @livveromagazine ORCHID ISLAND PUBLISHING GROUP LLC Vero Beach, FL 32963 President | Jim Field SUBSCRIPTIONS 10 issues: $45.

Subscribe at www.livvero.com

WEBSITE

POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Orchid Island Publishing Group 3320 Cardinal Dr., Suite 648175 Vero Beach, FL 32963

SUBSCRIPTION

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

Electronic Edition, in full, is accessible to all on our website livvero.com.

Building list of subscribers locally and across country to primary/secondary residences. Subscribe at livvero.com.

@livveromagazine www.livvero.com

LIV VERO MAGAZINE: File No.: 440381.1 Serial No.: 98525418 (ISSN# pending) is published ten times per year by Orchid Island Publishing Group, 32963.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Free of charge to qualified residents of Vero Beach. Publisher reserves the right to determine qualifications. Annual subscriptions: U.S. and possessions $45, all other countries $125 U.S. funds (via air mail). Single copies: U.S. and possessions $5. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The publisher does not warrant, either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of any advertisements, articles or descriptions here in, nor does the publisher warrant the validity of any views or opinions offered by the authors of said articles or descriptions. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Orchid Island Publishing Group. Orchid Island Publishing Group makes no representation or warranties regarding the accuracy or appropriateness of the advice or any advertisements contained in this magazine.

SUBMISSIONS: We welcome submissions. Unless otherwise negotiated in writing by the editors, by sending us your submission, you grant Orchid Island Publishing Group permission by an irrevocable license (with the right to license to third parties) to edit, reproduce, distribute, publish, and adapt your submission in any medium on multiple occasions. Submissions will not be returned.

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Law Offices of

JENNIFER D. PESHKE, P.A. LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED • ESTATE PLANNING • WILLS, TRUSTS, INCLUDING SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS • POWERS OF ATTORNEY & HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVES • PROBATE & TRUST ADMINISTRATION • GUARDIANSHIPS INCLUDING GUARDIANSHIP ADVOCACIES AND VOLUNTARY GUARDIANSHIPS • BUSINESS ENTITY FORMATION • REAL ESTATE (INCLUDING FULL BUYER & SELLER REPRESENTATION, CLOSING AGENT TITLE SERVICES, DEEDS, LEASES & CONTRACTS)

Two Vero Beach Locations: Pelican Plaza – 4731 Highway A1A 20th Street – 956 20th Street Phone: 772-231-1233 www.peshkelaw.com

SUBSCRIBE TO LIV VERO MAGAZINE Yes, just the cover. With text at the top that says “Become a LIV VERO Advertising Partner.” Then in all font at bottom. “Email jim@ livvero.com to receive our 2025 Media Kit.”

On our website livvero.com

660 Beachland Boulevard Suite 204 Vero Beach, FL 32963 coastal.net | 772.492.6881

Gregory Ness-Vasko P R I N C I P A L DE S I G N E R

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4000 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 101 Vero Beach, FL 32960

PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

WFAFN uses the trade name Wells Fargo Advisors. Ad.

Contact Us

3387 Ocean Drive Vero Beach, Florida (772) 200-3973

jenna.suleman@wfafinet.com razvan.ilie@wfafinet.com

Where Time Meets Brilliance 3315 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida mike@vbprivatejewelers.com | 772-867-3845 @vbprivatejewelers

CUSTOM HOMES n LUXURY RENOVATIONS n COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

www.Building2Last.com n (772) 794-9799

PIECES of the larger whole

FRONT-DOOR BENCHES

The First Decorative Touch Visitors Encounter

By Diane Field

A front-door bench is often the first decorative element guests notice when they arrive. If you have room for one, choose a bench that reflects your style—both the exterior character of your home and the décor inside. And if you don’t yet have a bench but do have the space, adding one can be a warm, welcoming touch to your entryway.

The absence of a front-door bench may simply be an oversight. Perhaps you’ve just moved in and haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Maybe the bench you used for years finally gave in to the elements and had to be retired.

Or you might never have noticed front-door benches at all—never considered whether you needed one. But once you’ve had one, admired one, or even just become aware of how welcoming they can be, an entryway without a bench can suddenly feel bare.

Reasons to Have One A front-door bench—also called an entry bench or porch bench—is outdoor seating positioned near the main entrance of a home—whether beneath a covered porch, on a landing, stone walkway, or landscaping beside the front door.

The functional benefits of a front-door bench are uncomplicated and readily apparent: a place to remove or don shoes, especially in inclement weather; a surface to set down bags temporarily while locating keys; a depository for delivered packages; a “waiting place” for visitors; a remote location for private conversations. Especially for modest homes on small parcels of land, a front-door bench can create an additional space for everyday use (think coffee and cocktails).

On the other side of the ledger, there is a list of aesthetic benefits: an object to decorate with pillows, plants, flowers, keepsakes; a physical and visual element to convey hospitality and connection; an extension of architectural and design styles; a place to gather for outdoor social interaction.

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Suggested Materials Front-door benches don’t have to be expensive. Scores of makes and models can be found online and in stores. That said, an ideal bench to own is one that offers three things: durability, comfort, and style. Given our weather and salt air in Vero Beach, consider teak, powder-coated aluminum, cast concrete, wicker, highquality plastic and, if exposed to rain, no cushions. Dimensions should accommodate two, perhaps three people with adequate space between them; don’t go too small if you don’t have space restrictions; don’t go too wide and block a passageway. Finally, match the bench’s style, material, and color to the exterior architectural style of your home— hinting at your interior decor as well—if done correctly, you’ll find that your bench will beautifully enhance the overall visual effect of your property.

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HOME STYLES

FLORIDA CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW

Built on a Modest Scale to Emphasize Charm, Craftsmanship, and Comfort

Jones Family Bungalow Home. Dating back to 1920’s. Jones’ Pier Conservation Area, Jungle Trial. Vero Beach, FL. Photograph by Jim Field.

by Jim Field

Readers of this series of articles will by now appreciate two important facts about residential architecture. First, that nothing is truly original: architectural styles (and thus architects) borrow and refine from each other, the newest inspired by predecessors. And second, that alterations are typically subtle and hard to distinguish to the untrained eye: taller windows, larger square footage, types of materials.

Notably, when a critical mass of alterations is adopted and propagated widely, a new “style” is named and christened.

Sometimes this articulation will launch the new style—by way of an exhibition, book, or magazine article—or only be applied retrospectively to make sense of a collection of similarly-configured residences that have already been built.

We began profiling major home styles in our April 2025 issue, beginning with Florida Cracker homes. Since then we have reported (in order) on Spanish, Mediterranean, Tropical Modernism, International Modern, and Mid-Century Modern architectural styles.

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January’s article showcases the Florida Craftsman Bungalow. Many of these structures can be found in Vero Beach— some retaining their original design, with others hiding beneath renovation veneers.

Bungalow Defined A bungalow-style home is defined as a small, one story—or 1.5 story—structure with a low-pitched roof and prominent front porch. Other distinguishing features include an open floor plan, wide eaves and exposed rafters, indigenous materials (wood, stone, stucco), and built-in shelving and cabinetry.

Subtypes of the bungalow adapted the general design to accommodate local conditions—for example, temperature, rainfall, sunlight, humidity, and river or coastal locations. Common subtypes include Craftsman, California, Chicago, Cape Cod—and notably, Florida.

Craftsman Bungalow Craftsman residential architecture emerged in the early 20th century and incorporated low-pitched gabled roofs, overhanging eaves, and deep front porches supported by tapered and square columns. Early examples emphasized visible craftsmanship, natural materials,

abundant woodwork, exposed beams— presenting a simple, cozy, sturdy, practical residence.

Other notable features included open living and dining areas with minimal hallways; double-hung windows with divided-light upper sashes; large fireplace as a focal point; built-in sideboards, benches, or china cabinets; hardwood floors (often oak or pine); earth-tone color palettes.

Craftsman style was a nationwide building movement, yet thrived in certain regions due to climate, materials, and the availability of pattern books. Areas of concentration included the West Coast—especially California—Seattle and Portland, Chicago—the style blended with Prairie influences from Frank Lloyd Wright—and emerging Southern cities—Atlanta, Birmingham, Tampa, and Jacksonville.

Above all others, California became the center of the Craftsman movement for incidental and fortuitous reasons.

Pasadena-based architects Charles and Henry Greene built some of the most iconic and refined Craftsman homes (e.g., Gamble House, Blacker House). California builders

California Craftsman bungalow, Pasadena, California.

and architects published widely influential pattern books. Mild weather aligned perfectly with spacious porches, open floor plans, wide overhangs. Rapid population growth and suburban expansion spawned huge demand for affordable, stylish homes—which the bungalow all but defined at the time. California developers promoted healthy living, sunshine, and bucolic landscapes, wherein the open, airy, charming bungalow was the perfect symbol for “cool California living.” In sum, while not inventing the Craftsman style, California elevated the bungalow to become America’s favorite early 20th century home style.

Florida Craftsman Bungalow Recall that Florida Cracker style houses embodied the principles of 19th century pioneer architecture, whose overarching goal was to enable settlers and ranchers in the 1800s to survive Florida’s heat, humidity, storms, large critters and insects. Features prioritized ventilation, shade, elevation, and durability. Piers/ stilts raised the floor off the ground for airflow, flood and animal/insect protection; steep metal roofs shed rain quickly and cooled easily in evenings; wraparound deep front and back porches buffered sun and provided escape from interior heat. Structures stood alone in rural areas, near water bodies, in pine woods.

In contrast, Florida Craftsman bungalows were influenced by the national Craftsman movement, popular from 1910-1930, built on a modest scale to emphasize charm, craftsmanship, and comfort, and located in growing urban and suburban neighborhoods. Their signature architectural features (which should be familiar by now) included: one or 1.5 stories, wide porches with tapered columns, low-pitched roofs, wide eaves, exposed rafters, wood siding and brick piers, larger grouped windows for crossbreezes, hand-crafted interior details such as built-ins and millwork, and wood floors.

Florida Craftsman bungalows are common in historic urban neighborhoods—prime examples being Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Picture in your mind old-tree neighborhoods, street grids, sidewalks, and small back yards, often with a separate garage.

Florida Craftsman bungalow, coast residential historic district, Naples, Florida.

Prominent Florida Home Styles

• Florida Cracker • Florida Craftsman Bungalow • Spanish Revival • Mediterranean Revival • Mission Revival • Florida Vernacular

• Tropical Modernism • Mid-Century Modern • Ranch Style • Key West/Conch Style • Coastal Contemporary/Florida Modern

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APPLIANCES FOR LIFE

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INFRASTRUCTURE Photograph by Victoriya Knapp

TRANSPORTATION

NEW AIR CARRIERS SERVE VERO BEACH

New Flights Add Options While Airport Projects Aim to Ease Pressures

CRJ-900 aircraft American Airlines will fly into Vero Beach (photograph courtesy of American Airlines).

by John Stearns photography by John Stearns and Victoriya Knapp Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB), much like the city itself, has been discovered.

One needs to look no further than the popularity of Breeze Airways’ nonstop flights seamlessly connecting the Treasure Coast to Washington, D.C. (Dulles); White Plains, New York; Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut; and Islip, New York.

Commercial passenger traffic at VRB more than doubled from 2023, when Breeze arrived, through 2024. VRB reported 175,995 passengers in 2024 and already had counted 210,372 through October 2025.

That was before JetBlue Airways initiated one daily flight each from New York’s John F. Kennedy International and Boston Logan International airports on December 11. American Airlines will follow February 12 with a daily flight linking VRB to Charlotte, North Carolina. Breeze also plans twice-weekly seasonal flights to the Tar Heel State in May, to Raleigh.

“Ten years ago, Vero Beach Airport was an airport that had not seen commercial service in almost 25 years; today, we welcome our second airline to serve the 40

airport and the community,” Airport Director Todd Scher said December 11 at an event marking JetBlue’s first VRB flight.

That service a decade ago, begun by Elite Airways in 2016, ended in mid-2022, part of an eventual systemwide shutdown and eventual loss of its federal certificate a year later.

Breeze filled VRB’s commercial vacuum on February 2, 2023, and hasn’t looked back.

With Breeze, airport managers have become adept at adapting—accommodating crowds in VRB’s tiny, one-gate terminal, managing the adjoining airplane ramp with capacity to park two planes, and creating long-term parking out of a grassy field, otherwise known as Lot C. VRB’s operators, seeking to maximize their facilities while planning for the future, launched a construction project in December for terminal and baggage claim improvements, and were preparing to issue a request for proposals for paving Lot C and managing parking. The days of free long-term parking up to 21 days are going the way of extra legroom on airplanes: It’ll cost you.

Other projects this year include adding a cell lot for drivers waiting to pick up passengers and reconfiguring the porte cochere and driveway in front of the terminal to pedestrian-only traffic by shifting vehicles a few yards south to an access road paralleling Cherokee Drive.

Additionally, a third party will build a consolidated rental car facility across Cherokee and pave the lot, moving Avis’ rental desk from the terminal lobby—a project that could conclude in early 2026.

Other rental companies could join that facility.

Before any significant terminal expansion occurs, the airport wants to evaluate how a tripling of carriers affects the market; for example, does new Boston service affect Providence service, or does new JFK service affect White Plains and Islip loads?

In the meantime, the airport will adapt the best it can to the new flights, but it’s too early to say the terminal needs to be doubled or tripled in size.

“We don’t feel like there’s a need to do that at the moment; although, there are probably a lot of people that would like to see a new terminal being built today,” Scher said in an interview. “But of course

our direction would come from City Council through the city manager as to whether we pursue any expansion plans like that.”

VRB is considering its options, though, and what-if scenarios, said Brandon Dambeck, airport operations manager, who was interviewed with Scher.

“If we do need to do any sort of expansion or something along those lines—still handling the existing service but in a more comfortable fashion—we’ve got some ideas out there,” Dambeck said.

Growth scenarios are spelled out in the airport’s master plan, which was updated in 2023, just as Breeze blew in. The 20-year plan includes myriad airport projections and projects through 2043 to keep pace with maintenance and growth. The plan projected about 4% average annual growth in airport operations (an operation is one takeoff or landing) and it identified about $147 million in projects to meet projected demand by 2043. The plan is posted on VRB’s website.

Terminal-expansion options could include an additional building of 12,430 square feet west of the current terminal on the

short-term lot between the terminal and Skyborne Airline Academy’s maintenance hangar and main ramp, where the flight school parks dozens of Vero-made Piper Aircraft, Inc. aircraft.

The existing terminal is 24,000 square feet—about half that comprises upstairs offices—so adding 12,430 square feet would essentially double passenger space.

Total flight operations among all aircraft last year totaled 264,768 and had already surpassed 300,000 in early December.

Commercial flight operations in 2024 numbered 1,494.

“We’re looking at these so we’re not caught off guard,” Dambeck said of being ready to build if conditions warrant.

Elevated Economic Impact More people flying through VRB will surely pad the airport’s total economic impact, which approaches $1 billion, according to a 2023 Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) study. It estimated direct and indirect benefits from VRB to the community of about 5,914 jobs with a payroll of $317 million per year.

The terminal was expanded and renovated in 2008 and updated in 2015 to meet Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements.

For now, commercial flights are increasing.

JetBlue added 14 departures and 14 arrivals per week, American is adding seven departures and arrivals each per week, all on top of Breeze’s traffic.

While the carriers’ planes dwarf the many Pipers, other general aviation aircraft, and corporate jets using VRB, commercial flights account for only about 1% of total aircraft operations and will continue to, Scher and Dambeck said, so the skies overhead won’t resemble Orlando International airspace.

Breeze had almost 176,000 VRB passengers in 2024 and was pacing for 240,000 late in 2025.

More passengers also could translate to more people visiting some of the roughly 43 businesses on airport property for which VRB serves as landlord. They include businesses like the Mobil fuel station and Indian River Distillery along Aviation Boulevard to the Corporate Air Inc. and Sun Aviation fixed-base operators who service corporate aircraft and provide fuel to the commercial carriers. Corporate Air Inc. also opened a customs facility in 2025 for international arrivals.

The airport, as an enterprise fund within the city, relies on rents and other fees to help pay for the airport, which takes no

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NEW AIR CARRIERS SERVE VERO BEACH

Jeffrey Goodell, vice president-government and airport affairs for JetBlue.

Airport Director Todd Scher with the Vero Beach poster commissioned by JetBlue for its new service.

“We’re also looking at a tent out there so that if people are outside and it’s not a sunshiny day, you can still be outside without getting drenched,” Dambeck said. “We are going to be doing a covered baggage claim area that will be accessible through the arrivals corridor essentially, and then there’s going to be a new arrival room. We’ve actually been using it for a while. This was what used to be the C.J. Cannon’s banquet room before they offered to go ahead and give that back to us. We’re using that for arrivals, and some of our construction is going to create two restrooms inside of there . . . easily accessible first-floor restrooms.”

“Currently, passengers, when they’re sitting here waiting for a flight, they have vending machine options where they can get something; now they’ll be able to have something nicer,” Dambeck said.

“Screened passengers will be able to grab a drink, have a sandwich, while they wait for their flight.”

The terrace baggage claim area will be accessible to people picking up arriving passengers and comprise about a third of the terrace.

“We feel like it can, as long as there’s no significant delays,” Scher said. “We try to regulate the timing of the departures so that in most cases, they’re at least an hour apart, which in a perfect world, will keep everything somewhat copacetic.

We all know that the perfect world isn’t that perfect most of the time. This goes back to reinventing ourselves; we’re adding seating wherever we can just to accommodate those whose airplane may be delayed and don’t have any place to go. It may not be as comfortable as the waiting room. It may be a hallway, but at least it’ll have some creature comforts.

money from the city’s general fund. Its annual budget this fiscal year (October 1, 2025-September 30, 2026) is about $6 million in projected revenue. VRB anticipates a surplus of $350,000 when the fiscal year ends, according to Dambeck.

Scher credited VRB’s success over the years to its status as a strong general aviation airport, defined as flight services not related to airlines or the military. It’s Florida’s third-busiest general aviation airport.

“We’ve been a very successful general aviation airport for many, many years, primarily due to the fact that we have a lot of very professionally run, very successful businesses as tenants on the airport that serve the aviation community and also the nonaviation community,” he said. “And we feel like that’s what’s gotten us to where we are today; that’s what we want to keep on capitalizing on as we move into the future; but at the same time, we do need to be able to serve as much of the public as we can, and certainly the airlines do allow us to do that.”

Construction Nuts and Bolts VRB expects its current projects to help do just that—serve the public better.

Parking lot paving and metering likely won’t be completed for Lot C until about midyear, based on the RFP process. The airport also wants to create a cell lot and employee lot in the grass field across Airport Drive from Lot C. The employee lot is expected to be paved at the same time, with cell lot paving likely occurring later, depending on funds, Dambeck said.

“All of this together is going to create a potential for well over 500 spots that we’re going to be able to use and it’ll also help out with making sure that short-term parking is freed up,” Dambeck said of the Lot C project.

Meanwhile, the terminal rehabilitation project that’s underway will create what he called an outdoor experience for passengers.

The large airfield-facing terrace will have covered walkways for arriving and departing passengers.

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The other two-thirds will be a secure area for departing passengers. It also will include tenting for cover, picnic tables and some other seating.

A new terminal concession area adjoining the terrace will serve departing passengers. It’s expected to have a large door that can roll up when weather allows.

The terminal work is targeted for completion around April.

Indoor space doesn’t increase, but it gets reconfigured, which managers believe should mostly accommodate the increased flights.

So again, we know that there’s going to be situations where there’s delays for whatever reason, and there’s going to be a lot of people here, but we’re doing the best we can to accommodate that in the most comfortable fashion we can.”

Positive Tenant Feedback Skyborne Airline Academy, which offers programs designed for individuals pursuing a professional career in aviation, is a large airport tenant that joined the airport in 2021 after its parent company, United Kingdom-based Skyborne Aviation Group Ltd., purchased FlightSafety International. Skyborne also has two training locations in the UK. In Vero Beach, Skyborne has 246 employees, supporting flight training, maintenance, operations, student welfare, and administration, according to an email from Jessica Hutchinson, commercial director at Skyborne. It also has a fleet of 61 Piper aircraft at VRB,

which are supported by state-of-the-art flight simulators and ground-training technology that help students progress safely and efficiently.

Asked about current and anticipated growth of commercial service at VRB, she said, “The growth of commercial operations at Vero Beach Regional Airport is very encouraging and we’re pleased to see airlines investing in the region.”

Added Hutchinson, “This growth doesn’t impact our day-to-day operations, but it does reinforce the value of what we do.

A vibrant airport environment supports aviation as a whole, and that’s positive for our students as they prepare for professional flying careers.”

Skyborne trains about 400 students per year in Vero Beach, with most completing their programs in 12-14 months. Its training pathway takes students from their Private Pilot License through to

Certified Flight Instructor qualifications, with the aim of preparing them for roles in commercial airlines and other professional flight operations. Those putting in hours for an Airline Transport Pilot License, or ATPL, the highest level of pilot certification, typically train for about 24 months. An ATPL is required to be an airline captain.

Students come from all 50 states, the United Kingdom, India, Guyana, Samoa, and South America. Some students will do a portion of their training in the U.S., then complete it in their home country.

Like VRB’s activity, Skyborne’s business is rising.

“We continue to see strong demand for pilot training, driven by the ongoing need for well-trained, career-ready professionals,” Hutchinson said. “Our growth is tied to this global trend rather

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TRANSPORTATION

NEW AIR CARRIERS SERVE VERO BEACH and I want to keep that, I want to preserve that,” she said. “So . . . to me it’s a balance.

On the one hand, it’s wonderful to see this and to have these opportunities. And on the other hand, you always have to be careful to maintain and to preserve what you already have, which is even more wonderful.”

Commenting on the new flights and pressure on airport facilities, Philip Canal, a retired Federal Aviation Administration

Two trainees are seated in a Skyborne simulator during a training session.

than commercial activity at the airport, but both reflect the same positive momentum in aviation.”

Regarding airport facility improvements, from parking to the terminal, Hutchinson views them positively.

“The investments being made show confidence in Vero Beach’s future and help create an environment where both commercial operators and training organizations like Skyborne can thrive,” she wrote.

Grow Yet Preserve Where VRB’s sudden surge in commercial airline service goes from here will be watched with interest. Will VRB meet carriers’ load projections, or perhaps exceed them?

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Indian River County Commissioner Laura Moss (and former mayor of Vero Beach) said in a brief interview December 11 that the service surge may seem sudden, but it’s been building for a long time, starting with Elite 10 years ago.

“Unfortunately, that was not financially sustainable, but as we’ve all seen, Breeze is absolutely a smashing success, which I’m delighted to see,” Moss said. “It benefits not only the residents, it gives them more opportunities to travel more easily to different places; but also for tourism, of course—it opens up other avenues for tourism.”

Moss, though, also cautions against tourism leading to overdevelopment.

“And by that I mean we still want to keep our sense of community and our smalltown charm, which we have in spades—

(FAA) manager and member of the Vero Beach Regional Airport Commission, said, “It’s kind of scary, but it’s going to be fun as well.”

for the airport, which includes expansion both inside the gated area, the fenced area, and outside as well, too, and that, to me, is the exciting part,” he said.

million. VRB’s local match for the two is $376,000, bringing the total project cost for the current terminal project to about $3 million, according to Dambeck.

He’s excited about the new service and dealing with potential growing pains, “but we’re up for the challenge,” Canal said.

He credited airport staff for landing state and federal grants for most of the current projects’ costs.

VRB’s $376,000 portion is funded by airport operating revenues, not the city’s general fund.

“There are going to be some bugs—and I ask people to bear with us during this time of transition, but we have a long-term plan

The project is funded by three grants: two from the FDOT totaling about $1.2 million, and one FAA grant of about $1.44

Separately, the parking work is estimated at about $1.7 million, with FDOT picking up 80%.

More American and JetBlue Connections Major airlines clearly have noticed VRB and what makes it special to locals and visitors alike.

Vero Beach is known to be a “tranquil oasis,” American Airlines said in its news release announcing service to VRB, its 17th Florida city served from its Charlotte (CLT) hub.

“Whether it’s a hidden gem like Vero Beach or one of the 170 other destinations available out of American’s CLT hub, we’re committed to connecting Charlotte—and our customers—to the most sought-after destinations,” Ralph Lopez Massas, senior vice president of Charlotte operations for American, said in a news release announcing the service.

The reverse is true, too, offering Veroarea travelers another major hub for connections via Charlotte, just as JetBlue touts for its JFK and Boston airports.

During the December 11 airport event marking JetBlue’s arrival, Jeffrey Goodell, vice president-government and airport affairs for JetBlue, said a previous JetBlue CEO used to tell staff, “‘You’ve seen one airport; you’ve seen one airport.’”

Goodell continued, “We’re reminded of that every day. Every airport is unique, has its own opportunities and challenges.

And mostly, I think we’ve got opportunities here—and the fact that we’ve been able to come together to build a partnership that enabled this morning to happen, today to happen, and that we will keep building from here is really fantastic.”

A wide view inside the Skyborne hangar with multiple training aircraft and technicians. This represents fleet operations, maintenance, and the scale of the training environment at Vero Beach.

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TRANSPORTATION

NEW AIR CARRIERS SERVE VERO BEACH JetBlue is focused on bringing more connections between the East Coast and destinations like Vero Beach, creating opportunities for travelers to go where they want to go, he said.

“We’re thrilled to offer, as of today, more flexibility and convenience for travelers heading to Boston and New York,” he said, noting JetBlue also offers its Vero Beach customers here convenient access to the airline’s network of destinations across the U.S., Latin America, Caribbean, and Europe via JFK and Boston.

“This community is known for its pristine beaches, its coastal charm, its thriving arts and culture scene, outdoor recreation, and an exceptional quality of life,” Goodell told media, government officials, and others in attendance. “We’re excited to provide seamless access from Boston and New York to everything that makes Vero Beach such a beloved destination.“ Mayor John Cotugno also spoke at the event, referencing Vero’s quality of life, friendly people, neighborhoods, arts, culture, weather, and unobstructed ocean views.

“People come here, I think, because it’s kind of reminiscent of what Florida used to be—the place you came to escape the cold, to recreate, and enjoy your friends and family,” he said. “So I appreciate the fact that JetBlue is coming down here, has discovered us.”

He referenced VRB’s No. 3 general aviation ranking, which it has accomplished quietly, through a low-key approach typical of Vero, he said, citing cooperation among government, enterprise, and individuals.

“So we welcome JetBlue,” Cotugno said.

“Thanks for discovering us, I guess.”

A Breeze Airways flight arrives at VRB. Construction improving the terminal terrace is visable in the background.

46

Vero Beach Regional Airport • Built by the city in 1929 with help from the

Chamber of Commerce, dedicated in 1930, comprised of about 100 acres with three grass runways.

• U.S. Navy in 1942 selects the airport to train .

pilots for World War II and purchases an additional 1,500 acres for what was known as Naval Air Station Vero Beach.

• Navy flight training ended in 1945. United

States deeds more than 2,000 acres, including the airport property, to the city.

• Airport property today comprises about 1,707 acres, including three runways of 7,314 feet, 4,974 feet, and 3,504 feet.

• Owned and operated by the city of Vero Beach.

(Sources: Airport Fact Sheet and Master Plan.)

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BEACH

NEW SAND FOR A RESILIENT SHORELINE

Our County’s Commitment to Retaining “Beach” in Vero Beach Interview with Quintin Bergman Conducted by Jim Field photography by Victoriya Knapp Editor’s Note: Quintin Bergman, Coastal Resource Manager for Indian River County (IRC), is a driving force behind efforts to nourish our beaches and protect our sea turtle populations. I asked Quintin to discuss the ongoing beach nourishment project in Sector 5—the stretch of beach which equates closely to the City of Vero Beach.

Beach nourishment—also referred to as restoration and renourishment—wherein new sand is brought in to replace missing sand—is a reasonably controversial subject.

Simply put, there are those who support such projects, and those who oppose them, for any number of cited reasons. Having followed this issue closely for some years, it would be fair to say that greater education about the issues at hand can go a long way to bridge divides between residents.

In the spirit of constructive engagement, LIV VERO Magazine was eager to interview Quintin to place facts before readers.

Quintin, in turn, was grateful for an additional channel for disseminating his message directly to the public.

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JF: Quintin, thank you for spending time with LIV Vero Magazine to educate readers about the beach nourishment project currently underway in Vero Beach. We all know how vitally important our beach is to our way of life, and we’re eager to learn from you about what is involved. Why don’t we begin by placing the current project into context—painting the bigger picture of beach management.

QB: Everything stems from the county’s Beach Preservation Plan (BPP), which is our guide for protecting, restoring, and managing our 22.4 miles of Atlantic coastline. The BPP is a long-term, sciencebased strategy whose overarching goal is to balance coastal protection, environmental stewardship, and public use. It was first adopted in 1988 and is updated periodically (roughly every five years) to respond to changing coastal conditions, emerging technologies, and storm impacts.

An important component of the BPP is monitoring of shoreline changes and evolving vulnerability to storms, which informs our decisions about where and when to nourish sections of our beach.

Specifically, we conduct ongoing shoreline surveys and erosion tracking, yielding

reams of data that we analyze and configure to construct an exacting picture of how shoreline profiles change against baselines. In short, when the data tell us a defined section of beach has eroded to the point of heightened vulnerability, we have the basis for putting in motion restoration projects and scoping them appropriately.

Another important BPP framework is that our 22.4 miles of Atlantic coastline are divided into eight management sectors based upon erosion trends, natural shoreline features, jurisdictional boundaries, and environmental conditions. Because each sector erodes differently, each sector will have unique recommendations for nourishment, monitoring, and dune restoration, focusing and prioritizing assistance and funding. Having eight sectors prevents one-size-fits-all solutions.

JF: Extremely useful. And now against this backdrop, can you give us a granular sense about the Sector 5 project in progress?

QB: The Sector 5 project is directed at repairing coastal erosion caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022. The scope of work includes placing sand in the shape of a dune and beach berm and

between five to seven years—or until one really good hurricane hits, and then it’s gone. We would love it if restoration was the solution to coastal erosion, but it’s not.

Alternatively, it’s not like the county’s going to build a 22-mile long seawall—we know seawalls expedite erosion until the beach literally disappears. We could build rock jetties to hold sand in place, but if you add a structure, it’s not going to generate new sand, and it will prevent sand from migrating south, potentially increasing erosion in those sectors. If we were to stop doing nourishment, upland infrastructure could be damaged—roads, water lines, power lines, buildings—public and private property, including dozens of public beach parks. When we lose this, we risk losing recreational space and the tourist economy. Finally, it will decrease critical habitat for marine life. Sea turtles must have warm, sandy places in order to lay their eggs. Without a beach, they cannot lay their eggs, they will go somewhere else.

Two other points. Private property owners always have the choice to add sand or a seawall fronting their property.

A three mile long sand project is several magnitudes more successful retaining sand on the beach compared to a 100-foot sand project on one property. And there is no new magical technology that we know of to solve the problem at scale—you can’t flip a switch and make it better. So it comes back to adding sand to the system.

In sum, maintaining a healthy shoreline helps our community in many ways.

planting native dune vegetation to restore storm protection and habitat. By the numbers, it’s a pretty large undertaking, covering roughly three miles of shoreline, placing an estimated 153,000 cubic yards of sand, installing roughly 117,500 native dune plants, and costing about $6.5 million, which I can speak to in more detail.

JF: Those are impressive statistics, to be sure, emphasizing the grand scale of the construction taking place. But before we get into further details, can you first speak to the basic argument for why we need to restore our beach?

To play devil’s advocate, why not let nature take its course?

QB: Good question—I hear it often enough.

It boils down to a handful of imperatives: managing erosion, enhancing storm resiliency, protecting property and infrastructure—such as roads, utilities, and neighborhoods—preserving natural habitats—especially for our prized sea turtles—maintaining public beach access, and supporting tourism and the local economy.

Look, we know that nourishment projects don’t solve the issue of coastal erosion.

Coastal erosion is a global issue. They are

Quintin Bergman.

also not going to stop a hurricane or sea level rise. So we are managing symptoms, we have various tools at our disposal, and nourishment is one of them.

Admittedly, it does look counterproductive to put new sand on the beaches to have it wash away in a few years. We fully understand that we’re going to have to come back and do it again. We know the erosion rates, we know how much volume we lose, we know how much sand we need to purchase and move. We can calculate as well if a project is going to last anywhere

JF: What can you tell us about the sand you are placing on the beach? I assume it’s not just any old sand.

QB: Oh no, there are very tight specifications dictated by permits. There are two methods for getting sand. One is dredging it, what many people are accustomed to seeing. You go offshore and reclaim sand on the bottom of the ocean and pump it using large-diameter pipes onto the beach. This is comparatively inexpensive when needing large quantities of sand, but not so for smaller projects due to mobilization costs. It costs about a million dollars to get a dredge to even show up—dredge companies typically haven’t been bidding small-dollar contracts.

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NEW SAND FOR A RESILIENT SHORELINE The other method is going to an upland sand mine. Sand mines are essentially areas where permitted entities dig for and process sand so it can be used for various activities—in this case beach renourishment. They mine the sand and then process it to meet rigid specifications.

For example, it has to be a certain grain size, neither too large nor super fine. There is an ideal shell content and percentage of bicarbonates. It has to be a specific color.

The project permit lays all of this out. We can’t have sand too dense for sea turtles to nest in. We can’t have dark sand that heats up and retains heat, baking sea turtle eggs. We don’t want sand that blows away like talcum powder.

Now, looking at the numbers, it’s roughly around 250,000-300,000 cubic yards where dredge companies will be interested and give us a quote. When it’s under 200,000 cubic yards, truck haul operations generally come in cheaper. Accordingly, the Sector 5 project with around 153,000 cubic yards of sand is a truck haul. In addition, in Sector 5 the hardbottom reef is so close inshore that we are limited on how much sand we can put down. Everything considered, we only permitted the Sector 5 project for a truck haul. For larger projects like Sector 3 and 7, we’ll permit for both dredge and truck haul to keep our options open.

Once we place sand on the beach, engineering specifications determine how we sculpt it, starting in the dune, then sloping down into a berm, then continuing into the water. Every contour is defined.

After the dune is complete the contractor will come back and install 117,500 native dune plants: 80% sea oats, 10% bitter panicgrass, 5% railroad vine, 5% dune sunflower.

The construction contractor for the current Sector 5 project is Guettler Brothers Construction LLC in Fort Pierce. So we have the construction crews commuting back and forth to Vero Beach.

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JF: What does the timeframe for construction look like?

QB: The primary work window is November 1 to February 29. The stop date is due to sea turtle nesting restrictions. If needed, we have an extended work window March 1 to April 30. Construction proceeds in daylight hours Monday to Friday.

Let me emphasize that the work started in early November and everything has to be done before peak sea turtle nesting season starts, which is April 30. But in practice, March and April are also sea turtle nesting periods. We do have permission to continue sand restoration work while in nesting season, but we’re required to take strict precautions. For example, the contractor can’t touch the beach until a biologist has ridden the beach on an ATV looking for nests and gives the thumbs up—each day. If a nest is located, the biologist will mark the nest with stakes and flagging; the turtles nesting in that earlier part of the season are leatherbacks—and rare. If a nest is found inside or near the construction site, it will trigger a permit condition requiring nighttime surveys. These biologists will spend all night looking for turtles, and if a turtle does lay its nest, they will go and relocate it to an adjacent area of native sand outside the project area. It’s important to note that only people with an FWC Marine Turtle Permit are allowed to touch, handle, mark, and work with sea turtles and their nests.

JF: What are the north and south perimeter landmarks for the project that residents will recognize?

QB: The project area runs from about a half mile north of Tracking Station Beach Park to half a mile south of Riomar Beach access, spanning sections of Indian River Shores and Vero Beach. Construction access points to the beach may include the Tracking Station, Jaycee Park, Conn Beach, Humiston Park, and Riomar.

The project is going to have temporary inconveniences for folks. In areas impacted by construction activities, we’ll do our best to keep the public safe, which might mean temporary closures while the contractor is there and you’ve got heavy equipment moving around. If there is damage to any area, the permit requires the contractor to restore the sites to preexisting conditions.

Interestingly, the southern point of the project is just north of the Riomar Golf Course. Right there the beach doesn’t need much sand. It’s Humiston Park and Ocean Grill areas where the majority of sand will be placed.

JF: Quintin, this has been great. Two more questions please—first, can you run me through the cost and funding?

QB: The estimated cost for this project is $6.5 million—this is strictly to mine the sand and place it, along with plants, on the beach. The funding sources are estimated at: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance reimbursement $2.28 million (36%); Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Hurricane Ian and Nicole grant $855,600 (13.5%); and Indian River County Tourist Development Tax Revenue $3.34 million (50.5%). The latter is commonly referred to as the “heads on beds tax.” It is completely different from the general fund and is entirely separate from property taxes. Tourists who come to our hotels (and other accommodations with a term of six months or less pay a tax which is then used to fund tourism initiatives including our beach nourishment program.

The collection and use of this revenue source is regulated through state statute as well as the Indian River County Code of Ordinances.

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BEACH

NEW SAND FOR A RESILIENT SHORELINE then the post-construction monitoring phase that can last between three to five years—monitoring the potential impact on sea turtles, nearshore reef, shorebirds, escarpments, and physical monitoring.

I’ll use monitoring of the nearshore hardbottom reefs as an example.

What we’re watching for is new sand encroaching on this reef system and potentially covering parts of it, damaging aquatic plants and animals. Spanning the length of the county, there are 119 range monuments serving as technical survey reference points along the beach, which we use for coastal planning and erosion monitoring. We send scientific divers into the water to perform transects of defined plots of hardbottom terrain, documenting species in excruciating detail and filing reports, which track relative changes over time. They perform these studies every summer when underwater visibility improves, three years serially post-construction. Looking at the data, we know where the hardbottom reef starts, how it has changed, if there is sand encroachment causing damage, and so on.

The number of transects performed across time correspond to range monuments, allowing exacting measurements within the sector where construction has taken place. The reports and videos document all of this—constituting an amazing body of scientific knowledge

But these monies are by no means guaranteed. There are always conversations about FEMA’s future direction and funding uncertainty.

Historically, the state legislature has allocated about $50 million to their beach funding program. A lot of coastal communities around the state ask for money—we’ve had a lot of erosion around the state—so everyone is trying to tap that funding. And each request gets ranked—if we don’t rank high enough we lose out to other communities.

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JF: Finally, there is the issue of protecting the larger environment from possible negative effects of construction. You’ve mentioned the nearshore hardbottom reefs that are close inshore in Sector 5.

What precautionary steps are taken?

QB: I am excited to speak to this because the steps we take are impressive, and very few people are aware of everything that is required. First of all, the monitoring we do is extensive and accordingly, very expensive, amounting to a small army of scientists and other technicians.

Everyone sees the construction phase, but first there’s the permitting phase defining all the safeguards, which is a year long, then the construction phase lasting a few months, when we monitor for sand movement and water turbidity, and

Now, if it is discovered that we put anything on a section of reef—sand, a rock—and damage it, we are going to have to mitigate this, meaning we are required to create an artificial reef elsewhere to offset this loss. If we inadvertently damage one acre, for example, we might have to build two acres of artificial mitigation reef. We will be told by the regulatory agency where to place this reef. The estimated cost of such a build is roughly $1 million per acre. So the oversight is a huge undertaking, and collateral damage is taken very seriously.

The monitoring frameworks for sea turtles, birds, and escarpments are equally rigorous. Knock on wood, but everything we’ve done up to this point— the last six nourishment projects—we have not had an incident of being out of compliance, of being flagged for a violation.

And this is money that is spent beyond the construction phase. For residents all of this monitoring is behind-the-scenes, but they should be comforted to know it is going on and given the highest priority.

JF: Quintin, this has been an incredible education for me. Like most people, I love the beach and truly appreciate all those who contribute to its ongoing health and stability. In closing, what would you ask our readers to take away from our conversation?

QB: I would ask people to recognize four things. One, beach nourishment projects are complex undertakings involving a large team of planners, engineers, scientists, builders, taking years to plan, execute, and monitor. Second, coastal erosion isn’t showing signs of slowing

down; if we want to have a beach in the future we have to maintain the sand.

Third, beach restoration costs a lot of money and external funding is typically linked to damage from a prior storm— meaning we have to be hit badly to qualify for restoration funding. Residents should know we don’t currently use property taxes for this. The takeaway message is that external funding is always uncertain and when we secure it we should feel blessed and use it smartly. Finally, we do everything possible as part of beach nourishment projects to protect and provide quality habitat. We live in a coastal paradise surrounded by beaches and a lagoon and remain committed to conservation.

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CULINARY

WORD OF MOUTH

Rooted in Flavor—Spread

by Community

By Chris Foster photography by Yuri Semenyuk

Word of Mouth has become one of the most talked-about dining experiences in Vero Beach, driven not by advertising but by the strongest force of all: genuine connection.

Founded by the passionate and deeply creative culinary host Domitria Moore, Word of Mouth is based on the idea that cooking is more than a skill. It is movement, memory, and the shared joy that occurs when people gather around a table.

Sitting with Domitria is a truly unique experience. During our interview, she pulled me into what she calls a “heart hug”—a moment so grounding and intentional that it demands full presence. In that instant, you grasp something essential about her. She leads with emotion. She welcomes people into her space with warmth and honesty. She builds connection before she ever creates a dish.

Domitria is a woman whose craft begins long before she steps into the kitchen. She grows many, if not all, of her ingredients in her own home garden, tending each plant from seed to harvest with her bare hands. Everything she touches carries intention. You can feel it in the way she speaks about soil, light, and patience, and you can taste it in every dish she teaches others to create.

Her work is rooted in love, and that love ripples through her classes, creating an atmosphere that feels both sacred and joyful. Watching her move, connect, and care makes it easy to understand why her classes sell out. People aren’t just learning to cook.

They’re experiencing a woman who lives her craft from the ground up.

When we photographed her, a moment arose that captured everything she embodies. She was in her garden, harvesting rosemary.

The way she touched each sprig was gentle and intentional, as if she were listening to it.

Later, the photographer caught her kneeling in the dirt, lifting soil with both hands. It was a powerful sight. Her connection to the earth isn’t just poetic metaphor: it’s real, physical, and deeply spiritual.

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Watching her kneel with soil-covered palms, you grasp something profound: she is as grounded as the garden she cares for, and every dish she teaches others to make begins here, in this bond between her and the earth.

She plants with patience. She trusts the unseen. She understands that seeds need time, care, and faith before they turn into food that feeds a community. In that moment, kneeling in the dirt, she wasn’t just a chef. She was a cultivator of life, intention, and harvest.

We also photographed her holding a basket of sugar cane she grew herself. The imagery was powerful. Sugar cane is tough, tall, and rooted in resilience, and so is she. Growing it takes strength and dedication. Harvesting it requires skill. Sharing it takes heart.

The image of her carrying that basket said everything about who she is: A woman who grows sweetness from the ground up and offers it generously to those around her.

Her journey into the kitchen is shaped by years of dance and movement. You can see it in the rhythm of her hands while demonstrating each technique, the way she rolls out pasta with the grace of choreography, and how she moves through the kitchen with the confidence and gentleness of someone who has spent a lifetime studying form and expression.

Cooking with her becomes an extension of that artistry. It is fluid, lively, and grounded in the belief that food carries the stories of those who touch it.

At Word of Mouth, guests of all skill levels participate in immersive cooking classes that celebrate the art of making something with your hands. From hand-rolled pasta to intricate desserts, each session encourages guests to learn, create, savor, and stay. Meals are enjoyed family-style, conversations flow easily across the table, and the experience serves as a reminder that food is one of the great connectors in life.

Beyond the kitchen, Word of Mouth hosts curated events where guests collaborate on a full-course menu and then enjoy a dining experience filled with culture, laughter, and unforgettable flavors. These evenings feel less like formal events and more like gatherings of old friends, even when everyone has just met.

A curated Kitchen Pantry extends the experience into the home by offering artisanal ingredients, beautiful tools, and thoughtful hostess gifts hand-selected by Domitria. Each item reflects her taste for beauty, respect for craftsmanship, and belief that cooking should feel elevated even in its simplicity.

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CULINARY

WORD OF MOUTH

“Food is never just about what is on the plate.

It is about the people around it,” Domitria says, and every aspect of Word of Mouth echoes that truth. What she has built is not a business but a community. People leave her classes inspired, uplifted, and eager to share what they discovered. And so her magic continues, passed from one person to another, growing entirely through the hearts and voices of those who experience it.

Word of Mouth today celebrates creativity, community, and the power of gathering.

Whether it’s a date night, a team outing, or a special celebration, each class becomes a memorable experience meant to be shared.

In a fast-moving world, Word of Mouth encourages us to slow down, savor, and truly connect.

Word of Mouth 772-584-9624 Domitria@word-of-mouth-vero.com Website: word-of-mouth-vero.com 64

WHERE THE LOVE FOR WINE AND JOY OF GATHERING INTERTWINE

Whimsical, warm European-style cafe Curated wines from around the world Light fare to compliment wines Lively calendar of wine-centered events Private tastings On Mainstreet in historic downtown Vero Beach

WINES FOR PURCHASE 772-999-3764 1902 14th Avenue Vero Beach, FL 32960

Instagram: @verowinebar Website: verowinebar.com

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KITCHENS

PROUD VS. FLUSH INSTALLATION

The result? A sleek, seamless look where appliances virtually disappear into your design. This is ideal for modern, minimalist, or European-style kitchens where clean lines and cohesion are key.

Flush installation can also make smaller kitchens feel more spacious since the visual breaks between cabinets and appliances are minimized.

Make This Decision Early, Before Cabinets or Countertops Here’s the part most homeowners don’t realize: Deciding between proud and flush installation should happen before you order your cabinetry or countertops. Why? Because each style requires different cabinet depths, trim allowances, and ventilation clearances.

Which Appliance Style Fits Your Kitchen Best?

Flush installation.

By Linette Capritta, photographs courtesy of Capritta Appliance When it comes to appliances, design isn’t just about finishes and handles, it’s also about fit. You might be surprised to learn that how your appliance sits against your cabinetry makes a huge difference in the overall look and feel of your kitchen.

Two common installation styles, proud (aka standard) and flush (aka fully integrated), each bring their own kind of charm and practicality. And like choosing between a tuxedo and a tailored suit, it all comes down to your personal style, space, and how you want your kitchen to “show up.”

Let’s break it down.

Proud (aka Standard) Installation: Confidently Standing Out In a proud installation, the front of the appliance, whether it’s a refrigerator, oven, or dishwasher, extends slightly beyond the surrounding cabinetry. Think of it as the appliance equivalent of wearing a stylish watch over your sleeve cuff: functional, confident, and designed to be noticed.

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Proud installations are common in many homes because they’re often easier to execute and allow for better airflow around the appliance—a plus for longevity and performance. They also simplify maintenance: Removing or servicing a unit is typically quicker when it’s not fully enclosed.

Visually, proud installations tend to give the kitchen a professional, highend chef’s kitchen vibe. The appliances make a statement, standing forward with purpose. For example, a proud-installed stainless steel range or refrigerator can add a little “wow” factor, perfect for those who love that bold, commercial kitchen aesthetic.

Flush (aka Fully Integrated) Installation: Seamless Sophistication If proud installation is about standing out, flush installation is about blending in. In a flush setup, the front of the appliance sits perfectly level with your cabinetry and countertops. Handles may be recessed, or in some cases, hidden entirely behind matching cabinet panels.

A flush installation, for example, often needs custom cabinet adjustments for that perfectly even alignment. If those measurements aren’t planned from the start, achieving a true built-in look later Flush installation.

Proud-installed stainless steel range.

can be tricky and expensive. Making this choice early ensures your cabinetry, countertops, and appliances work together seamlessly—saving you from serious remodeling headaches down the road.

Which One Is Right for You? If you love an ultra-sleek aesthetic and are willing to plan cabinetry with precision, go flush. If you prefer a little breathing room, easier service access, or that bold, professional kitchen appearance, proud might be your match.

And the good news? Capritta Appliance can help you decide which is right for your space—and make sure your installation looks every bit as good as your new appliances perform.

So whether you like your appliances to blend in or stand proud, one thing’s certain: With expert installation and thoughtful design, your kitchen will be dressed to impress.

In her role as Marketing and Design Project Manager, Linette Capritta blends brand building with business development, leveraging her expertise in digital marketing and interior design to influence both the company’s public image and its growth trajectory.

Capritta Appliance & Air Conditioning 2585 W New Haven Avenue West Melbourne, FL 32904 321-676-0111 Instagram: @caprittaappliance Website: caprittafinelines.com

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WINE AND FOOD

OUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Lifestyle Rooted in Quality-First Wines and Food

Northern Sardinian vineyards.

by Rob and Michele Wayne, owners of Varietals and More Photographs courtesy of Varietals and More We believe in a lifestyle rooted in eating well and drinking well without fad diets, rigid rules, or guilt. It is about choosing real, thoughtfully made foods, enjoying fresh ingredients prepared simply, and drinking wines that feel clean, balanced, and alive.

When quality comes first, moderation happens naturally, and pleasure is part of feeling healthy, not something to be avoided.

This way of living celebrates connection, tradition, and everyday indulgences that nourish both body and spirit, because the best kind of wellness is sustainable, joyful, and meant to be shared.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year! Cheers!

Costera Cannonau Di Sardegna Costera Cannonau di Sardegna is sourced from hillside vineyards across southern Sardinia, where old vines thrive in rocky, limestone-rich soils and constant coastal breezes. The warm Mediterranean climate 68

is tempered by sea air, allowing the grapes to ripen while retaining freshness. Lowyielding vines and sustainable farming produce concentrated fruit with the herbal, savory character that defines classic Cannonau.

Cannonau is naturally high in polyphenols and antioxidants, a hallmark of Sardinia’s sun-drenched, old-vine vineyards. These compounds contribute to the wine’s deep color, savory complexity, and its reputation as part of the island’s famously healthy Mediterranean lifestyle. The Cannonau grape is one of the highest naturally occurring levels of antioxidants in the wine world. This is the grape often cited in Sardinia’s “Blue Zone” longevity culture.

Tasting Notes Ripe cherry and wild strawberry layered with dried Mediterranean herbs and gentle spice. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, bright acidity, and a smooth, savory finish.

Cheese Suggestion P’tit Basque: French creamy Basque sheep’s milk cheese with nutty, buttery sweetness.

Sardinian Red-Wine Beef (Manzo al Cannonau) • 2 lbs chuck meat cut into chunks • Olive oil • 3 smashed garlic cloves • 1.5 cups Cannonau wine • Sprig of rosemary, bay leaf • Salt & fresh ground black pepper • Beef broth, if needed Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the beef generously with salt & pepper and brown all sides; working in batches, remove beef and set aside. Lower heat, add onion and cook till soft and golden, add garlic and cook till fragrant. Deglaze with red wine, scraping all the brown bits and let simmer for a few minutes. Return beef to pot and add

P’tit Basque.

rosemary and bay leaf, a splash of beef broth if needed as the liquid should meet the meat without covering. Cover and simmer for two and a half hours until beef is fork tender and the sauce is rich and glossy.

Serve over creamy polenta or wide egg noodles. And don’t forget crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Enjoy!

Jankara Vermentino di Gallura Jankara is a small, family-run estate in northern Sardinia’s Gallura zone. The vineyards sit on ancient granite soils, with constant Mediterranean sea breezes and intense sunshine. Low yields and hand harvesting keep the fruit pure and concentrated, giving the wine its signature minerality, salinity, and bright citrus energy.

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WINE AND FOOD

OUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION Made from sun-soaked Vermentino grown on granite soils in Sardinia’s Gallura region, Jankara’s Vermentino naturally contains phenolic compounds and antioxidants derived from the grape skins.

Tasting Notes Bright and mineral with notes of lemon zest, white peach and citrus blossom layered with wild Mediterranean herbs and a subtle saline finish. Crisp, clean and refreshing Cheese Suggestion Sweet Grass Georgia Gouda, Raw Milk Grass Fed: Creamy, buttery Georgia Gouda with gentle sweetness and a smooth finish.

Sardinian Grilled Fish with Tomatoes (Pesce alla Griglia con Pomodori) • Snapper, swordfish or halibut • Extra-virgin olive oil • Sea salt & cracked black pepper • Cherry or Campari tomatoes, halved • Garlic clove, lightly crushed • Capers • Lemon slices • Fresh parsley • Fresh oregano or thyme Heat grill to medium-high. Toss tomatoes lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of oregano. Set aside. Pat fish dry, rub with olive oil, and season simply with salt & pepper. Grill the fish until lightly charred and just cooked through, about 3–5 minutes per side. While the fish grills, place the tomatoes cut-side down on the grill (or in a grill basket). Let them blister and soften, 2–3 minutes. Add the garlic to the tomatoes for the final minute. Transfer fish to a platter. Spoon the warm grilled tomatoes over the top, scatter with capers and parsley, drizzle generously with olive oil, and finish with grilled lemon juice.

Serve with Fregola Sarda, grilled potatoes, or crusty bread.

Valdobbiadene Prosecco From the steep, dramatic hills of Valdobbiadene in northern Italy, this is Prosecco at its finest. Made from Glera grapes grown on hand-harvested vineyards, Valdobbiadene Prosecco is more complex and elegant than standard Prosecco.

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Tasting Notes Fresh and lively with fine, persistent bubbles. Aromas of green apple, pear, white peach, citrus blossom, and a subtle mineral finish. Dry, crisp, and beautifully balanced with refreshing acidity.

90–100 calories per 5-oz glass.

Perfect Pairings • Burrata, Chevre, Robiola • Prosciutto, Salumi • Shrimp, oysters • Crostini with ricotta and lemon zest • Marcona almonds, olives

54 Royal Palm Pointe Vero Beach, FL 32960 772-217-2780 Instagram: @varietals Website: varietalsandmore.com

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PERFORMING ARTS

VERO BEACH CHORAL SOCIETY

In fact, in spring of 2020, we were all prepared for our next concert—we had paid for the venue, and our money was gone, but we couldn’t do the performance and recoup our funds—so we were stumped, sidelined entirely by COVID like everyone else for an unknown time period.

Both the Board of Directors and choristers sort of faded away.

Fortunately, at some point a small group of members had gotten together and decided to bring VBCS back to life. During the lull, the Artistic Director had decided to move on, and the group hired Dr. Jacob Craig. I was asked to join the Board, and frankly didn’t know how to respond. I called a former Board member for advice, who said that she had had a wonderful Board experience, involved as they were in so many interesting and worthy things. But, she cautioned, I should know that there was no money—and I thought, my gosh, okay.

Anyway, I accepted, and at my first Board meeting there were three of us: Jacob, myself, and another member. So, starting over from scratch, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

Bringing Exceptional Choral Art Music to the Treasure Coast

Interviews with Ms. Bobbee Larsson and Mrs. Sonya Yassi Conducted by Jim Field photography by Christina Klinger Photography In our December issue, we featured an extensive interview with Dr. Jacob Craig, Artistic Director & Conductor of the choir.

In this second article, we introduce two additional members to round out our profile of this exceptional non-profit organization.

Bobbee Larsson, Member, Board of Directors JF: Bobbee, please share with our readers how you came to be involved with the Vero Beach Choral Society (VBCS). It’s always fun to hear about people’s journeys and oftentimes the role of fate.

BL: Well, I had come to Vero Beach as a

snowbird, and at this point in my life I didn’t think I’d sing in a choir again. But then a new friend said that she was a member of VBCS, and encouraged me to try out. So I did, and I was extended an invitation to join, which I accepted. We had a different Artistic Director at the time, and the organization impressed me as being very well established with a good reputation. There was a scholarship in place for college kids, which I thought was fantastic. And so everything was going just great—I had several concerts under my belt—and then COVID hit. And that was the end of that.

Bobbee Larsson.

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JF: That’s a great story—getting drafted. Apparently they made a smart choice! How did you get started—what was the first thing you did?

BL: To be candid, I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow we pulled it together.

We decided to be upfront and honest with our members and audience, sharing that we needed their help—and guess what?— they rose to the occasion. We were able to raise sufficient funds to compensate Jacob properly, launch a concert, and experience the profound joy of singing again and serving the community by the work that we do.

JF: I would say the community rallied for you. Good causes will typically attract support—particularly in Vero Beach.

BL: We are genuinely energized by the opportunity and privilege to give back to our community. Our mission statement shares that we are an independent audition choir dedicated to providing the highest quality performances of choral music to the Treasure Coast community while developing singers in the choral arts. This boils down to sharing the joy of creating music together with the community, contributing to a higher quality of life.

JF: Looking ahead, what are some of the initiatives on your plate?

BL: Frankly, we have a lot of balls in the air that we’re excited about. First and foremost, we completed our holiday concert Rejoice! on December 14—it was a great success—and now we’ve shifted focus to our spring masterclass concert.

This is a huge undertaking—artistically and logistically—and so everyone is extremely engaged and busy.

Importantly, Jacob has repositioned our scholarship program, which used to go to support the musical pursuits of college students. Now we are providing merit and need-based scholarships to 7th through 12th graders for private lessons by amazing teachers whom Jacob has vetted.

The magic here is to match gifted students with gifted teachers who can inspire and motivate them to achieve great things.

And then they might join us as part of an orchestra or as a chorister.

We are extremely fortunate to have received funds from Wheels & Keels Foundation Inc.—we are eternally grateful. This money goes directly to our scholarships. Our biggest expense is for our Artistic Director & Conductor—and believe me, Jacob is worth every penny.

He’s simply fantastic: an amazing creative and bright light in our organization. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, we rely on donors for funding—and giving has remained very generous. Still, as we elevate the quality of our choir and expand the types of music we’re producing in partnership with orchestras, our costs will go up.

So our business goal is to expand the donor base, to get the word out into the community about who we are, and to expand our collaborative relationships with other choral organizations in our area. It’s a virtual circle. Led by Jacob, the VBCS gets better every year, attracting a broader audience, whose support enables us to achieve a still higher level of artistic output, and so on. It’s a marvelous gift to be in such a position.

Sonya Yassi.

Sonya Yassi, Soprano JF: Sonya, thank you for reaching out to us originally, and bringing us the continuing story of the Vero Beach Choral Society. It has been incredibly interesting and fun for me. It seems the best way to begin is to start at the beginning, so please tell us about your path to Vero Beach and VBCS. SY: It is a rather long journey for me. I was living abroad in Hong Kong, where I met my husband—playing volleyball of all things. He grew up in France and the Ivory Coast in West Africa and had dreams of becoming a pilot. After many years of talking about it, we finally decided to leave our jobs in Hong Kong and move to Vero Beach for flight training.

He earned his commercial pilot’s license, and afterward we picked up and moved to the Ivory Coast for three years while he flew there. Later when his contract was up, we decided to come back to the U.S. and moved, of course, to Vero Beach because we loved it so much.

He currently flies for United Airlines out of Chicago, driving to Orlando and flying to

Chicago where he starts his assignment.

It actually works out very well: He has his dream job and we get to live in beautiful Vero Beach.

For the record, I was born and grew up in Lafayette, Indiana and attended Purdue University. After graduation I lived and worked in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong for a span of about eight years.

JF: That says a lot about the power of Vero Beach to draw people here— possibly multiple stints in a lifetime.

Please tell us about your background in the choral arts.

SY: I’ve been singing in choirs since I was five years old—church choirs, children’s choirs, then into high school and college.

I sang in both show choirs and concert choirs—corresponding to what seemed like a full-time job. We were constantly rehearsing and entering competitions.

It was absolutely wonderful. I loved my time singing and my whole family is very musical. My sister sang in the choir when we were in high school. My parents both sing and my mom plays piano and my dad

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PERFORMING ARTS

VERO BEACH CHORAL SOCIETY JF: And what are your impressions of the group relative to all your prior experiences?

SY: Jacob is a fantastic director. He pushes us in ways where I’m using a different part of my brain than I normally do, being a mom and working. It’s an outlet to do something very different and refreshing. I initially joined in the fall of 2021 and then had children. I stepped away for a bit of time when they were really little. But I returned as soon as practical to feed my passion for music and singing. Monday nights I go out and release my emotions and exercise my creative and artistic interests, and then go back to being mom.

Certainly a major part of my happiness is meeting new people. We’ve lived in Vero for a little while but, you know, hadn’t gotten super integrated into the community.

Becoming part of the VBCS has allowed me to meet so many incredible people— you become part of a choir community—a different family for me. So I have mom friends, work friends, and choir friends brightening my life.

JF: And what about the caliber of music?

SY: Well, the choristers share a love of music—especially considering the range of music we do, which spans anything from the Renaissance period up to the 21st century and can be very challenging.

You have to be focused, you have to be dedicated, you have to be willing to spend time to learn it and sing it to a very high standard. It’s not like “Oh, yeah, I like to sing.” plays guitar. So music has been a huge part of my life, and wherever I have moved, I always look for a choir to join. I seek out people to sing with.

In Asia, it was pretty easy. Karaoke is everywhere. In Hong Kong I located a women’s a capella choir called the Grace Notes, which reignited my interest in formal singing with a director, which I hadn’t done since high school. As soon as I got back into it, I couldn’t leave it alone.

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Singing is just such an outlet for everything—for your emotions, for your brain—it’s a different way of thinking and applying your intellect. It’s a wonderful part of my life that I couldn’t step away from again. Our first stay in Vero Beach lasted only 18 months or so. In West Africa I joined a choir. And then when we returned to Vero, I actively looked for another choral opportunity and found VBCS. I actually found them online. I spoke to Jacob and auditioned; he offered me a position and I couldn’t be happier.

Jacob is definitely the most accomplished musical director I have ever worked with.

His piano and organ skills—he plays bagpipes, by the way—are off the charts.

He’s truly incredible. I’ve never worked with somebody like him, so that’s been a huge reason for me to stay with the choir, because I’m learning so much and, even though I’ve been in choirs my whole life, I continue to learn.

A few years ago we performed a piece called The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace

by Karl Jenkins. It was an incredible collaboration with high school choristers and orchestra, and it was so moving, so

(L-R) Sonya Yassi, Bobbee Larsson, and Dr. Jacob Craig.

powerful—I think it was one of the coolest musical pieces I’ve ever been a part of.

Jacob is a man with a vision, and he makes this vision come to life. I will never be bored because he always has a vision for something you’ve never thought of.

JF: In my interview with Jacob, he spoke to how he recently re-auditioned and reduced the size of the choir to a far smaller number. Everyone has to carry their own part—their own weight— effortlessly singing solos as required.

There is no “safety” in larger numbers.

So each member really has to be a true performer. Is that a fair description?

SY: Yes, that’s true. You should be good enough, confident enough, committed enough to your part, that you can sing your part on your own, you don’t need backup—others to get you through it—and that means being really solid in your music, being able to sight-read music, simply looking at a page and singing and performing that piece all by yourself.

JF: Did you ever think you would find such a skilled choir in tiny Vero Beach?

SY: Frankly, I did not. I thought I would have to go to Melbourne or elsewhere—to West Palm or somewhere much farther away to find this level of quality, this diversity of music. But to have this in our backyard it really special, the way music at this level can touch people, reach down into their souls, move them.

When we performed The Armed Man, I cried during the concert. I hadn’t cried the entire time we practiced, but when we were on that stage, and feeling the music, the orchestra playing behind us, the audience getting into it with us, I just started crying. Not sobbing but, you know, tears rolling down my face as we were performing, because you could feel the energy in the room, people moved by the singing and harmonies, how beautifully it all came together. There is nothing like music. It conjures emotion and is a universal language.

Website: verobeachchoralsociety.org Instagram: @vbchoralsociety

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NEW YEAR

THE RESET

The Necessity and Power of Letting Go

by Chris Foster

A new year encourages us to release what no longer serves us and create space for what is meant to come. The Reset highlights the quiet power of letting go, decluttering the mind and home, and letting life respond with abundance, clarity, and renewal.

January welcomes us into a quiet yet powerful moment. It is the one month that seems to whisper softly but confidently at the same time. It reminds us that to embrace anything new, we must be willing to let go of what no longer serves us. Life calls for a reset, not a dramatic overhaul, but a mindful clearing that starts first in the mind and then extends outward into every aspect of our lives.

We often forget how much we cling to. A pair of shoes that once inspired us but no longer matches our style. Clothing with memories rather than purpose. Furniture from a chapter we’ve outgrown. Even relationships that once felt vital but now feel heavier than light.

Letting go isn’t easy. There’s always a small ache in releasing something we once connected meaning to, but making space is the only way for life to respond with what’s new.

Our existence is inherently generous.

Nature exemplifies this truth effortlessly.

Trees shed their leaves without hesitation, trusting that spring will return with more.

When we allow ourselves to let go, we enter that same flow of renewal. Clearing a closet becomes more than just an organizational task; it becomes symbolic. It signals to the universe that we are ready for new blessings, new opportunities, new beauty, and new energy.

Giving is also part of the reset. What we release becomes new for someone else.

A dress we no longer reach for might be the very thing that brings joy to someone

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entering their own new season. Passing things on keeps energy flowing. Nothing is ever lost; it simply transforms into something meaningful for another life.

As we step into this New Year, let it be with clarity and intention. Reset your mind. Clear your home. Release the weight.

Welcome the light. The more space we create, the more life fills it with what is meant for us. January is not only a new beginning: it’s an invitation to start afresh.

Reset Tips Seven ways to reset your life for the New Year.

Clear one small space first. Begin with one drawer, shelf, or corner. Small wins build momentum.

Release what no longer reflects you.

If something belongs to a past version of yourself, let it move on. Make room for who you are becoming.

Donate with intention. Let your releases become gifts for others. Meaning continues when you pass items forward.

Refresh your mind daily. Start your morning with silence, breathwork, or journaling. A clear mind shapes a clear year.

Bring in one meaningful item that inspires. After creating space, select a symbolic object that adds beauty or calm.

A candle, a plant, a journal, or a simple piece of art can transform a room.

Create a no clutter zone. Designate one peaceful area in your home. It becomes your anchor when life feels busy.

Listen to your energy. If something drains you, let it go. If it lifts you, hold on to it. Your intuition always knows when it’s time to reset.

WE LIVE IN AN ABUNDANT WORLD, AND WHEN WE GIVE, WE RECEIVE. 77

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EDUCATION

THE SALT CLUB

Promoting Leadership On and Off the Playing Field

The SALT Club at Saint Edward’s School.

by Jack Curley photography by Victoriya Knapp and courtesy of Saint Edward’s School Student athletes at Saint Edward’s School are participating in a new, unique club centered on leadership on and off the playing field. The SALT Club, or Student Athlete Leadership Team, was founded in 2024 with the goal of creating an environment where athletes of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds can gather to discuss and promote leadership in everyday life through the application of the priceless lessons and experiences embedded in sports.

Since the club’s inception, the group has grown from a small number of passionate and dedicated high school athletes to an impressive 40 students, making the club one of the largest in the school. The club

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now comprises a group of remarkable and talented individuals who excel as outstanding teammates and role models within the Saint Edward’s community.

Additionally, the SALT Club emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, as it invites all students, regardless of athletic ability or grade level, to join in applying the principles of good sportsmanship, dedication, and self-sacrifice into their everyday lives.

The SALT Club now contains members in every grade level who participate in a variety of sports, including lacrosse, football, cross country, volleyball, and more.

At the forefront of the SALT Club are Athletic Director Eileen Pliske and Guidance Counselor Todd Fletcher.

Together, Coach Pliske and Coach Fletcher have initiated regular gatherings of student-athletes during lunch to discuss new key lessons or principles within sports that students can learn from and apply to their lives.

When asked about the inspiration to start the SALT Club, Coach Pliske says, “My favorite part of coaching was the life lessons that sports afford us to teach. So, when I became an athletic director and stopped coaching, I needed to fill that void.

And there’s just so many opportunities that I see—from court sports to field

Jack Curley, author and cross country runner.

sports, to swimming and everything else–to teach lessons on how to be a good person, a good contributor to your team, making a positive impact on other people.”

different sports in one room at the same time? Students are learning from each other and spreading the messages to their teammates.”

This idea rapidly caught on with students and, over time, more and more athletes began attending SALT Club meetings.

Indeed, having opinions from different student athletes has fostered vibrant and interesting sessions. Coach Fletcher continues, “Your say is just as important whether a freshman or senior. Everybody is pulling the rope in the same direction, and we are all moving towards one goal, and that’s how we can be better as a whole.

If you look around the room, it’s about a mission that’s bigger than any one person.”

In addition, one of the main principles of the SALT Club has been welcoming all athletes, at any grade level and on any team. Coach Fletcher, who has been an integral part of the SALT Club’s success and a supportive mentor for many of the athletes, addressed this aspect of the club, stating, “How lucky are we to get all the

THE SALT CLUB NOW COMPRISES A GROUP OF REMARKABLE AND TALENTED INDIVIDUALS WHO EXCEL AS OUTSTANDING TEAMMATES AND ROLE MODELS WITHIN THE SAINT EDWARD’S COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE SALT CLUB EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUSIVITY, AS IT INVITES ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF ATHLETIC ABILITY OR GRADE LEVEL, TO JOIN IN APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, DEDICATION, AND SELF-SACRIFICE INTO THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.

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EDUCATION

THE SALT CLUB Some of the many topics that the SALT Club has introduced include lowering the ladder for others to climb, giving yourself a mental reset when something goes wrong in a game, and understanding the difference between reacting versus responding to a situation. The lessons learned in sports have had a profound impact on the athletes, giving them an opportunity to implement what they have learned in their lives as teammates and as leaders.

Stating one of his favorite aspects of the club, Coach Fletcher highlights the ability to witness athletes use what they are learning in their games. “We saw that in real life with our lacrosse team. We would see a shot go wide, and then we would see the players reset in real time. It’s about real-life scenarios that play out in the athletes’ lives.” Those involved in the SALT Club have undoubtedly learned how to face challenges.

Charlie Corrigan, an eleventh-grade lacrosse player and avid member, states, “SALT Club has really helped me develop important leadership skills that I’ve been able to use during lacrosse season.

Because of the SALT Club, I also have a better understanding of how to help younger players on the team.” As one of the most experienced players and as an upperclassman, Charlie can offer some critical insight to the younger athletes who are joining the lacrosse team.

Caitlin Moscrip, a senior lacrosse player who has been an active leader in the SALT Club ever since its first meeting, says “SALT Club has changed my perspective on leadership. It has taught me that leading isn’t just about your specific sport, and you can be a leader outside of practices and games. Also, it has taught me that it’s important to have a strong mentality and step up in hard times.” Caitlin’s experience is a testament to how the club is promoting leadership among the athletes involved.

She now exemplifies the qualities of a leader on and off the field and she’ll apply those lessons when she steps on the field to play lacrosse in college next fall.

Another vital part of the SALT Club’s success has been the wisdom and insight provided by eighth grader RJ Smith. His 82

SALT Club members (L-R) Brooke Moore, Nico Kennedy, and CJ Fykes.

contributions to club discussions and leadership during meetings have been exceptional. Despite his age, RJ is truly an indispensable part of the club, and he often shares meaningful insights into group discussions from the perspective of a younger student. RJ has embodied what SALT Club values and, with his outgoing and genial personality, has helped in driving home important lessons of the club to all members. Truly, the club would not be the same without RJ’s classic jokes or clever adages. RJ comments, “My experience with the club has been awesome—meeting new people, talking about new plays, learning how to get better as an athlete and person.”

Overall, being a part of this club has been one of the more meaningful experiences I have had at Saint Edward’s. It has allowed me to grow both as a person and as a teammate. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this amazing group of people and learn from them.

Furthermore, the environment of the SALT Club is unlike any other club I have been a part of at Saint Edward’s School. When you walk into a meeting, you immediately see a large group of student athletes who are all excited to learn from and connect with one another. This is especially evident in the fact that athletes sit with different people than the week before. Having different people at each table every week creates a space where everyone is interacting with people they normally wouldn’t get to talk to and learning to become leaders.

We are all teammates in one way or another, and the SALT Club demonstrates that we can directly apply lessons from sports to benefit our lives.

Lacrosse player Charlie Corrigan.

Todd Fletcher.

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ENVIRONMENT

THE POOOW MOVEMENT

Good Friends and Their Mission Against Plastic Use

by Amanda Blumberg photographs courtesy of POOOW In Vero Beach, a new wave of activism emerges from four spirited beachside women who are standing up for the environment and against plastic in their campaign: Plastics Out Of Our World (POOOW).

Through their altruistic pursuits, these residents and long-time friends are approaching local businesses to advocate against plastic product usage and to educate the Vero Beach community about the ramifications of plastic disposal and consumption.

Retired artist and Vero Beach resident, joAnn Mettler, cultivated the idea to begin spreading awareness when she spent her mornings walking the beach across from her home.

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approach. Going door to door, enlisting establishments like Polo Deli and Village Beach Market, POOOW emphasizes the substitution of plastics in businesses for biodegradable products. “We approach our mission business by business, person by person. It’s just grassroots,” joAnn explains. POOOW is in its fifth year of operation.

“I think we’re all happy with it being grassroots,” Peggy volunteers. “That’s the beauty of this. One visit starts a chain of conversations. We get visits from business owners who come to see us and say, ‘Hey, I heard about you guys and what you are doing. How can I become involved?’–which is really nice.”

“Five years ago, I started picking up plastic on the beach with no idea what to do with it except get rid of it,” said joAnn. “I realized we needed to do something more than just pick it up.”

One business that has been particularly supportive of the POOOW team is Corey’s Pharmacy and Souvenirs. “They have been wonderful. They allow us to set up our table in front of their shop during Vero Beach’s Saturday farmer’s markets,” joAnn points out.

Friends of joAnn—Joan McCormick, Peggy Ashline, Patrice Molloy, and Sally Roberts—became team members and founding Board members. Together they created a list of 100 businesses on the island that they wanted to

POOOW awards collaborating businesses a giant green POOOW sticker for display, signifying a demonstrated commitment to plastic substitution. Local clothing store iLinen Coastal Boutique is another stalwart supporter.

Retired realtor Joan McCormick reflects on a time when one of Joann’s personal hand-written letters made quite the impression. “The best letter that joAnn ever wrote got a response from King Charles.”

On a trip to the UK, the story goes, the group toured King Charles’ private garden at Highgrove House in the Cotswolds, England. “We were met by the quintessential [female] tour guide dressed in the Crown’s pleated tartan skirt topped with a matching floppy brim hat,” joAnn joAnn Mettler and Iga Luther of iLinen Coastal Boutique.

explains. “The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about plants in the garden, emphasizing sustainability. At the end of the tour, I gave her our POOOW sticker.”

Kindly receiving her award, the tour guide noted His Majesty was very approachable and receptive to such gestures. joAnn was thusly encouraged, “It took me a while to compose a letter complimenting him on what he was doing—EV taxis in London, eliminating plastic water bottles, and so on. In turn, I sketched POOOW’s plan for Vero Beach and sent it off to him. He actually replied!”

Peggy recalls their recent tour at the Indian River County Landfill. Invited

by IRC Landfill’s Recycling Coordinator, Susan Flak, the POOOW team witnessed first-hand—and were blown away by—the behind-the-scenes process of plastic product disposal. “Everything gets crushed and there is no chance for anything to be biodegradable,” Petrice points out. “It becomes solid. It just lives there.” Peggy was surprised by how labor intensive the process is, complicated by masses of plastic bags, “It was wild. Plastic bags mixed into the trash system get stuck in the conveyer belt, requiring people to manually pull them out. You can’t image the number of people necessary to just take care of plastic bags.”

The POOOW team has taken their message to Vero Beach Mayor John Cotugno.

According to joAnn, “Everybody likes something they can look at. I brought my prop and asked Mayor Cotugno ‘How long do you think this Styrofoam cup is going to last in the landfill?’ He guessed 50 to 70 years. It’s actually 500 years.”

ingested plastic might affect our bodies, people begin to rethink their choices.” Her overarching belief is that a world without plastics is the only way to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and overall well-being. “While we cannot remove the use of plastics entirely, we can, as consumers, make conscientious and clear choices about the businesses we frequent and support in relation to their use of plastic materials.”

POOOW’s advocacy centers on the Five Rs: Rethink, Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, and Reduce. The team is dedicated to their work while also enjoying themselves, maintaining a good sense of humor—they self-describe themselves as “old broads on a mission.” joAnn embodies the spirit of a doer, what it takes to change engrained habits, “This isn’t about anything political or prejudicial.

This is something that’s really good for humanity. There’s no question in my mind.

It’s just a matter of educating people with facts. We want businesses and consumers to ask, ‘Where is this plastic container going? What happens to this glass bottle after I toss it in the trash?’ Each of us needs to be accountable for our plastics impact.”

For information please contact: jojomettler6@gmail.com.

(L-R) Peggy Ashline, Joan McCormick, joAnn Mettler, and Patrice Molloy.

Spreading the word, POOOW often hears pushback about the higher cost of ecofriendly substitutions. However, joAnn isn’t shy, “You can’t deny a higher cost.

But we just appeal to peoples’ better nature and ask them to use biodegradable products.”

Patrice is particularly concerned about the health effects of pervasive plastics in the whole of the environment. “You read about microplastics. We’re finding them in our brains, lungs, heart, pre-natal, everything. When we stop to consider how 85

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TE X T I L E S

@ jillm a lek

@jillmalek

BES PO KE W A L L C O VE R I NGS

R U GS

T E L : 7 1 8 -2 0 7 -9 5 8 7 I N FO @J I L L M A L E K. C OM W W W . J I L L M A L E K. C O M 87

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BUSINESS

VERO BUSINESS

HBS INC.

Quality Windows and Doors for Over 50 Years

Interview with Ray Reinhard and Rob Vaccaro Conducted by Jim Field photography by Victoriya Knapp Editor’s note: HBS Inc. is one of Vero Beach’s classic family-owned businesses with a long-standing record of product and service innovation and client satisfaction. I have always been keen to know and understand this outfit and asked if they would like to be profiled in LIV VERO Magazine. To my great satisfaction, they accepted.

Founded in 1973, HBS Inc. is one of the largest full-service window and door distributors on the southeast coast of Florida. The firm specializes in the distribution and installation of premium window, door and glass products (e.g., mirrors, shower panels), particularly highly technical impact-resistant products. The company’s history traces back to founder John “Jack” Barrie, a retired New York City police officer, who acquired a modest existing business specializing in window screens and broken glass repair. After Jack shifted the company’s focus toward window and door sales, his son, Ray Reinhard, strategically expanded into high-end residential markets, ultimately driving the company’s growth and success. Currently, the company is led by Ray Reinhard, who serves as President and is responsible for steering the overall direction and operations. Rob Vaccaro, General Manager 90

and Ray’s lieutenant, supervises daily work scheduling and manpower management.

JF: Gentlemen, thank you for your time today and sharing your story with our readers. Why don’t we start with a brief history of the company’s origins.

Ray: We’re a family business, which explains a lot about who we are and what we do. My father bought into a small window service and repair company five decades ago. He was a retired Manhattan Police Detective who was not ready to retire in his forties, so he relocated here in search of a business opportunity. He grew the business steadily but conservatively and I joined actively in 1991.

I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in engineering—I’m a licensed Civil Engineer with a specialization in Structural Engineering. I came to the company to help my father manage his growing business, initially helping with sales but later steering the company towards premium products.

Eventually I purchased the business from my father and remain sole owner. My management tenure now spans 35 years.

JF: Rob, please tell us about your time at HBS. Rob: My core area of responsibility is to manage the installation crews and scheduling—we have ten teams of two installers, the people you see in our vans every day. I also spend time in sales, managing relationships with contractors and homeowners, helping out where needed.

I would consider myself family here. As a young boy, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, who were best friends with Jack and his wife Luise. I was a huge baseball fan, and Jack was a huge baseball fan. He pretty much raised me going to Dodger games with him. Finishing high school, I had a Division I scholarship for basketball, but it wasn’t in the cards. I saw that HBS was hiring and joined them. About five years in, I told Jack that I had always dreamed of being a police officer—like him—and I wanted to go to the academy. And he said, “You’re not leaving. I was a cop and know better.

We’ll make it worth your while to stay.” So I stayed. It’s been 30 years.

JF: What a great story. Can you walk me through how you transitioned your way up the ladder to premium products, and what has guided your thinking?

Ray: The overarching objective is to provide the highest quality products and services for each customer’s price point. Over time we have gravitated to higher-end products, ultimately establishing a valued partnership with Weather Shield Windows and Doors in Medford, Wisconsin. They’ve been in business for 70 years—and we’ve been selling Weather Shield for 30 years. Our relationship with the owners of Weather Shield has grown over the years—we’re customers and personal friends. I can’t tell you how invaluable it is to know that whenever there’s an issue on a project, we have the ability to elevate our need to get things taken care of expeditiously and painlessly, which directly benefits the customer. And it’s all about the customer.

Our threshold metric—starting even with my dad—is, “Would I want this product in my home?” That’s the bottom line. That’s how we look at everything. In my home, if something isn’t exactly right, then it must be reworked until it is 100% correct–and we give that same level of respect to our customers. In a small town like Vero Beach, we see our customers all the time, so it is essential

I M PAC T W I N D OW S & D O O R S

Ray Reinhard

to have a good reputation and maintain relationships. The best advertising for us is to do quality work and have customers refer their friends to us—that’s the way it works in a small town. We have to ensure our customers are absolutely happy with the service we provide.

Rob: We’re proud of our company and we’re proud of our employees. I think we’re the best glass company in the state of Florida.

We use our own employees for installation and service. We don’t subcontract—you can’t control subcontracted labor. We pay our installers by the hour, not by the piece. I tell the guys, if it takes longer to install the window or door correctly, so be it. It needs to be done correctly. We spend a lot of time training them. We go onsite and supervise.

Most of the time I just watch the guys and smile and think: these guys are good. They are craftsmen. We’re super pleased with our team.

JF: Can you give me a sense of what the process is like when a prospective customer approaches you with a replacement project in mind?

Rob: Our office staff will take the incoming call and gather all necessary information.

I review every new ticket that comes through, and then we have four salesmen who could go out and measure and interact with the customer, responding to questions

and providing information. With all the information at hand, we’ll then send the customer a quote.

Ray: We don’t do pressure sales. Our job is to listen and educate the customer, submitting a quote that we think best meets their needs. We have a showroom for the customer to look at our products—we’ll walk them through all their options and point out key features of the various products. We view our role as consultants.

We also pay our sales people a salary, as opposed to a percentage commission on sales. Their income doesn’t fluctuate so they can prioritize their work and customer satisfaction without feeling pressured to make a sale. Their incentive is to perfectly match customer needs to our products and services.

We only partner with very specific manufacturers that we have confidence in—they must have high quality products and exceptional service. We’re very selective because we have to stand behind our work.

There are lots of variables that go into recommending the perfect set of products to a customer: what is their budget, what are their concerns and past experiences, what is their exposure to elements, how does rainwater drain, does the home have 91

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eaves and overhangs, and so on. With years of experience, we can ensure our recommendations are consistently aligned with each client’s best interests.

We’re also very good at solving problems and accommodating unusual shapes and sizes.

Being in business for decades, we’ve pretty much seen everything out there. We can modify any configuration to make something look and/or function better.

JF: Onsite at the home, as your customer, who would I be working with?

Rob: We have a field supervisor, Larry Sanders, who has been with us for over 30 years. He makes rounds on our job sites every day. We have ten installation crews.

Each crew has a lead man with many years

of experience with us. Then the second installer is called a helper. All crews report to Larry, to me and ultimately Ray. Ray will also visit our sites, and I will too. Having the company’s senior people present is very reassuring to customers. But Larry directly supervises our installers. If they come across something concerning—for example, they tear out an old door and find rotted wood—they’ll call Larry and he’s there immediately to provide direct field supervision. If Larry’s not comfortable, he’ll call me or Ray. So we have multiple layers of supervision and consultation. Things have to be exactly right to withstand the test of weather and time.

JF: That’s a really helpful overview. I assume the process is different for new construction?

Ray. With new construction we’re often being engaged by the architect. And the architect will be familiar with the products they want to use. The architect will invite us to join a project because they know the quality work we do. Avoiding product and installation issues means the architect doesn’t have to go back to the client to explain deficiencies.

Every product has different installation details. Once we get started with an architect, we’ll typically go to their office and

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help them define these specifications. I will spend time developing CAD (computer-aided design) drawings to fully understand how to correctly install what the architect has envisioned for the project.

Many architects are capable of doing a lot of this on their own. Still, we offer services to support them as needed and we scrutinize every detail to minimize problems with installation. The architect will finish the design drawings and send them to the general contractor before they reach us.

We then review the plans, in detail, for code compliance before preparing our quote package, which goes back to the contractor, architect, and eventually the homeowner.

As the project progresses, revisions to the original design or previously unanticipated contingencies often arise, but we stay on top of things and adjust accordingly. The larger point for your readers to appreciate is that our role is anything but packaged and standardized—we provide close and seamless collaboration throughout the entire process.

JF: This is very interesting. I assume you work with architects who develop designs presenting special challenges for you?

Ray: Things are getting more challenging by the day. The goal now seems to be larger and larger windows and sliding glass doors—which most homeowners love and are demanding for high-end homes. And

manufacturers are definitely pushing the technological envelope and testing and approving much larger components. But with all this, there are definite challenges.

The weight of these larger windows and doors can easily reach 500-800 pounds. One challenge is simply mastering the logistics to properly install such a large object and expanse of glass with minimal tolerance for inconsistent measurements. Second, you have the cost to install. Previously, two installers could simply pick up a sliding glass door panel to put it in place; in contrast, a recent pivot door installation took eight people to manage one 700 pound item. Third, extreme care has to be given to shipping, transporting and handling of products that can be damaged by their own mass. And, last but not least, we must give priority to the safety of our installers. We don’t want anyone to sustain injuries on the jobsite; any time you’re manipulating large, heavy objects, there’s an elevated risk of harm. All in all, as the size and complexity of products have increased, we’ve responded by raising our game in terms of product handling, installation expertise, and worksite safety.

JF: As new products come to market—and I will admit to loving all of the new pivot doors, and folding doors, and floor to ceiling windows—have you found that you need to establish new relationships with a lot more vendors? A customer might show you a magazine and say “I want that.”

(L-R) Rob Vaccaro and Ray Reinhard.

Ray: We have found that many of our manufacturers have acquired newer companies offering innovative products.

I mean, they’ve gotten into the pivot door business already five or six years ago. The larger and more progressive window and door manufacturers track the architectural trends and actually help set architectural standards and develop formal product lines.

They design them in their R&D labs and test them and bring them to market. So we have been able to stick with the vendors we have been working with for 20, 30 years where we have long-standing relationships.

We partnered with them back then because they were top-tier manufacturers and they have retained their market leadership today.

But if we have to go outside of them to get a specific product, then that’s what we do.

JF: I’d like to hear more about installation. Whereas products can be manufactured to tight specifications, it would seem that installation can introduce variability that can lead to failures. And installers by definition with different outfits will have different skill levels.

Ray: That’s a fair statement. Maybe the best way for me to address this is to tell you what we observed in 2004 when Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne made direct landfall in our community, just weeks apart. There was a lot of destruction in this county.

We had been supplying impact windows since the late 1990s; Dade County was the pioneer on impact requirements after devastation caused by Hurricane Andrew but it took a while for the rest of the state to catch up. Thankfully, many homeowners 93

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and contractors in our area recognized the value of impact rated products. After police closed the bridges in Vero Beach during Frances and Jeanne, we were some of the first people allowed back on the island due to the numerous reports of damaged and missing windows. When we arrived onsite at one condominium, we found only six sliding glass doors in place where there should have been eighteen. As we began to assess the damage, we noticed that the surviving windows and doors were impact resistant product we had previously installed; the rest were gone. It was testament to not only the value of the impact product, but to proper installation as well because the impact rated product installed by another company was lying in the roadway. Impact products are amazing, but only when they are installed correctly. It is imperative that consumers understand this.

customers and there is no runaround. With some firms, the customer doesn’t know who to call, especially if a secondary installation subcontractor is involved, they don’t know who actually manufactured the product, if the manufacturer will warranty defects, if the company is still in business, is the problem related to an installation issue, and so on. For us, it goes back to accountability.

We go out on behalf of our manufacturers as the first line of defense for our customers. We troubleshoot and resolve anything we can.

And if it’s a component issue—say a bad piece of glass—we go back to the manufacturer to act as an advocate and liaison on our customer’s behalf. But any kind of mechanical work or field adjustments, we handle these ourselves. We don’t defer to the manufacturer. We want it handled quickly, so homeowners can get on with their lives.

And can I add a few specific things about quality and customer service? Sometimes new windows and doors operate perfectly and sometimes they don’t—99% of the time they do, but nothing is perfect. When problems arise, we are there for our

JF: Which leads directly to the question of how do you hire and retain your installation crews? We hear so much in our economy today about the shortage of qualified people—the lack of interest among young people to go into the trades.

Rob: Small business workforces are hard to put together anymore—there’s always a constant shortage of good people. One of the things we do is promote from within.

The lead man is charged with training and developing the helper assigned to him. Over time and years of repetition and experience, helpers should be ready to take on the lead man position, and we move them up when a position becomes available. So we’re constantly training and developing our future crew leaders.

Another important practice is that probably 70% of our field installers come to us through referrals from current employees or friends and family. I don’t even know the last time we placed an advertisement for labor. So these candidates show up and they’ve already been spoken for to some extent by someone we know and trust. They come in, learn what we do, get to know us, see that they’re not just a number. We treat our people well, pay them well, offer benefits—healthcare, paid vacation, 401K matching. They work hard and know we expect professionalism in return from them.

Then they go out and tell their friends, and

might recommend someone to us—so our employees are recruiters. It is a huge help to have solid employees vouch for someone’s integrity and character.

JF: Are you able to find candidates graduating from high school?

Rob: Not so much. This age group doesn’t want to do this type of work—it can be tough, physical work. So our new people tend to be a bit older—say 25-30 years old—they’ve been in the workforce already, have different jobs under their belt. These are the ones who understand the value of working for a good company with an exceptional track record, a company that treats its employees well in exchange for dedication and professionalism.

Overall, given all our initiatives to attract, develop, and motivate our workforce, we enjoy high retention rates and stability of our crew members—which contribute directly to the quality we deliver.

JF: As a homeowner who has undertaken multiple gut renovations in my lifetime, I’m intrigued by the process of requesting bids from multiple firms. How should customers think about the quotes they receive?

Rob: Great question. To be fair, customers divide into two groups: those who understand the quality-price relationship and those who don’t. Unfortunately, some people just look at the bottom line—you know, Company A bid $10,000, and Company B bid $15,000, and the client is leaning towards the cheaper option. In this case, if we’re the higher bidder we’ll ask them to talk to us about the less expensive quote they received because we want to ensure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison.

Shortcuts always cost less. Lower quality products cost less. By examining everything carefully, we can explain our findings to the customer and show why our quote, even though higher, might be the better choice. We always find that customers truly appreciate this consultation and are grateful for the opportunity to make an informed decision.

getting. We’ve seen quotes where half a dozen windows aren’t included—say, in the garage. We all see the mail fliers and Buy One Get One Free ads; I can assure you, there is no such thing as a free window. So my best advice is to review your quotes carefully.

And when bids are roughly similar, we tell customers to go with the firm that makes them feel most comfortable on installation and service.

JF: All this has been wonderful to listen to—you run a tight ship and are passionate about your work and serving customers—and everyone loves to learn about exceptional family businesses.

Ray, for my last question, can you speak to what it takes to grow a business over time into something bigger and better.

What would you point to as key points of learning?

Ray: Perhaps an overarching rule is to grow wisely and methodically. Don’t try to grow too big, too fast. Years ago we had a satellite

office in Palm Beach but it was difficult to manage remotely and the travel time created significant challenges at great expense. So we try to stay within a manageable service area—Indian River County; we only cross the county line as needed for special projects.

By staying local and staying humble we have more control over quality service and can be better masters of our trade.

And I would emphasize three things we already discussed. One, you have to offer the right mix and quality of products to serve varying needs. Two, customer service—when someone calls with an issue, we’re on it.

Word of mouth is our advertising. And three, build an exceptional workforce and company team top to bottom. Without our people we wouldn’t be where we are.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. April 30, 2003.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

COVID-19 SIX YEARS OUT

Part 2: Violation of Core Medical Ethics

Colorized transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 virus. February 12, 2020. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/niaid/49534865371/.

by Jim Field

A series of articles on health considerations of COVID-19 for each of us to ponder.

This article takes up the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on medical ethics held sacred in Western Civilization—that is, cultures founded upon Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian, and Enlightenment influences.

It is clear to this author that the COVID-19 response pursued by the U.S. government— as well as other Western governments— clearly violated core principles of medical ethics—specifically, the principles of bodily autonomy, informed consent, and nonmaleficence.

Regrettably, it is equally clear that our government has not publicly addressed these violations—admitting to them, explaining why this was done, taking accountability for its actions, defining the damages done, and declaring that it will never again repeat such transgressions.

For some readers, the statements above will seem heretical. You are entitled to your world view, as am I. However, in my lifetime I have never witnessed the twisting and repression of truth as has occurred in the aftermath of the SARS100

CoV-2 virus by governments, private, and intragovernmental organizations.

The potential human impact of this malfeasance—done in pursuit of policy goals and, certainly, to cover up injuries linked to the mRNA vaccine technology— are potentially massive, given that about 5.5 billion individuals worldwide have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine—equating to 72% of the global population.

It is in the spirit of collective learning that this article is placed before you. The key question for all of us to ponder—relating directly to the protection of ourselves, our loved ones, and friends—is this: will we tolerate such actions when a similar viral event occurs in the future?—which is guaranteed to happen. Will we allow ourselves to be so mistreated by our representative government and public health officials?

Remember When To be entirely fair, the emergence in the U.S. of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and resulting COVID-19 disease in the spring of 2020 was a time of nationwide shock and abject fear. Next to nothing was known about the pathogen—its origin, associated morbidity and mortality, methods and

speed of transmission. Flaming our sense of helplessness, we witnessed hospital ICUs fill up with stricken patients, many perishing from the virus. (Note: albeit probably half as many as initially reported.)

The government’s main response at the time was mass isolation and lockdowns.

In tandem, Operation Warp Speed (OWS) was launched in May 2020 to accelerate the development, manufacture, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The goal was to shorten vaccine development time to 10 months. To accomplish this, clinical trials, manufacturing scale-up, and distribution planning occurred simultaneously instead of sequentially. In December 2020, vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson were released to the general public under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

Herd Immunity With vaccines now available for large-scale use, the government’s primary strategy for managing and, hopefully defeating, the COVID-19 disease centered on the concept of “herd immunity.”

Herd immunity from an infectious disease is accomplished when a large portion of a population becomes immune through either vaccination or previous “natural” infection. When a critical mass of people achieve immunity, the spread of the disease slows or stops. Those who are not immune are less likely to be exposed—and thus endangered—because the disease cannot find enough susceptible hosts to continue spreading.

A critical complicating factor is that each disease has a specific herd immunity threshold—that is, the percentage of vaccinated or naturally immune individuals needed to prevent outbreaks.

For example, the threshold for measles is approximately 95%, for polio 80–85%.

However, and with enormous human rights and policy implications, the unique nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus significantly complicated the practical application of herd immunity principles to COVID-19.

Perfect Herd Immunity Example: Measles Herd immunity works particularly well for measles for a number of factors. Here is a

simplified explanation:

• Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known.

• Because of this high transmissibility, a

very high proportion of the population must be immune to stop outbreaks.

• To achieve herd immunity, about 95% of the population needs to be immune—one of the highest herd immunity thresholds among infectious diseases.

• The measles vaccine is highly effective: one dose is roughly 93% effective, two doses 97% effective.

• Because the vaccine works so well, reaching the 95% threshold is achievable with proper immunization programs.

• Immunity from vaccination or natural infection is typically lifelong, which strengthens herd immunity because the population remains protected over time.

• In sum: Measles herd immunity works well because the vaccine is highly effective, immunity is long-lasting, and if 95% of the population is immune, the virus cannot sustain transmission.

• In addition, the measles virus mutates much more slowly than viruses like influenza or SARS-CoV-2.

• Because the virus is stable, the measles vaccine remains effective over decades, and there is no need for annual reformulation.

• Furthermore, the measles virus is fragile outside the human body.

• In sum: the measles virus is stable enough for long-lasting immunity, yet fragile enough that high vaccination coverage can stop its spread effectively.

SARS-CoV-2 Is Not the Measles The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants significantly affected the practical implication of a herd immunity strategy.

Specifically, these variants changed rapidly—impacting how easily the virus spread and how well a vaccine would protect against infection.

Specifically, the Delta and Omicron variants were more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain—raising the herd immunity threshold. For the original strain, 60–70% immunity might have been acceptable. However, for Delta 80–90% immunity was required, and for Omicron possibly greater than 90% was required due to rapid spread.

To complicate things further, some variants were able to partially escape immunity from previous infection or vaccination—meaning people who were previously immune could get reinfected or transmit the virus, reducing the effectiveness of herd immunity. In addition, vaccine immunity decreased over time, necessitating booster shots if the goal was to maintain population immunity and reduce transmission.

The major implication of attempting to defeat the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease using herd immunity principles was that “classic” herd immunity became harder and harder to achieve— immunity was not permanent, the virus kept mutating, the population requiring vaccination and frequent boosters became exceptionally large. Accordingly, public health officials doubled down on vaccination recruitment, augmented by ongoing large-scale masking, lockdowns, diagnostic testing, and simultaneous booster campaigns.

Key Questions:

• Did politicians, policymakers, and public

health officials ever question the practical feasibility of achieving herd immunity in the U.S. population? Especially as learning about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease increased exponentially.

• Did these same leaders ever rigorously examine and evaluate the various “costs” that would be imposed on individuals and society from pursuing herd immunity?

My Vaccine Experience Working in healthcare facilities at the time, I assumed that I would be required to receive the initial vaccine shot. Having scheduled a time beforehand, I presented to one of Vero’s large primary care practices and was directed to a folding chair in the parking lot. Surveying the scene, there were perhaps 200 individuals seated and milling about in two distinct groups: as I learned, those waiting to receive their shot, and those conforming to a request to remain onsite for 30 minutes after their shot.

the text—but sitting in the sun, surrounded by humanity, I failed to concentrate. (My recollection today is that little substantive information was conveyed.) Perhaps 15 minutes later, I was led into an exam room, asked to sit, and received the shot. In addition, I was given a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, documenting name, age, Pfizer product lot number, and date. I learned therein that I had received the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. The request to hang around for 30 minutes was explained as a safeguard in case I “felt funny” afterward.

When Things Went Very Wrong This is the context that led to what would occur: purposeful violations of sacrosanct human rights and medical ethical principles by U.S. public health officials in partnership with the Biden White House.

There are too many transgressions to recount here—but just a few will suffice to jog memories. Aggressive practices to effectively force individuals to get vaccinated, at the risk of loss of employment and wholesale cancellation.

The silencing and threatened ruination of medical researchers and clinicians who dared to question policies or the safety and efficacy of the vaccines—the upshot being to HALT scientific inquiry, discovery, and debate about every aspect of the pandemic. The dismissal and suppression of a rising tide of vaccine injury reports—to include seizures, heart attacks, strokes, clots, deaths. The suppression—by our government in collusion with the media and social media companies—of any negative information about the vaccines that might contribute to “vaccine hesitancy.”

A woman receives the COVID-19 vaccine at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

January 16, 2021.

I remember receiving a clipboard with a sheet of printed information—I was asked to read it, sign, and wait. I quickly reviewed 101

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COVID-19 SIX YEARS OUT

Individuals who petitioned for vaccine waivers based on religious grounds were typically denied. President Biden would eventually speak to Americans on TV and warn the unvaccinated “We are losing patience with you.”

(Note: There was no universal federal law forcing all Americans to get vaccinated.

However, there were mandates for many targeted groups—for example, federal workers, contractors, and military personnel, healthcare workers across the system, some state-level jobs and schools, and travelers.)

In my humble opinion, when COVID-19 first appeared, fear-based government responses founded on minimal scientific evidence can be understood as rational. That said, learning increased exponentially about the virus, disease, and vaccines, to include ample observational case study evidence suggesting that the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines could neither prevent infection nor transmission; that vaccine injury was real and devastating for a significant number—thousands upon thousands—who had received a shot; that masking and distancing guidelines were unscientifically founded and ineffective; that mass isolation of large swaths of the U.S. population was likely to produce catastrophic economic and societal consequences; that young and healthy individuals were not evidencing benefits of receiving a shot; that pharmaceutical options for treating COVID-19 infection existed and were being prescribed by some clinicians. And yet the push for universal vaccination continued unabated for years.

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Crossing a Sacred Line Collectively, the American public allowed itself to be subjugated and manipulated by its own government under the guise of the COVID-19 emergency. A terrible truth in this, however, is that average citizens didn’t stand a chance to develop independent opinions because of blanket government censorship of timely clinical information.

Simply and truthfully put: The government oversold the benefits of mRNA vaccines and downplayed their risks and known dangers—the understatement of our current era. The government monopolized all relevant clinical information and would not share it—even with leading scientists. At the time the first vaccines came to market, rigorous clinical trial data did not exist—did not exist—for the sweeping claims of safety and efficacy that were communicated to the public. The fault was never that scientific data were lacking—the vaccines were rushed to market in a declared pandemic, after all. Rather, it was that trusting citizens were never told the truth about the experimental nature of mRNA vaccines, the actual extent of scientific uncertainty and, as time and learning progressed, the emergence of many, many vaccine-related injuries and deaths.

And we know why: the quest for herd immunity. To achieve a threshold percentage, all means to the singular desired end became justifiable and, indeed, necessary. Importantly, the term “herd” was also applied to how citizens would have to be treated. Individual learning, individual opinion, individual decisionmaking could not be permitted—because this would threaten herd mentality—the prerequisite for herd immunity.

Instead, individuality would have to be sacrificed for attaining a “larger good”—a phrase that should have warning signs— flashing red lights—attached. History offers many examples where inhibiting individual rights in the name of a “greater good” led not to progress, but to human and societal harms. As a rule in history, when individual rights are repressed: power concentrates, accountability disappears, truth becomes dangerous, the “greater good” expands in scope, the harm exceeds the benefit. Do you see any similarities between this and our government’s response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus? Societies that protect individual rights during crises tend to recover.

Conversely, societies that suspend them “temporarily” often never fully recover.

Which returns us to questions we started with. What will we have learned from the COVID-19 experience—now six years out?

Do we trust information given to us by our government? Will we ever again surrender our human rights so easily? Under what circumstances would we agree to do so?

Returning to the spirit of collective learning—which is why I wanted to write this article—what follows is a concise accounting of how to think about your human rights—as both a healthy citizen and a patient—in the context of big government and modern medicine. I would encourage readers to understand their rights, believe in them, and fight for them. These rights are a gift of Western Civilization across the millennium. We should deeply appreciate this inheritance.

Human Rights Defined Human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms that belong to every individual simply because they are human. Key features of human rights include universality—applying to everyone, everywhere—and inalienable—they cannot be taken away or surrendered. Common examples of human rights include the right to life and security; freedom of thought, expression, and religion; the right to bodily autonomy and informed consent.

Principle of Bodily Autonomy This is the ethical and legal imperative that every individual has the fundamental right to govern what happens to their own body. Simply put, your body belongs only

U.S. Congress moment of silence for COVID-19 victims, Washington, D.C. February 23, 2021. Source: https://twitter.com/RepTerriSewell/status/1364364751543947264/photo/1.

to you, you have sole authority over your body, and decisions about it should be made by you—free from coercion, force, or undue pressure. You may decline medical care or physical interventions, even if others believe they are beneficial. In the context of medical ethics and practice, you must consent to surgery, medications, or participation in research. In the context of law, you are protected against assault, nonconsensual searches, or forced medical procedures. In the context of endof-life care, you have the right to accept or refuse life-sustaining treatment. Without bodily autonomy, individuals become subject to the will of others, violating freedom and ethical governance.

Principle of Informed Consent This is the ethical and legal imperative that an individual must voluntarily agree to a medical or research intervention after fully understanding what is involved. It ensures that decisions affecting a person’s body or health are made knowingly, freely, and competently, free of coercion, pressure, or manipulation. The individual must receive clear, accurate, and sufficient information that they can comprehend; the person must have the mental ability to make a decision. Education must include the nature and purpose of the intervention, known risks and potential benefits, and reasonable alternatives.

In the context of medicine, informed consent applies to surgeries, medications, vaccines, diagnostic procedures, participation in clinical trials or studies.

Principle of Nonmaleficence The principle of “do no harm” refers to the ethical obligation of healthcare providers to avoid causing unnecessary injury or suffering to patients. Nonmaleficence requires clinicians to refrain from treatments where potential harm outweighs potential benefit; minimize risks and adverse effects when harm cannot be entirely avoided; avoid negligence, recklessness, or unnecessary interventions. Practical means to apply this principle in everyday medical practice include conducting rigorous clinical trials and patient-level risk–benefit analyses, provide evidence-based care, avoid overtreatment, ensure proper dosing, respect refusal of treatment.

Summary and Personal Commentary As I write, governments and citizens around the world are wrestling with events and learning that followed from the 2020 onslaught of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Data from clinical trials and patient registries are being released piecemeal—some published in peer-reviewed journals— and registries of COVID injuries are documenting many hundreds of thousands of cases. Every prior assumption of import is being reassessed—starting with the belief that, in light of demonstrated benefits and harms, the mRNA “vaccines”—more accurately, gene therapies—actually saved net lives. Those who closely follow ongoing COVID-19 discoveries and ruminations are in for a tumultuous future ride.

In reality, herd immunity alone isn’t the only explanatory factor behind the prolonged drive for mandatory vaccination.

There is also profit motive. For the years 2021-2024, Pfizer reported over $85 billion in revenue from its mRNA COVID-19

vaccine. Given the intertwining of pharmaceutical company and government regulatory agency interests, we may never know how much commercial interests played a role in the lack of clinical data transparency and push for universal vaccination.

Finally, what should be said about the failure of organized medicine at every level to play a scientific, stabilizing, and mediating role in the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 cataclysm? The silence was deafening, the quick dismissal of sacrosanct humanistic principles shocking.

Can this abrogation be largely traced to the fearsome power of government to destroy free-thinking institutions and clinicians?

Our society should want to know the answer to this question, embrace the truth, and take measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We should not want bureaucrats dictating appropriate and safe medical care.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS

FALLS AT HOME AMONG SENIORS A Leading Cause of Premature Debilitation and Death

by Jim Field

Wouldn’t it be groundbreaking if we could somehow significantly reduce needless injuries and deaths suffered by our senior citizens? Similarly, wouldn’t it be remarkable if we knew precisely how to make this happen, at minimal cost, with only a few days’ work?

Think of the joy of seeing the elders we love live healthier lives for additional years. Think of how much better they would feel knowing that their risks of harm and death were markedly reduced— that they could feel safer in their own homes.

The reality is that all of this is possible— right now, today. The singular means of accomplishing this miracle is to do one thing: reduce falls, which constitute the single largest medical danger to seniors in their homes. Even better, the practical steps to reducing falls are mostly inexpensive and easily done—especially compared to dealing with the aftermath of a calamitous fall.

This article is directed at two types of individuals. One, senior citizens themselves. And second, the children and friends of senior citizens who worry about them daily and may feel responsible for their wellbeing.

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Frequency of Falls and Location Here are recent statistics for senior falls at home, broken down by age:

• About 1 in 4 adults age 65 and over

(greater than 14 million people) report falling in the U.S. each year.

• This equates to an estimated 36 million total falls annually among older adults.

• Falls among older adults increase with age, with roughly one-third of adults 85 and older falling each year.

- Age 65–74: 26% report a fall annually.

- Age 75–84: 29.8% report a fall annually.

- Age 85 and older: 33.8–36.5% report a fall annually.

• Nearly 75% of fall-related Emergency Department (ED) visits among older adults occur inside the home.

Consequences of Falls All falls are not injurious—yet this is a function of serendipity and the next fall could prove disastrous. Rather than finding relief from a harmless fall, a more prudent reaction is to acknowledge it as a free pass, a harbinger of more to follow, and use the incident to immediately take steps to reduce the risk of falling.

• Required admissions following falls.

Approximately 3 million ED visits, 1 million hospitalizations each year.

• Injuries by age. Not only do falls

become more common with age, but injury severity also rises: - Age 65–74: 9.9% have injurious falls.

- Age 75–84: 11.4% have injurious falls.

- Age 85 and older: 13.5% have injurious falls.

• Death rates by age. Mortality statistics show that fatal falls rise sharply with age. Unintentional fall death rates per 100,000 people: - Age 65–74: 19–24 per 100,000.

- Age 75–84: 74–90 per 100,000.

- Age 85 and older: 320–373 per 100,000.

Cascading Decline in Health By far the most devastating potential consequence of falls among seniors is to start them on a downward spiral of poor health from which—once momentum builds—they cannot escape. Another name for this phenomenon is “post-fall syndrome.”

The chain of increasing debilitation often results from some combination of the following:

• Immediate injury or shock. Pain,

bruising, head injuries, fractures.

Hospitalization itself can result in delirium, infection, muscle loss.

• Lost mobility. Reduced ambulation, inability to do stairs, leave the home.

Dependence on walker. Loss of muscle strength and balance.

• Lost confidence. Anxiety when

walking, standing, sitting. Fear and clumsiness increase risk for future falls.

• Withdrawal. Inability to ambulate and aversion to using a cane, walker, or wheelchair in public can lead to isolation, a contributor to depression, cognitive decline, earlier mortality.

• Lost independence. Many seniors cherish their autonomy, suffering psychologically when becoming dependent on others for daily activities.

Falls are a major factor behind premature placement into long-term care.

• Overall health decline. Falls are associated with faster cognitive decline, worsening chronic conditions, follow-on hospitalization, increased mortality risk.

In recent years I became involved with and knowledgeable about the senior care industry, specifically independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities. Falls occur nearly daily within each of these properties requiring, for clinical and liability reasons, EMS pickup and admission to a nearby ED. Many seniors live in fear of an ED visit, given the high likelihood of a disruptive and stressful inpatient stay, exposing them to viral/ bacterial infections. Those who merely suffer cuts, scrapes, and bruises return hours later looking like prize fighters. The unfortunate ones who break bones will immediately undergo surgery followed by a speedy transfer to a skilled nursing facility (SNF), with typical lengths of stay of between two weeks to a month. A meaningful number 105

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

FALLS AT HOME AMONG SENIORS Health and Assistive Devices

• Optimal vision and hearing. Annual

eye exams with updated glasses. Treat hearing loss and strongly encourage regular use of hearing aids.

• Mobile phone and medical alert devices. Require mandatory use of both. Teach seniors to use phone, purchase basic/simplified device.

Wear medical alert device on lanyard at all times, including when bathing if compatible.

• Medication review. Review medications with doctor or pharmacist.

Give special attention to sedatives, sleep aids, antidepressants, blood pressure and other medications that affect balance.

of these fall victims never return to their community. For those who do return, there are no human resources assigned to reduce/ prevent subsequent falls.

Fall Risk Mitigation In protecting the wellbeing of seniors, preventing the first fall is far easier and more effective than dealing with the consequences after a bad fall. The strongest approach is to combine in-home modifications, physical conditioning, health checks, and electronics.

Home Safety

• Safeguard bathrooms. Grab bars in

showers and next to toilets. Elevated toilets with handles. Non-slip mats in tubs and showers. Eliminate mats/ throw rugs, consider carpeting to avoid wet tile. Consider use of incontinence briefs to avoid rush to bathroom.

• Remove trip hazards. Clear passageways of objects, cords, throw rugs. Level uneven floors and smooth transoms.

• Improve lighting. Bright lighting in hallways, stairs, bathrooms. Nightlights in all spaces where seniors may walk.

Flashlight on night table, in kitchen and bathroom.

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• Safeguard stairs. Handrails on both

sides. Lighting with switches at both ends of stairs. No loose step pads.

• Furniture and configuration.

Chairs with arms to assist standing or motorized lift chair. Replace low chairs.

Adjust bed height so feet touch floor.

Widen passages between furniture.

Remove small and/or unsteady furniture.

• Reaching and climbing. Keep frequently used items within reach without use of step stool. Remove step stool from home.

Footwear, Assistive Devices, Exercise

• Proper footwear. Well-fitting. Slip-ons.

Non-slip soles. Low-heeled, supportive shoes. Avoid loose slippers and walking in socks • Ambulation aids. Use canes or walkers if prescribed—strongly encourage use.

Ensure proper fit. Replace worn tips or wheels.

Call to Action Despite the relative ease of taking effective measures to reduce the risk of falls in the home, seniors continue to injure themselves at alarming rates each year. To be sure, there is an element of difficulty involved given that a single foolproof solution does not exist, but rather that success is a function of altering systems, ingrained habits, and personal priorities—and seniors are often averse to change. Furthermore, most homes aren’t designed for aging and some modifications can be somewhat costly.

Finally, for reasons of fear, pride, or to avoid perceived stigma, some seniors will resist grab bars, canes or walkers, medical alert devices.

Still, steps must be taken and education extended at every opportunity.

Reinforcement can have an impact. Many suggested tactics can be implemented independent of a senior’s direct involvement. It may be advisable to introduce one or a few changes at a time, allowing the senior sufficient time to adopt them and/or adapt. Ultimately, one of the most effective safeguards is ensuring that seniors can quickly contact a family member, neighbor, call center, or aide when they feel unwell and face an activity (e.g., shower, preparing diner) that could result in a fall.

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TRAVEL

Photograph courtesy of Daunara Safari Camp

TRAVEL

DAUNARA SAFARI CAMP

The Roar Between Two Worlds

by Matt Copham, Co-Owner, photography courtesy of Daunara Safari Camp Editor’s Note: In his first communique from Daunara Safari Camp in Botswana—see our December issue—Matt Copham composed a beautifully-written account of the camp’s vast wilderness setting, its stunning accommodations and amenities, and daily schedules and activities enjoyed by guests.

In this follow-on piece, Matt concentrates on the camp’s resident lions and the Daunara Foundation, dedicated to the long-term upliftment of local communities. We are forever grateful to Matt for sharing his African world.

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Lions in Nature Where lions still rule, coexistence becomes the greatest form of luxury. Last night, we found that two dominant males and a lioness had made a kill just beyond the edge of camp. They finished their meal quickly, and later we heard their roars as they appeared to be heading toward the village.

Moments like this define Daunara Safari Camp and the importance of our location and existence. Wilderness here is not curated or staged. It is present, active, and unscripted.

I write this before heading to the village myself, to see whether they did indeed continue in that direction.

Lions often move through camp at night. Their tracks are frequently found at first light, crossing paths used only

These lions are among the prides we see regularly, largely because the camp lies within the core part of their territory.

hours earlier by guests and guides. This proximity is intentional. Daunara Safari Camp was never designed to insulate guests from wilderness, but to place them within it—safely, respectfully, and with deep reverence for the land.

This year brought a moment of quiet celebration. The resident Daunara Pride welcomed six new cubs, born to lionesses whose lineage is intimately tied to this territory. Early sightings have been remarkable: cubs tucked into the

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DAUNARA SAFARI CAMP

shade, lionesses keeping watch, and the beginnings of lives shaped by cooperation, discipline, and instinct. Over time, these cubs will learn when to follow, when to test boundaries, and when to stand their ground—lessons taught not through instruction, but through example.

In a continent where lion populations continue to decline, the birth of six cubs is more than a photographic highlight.

It is a sign that, here, the conditions for

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survival still exist. This underscores how important it is to have a safari camp in this location—and how its presence helps protect lions and wildlife alike.

Lions are the most social of the big cats, and their lives are defined by complex relationships. Lionesses form the stable core of a pride, raising cubs communally and defending territory together. Male coalitions—often brothers or cousins—rise, dominate, and are eventually displaced.

Around Daunara, these dynamics are constantly evolving. Recently, two dominant males from the north were displaced by three younger males, forcing a territorial shift further south. Such changes are natural, but they come with risk—increased movement, unfamiliar boundaries, and a greater likelihood of conflict at the edges of human settlement.

Understanding these dynamics is critical.

Managed Coexistence Botswana is often cited as a conservation success story, in part because of its relatively low human population. With approximately 2.5 million people across a vast country, pressure on wildlife is less intense than in many other African nations.

But coexistence is never effortless.

Communities surrounding the Okavango Delta rely heavily on cattle—a cornerstone of livelihood, identity, and security. In a landscape with few fences, lions and livestock inevitably come into contact.

Cattle, lacking wild instincts, are easier prey than antelope or buffalo, and a single loss can have serious consequences for a household. The challenge is clear: protect lions without compromising people and protect people without eroding wilderness.

At Daunara, conflict mitigation is approached pragmatically. A cattle-proof boundary has been established to prevent livestock from entering the Okavango Delta World Heritage Site, reducing pressure on core wildlife areas. However, lions cannot be fenced out of villages entirely—especially at night.

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This is where awareness, communication, and trust become essential. Education around livestock management, earlywarning systems, rapid response, and close collaboration with authorities all play a role.

Good rainfall this year has improved grazing within village areas, reducing the need for cattle to move deeper into wildlife zones—a reminder that ecological health benefits everyone.

Conservation succeeds not through force, but through alignment of interests. One of the most deliberate decisions behind Daunara Safari Camp was its location.

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DAUNARA SAFARI CAMP

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This area had never previously hosted a safari camp. Without tourism, wildlife held little tangible economic value, and conflict persisted unchecked.

The philosophy behind Daunara is clear: conservation is a business.

Without sustainable economic benefit, conservation cannot endure. A responsible safari camp creates employment, infrastructure, skills development, and long-term financial flow—all of which change how wildlife is perceived.

When wildlife creates opportunity, it gains protection. Through the Daunara Foundation, conservation is extended beyond animals to people. The Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, allowing international supporters to contribute meaningfully to long-term community upliftment.

The Foundation’s work includes employment through farming and camp operations; a working farm employing twelve local staff and producing food for the camp with surplus distributed to the village; boreholes providing reliable access to clean water; renovation of the local school; ongoing upgrades to the clinic; and educational support—including the recent graduation of eight children from Daunara Village, now continuing their education in Maun.

These initiatives are not separate from conservation—they are its foundation.

A percentage of revenue from every guest at Daunara flows directly back into community initiatives. This creates a clear, transparent relationship between wildlife presence and human benefit. As livelihoods improve, attitudes shift. Lions are no longer viewed solely as a risk, but as a source of opportunity. Guests come to see lions. Lions bring guests. Guests support communities. Communities, in turn, protect wildlife.

Luxury, in its highest form, is not about abundance. It is about integrity. At Daunara, luxury is waking to lions at dawn. It is knowing that your presence

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contributes to something lasting. It is understanding that comfort and wilderness can coexist without one diminishing the other.

Guests leave not only with photographs, but with perspective—an understanding that conservation is not something observed from a distance, but something sustained through participation.

At night, lions still move through camp.

Guides still track fresh spoor from the entrance. Cubs still grow, learn, and test their strength. Children still go to school.

Cattle still graze. The land still breathes.

This is the balance Daunara is committed to protecting. Because in the end, lions need protection, people need security, and livelihoods need opportunity. When all three are safeguarded together, conservation stops being a concept and becomes a legacy. info@daunarasafaricamp.com www.daunarasafaricamp.com 124

SIX NEW CUBS WILL THRIVE AND SO WILL OUR GRADUATES FROM THE SCHOOL—A WIN FOR ALL AS THE ROAR CONTINUES. NOT AS AN ECHO OF WHAT ONCE WAS, BUT AS A STATEMENT OF WHAT STILL IS.

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR

LIV LOCAL THIS JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2026 JANUARY 2nd through 11th Double Portraits: Vero Beach Museum of Art Friday, 10 am to 4:30 pm Visit the Vero Beach Museum of Art during this exhibition featuring 47 photographs by 34 artists, capturing the everevolving American South through the concept of a “double portrait.”

Divided into four sections, the exhibition examines the unique ways artists depict human connection, presence, and absence within a shared frame. vbmuseum. org, 772.231.0707 Picasso and the Progressive Proof: Vero Beach Museum of Art Friday, 10 am to 4:30 pm With prints curated from a private collection, explore the late-career printmaking of Pablo Picasso that highlights his artistic themes of Spanish heritage, mythology, and European Old Masters. vbmuseum. org, 772.231.0707

3RD and 4TH Annual Vero Beach Art & Craft Expo: Winter Edition Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm Participate in a 110 handcrafted art exhibition booth event with live music, delicious food, and community fun. This is a combo event with the Vero Beach Home & Remodel Show all held in one place at the Indian River County Fairgrounds. artandcraftexpo.com, 772.492.6105

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3rd and 4th Annual Vero Beach Home and Remodel Show: Winter Edition Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm Homeowners, renovators, and creatives are welcome to join this 200 booth event alongside their sister event, the Art & Craft Expo. Presenting expert speakers, showcases of the latest home design trends, and interactive demonstrations, this event is a great opportunity to gain valuable insight into the world of home renovation and design. patriothomeshows.com, 772.492.6105

3rd The Yale Spizzwinks Acapella: The Emerson Center Saturday 2 pm Presented by the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, the world famous and critically acclaimed Yale Spizzwinks Acapella group returns to Central Florida presenting their program. For the last 113 years, the Spizzwinks have delivered the perfect blend of humor and quality musicality in their performances.

More information can be found on the Space Coast Symphony website. spacecoastsymphony.org, 855.252.7276

6th and 14th The Indian River Lagoon Story: The Emerson Center The Emerson Center welcomes Heather Stapleton, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, for her E-Series presentation: The Indian River Lagoon Story. Presenting insight on the ecological emphasis of

our beloved lagoon and our community’s role in protecting one of North America’s most diverse estuaries. While also hosting: Lagoon by Brush and Lens. An art exhibition in addition to the lecture event hosted by Art at the Emerson Gallery. Detailed dates, times, and additional information is available on their website. theemersoncenter.com, 772.778.5249

9th and 10th The Drive-Laser Light Show: Indian River County Fairgrounds Friday, 5 pm Bundle up in this laser-light show tailgate event with the family or loved ones and get ready for a weekend of mind-blowing 70s, 80s, and 90s rock music and cuttingedge laser light show displays.

Showtimes, tickets, and further event descriptions can be found on the website below. freshtix.com.

9th through February 1st A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder: Riverside Theatre Friday, 5 pm Based on a Novel by Roy Horniman, and Tony Awarding Winning Musical, this performance displays unforgettable music and endless laughs in a story of the murderous pursuit of wealth and prestige.

Join Monty Navarro in his plot to gain the aristocratic title of the Ninth Earl of Highhurst in his family’s lineage. While navigating his infatuation with Miss Sibella Hallward and murderous schemes, this musical performance offers excitement and humor perfect for date night. Dates and showtimes are available on their website. riversidetheatre.com, 772.231.6990

10th and 11th

14th

37th Annual Art by the Sea: Presented by the Vero Beach Art Club at Vero Beach Museum of Art Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm Presented by Artist Members of Vero Beach, visit our local art museum for one of the most anticipated shows of the season. This show is an opportunity to display their authentic and one-of-a-kind artwork, available for purchase. verobeachartclub.org, 772.231.0303

FAU Harbor Branch Johnson Marine Education Center: Lecture Series Wednesday, 4 to 5:30 pm Join John and Barbara Ferrera in their Ocean Science Lecture Series. This free lecture series provides an opportunity to learn about FAU Harbor Branch’s most recent discoveries directly from scientists and engineers. Advanced registration is required and more information on dates and times are available on their website. fau.edu/ hboi/osls, 772.242.2293

12th Riverside Theatre: The Distinguished Lecturer Series: Michael McFaul Monday, 4 and 5:30 pm Engage in this lecture with former United States Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul. riversidetheatre.com, 772.231.6990

13th The Emerson Center: An Evening with Scott Turow Tuesday, 6:30 pm Spend an evening conversing with author Scott Turow at this happy hour book signing event. Spots are limited. Information on tickets is available online. lauraridingjackson. org/scottturowevent, 772.569.6718

16th and 17th All Rodriguez: The Trios. Ballet Vero Beach: Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center Friday, 7:30 to 9 pm Saturday, 2 and 7:30 pm Ballet master and Principal dancer Camilo A. Rodriguez brings a program of three contrasting trios that display neoclassical, contemporary, and irreverent performances by Ballet Vero Beach.

Featuring: Tunics and Tutus, Sheer Vibration and While There’s Still Music. balletverobeach.org, 772.269.1065

15th through 18th

17th

Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival Thursday & Friday 4 pm to 11 pm Saturday 10 am to 11 pm Sunday 11 am to 6 pm Enjoy famous gator tail and frog leg dinners along with hundreds of booths for unique gifts, live music, and fun rides at the 35th Annual Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival.

More information is available on their website. froglegfestival.com, 772.571.3022,

Honeybell Festival: Schacht Groves Saturday, 11 am to 2 pm Enjoy this family friendly event at Schacht Groves with activities like U-pick, petting zoo, hay rides, food truck, live music, face painting, lawn games, vendors, and a bounce house. schachtgroves.com, 772.562.5858

15th Community Center of Vero Beach: Mineria Symphony Orchestra of Mexico Thursday, 7 pm Witness an exhilarating orchestra performance that illustrates the heart of Latin America as Mineria Symphony Orchestra of Mexico makes its Vero Beach debut.

Program details and further information is available by email or phone. info@irsymphony.org, 772.778.1070

17th and 18th Community Center of Vero Beach: 62nd Annual Treasure Coast Coin and Currency Show Saturday and Sunday 10 am Celebrate the joy of coin collecting with your community at this twoday event. treasurecoastcoinclub.org

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR

JANUARY 18th

26th through February 1ST

31st

Vero Beach Museum of Art: Atlantic Classical Orchestra Sunday, 3 to 4 pm The 18th Season of the Vero Beach Museum of Art and the Atlantic Classical Orchestra’s celebrated partnership begins in January of 2026 apart of the Chamber of Music Series. More information can be found on their website or by phone. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club: Vero Beach International Tennis Open Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday 10 am to 4 pm You’re invited to participate in the 5th Annual Vero Beach International Tennis Open. One of the biggest tournaments in Florida will feature 100 plus top-level Women’s Tennis Association professionals as they compete for tour rankings and the tournament title. Further event information, dates, times, tickets, and sponsors, are listed on their website. grandharbor.com, 772.778.9000

American Made Painting and Sculpture from the Demell Johnson Collection: Vero Beach Museum of Art Saturday 10 am to 4:30 pm This exhibition features over 80 works by renowned American artists. Art spanning 250 years, with an emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries, the collection traces the evolution of American art, showcasing its unique styles and thought-provoking expressions across generations throughout our country’s history. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

21st Heritage Bluegrass Concert: Heritage Center Wednesday, 6:30 pm Southern Express Bluegrass consists of performances by 6 talented musicians that bring years of bluegrass into family entertainment.

Including musical performances of Bluegrass, Gospel, and country songs ranging from traditional to contemporary sounds. veroheritage. org, 772.770.2263

24th Environmental Learning Center: Lagoonapalooza Saturday, 10 am Join the ELC for its 2026 Lagoonapalooza. This annual nature and music festival offers several ecofriendly experiences that celebrate the beauty and excitement of our Indian River Lagoon and all its nature. Featuring activities, games and crafts, dip netting, art galleries, aquariums, touch tanks, access to 64 acres of nature trails, and a full live concert lineup with several musicians. Further information on event details, tickets, and sponsors are available on their website. discoverelc.org, 772.589.5050

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30th Downtown Friday Festival Friday, 6 to 9 pm Join our community on Mainstreet in Downtown Vero Beach for good food, drinks, music, and connection during their monthly Downtown Friday Festival to finish the end of January.

Whether it’s to bring the family out or for a night out with friends, this community event offers a variety of fun for everyone.

30th From Sea to Shining Sea Gala: Vero Beach Museum of Art Friday, 6 pm Join the Vero Beach Museum of Art for a formally memorable evening as they celebrate under the stars for their 2026 Gala: From Sea to Shining Sea. Offering colorful and flavorful cocktails, delicious food varieties from lobster rolls to BBQ, incredible art displays, and more culinary provisions. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

FEBRUARY 2nd

5th

7th

The 2026 Golden Fork Awards Ceremony: Celebration Grove Monday, 6 to 8 pm Join your community in this annual foodie celebration that offers excellent culinary experiences and local flavor. Guests will enjoy chefprepared bites from hand selected local restaurants and celebrate this year’s winners of Top 10 Best Dishes, Chef of the Year, and Restaurant of the Year. A portion of this event’s proceeds will benefit the Food Pantry of Indian River County. treasurecoastfoodie.com

Riverside Theatre: Live in the Loop Thursday, Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 9 pm Enjoy a free outdoor concert every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings with performances by local artists. No ticket required. Food and drink are available for sale. riversidetheatre.com, 772.231.6990

Intergenerational Center: 5th Annual Family Fun Festival Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm Enjoy this free family event with a petting zoo, live DJ, face painting, children’s activities, food and coffee, and local nonprofits with resources. indianriver.gov, 772.770.4811

4th through 22nd Riverside Theatre: Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck In this comedic and twisted thriller, character Jackie’s mother dies and she is left with debt needing to be paid off with an heirloom stamp collection. Join Jackie in her journey navigating trials of deception and conflict through humor to find if the stamp collection is treasure or worthless. Dates and times are available on their website. riversidetheatre.com, 772.231.6990

4th, 18th & 25th FAU Harbor Branch Johnson Marine Education Center: Lecture Series Join John and Barbara Ferrera in their Ocean Science Lecture Series. This free lecture series provides an opportunity to learn about FAU Harbor Branch’s most recent discoveries directly from scientists and engineers. Advanced registration is required and more information on dates and times are available on their website. fau.edu/ hboi/osls, 772.242.2293

9th 5th and 19th Vero Beach Museum of Art: Cork, Canvas, & Company Thursday, 6:30 to 8:30 Create beautiful artwork with your friends, led by a professional instructor. Art materials are provided and participants can bring their own beverages and snacks.

No experience necessary. More information is available on their website. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

Riverside Theatre: The Distinguished Lecturer Series: Sir Niall Fergusonl Monday, 4 pm & 6 pm British American Historian and Millbank Family Senior at the Hoover Institution comes to Riverside Theatre apart of this lecture series.

Tickets and more information are available on their website. riversidetheatre.com, 772.231.6990

14th 5th through 14th Vero Beach Theatre Guild: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.

This humoristic musical takes its audiences through storytelling with surrounding themes of romance from first dates, to marriage, and beyond. Times, dates, tickets, and further information is available on their website. verobeachtheatreguild. com, 772.562.8300

7th and 8th Riverside Park: Gardenfest!

Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm Presented by the Garden Club of Indian River County, the 24th Annual Gardenfest! returns with over 80 selected vendors for all things plants and accessories, gardening advice, food trucks, and children’s activities. gardenclubofirc.org, 772.567.4602

Vero Beach Museum of Art: 40th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, 10 am Join the Vero Beach Museum of Art in celebration of their 40th Anniversary on Valentine’s Day by showing its love for art and community through free admissions.

Including live music, food trucks, artist demonstrations, a community art project, family art activities, and more. Information can be found on their website. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

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LIV LOCAL THIS JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2026

FEBRUARY 14th

14th

18th

Indian River County Fairgrounds: Oddities & HeART Market Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm Explore more than 140 unusual and unexpected “oddities”, artists, crafters, psychics, tarot card readers, gems and fossils, and delicious food trucks at this event. accessartfl.org

Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center: Vero Beach Opera Saturday, 7 to 9 pm Vero Beach Opera presents their greatest hits at the Opera Showcase.

Join them in an emotional and soul-moving journey through some of the best collections of operas by Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, and many more. More information is available on their website. verobeachopera.org, 772.569.6993

Heritage Center & Citrus Museum: Bluegrass Concert: Grateful Dawg Tribute Wednesday, 6:30 pm Apart of the Heritage Bluegrass Music Series, enjoy a free bluegrass music concert held monthly from January until May, offering an open jam session after the concert for amateur bluegrass musicians and enthusiasts to enjoy. Raffle supports and benefits local school music programs. veroheritage.org, 772.770.2263

14th

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Royal Palm Pointe Park: Florida Craft Brew and Wing Fest 2026 Saturday, 11:30 am Watch Hillbilly Hellcats perform at the 2026 Florida Craft Brew and Wing fest, while munching down on a variety of wings and sipping on the best beer from top craft brewers. Also featuring a cornhole tournament, games, raffles, and more. Proceeds benefit the charitable projects of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Vero Beach. floridacraftbrewandwingfest.com

Vero Beach Museum of Art: Atlantic Classical Orchestra Sunday, 3 to 4 pm The 18th Season of the Vero Beach Museum of Art and the Atlantic Classical Orchestra’s celebrated partnership begins in January of 2026 apart of the Chamber of Music Series. More information can be found on their website or by phone. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

14th

18th

Sweet Desires Dessert Lounge: Dynamic Duo of the Brenna Bavis Band Saturday, 7 pm Perfect for date night, enjoy live performances from the Dynamic Duo of the Brenna Bavis Band at Sweet Desires in Royal Palm Pointe.

Offering romantic music from the musical couple, for couples. brennabavisband.com, 772.290.3373

Vero Beach Museum of Art: ART TALK- Discover the Stories Behind the Art Wednesday, 12 pm Join the VBMA education staff every third Wednesday of each month for in-depth conversations exploring the stories behind exhibitions and artwork displayed. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

15th

19th The Arc of Indian River County West Campus Event Pavillion: Hawaiian Luau Fundraiser Thursday, 5 pm Participate in this exciting and vibrant evening with a Hawaiian Luau featuring a traditional pig roast, fire-eating performances, hula dancers, a live band and more. The Arc of IRC benefits the special needs community with resources, programs, personal care, educational curriculums, wheelchair accessible transport, services, and individualized support. More information is available on their website. arcir.org, 772.562.6854

20th and 21st

23rd

27th and 28th

Vero Beach Museum of Art: Asbury Short Film Concert Friday, 7 pm Saturday, 1 pm or 7 pm Asbury Shorts USA is New York City’s longest running non-competitive short film showcase and touring show. Coming to Vero Beach Museum of Art, hosting the “Asbury Short Film Concert” for the twelfth year in a row. Presenting a fast-paced and entertaining line-up of the best short films in drama, animation, documentary, and comedy. Including Oscar nominees, US Film Festival “Best in Show” winners, and international honorees. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

Vero Beach Museum of Art: International Lecture Series: Fred Minnick Monday, 4:30 pm Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, Award Winning Podcast Host, and World Leading Bourbon Critic: Fred Minnick, comes to Vero Beach to share the American experiences that shaped him and influenced his career and life story, and his 20 plus year exploration of the study of bourbon. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

Vero Beach Theatre Guild: Cabaret Friday, 7:30 Saturday, 2 pm Delight in this captivating and romantically provocative musical set in 1930’s Berlin through the development of the romance between an American writer and cabaret performer on the brink of the Nazi Regime. While blending themes of personal relationships and an intense political backdrop, this musical is a powerful exploration of love, freedom, and the darkness of world history that brings us towards a more personalized lens through entertainment. More information on tickets is available on their website. verobeachtheatreguild.com, 772.562.8300

21st Peterson’s Groves: Farm-to-Table Basta Pasta Class “Under the Stars at Peterson’s Groves” Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm Hand craft your own pasta and sip wine by the fire under the new pavilion at Peterson’s Groves.

Featuring flavorful desserts created

by Brianna Beard, after enjoying a four-course dining experience that includes your very own hand-crafted pasta from the class, paired with home-made sauce made specially for this event, and seasonally available vegetables. More information about offerings for this exclusive event is available on the website listed below or by phone. word-of-mouth-vero. com, 772.584.9624

26th through 28th Vero Beach Museum of Art: Cork, Canvas, & Company Thursday, 6:30 to 8:30 Create beautiful artwork with your friends, led by a professional instructor. Art materials are provided and participants can bring their own beverages and snacks.

No experience necessary. More information is available on their website. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

27th Mainstreet’s Downtown Street Party Friday, 6 to 9 pm Enjoy music, dancing, street vendors, and food trucks on Downtown Vero Beach’s Mainstreet. This event is free to attend. mainstreetverobeach.org/ downtownfriday, 772.643.6782

28th Vero Beach Ballet at VBMA Saturday, 12 and 3 pm Experience live dance performances from Vero Beach Ballet at the Vero Beach Musuem of Art that encapsulates viewers through creativity and powerful displays of American Artistry through movement. More information on performances and tickets is available on their website. vbmuseum.org, 772.231.0707

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Dear Indian River County Government: Thank You for Our Beach!

Photograph by Victoriya Knapp

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thrives through FINITO Collaboration genuine friendships

We are honored to showcase Victoriya Knapp’s photography in LIV VERO Magazine–her work is stunning, multifaceted, and sets the standard for our nature imagery. Better still, we couldn’t have a more professional, kinder, endearing colleague.

Thank you, Victoriya!

(L-R) Skyler, Aaron, Victoriya, and Drayen.

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