Vero Beach Magazine Vero Beach Magazine March 2012

When The Peacock Showed Its Feathers

When Master Commandant Lewis Warrington awoke on the morning of April 29, 1814, the first thing he would have noted was that his ship, the U.S.S. Peacock, was riding a few miles off the shore of the Spanish colony of East Florida. No doubt he observed the low-lying land mass through his telescope and made some remark about it. “A land full of mosquitoes and Indians,” he might have said to his second-in-command, First Lieutenant John Nicolson, echoing America’s current attitude towards Florida. “The Spanish are welcome to it.”

John Parkyn,

The Loner That No One Loved

Tom Lowe, president of the Indian River Literary Society, often rates the fiction he reads by the author’s ability to transport him to a different time and place. “It’s a little like coming out of a movie theatre and it’s still daylight. When I have to make that same kind of adjustment after putting down a novel – because I feel as if I have been someplace else and just returned – then to me, that’s a good book.”|

Mary Beth Vallar,

Water, Wildlife And The Future Of Florida

The protection and restoration of the northern Everglades received a big boost earlier this year as The Nature Conservancy facilitated the legal establishment of the new Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge & Conservation Area.

Ann Taylor,

Curtain Up For The RCT

Last month, local audiences finally got a chance to see members of the Riverside Children’s Theatre perform their award-winning version of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr.

Site Staff,

Eat Local, Eat Fresh

At growing numbers of mostly beachside eateries, produce on the plate on any given afternoon was clinging to the earth that very same morning – or at least as much of it harvested from nearby fields. The buy-local phenomenon noticeably improves the taste of many a dish while reducing our collective carbon footprint.

Deborah Borfitz,

The Riviera Comes To Ocean Drive

Nice, the lovely port city on the French Riviera, has strong cultural roots in both France and Italy. The city was actually a dominion of Italy until the mid-19th century, when it officially became part of France. Strong influences of the authentic cuisines of both countries, with an emphasis on seafood, provide the perfect blend for the local cuisine.

Mary Beth Vallar, Photography by Denise Ritchie,

Leaf People In A Bean World

Legend has it that one spring day in 2737 BC, Chinese Emperor Chen Nung (or Shennong) was out for a walk and, feeling tired, paused for a rest. As was his custom, he boiled his water before drinking it, but on this particular day a breeze caused some leaves from a nearby plant to waft into his pot of water.

Teresa Lee Rushworth,

New Discoveries At Mckee

Visitors to McKee Botanical Garden lately might be startled to see a shark’s fin emerging from the water lilies of the main pond. There have been alligators there for sure, but a shark? Not to worry. This is just a sculpture called “Fear Itself” from the garden’s new show “Sculpting Nature,” a display of 30 large pieces depicting the relationship between art and nature.

Suzan Phillips, Photography by David Moulton,

Bringing A Clubhouse Up To Par

It took a strong team to pull off the complete renovation of the John’s Island West Clubhouse over last summer, and such a team did just that to the universal approval of the people who count – the members of the John’s Island Club.

Mary Beth Vallar, Photography by Gridley + Graves,

Forgotten In Fort Pierce

In the last few years of her life, broke and ailing African-American folklorist, anthropologist and novelist Zora Neale Hurston, once one of America’s most celebrated literary figures, went almost unnoticed. Fired as a librarian at Patrick Air Force Base, she left Eau Gallie, a $5-a-week rental cottage, a bird bath and a dog named Spot and arrived in Fort Pierce in 1957 in a beat-up Willys station wagon, with a typewriter that she would later pawn for groceries.

Evelyn Wilde Mayerson,

The Electrifying Saga Of “Marie’s Folly”

Marie Stiefel says “I am old enough to have lived through the energy crisis of the ’70s, which taught me a few things.” Waiting in line for hours for gas started her thinking about energy and began what has become a passion for her: learning about alternative energy. Today she and her daughter, Lili, fund bright energy ideas with their family foundation.

Charlotte Terry, Photography by Denise Ritchie,

Mystery Of The Mangroves

In the Florida Keys where I spent my youth, exotic plants and animals were commonplace. There were deer the size of poodles and land crabs as big as dinner plates. There were great white herons, short-tailed hawks and short-eared owls. There were sunburned trees with wood as hard as nails, and about as buoyant. The rich tapestry of oddball organisms would have given Darwin pause.

James Phillips, Photography by James Phillips,

The Joy Of Old Dogs

Some have the bearing of royalty – heads held high, posture erect. Others have a quiet dignity that does not command attention, but receive it gracefully, as due to them. One can experience canine seniors through a beloved pet resolutely moving through a condensed life span under our noses. To make the acquaintance of an older dog, and view the full force of his most vital years written fully on his face, is a special interaction that leaves an emotional imprint.

Amy Robinson,

The Crockett Insurance Group Partners With Auto-Owners

Auto-Owners Insurance Company recently announced the appointment of The Crockett Insurance Group to represent the company throughout the area. The agency represents Auto-Owners for a wide range of personal and commercial insurance products as well as life, annuity, disability and long-term care.

Site Staff,

Peter Jones Will Preside Over Florida Architects’ 100th Anniversary

Local architect Peter Jones has been elected president of the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects. He has served as vice president, secretary/treasurer and president-elect since joining the AIA Florida board of directors in 2005.

Site Staff,