Playing Her Strong Suit
Gerre Rhodes has been in business for 40 years on Beachland Boulevard in Vero Beach. “You ask why I’m still working, where I get my energy. I don’t have an answer other than I’m a firm believer that you need to do something that keeps you busy, helps keep your mind working, and makes you happy. I enjoy what I do, I love my customers, and I love life!”
A Holiday Feast
Holiday cooking shouldn’t be stressful. This month, we’ve created three dishes that will be fancy enough for the occasion but without requiring too much fuss to prepare. This month’s menu features an appetizer, and entrée and a dessert that can be prepared at least several hours in advance. Dig into this colorful trio of courses and enjoy!
Flight Plans
Ian Cooper was 21 years old when he arrived at FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach in 1997 from his home on the south coast of England. He was well on his way to earning his commercial pilot’s license with dreams of becoming an airline pilot.
Fast forward nearly 25 years, and he’s co-owner of the Vero Beach flight school, now named Skyborne Academy. “I love this place,” he says.
Live and Learn
Dodgertown Elementary School is well into its first year as part of the Community Partnership Schools project, in which four community partners make a 25-year commitment to remove barriers to education for an entire generation of students and their families.
A Road to the Past
Have you ever wondered where the name “Jungle Trail” came from? It certainly fits the lush environment that surrounds the dirt road, but the real story involves a fictional pirate and a Treasure House. Today, the 7.5 mile road that leads to Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Joe Michael Memorial Trail, Centennial Trail Boardwalk and more is on the National Register of Historic Places.
One Smart Cookie
Amy Mallouk is obsessed with cookies! In 2020, COVID derailed her work in what was turning into a dream job with Disney. Rather than dwell on the negative, the young entrepreneur has taken her artistic talent and turned it into a custom cookie making business operating out of her mother’s kitchen in Indian River County.
In Good Company
KC Crain is an important leader at Crain Communications, a large publishing company headquartered in Detroit. But when it comes to time off, he looks with fondness to the Thanksgivings he spends in Vero Beach with extended family. Crain says, “When I think of all the business conversations between my parents, my brother and myself sitting around tables at John’s Island and Windsor, it makes me smile … the most important thing is our Thanksgiving together.”
Leftovers Re-Imagined
When it comes to making the most of your holiday leftovers, it’s all about strategy. This month’s recipes will help you transform your turkey day extras into new meals you actually want to eat. Sandwiches, soup and the secret behind a great Tetrazzini are on the menu.
Saving McKee
“We both knew we had something special here.”
Suzan Phillips and Susan Schuyler Smith barely knew each other when they came to the conclusion together that they’d do anything they could to save McKee. For five years, the two Susans and the “Saturday Morning Gang” met each week to fight for the beauty that opened twenty years ago as McKee Botanical Garden.
Hunting for Hauntings
Larry Lawson and his team of volunteer investigators with Florida Bureau of Paranormal Investigation have spent countless hours at local sites where people have experienced spirits of past inhabitants. What they’ve found while looking into these reports is fascinating.
Sneaky Superfoods
Warm Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad paired with Mustard-Glazed Baked Salmon are two nutritious, easy go-to dishes that will make you want to turn your oven on again. Put these two recipes together and you’ve got one of our favorite cozy-but-healthy dinner combinations.
Picture Perfect
In a late spring editorial meeting, we started dreaming about travel. That dream turned into our 2021 Inaugural Travel Photo Contest. After two months of culling through hundreds of submissions, we have some winners!
Dropping Anchor
In late 2017, Valerie Grassano was on the hunt for a new place to call home in Vero Beach. She found an ideal build opportunity on a vacant lot in The Anchor at The Moorings. Her new home exudes peace and harmony. Calming shades of blue and teal, inspired by the colors of the pool and surrounding water, gently play off white walls and wide-plank white oak floors, stained a deep mahogany.
“It was meant to be,” says Grassano, reflecting on a moonlit night shortly after their move. “We were having dinner outside when we heard swishing sounds. The dolphins … were welcoming us home.”
A Bright Future
Stuart Hirstein is looking towards greater achievements for his students as head of Saint Edward’s School.
“We aim to graduate students who will be prepared for college and beyond, who will be active and valuable citizens in their communities, and who exhibit the power of human kindness and a generosity of spirit,” Hirstein emphasizes. “Knowing how far we’ve come, and with an eye on where we’re going, I’m looking forward to a bright future!”
In the Driver’s Seat
College and a budding career kept Jessica Linus Watford far from Florida, but when she was ready for something new, working at her family’s business for a summer seemed like the perfect way to plan her next move. It didn’t take long before she realized she not only liked the work she was doing at the Linus Cadillac Buick GMC dealership, but she was good at it.
Defense Department
Boosting immune system health is something that everyone can do by adopting healthy lifestyle habits. Making better choices in what we eat, how we relieve stress, and how much we sleep and exercise can improve our ability to fight illness.
Summer’s Swan Song
Our two must-make recipes for savoring the end of summer include a cool drink created in a London Bar in the 1800s and a Lobster Cobb Salad with lots of toppings and a champagne twist.
Happy at Home
Life for a house cat should entail much more than sleeping and eating.
Fishing pole-style toys, take-out bags, herbs, cardboard tubes and regular pedicures will keep your kitty fit and entertained. Even if your feline friend is the picture of contentment, employing scents, toys, play and attention will be rewarding for both of you.
Exploring History
The discrepancy in where Juan Ponce de Leon landed is significant — about 150 miles. Of interest to Indian River County residents is that, instead of four counties away, 20th century historian and navigator Douglas Peck estimates that the historic landing took place in the southern stretch of neighboring Brevard County, just a few miles north of what is now the Sebastian Inlet.
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Whatever kind of boat you choose – kayak, canoe or pontoon – the Indian River Lagoon is a beautiful place to explore the outdoors. Manatees, dolphin, mangrove forests and birds are just some of the spectacular sites you’ll see along the way.