COMMENTARY

MILT THOMAS 

The winter season brings a lot more than cooler weather and tourists, both of which we greatly appreciate. It also brings a level of cultural activity that rivals markets many times our size – theater, art, festivals, stimulating lectures, and this year, even archeological digs. This is all in addition to beaches, waterways, golf courses and plenty of sunshine.

We don’t often stop to think about how all this came about. The Theatre Guild started way back in 1958 and is still a model community theater. The Riverside Theater began as home to the Guild until the decision came to bring in equity theater shows. And have you attended performances at Vero Beach, Sebastian or Charter High Schools?  These talented kids put on shows that have to make you think – this is high school? Compared to performances during my years at Vero Beach High School, these are pros. No disrespect intended to my former classmates.

So much of our cultural activities are here because they were paid for by highly successful people who made Vero Beach their winter destination of choice. What would we have today if it were not for patrons of the arts in JI, The Moorings, Windsor and so many of the area’s upscale communities? I can tell you what we would have — John’s Island was once a proposed site for Indian River Community College and The Moorings might have been a trailer park. It’s not to say anything is wrong with either possibility, but would they have resulted in the Vero Beach Museum of Art or Riverside Children’s Theatre or even a celebrated speaker series?

In the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of interviewing Admiral Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and oceanographer extraordinaire, Bob Ballard. Nationally known figures of that magnitude don’t just come to Vero because it’s sunny. They come because they attract quality audiences, audiences made up of culture-seeking residents and visitors.

And to top it all off, we are hosting an archeological dig of international significance, all because 100 years ago, a Vero pioneer with vision saw this area as more than a swamp and dug canals that unearthed remains of the very first pioneers, more than 10,000 years before.

Yes, it’s a wonderful life here in Vero and sometimes we have to thank our lucky stars that we are here to enjoy it, just like George Bailey did in that movie after seeing what the world would have been like without him. The world would still go on if there wasn’t a Vero Beach, but it wouldn’t be quite the same. Neither would we.