Making a statement

William R. Nager, a sculptor from Lakeland, is in his second week of standing in front of a local business in protest.

He said he anticipates spending two to three days in Vero Beach until he gets paid for a job he did in 2017.

“I will be here until the cows come home,” he said.

End of the line

Wiley Sifford Sr. is a throwback. His approach to business is straight from the 1950s.

On Dec. 14, Sifford’s Exxon Service Center (1550 U.S. 1 in Vero Beach) will close its doors.

It has been at the same location since 1984. The property was sold recently, and it’s the future home of an unnamed retail store.

Wiley, 82, has been in service-station business since the age of 14, when he ran his father’s gas station in New Jersey.

“It’s all I’ve done,” he said. “It’s my whole life.”

Military museum getting ready to open in Fellsmere

Indian River County is home to more than 16,000 veterans.

So, the U.S. Navy Armed Guard/Merchant Marines Museum is a good fit for this area. It’ll be located in Fellsmere (just to the south of the iconic Marsh Landing restaurant).

You’re invited to attend the grand opening Dec. 8 at 10 a.m.

For more about the museum, check out this week’s issue.

Christmas music around the clock

I’m not a fan of the Hallmark Channel starting with non-stop Christmas movies in late October (my wife is, though), but I’m OK with listening to non-stop Christmas music starting in early November.

Last week, 97.1 FM kicked off its annual “Christmas on The River,” which means you can now listen to Christmas music 24/7.

This is the first time in the 12 years I’ve lived here that 97.1 FM started playing Christmas music before 99.3 FM.

Never too late

At age 58, Nancy Kelly is doing something she always wanted to do … be the lead singer in a rock band.

Nancy (shown in the photo with her 5-month-old grandson, Dean) goes by the stage name of CeCe Kelly.

Her band, Hot Flash, has regular gigs at Uncle Sam’s in Vero Beach (Saturday afternoons) and Little Jimmy’s Marina in Fort Pierce (Wednesday afternoons).

See this week’s issue for more about how Nancy, who also works as a nurse, became a rock singer.

7-11 closes store at high-traffic location

What’s going to happen to the 7-11 on U.S. 1 and westbound State Road 60 in Vero Beach?

It closed last week.

Is the store just undergoing a remodeling?

Or was the competition from Cumberland Farms and Wawa just too much?

The other 7-Eleven stores in the county remain open.