FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 3, 2022 • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@schnepsmedia.com
My life sometimes feels
like a spider web, weaving
from one person to
another, and that is exactly what
happened in Palm Beach.
Jane Hanson is someone I
admire from her Emmy Awardwinning
days on TV with NBC
News to being a media trainer
now. It was a treat to meet her
at Dockers in the Hamptons
last summer and fi nd out that
she also lives in Palm Beach,
so when I came to Florida to
open Dan’s Papers Palm Beach,
I called on Jane!
I suggested that we launch
a TV show that would be
streamed on our media’s websites,
which generate millions of
page views. Th at’s how Dan’s
Papers Palm Beach Roundtable
with Jane and Vicki was born,
focusing and highlighting
people here.
The spider web of life
We have been taping the show
at the beautiful Colony Hotel in
Palm Beach where I’m staying.
Our fi rst show featured people
from the Hamptons who have
“pop-up” locations at that hotel.
Th e show — not yet released
— featured celebrity trainer to
the stars Isaac Boots, who gave
us tips on training, as well as
Maria Danca, the stylist for
Michael Kors, who shared with
us “looks” that are in style this
season (everything in Florida
is pastel pinks and pastel
blues). She runs the company’s
Southampton store, too!
We also interviewed Devon
Nagelberg, the co-owner of
JECT, who has locations in
Manhattan and the Hamptons,
and now a pop-up location here.
Our second roundtable featured
a discussion of real estate
with icon Dottie Herman and
the witty, Elliman Hamptons
realtor Palmer Gaget. Joining us
was Caryna Nina, an outstanding
designer who uses fabulous
fabrics that can be customized to
your body.
How great it was to be
talking to such powerful
women who make a diff erence
in people’s lives!
Th en Jane’s old friends
from the Hamptons, Bill
Evans, his wife Sandra
and radio partner Jessica
Ambrose, who are also in
Florida, invited us onto their
12-2 Saturday radio show
on WLNG 92.1 FM that is
heard up and down the East
Coast!
Adding to my spider web
of connections, Donna
Schneier introduced me
to the great philanthropist
David Genser, the chairman
of the Palm Beach
Opera’s board of directors,
who invited me to the Kravis
Center (like our Lincoln Center)
for a performance of the classic
opera “Carmen.”
I was happy they required ID,
proof of vaccination and masks
— I actually wore two!
We took a few minutes at a
cocktail table and to my delight,
there was my new friend, art
dealer Ted Vassilev and his
wife Simona Petrova-Vassileva,
who is an economist for the
Secretary General of the United
Nations — what a formidable,
interesting woman!
As the curtain rose and the
opera began, the cast’s performance
was mesmerizing. In the
starring role of Carmen was the
high-profi le J’nai Bridges, who
is known as the “Beyoncé of
Opera.” Along with her talented
castmates, they provided a
powerful powerformance of the
tragic story.
My “spider web” continued
to grow as dear Sotheby’s
Easthampton friends Keith and
Ann introduced me to their
friend in Palm Beach, Douglas
Elliman real estate agent
extraordinaire Burt Minkoff .
He took me under his wing
and introduced me to multiple
art gallery owners who feature
various art forms. What fun!
Later in the week, Donna
Schneier and I had lunch
with Irvin Lippmann, the
executive director of the
Boca Raton Museum
of Art. It gave me the
opportunity to visit
the museum’s remarkable
exhibition of art
from Machu Picchu
and the Golden
Empires of Peru.
It includes an immersive
experience that allows
patrons to see the gold treasure
of the Amazon rainforest,
all while sitting in a chair with
goggles!
A stunning piece of art
from the Machu Picchu
exhibition at the Boca
Raton Museum of Art.
To end my day in Boca
Raton, Southampton’s Dr. Peter
Micholas had introduced me to
his dear Floridian friend, attorney
Howard Weiss, who has
lived in Boca for 40 years. He
took me to the Boca Raton
Hotel that Michael Dell bought
and is extensively renovating
and expects it to compete with
Th e Breakers in Palm Beach.
Howard and I shared a tower
of caviar and pancakes to celebrate
my being in Boca!
Th e connectivity of my life in
New York, the Hamptons and
Palm Beach is extraordinary.
Th e spider web of life continues
on, with wonderful friends
connecting me with new people
and places.
Stay tuned for how the spider
web continues to grow!
Jane Hanson and I record our show with guests
Dottie Herman, Palmer Gaget and Caryna Nina.
Ted Vassilev and
his wife Simona
Petrova-Vassileva
at the opera.
Gallery owner Sarah
Gavlak with Burt
Minkoffff .
Donna Schneier (c.)
introduced me to Roberta
Kjelgaard (l.) and Irvin
Lipmann, the leaders at the
Boca Raton Museum of Art.
Howard Weiss took me
to the Boca Raton Hotel.
We used an air cleanser
recommended by Dr.
Peter Micholas.
Recording a radio show
with Bill Evans and radio
partner Jessica Ambrose.
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