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MARCH 31 - APRIL 6, 2016
YEAR 41 NO. 13
www.daytonatimes.com
Orange Avenue project drives lawsuit
Biarritz manager: Non-customers tarnishing club’s name BY ANDREAS BUTLER SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
The manager of the Biarritz Club says his establishment is getting a bad rap. For years, the nightclub, located at 309 Pearl Street in Daytona Beach, has been in the news for shootings and other crimes. “Don’t get caught up in the media hype. Anyone who has ever been here knows that we get all types of people who often return. We have a laidback and drama-free atmosphere. We never have any issues on the inside. Our spot is like a family place. Everyone here knows each other by first name,” Anthony Brockington, manager of the nightclub, told the Daytona Times. But according to police reports, there have been 54 incidents called into the Daytona Beach Police Department from the Biarritz location dating back to March 7, 2014. The reports include shootings, incidents of assault and battery, and calls relating to narcotics. PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Daytona Beach Commissioner Paula Reed and L. Ronald Durham, the city’s special projects manager, address the crowd at an Orange Avenue update meeting. Frank Van Pelt also represented the city.
Merchants suing city over loss of business during construction BY ANDREAS BUTLER SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County-Daytona Beach NAACP, expresses her concern about city officials’ initial plan to not answer residents’ questions.
City of Daytona Beach and Orange Avenue construction project officials say the roadwork is 70 percent complete and moving along, but residents and businesses remain frustrated. Some owners of small businesses that sit on the west end of Orange Avenue closer to Nova Road have filed a lawsuit against the city seeking damages for money and business they lost during the extended road closures and confusing detour routes. The businesses are Cut Masters Barber Shop, Daytona Peoples Medical Supply of Orange Avenue, Boost Mobile, Church’s Chicken, The Liquor Store, Styles 101 Beauty and The Medicine Shoppe. “I can only say that I did almost have to close down. Business is now picking up, but not where it was before. I lost employees. Some started their own busiSee PROJECT, Page 2
Flagler County Commission Chair Barbara Revels was in Washington, D.C., last week attending a conference and training conducted by End Violence Against Women International. Revels attended the conference as part of a grant requirement for Sally’s Safe Haven. Other Flagler women attending the conference were Deputy County Administrator Sally Sherman; Trish Giaccone, executive director of the Family Life Center; Eric Losciale of Children’s Home Society; and Michele “Micky” Beauregard of the Domestic Abuse Council. Sally’s Safe Haven opened in December 2014 to provide a facility for supervised visitation and the safe exchange of children. It provides families in crisis with a nurturing, safe and secure setting to foster healthy relationships. It is supported by a grant from the Office of Vio-
ALSO INSIDE
lence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. Alexis Smith, Family Life Center program director, and Cheyanne Marshall, Family Life Center Domestic Violence and Child Welfare advocate, also attended under a separate grant for the Family Life Center. “This has been an eye-opening conference,” Revels said while at the conference. “We are receiving a lot of information about best practices and emerging issues in sexual assault and domestic violence.”
Biden a speaker Vice President Joe Biden spent more than an hour addressing upward of 2,000 people about domestic abuse and sexual assault– a top issue of his for decades. Biden said he is often asked how success is measured. “We will know we won when not a single solitary woman or man who’s been abused ev-
The Biarritz is located next to Joe Harris Park, also known as Harlem Park, a popular hangout spot that’s also known for its pickup basketball games. The park often garners the same negative headlines. Local law enforcement and the club haven’t always seen eye to eye. “In past incidents, we really didn’t get a lot of cooperation with the club. Suspects often ran and hid inside,” Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood told the Times. Brockington has another explanation for the calls. “A lot of times something happens outside or in the park. A call is made and they often say they are at the Biarritz even though they’re not. We have no association with these incidents. Most incidents are in the park and parking lot. People always associate the park with us. We often get the blame. Many times when the park is filled, we still only have about 10 to 20 people inside,” he said. “It isn’t an exact science. It depends on the call and how dispatch places it,” noted Chitwood.
Two deaths
Flagler chair, other women attend D.C. conference on domestic violence SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Park traffic blamed
Left to right: Alexis Smith, Barbara Revels, Sally Sherman, Micky Beauregard, Trish Giaccone, Eric Losciale and Cheyanne Marshall. er asks themselves, ‘What did I do?’” Biden said. The attendees included representatives from government, law enforcement, courts, victims advocacy, health care and academia. Additional speakers included Jeffrey Bucholtz, director, We End Violence; Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University; Sgt. Elizabeth Donegan,
Austin (Texas) Police Department, Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit supervisor; Retired Chief Tom Tremblay, Burlington Police Department; Retired Lt. Mark Wynn, Nashville Police Department; Wendy Patrick, Deputy District Attorney San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Sex Crimes and Stalking Division; and Dr. David Lisak, forensic consultant.
On New Year’s Eve, Abel Morel, 23, of Winter Park, and Kevin Stanley, 21, of Deltona were fatally shot outside of the club. Martell Smith, 23, was shot in the legs and survived. Andre Dawson, 30, and Andre Mayo, 40, were both identified as suspects. Dawson has been arrested but Mayo, who was known to hang out at the club, remains at large. “Yes, Mayo often comes to the club but he more frequently hung out in the park. He wasn’t in the club that night,” Brockington stated. The police report says that a fight started in the club, then ended outside with a shooting. “On that one particular night, we do know that one of the shooters ran into the club. We even had it on video,” Chitwood stated.
Manager’s account Brockington has a different account. “It’s tragic and unfortunate that lives were lost. There was no fight in the club. We had about six customers that night and closed around 12:30 a.m. I believe there was a block party was close, nearby and everybody flocked to the park. The party is likely where the original drama began. Our staff was
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See CLUB, Page 2