BOUQS & BRICKS

BOUQUETS

To the National Park Service for awarding The St. Johns Cultural Council a $750,000 grant to continue the restoration of the Cultural Arts Center at the St. Augustine Beach Hotel. In 2022, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its national significance as the location of wade-ins protesting segregated beaches in June of 1964. These wade-ins, and the press coverage they received, are widely credited with influencing the passage of the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964.

To the St. Johns County Commissioners and Administration, The Friends of Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and SJC Cultural Events for making the restoration project of the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall a reality. Renovations begin May 1st and we can’t wait to see it completed. What a great resource for the community.

To Nico Flowers for being named the 2024 State of Florida’s Youth of the Year. This prestigious honor recognizes Flowers’ exceptional leadership, academic excellence, and commitment to serving his community. Flowers is with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida.

BRICKBATS

To the TikTok Ban. A ban of one app does nothing to fix the national security threats posed by our lack of comprehensive data security legislation in the United States. We are very vulnerable to foreign adversaries across the entire internet after all. One would think that since the U.S. is typically labeled as the world’s most prominent superpower that we would have better means to combat and protect our citizens from threats, breaches and attacks from cyber predators.