DAYTONA WEST
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VOLUME 2, NO. 5
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DeSantis opposes any local COVID shutdowns ‘We’ve got to trust people,’ he said.
Margaritaville grows by 260 acres
• JANUARY 2021
Randy McDonald is wired to help McDonald helps feed people in need through his work at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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Gov. Ron DeSantis strongly reaffirmed his opposition to local government officials’ attempts to impose their own rules to curb the spread of COVID-19, saying on Wednesday, Jan. 6, that such measures “are not effective.” Appearing at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola to discuss the state’s vaccination efforts, DeSantis reiterated his position that mandates, lockdowns, and fines for violating mask restrictions don’t work. “We will categorically not allow any local government to lock people down. We will not let any local government kick anybody out of their job,” DeSantis told reporters, when asked about local officials’ requests for more control over coronavirus mitigation measures. “We will not let any local government fine individual Floridians. We will not let any local government shut down schools. ... We’ve got to trust people. Give them the information to, you know, ask that they use common sense.” In November, the mayors of Miami Beach, Sunrise, St. Petersburg, Hialeah and Miami Shores urged DeSantis to issue a statewide mask mandate to address recent increases in COVID-19. Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said, “I think local decisions should be made on local conditions,” Robinson said.
Photo courtesy of Minto Communities/Rob Harris
Minto Communities has added 260 acres to Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach.
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The development can now build 500 more homes, bringing the total to 3,900.
JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Minto Communities has closed on a 260-acre property east of the current Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach community with the purpose to expand the development by 500 homes, the developer announced on Monday, Jan. 11. Minto can now build 3,900 homes at Latitude Margaritaville, a 55-and-over community located off LPGA Boulevard, the press release states. President William Bullock said the community has maintained “very strong sales.” “We hit a major benchmark recently when we closed on the community’s 1,000th home, and sales continue to exceed our initial projections,” said Bullock in the press release. “The location of
this additional property is ideally suited to accommodate expansion of the community while maintaining connectedness with existing homes and amenities.” Homes in Latitude Margaritaville begin in the low $200,000, and Minto reports over 350,000 people are registered “Latitude Margaritaville Paradise Club” members, receiving regular updates on the communities and are considered prospective buyers. In June 2019, the Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach Town center opened, which includes a town square with a bandshell, fitness center, pool, dog park, and tennis and pickleball courts. Its private beach club in Ormondby-the-Sea is scheduled to open this month.
Randy McDonald’s work at the Jewish Federation Jerry Doliner Food Bank always starts bright and early. The food bank feeds 24,000 people a year, and on the days when the volunteers are preparing to distribute groceries, McDonald and another volunteer drive to the Second Harvest Food Bank, where they go through boxes upon boxes of produce. They pick out the best ones for the families, pack them up in the van and return to the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties where volunteers are waiting to sort. It’s an all-day operation, McDonald said. “It takes everybody here to do what we do,” he said. “You’ve got to be a caring person to volunteer here.” About five years ago, McDonald received a call from a friend. He told him that the Jerry Doliner Food Bank was short of people and that they desperately needed helping hands. McDonald agreed to help, and after that day, he just kept coming back. Why? The people. Beyond the numerous volunteers like him that dedicate their time and efforts to feeding the community, he meets people from all walks of life — ones you’d never expect to be in need, he said. Many times, the people will thank them individually for their help, telling them that if it wasn’t for the food bank, they wouldn’t have anything to eat the next day. Helping them feels good, McDonald said. It’s also sad. “I don’t believe anybody should be hungry in a country like ours,” SEE RANDY PAGE 3