HMO 02 2021

THE HAMMOCK

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

REAL ESTATE PAGE 7 FEBRUARY 2021

VOLUME 5, NO. 8

New uses for Hammock land?

Owners want expanded options, including retail, for 0.9 acres. Planning Board gives first OK. PAGE 6

County secures easements for beach dune project The owners of four properties are in the process of signing easements, while the owners of another four still haven’t agreed.

Welcome to Flagler County Despite pandemic, tourism revenue stayed strong in 2020 PAGE 2

JONATHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

Flagler County’s efforts to secure local beachfront property owners’ permission — in the form of easements — for the Army Corps of Engineers’ dune restoration project to proceed across their land continues, with four such easements in progress and SEE COUNTY PAGE 2

ONLINE Detective arrested Image courtesy of Palm Coast and

PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DAYTONA BCH FL PERMIT #447

Cpl. Mark Moy, a 14-year Flagler County Sheriff’s Office employee with a long list of commendations, has been arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge. The FCSO has suspended him without pay pending an investigation. See palmcoastobserver.com.

the Flagler Beaches

The county’s tourism staff promote Flagler as a sunny beach destination.

Local Postal Customer

3 PIRATE FOOTBALL PLAYERS SIGN FOR COLLEGE

PAGE 10

INSIDE

Q+A with Paul Peacock, Indian Trails principal Servant leadership Rex Robich, Steven Usina, Nick Morin and Head Coach Matt Forrest.

Photo by Ka’Deem Wynn

PAGE 3

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PalmCoastObserver.com

FEBRUARY 2021

County secures easements for dunes Flagler County tourism revenue stayed strong in 2020

THE HAMMOCK

Observer

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

another four outstanding.

“We have been authorized by this board to take legal action if necessary, but I am optimistic for the first time that we are going to bring this to a conclusion, we are not going to lose that funding, and we are not going to put this whole island in jeopardy because of a failure to take action to protect the beach,” Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron said at a Feb. 1 County Commission workshop.

The project is designed to build up a dune to counteract erosion and prevent storm-driven waves from swamping State Road A1A and flooding the homes and businesses to its west, as occurred during recent hurricanes.

Because the work must proceed across privately owned property, the Army Corps needs the owners to grant written permission for workers to come onto their land to add sand to the dune.

Gaps in the project would create breech points that could endanger the entire thing, and the Corps won’t build in those conditions: It would be a waste of the $25 million project cost.

The county government has led the effort to collect signatures, working to reassure wary owners that the easements don’t require them to cede other rights to their land. So far, 133 have signed.

A grassroots efforts led by community members raised $40,000 to pay off holdouts to sign, earning agreements from five, Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed said.

Tourism revenue decreased 13% in the 2020 fiscal year, according to Tourism Director Amy Lukasik — less than staff had feared it might.

Courtesy photo

The county’s Shore Up The Shore website shows outstanding easement locations in red, and inprogress locations in brown. See https://www.shoreuptheshore.org for more.

Of the four holdouts that are not in the signing process, the county anticipates pursuing eminent domain to secure two properties that are owned by one owner. That leaves two remaining.

“We’re obviously going to continue to work on all of these,” Hadeed told county commissioners at the meeting. “...We understand we have the authorization to pursue all the legal remedies we may to secure the project for the community.”

Email jonathan@palmcoastobserver.com.

Of visitors to Flagler County from within the U.S.:

38%

lagler County’s tourism income — the money that the government gets from the “bed taxes” people pay to stay in local hotels — dipped during the pandemic, but not as much as county staff feared that it might.

“Even though we started out the year down 18% because of Hurricane Dorian — and of course we had the pandemic — we only ended with a decrease of 13%, so that’s something we’re proud of since tourism was limited,” County Tourism Director Amy Lukasik said in a presentation at a Feb. 1 County Commission meeting.

Bed tax money in the community totaled $2.38 million in the last year, saving residents an estimated average of $756 per household in taxes and supporting close to $159 million in wages and salaries, she said.

But Flagler County’s government got more than money from its tourists this year: It also got answers.

The county commissioned a research firm, Downs & St. Ger-

Publisher / John Walsh, jwalsh@palmcoastobserver.com Executive Editor / Brian McMillan, bmcmillan@ palmcoastobserver.com News Editor / Jonathan Simmons, jonathan@ palmcoastobserver.com Page Designers / Hailey McMillan, Jennifer Edwards Advertising Manager / Jaclyn Centofanti, jaclyn@ palmcoastobserver.com Senior Account Manager / Susan Moore, susan@ palmcoastobserver.com

4%

were from Florida

Ohio

4%

Pennsylvania

Georgia

NEWS EDITOR

F

WHERE ARE TOURISTS COMING FROM?

10%

JONATHAN SIMMONS

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

6%

New York

WHERE DO THEY GO ONCE THEY’RE HERE?

80%

10%

43%

7%

Flagler Beach

Senior Account Manager Hallie Hydrick, hallie@ palmcoastobserver.com Front Desk Associate / Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@ palmcoastobserver.com Operations Manager / Maureen Walsh, maureen@ palmcoastobserver.com Circulation Manager / David Brooks, david@horizonroad.com

Beverly Beach

Palm Coast

​Bunnell

29%

Hammock Beach

main Research, to query tourists about their trips: How they’d decided to visit, how they planned their trip, where they stayed, what activities they engaged in.

“We’ve never had this type of research before,” Lukasik said. “It gives us a lot of direction for other decisions that we will make.”

The data collection process started in October 2019 and con-

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HAMMOCK OBSERVER

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FEBRUARY 2021

Q+A PAUL PEACOCK, INDIAN TRAILS PRINCIPAL

Humility, ‘scholars’ and social media’s dangers BRIAN MCMILLAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

A

nyone with a child who attends Indian Trails Middle School knows the principal’s familiar voice from frequent robocalls: “Good evening, parents!

This is Mr. Peacock.” He gives updates on their “scholars” in a Southern drawl that is distinctively DeLand.

Paul Peacock, who has a white flat-top hair cut and a white goatee, grew up in DeLand and still lives nearby, on a 26-acre farm. But he also surfs, to the surprise of students who bump into him at the beach.

In former lives, he was a baseball player at Stetson University and even raised Arabian horses for several years. One day 31 years ago, he met Tonya, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and they got married four weeks later (still happily married).

His love for his wife and his home town led him to give up on his dream of becoming a college baseball coach, and instead he became an educator. Because of his experience with middle schoolers, I asked him for an interview so we could talk about the rising generation’s challenges.

How is middle school different today from 25 years ago?

To see what our kids are subjected to now in regards to technology, social media — it can create a very volatile situation. I’m not anti-social-media. My mom, who’s 92 years old — it allows her to stay in touch with so many people.

But as a parent, I would treat a cell phone and social media as cautiously as I would someone having a loaded gun. I’ve seen some of the meanness and destruction it can cause if it’s left unfettered.

I’ve talked to parents and said, “It’s OK for you to tell your son or daughter no. Do you pay for the cell phone? It’s not an invasion of their privacy. It should be understood that they shouldn’t be doing anything in private that they would be ashamed of were it to come to light.”

Students will say things and even take pictures to send that you would think they would never do. Before you know it, they’re being published in every format that you can imagine. It’s very disconcerting.

Are middle schoolers more sexually active now than they were 25 years ago?

Absolutely, yes. Our stance in Flagler County is abstinence, but the parents are necessary to also educate their kids.

Are teachers enforcing the mask mandate?

We have a policy in place, and we ask all of our teachers to equally ensure that students are complying with that. And that means, if they are unable to social distance, they are to have masks on at all other times.

So we have supervision in the hallways, and we do provide masks for those who don’t have them at ingress and egress points. We try to aid the teachers to set the tone.

If it came to light that a teacher was not complying with our policy, then there would absolutely be a conversation and a caution given, because it’s not optional.

How did COVID-19 change engagement with families?

We have some kids who are going through iFlagler, but I still

consider them to be Mustangs.

Were it not for the COVID situation, they would be here in our building. We tell them they can submit their pictures for the yearbook because we don’t want them to be left out.

I don’t want to disturb parents at night, but I do more phonecall announcements than maybe some other schools do.

We want teachers contacting every single parent, not just when there’s a slip up-in homework but to find out how can we help you with your son or daughter, to help them have a good experience.

Any parent can call and meet me for a cup of coffee somewhere. That’s how you get valuable feedback on changes that need to be made.

I hope we are a very open school, a very welcoming school.

Why did you personally plant the winter rye grass in front of the school?

If you’re paying attention to those details, it contributes to the overall culture: that we care about the money that taxpayers have spent to provide the buildings, to be a good steward of what we have.

I haven’t had any “Don’t walk on the grass” signs, but do you know that kids, at dismissal, they wont walk across those areas. Take that for what it’s worth — it’s just part of the culture and climate you create.

“As a parent, I would treat a cell phone and social media as cautiously as I would someone having a loaded gun.”

PAUL PEACOCK

Why is it important for kids to learn outdoors?

Everything we do outside has an impact on the environment. We have to be good stewards of what we have.

You remember in elementary school: You’d get a Dixie cup and plant a seed in it, and when it starts to germinate, it’s something that they can take pride

MEET MR. PEACOCK  He’s been the principal at Indian Trails since 2011 and has been in education for 30 years.  He planted the eye-catching winter rye grass in front of the school himself (“You know how much fun it is to walk in that kind of grass barefoot?” he said with a laugh).  He and his wife, Tonya, also planted many of the trees in front of the school.  One of his daughters, Priscilla, is a teacher at Bunnell Elementary School.  He encourages his leadership team to eat lunch together informally, so they can swap information and become a better team.  He’s the son of a pastor.  He still gets emotional when thinking of the “pure joy” on the faces of a youth baseball team he coached years ago.

in, to say, “Hey, I planted that.”

And it takes a couple of weeks before you see any evidence, so it teaches that things that are satisfying and enjoyable, sometimes they come with hard work.

You were principal of the year in 2018 for Flagler Schools.

What personal quality or trait are you most proud of?

Developing relationships by being approachable, not taking myself too serious.

I’m also proud of the leadership development that I’ve been able to provide for teachers and administrators. There’s several people that have been picked from the classroom, believing they can impact more people.

Right now, there are three principals that are my former assistant principals: Katie Crooke at Old Kings, Marcus Sanfilippo at Bunnell, and Cara Cronk at Indian Trails.

You have a masters in education leadership. What is the first rule of leadership?

You better be humble. It’s the servant-leadership role. I’m not afraid to pick up trash, or to help process a referral, or work with a teacher in a classroom.

If you think you’re better than the people you’re working with,

Photo by Brian McMillan

that’s a divisive environment.

There are times when you have to make a decision, but individuals are going to respond if you explain why. “Do it because I said so” doesn’t work.

Every human being should feel valued. Find out what their strong points are and set them up for success, and then help to round them out.

How do you make sure to leave no students behind, including students with special needs?

It starts with your mindset to put those kids first. So the first thing we do in developing a schedule is we hand place every one of our special needs kids, after we have reviewed their individual education plans. We take time to research the teachers they’ve been with, talk to parents.

We have support facilitators, but if I need to, I go to the district and say, “I understand what the budget is, but we had X students come in with needs, and I need additional support staff.”

Have you done that and gotten more help?

Absolutely. 100%.

If high schools can have sports during the pandemic, why not middle schools?

We just met today to talk about providing those sports opportunities for our kids next year.

One of our issues is having competition to play.

I think it’s extremely healthy for kids. As a former coach, I recognize it’s probably one of the foremost factors in helping your graduation rate — not just sports but band and drama, music, the arts. We need performing arts, no question.

If you say, “We have to cut the budget,” where you start is at the top, the hierarchy of individuals that are overseeing other individuals. I believe in putting all of our assets in the school buildings.

Why did you decide to call your students “scholars”?

It says everybody that walks through those doors has the ability to learn at a very high level Aspire to be a scholar. It’s a respect thing. When I can say to them — “Hey, scholars” — I believe that they rise to the occasion. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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FEBRUARY 2021

Jimmy Millhollin, business leader, dies from COVID complications His wife wrote on Facebook: ‘The love of my life, my best friend and husband of 33 years has passed away.’

BRIEFS Flagler mourns slain FBI special agents The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 3 offered condolences on the Feb. 2 shooting deaths of FBI Special Agent Daniel Alfin and Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger.

Alfin, 36, is the son of Grand Living Realty Broker Associate and Flagler County Education Foundation Executive Committee President David Alfin.

“FCSO sends our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Special Agents Daniel Alfin & Laura Schwartzenberger of the FBI,” the agency said in a Facebook post from its official account. “SA Alfin’s father, David Alfin, is a local leader in Flagler County, and our prayers are with his family during this difficult time. These agents spent their lives protecting the most vulnerable among us, the children. They are heroes and we honor their ultimate sacrifice.”

Daniel Alfin and Schwartzenberger were killed when they assembled with other law enforcement officers to serve a search warrant at a suspect’s home in Sunrise in an investigation of violent crimes against children, according to George Piro, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.

The suspect saw the FBI agents and opened fire from inside the house, striking five of them and killing Special Agent Alfin and Special Agent Schwartzenberger.

“Our sympathies are with their families and loved ones.

We, the FBI Family, share in their

“Jimmy loved his family and friends, enjoyed the outdoors and had a passion to serve.”

ANNETTE GARDINAL

BRIAN MCMILLAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jimmy Millhollin, a real estate broker, Navy veteran and former chairman of the Flagler Chamber of Commerce, died Jan. 30, due to complications from COVID-19.

His wife, Annette Gardinal, wrote on Facebook: “My heart has shattered. The love of my life, my best friend and husband of 33 years has passed away.”

She went on to say that Millhollin had been diagnosed with a rare cancer called mantle cell lymphoma in February 2019 and was in and out of hospitals since October 2020. He was in remission, but “his immune system was compromised, making him an easy target for COVID-19,” she wrote.

He was being cared for Baptist Medical Center South, in Jacksonville, when he died.

As of Feb. 3, the Florida Department of Health reported that there were 73 COVID-related deaths in Flagler County since the pandemic began about a year ago; 301 have been hospitalized out of more than 5,300 Flagler cases.

The median age of those infected is 47 years.

File photo

Jimmy Millhollin served as Flagler County Chamber chairman in 2017.

“Jimmy loved his family and friends, enjoyed the outdoors and had a passion to serve,” Gardinal wrote. “Rest in peace, you’ve endured enough pain and suffering. I love you.”

Millhollin’s Facebook page says he was in the Class of 1972 at Pinole Valley High School. He attended Chapman University and was in the Navy from 1976 till 1999. Gardinal is also a Navy veteran, and both advocated for veterans in their time in Palm Coast; Millhollin instituted a military appreciation breakfast when he was chamber president in 2017.

Among the many tributes to Millhollin on Facebook was one

by a friend named Beth Allen.

She wrote: “Jimmy and Annette were such a wonderful couple who knew how to show hospitality and kindness to others. The Christmas before last, they had a group of widowed and single ladies over for Christmas Eve dinner so we would not be alone.

Such a thoughtful thing to do. I will miss you Jimmy. Thank you for being a dear friend to me.”

“He was a very kind, knowledgeable, considerate leader and friend for over 18 years,” said Dorothy Sperber, executive officer for the Flagler County Association of Realtors.

Flagler County Commission Chairman Donald O’Brien said he met Millhollin and Gardinal when they first moved to Flagler County in 2003.

“I was impressed because their community involvement was instantaneous,” O’Brien said in a phone interview with the Palm Coast Observer. “He was calm and methodical and a caring person. Some people, if they ask how you’re doing, they don’t care when you tell them, but Jimmy did. He really wanted to hear what you had to say.”

Email editor@palmcoastobserver.com.

loss,” Piro said in a Feb. 2 press conference.

The three agents who were injured are in stable condition. The suspect is dead.

Alfin joined the FBI in 2009 and was assigned to the Miami office in 2017, working to investigate crimes against children, Piro said.

He is survived by a wife and child.

Schwartzenberger, 43, is survived by her husband and two children.

“It takes an incredibly special person to answer the call and do the heroic work of an FBI special agent. It requires self-sacrifice. It requires putting oneself in harm’s way, not once, but again and again,” Piro said. “Dan and Laura left home this morning to carry out the mission they signed up for and loved to do—to keep the American people safe.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement that Special Agents Alfin and Schwartzenberger “exemplified heroism today in defense of their country.”

“The FBI will always honor their ultimate sacrifice and will be forever grateful for their bravery,” Wray said. “We continue to stand by our FBI Family, and the families of these special agents, in the days to come, bringing every resource we can to get through this together.”

“They were valuable members of our team. They will forever be heroes. We will always honor their ultimate sacrifice.”

GEORGE PIRO, special agent in charge of FBI’s Miami Field Office

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FEBRUARY 2021

BUSINESS OBSERVER Planning board OKs new uses for Hammock property JONATHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

The zoning and existing special exceptions for a 0.9-acre parcel along State Road A1A in northern Flagler County, called the Hammock Business Park LLC, allows professional offices for architects, attorneys, financial planners, engineers and various medical and dental offices. Those uses were approved in 2017.

But the owners had to come before the county’s Planning and Development Board on Feb. 9 for permission to expand the permitted uses to include a pharmacy, retail boutique, travel agency, art gallery, barber shop, or classes for pottery, martial arts or dance, and the fact that such a minor change required planning board approval prompted discussion of whether the county’s Land Development Code is due for an update.

The property is in the residential-commercial, or RC, zoning district, in which any uses other than single-family homes require a special exception application.

Image capture

Attorney Jay Livingston

“The RC zoning district has this zoning control with the individual special exception uses, which makes sense when you’re building a new facility or expanding beyond the existing parking lot or septic tank,” attorney Jay Livingston said at the meeting, representing the applicant. “But what the property owners run into is, you have tenants and then you lose one, and then if the next tenant that you can get in doesn’t match up with what’s already approved by the special exception, it becomes very difficult to place tenants.”

For the parcel on A1A, the owners were seeking permission only

Development, real estate + business news

HOMEOWNER WON’T HAVE TO CUT BACK POOL DECK A contractor built a Plantation Bay resident’s pool in slightly the wrong spot — and, in doing so, stuck the pool deck and screen about a foot and a half into a county-required side yard setback, forcing the homeowner to seek an afterthe-fact variance from the Flagler County Planning and Development Board.

The owner of the lot with the problem pool also owns the neighboring lot nearest

for uses that wouldn’t require expanding the site’s parking or septic capacity, Livingston said.

Planning Board member Michael Goodman sat out the vote on the matter because he’s a co-owner of the land.

Board member Mark Langello asked if future development on the site would need to come back before the planning board if it did require additional parking.

Growth Management Director Adam Mengel answered that it would.

“Anticipating an eventual rewrite of the Land Development Code,” Livingston said, “I think the more likely scenario would be, once the Land Development Code is updated … there’s going to be probably a lot more thought into the Hammock portion of the code than in other areas, because

the encroached-upon setback, so the error doesn’t place the pool uncomfortably close to anyone else’s property.

Technically, the county could have made the unfortunate homeowner cut back her pool deck and screen enclosure. But county Growth Management Director Adam Mengel said that that would make the homeowner pay for the contractor’s error.

The lots are wedge-shaped

there are so many different issues that have to be dealt with. It’s possible at that point that entire area might be consolidated into a single zoning district and redeveloped.”

Langello said that there are benefits to allowing a number of uses on one parcel.

“I kind of look at this as a prime example of a lot that probably needs more uses on it,” Langello said. “The trees have already been taken down for the most part, it’s already got the curb cut, it’s established as a business. Every time someone wants to tear down trees and put a new business in, the neighbors get in an uproar.

Well, this one is developed, and it would be good to encourage its use for this purpose.”

Chairman Anthony Lombardo asked why all of the uses consid-

ones on Bay Point Drive, and board member Mark Langello said the problem in not an unfamiliar one for irregular lots.

“I see these happening on these curved lots,” Langello said. “I can find that the topography was an issue here, and that it was no fault of the owner.”

The board voted unanimously to approve the 1.4-foot setback variance.

ered for the property hadn’t been approved in the earlier, 2017 process.

Mengel said the county had been encouraging applicants to be conservative in their applications, but is rethinking that approach.

Goodman noted that the planning board has had to deal with three or four of these kinds of applications in recent years.

“Wouldn’t it be better to make the code that these items are allowed, and it’s restricted by parking requirements and septic requirements, like everything else?” he said. “It doesn’t seem fair to put more burden on developers or business people to come for a special exception.”

The board voted unanimously, with Goodman abstaining, to approve the special exception.

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HAMMOCK OBSERVER

REAL ESTATE

PalmCoastObserver.com

Three-story house in Ocean Hammock tops list A

house in Ocean Hammock was the top real estate transaction for the week of Jan. 7-13 in Flagler County in the Multiple Listing Service. Roger and Agnes Ware, of Alpharetta, Georgia, sold 19 Ocean Ridge Blvd. N. to Charles and Antoinette Meintjes, as trustees, for $1,375,000. Built in 2016, the house is a 4/4 and has a fireplace, swimming pool, elevator and 4,551 square feet.

Following is a partial list of other transactions for the week.

WAYNE GRANT REAL ESTATE EDITOR

Condos Grietje DeJonge, individually and as trustee, sold 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Unit 612, to David Gagnon, as trustee, for $1.2 million. Built in 2003, the condo is a 4/4.5 and has 3,264 square feet.

Sheila Hart, of Cleveland, Georgia, sold 45 Riverview Bend S., Unit 1926, to Lynne Metz, as curator, for $340,000.

Built in 2006, the condo is a 3/3 and has 2,007 square feet.

Diane Evanac and Richard Ackerman, of Ormond Beach, sold 190 Riverview Bend, Unit 1023, to Fabio Arzola and Maria Kisic, of Fort Lauderdale, for $225,000. Built in 2007, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,461 square feet. It sold in

2007 for $420,000.

Belle Terre Brite Properties of Florida LLC, of Orlando, sold 24 Persimmon Drive to Miguel Cottes and Rita Morales, of Mooresville, North Carolina, for $252,900. Built in 2020, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,675 square feet.

Cypress Knoll Angelo and Patricia Martone, of Palm Coast, sold 2 East Bourne Lane to Elizabeth and William Bowes, of Palm Coast, for $379,900. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,748 square feet.

Fuquay Lawrence and Rosalind Servinsky, of Portage, Pennsylvania, sold 1339 S. Central Ave. to Edward and Joyce Fendley, of Flagler Beach, for $345,000. Built in 1972, the

JAN. 7 - JAN. 13

RH Asset Holdings LLC, of Orlando, sold 5 Burgess Place to Nicole Baxa, of Palm Coast, for $239,700. Built in 2020, the house is 4/2 and has 1,650 square feet.

Courtesy photo

house is a 3/2 and has 1,324 square feet.

Grand Haven Natalia and Mark Rekhter, of Carmel, Indiana, sold 24 Village Drive N. to Luz and Juan Asmat, of Palm Coast, for $429,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 4/3 and has a fireplace, swimming pool and 2,620 square feet. It sold in 2008 for $300,000.

Grand Reserve and Golf Club D.R. Horton Inc. Jacksonville, of St. Johns, sold 235 Grand Reserve Drive to Michael Janes, of Bunnell, for $316,990. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,363 square feet.

Indian Trails Eva Bridge, of Sarasota, sold 31 Buffalo Plains Lane to

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FEBRUARY 2021

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Mohamed and Marie Sidki, of Palm Coast, for $240,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,014 square feet.

The top transaction features four bedrooms, four bathrooms and an elevator.

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Lehigh Woods Anna Furman, of Brooklyn, sold 93 Red Mill Drive to Francisco and Fatima Bahia, of Palm Coast, for $217,500. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,891 square feet.

Matanzas Woods Vintage Estate Homes LLC, of Melbourne, sold 15 Lancelot Drive to Georgina and Marco Guarnieri, of Palm Coast, for $257,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,804 square feet.

Palm Harbor Susan Saud, individually and as trustee, sold 1 Claridge Court S. to Beverly Darkatsh, individually and as trustee, for $377,000. Built in 1982, the house is a 4/2 and has a swimming pool and 1,820 square feet.

3/2 and has 1,695 square feet.

Pine Grove Yana Golubitskiy sold 10 Point Pleasant Drive to Dwayne Johnson, of Brooklyn, for $199,900. Built in 2007, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,371 square feet.

Pine Lakes Holiday Builders Inc., of Melbourne, sold 4 White Hill Place to Adrian and Rachelle Lee, of Palm Coast, for $345,339. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,864 square feet.

Raymond Bernard, of Palm Coast, sold 6 Wainwright Place to Stephen Bitgood and Arlene Benefield, of Palm Coast, for $185,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,263 square feet. It sold in 1987 for $69,200.

Quail Hollow Andrew Luczak, of Lockport, Illinois, sold 8 Zircon Court to Zane Silvestri, of Palm Coast, for $209,900. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,578 square feet.

Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report.

Dorrett Johanson, of Boonsboro, Maryland, sold 8 Fallon Lane to Albert Franco Jr., of Palm Coast, for $200,000.

Built in 2005, the house is a

Market timing... at your own risk

time investor thinks they have the ability to do so? The answer is emotion. It is easy to let our emotions get the best of us and feel that we need to react to every headline, every stock scenario on tv or every economic report. The reality is that success with investing comes down to choosing an asset allocation appropriate for your risk tolerance, quality investments and lots of patience.

Instead, most investors feel overly confident in high markets -- they tend to get more aggressive or put more money in. And they tend to be less confident in low markets -- getting more conservative or taking money out. The old saying “buy low, sell high” is a very real thing, but people tend to do the exact opposite in most situations. This is where advisors spend a lot of their time with clients, helping them avoid the “noise” and keeping their eye on the long-term goals of their overall investment plan.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations. Asset allocation does.not ensure profit or protect against loss.

David Fowler

Edward Herrera

FINANCIAL PLANNING | INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES | WEALTH MANAGEMENT RETIREMENT INCOME STRATEGIES | LONG-TERM CARE PLANNING LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITIES | TAX & ESTATE PLANNING STRATEGIES

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If history has proven anything, it is that the amateur investor has a difficult time resisting the emotional response of trying to time the market to their benefit. Actions of this nature can be something as simple as trying to move investments to cash when there is concern over short-term market fluctuations or getting back in at the precise bottom.

We field phone calls often with individuals who have concerns over economic or political outcomes that “in their opinion” would cause there to be some form of market response. This is a very difficult feeling to ignore even for seasoned professionals, but it is important to remember that even they can rarely predict or outsmart the market long term.

To quote an article from Nasdaq.com: “Sophisticated investors know what matters and what does not, but the behavior of many suggests otherwise. Asset allocation matters most. It explains 100% of investment performance - yes, all of it. Accordingly, most of your time, energy and money should be spent on asset allocation.”

Simply put, long term, the timing of your market investments is far less important than how you are invested and for how long. According to a recent article from Business Insider “90% of active fund managers underperform the market.” These are usually highly trained and educated financial professionals.

If they cannot outsmart the market 90% of the time, why is it that the average part

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FEBRUARY 2021

Flagler County tourism revenue stayed strong in 2020

How does your neighbor know so much?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

tinued through the end of September 2020.

The results, Lukasik said, were promising.

Of the 2,024 people interviewed, 96% said they planned to return for future visits, and 94% said they’d recommend Flagler to friends and family.

County staff estimated that tourists generated $454.6 million in economic impact in Flagler County in the 2020 fiscal year, spending about $309.3 million on accommodations, shopping, restaurants, transportation and entertainment and supporting 5,814 jobs.

The county had 572,400 visitors in fiscal year 2020, and those visitors generated 382,700 room nights in paid accommodations in the county, Lukasik said.

Each dollar spent by the tourism bureau on marketing had translated into $402 in visitor spending, Lukasik said.

The typical tourist, Lukasik said, is a 52-year-old woman with an annual income of $77,000 who planned her trip less than a month in advance and traveled with two other people, planning to visit the beach and friends and family.

Of the visitors surveyed, 29% had noticed advertising for Flagler County, and the top advertising mediums had been social media, the county’s visitor guide,

“Even though we started out the year down 18% because of Hurricane Dorian — and of course we had the pandemic — we only ended with a decrease of 13%.”

Your neighbor subscribes to the Observer.

AMY LUKASIK, county tourism director

The Observer is full of local news you can’t find anywhere else. It’s

With first-time unemployment claims spiking last week, a top Florida economist is cautioning that the vital, but battered, tourism industry is in for another difficult spring because of COVID-19.

Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research, told lawmakers Jan. 27 that despite improved tax-revenue numbers for December, big-spending foreign tourists aren’t expected to flock to Florida in the coming months.

Baker’s comments came before the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 57,824 first-time unemployment claims were filed last week in Florida, up 18,598 from the week that ended

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BY THE NUMBERS

99

number of visitors to Flagler County that supports one Flagler County job

$2,378,400

tax dollars generated by visitors overnight stays in Flagler County in 2020 in bed tax

52

average age of visitors to Flagler County

$77,000

average annual income of visitors to Flagler County

23%

of visitors surveyed were visiting Flagler County for the first time

3 in 10

had visited Flagler County more than 10 times

radio, billboards and the internet.

The survey estimated that one out of every five visitors to Flagler County came because they were influenced by advertising.

Most of those visitors — four out of five — drove to get here, and most also visited neighboring areas, St. Augustine in particular, during their vacation. Of the 70% surveyed who stayed overnight, the average stay was about four nights.

Once visitors arrive, they head for the beach (82%), dine locally (75%), and partake in outdoor recreation (62%) and water recreation (37%), according to the survey results.

“We feel that having all of those assets is one of the main reasons we were able to survive ... during the pandemic,” Lukasik said.

“Those are the things people were looking for. “

FLORIDA TOURISM FACES LONG RECOVERY

LV19404

8

Jan. 16.

Last week, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said the state’s jobless rate improved from 6.3 percent in November to 6.1 percent in December.

During last year’s second quarter, travelers to Florida fell 60.3 percent from the same period in 2019, ending a nine-year run of year-after-year increases in tourism numbers.

The tally of tourists grew in 2020’s third quarter, July through September, but the overall estimate was still down 31.8 percent from the same period in 2019.

— THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

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FEBRUARY 2021

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BOAT SHOW

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FEBRUARY 2021

3 Pirates to play football in college Senior football players made things official on Feb. 3

Rex Robich and family

Steven Usina and family

Photos by Ka’Deem Wynn

OCTOBER 2019 PROOF

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Nick Morin and family

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urrounded by close family, friends and coaches, Matanzas seniors Rex Robich, Steven Usina and Nick Morin put pen to paper on Feb. 3 to make it official about their intentions to play collegiate football.

“This is something that we look forward to, and everything that we work towards each year,” head coach Matt Forrest said during the signing. “I’m very proud of these guys.”

Robich will be taking his talents and educational path to Mississippi State University, Usina will head for Salisbury University (Maryland) and Morin will continue on his path in South Dakota at Mount Marty.

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Will Palm Coast finally have a downtown?

EMILY BLACKWOOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When Sam Perkovich purchased her office in Town Center for her company ParkSide Realty Group in 2016, everyone thought she was nuts. With only City Hall and few doctor’s offices nearby, foot traffic was nearly nonexistent - but she knew “the future was going to catch up with Palm Coast.”

And with Douglas Property & Development creating more housing, partnering with major institutions, and expanding opportunities for local businesses, it looks like it finally has. But because of the ever-changing landscape of our modern world, that future has to be adaptable.

“We have to rethink the retail experience because there isn’t much of a retail experience anymore,” said Walker Douglas of DPD, noting that both e-commerce and coronavirus as reasons why. “So we have to create another reason for people

to go somewhere, gather, shop, spend money and socialize.”

Instead of offering the traditionally coveted corner space for businesses to open up shop, DPD has carved out the corner of the retail district and created two open-space, paved courtyards. It includes benches, landscaping, string lights, and multiple gazebos for both small and large performances.

“It’s something that invites you in. When you look at it, you wonder what’s going on there.”

In addition to giving people a reason to come to Town Center, DPD is also making sure that people have a reason to stay in Town Center. In addition to the educational institutions like the Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida Mednexus, Douglas says they’re providing spaces that will meet the needs of future workers like co-working spaces.

“The future of office, like retail, is totally in flux,” Douglas said. “We want to be for-

ward-thinking and progressive in terms of development. When you think about places like the Research Triangle-Raleigh Durham, Chapel Hill, Duke, and UNC-they’re institutions, but the real value in those places is all the ancillary stuff that comes off. The people that come there to take advantage of them and all the businesses that serve those people.

“We had to turn Town Center into a destination, and that’s what these institutions have done.”

And part of that is bringing in more varieties of food services, nightlife, and other entertainment businesses that will finally give residents a downtown area.

“Palm Coast has been waiting for a downtown since it was designed,” said Douglas. “And all we’re trying to do is fulfill that vision.”

While there are a few breweries and some great local restaurants, Douglas says it’s not the same as having them in a centralized location. Not only does creating a downtown area allow other businesses to “feed off of each other and enjoy each other’s success,” but

it also makes more foot traffic for other activity-based businesses to open up. Something Perkovich-who jokingly refers to herself as a “pioneer of Town Center-is particularly excited to see.

“We need some coffee shops and restaurants,” she said. “And with all the residential that’s coming in, we’re going to need hair salons, spas, barbershops, cleaners, all that. And it’s kind of beyond the wildest dreams that we’re going to have some universities there.”

But no matter what the future holds, Douglas says they’ll be ready.

“We’re not shoehorning anyone into a square-foot unit,” he said. “We’re letting the market dictate. If someone comes to us and says, ‘We need 762-square feet,’ that’s weird, but we’ll figure it out.”

351018-1

Creating spaces for entertainment, nightlife, and the future of office space will turn Town Center into the downtown area the city has always needed.

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“Helping Is Who We Are and How We Serve”

Your Referrals Help Us Help Flagler County www.MariGetsItSold.com REFERRALS HELP OUR COMMUNITY

If you know anyone looking to purchase or sell a home, please refer them to Take Action Properties. As part of our giving program, a portion of Mari and Scott’s income is donated to local charities. For more information, please visit:

www.findpalmcoasthouses.com/info/your-referrals-help

Listed, Sold & Pending with The Take Action Team!

Mari Parks

Owner - Broker - REALTOR®

(386) 569-6947

Commercial Lot

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Scott Parks REALTOR®

G

PENDIN

(386) 569-6929

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PENDIN 3855 N. Ocean Shore Boulevard The Hammock

123 County Road 304 Bunnell

19 Biscay Lane Indian Trails

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SOLD 8 Sabal Bend The Sanctuary

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PENDIN 70 Hammock Beach Circle Hammock Beach

SOLD 22 Cedarford Court Palm Harbor

List Side & Buy Side by Take Action Properties

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January 2021

“Mari Parks of Take Action Properties is the most amazing realtor. She sold our house in Palm Coast in 2016 with a professional and positive attitude. The follow through was quick and efficient. So, now in 2021 there was no one else I considered to assist us in buying a new home in Palm Coast.

We found the perfect house quickly since she listened to what we wanted and gave us excellent service. Thank you to all her staff!”

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