ORMOND BEACH
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2019
VOLUME 8, NO. 16
First Step cuts ribbon
Pride of Ormond PAGE 9
10,000 neighbors? Community-style development proposed west of the city, south of 40. PAGE 5
Homeless shelter finally opens in Daytona Beach PAGE 3 INSIDE CITY TO CHOOSE USE FOR CHURCH Community center? PAGE 2
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA
First Wreaths Across America service performed at Hillside Cemetery PAGE 11
NEIGHBORHOOD LIGHT DISPLAY
Angels we have heard on Granada Ormond Beach holds 29th-annual Home for the Holidays parade PAGE 10 Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Flight Gymnastics Academy wishes the parade judges a “Merry Christmas” at the Home for the Holidays parade
Homeowner makes Christmas bright PAGE 12
A rolling ER
ART FOR YOUR CAR — AND HOME
JARLEENE ALMENAS
License plate artist branches into bamboo art PAGE 13
NEWS EDITOR
INDEX
Business...............PAGE 13 Calendar.............. PAGE 10 Cops Corner.......... PAGE 8 High 5.................... PAGE 9 Letters................... PAGE 6 Real Estate...........PAGE 14 Your Town.............. PAGE 6
Photo by Jarleene Almenas
EMS Logistics Lt. Linda Mickenberg and Volusia County Councilwoman Heather Post.
An ambulance has found its home in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Volusia County Fire Station 14 will now house an advanced life support fully-staffed ambulance for 12 hours a day in an effort to improve response times in the north peninsula. Implementing this was one of the recommendations presented to the Volusia County Council in early February to improve the county’s emergency medical services. The north peninsula ambulance was one of two added to fire sta-
Volusia County stations ambulance in OBTS. tions; the other one is stationed in Oak Hill. Buying and staffing the two ambulances cost the county about $1.18 million, according to the figures presented to the council in February. The county also began the nurse triage program this week to help with low acuity calls from the 911 dispatch center. “We’re here,” said Joseph Pozzo, county public protection director. “We’re yours. We’re ready to serve.” Station 14 welcomed the new ambulance on Friday, Dec. 13, with a “backing-in” ceremony SEE AMBULANCE PAGE 7