Ormond Beach Observer 3-23-23

CITY WATCH

PAC renovation to cost $1.7

million

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR

Disaster Recovery

Center to close Volusia County announced Tuesday that the Disaster Recovery Center at the Florida Department of HealthVolusia, at 1845 Holsonback Drive, will permanently close at 6 p.m. Friday, March 31. The closure is due to a decreasing number of visitors, according to a news release.

“The recovery center opened in October and has been a vital asset for people to apply for assistance and speak to representatives from multiple agencies,” Emergency Services Director Jim Judge said. “I also want to express my sincerest gratitude to FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration as they have been so helpful in getting our residents and businesses the assistance they need, as well as the Florida Department of Health for providing the venue.” People and businesses with an open case or those who would like to appeal a denial decision may visit disasterassistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call 800-621-3362. Businesses and most private nonprofits can still apply for an economic injury loan through the SBA for both storms.

The Ormond Beach City Commission on Tuesday, March 21, unanimously approved a $1.7-million work authorization to a local company for construction management services for the Ormond Beach Performing Arts renovation project.

The contract, approved in the meeting’s consent agenda, was awarded to Bomar Construction, Inc., of Ormond Beach. The project is funded in part by Volusia County ECHO funds and includes the renovation of the PAC’s lobby, the creation of a donor wall, improvements to the building’s exterior façade and the addition of an art installation.

Commissioners praised the progress on the renovation project, which has been in the works since 2019.

“I’m very excited about the Performing Arts Center renovation project,” City Commissioner Susan Persis said. “That’s going to be wonderful when that is all finished.”

The cost of the renovations has risen due to inflation, according to the city. Initially, the city estimated the project to cost about $1.3 million.

The $600,000 ECHO grant requires an equal match, and the Friends of the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center raised $191,500 toward the match. The city had originally budgeted $520,000 to contribute to the match. While the Friends of the PAC planned to fund any additional rise in cost from the initial estimate, they didn’t anticipate the project cost

2022-2023

New garden shed OK’d for OMAM

The City Commission at its meeting on Tuesday also unanimously approved a special exception to allow the conversion of two parking spaces at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum to house a new garden shed.

The garden shed will be “cottage style” to match the nearby Emmons Cottage. The museum stated in a letter to the city that the shed was necessary to store equipment needed to care for the gardens, as the previous storage space was demolished when the museum was renovated.

Advisory board decision tabled

An ordinance that would reduce the membership of the Leisure Services Advisory Board was tabled on Tuesday to allow the board to discuss the issue.

increasing so much, and stated in a letter to the city that they would not be able to cover the deficit. The city agreed to fund the $406,865 needed using general fund reserves.

“It’s never easy to spend money when everything is inflated right now,” City Commissioner Lori Tolland said. “And I know that might be a little bit of a burden, but I do think that the momentum of the project needs to continue and it will definitely be an asset to the community.”

Mayor Partington praised the dedication of the Friends of the PAC.

“There are so many caring, dedicated people involved with that committee,” Partington said.

The ordinance, proposed to help the board be able to reach a quorum, would reduce its 13 members to 7 with three alternates.

“Having served with Leisure Services for over 24 years, they definitely know what they need and they have not been able to reach that quorum, and they need to make decisions, so I think it’s very good that the city will allow the board to work these issues out and then come back to us with staff’s help with a good solution,” Commissioner Lori Tolland said.

Mayor Bill Partington agreed.

“I’m grateful that they’re willing to continue to work on finding the appropriate solution, and I’m confident [that] working with them we can get there.”

Email Senior Editor Jarleene Almenas at Jarleene@ observerlocalnews.com.

Florida History & Cultural Festival

Date/Time: Saturday, April 1, 2023 (10:00 am to 2:00 pm)

Place: Anderson-Price Memorial Building 42 N Beach Street, Ormond Beach

Free Admission: (Open to the Public)

Office: (386) 677-7005

FREE Parking www.OrmondHistory.org

* Feel free to wear historic clothing.

Folklorist Program: 12 noon to 1:00 pm

The Festival will include several museums, authors, artists, and historical artifact collectors and exhibitors, some offering various items for sale. Folklorist Diane Jacoby will be telling the story, while in tantalizing period dress, of the life of the elegant 16th century Spanish noblewoman, Dona Maria de Menendez.

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Rendering courtesy of the city of Ormond Beach

The renovations at the PAC are partly funded by Volusia ECHO grant funds.

EDITOR

“What’s right today is right tomorrow. What’s wrong today is wrong tomorrow. Don’t treat us differently. ... I felt like Volusia sometimes gets treated differently.”

Councilman Troy Kent on the FWS letter about dogs on the beach. See Page 10A

Perfect place

MICHELE MEYERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Deanna Newkirk is a self-professed perfectionist.

“I have OCD,” she laughed. “But I like to say I have CDO, because it’s in alphabetical order.”

The Ormond Beach resident’s drive to create an indoor space for athletes, sports teams and their families led to her recent opening of the Volusia Sports Center at 1137 Nova Road in Holly Hill.

The 7,000-square-foot facility was converted from an automotive repair center to an indoor sports facility a little over a year after a groundbreaking ceremony was held in February 2022.

VSC houses seven “tunnels” with retractable netting: Four are used as baseball batting cages, one

for softball and another for Oculus Virtual Reality games. Tunnel one is reserved for HitTrax, a baseball simulator. The system analyzes data as the bat hits the ball, giving players and coaches invaluable information about exit ball velocity, distance, pitching speed and strike zone metrics before they step out on the field.

Retractable netting is expensive, so few batting cage businesses buy it. The netting at VSC cost $82,000, and Newkirk, a Seabreeze High School alumna, did not qualify for a Small Business Administration loan because there was nothing comparable in the area.

“There’s absolutely nothing to

compare this to in Jacksonville, Orlando or anywhere,” she said. “It doesn’t exist. Nobody has all the sports. They focus on being a batting cage facility and just have baseball and softball. Maybe they have a birthday room. Maybe they have a retail shop. They don’t have all of this under one roof, and outside space too.”

Holly Hill District 4 Commissioner Roy Johnson is Newkirk’s father and the owner of the VSC property. Her son Dallas will inherit the property when he turns 18. Johnson and Newkirk had a family discussion about what they should do with the property to increase its value.

“During COVID, I had a heart-toheart with my dad,” She said. “I had been trying to help Dad clean the place up. I told him that I love him, but I didn’t want to be an owner of a junkyard.”

She knew the community needed a large indoor sports facility because she had helped Fly the W Hitting — a small indoor batting space — reach new clients, but it could only accommodate a small number of teams when practices were rained out.

“People were fighting to get in there,” she said. “Every time it rained, there was only room for one team at a time. Only three hours of the night, and one at a time. There are six baseball teams in just Ormond. First come, first served, so what do all the other teams do? Where do they go? They don’t. They cancel practice.”

At first, Johnson and Newkirk’s husband, Harry Newkirk — owner

of Newkirk Engineering — could not envision Deanna Newkirk’s concept for the VSC, and decided to file plans with the city of Holly Hill to start a covered RV storage facility at the site.

They abandoned the project after determining that it would not be profitable, and started over.

Harry Newkirk then designed the new site for the sports center, and they resubmitted the plans to the city of Holly Hill.

The center also includes a birthday room, child care area, space for strength training and conditioning, a second floor viewing room with televisions, and a combination air hockey, pool and ping pong table.

Athletes can also reserve training sessions with professional coaches and trainers.

Seabreeze junior varsity baseball coach and Scorpions travel program

coach Colin Lombardoni has been involved from the beginning. He offers personal training and camps at VSC.

“It’s a perfect place for baseball players of all ages to develop their skills,” he said.

Newkirk is looking forward to the VSC’s ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. on March 31.

There will also be a grand opening celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 1, when the community will get a chance to tour the facility, meet their vendors and win prizes.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Deanna Newkirk, owner of the Volusia Sports Center

Deanna Newkirk, owner of Volusia Sports Center, has opened an indoor-outdoor multisport facility at 1137 Nova Road in Holly Hill.

The Volusia Sports Center has batting tunnels with retractable nets that can be pushed back to open the space for a variety of sports training and practice options.

“It’s a perfect place for baseball players of all ages to develop their skills.”

COLIN LOMBARDONI, Seabreeze JV baseball coach

The Volusia Sports Center ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. March 31, and the grand opening celebration will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1.

Deanna Newkirk runs through the reservation system with clients Kelvin De La Cruz and Manaury Velasquez at the Volusia Sports Center.

Photos by Michele Meyers

Volusia County to explore alternate dog-friendly beach test site

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raised concerns about the impact of dogs in the initially proposed dog-friendly beach pilot program location.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

EDITOR

SENIOR

A letter by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has cast a shadow of doubt over a proposal to try allowing dogs on a local stretch of beach. In response, the Volusia County Council discussed an alternate dog beach “test area” in Ormond Beach and voted 5-2 at its meeting on Tuesday, March 21, to direct staff to return to the council with more information.

Council members Danny Robins and Matt Reinhart voted against.

The council was initially looking to implement a dog-friendly beach pilot program near Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park in Ormond-bythe-Sea, but county staff received a letter on Monday from U.S. Fish and Wildlife expressing concerns about dogs in the natural beach management area, which begins at Granada Boulevard and runs north to the Volusia-Flagler county line. There are other BMAs in the southern part of the coast as well.

“It wasn’t a final determination on whether or not that would be permissive or not,” Deputy County Manager Suzanne Konchan said. “But they

did indicate, somewhat to our surprise, that [U.S. Fish and Wildlife] felt it would require an amendment to the Habitat Conservation Plan, and potentially a major amendment, because of its location in the natural beach management area.”

The letter, Konchan said, said that some review of the plan would be required regardless of the area chosen for the pilot program, but follow-up conversations with city staff determined that areas not part of the BMA would likely undergo a less rigorous process.

A proposal emerged to implement the pilot program on the stretch of beach in the city of Ormond from either Milsap Road to Rockefeller Drive, or a shorter stretch from Cardinal Drive to Rockeller Drive.

County Councilman Troy Kent said he liked the alternate location more as it was centrally located and is on a section of drivable beach.

But he had questions about the letter from FWS — for instance, why is St. Johns, which he said has a take permit strikingly similar to Volusia’s, allowed to have dogs on its beach? He said that when staff members asked FWS, they were told the agency had “no substantive reply.”

“What’s right today is right tomorrow,” Kent said. “What’s wrong today is wrong tomorrow. Don’t treat us differently. ... I felt like Volusia sometimes gets treated differently.”

County Council Chair Jeff Brower agreed with Kent.

“It felt like a threat,” he said. “Governments should work together well and not threaten one another.”

THE COST OF THE PILOT PROGRAM

The county has determined that one full-time animal control officer would be needed to staff the pilot program area for four 10hour days a week, at an estimated cost of $104,000 the first year.

Dog waste bag dispensers would be added at walkovers and at the ends of the beach area, at a

cost of about $300 per dispenser and about $3,500 for bags.

Nancy and Lowell Lohman have pledged a one-time donation of $100,000 to offset costs, however, and Daytona Dog Beach said it would commit to funding the dispensers and waste bags.

DIVIDED ON DOGS

Dogs have been largely banned from Volusia County beaches since 1987, when Volusia took over regulating the beach.

Dogs are currently only allowed in two beach parks, both in the south end of the county: Smyrna Dunes Park, in New Smyrna Beach; and Lighthouse Point Park, in Ponce Inlet.

The majority of comments made by the public at the meeting concerned implementing the pilot program at Bicentennial Park, with residents stating concerns about dog feces, disturbing sea turtle nests and birds, and dogs posing threats to children on the beach.

“This area, Ormond-by-the-Sea, currently lacks the infrastructure to mitigate pollution and disruption to the biosphere that this zone will likely nurture,” Ormond-by-theSea resident Christopher Proctor said. “I’m worried about the impact the proposed dogs will have on the resource, this being the beach.”

Ormond Beach resident Laura McGuinness said “hundreds of people” sneak dogs onto the beach, and that she’s never seen one person pick up the dog’s waste in the 30 years she’s lived in the area.

“In those 30 years, I have witnessed, personally witnessed, them take after cars, take after kids, take after people, take after birds,” she said. “That’s what dogs do. They chase things. ... There are plenty of other available places for these dogs to go that don’t have to involve those beaches.”

Nanette McKeel Petrella, president of Daytona Dog Beach, said her organization has provided the council with three different proposals for dog-friendly beach areas since 2021. She said that, should a test site be successful, Daytona Dog Beach will commit a volunteer group to monitor and maintain the area.

“The demand and support for dogfriendly beach areas is undeniable, and yet there are those who seek to ignore it and potentially undermine it,” Petrella said. “In listening to all those expressing their viewpoints

today, what makes me the most sad is that we are allowing ourselves to be pitted against one another in an effort to derail this proposal instead of coming together to agree on something that would be fair to all.”

‘FEAR MONGERING’

Volusia’s incidental take permit is what lets the county allow beach driving, and council members were concerned about whether implementing a pilot program for dogs on the beach would put the permit in jeopardy.

Kent felt the concerns were driven by fear.

“Now, fear mongers will have you believe that if you value beach driving, then you should not allow dogs on the beach,” Kent said.

A lot of the concerns he heard from the public, he added, made it sound like dogs would be running wild on the beach, when the county would actually require them to be leashed.

The proposal comes up every few years, said Councilman David Santiago.

Prior pushes to allow dogs on the beach have been unsuccessful.

“Maybe it keeps coming up because there’s still enough public interest,” Santiago said. “And I’m all for trying something within the right parameters.”

HOW WILL THE TEST SITE WORK?

For the dog-friendly beach pilot program, the county has recommended that:

„ Dog-friendly beach hours be limited from sunrise to sunset.

„ The pilot begin Nov. 1, after sea turtle nesting season.

„ Dogs must be leashed, licensed and fully vaccinated.

„ The council will not implement a user fee during the pilot program due to legal concerns and enforcement challenges.

Robins argued against the idea that “fear-mongering” has prevented the council from allowing dogs on the beach.

“Since when are the facts and other people’s points of view fear mongering?” he said. “... I call that looking at all sides of the issue. It’s also called looking at the big picture. What’s good for all, not what’s best for one person or what they’ve said to people.”

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File photo

Dogs are currently only allowed at two beach parks, both in the south end of the county: Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach, and Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet.

Help plan the future of parks & recreation in Palm Coast & Flagler County by taking our planning survey. Your feedback will help develop a new Parks Master Plan! Scan the QR code to visit the site.

316 apartment units planned for Whiteview

The city’s Planning Board approved a master site plan for the project

5-1 on March 15.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A developer has the Palm Coast Planning Board’s support for a proposal to build a 316-unit gated apartment complex off Whiteview Parkway.

The Planning and Land Development Regulation Board voted 5-1 on March 15 to recommend that the City Council approve a site plan for the complex. Alternate board member Larry Gross was the dissenting vote.

The application will next go before the City Council for final approval.

The complex would be part of the Whiteview Master Plan Development, which extends along White Mill Drive between Whiteview Parkway and Pine Lakes Parkway.

The multifamily development would be in the southeast corner of the Whiteview MPD, next to a planned city park at the northeast corner of the property.

The developer is in the process of building a 205-lot, single-family, gated residential community on the west side of the property.

The proposed apartments — owned by Miral Corp. — would be “high-end” apartments, though no price has been set yet, according to Curt Wimpée, representing the applicant.

The complex would have 14 residential buildings for a total of 316 units over 18.84 acres, a density of 10.9 units per acre density.

There would be 10 threestory, 30-unit buildings, and four two-story, four-unit buildings.

Gross said he was concerned that the market in Palm Coast is not ready for high-cost apartments.

“I don’t know if Palm Coast can support expensive apartments,” Gross said.

Vice Chair Sandra Shank said she also had concerns about not being able to fill the apartments with resi -

dents, since the market has changed since the original 2018 approval of the MPD. Wimpée said the new owner still thinks it is a good fit for the market.

Planning Director Ray

Tyner reminded the board members that they could only approve or deny based on whether the development meets certain code requirements — like parking, which Gross said he also had concerns about.

The site plan listed a total of 544 parking spaces: 525 for residents — including 108 garages —and 19 for the clubhouse.

That breaks down to less than two parking spaces per unit, which is less than most homes use, Gross said.

“Nobody has one car,” Gross said. “Most houses have two.” Wimpée said that Miral Corp. has built over 30,000 similar apartments and knows how to accurately gauge its parking needs.

“They do not want to have not enough parking — that’s detrimental to their business,” he said. “They’re definitely not trying to shortchange people.”

Wimpée said that according to a recent parking study, Miral Corp. provides more parking than most of the multifamily developers and agencies in the nation.

For Gross, that claim did not match what was on the paper.

“I think we need to be careful about sales pitch for a project, versus reality,” Gross said.

Pitch aside, the site plan does meet the city’s code standards across the board, including parking spaces, said city planner Bill Hoover, who presented the application to the board.

The apartment complex would also have two dry ponds, a dog park, a pool and a clubhouse.

If the master site plan is approved by the City Council, the applicant must then to submit a technical site plan for approval.

CURT WIMPÉE, Alliant Engineering, representing Miral Corp.

“They do not want to have not enough parking — that’s detrimental to their business.”

“I don’t know if Palm Coast can support expensive apartments.”

LARRY GROSS, alternate Planning and Land Development Regulation Board member

Image courtesy of Palm Coast Planning and Development Regulation Board meeting documents.

The Whiteview MPD will have a city park on the northeast corner, a 205-house single-family home development, and, if approved, a 316-unit apartment complex.

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COPS CORNER

A Pennsylvania man was arrested after failing to return a rented dump trailer to a local hardware store.

Deputies became involved on March 13 when the local store, located off Boulder Rock Drive, decided to press charges two months after the man was supposed to return the trailer, on Jan. 20, according to the man’s arrest report.

Coincidentally, the man, 43, was arrested that afternoon when he returned to the store to speak to employees at the rental counter.

The dump trailer was found that day as well, at the dead end of Pirate Nation Way.

ULTERIOR MOTIVE

4:49 p.m. — 500 block of Shadow Lakes Boulevard, Ormond Beach Criminal mischief. Police responded to a local apartment complex after receiving reports that a man was slashing tires in the parking lot.

The reporting officer spotted the suspect, a 26-year-old Daytona Beach man, riding a bicycle behind a nearby bank.

He was holding a knife, according to a police report, and threw it when police ordered him to get on the ground.

He told officers that he was “not going to stop” and that he wanted to be kicked out of the country, the report states. He refused to answer officers’ questions.

Multiple businesses in the area also reported that three or more vehicles in their lots had slashed tires.

MARCH 14 MAN TRACKS STOLEN PHONE TO RESTAURANT

4:03 p.m. — 100 block of Flagler Plaza Drive, Palm Coast Grand theft. A man was arrested by deputies after he stole a phone from a smoke shop.

The man went into the store asking about the price of different items, and when he left, the store owner realized that his iPhone 12, which had been sitting on the counter, was missing, according to the suspect’s arrest report. The phone was priced at around $1,200.

The owner immediately called his wife, who tracked the phone’s GPS to a nearby fast-food restaurant.

The owner went there and confronted the thief, who took the phone out of his pocket and handed it back.

When deputies arrived at the restaurant, the suspect told the deputy he’d thought the phone was his. But a pat down revealed that the suspect’s own phone was in his coat’s right pocket. Surveillance footage from the store showed the man taking the phone from the counter before leaving.

He was charged with grand theft and taken to jail.

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE...

3:37 a.m. — 1600 block of North U.S. 1, Ormond Beach Loitering or prowling. A 30-year-old Middleburg man was arrested after he entered a closed restaurant and sat down on its patio.

It wasn’t his first encounter with police: He had just received a courtesy police ride to a local gas station after he was spotted running nude in a resident’s yard, according to a police report.

The resident, who did not press charges, gave the man clothes. The man told police he had been in town for Bike Week and was traveling with

friends when they kicked him out of their truck and drove off with his clothing.

Once at the gas station, the man was given food, and said that he would be on his way once he finished eating.

But the reporting officer soon returned to the gas station when an employee called and said they wanted the man to leave.

The man approached the officer’s car, expecting another ride. The officer told him she would not be driving him anywhere. The man walked toward a nearby closed restaurant.

He later told police he’d entered the patio to get out of the wind. He was taken to jail.

MARCH 16

FRUIT NINJA

8:08 a.m. — 1500 block of West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach Criminal mischief. Police responded to a local gas station convenience store to find several bags of chips and candy thrown all over the floor. Two displays were broken, and there were pieces of fruit on the floor.

The store clerk told officers that the man responsible for the damage, a 32-yearold from Ormond Beach, frequently comes by and purchases one or two small cigars. He’s always short a few cents though, up to 10-15 cents, and each time, tells the clerk he will pay her back.

This time, he was “short quite a bit,” the report states, and when he left to grab more change from his car, the clerk told him to come back and collect his money since she was refusing to sell him the cigars. Surveillance footage showed the man take his change, then push the fruit displays off the counter and begin throwing the snacks and candy all over the store. The store wanted to press charges.

CRIME REPORT

DoorDash customer charged with wine robbery

A DoorDash delivery driver was robbed while delivering a bottle of wine on March 14.

The driver was delivering the order to a home on Breeze Hill Lane in Palm Coast that night when the person he was delivering to robbed him of the alcohol.

The suspect, 20, had placed the order, but tried to provide another person’s identification as proof of age, according to his arrest report.

When the driver refused to turn over the alcohol without the correct identification, the driver told Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the suspect grabbed him from behind and took the wine, the report said.

The driver left and called 911. DoorDash and other delivery services allow alcohol orders, but customers are

BRIEFS

Panel backs expansion of school LGBT law

A Florida House panel has backed a proposal that would expand a controversial 2022 law barring instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and restrict the way students and teachers can use their preferred pronouns in schools.

The House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee voted 14-4 on March 14 along almost-straight party lines to approve the proposal (HB 1223), after LGBTQ advocates slammed the bill as harmful to vulnerable youths. Rep. Lisa Dunkley, D-Sunrise, voted with Republicans.

The 2022 law prohibited instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and required it to be “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate” in higher grades. The new bill would extend the prohibition through eighth grade.

The measure would also prevent school employees from telling students their preferred pronouns if those pronouns “do not correspond to his or her sex,” would bar asking students about their preferred pronouns, and states that it “shall be the policy” of every Florida public school that “a person’s sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person’s sex.”

— THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Varn Park to close for sand placement

Varn Park will be closed beginning March 27 for about three months as Flagler County undertakes two emergency sand operations – the first in Painters Hill and Beverly Beach, and the second north through the park into the Hammock Dunes Homeowners Association property.

“There will be a steady stream of dump trucks and heavy equipment in the park, and we need to keep the job site as safe as possible,” County Engineer Faith

required to provide identification as proof of age upon delivery.

The driver said the suspect tried to give him a woman’s identification as proof, even though the suspect’s name was on the order.

When FCSO deputies confronted the suspect, he admitted to taking the wine bottle and trying to use someone else’s identification to accept the wine delivery.

He was arrested and taken to the county jail on a felony robbery charge.

Man charged with possessing child pornography

An Ormond Beach man was arrested on charges of possessing child pornography after a tip led sheriff’s detectives to find sexually explicit photos on his computer.

Raymond L. Brown, 61, was arrested Tuesday, March 14, on a warrant for 23 counts

Alkhatib said.

Residents will not be able to access the beach from Varn Park during the two projects.

“Those who live in Painter’s Hill should know that the dune restoration project will extend from the first house south of Varn Park through the Town of Beverly Beach,” Alkhatib said. “We want the residents to know that we will only be placing this emergency sand in front of houses – not in front of undeveloped lots, unless it fills a gap in between two adjacent houses and is not in front of seawalls.”

This project is for emergency sand only. The engineering department is also working on a larger dune and beach restoration project.

Library hours to change

The Flagler County Public Library Palm Coast Main Branch will have new hours effective Monday, April 3.

The new hours will be Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be closed on Sunday. The library is located at 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Palm Coast.

“This new, simplified schedule will be easier for patrons to remember,” said Chief of Special Projects and Library Director Holly Albanese. “It will also help with staffing levels to ensure we can provide the best level of service.”

Hours at the Bunnell Branch Library, at 4601 E. Moody Boulevard, Suite F1, will remain Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Saturday and Sunday.

HUD to provide $328 million to Volusia County

The Volusia County government will receive $328,910,000 in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

CDBG-DR funds are to be used for disaster relief and mitigation in the most impacted and distressed areas after a presidentially declared disaster.

“Everyone with an interest in our recovery efforts and addressing affordable housing should be elated with

of possessing sexual performance by a child.

He remains at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $460,000 bail pending a first court appearance.

His arrest followed a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which alerts local law enforcement to reports of exploitation and child pornographic material that have been shared online.

The tip led detectives to execute a search warrant at Brown’s home on Valencia Avenue in Ormond Beach.

Detectives seized cell phones, laptop computers and a camera for forensic examination. They located multiple photos of sexual exploitation of girls estimated to range from 4-12 years old.

The investigation indicated that Brown had uploaded files containing suspected child pornography. The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who may have more information to contact the VSO Child Exploitation Unit at 386-323-3574.

this news,” County Manager George Recktenwald said. “HUD’s most generous award will significantly advance current objectives and allow us to explore other avenues of increasing affordable housing in Volusia County for renters and homeowners alike.”

Representatives from HUD will contact the county with additional information about the program, and the county will formulate a plan for how the funds will be used.

There will be a public comment period and meeting for residents to provide feedback. The plan will be taken before the Volusia County Council and, upon its approval, submitted to HUD for execution.

Other counties in Florida — such as Lee, Orange and Sarasota — also received a direct CDBG-DR allocation from HUD.

Deputies resolve 4-hour standoff

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies resolved a 4.5-hour standoff with a resident in the R-Section of Palm Coast without any injuries.

The standoff began at around 5 p.m. on Monday, March 20, near Rickenbacker Drive and Richardson Drive when deputies tried to serve a warrant, according to a post on the FCSO’s Facebook page.

The FCSO gave the all clear to residents at about 9:30 p.m. Sheriff Rick Staly gave an update on Facebook Live just after 9 p.m., saying residents were able to return home if they had evacuated and that those who sheltered in place were safe.

“Thanks to the good work of our SWAT team, our negotiators and our deputies in general,” Staly said, “we were able to successfully resolve the situation with no one being hurt. Everyone gets to go home.”

Staly said the suspect is in custody and would be taken to the hospital.

“We want to make sure he is OK before he goes to the jail,” he said.

Staly thanked the community for understanding while deputies handled the situation.

“These things take time to make sure nobody gets hurt,” Staly said. “And that was the ultimate goal, that nobody got hurt.”

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Flagler County Commmission is setting aside $500,000 and seeking grant funding to build a proposed visitor center.

The County Commission voted 5-0 to approve a request for the Tourism Development Council to apply for a Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byways Program grant to build a historical and ecological visitor’s center, and the commission is also earmarking $500,000 out of the Tourism Development Council’s reserves for the project.

The TDC is working with the Friends of A1A and Heritage Crossroads to apply for the grant.

The TDC also applied last year, said Tourism Development Director Amy Lukasik, but did not get the grant because of the tight deadline and the lack of an identified property for the center.

Lukasik said the TDC has since identified a plot of county land that could house the visitor center.

The land is on the south side of State Road 100, near a pedestrian path that is being build across the road.

The parcel is 23 acres, Lukasik said, but the visitor center would primarily be on the front three acres.

Lukasik said the site would hold a gift shop, rental space, offices for tourism staff and more, including a potential lake overlook.

The $500,000 would bring the project’s earmarked total to $1.6 million, Lukasik said, which would allow the TDC to potentially qualify for $6.4 in grant funding based on a 80% federal-20% local match. Lukasik said that 20% match would come from visitor tax funds, not the general fund.

“So, the [county’s] visitors are paying the 20% local match,” Lukasik said. The money would not be needed immediately, Lukasik said, and would come out of the TDC’s reserve fund.

The project is expected to cost $8 million overall.

COUNTY TO BEGIN EMERGENCY BEACH RENOURISHMENT

The dune renourishment project from MalaCompra Park to South Washington Oaks Gardens State Park has been completed, and the county is looking to begin new dune initiatives.

The Flagler County Commission unanimously agreed to amend the county’s construction contracts with Eastman Aggregate Enterprises and Eisman and Russo to place emergency sand on another section of Flagler County’s coastline.

The amendments are for the second emergency sand restoration project at Varn Park, which is expected to be closed for around three months, County Engineer Faith Alkhatib said.

“We are doing everything we can do to expedite this project,” she said.

This second emergency sand project will cover two sections of the coastline.

One section will be in Painters Hill and Beverly Beach, and the second will be through Varn Park and extend north into Hammock Dunes.

Both projects are funded through a $5 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Alkhatib said.

Alkhatib also asked the commission and residents to be mindful of the newly created dunes.

Right now, she said, there is no beach in those areas during high tide, so people have been using the dunes instead.

“People need to understand that the dunes are not there for them to go out there,” she said. “It’s not a beach, it’s a dune.”

Commission Chair Greg Hansen said he has seen people going over the dunes and wants to remind residents and visitors that money to fix the dunes to protect the community is scarce.

There is not enough to replace the beaches right now, he said.

“We get enough money to put sand out there,” he said. “We don’t have any extra money to do anything else.”

The work on the Varn Park area is expected to begin Monday, March 27.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kayhan “Ky” Ekinci liked to call his company a small business percolator.

Ekinci, the co-founder of Office Divvy in Palm Coast, died unexpectedly on March 12 at age 53.

Ekinci and his wife, Lisa, have provided a boost to scores of businesses and business people since they opened Office Divvy with partner Sim Taing 15 years ago.

Ekinci helped companies scale and grow through education, using data in new ways and building custom platforms.

“Ky was such a great guy. He was solution oriented and very smart,” said Craig Straky, who started Luxury Team of Florida Real Estate Group and grew the firm from two agents to 40 before selling the business to Coldwell Banker.

“In 2009, when I started Luxury Team of Florida Real Estate Group, Divvy was my call center solution for seven offices,” Straky said.

Straky said Ekinci helped devise a lead routing system for Luxury Team that ensured phone calls were always answered by an agent and never went to voicemail.

“Our after-hours number would ring eight agents simultaneously and whoever answered got the lead,” Straky said.

Attorney Raven Sword of Livingston and Sword P.A. in Palm Coast said Office Divvy has been answering her law firm’s phones for nearly 13 years.

“When my partner and I got together, I think we tried to do it the old-fashioned way with voicemail and a receptionist, but it wasn’t productive,” she said. “We’re able to be more efficient to make sure our phones are answered, our clients speak with people who are pleasant, and they can make an appointment. That frees up office work inhouse.”

Ekinci mentored young people through Office Divvy’s internship program.

Kedron Abbott began as an intern at Office Divvy when he was a sophomore at Flagler Palm Coast High School nine years ago.

“I was in a class that worked with the Observer , writing articles,” he said. “When I heard about the internship opportunity for Office Divvy, I thought this was a perfect thing to write about.”

But as he learned more, he decided the internship was perfect for him. Abbott is now a software engineer at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Abbott said Ekinci was always interested in people and always listened.

“A lot of people ask about you as sort of the polite thing to do, but to actually hear and be interested in what you have to say is something different,”

Abbott said.

Abbott said that after college he returned to Office Divvy to work on projects.

“It’s been awesome to work with (Ekinci),” Abbott said. One thing I don’t think I’ll ever let go of, he taught me to always think about the person who comes after you, whether that’s keeping good documentation on a project that someone else will pick up or something as simple cleaning up your table at a coffee shop.”

Abbott said he learned what co-office space was through

Office Divvy. “The skills I learned there helped me get (to where I am now),” he said.

People who knew Ekinci said one of his passions was technology and helping businesses scale by embracing new ways of doing things.

He brought thousands of business people together for Office Divvy’s annual Entrepreneur Night until it was halted by COVID-19. He was also well-known as the former co-owner of the Humidor Cigar Bar and Lounge in European Village.

Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Ekinci earned his master’s degree at Cambridge College in Boston. He and Lisa married in 2004 before moving to Palm Coast.

“I am shocked and saddened,” Straky said. “Words I would use to describe Ky are optimistic, friendly, collaborative, kind and intelligent. Ky and Lisa are of the best people that I know.”

The county will also begin work on the next section of emergency sand distribution on March 27.

The co-owner of Office Divvy and former coowner of the Humidor Cigar Bar died at 53.

Courtesy photo Ky Ekinci at Atlantic Grille at Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa in February.

“People need to understand that the dunes are not there for them to go out there. It’s not a beach, it’s a dune.”

FAITH ALKHATIB, county engineer

City Commissioner Susan Persis to run for Ormond Beach mayor

Persis has represented Zone 3 on the commission since 2018.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

Ormond Beach City Commissioner Susan Persis will be running for mayor in the 2024 elections.

Persis, who has represented Zone 3 on the commission since 2018, filed to run for mayor on March 6 after current Mayor Bill Partington told her he would be running for the Florida House.

“I’m just proud to say that

I serve the people of Ormond Beach, and as mayor, I will continue to work collegially with all city commissioners, our residents and the business community to make our beautiful and vibrant city even better,” Persis said.

As a graduate of Seabreeze High School with almost 40 years of experience in education — as a teacher, assistant principal and principal — and now having been on the commission for about five years, Persis said feels like she’s ready to serve the citizens as their mayor.

“I feel like my years of experience in training as a principal provide me the administrative and personal skills

I use every day in my role as a commissioner, and those important skills are to be a good active listener,” Persis. “I know there are always at least two sides to every issue and how important it is to understand all points of view before taking a position.”

Persis was reelected to represent Zone 3 in 2020 and 2022, both times without opposition. No one to date has filed to run against her in the mayoral race, though the election is over a year away.

If elected as mayor, she will be the first female mayor in Ormond Beach history.

“When I was growing up, we really didn’t have all the options that young women

Barbara Bonarrigo announces run for Zone 3

Bonarrigo, a local manufacturing company CEO, has lived in Ormond Beach for 23 years.

Ormond Beach resident and business owner Barbara Bonarrigo filed to run for the Zone 3 City Commission seat on Friday, March 17. She was the first person to file to run for the seat in the 2024 elections.

Bonarrigo has lived in the city for 23 years and said she decided to run for the open seat because she wants to be of service to her community. Incumbent Zone 3 City Commissioner Susan Persis has filed to run for mayor.

“My intention is to serve my neighbors, and especially

in Zone 3,” Bonarrigo said. “I want to protect the character and the charm of our beautiful city.”

She serves on three city advisory boards: the Board of Adjustments and Appeals, the Human Resources Advisory Board and the Leisure Services Board. In December 2022, she was also appointed to serve on the governor’s Florida Small Business Development Center Network Statewide Advisory Board. In 2020, the Volusia Manufacturing Association named her the Woman Manufacturer of the Year.

“When you run for office or

have today, or women have today,” Persis said. “And so, I would love to be that.”

Her husband, School Board

member Carl Persis, served as mayor from 2000-2002.

Growth is one of the important issues the city is facing

now, Susan Persis said. While growth within the city limits has been less than 2% a year in recent times, Persis said, residents are experiencing the negative impacts of “explosive growth” in Daytona Beach and nearby unincorporated areas of Volusia County.

Elected officials throughout the county need to work together to minimize these impacts, she said.

“I feel that every project should be designed to achieve a balance of green space, water retention, noise abatement, landscaping, tree preservation for sure, and with the number of units not exceeding the density for the neighboring area,” she said.

Kristin Deaton files to run for City Commission

you are in office, it’s all about your life experiences, and I can bring that to the table — a lot of life experience and business experience,” Bonarrigo said.

Bonarrigo, the CEO of CJ Manufacturing in Daytona Beach, previously ran to represent District 4 on the Volusia County Council in 2020 against then-incumbent Heather Post, who was reelected.

This time, Bonarrigo said, she wants to focus Ormond Beach residents. Concerns about growth are at the top of the list.

She said she’s looking forward to walking door to door during her campaign.

“I love talking to the people and [hearing] their needs and their wants, and their worries, and what they like or dislike, and I want to remember all of that once I’m elected and continue serving the people,” Bonarrigo said.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

A second candidate has emerged to represent Zone 3 on the Ormond Beach City Commission.

Kristin Deaton, a sales manager with Guild Morgage, filed to run for the open seat on Monday, March 20. Having been born and raised in Ormond Beach — and in Zone 3, specifically — Deaton said she’d been thinking of running for some time and that she has a passion for the community and public service.

“I felt like it was something that when it hit me, I had to do

it,” Deaton said. She has been involved in the community for a few years now, being a graduate of the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2019 and a board member of the city’s Municipal Police Officers’ Pension Trust Board.

Deaton said she is also a vice president on the local Crime Stoppers board and has earned several recognitions, such as the Small Business Young Professional of the Year, in 2022.

In the past, she also served on the Women United board for three years and was cochair for the Power of the Purse fundraiser in 2021.

“I have always been heavily involved in our local community, and am excited to execute my passion for Ormond Beach and to be an advocate for the city I have known my entire life,” Deaton wrote in a Facebook post announcing her

candidacy.

Some of the issues she’s interested in include ensuring the city’s tax rate remains low, keeping the city safe and clean for future generations and planning for responsible growth.

“I think that we need to focus on growing the infrastructure of Ormond Beach properly and timely,” Deaton said. “I think that’s very important for residents to know when they’re voting — simply, that I will listen to their concerns, and we’ll definitely take it into account.”

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

File photo

Susan Persis (second from right) has announced she will run for mayor in 2024. She is pictured here with her family during her swearing-in ceremony for the City Commission in 2022.

Kristin Deaton was born and raised in Zone 3, and is raising her family there as well.

Kristin Deaton

Barbara Bonarrigo

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Former nurse opens açaí bowl spot on the beachside

Solberry opened on March 7 at the Granada Plaza in Ormond Beach.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

When it comes to creating her ideal açaí bowl, Jessi McClary is all about the toppings — peanut butter, fruit, granola.

But everybody is different, which is why she built her new smoothie bar in Ormond Beach around the “build your own” concept. Customers choose a base, then their “crunch,” what fruit they would like, and, finally, an unlimited number of toppings.

“It’s different, and people seem to really enjoy it,” McClary said. “The thing these days is people want quality, and they want quantity and they want it to be healthy. I’ve tried hard to hit all those marks.”

Solberry opened on March 7 at the Granada Plaza, at 205 E. Granada Blvd. It’s a business a couple years in the making.

McClary and her family returned to town in 2022 following about two years of traveling around the country in their RV. She recalled one day when they were in the “middle of nowhere Utah” and she decided to look for a smoothie bar that offered açaí bowls in the area.

The closest one was two hours away, and when they arrived, she discovered it had a “build your own” concept.

“I was like, ‘This is bril -

liant,’” McClary said. A nurse for about 8 years, McClary always had an interest in health. While traveling the country, she developed a deeper love for creating healthy snacks and foods for her family, all as she navigated the challenges of a small RV kitchen.

The family grew homesick, though, and on their return to Ormond Beach, her fiancé — who is an ICU nurse — spoke about her going back to work as a nurse too. But McClary knew she wanted to pursue a

different path.

In May 2022, she started looking for a place to open her smoothie bar. When she noticed a space open at Granada Plaza, she went for it.

In addition to açaí bowls, Solberry offers coffees, teas, smoothies and baked goods.

It’s been rewarding, McClary said. Since she opened, customers have been coming and going in a steady flow, and she even got to participate in the annual Taste of Ormond event on March 5, two days before Solberry was

officially open.

“This was a long journey, a very long journey, and to finally have opened my doors and not feel like I’m struggling is very, very, very comforting,” McClary said. There are touches inside her smoothie bar that remind her of family — down to its name, inspired by her 20-month-old daughter, Rae. The smoothies were named after things her three children love too, and the art on the walls was done by her fiancé’s cousin, local artist Natasha Azari.

BIZ BUZZ

ADVENTHEALTH HONORS WOMEN OF NASCAR

AdventHealth is launching a platform in March during Women’s History Month to celebrate the women working in NASCAR, including women drivers and the business professionals who serve as the backbone of race teams, tracks, agencies and media organizations.

The platform includes a partnership with AdventHealth, NASCAR CraftsmanTruck Series and ThorSport Racing driver Hailie Deegan, Women in NASCAR and female members of the motorsports media.

WIN is an employee resource group that aims to create a supportive community for women and allies in NASCAR offices.

As part of the partnership, during the March 18 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the deck lid of Deegan’s No. 13 Ford F-150 will feature the names of many of the women working in NASCAR.

Creating a sense of community through Solberry is an important goal for McClary.

It’s not something one finds in every town, and it’s something she missed while on the road, she said.

“I want people to feel a connection when they come in,” McClary said. “... I just want them to feel good, whether it’s the environment or the food or learning about the food.”

Solberry is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit solberrybowls.com.

The name of Sara Christian, who was the first female driver to compete in NASCAR, will also appear above the passenger-side door.

“I’m excited to partner with AdventHealth on this important initiative to honor Women’s History Month,” Deegan said. “It’s an honor to recognize the incredible women who paved the way for female drivers, as well as the female business professionals who are important to the day-to-day operation of our sport.”

How do you know if your hearing aids are giving you the best hearing possible? WHAT IS REM, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

BY: DR. INDIRA ALVAREZ

REM is the objective calibration of the prescription in your hearing aids.

It is how we make sure that the sounds that your hearing aids produce in your ear are appropriate for your hearing loss and that speech is as clear as possible. This calibration optimizes the way your hearing aids sound. We make precise adjustments in the physical and acoustic fit so the sounds coming out of your hearing aids in your ear match your prescription, which are the levels where you will hear the best.

You will be positioned in front of a set of speakers with your hearing aids and a small probe in each ear. Your provider will play a series

of calibrated sounds that include all the frequencies of speech, and program the settings in your hearing aids as they measure the output of sound from your aids. Realear measurements are important because they measure how a hearing aid’s volume and pitch are affected by your individual ear size and shape. Finally, we make the appropriate adjustments based on your audiogram, the response we see on the computer screen and your feedback. We also use evidence-based amplification targets to help guide our decisions as to how to set the volume of the hearing aids. Real-ear measurements allow us to apply the hearing aid fitting to your specific ear.

The result is that your hearing aid settings are accurate for the size and shape of your ear and for your hearing loss.

Our mission is to practice audiology to the gold standard of care,

using evidenced-based practice and protocols; which means we practice audiology based on information and evidence from our audiology research community. The audiology research community continuously publishes peer reviewed studies to help doctors better understand and treat hearing loss.

Real-ear measurements have been proven by the audiology research community as the gold standard for hearing aid fitting verification.

Unfortunately, there are many hearing care providers who do not use real-ear measurements in their practice. This results in less accuracy and satisfac tion with hearing aids for many patients. We use real-ear measurements

because our mission is to serve our patients by providing the best care possible. According to evidence-based practice, the best audiological care cannot be provided without the use of real-ear measurements.

AT OUR FACILITY, OUR PROVIDERS USE REAL EAR MEASURES, OR REM TO PROPERLY FIT YOUR HEARING AIDS

Jessi McClary makes a smoothie inside Solberry.

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

LETTERS

Editor’s note: The following letter was originally sent to Mayor Bill Partington. It is being republished here at the request of the letter writer.

No more condos

Dear Mr. Partington,

I just read about the proposed condos on Granada. I moved here in 2019 for the beautiful home town

feel of Ormond, from the beautiful street lanterns and The Casements to the palm trees and parks surrounding the best bridge in Volusia County.

Why would you ruin it by planting a six-story condo building on our main street?

Do you see that literally all the buildings are one to two stories, with the exception of the MacDonald House and Rose Villa, which are three stories and cottage-style?

A six-story building crammed into that tiny lot will change the

Make yourself at home

entire aesthetics of this beautiful beach town.

We do not need 24 units, roughly 50 people, to save our shops. I ride my bike into town daily. I shop, go to sunrise service and go to the beach, all on my bike.

The reason the builder says it is such a challenge is because a six-story building on 0.75 acres is ridiculous.

The new condos on Halifax are bad enough and do not fit in with the surrounding houses. May I suggest another restaurant with out-

door seating? Something beautiful and unique, with partial ocean view and parking in the back? Maybe something we can brag about?

Please tell me when the next meeting is and how I can stop this.

I appreciate your time and consideration.

PAMELA GATFIELD Ormond Beach

Send letters to Jarleene@observerlocalnews.com.

Celebrating 40: Freedom means riding in a booster

Luke’s sister observed: ‘Now he gets to have a normal life.’

“I weighed the pounds I’m supposed to!”

“What are you talking about?”

my wife, Hailey, asked.

“I weighed 40-point-oh!” Luke said. He kept repeating, “Yes! Yes!”

BRIAN MCMILLAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As my wife and I were lying in bed the other night, about to turn out the lights and go to sleep, my 4-year-old son, Luke, barged into our bedroom, turned the corner like the expert Mario Kart racer that he is, and barreled down the short hallway yelling, “Bathroom!” Apparently, a sibling was hogging the kids’ bathroom on the other side of the house, and this was no time for pleasantries.

A minute later, I heard the toilet flush, and then a squeal of joy. He sprinted out of the bathroom as fast as he had gone in, this time yelling,

LOCAL DAR CHAPTER INDUCTS NEW MEMBER

The Capt. James Ormond Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution inducted a new member at its monthly meeting on Feb. 27. The new member is Andrea Hoy. The chapter was founded in 1966. To learn more about the local DAR chapter, visit fssdar.com/CaptainJamesOrmondDAR.

MAINLAND ROTC DONATES $200 TO DOLINER FOOD BANK

The Mainland High School ROTC donated $200 last week to the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties’ Jerry Doliner Food Bank.

The ROTC presented the check to Jewish Federation President Marvin Miller. The Jewish Federation’s Jerry Doliner Food Bank serves people in need in Volusia and Flagler County, regardless of their religion.

Four of the eight students present on the day of the donation will be going into the military, Miller said in a statement to the Observer

Then we realized the significance of his announcement. Whenever Luke travels in our car or minivan, we always strap him into a threepoint harness car seat. He’s not a fan, and I can understand why: With all those straps and the cinching mechanism right, it resembles a medieval torture device. When he complains about it, however, we tell him that we cannot get rid of the car seat and get a simple booster seat until he weighs 40 pounds, because the booster seat says it’s for 40 pounds and up.

The thing is, Luke knows that some of his friends are already out of their car seats, so he feels like the only kid who has to live by this strict rule. But, as with many parenting decisions made by Hailey and me, it’s motivated by a fear of

ORMOND BEACH PASTOR CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY

regret: What if we let him out of the car seat at 39 pounds, and the next day, we get into a car crash, and he gets hurt?

Nope, not worth it. The booster is only for kids who weigh 40 and up. If you want the booster, finish your sandwich.

In his quest to hit 40, he has learned some distorted views of dieting, just by listening to the chatter about nutrition facts around the house.

One day at lunch, I heard Luke rattling off some numbers: “Sixtynine grams of protein, 44 grams of fiber, zero cholesterol,” he said.

“Oh yeah?” I asked. “What’s that?”

He held up a ketchup bottle.

“I think you’re making that up, Luke.”

At the conclusion of one trip to Publix, Luke insisted on walking by the enormous scale, which he calls The Pound Weigher. But even with his clothes and shoes on, he was still under 40.

Occasionally, he would give us updates: 37.8, 38.6, 39.8.

world.”

His congregation expressed appreciation in the following message, written by Carrie Moore:

“Pastor, For the early Sunday mornings, midweek meetings and studies. For the late night calls and hospital visits. For the missions, memorials and celebrations. For the wise counsel, advice and shepherding. For the patience, selfless love and sacrifice all for the glory of God. Thank you both for giving your all. You are appreciated beyond words.

Praying for another 30 years of sharing the good news!”

But not tonight. He hit the magic number. It was a moment of pride. A rite of passage. Freedom from the three-point harness.

At breakfast the next morning, Luke told his 8-year-old sister, Kennedy, the news: He would be sitting in a booster seat today.

Kennedy responded: “He achieved something. Now he gets to have a normal life.”

For Luke, it seemed life would be much better than “normal.”

As he got in his booster on the way to school, he started singing, “This is going to be the best day of my li-i-i-ife.”

Luke is a naturally happy person, and it’s contagious. As I watched him in my rearview mirror as he smiled and exulted in the back seat, as he reached up and touched the light above his seat for the first time, I was genuinely happy for him, and even more, I was happy for the many milestones and rites of passage to come.

Life gets better and better, my son, just you wait. Just keep smiling and celebrating.

way Motorsports will contribute a combined $100,000 to match gifts of up to $750.

“As the sport of NASCAR comes together to celebrate its 75th anniversary, this is such a unique opportunity for fans worldwide to come together in support of organizations that benefit our communities,” said Jessica Fickenscher, managing director for Speedway Children’s Charities.

SWEETHEART BALL KICKS OFF FOR 600 DADS AND DAUGHTERS

ORMOND BEACH

Observer

“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

Publisher John Walsh, jwalsh@observerlocalnews.com

Managing Editor Jonathan Simmons, jonathan@observerlocalnews.com

Senior Editor Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@observerlocalnews.com

Associate Editor Brent Woronoff, brent@observerlocalnews.com

Staff Writer Sierra Williams, sierra@observerlocalnews.com

Design Editor Hailey McMillan, hailey@observerlocalnews.com

Media Director Holly Oliveri, holly@observerlocalnews.com

Senior Media Specialist Susan Moore, susan@observerlocalnews.com

Advertising Coordinator Jessica Boone, jessica@observerlocalnews.com

Office Coordinator Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@observerlocalnews.com

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ADOPTABLE PETS

Jane, a 5-year-old terrier and American Staffordshire mix with a blue and white coat. Her adoption fee is $75.

Providence Church Pastor Dr. Timothy Mann is celebrating 30 years of ministry.

Mann, who began pastoring in Missouri, has spent the last 13 years at Providence Church, according to a statement submitted to the Observer

“His pastoring, ministering, and preaching has not only been encouraging, but most importantly, life-changing,” the statement reads.

“Pastor Tim and his wife Patty Mann have a passion for not only the folks within the walls of our church, but the souls and salvation of the entire

NASCAR FOUNDATION, PARTNERS TO HOST GIVEATHON

The NASCAR Foundation, Speedway Motorsports and Speedway Children’s Charities are teaming up to host a 75-hour event to raise funds for nonprofits across the country as part of the sport’s 75th Anniversary celebrations.

The NASCAR Day Giveathon begins Tuesday, May 16 at 5 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m. on Friday, May 19.

“The NASCAR industry has a long history of giving back in our racing communities to help others,” said Nichole Krieger, vice president and executive director of The NASCAR Foundation. “We’re thrilled to partner with Speedway Motorsports and Speedway Children’s Charities for this amazing event.”

The 75-hour giving period will feature a multitude of bonus grants and matching gift donations for nonprofit organizations as well as commemorative prizes/memorabilia for donors.

The goal will be to raise $750,000 in charitable funds. Nonprofits interested in participating are encouraged to register at NASCARdaygiveathon.org before the May 1 deadline.

Additionally, NASCAR and Speed-

The Junior League of Daytona Beach held its 20th annual Sweetheart Ball, presented by Security First Insurance, on Saturday, March 18, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

The Sweetheart Ball is the premier father, or father-figure, and daughter dance in Volusia County and the largest fundraiser for the JLDB.

The 600 attendees danced and enjoyed a candy bar, mocktails, raffles, photo opportunities and more.

The money raised supports JLDB’s mission of helping women, children and families in Volusia and Flagler Counties through programs like the Diaper Bank, the Little Black Dress initiative and numerous Done

Benji, a 3-year-old terrier and American Staffordshire mix with a red coat. His adoption fee is $75.

To adopt any of these animals, or see others, visit the Halifax Humane Society’s main campus at 2364 LPGA Blvd. or call 274-4703.

in a Day projects with community partners.

“We are honored to have given more than $1 million back to the community, thus far, through the programs we support,” said Kelly Marple, Junior League of Daytona Beach president. “The JLDB will continue to do everything in its power to help the women and children of our community succeed.”

The Sweetheart Ball event sponsors include Security First Insurance, Ashford Investment Advisors and Progressive Medical Research.

David S. Remey, CFP®, CIMA®, CPA Senior Vice President/Investments

Beach, Florida 32117

The Mainland High School ROTC presents a $200 check to Jewish Federation President Marvin Miller.

Photo courtesy of the Junior League of Daytona Beach Nick Demichina with his niece, Mila Cox

Courtesy photos Patty Mann and Pastor Dr. Timothy Mann.

FDOT proposes changes for median at Water Oak Lane and Granada

A new two-way directional median opening would prohibit northbound and southbound left turns onto West Granada Boulevard.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

The Florida Department of Transportation is considering redesigning the median opening at Water Oak Lane and West Granada Boulevard to make it safer.

FDOT held a public meeting on Tuesday, March 21, to discuss the proposed changes, which include changing the median opening into a two-

way directional median opening. The change would still let drivers make northbound and southbound right turns onto West Granada Boulevard, as well as left turns onto Water Oak Lane, but it would prohibit northbound and southbound left turns onto West Granada Boulevard, according to FDOT.

“These median changes will reduce many potential conflict points, making the road safer for all users,” FDOT stated in its presentation.

Between Jan. 1, 2015 and Jan 31, 2023, there were 29 crashes at the intersection, according to FDOT.

The crashes caused 14 injuries and over $152,000 in estimated property damage.

“Currently, westbound left turn and U-turning drivers have to pull further west

within the median opening, blocking the ability of eastbound left-turning drivers to complete their turn,” FDOT stated. “Additionally, southbound left-turning who stay in the median opening may partially block or obscure the inside thru lane, resulting in eastbound drivers taking evasive action to avoid a collision.”

The proposed improvements — which also include restriping the crosswalk at Water Oak Lane, and updating signage and pavement markings — are expected to cost FDOT $20,000 for design and $100,000 for construction.

The project is expected to be completed sometime in the fall or winter of this year.

To learn more about the project, visit cflroads.com/ project/992200-1.

Observer salutes Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, for 60 years of serving the Real Estate needs of Volusia and Flagler!

joined the company in 1971 and became a partner and sales manager of Helen Adams Realty in 1974. In 1978, Helen Adams Realty merged with Cameron Realty, and Bob was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of Adams, Cameron & Co., REALTORS. Together, Bob and Helen swiftly grew Adams, Cameron & Co. into the area’s largest real estate company, redefining the

way real estate was transacted in the local area.

John Adams joined Adams, Cameron & Co., Realtors in 2004 to work for his father and grandmother after working for accounting giant Arthur Andersen and as chief operating officer of an online marketing company in Chicago. He is currently President, CEO and Broker.

Thank you for Bringing Families Home Since 1963!

Thanks for your advertising support in the Observer and all newspapers throughout the years!

Robert “Bob” Adams

Ryan Adams John Adams Erin Adams-Welch

Robert “Bob” Adams

YOUR NEIGHBORS

‘It’s a Kite Thing’

The art installation by the Florida Women’s Art Association features over 50 kites by 45 artists.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

April is National Kite Month, so when the Florida Women’s Art Association was asked to put on another art installa tion at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, kites as canvases flew above all other ideas.

Acrylic. Ink. Mixed Media. Pho tography. Sculptures. Artists of a variety of mediums took on the challenge, and 45 FLWAA members created over 50 kites for the exhibit, titled “It’s a Kite Thing.” It opened at MOAS on Sunday, March 19, and will run through May 28.

“It really is an honor that the Muse um of Arts and Sciences would even consider taking us on and allowing us to come together as women, and that they support us in our commu nity,” said LC Tobey, chair and cura

titled “La Femme,” which is on display in New York.

Her kite, she said, features a glass eye and and dichroic glass tear.

“But the lips are smiling so it’s a kite of joy,” Tobey said. “Tears of joy, I call it.”

The exhibit also features a 9-footlong kite by Teri Althouse and Thays França, co-founders of Art Spotlight

“I think I always stretch them [the artists] by throwing out these incredible installations, and it really stretched some of them to use a technique or a medium they wouldn’t naturally use,” Tobey said. “They really had to think about this, and what’s nice about this is that it brought them all together.”

Courtesy photos

Tommy Tobey wires kites to prepare for the art installation.

Dean Cormier installs the kites at MOAS.

The art installation features over 50 kites. One of LC Tobey’s favorites is the kite depicting Benjamin Franklin, by Cathy Berse.

“It really is an honor that the Museum of Arts and Sciences would even consider taking us on and allowing us to come together as women, and that they support us in our community.”

LC TOBEY, chair and curator of the exhibit

BOAT SHOW

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

FPC HOSTS FRIENDS AND FAMILY SHOWCASE

When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Flagler Palm Coast High School, 5500 S.R. 100 E., Palm Coast

Details: Flagler Schools invites the local community to a Friends and Family Showcase at FPC. See dance performances by the school’s varsity and junior varsity Starlets and the Buddy Taylor Middle School Eaglettes. Free and open to the public.

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

URINETOWN

When: 7:30 p.m. March 24, 25, 31, April 1, 7 and 8; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26 and April 2, 9.

Where: Daytona Playhouse, 100 Jessamine Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: See this play about what happens when a 20-year drought leads to a government ban on private toilets. This comedic show features a cast of 27 locals. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $24 for seniors and $15 for youths. Visit daytonaplayhouse.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

66TH ANNUAL CRACKER DAY

When: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell

Details: The 66th annual Cracker Day, presented by the Flagler County Cattlemen’s Association, features bull riding, steer riding, steer saddling, sack races, jackpot barrel racing, pig chases and more. The rodeo begins at noon. Admission cost $20 per person. Children 3 and under are free. Visit https:// fb.me/e/TJJ2sXVm.

HERB FAIRE

When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Bailey Riverbridge Gardens, 1 N. Beach St.

Details: The Seaside Herb Society of Ormond Beach is hosting its 27th annual Spring Herb Faire, to take place outside the meeting

house. Buy herbs that have been locally grown and enjoy live music and baked goods. Club members will provide information on cultivation, recipes and health benefits of herbs. Vendors will be selling products for the home and garden. Free. Call Denny Lee Snyder at 443-497-0044 for more information. Visit seasideherbsociety.com.

JAMES WELDON JOHNSON

PARK AND LOCAL BLACK

HISTORY

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Anderson-Price Memorial Building, 42 N. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details: Join the Ormond Beach Historical Society for this presentation by Felicia Bevel, an assistant professor of history at the University of North Florida, on James Weldon Johnson Park in Jacksonville. It will discuss the park as a lens to understand Black history in Florida. Free.

WARBIRDS OVER FLAGLER

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Flagler Executive Airport, 201 Airport Road, Palm Coast

Details: See static vintage and modern military aircraft and vehicles, as well as warbird fly-bys. Enjoy music, food and beverage from vendors. Free admission. Parking costs $5 per car. Visit warbirdsoverflagler.com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 26

‘THE WAY I SEE IT’

OPENING RECEPTION

When: 1-4 p.m.

Where: Art League of Daytona Beach, 433 S. Palmetto Ave., Daytona Beach

Details: See this exhibit featuring abstract, surrealist and impressionist art by Florida artists. The exhibit runs through April 22. Visit artleague.org.

MONDAY, MARCH 27

IMPACT FEE UPDATE

PUBLIC MEETING

When: 10 a.m.

Where: City Commission Conference Room, 22 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details: The city of Ormond Beach, in conjunction with Raftelis Financial Consultants, will hold a public meeting to discuss its future impact fee

update. See ormondbeach. org/1028/Impact-Fees for more information.

ONGOING SCAPINO!

When: 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 24 and 25; 3 p.m. Sunday, March 26

Where: City Repertory Theatre, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast

Details: The City Repertory Theatre is presenting “Scapino!,” a comedy about a quick-thinking rascal who cleverly manipulates and cajoles people into doing what he wants them to do. Tickets cost $20 for adults; $15 for students. Visit crtpalmcoast. com.

VOLUSIA COUNTY SENIOR SOFTBALL

When: 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays

Where: Derbyshire Park and Sports Complex, 849 Derbyshire Road, Daytona Beach

Details: This 50-and-older men’s senior softball league is now forming. It’s both recreational and competitive. Call Joe Daly at 954-732-0992 or visit nsbseniorsoftball.com.

EXERCISES FOR THE MATURING BODY

When: 10:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays

Where: First Baptist Church of Palm Coast, 6050 Palm Coast Parkway, Palm Coast

Details: Attend upbeat classes presented by Synergy Senior Fitness and taught by Senior Fitness Specialist Artie Gardella. Classes are ongoing. Insurances that cover fitness accepted, or a donation for those with no coverage. Visit Synergyseniorfitness.com.

MOAS EXHIBITIONS

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Where: Museum of Arts and Sciences, 352 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach

Details: Want to spend a day looking at fine art? The Museum of Arts and Sciences has the following shows on display: “A Treasury of Indian and Persian Miniature Paintings,” and “Sensations: Florida Artists Group Statewide Exhibition.”

File photo by Kyla Sabate

Double trouble

An

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Matanzas catcher Reece Monroe was on deck when Gabe Breckenridge singled to center with two men on base and one out.

“I was dialed in,” Monroe said. “The next thing I know, it was the end of the inning.” Monroe thought a runner would score. Or maybe he would bat with the bases loaded. He didn’t expect a double play.

But it was that kind of night for the Pirates, who fell to Flagler Palm Coast for the second time in two days on Friday, March 17.

Kevin Maya and Jesse Baugher combined on a four-hit shutout as the Bulldogs defeated Matanzas 5-0 at the Pirates’ field.

“I just tried to get ahead on my pitches,” said Maya, who gave up four hits and one walk and struck out six in 5.2 innings. “My changeup was working.”

Baugher came on with two outs in the sixth, hit the first batter he faced and then retired four in a row to complete FPC’s sweep of its crosstown rivals.

“It’s really hyped up,” Maya said of the rivalry. “This is a big win for our team. Now we’ll have fun on the ride home.”

The Bulldogs led 5-0 in the fifth inning and then took the wind out of the Pirates’ sails with a preposterous double play in the bottom of the inning.

With men on first and second, Breckenridge singled to center. Maya took the cutoff throw and threw to shortstop Cody Clymer, who tagged out Alonso Quintana, who over-ran second base. Ethan DiGuglielmo then took off from third base, but Clymer threw him out at home. Catcher Thomas Seeley tagged the Matanzas junior for the final out of the inning.

“At the end of the day, we ran ourselves out of the inning,” Matanzas coach Jim Perry said. “We have a lot of inexperience across the board. We’re going to have growing pains.”

Monroe is a senior, but this is his first year on varsity after missing last season with an injury. He plays a variety of positions, Perry said, but with the Pirates starting left-hander Seth Avellar on the mound, Monroe got to play behind the plate.

With Braden Russell returning as the starting catcher, Monroe asked if he could catch lefties this season.

“A few of my friends are lefthanders, and I like catching them,” Monroe said. “They can locate the ball real well. The ball seems to come in crisper from left-handers.”

Monroe made his presence felt in the field, framing pitches, throwing two runners out trying to steal and making a sliding catch on a foul pop in front of the Matanzas dugout.

“That was a big-time play,” Perry said.

Avellar, a sophomore, allowed just three hits in four innings, but the Bulldogs were able to take a 3-0 lead without getting a base hit.

FPC loaded the bases in the first inning on a hit-batter and two walks.

Brayden Stuart and Dalton Schell then followed with sacrifice flies. Schell hit another sacrifice fly in the third, scoring Tristen Miller, who walked, went to second on a long flyout and stole third.

The Bulldogs scored two more runs in the fourth as Maya helped his own cause with a warning-track double to score a run.

FPC finished up a 6-2 raindelayed win over the Pirates on March 15. That game was suspended in the bottom of the fourth inning on March 10.

Matanzas (3-5) followed the two losses to its rival with a 12-3 victory at Atlantic on Monday, March 20. The win ended the Pirates’ fivegame losing streak. Ben Apfelbach went 4-for-4 with two doubles. Apfelbach drove in three runs. FPC (6-5) began a spring break tournament in Sanford with an 11-0 loss to Delray Beach American Heritage.

FPC’s Connor May slides home as Matanzas catcher Reece Monroe waits for the throw.

FPC first baseman Dalton Schell (24) watches the pitcher as Matanzas runner Reece Monroe leads off.

Matanzas left-hander Josh Cope (22) stares down the FPC batter. Cope came on in the fifth and threw three shutout innings for the Pirates.

Matanzas second baseman Ethan DiGuglielmo (7) dodges FPC’s Jace Pasquariello.

unusual double play helps FPC defeat Matanzas twice in two days.

“It’s really hyped up, This is a big win for our team. Now we’ll have fun on the ride home.”

KEVIN MAYA, FPC pitcher on the rivalry

“At the end of the day, we ran ourselves out of the inning. We have a lot of inexperience across the board. We’re going to have growing pains.”

JIM PERRY, Matanzas coach

Photos by Jake Montgomery

On the rebound: Matanzas lacrosse rises out

mer college lacrosse player already on the Matanzas campus who had been an assistant coach for 12 years at a successful high school program in New York State.

ashes

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

When Jordan Butler became Matanzas High School’s athletic director in August, 2021, he knew the boys lacrosse program was in danger of folding.

The previous coach had been fired, and several players had transferred to Flagler Palm Coast High School.

He had to find a new coach, and they had to find enough players to field a team.

Butler asked for advice from former Pirates’ head coach Efrain Gutierrez, who had become an assistant coach at Flagler College.

“I remember him telling me if we don’t forfeit a game, it’s a win,” Butler said. It turned out that there was a for-

Adam Frys, a Matanzas algebra teacher, reached out to Butler, but he wasn’t sure he wanted the job.

“Going away from coaching and coming back to it, you know what a huge commitment it is, and you know what a strain it can put on your family,” Frys said.

If Frys, who played lacrosse at Hartwick College, wasn’t sure he was the right man to lead the Pirates, Butler was.

“The first time I met him I knew he was the guy I wanted to lead the program,” Butler said.

Frys sought advice from wrestling coach TJ Gillin, with whom he coteaches.

Gillin and the other wrestling coaches showed Frys how they built a successful program at the school and that he could do it too.

Frys took the job.

“I kind of went back to why I got into teaching in the first place,” he said. “And part of it was to be a lacrosse coach, and I just really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do it my way. The fact that it was torn down to the ground, to me, was a good thing, because that meant I got to build it with my own vision.”

RECRUITING THE SCHOOL

At Johnson City High School, outside of Binghamton, New York, Frys was on a coaching staff that turned around a struggling program, so he had the blueprint.

But he may not have been ready for the first day of practice when he was greeted by all of seven players, three short of fielding a team with no substitutes.

The returning players went to work recruiting the school.

“We asked a lot of the sophomores and freshmen if they wanted to play,” midfielder Bryson Williams said. “We got a whole bunch of people out through friends and networking around the school.”

The new players had a short period of time to learn a game that was foreign to them.

“It was definitely a struggle,” Williams said. “The newer kids didn’t really know how to play, so we were trying to teach them at the same time we were playing.”

The transition was also difficult for the returning players, he said. Frys had a different philosophy than the previous coach.

“We had newer plays and a different formation than what we used to run,” Williams said. “Coach Frys is from up north where they play fast paced with a lot of different formations.”

Not only did the Pirates not forfeit a game last season, they won three games, including their seasonopener against St. Joseph. They finished with a 3-9 record.

HUGE STRIDES This season, Matanzas is 4-5. The gap between Matanzas and FPC is still palpable, as the Bulldogs’ 14-3 win on March 15 attests, but the

Pirates’ progress has been unmistakable. And interest in the team has skyrocketed.

“I’m not turning kids away, but I had up to 40 kids interested this year,” Frys said. “I think that a lot of kids have seen us out there and they see the shiny helmets, they see the kids enjoying the game. It’s recruited itself now. And I think that momentum is going to keep building.”

Last year, Frys said, the Pirates were unable to run an organized offense.

“This year, we’re running a set that we can run over and over and over again and possess the ball for long periods of time,” he said. “We’re seeing big improvements, and it’s not just from a skill level, but it’s in the IQ level as well in understanding the game.”

But the biggest difference in the Pirates this year from two years ago is discipline.

“In the past, we struggled a lot with keeping our cool,” Williams said. “We had a lot of hotheads. This year, we have higher positive energy around the team and we’re cheering each other, not letting our mouths get ahead of us.”

Butler said Frys has proven to be one of the best coaches on campus.

“He’s very passionate,” Butler said. “He brought discipline and pride into the program, and that’s what we were looking for.”

The Pirates are led by four seniors: Williams, a dual midfielder, who has an offer to play next year at Webber International University; faceoff midfielder Brett Furey; attacker Jimmy Kelly; and defenseman Thomas Reilly, who Frys calls the heart and soul of the team.

“He’s a bit undersized, but he’s a sparkplug out there,” Frys said.

FPC coach Tom Morgello said the two programs are working together now. He and Frys trained players together last summer, Morgello said.

“We’re a unified county,” Morgello said. “This (rivalry) is real friendly, where in years past it wasn’t friendly. There’s some animosity between people, but that’s the way lacrosse and sports work in this lifetime. But

we try to help them out as much as possible, help them with equipment, training.”

Frys stresses that he’s a teacher first and a coach second, but he is happy that lacrosse is back in his life.

“Obviously, I love lacrosse,” he said. “I tell the guys all the time that lacrosse gave me a lot in my life. You know, I met my wife at a lacrosse party. It’s given me so much, and I just feel obligated to give it back.

“I know our goal is to win games ultimately, but I want (the players) to love the game of lacrosse like it is a passion sport and it’s an addiction. When you pick it up, kids don’t quit lacrosse, you know? It’s that level of fun, and I just really felt obligated to give back to the game that has given me so much.”

Adam Frys is rebuilding a program that almost folded prior to last season.

Photos by Brent Woronoff Matanzas players Cassan Britton (7), Vincent Ferrugiaro (15) in front of FPC’s goal

“The fact that it was torn down to the ground, to me, was a good thing, because that meant I got to build it with my own vision.”

ADAM FRYS, Matanzas coach

Toriello having explosive lacrosse season

The Bulldogs’ midfielder is one of the top scorers in the state, with 42 goals in nine games.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

When lacrosse player Dylan Toriello wants to work on his game, he can just walk next door.

“My next-door neighbor, I was fortunate enough to have him open up a lacrosse store when we were a little younger,” the Flagler Palm Coast senior midfielder said. “So, that’s closed down now, but all the equipment he had in that shop is at his house still. So, he has a cage in his backyard with a shot clock, netting in the back, everything like that. So, any time I want to go outside and shoot around, it’s there for me.”

Toriello has been working on his game since he first picked up a stick at a young age. Now, he is one of the leading goal scorers in the state, with 42 in nine games.

“Dylan is obviously one of the best midfielders in North Florida,” FPC boys lacrosse coach Tom Morgello said. “Many teams can attest to that, because many teams can’t guard him. With stats, they know who the guys are, and they try to lock him off. Dylan is an all-around athlete, whether he’s doing mountain biking, running, surfing, whatever. Everything he does, he excels at.”

Toriello has been in love with lacrosse since he picked up that first stick.

“My uncle played in high school,” Toriello said. “He left one of his sticks at my house one day, and I found it in the garage and just picked it up

and started messing with it, and ever since then I’ve had a stick in my hand.”

Toriello has been playing lacrosse since he was 8 or 9 years old. He and a few other FPC seniors have trained with high-level club teams to raise their game.

Toriello is one of 14 seniors on FPC’s team. With next year a likely rebuilding season, the Bulldogs have set a goal this year to win the district championship. Last year, they lost to Creekside, 18-6, in the district title game but earned a spot in the regional playoffs.

“Our schedule is a lot tougher this year,” Morgello said. “We just played Creekside (March 9) and lost in overtime (8-7), so our team is definitely better than last year.”

The Bulldogs (5-6) followed the overtime loss with a 14-3 win over Matanzas on March 15 and another close loss, 13-11, to Orlando Boone on March 16. Toriello scored eight goals in the two games, including five against the Pirates.

“We’re doing alright this year,” Toriello said. “But we tend to come together more in

Racers qualify for Age Group Nationals

“My uncle played in high school. He left one of his sticks at my house one day and I found it in the garage and just picked it up and started messing with it, and ever since then I’ve had a stick in my hand.”

DYLAN TORIELLO

the second half of our games, and we need to come out in the beginning and play hard.”

The Bulldogs have four games left before the district tournament. Their next game is at home against Cocoa Beach on March 27.

Morgello knows he can continue to count on Toriello down the stretch to be a leader on the team.

“He’s obviously a senior leader,” Morgello said. “He rallies the guys real well. A lot of the energy that Dylan puts out gets spread to the rest of the team. What he does definitely boosts the rest of the guys’ morale and their ability to play.”

Four swimmers from the USRP Racers qualified for the National Club Swimming Association’s Age Group Swimming Championships, also known as the Age Group Nationals.

The meet is March 22-25 at the Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center in Orlando.

It is the first year the Racers have qualified swimmers for the nationals.

Matthew Alvarez, 13, qualified in six events — the 50 and 100 freestyle, the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 intermediate medley.

Blake Allender, 14, qualified in the 100 and 200 freestyle and the 50 and 100 backstroke. Evie Kate Carnathan, 12, qualified in the 50 and 100 breaststroke.

Charlee Anderson, 10, also qualified, but she will compete at the Florida AllStars in Fort Pierce instead. The top six Florida swimmers in each age group qualify for that meet. Charlee will compete in the 50 and 100 freestyle, 50 and 100 backstroke, the 50 butterfly and the 100 IM.

The Age Group National brings together the top 900 swimmers in the nation between the ages of 9 and 14.

The USRP Racers train at the Cypress Aquatic Center in Daytona Beach.

“This incredible achievement is a testament to the swimmers’ hard work and dedication in and out of the pool,” Racers head coach Rob Klotzbach said. “More importantly, each of the swimmers are A students and quality young men and women. Each and every one of them inspire, push, support and genuinely enjoy the company of all of their teammates.”

FPC wins 4x400 boys relay at Bob Hayes Invitational

A week after the Flagler Palm Coast 4x800 boys relay won at the North/South Florida Challenge, the Bulldogs’ 4x400 relay won at the Bob Hayes Invitational track and field meet.

FPC’s Isaiah Joseph, Dennis Murray, Thomonte Curry and DZ Steward ran a 3:21.35 to win at the elite meet on a cold, wet day, March 18, at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ 4x800 relay of Joseph, Brandon Kalasnik, Peyton Woodward and Kamron Davis finished third with a time of 8:09.3. The team’s North/ South time of 7:55.08 is still the fastest time in the state.

Joseph also finished fifth in the 400 hurdles with a time of 57.46 seconds, while FPC’s Gerod Tolbert was third in the long jump at 21 feet, 11.5 inches and Colby Cronk was sixth in the shot put at 50

feet, 1.25 inches. Other top finishes at the Bob Hayes Invitational included: Seabreeze’s Mackenzie Roy third in the girls 1,600 (5:15.78), while her twin sister Arianna was seventh (5:21.10). Mackenzie Roy also finished third in the 3,200 with a time of 11:40.59.

Seabreeze’s Chandler Mitzo finished second in the boys javelin with a throw of 151 feet, 4 inches.

FPC’s Ashton Bracewell and Jake Blumengarten each won the James Day College Scholarship. Three scholarships of $2,500 were awarded to boys and three to girls at the meet.

Davis takes over Sandcrabs

Lester Davis, Mainland’s co-defensive coordinator, returned to his alma mater to be the head football coach at Seabreeze. Davis played linebacker for Seabreeze and South Carolina State University.

DeAugustino goes 1-2 at NCAA championships

FPC graduate Michael DeAugustino of Northwestern won one match in the 125-pound classification at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships. DeAugustino lost in overtime by a 3-1 decision in the first round, won 7-2 in consolation round 1 and lost 7-2 in consolation round 2.

Email brent@ observerlocalnews.com.

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Photo by Brent Woronoff

The Bulldogs pose for a team photo on senior night, March 15, after their game against Matanzas. Dylan Toriello is No. 19.

FPC’s Dennis Murray, Thomonte Curry, Isaiah Joseph and DZ Steward won the 4x400 relay at the Bob Hayes Invitational on March 18.

Courtesy photos USRP Racers Evie Kate Carnathan and Charlee Anderson

UPENDED by Dennis Nullet, edited by Jeff Chen

Luis Campos

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Palm

Harbor house tops sales list House in Toscana sells for $2.2 million

Ahouse in Palm Harbor was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 9-15 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Robert and Mary Jean Kambar, of Palm Coast, sold 4 Cherry Court to LAJ Corporation, of St. Johns, for $765,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, custom-built hot tub and private boat dock, with 2,094 square feet of living space.

ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER PALM COAST

Cypress Knoll Piotr Rowicki and Elzbieta Dragan, of Palm Coast, sold 32 Evansville Lane to James Burns and Beth Brimer, of Palm Coast, for $657,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 5/3 and has 2,717 square feet.

Robert and Donna Wyder, of Oakland, New Jersey, sold 41 Egan Drive to Margretta and Michael Franklin, of Palm Coast, for $520,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, hot tub and 2,470 square feet.

Indian Trails

Jenna Dalton, of Palm Coast, sold 9 Barrington Drive to Dylan Doherty, of Palm Coast, for $358,500. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,386 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $214,900.

Marc Tourville and Mary Shapiro, of Palm Coat, sold 12 Barring Place to Phillip

and Maria Boudreau, of Palm Coast for $417,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, shed and 1,820 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $83,600.

Lehigh Woods

National Home Corporation, of Roswell, Georgia, sold 4 Rickenbacker Drive to Thomas Stein, of Palm Coast, and Deborah Stein, of Boston, Massachusetts, for $295,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,517 square feet.

Wimsatt Rentals, LLC, of Owensboro, Kentucky, sold 29 Raintree Place to Adam and Hilary Brown, of Palm Coast, for $314,900. Built in 2001, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,730 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $156,100.

Palm Harbor Home Buyers of Northeast Florida LLC, of Flagler Beach, sold 21 Coral Reef Court South to Manny and Mariana Gandarez, of Long Branch, New Jersey, for $484,200. Built in 1982, the

house is a 4/3 and has 1,992 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $260,000.

Pine GroveRobert and Danielle Galloway, of Palm Coast, sold 150 Point Pleasant Drive to Ramon and Larysa Andersen, of Palm Coast, for $340,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,331 square feet. It sold in 2001 for $94,400.

Pine Lakes

Natalya Shvets, of Brooklyn, New York, sold 42 Waters Drive to Pedro Gonzalez Gorbea and Maria Montenegro, of Palm Coast, for $370,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,905 square feet.

Elizabeth Becker, Patricia Auriemma, and Susan Kern, of Palm Coast, sold 33 Wellstone Drive to Tina and Robert Escalante, of Palm Coast, for $220,000. Built in 1984, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, pool, hot tub and 1,245 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $94,000.

Jennifer McCain, of Palm Coast, and Elizabeth Douglas, of Sylva, North Carolina, sold 4 Woodglen Place to Steven Kraeger, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for $260,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 2/2 and has a pool and 1,854 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $145,000.

Sawmill Creek Holiday Builders, Inc., of Melbourne, sold 5 Ridge Road

Ahouse along the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 5-11 in Ormond Beach and Ormondby-the-Sea. Todd Whitten and Robert Maloy, of St. Augustine, sold 113 La Toscana Rotonda to Russell and Patti Wallace, of Moorseville, North Carolina, for $2,200,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/5 and has a pool, three fireplaces and 4,343 square feet of space.

ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER ORMOND BEACH

Halifax Plantation

Lawrence Breen and Michelle Zajac-Breen, Individually and as Trustees of the Breen Revocable Trust, of Ormond Beach, sold 3647 Mallow Drive to Thomas and Sarah Lairson, of Ormond Beach, for $590,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,268 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $353,000.

Not in a subdivision Thomas and Erinn Ganz, of South Daytona, sold 1533 Harmony Avenue to Dwayne and Jennifer Dixon, of Ormond Beach, for $750,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,468 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $340,000.

Hunter Ramirez, of Ormond Beach, sold 112 South Ridgewood Avenue to Lenore Montgomery, as Trustee

of the Montgomery Family Revocable Trust, of Saint Petersburg, for $247,500. Built in 1907, the house is a 2/1 and has 1,301 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $130,000.

Oak Forest

Allan Trueblood, of Ormond Beach, sold 1526 Poplar Drive to Mark LeClere, of Ormond Beach, for $495,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 2,185 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $236,900.

Ormond Lakes David and Catherine Melton, of Ormond Beach, sold 8 Grackle Lane to Edward Greth and Shannon Levesque, of Ormond Beach, for $435,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,169 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $277,000.

Ormond Shores Jefferey and Jonathan Rufenacht, individually and as successor co-trustee of the Roger Allen Rufenacht and Carol Carnahan Rufenacht Revocable Trust, of Mait-

land, sold 66 River Beach Drive to Jinger Hall and Monty Anderson, of Ormond Beach, for $376,000. Built in 1928, the house is a 3/1 and has a fireplace and 1,310 square feet.

Plantation Bay

Luke and Jessica Brown, of Ormond Beach, sold 1410 Regal Pointe Lane to David and Roxanne Jeghers, of Ormond Beach, for $620,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and has 2,459 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $285,000.

Stephan and Lisa Sanville, of Manchester, Connecticut, sold 848 Aldenham Lane to Paige and Jason Lemberg, of Westfield, New Jersey, for $370,000. Built in 2018, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,078 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $285,000.

Ray Mar Heights

Terry and Marcia Willbanks, of Gainesville, Georgia, sold 119 Ray Mar Drive to Rochelle Cannon, of Ormond Beach, for $420,000. Built in 1961, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,350 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $395,000.

Reflections Village

David and Carole Benson, of Jacksonville, sold 32 Reflections Village Drive to Sylvia Harton-Robbins, of Ormond Beach, for $310,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,518 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $205,000.

2017 Energy efficient home is ready to move in. 3 bedroom with bonus/flex room. Open floor plan with center island kitchen. Upgrades include recessed lighting, volume ceilings, hurricane shutters and newer pvc fence. Master suite with extra large walk-in closet. Relax on the extended back porch. MLS#1106776 $419,000 Call Carly Krajewski 386-872-0878.

PALM COAST

RARE True double lot, 160 foot wide backyard. Possibly sell 2nd lot, build for loved one or install garage/workshop. NEW: solar-paid off, 12’ GATE, fence, pavered screened back porch, pavered patio. LARGE OPEN KITCHEN, open layout, split floor plan. $390k w/only main lot. With both lots $424,000

MLS#1106535 Call Christina Daugherty 386-299-3179.

INDIGO LAKES

NEW 2022 ROOF WITH 5 YEAR WARRANTY AND SOLAR

HEAT SALT WATER POOL. This 4 bed/ 4bath beautiful estate is located on Big Lake and is move-in ready. The double door entrance leads into the sophisticated great room, including a gas fireplace, built-in speakers, and a breathtaking view of the travertine lanai and lake.

MLS#1106440 $942,500

Call Julia Laoun 386-301-0983.

Don’t miss this spectacular & spacious 3 bedroom, 3 full bathroom Garden Villa with attached 2 car garage. Nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac, this 2 story model comes with 2 primary suites; 1 upstairs and 1 down. The living room features a corner stone fireplace for chilly evening. MLS#1106804 $319,000 Call Amy Kathryn Beals 386-852-1400.

Charming, tasteful & completely updated home in quiet, central Ormnd Beach neighborhood. Movein ready condition. Look out over your delightful oversized fenced backyard, a gardener’s paradise, with spacious screened back porch and outdoor patio. Four sizeable bedrooms PLUS bonus office and inside laundry with storage. MLS#1105718 $442,900

Call Maureen France 386-479-2151.

Beautiful two story, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath with a two and a half car garage. With the Stunning master downstairs and the rest of the bedrooms upstairs there is plenty of room for entertaining and still enjoying your privacy! This gorgeous property boasts cathedral ceilings, built ins upstairs and down, and enough yard space. MLS#1106482 $610,000 Call Lindsey Wolf 407-432-3849.

REAL ESTATE

PALM COAST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7B

to Nicole Mateo and Pedro Mateo Jr., of Palm Coast, for $339,400. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,003 square feet.

Seminole Woods

Carolyn Ovenshire, of Flagler Beach, Milton Ovenshire, of Bunnell, Derek Ovenshire, of Lansing, Michigan, sold 27 Seneca Path to Almanac Group Inc., of Bunnell, for

$275,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,988 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $137,000.

Christopher and Heather Binder, of Clarksville, Tennessee, sold 32 Selborne Path to Luis and Yvette Ramirez, of Palm Coast, for $309,900. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2.5 and has 2,034 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $155,000.

Woodlands Joshua and Jennifer Jaillet, of Palm Coast, sold 16 Blackwell Place to Gary and Kathleen Casteel, of Palm Coast, for $285,000. Built in 1978, the house is a 3/2 with an inground pool and has 1,769 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $138,000.

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

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7B

River Oaks David and Martha Ayer, of Ormond Beach, sold 485 River Square Lane to Jeffrey and Jessyca Hogan, of Ormond Beach, for $536,000. Built in 2018, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool and 2,345 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $313,000.

ORMOND BY THE SEA Wildes and Maria Actis, individually and as trustees of the Wildes and Maria Pia Actis Trust, of Flagler Beach,

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA will hold a Public Hearing as authorized by law at 6:00 P.M. on the 4th day of April 2023, for the purposes of hearing a request to amend the City of Bunnell Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use map from Flagler County “Residential Low Density/Rural Estate” to City of Bunnell “Agriculture”, at the Flagler County Government Services Building (GSB) 1st Floor Conference Room/Chambers Meeting Room located at 1769 E. Moody Blvd, Bunnell, Florida 32110. FLUMA 2023-08

sold 4040-3370 Ocean Shore Blvd. Unit 404 to William and Patricia Elmore, of Athens, Ohio, for $345,000. Built in 1987, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,275 square feet.

Rochelle Cannon, of Ormond Beach, sold 7 Buckingham Drive to Charles and Jan Penrow, of Ormond Beach, for $750,000. Built in 2013, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 2,379 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $305,000.

Southern Title Holding Company, LLC, of St. Augustine, sold 2 Sea Shore Drive to

Sheila and Mark Cooper, of Orlando, for $642,000. Built in 1957, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,222 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $260,000.

OP Gold, LLC, of Chandler, Arizona, sold 25 Palmetto Drive to Thomas and Joyce Mills, of Owensboro, Kentucky, for $284,500. Built in 1954, the house is a 2/1 and has 1,004 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $316,500. John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.

FROM FLAGLER COUNTY “MH-1, RURAL MOBILE HOME” TO CITY OF BUNNELL “AG, AGRICULTURE”.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE as may be legally permitted on the day of the meeting. Instructions on how to participate by electronic or other means, if legally permitted, would be found on the City of Bunnell’s website at www. bunnellcity.us on the homepage. The public is advised to check the City’s website for up-todate information on any changes to the manner in which the meeting will be held and the location. The failure of a person to appear during said hearing and comment on or object to the proposed Ordinance, either in person or in writing, might preclude the ability of such person to contest the Ordinance at a later date. A copy of all pertinent information this ordinance can be obtained at the office of the Bunnell Customer Service Office, 604 E. Moody Blvd. Unit 6, Bunnell, FL 32110. Persons with disabilities needing assistance to attend this proceeding should contact the Bunnell City Clerk at (386) 437-7500 x 5 at least 48-business hours prior to the meeting

NOTICE: If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board on this matter a recording of the proceeding may be needed and for such purposes the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. (Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes)

REQUEST TO AMEND THE CITY OF BUNNELL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FUTURE LAND USE MAP FOR CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY, OWNED BY DALE BOUDREAUX, BEARING PARCEL ID: 16-13-31-2000-00030-0070 FROM FLAGLER COUNTY “RESIDENTIAL LOW DENSITY / RURAL ESTATE” TO CITY OF BUNNELL “AGRICULTURE”.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE as may be legally permitted on the day of the meeting. Instructions on how to participate by electronic or other means, if legally permitted, would be found on the City of Bunnell’s website at www. bunnellcity.us on the homepage. The public is advised to check the City’s website for up-todate information on any changes to the manner in which the meeting will be held and the location. The failure of a person to appear during said hearing and comment on or object to the proposed Ordinance, either in person or in writing, might preclude the ability of such person to contest the Ordinance at a later date. A copy of all pertinent information this ordinance can be obtained at the office of the Bunnell Customer Service Office, 604 E. Moody Blvd. Unit 6, Bunnell, FL 32110. Persons with disabilities needing assistance to attend this proceeding should contact the Bunnell City Clerk at (386) 437-7500 x 5 at least 48-business hours prior to the meeting.

NOTICE: If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board on this matter a recording of the proceeding may be needed and for such purposes the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. (Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes)

a request to amend the City of Bunnell Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use map from Flagler County “Residential Low Density/Rural Estate” to City of Bunnell “Agriculture”, at the Flagler County Government Services Building (GSB) 1st Floor Conference Room/Chambers Meeting Room located at 1769 E. Moody Blvd, Bunnell, Florida 32110. FLUMA 2023-07

REQUEST TO AMEND THE CITY OF BUNNELL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FUTURE LAND USE MAP FOR CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY, OWNED

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE

PARTICIPATE as may be legally permitted on the day of the meeting. Instructions on how to participate by electronic or other means, if legally permitted, would be found on the City of Bunnell’s website at www. bunnellcity.us on the homepage. The public is advised to check the City’s website for up-todate information on any changes to the manner in which the meeting will be held and the location. The failure of a person to appear during said hearing and comment on or object to the proposed Ordinance, either in person or in writing, might preclude the ability of such person to contest the Ordinance at a later date. A copy of all pertinent information this ordinance can be obtained at the office of the Bunnell Customer Service Office, 604 E. Moody Blvd. Unit 6, Bunnell, FL 32110. Persons with disabilities needing assistance to attend this proceeding should contact the Bunnell City Clerk at (386) 437-7500 x 5 at least 48-business hours prior to the meeting.

NOTICE: If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board on this matter a recording of the proceeding may be needed and for such purposes the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. (Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes)

23-00052F

March 23, 2023

OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NO -

TICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN

THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702

WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS

County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 1, Bunnell, Florida 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

RE-NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA CIRCUIT CIVIL DIVISION CASE NO.: 2010-CA-000223 THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2006-OC9, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OC9 Plaintiff(s), vs. DEBORAH WINKER; et al., Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, pursuant to the Order Granting Motion to Reschedule Foreclosure Sale entered on February 28, 2023 in the above-captioned action, the Clerk of Court, Tom Bexley, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash www.flagler.realforeclose.com in accordance with Chapter 45, Florida Statutes on the 21st day of April, 2023 at 11:00 AM on the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment of Foreclosure or order, to wit: Lot 1, Block 22, of Palm Coast, Map of Laguna Forest, Section 64, Seminole Woods at Palm Coast, according to plat recorded in Map Book 18, pages 36 through 43, of the Public Records of Flagler County, Florida.

Property address: 17 Lloshire Path, Palm Coast, FL 32164 Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than

March 23, 2023 23-00054F

the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens, must file a claim before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed. Pursuant to the Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.516, the above signed counsel for Plaintiff designates attorney@padgettlawgroup. com as its primary e-mail address for service, in the above styled matter, of all pleadings and documents required to be served on the parties.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. IF YOU ARE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS AN ACCOMMODATION IN ORDER TO ACCESS COURT FACILITIES OR PARTICIPATE IN A COURT PROCEEDING, YOU ARE ENTITLED, AT NO COST TO YOU, TO THE PROVISION OF CERTAIN ASSISTANCE. TO REQUEST SUCH AN ACCOMMODA-

TION, PLEASE CONTACT COURT ADMINISTRATION IN ADVANCE OF THE DATE THE SERVICE IS NEEDED: COURT ADMINISTRATION,

Board of Accountancy. Audits shall be conducted in accordance with Florida Law and particularly Section 218.39, Florida Statutes, and the rules of the Florida Auditor General.

ORMOND BEACH

NOTICE OF SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA

NO. 2022 11164 CIDL

REGIONS

v. RONANITA J RAHL; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF RONANITA J. RAHL;

UNKNOWN TENANT 2; UNKNOWN

TENANT 1 ; REGIONS BANK

Defendants.

VOLUSIA COUNTY LEGAL NOTICES

SUBSEQUENT INSERTIONS

Florida, described as: THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED LOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE COUNTY OF VOLUSIA, STATE OF FLORIDA, TO WIT: COMMENCE AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LOT 2, HATCH`S HOMESTEAD IN U.S. LOT 1, SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 18 SOUTH, RANGE 34 EAST, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 3, PAGE 81, PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA, THENCE NORTH 89°18` WEST, 135 FEET ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF SAID LOT 2, THENCE NORTH 400 FEET PARALLEL TO THE EAST LINE OF SAID LOT 2 FOR THE POINT OF BEGIN-

NING, THENCE NORTH 89°18` WEST 107 FEET, THENCE NORTH 80 FEET;

SECOND

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS TO CONSIDER THE IMPOSITION OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 170.07 AND 197.3632, FLORIDA STATUTES, BY THE WAYPOINTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE WAYPOINTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

In accordance with Chapters 170, 190 and 197, Florida Statutes, the Waypointe Community Development District’s (“District”) Board of Supervisors (“Board”) hereby provides notice of the following public hearings and public meeting:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

DATE: April 14, 2023

TIME: 11:00 a.m.

LOCATION: Downtown Executive Center of Deland

120 S. Woodland Boulevard

Deland, FL 32720

The purpose of the public hearings announced above is to consider the imposition of special assessments (“Debt Assessments”), and adoption of assessment rolls to secure proposed bonds, on benefited lands within the District, and, to provide for the levy, collection and enforcement of the Debt Assessments. The proposed bonds secured by the Debt Assessments are intended to finance certain public infrastructure improvements, including, but not limited to, stormwater management, water and sewer utilities, landscape, irrigation, lighting, and other infrastructure improvements (together, “Project”), benefitting certain lands within the District. The Project is described in more detail in the Engineer’s Report, dated March 6, 2023 (“Engineer’s Report”). The Debt Assessments are proposed to be levied as one or more assessment liens and allocated to the benefitted lands within the assessment area, as set forth in Master Special Assessment Methodology Report, dated March 6, 2023 (“Assessment Report”). At the conclusion of the public hearings, the Board will, by resolution, levy and impose assessments as finally approved by the Board. A special meeting of the District will also be held where the Board may consider any other business that may properly come before it.

The District is located entirely within the City of Daytona Beach, Florida, and covers approximately 426.70 acres of land, more or less. The site is generally located in the southwest corner of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Interstate 95.

(NOTE: The District is undertaking a process to remove certain property (“Contraction Parcel”) from within the boundaries of the District that are planned for commercial and apartment development because such areas will not be part of the CIP, and, as such, these areas will not be subject to the Debt Assessments.) A geographic depiction of the District is shown below. All lands within the District are expected to be improved in accordance with the reports identified above.

A description of the property to be assessed and the amount to be assessed to each piece or parcel of property may be ascertained at the “District’s Office” located at c/o DPFG Management & Consulting LLC, 250 International Parkway, Suite 208, Lake Mary, Florida 32746. Also, a copy of the agendas and other documents referenced herein may be obtained from the District Office.

The proposed Debt Assessments are as follows:

Proposed Debt Assessments

The assessments shall be paid in not more than thirty (30) annual installments subsequent to the issuance of debt to finance the improvements. These annual assessments will be collected on the County tax roll by the Tax Collector. Alternatively, the District may choose to directly collect and enforce these assessments.

The public hearings and meeting are open to the public and will be conducted in accordance with Florida law. The public hearings and meeting may be continued to a date, time, and place to be specified on the record. There may be occasions when staff or board members may participate by speaker telephone. Any person requiring special accommodations because of a disability or physical impairment should contact the District Office at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the Florida Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1, or 1-800-955-8771 (TTY) / 1-800-955-8770 (Voice), for aid in contacting the District Office.

Please note that all affected property owners have the right to appear and comment at the public hearings and meeting and may also file written objections with the District Office within twenty (20) days of issuance of this notice. Each person who decides to appeal any decision made by the Board with respect to any matter considered at the public hearings or meeting is advised that person will need a record of proceedings and that accordingly, the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which such appeal is to be based.

District Manager

RESOLUTION 2023-25

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE WAYPOINTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIS-

TRICT DECLARING SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS; DESIGNATING THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS; DECLARING THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, THE PORTION TO BE PAID BY ASSESSMENTS, AND THE MANNER AND TIMING IN WHICH THE ASSESSMENTS ARE TO BE PAID; DESIGNATING THE LANDS UPON WHICH THE ASSESSMENTS SHALL BE LEVIED; PROVIDING FOR AN ASSESSMENT PLAT AND A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT ROLL; ADDRESSING THE SETTING OF PUBLIC HEARINGS; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OF THIS RESOLUTION; AND ADDRESSING CONFLICTS, SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

WHEREAS, the Waypointe Community Development District (“District”) is a local unit of special-purpose government organized and existing under and pursuant to Chapter 190, Florida Statutes; and

WHEREAS, the District is authorized by Chapter 190, Florida Statutes, to finance, fund, plan, establish, acquire, install, equip, operate, extend, construct, or reconstruct roadways, sewer and water distribution systems, stormwater management/earthwork improvements, landscape, irrigation and entry features, conservation and mitigation, street lighting and other infrastructure projects, and services necessitated by the development of, and serving lands within, the District; and

WHEREAS, the District hereby determines to undertake, install, plan, establish, construct or reconstruct, enlarge or extend, equip, acquire, operate, and/or maintain the portion of the infrastructure improvements comprising the District’s overall capital improvement plan as described in the District Engineer’s Report, dated March 6, 2023 (“Project”), which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the District to pay for all or a portion of the cost of the Project by the levy of special assessments (“Assessments”) using the methodology set forth in that Master Special Assessment Methodology Report, dated March 6, 2023, which is attached hereto as Exhibit B, incorporated herein by reference, and on file with the District Manager at c/o DPFG 250 International Parkway, Suite 208, Lake Mary, Florida 32746 (“District Records Office”);

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE WAYPOINTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT:

1. AUTHORITY FOR THIS RESOLUTION; INCORPORATION OF RECITALS. This Resolution is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Florida law, including without limitation Chapters 170, 190 and 197, Florida Statutes. The recitals stated above are incorporated herein and are adopted by the Board as true and correct statements.

2. DECLARATION OF ASSESSMENTS. The Board hereby declares that it has determined to undertake the Project and to defray all or a portion of the cost thereof by the Assessments.

3. DESIGNATING THE NATURE AND LOCATION OF IMPROVEMENTS. The nature and general location of, and plans and specifications for, the Project are described in Exhibit A, which is on file at the District Records Office. Exhibit B is also on file and available for public inspection at the same location.

4. DECLARING THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, THE PORTION TO BE PAID BY ASSESSMENTS, AND THE MANNER AND TIMING IN WHICH THE ASSESSMENTS ARE TO BE PAID.

A. The total estimated cost of the Project is $82,130,400 (“Estimated Cost”).

the

be apportioned and paid is set forth in Exhibit B, as may be modified by supplemental assessment resolutions. The Assessments will constitute a “master” lien, which may be imposed without further public hearing in one or more separate liens each securing a series of bonds, and each as determined by supplemental assessment resolution. With respect to each lien securing a series of bonds, the special assessments shall be paid in not more than (30) thirty

SECOND INSERTION NOTICE OF FORFEITURE

A 2011 Hyundai Sonata, Florida tag#40AMMC (VIN: 5NPEB4AC8BH141209 ) was seized for forfeiture by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office on January 10 , 2023. The item was seized at or near London Drive, Palm Coast FL.

yearly installments. The special assessments may be payable at the same time and in the same manner as are ad-valorem taxes and collected pursuant to Chapter 197, Florida Statutes; provided, however, that in the event the uniform non ad-valorem assessment method of collecting the Assessments is not available to the District in any year, or if determined by the District to be in its best interest, the Assessments may be collected as is otherwise permitted by law, including but not limited to by direct bill. The decision to collect special assessments by any particular method – e.g., on the tax roll or by direct bill – does not mean that such method will be used to collect special assessments in future years, and the District reserves the right in its sole discretion to select collection methods in any given year, regardless of past practices.

5. DESIGNATING THE LANDS UPON WHICH THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS SHALL BE LEVIED. The Assessments securing the Project shall be levied on the lands within the District, as described in Exhibit B, and as further designated by the assessment plat hereinafter provided for.

6. ASSESSMENT PLAT. Pursuant to Section 170.04, Florida Statutes, there is on file, at the District Records Office, an assessment plat showing the area to be assessed certain plans and specifications describing the Project and the estimated cost of the Project, all of which shall be open to inspection by the public.

7. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT ROLL. Pursuant to Section 170.06, Florida Statutes, the District Manager has caused to be made a preliminary assessment roll, in accordance with the method of assessment described in Exhibit B hereto, which shows the lots and lands assessed, the amount of benefit to and the assessment against each lot or parcel of land and the number of annual installments into which the assessment may be divided, which assessment roll is hereby adopted and approved as the District’s preliminary assessment roll.

8. PUBLIC HEARINGS DECLARED; DIRECTION TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF THE HEARINGS. Pursuant to Sections 170.07 and 197.3632(4)(b), Florida Statutes, among other provisions of Florida law, there are hereby declared two public hearings to be held as follows:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

DATE: April 14, 2023

TIME: 11:00 a.m.

LOCATION: Downtown Executive Center of Deland 120 S. Woodland Boulevard Deland, FL 32720

The purpose of the public hearings is to hear comment and objections to the proposed special assessment program for District improvements as identified in the preliminary assessment roll, a copy of which is on file and as set forth in Exhibit B. Interested parties may appear at that hearing or submit their comments in writing prior to the hearings at the District Records Office.

Notice of said hearings shall be advertised in accordance with Chapters 170, 190 and 197, Florida Statutes, and the District Manager is hereby authorized and directed to place said notice in a newspaper of general circulation within the County in which the District is located (by two publications one week apart with the first publication at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the hearing established herein). The District Manager shall file a publisher’s affidavit with the District Secretary verifying such publication of notice. The District Manager is further authorized and directed to give thirty (30) days written notice by mail of the time and place of this hearing to the owners of all property to be assessed and include in such notice the amount of the assessment for each such property owner, a description of the areas to be improved and notice that information concerning all assessments may be ascertained at the District Records Office. The District Manager shall file proof of such mailing by affidavit with the District Secretary.

9. PUBLICATION OF RESOLUTION. Pursuant to Section 170.05, Florida Statutes, the District Manager is hereby directed to cause this Resolution to be published twice (once a week for two (2) weeks) in a newspaper of general circulation within the County in which the District is located and to provide such other notice as may be required by law or desired in the best interests of the District.

10. CONFLICTS. All resolutions or parts thereof in conflict herewith are, to the extent of such conflict, superseded and repealed.

11. SEVERABILITY. If any section or part of a section of this resolution be declared invalid or unconstitutional, the validity, force, and effect of any other section or part of a section of this resolution shall not thereby be affected or impaired unless it clearly appears that such other section or part of a section of this resolution is wholly or necessarily dependent upon the section or part of a section so held to be invalid or unconstitutional.

12. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution shall become effective upon its adoption.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 6th day of March, 2023 ATTEST:

RED

INFORMATION & RATES: 386-447-9723

redpages@palmcoastobserver.com palmcoastobserver.com/redpages

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

Service Directory - Friday at 3PM

• PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

The Palm Coast Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only.

*All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.

*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Palm Coast Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Items Under $200

COLLECTIBLE GERMAN Beer

Steins $30 and up, Hummel Figurines $30 and up 386-445-6533

CORNING WARE, blue cor n ower patter n, 4 piece set with lids $135

386-562-2540

EASTER DECORATIONS baskets, bunnies, beautifully decorated eggs and so much more! $1-5 814-574-6387

EASTER DECORATIONS, baskets, plastic eggs and much more! Fill a big box for $8

386-672-5545

FREEZER, FRIGIDARE upright, used only 6 months $165, under counter microwave $25 386-597-7579

LIFESTYLER 550 Exercise Stationery Bike $125.00 or best offer (386) 597-7196

LIGHT WOOD 3 sectional cabinet and shelves 44”H x 72”L $150 386-676-1363

Announcements

EFFECTIVE MARCH 31, 2023, Sharrell Cooper, MD will no longer see patients at AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Palm Coast located at 120 Cypress Edge Drive, Suite 202, Palm Coast, FL 32164. Patients should have received communication regarding transition of care. If you are a patient and did not receive communication or have additional questions, please call the of ce at 386-586-4462.

EFFECTIVE MARCH 7, 2023

John Bolla, MD will no longer see patients at AdventHealth Medical Group Family Practice at Palm Coast located at 61 Memorial Medical Parkway, Ste 3803, Palm Coast, FL 32164. Patients should have received communication regarding transition of care. If you are a patient and did not receive communication or have additional questions, please call the of ce at 386-586-1760.

Chefman XL 3.5 liter $40, Rice Cooker Steamer $20 (386)283-7172

BROWN LEATHER Chair and matching Ottoman $125.00 or best offer (386) 597-7196

Charbroil gas grill, 4 bur ner, good condition, $99, product guide included 386-852-9116

LUCKY FINDS HERE!

PalmCoastObserver.com/RedPages

CHOCOLATE NAUGAHYDE recliner rocker, excellent condition $100 609-408-2205

POOLGUARD POOL alarm MODEL PGRM 2 NEW IN BOX $180 302-682-0538

SOFA/CONSOLE TABLE slate top. 48 X 20 & 28 inches high.

Black $100 (386) 283-4802

TARGUS TSB 212 Laptop Backpack. New, tags, 12 compartments, warranty, $65. (386) 316-9990.

THULE AUTO roof carrier, 18 cu ft with all hardware $199 like new (386) 446-8146

WERNER EXTENSION ladder, 24 ft. extension, excellent condition $175 386-446-0034

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

45 Families and a Food Truck! Saturday, March 25, 8:00 -1:00 Tymber Creek SBDV Go-cart, pet items, exercise equip, outdoor heater, Coke, Nascar, & Disney collectibles, fur niture, vacuum, air compressor, art, motorized bikes, vionic shoes, jewelry, ceramics, Barbie house, quilts, toys, toddler bed, HH items and décor. Tymber Creek SBDV off Granada in Ormond- pass 95, right at Walgreens (Tymber Creek Rd), 1st SBDV on right.

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