Ormond Beach Observer 4-27-23

Daytona Running Series 2023 Hall of Fame inductees: Gary Bell, Katie Perkins, Taylor Rybicki and Karly

CITY WATCH

City celebrates new court at SONC

EDC to close for aquarium construction

The city’s Environmental Discovery Center, located at 601 Division Ave., closed on Monday, April 24, for the construction of a new aquarium centerpiece, according to a notice by the city of Ormond Beach.

The city expects to reopen the EDC during the week of May 1.

Portion of South Beach Street to close temporarily

City denies permit to neoNazi group

On March 11, the Nationalist Socialist Movement filled out a permit application seeking to hold a “First Amendment Political protest” in Ormond Beach against Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Saturday, April 22.

The city denied the application. The NSM, classified as a neo-Nazi group by the Anti-Defamation League, never showed up.

In a letter addressed to the group’s leader, Burt Colucci, City Attorney Randy Hayes wrote that the application was “untimely, deficient and incomplete,” and that it didn’t comply with the city’s regulations and laws.

Hayes specifically cited an ordinance on public nuisance hate groups. He also noted that Colucci is facing criminal charges for crimes alleged during a previous rally, with a trial set for June.

In his application, Colucci stated his group wanted to protest the sheriff’s “corrupt, unconstitutional and unprofessional law enforcement techniques in the county.” He also wrote that if the permit was denied, his group would pursue a federal court ruling on the matter of free speech.

The South Ormond Neighborhood Center officially has a new outdoor basketball court.

The city held a ribbon-cutting for the court on Tuesday, April 25. Officials at the event also recognized local developer Paul Holub, who donated the court to the city after hearing that the old one will be removed for the construction of a new indoor gymnasium at the center, located at 176 Division Ave.

“This is probably the project I’m most excited about,” Holub said.

“Of everything that we’ve built in this city, I think this one means the most.”

Holub is one of the “regulars” who frequently plays pickup basketball games at SONC. When he approached the city manager last

year with his proposal, Holub mentioned that when he was growing up, children built their confidence playing basketball at SONC’s outdoor court.

He said he felt it was an integral part of the local community.

Holub isn’t one to be in the spotlight, Mayor Bill Partington said at the ceremony.

“Paul is humble, almost to a fault,” Partington said. “He doesn’t seek attention, but he’s an extremely hard worker and extremely detail-oriented individual, and he cares deeply about Ormond Beach. And that’s a big part of what makes our city so fantastic — is that we have residents who really love and contribute to our city.”

The mayor presented Holub with a

key to the city at the ceremony.

In addition to the court, Holub updated all of the lighting in the park and parking lot to LED fixtures.

Last summer, Holub also sponsored the Ormond Beach Youth Basketball travel teams’ participation in tournaments from Florida to South Carolina.

Ormond Beach Leisure Services

Director Robert Carolin said it’s unusual to have a citizen reach out to the city and donate a gift such as a new basketball court. And Holub continued his construction effort, Carolin said, even as inflation impacted the initial cost.

“... [He] never blinked an eye, and was there every step of the way to make sure that this project was completed and top-notch,” Carolin said.

Planning Print Ads – U.S. & Canada

South Beach Street will be closed between Ellsworth Avenue and Riverview Drive on Thursday, May 4, for repairs to the sidewalk and the removal of a tree, according to the city government notice.

The closure is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m. The city aims to reopen the road at 3 p.m. During the closure, traffic will be detoured using Ellsworth Avenue, South Ridgewood Avenue and Riverview Drive.

BY THE NUMBERS

129

lots now being proposed for the previously denied Tattersall at Tymber Creek project.

176

unit townhome development proposed west of Plantation Oaks Boulevard. The density falls under the current zoning district.

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

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Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Paul Holub (fourth from left) celebrates the ribbon-cutting for the new basketball court along with city officials, his family and community members.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

“The indoctrination and/or the exposure to material that is not age-appropriate, or appropriate in general for a minor, has nothing to do with a political party.”

Councilman

Danny Robins on vetting books in public libraries. See Page 5A

A legacy for the history books

Art Museum. She dedicated over 60 years of her life to the Ormond Beach community — through her work with the OBHS, the Garden Club of the Halifax Country and her husband’s reinsurance business — and her service was attended by many.

what they’re doing,” DeVriese said. “Whatever that might be.”

A WOMAN AHEAD OF HER TIME

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

Alice Louise Olmsted Burt may have been a woman ahead of her time, but she also kept an eye on the past.

The MacDonald House. The Anderson-Price Memorial Building. The Three Chimneys Sugar Mill Ruins. The Casements.

All Ormond Beach’s historic landmarks still standing today thanks to Burt, who was known fondly by her friends and family as “Lupe.” As the woman who founded the Ormond Beach Historical Society alongside her longtime friend Ruth Canfield in 1976, Burt saw the need in the city to preserve the buildings that made it special.

“I think you can literally see Lupe’s legacy today everywhere we look,” said Amy Valcik, OBHS secretary and board member.

Burt died on April 11 at the age of 97. A funeral service was held on Monday, April 24 at St. James Episcopal Church in Ormond Beach, followed by a reception at the Ormond Memorial

She even made an impression with people who never got the chance to know her, beyond her accomplishments and legacy.

“Even though I never had the opportunity to meet Lupe, the fantastic stories of her perseverance to save The Casements and start OBHS in 1976 give me and my talented team much confidence to keep her legacy going,” OBHS President Mary Smith said in a statement to the Observer

BREAKING THE ‘STEEL’ CEILING

Locke Burt, former Florida senator and current CEO and chairman of Security First Insurance, said his mother was a formidable woman — smart, not one to shy away from giving her opinion, and with a brain for business.

Born in Iowa, Lupe Burt graduated with a math degree from Smith College in just three years in 1946, then married her childhood sweetheart, Wallace Burt. They had three children: Locke Burt, David Burt and Virginia Wolfe.

“The only job open to her was a secretary, a nurse or a teacher, and it was very hard to do something as a woman,” Locke Burt said. “I guess the glass ceiling was steel ... and it was a lot lower.”

But that didn’t deter Lupe Burt much. In 1959, the family moved to Ormond Beach, where they started their own reinsurance company. Lupe Burt kept the books; her husband was the salesman. In 1961, they founded Burt and Scheld with Bob Scheld, and the company is still in business today.

Lupe Burt worked with her husband for 30 years until they both retired in 1989, Locke Burt said. In that time, she also encouraged other women to grow and develop.

“She let them take classes at night to improve themselves using the office building,” Locke Burt recalled. “She let them travel on behalf of the company, which was really unusual at the time, and particularly in the reinsurance business.”

She always encouraged everyone she worked with, as well as her family members, to recognize their strengths and pursue their passion, said her granddaughter, Melissa Burt DeVriese.

“She had six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren and a lot of people that she worked with professionally over the decades and in the community, and I think she’s always been very encouraging of people to find their passion and to work hard at

The idea to form OBHS came during a “dismal Saturday afternoon” on April 17, 1976, according to a firsthand written account by Canfield.

Canfield and Lupe Burt, who had been friends for over 30 years, often discussed the need for a historical foundation in town. That afternoon, they were having cocktails in Lupe Burt’s living room when Canfield suggested it was time to establish such an organization.

The city was completing a feasibility study to see if The Casements could be saved and used as a historic and cultural center. At the time, The Casements, the former winter home of John D. Rockefeller, was so rundown that locals tell stories of drinking and partying inside the dilapidated building. The city bought the property in 1973 to keep it from being torn down to build condos, Canfield wrote in her account.

In 1976, presidential candidates were also running on platforms supporting historic preservation.

So that Saturday afternoon, Lupe Burt and Canfield declared themselves the president and secretary of the historical foundation, and on Aug. 18, with 10 people present, the Ormond Beach Historical Trust was born.

“Women like Lupe Burt and Ruth Canfield were ahead of their time by taking the initiative to organize a group of like-minded folks to preserve the rich history of Ormond Beach,” Former OBHS Executive Director Suzanne Heddy said in a statement to the Observer. “Without their foresight, there would be no Ormond Beach Historical Society.”

According to the OBHS, Lupe Burt helped secure $449,000, through fundraising and grants, to restore The Casements. She later helped form the volunteer Casements Guild in 1979. And on Dec. 7, 1979, the first annual Christmas Gala was held, replicating the Christmas parties thrown by Rockefeller in his lifetime.

“The price of admission, at $250 a couple, included a gold bell with the donor’s name on it,” Canfield wrote. “At $150 per couple, a silver bell. By the number of bells adorning the enormous Christmas tree centered in the atrium, it seemed the entire population of Ormond Beach attended the memorable evening.”

In 2008, the Trust changed its name to the Ormond Beach Historical Society to better reflect the direction in which it was heading — more programs and community outreach.

OBHS past president and board member Pat Sample said in a statement to the Observer that she and Jane Robinson were all very involved in the Trust early on, along with Lupe Burt.

“Our challenge was that when you call yourself a ‘Trust,’ people think your organization has a lot of money and doesn’t need financial support in terms of grants or donations,” Sample said. “ So, we changed our name from the Ormond Beach Historical Trust to the Ormond Beach Historical Society, which solved that problem!”

ONCE AN OWL...

Lupe Burt was certainly dedicated to her community, but the same could be said for her friendships.

Every Saturday for dinner, she would meet up with her OWLs — Babs Foster, Connie Treloar, Katie Dodd, Sandy Rossmeyer and Evelyn Lynn, the group known as the Old Widow Ladies.

Lynn — a former state representative, senator and Ormond Beach city commissioner — said she’s spent some of her most favorite moments during these dinners. She and Lupe Burt were the oldest of the OWLs.

There have always been six ladies in the group. Lynn was invited to join by the late Sybil Greening, and said the group has been very special.

“We talk about everything — from politics to what kind of nail polish [we’re wearing],” Lynn said. “It’s from personal issues to what’s happening in the world, and it was very inspiring.”

Lynn and Lupe Burt met sometime in the 1960s when Lupe Burt was working to bring the London Symphony Orchestra to Daytona Beach for several summers. Over the years, as Lynn got involved with politics, she found Lupe Burt to be an inspiration. Burt was a role model for her.

“Even as we got older, she was determined to keep on going, and that was very wonderful because as you get older, a lot of things happen in life. ... It can be very depressing, but that’s not the way Lupe was,” Lynn said. “She was always positive.”

A GUIDING FORCE

Lupe Burt was also a member of the Garden Club of the Halifax Country for 61 years. In addition to serving as president of the club, she later went on to be the zone representative for the area on the Garden Club of America Interchange Fellowship Committee.

One of her biggest accomplishments in this field? The 20-year effort to save Tuscawilla Park in Daytona Beach. Lupe Burt chaired that committee.

“That was an undertaking I don’t think this town has ever seen since, not only because they didn’t have all the clubs and organizations going then,” GCHC member Kay Acquaro said. “It was just a tremendous feat.”

Last year, as the club celebrated its centennial anniversary, Lupe Burt received the GCHC’s first Member Years of Service award for her six decades of membership, and for being a “working member,” at that.

She was a guiding force in the GCHC, Acquaro said.

“But more than that, she was really a beloved and respected member, and I feel like she represented the gracious spirit of our garden club ideals,” she said. “She did everything from leadership roles, to playing hostess at her home, to events. Her leadership level in our club is unsurpassed, no doubt about it.”

“Women like Lupe Burt and Ruth Canfield were ahead of their time by taking the initiative to organize a group of like-minded folks to preserve the rich history of Ormond Beach. Without their foresight, there would be no Ormond Beach Historical Society.”

SUZANNE HEDDY, Former OBHS Executive Director

Lupe Burt had a way of deciding what needed to be done, and then making those actions happen, Acquaro said.

HEART SET ON HISTORY

Lupe Burt’s list of accomplishments is long. She chaired the Historical Preservation Advisory Board for the city, was a member of the Air and Water Pollution Committee of Ormond Beach, served as a board member for the Museum of Arts and Sciences and helped create the former Ormond Beach Memorial Hospital.

But historical preservation was one of her true passions.

“...[She] wanted to maintain what she felt made Ormond a special place,” DeVriese said.

Among the organizations she was involved with, the Historical Society held a special place in her heart. Lynn said Lupe Burt always cared about having an influence on how the community looked at its history.

When the commission decided to tear down the Ormond Hotel, Lynn was the one who managed to save the cupola. She also managed a store in the MacDonald House where people could buy pieces of Ormond Beach history.

“I got pieces out of the old hotel — the legs of bathtubs or things like that,” Lynn recalled with a laugh. “And that’s the kind of thing Lupe liked and appreciated, that you would try to do something. People came from all over to buy pieces of the hotel, and we would paint them. ... I had an artist who worked with me. That’s what Lupe appreciated. That feeling in our community.”

The OBHS is committed to carrying on Lupe Burt’s legacy, Valcik said, and the nonprofit hopes to honor her once it opens a museum of Ormond Beach history in the MacDonald House. Without Lupe Burt, the OBHS wouldn’t exist.

“She’s made us as a city stop, take notice, and gotten a city to care enough to work together to preserve our history,” Valcik said. “And that’s a monumental legacy to try to carry forward.”

The OWLs celebrate Lupe Burt’s 95th birthday in 2020. From left to right: Babs Foster, Connie Treloar, Lupe Burt, Katie Dodd and Sandy Rossmeyer

Courtesy photos

Lupe Burt worked with her husband in their reinsurance business for 30 years.

In 1946, Lupe Burt married her childhood sweetheart, Wallace Burt. They were married for 67 years. “She missed my dad terribly,” Locke Burt said. “She was looking forward to being together with him.”

Lupe Burt, the woman behind the city’s historic preservation efforts, has died at age 97.

“She’s made us as a city stop, take notice, and gotten a city to care enough to work together to preserve our history. And that’s a monumental legacy to try to carry forward.”

AMY VALCIK, OBHS secretary and board member

FPC employee donates bicycle to student OKES teacher wins monthly Gannett award

up.”

Audrey Dixon, Parker’s mother, said they couldn’t fix the bike, and for the next two weeks, Parker walked to school.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Vanessa DeMatteis is a little embarrassed by all of the attention she’s received.

DeMatteis, a food services employee at Flagler Palm Coast High School, donated a bicycle to a student who volunteers in the cafeteria before school.

Parker Dixon does not live far from school. But he has relied on his bicycle for transportation to and from school for nearly two years.

In late February, a vehicle hit his bike while he was riding to school in the early morning darkness. He was not injured, but his bike was damaged beyond repair.

“He hit my bike after giving me permission to move over,” Dixon said of the driver. “I flipped and I almost hit my head. The chain got messed

Jodi Lane, the manager of the FPC Bulldog Café, started taking up a collection to buy Parker Dixon a new bike.

DeMatteis told her there was no need for that. She had an extra bike at home she could bring in.

“I happened to have a couple of bikes in my garage that weren’t being used,” DeMatteis said.

DeMatteis had never even met Dixon. She arrives at school at 8:15 a.m. By that time, Dixon is in class. She met him the day she brought in the bike. A picture of them together with the bike got distributed on social media.

“I’m kind of embarrassed by all of this,” she said. “I meant nothing to come of this. He’s a sweet kid. I’m glad he has transportation. That’s what’s important.”

Dixon has been volunteering with food services since Feb. 4, he said, adding that he had also volunteered in the cafeteria at his old school in Alabama when he was a freshman. Now a senior, Dixon will continue to work in the Bulldog Cafe this summer as a sub, and hopefully that will lead to a full-time job in the fall, Lane said.

“Parker is a really good kid, and it seems like this is what he wants to do,” Lane said.

“Everyone enjoys having him here.”

DeMatteis said it was actually her personal bike that she gave to Dixon.

“It’s OK,” she said. “I don’t need a bike.”

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Chris Knox, a fourth grade teacher at Old Kings Elementary School, was surprised last week to receive a $5,000 check from Gannett Media Group, the parent company of the News-Journal, for winning Gannett’s National Amazing Teacher Award for April.

Also last week, Knox learned that he has been nominated for the Florida Council For The Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award.

OKES Assistant Principal Tara Ossler said Knox is truly deserving of both awards.

“I’m extremely proud but not surprised,” she said. “He is a rock star.”

Teaching writing and social studies are his passions in the classroom, Ossler said.

He uses fun and innovative techniques, and his students don’t even realize they’re learning.

“I try to infuse a lot of creativity and critical thinking,” he said.

His students build interactive adventure stories on Google Slides. At different points in the stories, the reader can pick one of two paths, with each path taking the story in a different direction. The students create story text and illustrations for each slide.

“The requirement is they have to have at least four endings, which is a minimum of seven slides,” Knox said. “Most of them go beyond that.

I’ve had students go up to 50 slides to make their story go the way they want it.”

As they learn how to build the stories, they are also learning basic-level coding.

“A lot of times they figure out how to build some things into it that I haven’t thought of,” Knox said.

Knox also teaches social studies in a way that captivates his students’ imagination, Ossler said.

“He has the ability to create a learning environment that’s thought-provoking for the students,” she said. “It’s almost like he’s telling a story about an old friend of his that is so real, it sticks with them. He challenges them to examine and question the world around them and to see how the past is connected to the present.”

Knox also uses the site breakoutedu.com, dividing

his class into groups to collaborate on escape room-like puzzles where they read clues to try to open locks on a box.

“The clues are all centered around reading standards,” Ossler said. “They are extremely challenging. I was with a group (of students), and I was stumped. Within the activity, he fosters teamwork, letting them know it’s OK to agree and disagree. It’s OK to fail. It builds resilience, which is sometimes lacking in the classroom.”

Knox is also on Old Kings’ textbook review committee and social studies review committee. He’s collaborated with the literacy coach on applying the state’s new rubrics to classroom instruction and scoring student’s writing, and he mentors interns and new teachers, Ossler said.

“He’s seen as a leader on campus,” she said.

Knox has been a teacher in the Flagler County School District since 2004, teaching previously at Bunnell and Rymfire elementary schools. He has been teaching at Old Kings for six years.

He said he plans to incorporate the Gannett award into his travel budget.

“I love to travel,” he said.

“I have a trip planned in the summer for eight days in Jordan.”

After Parker Dixon’s bicycle was damaged, Vanessa DeMatteis gave him her own.

Chris Knox has his fourth grade students creating interactive stories and applying social studies lessons to the real world.

Courtesy photo Parker Dixon and Vanessa DeMatteis

Courtesy photo

Old Kings Elementary School teacher Chris Knox received a $5,000 award as Gannett Media Group’s National Amazing Teacher for April.

“I try to infuse a lot of creativity and critical thinking.”

CHRIS KNOX

Council to discuss removing library books

The council wants to investigate ways to monitor books in the children’s section of the county’s libraries.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

The Volusia County Council plans to chime in on the current discourse about challenging books: Some board members have expressed concern about “inappropriate materials” in the children’s section of the county’s public libraries.

The council was expected to appoint new board members to the Volusia County Library Advisory Board at its meeting on Tuesday, April 18, but that agenda item was postponed until a meeting after May 2 to allow council members to discuss both the need for the advisory board and whether there are ways to monitor books being placed on shelves.

Councilman Don Dempsey — who suggested the topic for discussion after Councilman Jake Johansson questioned whether the board was needed — said that the idea of monitoring content would only apply to books in the children’s section.

“I would think adults can pretty much handle anything — just pick it up, or read it or put it down — but as far as children, and pushing agendas to children, and propaganda to children, I think it’s something that is prudent to at least have a forum to hear complaints from citizens,” Dempsey said.

County Manager George Recktenwald said the council

CRIME REPORT

Woman arrested after toddler drowns in pond

A 3-year-old boy was found dead in a retention pond behind an Ormond Beach apartment complex after he was missing for about eight hours on Sunday, April 23, according to Ormond Beach police.

could expect a presentation from the library director on the topic. He added that he believes there is a review process for “controversial books” in place, and that the director could speak about it.

“We run a very large library system,” Recktenwald said. “We have regional libraries, local libraries, and there’s a system that is in place, but I would have to have her come in and describe exactly what those programs are.”

Councilman Danny Robins shared his thoughts on removing books from children’s libraries on his Facebook page, reposting his response to a WFTV request for his comments. He wrote that he believed the council “made it clear that they would like to see what kind of checks and balances are currently in place.”

“As a parent, I would have to agree,” he wrote. “I would for sure want to know that if my children went to the library, there were measures in place to ensure they were in a safe learning environment. The indoctrination and/or the exposure to material that is not age-appropriate or appropriate in general for a minor has nothing to do with a political party. It has everything to do with what’s right and wrong; it’s that simple.”

Officers arrested the boy’s mother, 22-year-old Myra Santiago, on aggravated manslaughter and child neglect charges after she allegedly left her son, Aziryh Santiago, alone for four hours in her unit at San Marco Apartments.

A police officer spoke with a neighbor whose security cameras showed the toddler run past his door and walk toward the pond at 6:46 a.m. Santiago told police that she had left Aziryh with a neighbor around 10-11 p.m. the night before to go to the Daytona Beach boardwalk with a friend, then picked up her son later, putting him to bed inside her apartment before waking at 1:45 p.m. and noticing that he was not there. Police had arrived to the scene at 1:44 p.m. after receiving a call about a drowning.

But the neighbor whom Santiago said she’d asked to watch the boy told DCF that she had never watched the child, and confirmed her statements to OBPD.

The neighbor also showed officers screenshots of Facebook messages between her and Santiago that showed that Santiago had asked her to tell police she had watched the toddler.

Santiago was arrested on Monday, April 24.

File photo District 1 Volusia County Councilman Don Dempsey

— 300 block of N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach Loitering or prowling. Police arrested a 40-year-old St. Augustine man who was held at gunpoint by a citizen after getting into an unlocked car.

The man told officers that he had been walking in the area, searching for somewhere to sleep. When he found and entered the unlocked car in the parking lot, he said, he “was just getting a feel for it.”

Police also spoke to the citizen, who said he had received an alert about movement captured by the front camera of his business. He said he called 911 and went to investigate.

The St. Augustine man was taken to jail.

APRIL 21

GUMMIES ON THE MIND

5:53 p.m. — Intersection of West Granada Boulevard and North Orchard Street, Ormond Beach DUI. A crash between a car and a public bus led to the arrest of a man who had eaten one too many THC gummies, according to a police report.

Police responded to the scene of the crash where the bus driver reported that he

had been stopped when the car hit the bus at a “relatively low rate of speed.” There were no injuries.

Officers discovered that the driver of the car, a 65-year-old man from Ohio, was diabetic. Paramedics found that the man’s blood sugar was dangerously high. His passenger was also reported to be going in and out of consciousness though she wasn’t diabetic herself. Both were taken to the hospital.

Once there, the man agreed to speak with an officer and said that he had gone to a marijuana dispensary the day before and bought a pack of THC gummies. Both he and his passenger tried them. Because he didn’t “feel anything at first,” he took more, then he and his passenger left the hotel to get pizza.

A search of his passenger’s personal items turned up a small foil wrapper full of cocaine, which the man admitted they both used in addition to the THC gummies.

He was taken to jail.

PRE-PAID THEFT

1:18 p.m. — Pine Cone Drive, Palm Coast Shoplifting. A man arrested for allegedly stealing a firearm from a pawn shop said he tried to pay for it by leaving $200 cash on the counter.

The pawn shop on Palm Coast Parkway reported that a .32 caliber revolver had been stolen just after noon.

Deputies found the suspect, 26, less than half a mile away, without the firearm, according to his arrest report.

The man said he’d stolen the gun and left $200 on the counter because he feared he wouldn’t pass the background check.

He’d thrown the gun into the shallow end of a nearby pond, and showed deputies where he’d tossed it, according to the report.

APRIL 22

NAME EXCHANGE

10:02 a.m. — 100 block of South Nova Road, Ormond Beach Obstruct officer by disguised person. Police responded to a local shopping plaza after people reported that a suspicious person was asking people for alcohol in the parking lot.

The reporting officer spoke with the suspect, who initially gave him a false name and insisted it wasn’t showing up in the officer’s database because the suspect’s ID was from Texas, according to a police report. Police, however, were able to confirm his real identity using a fingerprint.

The man, 45, was not from Texas — he was from Ormond.

He apologized and said he used his brother’s name because he was scared, according to the police report.

The man had an open warrant for his arrest. He was taken to jail.

The Spring Arts Festival is this Saturday, April 29 at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation from 11am-3pm. Browse a selection of handcrafted pieces, displayed by the artists themselves. Come on down!

Three to See

CRIME REPORT

10-year-old arrested over toy gun at school

A 10-year-old Wadsworth

Elementary student has been arrested after he allegedly brought a realistic-looking airsoft gun to school on April 18.

The school’s assistant principal caught the student showing the gun to friends before school began, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The student was taken to the principal’s office, where his bag was searched and the airsoft gun was found.

The orange tip of the gun had been removed, the press release said, making it look like an authentic semiautomatic pistol. A school resource deputy arrested the student, who has been charged with carrying an airsoft gun under the age of 16.

The student was taken to the county jail for processing, then released to his parent, the press release said.

“This situation could have ended up a lot worse. Thankfully the assistant principal was alert and took action before someone could get hurt,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We don’t like arresting children, but the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has a zero tolerance to weapons and threats on school campuses.”

Third person arrested over threats to sheriff

Another Internet forum user who posted an online death threat against Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has been arrested, this time in Connecticut, where he’s in custody pending extradition to Volusia County.

Cristhian Zapata, 23, posted to 4Chan on April 7: “I will kill Chitwood, mark my words.”

The Central Florida Intelligence Exchange flagged the post for investigation and traced it to a home in Ansonia, Connecticut.

Zapata’s sister told Ansonia police detectives her brother was always on his computer, often participating in extremist chat rooms and talking to people about “conspiracy theories and white supremacist ideology,” according to a police report. She also said her brother was fascinated with Adolf Hitler.

When police spoke with Zapata, he admitted to posting the threat and said he’d heard about recent events in Florida, including other online threats to kill Chitwood.

Zapata, arrested by the Shelton Police Department, is the third person arrested for making death threats against Chitwood on 4Chan.

BRIEFS Two hospitalized in Matanzas Woods crash

A four-car crash on Interstate 95 shut down all lanes of the road just after 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, near mile marker 294.

Five people were involved in the crash, but only were taken to the hospital, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

The crash began in the northbound lanes when a motorcyclist drove onto the right shoulder to bypass traffic, the report said. The motorcyclist hit an abandoned vehicle on the shoulder, sending debris across the northbound lanes, the report said.

An SUV with one occupant — a 26-year-old man from St. Cloud — ran over the debris and flipped, rolling over multiple times and coming to a stop in the southbound lanes. Another southbound SUV hit the debris from the first SUV, ran off the roadway and onto the right shoulder and caught fire. All three individuals in that SUV were uninjured.

The motorcyclist was taken to Halifax Hospital with serious injuries, and the St. Cloud man was sent to AdventHealth Palm Coast with minor injuries.

Woman dies in six-car crash on I-95 near Ormond

A 25-year-old woman from Orlando died as a result of a six-vehicle crash on I-95 near State Road 40 on April 21.

The woman was a passenger in a sedan driven by a 28-year-old Orlando man who failed to maintain his southbound lane and struck the right side of an SUV traveling in the center lane, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Orlando man collided with a second sedan, which crashed into another SUV and was struck by a semi-truck.

The sixth vehicle, an SUV, swerved into the median to avoid a crash but was struck by the second sedan.

The Orlando man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. His female passenger died. Neither wore a seatbelt.

Three more people, including the 20-year-old driver of the second sedan, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Palm Coast man, 23, killed in Orlando crash

A 23-year-old Palm Coast man was killed in an Orlando car crash April 23 when a teen driving a stolen vehicle crashed into the 23-year-old’s Toyota.

The incident happened at the intersection of Dean Road and the State Road 408 off-ramp just after 4:30 a.m.

The other vehicle — a stolen Hyundai SUV driven by a 15-year-old — was speeding and ran a red light, hitting the driver’s side of the Toyota, which overturned, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Palm Coast man died at the scene. The Hyundai had six passengers, ranging from 13 to 16 years old.

Four are in serious, but not life-threatening, condition, according to the FHP report.

The crash is still under investigation by the FHP.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of the Hyundai.

Missing woman found dead in submerged car

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a body found in a car pulled from a retention pond near Palm Harbor Parkway was that of a woman who had earlier been reported missing.

Erica Bergeron, 49, went missing on April 20. She was last seen leaving the Palm Coast Lanes bowling alley.

On Monday, April 24, FCSO deputies and dive teams pulled a rental Toyota Camry Bergeron was believed to have been driving from a pond near Palm Harbor Parkway and Cris Lane.

The Toyota had one occupant — a white, female, 49, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. The FCSO confirmed that the body was that of Bergeron on April 25.

“Sheriff Staly and FCSO extend our deepest condolences to the Bergeron family,” the post read.

Bergeron’s Toyota had been driving northeast on Palm Harbor Parkway, southeast of Cris Lane when it swerved off the road, hit a tree and veered into the retention pond, the FHP report said.

Man pulled from submerged vehicle dies

A man who was pulled from his submerged vehicle by first responders and bystanders after a car crash last week has died of his injuries.

The driver had crashed into the retention pond at the Interstate 95 exit ramp on Palm Coast Parkway on April 16.

A public information officer at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on April 24 that the man has died, despite life-saving measures attempted by first responders at the scene.

The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle.

TRIBUTES

Barbara M (Picard) Howson

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Development, real estate + business news

‘People really need arts’: Elite Academy of Music

The Elite Academy of Music and Motion, which opened in 2015, moved to 719 S. Nova Road at the Tomoka Plaza in July 2020.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

A new location. More faculty. Big plans for the future.

Barbara M (Picard) Howson, 85, of Providence RI and Palm Coast FL passed away peacefully on 3/31/23 after a brief illness.

Barbara was the youngest child of her late parents

Zephir C Picard & Eva (Gould) Picard. Always the life of the party, she was dedicated to her passions. These included her family, her careers in retail and real estate, and travelingespecially cruising. She had a wonderful way of making even the most mundane event feel special. Barbara was predeceased by her brothers Alfred, Donald, & Norman Picard, her husband John “Jack” Howson, daughter Debra Howson & grandchild Isaiah Howson. She is survived by her son Michael, her daughter Lori (Howson) Aliano, son-in-law Stephen,

her 2 grandchildren Eric Aliano & Stephanie (Aliano) Shuping, grandson-in-law

Zachary, her siblings Roger Picard & Irene (Picard) Ethier as well as many nieces and nephews whom she absolutely adored.

Funeral services will be held at a future date as Barbara wanted her ashes to be interred with her husband Jack at Bushnell National Cemetery in Florida. The family is in the process of scheduling their joint celebration of life at Bushnell.

The Elite Academy of Music and Motion, which opened in 2015, moved to 719 S. Nova Road at the Tomoka Plaza in July 2020. Since then, founder Damian Bonazzoli and new owner James Sinex have been working to ensure the arts remain alive in the community.

With a staff of high-level musicians, Bonazzoli said, the academy continues to strive to teach students of all levels — from beginners to professionals — and its roster of students has grown to about 225.

“There’s great joy in teaching professionals or high schoolers who are about to audition for conservatories,” said Bonazzoli, who is the academy’s head guitar instructor.

BIZ BUZZ

AVELO AIRLINES

ADDS SERVICE TO DELAWARE

Avelo Airlines is expanding service at Daytona Beach International Airport with nonstop flights to Delaware’s Wilmington Airport (ILG), an alternative

One of the academy’s piano students was recently accepted at Berklee College of Music.

Sinex, who took over the administration of the academy last year, was one of Bonazzoli’s guitar students.

A professional drummer and instructor, Sinex took lessons to broaden his knowledge of music, and he and Bonazzoli often spoke about the academy and its future.

Once Bonazzoli discovered that Sinex was a professional drummer with over 45 years of experience, he suggested Sinex become an instructor.

“And then at some point, [Bonazzoli] expressed that he would like to ... free up a little more time for his own musical endeavors, and wanted to focus on teaching and not

to Philadelphia International Airport.

Avelo will be the only airline flying between Daytona Beach and Delaware, a news release states.

Wilmington Airport is south of Philadelphia. Earlier this month, Avelo announced it would begin a nonstop flight service from DAB to Tweed-

having to run the business every day,” Sinex said.

For Sinex, who is also a real estate agent, the conversation presented an opportunity to take a step toward his ultimate life goal: to make a living through music.

With small music stores continuing to close across the country, and schools cutting back on arts programs, Sinex said, academies like Elite are important.

“The arts have got to be here to serve the needs of the community,” he said. “People really need arts to fulfill themselves. So many people don’t feel fulfilled these days, and I think it’s because they don’t have these options as much.”

Sinex said he’s always been drawn to music.

New Haven Airport on June 22.

“Wilmington, Delaware is another strong market for travelers coming to and traveling from DAB,” Daytona Beach International Airport Director Karen Feaster said. “Adding these flights just in time for summer travel is sure to bring new visitors to our beautiful area and give our locals a great

He and his best friend founded a band as young kids and continued to play for decades. He is currently with a local band called The Click.

Bonazzoli and Sinex are looking to expand on the “motion” part of the academy’s name by beginning to offer dance classes and bringing in a yoga instructor, in addition to the one-onone acting lessons Bonazzoli teaches. They also hope to develop the stage area in the back of their facility into a small performance or meeting venue.

On Thursday, April 13, the academy held a piano workshop featuring instructor Tek Winesberry, who holds a doctorate in piano performance. They hope to hold more workshops in the future.

The academy is about offering top notch instruction, Bonazzoli said, whether to a grandparent wanting to learn “silly songs” to teach his grandchildren on guitar, or a professional musician looking to further his or career.

“So wherever somebody is and whatever somebody wants to accomplish, this is the place to get it done,” he said.

new non-stop destination.”

Avelo’s nonstop service from DAB to Wilmington will begin June 23 and operate on Mondays and Fridays on a 189seat Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft. One-way fares will begin at $49, according to the news release.

Always the life of the party, she was dedicated to her passions.

Photo by Jarleene Almenas Elite Academy of Music and Motion founder Damian Bonazzoli and new owner and James Sinex.

Ormond Burger Week to begin on Sunday

The event will feature 14 competitors for the title of Ormond’s ‘Best Burger.’

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

It’s time to beef up, Ormond Beach.

Ormond Burger Week, a new weeklong event, will begin on Sunday, April 30, and run through Sunday, May 7. A total of 14 restaurants that are part of Ormond MainStreet in the downtown will compete for the title of “Best Burger” in town, with the win to be determined by diners’ votes. Each burger will cost $10 — sides are extra — and those who wish to participate must download a passport or pick one up at one of the participating locations. Each restaurant will stamp your passport once you’ve ordered their official burger. At the end of the week, you can drop off

your passport, containing your vote, at one of the drop boxes at any participating restaurant.

Locals and visitors are in for some good burgers, said Carly Krajewski, of Realty Pros Assured.

“All of them are awesome,” she said. “[The restaurants] really put thought into it.”

Krajewski proposed Burger Week after being inspired by a similar event held in her sister’s town in Georgia.

“And it has become so popular that one of the restaurants sold up to 2,000 burgers in a week,” she said.

Krajewski and four others from Realty Pros Assured and Realty Pro Title approached Ormond MainStreet for help to create the event.

“It’s been a group effort, but Carly has done a lot,” said Skye Russell, another member of the Ormond Burger Week committee.

The committee hopes to expand participation citywide in future years. Restaurants are excited that the event will bring patrons, Krajewski said. Among the featured burgers, most of which are off-menu, are: Fletcher’s “The Stuffed Irishman,” Ormond Garage’s “Quesadilla Burger,” Frida’s “Birria Burger” and Neighborhood Scoop’s “Sweet Waffle Burger,” the

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?

Download your passport here. Visit ormondburgerweek.com for more information.

latter being the only one to cost $6.

“Try them all, if you can,” Russell said.

What does the winner receive? Bragging rights, above all, but also a trophy and recognition during a banquet to be hosted by real estate agent Bill Navarra.

“It just rounds up business for all the restaurants,” Krajewski said. “Then also, for patrons to choose restaurants to go to that they haven’t ever been before, even if they’re local ... it could make them come back for more.”

Ormond Garage: “Quesadilla Burger”

Neighborhood Scoop: “Sweet Waffle Burger”

Rosie’s Cafe at Dunn’s Attic: “Double D Sliders”

Jimmy Hula’s: “Jimichurri Burger”

Rose Villa: “Rose Villa Burger”

Fletcher’s Irish Pub: “The Stuffed Irishman”

63 Sovereign: “Bun Shaker”

Photos courtesy of Greg Hunter Photography 31 Supper Club: “Brie Berry Burger”

Pumphouse BBQ: “Pumphouse Cuban Burger” Peach Valley Cafe East: “Fiesta Burger”

Outback Steakhouse: “The Bloomin’ Burger”

Hull’s Seafood: “The ‘O’Mega Burger”

Grind Gastro Pub: “The Grind and Griddle Burger”

Frida’s Fresh Mex and Cantina: “Birria Burger”

YOUR TOWN

DAR CHAPTER ADDS WILDFLOWERS AT DAYTONA’S HOPE PLACE

In celebration of Earth Day on Saturday, April 22, the Capt. James Ormond Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Conservation Committee weeded and added new plantings to the wildflower garden at Hope Place in Daytona Beach.

Hope Place provides a fresh start for families with children who have been displaced from their homes, as well as unaccompanied youth ages 18-24.

To learn more about the local DAR chapter, visit fssdar.com/CaptainJamesOrmondDAR.

Volunteers Judiann Rakes, DAR Conservation Chair Cory Trustu, Gale Shaw of the Sugar Mill DAR chapter, Nancy Roddy and Susan Barry

CHELSEA MCQUARRIE TO CHEERLEAD AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Seabreeze high School senior

Chelsea McQuarrie signed a a letter of intent April 17 to join Clemson University’s cheerleading program.

McQuarrie signed at Cheer Force All Stars, which is owned by Seabreeze head cheer coach Megan Lambert.

McQuarrie was a member of Seabreeze’s varsity cheer team for four years, serving as captain the past two years.

She will graduate in June and is also earning her associate degree at Daytona State College.

She began her cheer career 13 years ago with the Ormond Beach Sandcrabs Pop Warner organization. She returned to be a junior coach with the teams.

McQuarrie is currently on a competitive Level 5 team at Cheer Force All Stars.

BIZ BUZZ

LEADERSHIP CHANGES ANNOUNCED AT INTRACOASTAL BANK

Mark Wisniewski Rick Wells

Intracoastal Bank has announced two senior leadership changes.

Rick Wells, who has been chief lending officer for the last 11 years, will now serve as commercial real estate manager. He will oversee the bank’s commercial real estate lending activities.

“Rick Wells has done an exceptional job overseeing the bank’s lending efforts.” Intracoastal Bank President Ryan Page said. “Under his leadership the bank’s loan portfolio has quadrupled in size and has had no material credit issues.”

Mark Wisniewski is the new chief lending officer. Before joining Intracoastal Bank, Wisniewski was a North Florida commercial market leader for PNC Bank. He has worked in banking for more than 35 years.

“We are elated Rick and Mark have committed to such important roles at Intracoastal Bank,” Page said. “They are incredibly talented professionals who are committed to assisting the bank with our goal of enhancing the economic vitality and success of the customers and communities we serve.”

BRIEFS

The rally counter-protested what was expected to be a demonstration by the National Socialist Movement, but the neoNazi group never showed up.

LOCALS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF CHITWOOD, ORMOND JEWISH COMMUNITY

Community members gathered at the Ormond Beach City Hall on Saturday, April 22, for an emergency rally to show support for Sheriff Mike Chitwood and the Jewish community. The Philos Action League organized the rally.

Chitwood, who has been targeted by neo-Nazis for standing up for the Jewish community, received an outpouring of solidarity from participants who came together to send a message that Nazi ideology has no

place in America. The rally, which took place from 1-4 p.m., was intended to counterprotest a planned demonstration by the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group, but the neo-Nazis never showed up.

The rally was co-sponsored by the End Jew Hatred movement, Philos Action League, the Florida Eagle Forum, Israel365 and HaYovel Volunteer in Israel, among others. The event featured speeches, music and

a message of unity against hate.

“Today, we demonstrated that our community will not be divided by hate,” said Yuval David, an Emmy Award-winning actor, filmmaker and advocate for the Jewish community.

“We stand strong in support of Sheriff Chitwood and the Jewish community, and we unequivocally reject any form of hatred and bigotry. We are grateful to everyone who came out today to show their solidarity and make their voices heard.”

ORMOND BEACH

“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.”

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

Director of Engagement Kaitlyn Stier, kstier@observerlocalnews.com

Senior Media Specialist Susan Moore, susan@observerlocalnews.com

Advertising Coordinator Jessica Boone, jessica@observerlocalnews.com

Operations Manager Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@observerlocalnews.com

Circulation Coordinator, Draven Owens, dowens@observerlocalnews.com

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PETS UP FOR ADOPTION

Rosita, an 8-year-old pit mix. Her adoption fee has been paid through the Dolly’s Dream Dog program.

Brownie, a 4-year-old German shepherd mix. Her adoption fee is $75.

Cesar, a 6-year-old shepherd mix. His adoption fee is $75.

Volusia County Council District 4

Representative Troy Kent will host a community meeting from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday, May 15, in the Ormond Beach Regional Library auditorium, 30 S. Beach St.

The meeting is part of the quarterly District Dialogue 4 Residents series. Kent’s district includes Ormond Beach, Ormond-by-the-Sea, Holly Hill, the western half of Daytona Beach, and eastern portions of DeLand and DeLeon Springs.

Reservations are not required. For more information, call the County Manager’s Office at 386-736-5920.

Nosey, a 7-year-old terrier and American pit bull mix. 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.

Courtesy photos

Troy Kent to host District 4 meeting May 15

YOUR NEIGHBORS

A lens into nature

Ormond Beach celebrates Earth Day at the EDC.

SUZANNE MCCARTHY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ormond Beach celebrated Earth Day at the Environmental Discovery Center for the first time on Saturday, April 22. The event featured a tree giveaway: Florida-friendly live oak, red maple, Dahoon holly and bald cypress trees were available for Ormond Beach residents.

Previous Earth Day celebrations were held at City Hall.

Environmental exhibitors were on hand — including the Florida Native Plant Society, Florida Forest Service and University of Florida IFAS Extension Master Gardeners — to inform the public. Visitors enjoyed guided nature tours through Central Park, classroom presentations about environmental issues and activities and games for kids.

Located at 601 Division Ave., the Environmental Discovery Center is a 2,000-square-foot educational facility designed to be a self-guided experience, giving visitors a closeup look at the diverse ecosystems of Ormond Beach. The center is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Girl Scout Troop 731 Brownie Charlotte Bartlome, 8, and her mother Michelle Bartlome

Master Gardener Irene Herring

Patrick Lanigan, of Zev Cohen and Associates

Ormond Beach resident Jaree Hale checks out the UF IFAS Extension tent.

Volunteer Zachary Stohner helps with the Earth Day celebration.

Isaac Santos, 7, looks through a telescope.

Leisure Services volunteer Danny Young and Caleb Santos, 6

Photos by Suzanne McCarthy

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 27

SWING INTO SPRING CONCERT SERIES

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: See Diamond Dupree perform at The Case ments as part of the the city of Ormond Beach’s Swing into Spring con cert series. There will be a food truck. Free event. Call 386-6763216.

FRIDAY, APRIL 28 54TH ANNUAL MAYOR’S GOLF TOURNAMENT

When: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Halifax Plantation Golf Club. 3400 Clubhouse Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: The Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce is hosting this annual golf tournament. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Visit ormondchamber.com.

FAMILY ART NIGHT

When: 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast

Details: The city of Palm Coast’s Parks and Recreation Department is

Registration is recommended. Visit palmcoast.gov/Events/Home.

7:30 p.m. Friday and Sat urday, April 28, 29, May 5 and 6; and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30 and May 7 City Repertory Theatre, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, See this drama by Arthur Miller that tells the story of the Keller family and the challenges to their moral integrity. Tickets cost $20 for adults; $15 for students. Visit crtpalmcoast.

SATURDAY, APRIL 29 PALM COAST SPRING

ARTS FESTIVAL

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Palm Coast Arts Foundation, 1500 Central Ave., Palm Coast Join the Palm Coast Arts Foundation for a day of handcrafted art, crafts and more, presented in partnership with the Flagler County Cultural Council.

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

TIMELESS TREASURES

SALE

When: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Prince of Peace Church Social Hall, 600 S. Nova Road, Ormond Beach

Details: The Prince of Peace Church Council of Catholic Women is sponsoring a sale of new and gently used jewelry, beadwork, candles, crafts and more. There will be raffle items and baked goods available. Free

PLANT, BOOK AND JEWELRY

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Temple Beth Shalom, 40 Wellington Drive, Palm Coast

Details: Peruse annuals, perennials, herbs, orchids and home-grown heritage tomatoes in the plant section of this sale. There will be late edition hard- and soft-cover books, and vintage and costume jewelry collected from estate sales. For

When: 2:30 p.m.

Where: News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St. Daytona Beach

Details: The DSC and Civic Orchestra will perform a concert featuring singer Lionel Marcaux and pianist Allessandro Fonseca. The orchestra will perform selections such as Beethoven’s Andantino from his 5th Symphony; Gliere’s Russian Sailor’s Dance; Puccini’s Nessun Dorma; Strauss’ Blue Danube; Josh Groban Gold; and Star Trek.

THURSDAY, MAY 4

SPRING BIRD WALKS WITH JOAN TAGUE

When: 8 a.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center, 601 Division Ave., Ormond Beach

Details: Join Master Naturalist Joan Tague, of Halifax River Audubon, for a casual bird walk along the trails in Central Park. Bring water. Walking shoes and sunscreen are recommended.

PALM COAST SONGWRITERS

FESTIVAL KICKOFF SHOW

When: 5 p.m. Thursday, May 4

Where: Daytona State College Palm Coast Amphitheater, 545 Colbert Lane, Palm Coast

Details: See performances by Styles Haury and Chris Wallin, Casey Beathard and Tucker Beathard, and Wynn Varble and Brice Long, during this free kickoff show. The festival will run daily May 4-7. Visitpalmcoastsongwritersfestival.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3

PLANET PROTECTORS:

PIGMENTS FROM THE GARDEN

When: 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Children ages 9-12 will learn two techniques for making pigmented paints with scraps of fruits and vegetables in this eco art program. The program is led by Diamond Johnson, OMAM’s curator of youth programs. Adults do not need to be present for the one-hour class. All supplies are included with tuition, which costs $12 for muse um members and $15 for nonmembers. Visit www. ormondartmuseum.org.

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 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 Sci

ONGOING ‘BARNUM’

When: urdays, April 28, 29, May 5 and 6; 2 p.m. Sundays April 30 and May 7

Where: Moody Blvd., Bunnell

Details: the story of P.T. Bar num, told in a musical

DERMATOLOGY

Sweet race! Ormond Beach Police hosts Donut Dash to benefit PAL

Four runners were inducted into the Daytona Running Series Hall of Fame: Gary Bell, Katie Perkins, Taylor Rybicki and Karly Rybicki.

No stomachaches were reported at the annual Donut Dash, as 5k run/ walk participants enjoyed Krispy Kreme donuts before the race, in support of Ormond Beach Police Athletic League, on Saturday, April 22, in The Trails Shopping Center.

OBPD Chief Jesse Godfrey welcomed the runners before the starting horn and thanked them for supporting PAL programs.

Fifteen-year-old Hunter Shuler, of Daytona Beach, finished first overall, with a time of 17 minutes, 11 seconds, a pace of 5:32. The overall female champion was Shannon Jones, of Ormond Beach.

The race was the final in the 20th Daytona Running Series, and trophies were given out after the event.

Among the honorees was male overall champion Julius Dayandante, of Ormond Beach.

Four runners were also inducted into the series Hall of Fame for earning trophies in five seasons in a row. Gary Bell, 79, and Katie Perkins, 37, were honored, along with two siblings, who were the youngest ever inducted: Taylor Rybicki, 10; and Karly Rybicki, 12. Taylor and Karly’s parents, Rebecca and Kevin Rybicki, are also members of the Hall of Fame.

Full results of the Donut Dash are available at racesmith.com.

Hunter Shuler (490), of Daytona Beach, finished first overall, with a time of 17 minutes, 11 seconds, a pace of 5:32.

Ron Welborn and Liz Welborn, of Ormond Beach

Clif Rinaldi, neighborhood improvement officer with the Ormond Beach Police Department

Above: Liam, London and Lindsey Hamilton; and Merit, Alyssa and Madison Labrie, all of Ormond Beach Right: Dave Laetsch and Nancy Dumont, both of Ormond Beach, moved here from Maine six years ago and have participated in the Donut Dash each year.

Capt. Hunter Ramirez and firefighters Vann Meadows and Garrett Fiske, of the Ormond Beach Fire Department

Photos by Brian McMillan

Runaway victories

Mainland boys and Seabreeze girls crush it at the District 6-3A track meet.

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Mainland High School boys and Seabreeze girls track and field teams ran away with first-place trophies in a display of dominance at the District 6-3A meet at East River High School in Orlando on April 19.

The Buccaneers tallied 207 points — 61 points ahead of runner-up Orlando Edgewater and 101 points over Seabreeze, which brought home third place.

The Sandcrab girls racked up 139 points, with Mainland’s girls trailing in sixth place with 68.

Terrence Anthony, Mainland’s track coach and athletic director, said he is a point watcher, checking FLRunners.com or DirectAthletics.com before big meets to find out where his team is seeded. According to the virtual meet, Mainland’s boys should have finished first by 15 to 20 points.

“Our guys came out today and dominated in every facet of the meet,” he said. “I’m so proud of the way they worked and my coaching staff, because everybody exceeded expectations. I brought 25 boys to the track meet, and I think I qualified 21 out of the 25 to go to regionals.”

Jonathan Williams, Emmanuel Yisrael and Damarcus Creecy swept the 110-meter hurdles, with Williams running a blistering meet and venue record of 14.29 seconds. Creecy also set both records in the 400 hurdles with a 56.37, while Seabreeze’s Grant Scrabis sprinted in behind him in second with a 57.53.

Scrabis was running the 300 hurdles until the FHSAA increased the distance to 400 meters adding two hurdles this season. He normally placed in the top five or 10 in the event at the shorter distance. He feels his coach, Jenna MeyersSinett, who was a hurdler, has been instrumental in improving his form. He smiled when he crossed the finish line and someone in the crowd yelled, “I love you, Grant Scrabis.”

“I had to learn from the best,” he said of his coach. “Same preparation going into regionals as leading up to districts. Who knows if this is going to be my last race or not. I’m just going to give it my all and see what happens. I love everybody on my team. Coming out every day to practice is always fun. I hope I can do more of that in the future.”

Meyers-Sinett is an anatomy and physical education teacher at Seabreeze and has been coaching track and field for three years. She was an assistant coach at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville earlier in her career. Her specialties as a track athlete were the 300-meter hurdles and pole vault.

She was instrumental in bringing both events to the school.

She graduated from the University of North Florida with a bachelor’s of science degree in exercise science with a minor in psychology. She brings the science aspect to the team workouts and trains her coaches to be versatile, which has created a more well-rounded team.

“It’s going pretty well,” she said.

“This is by far our best year overall in pretty much every event. Not including alternates, it’s like 28 of my team are going to regionals — with alternates, it was 35. I’m really excited for them. Pretty much every event except for the 100 and 200 (and shot put), you’ll see kids qualifying (for states).”

Javelin throwers Chandler Mitzo and Levi Hayworth took one-two with Mitzo throwing 57.18 meters over Hayworth’s 53.78. Mainland’s Demond Noelien took third with a 41.82 and also placed second in discus. Seabreeze’s Jamie Bandell took first in girls discus with 26.50 meters. Mainland’s Janiyah Giddens placed third with 25.64 meters.

“I haven’t placed first at a district level meet before, but I have during season meets,” Bandell said. “It’s pretty great that I get to continue my season even longer.”

Anthony gives his girls credit for working hard, even though they are young and small in stature.

“The one young lady that I am going to spotlight, because she’s just a hard worker, is Kiera Williams,” he said. “But today, Amyah Watlington showed me that she is ready to take that next step. She qualified in the 4x100 and 4x400, and she PR’d in the 100 and 200.”

Mainland assistant coach Ebony Harris attended Atlantic High School, where she specialized in sprinting and relays. She ran under the direction of Tim Kane who is now Matanzas’ coach.

“I let them know how I came about and how coach Kane raised me up on the track,” she said. “I let them do what they do best and tell them never to give up. It’s more than us coaches believing in them. They have to believe in themselves.”

Seabreeze distance runner sisters Mackenzie and Arianna Roy placed first and third in the 1,600. Mackenzie also placed first in the 3,200, while Arianna took third in the 800, with teammate Nicole Dane finishing fourth. The three also placed second in the 4x800 relay with fellow soccer player Kirsten Glaenzer.

“I feel good about my performance at districts, as I PR’d in the 1,600, and I’m moving on to regionals in all the events I competed in,” Arianna Roy said. “As for the 4x800 all

being soccer girls, I love it. I feel this, because we play soccer together, run together and we have already formed that sense of trust you need to have a good relay.”

Sandcrab Klellan Lubbe won the 800-meter run in 2:00.91.

“Coach Meyers made the difference this year,” he said. “She’s a really good coach. That’s the only reason I made it this far — in only two years. I’ve been working my behind off the past two years. I want to say I’ve earned my spot here.”

Mainland’s girls and boys both placed third in the 4x800 meter relay.

The boys followed it up with a blistering venue-record 4x400 relay of 3:25.86, run by Seth Sawyer, Logan Camara, Chase Irvin and Cameron Boatright.

Sawyer led the first leg, then gave the baton to Logan Camara, who passed off to Chase Irven — a firstyear track athlete. Irven did not get discouraged when he was passed, and kept the pressure on until he handed off to the anchor leg, Cameron Boatright.

“I’m just a dog — a go-getter,” Boatright said, regarding running anchor leg. “We are dogs. We are just going to get it at regionals.”

Photos by Michele Meyers

Seabreeze’s Kalease Heggins goes head-to-head with Pine Ridge’s Maya Heard, placing sixth in the 100-meter hurdles.

Mainland’s Damarcus Creecy crosses the finish line first as Seabreeze’s Grant Scrabis placed second in the 400-meter hurdles.

Mainland’s Jack Mathis hands off to Logan Camara in the 4x800 relay at the District 6-3A meet in Orlando, where they finished third.

Seabreeze’s Chandler Mitzo placed first with a 57.18-meter javelin throw.

Seabreeze boys tennis team aces Class 3A regional championship

The Seabreeze boys tennis team won its Class 3A regional final against Lyman on April 20.

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Seabreeze tennis player Bryce Gornto was the last to finish his match at No. 4 singles against Lyman’s Om Pande in the Sandcrabs’ Class 3A regional final on the Embry-Riddle University courts, Thursday, April 20.

The match would determine if the Seabreeze boys go to the first round of the state championship on April 24 at Sanlando Park.

The Sandcrabs won 4-0 to advance to the state quarterfinals where they

lost 4-0 to Wiregrass Ranch.

“On the first set, I was getting in the groove,” Gornto said of the regional final match. “I was hitting those backhands more — not giving him any easy shots. I was moving around the court a little more to make him tired and make him move.”

His teammates gathered on the bleachers to cheer him on as he clinched a 6-0, 6-2 win, which guaranteed them a spot in the first round of the 3A state championship. It was the first time since 2016 the team had made a showing at the tournament.

“Once I saw everyone coming over, I’m like, ‘Don’t choke this, don’t choke this’,” he said.

Gornto started playing at 10 years old and took a break at the age of 13. He came back in 2019 to join the Seabreeze team.

“I love playing with these guys,” he

said. “These guys are like my brothers. My coach is maybe the best coach I’ve ever had.”

No. 1 player Leo Kwetkus played his 100th match at the regional final, where he lost to Brock Masters 6-0, 6-1. He’s been playing since he was 12 and hopes to continue in college.

“A lot of unforced errors (in the match),” he said.

Coach Trishna Patel believes that the moments that happened during Gornto’s match were a learning experience. She said the weight of it could not be ignored as his teammates watched him try to get them to the state championship.

“The match teeter-tottered a little bit in the second set, and he composed himself,” she said. “It’s not so much that he had a difficult opponent, but he dealt with a difficult situation. This experience, you

CLASS 3A REGIONAL RESULTS

„ No. 1 singles Brock Masters (Lym) def. Leo Kwetkus (Sea)

6-0, 6-1

„ No. 2 singles Hunter Shuler

(Sea) def. Patrick Vogel (Lym)

6-1, 6-1

„ No. 3 singles Finn Rasmussen (Sea) def. Joshua Swanson (Lym) 6-2, 6-2

„ No. 4 singles Bryce Gornto (Sea) def. Om Pande (Lym) 6-0,

6-2

„ No. 5 singles Ewan Noval (Sea) def. Ajay Sastri (Lym)

6-0, 6-2

cannot replicate. This is a special moment for him.”

Going into states, Patel stressed to the players to do what they have been doing and continue their level of play. She reminded them that anything can happen.

“These guys are great,” she said. “They’re going to remember this forever. They are probably going to be in touch with each other forever. No matter where life takes them, I think they are going to be like, ‘This was my tennis buddy. This was the team that went to states.’ Achieving something like this just really binds you — forever.”

By Luis Campos

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

“K’MH PHHX UHGRHO PW BTIN LZ SKXOXHNN ZCLA NICBXEHCN. IUBI’N DUW DH’CH UHCH, BZIHC BGG, IL UHGR LIUHCN.” TBCLG PFCXHII

Puzzle One Clue: E equals G

“ZNSUL XMA X UXMH SZ NPZA’L EACK XCJ P’TA CATAM DAAC X VPMN HS EPLL SKH SC XCR SZ HOA ISKMLAL.”

MSLXNPCJ MKLLANN

Puzzle Two Clue: R equals Y Puzzle Three Clue: C equals G

“R CNDZZ R YGZ ANZV HDGTV VX WD G ZDKIDVGIO YSX BXDZT’V VGPD ZSXIVSGTB. R’H G UXNZO VOFRZV, VXX.” WGIWGIG SGUD © 2023 NEA, Inc.

STATION IDENTIFICATION by Wendy L. Brandes and Hoang-Kim Vu, edited by Jeff Chen

No. 2 singles player Huner Shuler serves to Lyman’s Patrick Vogel during the regional finals match.

Photos by Michele Meyers

Seabreeze tennis coach Trishna Patel and the boys team celebrate after their 4-1 win against Lyman, sending them to the state championships at Sanlando Park.

Seabreeze No. 3 Finn Rasmussen wins his match 6-2, 6-2 against Lyman’s Joshua Swanson in the regional finals.

LINES

Daytona throws a parade for state champs

The city of Daytona Beach honored the state champion Mainland High School girls basketball team with a parade through downtown on Thursday, April 20.

“Mayor Derrick Henry wanted to do a parade to celebrate the accomplishments of the girls basketball team and our other programs,” Mainland athletic director Terry Anthony said.

INSHORE WINNERS

Winners at the Flagler Sportfishing Club's 27th Inshore Spring Classic

Tournament on April 22: Trout — 1. John Music, 2 pounds, 4 ounces, $550;

2. Chris Lilly, 2 pounds, 2 ounces, $400; 3. Randy Szlosek, 2 pounds, 0 ounces, $300; 4. Mike Luke, 1 pound, 12 ounces, $200.

Redfish — 1. Gene Van Dorpe Sr., 6 pounds, 14 ounces, $550; 2. Dawson Hanson, 6 pounds, 12 ounces, $400; 3. DePriest Andrew, 6 pounds, 12 ounces, $300;

4. Jeff Voegtle, 6 pounds, 6 ounces, $200.

Flounder — 1. Brian Sousa, 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $550;

2. Lee Grasso, 2 pounds, 12 ounces, $400; 3. Chris Lilly, 2 pounds, 8 ounces, $300;

4. Wyatt Moor, 2 pounds, 6 ounces, $200.

Flagler Slam: Lucas Terry, $350, Draw. Most spots (redfish): Dallas Moore, 7 spots, $200. CCA Raffle: Jett Voegtle, 1 live redfish donation raffle, $300.

FPC STANDOUTS

FPC's boys soccer team announced it had a team GPA of 3.53, with 18 of 22 players holding a GPA over 3.0 and six players with a GPA over 4.0.

The Mainland High School Champs Parade started at the Brown & Brown Insurance building on North Beach Street, with over 50 school and community organizations riding in vehicles and walking behind banners to Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The basketball team rode in the back of a Daytona Beach Police Department high-water rescue vehicle.

The crowd that lined the streets followed the participants into the ballpark for a ceremony. Girls basketball coach Brandon Stewart, Henry, Principal Joseph Castelli and Anthony were among the speakers. Stewart led the Bucs to the school’s first-ever girls basketball championship. The city also honored Mainland’s football and boys basketball teams, which were both state runners-up, and wrestlers Cheyenne Wigley and Mya Hill who won medals at the state girls wrestling championships. City commissioners, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari

DSC’S SASNETT STEPS DOWN

Daytona State College assistant men’s soccer coach Joe Avallone is the program’s new head coach, replacing Bart Sasnett, who has stepped down.

Sasnett has been the Falcon’s head coach since the program’s inception in 2016.

“It has been an incredible honor to help build this program and coach so many amazing student athletes,” said Sasnett, who is moving to Georgia, where his wife, Cortney Dowdle, will be director of admissions at Rabun Gap Nacoochee School and Sasnett will be the school’s men’s soccer coach and assistant athletic director. Sasnett compiled a record of 91-23-7 in seven seasons at DSC. His teams advanced to the national tournament four times, won three Southeast District championships and three region championships. Avallone has more than 30 years of coaching experience. He is co-founder and director of coaching for the Florida Kraze/Krush Academy and played professionally with the Orlando Lions for six seasons.

Young and Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Balgobin participated in the festivities.

THOMPSON TO JOIN AD HALL OF FAME

Former Bethune-Cookman

University athletic director Lynn Thompson will be inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics Association (NACDAA) Hall of Fame.

Thompson will be a member of the 2023 class, which will be recognized June 12 at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando.

Thompson served as B-CU’s athletic director for 31 years, from 1991 to 2021, when he was named strategic advisor for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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Photos by Brent Woronoff

Mainland High boys basketball coach Joe Giddens is ready for a parade.

Mainland High football players prepare to take their places.

REAL ESTATE

A house in Ormond-by-theSea tops sales list at $975,000

Ahouse in Avalon By The Sea was the top real estate transaction for March 12-18 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Michael Joseph Piccione, of Daytona Beach, sold 104 Via Madrid Circle to Wallace and Eileen Montour, of Orlando, for $975,000. Built in 2012, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool, a hot tub, a sauna and 2,654 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $700,000.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos Doris and David Orr, of Alberdeen, Scotland, sold 20 Tomoka Ave. Unit 211 to Susan Tuttolomondo, of Ormond Beach, for $262,500. Built in 1985, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,170 square feet. It sold in 2006 for $180,000.

Kristen and Nils Magnusson, as trustees, sold 3000 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 2, to Peter White, of Ormond Beach, for $377,500. Built in 1998, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,329 square feet. It sold in 2000 for $175,000.

Fred Bramblett, of Vine Grove, Kentucky, sold 1653 U.S. 1, Unit 213, to Tip Investments, Inc., of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, for $235,000. Built in 2007, the condo is a 3/3 and has 1,490 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $150,000.

Kevin Suzanne Burress and Brittney Book, as trustees, sold 1051 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 1001, to Michael and Dawn Larsen, of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, for $591,900. Built in 1982, the condo is a 3/3 and has 1,800 square feet. It sold in 1998 for $175,000.

Robert and Debra Guthrie, of Ormond Beach, sold 2750 Ocean

Shore Blvd., Unit 48, to Kym Herron Scott and Marion Yvonne Herron, of Longwood, for $299,900.

Built in 1973, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,184 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $310,000.

James and Norma Barkley, of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, sold 3360 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 103, to Billy and Pamela Wiggam, of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, for $260,000. Built in 1983, the condo has 2/2 and has 1,275 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $175,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Breakaway Trails Diana and Allen Swilling, of New Smyrna Beach, sold 43 Deep Woods Way to Faye Elizabeth Reed and Ralph Nelson Flippo, as a trustees, for $629,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/4.5 and has a fireplace and 3,343 square feet. It sold in 2007 for $425,000.

Klaus and Stephanie Gaubatz, of Ormond Beach, sold 55 Coquina Ridge Way to James and Amelia Brown, of Ormond Beach, for $725,000. Built in 2000, the house is a 5/4 and has a pool, a fireplace and 3,452 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $505,000.

Halifax Center Robert and Patricia Fallon, of

Ormond Beach, sold 1443 Pecos Drive to William and Hazel Kuczmera, of Ormond Beach, for $635,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,473 square feet.

Halifax Plantation John and Laura Pistoia, as trustees, sold 3105 Lizmore Circle to Ricardo and Maria Dos Santos, of Ormond Beach, for $767,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool, an outdoor shower and 2,375 square feet.

Melrose

John Ferris, of Palmer, Massachusetts, sold 26 Division Ave. to Todd Harland Hendrix, of Ormond Beach, for $237,000. Built in 1924, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,010 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $91,300.

Oak Forest Richard Fields, of Daytona Beach, sold 49 Sycamore Circle to William and Janet Phillips, of Ormond Beach, for $325,000. Built in 1984, the house is a 2/2 and has a fireplace and 1,864 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $136,250.

Ormond Golfridge

David and Linda Sue Rockwell, of Marne, Michigan, sold 36 Pinehurst Circle to Anneliese Rosser, of Ormond Beach, for $329,900. Built in 1975, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,165 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $114,700.

Standish Shores

Jeremy Mohier and Samantha Potts, of Ormond Beach, sold 117 Standish Drive to Martin Andrew Young, of Ormond Beach, for $375,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,485 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $260,000.

Tomoka Estates

Offerpad SPV Borrower G,LLC, of Chandler, Arizona, sold 1091 Peninsula Drive to Fred Bernd Kodlin and Jelena Majora Kodlin, of Borken, Germany, for $395,900. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,680 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $435,000.

Tomoka Park

Jason Stafford and Catherine Elaine

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18

Moutsopoulos, of Ormond Beach, sold 89 Knollwood Estates Drive to Alyssa Palmer, of Ormond Beach, for $371,000. Built in 1980, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,646 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $228,000.

The Trails

Nancy DeLuca, of Ormond Beach, sold 46 River Ridge Trail to Nevil and Teresa Ann Parsons, of Ormond Beach, for $594,900. Built in 1977, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,428 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $263,000.

Tymber Creek Offerpad SPV Borrower G, LLC, of Chandler, Arizona, sold 125 Hollow Branch Crossing to Jonas Thomas, of Ormond Beach, for $436,300. Built in 1986, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 2,295 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $445,000.

ORMOND BY THE SEA

Rowena Biege, of Ormond Beach, sold 115 Barrier Isle Drive to Frank and Helaine Rybyinski, of Ormond Beach, for $469,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a fireplace and 1,500 square feet. It sold in 2000 for $153,500.

Andreia Dilly, of Orlando, sold 26 Hibiscus Drive to Christina Van Brundage, of Ormond Beach, for $370,000. Built in 1953, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,450 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $107,000.

Paul and Jillian Realty, LLC, of Springfield, New Jersey, sold 14 Essex Drive to Kevin Gannt and Lauren Hunnicutt Gannt, of Kennesaw, Georgia, for $377,000. Built in 1955, the house is a 3/1.5 and has 1,282 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $60,300.

John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.

House passes renter fee proposal

In an issue shadowed by soaring rental costs across the state, the House on April 13 passed a heavily debated bill that could lead to landlords collecting monthly fees instead of security deposits from renters.

The House voted 89-22 to approve the bill (HB 133), which supporters said would provide an option to help renters get into apartments without having to come up with potentially thousands of dollars in upfront money.

But opponents said the fees would not be capped and that renters wouldn’t be able to eventually recoup the money, like they might with security deposits.

“This is a poor tax, plain as day,” Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, said.

Supporters disputed such characterizations, saying the fees would be optional for landlords and renters. Bill sponsor Jim Mooney, R-Islamorada, also said such fee arrangements are already being used and that the bill would place “guardrails” on the practice.

“This is not a tax on the poor,” Rep. Tiffany Esposito, R-Fort Myers, said. “This is an option for them, for everyone to have access to housing.”

A similar Senate bill (SB 494) was approved by the Rules Committee and is ready to go to the full Senate.

Under the bill, landlords would be able to offer the option of paying monthly fees instead of security deposits, though landlords would not be required to do so. Renters would decide whether to pay the fees or deposits. Also, renters who choose fees could subsequently decide to pay security deposits and end the fees.

Based on other areas where fees are used, Mooney said a renter would pay an average $25 monthly fee on a $1,500-a-month lease.

–JIM SAUNDERS, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

action to foreclose a mortgage on the fol-

LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF CALVIN KENNETH EDWARDS, DECEASED, et. al. Defendant(s), TO: THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHERS WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF CALVIN KENNETH EDWARDS, DECEASED, whose residence is unknown if he/she/they be living; and if he/she/they be dead, the unknown defendants who may be spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees, and all parties claiming an interest by, through, under or against the Defendants, who are not known to be dead or alive, and all parties having or claiming to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the mortgage being foreclosed herein.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an

lowing property: LAND SITUATED IN THE TOWN OF BUNNELL IN THE COUNTY OF FLAGLER IN THE STATE OF FL. LOTS 7 AND 8, BLOCK 28, TOWN OF BUNNELL, AS PER MAP RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 1, PAGE 2, PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY. FLORIDA has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on counsel for Plaintiff, whose address is 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33487 on or before/(30 days days from Date of First Publication of this Notice) and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition filed herein. THIS NOTICE SHALL BE PUBLISHED ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO (2) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court at County, Florida, this day of 4/20/2023 Tom Bexley CLERK OF THE

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