Ormond Beach Observer 10-5-23

Photo by Jarleene

CITY WATCH

Owners of submerged property seek new concept

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Sierra Club opposes fuel farm

The Volusia-Flagler Sierra Club has declared its opposition to Belvedere Terminals’ proposed fuel farm in Ormond Beach.

In a letter by Alex Zelenski, conservation chair for the club’s chapter, he stated that the fuel terminal’s environmental impact, public safety risk, lack of transparency and community opposition were among the reasons the club felt Belvedere should seek an alternative location for its development.

“Around 5,000 people live within a 2-mile radius of the proposed site, and an estimated 165 tanker trucks per day are expected to traverse Hull Road, which does not even have a traffic signal at U.S. 1,” the letter states. “These facts underscore the substantial risk to life and property, and our local fire departments and hospitals are not adequately equipped to handle a potential mass casualty incident, especially when considering the planned buildout for the greater Ormond Crossings DRI and ‘Scenic Loop’ areas”

The club also noted that the north U.S. 1 corridor floods significantly today.

What about a dock to offer river cruises on the Halifax River?

That’s the idea local broker Jim Cooksey floated by the city’s Site Plan Review Committee on Wednesday, Sept. 27, regarding his 0.87-acre submerged parcel of land next to Cassen Park. Cooksey purchased the property in 2015 with Bill Dodson, a historic preservation advocate who was involved in the Ormond Beach Historical Society and helped preserve the MacDonald House. Dodson died last year.

Initially, Cooksey and Dodson were thinking of building a floating riverboat restaurant on the property, but Cooksey told the SPRC that he knows building a structure is off the table. The land is zoned SE “Special Environmental” and has a land use of “Open Space/Conservation.”

“Originally, we bought it envisioning a dock offering cruises with

a small structure,” Cooksey said. “... Well, I realize that’s really pushing a big boulder up a hill to get a building on piers out there — not that it couldn’t be done — but our request now is to investigate constructing a dock.”

Planning Director Steven Spraker said that when the city looked into riverfront dining in the previous master plan, it found that its comprehensive plan stated properties surrounding the Halifax River should be limited to single-family homes and passive parks.

“That’s an overriding philosophy that hasn’t changed in directions that have been provided to me,” Spraker said.

Cooksey could seek to amend the policy, Spraker said, but the city has voiced no desire to put a commercial entity on the river. Because the submerged parcel is

next to city-owned land, an easement would need to be granted to access the privately-owned property.

Cooksey said his property has been impacted by the city’s recent dredging and work to the Cassen Park boat dock. People have parked boats on his parcel and used it to access the park, he added.

Spraker suggested Cooksey reach out to Ormond MainStreet to determine an appropriate use and encouraged him to attend the commission’s workshop on the Cassen Park redesign on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

Jane Dodson, Bill Dodson’s wife, said that they had thought the park could be enhanced by their property, and that perhaps they could find a way to tie in the city’s history.

“I just think that it’s a unique concept,” she said. “ ... We would really like the city to be in partnership.”

Highbridge Road closed for repairs

Starting on Thursday, Oct. 5, Highbridge Road will be closed as the county repairs the L.B. Knox Bridge.

The closure will be in effect until Oct. 14, according to a press release.

Highbridge Road will be closed from John Anderson Drive to Walter Boardman Lane. Residents can use either the Granada Bridge or State Road 100 in Flagler Beach as a detour. Boat traffic on the Halifax River will not be impacted during construction. The L.B. Knox Bridge was built in 1955. It is one of the 50 bridges maintained by Volusia County.

Substance abuse clinic proposed

A substance abuse clinic could open soon at 1050 Ocean Shore Blvd., the former Seaside Manor assisted living property. Frank Braider, owner of J.D. Winston, a behavioral health care consulting firm, met with the city’s Site Plan Review Committee on Sept. 27 via Zoom. He disagreed with city staff’s decision that his application would need to get a special exception by the City Commission, saying a substance abuse clinic should be allowed in the current zoning district as a hospital use. The property is zoned B-1 “Professional Office/ Hospital.”

The previous assisted living facility obtained a special exception for its use in the 1990s, according to the meeting’s minutes.

City staff told Braider that he could submit a rebuttal regarding staff’s determination, to be reviewed by the city’s legal department.

Email Managing Editor Jarleene Almenas at Jarleene@observerlocalnews. com

File photo by Jarleene Almenas

The 0.87-acre submerged parcel of land in the Halifax River was available for lease in 2021.

“I think each of us all want what’s best for kids, and sometimes that idea is not always the same, but our goal is the same.”

Volusia School Board member Anita Burnette on book challenges. Page 9A

STEM on the move

EDITOR

MANAGING

Volusia County Schools has set the wheels in motion to promote STEM in its elementary schools.

At Beachside Elementary on Tuesday, Oct. 3, VCS unveiled its state-ofthe-art STEM bus, a mobile learning lab that aims to help students develop their skills in science, technology, engineering and math. The bus will travel to all elementary schools in the district, as well as community STEM events, and students will get a chance to enhance their studies with modules on virtual reality, robotics, electricity, microscopes and more.

“There are a few other counties that have STEM buses, but no one has a STEM bus like us,” Volusia County School Board Chair Jamie Haynes said at the unveiling.

The bus was created by the VCS transportation department after

Superintendent Carmen Balgobin proposed the idea during a cabinet meeting five months ago. Balgobin said that she and her cabinet members were discussing a bus surplus when she turned to Chief Operating Officer Earl Johnson.

“I said, ‘How about a STEM lab on wheels?’” Balgobin recalled. “And he looked at me and goes, ‘I’m taking notes. Tell me a little bit more.’”

She did. She also told him she wanted it for the 2023-2024 school year.

VCS Science Coordinator Jen Taylor referenced Balgobin’s motto for the school year: “Achieving excellence together.”

“We’ve all heard it loud and clear,” she said. “We are all here today because she has made this her mission: Achieving excellence together. In such a very short time, what Dr. Balgobin didn’t realize is, she actually gave us all what we call a STEM design challenge.”

VCS Transportation Director Rodney Smith said his department’s goal was not just to meet Balgobin’s expectations for a STEM bus, but to exceed them — and he believes they did that, thanks to help from the maintenance department.

“We’re extremely proud of the product that we produced,” he said.

James Towsley, an audio-visual technician for the VCS transportation department, said he was very excited about the project as someone who built custom vehicles in the past.

“This was right up our alley, and I thought transportation could definitely show what we could do and give back to the community,” Towsley said. “This will be huge for the students, teaching them STEM and getting them interested in these things. It has huge implications for our children’s future.”

Balgobin said VCS has the eighth highest scores for fifth grade science

in the state, and the county has a high demand for jobs in STEM.

“This lab on wheels is going to be providing our families, our parents, and our students and our teachers with the opportunity for those hands-on experiences, where they can explore and solve the world’s current and future problems,” Balgobin said.

The school district is hoping to add a second bus next year.

STEM Bus resource teacher and driver David Van Slyke said the bus aims to deliver a unique learning experience for students.

“With this mobile laboratory, students will have the opportunity to develop essential 21st-century skills through hands-on experiences with digital microscopes, robotics, Van de Graaff generators and Tesla coils,” Van Slyke said. “Our students will be empowered to think critically, solve complex problems and embrace the endless possibilities of STEM.”

STEM Specialist Amy Monahan said the bus was a dream come true for her. In 2010, when STEM programs were introduced into Volusia County, there were no clear guidelines for what STEM entailed, she said.

“Today we embrace a deeper comprehension, recognizing that STEM in Volusia is standards-driven, integrated and student-centered,” Monahan said.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

Volusia County School Board Chair Jamie Haynes speaks during the STEM bus unveiling ceremony.

The VCS Stem bus was created in-house by the district’s transportation department.

Beachside Elementary third graders Milagro Gutierrez, Audriana Aylward, Caroline Perry and Adalen Foley check out the STEM bus with STEM bus resource teacher David Van Slyke.

STEM bus resource teacher and driver David Van Slyke speaks during the STEM bus unveiling ceremony.

Volusia County Schools unveils new mobile science lab on wheels.

Photos by Jarleene Almenas

“Our students will be empowered to think critically, solve complex problems and embrace the endless possibilities of STEM.”

S.R. Perrott challenges FDEP on fuel farm proposed in Ormond Beach

The claim: insufficient public notice. Belvedere Terminals seeks to build a 16-tank fuel farm at 874 Hull Road in Ormond Beach.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Ormond Beach company S.R. Perrott is contesting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s decision to issue an air construction permit to Belvedere Terminals, which seeks to construct a fuel farm in the property behind their headquarters. The food and beverage distribution company filed an amended petition to the FDEP for an administra-

tive hearing regarding the permit, in particular stating that Belvedere failed in providing adequate public notice.

Though S.R. Perrott’s headquarters are located across the railroad tracks from the property at 874 Hull Road — where Belvedere aims to construct its fuel terminal — the 163-page petition states its executive vice president, Gary Connors, learned about the issuance of the permit on Aug. 2 while getting a haircut at a local barbershop.

Belvedere was issued the permit on Aug. 1.

The fuel terminal at 874 Hull Road is one of 10 Belvedere seeks to develop in the next five years. The St. Petersburg-based company recently announced it plans to invest $750 million in the state and add over 200

jobs. The company plans to build the first site in Jacksonville, followed by spurs in Ormond Beach and Ft. Pierce.

Belvedere aims to improve the state’s supply chain by making the state less reliant on port deliveries of fuel, according to a news release.

The proposed fuel terminal in Ormond Beach would serve over 160 trucks a day and have 16 storage tanks to contain over 20 million gallons of liquid petroleum products and additives. The fuel farm would also have about 160,000 gallons of storage capacity for propane.

“To say that this project is controversial is an understatement,” the petition states. After becoming aware of the permit, S.R. Perrott, which has a workforce of 190 employees, reached out

to Halifax Paving, headquartered at 860 Hull Road. Halifax Paving, according to the petition, had not been notified of the FDEP permit either. Halifax Paving obtained a copy of the permit from FDEP’s public records and shared it with S.R. Perrott later in the day on Aug. 2.

S.R. Perrott argues that Belvedere’s public notice for the permit in the Hometown News was insufficient and failed to comply with statutory requirements. The company also argues that the “permit and its safeguards do not fully consider and mitigate the proposed project’s full potential to emit pollutants.”

This petition is the company’s second. It filed a petition on Aug. 15, which FDEP dismissed with leave to amend, stating S.R. Perrott had been notified of the notice via letter. S.R.

Is the Bible ‘appropriate’? Flagler Schools hears complaint

Flagler superintendent to review complaint that the Bible is too ’sexually explicit and graphically violent’ for school media centers.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

A local resident’s challenge to the Bible in Flagler County Schools’ media centers is now in appeal and awaiting Interim Superintendent LaShakia Moore’s decision to retain it or take it off library shelves.

Bob Gordon’s challenge of having the Bible available for checkout by students was submitted in June and sat until district staff returned from summer break in August, Moore said.

Since then, the Bible has been reviewed by a panel of secondaryschool media specialists, which voted to retain it in district libraries.

Gordon has appealed.

He said the Bible is not appropriate for students to check out from school libraries because of passages that reference “rape, incest, prostitution, beastiality, etc.” Gordon also wrote in a letter to the district that the Bible “promotes a hate-filled homosexual bias and contains graphic, vengeful, often sadistic violence, genocide and infanticide.”

He wrote that the Bible also contains science misinformation regarding evolution and the age of the Earth.

Moore did not say when she will announce her decision. She told the Observer it will take time to review the list of passages that Gordon used as examples of sexually explicit and graphically violent material, including promoting death and punishment of homosexuals.

Moore also said the challenge is complicated by the fact that portions of the Bible are part of the Florida Department of Education’s B.E.S.T. Standards for English Lan-

guage Arts.

B.E.S.T. stands for Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking. The reading lists include passages from the Book of Esther (seventh grade), 2 Samuel (10th grade) and the Book of Psalms (11th grade). Gordon, who is retired, has been a resident of Flagler County for nine years.

He said his challenge is based “on the notion that all books in student libraries or any text used as learning material should be held to the same standards of appropriateness for school-age children and should not be immune to a challenge.”

He said he plans to continue his appeal process if necessary, including going before a special magistrate if his district appeals run out. He said he knows he has little chance of succeeding through district appeals but believes his arguments should be upheld by a state magistrate.

Gordon’s challenge follows last year’s 22 challenges of Flagler County library books based on sexually

BOAT SUPER CENTER

Perrott states they never received it. S.R. Perrott’s petition was supported by the city of Ormond Beach’s attorney and legal team, according to a statement from the city on Facebook. “We remain committed to transparency, community welfare, and ensuring that all legal avenues are explored,” the city wrote. “Together, we can protect the beauty and integrity of Ormond Beach.”

The Ormond Beach City Commission voted on Sept. 20 to deny Belvedere Terminals connection to utilities and annexation, should it approach the city. The property at 874 Hull Road is located in unincorporated Volusia County, so a development application would be reviewed by the county.

ing list and cannot be challenged in this format, however, a parent may elect to not have their child read this material.”

Gordon wrote that he disagreed with the decision.

explicit, sexually implied or violent material.

“It has to do, certainly, with a little hypocrisy mixed in here,” Gordon said of the Bible challenge. “You can’t hold the Bible to a different standard. That’s not fair play. The violence in the Bible is probably more damaging to kids.”

He said calling for the killing of homosexuals and proclaiming that “they are to expect an eternity in hell” is dangerous because the Bible is considered “an undeniable moral doctrine.”

PASSAGES INCLUDED IN CURRICULUM

In an email from Gordon to Moore, dated Sept. 1, Gordon noted that he received a response from Celeste Ackerman, the district’s supervisor of K-12 media, stating that the district team reviewed his request for reconsideration of the Bible.

Gordon quoted Ackerman as saying, “Portions of the Bible are part of our B.E.S.T recommended read-

TRIBUTES

Catherine Mildred Huff 1945-2023

Catherine M. Huff, 78, died peacefully at her home on Sunday, September 17, 2023. She was preceded in death by her mother Mabel Master, father George Master and brother Gregory Master. Born March 14, 1945 in Pittsburgh, PA, the daughter of the late George and Mabel (Irving) Master. A graduate of Gateway High School, Monroeville, PA, Montefiore Hospital School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA, Governor’s State University, Park Forest South, IL with a Bachelor in Nursing and the College of St. Francis, Joliet, ILbwith a Masters in Health Administration. Cathie worked as a High School Nurse and Coach for Porn-Porns and Cheerleading at Bolingbrook and Romeoville High Schools and as the Director of Health Services for the Valley View School District. She worked for Advent Health in Illinois and Florida for 30 years as an ER, Intensive Care, Coronary Care and Inpatient Hospice R.N. Cathie was a volunteer for the American Heart Association, the Red Cross and a dedicated member of the United Presbyterian Church of Romeoville and Trinity Presbyterian Church of Palm Coast. Cathie enjoyed being a summer camp nurse at Stronghold Summer Camp in Oregon,

“I am not aware of any reading list exemption to a book challenge or caveats to the submission of a Request For Reconsideration form. None appeared on the form and none were described to me by the various senior Flagler school district discussions as to how to proceed with a book challenge.”

Florida Statute 1003.45 permits the study of the Bible and religion, stating, “The district school board may install in the public schools in the district a secular program of education including, but not limited to, an objective study of the Bible and of religion.” In an addendum to his challenge, Gordon wrote that the presence of the Bible in school libraries “does not rise to the level of a secular objective program.”

Moore can overturn the district’s decision or agree to retain the Bible on school library shelves. If she accepts the district’s decision, Gordon would likely appeal to the School Board.

IL for many years. She is survived by her husband Rev. John Huff, daughter Shirley and husband James Lassiter, daughter Karen Huff, son Andrew and wife Lisa (Finley) Huff, grandson Donato Coglianese, grandsons Cleyton and Chas Huff, granddaughters Alicia and Elliana Lassiter. Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 11:00 am at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 156 Florida Park Dr N, Palm Coast FL 32137 and on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 3pm at United Presbyterian Church, 2 Belmont Dr, Romeoville, IL 60446.

After the assemblies: Moore works to reconnect school district with community

Superintendent LaShakia Moore discussed the district’s response to Bunnell Elementary’s segregated assemblies during a forum on Sept. 27.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Schools Superintendent

LaShakia Moore said the goal of the district’s Community Connection Forum was for the community to come together and have frank conversations about education.

“For so many years, we’ve had to take on other things that have caused us to not focus on the goal of educating our students,” Moore said at the beginning of the forum on Sept. 27 at the G.W. Carver Center. “We’ve taken on responsibilities that are not appropriate for the school district to take on.”

She said that during the last few months, she has heard “over and over” about a disconnect between the school district and the communities of Flagler County.

Perhaps the greatest example of that disconnect was the impetus for the forum — the assemblies for African American students at Bunnell Elementary School on Aug. 18 to discuss low standardized test scores. The segregated assemblies outraged parents who were not informed about them ahead of time and drew national media attention. A district investigation resulted in the resigna-

tions of the teacher who presented the assemblies and the school principal who approved them.

The assemblies included all African American fourth and fifth graders — those whose assessment scores were below grade level, as well as those whose scores were at grade level or higher.

Moore said that since the incident, students involved were offered resources ranging from tutoring to counseling services. Some parents asked to have their children transferred to a different school, and the district was accommodating their requests, she said.

A series of trainings for staff were being arranged through several entities, including the Office of Civil Rights, she added.

Moore alluded to a stigma within the district that may have prevented school or district staff from saying something before the assemblies occurred.

“People are fearful to speak up,” Moore said. “We have to give them methods to speak up and not fear retaliation.”

Moore said she does not believe there was any bad intention in organizing the assemblies.

“The principal (Donelle Evensen) is someone I have high regard for, someone I’ve worked with and I love. But (what happenend) was not appropriate for those students and not something we can support,” Moore said.

BLOCK PARTY AND DISCUSSION

Citizens filled the bleacher seats and rows of folding chairs placed in the Carver gym for the forum. The forum followed the Bunnell Block Party, which was organized by the schools in the area — Bunnell Elementary, Buddy Taylor Middle School and Flagler Palm Coast High School.

Among the tables set up in the gym for the block party was Kristin Frank’s “The Reading Tree” table, stacked with children’s books. Frank, the district’s Teaching and Learning English Language Arts K-5 specialist, distributes children’s books at events and at Grace Community Food Pantry.

“Bringing literacy into the home includes support for the parents,” she said. Frank receives book donations from teachers and community members and also pulls books that are no longer in circulation at the media centers.

Deanna Dempsey and Brandon Stewart manned the “#MIP: Me, In Progress” table. #MIP is a free program in Flagler County funded by Flagler Cares and developed by Easterseals Northeast Central Florida to provide behavioral health services to teens. Students at the block party painted rocks with positive messages. “Some took them home. If they leave them, we’ll place them around Flagler County,” Stewart said.

FIRST IN A SERIES OF FORUMS

Community members were encouraged to ask questions during the forum. Marian Irvin-Reddin asked about tools that can help parents support their children.

Moore said there are many organizations in the community that parents can contact, such as the Flagler County Education Foundation,

Faith in Flagler Schools and the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia.

She emphasized that the district needs support from community organizations and faith-based leaders so the schools can focus on academics.

“Education is a community thing. We cannot do it without you,” Moore said.

She encouraged people to get involved by becoming a mentor to students or a school volunteer to take on peripheral duties to help teachers focus on educating.

Moore said it’s important for parents to understand what the graduation requirements are and the different programs available to students.

“Our students should be coming out with industry certifications or degrees if they want, or AICE diplomas,” Moore said. “We base our (Career and Technical Education programs) on what the workforce in the community needs. Our job is to save our families money by providing opportunities to earn certifications, advanced diplomas or AA degrees.”

Moore said the district will have community forums on a regular basis, with the next one to be on the north side of the county in conjunction with a block party.

“What I’ve heard is it’s necessary to have conversations in our community,” Moore said after the forum. “What I will walk away from is this is one step in moving Flagler Forward.”

Photos by Brent Woronoff

Kristin Frank, a Teaching and Learning specialist with the district, picks out books to hand out to students at the Bunnell Block Party.

Brandon Stewart and Deanna Dempsey, who lead #MIP: Me, In Progress, asked students to paint positive messages on rocks, which they will place around the county.

Carl Jones, president of the African American Mentoring Program, told parents, “Don’t shortchange yourself.”

Superintendent LaShakia Moore urged parents and community members who don’t have children in schools to get involved.

“People are fearful to speak up. We have to give them methods to speak up and not fear retaliation.”

LASHAKIA MOORE

COPS CORNER

SEPT. 13

VIDEO EVIDENCE 12:30 a.m. — 100 block of North Ocean Shore Boulevard, Flagler Beach Disorderly conduct. A woman was trespassed from a local bar and then arrested when she immediately returned.

A police officer was called to the bar because the woman, who was drunk, had refused to pay a $42 tab for a round of four drinks she offered to buy for a man, according to her arrest report. The bartender told the officer that the man had paid for his two drinks on the tab, but the woman would not pay for her drinks.

The woman’s friend ultimately paid the $13 for the drinks, but the bartender asked the officer to trespass the drunk woman. The officer walked the woman and her friend outside to talk to the drunk woman about the trespass, the report said.

As he read the trespass information to her, the woman recorded the interaction and then signed the trespass warning. Both she and the officer left.

But fifteen minutes later, the officer returned to the bar and arrested the woman, who had returned there to smoke a cigarette and yell at her friend.

SEPT. 19

PUTRID PICKUP

7:24 a.m. — First block of Brookwood Court, Ormond Beach Suspicious vehicle. A police officer found rotting deer carcasses in the bed of a pickup truck after a resident complained of a bad smell coming from the vehicle.

The truck had been parked in front of the resident’s home for about 24 hours, and the

resident had not seen anyone entering or exiting the truck during that time, according to a police report. The officer tried to contact the truck’s registered owner, but was unsuccessful.

Because the truck was also blocking traffic, police towed the vehicle.

SEPT. 21

UNGODLY

12:12 p.m. — 2000 block of North Beach Street, Ormond Beach

Vandalism. A city pump station was vandalized with graffiti depicting a “possible satanic symbol” in at least one area, according to a police report.

Police spoke with the city’s chief water plant operator, who said he was notified of the graffiti by a field tech who forwarded him photos of the damage, estimated at $1,700. He told police this wasn’t the first time the pump station, inaccessible to the public without a four-wheel drive vehicle, had been vandalized.

The reporting officer noted that while there is a “No Trespassing” sign on the property, the trail that leads to the pump station is a common shortcut for fishermen going to the Intracoastal Waterway. He advised the plant operator, who plans to put a fence around the pump station, to place cameras on the trail.

SEPT. 22

SEVERED CONNECTION

12:58 p.m. — 400 block of River Square Lane, Ormond Beach Vandalism. A 42-year-old Ormond Beach woman called police to report that her exhusband had ripped out the wires for her internet.

The woman said her ex was seen by a neighbor pulling the wires out from the cable box shortly before she lost her internet

connection, according to a police report. She then saw him in her bushes before he left on his motorcycle. A company repairman restored her internet and confirmed to police that the cables appeared to have been cut.

The company informed her she would not be billed for the damage. But if she was, she told police, she would pursue charges.

SEPT. 23

LATER, LOANER

7:20 p.m. — Palm Coast Grand theft. An Arizona man is wanted for stealing his roommate’s Hyundai Sonata after the owner told him he could borrow the car to move in July.

The suspect packed up the Sonata and drove to his brother’s home in Falmouth, Kentucky, where he has been staying since, according to a charging affidavit.

When Sheriff’s Office deputies spoke to the Sonata’s owner in July, he told them he initially thought his roommate needed the car to either get a moving truck or to move his belongings himself. He did not know the man was moving to his brother’s home in Kentucky, the report said.

Because the car owner initially gave his permission, a deputy said, the FCSO could not press criminal charges at the time. When the car owner followed up with the deputy in September, he told the deputy he repeatedly asked his former roommate to return the vehicle to no avail.

The suspect offered to buy the car’s title for $500, then stopped answering the phone, the car owner said.

The deputy has since filed a charging affidavit with the State Attorney’s Office, and the Sonata has been registered as stolen.

“I was very impressed by the whole operation... I just turned 78 years old and they made everything so easy!!!”

-David M.

Whale beaches near Marineland

The whale was male and measured 12 feet and 6 inches long.

SIERRA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

A male pygmy sperm whale beached on the shoreline just north of Marineland in St. Johns County on Sept. 27 and was later euthanized.

Beachgoers came across the whale sometime before 10 a.m., while it was still alive. Kelly Richmond, a communications coordinator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, said the whale measured 381 centimeters long — roughly 12 feet and 6 inches. Richmond said FWC called an expert to the field and decided to euthanize the sick animal in the early afternoon.

BRIEFS

Man dies in crash at Palm Coast Parkway I-95 exit

A 22-year-old Jacksonville man died after his car veered off the Interstate 95 exit ramp and slammed into a tree in the early morning hours of Monday, Oct. 2.

The man was taking the southbound Exit 289 ramp at about 1:09 a.m. when the sedan he was driving swerved to the left, leaving the roadway, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

The car’s driver’s side door struck the tree. There were no passengers in the car.

Volusia launches webpage on fuel terminal project

Volusia County has initiated a dedicated series of updates about the proposed Belvedere fuel terminal in Ormond Beach. Residents can access these updates at volusia.org/ fuelterminal or directly from the county’s homepage.

The new webpage, requested by the County Council, provides updates on the proposed project.

These updates will delve into topics such as the history and conception of the proposed project, relevant documents, the status of

The carcass will be taken to the FWC’s St. Petersburg Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory for study, she said.

Richmond said figuring out what made the whale sick will require scientists to run tests, which could take a long time. This is the third whale to beach in the Flagler County

developments, upcoming stakeholder meetings and collaborative endeavors with the city of Ormond Beach and other partners.

Peter Johnson files for Palm Coast mayoral

Palm Coast resident Peter Johnson, 30 and a self-employed handyman, has filed to run for mayor.

“This is an extremely grassroots campaign, and one that truly started after hearing resident after resident say that someone needs to step up to the plate,” he said. “So I’m doing just that.”

Johnson said the key points he hopes to tackle are the “mismanagement” of the city’s growth and funds, the conservation of the city’s land and waterways, and drawing younger families and businesses to the area.

Johnson has lived in Palm Coast since 2010. He said he considers his youth and his lack of experience in the political field among his qualifications for the job.

“I’m a resident. I’m not a developer. I’m not a politician,” he said. “I am beholden to absolutely nobody but my constituents and the people that elect me.”

Johnson also served as a volunteer firefighter for Flagler County Fire Rescue from

Roof Repairs & Re-Roofs: Shingle, Metal & Tile

Woman sentenced for fatal shooting

A woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in a 2021 robbery in which her fellow robber was shot and killed by their victim.

Taylor Manjarres, then 18, had plotted with 24-year-old Kwentel Moultrie and 23-yearold Zaire Roberts to rob a drug dealer at the dealer’s R-Section house in December 2021.

area in 2023. In January, an orca washed ashore — the first known killer whale beaching in Florida’s history — near Jungle Hut Park, and in March, a deep-sea beaked whale was euthanized after it beached near Gamble Rogers Park.

2010 to 2013, he said. He filed to run on July 27 and received the necessary signatures by Sept. 20.

Johnson is working on getting his campaign website up and running but can be reached at peterjohnsonforpalmcoast@gmail.com or his campaign’s Facebook page, Peter Johnson for Palm Coast.

Flagler County’s unemployment rate rises

The unemployment rate rose from 3.7% in July 2023 to 3.9% in August, according to a press release from the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce. The data comes from a report from FloridaCommerce, the press release said.

Greg Blosé, president and CEO of the Regional Chamber of Commerce, said 3.9% is the highest unemployment rate the county has seen since January 2022, and 1.2% higher than the state’s rate.

The county’s workforce is increasing and outpacing local hiring, Blosé said: The number of job-seeking residents in Flagler County rose to 2,121 in August, up from 1,977 in July.

“As population continues to grow, we will experience an increase in the labor force and see more people standing in the unemployment line as they search for jobs after relocating here,” Blosé said.

The plan was for Roberts to distract the drug dealer the night of Dec. 29, 2021, while Manjarres and Moultrie stole drugs. But it didn’t work: Roberts twice shot the dealer in the leg, and the dealer shot back, killing Roberts, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. The drug dealer lived, and law enforcement officers determined that he’d fired his gun in self-defense. Under Florida law, people involved in certain felony crimes that lead to a death can be charged with felony murder for that death.

Manjarres pleaded guilty to second-degree felony murder and armed burglary in May 2023. Circuit Judge Terence Perkins sentenced her during a hearing on Sept. 26. She will receive credit for 579 days already served in jail, according to court records.

Moultrie pleaded no contest to second-degree felony murder and was sentenced on Sept. 14 to 35 years in prison, which he will serve consecutively with 10 years for an unrelated charge of sexual battery.

Man arrested over threats to Volusia County deputy

A Pennsylvania man who messaged a social media account of the TV show “On Patrol: Live” stating he would kill a Volusia sheriff’s deputy has been arrested for making written threats to kill.

Jason Senseman, 51, was taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police Wednesday evening in Jonestown, Pennsylvania, where he admitted to sending several threatening and/or vulgar messages to the show via Facebook Messenger.

One of those messages was, “I would kill Royce James,” a VSO deputy who was featured on the show. Previous messages stated,

“I am not scared of killing anyone,” and, “Some of your officers are worthy of death.”

“On Patrol: Live” notified VSO on Sunday, Sept. 24, and detectives contacted law enforcement in Pennsylvania, where officers were aware of the messages and familiar with Senseman.

When contacted by a state trooper, Senseman said he did send the messages while watching the show and drinking, and that no one else uses his phone or his Facebook account.

Senseman’s charge is a second-degree felony that carries a bond of $100,000. He will be extradited to Volusia County at a later date, and Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood plans to meet him, alongside James, before transport to the Volusia County Branch Jail.

Detectives use genetic data to ID homicide victim

More than 30 years after her remains were found in a wooded area of Daytona Beach, a homicide victim has been identified using forensic genetic genealogy.

On Thursday, Sept. 28, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office detectives notified the family of Roberta “Bobbie”

Lynn Weber of the new DNA match in the April 1990 homicide investigation.

A passerby on a wooded trail found Weber’s remains in the woods east of Clyde Morris Boulevard and about a mile and a half north of Strickland Range Road on April 23, 1990.

Weber would have been 32 at the time. Her remains were not identifiable, and no clothing or personal property could be found. Her DNA was entered into a national database, but there were no matches.

This year, the VSO Major Case Unit consulted with Othram Laboratories, a forensic genetic genealogy lab in Texas, and worked with the Medical Examiner’s Office to have the DNA samples submitted for analysis.

Several weeks later, Othram Labs said they’d reconstructed the victim’s family tree using data from public genealogical sites. That family tree included a Missouri woman, likely the victim’s sister.

Detectives contacted the woman in Missouri, and she

confirmed that she hadn’t seen her sister since 1989. She said Weber had divorced her husband in 1989 and disappeared. She believed her sister was either dead or living in California.

Detectives also identified and contacted three of Weber’s children, all of whom hadn’t seen their mother since 1989.

The sister and a daughter provided DNA samples, and on Sept. 28, Othram Labs confirmed that they matched to Roberta “Bobbie” Lynn Weber, maiden name Headley.

The homicide remains unsolved, but with the victim finally identified, detectives are asking anyone who might have information to come forward. Contact the Major Case Unit at 386-254-1537 or ColdCaseUnitTips@volusiasheriff.gov.

Woman flees crash with victim on car hood

A 76-year-old Palm Coast woman drove away from the scene of a crash at almost 50 mph with a crash victim clinging to the hood of her car, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Cheryl Henderson was arrested on Sept. 30 and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of a crash. The crash happened near the Aspen Dental in the 4800 block of Belle Terre Parkway, according to Henderson’s arrest report.

When Henderson tried to leave the scene of the accident, the victim moved his truck to block her exit. He got out of his pickup truck and was telling Henderson not to leave the scene when she drove toward him.

To avoid being run over, the man jumped onto the hood of Henderson’s Ford SUV. Henderson then drove two miles south down Belle Terre Parkway, reaching an estimated speed of 50 mph, with the man clinging to the hood of her car, the report said. Someone who witnessed the original accident followed in his own car and eventually forced Henderson to pull over.

Henderson told FCSO deputies that she left the scene of the accident because she needed to get gas. When asked why she didn’t stop when the man jumped on her hood, she said she was trying to pull over but couldn’t, according to the report.

386.439.7156 stephenmrende@yahoo.com

Photo courtesy of the FWC

pygmy sperm whale beached just north of Marineland.

School Board: ‘We’ve got to follow our process’

School Board directs Moms for Liberty to file formal book challenges after chapter members read passages aloud at a recent meeting.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Several speakers hoped to lean on Florida House Bill 1069 to remove some books from school libraries at the Volusia County School Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

The new law states that “parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection” during a school board meeting and if they are denied, or stopped, due to explicit or obscene content, the book would need to be removed.

But Volusia County Schools attorney Kevin Pendley said the books must be formally challenged first on one of four grounds: It qualifies as pornographic material; it depicts or describes obscene sexual conduct; it’s not suited to students’ needs and ability to comprehend material; or it’s inappropriate for the age group for which the material is used.

“Depending on which one of those grounds a challenge is made determines whether it is something that has to be taken off the shelves within five days,” Pendley said.

Books that have been challenged for pornographic or depiction of sexual conduct must be removed from school library shelves within five days of being challenged until the district’s objection process is completed.

Pendley said VCS had no book objections at the time of the meeting. Board members sought clarification prior to speakers reading passages.

“So if [books] are read tonight, nothing by law can be done,” School Board member Jessie Thompson said. “However, if they were to go tomorrow and challenge them, technically it could start going through this process and be pulled off the shelf within five days, correct?”

“If it is pornographic or describes sexual conduct,” Pendley said.

Fourteen books were formally objected to, on the night of the School Board meeting. VCS reports that it has not received any more objections since.

Of the fourteen books challenged, three went through the district’s review process last year: “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson; “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky; and “Sold” by Patricia McCormick.

SUBJECT TO AN OBJECTION

Moms for Liberty Chapter

Chair Jenifer Kelly said that when she walked in the room for the meeting and sat down, the person next to her got up and told her she wasn’t going to be “sitting next to a fascist.”

Kelly argued that her chapter doesn’t seek to ban books on Black history or ones that represent the LGBTQ community — their issue is with books containing sexually explicit content.

“Even the descriptions in the card catalogue aren’t accurate,” Kelly said. “We have adult fiction books in there that say, oh, this is a coming of age. It does not say anything about the graphic pornographic content in these books.”

She told the board members that they had been misinformed by the school district’s legal team. She emphasized the wording in the law that states parents have the right to read from books “subject to an objection.”

“Not ‘has already been objected to’ — there is a difference,” she said.

Kelly read from the book “Sold” by Patricia McCormick. The book was removed

for three school districts last year: Clay, Manatee and Martin.

“Sold,” a novel about a young girl sold into sexual slavery, went through the VCS challenge process last school year and was kept on shelves in both middle school and high school libraries.

Ormond Beach resident Barb LeBlanc asked the district why books containing sexually explicit passages are allowed to remain in school libraries.

“We are taught to correct behavior that is inappropriate and this is extremely inappropriate,” LeBlanc said. “May God bless this process tonight as we move forward to eradicate this filth from our media center shelves throughout Volusia County Schools.”

LeBlanc read a passage about child rape from “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins. The book was removed from Clay County last year.

‘DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT’S COVER’ The meeting also drew speakers, from in and outside Volusia County, in support of books and the district’s formal challenge process.

Retired English teacher and former School Board member Linda Cuthbert said that when she selected books for students to learn from as part of the curriculum, she challenged her students to look at the book as a whole. She used the example of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, which has been criticized for its use of racial slurs. But the book is about more than that, Cuthbert argued, citing the book’s spotlight on slavery, child abuse and racial injustice.

“It was all those details, taken not out of context, but put together in a total book, a total message, a total purpose,” Cuthbert said. “So my students could learn and choose for themselves what they liked, what they didn’t

CHALLENGED BOOKS

„ “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson „ “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut „

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky

„ “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison

„

“Sold” by Patricia McCormick

„ “Damsel” by Elana K. Arnold „ “You Too? 25 voices share their #MeToo stories” by Janet Gurtler

like and how they wanted to model lives and what they didn’t want to model their lives after.”

Citizen Patricia Stevenson said many of the books being read at the meeting were in high school libraries and provide value to students seeking to become educated on issues like sexual trafficking and child prostitution. Last school year, 89 books were objected to in Volusia County; 18 went through the challenge process and two were removed.

She urged board members to stay strong against immediate book bans.

“When I was younger, it was often said that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” she said. “Nowadays, it seems more pertinent to say that you shouldn’t judge a book by an excerpt.”

FOLLOWING THE PROCESS

Volusia County School Board

Chair Jamie Haynes said topics revolving around sex should be addressed by parents with their students, and not in a school library book.

“I have no problem with any of these books, truthfully, being in a public library,” Haynes said. “... Parents have the right to choose but when it comes to school libraries, parents don’t have the right to come in and help their children select the books. The books are there and they have unfettered access.”

Moms for Liberty was successful in pulling 34 books from Indian River County

„ “Lullaby” by Chuck Palahniuk „ “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins

„ “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult „

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse

“I think each of us all want what’s best for kids, and sometimes that idea is not always the same, but our goal is the same.”

School District shelves after reading passages from books before the board. The group’s Seminole chapter attempted to do the same on Sept. 19, but the Orlando Sentinel reported the board listened to the passages without interrupting and took no action.

Referencing HB 1069, School Board member Carl Persis said if it was a straightforward law, all school districts would be enforcing it the same way. He spoke about the Miller Test, which determines whether something constitutes as obscene, and said the state puts school boards in difficult positions.

“I respect the right of any parent that does not want their child to read a certain book — that’s what we’ve always said here,” Persis said. “We never force library books on anyone’s child. At the same time, I would not want another parent to be able to tell me what my child cannot read. I think it’s incumbent of this board if we say we’re for parental rights, we’re for all parental rights.”

School Board member Ruben Colon said many people know where he stands on the issue from a “moral, ethical standpoint.”

“But we’ve got to follow our process,” he said. “If it means that this gets challenged — which I anticipate after I say this, the challenges are going to roll in — that’s OK. That’s why [the policy] was written that way.”

School Board member Anita Burnette said she appreciated people speaking on both sides of the issue.

“I think each of us all want what’s best for kids, and sometimes that idea is not always the same, but our goal is the same,” she said.

Email jarleene@observer localnews.com.

Andrews „ “The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy” by B.T. Gottfred „ “Smoke” by Dan Vyleta „ “The Kite Runner: Graphic Novel” by Khaled Hosseini

ANITA BURNETTE, School Board member

Courtesy of Volusia County School Board meeting livestream

for Liberty Chapter Chair Jenifer Kelly.

Judge cancels trial, sends Captain’s BBQ, county government to mediation

The judge is trying to avoid a complex trial that would pit the BBQ restaurant against its landlord, the county government, according to the Flagler County government’s attorney.

JONATHAN SIMMONS MANAGING EDITOR

A jury trial pitting Captain’s BBQ against the Flagler County government — which owns the restaurant’s building at Bings Landing park — is off the docket.

A trial in the long-running case was scheduled to begin

Feb. 19, 2024. But the case has been turned over to a new judge who has ordered the two sides to return to mediation on Oct. 27, Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed said at a commission meeting on Oct. 2. The county opposed the return to mediation, Hadeed said, “not ... as a matter of principle, but as a matter of fact — saying, ‘Look, we spent a lot of time attempting to mediate this.’”

But, he added, “The court has ordered it and we’re going to obviously respect, we’re not going to question, the court’s wisdom that we should engage in the mediation.”

The judge is avoid a “very complex trial” involving cross-claims from someone who sued after being injured

in the building, Hadeed said. Judge Christoper France issued the mediation referral on June 29 after taking over the case from Judge Terence Perkins.

Captain’s BBQ filed a lawsuit against the county government in June 2019, saying the county had breached its contract with the restaurant by reneging on a lease agreement the county had approved in November 2018.

The County Commission had voted 3-2 in November 2018 to approve a lease that would have let the restaurant’s owners build a new, larger restaurant building at Bings Landing. The size increase would have made it easier for Captain’s to receive approval for a liquor license.

The commission’s decision

was predicated on the belief that the restaurant building had serious structural problems that would have been costly and time-consuming to repair.

Allowing Captain’s to construct a new building would have let the restaurant continue operations at the existing building during construction, then move to the new structure with minimal interruption, rather than shutting down for weeks while the county repaired the existing building.

But the decision triggered an uproar from residents who thought the business would be benefitting at the county’s expense. And just weeks after the 3-2 vote — and in the next meeting after the county had signed a new lease with Cap-

tain’s based on that vote — new county commissioners were sworn in, and the commission voted 4-0 to reconsider its previous decision.

The commission later decided to have the Captain’s BBQ building inspected to see if it was truly beyond repair. Later inspections performed at the county’s behest showed that the building was durable and didn’t need reconstruction, Hadeed said.

The commission decided to repair the existing building at the county’s expense unless repairs would exceed 50% of its value, in which case the county would build a new building for Captain’s BBQ.

Captain’s BBQ sued.

The county and Captain’s BBQ have tried two mediation sessions already, he said.

“We could not come to an amicable resolution,” he said. “The primary pivot point was they wanted to build a new facility. And our position was, ‘Well, the building is holding up. We’re abiding by our end of the lease; there’s not a need for a new building.’”

Another mediation session will be expensive because the county will have to pay a professional mediator.

Still, Hadeed said, “It is better if we can to try to settle it. So we’re going to enter into this with an open mind.”

Hadeed asked commissioners to hold an executive session meeting so commissioners could give Hadeed and the rest of the county’s legal team direction on the pending litigation.

300-unit complex planned for Town Center Council OKs 66 houses off Central Avenue

The 27-acre development, called The Legacy at Palm Coast, sits at the corner of Town Center Boulevard and Lake Avenue, north of Imagine School.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved a site plan application for a 300unit apartment complex next to Imagine School at Town Center at its Sept. 19 meeting. The complex — called The Legacy at Palm Coast — will

be on the vacant 27-acre lot at Town Center Boulevard and the north side of Lake Avenue, across from the school. It will have a main entrance on Town Center Boulevard and a secondary entrance on Lake Avenue.

Curt Wimpée, from Alliant Engineering and representing the developer, Landmark Communities and MG Palm Coast, LLC, said it’s a project that will fit in well with Palm Coast. “We worked with staff extensively to make sure this is a quality project for Town Center,” he said. “Town Center is obviously, you know, one of the premier areas here in Palm Coast.”

The 300 units will be spread throughout eight buildings — four three-story buildings

and four four-story buildings — and will have one- to three-bedroom units, according to meeting documents. There will be 128 one-bedroom apartments, 140 twobedroom apartments and 32 three-bedroom apartments.

The Legacy apartments’ amenities will include a clubhouse, pool, pickleball court, two dog parks, a kayak launch, a fire pit and two gazebo areas.

When the city’s Planning Board approved the site plan application on Aug. 19, Alliant Engineering engineer Adam Oestman said prices had not yet been set, but the apartments could cost around $2,000 a month for a threebedroom, based on similar properties the developer built in Kissimmee.

The Retreat at Town Center will have 66 single-family residential lots located across from the Publix plaza at Palm Coast Town Center.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The first phase of a threephase development in Town Center has been approved for construction.

The Palm Coast City Council unanimously approved a final plat application — the final step before development begins — at its Sept. 19 meeting for the first phase of The

Retreat at Town Center. The first phase of development has 66 single-family residential lots across 39.74 acres of land.

The Retreat is located on Market Avenue, north of the Publix at Town Center and east of Belle Terre Parkway. When all three phases are complete, The Retreat will have a total of 161 units, according to City

from City Council meeting documents

Retreat at Town Center’s first phase will have 66 units.

Council meeting documents. It is part of the Town Center at Palm Coast development. The applicant, Toll Southeast LP Company, began developing the infrastructure on the property after the preliminary plat and construction plans were approved in December 2021, Deputy Chief Development Officer Ray Tyner said.

Flagler Health+ is excited to share we are now UF Health St. Johns. Building on a 130-year legacy of caring for the community, our dedication to delivering high-quality and patientcentered care has never wavered. With enhanced access to the latest medical breakthroughs, expanded treatment options, clinical trials and world-renowned comprehensive care through UF Health, this change marks the dawn of a bright new beginning for health care in St. Johns County.

Image

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Best friends open store in Ormond

Coastal Character is a furniture resale shop specializing in redesigned pieces.

ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ever thought about owning a business with your best friend?

Michelle Arnold and Tracey Lopez turned that thought into reality when they opened Coastal Character, a furniture resale shop located in Palm Plaza at 600 S. Yonge St., Suite 1A & B, in Ormond Beach.

Arnold and Lopez have been best friends for almost 20 years, and their friendship grew stronger as their kids grew up together. With a long-distance friendship from Georgia to Colorado, the women dreamed of living near the beach. One day they decided to pack up and take a road trip to find the perfect spot.

“We went from Daytona Beach all the way to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and tried to make our mind up of exactly where to move along the coast,” Arnold said.

After careful consideration and a previous option not working in their favor, the best friends decided to move to Ormond Beach.

Lopez began painting and restoring furniture around her house over six years ago when her husband gave her the idea of selling her work. Immediately, she found old furniture and started selling her pieces online. After that, the couple

began selling in a consignment shop in Crescent Beach to see if their products would sell in a store.

“Every piece you see is something that has been given a second life,” Lopez said. “Everything comes from donations, or we buy it second hand.”

Arnold, who previously worked on designing largescale events and marketing for companies, said all of Coastal Character’s marketing is done in-house. Arnold said this ensures their marketing is always exactly what they want it to be.

Within the first week and a half of opening, 70% of the pieces in the shop had sold, causing excitement, but also worry as they needed more items quickly.

“It was one of those situations where the greatest thing would be if we sold everything,

Stoked Poke is ‘stoked’ to be in Ormond

EMMA BRUGNA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Stoked Poke, a food truck that has now gone brick-andmortar, will be opening a restaurant in Ormond Beach.

The Hawaiian-style restaurant was launched out of a small green trailer in October 2018. Now, Stoked Poke has four restaurants, with the Ormond Beach location at 347 W. Granada Blvd. becoming the fifth.

but the worst thing would be if we sold everything and had no product left to sell,” Arnold said. “We were able to come a long way over the past three months and we got some pretty cool vendors too.” Arnold and Lopez don’t do all the work for their store alone. They have handymen that repair the furniture before the pieces are taken to the shop to be painted, as well as other artists who display their work in Coastal Character. They have eight vendors and artists that sell from the shop.

“It became very important to us that we kind of a mentor and supporter for local artists,” Lopez said. “We know how hard it is to start something new and how much money big investments cost.”

Coastal Character is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In the November following their food truck debut in 2018, the business attended its first major event, Ormond Mainstreet’s Riverfest Seafood Festival. Stoked Poke had been working with the MainStreet for some time before appearing at this event.

“We saw immediate success there, it was really great,” said Eric Jackson, Stoked Poke owner and founder.

Jackson said the idea of opening a location in Ormond has always been on his mind.

As soon as a spot in the area piqued his interest, he immediately jumped at the opportunity. Jackson has opened Stoked Poke restaurants in Daytona Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and Flagler Beah.

Stoked Poke serves customizable poke bowls, acai bowls and tacos.

The concept for the business formed during Jackson’s surfing trip to Hawaii where

BIZ BUZZ NEW BUSINESSES OPEN AT ONE DAYTONA

One Daytona has added two new tenants: Foxtail Coffee Co., which opened on Sept. 19, and Crumbl Cookies, which will open on Oct. 6 at Shoppes at One Daytona. Foxtail offers a menu of craft and slow bar coffee and it is the second location in Volusia County. The first location opened in Ormond Beach in April. Crumbl Cookies will offer cookies inspired by popular flavors, foods and desserts, according to a press release. A location opened in Palm Coast in June.

“The wait is over for everyone in our community looking for quality craft coffee or the infamous cookies that have unique flavors from week to week,” One Daytona President

Photo by Alexis Miller

Residential

Roxanne Ribakoff, said in the press release. “Both tenants are excellent additions to our One Daytona campus. We are confident this is the start of a successful business venture for both Foxtail Coffee Co. and Crumbl Cookies.”

The One Daytona Foxtail location will serve a variety of beer and wine, breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, egg bites, quiches, pastries and sweet treats.

Crumbl Cookies will be located between Painting with a Twist and Crab Knight at Shoppes at One Daytona, located at 1808 W. International

he fell in love with the food. As he and his friends returned to Florida, he realized there were not many places to indulge in poke. This sparked his inspiration to create the restaurant.

The restaurant in Ormond will continue to follow a similar menu and keep the overall coastal feel of its previous locations, Jackson said. However, the location will also have details differing from its counterparts, allowing each restaurant to remain unique in its own way.

“We’re stoked to be here and stoked to keep growing,” said Jackson.

coming soon to One Daytona is Consumer Cellular, to be located between Guitar Center and Elements of Design. Consumer Cellular plans to open before the end of the year.

A Full Service Real Estate Firm

PINE LAKES

Property Management

OPEN HOUSE 9 Fordham Lane, Palm Coast

OPEN HOUSE 25 Riverdale Lane, Palm Coast

Friday, 10/6 to

Hosted by Stephanie Presley (386) 801-8935

OPEN HOUSE 6 & 8 Karanda Place, Palm Coast

HOUSE 9 Fordham Lane, Palm Coast

OPEN HOUSE! SATURDAY, JULY 23RD 10-12PM AND SUNDAY JULY 24TH 11-1PM

6 Flanders Lane, Palm Coast

Hosted by Jan McHugh (386) 931-0821 and Cheryl Dreezer (386) 793-3183

Friday & Saturday, 8/22 & 8/23 11am to 2pm Charming and well maintained home in a desirable location close to everything! $300,000

Hosted by John McHugh (386) 237-1098 & Jan McHugh (386) 931-0821

Come and check out the desirable Holiday Morro Bay floor plan. New AC. New roof scheduled. Over 2000 square ft 3 bedroom and 2 bath. $332,500

Saturday, 8/23 10am to 2pm

Hosted by Cheryl Dreezer (386) 793-3183 and Judy O’Neill (203) 592-4173

Hosted by Terrie Ventrelli (386) 246-1049

Stop by to see these two FULLY UPDATED homes with brand new roofs.

Friday & Saturday, 10/6 & 10/7 11am to Charming and well maintained home in a desirable location close to everything! $285,000

Offered at $149,900

Real Estate Services of Palm Coast

Old Kings Common • 7 Old Kings Rd. N. • Palm Coast, FL 32137

Rd. N. • Palm Coast, FL 32137

386-445-1000

www.realestateserv.com

Located in the Staples Shopping Center

410490-1

411408-1

Tracey Lopez and Michelle Arnold, owners and creators of Coastal Character

Courtesy photos

Stoked Poke owner and founder Eric Jackson, alongside Kinzie Hicks and Kolson Jackson.

One of the current hand-painted pieces for sale

LETTERS

Story on ‘book bans’

Dear Editor:

Thank you very much for your “Shelf Life” article, published in the Observer, Thursday, Sept. 21. Your journalistic approach to this thorny topic delivered a readable explanation of an issue that can be easily blurred with emotion and poorly digested information, but you laid it out in clear and concise language.

It is important to note that this “book banning” issue is moving fast: Shelves are being cleared, and unreported decisions about books are being made without the required due process. Soon we will be faced with the issue of how, and what, will be placed on those empty shelves. It is not inconceivable that the state of Florida will preempt any local deci sion making regarding the content of our classrooms and school libraries at all; kids in public schools will read what politicians allow them to read, and that will be that.

This issue would have, at one time, been placed in “The Marketplace of Ideas” for resolution, but no more. Your publication is doing noble service to this community in bringing it forward. Keep up the good work.

LAUREL ROBINSON

Citizens for Truth and Justice in Education Ormond Beach

YOUR TOWN

Make yourself at home

Just desserts: greed and Frosties in the moonlight

And then, the law of entropy transformed from a theory into a melted, goopy reality.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

We were at the Wendy’s drive thru one night last week, and I had an excruciating decision to make: How many Frosties should I buy?

There were six McMillans in the minivan: my wife and I, and four of our children. Six small chocolate Frosties was the natural choice. But the universe had different plans.

A beam of moonlight, lately of the sun, ricocheted off a small piece of plastic in the compartment next to the cupholder, drawing my eye to a white piece of plastic shaped in the shape of a Frosty, entitling its bearer to one free Jr. Frosty — about half the size of a small Frosty — with

any purchase. It was a coupon good for a whole year’s worth of free Jr. Frosties, in fact, and I don’t believe it had been used even once.

Is this a sign that I should get not only six small Frosties but also a free Jr. Frosty, even though the universe had provided no obvious candidate to consume it?

Then, like a monolith appearing on the moon, it occurred to me that I could give the Jr. Frosty to my 5-year-old son, Luke, and I could casually eat two small Frosties myself without anyone noticing. Luke typically didn’t finish his Frosties anyway.

A few minutes later, my plan was working beautifully. I was halfway through my first Frosty and eyeing my second, thanks to my giantsized spoonfuls, while everyone else was savoring theirs via normalsized spoonfuls. And then, the law of entropy transformed from a theory into a melted, goopy reality.

“Oh no,” my 19-year-old son, Jackson said from the middle bucket seat.

My wife, Hailey, turned around.

I couldn’t bear to look. I could see it well enough in my mind’s eye.

“It’s face down,” Jackson reported.

“How bad is it?” Hailey asked.

“About two-thirds is gone,” Jack-

son said.

About this time, I finished my first Frosty. My energy level was spiking due to the sugar, but my heart was sinking due to the carnage.

“We’re going to need the Bissell for this,” Jackson said.

“Just do your best,” Hailey said, handing him the napkins we had just received from our purchase, as well as the glove compartment stash of napkins from purchases past.

Helpfully, from the back seat, 8-year-old Kennedy said: “Bounty Paper towels pickup two-thirds more than competitors.”

Jackson, his patience fraying, his hands sticky, asked, “Where did you learn that, a commercial?”

“Science experiment,” Kennedy said, confidently.

All the while, Luke was silently, slowly eating his final third.

In hindsight, perhaps the universe did not plan on Luke getting that Jr. Frosty.

Or, perhaps, it was the universe’s gift to us all: It could have been worse — he could have spilled my second small Frosty instead.

What’s the worst mess your kids have ever made? Email brian@ observerlocalnews.com.

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 Brian McMillan, brian@observerlocalnews.com

Managing Editor Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@observerlocalnews.com

PCO Managing Editor Jonathan Simmons, jonathan@observerlocalnews.com

Associate Editor Brent Woronoff, brent@observerlocalnews.com

Staff Writer Sierra Williams, sierra@observerlocalnews.com

Design Manager 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

SUBSCRIBE

The Palm Coast & Ormond Beach

Observers are published every Thursday. To subscribe for driveway delivery, visit www.observerlocalnews.com/subscribe, call 386-447-9723, or email subscribe@ observerlocalnews.com.

TO ADVERTISE

Call the office at 386-447-9723. For Classifieds or Business Directory, call 386-492-2784 or email info@ observerlocalnews.com.

Locally Owned / Publishers of The Palm Coast Observer Palm Coast Observer, LLC P.O. Box 353850 Palm Coast, 32135

LIONS HELP WITH HURRICANE RELIEF, ADD NEW MEMBERS

On Labor Day, Sept. 4, Ormondby-the-Sea Lion Alfredo Victoriano drove a pick-up truck loaded with tools and supplies from the ConklinDavis Center in Daytona Beach to the Inglis Yankeetown Lions Club house in Yankeetown to help the community recover from Hurricane Idalia.

OBTS Lions Club also welcomed two new members: Carol and Rick Snyder, who were installed by Second Vice District Governor Maggiy Williams on her official visit to the club.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, the two new members, along with four other club members, participated in the International Coastal Cleanup. Lion Mary Yochum was the coordinator for the event at Tom Renick Park. The Lions still had one section of A1A to complete after that and five members picked up that trash on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Past President Lion Greg Evans and his wife Dina attended the USA/ Canada Lions Leadership Forum in Reno, Nevada. This is the largest Lions Club leadership training event in the world with over 70 seminar training sessions. While at the leadership forum, Past President Greg Evans accepted a Model Club Award for the club. Each member fulfilled their Campaign 100 Model Club Commitment (each member donating to Lions Club International Foundation) in financial support.

SEABREEZE FOOTBALL PLAYERS READ TO PINE TRAIL KINDERGARTNERS

to kindergarten students at Pine Trail Elementary on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

The football players visited all of the school’s kindergarten

SEASIDE HERB SOCIETY PUBLISHES BOOK

Seeking to educate, the Seaside Herb Society recently pushed its first book.

The book, titled “Got Thyme?

Volume 1: Presentations & Recipes” contains the local nonprofit’s herb presentations made during the 2020-2021 season, according to a statement to the Observer. The book is being sold for $14.95 and its proceeds go toward maintaining its community herb garden at Bailey Riverbridge Gardens and other community projects.

The Seaside Herb Society, having been founded in 1993, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Each month, a few of its members present an herb’s history, environmental benefits, growing tips, health benefits, and how to use it in recipes. The presentations include sample tastings of recipes prepared by presenters.

The nonprofit’s annual Fall Herb sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Bailey Riverbridge Garden, located at 1 N. Beach St.

EARLY LEARNING COALITION RECEIVES

$2,500

DONATION

Hector Samario from Business Watch and the Florida League of Mayors along with Scott Dudley, of the Florida League of Cities, presented a $2,500 check to the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties at the Holly Hill City Commission meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

ORMOND ARTIST TO BE FEATURED IN MAGAZINE, GALLERY

classrooms.

GALERIE ELAN TO HOST GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

Galerie Elan will celebrate its grand opening from 4-9 p.m. Friday, October 6.

Located at 230 S. Beach St. in Daytona Beach, Galerie Elan is a co-operative community of creatives showcasing an eclectic mix of art styles, according to a press release. The gallery features original 2D and 3D artworks from over 65 talented artists, spanning from classic representational pieces to groundbreaking conceptual art.

The grand opening will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m., featuring Ormond Beach billionaires and philanthropists Hyatt and Cici Brown.

The Adam Kornecki Jazz Duo will perform live from 5-8:30 pm. Additionally, Marina Glikina, from Golden Magnolia Marine Resort, will offer a selection of charcuterie, paired with complimentary wine.

Several of Galerie Elan’s resident artists will also conduct live demonstrations during the evening. The Florida Women’s Art Association’s featured October exhibit, titled “Blue,” will be on display.

The $2,500 will be matched by the Seabreeze Kiwanis Club to assist in paying for books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program provides children under the age of 5 with a free book every month at no cost.

To learn more, visit https://elcfv. org/dolly-partons-imaginationlibrary.

Ormond Beach artist Antoinette “Toni” Slick will be featured on the cover and in a two-page article of “Stroll Ormond Beach Waterfront” magazine’s October issue.

On Oct. 7, she will be honored as the featured artist at Ocean Art Gallery, where her nonobjective abstract art will be available for viewing and acquisition during Ormond’s Art Walk. Then, effective Oct. 11 through December, Slick will be honored by the Ormond Beach Museum of Art and Garden for her commitment to and support of the museum.

“Having Toni back in the gallery is a breath of fresh air,” Ocean Art Gallery owner/director Frank Gromling said. “Her colorful paintings create a sense of wonder, drama, and yet an overwhelming sense of calm in their sensual blending of color and shape.”

As an active part of the Ormond Beach Art Walk, Ocean Art Gallery will receive the public from 3-7 p.m., with Slick available to meet guests from 5-7 p.m. Ocean Art Gallery is located at 197 E. Granada Blvd. in Ormond Beach.

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY POST 265 HELPS VET PROGRAM

The American Legion Auxiliary Post 265 donated new clothes, 20 waterproof bed covers, hygiene supplies and food to Barracks of Hope on Sept. 11.

The items were donated by legion members or purchased by the Auxiliary, according to a statement to the Obsever.

Barracks of Hope is located at 605 N. Segrave St. and provides transitional housing for homeless veterans struggling with mental health as well as substance abuse.

Courtesy photos Ormond-by-the-Sea Lion Alfredo Victoriano and Oviedo-Winter Springs Lions President JC Alvarez at the Conklin Davis Center Warehouse staging area for hurricane supplies.

Back row (left to right): Holly Hill City Commissioners John Penny, Penny Currie, John Danio and Roy Johnson. Front row (left to right): Erica Garris, Nancy Walsh, Hector Samario, Scott Dudley, Holly Hill Mayor Chris Via, Allison Miller and Serena Piper. Rebekah Mead, Kerry Lewis, Holli Hudson, Barbara Marcus and Sue Yoz.

Seven Seabreeze High School football players and Pine Trail Elementary teacher Scarlet Hayes’ fourth grade class on Wednesday, Sept. 27.

Antoinette “Toni” Slick.

Rebekah Mead, newsletter and book editor; Amanda Hale, technical-producer of the Amazon format; and Trish Vera, local artist and designer of our cover.

Seven Seabreeze High School varsity football players — Brody Boda, Aiden Ford, Hayden Hayes, Luke Cloer, Denali Campbell, Landon Smith and Micah Carr — read books

They were joined by Seabreeze High School football head coach Lester Davis.

YOUR TOWN

PALM COAST RESIDENT TURNS 109 YEARS OLD

Palm Coast resident Mabel Dunbar turned 109 years old on Sept. 5. Dunbar was born in 1914 in Jamaica and has lived in Florida since 1994. She lives with her only daughter, Minora Rosenthal, in Palm Coast and has four grandchildren and “almost too many great-grandkids to count,” Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal has lived with her mother for almost 50 years, since Rosenthal and her husband brought Dunbar to live with them in New York in the 1960s.

Nowadays, Rosenthal said, her mother doesn’t get out much but is still a very religious person and loves to cook — she even makes her own breakfast every morning. Rosenthal said her mother still has a good memory and loves to share her stories.

“She’s a very pleasant person and a big talker,” Rosenthal said. “If you come here, you don’t get a chance to say very much.”

GARDEN OF THE MONTH

October 2023: Scott and Elise Mead

NANCY IANDOLI GARDEN CLUB SELECTION OF THE MONTH COMMITTEE

The garden of Scott and Elise Mead, of Francis Lane, is The Garden Club at Palm Coast’s Selection of the Month for October 2023. Originally from South Dakota for 30 years, the Meads moved to Palm Coast five years ago.

GARDEN CLUB MEETING PLANNED FOR OCT. 9

The Garden Club at Palm Coast holds its meetings on the second Monday of each month from September to May at the VFW Hall at 47 Old Kings Road N. in Palm Coast.

Lunch can be purchased at the VFW starting at 11:30 a.m.; the plant sale in the pavilion is from noon to 1 p.m.; meeting signup begins at 12:30 p.m., and the meeting begins at 1 p.m. The public is welcome from 12:30 to 1:00. Visitors are welcome one time to preview the club.

The club’s October guest speaker is Sande Habali, past president of the Pawpaw Chapter. She is co-chair for membership and for the Council of Chapters of the Florida Native Plant Society. Her talk will be titled, “Your Local Pawpaw Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society” and will include tips for native gardening. There will be a raffle for a floral design and door prizes. For more club information, look up The Garden Club at Palm Coast, Inc. on Facebook or email info@gardenclubatpalmcoast.org.

SPONSORED STUDENT CONTENT

What am I?

I am not tangible, yet millions of people feel me daily. My unforgiving claws latch onto them, never letting go. I am never alone; I am always accompanied by other emotions: fear, determination, and anxiety. Yet what makes me special is that I can also cause physical pain; biting nails, ripping hair, and shedding tears are all indications that someone has been infected by the plague that is my being.

I don't think many people enjoy my presence, but I can’t seem to understand why. I may drive people crazy within their own minds during the task at hand, but at least they succeed in the end. That is, unless they cannot handle me, then they crack under the pressure. I like to think of myself as a test of worth; many break, but the disciplined will persevere.

I like to focus my attention on the weak and the easily manipulated. They require the least amount of effort, and I reap the biggest reward. With one simple thought, “What if you fail?” they are already infected.

My favorite victims are students. Some don’t bother with me, but the select few that do are at the extreme end of my spectrum. It's almost as if they do my job for me, and all I have to do is sit back and watch the chaos ensue in their developing brains.

While I realize I may sound unfairly evil, it is not always that way. I am actually quite useful sometimes, you see. Whether a final exam is coming up, a dream job interview, or even a simple social interaction such as ordering food, I am always lingering—never too far. A select few individuals are able to simply brush me off, so I give up on penetrating through their walls of self-worth tasks before deadlines or even give you the little extra worry needed to succeed.

After learning all about me, I bet you are wondering what I am. Well, I am a thing that people like to call stress, but I prefer the name motivation.

PROGRAM SPONSORED BY:

The writing prompt was supplied by Ms. Giuliano's class at Flagler Palm Coast High School. Keep an eye out for further topics contributed by additional students in her class.

They like planting mostly perennials and have a diversity of colorful plants. On the front left side of the house, you will find coreopsis, plumbago, mini-Mexican petunias, society garlic, variegated liriope, confederate jasmine, different types of crotons, a lady palm and red canna lilies.

The beautiful Sylvester palm in the center island provides a natural canopy for African bush daisy, cardboard palm (cycad), oyster plants, blue daze, Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum) and red fountain grass.

Heading towards the backyard, there are lavender trailing daisies, multicolor verbena, seaside petu-

nias, portulaca, periwinkle, golden shrimp plant and jatropha which attract hummingbirds, bleeding heart vine, blanket flower (Gaillardia), and a variety of succulents.

Their vegetable garden has climbing tomatoes, basil, chives and pineapples.

The gardens are bordered by either concrete or black landscape edging and mulched with tan river rock, giving the gardens a welldefined space.

The Garden Club meets monthly at the VFW on Old Kings Road, Palm Coast, at 1 p.m. every second Monday.

The Meads’ vegetable garden has climbing tomatoes, basil, chives and pineapples.

Lillian Ames

Family Renew Community to hold fifth annual Artists with Hearts of Gold exhibit

Thirty artists have donated works to benefit local homeless families.

Family Renew Community’s fifth annual Artists with Hearts of Gold exhibit and art sale will open at The Casements on Thursday, Oct. 5.

A total of 30 nationally known artists — most of whom are local — have donated their works for the annual exhibit curated by Ormond Beach artist Karlene McConnell, who is also participating in the show. She’s curated the show each year since Diana Janzen, currently president of Family Renew Community’s board of trustees, approached her with the concept five years ago.

“It’s really just grown over the past five years,” McConnell said. “I have a waiting list of artists.”

Each art piece sold means more help for homeless families. Family Renew Community, a faith-based organization, provides housing to homeless families with children while the parents work and save to find a permanent place to live. While in any of the three residential campuses in Volusia County — located in Holly Hill, Daytona Beach and DeLand, for a total of 32 units — the families also receive help to learn practical skills like budgeting and cooking meals.

Family Renew Community is also looking to expand. Its leadership is aiming to open a fourth residential campus to serve the southeast part of the county, in New Smyrna Beach or Edgewater.

Executive Director Heidi Grunberg Daniels said that, on average, about 362 people are waiting to be admitted into the housing program at any given time.

“That number keeps me up at night,” Grunberg Daniels said. “So the need for the community to support us is high because we need to grow.”

Family Renew Community was founded almost 35 years ago by 22 churches — every church “up and down Granada and several offshoots,” Grunberg Daniels said. The Rotary Club of Daytona Beach and Daytona Kiwanis Club also helped found the organization.

But not much growth has happened in the 35 years, Grunberg Daniels said. That’s why fundraisers are critical for Family Renew Community.

The Artists with Hearts of Gold show is the largest fundraiser for the organization, and one whose proceeds go directly to Family Renew Community’s programs.

Without its donors, Family Renew Community would not be able to continue its mission, as it doesn’t take government funds, said Neil Harper, director of development for Family Renew Community. It’s been that way since 1989, allowing them more freedom to serve families in need.

“Most families that come here, they come here from really bad situations: Living in a hotel, living in their car, living in tents,” Harper said. “And we have to start from the ground and start working up with

IF YOU GO

FIFTH ANNUAL ARTISTS WITH HEARTS OF GOLD OPENING

RECEPTION

When: 5:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 5

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: See the curated works of 30 artists, all for sale to benefit homeless families in Volusia and Flagler counties. Tickets for the opening reception cost $50. There will be live harp music, hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine.

them.”

The face of homelessness since the COVID-19 pandemic has been changing dramatically, Grunberg Danies said.

One family they recently helped was included an attorney who lost his job during the pandemic. His wife had breast cancer, and their landlord decided to sell the house they had been renting, leaving the couple with their two young children living out of their minivan.

“Homelessness isn’t just the person on the bench or the doorway,” Grunberg Daniels said. “... If you look at federal statistics, so much of America is one or two paychecks away from homelessness, and we’re really starting to see that.”

Events like the Artists with Hearts of Gold exhibit make an impact because it increases awareness about Family Renew Community, Harper said.

“We are just constantly bombarded with people applying, and we try to help everyone and give them advice,” Harper said. “But there are so many people that need help right now.”

The art at the show starts at $175 and runs to $1,000, McConnell said. They’ve priced the works based

“Most families that come here, they come here from really bad situations: Living in a hotel, living in their car, living in tents. And we have to start from the ground and start working up with them.”

NEIL HARPER, director of development for Family Renew Community

on what the artists’ pieces typically sell for in galleries. Not all the pieces sell, but each year, sales have increased. The opening reception of the show also features a raffle. While she curates the exhibit, it’s a team effort, she said. It wouldn’t be possible without the artists and people like Chief Operating Officer Denise O’Toole Kelly, McConnell said.

The gallery will be open to the public for viewing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, and, 9 a.m. to noon and 3-7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. Any works not sold during the opening reception will remain for sale on these dates.

“It’s just a wonderful event and I’m proud of it,” McConnell said.

Artists Kristin Heron and Karlene McConnell were hard at work setting up the exhibit on Monday, Oct. 2.

Family Renew Community Executive Director Heidi Grunberg Daniels and Director of Development Neil Harper.

“Meet me at the River,” by Karlene McConnell

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Granada Family Diner now open

Talaat El Bayomy and his family bring fresh, homemade cuisine to the community with the opening of their new diner.

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A new diner has opened its doors in Ormond Beach.

Restauranteur Talaat El Bayomy recently added the Granada Family Diner to his list of business ventures launched in the U.S. The restaurant opened its doors early Tuesday morning on Oct. 3, at the former Bodez Personalized Fitness Center building at 1140 W. Granada Blvd. in the South Forty Shopping Center.

The diner is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and offers comfort foods and homemade dishes made from fresh ingredients. A full menu will be available to order online for takeout or no-contact delivery.

El Bayomy purchased the property in November 2021 and toiled with his family for two years to bring it up to restaurant specifications. Because the building previously housed a gym, it was necessary for El Bayomy to build-out the space “from scratch.”

“First of all, when we moved to the area, I wasn’t planning to open another business,” he said. “I was satisfied with whatever I had in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, but as a habit, I can’t stay with ‘not working’ so I decided we are going to open a business here.”

‘THE CLASSIC AMERICAN DREAM’

El Bayomy was born into a family of bakers in Cairo, Egypt. He learned the business from his father, who owned three successful bakeries.

In 1999, he moved to Enola, Pennsylvania, with his wife Gigi Amer. He worked as a dishwasher, became a “pizza man” then bought his first pizza shop — Pizza Fresca — which he owned for three years. He switched to the restaurant business and went into partnership with his three brothers. They opened two diners in Pennsylvania.

The Chambersburg Family Diner in Pennsylvania and the Hagerstown

Family Diner in Maryland were El Bayomy’s first independently owned restaurants. His brothers currently manage the family businesses while he focuses on the new restaurant.

“It’s literally the classic American dream,” El Bayomy’s oldest son Mohamed Talaat Mohamed said.

“This is all we know. In Egypt, we ran a bakery. It’s our lifestyle. So when we came here, we amplified it a little bit. Instead of a small shack in the corner bakery, we opened up a few restaurants.”

The restaurant business has always been about family for Amer and El Bayomy. They have four sons — 26-year-old Mohamed, 23-yearold Youssef Mohamed, 20-yearold Mo Mohamed and 16-year-old Adham Mohamed — who have all worked in the diners at some point in their lives.

The family travelled to Prescott, Arizona, where their oldest son Mohamed attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2017, they moved to Port Orange while Youssef attended ERAU in Daytona Beach. El Bayomy also opened a diner in Arizona.

After graduating from ERAU, Mohamed became a commercial pilot who delivers organs to hospitals for surgery and Youssef is now a survey pilot. They help with the restaurant when they visit their family.

AIMING FOR QUALITY

Mo has helped his father renovate the Granada Family Diner property for the last two years. He currently manages the day-to-day operations of the restaurant.

“I’ve been in the restaurant business since I could walk,” he said. “I started as a host and was promoted to cashier when I was 8.”

El Bayomy said he has designated himself as “quality control.” His position during restaurant hours will be at the window where the food comes out from the kitchen.

Mohamed Talaat Mohamed believes that the quality and freshness of the food will set them apart from the other restaurants.

“Most of the owners, they’re not right at that window checking how crispy those French fries are,” he said. “I think that’s what’s going to differentiate us. Quality of food is a big thing. Over the years, quality

has decreased. We are back to set a standard.”

Christopher Forrester said that fate and a mutual contact brought him to work for El Bayomy as his head chef. He comes from a culinary background and attended the hospitality management program at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“I think that synergy brings people together,” he said. “I am very, very passionate about food but service and taking care of others has always been my calling card. I love preparing food but I love to see the reaction of people when they eat something that I have prepared. That to me is like a drug.”

LOCAL SUPPORT

Daytona Beach resident Paul Lenic was the first customer to walk into the diner. He ordered biscuits and gravy, homemade corned beef hash and a cup of coffee. He gave the food and coffee a glowing review.

“It’s hard to find restaurants I like,” he said. “I was anxious to try this because it’s new and I like to sup-

port businesses in our local area. It’s hard to find good coffee in this town and this is a good cup of coffee. I’m a coffee connoisseur.”

El Bayomy gave Lenic a gift card for being the first customer in his restaurant.

“The restaurant needs to reflect the community,” Forrester said. “I think we are in a good spot where we

are going to bring fresh from scratch to the community with some unique dishes but also, (bring) the vibrant and open, welcoming atmosphere that we have here.”

In the future, diners will have the option of special weekly dinner nights, homemade pizza, catering and maybe even a bot server or two to deliver their orders.

Server Vanessa Hopkins laughs with the Granada Family Diner’s first customer, Paul Lenic, as he shows her the menu.

Granada Family Diner head chef Christopher Forrester

Granada Family Diner owner Talaat El Bayomy smiles as he demonstrates using the juicer on opening day. The diner will have fresh juice every day.

Photos by Michele Meyers

Mo Mohamed fills the pastry-cake display case at the Granada Family Diner. He manages the daily operations of the family restaurant.

Developer to replace 204 removed trees Student runs for School Board

KB Homes removed trees before it was authorized to do so, and Flagler Beach required it to submit a mitigation plan.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

KB Homes will replace 204 trees and pay $28,700 to a Flagler Beach tree fund after the developer removed trees before it was authorized to do so. The trees were in the Beach Park Village development. KB Homes had removed 8,689 inches of trees but was only permitted to remove 5,034 inches of trees. The developer must replace the difference, 3,655 inches of trees, as part of the mitigation plan.

KB Homes will also add 204 trees to the development at a cost of $130,480 according to commission meeting docu -

ments. The Flagler Beach City Commission approved a preliminary plat for the development in January on the condition that a tree mitigation plan would be submitted and approved by the city before any residential building permits were issued.

At a Sept. 28 commission meeting, the City Commission reviewed and unanimously approved the mitigation plan.

But Commission Chair Eric Cooley said there has been a lot of concern in the community about the development not acting as a “good neighbor.”

“I’m going to say this as a generality,” Cooley said. “Since the moment you’ve arrived, you have not followed the rules. And that’s not okay.”

The number of tree inches is calculated by taking the number of trees removed multiplied by the trees’ height and, separately, the number removed multiplied by the trees’ diameter, and adding

the two figures together.

The city’s land development code also allows a developer to pay a fee into a tree bank fund if it is “impossible or impractical” to replace trees, according to the meeting documents.

To that end, KB Homes will also pay $28,700, including an after-the-fact permit of $500, to the tree bank fund.

The trees planted will include 49 southern magnolias, 20 Eagleston hollies, live oaks, crape myrtles, bald cypresses, slash pines and a mix of different palm trees.

After the plan was approved, City Manager Dale Martin said the city has received several complaints from residents about the development’s drainage. The city also discovered that one subcontractor’s work is not up to code.

A KB Homes representative said the developer was working with the subcontractor and inspectors to resolve the code, drainage and other concerns.

DSC student Merrick Brunker, of Ormond-

BRIEFS

VMA celebrates Manufacturing Month in Volusia

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

A Daytona State College student majoring in elementary education is running for Volusia County School Board.

Merrick Brunker, of Ormond-by-the-Sea, filed to run to represent District 4 on the School Board on March 20. Brunker, who is 25, said he decided to run for office because he’s passionate about education and is concerned about the future of Volusia County Schools.

“I want to make sure my generation and the one in front of me is on track to succeed,” Brunker said. “The next generation needs protection and guidance, and it’s essential that I open my ears to the parents, children and taxpayers in this county.”

Brunker was born and raised in California and moved to Volusia County a couple years ago. His father, a retired adapted physical education teacher for over 20 years, played a role in inspiring Brunker to pursue a teaching career. It also got him interested in policy, and he said his age allows him to better relate to the students and young parents served by the district.

“Let’s give the young people a voice because they have every right in starting to make decisions for their future,” Brunker said. “We want a safer future. We want one that is inclusive. ... I want a more prosperous Volusia County.”

Courtesy photo Merrick Brunker, of Ormond-bythe-Sea, filed to run to represent District 4 on the School Board on March 20.

School safety and addressing the needs within exceptional student education are among the issues he’s most interested in.

When asked about addressing the nationwide issue of teacher shortages, Brunker said one approach would be to offer incentives, and those could come in the form of stipends for food or gas.

Brunker added that he is an advocate for parental rights in education and fighting against gender ideology and critical race theory.

“In this county, we should be focused on providing the students with a solid, traditional education rooted in the essentials — reading, writing and arithmetic,” Brunker said. “We need to return to a classical education model, and one of the first steps to doing that is denouncing and combating these perverse ideologies.”

Brunker is running against incumbent School Board member Carl Persis and former lobbyist Donna Brosemer, of Daytona Beach.

October is nationally designated as Manufacturing Month to recognize and promote the success of U.S. manufacturers in the global marketplace, and the Volusia Manufacturers Association will kick off the month by celebrating National Manufacturing Day on Oct. 6 with “We Make It Here!” Day.

Volusia and Flagler counties are home to over 500 manufacturing companies. Those companies employ over 12,000 people, pay an average annual wage of $61,354 and contribute over $1.3 billion to the gross domestic product, according to a press release.

Representatives from local manufacturers will speak at schools on “We Make it Here Day,” an initiative that will continue throughout the month.

ABB, an Ormond Beach maker of electrical connectors, will also display its products at the Ormond Beach Public Library during the month.

On Oct. 14, VMA will present the fourth annual Robot Brawl, a collaboration of students and manufacturers building robots together at Jackie Robinson Ballpark to compete in a battle for supremacy.

Then, on Oct. 19, CareerSource Flagler Volusia will host an interactive career showcase for local high school students at ERAU’s Mori Hosseini Student Union Event Center.

The VMA has worked since 1980 to inform the community about the diverse manufacturers in the region.

To get involved with VMA and engaged in the manufacturing community in our area, visit vmaonline.com.

Photo by Sierra Williams

The new Flagler Beach City Commission has been organized, with Commissioner Eric Cooley now serving as chair.

by-the-Sea, said he’s concerned about the future of Volusia County Schools.

YOUR NEIGHBORS Operation Outreach

Big venue. Big turnout.

Ormond Beach

Police’s annual National Night Out event took over Rockefeller Gardens on Tuesday, Oct. 3. The free event has been previously held at the Nova Community Center, but moved across the bridge this year.

With over 40 vendors, multiple bounce houses, a petting zoo, crafting activities and police and fire vehicles on display, this year’s National Night Out drew a large crowd, composed of both locals and visitors.

National Night Out events are held nationwide to promote community and police partnerships.

–JARLEENE ALMENAS

Ormond Beach Police Officer Danielle Henderson with her husband Brian and sons Nathan and Alex

Logan Wingard holds an alligator.

Above: Ormond Beach Community Service Officer Justin Soard grills hot dogs.

Ormond Beach firefighter Oscar Rodriguez teaches Kyrae Walker how to use a fire hose.

Jacob Frankel makes a terrarium at the Craft for a Cause table.

Ormond Beach Police Sgt. Michael Garner and Sgt. Tom Larsen

Left: Ormond Beach Police Officer Stephen Brugone with Gabriel Brugone and Jenny Windfelder

Roy Casey pets a calf.

Darrell Brock and Ormond Beach Police Capt. DW Smith

Ormond Beach Police Crime Scene Technician Victoria Lancaster and Ormond Beach Police Explorers Diane Lancaster, Taylor Elston, Lilyan Schields and Dawson Taylor.

Photos by Jarleene Almenas

LOCAL EVENTS

FRIDAY, OCT. 6

10TH ANNUAL MAZE DAYZ

When: 5-10 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 6-29

Where: Cowart Ranch and Farms, 8185 State Route 100, Bunnell

Details: Cowart Ranch and Farms’ annual Maze Dayz are back. Get lost in the farm’s maze, enjoy a pumpkin patch and hayrides, buy local pro duce and participate in fun activities. Tickets cost $15. Children 2 and under are free. Visit MazeDays.com.

‘BLUE’ OPENING

ART RECEPTION

When: 5-7 p.m.

Where: Galerie Elan, 230 S. Beach St., Daytona Beach

Details: The Florida Women’s Arts Association’s latest exhibition, titled “Blue,” will run at Gallery Elan through Oct. 28.

PILGRIMS REST CEMETERY TOUR

When: 5:30 and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7

Where: Pilgrims Rest Cemetery, east of Nova Road on West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach

Details: The Ormond Beach Historical Society will take you on a guided tour featuring a few saints and sinners buried at Pilgrims Rest. The evening will end with the firing of a Civil War cannon. Tickets cost $20 per adult. Children under 12 are free. Visit ormondhistory.org.

MOVIES ON THE HALIFAX/ COMMUNITY APPRECIATION

NIGHT

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a showing of “Descendants.” Realty Pros will also host its annual Community Appreciation Night trunk-or-treat event. Movies are weather-sensitive. Call 386-6763216 for rainout information.

RAIN GUTTER REGATTA

When: 7 p.m.

Where: In front of Flagler Beach City Hall, 105 S. 2nd St., Flagler

Beach

Details: The 11th annual Rain Gutter Regatta boat race will be held as part of Flagler Beach’s First Friday celebration. Build your boat and battle the 3,048 millimeters of the rain gutter course. Open to all ages. Get your boat kit at City Hall in Flagler Beach. Call 386-517-2000.

SATURDAY, OCT. 7

PLAYING ON THE PORCHES: A FAMILYFRIENDLY CELEBRATION OF HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Barberville Pioneer Settlement, 1776 Lightfoot Lane, Barberville

Details: Attend this celebration featuring live music performances, storytelling, living history demonstrations, trick-ortreating and more. Costumes are encouraged. Tickets cost $25 for a one-day family pass (two adults with children or grandchildren 18 and under); $10 for general admission; $9 for seniors, veterans and groups of five or more; $4 for children ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. Visit pioneersettlement.org.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11

AARP MEETING 10 a.m.

Where: Unitarian Church, 56 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach

ROSSMEYER RIDE FOR CHILDREN

When: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Where: Destination Daytona, 1637 N. US 1, Ormond Beach

Details: Take part in this annual ride to fundraise for Camp Boggy Creek. Motorcyclists will be escorted by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office from Destination Daytona to Camp Boggy Creek, which provides camps for children with serious illnesses at no cost. Registration required. Visit hypersphere-snail-dtbd. squarespace.com.

PINK ON PARADE 5K

RUN/WALK

When: 7:45 a.m.

Where: Advent Health Palm Coast, 60 Memorial Medical Parkway, Palm Coast

Details: Help raise money for breast cancer awareness, education and screening. All of the proceeds from this event will go to supporting mammograms, breast ultrasounds, stereotactic breast biopsies, education and other specific diagnostic services to aid in the early detection of breast cancer. Registration starts at 6:30 a.m. Costs $40. Visit runsignup.com/ Race/FL/PalmCoast/pink5k.

POTTERY CLASSES

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Pineapple Art Gallery, 208 S. Central Ave., Flagler Beach

Details: Pineapple Art Gallery is hosting a series of pottery classes for all skill levels. Learn about pinch pots, terra sigillata and smudge firing. Classes will be held Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Costs $145. Sign up in person, call Don Davis at 386-241-2815 or email Audrey Scherr at audrey.scherr@ gmail.com.

18TH ANNUAL CREEKSIDE FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Princess Place Preserve, 2500 Princess Place Road, Palm Coast

Details: Enjoy bluegrass and country music, arts and crafts, food and family fun at this annual festi val. Presented by Flagler Broadcasting. Tickets cost $10 per adult. Kids 12 and under are free.

ART WALK

When: 3-7 p.m.

HOOK, LINE AND SINKER

COMEDY NIGHT

When: 6:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7

Where: VFW Riders Post 8696, 47 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast

Details: Hookin’ Veterans will host two comedy nights featuring comedians Bobby Henline and Adam Keys. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $45. Contact hookinveterans@gmail.com.

Where: Ormond Beach MainStreet Arts District, 128 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Join Ocean Art Gallery, Frame of Mind, Art Spotlight, The Studio by Artist Angel Lowden, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and more on the first Saturday of each month for art openings and art events.

LOWCOST PET SHOT CLINIC

When:

9-10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and 2:30-4 p.m. (three locations)

Where: Ice House Saloon, 810 State St., Bunnell; Cuddle Pet Grooming, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Unit A111, Palm Coast; and Astro Skate, 251 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach.

Details: Get your pet vaccinated at a lower cost. Rabies shots will cost $5 for 1-year vaccinations. Other shots offered include dog distemper/ parvo combo, dog flu, cat distemper combo, feline leukemia and more. Heartworm prevention and flea control products will be available for purchase. All vaccinations are administered with a licensed veterinarian. No appointment needed. The first clinic is at Ice House Saloon, the second at Cuddle Pet Grooming and the third time slot is at Astro Skate. Clinic is open to everyone. Proceeds benefit abused animals. Call or text 386-748-8993 or visit spcavolusia. org.

DAYTONA SOLISTI’S ‘BEETHOVENFEST’

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Lighthouse Christ Presbyterian Church, 1035 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: The Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra presents “Beethovenfest,” an all-Beethoven concert to be performed by the Rickman-Acree-Corporon Piano Trio. A $20 donation is requested at the door. For more information, call 386562-5423 or go online at daytonasolisti.com.

Details: The meeting’s guest speaker will be Laura LaBeure, education and outreach coordinator for the St. Johns River Water Management District. Public is invited. An optional $5 light lunch will follow. For more information, call Jeff Boyle at 386341-9013.

PROBUS CLUB OF PALM COAST

MEETING

When: 11 a.m. to noon

Where: Social Club of Palm Coast, 51 N. Old Kings Road

Details: Probus Club, a social club for retired and semi-retired men and women, meets monthly with a guest speaker and other activities throughout the month.

This month’s speaker is Amelia Fulmer, director of the Flagler Auditorium. All are welcome to attend and explore the benefits of joining Probus, a social club that is a nonprofit, non-fundraising, non-political, local organization that is worldwide with 4,200 clubs in 26 countries.

The Probus Club of Palm Coast is twinned with a club in New Zealand. For information, contact Larry Wright at palmcoastprobusclub@gmail. com or 386-597-3055.

5900 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Palm

Coast Details: Attend the 10th annual iFish Flagler in-shore tournament. Early registration costs $100 per angler; $50 per child 4-12. Visit iFishFlagler. com.

RIDE FOR RECOVERY

When: 9:30 a.m.

Where: Texas Roadhouse, 1298

Palm Coast Parkway SW, Palm Coast

Details: The Flagler County Drug Court Foundation will host its fall Ride for Recovery fundraiser to benefit individuals recovering from substance abuse. There will be a pig roast, ax throwing, paintball and a vendor fair Check-in for the two-hour ride begins at 8:30 a.m. at Texas Roadhouse. The ride will end at 2K Ranch in Bunnell. Ride costs $30 per driver and $15 per passenger. Contact Michael Feldbauer at 401-864-6997 or via email at

When: Friday to Sunday, Oct. 6-8. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday shows start at 2 p.m.

Where: Flagler Playhouse, 301 E Moody Blvd., Bunnell

Details: The romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher-Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker, will thrill and entertain you in “Hello, Dolly!”, a musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s hit play “The Matchmaker.” The show features some of musical theater’s greatest songs. Buy tickets at flaglerplayhouse.org/hello-dolly.

IMAGINE 2050 KICKOFF EVENT

When: 4-7 p.m.

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

Palm Coast

Details: The Palm Coast city government is launching “Imagine 2050,” a comprehensive plan update that invites residents to have a direct hand in the destiny of Palm Coast. Head to the public engagement kickoff meeting to share your ideas for the city’s future.

FRIDAY, OCT. 13

VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

STUDENT EXHIBITION ARTIST RECEPTION

When: 6-8 p.m.

Where: Gallery500, 1870 Victory Circle, Daytona Beach

Details: See art created by Volusia students during the opening reception. The gallery is also open Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sundays from 12-8 p.m.

MOVIES IN THE PARK

When: 7:15-9:15 p.m.

Where: Central Park at Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast

Details: Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, picnic baskets and watch “Men in Black,” rated PG-13, at Central Park. This event is presented by Palm Coast Parks and Recreation.

SATURDAY, OCT. 14

IFISH FLAGLER

When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Bings Landing County Park,

MOMS OF PRE SCHOOLERS

When: 9:30-11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Friday of the month

Where: Central Baptist Church, 152 Fairview Ave., Daytona Beach

Details: Moms of Pre Schoolers is a free faith-based program for moms, moms-to-be and their preschoolers for support and encouragement. Breakfast is provided, as well as a video with discussion and crafts. Playtime offered for children, with adult supervision. Call 386-2552588.

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 show on display: “Visions of Visionaries: Beaux Arts of Central Florida.”

Send your events to Jarleene Almenas at Jarleene@ observerlocalnews.com.

Realty Pros will host its annual Community Appreciation Night trunk-or-treat event on Oct. 6. File photo by Kristal DiSantis

Courtesy photo Scotty Jr. Cornelius holds up a fish he caught at the 2022 iFish tournament.

THE FINE ARTS

UPHILL CLIMB

As an artist, Tracy Lupanow said, she desires that her paintings connect with viewers on an intimate level — to bring forth emotions evoked from old memories, strong feelings and lived experiences.

“As an abstract artist who paints intuitively, I tap into feelings and situations to create my paintings,” Lupanow said in a statement to the Observer. “For this piece, my inspiration came from the emotions people experience when in a ‘blue state of mind’ and the often daunting task of emerging from that sadness to find a brighter, happier place.”

Lupanow discovered she had a talent for art when she was 10 years old, according to her bio. As an adult, she developed her artistic skills by taking college art classes and studying watercolor painting. But while she enjoyed painting florals and landscapes in watercolor, she

wanted to try something new.

Abstraction called to her.

“I discovered at a workshop in Sedona that painting intuitively and abstractly gave me the opportunity to paint what I was feeling with no image in mind,” Lupanow said in her bio. “That made my heart happy! My abstract journey began about seven years ago, and I know will continue for many years to come!”

In addition to showcasing her art in galleries, her art is also held in several private collections throughout the United States, according to her bio.

The Ormond Beach artist is among those Florida Women’s Arts Association members whose work will be on display at Galerie Elan at 230 S. Beach St. from Oct. 6-28.

The opening reception for the exhibition, titled “Blue,” will take place from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6.

–JARLEENE ALMENAS

Soaring success

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Amid a flurry of yellow flags, Seabreeze beat the odds and the Deltona Wolves for its first win of the season, 54-30 on Thursday, Sept. 28.

“Those kids never flinched, not one time, not after one loss,” Seabreeze first-year head coach Lester Davis said. “I think that’s what’s emotional for me. They kept coming.”

After the game, Seabreeze Principal Tucker Harris presented Davis with the game ball. It was Davis’ first win as the head coach.

“I think the other activities we do outside of football helps draw us together,” Davis said. “Those things matter. I’ll give (Mainland coach) Travis Roland credit for saying that environment matters. He is absolutely right. These kids notice the family atmosphere. This is more than just football. This is family and we are in this together. That is what I think contributes to them never flinching.”

Seabreeze’s Tyrone Cordare and Denali Campbell both ran nearly the entire length of the field in the first quarter only to be called back due to penalties. Davis was not deterred by the calls. Both running backs scored touchdowns later in the game.

“That was encouraging,” Davis said. “We had three of them called back but, OK, let’s do it again. I tell my kids, don’t be discouraged by those things. That just showed us that we can do it.”

Campbell said they had some ups and downs during the game which meant they would be “back to the

drawing board” on Monday. Their goal is to finish out the season 6-4.

“I’ve got to set a good example for the young cats and I can’t let my seniors go out with a losing record,” Campbell said. “It’s districts. I’ve got to put it all on the line. I love Coach Davis. I love all my players, my receivers. We came out here and balled. We had a couple of missed passes with our QB but we’re going to get it right on Monday.”

Drew McNerney kicked back-toback field goals of 48 and 37 yards to put the Sandcrabs on the board in the second quarter. He said he is looking forward to the rest of the season, getting more field goals and more wins. After kicking a 55-yard field goal in practice that saved his team from doing sprints, he believes that is when Davis began to trust him as a kicker.

“I felt great,” he said. “I was confident to go out there. I’m just glad I have a coach that has the trust in me to send me out. That’s the best feeling you can have as a kicker — the confidence of your coach because it gives you confidence in yourself.”

Following a fumble recovery by Seabreeze in the second quarter and another penalty, Seabreeze quarterback Hayden Hayes threw a 70-yard pass to Landon Smith who scored the first touchdown of the game. Deltona answered with a touchdown pass from Jeremiah Hancock to C.J Estridge and a 2-point conversion. Cordare then snagged a 4-yard touchdown pass from Hayes with 10 seconds to spare before the half.

After a botched punt return by Deltona, the Sandcrabs’ Jaylen

Moore recovered the ball with seven seconds before the half. A penalty pushed them back to the 41-yard line before Hayes connected with Smith for another touchdown putting Seabreeze up 27-8 by halftime.

Hayes finished the game with four touchdown passes and two touchdown runs — a 3-yarder on fourth down and a 26-yard run. Mentally, he said, he had moved on to their next game when they will face Satellite (4-2) on Oct. 6.

“I’m proud of the team but this game is over and behind us,” Hayes said. “It’s nice to get a win but my mind is on the next game. We can beat whoever you put in front of us just as long as we play our game. We need to work hard, believe in one another and don’t stop believing.”

Damarion Phillips started a Wolves’ comeback in the second half with two touchdowns. Deltona’s final touchdown run by Angel Santiago was not enough to overcome the Sandcrabs’ lead.

Seabreeze’s offensive line was instrumental in shutting down Deltona’s defense. Tackle Luke Cloer bragged about the strength of his teammate Aiden Ford whose favorite play of the game was when he pancaked three players.

“This team never gave up,” Cloer said. “This was the first night we started playing like a team. I’m telling you right now, this right here is the best I’ve ever felt in my life. I gave my heart. It felt so good knowing that I’m a good player. They (teammates) all counted on me and I counted on them. We are just one big family and I love this team so much.”

“Those kids never flinched, not one time, not after one loss. I think that’s what’s emotional for me. They kept coming.”

LESTER DAVIS, Seabreeze head coach

Deltona’s Jaiden Ware (3) attempts to stop Seabreeze’s Xavier Lucas from catching a pass from quarterback Hayden Hayes.

Seabreeze cheerleaders hold coach Lester Davis up as he does 41 pushups after Denali Campbell scores a touchdown to put the Sandcrabs up 41-16 over Deltona.

Seabreeze’s Jaylen Moore recovers the ball after the punt ricocheted off of a Deltona player.

Deltona’s Desean Fludd (5) and Koen Bonta (21) try to snatch the ball as Seabreeze’s Landon Smith makes the touchdown catch.

Denali Campbell (1) laughs with Milton Sampson Jr. after scoring a touchdown in the game against Deltona.

Photos by Michele Meyers

Seabreeze coach Lester Davis wins first game for his alma mater.

Mainland, Flagler Palm Coast get swim meet in on a rainy day

The Bulldogs hosted their second and final meet of the season; both teams will compete in the Five Star Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 7.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast swim coaches were happy to get in their home meet against Mainland on a rainy Wednesday, Sept. 27.

“We weren’t showing thunder and lightning activity, so we lucked out,” said FPC boys coach Tom Gillin.

FPC’s boys defeated Mainland 134-24, while the FPC girls defeated the Bucs 100-29.

The Bulldogs will close the regular season with their annual combined senior-day meet with Matanzas on Oct. 11 at the Palm Coast Aquatics Center.

FPC girls coach Rebecca Smith said the Bulldogs’ times are currently unofficial because they have been using stopwatches, but the Five Star meet will use touchpads, so those times will be official.

Smith said the Bulldogs’ girls team has been working hard and getting stronger. Smith said freshman Emma Gilbert, currently the team’s fastest breaststroker, has been displaying her versatility in the pool, both in her strokes and her sports. After swim practice, she remains at the pool for Synchro Belles practice.

“She swims the breaststroke in our “A” medley relay,” Smith said. “But I see her really growing in the 200 (individual medley).”

BULLDOG CHALLENGE

The FPC swim teams held their annual Bulldog Challenge earlier this season. Each swimmer had a goal of

swimming consecutive 100-yard freestyle sprints without breaks.

Two swimmers reached the maximum goal of 100 consecutive 100s, which comes to a total of 10,000 yards in 400 laps in the 25-lap Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club pool.

For the boys, junior Loris Eloyan swam a hundred 100s with an average time of 1 minute, 35 seconds for each 100-yard split. For the girls, senior Malina Hreib also swam a hundred 100s with an average time of 1:40.

Other swimmers swam 60, 70 or 80 100-yard sprints.

“We had 13 swimmers attempt the challenge, and all of them reached their goal,” Smith said.

FPC junior Meghan Hetzler swims the 100 backstroke.

FPC freshman Emma Gilbert swims the breaststroke.

Mainland’s Lorelei Shoaf swims the 100 butterfly.

FPC sophomore Matilda Noble reaches for the wall in the 100-yard butterfly.

FPC juniors James Payne and Loris Eolyan battle for first place in the 100-yard breaststroke.

FPC freshman Miles Diamond

FPC senior Alexandra Pitts swims the 100 butterfly.

Mainland’s Mateo Castillo swims the 500 freestyle.

Photos by Jake Montgomery

Cross Country runners have fun in the mud at Run Matanzas

The Matanzas High School girls placed second, with four runners finishing in the top 20.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The runners were slipping and sliding through the mud. They were enjoying every minute of it.

After several days of rain, the Matanzas High School’s cross country course was a mess for the Pirates’ annual Run Matanzas meet on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Immediately after the girls and boys high school races, the skies opened again. But at least it wasn’t hot, the runners said.

“There was a bunch of water and pits of mud everywhere,”

Mainland’s Kiera Williams said. “But a good breeze came out of nowhere, and it kind of dried you off.”

Matanzas sophomore Blaine Vogel, who placed sixth in the boys 5-kilometer race, said it was fun.

“It was the first race I had

TOP TEAMS

GIRLS

1. The Masters’ Academy 32

2. Matanzas 62

3. University 139

4. Oakleaf 141

5. New Smyrna Beach 156

6. DeLand 163

7. Father Lopez 176

8. Mainland 184

BOYS

1. New Smyrna Beach 84

2. DeLand 92

3. Oakleaf 126

4. Matanzas 139

5. Keystone Heights 168

11. Father Lopez 239

15. First Baptist 434

in a long time where I could get wet and muddy,” he said. “If you come out of a race muddy, you’re happy because it means you had a fun time getting dirty.”

The times were slow, but that was expected.

“I wasn’t stressing about the mud,” Matanzas senior Sierra Howard said. “I went in with the mindset that I’m just going to have fun.”

Howard finished fourth in the girls race with a time of 21 minutes, 43.39 seconds to help the Pirates place second behind The Master’s Academy. Four Matanzas runners finished among the top 20, with Nina Rodriguez placing eighth in 22:00.25, Chloe Irving 11th in 22:15.99 and Lupita Galeano 18th with a time of 23:11.59.

Irving finished less than a second behind 10th-place Morgan Wade of Oakleaf, who crossed the finish at 22:15.13.

Ava Wyant of The Master’s Academy won the girls race by 35 seconds with a time of 20:42.48. University’s Hannah Judge (21:13.37) and Morgan Harville (21:35.39) placed second and third.

“Maybe half the race I was right behind (the leaders),” Howard said. “Then we started spreading out a little more. A lot of the race it was me and Nina going back and forth.”

Mainland’s Williams placed 22nd with a time of 23:31.74. She said the Bucs’ plan was for each runner to run with a New Smyrna Beach runner, as it is the only team at the meet that will also be at their district meet. Williams and teammate

Taliyah Nixon (27th, 23:53.98) finished ahead of New Smyrna’s top two runners. New Smyrna Beach won

the boys title, with Matanzas placing fourth. Troy Winkler of Baker County took home the first-place medal with a time of 17:18.06. NSB’s Sam McDuffie was second in 17:47.69, just ahead of Ormond Beach’s Matthew Gazzoli of Father Lopez, who was third in 17:48.44.

Carlos Cerrud of Deltona (17:49.84) placed fourth; Felipe Paredes of Father Lopez (17:50.63) was fifth.

The Pirates had two top-10 runners, with Vogel (18:13.26)

placing sixth and Christian Norfolk (18:26.67) finishing ninth. First Baptist’s Chris Murdock was 15th with a time of 18:56.61. There were 19 teams and 203 runners competing in the boys race, while the girls race had 12 teams and 141 runners. Matanzas seniors Howard, Rodriguez and Irving said the meet meant a lot to them.

“We will be hosting the region meet, but this was our last fun meet at home,” Howard said.

Matanzas High School seniors Chloe Irving (11th place), Nina Rodriguez (eighth place) and Sierra Howard (fourth place) led the Pirates to a runner-up finish in the girls 5-kilometer race at Run Matanzas on Sept. 30.

Junior Kiera Williams led Mainland with a 22nd-place finish.

SIDELINES

Mainland quarterback D.J. Murray ran for two touchdowns and added a 10-yard touchdown pass to Marquis McCants. Corey Hill scored on a 45-yard run for the Bucs.

PIRATES IMPROVE TO 4-2

Playing in its second football game in four days, Matanzas roughed up host Deltona 42-13 on Monday, Oct. 2. The game had been postponed from Sept. 8 because of unplayable field conditions. The Pirates (4-2) were coming off a 49-9 loss at Class 3S, third-ranked St. Augustine on Friday, Sept. 29, in their district opener. Quarterback Dakwon Evans ran for two touchdowns and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Mills in the win against Deltona (0-5). Cole Hash scored on a 64-yard run, and Zach Furey added two short touchdown runs in the third quarter. Matanzas is off this week, then hosts Gainesville on Oct. 13 in their first of three straight district games. The Pirates host Clay on Oct. 20 and travel to Menendez Oct. 27. Deltona, which had lost to Seabreeze 54-30 on Sept. 28, is in the middle of a stretch of four games in 15 days. The Wolves host DeLand on Oct. 6 visit Mainland on Oct. 12.

BUCS TROUNCE PINE RIDGE

Mainland, the top-ranked football team in Class 3S, improved to 6-0 with a 45-0 victory against Pine Ridge on Sept. 29. It was the Bucs’ third shutout of the season.

PRE-STATE: FPC RUNNERS SOLID

Last weekend’s FSU Invitational/Pre-State cross country meet at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee gave runners a preview of the state championship course. Flagler Palm Coast’s girls team had a solid meet with a fourth-place among 31 teams in the Girls Select Race. Spruce Creek juniors Mackenzie (19:00.3) and Arianna Roy (19:13.5) placed first and second in the race. Arianna Slaughter led FPC with a time of 20:27.5 for a 28th-place in the competitive race. FPC’s other top runners were Cassidy De Young (32nd, 20:36.0), Taylor Novak (52nd, 21:17.2), Madison Lagarde (53rd, 21:18.6) and Isabella Tarsitano (109th, 22:22.3).

FPC’s boys finished seventh among 38 teams in the Boys Select Race. Braedyn Wormeck ran a 16:41.5 to finish 26th. Hayden Herndon was 76th with a 17:24.9, while Jack Gilvary was 112th with a 17:42.1 and Evan Williams was 133rd with a 17:55.8.

Seabreeze placed seventh in the Boys Varsity B Race with Hunter Shuler plaing seventh with a 18:01.3. In

the Girls Varsity B Race, Seabreeze’s Riley Hale placed 19th with a time of 22:39 to help the Sandcrabs to a 12thplace team finish.

SEABREEZE BOWLERS WIN

Seabreeze’s boys bowling team improved won a tight 4-3 win over Spruce Creek on Sept. 27.

The Sandcrabs won both individual games, the second by six pins (806 to 800) with Leiten Lundell leading the way with a 245. The Hawks won the Baker points and total pins by seven (2,167 to 2,160).

The Sandcrabs won another tight 4-3 match against Matanzas on Oct. 2 to improve to 9-1, winning the two individual games by a total of six pins.

The Seabreeze girls, meanwhile, improved to 10-0 and have won 68 out of a possible 70 points.

PIRATES BREAK SWIM RECORDS

Matanzas swimmers broke two school records recently. Teddy Vanderbilt broke the record in the boys 100-yard butterfly with a time of 56.55 seconds, and Vanderbilt, Keaton Lasicki, Sam Peters and Leo Peters vbroke the record in the 100 medley relay with a time of 1:49.94.

WILDCATS HAVE 6-0 RECORD

The North Florida Wildcats’ 8-and-under tackle football team has started the season with a 6-0 record with six straight shutouts. The Wildcats have outscored their opponents 200 to 0 in the Central Florida Youth Football League. The team is coached by North Florida Wildcats President Durrell Preston. Have sports news? Email Brent Woronoff at brent@ observerlocalnews.com

Photo by Brent Woronoff Pirates quarterback Dakwan Evans.

File photo by Brent Woronoff

FPC’s Braedyn Wormeck

Photos by Brent Woronoff

Matanzas’ Blaine Vogel and Christian Norfolk finished sixth and ninth.

Matanzas’ Chloe Irving, who placed 11th, runs behind Oakleaf’s Morgan Wade and Keystone Heights’ Olivia Griffin down the stretch.

REAL ESTATE

House in Whispering Oaks tops sales list in Flagler

Ahouse in Whispering Oaks was the top real estate transaction for Aug. 17-23 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Scott Jackson, of Palm Coast, sold 8 Weldon Way to Ashley Ayres Senese and Frank Senese, of Palm Coast, for $1,250,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 4/4 and has a dock and 3,987 square feet of living space. The home sold in 2014 for $340,000.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER BUNNELL

Daytona North

Dennis and Betty Allen, of Palm Coast, sold 2403 Water Oak Road to Kolton and Tiffany Shamp, of Bunnell, for $100,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/1 and has 1,132 square feet. It sold in 2006 for $163,600.

Grand Reserve and Golf Club

Matthew Peter Batcho, of St. Augustine, sold 17 Grand View Drive to James Terrell Harper, as trustee, for $337,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,779 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $312,900.

Elwood Everette Jr. Rees and Nancy Rees, of Bunnell, sold 685 Grand Reserve Drive to Allen and Cheryl Smith, of Port Saint Lucie, for $350,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,698 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $277,900.

Condos

Arleen Kuzniar, as trustee, sold 43 Hembury Lane to David Micheal Elias and Christina Marie Elias, of Palm Coast, for $235,000. Built in 1988, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,338 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $123,000.

Debra and Mark Sellers, of Ames, Iowa, sold 3580 South Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 801, to William Preston Smithson and Sandra Rhodes Wallis, of Jarrettsville, Maryland, for $325,000. Built in 1982, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,121 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $214,000.

Gregory and Lynn Norman, of Flagler Beach, sold 3580 South Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 809, to Patricia and Richard Cassel, as trustees, for $495,000. Built in 1982, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,358 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $280,000.

Frank Patrick Glowczewskie and Marilyn Glowczewskie, of Palm Coast, sold 200 Bella Harobor Court, Unit 104, to Craig and Nancy Wiggin, of Meredith, New Hampshire, for $325,000. Built in 2006, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,745 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $280,000.

Patricia and Richard Cassel, as trustees, sold 3600 South Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 514, to Melissa Mason, of Flagler Beach, for $245,000. Built in 1984, the condo is a 1/1 and has 654 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $225,000.

Joseph Dobbs Jr. and Sandra Dobbs, of Marietta, Georgia, sold 700 Canopy Walk Lane, Unit 733, to

Daria Romanov, of Palm Coast, for $389,000. Built in 2004, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,238 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $347,000.

Marion Forest, of Palm Coast, sold 50 Club House Drive, Unit 202, to Jeanne and Kenneth Seybold, of Palm Coast, for $160,000. Built in 1977, the condo is a 1/1 and has 665 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $145,000.

FLAGLER BEACH

Fairchild Oaks

John and Laureen Neff, of Flagler Beach, sold 4 St. Charles Place to Kristen and Scott Drabczyk, of Flagler Beach, for $655,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 5/2.5 and has a pool and 2,908 square feet.

Palma Vista John and Courtney Davis, of Flagler Beach, sold 334 11th Street N. to Terry and Diane Wilcox, of Sanford, for $635,000. Built in 1975, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace, a boat dock and 1,470 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $425,000.

PALM COAST

Bayside

Elizabeth Anne Camacho, of Palm Coast, sold 25 Barbera Lane to Michael William McEachin and Angelea Marie McEachin, of Palm Coast, for $280,000. Built in 1992, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,315 square feet. It sold in 1992 for $74,600.

Bernard Meadows

Patricia Proulx, as trustee, sold 7 Blackfoot Court to Arun Kumar, of Farmington, Connecticut, for $350,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,343 square feet. It sold in 1989 for $113,600.

Country Club Cove

Slava Shmelev and Olga Shmeleva, of Palm Coast, sold 12 Crossway Court W. to Diane Menken Dymond, Brent Michael Berry and Amanda Love Berry, as trustees, for $925,000. Built in 1995, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a fireplace, a boat dock and 2,265 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $735,000.

Fairways Tom and Stephanie Fisher, of Palm Coast, sold 91 Lake Success Drive to Brett Thomas Blank and Constance Frances Blank, of Palm Coast, for $415,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a pool and 1,793 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $245,500.

Hammock Beach Volusia Residential Construction, LLC, of Daytona Beach, sold 628 Mahogany Run to Brian Gilbertson and Meredith Anne Frick, of Palm Coast, for $785,933. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/3 and has an outdoor kitchen and 2,256 square feet.

Matanzas Lakes

Seagate Homes, LLC, of Palm Coast, sold 6 Tideway Trail to Jackie Bucci, as trustee, for $415,900. Built in 2023, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,905 square feet.

Matanzas Woods Daniela Tomescu, managing member of Guardian Property Investments, LLC, of Weddington, North Carolina, sold 72 Lema Lane to Brock and Mary Nicholson, of Palm Coast, for $590,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a fireplace and 3,034 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $426,000.

Palm Harbor Florida Sun Partners II, LLC, of Orlando, sold 3 Flanders Lane to Michael Houk, II and Kristina Uzun, of Palm Coast, for $469,900. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,306 square feet.

Brite Properties of Florida, LLC, of Orlando, sold 40 Frederick Lane to Lyndon and Nancy Scott, of Palm Coast, for $489,900. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,306 square feet.

Pine Grove Founders Capital LLC, of Orlando, sold 8 Powder Horn Drive to Joseph Gerald Yuzzi and Gina Ann Dondona, of Palm Coast, for $449,900. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,306 square feet.

Pine Lakes Lorene Roberts, of Amityville, New York, sold 5 Westglen Place to

Matthew and Patricia Ryle, of Palm Coast, for $360,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,744 square feet. It sold in 1998 for $20,300.

Rose Morris Wallace, of Melbourne, sold 78 Westchester Lane to James Paterno, of Palm Coast, for $358,000. Built in 1988, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,313 square feet.

John and Victoria D’Amico, of Woodstock, Georgia, sold 35 Westrobin Lane to Kisle and Dale Lynn, of Palm Coast, for $410,100. Built in 1985, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,448 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $210,500.

Joseph Sweeney, of Deltona, sold 25 Westcliffe Lane to Sergey and Liliya Zatirka, of Staten Island, New York, for $420,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a hot tub and 1,914 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $256,000.

Sawmill Branch D.R. Horton, Inc., of St. Johns, sold 7 Summerwood Road South to Nicolas Ortiz Perez and Stephanny Cardenas, of Palm Coast, for $304,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,698 square feet. D.R. Horton, Inc., of St. Johns, sold 22 Summerwood Road South to Henry Lee Reddick, of Palm Coast, for $311,100. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,698 square feet.

Seminole Woods Adams Homes of Northwest Florida, Inc., of Pensacola, sold 42 Sea Front Trail to Christopher Michael Holley and Lauren Kristie Holley, of Palm Coast, for $423,900. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,265 square feet.

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

celebrity cipher

By Luis Campos

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

“R ... SJV ST DCS YZ IFBA ZECCH YZ HTZZRWEC. ... OCKCJ ZXRH TO ZECCH; RS’Z BJYNV RIHTJSYOS.”

ZRODCJ WJRSSYOV ATLYJG

Puzzle

“IDLGSZLGI ZS’I HGSSGE SD HG BDUSGUS YZSR YRTS JDN RTWG ETSRGE

SRTU XDMMDY T PEGTL YRZBR UGTEMJ VZMMI JDN.” KMTSTU ZHETRZLDWZB

“OROUEYGWHD EXZ PX WH YGO HNLO XT YGO OHRWUXHLOHY HXY XHSE

KNROK EXZU GONSYG, WY KNROK EXZU KXZS.” NSWVWN KWSROUKYXHO

sudoku

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

“Power” and “Gator”

112 ___-Ball (arcade classic)

115 School commencement?

116 Language of Southeast Asia

117 High-end Canon offering (Abbr.)

A DYING ART by Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen

REAL ESTATE

House in Breakaway Trails tops sales list in Ormond

Ahouse in Breakaway Trails was the top real estate transaction for Aug. 20-26 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Wanda Deborah Murray and Andrew Richard Rossi, of Ormond Beach, sold 59 Shadowcreek Way to Devin Michael Abad and Sarah Vinceza Abad, of Ormond Beach, for $675,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a fireplace and 3,227 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $415,000.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos

Robert Alan Rosenberg, as trustee, sold 1 John Anderson Drive, Unit 2080, to Barbara Rhees, of Ormond Beach, for $360,000. Built in 1996, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,428 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $160,000.

Mattaus Atkinson and Hope Fogarty, of Daytona beach, sold 3370 Ocean Shore Blvd, Unit 105B, to Linda and Brittany Boardman, of Palm Coast, for $200,000. Built in 1987, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,275 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $148,000.

Keith Pratt, of Ormond Beach, sold 210 Lemon Tree Lane, Unit 210H, to Joshua Morgan, Kaylee Morgan, Joel Roodvoets and Ellen Roodvoets, of Ormond Beach, for $235,900. Built in 1984, the condo is a 2/2.5 and has 1,286 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $137,500.

ORMOND BEACH

Charleston Square

Michael and Stacy Barnes, of Ormond Beach, sold 40 Charleston Square to Amber Harrell and Cory Ruettgers, of Ormond Beach, for

$366,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 1,680 square feet. It sold in 2002 for $81,000.

Daytona Pines Alan Dixon, of Ormond Beach, sold 1108 Avenue I to Enna Avila, of Ocala, for $142,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,012 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $85,000.

Daytona Shores Viktorr Pacal, of Ormond Beach, sold 719 East River Oak Drive to Brandon Harrison and Courtney Elizabeth Harrison, of Ormond Beach, for $350,000. Built in 1976, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,591 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $217,000.

Halifax Plantation Clifford Stern and Barbara Kreisberg, of Boca Raton, sold 1467 Carlow Circle to Jay McGowan, of Ormond Beach, for $339,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,658 square feet. It sold in 2004 for $213,000.

D.R. Horton Inc., of Orlando, sold 2788 Fermoy Drive to Daniel Alexander Mock, of Ormond Beach, for $396,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,828 square feet.

Hunters Ridge James and Lori Luton, of Palm Coast, sold 17 Abacus Ave. to Jason and Dao Hefner, of Ormond Beach, for $435,000. Built in 2016, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,340 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $384,000.

Lakes of Pine Run

Clay and Elaine Kisamore, of Ormond Beach, sold 306 Sawmill Creek Court to Waldo Jones, Jr., Helen Jones, Lee Baylor and Joseph Baylor, of Ormond Beach, for $325,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,365 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $340,000.

Laurel Oaks

Amber Harrell, of Ormond Beach, sold 37 Laurel Oaks Circle to Joseph and Larissa Schaaf, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, for $300,000. Built in 1983, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,189 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $90,000.

Misners Branch

Anthony and Olympia Eagan, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, sold 49 Misners Trail to Phoebe Ploucha, of Ormond Beach, for $320,000. Built in 1988, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,806 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $189,000.

Not in a subdivision Richard and Anchalee Santiago, of Ormond Beach, sold 1211 1/2

Arroyo Parkway to Diana Ogawa, of Ormond Beach, for $230,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,631 square feet. It sold in 2012 for $80,000.

Oak Forest Christopher Alexander, of Ormond Beach, and Jennifer Backlund, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, sold 1552 Poplar Drive to Pamela Burdick, of Ormond Beach, for $390,000. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,932 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $299,900.

Ormond Terrace

Travis Lightfoot, of Ormond Beach, sold 94 Hernandez Ave. to Matthew and Tammy Gramlich, of Ormond Beach, for $300,000. Built in 1955, the house is a 3/1 and has 1,260 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $66,700.

Racquet Club Villas

Edna Weeks, of Ormond Beach, sold 4 Timberline Trail A to 1504 Virgina Avenue, #202, LLC, of Ormond Beach, for $180,000. Built in 1977, the house is a 1/1.5 and has 1,260 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $64,000.

Tomoka Estates

Ronald Commo Jr. and Deborah Commo, of Schertz, Texas, sold 1127 Roberts Street to Laurene and

Cynthia Patterson, as trustees, for $350,000. Built in 1991, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,598 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $215,000.

The Trails South Forty Edna Mims, as trustee, sold 87 Ox Bow Trail to Sally Hoffmann, of Manahawkin, New Jersey, for $324,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,606 square feet.

Village of Pine Run

Lawrence and Bonnie Edson, of Ormond Beach, sold 43 Village Drive to Richard and Anchalee Santiago, of Ormond Beach, for $615,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 5/3.5 and has a pool, an in-law suite and 3,242 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $477,000.

ORMOND BY THE SEA

Ocean Shores

Janet Wolff, of Jacksonville, sold 15 Hibiscus Drive to Matthew Paul McCoy and Tracey McCoy, of Ormond Beach, for $362,500. Built in 1953, the house is a 2/2 and has 910 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $245,000.

River Breeze Estates

William and Michele Tebbenhoff, of Ormond Beach, sold 1256 Riverbreeze Blvd. to Anthony Antoniades, of Ormond Beach, for $360,000. Built in 1958, the house is a 2/1 and has 1,019 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $193,000.

Roberta Heights

Kevin and Cheryl Gray, of Ormond Beach, sold 162 Roberta Road to Lisa Long, of Ormond Beach, for $350,000. Built in 1954, the house is a 2/1.5 and has 1,053 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $261,000.

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

Beautiful 3 bed/2 bath home with new carpet in bedrooms, updated bathrooms and features throughout the home. High ceiling throughout and an extra bonus room that can be a 4th bedroom, exercise room, office, extra dining or living space. Includes access to private lake in the back of the property.

MLS#1114156 $420,000

Call Natalie Wilds 813-394-3841.

AQUA VISTA CIRCLES

Highly upgraded & updated home steps to the river and deeded beach access (brand new beach walkover, car free beach!). Lovingly cared for, this large 2 bedroom & 2 bath offering boasts a NEW ROOF,AC, & paint, open floor plan with newer kitchen, upgraded baths, new windows, flooring, and garage door.

MLS#1114280 $444,999

Call Todd Hammond 386-233-5957.

TAMPA

MOTIVATED SELLER! Use this property as a primary, short term, or AirBNB. Prime Investment opportunity awaits! 2 Units on nearly 3/4 of an acre near the river. The front house is a 2/2 and the back house is a 2 car garage with a 1/1 apartment upstairs, with peek-a-boo views of the river.

MLS#1113860 $484,900

Call Cheryl Gray 386-316-7808.

HOMES ARE SELLING FAST! WE NEED MORE LISTINGS TO SELL!

Photo courtesy of Doug Gernert/RE/MAX

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 de

mands 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,

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA CIRCUIT CIVIL DIVISION CASE NO.: 2019 CA 000222 THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF CWALT, INC. ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2006-OA18, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OA18 Plaintiff(s), vs. DMITRI LOZOVSKY A/K/A D. LOZOVSKY; MARINA LOZOVSKY; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF DMITRI LOZOVSKY A/K/A D. LOZOVSKY; UNKNOWN HEIRS OF MARINA LOZOVSKY; Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, pursuant to Plaintiff’s Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered on August 4, 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 3rd day of November, 2023 at 11:00 AM on the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment of Foreclosure or order, to wit: Lot 7, Block 102, Palm Coast, Map of Easthampton,

NOTICE OF ACTION IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL

filed against you, and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to