Ormond Beach Observer 03-07-24

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

OMAM ROOFTOP DANCE SOCIAL

When: 6-8 p.m.

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

Details: The Arthur Murray Dance

Studio will lead a partnered dance social on the rooftop terrace. Cocktail hour will start at 6 p.m. with dancing from 7-8 p.m. Tickets cost $25 per couple for museum members; $35 per couple for nonmembers. Visit ormondartmuseum. org/calendar-events.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

YOGA OUTDOORS

When: 10 a.m.

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

Details: The Environmental Discovery Center is hosting a free outdoor beginner level yoga class by Kim Latford. Chairs available. Mats recommended. Space is limited. Call 386-615-7081.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

BRIDGES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH PANCAKE BREAKFAST

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

Where: Bridges United Methodist Church fellowship hall, 205 N. Pine St., Bunnell

Details: Join Bridges United Methodist Church for a pancake breakfast benefitting the Soul Cafe, which hosts free community meals at the church every Wednesday. Breakfast costs $8 per person. For more information, call 386-437-3258.

INDIGENOUS FORT CAROLINE:

THE MOCAMA SIDE OF THE

STORY

When: 9:30-11 a.m.

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

Details: Denise Bossy, a history professor at the University of North Florida, will present this program on the Mocama side of the story during the 1565 battle between the French and Spanish to control Florida. This

is a free program sponsored by the Florida Humanities Speakers Bureau and hosted by the Ormond Beach Historical Society.

SEVENTH ANNUAL STRAWBERRY

FEST

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10

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

Details: Enjoy strawberries, family festivities, arts and crafts, beer and wine, vendors, live music and more. Admission costs $7.

STORYBOOK VILLAGE

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Hometown Room at Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast

Details: This free event for children and their families offers activities and a scavenger hunt based on five popular books by Laura Numeroff, including, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” and more. Each book will be read aloud by one of the following community leaders: FCSO Commander Jennifer Nawrocki; Darla Sanchez, of Paws to Read; JB Birney, of JBirney

Financial; Observer Publisher Brian

McMillan and Flagler County Librarian Heather Chalmers. Families will receive free copies of the books while supplies last

LOW-COST PET SHOT CLINIC

When: 9-10:30 a.m. and 12:30-2 p.m. (two locations)

Where: Ice House Saloon, 810 State St., Bunnell; and Astro Skate, 251 N. US 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

‘CROWS AND RAVENS: MYSTERY, MYTH, AND MAGIC OF SACRED

CORVIDS’ BOOK SIGNING

When: 2-4 p.m.

Where: Vedic Moons, 4984 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Unit 4-6, Palm Coast

Details: Palm Coast writer Rick de Yampert will hold a book signing and meet-and-greet for his new book, which explores some of those many myths and scientific findings about corvids, and the birds’ spiritualmetaphysical side. The event also will feature de Yampert’s Mr. Crow art for sale. For more information, visit vedicmoons.com, or call 386585-5167.

SUNDAY, MARCH 10

HAPPY WANDERERS

PALM COAST WALK

When: 1-4 p.m.

Where: Hobby Lobby, 250 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast Details: Join the Happy Wanderers on a Sunday walk/bike event. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. The walk/bike begins at 1 p.m. Come walk either a 5K or a 10K. Costs $4. Meet in parking lot at Hobby Lobby, next to Publix. The group also goes out for lunch after the walk/bike. All are welcome.

LEGENDS OF BROADWAY CONCERT

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church, 105 Amsden Road, Ormond

Beach Details: The Bel Canto Singers of Daytona — under the direction of David Redman and accompanied by Alessandro Fonseca and Quinn Moss — will present this concert featuring dozens of legendary Broadway classics, including “My Fair Lady”, “South Pacific”, “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Carousel”, “Sound of Music”, “Oklahoma”, “The King and I” and “Showboat.” Tickets cost $15 for adults, students with ID are free. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at BelCantoDaytona.org.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13

AARP MEETING, CHAPTER 1057

When: 10 a.m. to noon

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

Details: The meeting’s guest

speaker will be Robert Carolin, Ormond Beach Leisure Services director. There is an optional $5 light lunch that will follow. For more Information, call Chapter President Jeff Boyle at 386-341-9013.

PROBUS CLUB OF PALM COAST

When: 11 a.m. to noon

Where: Social Club of Palm Coast, 51 N. Old Kings Road, Palm Coast Details: Join this social club retired and semi-retired men and women who meet on the second Wednesday of each month with a guest speaker of interest and social activities for members with specific interests. The guest speakers for March are Mona McPherson, of Advance Care Planning; Jenny Simonsen, of Concierge Care; and Jane Norton, of Senior Resources. For more information contact Larry Wright at Palmcoastprobusclub@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

YOGA OUTDOORS

When: 9:30 a.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center, 601 Division Ave., Ormond Beach Details: The Environmental Discovery Center is hosting a free outdoor beginner level yoga class by Victoria Bennett. Chairs available. Mats recommended. Space is limited. Call 386-615-7081.

FRIDAY, MARCH 15

BLUES BROTHERS TRIBUTE

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond

Beach Details: See the Jake and Elwood Blues Revue, Blues Brothers impersonators that have been performing for over 15 years. Tickets cost $34 in advance; $39 at the door. Visit ormondbeachperformingartscenter. csstix.com.

‘VINEGAR TOM’

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, March 15, 16, 22 and 23; and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 17

Where: City Repertory Theatre, 160 Cypress Point Pkwy, B207, Palm Coast Details: See this musical by Caryl Churchill telling the story of Alice and her mother Joan who are confronting accusations of witchcraft.

Tickets cost $30 for adults; $15 for students. Visit crtpalmcoast.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

ENVIRO CAMP OPEN HOUSE

When: 10 a.m. to noon

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

Details: Families interested in registering their children for Enviro Camp are invited to tour the EDC, meet the animal ambassadors and ask questions. The camp will run from June 3-28 (Session 1 for 10-12 year olds) and July 8 to Aug. 2 (Session 2 for 7-9 year-olds).

THIRD ANNUAL MILLION DOLLAR FOOD-A-THON FOOD TRUCK

PALOOZA

When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Flagler Palm Coast High School, 5500 State Route 100, Palm Coast

Details: This annual event will kick off with a Food Truck Palooza featuring over 40 food trucks, live entertainment, a kids fun zone, street vendors and a car show. The FoodA-Thon helped feed 4,500 families each month last year. A $5 parking donation is requested, to benefit the Grace Community Food Pantry.

PALMETTO CLUB’S ‘MAGICAL’

CANCER LUNCHEON

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Palmetto Club, 1000 S. Beach St. Daytona Beach

Details: Join the Palmetto Club for its annual cancer luncheon, featuring a presentation by the Daytona Magic Company and a lunch prepared by GEI Catering & Events. The luncheon costs $40 per person. Reserve a spot by Friday, March 8. Call 386-341-0479.

NY ROCKABILLY ROCKETS

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach

Details: Experience two hours of ‘50s and ‘60s hits during the production of “Shake Rattle Roll” by the NY Rockabilly Rockets. This Vegasstyle show features the music of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis, Johnny Cash and more. Tickets start at $53. Visit ormondbeachperformingartscenter.csstix.com.

THE STATE OF RENT

Report shows rents have decreased in Florida, but it’s still not affordable for many residents in Flagler, Volusia.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Karen Smith, 67, said she never expected to be renting a room out of a stranger’s home at her age.

“It’s a shame, you know? I thought I had planned and planned and planned,” Smith said. “Not as well as I should have.” Smith is retired and receives Social Security, which is not enough for her to even rent an apartment on her own in Palm Coast, which has a median rental price of almost $2,000, according to several real estate reports. She moved back to Florida in 2021 when she retired but quickly found that renting a home or an apartment was out of her price range.

The one bedroom Smith rents costs over half of her Social Security, utilities included, and she spends several hundred more each month in medical expenses. The room is a master bedroom in the house, with a private bathroom. She has a full-size refrigerator inside, a microwave and a hot plate to cook on.

The family she rents from is very nice, she said, but she tries to spend as much time as possible outside.

“That one room gets small,” Smith said.

FLORIDA RENT IS DOWN

Smith’s story is not unique. A recent report from Rent.com, a national rental website, said data over the last year shows a 9.41% decrease in rent prices in Florida, but despite the decrease the median rent is still $2,095.

Another report from the rental website Zumper.com which lists over 300 Palm Coast properties for rent, showed prices in Palm Coast have decreased 11% from January 2023 — but the median price of a rental property is still $1,950 per month.

In Ormond Beach, the median price of a rental property is $2,350, based on the 90 rentals listed on Zumper. Overall, rent has gone up 2% from January 2023, though that is largely due to the price of studio rental properties, up 80% from last year, according to the website. Rent for one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom properties are all down from last year — 17%, 6%, 1% and 27%, respectively.

Joseph Palmer, broker and owner of Sunrise Property Management of Volusia County, said the rent decreases are a result of supply and demand. Fewer people are inquiring on rental properties listed at over $1,800 a month than they were a couple years ago.

BRIEFS

from the motorcycle. The deputy was transported to Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville as a trauma alert, but was alert and conscious when Sheriff Rick Staly visited him in the emergency room, the post said. The Florida Highway

The listings that would generate between two and three dozen inquiries within days started to decrease to about three or four only around August or September 2023.

“It stayed that way all through last fall and carried also into this year where we’re not getting the volume of inquiries that we’ve had,” Palmer said.

He believes it could be a result of fewer people moving into the area compared to immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless, the decrease in inquiries led many of his property owners to drop rent by at least 10%.

Now, properties priced under $1,800 a month — what Palmer described as the breaking point — still generate dozens of inquiries. But, those properties account for about 20% of the total rentals his company manages.

Palm Coast real estate agent Toby Tobin said just because the rents have decreased some over the last year, it does not mean that prices are more affordable. The prices of the housing and rental markets are both driven by supply and demand, he said.

“Our market is undersupplied at every level,” Tobin said. “There aren’t enough condominiums or apartments. There aren’t enough duplex homes for rent, single family homes for rent ... or homes to buy ourselves.”

Tobin said the decrease in prices shown in the two reports Flagler County and Palm Coast are likely from the additional multifamily housing that has been added to the market or is under construction.

“Landlords don’t lower the rent to benefit the tenant,” Tobin said. “They lower the rent to make their property more attractive for new tenants.”

Palmer said he could see the rental market continue to decrease — until a certain point, as rising property taxes and insurance costs means the dollar amount for rental property owners and landlords to break even continues to rise as well.

“I think it’s a big factor,” Palmer said. “Even HOA dues have gone up, especially with condos.”

If properties sustained hurricane damages and the cost of the repairs wasn’t covered by either insurance or funds in reserve, HOAs had to raise fees, Palmer said.

The number of apartments being constructed is also a contributing factor. A resident looking at renting a condo may opt to rent a unit in a new apartment complex instead, as those may come with more amenities.

“There’s always going to be owners that have single family homes and condos for rent, and they just need to price it accordingly,” Palmer said.

RISING COSTS AFFECT FAMILIES

About 42% of full-time workers in Volusia County and 46% of full-time workers in Flagler County do not earn enough for household survival, said Lawrence Anderson, commu-

Patrol is investigating the crash. Stamps has several serious injuries and will require surgery on his elbows, but the FCSO post said Stamps is expected to make a full recovery and be released from the hospital in a few days.

Motorcycle rider injured in Ormond Beach crash

A motorcycle rider was transported to the hospital as a trauma alert on Friday, March 1, after a crash involving an SUV in Ormond Beach. The crash took place near Wawa at 600 W. Granada Blvd. It was reported at 12:15 p.m., on the first day of Bike Week 2024.

Ormond Beach Police spokeswoman Pauline Dulang said the motorist is not believed to have sustained a life threatening injury at this time. OBPD is working to clear the road to allow traffic flow to resume.

nity partnerships manager for the Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties. United Way refers to these individuals as ALICE, or the “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed” population.

Of the 42% of ALICE households in Volusia, 74% are considered rentburdened or severe rent-burdened, meaning they are spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

“That’s extremely worrisome,” Anderson said. “While our United Way or other nonprofit partners cannot change the market rate for all rental properties and for housing properties in the area, what we are looking to do is make sure that we advocate for the decrease of rental costs, for the increase of employee incomes and making sure that there are additional resources brought into our community to ensure that this population ... have affordable housing options in the area.”

Plus, while rents have decreased a little bit compared to last year — United Way is seeing 1% decrease in median rental costs in Port Orange, 3% decrease in Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach, and 2% decrease in Daytona Beach Shores, for example — families are dealing with cost increases outside of housing, such as health care, child care and food expenses.

“So families are still experiencing increased costs of living across the board,” Anderson said.

And while median rental costs are down compared to 2023, United Way is seeing rent increases today compared to last month’s. Median rent for a four-bedroom apartment in Palm Coast is up 16% from last month. In Daytona Beach, threebedroom apartments are up 4%.

PRICING OUT LOCALS

According to the U.S. Census Bureau data from 2018 to 2022, Flagler County’s median income was $69,000. In Ormond, it was $65,238. A home is considered affordable, Tobin said, if a person is not spending more than 30% of their income on rent or a mortgage payment.

The problem is most properties in Flagler County and Ormond Beach — to purchase or to rent — are out of the median income price range.

Someone making the median income would qualify for a home purchasing loan of around $225,000. In January or February 2024, 355 homes were sold — Tobin said only five of those properties were $225,000 or

less. The average home in Palm Coast is over $300,000. Examining rental properties shows similar results. Tobin reviewed all 177 rental properties in Flagler County on the Multiple Listing Service.

The cheapest rental was listed for $950, he said, but that is an outlier. The second cheapest was $1,350 per month while the median price of the 177 properties was $2,000, on par with the averages from Rent.com and Zumper.com.

There used to be a time where local families could find properties for rent within their budget that were adequate for their household size — they may just not have been as updated as they would have preferred, Anderson said.

“Now, that’s not quite the case,” he said. “Families are looking for the bare minimum, as long as they’re able to afford it. It’s just not there. The need is a bit greater than what we currently have available.”

There is a lot of development coming to Volusia and Flagler counties, Anderson added. That creates options for housing solutions — nonprofits and businesses have to advocate for that.

“We understand that not all employers can pay $60,000 for their employees to live in our community,” Anderson said. “But if employers can provide supports and resources for their employees, it will allow us to better maneuver the housing crisis that we’re experiencing around the country.” Smith said she didn’t have a lot of options when looking for housing last fall. She applied a low-income housing voucher almost two years ago and has been wait-listed for it: if she goes back to work, she will make too much money to receive that housing, should a spot opens up.

Even without the voucher to consider, she said, it would be difficult to work full time with her health problems.

Tobin said the high prices have made for an “under the radar” real estate market where renters sublet space without telling landlords or homeowners will rent out a room, either to short-term vacationers or people like Smith. For her, Smith said her situation is what it is and her health will only get worse as time goes on. Mostly, she said, she’s disappointed that the housing situation in the United States is like this, leaving many people like herself overlooked.

“I don’t see me ever getting out of that little bedroom,” she said.

MEDIAN MONTHLY RENTAL PRICE

Pennsylvania man dies after motorcycle crash near Ormond

A 66-year-old man from Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, was killed on Sunday, March 3, after he ran his motorcycle off the road near Ormond Beach.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred around 9:31 p.m. and took place on the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail on Highbridge Road and Walter Boardman Lane. After he ran off the road, he overcorrected, causing him to overturn on the road’s outside shoulder. The man was thrown from his motorcycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

FDOT launches safety campaign for Bike Week 2024

The Florida Department of Transportation, in collaboration with its

statewide Motorcycle Safety Coalition, is launching the Ride SMART 2 Daytona campaign, aimed at ensuring the safety of all participants during the 2024 Daytona Beach Bike Week, which ends March 10. This campaign promotes safe riding through educational initiatives, enforcement efforts, and community engagement. By encouraging all road users to prioritize safety and mindfulness while navigating the roads, Ride SMART 2 Daytona endeavors to make sure everyone gets home safely. For more information on the Ride SMART 2 Daytona campaign and motorcycle safety tips, visit https:// ridesmartflorida.com/smart.

Palm Coast woman dies in motorcycle crash near DeLand

A 39-year-old Palm Coast woman was killed on March 2 when an SUV turned into a motorcycle’s path near

DeLand.

The woman was a passenger on the motorcycle and the driver, a 39-year-old Palm Coast man, was also seriously injured in the crash, a Florida Highway Patrol press release said. The accident happened at around 6:11 p.m. at the intersection of Spring Garden Avenue and State Road 11 as the SUV was driving east on Spring Garden.

The SUV did not stop at a stop sign as it turned left onto S.R. 11, turning directly into the path of the motorcycle, the report said. The motorcycle, going south on S.R. 11 collided head-on with the SUV.

The 39-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the 39-year-old man was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center with serious injuries. The driver and the passenger of the SUV — a 78-yearold man and a 75-year-old woman, both from Ormond Beach — had minor injuries and were transported to AdventHealth Daytona.

CITY WATCH

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Beach tolls to be eliminated?

Locals, driving on the beach may soon be free for you.

On Tuesday, March 5, the Volusia County Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday, March 5, to pursue a resolution that would eliminate beach parking fees for all Volusia County residents. The resolution would also create a fee for non-residents to use off-beach parking lots. Volusia residents will still be able to use the lots for free.

Additionally, the council is interested in increasing the fee for beach driving passes for visitors from $20 to $30 a day. Off-beach parking was suggested to cost visitors $20 a day. Currently, residents are offered a $25 annual beach pass to drive on the beach.

County Councilman Troy Kent told the City Commission at its meeting later that evening that the proposed changes could bring in close to $7 billion in revenue to the county.

“It’s the biggest news on the beach in 35 years since the county has taken over all of the beaches,” Kent said. He suggested the city contact the county to instate the same off-beach parking lot fee for visitors at Andy Romano Beachfront Park, which is city-owned.

Neighbors push back against Riverview’s transfer

Old wounds appear to have reopened as residents denounced the use of the former Osceola Elementary school site to house about 80 students from Riverview Learning Center, a school district-run alternative educational facility for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Concerned residents attended the Ormond Beach City Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 5, to voice their complaints regarding the lack of notice that the school district was considering moving Riverview to Osceola, with many saying they became aware of the issue after the School Board’s unanimous vote to approve the transfer on Feb. 27.

Resident Lindsey Wolf said she and her neighbors, all who live by Osceola, were never notified of a Dec. 5, 2023, community meeting to discuss the transfer. She was also concerned that having an alternative educational facility in the neighborhood would negatively impact property values.

“The amount of buyers who look for homes based on the schools in the area is astronomical,” she said. “To think that having a school like that in our neighborhood wouldn’t have a detriment impact is putting your head in the sand.”

A couple speakers also said that the neighborhood would benefit from a community meeting to better understand the change.

School Board member Carl Persis, who represents District 4, was present at the commission meeting. He said the residents are right — they were not properly informed of the Dec. 5 meeting, which was attended by about eight people.

Persis said he thought that was strange, and when he asked the district about it, staff told him a mailer wasn’t sent. Instead, a notice of the

meeting was posted on the district’s website and on their social media.

“But, unless you have kids in school, you’re not looking at the Volusia County Schools website or anything else affiliated with it,” Persis said. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s a major error right there.’”

Persis said a community meeting is necessary — both to make amends and explain what students Riverview sees. These are not kids that are dangerous, he said. “It makes me feel so sad that we’re talking about children,” Persis said.

Patty Corr, chief operating officer for Volusia County Schools, attended the commission meeting to explain the transfer and stress the need to have all of Riverview’s students in one location. Currently, Riverview’s elementary students are housed almost 10 miles away from the school’s main campus.

“It might be upsetting for some people, but truly, the district team was really looking for the best possible scenario for our students,” Corr said.

“Apparently, everybody has read the item, which is really encouraging. I’m glad that you’re paying attention — we need that.”

County Council Chair Jeff Brower on advisory board agenda item. See Page 8A

Corr left after her remarks. The citizens who voiced their concerns spoke afterward.

For the City Commission, who appealed to the School Board in 2021 to save the Osceola site from its merger with Ortona (now Beachside Elementary), the issue with Riverview brings forth a sense of déjà vu.

“It’s like talking to a brick wall, I can tell you that from a couple of years ago,” Mayor Bill Partington said. “Actually talking to a brick wall is more satisfying because you’re not expecting a response. It’s very frustrating.”

The commission will be sending a letter to the School Board asking them to reconsider their decision and to hold a community meeting.

City Commissioner Travis Sargent said he wished the district had informed them of their plans ahead of time.

“They made a decision,” he said. “No one knew about it, and maybe if the facts were out there, or maybe if people knew about it, maybe they’d be OK with this. But they’re not.”

Judge dismisses SR Perrott case against Belvedere

A judge has dismissed S.R. Perrott’s challenge of the air pollution permit issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to Belvedere Terminals for the construction of a fuel farm behind the beverage distribution company’s headquarters.

Mayor Bill Partington said the city was “deeply disappointed” with the ruling, calling it a setback in their fight against the fuel farm.

“That decision does not reflect the end of our efforts but serves to highlight the significant work still ahead,” Partington said. “We remain absolutely committed to protecting our community’s health, safety, and environment.”

Partington said the city will continue to explore other avenues, including advocating for alternative locations for the proposed facility.

Golf course hearing to be held on March 19

The City Commission will review a rezoning request for the former Tomoka Oaks golf course on Tuesday, March 19.

The meeting will be held at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, located at 399 N. U.S. 1, starting at 6 p.m.

The developers of the proposed Tomoka Reserve subdivision, slated to be located in the 147.94-acre golf course property in the middle of Tomoka Oaks, are seeking a rezoning for the property from a Planned Residential Development to R-2 “Singlefamily low density.”

Email Managing Editor Jarleene Almenas at Jarleene@observerlocalnews. com

The district plans to demolish four buildings at Osceola after Tomoka Elementary moves out . File photo by Jarleene Almenas

Detectives suspect the remains found could be those of Autumn Lane McClure, who went missing in 2004.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

The remains of a missing 16-year-old Ormond Beach girl are believed to have been discovered in an Ormond Beach-area mobile home park by Volusia County Sheriff’s Office detectives on Wednesday, Feb. 28, almost 20 years from the day she disappeared.

VCSO reports that detectives found human remains at Shady Oaks mobile home park, located at 1320 Hand Ave., which are suspected to be those of Autumn Lane McClure, a Mainland High School student who was last seen on May 10, 2004. At the time, it was believed that McClure was last seen when her boyfriend dropped her off at the Volusia Mall, but during a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 29, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said that 12 years later, McClure’s boyfriend admitted he had lied and told detectives he dropped off McClure at the Seabreeze bridge on the day she went missing. It was there she got into a car with a woman she worked with at a local Winn-Dixie.

At the time, the woman lived in Shady Oaks mobile home park with her boyfriend, Brian Christopher Donley Jr., the suspect in McClure’s murder. VCSO reports McClure was in a sexual relationship with the couple, who initially told investigators that McClure only stayed with them for a short time.

Donley died at 49 years old on May 26, 2022, almost 18

Autumn Lane McClure was last seen at age 16 on May 10, 2004, when her boyfriend dropped her off at the Volusia Mall. Photo courtesy of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

believes McClure was killed and buried in the mobile home park, Chitwood said. “The sad part is he’ll never face, in this world, for the evil that he perpetrated,” Chitwood said. “But sure enough, I’m hoping to God that when he took his last breath on May 26, 2022, that maybe he had a vision of where the hell he was headed.”

In the early days of investigation into McClure’s disappearance, VCSO reported, her grandmother received phone calls and letters from McClure stating she was fine and would return home after she turned 18.

In 2021 — three years after detectives re-interviewed Donley’s girlfriend, who again denied having any information about McClure disappearance — a tipster came forward and said Donley was responsible for the murder. After Donley’s death, and once granted immunity by the State Attorney’s Office, Donley’s girlfriend told detectives that she came home one afternoon and saw Donley choking McClure in the bathroom because she wished to go home to her grandmother, and that by the time she inter-

vened, McClure was dead. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

In 2021, a new trailer was placed on the lot and VCSO arranged to have the trailer and concrete slab removed to excavate for McClure’s remains this week. As of Thursday, Feb. 29, VCSO reported 99% of her suspected remains have been recovered, though determining a cause of death will be difficult.

“This was really an extremely intense and resource-heavy operation, but all of the factors came together to help us achieve our successful outcome, which was locating and

FARMER’S MARKET

THURSDAY 8 AM - 1 PM CITY HALL PLAZA 22 S. BEACH STREET, ORMOND

recovering these remains,” said Dr. Lerah Sutton, whose team from the University of Florida Maples Center for Forensic Medicine assisted in the excavation.

Volusia County Sheriff’s Office detectives found human remains in an Ormond Beach site on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Courtesy of VCSO’s Facebook page

COPS CORNER

State Road A1A, Flagler Beach

Resisting an officer. As a man was arrested on a DUI charge, his wife was also arrested after interrupting the field sobriety exercises.

Two police officers had pulled the car over and were trying to conduct the field sobriety tests on the driver when the driver’s wife began yelling out the car window for him not to complete the tests, the report said. Officers repeatedly told the woman not to interrupt the tests, an arrest report said.

The two officers placed the man in handcuffs and walked over to speak to the woman. She was “noticeably” intoxicated, the report said, smelling of alcohol and slurring her words.

FOR WORSE

2:23 a.m. — 500 block of

Because she was also intoxicated, the officers told her she needed to exit the car and either allow them to take her to her hotel or she could call

someone else to take her.

The woman refused to exit the car and ignored the officers. After multiple attempts to reason with her, the officers opened the car door and pulled her from the car. She and her husband were both taken to jail.

FEB. 27 ONE EARRING, TWO BRACELETS

12:43 p.m. — 5100 block of State Road 100, Palm Coast Shoplifting. An 80-year-old Flagler Beach woman was arrested for stealing one single gold earring from a department store.

A loss prevention employee saw the woman, who had previously been trespassed from the store, and called the Sheriff’s Office while he followed her around the store. The woman shopped, placing items in her cart until she reached the jewelry section,

her arrest report said.

The employee watched the woman pick up a box with three sets of earrings in it, the report said. She removed two gold earrings, dropped one in her purse, dropped the other on the ground and replaced the box with the other sets in it back on the display.

The woman continued to shop and even went through the checkout, purchasing all her other items, except the singular gold earring. As she was leaving, the employee and a Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled her aside.

The deputy arrested the 80-year-old for shoplifting and violation of a trespass order. The earring set was worth $8.

FEB. 28

CLUB HOUSE

9:31 p.m. — 700 block of Alcazar Avenue, Ormond Beach Noise. Police arrived to a

neighborhood after receiving a noise complaint, and the reporting officer noted that, even at a distance of 150-175 feet, he could hear the sound of dance and club music coming from a home’s open window. He could also see rotating shining lights.

According to the report, it took the officer several moments to get the resident’s attention.

The resident, a 53-year-old Ormond Beach man, told him that he turns the music off at 10 p.m. and that he uses it to make social media videos and livestreams. He argued that there were other loud sounds in the area, including motorcycle noises.

However, the officer informed him that the noise levels violated a city ordinance. The neighbor who complained to police said she would pursue a code enforcement violation.

OBITUARIES

The Observer now offers affordable Tributes to honor your loved ones: up to 500 words for $100. Visit https:// www.observer localnews.com/ tributes/ or call 386-447-9723 for more information.

Volusia could eliminate four advisory boards Flagler School Board’s Hunt suggests she will step down

The Code Enforcement Board, Library Advisory Board, Animal Control Board and the Business Incubator Advisory Board are on the chopping block.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Four advisory boards could be dissolved by the Volusia County Council in the near future.

The council voted unanimously to direct staff on Tuesday, March 5, to bring back recommendations that could eliminate the county’s Code Enforcement Board, Library Advisory Board, Animal Control Board and the Business Incubator Advisory Board. The county currently has 30 advisory boards, and was directed by the council on Dec. 5, 2023, to bring them a list of boards that could be sunset or consolidated with another.

Over 30 people signed up to speak at the March 5 meeting, largely concerning a handful of boards placed on the agenda item summary for possible elimination or consolidation: the Cultural Council of Volusia County, the Environmental and Natural Resource Advisory Committee and the Volusia Forever and ECHO boards.

Former County Councilwoman Pat Northey said she called “BS” on this agenda item as someone who sat on the dais for 20 years, and asked the board to kill it entirely.

“Advisory boards are an important part of Volusia County government and represent the most engaged citizens in our communities,” Northey said.

Northey was particularly concerned about the possibility that the council could consider merging Volusia Forever and ECHO’s boards, which oversee the voter-approved programs.

After hearing from Northey, Councilman David Santiago said that the council never discussed combining the Volusia Forever and

ECHO boards, despite it being part of the agenda item summary. County Council Chair Jeff Brower said that the summary included staff’s suggestions on what boards could be eliminated or consolidated, and not recommendations on what the council should do.

“Apparently, everybody has read the item, which is really encouraging,” Brower said. “I’m glad that you’re paying attention — we need that.”

The council reinstated ENRAC in 2022 to work with county staff to recommend minimum standards for environmental protection. The board was previously active from 1987 to 2003.

Ormond-by-the-Sea resident Melissa Lammers, chair of 14-member ENRAC, told the council that if some committees are struggling, they should address those individually. The ENRAC has only had two replacements in a year and a half, and its members come from a wide range of backgrounds, from agriculture and commercial development to accounting and land use laws.

“What we have in common is a commitment to our work to balance the needs of development with protection of the environment by thoroughly examining the questions before us, making sure that each of us is heard,” Lammers said.

ENRAC won’t be eliminated. Instead, the council voted to direct the board to focus on stormwater issues.

As for the Cultural Council, that board is also not going away.

“Advisory boards are an important part of Volusia County government and represent the most engaged citizens in our communities.”

PAT NORTHEY,

former Volusia County Council member

Last June, the County Council heard pleas from the public asking the council to keep the board active — which also meant continuing to fund local arts and culture organizations, as the council provides over $600,000 in grants each year.

At the March 5 meeting, the public support for the board didn’t change. Ormond Beach resident Kathy Thompson, president of the Daytona Playhouse, said that while programs like ECHO are great (the playhouse received $600,000 in ECHO funding last year for its renovation), those funds cannot be used for maintenance or supporting programs. The Cultural Council’s grants can. The playhouses uses its funding from the Cultural Council to put on the children’s musical production every summer.

“The cultural advisory board serves this county so well,” Thompson said. “They are all passionate and knowledgeable about the arts. They may have their own personal preference for a particular art, but they never let that override their decision of how they support all of us.”

The council asked staff to come up with recommendations on how to enhance the Cultural Council, including how to bring in new organizations. Because staff is already working on this, an official motion providing direction was withdrawn.

As for the Code Enforcement Board, the council is interested in replacing it with a special magistrate process due to lack of participation.

“I’m not happy with the Code Enforcement Board process,” Brower said. “That doesn’t mean I’m unhappy with any of the people — it’s just a cumbersome process for our residents to deal with. I would like to see it improved.” Council sought more information on the other three boards — Library Advisory Board, Animal Control Board and the Business Incubator Advisory Board. The members voted to have staff bring back information on what their elimination would look like, and in the case of the Animal Control Board, how to get expertise on the subject without an official advisory board.

Amid her school workshop safety concerns, Sally Hunt says she won’t be on the board much longer.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler County School Board member Sally Hunt has said she does not expect to finish out her term, which does not end until November 2026.

At a board workshop on Tuesday, March 5, Hunt gave a hint to when she might step down.

When board member Cheryl Massaro suggested the board do away with having a School Resource Deputy on duty at the workshops which are usually sparsely attended, Hunt said she would be OK with it if the rest of the board agreed.

“It’s well known that I’m not going to be on the board for that much longer, relatively,” she said. Hunt and Colleen Conklin were not in the room during the workshop. They were both connected to the meeting by phone. Hunt has said that she will eventually be moving. She told the Observer on March 6 that she and her husband will be putting their house on the market. She said the way the housing market is, it’s a fluid situation.

“I know I’m not completing my term,” she said, adding, “I thought I’d be gone by now.”

The SRD was added to workshops after Hunt indicated she felt uncomfortable when a speaker during public comment singled her out as a swing vote on an issue. Massaro said paying extra for a deputy at the workshops is an unnecessary expense. But Massaro, Hunt and Board Chair Will Furry did agree that a deputy can be added if a “hot-button” topic is on the agenda.

Superintendent LaShakia Moore said the board would need to give the district at least 72 hours notice

FOUR ITEMS TO WATCH

Other items the board decided to add to the next workshop:

„ A discussion on an attorney structure for the board and district. Superintendent LaShakia Moore said the district is prepared to make a recommendation in April.

„ An update on the investigation of the $700,000 fraudulent account transfer.

„ A further discussion on the status of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club. Board Chair Will Furry also asked to have the item added to that night’s business meeting to possibly make a decision on the facility earlier than the July date that was agreed to.

„ A discussion on allowing the public to speak about any topic during public comment at the beginning of business meetings. Currently, the first public comment is limited to agenda items with comments on any issue allowed after the business portion of the meetings.

and they should be careful “not to get too specific on topics as contentious, because that could also be a slippery slope.”

But Furry said the number of people expected to attend a meeting would be the consideration a board member would have to ask for a deputy in attendance. Hunt said it does make her uncomfortable being in a room with only one access point without added security and asked if a door could be locked. Moore said the meetings have to be accessible to the public.

“Ultimately, I don’t want a gun to come into that room and be aimed at anybody,” Hunt said.

WIN Mortgage celebrates grand opening on A1A

Flagler Beach

residents Rick and Jennifer Vaders launched WIN in August 2023.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

After 10 years in the industry, mortgage broker Rick has decided to open his own mortgage company.

Vaders and his wife Jennifer launched WIN Mortgage together in August 2023 and on Feb. 29, the two celebrated the grand opening of WIN’s first location at 316 S. Ocean Shore Blvd. with a ribboncutting ceremony. The storefront, located next to the Waffle Cone Ice Cream shop, was filled with local residents supporting the new business.

Rick Vaders said the support from the community was “humbling.”

“For everybody to be out here and support us — you get emotional,” he said. “It’s really crazy. The fact that people take time out of their day to [support us.]”

The Vaders have been in Flagler Beach since 2009. Jennifer Vaders said they love the

Flagler Beach community.

“We’re for local, buy local, and we just love being a part of Flagler,” she said. Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston cut the ribbon for the grand opening. She said she has known the Vaders for years, and the two are an active part of the Flagler Beach community.

“Seeing WIN mortgage win in the industry is important,” she said. “To see [Rick Vaders] step out and start his own company— it’s exciting for those that have already done business with him to now be able to take see him take his business to the next level.”

Including Rick Vaders, WIN Mortgage has five total brokers to help residents with their home loans, including refinancing options. The other loan officers are Thomas Stickels, Stephen Swarner, Danielle Desousa and Medjine Kulesa, according to WIN’s website, but WIN is continuing to expand its office staff, Jennifer Vaders said. Rick Vaders said residents should support their local lending businesses.

“By coming to us over, say, a ... big box lender,” he said, “you’re supporting a local business, who’s going to give back to the community.”

Margarita Island Mexican Kitchen marks milestone

The Flagler Beach restaurant is celebrating its first year in business.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Margarita Island Mexican Kitchen & Bar has been open for just over a year in Flagler Beach, and store manager David Rodriguez said business has been going strong.

“Everything that we do, we do it with a lot of pride,” Rodriguez said. “Everything is always made fresh every single day. We’re not one of those restaurants that will open up a can of beans and feed you with that.”

The restaurant opened Dec. 11, 2022, and Rodriguez said the restaurant has seen a steady increase in new customers. The Flagler Beach establishment, located at 422 Beach Village Drive, is Margarita’s second location; the first is in Merritt Island, which opened in February 2022.

Margarita Island is a Mexican food restaurant that showcases Mexican recipes in a relaxed, beach-style setting. Rodriguez said one of the things Margarita Island does differently than other places is it makes all its food and ingredients fresh. Even for the drinks, he said, the restaurant uses freshly squeezed limes instead of sour mixes and agave nectar instead of simple syrup.

Rodriguez, who has 10 years of food service experience, said he was one of the first

employees when the Merritt Island location opened. He started as a bartender, and, in August 2023, moved to become an assistant manager at the Flagler Beach location. In December, he was promoted to store manager.

He said the best part of the Flagler Beach restaurant is the customers. Flagler Beach is more relaxed than the Merritt Island location, he said, which has a larger surf community.

“Here, it’s a little more laid back, whereas over there it’s like more of a [beach] party atmosphere,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said Margarita Island tries to tailor its menu to the clientele and even recently updated its menu in January.

But since the store opened, he said, the favorite dish has been Margarita’s molcajete: a combination of skirt steak, grilled chicken, shrimp, chorizo, onions, peppers, cactus, and ranchero sauce, that is served on fire on a wood pallet to customers.

BIZ BUZZ DAYTONA AQUARIUM IS NOW OPEN

The Daytona Beach area has its first aquarium offering with the opening of the Daytona Aquarium and Rainforest Adventure, which provides an interactive educational experience with animals from both land and sea.

The 55,000-square foot facility is located on the northwest corner of International Speedway Boulevard and Nova Road, in the heart of Daytona Beach. Visitors can explore close to 40 separate exhibits including a 100,000-gallon shark exhibit and two touch pools, including a 12,000-gallon stingray touch pool. There are also habitats for alligators, frogs and lizards. In addition, the attraction, throughout the day, will have animal meet and greets with reptilian animal ambassadors and guests.

“We’re excited that this moment has arrived,” said Lori Campbell Baker, executive director for the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The destination’s first aquarium is going provide another great must-do experience when visiting Daytona Beach area.”

Phase 2 of the attraction, The Rainforest, is scheduled for opening in 2025 and will feature multiple species including primates, sloths and tropical birds.

Daily adult admission tickets are $28.95 and $24.95 for children ages 2-12. College students, military/police, and senior admissions (65 and over) are $27.95. Annual memberships are $100 for adults and $80 for children ages 2-12.

The Daytona Aquarium and Rainforest Adventure is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the last admis-

sion available at 5:15 pm. For more information, visit daytonaaquariumandrainforest.com.

NURSE APPRENTICE COMPLETES PROGRAM

Halifax Health is celebrating a milestone in its Registered Apprenticeship Program for Registered Nurses with Meghan Barry, the first to complete the program, according to a press release.

Barry began 14 months ago as one of the inaugural student nurse interns to enroll in the program, recognized as the first in the state. She pursued her degree from Daytona State College and following her graduation, she transitioned into Halifax Health’s medical/surgical registered nurse residency program, where she became a part of the clinical team within the orthopedics department. Barry plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

“My decision to join Halifax Health stemmed from the robust experience I gained as a student nurse intern,” Barry said in the press release. “The program provided me with invaluable exposure to many hospital departments and allowed me to shadow accomplished registered nurses across multiple units. Halifax Health’s nurse residency and mentorship programs further solidified my commitment to professional growth and my choice of Halifax Health.”

The WIN Mortgage team with Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston.

Photo by Sierra Williams Meghan Barry

Margarita Island Mexican Kitchen & Bar store manager David Rodriguez. Photo by Sierra Williams

Race day

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

In his 30 years of teaching, Pine Trail Elementary Coach James Vollinger has seen hundreds of students cross finish lines.

And on Friday, March 1, during his last Pioneer Mile race as coach, he watched 121 more students do just that.

“I take pride in seeing how well they perform,” said Vollinger, who will be retiring at the end of the school year. “I feel like I had something do with it — helping them find out how good they are at something.

So that’s why I do it. It’s a cool deal.”

Vollinger, who is also Pine Trail Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, created the race initiative 30 years ago and has introduced it at every school in which he’s worked. To qualify for the annual race, girls must run a mile in nine minutes or less, and boys in eight minutes or less.

This year, fifth grader Maxwell Bosang came close to beating the school’s record of 5 minutes and 57 seconds. He ran a mile in 6 minutes and 3 seconds.

The number of kids that qualified this year — 66 boys and 55 girls —

was a record number, Coach Christina Wingard said. A few years ago in 2021, Wingard said, only about 40 kids qualified.

Some students qualified the day of the race.

“It’s just a big thing for everybody,” Wingard said. “... Kids that were faster were coming in the morning before to help kids qualify. It was a really big team bonding.”

The race is also an example of Vollinger’s dedication and support for students, Wingard said.

“I feel the legacy of grit and determination that he has left will continue as lifelong lessons in these students,” she said.

Vollinger said it doesn’t get old to watch kids accomplish their running goal. In fact, he’ll probably come out next year as a spectator.

“That many kids running a subnine minute mile — I challenge any school in the state of Florida to match up to that, middle school included,” Vollinger said.

RACE

WINNERS

GIRLS

First place: Liliana Frerking, fifth grade (6:43)

Second place: Leilany Mejia, fifth grade (6:46)

Third place: Breckland Haines, second grade (6:55)

BOYS

First place: Maxwell Bosang, fifth grade (6:03)

Second place:

Aaron Gunter, fourth grade (6:05)

Third place: Espn Haines, third grade (6:07)

Pine Trail Elementary sees record number of Pioneer Mile qualifiers

Piper Williams, Brooklyn Sheriff and Nahla Bell

Brinley Choyka

Pine Trail Elementary girls get ready to run the Pioneer Mile race.

Coach James Vollinger and his wife, Zoraida

Rhett Sullivan

Leo Bloomfield and Odinn Donahoo

Pine Trail Elementary third graders cheer for the runners.

Boys launch from the starting line.

Pine Trail Elementary Principal Charles Bynum, was clad in a Cat in the Hat costume for Read Across America Day.

Coach Christina Wingard and her daughter Cora time the girls’ race.

Annabelle Wilson and Grace Gildon

This year’s winners: Espn Haines, Aaron Gunter, Maxwell Bosang, Leilany Meija, Liliana Frerking and Breckland Haines.

A house in Ormond-bythe-Sea tops sales list

Ahouse in Ormond-by-the-Sea was the top real estate transaction for Jan. 21-27 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Susan Gilbert, of Ormond Beach, sold 1715 Atlantic Ave. to Alpesh Bharucha and Amitaben Alpesh Bharucha, of Flagler beach, for $899,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2.5 and has 1,993 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $515,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Arlington Park

Rachel Holly Kurtz and James Ellis, of New Smyrna Beach, sold 115 Arlington Way to the Marguerite Faust Haines Revocable Trust, of Ormond Beach, for $562,000. Built in 1926, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,588 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $489,000.

to Amy Wilson and Frank Flaschentrager, of Lewisville, Texas, for $608,000. Built in 1984, the condo is a 3/2.5 and has 1,853 square feet. It sold in 1990 for $232,500.

Gary Dean Turnmire and Lois Marie Cox Turnmire, of White Pine, Tennessee, sold 130 Limewood Place, Unit D, to Tina Kay Singleton, of Ormond Beach, for $181,000. Built in 1985, the condo is a 2/2.5 and has 1,316 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $114,000.

Halifax Plantation William Ferro, Jr., of Ormond Beach, sold 3006 Glin Circle to Steven and Dawn Pinney, of Ormond Beach, for $320,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,684 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $275,000.

D.R. Horton, Inc., of Orlando, sold 2991 Monaghan Drive to Phillip Randall Lowe and Rosa Esmeralda Villicana, of Ormond beach, for $473,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,028 square feet.

D.R. Horton, Inc., of Orlando, sold 1314 Middle Lake Drive to Scott Douglas Mappes, of Ormond beach, for $360,000. Built in 2023,

JAN. 21 - JAN. 27

the house is a 3/2 and has 1,672 square feet.

Lincoln Park

Traci and Steven Postell, of Daytona Beach, sold 269 Selden Ave. to 325 Holly Hill LLC, of Holly Hill, for $130,000. Built in 1939, the house is a 3/1 and has 1,300 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $30,000.

Not in a subdivision

Robert Hietala, of Dunnellon, sold 109 Golfview Lane to William and Hazel Kuczmera, as trustees, for $411,400. Built in 1961, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,536 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $293,000.

72 Fairview, LLC, of Ormond beach, sold 72 Fairview Ave. to Kevin and Deborah Baldini, of Ormond Beach, for $265,000. Built in 1946, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,261 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $148,000.

Ormond Lakes

Spencer Punnett II and Mercy Jimenez, of Jacksonville, sold 46 Indianhead Drive to Brian Boatner and Kathy Gross, of Ormond beach, for $625,000. Built in 2000, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 2,466 square feet. It sold in 2012 for $265,000.

Plantation Bay

Steven Adams, as trustee, sold 1220 Harwick Lane to John Metz, III and Sandra Matz, of Ormond Beach, for $450,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,075 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $169,000.

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

Welcome to your Beach house! This Charming home is nestled between the river and the ocean in beautiful Ormond Beach. This 3 bedroom 1.5 bathroom home features an open concept with kitchen over looking the enclosed Florida Room for extra space. Fenced-in back yard with plenty of space to entertain. MLS#1110022 $320,000. Call Tyler Renick 386-631-4854.

Condo with 2 Bedrooms and 2 Baths. 1,052 square feet. Carport.v MLS#1114510 $222,500 Call Virginia Waikins 386-405-6311.

Nestled within the desirable Venetian Bay Golf community, this 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom townhome offers effortless living at its finest. Boasting a spacious 1,837 square feet w/ soaring ceilings, this residence welcomes you with an updated kitchen featuring newer appliances, a comfortable dining area, and a cozy living room. MLS#1114393 $329,900 Call Mary Maholias 813-601-9531.

CLOVERLEAF CONDO

Welcome to the luxurious penthouse at coveted resort style Cloverleaf South Condos in Daytona Beach Shores! This stunning property boasts an impressive square footage, with 4 spacious bedrooms and 4 bathrooms that are perfect for relaxation and comfort.

MLS#1110780 $540,000

Call Syed Hussain 386-383-7272.

This FULLY renovated 3 bed 2 full bathroom 2 car garage home on just under 3/4 acre is ready for a new family! The home is nearly all brand new construction completed late 2022 conforming to all current hurricane codes (roof, windows, doors, etc.). MLS#1104735 $449,000 Call Amy Beals 386-852-1400.

Welcome to your coastal escape! Nestled directly across from the pristine No Drive Beach, this charming 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom condo offers the ultimate beachside living experience. Situated on the first floor, step onto your private porch and indulge in breathtaking views of both the sparkling pool and the majestic ocean. MLS#1119417 $299,000 Call Eddie Steele 404-625-7916.

421307-1

TODAY

ALLANDALE GARDENS

Protect your residents

Dear Volusia County Council:

Where is your moral compass?

Over $10 million for play and not a penny to protect?

Finance your motocross project privately — Not a penny of my tax dollars for a motocross facility until county can get their priorities straight and clean house with all the issues plaguing Volusia County. Quite frankly, you are like children not finishing their chores and

MEET OMAM’S

FEATURED ART NIGHT

FAMILY FOR MARCH

moving onto some other course of grandeur. I cannot run my business without a short and long term plan (6 months to three years). If my business was land growth and development, I would imagine that would include reviewing current undeveloped parcel zoning in reasonable intervals as time and development progressed to ensure it continued to make sense in comparison to the built-out areas (i.e. I-2 Industrial for BelvedereTerminals in the middle of residential, business, airport with training schools, children’s Sport Complex.) Theory versus Reality. I am

“Then we were happily surprised,” Dollaway said. “It was Free Family Art Night, so we stayed and made hats. We loved the art museum and the gardens. Makayla especially loved the turtles!”

The museum’s Family Art Night takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. on most first Fridays of the month. All art supplies are provided, and the program is sponsored in part by the Women United Volusia Chapter.

The next program is scheduled for April 5.

VOLUSIA COUNTY STUDENTS EARN CAMBRIDGE AWARDS

according to a statement to the Observer.

Eighty-five students from Volusia County Schools have received prestigious awards from Cambridge International Education, part of the University of Cambridge, to acknowledge their outstanding performance on the June 2023 Cambridge examinations, according to a press release.

Of those 85 students, 46 were from Seabreeze High School. Eleven students received a Cambridge Scholar Award with Merit and 35 students received the Cambridge Scholar Award.

“Congratulations to every one of our outstanding students across Volusia County Schools,” Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said in the press release. “Your prestigious awards from Cambridge International Education reflect not only individual brilliance but also the

certain everything looked good on paper with the marriage of Ormond Crossings, but here we are more than 10 years later, with one large yet lonely building there, Security First Insurance. Let me ask the obvious. What business/residential developer would move there now in such close proximity to a potential fuel farm endangering their financial interests, employee safety and exposing themselves to unprecedented traffic.

My tax dollars pay for your salaries as attention to my business flounders (my income to pay taxes

collective commitment to academic excellence within our schools. Your accomplishments make us proud, and we commend your dedication to achieving global standards of education.”

Cambridge partners with schools, districts, and governments around the world to provide an instructional system across four stages, primary through advanced, aligning rigorous curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment for all students in grades K-12. The Cambridge Advanced program allows students to earn college-level credit in high school.

ERAU AIRMAN EARNS

ACCREDITATION

Rafael Dubena, a flight standards check airman at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has earned the master flight instructor accreditation from the National Association of Flight Instructors.

Dubena, a graduate of ERAU with a double-major in air traffic control management and aeronautics, began his aviation journey at 4 years old, flying in an Embraer Bandeirante to his family’s farm in the Amazon rainforest. He grew up looking forward to those airplane rides, according to a press release, and moved to Daytona Beach to start flight training after finishing high school in Brazil.

While at ERAU, he received the Student of the Year Chairman’s award, and after graduating, he worked for two years at LATAM Airlines in Brazil as an Airbus A320

first officer. He returned to ERAU to flight instruct after the COVID-19 pandemic.

FAMILY OF LATE DSC VICE PRESIDENT CREATE SCHOLARSHIP

The family and friends of Keith R. Kennedy, Sr., who served as vice president for Student Development at Daytona State College, have established an endowed scholarship fund with the DSC Foundation in his memory. Kennedy died in September 2021. The Keith R. Kennedy, Sr. Legacy Scholarship will support students who have exhausted all other sources of financial assistance or whose program of study doesn’t offer financial support. The scholarship will also provide support for students returning to college or starting college later in life. Visit https://www.daytonastate. edu/foundation-and-alumni/givenow.html or call 386-506-3407.

Senior Media Specialist Susan Moore, susan@observerlocalnews.com

Operations Manager Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@observerlocalnews.com

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Jacquelyn Dollaway and her granddaughter Makayla. Courtesy photos

Rafael Dubena is now accredited as a master flight instructor with the National Association of Flight Instructors.

Tanya Kennedy and Daytona State College President Tom LoBasso.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Celebrating diversity

MICHELE MEYERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Emcees Mr. Seabreeze Gavin Martinez and Miss Seabreeze Anna Larson, announced the opening of the Volusia County World Languages Festival with the Parade of Flags on Saturday, March 2. Foreign language students from multiple high schools marched amid a flurry of colors representing countries from around the world in Seabreeze High School’s auditorium.

Dr. Grace Kellermeier, Volusia County Schools World Languages, Programs and Special Programs coordinator, said this year there were close to 800 individual participants in the festival’s 52nd year. This year included the addition of digital events, which opened participation up to kids that may not have the resources to get to the venue.

“It has changed over the years because we try to meet the teachers and the kids where they want to be,” Kellermeier said. “It looks different than what it used to. Adding the digital events this year allows everybody to participate because everybody has a laptop. Also, not everybody wants to speak so that’s why we try to add something for every student. We try to be as inclusive as we can.”

The VCWLF gives foreign language students an opportunity to showcase their linguistic talents, highlight global cultures and demonstrate knowledge they have gar-

nered while taking Volusia County schools language courses. Students had the option to compete in a variety of speaking events, including impromptu French and Spanish; Japanese, Spanish and German poetry recital and a talent show.

They could also don clothing from a specific region of the world to take part in the traditional dress competition.

Spruce Creek High School teacher

only way that they will participate. That’s what I do.”

Griffith teaches American Sign Language and stepped into the role of VCWLF co-president last year. Feliciano-Pérez said she brings the passion and Griffith brings the energy.

Keynote speaker, businesswoman Krista Goodrich, said when she was asked to speak at the festival, it brought her back to being a student at the cusp of her pursuit to learn different languages and cultures while traveling the world.

Victoria Patrick-Gonzáles manned the Spanish poem speaking event in the Seabreeze band room. She teaches Spanish II in the pre-International Baccalaureate Organization program. She said there has been a shift away from the classical method of teaching, which was based on written memorization. That has not been working for the current generation.

“There are a lot of different reasons, but we can focus on the positive reasons,” she said. “Kids want there to be a purpose in their learning and they are starving to interact with each other, especially in the world language classroom. You have so many opportunities to get students to interact, not only with the teacher but with each other — using the language, investigating culture and talking about things they want to talk about.”

Patrick-Gonzáles organizes activities that center around her students talking and writing about themselves. In her class, they use creative writing, plays where they can act out scenarios and funny stories to give them context.

“The kids are learning phrases, the syntax of the language, the order of words and the grammatical structures in a more natural way, through experience, through using it, through seeing it versus just memorizing rules,” she said. “I think that’s the big difference in the modern world language classroom.”

Seabreeze teachers and VCWLF co-presidents Mirthia FelicianoPérez and Kim Griffith organize the festival with the VCWLF president Kellermeier. After 36 years of teaching Spanish, Feliciano-Pérez will be retiring at the end of the school year. It will be the last time organizing the festival but she said she hopes to return.

“This is my last one but I’ll probably come back as a judge,” she said. “I really love this. I encourage everyone, every student and every teacher to participate. I wish all the teachers could be part of this. It’s amazing. The kids love it. You have to make them fall in love with it. That’s the

“It brought me back to being in your shoes,” she said to the students in the audience. “This is where it all started for me. And let me tell you, keep at it because the world is going to open up for you. Embracing foreign languages is a skill that, if you work on it, will open doors throughout your life.”

At 14 years old, Goodrich convinced her parents to let her spend the summer in France with her best friend. She said her parents could not afford the trip, but her desire was so great, she took on as many babysitting jobs as she could and started earning money gutting pigs just to be a be able to pay for the trip.

“It was absolutely the most amazing experience in my lifetime, at that point,” she said. “It’s what made me solidify my decision to always be part of every culture I could be a part of and travel the world as much as I could.”

Spectators were also invited to enjoy the sounds of the Seabreeze jazz band, peruse the global project displays or grab a bite of international cuisine provided by Ormond Beach Middle School Spanish Club, DeLand High School French National Honor Society, Mainland High School French and Japanese clubs, Seabreeze High School Spanish National Honor Society and MultiCultural Club and Spruce Creek High School Asian Association and German Club.

Kellermeier taught at New Smyrna Beach High School for 18 years and has been with the Volusia County School District for nine years. She said she is passionate about world languages and the people that speak them.

“I just think it’s important to learn about each other,” she said. “The idea that you learn languages, you learn the culture of the people that speak the languages and it makes you realize that there is no such thing as weird. When I was teaching, if any student was going to say the weird word, I would say there’s no such thing as weird, we say “How interesting, tell me more.”

World Languages Festival keynote speaker Ms. Krista Goodrich talks about the benefits of learning to speak another language and exploring different cultures.

Seabreeze Spanish Honor Society student Taina Palacios and Multi-Cultural student Sig Lewis gather in the auditorium lobby.

The University High School Mambo Dance Group performs.

Miss Seabreeze Anna Larson and Mr. Seabreeze Gavin Martinez look through the cookbooks written by students. Photos by Michele Meyers

Seabreeze American Sign Language Club members sell cookies with their advisor Kim Griffith (back, second from right) at the World Languages Festival.

World Languages Festival highlights linguistic talents and world cultures.

Ormond Beach Family YMCA’s Strong Families Campaign is underway

Last year, the Ormond Beach Family YMCA raised over $65,000. This year’s fundraising goal is $76,400.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Ormond Beach Family YMCA is hoping to raise $76,400 to help local families by March 29.

The annual Strong Families Campaign started on Feb. 5, and aims to raise funds for its scholarship fund, which helps provide financial assistance for the YMCA’s programs for families in need. It’s how the YMCA is able to never turn any families or individuals away from using the local facility or benefitting from its programs, said Julia Cortez, senior program director for the Ormond Beach Family YMCA.

“The whole point of the Y is

TRIBUTES

Claudia Ruth Archer

February 7, 1945 - November 23, 2023

Claudia Ruth Archer,78, passed away on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1023. She was preceded in death by her only child, son, Stephen Jeffery Butler, her mother Ruth Borer Archer Janetos, her father, Clyde William Archer, step-father George Janetos and brother Thomas Archer.

She was born Feb 27, 1945 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, but grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. She graduated from Seabreeze High School and enjoyed the Sandcrabs Alumni Group Lunch Bunch. Claudia was very proud that her father graduated from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.

Claudia is survived by her sisters, Michaelyn Persuad, Kathy Demmons, and Vicky Perham. And 2 brothers Bill Archer and Ricky Janetos, and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by 3 grandchildren: Stephen

TRIBUTES

Ed Manen

August 8, 1945 - January 26, 2024

Ed Manen, 78, of Palm Coast passed away Friday January, 26, after a long illness related to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. His wife of 47 years, Trudy, and service dog Molly were by his side. He is survived by Trudy and daughter Erica, sons Eddie (Jami), Michael (Kimmy), and grandchildren Jaden Harlow and Emmitt Manen.

Ed was born August 8,1945 in Irvington NJ, to Dorthy and Edward Manen Sr. He resided in West Orange, NJ prior to moving to Palm Coast in 2004 following his retirement from Verizon, where he worked for over 30 years.

Ed was a US Army veteran and served in the Honor Guard prior to his deployment to Vietnam. He was an Occupational Specialist E-5 serving as co-pilot, door gunner and mechanic on Huey helicopters during his 2 tours of duty. His service to his country meant so much to him and was something he was immensely proud of. He was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans Jim Bowie Chapter in Palm Coast and he worked tirelessly to support other veterans. He was a founding member of the non-profit organization, Pop Smoke K9 for Veterans, and also a member of Old Glory Service Dogs 4 Veterans. Both organizations train service dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI. In his retirement, Ed enjoyed traveling, boating, fishing, golf and antique cars. He was a past President, Director

to be a safe place for people,” Cortez said. “We promote healthy living, relationship building, so it’s important for people to know about the Y and come to the Y, regardless of age.”

While the YMCA does collect membership fees, those are used to cover the cost of running its facilities and staff’s salaries. The money in the scholarship fund comes only from donations.

These donations, Cortez said, allow a family who has multiple children, for example, be able to bring them all to the YMCA’s summer camp or sign them all up for a fitness or enrichment program, when normally, this would be financially out of reach. The same goes for senior citizens.

“I love that we can help our 93-year-old member ... He served in Vietnam and he just can’t afford the Y. We’re not going to turn him away. Listen, he’s at this facility every single day, swimming his laps.”

The funds raised also stay within the local facility, as each YMCA hosts its own fundraising campaign. Last

L. Butler, Garrick Butler, and Jessica Butler. She was especially close with Sandy Archer and Sandy’s 3 sons, Claudia’s nephews: Caleb David King, Sean Archer and Matt Archer. She was apart of their celebrations: birthdays, graduations, marriages and birth of their children. She was a proud aunt of all. Notre Dame, rocks, her cats, genealogy, plants, Seacrabs, and family were just a few of the many interests in the life she created for herself. She will be missed by many.

and Special Events Coordinator for the Wheels in Motion Antique Auto Club, which was one of the greatest joys of his retirement. He and Trudy visited over 40 countries by cruising around the world and he loved to tell the tales of his and Trudy’s adventures at the monthly car club meetings.

A memorial service will be held Saturday March 9th, 11 am at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 156 Florida Park Drive, Palm Coast. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Wheels-In-Motion Car Club Scholarship Fund at P.O. Box 1656, Flagler Beach Fl. 32136 or to the veterans service dog charities: popsmokek9forveterans. org or oldgloryservicedogs.org.

year, the Ormond Beach Family YMCA had a goal to raise $60,000, and they raised over $65,000.

So far during this year’s campaign, the organization has raised almost $48,000.

Cortez, who has been working for the local YMCA for seven years, said that the Strong Families Campaign is her favorite time of the year. To raise attention around the campaign, staff hosts themed weeks and dress up.

“It really is a worthy cause,” Cortez said. “I think a lot of people hear ‘campaign’ and ‘fundraising’ and they think, ‘Oh well, that money’s not going toward anything good.’

I promise — this money is going right back into our community.”

To donate, visit vfymca. org/donate.

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Martin Vollebregt, Ormond Beach Family YMCA executive director; Julia Cortez, senior program director; Miranda Montgomery, aquatics supervisor; and Shayna McCalla, Youth and Family Program director. The theme for the week was “Unleash the Hero in YOU!” Courtesy photos

Martin Vollebregt, Ormond Beach Family YMCA executive director; Shayna McCalla, Youth and Family Program director; Julia Cortez, senior program director; and Miranda Montgomery. The theme for the week was “Welcome to the Wild West.”

Maycie Cady, a lifeguard, and Mike Regan, a personal trainer, point to a whiteboard explaining the Strong Families campaign during the hero-themed week.

FAST FINISH

Seabreeze starter picks up the pace, offense scores eight runs in the fifth to defeat Mainland 13-1.

Seabreeze junior Parker Bauknecht threw mostly fastballs in his first varsity win, but it wasn’t the speed of his pitches that led to his success against Mainland. It was the speed between his pitches.

“Whenever he’s working slower, he’s allowing the batter to kind of dictate the timing,” Seabreeze coach Jeff Lemon said. “But when he’s in control of his tempo, Parker pretty much controls the game.”

After allowing a couple of batters on base in the first, Bauknecht picked up the pace and allowed just one run on two hits over four innings as the Sandcrabs defeated the Bucs 13-1 on March 4 at Mainland’s field.

Seabreeze (4-1-1) scored eight runs in the fifth inning to win by the mercy rule. Zane Barron drove in four runs for the Sandcrabs. His bases-loaded double to the right field fence in the fifth knocked in three runs. Mason Sanders added three RBIs, and Rustin Hurley, Jake Deising and Sam Donlick each scored two runs.

Nine different Sandcrabs scored at least one run in the game.

“Today was probably the first day

when one through nine in the lineup, everyone contributed with quality at-bats,” Lemon said.

The Sandcrabs scored four runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead and then blew the game open in the fifth when they sent 13 batters to the plate.

Bauknecht was efficient, throwing 46 of his 68 pitches for strikes.

“In the first inning you could see he was a little lethargic, but by batter three, four, he got into his tempo,” Lemon said.

Mainland scored its only run in the fourth as Jordan Payne was hit by a pitch, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI-single by Amare Campbell. Brauknecht gave up one walk and struck out six, including two in the first when the Bucs (2-2) stranded men on first and second.

Brody Harris pitched the fifth for Seabreeze, retiring the side in order to end the game.

“I had a little struggle (in the first inning),” Bauknecht said. “I would get behind in the count and then I would attack. In the second inning I locked it in.”

Bauknecht pitched on the JV team last year. Lemon said the righthander started showing early in preseason that he could be a starter this year.

“We saw that he could be a guy we could rely on to pound the zone, throw strikes early in counts and kind of control the at-bats in his favor,” Lemon said.

In his first start against Deltona on Feb. 27, he allowed one earned run in three innings and left the game with Seabreeze trailing 3-2. But the Sandcrabs scored three runs in the fourth to win 5-3.

“The last game was my first varsity start and I was a little bit nervous,” Bauknecht said. “This game definitely gave me confidence. I worked hard (over the summer) to be a starting pitcher, and I finally got my opportunity.”

Collin Wilson started on the mound for the Bucs and gave up four runs in 1.3 innings. Freshmen Jeremiah Peach and Trevor Pittman pitched the rest of the way.

“We knew coming in Collin wasn’t going to get past about 45 pitches. He’s coming off a foot injury, so I didn’t want to put too much on him too early,” Mainland coach Alvin Mallory said.

“We have a young team,” said Mallory, who is in his fourth year with the Bucs. “We have some young guys who are proud to be Buccaneers and

“Today was probably the first day when one through nine in the lineup, everyone contributed with quality at-bats.”

are playing that way. Our older guys have been in the program since we got started and have now grown up, and I’m proud of them.”

The Sandcrabs were scheduled to play two more road games against Menendez on March 6 and New Smyrna Beach on March 8 before returning home on March 12 to face Menendez again.

Mainland, which lost to Father Lopez 12-2 on March 5, travels to Crescent City on March 12.

Mainland football coach Travis Roland steps down to take job at Georgia

Roland, who won state titles as a player and head coach with the Bucs, will be the new head football coach at Camden County High School.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Travis Roland bled Mainland High School’s blue and gold. Now, he’ll be wearing the Columbia blue and Navy

colors of Camden County, Georgia. The Mainland High School football coach has stepped down to take over the football program at Camden County in Kingsland, Georgia.

Roland was both a player and a head coach at Mainland, winning a state championship in both roles.

According to the Tribune & Georgian newspaper in St. Marys, Georgia, the Camden County Schools Board of Education voted 4-1 to hire Roland to succeed long-time coach Jeff Herron, who announced his retirement a month ago.

Roland led the Buccaneers to the Class 3S state championship in 2023

and was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year. He compiled a 30-10 record with two state championship game appearances in three seasons with his alma mater.

The Bucs went 14-1 this past season, winning the title with a 21-19 victory against St. Augustine. Roland also won a state championship as a linebacker and team captain with Mainland in 2003. Before taking the Bucs’ job in 2021, Roland was the head coach at Flagler Palm Coast High School, where he had a record of 58-22. Roland’s overall coaching record is 88-32. Herron won 176 games and three

state championships with Camden County. In 32 seasons overall, he had a record of 334-69.

Roland becomes the second Volusia-Flagler football coach to take a head coaching job in Georgia in the past two seasons. Former FPC coach Robert Paxia took over the program at Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia, last year. After his hiring was announced, Roland told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that Camden County is “one of the best jobs in all of the country.”

Email brent@observerlocalnews. com.

Seabreeze’s Parker Bauknecht throws a pitch to Mainland’s Elijah Burgess. Photos by Brent Woronoff

Mainland center fielder Jordan Payne makes a diving catch in the fourth.

JEFF LEMON, Seabreeze baseball coach

Mainland head football coach Travis Roland holds the Class 3S State Championship trophy on Dec. 7 after the Buccaneers beat St. Augustine.

Seabreeze third baseman Rustin Hurley fields a grounder and throws to first baseman Cole Snowden for an out in the fourth.

Trevor Pittman, Mainland’s third pitcher in the game, got the final two outs in the fifth inning.

No hits, no runs in Gonzalez’s first start as FPC wins

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Sophomore right-hander Jordan Gonzalez was striving for perfection in his first varsity start for Flagler Palm Coast. He didn’t quite get there, but his first start was still a memorable one as he threw six innings of no-hit ball to help the Bulldogs defeat DeLand 1-0 at home on Friday, Feb. 29.

Senior Dalton Roberts pitched a perfect seventh inning to complete the combined no-hitter and sophomore Marion Clayton drove in Cody Clymer in the bottom of the sixth with the only run of the game.

“You can’t beat a game like that,” FPC baseball coach Kyle Marsh said. “The guys stayed together and they got the win.”

Gonzalez and DeLand’s Bryson Treichel, who will pitch for the University of North Florida next year, were locked in a scoreless pitching duel into the sixth inning

when pinch hitter Clymer reached first base on a walk, stole second on a pitch in the dirt and ran all the way home on Clayton’s single to center field.

Clymer slid under the tag attempt by catcher Derek De Jesus, who had to leap high to catch the throw home.

Gonzalez, who held the game ball in the Bulldogs’ post-game huddle, seemed unfazed by it all, joking that the ball “will probably go in the bucket in a few days.”

“He did a great job,” Marsh said. “He kept guys off balance and gave us a chance to

It’s cool we won. (Clayton’s) hit was probably the best part of the night.”

JORDAN GONZALEZ

win.”

Gonzalez said he had nerves at the start of the game, but it didn’t take long for him to settle down.

“With the first batter I was a little nervous, but I struck him out, so I wasn’t too nervous after that,” he said. But he felt his control could have been better.

“My slider was my best pitch. My fastball, I couldn’t really locate it,” Gonzalez said. He gave up two walks and hit two batters, but those were the only DeLand batters to reach base. He had three strikeouts and was able to preserve the shutout without the benefit of a double play.

“It’s cool we won,” Gonzalez said. “(Clayton’s) hit was probably the best part of the night.”

Clayton had two of FPC’s four hits against Treichel, also

smacking a two-out double to center field in the fourth but was left stranded on base. In the sixth, the first baseman laced a liner to center on a 2-2 count to score Clymer.

“He worked that count. He kept battling,” Marsh said. “It was a great at-bat. He kept his composure and fought off a couple of tough pitches.”

Clayton said he hit a fastball.

“It was middle, in. I stayed through it,” he said. “It felt great. My teammates had my back the whole game. My first at-bat I got out, but they stayed behind me. And Gonzo balled out on the mound today.”

FPC improved to 2-1. The Bulldogs will visit Matanzas on Friday, March 8, two days after traveling to Clay County to face Fleming Island.

Bulldogs hope tough early schedule pays off

First-year softball coach Brooklynn Jimeson is happy with the team’s depth at pitcher and catcher.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast first-year softball coach Brooklynn Jimeson purposely assembled a top-heavy schedule this season.

“We’re excited to play the tough teams early, so we’ll know what to work on,” she said.

So far, the results have been mixed. After opening the season with a 13-3 win at St. Augustine, the Bulldogs lost 1-0 to 2023 Class 2A state champ University Christian of Jacksonville and 9-1 to 2023 regional finalist Spruce Creek.

In a home game against University High of Orange City on Thursday, Feb. 29, FPC gave up six runs in the third and seventh innings and fell to the Titans 15-4.

Jimeson still came away with some positives.

“We put the ball in play,” she said. “We only had two strikeouts.”

They followed the loss with wins against Seabreeze (12-0) and St. Augustine (18-4) to imrpove to 3-3.

Jimeson was an assistant coach with the Bulldogs last year when they went 13-5 and earned a playoff berth. This year’s team has more depth, she said.

“We have three catchers this year and two pitchers. We have tons of options,” she said.

Matanzas transfers Skylar Ludovici and Ashleigh Pigeon have been sharing time in the pitching circle with senior Alexis Laura, who has signed to play at Florida State College at Jacksonville next year. All three pitched against the Titans.

Freshman Mackenzie West has been sharing time behind the plate with junior Sadie Schell. Through four games, West is leading the Bulldogs with a .700 batting average and 14 RBIs. She went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and a double against the Titans, while Pigeon went 2 for 3 with three runs scored.

“We’re pretty new together,” Jimeson said. “I’m excited for the rest of the season.”

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

“UWIA WBH’S DAXIAOS. TEAH PZK JAS Y VHZOV,

WITTY REMARKS by Howard Neuthaler, edited by Jeff Chen

By Luis Campos

Marion Clayton’s base hit drove in Cody Clymer with the only run of the game.

FPC third baseman Kevin Maya gets ready to catch a fly in the seventh inning.

Cody Clymer steals second base in the sixth inning. Clymer went on the score the winning run on a base hit by Marion Clayton.

Jordan Gonzalez did not allow a hit in six innings pitched. Photos by Brent Woronoff

Alexis Laura leads the Bulldogs with a 1.48 earned run average and 23 1/3 innings pitched.

Photo by Brent Woronoff

are also available for public review at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/resources/environmental-studies/assessment/frp-tupelo-solarproject.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project will consist of the construction of a new 74.5-Megawattsolar power generating facility with the electric generated onsite delivered to Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL’s) existing Korana-Putnam 230 kV transmission line via a new, 0.68-mile overhead gen-tie line located on the east side of Yelvington Road. The availability of the EA for public review was announced on November 4 and 9, 2023 in the Palatka Daily News, published in Putnam County, Florida, with circulation Putnam County. The availability of the EA for public review was also announced on November 9 and 16, 2023 in the Palm Coast Observer, published in Flagler County, Florida, with circulation Flagler County. A 14-day comment period was announced in the local newspaper notices which ended on November 17 and November 22, 2023, respectively. The EA was also available for public review at the USDA Rural Development office and website athttps://www.rd.usda.gov/resources/environmental-studies/assessments. Two comments were received but were determined to be non-substantive.

Based on its EA, commitments made by FRP, and public comments received, RUS has concluded that the project would have no significant impact to water quality, wetlands, floodplains, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and safety. The proposed project will have no adverse effect on resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Announcements

FEMALE ARMY Veteran in Palm Coast looking for writer for Memoir charleebrazier@gmail.com

MARCH MILITARY/VETERANS HOLIDAY & OBSERVANCES

Women’s History Month-March Navy Reserve Birthday-March 3rd Hug a GI Day-March 4th Seabee Birthday-March 5th K-9 Veterans Day-March13th American Legion Birthday-March15th

Rosie the Riveter Day-March 21st Medal of Honor Day-March 25th National Vietnam War Veterans Day-March 29th

Courtesy of Flagler County’s Veterans