Ormond Beach Observer 03-14-24

LOCAL EVENTS

FRIDAY, MARCH 15

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.

‘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 Parkway, 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.

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).

HONEYBEE BUZZ: HEROES OF THE PLANET, MAKING HONEY HAPPEN

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area, 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach

Details: Join beekeepers Bill and Barry for an educational program about how important honeybees are, Florida native “bee friendly” plants and what is involved in raising honeybees and harvesting the honey. Program is included with paid park entry fee of $5 per vehicle.

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.

SUNDAY, MARCH 17

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

DR. WAYNE WOLD

ORGAN RECITAL

When: 3:30-5 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Presbyterian

Church, 105 Amsden Road, Ormond

Beach Details: Dr. Wayne Wold will present an organ recital playing the works of

Bach and other classical composers for the organ. He will also improvise on several Irish hymn tunes. The concert is free and open to the public. Visit cfago.org/wayne-woldworkshop.

MONDAY, MARCH 18

NARFE LUNCHEON

When: 11:30 a.m.

Where: Red Lobster, 2625 W. International Speedway Blvd, Daytona

Beach

Details: The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 2247 of Ormond Beach will meet for a program discussing Volusia County Library Services. For more information, email billdenny105@ gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

HOPPY EASTER EVENT

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Tanger Outlets, 1100 Cornerstone Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Celebrate spring with Tanger Outlet’s annual Hoppy Easter event, presented by Halifax Health. There will be free family activities taking place near the Splash Pad, including a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny, spring-themed craft stations, face painting, games, music and more.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21 ORMOND BEACH AREA

DEMOCRATIC CLUB MEETING

When: 7 p.m.

Where: 56 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Join the Ormond Beach Area Democratic Club for its March meeting, featuring a guest speaker from Common Cause. The focus of the meeting will be on club activities in preparation for the November election, how to meet Democratic neighbors, increase the Democratic presence in the community, and updates on local, state, and national issues. Like-minded non-members are welcome to attend as guests. Check-in and socializing begins at 6:30 p.m. Visit ormondbeachdems. org.

‘AN INSTRUMENTAL EXTRAVAGANZA’

When: 7 p.m.

Where: News-Journal Center at Daytona State College, 221 N. Beach

St. Daytona Beach

Details: Daytona State College Music presents, “An Instrumental Extravaganza.” Visit ci.ovationtix. com/36384/production/1189491.

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION GOLF CLINIC

When: 3:45-5:15 p.m.

Where: Palm Harbor Golf Club, 20 Palm Harbor Drive, Palm Coast

Details: The annual National Christian College Athletic Association Sports Clinic is offering a free golf session. Professional coaches and collegiate athletes representing the NCCAA will be in attendance. Register at https://bit.ly/49ZbUSb.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

SPORTS CLINIC

When: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Where: James F. Holland Memorial

Park, 18 Florida Park Drive N., Palm Coast Details: The annual National Christian College Athletic Association Sports Clinic will offer free soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, and basketball. Professional coaches and collegiate athletes representing the NCCAA will be in attendance. Register at https://bit.ly/49ZbUSb.

TOMOKA UNITED METHODIST

CHURCH EASTER PARTY AND EGG HUNT

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Tomoka United Methodist Church, 1000 Old Tomoka Road, Ormond Beach

Details: Join the church for an Easter party and egg hunt. This event is free for children in preschool through fifth grade. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Activities will include a snack, storytime, games, coloring tables, and a visit by the Easter Bunny with photo opportunities. Children will be divided into three age groups for the egg hunt.

EGG’STRAVAGANZA

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

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

Details: Celebrate Easter with Palm Coast. Enjoy a morning of arts and crafts, face painting, refreshments,

carnival games, and pictures with the Easter Bunny. Booths from local organizations will be providing activities for children and giving out Easter eggs after completing their activity. There is a chance to win more eggs at the Carnival Midway.

WARBIRDS OVER FLAGLER

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24

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

Details: See warbirds fly over Flagler County. The event will be located on the south side of the airport, off Finn Way. The opening ceremony will take place at noon each day. Visit www. warbirdsoverflagler.com.

FLORIDA HISTORY AND CULTURE FESTIVAL

When: 12-3:15 p.m.

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

Details: The Ormond Beach Historical Society’s Florida History and Culture Festival will feature a folklorist program by Kathy Kniery and David Fussell, authors, artists and exhibitors.

ORMOND BEACH GARDEN CLUB’S ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW AND TEA EXTRAVAGANZA

When: 1-3:30 p.m.

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Join the Ormond Beach Garden Club for its annual Flower Show and Tea Extravaganza, “Brighten Your World With Birds, Bees, Flowers, and Tea.” There will be a flower arrangement demonstration, information and a talk on bees by Jack Dunlop, raffles, plants and jewelry for sale and piano music by Glenn Lowry. Admission costs $5.

THE DOO WOP PROJECT

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, 5500 E. Highway 100, Palm Coast

Details: The Doo Wop Project traces the evolution of Doo Wop from the classic sound of five guys singing harmonies on a street corner to the biggest hits on the radio today. Tickets start at $64. Visit flaglerauditorium.org.

CRT’s production features new, original music by composer/pianist Benjamin Beck. The result is a modern and sometimes humorous take on attempts to subjugate women over the centuries and particularly during the 1970s Feminist Movement in the United States when the play was written. Photo by Mike Kitaif

Who is Margaret Stout?

The City Commission is moving ahead with a name change for the MacDonald House. This is why.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Early 1900s Ormond Beach entrepreneur. Well-connected socialite. Prominent property owner.

No, this is not referring to John Anderson or Joseph D. Price, who built the Ormond Hotel, or even John D. Rockefeller, who spent his winters in The Casements.

This is Miss Margaret Alison Stout’s story: the woman who commissioned a Queen Anne style home on the beachside, now seen by the thousands of people who drive on East Granada Boulevard each day.

The Macdonald House. The historic home doesn’t formally bear her name — but the city of Ormond Beach may soon update its legal name on the Ormond Beach Historic Landmarks List for accuracy. And local historians say it’s about time.

“Her history would have been erased,” said Suzanne Heddy, member of the Historic Landmark Preservation Board. “It would have been ignored if we hadn’t included her name in the historic landmarks list, and that was the whole point.”

Heddy, past president of the Ormond Beach Historical Society, said historians are often thought of as looking backward in time, but in reality, they’re focused on the future — on preserving what’s important for generations to come.

On March 5, the City Commission voted unanimously to rename the MacDonald House to the StoutMacDonald House. The renaming will require an amendment to the Land Development Code, to be reviewed by both the Planning Board and the City Commission in the coming months. Signage for the historic structure, however, will remain unchanged.

‘SHE COULD HAVE BUILT ANYTHING’

For many years, no one knew who originally owned the MacDonald House. It was named after William “Billy” and Elizabeth MacDonald, who bought the property in 1941, and owned and operated the nearby Billy’s Tap Room.

Then in 2017, a historic structures report by Bender & Associates Architects — commissioned by the City Commission as the future of the MacDonald House hung in the balance with considerations of demolishing the structure due to its

disrepair — revealed the identity of the home’s original owner.

And it was a woman, likely one of some wealth as she not only commissioned the construction of a Queen Anne home on the beachside, but she hired prominent local architect Sumner H. Gove to build it. Among some of the other local structures Gove built were the original Clarendon Hotel in Daytona, an addition to the Ormond Hotel, the Ormond Yacht Club and the first Port Orange and Seabreeze bridges across the Halifax River.

“She could have built anything, but she built the Queen Anne Victorian,” Heddy said. “The first and only one that’s still standing on the beachside. That alone was impressive.”

Building a home for Stout was not a causal endeavor for Gove, said Dr. Philip Shapiro, who chairs both the city’s Historic Landmark Preservation Board and Quality of Life Board. He described Gove as a first-class architect.

“I’m going to take a hunch that she was an outgoing person,” Shapiro said. “That’s my hunch, in order to do the things that she was doing and make the connections that she made.”

“She could have built anything, but she built the Queen Anne Victorian. The first and only one that’s still standing on the beachside. That alone was impressive.”

SUZANNE HEDDY, member of the Historic Landmark Preservation Board

MISS STOUT

Not much is know about Stout’s personal life. But here is what the Bender report revealed, her story pieced together by newspaper listings.

Stout was a native of Scotland, born on Oct. 17, 1856. By 1869, she and her family immigrated to New Brunswick, Canada, and they resided in Bathurst. Her father worked as a tailor and died in 1904.

It’s not clear when Stout, who is identified as a single woman in her death certificate (meaning she never married), first visited Ormond Beach — or why. But, the Bender report states it had to be no later than 1900, as an article in a newspaper called the Indian River Advocate noted she was employed at the Ormond Hotel as its head of the news and curio department.

More evidence to show she was outgoing, Shapiro said, as that was a public relations position.

It was likely a seasonal position, as

“Every community adds to the American story. Stout may be long ago, but she added to that story.”

DR. PHILIP SHAPIRO, chair of Historic Landmark Preservation Board

when she commissioned the construction of her home, she was listed in a newspaper article as a resident of Brooklyn, New York.

“Stout appears to have lived in the house semi-permanently at times, although newspaper listings make it clear that for many years she only stayed there during the winter season,” the Bender report states.

In 1905, though, the report adds that a society listing in the New York Tribune mentions an “auction at the Ormond grill room attended by ladies from Boston.”

And a “Miss M.A. Stout, of Ormond.”

FRIENDS IN TOWN

Stout was also close with Joseph D. Price’s wife, Mary Belle. In 1914, three years after she had been widowed, a newspaper listing mentioned Stout had arrived in Ormond for the winter season, and that she planned to stay with Mary Belle Price at her residence, known as the Hammock Home, located at 311 John Anderson Drive. Mary Belle drove from Ormond to St. Augustine to pick up Stout. Stout was also a close friend of John Anderson, who died in 1911. He left her $200 in his will, equivalent to over $6,000 today.

“Not being overly large she can by a little sharp trading and her usual economy make this pay for one plain dress — gray preferred,” the will stated.

In his will, Anderson also mentioned Stout’s “faithful work I can but remember with gratitude.”

Aside from her work at the Ormond Hotel, Stout operated a boarding house at her Queen Anne home. A hotel directory from 1909 lists her as the proprietress of the Wayside Lodge, according to the Bender report. Rooms cost $21 a week.

According to a 2015 article by Ron and Alice Howell provided to the Ormond Beach Historical Society, Billy MacDonald’s son Frank recalled that Rockefeller approached Stout in 1918 after he purchased The Casements. He sought to enlarge his property and offered to buy her house. She refused him.

Stout also operated a gift shop at the MacDonald house, from at least 1920 to the early 1930s. By 1924, she added a library. By then, the home was composed of a shop, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and closet on the first floor; three bedrooms and a sitting room on the second floor; and two attic bedrooms, likely for housekeeping staff.

“Things were popping down here and she figured it out,” Heddy said. “She got it. It’s just an incredible story.”

STOUT IS PART OF

ORMOND’S STORY

Stout died at the age of 77 on Sep. 2, 1933 in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada, where she began spending portions of the year beginning in

1928, probably to be close to family, according to the Bender report. Her death certificate lists her cause of death as arteriosclerosis.

In her will, she left her Queen Anne home to her brother, John G. Stout and her sister Emma C. Stout, to be shared equally. The house was valued at $1,000 for the land, and $2,500 for the house and furnishings,” according to Donald Gaby’s article, “The MacDonald House of Ormond Beach,” written for the Halifax Historical Society in 2001.

Her relatives sold the home to the MacDonald family in 1941, and the family owned it until 1964. The property was sold a few more times before the city purchased it in 1979.

The Ormond Beach Historical Society has no photographs of Stout.

“It’s a little bit disappointing to not know what she looked like,” Shapiro said. “It’s a little disappointing we don’t know more about her personal life ... I always say yet, because being involved with history through the historical society, information evolves.”

Information is out there, Shapiro said. It’s just a matter of how it will be discovered, and when.

“Every community adds to the American story,” he said. “Stout may be long ago, but she added to that story. She added to the story of what was to become Ormond Beach. Back then, she knew Ormond, incorporated 1880. But she didn’t know her that her structure was going to become a landmark.”

If in 50 years, someone looks back on the city’s historic landmark list, and sees the building as the “StoutMacDonald House,” they’ll wonder who Stout was, Heddy said. And perhaps, they’ll be able to learn about her in her own home — if the house is transformed into Ormond’s museum of history.

Perhaps, at just seeing the name, they’ll assume Stout was a man because of the time period.

“But it’s not,” Heddy said as she laughed. “It’s not a man. This is the turn of the last century. This is a single businesswoman who had a little notions shop ... and she saw an opportunity of this open land across the street from the hotel.”

COMMISSION SUPPORTS NAME CHANGE

The March 5 meeting marked the third time that the City Commission had discussed renaming the MacDonald House to the Stout-MacDonald House since the Bender report revealed Stout’s identity. The commission previously discussed the issue twice in 2017, but a formal vote was never taken as the city focused on repairing the property. Heddy resurrected the issue in a Historic Landmark Preservation Board meeting in November 2023.

“I think this is just long overdue,” City

Commissioner Susa Persis said. “I think this is just a no-brainer. I can’t even believe that the name was omitted.”

City Commissioners Lori Tolland and Harold Briley thanked Shapiro and Heddy for their work, and Briley said he spoke to Thomas MacDonald, grandson of Billy MacDonald, who gave his blessing on the name change.

“There’s nothing better than being accurate with your history, and it seems it is the right thing to do,” Tolland said.

The MacDonald House’s signage, if the name change is followed through, won’t change. But it will be legally known as the Stout-MacDonald House. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

The MacDonald family purchased the home in 1940. Pictured are Elizabeth MacDonald, Betty MacDonald Irons, Frank MacDonald, Rita MacDonald Cooney and Billy MacDonald. Photos courtesy of the Ormond Beach Historical Society

A view of the MacDonald house from the Ormond Hotel in the early 1930s.

CITY WATCH

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

City launches new citizens academy

The city of Ormond Beach is offering a citizens academy.

The Ormond Beach Citizens Academy will be a free six-week program held on Thursdays starting April 18 that will give 20 participants a chance to learn how the city operates. According to a Facebook post by the city, participants will learn about the local police and fire departments, Public Works, Leisure Services and Planning and Economic Development.

The program will conclude with a graduation during the June 4 City Commission meeting.

For City Commissioner Harold Briley, a citizens academy has been a goal since he got elected in 2022.

Briley said he hopes residents who participate walk away with a better understanding on how the city government works.

“I felt it was a good opportunity for people to learn more about how the city government runs,” Briley said.

The deadline to apply for the citizens academy is 5 p.m. April 1. Participants must be 18 years or older.

To learn more, visit https://www.ormondbeach. org/1048/Citizens-Academy.

Ormond Beach PAC closes due to fire

has shuttered the

The city of Ormond Beach reported on Monday, March 11, that a small fire had broken out at the PAC on Saturday, March 9. Due to the damage, the PAC will be temporarily closed as the city assesses the necessary repairs and restoration work needed.

“We are deeply saddened by this event and are working diligently to understand the source of the fire and the full extent of the damage,” the city stated on its Facebook page.

The PAC had reopened to the community after 18 months of construction and a $1.7 million renovation on Saturday, Feb. 17.

The city said to the Observer that the fire is suspected to have begun inside the theater, but that it is wait-

ing on a report from its insurance company’s fire investigator. The Leisure Services office in the PAC was not impacted.

Lucy Jackman, president of the Friends of the performing Arts Center, called the incident a “gutpunch.”

Jackman, who spearheaded the seven-year push to renovate the PAC, was informed of the fire Sunday morning.

“I’m not often at a loss for words, but I must say, I was at that time,” Jackman said.

The good thing, she added, is that no one was inside the building at the time of the incident.

Most of the damage incurred is believed to be water damage due to the fire sprinklers.

The Observer also reached out to PAC Supervisor Marc Schwartz via email about the incident, and he

“This past year presented unprecedented challenges and caused us to reinvent the Beach Safety Division.”

Volusia County Beach Safety Director Andrew Ethridge in his two-weeks notice.

See Page 8A

2-BR,

FLAGLER

replied that he was “very sad this happened.”

Jackman said all shows through the end of April have been canceled. People who bought tickets will receive refunds. The art from the Florida Women’s Art Association on display has also been removed from the building. Only one art piece, Jackman said, sustained minimal damage.

The PAC had 13 shows scheduled prior to the fire. Since reopening, only three shows were able to use the facility, Jackman said.

She hopes that the community will continue to support the PAC when it reopens as well as the fundraisers by the Friends.

“I hope I’m correct about this — I don’t foresee it being closed as long as it was for the entire project,” Jackman said.

Golf course rezoning postponed, again

The public hearing for Tomoka Reserve’s proposed rezoning request scheduled for the March 19 City Commission meeting is once again being postponed. This time, it’s due to the recent fire at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, where the city planned to host the meeting.

“We are actively working to secure an alternate location for this item due to the large public interest and will make sure it is properly advertised well in advance,” the city wrote on its Facebook page.

The City Commission will instead hold a regular meeting at City Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19.

FDOT to hold meeting for A1A improvements

The Florida Department of Transportation is continuing to propose improvements to A1A — the latest being a pedestrian safety and road resurfacing project from north of Roberta Road to the Flagler County line.

FDOT will hold a public meeting to discuss the project on Thursday, March 14. FDOT plans to add 14 crosswalks and lower the speed limit on this 6.4-mile stretch of A1A. The fullyfunded project is estimated to cost $2.7 million for design and $15.9 million for construction.

The community is invited to attend the meeting in person between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens at 78 E. Granada Blvd.; or by tuning in virtually at 5:30 p.m. For the latter, participants must register in advance at https:// bit.ly/3S7WgOm.

Email Jarleene@ observerlocalnews.com

The Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center reopened on Feb. 17 after an 18-month renovation project. A small fire has temporarily closed the building once again. File photo by Jarleene Almenas

Citizens voice concerns over Riverview

Residents asked the Volusia School Board to reverse its decision to transfer the students to Osceola.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Is the Riverview Learning Center’s transfer to the former Osceola Elementary campus in Ormond Beach a final decision?

Volusia County Schools will hold a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 18, at Osceola at 100 Osceola Ave. to discuss the transfer of the program, but some residents who live surrounding the beachside campus still have concerns — and are wondering if the decision can be reversed altogether.

Residents who spoke before the School Board at its meeting on Tuesday, March 12, cited issues such as safety, subpar conditions at Osceola campus and a lack of input from residents who live in the neighborhood as reasons for the School Board to consider transferring the Riverview program elsewhere next school year.

“Our area is predominantly

filled with younger families, elderly retirees and second homes,” resident Lindsey Wolf said. “These properties are some of the most vulnerable, should a student with behavioral problems get off campus due to lack of security. The fact that you all as a board have completely looked in the other direction at these issues is extremely disappointing.”

The main problem with the transfer of Riverview, resident Josephine Levenstein said, was a lack of communication. While the district received input from residents who live near the current Riverview main campus at 801 N. Wild Olive Ave., she said residents who live near Osceola had “zero idea” the transfer was being proposed. This time, neighbors did receive a written notice on their doors about the upcoming community meeting, Levenstein said. She also questioned why the district is opting to renovate the current main Riverview campus for administrative offices instead of doing so for students.

“As a volunteer at [Osceola], I have my questions about whether that building is even good for those kids to come in,” she said. “Is that the best option? New desks and new books are going to do what if

the building itself is not really up to terms for them either. I don’t even think it’s good enough to be a school right now for Tomoka.”

School Board member Ruben Colon said he tuned in to the Ormond Beach City Commission meeting on March 5 and listened to all of the concerns raised.

“What I heard that night was that we did’t fill in the blanks,” Colon said. “We didn’t really share with them what to expect. “While the district could have done better, he said, there was notice of the Dec. 5, 2023, community meeting.

The district announced the meeting on its Facebook page on Nov. 27, 2023, and on the day of the meeting. The meeting was included in a long list of other community meetings regarding districtwide school rezonings.

Board Chair Jamie Haynes said that if students had done something that warranted being sent to a detention center or jail, the district wouldn’t place them in Riverview.

“[Residents] need to be very careful of what they’re saying because every child is valuable,” Haynes said. “And just because a child messes up one time, does not mean that they lose their value.”

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PUBLIC NOTICES

The Palm Coast Observer meets the legal requirements to publish legal notices in Flagler County, per F.S. 50.011.

The Ormond Beach Observer meets the legal requirements to publish legal notices in Volusia County, per F.S.50.011.

AUDITOR INFORMATION

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COPS CORNER

her mother were turning into the grocery store when they spotted the man driving past them with his gun pointed out of the window of his car. They saw the muzzle flash as the weapon was fired. Police found 10 shell casings along the eastbound lanes of Granada Boulevard. No known injuries were reported as a result of the shooting.

Chippingwood Lane, Ormond Beach Theft. Someone stole an 86-year-old Ormond Beach resident’s garden hose.

on Granada Boulevard ear a grocery store before making a U-turn and driving westbound towards Williamson Boulevard and I-95, according to the man’s arrest report. One witness told police that she and

Police detained the man in the 1600 block of Williamson Boulevard. A gun was found in his car and when police interviewed him, the man admitted he was involved in a “road rage-like” incident that he did display his firearm out of his car’s window. However, he said he didn’t fire it. He was taken to jail.

MARCH 2 WHOSE HOSE?

5:07 a.m. — First block of

The victim reported the theft to police after he awoke to the sound of running water, according to an incident report. When he went outside to investigate, he discovered his yard flooded; the thief had also removed the spigot for the hose, causing the water to flow freely.

The victim screwed the spigot back on to stop the flow of water, and then noticed a head lamp lying on the ground, which police collected for evidence. The victim valued the stolen hose at $22 and wished to press charges.

Police noted in the incident report that a garbage can was also stolen from a hair salon nearby, and that the thefts

could be related.

MARCH 7

SCHOOL YARD RUMBLE

5:33 p.m. — First block of Renshaw Drive, Palm Coast Battery. A Palm Coast man was arrested for battery after he hit his girlfriend’s ex in the face after a parent-teacher conference.

The victim and the girlfriend have a son together and were required to attend a parent-teacher conference. The suspect told deputies he was waiting for the victim after the meeting to confront him about lying, according to a Sheriff’s Office arrest report.

The victim told a Sheriff’s Office deputy that the suspect came up to him and began yelling before he pushed the victim’s face with an open hand and shoved

Single car crash on I-95 leaves one dead, one critical

A 46-year-old Hastings, Florida woman died in a single-car crash on Interstate 95 on March 9.

The woman was a passenger in a pick up truck that was headed north on the highway, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol. The driver, a 47-year-old man also from Hastings, is in critical condition.

The crash happened near mile marker 280 at 11 p.m. The driver was moving left into the center lane when the pick up truck began “sliding sideways,” the report said. The driver redirected the truck left and it crashed into the guardrail, flying up into the air and rolling over in the median.

The driver was taken to a hospital with severe injuries. The woman died at the scene.

him backward, knocking his hat off. The suspect later told deputies the victim had lied to him about the suspect’s girlfriend, the victim’s ex. Multiple witnesses at the school saw the argument between the two. Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the man.

MARCH 10 BAD GOOD SAMARITAN

11:53 p.m. — 1100 block of County Road 305, Bunnell Petit theft. A man who took a wallet left at a store was arrested for stealing it, though he said he took it to return it personally.

The suspect told a police officer questioning him that he took the wallet to return to the owner at the address on the ID inside, according to his arrest report. But the suspect said he did not have time to return it himself, so he gave

One dead in motorcycle crash in Ormond Beach

An Ormond Beach man died Thursday, March 7, after a local crash involving multiple motorcycles. Ormond Beach Police report that around 11:18 p.m., officers responded to a crash at the intersection of North U.S. 1 and Nova Road after a speeding motorcycle driver collided with multiple other motorcycle that were stopped at the traffic light. Three people were transported to local hospitals. Gary Howard, 45, of Ormond Beach, died from injuries sustained in the crash.

A total of four motorcycles were damaged in the crash.

Volusia asks community for locations of AEDs

Volusia County is asking residents, businesses and other community organizations to provide the locations of their Automated External Defibril-

the wallet to his wife to return in the owner’s mailbox.

When a police officer contacted the wallet’s owner, he said there was no wallet in his mailbox. The officer then called the suspect’s wife, who said that was true, except when she knocked on the owner’s door there was no answer. Her husband then called her to come home so she left the wallet in the mailbox at an empty residence’s mailbox, with the flag flipped up so a mail carrier would stop and find it. She did not say why she did not place the wallet in the owner’s mailbox.

The wallet was not in that mailbox either and remained missing. The suspect, however, was arrested and charged with petit theft.

lators to help its Emergency Medical Administration in case of an emergency.

According to a news release, the county is aiming to ensure rapid emergency responses during sudden cardiac arrest incidents by facilitating the communication of AED locations to dispatch services, as they will be able to direct 911 callers to the devices.

Volusia County Emergency Medical Administration

Director Mark Wolcott said: “It’s about making sure that when seconds count, help is directed where it’s most needed, with precision.”

The county asks AED device holders to frequently inspect their equipment. The maintenance should include verifying the functionality of batteries, ensuring the availability and condition of pediatric and adult pads, and maintaining a stock of cleaning wipes. Contact Wolcott at mwolcott@volusia.org or at 386740-5201.

Volusia Beach Safety director resigns

After 28 years working with the county, Chief Andrew Ethridge submitted his twoweek’s notice on Saturday, March 9.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Volusia County’s Beach Safety director is resigning, effective March 22.

Chief Andrew Ethridge submitted his two-week’s notice to Volusia County Public Protection Director Mark Swanson on Saturday, March 9. Ethridge, who began working as a lifeguard on Volusia County beaches in 1996, was promoted to director of Beach Safety in 2021.

“After spending 28 years in public service, I have decided it is time to move on to other opportunities,” Ethridge wrote in his letter of resignation. “This past year present-

CRIME REPORT

Found remains belong to missing Ormond teen

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit has positively identified the human remains found in an Ormond Beach-area mobile home park on Feb. 28 as those of Autumn Lane McClure, a local teen who went missing 20 years ago.

McClure, who was 16 at the time of her disappearance on May 10, 2004, was discovered to have been staying with a

ed unprecedented challenges and caused us to reinvent the Beach Safety Division. The work that was done to move our agency toward the future and our newly defined mission was difficult but rewarding.”

Last year, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office took over law enforcement duties on Volusia County beaches. This was a result of Gov. Ron DeSantis signing House Bill 1595 into law, which gave sheriff’s offices in the state the authority to patrol unincorporated areas.

“I worked diligently to ensure the Volusia County Beach Safety Division will stay in a position to provide the high level of service our citizens and visitors have come to expect,” Ethridge wrote. “My work here is done.” Without law enforcement duties, Beach Safety division is responsible for managing the beach, providing lifeguard and emergency medical services to beachgoers.

couple who lived in Shady Oaks mobile home park, located at 1320 Hand Ave.

The suspect in her murder, Brian Christopher Donley Jr., is believed to have strangled McClure because she wished to go home. Donley died at 49 years old in 2022. McClure’s remains were found underneath a trailer in the mobile home park.

VSO reported on Thursday, March 7, that its Crime Scene Unit personnel and a rapid DNA scientist developed a profile from DNA extracted from the recovered bones, which was then compared to DNA samples from McClure’s family members.

Ethridge said in his letter that he had “an incredible career with Beach Safety” and will cherish the memories made. In January, Beach Safety was named the 2023 Beach Patrol of the Year by the Florida Beach Patrol Chiefs Association, highlighting the 2,512 water rescues and 35,811 preventive actions performed in 2023.

The agency also responded to 1,162 medical emergencies and addressed 41,272 calls for service on the 47-mile stretch of beach in Volusia.

“There truly is nothing that compares to performing water rescues,” Ethridge said in his letter. “Pulling a victim out of a rip current and breathing life back into them while they fight for their life is nothing short of amazing.I could not have asked for a better team of people to work with, and I will miss them the most; they are true professionals who are dedicated to their craft.”

Flagler deputy arrests immigrant with nationwide warrant

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has apprehended a Mexican man living in the U.S. illegally with a nationwide warrant out for his arrest. The man, German Altamirano-Hernandez, was pulled over by a FCSO deputy on March 7 at the I-95 on ramp on Palm Coast Parkway when the FCSO Real Time Crime Center identified his van’s tag as stolen from South Carolina. Altamirano-Hernandez presented a fake Mexican ID card under a different name to the deputy as identification, according to a FCSO

Palm Coast family displaced after fire

Resident

Cindy

Newton is trying to find a place for her family of eight to live.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A Palm Coast family of eight is looking for a new home after a fire destroyed their rental home’s garage and spread soot and smoke throughout the home.

Cindy Newton and her partner Luke Paulsen lived at the home in the F Section for four years with their six kids: Ava, 16, Tyler, 11, Logan, 8, Maddie, 7, Sophia, 4, Lukas, 2. Most of the family had gone to sleep on Feb. 29 when loud pops sounded from the garage.

Paulsen was awake in the living room at the time and opened the connecting garage door to see the cause of the noise. That is when he saw the garage was engulfed in flames, Newton said.

press release. The deputy contacted U.S. Border Patrol for facial recognition, which pulled Altamirano-Hernandez’s real name. Altamirano-Hernandez has been previously deported from the U.S. multiple times, the press release said.

FCSO resources also identified him as a fugitive of Lee County since 2002.

The warrant for Lee County is for driving with a suspended license, and the nationwide warrant is for illegal entry into the U.S., the press release said. A search of the suspect’s van turned up a duffle bag in the trunk with multiple fake IDs, including a Mexican passport, a U.S. Social Security

“Everybody was asleep and then shortly after that I heard screaming,” she said. “I mean, frantic screaming — like, ‘Fire! Oh my god!’ — from Luke.”

She said she got the kids out through a window while Paulsen attempted to pour water on the flames. Something exploded as he did, burning Paulsen across his head, face, neck chest and arms.

Newton said he spent five days in a trauma center. Now, he is home and healing and the family is trying to figure out their next moves.

Their house is unlivable, she said, with fire, smoke and water damage. The family will have to dump almost everything in the home, she said.

Courtney Taylor, a neighbor and friend of the family who let them stay in their home for the first week, created a GoFundMe for the family.

Newton said she has already had many people reach out with donations of furniture, beds and clothes, but have

card, a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Alien Card, and two Mexican Consular Cards issued from both California and Florida, the press release said. Altamirano-Hernandez was arrested and taken to the county jail where he is being held without bond.

Ormond man arrested for child, animal pornography

Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 55-year-old Ormond Beach man on 23 counts of possession of child pornography and four counts of possession of pornography involving animals on Thurs-

nowhere to put them. They’re working on getting a storage unit for the larger donations, she said.

Newton said her first priority is finding a new place for the family to live, and Chiumento CARES — a fund established at the Chiumento Law Firm to help end student homelessness — is working with her to connect her to local realtors while the family stays with Paulsen’s brother. But when asked what it is her family needs, she said she would love for her kids to have some toys to get them through this time.

It’s difficult, she said, knowing they do not have their own things and have to watch other kids play with their toys.

“They don’t have anything,” she said. “It’s just tough and I hate asking for [something] that might be petty to somebody ... but they don’t have anything.”

To donate, visit https://bit. ly/3VdUc9m.

day, March 7. The arrest of Lewis Herring was a result of a cyber tip to the VSO Child Exploitation Unit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to a Facebook post by VSO. Detectives then executed a search warrant and recovered numerous items of evidence. Herring is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail with a total bond of $540,000.

VSO asks that anyone with information about this or any case of child pornography or exploitation contact the VSO Child Exploitation Unit at 386323-3574.

Students’ choice: School Way Café hosts ‘Pizza Wars’ at Volusia County Schools

On Tuesday, March 12, it was Seabreeze High School’s turn to vote for the best pizza. The winners will be on the menu next school year.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

A food “fight” to benefit all students.

This week, Volusia County Schools’ School Way Café is hosting several “Pizza Wars” at schools across the district to determine what brand of cheese and pepperoni pizzas will be served in cafeterias next school year. On Tuesday, March 12, it was Seabreeze High School’s turn to vote.

About 80 students — weightlifters, football and volleyball players — voted for their favorite slice of pizza pie in the event, which featured blind tastes tests and a free T-shirt for participating. Pizza Wars will garner the opinion of 1,200 students by the end of the week, a figure composed of elementary, middle and high school students.

“They’re our customers,” said Autumn Garrison-House, a coordinator for School Way Café. “We want them to be satisfied with what they’re getting and also we want to make sure it’s a nutritious meal.”

Five years ago, School Way Café conducted a similar taste testing to

find out what students wanted for lunch, but this year’s Pizza Wars is a bigger event, Garrison-House said. School Way Café also has a Food Matters Task Force, which was formed about four-and-a-half years ago, she said.

“What we started doing is we bring in different products and test it out with the students,” Garrison-House said. “And if it doesn’t pass 80%, we don’t want to put it on our menu, so we’re trying to make sure we’re getting things that they actually like and want to come in and eat.”

At Seabreeze High School, School Way Café serves about 900 meals a day, counting both breakfast and lunch.

Seabreeze High School students rate cheese pizzas for Pizza Wars.

Charlotte Van de Vord, cafeteria manager at Seabreeze High School, gives students the instructions for Pizza Wars.

James Ellzey, Brayden Anthony, Jesse Groseclose and Edinson Parra. Photos by Jarleene Almenas

Students at Seabreeze High School.

Julian Aguirre shows off his pizza.

Football players Amari Peoples and Jeremias George

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Peruvian restaurant Sazón de Peru now open in Palm Coast

Sazón de Peru opened on Friday, March 8, and offer extensive menu of Peruvian dishes.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

When husband and wife William Delgado and Fanny Quinto were getting their new Peruvian restaurant, Sazon de Peru, ready to open, many Spanish-speaking people would stop in. Many people who couldn’t speak Spanish did too.

“A lot of people asked us about the dishes (in Spanish), Quinto said. “A lot of American people too. They say, ‘We love Peruvian food.’ They came here to ask when are we going to open.”

Sazon de Peru replaced the

former Millenium Bistro at 9 Palm Harbor Village Way, Suite G. The new restaurant opened on Friday, March 8.

It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream for Delgado. “This is the dream of my husband, not me exactly,”

Quinto said. “But I try to help him because he’s always dreamed of opening a Peruvian restaurant, and there isn’t a Peruvian restaurant in Palm Coast. We are the first one, so we’re here for everybody who’s coming to taste the dishes of Peru.”

The couple moved to Palm Coast from New Jersey three years ago, Quinto said. Neither has previous restaurant experience, she said. Delgado was a truck driver and Quinto is an esthetician, specializing in skin care.

“His family, they all love to cook,” Quinto said. “That’s why (opening a restaurant) is his dream.”

Delgado and Christiano da Silva are the chefs. They are planning to be open seven days a week — 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday

and Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. They have an extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Their specialties include leche de tigre — a cocktail of finely chopped fish marinated in lime juice, garlic, cilantro and red onions garnished with Peruvian corn and roasted corn; arroz de mariscos — rice with calamari, shrimp, octopus and mussels; and jalea — fried seafood platter with limemarinated salad.

They also serve chaufas (Peruvian fried rice dishes), lomo saltado (stir-fried beef tenderloin) and other beef, chicken and seafood dishes. And, they have empanadas and a variety of baked goods prepared daily and displayed in a glass case on the front counter.

Flagler Habitat for Humanity, United Way create new endowment fund

A local philanthropist has agreed to match the first $50,000 in contributions for the endowment fund.

OBSERVER STAFF

Habitat for Humanity Flagler, Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties have partnered to create a new endowment fund to help support Habitat’s mission.

Organization representatives announced the creation of the Flagler Habitat for Humanity Endowment Fund at the open house event Habitat held on March 12 at its Palm Coast Habitat Restore, a Habitat for Humanity press release said. A local philanthropist agreed to kickstart the fund by matching the first $50,000 in contributions

“We are incredibly excited about the creation of this endowment,” said Lindsay Elliott, executive director at Habitat for Humanity. “This fund will enable us to expand

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA will hold a Public Hearing as authorized by law at 7:00 P.M. on the 25 th day of March 2024, for the purpose of First Reading of Ordinance 2024-07, before the City Commission, in the Chambers Meeting Room of the Flagler County Government Services Building (GSB) located at 1769 East Moody Blvd, Bunnell, Florida 32110.

ORDINANCE 2024-07

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BUNNELL, FLORIDA AMENDING THE CITY OF BUNNELL LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE; PROVIDING FOR AMENDMENT TO SECTION 18-52 WETLANDS; PROVIDING FOR AMENDMENT TO VARIOUS SECTIONS WITHIN CHAPTER 34 – ZONING; PROVIDING FOR LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTING PROVISIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND APPLICABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE as may be legally permitted on the day of the meeting. Instructions on how to participate by electronic or other means, if legally permitted, would be found on the City of Bunnell’s website at www.bunnellcity. us on the homepage. The public is advised to check the City’s website for up-to-date information on any changes to the manner in which the meeting will be held and the location. The failure of a person to appear during said hearing and comment on or object to the proposed Ordinance, either in person or in writing, might preclude the ability of such person to contest the Ordinance at a later date. A copy of

our mission and provide the financial stability we need to support our efforts in this community.”

This fund is designed to grow through community donations and investments, with the interest generated annually being used to fund the construction of new homes, repair projects and Habitat’s homeowner education programs, the press release said.

“We are proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity in their mission to create affordable housing opportunities

for families in Flagler County,” said Courtney Edgcomb president and CEO of Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties.

With the need for affordable housing even greater than ever, Flagler’s Habitat Restore have also adapted their business models over recent years to better support the nonprofit’s mission.

General Manager Paul Hunt said the last several years have caused a shift in the thrift store industry, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. When people were sent to work at

home, he said, they began to really look at the space they were and the need for high quality, gently-used furniture increased.

Because of the demand and the economic changes that have increased operational costs, Hunt said, the Habitat Restore business model had to adapt to continue support its nonprofit’s missions.

“If we didn’t [change], we couldn’t build four or five houses a year,” he said.

Those interested can visit bit.ly/CFHabitat to donate to the endowment fund.

New boutique to open in Ormond

Port Orange resident Kate Bell announces her new Chuckle & Bliss boutique, located at the Gaslamp Shoppes on Granada.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Kate Bell always dreamed of opening her own boutique.

Later this month, she will be celebrating her dream come true with the grand opening of Chuckle & Bliss, located within the Gaslamp Shoppes on Granada at 54 E. Granada Blvd. in Ormond Beach. Offering clothing, accessories and gifts, Bell, of Port Orange, hopes her boutique will become a fun destination for both locals and visitors in search of new outfits.

“I feel like women of all ages can come in here,” Bell said. “I think I have something that suits the younger girls. I have something that suits moms like myself — we like to dress up every once in a while, do something special and have a special outfit. I’m trying to cater to that.”

Fashion has been a part of Bell’s life for a long time. She graduated from college with a degree in fashion merchandising and retail, attended the Paris Fashion Institute for a summer and worked at the first Kenneth Cole boutique in the Upper West Side in New York City fresh out of college. Her boutique will have sayings on the wall that represent her views on fashion. One says, “Forget the rules, if you like it, wear it.” Another says, “Life is too short to wear boring clothes.”

“I just like that with fashion, you can express yourself through your clothes,” Bell said. “That’s always been fun to me.” She had been looking for a home for her boutique last year when local business owner Angela Heaster approached her in August and asked if she would be interested in taking over the space. Heaster had opened Gaslamp Gift Gallery in 2015 and was ready to close up shop.

Originally, Bell was looking for retail space in Port Orange, but she said she didn’t find an area in town that fit what she envisioned. Bell works with her husband’s family business — a sign company — but while she enjoys the work, the boutique is “hers.”

“This is something that I did from the ground up, which is really cool,” she said. The name of her boutique also pays tribute to her two sons, Carter and Bryson.

“I started looking for upbeat, positive words that use their initials,” Bell said. “So that’s how Chuckle & Bliss was born.”

The grand opening for Chuckle and Bliss is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. Bell plans to offer mimosas and desserts from Wild Rabbit Bistro, located a few doors down from the boutique.

Sazon de Peru owners Fanny Quinto and William Delgado. Photo by Brent Woronoff

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Flagler beachfront home sells for over $1.2

Amillion

house across A1A in Flagler Beach was the top real estate transaction for Jan. 18-24 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Scott and Steffi Keller, of Marianna, sold 2112 S. Ocean Shore Blvd. to David and Eunice Clasbey, of Flagler Beach, for $1,275,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has two half baths and 2,902 square feet.

PALM COAST Arlington John and Cynthia Carroll, of Palm Coast, sold 15 Mount Vernon Lane to Todd McKelvey, of Overland Park, Kansas, for $485,000. Built in 1995, the house is a 4/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,219 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $289,900.

Indian Trails Beata Stevens, of Palm Coast, sold 9 Burnet Place to Robert Ruiz and Teresa Hampton, of Palm Coast, for $320,000. Built in 1997, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,731 square feet. It sold in 1997 for $7,000.

Lehigh Woods Florida Sun Partners II, LLC, of Orlando, sold 112 Roxboro Drive to Thomas Rogers, Elisa Rogers and Arnold Eugene Rogers, of Palm Coast, for $438,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,306 square feet.

Matanzas Woods

Ronald and Brenda Morris, of Parker, Colorado, sold 4 Lewis Shire Way to Olesya Garniza, of Palm Coast, for $575,000. Built in 2006,

the house is a 5/3.5 and has a pool, a hot tub and 3,288 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $512,000.

Palm Harbor

Paul and Joyce Addis, of Griffin, Georgia, sold 31 Coleridge Court to Michael Scruggs and Cynthia Sue Scruggs, of Palm Coast, for $960,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a hot tub, a fireplace, a dock, a boat house and 3,408 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $650,000.

Pine Lakes

Eugene and Dawn Dowd, of Palm Coast, sold 4 Wakeshire Place to Dennis and Shari Buster, of East Bethel, Minnesota, for $367,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,516 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $154,000.

Sawmill Branch

D.R. Horton Inc., of St. Johns, sold 26 Lumber Jack Trail to Morgan Paige Davis and Dominik Davis, of Palm Coast, for $424,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,363 square feet.

Sawmill Creek

Lisa Evelyn Edwards and John Michael Edwards, of Whitestown, Indiana, sold 11 Rivertown Road to Joshua Jacobs, of St. Augustine, for $379,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,864 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $254,900.

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

Breakaway Trails home tops sales list in Ormond

Ahouse in Breakaway Trails was the top real estate transaction for Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Patricia Frederick, of Ormond Beach, sold 48 Winding Creek Way to Ruth DelToro Velat, as trustee, for $745,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a pool, a fireplace and 3,538 square feet. It sold in 1992 for $241,000.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos Edward and Lisa Hill, of Ormond Beach, sold 3360 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 3050, to Preston and Lorie Aust, of Iowa Falls, Iowa, for $290,000. Built in 1983, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,275 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $150,000.

Charles Phillips, Jr. and Lara Dana Phillips, of Warrenton, Virginia, sold 3370 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 1030, to William Andrew Cahill, Jr. and Linda Anne Cahill, of Cape Coral, for $200,000. Built in 1987, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,275 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $270,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Breakaway Trails

David and Kathleen Lusby, of Ormond Beach, sold 21 Forest View Way to Malav and Leena Patel, of Ormond Beach, for $630,000. Built in 1988, the house is a 4/3 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,837 square feet. It sold in 2001 for $275,000.

Charleston Square

Marnie Marie Junker and Richard John Shingledecker, of Ormond Beach, sold 12

Charleston Square to Megan Brianna Moore and Connor Steven Blair, of Ormond Beach, for $299,000. Built in 1985, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a hot tub and 1,472 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $270,000.

Halifax Plantation

James and Christine Thompson, of Ormond Beach, sold 3448 Acoma Drive to George Duvall and Jane Maureen Duvall, of Ormond Beach, for $555,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,419 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $380,000.

Hickory Village Jeremy Reidenberg, LLC, of Ormond Beach, sold 38 Aaron Circle to Taylor Hengesbach, of Ormond Beach, for $382,900. Built in 1985, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,925 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $250,000.

Sherris

Sarah Anne Mancuso and Laurie Marie Mancuso, of Ormond Beach, sold 591 Andrews St. to Jennifer Maymo and Jason Blaney, of Ormond beach, for $355,000. Built in 1984, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,482 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $212,000.

Spring Meadows

Kathleen Gorman, of Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, sold 41 Spring Meadows Drive to David and Kathleen Lusby, of Ormond Beach, for $435,000. Built in 2000, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,186 square feet. It sold in 2000 for $147,900.

Tomoka Oaks

Bruce Davis, as trustee, sold 78 North St. Andrews Drive to Mary Sarah Williams, of Ormond Beach, for $335,000. Built in 1967, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,276 square feet. It sold in 1993 for $137,600.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Ocean Shores

Glenn and Deborah Loftain, of Ormond Beach, sold 1655 John Anderson Drive to Richard and Carrie Vondrus, of Ormond Beach, for $520,000. Built in 1971, the house is a 2/2 and has a hot tub and 2,041 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $470,000.

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

From the publisher’s desk

‘Bomb’ turned out to be just a delivery of Observer newspapers

Explosive?

but not in a bad way, fortunately.

which made it appear suspicious.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

A suspicious package was delivered. The bomb squad was called. The courthouse was shut down.

All for a bundle of newspapers. Yes, the March 7 edition of our sister newspaper, the Palm Coast Observer, was eventually exploded as a training exercise. To my knowledge, it is the first time a bundle of Observers has ever been exploded.

“Usually you deliver the news, this time you made the news,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. It all started with a lack of communication with a new driver. When bundles of newspapers are delivered after hours on Wednesday nights, they are sometimes placed in kitchen-size garbage bags first, to protect them from the weather. This time, it happened to be an opaque gray, scented garbage bag,

LETTERS

Chairman Brower’s perfect question

Dear Editor:

This is my continuating rant of the very misguided Feb. 20 Volusia County Council meeting. A perfectly valid question from Chairman Jeff Brower to Councilman Don Dempsey after bragging he worked on building a motocross (currently under consideration) on this very location for years: “What kept you from finishing the motocross project?”

The purpose of the question was to understand what obstacles might be encountered by the project, yet it seemed all council members were at first dumbfounded then angered at Brower for asking it. It’s a perfect

YOUR TOWN

THE PILOT CLUB OF DONATES $500 TO CHILDREN’S CENTER

The Pilot Club of the Halifax Area made a quarterly donation of $500 to the Rose Marie Bryon Children’s Center in Daytona Beach. The funds are earmarked to supply weekend meals to children of the community — over 2,800 meals supplied to children each year.

Along with the $2,000 annual donation, the PCHA also sponsors a book drive and BrainMinders events for the center’s children, according to a press release.

The Rose Marie Bryon Children’s Center offers after school programs for children from 5 to 18 years old. The center is open for school holidays, spring-break, winter-break and summer camp, and is staffed solely by volunteers.

The programs and activities offered include tutoring, communica-

In addition, this bundle (actually three bundles) is normally delivered to the Flagler County Government Services Building, 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 2, in Bunnell. However, the delivery list didn’t include the building number, and so instead, the delivery was made to the courthouse, known as the Hammond Justice Center, at 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Building 1.

Therefore, the early morning security review flagged the delivery as suspicious.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office posted this breaking news on its Facebook page: “There is a heavy law enforcement presence outside the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center, as FCSO and the Bunnell Police Department are looking into a suspicious incident. The courthouse parking lot is closed at this time. Please avoid the area.”

Not long after, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad arrived to investigate the suspicious rectangular package in a black garbage bag.

That’s when I got a call from Sheriff Rick Staly, asking me if I knew anything about this suspi-

question, as this is how we learn what “not to do” or “what doesn’t work.” Eventually, after the shock of the question, Councilman Dempsey blamed the bureaucracy of the issue.

So one might ask, “Has the bureaucracy been eliminated or does he just want the project under someone else’s frustration?” Councilman Dempsey maybe should reflect more on his feelings of frustration, as it is likely experienced by many regular everyday Volusia County citizens who do not have a legal background nor resources to plow through their own “red tape” rather than his “pet project.” The closing comments continued with Councilman Jake Johansson chastising Chairman Brower for referencing the U.S. Constitution in the State of the County Address. Really? If these councilman do not

tion/speech class, Right Decisions Right Now Club (a drugs, tobacco and alcohol program), Garden Club, Chess Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Good News Club, arts and crafts, summer lunches, after school snacks, cooking lessons, sewing lessons, field trips and more.

VOLUSIA COUNTY SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR MANATEE WATCH PROGRAM

Volusia County is looking for volunteers to participate in Manatee Watch, a program that identifies the presence of manatees in local waterways. Residents who live on the water, spend a lot of time near the water, or are avid boaters are encouraged to become manatee watchers.

The Manatee Watch coordinators will host two training sessions: 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, at the Marine Discovery Center, 520 Barracuda Blvd., New Smyrna Beach.10 a.m. to noon on

Tuesday, March 26, at the Stetson Aquatic Center, 2636 Alhambra Ave.,

cious package. I said it was a new driver who likely put a bundle in front of the wrong door. That was the same story told by the new driver himself, so the clues were pointing in the same direction.

Flagler County Emergency Operations Chief Jonathan Lord, who is out of state at a training, got a text from his team also, letting him know that there had been a bomb threat due to a bag left outside the courthouse, which is just a few hundred yards from the EOC. Then, the ominous follow-up text from his EOC team revealed there might be a second suspicious package: “We have a bag, too,” Lord was told.

But when they texted Lord a photo of the bag, he thought it was probably the newspaper delivery. Immediately, Lord’s staff came to the same conclusion. Lord recalled: “As I’m replying, he says, ‘Nevermind, we figured out it’s the newspaper.’”

At 9:45 a.m., FCSO posted an update on Facebook: “The suspicious package has been rendered safe. The area is being cleared and courthouse operations are expected to be back to normal within the hour. ALL CLEAR”

Staly called me again with an update: the Bomb Squad had taken

realize how shameful, disrespectful, and childish they appear, I strongly suggest they actually watch meeting recordings (since August 2023) for a new perspective on how the public sees them!

CECILIA LIST Ormond Beach

Keep the Volusia County Library Board

Dear Editor:

Thank you to the Observer for reporting on the Volusia County Council’s decision to consider the elimination of several citizen advisory boards, including the Library Board.

As to that particular board, what are they thinking by proposing its elimination? That communities no

DeLand.“The Manatee Watch training is a great opportunity to learn all about Florida’s official marine mammal,” said Debbie Wright, Volusia County’s manatee protection program manager. “With the help of volunteers, we can get a better understanding of how manatees are using Volusia County waterways.”

Manatee Watchers are trained to observe manatee behavior, document sightings, photograph and sketch scar patterns. Information gathered from Manatee Watch volunteers provides vital information, including behavior, movement within waterways, habitat use and individual identification. As a part of their participation, individuals will receive a comprehensive packet containing essential training materials.

The Manatee Watch program is open to individuals, families, businesses and civic organizations, but all participants should be at least 16 years old.

The training is free and registration is required. To register, contact Chad Murch at ManateeWatch@ volusia.org or call 386-736-5927, ext. 12839. For more information about manatees and Manatee Watch, visit www.volusiamanatees.org.

PILOT CLUB OF THE RECOGNIZES SOCIAL STUDIES FAIR WINNERS

The Pilot Club of the Halifax Area helped sponsor the 2024 Volusia County Social Studies Fair held Feb. 24-25 by providing two Community Awards to winners in the Elementary Performance and in the Middle School Performance categories.

Pilot Club member Tish Gressang was a judge in the performance categories.

Both winners attended the Tuesday, March 5 business meeting of the Pilot Club of the Halifax Area, where they were each presented with an award of $100. The winner of the Elementary Performance was Rhett Desmarais, who attends Port Orange Elementary. Derrick Henry, Jr. was the winner from the Middle

the opportunity to turn the incident into a training exercise, and the bundle of newspapers had been “exploded.”

While the incident was rich in irony — because of course the Observer is metaphorically explosive in a good way every week, right? — it also caused a lot of work by our first responders, not to mention stress and fear for all who work at the courthouse, as well as the new driver.

As Staly said in a Facebook post: “Fortunately, this was a false alarm, but it still shows that our security protocols and training worked perfect in the event this had been proven to be a real danger. I commend our Communications Center, Real Time Crime Center, and everyone involved to ensure the safety of our judges, courthouse staff, and citizens.”

I apologize for the lack of training and communication that led to this happening. Lessons were learned, and we will do better at training new drivers. We appreciate everyone who reviewed the security footage and responded to make sure that our community is safe.

And, no, this is not an April Fool’s article (unfortunately).

longer care about their ability to advise elected officials about free access to information? That the citizenry has forgotten that democracy cannot survive when the freedom to read is subject to political control?

Even now, we are in a battle against an assault on school libraries and curriculum. Is this threat to be carried further into the county’s adult library collections?

Extremism of any kind is thwarted by access to the marketplace of ideas, which local libraries have provided for generations. The founders of this nation knew it, and so did General Dwight Eisenhower, when he said, “The libraries of America are and must ever remain the home of free and inquiring minds. To them, our citizens — of all ages and races, of all creeds and persuasions — must be able to turn with clear confidence that there

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

Operations Manager Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@observerlocalnews.com

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CORRECTION

The Observer reported last week that the estimated revenues from the Volusia County Council's proposal to increase fees to for visitors to drive on the beach and add fees for visitors to use off-beach parking lots was $7 billion. This is incorrect; the correct estimate is $7 million.

they can freely seek the whole truth, unvarnished by fashion and uncompromised by expediency.”

Keep Volusia citizens involved.

Keep the Library Board.

LAUREL ROBINSON

Ormond Beach

Send letters to jarleene@observer localnews.com.

GARDEN CLUB HOLDS SECOND EDUCATION DAY

The Garden Club of the Halifax Country hosted Brownie Troop 195 at Vadner Park on Sunday, March 10, for an afternoon of learning about native plants, conservation and ways to make a difference.

This event was the second annual Education Day held by the Garden Club, according to a statement to the Observer. “This year the Brownies and friends and family of the GCHC toured the park used the QR codes to identify plants, had a nature scavenger hunt and completed their day by planting Coreopsis and Red Maple seeds,” the statement reads. “The children took their newly planted seeds home to nurture and to remember native plants.”

Vadner Park, located at 105 Seminole Ave., was transformed into an all-native pocket park in 2022 thanks to a partnership between the Garden Club and the city of Ormond Beach. The project was primarily funded by grants, including those by the Garden Club of America Found-

School Performance category; he attends Ormond Beach Middle School. The theme for this year’s Volusia County Social Studies Fair was “Turning Points in History.” Rhett provided a performance of a radio announcer reporting on the ter-

Garden Club of the Halifax Country member Babs Foster with her great granddaughter Landon Foster and Marlowe Frankel.

ers Fund Finalist, the Daytona Beach Racing ad Recreational Facilities District and the National Garden Club Plant America. Private donations and a city match helped to complete the project.

rorist attack on 9/11, providing an on-the-scene perspective of the tragic event. Derrick’s performance as Frederick Douglass provided insight into his early life as well as his accomplishments as an activist, author and public speaker.

Janet Byrant (front), Executive Director-Rose Marie Byron Children’s Center, receives a check from Laurie Kaye, president of Pilot Club of the Halifax Area. (Back row) Volunteers Janice Williams, Nancy Lawrence and Mary Johnson – all Pilot Club members.

Emmersyn Burgess, Turner Jiloty, Kennedy Burgess, Abigail Jiloty and Charlie Jiloty from Brownie Troop 195. Courtesy photos

YOUR NEIGHBORS

‘It’s All About the Light’

Over 65 artists are featured in the exhibit, 16 of them being Ormond Beach residents. From paintings to jewelry, sculptures and stained glass, the exhibit showcases a variety of mediums.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Galerie Elan’s new juried exhibit for March, “It’s All About the Light,” invites viewers to experience light from new perspectives.

“That’s the joy of the show,” gallery owner Gregory Graham Grant said.

“We have that eclectic mix and the interpret development, which means every person that comes in our front door is going to have a different take on the way the art is presented and that’s the beauty of art.”

Grant included two of his recent paintings in the exhibit. His first painting featured is called “Yoneyama” and depicts a lion in South Africa bathing in the afternoon light. It’s the only piece in the exhibit that utilizes wildlife to represent an element of life.

His second painting in the exhibit is an autobiographical piece — a selfportrait in an hourglass, surrounded by items that represent pieces of his life.

“It’s an homage to my wife, as

defined by the things that are important to me which acts as a definition to my personal life,” Grant said.

Grant became an artist at a young age, which helped him pay his way through college. At 27, he had his first big breakthrough, painting a portrait of a former U.S. Secretary of Labor. He then continued in painting portraits for many years. He moved to Florida in 1986 and continued delivering congressional portraits for four years after that. He was also commissioned to paint the portrait of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai before his death in 2004.

“I’m a classicist, and that’s what people look for when they want to leave behind a legacy such as a portrait,” Grant said. “It needs to be the embodiment of who they are — of their essence.”

He focuses now mainly on nature and wildlife.

Ormond Beach residents L.C. and Tommy Tobey have multiple pieces on show at Galerie Elan. The Tobeys have been married since 2009 and started their business together as artists, specializing in stained and fused glass. Before they were together, they were individual artists for many years, as L.C. Tobey studied under Robert Cooper who did restoration work for the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Society, and Tommy Tobey began doing stained glass in the early 1990s.

The two of them also have art pieces on display inside Ormond Beach City Hall, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, and in the American Church in Paris, France, where they constructed a baptismal font out of broken pieces of glass with a cross in the center.

“It’s amazing to me that we have a piece in the American Church of Paris that could be there for hundreds of years, I hope,” Tommy Tobey said.

The Tobeys became members of Grant’s former gallery, Arts on Granada, in 2015 and followed him to Galerie Elan.

Ormond Beach artist Roderick Neswick is also featured in Galerie Elan and specializes in sculptures and jewelry carving. He started carving bars of soap at 5 years old with a plastic knife and began his

career as an artist at 15. His piece featured in the exhibit is titled “Moonlight Wind” and represents a new type of light as it shines only on the woman peering out of a castle window.

“Moonlight is so different from sunlight, it almost tingles your senses when you see it,” Neswick said. “I love the way the shadows play in moonlight and how it affects everything differently than sunlight does.”

“It’s All About the Light” will run through March 29.

Galerie Elan, located at 230 S. Beach St., hosts new exhibits every month with new themes and artists, as well as offers classes to all ages enriching its role as a leader in a stimulating cultural society.

“The whole mantra behind my approach is cultural literacy,” Grant said. “That’s why we exist, this is not to be constructed as any type of entertainment because when you equate art with entertainment, then you have really depreciated the integrity of the sacred essence of art for those of us who are artists.”

The following Ormond Beach artists have pieces on

About the Light.”

„ Gail Artin

„ Grace Senior Morandi

„ Gregory Graham Grant

„ Katarzyna Scaber

„ Lisa Discoll

„ L.C. Tobey

„ Tommy Tobey

„ Loretta Youngman

„ Mary Unson

„ Michael Black

„ Pamela Elkins

Patti Bschorr

„

„ Roderick Neswick

„ Ryan LeVeille

„ Shirley Cavanaugh

Roderick Neswick with one of his sculptures featured in Gallerie Elan.

Owner of Gallerie Elan, Gregory Graham Grant, with his autobiographical painting for the “It’s All About the Light” exhibit. Photos courtesy of Yvonne Collins

Galerie Elan hosts new exhibit featuring art by 16 Ormond Beach artists.

“Mommy and Baby”

Courtesy photos

Scout adds flag retirement boxes in Ormond

For his Eagle Scout project, Graham Johnston provides Ormond Beach with a way to retire U.S. flags properly.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Graham Johnston is no stranger to flag retirement ceremonies. He performed his first as Cub Scout.

And as a Boy Scout of Troop 403, he was often given old flags by his teachers, friends and family, to retire because they didn’t know what to do with them. So when it was time for Johnston, a freshman at Seabreeze High School, to pick his Eagle Scout service project, he thought back to those flags.

“I felt that Ormond Beach needed a place where you can drop off flags, legally and properly,” Johnston said. “I felt like it was going to help a lot of people.”

Johnston’s project to install a U.S. flag retirement drop box was approved last August. He initially planned to have his project completed by December, but when he made the basketball team at school, he decided to push it back until the end of the season.

In February, Johnston installed, not just one drop box, but two in town, thanks to the $3,320 he was able to fundraise through community donations, including help from The Rotary Club of Ormond Beach. The first box was installed at Troop

403’s meeting place, Lighthouse Christ Presbyterian Church, located at 1035 W. Granada Blvd., and the American Legion Post 267 at 156 New Britain Ave.

“They’ve been a personal supporter with the Eagle project, with myself throughout scouting, and also just scouting throughout Ormond Beach,” Johnston said of the American Legion Post 267. “I really gave it as a gift back to them.”

His father, Brian Johnston, said that his son has always loved being a Scout. Graham Johnston has been a Scout for nine years.

“Scouting has really, as a byproduct, been a great help to him growing into a leader and putting things

in place in his life, and follow Scout oath and law,” Brian Johnston said. “He’s a very honorable young man and I think a lot of that has to do with his interaction with scouting.”

The drop boxes were made by America Security Cabinets. Graham Johnston customized their design.

His favorite part about being a Scout is the lessons he’s learned over the years.

“It’s probably the best thing that life has done for me,” Graham Johnston said.

Now that he’s an Eagle Scout, he said his next goals are to receive his Cambridge AICE diploma at Seabreeze and to stay active with his troop.

Bootleggers of Florida’s past

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Florida Prohibition.

A time period so full of stories, Flagler Beach author and historian Randy Jaye put a book in progress on hold in order to fully explore.

On Feb. 5, Jaye’s fourth book, published by Arcadia Publishing, was released after about a year of writing. Titled, “Florida Prohibition: Corruption, Defiance and Tragedy,” the book explores Florida’s history during the Prohibition Era, from 1920 to 1933. Jaye was working on a book summarizing the major episodes in Florida’s history when he became fascinated with Prohibition.

“Obviously, Prohibition was everywhere,” Jaye said. “... But the state of Florida actually had a statewide prohibition even prior to national prohibition that started in 1919.”

It also stayed longer in Florida, he added, lasting for over a year after Prohibition ended nationally in the U.S. One county in Florida, Liberty, still prohibits the sale of liquor.

“So the after-effects of Prohibition are still with us more than 90 years later,” Jaye said. Locally, Flagler and Volusia County were still fairly rural during Prohibition, aside from the Daytona Beach area, said Jaye, who is also a member of the Ormond Beach Historical

Society.

“We didn’t have any major Al Capone-type stories or anything like that, but there was a lot of illegal rumrunning and illegal moonshine going on,” Jaye said. “And then what we call the Old Brick Road today, the Dixie Highway, which ran through Flagler County and into Volusia County as well, that was a big transport center for bootleggers.”

Jaye has been interested in history since he was a child. Throughout his life, he continued researching local history and when he sold his consulting businesses, he decided to dedicate himself to being a full-time historian.

“Florida Prohibition: Corruption, Defiance and Tragedy” is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target and other distributors. His previous books are titled “Flagler County, Florida: A Centennial History” ; “Perseverance: Episodes of Black History from the Rural South” ; and “Jim Crow Era Propaganda, Artifacts and Upheavals in Florida.”

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

“RS’I IB RLFBVSTES SB IFYEX ABKV

MVYY SRLY ZRSP ORSSOY FYBFOY. ...

HPROXPBBX RI DBEY RE SPY NOREU BM TE YAY.”

PARTY ANIMALS by Dylan Schiff, edited by Jeff Chen

By Luis Campos

Flagler Beach author Randy Jaye publishes fourth book.

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FT-BRV0007861-02

Graham Johnston is a freshman at Seabreeze High School. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Randy Jaye. Courtesy photo

Silver lining

Mainland girls basketball team falls in overtime in state championship game

MICHELE MEYERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A year after winning the state championship, the Mainland girls basketball team brought home the silver medal.

The Buccaneers went down to the wire in a tough 60-55 loss in overtime against Plantation American Heritage in the Class 5A state championship game Friday, March 8, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

The Bucs finished the season 18-13 after the Patriots put an end to Mainland’s eight-game win streak.

“Thank God,” Mainland head coach Brandon Stewart said. “It’s a blessing to even be able to feel this. Obviously it doesn’t feel good, but not everybody knows what this feels like. I think it creates them to be better people — creates them to be better players in the future. You got to know how to win and you’ve got to know how to lose because that’s the nature of the beast. If you learn how to lose with class then you’re doing

a good job.”

Bucs point guard Tia Dobson said she and her teammates were not motivated by the rematch with American Heritage after Mainland took home the state championship trophy last year with a 62-61 win over the Patriots.

“I feel like we trusted each other and we were ready together, as a team,” she said. “We believed in ourselves and we believed in the team as a whole. It didn’t matter if it was American Heritage. It could have been anybody. I feel like that was our mindset — to go out there and win together.”

Mainland jumpstarted the first quarter with a 13-8 lead over American Heritage which the Patriots reduced to one point at the half (2221).

Going into the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers were up 35-33. The Patriots then went on a 16-point spree, led by sophomore guard Jasleen Green with 11 points, leaving Mainland in a scramble. A layup by Anovia Sheals brought the Bucs within two at 49-47. And Jade Parks tied the score with a put-back with a minute left to send the game to overtime.

“I think at that point, the players on the court were going to make plays,” Stewart said. “I think as our players are making plays, as coaches, we sit back and watch the game as well and try to manage the game the best we know how. Going into overtime, it was just a talk about having the will to win, to keep pushing forward and play for these four minutes. Play to win.”

Sheals scored four points and teammate Ronneisha Thomas had two points in overtime, but the Bucs could not slow down the Patriots.

Taniyah Davis (six points) and Green (four points) scored 10 of American Heritage’s 11 overtime points. Green

finished with a game-high 27 points. “We were thinking too fast — trying to hurry up and get a bucket so we wouldn’t be down so much,” Sheals said. “We weren’t focused on playing like a team like we were from the beginning and in the other three quarters. So I wouldn’t say it was jitters. It was really just trying to make another play, how we’d been making plays before but trying to play as a team not one-on-five or two-onfive.”

Sheals finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Junior Olivia Olson scored 11 points while Dobson had nine points, four rebounds and three steals.

“All year, I have won and lost with them,” Stewart said. “So tonight, there were only two things that you could do — you could win or lose the game. There were plenty of times I felt like American Heritage could have put us away, but they didn’t and we went into overtime. The reality is, whichever team goes on a run in overtime, it’s pretty tough for the other team to get back in it.”

Dobson and Sheals are both headed to Division I universities. Dobson has committed to play at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and

“This is a winning era, really. These two right here (Anovia Sheals and Tia Dobson), are an era. I’ve enjoyed it. They can’t understand yet, that what we’ve done, you’ll never know when you’ll see it again. This is all deeper than basketball, really. We lost a game. The thing that I’ve been highlighting the whole time are the emotions that they’re feeling. If they deal with it now, they’ll know how to deal with it later in life.”

Sheals has signed to play at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Stewart has coached at Mainland for five years — four with Dobson and two with Sheals. In that time, the Bucs won three district championships, two regional titles, a state championship and a state runnerup trophy. He said he hopes this will become their inner story and motivation for them in college.

“This is a winning era, really,” he said. “These two right here, are an era. I’ve enjoyed it. They can’t understand yet that what we’ve done, you’ll never know when you’ll see it again. This is all deeper than basketball, really. We lost a game. The thing that I’ve been highlighting the whole time are the emotions that they’re feeling. If they deal with it now, they’ll know how to deal with it later in life.”

Buccaneer Oliva Olson (5) goes up for a layup.

Ronneisha Thomas (1) dribbles down court as Emily Jean-Glaude (2) applies pressure.

A rebound by Buccaneer Jade Parks (2).

BRANDON STEWART, Mainland girls basketball coach

Mainland’s Anovia Sheals dives for the ball. Photos by Michele Meyers

Road ends at final four

After losing in the state championship game last year, Mainland boys basketball coach Joe Giddens said the Bucs would be back.

A year later, they were back in the final four, this time falling short in the state semifinals. Giddens’ message is the same: We’ll be back.

Mainland fell to Blake High from Tampa 53-40 in the Class 5A state semifinals on Wednesday, March 6, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. The Bucs finished their season with a 22-7 record.

Blake (26-6) went on to lose to Miami Norland 61-48 in the championship game on March 8.

The Bucs’ semifinal loss came down to shooting, Gidden said. Mainland shot 31.3% from the field and 40% from the free throw line compared to Blake’s 48.6% and 59.1%, respectively.

“I thought that we did not shoot the ball well tonight,” he said. “Sometimes we felt like we were going to get going and couldn’t. At times it was a little physical and sometimes that didn’t go our way. I don’t really think it was anything that Blake did on defense. We just didn’t shoot well.”

Mainland had four losses in the 2024 calendar year including the state semifinal loss and an 81-45 loss to Winter Haven on Jan. 27. The Bucs followed that setback with a six-game win streak heading into the final four.

Sophomore point guard Nathan Kirk powered through against Blake with 15 points and three steals. Senior swingman Narayan Thomas scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Kirk said some of his teammates were playing in the final four for the first time. He said playing in that big of an environment at the RP Funding Center could have affected them.

“I could tell that some of them were a little nervous,” Giddens agreed.

“The guys kept trying to tell them, hey, it’s basketball — just a different court. It’s easier said than done, but they got a chance to taste it and we’re going to be back.”

Blake was stacked with height and future Division I players. Five players are 6-foot-5 and taller. Shooting guards Joshua Lewis and Kentrell Martin are 6-foot-7 while sophomore center Joe Philo stands at 6-foot-9. Lewis has college offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Ole Miss, South Florida and Virginia Tech. Lewis led the Yellow Jackets with

When I played, it was like a family and I want to create the same environment for these guys , because these are lifelong memories. Coming here and being a part of this helped me to be who I am today. That’s why I continue to instill my work ethic and life skills in these guys. Basketball is a life skill.

JOE GIDDENS, Mainland

24 points and 12 rebounds against Mainland.

Thomas and Kirk said they did not feel like it was difficult dealing with the height. They have been playing against bigger guys the entire season to prepare them for the final four Kirk said.

Thomas, who is 6-foot-6, and 7-foot senior DeAndre Newland were the only players taller than 6-3 in the Bucs’ starting lineup.

“There’s only me and DeAndre,” Thomas said. “So it gives the shorter guys on the team a tough fight. They gave it all they had. They rebounded well and played the ‘D’ well.”

Thomas said many of his teammates came in as transfers and did not know each other. He said he is

going to remember how they established a bond which evolved into a brotherhood as the season progressed. Giddens said he believes

SIDELINES

MILLS FOLLOWS WRESTLING TITLE WITH A TRACK WIN

One week after winning a state wrestling championship, Matanzas’ Jordan Mills won the the 400-meter hurdles on March 9 at the Buffalo Invitational at the Villages.

Mills won by more than four seconds with a time of 1:01.17. It was his first track meet in two years. The senior missed last season while recovering from shoulder surgery. It was his first time running the 400 hurdles at a meet. The FHSAA sanctioned the event last year to

replace the 300 hurdles. Other Matanzas winners at the meet were Jeff Powell (11.6 seconds in the 100 meters), Christian Norfolk (2:06.54 in the 800 meters), Ladarien Baker (40 feet, 5 inches in the triple jump), Jordan Theus-Vale in the discus (109-1) and javelin (126-8), Evanne Miller in the girls 100 (12.92) and 200 (26.81) and the 4x400 relay (Sierra Howard, Jordan Youngman, Gabrielle Duncan and Miller, 4:19.37).

At the Lake Mary Invitational, Seabreeze’s Chandler Mitzo won javelin (152-6) and placed third in discus (114-11); freshman Lauren

Lancing placed second in the girls 100 hurdles (16.0) and fourth in the 200 meters (26.43); and Emma Uneda was third in triple jump (329.75).

Father Lopez also had a pair of runners-up at Lake Mary: Ryan Herdel in the boys 200 (22.87) and Mackenzie Brewton in the girls shot put (29-8).

TENNIS: SEABREEZE

PLACES 3RD, 4TH

AT FIVE STAR

Seabreeze finished third behind FPC and Spruce Creek in the Five Star

that is how they started making their run toward the final four.

“When I played, it was like a family and I want to create the same environment for these guys because these are lifelong memories,” Giddens said. “Coming here and being a part of this helped me to be who I am today. That’s why I continue to instill my work ethic and life skills in these guys. Basketball is a life skill.”

Giddens was part of back-to-back Mainland championship teams. The first was in 1995 with teammate Vince Carter, who went on to score over 25,000 in his 22 years in the NBA. Carter and Giddens have remained friends. Carter sat on the

Conference boys tennis tournament March 7-8 at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach. William Reece advanced to the final at No 4 singles. Seabreeze finished fourth on the girls side. Gigi Henderson and Claudia Venables advanced to the final at No. 2 doubles. Creek won every final to win the girls team championship.

FLAG FOOTBALL: SEABREEZE PLACES

2ND AT FIVE STAR

Seabreeze won two games at the Five Star Conference flag football

bench during the semifinal and has encouraged the players throughout the season. Giddens said that is what Mainland does —creates lifetime bonds.

“How many former NBA players sit on a bench in high school — none — or be in the locker room to encourage,” Giddens said. “I’m just proud of my guys. Most people don’t get a chance to come here. I tell them any local team coach would trade anything to be here so for us to be here two years in a row … the rest is in the pudding. Like I told my guys, we are going to keep coming back until we win and when we win, we’re going to continue.”

tournament March 9 before losing to Spruce Creek, 18-6, in the championship game.

The Sandcrabs avenged a loss to Taylor two days earlier with a 19-0 win in the semifinals at the Sperling Sports Complex in DeLand. Seabreeze also beat Deltona, 9-6, in a first-round game. Mainland lost its first game of the season, 13-6, to Spruce Creek in the first round. Flagler Palm Coast fell to Taylor 2114 in the first round.

Email Brent Woronoff at Brent@observerlocalnews.com

Mainland’s Kade Manley (11) fights for the rebound.

The Mainland Buccaneers and the Blake Yellow Jackets face each other

Mainland’s Nathan Kirk (1) flies toward the basket as Blake’s Joe Philon attempts to hinder his progress. Photos by Michele Meyers

Mainland Buccaneers cheer coach Jenece Giddens (back right) cheers with her team

Mainland boys basketball team falls to Tampa Blake in state semifinal.

boys basketball coach