Ormond Beach Observer 07-04-24

CITY WATCH

OBPD responds to ‘swatting’ call

A 65-year-old Ormond Beach resident was victim to a “swatting” call when police showed up to his house on June 25 after receiving a call about a shooting.

Police responded to the 100 block of Sunset Point Drive at 2:44 p.m. due to an unknown caller reporting that he had shot both of his parents after arguing over school, according to an incident report by Ormond Beach Police.

Officers set up a perimeter around the house and spoke with neighbors, who informed them they had never seen any juveniles at the home, only the middle-aged couple who lived there.

Police were able to make contact with the homeowner, who was inside and advised everything was OK. Officers then checked the home and confirmed that there was “no evidence of anybody bleeding or shot inside, nor was anyone else located inside,” the report states, adding that there have been numerous “swatting” calls in the area.

“Swatting” is the term used by law enforcement when people make hoax calls to 911 to report serious crimes to make SWAT teams respond.

Plantation Oaks, electronic signs head to Planning Board

An amendment to Plantation Oak’s

Planned Residential Development, a special exception for Lowe’s, the review of four zoning districts and electronic changeable copy signs are all on the agenda for the upcoming Planning Board meeting next week.

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, the board will consider a PRD amendment to allow a 12,500-square-foot commercial building with indoor mini-rental storage units on a 1.58 acre of commercial property within the Plantation Oaks subdivision.

Proposed to be located at 1730 Plantation Oaks Blvd., the building would have a mixture of office, retail and restaurant uses on the first floor, with the storage unit rentals on the second floor.

Currently, the parcel is permitted for a variety of commercial uses,

including a bakery, barber shop, restaurant, medical office and child care center.

A neighborhood meeting was held at the Plantation Oaks Clubhouse on June 10 to discuss the amendment, and there were no objections raised, according to the city staff report. Staff is recommending the Planning Board approve the amendment.

Also on the agenda for the meeting is a special exception to expand Lowe’s outdoor activity use, which was previously approved by the City Commission in 2012.

At the time, according to a city staff report, the Planning Board was concerned that Lowe’s would not adhere to just having its outdoor display along the the front of the store.

Now 12 years later, City Hall received a complaint in January

that the store had gone beyond the approved outdoor display area limits.

The special exception is aimed at bringing the property into compliance.

The board will additionally review the following zoning districts: Planned Residential Development, Planned Business Development, Planned Industrial Development, and Planned Mixed Use Development. This a continuation of the board’s review of all the city’s zoning districts.

Lastly, city staff will seek direction from the board on how to proceed regarding electronic changeable copy signs in the city, and whether changes need to be made to the city’s code. Recommendations will then be made to the City Commission.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be going into this next five years with a much clearer and better understanding of what the contract says and what it doesn’t say, and in the implications that it has with our other medical providers.” School Board member Carl Persis on AdventHealth contract. See Page 4A

Chamber offers youth leadership program

Applications for the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Leadership program are now open. The program aims to help youth “forge strong connections and earn community service hours,” applicable to Bright Futures Scholarships, according to a chamber newsletter.

Applications are due on Aug. 22. Visit https://bit. ly/4bibRkG.

CFOB to hold Candidates Forum

Citizens For Ormond Beach will host a Candidates Forum for those running in the primary election for Volusia County Council Chair, Volusia County School Board District 4, Ormond Beach mayor and Ormond Beach Zone 3 City Commissioner on Wednesday, July 17, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ormond Beach Senior Center, located at 51 Andrews St.

CFOB, who is a nonprofit and nonpartisan civic organization, will be soliciting questions from the public prior to the forum, but no questions will come directly from the audience on the day of the event, which is free to attend. CFOB has been hosting a Candidates Forum for over 20 years.

A meet and greet will be held with the candidates from 5:30-6 p.m. The forum will begin at 6 p.m. and run through 8 p.m.

“Our goal with this Candidates Forum is the education of our citizens,” CFOB stated in an email announcing the forum. For more information, email citizensforormondbeach@ gmail.com. Email Jarleene@ observerlocalnews.com

The Planning Board will meet at City Hall at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 11. File photo

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Firework flashbacks

A look back at some of Ormond Beach’s Fourth of July celebrations

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

On Thursday, July 4, the United States will celebrate its 248th anniversary of independence — and in the city of Ormond Beach, the holiday will be celebrated with music, food and fireworks.

Just as it has been for decades upon decades.

“It’s always a great summer holiday in Ormond Beach — a time to celebrate our nation’s independence and spend time with family and then honor and remember the folks who keep us safe and sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we do,” Mayor Bill Partington said.

This year’s celebration will be his last as the city’s mayor. It’s a bittersweet feeling, he said, as it’s one of his favorite holidays.

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

This year’s live music for the city’s Independence Day Celebration will feature the Cool Breeze band.

The band was started in 1989, said leader Brad Yates. Today, he is joined by Phil Reed on drums, Steve Hutter on bass and Ruben Morgan on guitar. It won’t be the first time Cool Breeze will grace the stage at Rockefeller Gardens for Independence Day.

“I grew up here,” Yates said. “So it’s great to be able to play for our hometown. I’ve lived all over the world playing music and ended up back here because I haven’t found anywhere I like better.”

The Fourth of July crowd is a fun one to perform in front of, he said. His band performed at the Jazz Matazz a few times as well.

“That was really cool,” he said. “You know, the funny thing is, this time of year, you can almost set your clock on the thunderstorms around here, and quite a few times over the years of Jazz Matazz the weather did not cooperate. It got really soggy.”

He calls his band’s style “Seaside soul” — everything from island reggae to rock and roll.

He hopes to see lots of people out for the city’s celebration — and that the weather cooperates.

“Seeing the whole city gathered together and all as Americans celebrating what really is a great national holiday is a special thing for a mayor to witness that,” Partington said.

The city’s annual Independence Day Celebration will begin at 8 p.m. at Rockefeller Gardens, located at 26 Riverside Drive. The firework show, presented by Fireworks by Santore, will begin at 9 p.m.

Though the celebrations have been scaled back in recent years, the city has celebrated the Fourth of July this way since 1999. But what were celebrations like before then?

CORN BOILS AND COOKOUTS

Before Ormond Beach’s current City Hall was constructed, there used to be a big corn boil event on the property every Fourth of July.

Longtime resident Bill Partington Sr., the mayor’s father, remembers different civic groups would organize it year after year, and the event would include dunk tanks and barbecue.

The city’s firefighters, he recalled, would do an annual fish fry at the city’s old lifeguard station (this was in the 1970s, before the county took over the beach’s management).

“They would bring their equipment that they used in the fish fry and the Rotary Club (of Ormond Beach) would use that for the corn boil,” Partington Sr. said. “They had big baskets that were like 18 inches squared and they would dip them down into the boiling water to cook the corn and dip them in butter. Everybody remembers the corn boil. It was fun.”

Mayor Partington remembers cookouts and family get-togethers were the norm for Fourth of July celebrations back then. But, everybody knew to head down to the Granada Bridge for fireworks.

“I can probably remember back over 50 years – just over 50 years — and it seems like there was always something going on,” Partington said. And then came Ormond Beach’s Jazz Matazz.

‘WE WANTED SOMETHING MORE UNIQUE’

John Connors moved to Ormond Beach in 1969. Having grown up in the area, there was always something to do in town on the Fourth of July. In 1988, when he was the executive director of the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, Connors said the city and the chamber began

PARKING

Public parking will be available at three city lots:

„ City Hall at 30 S. Beach St.

„ The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive

„ Fortunato Park, 2 John Anderson Drive

The parking area on South Beach Street adjacent to Cassen Park will not be available, the city stated on its website. The parking area will be closed from midnight, Thursday, July 4, to midnight, Wednesday, July 5.

Looking for handicapped parking?The city will dedicate Bailey Riverbridge Gardens at 1 N. Beach St. for handicapped parking.

CASSEN PARK

No vehicular traffic will be allowed to enter, exit, or travel within Cassen Park from 7-10 p.m. Boaters must arrive and

a conversation about wanting to host a special event for the following Fourth of July. They came up with the idea of holding a jazz festival.

“And of course, we didn’t want to call it the Ormond Beach Jazz Festival, we wanted something more unique,” Connors said.

The chamber brought on longtime local entertainer Tom Cellie to help produce the festival and Jazz Matazz was born. The idea was to celebrate music, food and people, Connors said.

The first Jazz Matazz was held in 1989 with a budget of $2,000. By the time the last festival was held in 1997, it cost the chamber about a quarter million dollars to put it on, Connors said.

“We had 17 committees we created and everybody had something else to do, and it was a big job,” he said. “You know, 100-150 volunteers working on it for months.”

Partington used to work security at the event when he was in his upperclassman days at Mainland High and early college years. His dad was also involved in putting it on.

“I would be hired for like 8 bucks an hour or something to keep an eye on the grounds late into the night,” Partington recalled.

The two-day festival certainly drew a lot of great entertainment to the area: Spyro Gyra, Herbie Mann, Chuck Mangione, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and Brian Culberton to name a few. Storyteller Gamble Rogers performed in the first Jazz Matazz as well.

“As it got bigger and bigger, it got riskier and riskier,” Connors said with a laugh.

The festival was never intended to make money, Connors said. They rarely made more than a few thou-

“I’m going to do my ‘no rain’ dance,” Yates said. A banner over West

Celebration.

launch well before 7 p.m. and not plan to return until 10 p.m. or later. Expect long wait times at ramps.

The “Boat Trailer Parking Only” spaces will be strictly enforced. Violators may be cited or towed.

The fishing pier will be closed to everyone except emergency personnel from 7-10 p.m. Granada Pier Bait and Tackle Shop will remain open throughout the event.

SHUTTLE SERVICE

The city will offer a free shuttle service to help event attendees cross the Granada Bridge. The shuttle service will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the last shuttle departing Rockefeller Gardes at 9:45 p.m.

The pick-up and drop-off locations are: „ Beach Street and Granada Boulevard, on the west side of the bridge „ Riverside Drive ad Granada Boulevard, on the east side of the bridge

ROAD CLOSURES

Beginning at 7 p.m., the following road sections will be closed: „ South Beach Street, from West Granada Boulevard to Mound Avenue „ Grove Street, from Tomoka Avenue to Division Avenue „ New Britain Avenue at North Beach Street

REMINDERS

The city reminds residents that the Fourth of July celebration is an alcohol-free event. Personal fireworks are also prohibited. Following the event, residents should expect heavy traffic congestion in the area. City Hall and all non-emergency facilities will also be closed all day for July 4.

sand dollars every year, and as the years went on, that got scarier for both the city and the chamber.

Ormond Beach resident Jeff Boyle was a city commissioner in the later years of Jazz Matazz. As a big jazz fan, he attended the event. People came from all over, he said — including the State Rep. at the time, John Mica.

“It was a very popular event and I think it helped define the wonderful culture we have of Ormond Beach,” Boyle said.

THE END OF JAZZ MATAZZ

Jazz Matazz was Connor’s baby, Partington Sr. said. But weather was always a challenge. The festival took place prior to the city raising Rockefeller Gardens’ elevation up by 4 feet, so the park flooded when it rained.

All of the contracts for Jazz Matazz were “rain or shine.”

“We just couldn’t go on in the rain, but we had to pay the entertainers anyway,” Partington Sr. said. “So you bring in Spyro Gyra or Al Hirt or somebody like that ... a big name and you’re paying them at that time, $25,000 to come to Ormond Beach.”

It always rains in July, Connors said, and rainout insurance was a big cost, which the city helped with. The chamber couldn’t have done it alone, because a rainout on a day with the biggest acts would have rendered the chamber broke. Hence, why they were careful, Connors said.

About 40,000 people were attending the festival every year at one point. So the biggest thing for the chamber, risk aside, was giving something back to the community.

That brought Connors a lot of happiness, he said.

“I can’t tell you the happiness that it brings in my thought process every time I turn around,” Connors said. “I keep some of the posters up on my walls here at the house that just bring back good memories.”

FIREWORKS ARE

‘THE CHERRY ON TOP’

Jazz Matazz was the foundation for today’s Independence Day Celebration in the city.

In 1999, the city hosted its “Four Corners” celebration — using all four corner bridge parks to celebrate the Fourth of July, according to an article from the Orlando Sentinel. There was music, food, a moonwalk, relay races, human foosball and “larger-than-life” Twister.

“What [the city] basically did is they created something that replaced it that they could manage, and they manage it well,” Connors said. “The fireworks are always the cherry on top.”

It’s all to bring families together to celebrate summer and Independence Day.

When Jazz Matazz and the corn boils were taking place in town, Ormond’s population hovered around 15,000 to 20,000 people, Partington Sr. said.

“It was a much smaller community then, but all those things are great memories,” he said.

If the city’s festivities were to continue to evolve, he said he would love for Central Park to be incorporated.

To kick off the city’s fireworks, the mayor and commissioners “detonate” a faux TNT box, a tradition Partington said likely began sometime within the last decade. He’s looking forward to that too.

“It’s been a popular addition ever since,” Partington said. “That’s just a fun way to kick off the fireworks.”

THE YEARS WITH NO FIREWORKS

There have been two years in recent memory where fireworks were canceled for the Fourth of July: The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and because of the wildfires in 1998.

Boyle recalled that the city, after speaking with its fire chief at the time, opted to postpone its annual fireworks show in anticipation of the fires spreading to Ormond Beach.

“And ultimately, the fires arrived around July 4,” Boyle recalled.

The city held a firework show instead in October that year, for a fall celebration — Oktoberfest, perhaps, Boyle said.

“It wasn’t very well attended,” he said with a laugh. “It turned out to be a bad idea.”

Granada Boulevard advertises the city’s Independence Day

Stars and stripes adorn the outside of The Casements for the Fourth of July. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

DOE spring assessment results report improvements

The Florida Department of Education has released the 2024 spring assessments results, including the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking reading and math scores, statewide science assessment scores and endof-course exam scores in all other subjects.

The 2023-24 school year was the second year that the FAST progress monitoring system was in place. As a result, the state is working on calculating student learning gains based on comparisons to the 2022-23 assessment results. For assessments, DOE identifies “proficiency” as scoring a Level 3 or above out of 5. Some of the highlights included:

„ VCS maintained or increased English Language Arts achievement in grades 3-10.

„ VCS increased the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency in math grades 3-8.

„ VCS middle and high school students (grades 7-12) increased 30 percentage points in Algebra 1 achievement year over year, outpacing the

state’s 4-percentage-point gain.

„ Every Volusia County high school increased the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on the Algebra 1, Geometry, and US History end-of-course exams (EOCs).

„ 10 out of 11 (91%) Volusia County high schools increased the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on the Biology EOC.

„ Deltona Middle and Ormond Beach Middle had the largest year-over-year increase (11 percentage points) of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on the Civics EOC.

„ Ormond Beach Middle School had a 100% Geometry EOC pass rate for the third consecutive year.

„ Beachside Elementary, Champion Elementary, Forest Lake Elementary, Horizon Elementary, Sweetwater Elementary, Timbercrest Elementary, Tomoka Elementary, Deltona Middle, Galaxy Middle, Ormond Beach Middle, Atlantic High, Deltona High, Pine Ridge High, Seabreeze High, Spruce Creek High, and University High saw an increase in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on the ELA FAST Progress Monitoring (PM) 3 Assessments for all grade levels.

„ Blue Lake Elementary, Champion Elementary, Ch-

isholm Elementary, Freedom Elementary, Friendship Elementary, Horizon Elementary, Pine Trail Elementary, Campbell Middle, Deltona Middle, Galaxy Middle, Silver Sands Middle, and Taylor Middle-High saw an increase in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on the Math FAST PM 3 Assessments at all grade levels.

A1A is now ‘Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway’

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed bills that will honor the late singer Jimmy Buffett, designating Florida A1A as “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway” and creating a “Margaritaville” specialty license plate.

The highway bill (HB 91) will attach Buffett’s name to A1A from Key West to the Georgia border.

The other bill (HB 403) will make changes to the state’s specialty license-plate program and create a series of potential new plates, including one displaying the name of the Buffett song “Margaritaville.”

Proceeds from the sale of the “Margaritaville” license plate are slated to benefit the SFC Charitable Foundation, also known as Singing for Change, which Buffett founded.

The bill will take effect Oct. 1.

FARMER’S MARKET

VCS to renew contract with AdventHealth

The contract establishes AdventHealth as the “Official Healthcare Champion” for Volusia County Schools.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Will the Volusia County School Board renew its fiveyear partnership agreement with AdventHealth?

The contract — originally approved in 2018 — was pulled by Superintendent Carmen Balgobin at the board’s June 25 meeting. This was the second time the contract’s renewal was pulled, with the first having taken place in a February board meeting.

The contract establishes AdventHealth as the “Official Healthcare Champion” for Volusia County Schools — dictating that the private hospital system “is the exclusive student education and student wellness partner of the School Board for all purposes and on all levels, including but not limited to health care for students and student athletes at the schools of the School Board and healthcare academic programs, and related sponsorships and naming rights, marketing, educational and support programs, graduate recruitment, e-care, high school athlete healthcare ecosystems, athlete safety and concussion protocol at all sporting events,” according to the 2018 contract.

Balgobin told the board that the new contract would come back to them for approval at the board’s next meeting.

School Board Chair Jamie Haynes, however, had concerns about the contract.

“I appreciate everything that they’ve done, but we’ve

also lost opportunities for our students because of them having the exclusivity piece,” Haynes said.

Haynes was concerned that, because of the partnership with AdventHealth, the school district would miss out on opportunities to partner with Halifax Health.

School Board member Carl Persis, who is the only one still on the board who was present in the 2018 vote, said that when the contract came up for renewal this year, the district wanted to clarify with its general counsel on the exclusivity piece. The district wanted to ensure that it didn’t prevent Halifax Health from having any presence in the schools.

“We never felt like we had that language stated in in such a way where it where it was clear,” Persis said.

The district, he added, also sought to clarify whether AdventHealth would be the entity responsible for having an athletic trainer at every high school football game.

The agreement with AdventHealth doesn’t preclude Halifax Health from sending representatives for Career Days or having their interns help out at schools.

The district has never had a financially-backed partnership with Halifax Health, Persis said.

“ We just had a long history with them,” he said, citing the use of the hospital’s behavioral center for Baker Act cases. That didn’t change with the partnership with AdventHealth.

In a statement to the Observer, a spokesperson with AdventHealth East Florida Division said the agreement aimed to help address three key issues at VCS: chronic absenteeism, student athlete health and career development within the health care industry.

Since the 2018 contract was approved, AdventHealth has provided free physicals for VCS athletes, band members and Jr. ROTC members, as well as cardiac screenings that have helped at least two Seabreeze High School athletes become aware of heart conditions.

Haynes said at the June 25 board meeting that the contract should have been brought back in January 2023. She believed it was time for the board to take “a long, hard look” at the contract, which she said left the board with no rights on the matter; AdventHealth was given the rights to opt-out halfway through the five-year period, but the district was not given that option.

“I’ve never seen a contract like that,” Haynes said. “I just can’t believe it passed. So I agree it needs to come up.”

Persis said the biggest problem with the contract in 2018 wasn’t the agreement itself — it was the way it was handled. Late former Superintendent Tom Rusell, who was fired by the board in 2019, didn’t tell the School Board he had been working on the agreement with AdventHeallth, nor did he inform Halifax Health of the negotiations. The board didn’t want to lose a relationship with Halifax Health that would benefit students, and it hasn’t, Persis said. But the contract needed to be clarified.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be going into this next five years with a much clearer and better understanding of what the contract says and what it doesn’t say, and in the implications that it has with our other medical providers,” Persis said.

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Development, real estate + business news

Former Gourmet Kitchen has new owners

Now named Southern Kitchen, the restaurant reopened on June 12.

A longtime Ormond Beach restaurant now has a

and name.

Southern Kitchen, formerly Gourmet Kitchen, located at 1930 W. Granada Blvd., Suite 11, reopened on June 12 after it was purchased by Palm Coast resident Tom DeCarlo. Gourmet Kitchen had been open for about 30 years, having been located for about half that long on the beachside.

After 35 years of working in the car dealership industry, DeCarlo was ready for a change in career. Then, a dealership customer mentioned she worked for a company that sold restaurants.

“It really just started me looking and deciding to make a change in my life,” DeCarlo said. He found out in mid-March

that Gourmet Kitchen was up for sale. He came into the restaurant a couple times as a customer, tried the food and spoke with the servers.

DeCarlo closed on the restaurant on May 24, his birthday. He said running the restaurant — which he does alongside his family — has been exciting so far.

“We have a lot of regulars,” DeCarlo said. “There’s been a couple people that are here every morning for breakfast. I love that.”

He’s not the first restaurant owner in his family. Growing up, DeCarlo’s parents owned a seafood restaurant and market in New Jersey. His brother-in-law ran a pizzeria on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey as well.

DeCarlo is also a big fan of barbecue — his father gifted him with a smoker when DeCarlo was in his early 30s, and he said he was “hooked” from that moment on. He entered his first barbecue competition about 15 years ago. So naturally, the updated

menu for Southern Kitchen features some barbecue options: brisket and pulled pork. Ribs and smoked chicken are in the pipeline for the near future.

DeCarlo said he knew that Gourmet Kitchen had a significant following in town, so when he updated the menu, he wanted to add options — like avocado toast — without removing popular dishes.

“I want to keep a lot of the tradition of what they (the previous owners) had,” he said.

And the name change? Well, DeCarlo may not be a southerner himself, but he said he loves southern home cooking, which is what he hopes to bring to the community.

Southern Kitchen is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.

Visit southernkitchenormondbeach.com.

Email Jarleene Almenas at jarleene@observerlocalnews. com.

The children’s first mission? Raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital with a lemonade stand.

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Six Ormond Beach kids are on a mission to spread kindness.

Joey Lucent, Lilly Lucent, Jeremy Fleshwood, Daniella Roa, Savannah Lockhart and Gavin Myrick are the founding members of the “Kind Human Club,” formed a couple months ago by the St. Brendan Catholic School students to promote inclusion and acts of kindness, their first being a lemonade stand to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“I’m thinking about lemonade — we can make cookies with it,” said 8-year-old Lilly. “Like dairy-free cookie, because some people can’t really have cookies.”

Lilly’s thinking of her brother Joey, who is 10 and was the driving force behind the club’s creation.

Joey was born with Galactosemia, a rare genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to convert galactose, a sugar found in dairy, to glucose. His mother Brittany Lucent said Joey, who is also neurodivergent, often struggles to make connections with other kids.

In the last months of school, some of his peers began to single him out and refuse to sit with him at lunch. One peer, whom he considered to be a good friend, didn’t invite him to his birthday party.

“Some of my classmates were being mean to me, and then I decided to sit with someone else at lunch,” Joey said.

When Joey expressed to his

mom that he wished there were a group of kids that were always kind to one another, Brittany Lucent said she wanted to help him find those group of kids — ones that he could connect with. As someone who volunteers often at the school, she knew which kids would be a good fit. So the Kind Human Club was born.

“By them doing this, it gives them security to always have a group of kids that they can connect with and sit with at lunch, and do things with — talk about projects that they’re working on together and feel that sense of community and feel that sense of belonging,” Brittany Lucent said.

Children who are neurodivergent, she said, try hard to fit in with their peers, and it can be exhausting.

“If we celebrate all the wonderful qualities in every child instead of pick at their struggles the world would be a much better place to grow up in — with a lot less trauma to recover from in adulthood and a lot less lonely troubled kids that act out later in life,” Brittany Lucent said. “... The Kind Human Club hopes to

promote this and unite kids through understanding and cooperation — instead of competition and judgement.”

The Kind Human Club will host their lemonade stand at Main Trail between Rio Pinar Drive and Iroquois Trail in The Trails starting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 7.

The lemonade stand is just the start, the Lucent family said. Other initiatives they’d like to do in the future include picking up trash, helping the homeless, and fostering shelter dogs and cats.

“Helping out people is kind,” Lilly said. “That’s why we’re helping with kindness club. Some people are left out and it doesn’t really feel good to be left out.”

Visit the Kind Human Club page on Facebook.

Tom DeCarlo (second from right) owns Southern Kitchen. He is pictured with (from left to right) his daughter-in-law Tori, son Anthony, 3-month-old granddaughter Adrianna and daughter Samantha. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Joey Lucent, Daniella Roa, Savannah Lockhart, Jeremy Fleshwood and Gavin Myrick. Courtesy photo

Lilly Lucent

JUNE

1:33

responded to a

after receiving an anonymous call regarding a vehicle that had been running with the lights on for two hours. When police arrived, they discovered the vehicle was unoccupied, according to a police report. The keys were in the ignition.

Officers tracked down the vehicle’s registered owner and responded to her home; however, no one answered the door, and it appeared that no one was currently living at the home. There was a construction dumpster in the driveway, police noted, and signs that the home was being renovated.

Police were able to obtain phone numbers for the vehicle’s owner, her brother and father from her employer, but were unsuccessful in contacting her.

JUNE 24

MAILBOX SURPRISES

8:11 a.m. — 700 block of South Fleming Ave., Ormond Beach Suspicious incident. An Ormond Beach resident called police after he found a small

can of Coca-Cola in his mailbox. The soda was accompanied by a note written on a paper towel stating, “Sorry for your troubles.”

The citizen told police that he believed his neighbor was to blame, and that he had received other items in his mailbox throughout the weekend — a headless statue and a lamp, according to a police report.

The citizen believed that this was all caused by an argument over a garage sale. Police spoke with the neighbor, who “adamantly denied” putting anything in the citizen’s mailbox, according to the report.

JUNE 28

WHAT GOES AROUND

4:13 p.m. — 600 block of East Moody Boulevard, Flagler County False police report. A Naples, Florida woman called police to report her bicycle was stolen, only for the cops to find she had stolen the bicycle in the first place.

The woman told police that she had ridden her bicycle — a pink beach cruiser — to a nearby store while waiting on a friend to finish eating lunch, according to an arrest report. She left the bicycle unsecured outside the store and returned to find it gone.

Surveillance footage from the store showed a man riding off with the bicycle. Police were searching for the

suspect in a nearby neighborhood when they were notified the suspect had returned to the store.

The suspect told the officers that the bicycle was actually his and it had been stolen from him at the neighboring gas station, the report said. Surveillance footage from the gas station showed the man parking his bicycle behind the gas station and the woman stealing the bicycle.

The man chose not to file any criminal charges for the original theft. The woman was arrested for filing a false report.

JUNE 30

EXTENDED STAY

9:33 a.m. — Flagler County Battery. A Starke, Florida man attacked a hotel clerk when his wallet went missing and the clerk told him he’d have to wait to get the surveillance footage of his room.

The clerk told the suspect he couldn’t access the cameras and that the suspect would have to wait for the manager to come in the following day. Enraged by this answer, the suspect jumped the counter and grabbed the clerk, an arrest report said.

The suspect immediately let go of the clerk when he realized what he was doing and left the lobby area. Deputies arrived and arrested the suspect on a battery charge. His wallet is still missing.

BRIEFS

Palm Coast man charged with sexual battery on a minor

A 48-year-old Palm Coast man was arrested after allegedly molesting an underage girl.

Michael Travis Stephens, 48, was arrested on July 1 on two felony charges of sexual battery of a minor and child abuse. Stephens lives with the victim and her mother.

At around 6 a.m., the victim and her mother were in the home’s garage when Stephens came into the room, according to an arrest report.

The victim told Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies she was sleeping when she woke up to Stephens touching her thighs and whispering in her ear.

She said she was afraid, so she pretended to be asleep at first but attempted to get up when he tried to pull down her pants, the report said.

The victim said her mother had secretly called the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and that’s when deputies arrived on scene and “banged” on the door.

The girl said she secretly opened the garage door and that’s when she and her mother ran screaming from the garage to a neighbor’s home, the report said. Stephens refused to coop-

erate with law enforcement, stating multiple times that he “did not do anything wrong.” He also made several openended threats, the report said, before locking himself inside his home. Deputies were eventually able to take Stephens into custody.

According to Flagler County Clerk of Court records, Stephens has no prior history in the county. He is being held in the Flagler County jail on $125,000 bond.

Kitchen

fire

breaks out in Palm Harbor Grill restaurant

A kitchen fire broke out in the Palm Harbor Grill restaurant on June 29.

Palm Coast Fire Department units responded to the scene and found the kitchen fire extended into the restaurant’s exhaust fan system and up to the building’s roof, according to the PCFD. No injuries were reported and firefighters were able to contain the fire.

The fire caused minimal damage to the restaurant, a PCFD Facebook post said.

The Palm Harbor Grill, a Portuguese restaurant, is one of several businesses in The Shopps at Palm Harbor plaza. The Observer was not able to confirm if the Grill has temporarily closed or is open at regular hours by the time

of this publication.

Palm Coast Fire Department celebrates John Peacock for 25 years of service

The Palm Coast Fire Department celebrated Lt. John Peacock for 25 years of service to the Palm Coast Fire Department.

Peacock joined the fire department in June 1999 after obtaining his firefighter and EMT certifications.

Before his firefighting career, he served in the Air Force and worked as an EMT for Flagler County Ambulance in 1998. Promoted to lieutenant in 2004, Peacock has been an integral part of the extrication competition team and the technical rescue team.

Growing up in Crescent City, Peacock was surrounded by the fire service. His father, Allen, has been a significant figure in the Crescent City Fire Department since 1982, eventually becoming fire chief and fire marshal for Putnam County. Peacock’s mother Judy, sister Stacey, and Uncle Robert serve in Crescent City, and uncles Dave and Ronnie serving in West Virginia.

“Lt. Peacock has had an exemplary 25-year career,” PCFD Chief Kyle Berryhill said. “We are all grateful for the opportunity to have served under his leadership.”

Seabreeze High School students attend Boys State 2024

This year’s Boys State, held June 16-22 in Tallahassee, was attended by three Seabreeze High School students: Will Reece, Isaac Baldwin and Joshua Yost.

ALMENAS

JARLEENE

MANAGING EDITOR

In one week, over 400 boys from Florida built their own government –establishing political parties, electing officials and reading through about 40 proposed bills.

That’s the core of American Legion Boys State, an educational program that simulates government instruction for high school students. Each delegate is chosen from a local American Legion Post after being nominated by their school.

This year’s Boys State, held June 16-22 in Tallahassee, was attended by three Seabreeze High School students: Will Reece, Isaac Baldwin and Joshua Yost.

All came back home with stories of success. Baldwin wrote one of the five bill’s the Boys State elected governor passed. Yost was elected as a senator.

And Reece was elected as Speaker of the Assembly, one of the four legislative bodies part of the mock government.

ly unlikely that I would become the governor of Boys State, so I was just hoping I would get something — that was my goal.”

Reece has been interested in civics for a long time. History, he said, is his favorite subject at school.

Legion Post 120 in Holly Hill, along with about 10 others from other local schools in Volusia, Flagler and Putnam counties.

Reece’s mom, Laura Hill Reece, said based on her son’s desire to study political science and become an attorney, she and her husband were supportive of him attending Boys State.

Most summers, Reece, who is an Eagle Scout, works at a Boy Scout camp in North Carolina as a counselor. That took a backseat this year for Boys State.

“We all thought this would be just a pretty transformative thing for him,” Hill Reece said.

And transformative it was, Reece said.

“It truly is the best and the brightest in the state,” he said. “There are some absolutely incredible boys there. I’m glad that these boys will be the future leaders of our cities and our counties, of our state government.”

He said he learned a lot. Lost a few elections on his way to becoming speaker too.

To become speaker, he had to take a parliamentary candidacy test.

He was not familiar with parliamentary law before attending Boys State, but he studied the sheet they were given and placed in the top five in his chamber, making him eligible to run for speaker.

“My message was unity between the parties,” Reece said. “... And it worked. I pretty easily won the Speaker of the Assembly election.”

His chamber held four legislative sessions over two days, reading more than 40 bills and passing 27. Of those 27, five were passed to the sister chamber, and were signed into law by the Boys State governor. Including, Reece said, a bill that allowed Boys State participants to DoorDash food to their rooms at the end of the day.

Every bill that gets passed at Boys State programs around the U.S. does get introduced at the next respective state House and Senate legislative session.

“I think probably most boys there wanted to be the governor,” Reece said.

“I love that in America, we have a democracy where people were able to elect their own leaders,” Reece said.

“I knew it was going to be high-

YOUR TOWN

Bethune-Cookman University to celebrate founder’s 149th birthday

Bethune-Cookman University is inviting the community to a celebration in honor of founder Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s 149th birthday.

His grandparents attended Boys

“Each year, we celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of our Founder, who dedicated her life to paving the way for others to succeed and have extraordinary opportunities,” said Dr. William Berry, acting president and provost of BethuneCookman University. “It is with great pride that we continue this annual tradition to ensure her legacy continues to live on and represents what she has meant to our institution and the world.”

From 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, July

State and Girls State — which is sponsored by American Legion Auxiliary — when they were in high school, too. Founded in 1935 in Illinois, the youth leadership program teaches participants “the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens,” according to the Florida American Legion.

The Seabreeze High School students were delegates of American

10, attendees will have the opportunity to gain greater insight into Dr. Bethune, her life and achievements by exploring a curated exhibit of artifacts from the Mary McLeod Bethune Home and University Archives. B-CU says this event is only the beginning of year-long festivities aimed at generating excitement for the sesquicentennial anniversary in 2025.

“It is my distinct honor and privilege to welcome the campus and community to this marked occa-

“I think I lost six or seven elections on the first day,” Reece said. “It was a struggle.”

On the first day of Boys State, they elected fictional city officials. On the second day, the elected their county representatives and on the third day, it was all about the state elections.

The boys represented two different political parties — the Nationalists and Federalists. Reece was in the Federalist party.

sion celebrating the birth, life, and legacy of our beloved founder as one of the greatest American and global citizens to ever live,” said Dr. Crystal A. deGregory, director of the Mary McLeod Bethune Institute for the Study of Women and Girls.

“We are also saying to the world, as you make plans to celebrate our Founder’s sesquicentennial birthday, come home to Bethune-Cookman, ‘The Home That Mary Built.’” The 149th birthday celebration will be held on campus July 10 inside

The DoorDash bill probably won’t go anywhere, Reece said, but the boys did pass bills regarding a reform for boating insurance, increasing trade school funding and reducing toll road costs for veterans.

“You know the little rumble strips on the side of the interstate? That was originally a Boys Stater bill in Florida,” Reece said.

Reece got to take home the gavel after Boys State — a highlight. How many times did he use it?

“That number would be in triple digits, probably,” Reece said.

Carl S. Swisher Library, which is located at 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd. in Daytona Beach. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served between 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. For more information about Bethune-Cookman University, visit www.Cookman.edu.

Send community news to Managing Editor Jarleene Almenas at Jarleene@observerlocalnews.com

Will Reece sits in Rep. Tom Leek’s seat in the Florida House chamber in Tallahassee. Courtesy photo

BRIEFS BIZ BUZZ

Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park receives grant

Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Florida State Parks Foundation. According to a press release, It is one of 10 Florida State Parks citizen support organizations selected to receive the small grant award for 2024.

The grant, matched with Friends’ funds, will be used to purchase a safe and reliable pickup truck to help park volunteers perform tasks across the park’s 144 acres.

“We are extremely grateful for this funding opportunity,” Greg Wilson, the Friends of the park’s board president, said. “As a beachfront park, our vehicles deteriorate quickly. With this award, (Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park) is pleased to be able to provide a vehicle to help the park continue its mission of protecting and interpreting our beautiful natural environment here in Florida.”

The Florida State Parks Foundation is a nonprofit that supports and helps sustain the Florida Park Service, its 175 parks, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers. The grants are used to enhance visitor experiences, accessibility features and park improvement efforts.

Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park received a $5,000 grant from the foundation in 2023 that went towards the purchase of a golf cart used for park maintenance.

The group’s mission is to support Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area and North Peninsula State Park through fundraising, community involvement, educational outreach, and enhancements of park resources.

Last year, 156 Friends members supported park projects including Sea Turtle Patrol, Shuck and Share, Pepper Pickers, Butterfly Garden and general maintenance. New members are welcome! For more information visit frogrs.com or email membership@friendsofgamblerogersstatepark.com.

Volusia County’s Youth Water Safety Initiative offers free alarms to families

Volusia County will distribute free door and pool-motion alarms starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 28, at six locations to improve water safety for households with children. The giveaway includes a four-pack of window/door alarms that emit a sound when a door or window opens and pool alarms that activate with water surface disturbances. Each household can receive one set of each alarm type.

Residents of Volusia County who are at least 18 years old and willing to complete the necessary paperwork are eligible to receive the alarms. When collecting the alarms, applicants must provide proof of residency, such as a driver’s license, mortgage documents, rental lease, or utility bill. The individual picking up the alarms must also reside in the household using them. There are no income requirements to qualify for an alarm.

The alarms will be available at six regional libraries on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies run out. No appointments or reservations are being provided. Distribution sites include:

Daytona Beach Regional Library, 105 Jackie Robinson ParkwayDeLand Regional Library, 130 E. Howry Ave.Deltona Regional Library, 2150 Eustace Ave.New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie FreewayOrmond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St.Port Orange Regional Library, 1005 City Center CircleThe Volusia County Council endorsed this initiative during its May 21 meeting in an effort to prevent accidental drownings, the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 in Florida. In addition, the council approved funding for the Volusia Flagler Family YMCA and the Daytona Beach Parks and Recreation Department to offer free or reduced-rate swim lessons to income-eligible children this summer. Parents interested in enrolling their children in swim lessons can contact the YMCA or the Daytona Beach Parks and Recreation Department.

Children’s Business Fair features over 20 local youth entrepreneurs

The second annual Children’s Business Fair featured over 20 young entrepreneurs from 6-year-olds to teenagers.

The fair was held on June 29 at the Palm Coast Community Center where the children were responsible for all parts of their business displays, from the setup to sales with customers.

The businesses displayed hand-made jewelry, baked goods, live plants and bulbs, car detailing services, handmade paracord bracelets, original artwork and other amazing products for purchase, a Culinary Wellness press release said.

“We continue to support our young entrepreneurs in this community and organizing this event provides them that opportunity,” said Maria Delgado, the founder of Culinary Wellness. “We’re so proud of each and every kid vendor that participated in this oneday marketplace and thankful to the community that came out to support them today.”

The Children’s Business Fair was available to children within Palm Coast and the surrounding areas and was sponsored by the non-profit Remembering Heroes, the press release said.

Six participants also received award certificates with gift cards for one of three categories: “Most Business Potential,” “Most Original Idea” and “Best Presentation at the Children’s Busi-

ness Fair.” All were treated to a surprise pizza lunch with snack boxes and treats, provided by Palm Coast realtor

Donna Dorst and businesses Charcuterie Dreams and Leilani’s Sweetery, the press release said.

Chick-fil-A Palm Coast team members receive scholarships

Chick-fil-A Palm Coast Operator Glen Efford recently surprised five Chickfil-A team members with Remarkable Future Scholarships.

The team members were awarded checks disguised as giant sauce containers that totaled $12,500.

The scholarship recipients were Tyler Haywood, Alexandra Khoriakov, Maria Maglalang, Mariah Siebert and Aiden Martin. This is Siebert’s fourth year receiving the scholarship, Maglalang’s third year and Khoriakov’s second year.

Efford said he is fortunate for the lasting impact these team members have left on his restaurant and its guests.

“We are so proud of these outstanding young people because they represent the best of our youth today,” Efford said. “Each one of them possesses a true servant’s heart, and they display care in everything they do, both in the restaurant and in their community. Simply put, they are remarkable.”

In order to qualify for the scholarship, team members must show involvement in the community, have an influential role within the restaurant and be recommended by senior leadership.

New Skechers store coming to Palm Coast

Palm Coast will soon have its first Skechers store.

The name-brand shoe store will open its first location on July 11 in the Island Walk Shopping Plaza at 250 Palm Coast Parkway, according to Skechers’ website. The store front is located on the west side of the plaza.

This is Skechers’ first store in the Flagler County area. According to the website, the store will be open 11 a.m.7 p.m. on Sundays and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

New RC racing drift track to have day camps for kids

A local remote control car racing track will be hosting summer day camps in July for kids ages 8 to 16.

The Baka Drift RC Track is a new local fun spot for kids and adults that opened in May. RC drifting originated in Japan in the 1990s and replicates the drifts seen on professional race tracks, a Baka Drift press release said. “RC car drifting is one of the most exciting things you can do with your radio-control vehicle,” the press release said. “It’s fun, challenging, and recreates a full-size racing maneuver that drives spectators wild.”

Baka Drift will have two summer camps: the first from July 15-19 for ages 8-12 and from July 22-26 for ages 13-16. It also hosts a RC drift school for kids ages 8-16 on Sundays.

The RC drifting camp will teach kids sportsmanship and responsibility while also exposing campers to STEM learning and improving hand-eye coordination, creativity and imagination, according to the Baka Drift website.

The camps will go from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and those interested can register online. The store is regularly open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for general access, and open for adults only from 6-10 p.m. Baka Drift offers memberships, day access, beginner lessons and other packages, with more information available at BakaDriftRC.com.

Baka Drift is located at 4601 East Moody Blvd., units D3-4, Bunnell. The store takes inspiration from Japan with scale buildings along the tracks, the press release said.

Chick-fil-A Palm Coast scholarship

winners Tyler Haywood, Alexandra Khoriakov, Maria Maglalang, Mariah Siebert and Aiden Martin. Courtesy photo

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Oceanfront home is top seller in Flagler County

Ahouse at 2943 N. Ocean Shore Blvd. in Flagler Beach was the top real estate transaction for May 9-15 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The home sold on May 9 for $1,275,000. Built in 1988, the oceanfront house is a 3/3 and has one fireplace, a private beach walkover and 2,177 square feet. It sold in 2001 for $575,000.

GRANT MCMILLAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos

The condo at 3580 S. Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 209, sold on May 15 for $325,900. Built in 1982, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,358 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $323,000.

The condo at 1400 Canopy Walk Lane, Unit 1425, sold on May 15 for $300,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,712 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $233,000.

The condo at 400 Cinnamon Beach Way, Unit 331, sold on May 9 for $840,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/3 and has 2,003 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $479,000.

FLAGLER BEACH

Rio Mar

The home at 1421 N. Central Ave. sold on May 15 for $475,000. Built in 1997, the home is a 4/3.5 and has one fireplace and has 2,737 square feet. It last sold in 2012 for $340,000.

Fuquay

The home at 1620 S. Fla-

gler Ave. sold on May 15 for $1,100,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and has 2,305 square feet.

PALM COAST

Palm Harbor

The home at 35 Collindale Court sold on May 10 for $950,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,864 square feet.

The home at 15 Cherrytree Court sold on May 10 for $778,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,105 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $458,000.

The home at 42 Cortes Court sold on May 15 for $740,000. Built in 1980, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool and 1,903 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $665,000.

Cypress Knoll

The home at 37 Elder Drive sold on May 15 for $560,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool, one fireplace and 2,173 square feet. It last sold in 2012 for $205,000.

Toscana The home at 114 New Leatherwood Drive sold on May 13 for $860,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a pool and 2,712 square feet.

Grand Haven The home at 13 Riverbend Drive sold on May 10 for $845,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool and 2,663 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $460,000.

The home at 56 Osprey Circle sold on May 13 for $765,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 4/3 and has a large patio, heated spa and 2,806 square feet. It last sold in 2007 for $585,000.

The home at 11 Osprey Circle sold on May 3 for $735,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool and 2,558 square feet.

The home at 9 Ibis Court N. sold on May 10 for $565,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,811 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $465,000.

Hidden Lakes The home at 29 Graham Woods Place sold on May 9 for $610,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,993 square feet.

Matanzas Woods

The home at 53 Londonderry Drive sold on May 13 for $540,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,515 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $324,000. Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report.

John Anderson Drive home sells for $1.38M

Ahouse at 401 John Anderson Drive was the top real estate transaction for May 9-15 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. The home sold on May 14 for $1,380,000. Built in 1960, the house is 5/4 and has a pool and 2,885 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $770,000.

GRANT MCMILLAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condo

The condo at 2860 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 5030, sold on May 10 for $343,000. Built in 1990, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,056 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $210,000.

The condo at 10 Lynnhurst Drive, Unit 103, sold on May 10 for $205,000. Built in 1974, the condo is a 2/2 and has 930 square feet. It last sold in 2004 for $95,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Hunter’s Ridge

The home at 36 Meadow Ridge sold on May 9 for $343,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,815 square feet. It last sold in 2000 for $128,000.

Woodlands

The home at 29 Woodlands Blvd. sold on May 9 for $250,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,551 square feet. It last sold in 2001 for $76,000.

Ormond Lakes

The home at 5 Deerskin Lane sold on May 9 for $485,000. Built in 1998, the house is a

4/2 and has a pool and 2,391 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $323,500.

Halifax Plantation

The home at 1336 Arklow Circle sold on May 10 for $725,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2.5 and has 3,221 square feet.

The home at 2884 Monaghan Drive sold on May 10 for $440,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,839 square feet.

The home at 4050 Campa Lane sold on May 10 for $691,500. Built in 1992, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, heated spa and has 2,940 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $600,000.

Park Place

The home at 37 Park Place sold on May 10 for $268,900. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,436 square feet. It last sold in 2012 for $60,000.

Silver Pines

The home at 1749 Valencia Avenue sold on May 10 for $282,500. Built in 1971, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,179 square feet. It last sold in 2009 for $89,900.

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Plantation Bay The home at 29 Newhaven Lane sold on May 10 for $424,900. Built in 2020, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,136 square feet.

Royal Dunes

The home at 200 Royal Dunes Circle sold on May 10 for $740,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool and 1,967 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $332,000

Creekside

The home at 33 S. Laurel Creek Court sold on May 10 for $652,410. Built in 2013, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a pool and 2,669 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $335,800.

Aqua Vista The home at 3 Water Oak Circle sold on May 13 for $415,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,762 square feet. It last sold in 2013 for $165,000.

Triton Beach The home at 108 Pinecrest Avenue sold on May 13 for $417,000. Built in 1960, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,649 square feet. It last sold in 2004 for $245,000.

Kingston Park The home at 1854 John Anderson Drive sold on May 15 for $1,030,000. Built in 1962, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool, heated spa and 2,432 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $725,000.

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

PALM COAST

ORMOND BEACH

LETTERS

Fund students, not the system

Dear Editor:

While reading last week’s Ormond Beach Observer article regarding the Volusia School District student enrollment numbers of about 58,000, and knowing the School Board’s budget of $1.4 billion, I did some math and came up with about $24,000 cost per student per year. That’s a lot. I did a quick google search for Volusia teacher salary and saw the starting pay is about the same as the cost of two students. Yet, the students to teacher ratio is several times higher than that. This is highly inefficient. I’ve talked with teachers who do tutoring on the side and parents who homeschool. Teachers have told me they prefer tutoring approach because they actually make more money per hour than their teaching salary broken down per hour. Parents who homeschool their students tell me the schedule flexibility is paramount. They can take family trips during the school session time of year and not worry about their children having to catch up on missed assignments. Safety was also a concern of many parents I’ve talked with. Unfortunately, there is added costs for school safety officers. Another concern is what material is taught or what books their children may find at the school library, or that certain books aren’t allowed. All those concerns could be alleviated by having an education funding

YOUR TOWN

Florida International United Miss Jr. Preteen partners with ERAU for backpack drive

Ormond Beach’s Gianna Capri, 10, who is also Florida International United Miss Jr. Preteen 2024, has partnered with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Volunteer Network to raise funds and collect new school supplies for foster children in the surrounding communities.

This will be Gianna’s third annual backpack Back to School drive benefiting Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health located in DeLand, according to a press release. She first began the initiative in the summer of 2022.

This year, Gianna connected with Sophia Mazzuchelli, an Embry Riddle Aeronautical University student from The Volunteer Network at ERAU, to help with the effort.

“The Volunteer Network continuously strives to support and empower our campus community to make a difference by engaging in causes that positively impact the diversity of the community that surrounds us,” Mazzuchelli said in the press release. “The mission of serving those with disabilities as well as supporting the academic achievement of young people is one area that we value and the reason we are supporting Michael’s Ohana.” Michael’s ‘Ohana was established in June 2021 after the death of Michael Alberico, a longtime resident of Ormond Beach. Michael’s ‘Ohana raises awareness, funding, and gifts for nonprofit organizations especially those within the Intellectual Developmental Disability and other special needs community.

The Volunteer Network held a tabling event for the backpack drive this past month. They will continue to have a donation box, that will be located in the student leadership suite, for the remainder of the summer. Donations are also accepted at

allocation based on money following the student rather than funding the system. Parents and teachers can make agreements with each other for what curriculum and schedules work best for all involved. I’m certain the overall tax burden could be reduced while making these improvements as well.

JOE HANNOUSH

Ormond Beach

Editor’s note: Joe Hannoush is a candidate for Florida House District 28.

Thank you, Oysters for Ormond

Dear Editor: Almost every day, we receive mail from those wanting to be elected. They tell us what they have done and what they will do for Ormond Beach.

There are two people, Chuck and Pat Gleichmann, who are not running for office so you may not know how much they have done to improve the environment of our city. They have organized citizens and local business to clean the polluted water in the Halifax River and restore the fish population. Thank you, Chuck and Pat for your labor and helping assemble and hang our oyster gardens.

Did you know that just one oyster can filter 50 gallons of sea water in one day? We also thank CCA Florida (Coastal Conservation Association) for attending our first organizational meeting and demonstrating how to create our hanging gardens. We appreciate the many

https://fundraise.givesmart.com/ vf/DevereuxFlorida/JenniferCapri.

The goal of this fundraiser is to raise $2,000 for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health foster children.

Gianna Capri, is thrilled to be representing the Florida International United Miss system and hopes that young girls can see how one person can make an impact, the press release states.

“Gianna Capri encourages students when she meets with them that we may not all look alike or have the same abilities, but we all can have respect and have empathy for our differences,” the press release states. “Every student should go to school excited and have the joy of wearing a new backpack.”

volunteers who participated in the worthy cause of cleaning our river and bringing the fish back.

BARBARA SANDBERG

Ormond Beach

Volusia County Republican Party endorses candidates

On Tuesday, June 25, local members of the Republican Executive Committee gathered for their annual Voter Guide vote. While the committee meets monthly, this particular meeting draws the largest number of attendees all year. Candidates are given two minutes to speak, and all members in attendance are able to vote on their preferred candidate. The candidate who draws 60% of the vote or more, also known as the super majority of the vote, is given the official endorsement of the Volusia County GOP Republican Executive Committee and is placed on their official voter guide. The following races were voted on:

U.S. Representative District 6

Michael Waltz obtained the super majority of the vote over opponent John Grow.

U.S. Representative District 7:

Cory Lee Mills obtained the super majority of the vote over opponent Mike Johnson.

State Senator District 7

Tom Leek obtained the super majority of the vote over opponents Gerry James and David Shoar.

State Representative District 27

Richard Gentry received the majority of the vote over opponents Steve Shives and Beckie Sirolli, but did not receive 60%, so no endorsement was made in this race.

Clerk of Court Laura Roth obtained the super majority of the vote over opponent John Flemm.

County Council District 2

Matt Reinhart received the super majority vote over opponent Steve Miller.

Volusia County School Board District 2

This was an extremely close race. Angela Kopnicky received the majority of the vote, but not 60%, over opponent Krista Goodrich, so neither were endorsed.

Ormond Beach City Commission Zone 3

Kristin Deaton received the super majority vote over opponent Barbara Bonarrigo, receiving the endorsement.

New Smyrna Beach Mayor Fred Cleveland won the super majority vote over opponent Frank Thomas Dalton Jr.

Port Orange Mayor Scott Stiltner won the super majority vote over opponent Derek LaMontagne.

Information provided by RECVC Chairman Paul Deering

Make yourself at home

(Re)discovering Disney

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

Tomoka Elementary is on track to open in August

Volusia County Schools gave the community a sneak peek of the new Tomoka Elementary School on Monday, July 1.

The school district posted images of the school’s construction progress on its Facebook page. VCS broke ground on the school’s new $49.3 million campus in June 2023.

The old campus dated back to 1968.

“This state-of-the-art facility, opening in August, promises to bring incredible opportunities for our students and educators,” the district wrote on its Facebook page. “It’s a fresh start that signifies our commit-

The scene couldn’t be more somber. Snow White, apparently dead, though still perfectly beautiful, lies on a bed, surrounded by her only friends at an intimate funeral. As organ music warbles in the country cabin, pearly tears roll down the cheeks of the seven dwarves, like the wax dripping down the candles in the foreground. Even Grumpy is overcome, sobbing into his hands as he turns from our view. The animals, who had pranced at Snow White’s

ment to providing the best educational facilities for our students. Get ready to be amazed!”

Once open, the new school will have a student capacity of 836 students and feature an improved parent drop-off area.

Council on Aging granted $50,000 to help senior citizens in Volusia

The Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties have granted over $50,000 to the Council on Aging, a press release announced Friday.

The donation came after the Good Samaritan Society’s decision to shift its focus to the midwest. In light of this transition, the society reached out to CF UWVFC for assistance in identifying a local nonprofit organization that could continue servicing Volusia County. CF UWVFC identified the Council on Aging of Volusia County, Inc. and

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

Office Coordinator Kay Raymond, Kay@observerlocalnews.com

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feet earlier in the film, now peer in from the window, shut out, in the rain. Not a word is spoken. Fade to black.

“No way that’s the end!” my 6-year-old son, Luke, said in disbelief, as he watched the movie for the first time recently.

He was right, of course: Prince Charming arrives!

And thus, another generation had discovered the power of the early Disney movies. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was originally released Dec. 21, 1937, an astounding 87 years ago.

Another night, it was my children’s first watch of “The Jungle Book,” which was released 30 years later, in 1967. It’s full of serious themes: belonging and isolation, the struggle against nature, the struggle within.

Luke was through with the heavi-

ness, though. When I asked him about his favorite part of the movie, it was an easy choice: “The Bare Necessessities,” the comic relief of Baloo teaching Mowgli how to live, through jazz.

I was amused to think that “The Jungle Book” was released 13 years before I was born; therefore, to me, it’s always been ancient history. By that same logic and timespan, however, a movie like “Madagascar” would be ancient history to Luke, since it was released in 2005, or 13 years before he was born.

As Luke drifted off to sleep under his blanket, the moonlight striping his little frame through the blinds, I imagined my own father looking at me as a little child, after I first experienced “The Jungle Book,” a movie that didn’t exist when he was a child.

Somehow, some movies both stop time and also speed it along, turning the hearts of the children to their fathers, the hearts of the fathers to their children, as we turn out the lights and also exclaim, “No way that’s the end!”

the Good Samaritan Society contributed the funds that allowed the COA to establish its Diamond Fund.

“We are thrilled to be a part of recognizing the Council on Aging as they continue their mission of supporting the elderly community in Volusia County,” said Courtney Edgcomb, president and CEO of the CF UWVFC. “We are confident that the Diamond Fund will make a meaningful impact on the lives of many.”

Recent data shows that more than half of Volusia County’s senior citizens are struggling with financial stability, the press release states.

According to the findings from United for ALICE, 52% of seniors in Volusia County fall under the catego-

ry of ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed) or below.

“The Diamond Fund will allow Council on Aging of Volusia County, Inc. to provide one-time emergency funding to vulnerable elderly individuals on the west side of Volusia County in order to keep them in their own homes, which directly aligns with our mission,” said Heather Haroldson, director of Programs at Council on Aging Volusia County.

“This will also allow us to reach seniors who are not yet receiving services from COA but are in desperate need of them, essentially bridging the gap between crisis and stability.”

Anthony Capri, Bobby Capri and Gianna Capri. Courtesy photos

A look at the exterior of Tomoka Elementary.

A look inside the new Tomoka Elementary. Photo courtesy of Volusia County Schools

Terri Karol, co-executive director of COA; Courtney Edgcomb, CEO and President of CF UWVFC; Heather Haroldson director of Programs at COA; and Eveline Kraljic co-executive of COA.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Aloha, old friend

Ormond Beach, Palm Coast surfing pals reconnect after 44 years apart.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

Glenn Steinberg went from booth to booth at Ormond Beach’s Art in the Park festival in early May.

“Do you know David Hettel?” he asked every artist and vendor.

Steinberg had just moved to Palm Coast on April 30, and he was trying to find contact information for his friend, Hettel, who is an Ormond Beach artist and surfer. Steinberg said he hadn’t been successful in finding him online at that time. And he struck out at the festival. But, one day soon thereafter, he found Hettel’s website. Steinberg, who is also an artist himself, filled out an order form.

Hettel said he was excited when he saw it.

“I thought, ‘Oh somebody ordered something from my website,’” Hettel said. “And then I saw it was Glenn, and I’m like, ‘What’?”

The last time they saw each other in person was when they said goodbye in 1980 at the Honolulu airport. And here his friend was, reaching out 44 years later. Hettel called him immediately.

“I was so happy to hear from him,” he said. “It was such a kick.”

BONDING THROUGH ART

The late ‘70s in Hawaii for Hettel and Steinberg was full of lots of good waves, colorful art and cheap

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, JULY 4

STARS AND STRIPES PARADE

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: North 6th Street to South 6th Street along A1A, Flagler Beach

Details: The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach will present its annual parade, following its traditional route, for the Fourth of July. Free.

MUSIC IN THE PARK

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Veterans Park, 101 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Flagler Beach

Details: DJ Vern will provide music for the Fourth of July. This is part of the United Flagler 4th celebrations.

CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY PRESENTS ‘CELEBRATE AMERICA’

When: 1-2:30 p.m.

Where: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 5400 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast

Details: The Choral Arts Society will present this concert on the Fourth of July. Free, but donations are accepted to assist in providing scholarships to local college-bound students. Visit casfl.org.

UNITED FLAGLER 4TH

When: 6-10 p.m.

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

Details: Flagler County residents and visitors are invited to the United Flagler 4th Community Celebration, hosted by Flagler County Govern-

dinners at Sizzler.

Hettel moved to Hawaii in 1976 with the sole mission to surf. A friend of his, who was also a surfer, invited him to move to Oahu. His friend had just started a new beach concession business, and told Hettel he had a job and a place to stay if he moved.

So Hettel moved and started selling Hawaiian Tropic on the shores of Waikiki Beach.

At the time, Steinberg frequently sold his art on Kalakaua Avenue, across Waikiki Beach. He moved to Oahu in 1975 after he was captivated by Hawaii’s beauty.

“I was traveling around the world and Hawaii was my last stop,” Steinberg said. “I just fell in love with it.”

Steinberg is a Vietnam War veteran, having served in the Army. When he got out, he said he wanted to do something positive for the world.

Art became that something positive.

“It took me 15 years of being a terrible artist before I really started to find that I wanted to do, ‘Colors and fun,’” he said.

His art is what Hettel’s eye. He recalled that Steinberg had a painting depicting the inside of a bathroom in an old house with a checkerboard floor. It was whimsical and it was fun.

The pair started talking and hit it off on the shores of Waikiki. They became fast friends in a short period of time, bonding over surfing, drinking beer on the beach, talking about art and goofing off.

And, “chasing wahines in bikinis on Oahu,” Steinberg said. “Yahoo!”

ment and the cities of Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell. Gates open at 5 p.m. and fireworks start at 9 p.m. There will be vendors, a beer garden, kids’ activities and a main stage with a DJ. At 7 p.m., local officials will recite the Declaration of Independence.

CITY OF ORMOND BEACH’S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

When: 8-9:30 p.m.

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Join the city of Ormond Beach for its annual Fourth of July fireworks display. Fireworks at 9 p.m. There will be music and food trucks. Call 676-3241.

FRIDAY, JULY 5

RED, WHITE & BOOM

Where: 8 a.m. Friday, July 5, to 2 p.m. Sunday, July 7

Where: Florida Cracker Ranch, 797 County Road 200, Bunnell

Details: Celebrate the Fourth of July all weekend long. Gates open at 8 a.m. on Friday, July 5. There will be live music with the Cam Wheaton band and food truck vendors including Cool Beans Barbecue, Sassy’s Lemonade, Dean’s Oyster Bar and Wild Thorne Dairy. There will be a free kids zone. Come explore over 1,200 acres of ATV trails. Tickets, which include camping, cost $40 in advance and $65 at the gate. Visit flaglerbroadcasting.com.

SUMMER CLASSES FOR KIDS

When: 12-2 p.m.

Where: Art Among the Flowers, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite A114,

CATCHING WAVES

When the pair starting hanging out in Oahu, Steinberg was a beginner surfer. Hettel, who grew up in the local area with its surfing legends and abundance of surf lesson opportunities, was a lot more experienced.

“Out of the kindness of his heart, he actually let me go surfing with him,” Steinberg said.

Hettel took him out to Oahu’s North Shore and let him borrow his roommate’s board. Which, Steinberg broke.

“I snapped the nose off,” he recalled.

That’s not hard to do, Hettel said. But it is pretty unusual.

“Everything has to go just right in the wrong way,” Hettel said.

Hettel and Steinberg didn’t stay

Palm Coast

Details: Looking for something fun for your kids to do this summer?

Art Among the Flowers is offering classes for children ages 7-16. All classes will include a tour of the flower shop, exploring and learning about the different plants and flowers, and then hands-on learning a different technique with a professional instructor. Children also get to take their creations home. This class will teach them to design a flower arrangement with fresh-cut stems in a wicker basket. Class costs $25. Visit artamongtheflowers.com.

MOVIES ON THE HALIFAX

When: 8:30 p.m.

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a showing of “The Little Mermaid,” rated PG. Movies are weathersensitive. Call 386-676-3216 for rainout information.

SATURDAY, JULY 6

SHARE WITH THE MAYOR

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

Where: Palm Coast City Hall, 160 Lake Ave., Palm Coast

Details: Engage with Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin at this weekly event, to be held every Saturday morning at the outdoor seating area by the flagpole and garden at City Hall.

ORMOND ART WALK

When: 3-7 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach MainStreet Arts District, 128 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach Details: Join Ocean Art Gallery,

pursued that and started his own company, Primal Colors Paint & Design.

He decided to focus on his own art around three to four years ago, and during the month of June, he was Frame of Mind’s featured June 2024 ArtWalk artist, with his work on display inside Gold Leaf Coffee.

RESTORING A CONNECTION

After reestablishing contact, Steinberg and Hettel went out to lunch in Palm Coast. Then, a couple days later, Steinberg drove down to Ormond and Hettel took him down to Ponce Inlet.

“We didn’t stop talking for like two and a half hours,” Hettel said.

Hettel is hoping to get Steinberg back on a surfboard. He also got Steinberg’s 3-year-old grandson Archer a boogie board.

“He’s got me watching surfing stuff right now,” Steinberg said. Steinberg said he feels close to Hettel again, which he said is cool because not every friendship is like that.

“He was a great friend,” Steinberg said. “He was a great guy to hang out with. ... We had a lot of fun.”

To learn more about Hettel’s art, visit davidhettelart.com. To learn more about Steinberg art, contact ArtbyGlenn@gmail.com or call 425 275 6972.

in contact for the 44 years they were apart. Once Facebook launched, they did connect on the social media website and exchange a few messages — they spoke about their marriages, children, about how Steinberg was living in Seattle (he moved away from Hawaii in 1994).

“But when I knew we were moving to Palm Coast, I was so excited, because I knew he lived in Ormond Beach,” Steinberg said.

When Hettel moved back home in 1980, he started taking art courses at Daytona Community College, now Daytona State University. He took on any job that related to the arts, from airbrushing surfboards to screen printing.

In the late ‘90s, when decorative faux painting became popular, he

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

KATE MOSEMAN BOOK

SIGNING EVENT

When: 3-7 p.m.

Where: Fern and Fable Books, 51 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Meet local author Kate Moseman and get your book personally signed. Moseman is the author of the “West Side Witches,” “Midlife Elementals” and “Supernatural Sweethearts” series. Free event.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE DINNER

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Atlantic Grille, Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa, 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Palm Coast

Details: Enjoy dinner and a front row seat to watch the firework show starting at dusk at Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa. Atlantic Grille is offering a prix fixe three-course diner for $65 per person. Reservations required. They can be made at opentable.com.

MONDAY, JULY 8

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: THE GREAT JUNGLE JOURNEY

When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, July 8-12

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

Details: Explore answers to Biblical questions while on a jungle adventure. The camp is open to children in pre-K to eighth grade. Free. Register at fbcpc.org.

TUESDAY, JULY 9

‘ON MY WAY TO K’

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details: WUCF is hosting a pop-up experience at the Ormond Beach library. Families are welcome to stop by and grab a guidebook, experiment with different activities and learning tools featured in the book, and take home a PBS Kids Summer Learning Pack.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

AARP ORMOND CHAPTER 1057 MEETING

When: 10 a.m. to noon

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

Details: This month’s guest speaker will be Michael Pyle, an attorney, author and local historian. An optional $5 light lunch will follow. For more information, call President Jeff Boyle at 386-341-9013.

PROBUS CLUB OF PALM COAST

When: 11 a.m. to noon

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

Details: This is a social club for retired and semiretired men and women meeting monthly with a guest speaker on a topic of interest with other social events during the month. This month’s guest speaker is Lauren Johnston, Palm Coast assistant city manager. Free meeting. All are welcome to attend. For more information contact Larry Wright at palmcoastprobusclub@gmail.com.

Glenn Steinberg sells his paintings in Oahu in the late 1970s. Courtesy photos David Hettel, of Ormond Beach, in Oahu in the late 1970s.

Glenn Steinberg and David Hettel have reconnected after over four decades apart. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

"Birds of Paradise" by Glenn Steinberg

“Surfer, Punta Blanco” by David Hettel

The exhibit, titled “Collaboration,” will run through Sept. 29.

A new exhibition at One Daytona’s Gallery500 explores the theme of collaboration featuring a series of works by five artists: Robert Shirk, of Ormond Beach; Beau Wild, of Port Orange; Jean Banas, of New Smyrna Beach; and Lillian Verkins, and Jennifer Payne, of Orlando. The exhibition opened on Friday,

June 28, and will run through Sep. 29.

The exhibit’s concept was born when Shirk expressed to Gallery500 Director Amber O’Neal that he wished to add something different to his work. Shirk, who is a NeoPointillist artist, admires abstract expressionistic work, but that art style doesn’t come naturally to him.

“It’s just not in my personality,” Shirk said. “So I was telling her, ‘I know a number of artists that maybe we can collaborate.’”

The first artist he contacted was Wild, who paints both non-objective and figurative abstracts.

“I thought it was exciting and it would be unexpected,” Wild said. “You never know what’s going to happen when you collaborate with someone else.”

Shirk added his trademark dots — which he paints on multiple sheets of layered plexiglass to create an image — to works by each of the other four artists. The women would give him a piece and he’d work on it and give it back.

Wild was the last artist to turn in her two paintings, and she joked that it’s due to the subjects Shirk chose for her works: A monkey and a laughing man.

“Gorgeous women — the

Geisha, the fairy and the Spanish dancing woman,” Wild said, laughing. “And then I get the monkey.”

Banas’ works follow in the tradition of the abstract expressionists movemennt, according to her artist statement, in which the painting process is the subject matter. Banas, who at 94 years old just won Best of Show with one of her paintings at the Florida Artists Group Symposium in late June, was initially afraid her pieces were too big for the initiative.

But Shirk talked her into saying yes. Her collaborative piece with Shirk features a Geisha, and once she saw it completed, she didn’t want to touch it.

“I always like to try experimenting with different things and I loved [Shirk’s] work, so I thought it would be great, and it worked out really well,” Banas said.

And after Verkins saw the art piece by Banas and Shirk, she agreed to join in the collaboration as well. She gave Shirk her piece titled, “Before I disappear,” and Shirk added a Flamenco dancer. In May, it won an award of distinction at the Art League of Day-

tona Beach “The Way I See It” exhibition.

“When he showed me the idea, I was like, ‘Great! I love it,’” Verkins recalled. When it came to Shirk’s collaboration with Payne — whose work is “completely intuitive and spontaneous,” according to her artist statement — he saw the painting she provided and he wanted to add a magical flair. A couple months ago, Shirk had seen another one of Payne’s pieces featuring a fairy, and thought it was perfect. The exhibit features five collaborative pieces, plus works by each respective artist.

Painters don’t collaborate very often, Verkins said. She said some people asked her how she could give her painting to another artist to work on.

“I think it’s so great that we were able to let it go — to go ahead and have that freedom to let it go,” Verkins said.

It’s an exhibit that took a lot of trust, Shirk said.

also features a collaboration between gallery assistants Natasha Fenga and Annie Scull. Their work, “her eye can,” is composed of 10 acrylic paintings on canvas representing the feelings of existential girlhood. The piece also features a mirror in the center so that anyone looking at the piece can feel represented. It was completed in two weeks.

“We feel a lot of times girlhood is becoming more and more of a topic now and recognized,” Fenga said. “Before, it was a weird space between infancy, childhood and then womanhood, and it wasn’t really celebrated. So we wanted to be able to express that in a new way and have fun and just create together.”

It’s not the first time Scull and Fenga, who are photographers, have collaborated — they went to high school together and have worked on art pieces together for about six years.

Gallery Director Amber O’Neal said it’s been interesting to see how Scull and Fenga have influenced their individual works by learning from one another. For example, previous exhibitions by Scull have bee cyanotypes; in this exhibition, Fenga completed her own cyanotype, It all leads to a fun exhibition, she said.

“It presents artwork in a unique and different way,” O’Neal said. “ Fenga said the different types of exhibitions in the gallery challenges artists in a positive way.

“It’s very humbling to me for these awesome, established artists to give me their work,” Shirk said. The exhibit at Gallery500

“Me and Annie probably would have never done this on our own, but I’m really glad that we did it because even if it was challenging, I think we both grew a lot from it,” Fenga said.

Lillian Verkins, Robert Shirk, Jean Banas and Beau Wild. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

“Little Magic Maker” by Jennifer Payne and Robert Shirk. Courtesy photo

Non Sequitur

Nancy

Mother Goose and Grimm

The Duplex

In the Bleachers

Cornered

Ziggy

The Fusco Brothers

SPORTS

Beach ball

Bucs advance to final at King of Beach 7v7 tourney; Seabreeze QB transfers to FPC.

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

High school football teams from around Florida converged on the practice fields at Bethune-Cookman University to battle it out in the King of the Beach 7v7 tournament on Friday, June 28.

Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, Matanzas and Seabreeze joined the fray in a test of skills and athleticism.

Twenty-three schools participated, including teams from as far away as North Miami High School, Terry Parker of Jacksonville and Pace High School in the Panhandle.

Pool play ran in the morning with every team getting an opportunity to be matched against each other in a roundrobin tournament.

The day ended with single elimination games followed by semifinals between Sanford Seminole and Coconut Creek Monarch and Mainland vs. Leesburg.

Sanford Seminole took the King of the Beach title.

Mainland was 2-1 in pool

“Summer is a time for them to work and to learn the playbook and get better — bigger, faster, stronger. Summer is a time for them to position themselves so that when we start fall camp, they’ll be ready to win that spot or earn the starting role.”

play. In the single elimination round of 16, the Bucs beat Rockledge then Merritt Island in the quarterfinals and Leesburg in the semifinals. Mainland lost 24-16 to the Seminoles in the final.

Mainland head coach Jerrime Bell said the 7v7 camp was the last one of the summer for his team. The Bucs attended camps at the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida. He said he has seen a lot of growth in his players since the beginning of June.

“We have a very young team since we lost 29 seniors,” he said. “I saw a lot of leadership qualities come out of guys we are going to depend on in the fall. We got put in a lot of adverse situations at the camp. I could see them communicate well and encourage each other and we wound up making it all the way to the championship. That showed me that we are heading in the right direction mentally and physically.”

Bell said the teeam’s biggest standout during 7-on-7 circuit was wide receiver Phillip Moore. At the B-CU camp, he scored 12 touchdowns in three games and a total of 22 for the day.

“He was unguardable,” Bell said of Moore. “I think the difference between this year’s team and last year’s team is that offensively we are spread out more. We have a lot of kids that can do some amazing things in an open field with a ball in their hands. We have a couple of great outside receivers that attack the ball very well.”

Both Mainland and Seabreeze have new starting quarterbacks. Junior Sebastian Johnson will take over for D.J. Murray Jr. while the Sandcrabs tested two quarterbacks at B-CU — Jayce Gainer, a backup in the spring, and Zachary Voltaire who is new to the position for Seabreeze.

Seabreeze head coach Mike Klein said 7-on-7 camps give coaches an opportunity to put players in different positions which is difficult to do during the football season.

“I tell the kids, we are not going to have starters from the summer,” Klein said. “Summer is a time for them to work and to learn the playbook and

get better — bigger, faster, stronger. Summer is a time for them to position themselves so that when we start fall camp, they’ll be ready to win that spot or earn the starting role.”

Klein said Hayden Hayes, who started at quarterback in the spring game, has decided to transfer to FPC.

“I give the young man credit for the way he handled it in a very mature way,” Klein said. “He was very up front. I appreciated how he and his family handled it. I told him to take this next week and pray about it. The right decision for him will be made clear. He handled it very well. I was very proud of him. It was refreshing.”

Hayes, who recently received an offer from the University of Memphis, said there were many factors that came into play regarding his departure from Seabreeze. It took him a while to make his decision to transfer.

“I’m just trying to do what I think is best for me and my future,” he said. “That’s all any of us can do.” He has been with the Bulldogs for about two weeks and said the B-CU 7-on-7 experience was a great opportunity for them to get better as a team.

“So far, what I know is that it is a team full of talented guys who care about winning and want to put in the work to get where we want to go,” he said. “Nothing in this game is a given. I want to be able to compete for a spot as it brings out the best in me as a player. I’m confident in my abilities to get the job done and I know it will happen.”

FPC offensive coordinator Jake Medlock, who has been playing quarterback for the Arena Football League’s Albany Firebirds, said he was in the middle of playing the season when he got a phone call from Hayes.

“I was shocked,” Medlock said regarding Hayes’ transfer. “It was very exciting to get him. He’s a leader and a very athletic, big-armed kid — a great young man which I’m even more excited about. He’s just going to bring competition and, to me, competition brings success to a football team.”

Medlock said head coach Daniel Fish has laid out a blue-

print for success for his players to follow which includes grueling off-season weight room workouts. He said the kids have bought into the plan.

Medlock said big contributors to the upcoming season will be slot receiver Robbie Dailey, defensive end Colby Cronk, running back Marcus Mitchell, wide receiver Mikhail Zysek, quarterback Cole Walker and tight end Roman Caliendo who just picked up an offer from B-CU during the 7-on-7 camp.

“I’m looking forward to getting back with the guys — looking forward to a great season,” Medlock said. “We are really, really strong as a team. Looking forward to seeing what happens.”

Seabreeze’s T.J. Sampson catches a pass against Rockledge.

A Pace player catches a touchdown pass as Matanzas’ Jaden McCoy tries to knock it down. Photos by Michele Meyers

Mainland’s Christian Cooper warms up before the 7-on-7 game against Blanche Ely High School of Pompano Beach.

MIKE KLEIN, Seabreeze head football coach

Flagler Palm Coast's Braden Simmons warms up before the game against Terry Parker High School of Jacksonville.

SIDE LINES

Baseball all-star teams

The Palm Coast Little League’s Senior League AllStar team won its first game at the state championships in St. Cloud. The PCLL Seniors defeated Venice 11-2 on June 29, but fell to Port St. Lucie and North Springs the next two days. The Ormond Beach Youth Baseball 10U all-stars placed fourth out of nine teams at the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken state championships in Lake City. Ormond Beach went 2-2 in the tournament.

Ormond’sl 11U team and the Flagler Babe Ruth Baseball 9U team competed in their state tournaments at the Flagler County Fairgrounds. Both teams were eliminated after two games. “We won district championships two out of three years (in 9U and 11U),” said Chad Parsons, Ormond’s 11U coach. “We fought. Hopefully they enjoyed themselves. It’s something to build on. We have one more year before we move to the big field.” Flagler Babe Ruth Baseball hosted three of the state tournaments with Ponte Vedra winning 9U, Jacksonville Beach winning 11U and Lutz winning 18U.

Pirates’ patriotic workout

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Michael “Hammer” Bordelon, died in 2005 from injuries incurred in Iraq when a car bomb exploded near his military vehicle.

The Matanzas High School football team honored Bordelon on Thursday, June 27, with its annual Red, White and Blue workout.

For the fourth straight year, the Pirates did a CrossFit Hero Workout of the Day, honoring a fallen hero.

The Red, White and Blue Workout ended Phase 1 of the team’s summer workout schedule. Since Phase 1 ends in the week leading up to the Fourth of July, the team celebrates with a cookout and a game of Pirate Ball (a modified version of Ultimate Frisbee using a football) following the morning workout. They wear red, white and blue workout clothes as they honor a fallen veteran.

“This workout has a lot more meaning for us,” quarterback Caden Burchfield said.

The Pirates’ modified “Hammer” workout consisted of five rounds of a 400-meter run (a lap around the track), then barbell exercises of five

power clean reps, 10 front squats and five jerks (lifting the weights overhead from the shoulders) followed by 20 pushups face-to-face with a partner.

The players had 90 seconds of rest time between each round.

After describing the workout, coach Matt Forrest told the players, “For us to be able to do what we do, to play football, to go to school, to have access to education and access to all the things that we have in this country, there is a long line of people that have fought and paid the ultimate price.”

“If you forget about the sacrifices that people made to get you to this point,” Forrest said, “then how can you progress and make things better in the future? Remember the sacrifices that people made for you, what they did in order to propel you forward. Be appreciative and don’t forget.”

In addition to honoring First Sgt. Bordelon, the day’s activities was a chance for the players to bond, quarterback Jackson Lundahl said.

“The workout is the highlight, but we have a lot of bonding as well,” he said.

During Phase 1 of their summer schedule, Matanzas players worked out in the mornings Monday through Thursday. They spent about 50 minutes of weight training, 25 minutes of track speed work and 25 minutes “on the farm.” The farm is an area outside of the weight room where they flip tractor tires and push sleds.

The day after the Red, White and Blue workout, the Pirates competed in Bethune-Cookman University’s Kings of the Beach 7v7 tournament. After that, they have a week off before Phase 2 of the summer schedule begins followed by preseason practice which kicks off on July 29. Lundahl and Burchfield plan to spend part of their off week working on throwing dynamics.

We do some individual training and we do some training together,” Burchfield said. “We try to make each other better.”

Matanzas

hires boys golf coach

Ethan Buchanan got his first golf course job when he was 12. He picked range balls, watched golf carts and helped out in the pro shop when needed at the Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland, North Carolina. His compensation was a new set of clubs.

“They said if I helped out, the clubs were mine. We couldn’t afford a new set. I’m a lefty and the clubs I had were half lefty and half righty,” he said.

That job began a career in golf, interrupted by a nineyear stint in the Air Force. Buchanan was hired last week as the new boys golf coach at Matanzas High School.

Buchanan was an assistant golf pro in North Carolina as well as at Pine Lakes Golf Club and Grand Haven Golf Club in Palm Coast in the past two years. He has also coached high school golf and basketball in North Carolina. He moved to Florida after serving in the Air Force. But being a golf pro again just wasn’t the same, he said.

“I missed coaching more than I missed being a golf pro,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan is looking forward to leading the Pirates and hopes to land a full-time job as a PE teacher or even in a support position, he said.

“Hopefully something will open,” he said. “It’s hard to recruit (students) from the outside.”

Halliday honored to be a finalist

Three Florida track and field and cross country coaches were finalists for Coach of the Year honors at the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s Awards Banquet on June 26 in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Flagler Palm Coast’s David Halliday was a finalist for the second time for National Boys Track Coach of the Year. Minnesota coaching legend Scott Christensen, won the honor. Winter Park’s Kristin Williams was named National Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year. Oviedo Hagerty’s Jay Getty was one of the eight finalists for Boys Cross County Coach of the Year.

“Honored to be selected and join these coaches who are the top in their profession,” Halliday wrote in a Facebook post. Halliday’s teams have won three state championships during his 30year coaching career. Soccer camps

FPC Youth Soccer Camp, July 8-11, ages 5-13, half-day ($75) and full-day ($150) options. Register at https://tinyurl. com/dbj6hpaf. For info, email amirir@flaglerschools.com Matanzas Soccer Camp, July 17-19, 5-8 p.m., grades 3-8, $115. Register at https:// july-mhs-soccer-camp. cheddarup.com. For info, email piratesoccerboys@ gmail.com.

By Luis Campos

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INFINITY POOL by Adam Simpson, edited by Jeff Chen

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Frank Giovanucci is ready for Matanzas’ Red, White and Blue workout. Photo by Brent Woronoff

FPC’s David Halliday (right) with Hagerty cross country coach Jay Getty and Winter Park cross country coach Kristin Williams. Courtesy photo

Division, the address of which is P. O. Box 6043, DeLand, FL 32721-6043. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served, must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: July 4, 2024. Signed on this 1st day of July, 2024. /s/ KEVIN CHRISTOPHER KESSELRING Personal Representative 125 Seminole Drive Ormond Beach, FL 32174 /s/ ROBERT KIT KOREY, ESQUIRE Attorney for Personal Representative Florida Bar No. 147787 ROBERT KIT KOREY, P. A. 595 W. Granada Blvd., Suite A Ormond Beach, FL 32174

Telephone: (386) 677-3431

Email: Kit@koreylawpa.com

Secondary Email: Michele@koreylawpa.com July 4, 11, 2024 24-00342I

FIRST INSERTION

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT, SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2024 11982 PRDL DIVISION: 10 IN RE: ESTATE OF LILLIE LLOYD FLEMING a/k/a LILLIE FLEMING, Deceased. The administration of the estate of LILLIE LLOYD FLEMING a/k/a LILLIE FLEMING, deceased, whose date of death was September 8, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Post Office Box 6043, DeLand, FL 32721. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this notice is July 4, 2024. /s/ Melvin Troutman, Personal Representative Post Office Box 530895 Miami Shores, FL 33153 /s/ FRED B. SHARE, ESQUIRE Florida Bar No. 256765 1092 Ridgewood Avenue Holly Hill, FL 32117 Telephone: (386) 253-1030 Fax: (386) 248-2425

E-Mail: fredshare@cfl.rr.com 2nd E-Mail: brobins@cfl.rr.com Attorney for

SECOND INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2024-12111 PRDL Division: 10 IN RE: ESTATE OF SALLY RISHELL THOMAS, Deceased. The administration of the estate of SALLY RISHELL THOMAS, deceased, whose date of death was December 12, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Volusia County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Post Office Box 6043, DeLand, FL 32721-6043. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served, must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this notice is: June 27, 2024. Signed on this 20th day of June, 2024. /s/ DONALD DOUGLAS THOMAS

Personal Representative 132 River Bluff Drive Ormond Beach, FL 32174

/s/ ROBERT KIT KOREY, ESQUIRE

Attorney for Personal Representative Florida Bar No. 147787

ROBERT KIT KOREY, P. A. 595 W. Granada Blvd., Suite A Ormond Beach, FL 32174

Telephone: (386) 677-3431

Email: Kit@koreylawpa.com

Secondary Email: Michele@koreylawpa.com June 27; July 4, 2024 24-00321I

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 7TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION: CASE NO.: 2024 11171 CIDL LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. JENNIFER A. STEIN A/K/A JENNIFER ANN STEIN; AUTUMN WOODS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.; GOODLEAP, LLC; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING THROUGH THE RURAL HOUSING SERVICE; TIMOTHY L. LAKE, JR. A/K/A TIMOTHY LEIGH LAKE, JR.; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF TIMOTHY L. LAKE, JR. A/K/A TIMOTHY LEIGH LAKE, JR.; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF JENNIFER A. STEIN A/K/A JENNIFER ANN STEIN; UNKNOWN TENANT IN POSSESSION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, Defendants.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to an Order or Final Judgment entered in the above styled cause now pending in said court and as required by Florida Statute 45.031(2), LAURA E. ROTH as the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall sell to the highest and best bidder for cash electronically at www.volusia.realforeclose.com at, 11:00 AM on the 06 day of August, 2024, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to wit: LOT 119, AUTUMN WOODS UNIT TWO, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 47, PAGE(S) 57 THROUGH 59, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA. PROPERTY ADDRESS: 129 LONG PINE DRIVE, DELTONA, FL 32725

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION Case No. 2023 12073 CIDL Freedom Mortgage Corporation, Plaintiff, vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OF CATHERINE THECKLA VELARDI AKA CATHY VELARDI, DECEASED, et al., Defendants. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the Final Judgment and/or Order Rescheduling Foreclosure Sale, entered in Case No. 2023 12073 CIDL of the Circuit Court of the SEVENTH Judicial Circuit, in and for Volusia County, Florida, wherein Freedom Mortgage Corporation is the Plaintiff and UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES OF CATHERINE THECKLA VELARDI AKA CATHY VELARDI, DECEASED; LUIGI VELARDI, AS KNOWN HEIR OF CATHERINE THECKLA VELARDI AKA CATHY VELARDI, DECEASED; CATHERINE MANIGAULT AKA CATHERINE VELARDI MANIGAULT, AS KNOWN HEIR OF CATHERINE THECKLA VELARDI AKA CATHY VELARDI, DECEASED; SOLAR MOSAIC, INC.; DELTONA WOODS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION. INC; LUIGI VELARDI, AS KNOWN HEIR OF CATHERINE THECKLA VELARDI AKA CATHY VELARDI, DECEASED; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF LUIGI VELARDI are the Defendants, that Laura Roth, Volusia County Clerk of Court will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash at, www. volusia.realforeclose.com, beginning at 11:00 AM on the 1st day of August, 2024, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to wit: LOT 63, DELTONA WOODS UNIT 2, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 43, PAGE 172 THROUGH 176, INCLUSIVE, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA

IN

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

IF YOU ARE A PERSON CLAIMING A RIGHT TO FUNDS REMAINING AFTER THE SALE, YOU MUST FILE A CLAIM WITH THE CLERK NO LATER THAN THE DATE THAT THE CLERK REPORTS THE FUNDS AS UNCLAIMED. IF YOU FAIL TO FILE A CLAIM, YOU WILL NOT BE ENTITLED TO ANY REMAINING FUNDS. AFTER THE FUNDS ARE REPORTED AS UNCLAIMED, ONLY THE OWNER OF RECORD AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MAY CLAIM THE SURPLUS.

If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration 125 E. Orange Ave., Ste. 300 Daytona Beach, FL 32114 (386) 257-6096 Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. Dated this 25 day of June 2024. By: /s/ Lindsay Maisonet Lindsay Maisonet, Esq. Bar Number: 93156 Submitted by: De Cubas & Lewis, P.A. PO Box 5026 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310 Telephone: (954) 453-0365 Facsimile: (954) 771-6052 Toll Free: 1-800-441-2438 DESIGNATED PRIMARY E-MAIL FOR SERVICE PURSUANT TO

TAX ID: 810517000630

Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens must file a claim before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed. REQUESTS FOR ACCOMODATIONS BY PERSONS WITH DISABILTIES If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at not cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the appearance is less than 7 days;if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 7 11. THESE ARE NOT COURT INFORMATION NUMBERS SOLICITUD DE ADAPTACIONES

PARA PERSONAS CON DISCAPACID-

ADES Si usted es una persona con discapacidad que necesita una adaptación para poder participar en este procedimiento, usted tiene el derecho a que se le proporcione cierta asistencia, sinincurrir en gastos. Comuníquese con la Oficina de Administración Judicial (Court Administración), 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096, con no menos de 7 días de antelación de su cita de comparecencia ante el juez, o de inmediato al recibir esta notificación si la cita de comparecencia está dentro de un plazo menos de 7 días; si usted tiene una discapacidad del habla o del oído, llame al 711. ESTOS NUMEROS TELEFONICOS NO SON PARA OBTENER INFORMACION JUDICIAL Dated this 21st day of June, 2024. BROCK

CSMC 2018-RPL12 TRUST is Plaintiff and CHASE ALEXANDER SILER; SAMANTHA CHEYENNE SILER; UNKNOWN TENANT NO. 1; UNKNOWN TENANT NO. 2; and ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES CLAIMING INTERESTS BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST A NAMED DEFENDANT TO THIS ACTION, OR HAV-

ING OR CLAIMING TO HAVE ANY RIGHT, TITLE OR INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY HEREIN DESCRIBED, are Defendants, LAURA E. ROTH, Clerk of the Circuit Court, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash www.volusia. realforeclose.com, 11:00 a.m., on July 9, 2024 , the following described property as set forth in said Order or Final Judgment, to-wit: LOT 1, 2 AND 3, INCLUSIVE, BLOCK B, OF HILLDALE SUBDIVISION, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 10, PAGE 22, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM BEFORE THE CLERK REPORTS THE SURPLUS AS UNCLAIMED. THE COURT, IN ITS DESCRETION, MAY ENLARGE THE TIME OF THE SALE. NOTICE OF THE CHANGED TIME OF SALE SHALL BE PUBLISHED AS PROVIDED HEREIN.

Pursuant to Florida Statute 45.031(2), this notice shall be published twice, once a week for two consecutive weeks, with the last publication being at least 5 days prior to the sale. REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Court Administration, 125 E. Orange Ave., Ste. 300, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, (386) 257-6096,

BY PERSONS WITH DISABILTIES If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at not cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the appearance is less than 7 days;if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 7 11. THESE ARE NOT COURT INFORMATION NUMBERS SOLICITUD DE ADAPTACIONES PARA PERSONAS CON DISCAPACIDADES Si usted es una persona con discapacidad que necesita una adaptación para poder participar en este procedimiento, usted tiene el derecho a que se le proporcione cierta asistencia, sinincurrir en gastos. Comuníquese con la Oficina de Administración Judicial (Court Administración), 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096, con no menos de 7 días de antelación de su cita de comparecencia ante el juez, o de inmediato al recibir esta notificación si la cita de comparecencia está dentro de un plazo menos de 7 días; si usted tiene una discapacidad del habla o del oído, llame al 711. ESTOS NUMEROS TELEFONICOS NO SON PARA OBTENER INFORMACION JUDICIAL

AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 23, PAGE(S) 58 AND 59, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA.

TAX ID: 793601001010 Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens must file a claim before the clerk reports the surplus as unclaimed. REQUESTS FOR ACCOMODATIONS

SECOND INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2024 11738 PRDL Division 10 IN RE: ESTATE OF ADRIANNE

at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711. THESE ARE NOT COURT INFORMATION NUMBERS SOLICITUD DE ADAPTACIONES PARA PERSONAS CON DISCAPACID-

ADES Si usted es una persona con discapacidad que necesita una adaptacin para poder participar en este procedimiento, usted tiene el derecho a que se le proporcione cierta asistencia, sin incurrir en gastos. Comunquese con la Oficina de Administracin Judicial (Court Administration), 125 E. Orange Ave., Ste. 300, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, (386) 257-6096, con no menos de 7 das de antelacin de su cita de comparecencia ante el juez, o de inmediato al recibir esta notificacin si la cita de comparecencia est dentro de un plazo menos de 7 das; si usted tiene una discapacidad del habla o del odo, llame al 711. ESTOS NUMEROS TELEFONICOS NO SON PARA OBTENER INFORMACION JUDICIAL DATED June 3, 2024. By: /s/ Ian Dolan Ian C. Dolan Florida Bar No.: 757071 Roy Diaz, Attorney of Record Florida Bar No. 767700 Diaz Anselmo & Associates, P.A.

Attorneys for Plaintiff 499 NW 70th Ave., Suite 309 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317 Telephone: (954) 564-0071

Facsimile: (954) 564-9252

Service E-mail: answers@dallegal.com 1460-192241 / SR4 June 27;

SECOND INSERTION

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE

The following personal property of Gerry Bluel and If Deceased, All Unknown Parties, Beneficiaries, Heirs, Successors and Assigns of Gerry Bluel and All Parties Having or Claiming to Have Any Right, Title, or Interest in the Property Herein Describedwill on 12th day of July 2024,

FL 32128 2050 CRANE LAKES BLVD PORT ORANGE, FL 32128 ALL OTHER UNKNOWN PARTIES, INCLUDING, IF A NAMED DEFENDANT IS DECEASED, THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, THE SURVIVING SPOUSE, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, CREDITORS, AND ALL OTHER PARTIES CLAIMING, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST THAT DEFENDANT, AND ALL CLAIMANTS, PERSONS OR PARTIES, NATURAL OR CORPORATE, OR WHOSE EXACT LEGAL STATUS IS UNKNOWN, CLAIMING UNDER ANY OF THE ABOVE NAMED OR DESCRIBED DEFENDANTS

(Last Known Address) 5340 PLANTATION HOME WAY PORT ORANGE, FL 32128 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for Foreclosure of Mortgage on the following described property: LOT 13, PORT ORANGE PLANTATION PHASE I, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 51, PAGES 52 THROUGH 55, INCLUSIVE, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA.

A/K/A: 5340 PLANTATION HOME WAY, PORT ORANGE, FL 32128. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it, on Brian L. Rosaler, Esquire, POPKIN & ROSALER, P.A., 1701 West Hillsboro Boulevard, Suite 400, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442., Attorney for Plaintiff, within thirty (30) days after the first

publication of this Notice in the (Please

in The Palm Coast/Ormond Beach

and

with the Clerk of

on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter;

a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 2576096, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711. THESE ARE NOT COURT INFORMATION NUMBERS SOLICITUD DE ADAPTACIONES PARA PERSONAS CON DISCAPACIDADES Si usted es una persona con discapacidad que necesita una adaptación para poder participar en este procedimiento, usted tiene el derecho a que se le proporcione cierta asistencia, sin incurrir en gastos. Comuníquese con la Oficina de Administración Judicial (Court Administración), 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste. D-305, DeLand, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096, con no menos de 7 días de antelación de su cita de comparecencia ante el juez, o de inmediato alrecibir esta notificación si la cita de comparecencia está dentro de un plazo menos de 7 días; si usted tiene una discapacidad del habla o del oído, llame al 711. ESTOS NUMEROS TELEFONICOS NO SON PARA OBTENER INFORMACION JUDICIAL WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court this 18

Dated this 24th day of June, 2024. BROCK & SCOTT, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff 2001 NW 64th St, Suite 130 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 Phone: (954) 618-6955, ext. 4766 Fax: (954) 618-6954 FLCourtDocs@brockandscott.com By /s/Justin J. Kelley Justin J. Kelley, Esq. Florida Bar No. 32106 File # 23-F01424 June 27; July 4, 2024 24-00320I

MONTHS AFTER

PUBLICATION OF

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR

MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is June 27, 2024. Personal Representative: KATHERINE E. ORTIZ c/o Legacy Law Associates, P.L. 313 South Palmetto Avenue Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Attorney for Personal Representative: W. Denis Shelley, Attorney Florida Bar Number: 273872 Legacy Law Associates, P.L. 313 South Palmetto Avenue Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Telephone: (386) 252-2531 Fax: (386) 258-0392

E-Mail: shelley@legacylaw313.com

Secondary E-Mail: troy@legacylaw313.com June 27; July 4, 2024 24-00323I

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