Meet seven people who are making our community a better place. PAGES 2A-6A
Standing O’s and Teachers of the Year are doing the important work in our community.
I’ve always seen the Observer’s Standing O edition as accomplishing the same goal. One of the most special things about a newspaper is helping people to feel seen, recognized, celebrated. To get a standing ovation. The Standing O honorees in this edition aren’t chosen because they are “the most important” people in the community through political power or social influence. They are chosen by last year’s Standing
O honorees for making a special impact on sometimes just a few lives. But isn’t that what really makes a community? It’s not just about the few who are seen every day. It’s also about the many who are quietly lifting others. Thank you to all the unsung heroes in our community. And thank you to the Teachers of the Year. You have the biggest impact on young people’s lives — bigger sometimes than parents’ influence. To learn about what makes you inspired to do your job
well makes me feel reassured that my own children are in good hands. Hopefully, seeing your name in a headline will serve for now as a community newspaper version of your red carpet moment. To the readers, thank you for your attention. We hope you enjoy learning about some of the people who make the community special. And thank you to all our advertisers for making it possible. Who should we write our next stories about? Email Brian McMillan at brian@observerlocalnews.com.
Ormond Beach Fire Department Driver Engineer Nicholas Nates has obtained nearly all of his Urban Search and Rescue Technician courses and is also one of the department’s Hazmat technicians. Photo by Jarleene Almenas PAGE 3A
red carpet.
Kathleen Trutschel’s love of people motivates service with Lions Club
Kathleen Trutschel, a past president of the Ormondby-the-Sea Lions, founded a nonprofit in 2007 to help educate guide dog users.
JARLEENE
ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Ormond Beach resident Kathleen Trutschel first learned about the Lions Club when she was still a kid.
She remembers the Christmas events they hosted for the visually impaired, and as a teen, she attended one of their camps. But it wasn’t until many years later that she decided to join them.
The year was 2009 and Trutschel was hosting her annual convention at the La Playa Resort in Daytona for her nonprofit, Guide Dog Users of Florida, which she founded in 2007. The convention, called “Top Dog,” saw a large attendance from the visually impaired and blind community, many of whom flew in with their guide dogs from around the U.S. It was a lot of work, and she needed a lot of help — and the Ormond-bythe-Sea Lions Club answered the call.
“I said, ‘OK, since they helped out so much for me, I’m joining their club,’” Trutschel said.
She’s remained active since, including serving as president of the Lions Club last year. In 2021, she also received the Melvin Jones Fellowship award, which recognizes exemplary service.
Trutschel said she was surprised when she received it.
“It’s a big honor to get that,” she said.
As a kid, Trutschel had pretty good eyesight, she said, despite having been born with glaucoma. She played sports, rode her bike and all that.
About eight years ago, the retina detached in her left eye following a cornea transplant. It wasn’t painful,
she said, but it was scary.
“I knew what the outcome was going to be,” she said.
Though she retained some of her independence, there was less she could do on her own. She had to rely on others — including her guide dog, M.J., whom she got in 2022.
But Trutschel doesn’t let her visual impairment get in the way of what she wants to do, whether that’s helping others or being outdoors.
“I’m a people person,” she said.
“Everyone tells me I’m a people person. I love to be outdoors and out doing things. I can’t stand to sit around doing nothing.”
Trutschel was a member of the local blind rowing team when it was active (she’d love to do it again, but the team needs a coach), and she’s
also part of the Braille Bandits, a beep baseball league for the visually impaired based in West Palm Beach.
Trutschel also loved to ride a tandem bike with her partner, Vaughn, who died earlier this year.
They met at the Lions Camp Trutschel attended as a teen, going their separate ways afterward. Fourteen years later, she met one of his friends in Daytona Beach, and were able to reconnect.
Bobbie Cheh, fellow OBTS Lions Club member and 2024 Standing O, described Trutschel as an “amazing person.” She doesn’t let her visual impairment stop her from living life and helping others, Cheh said.
“She learned the skills she needed to live independently and in control of how she wanted to live her life and
did not give herself any limitations,” Cheh said. “Some sighted people can’t do that. She always has a smile on her face and is always ready for the next challenge and willing to help others at any time.”
When recalling the convention where they met, as Cheh was a volunteer, she said there must have been over 100 guide dogs in the room at one point. Not a bark was heard during the banquet. She remembered seeing people dancing with their guide dogs at the welcome party, too.
“It was absolutely amazing and I had never volunteered at anything like that before,” Cheh said.
Guide Dog Users of Florida remains active today. Their scope, according to the Florida Council of the Blind, consists of providing fellowship between guide dog users; education on the needs, rights and services available; and advocacy.
Members will travel to Tallahassee to fight for rights, educate business owners on what questions they’re allowed to ask when a guide dog enters an establishment, and overall, they support one another.
Like when she and a few friends tried to eat a Chinese restaurant and were denied entrance due to their guide dogs. After they filed a police report, the officer told them they were welcome to go in there and eat if they wanted to, though he said he personally wouldn’t after the way they treated them.
“I was just standing up for my rights and I said, ‘Yes, I’m going back in to show them that we’re coming in no matter what,’” Trutschel said.
People call her a daring person, Trutschel said. She likes taking on new challenges.
And she loves helping others in whatever way she can.
“I just think all the time that there’s other people out there a lot more needier than me,” Trutschel said. “They need what they can get to keep them going, make them feel better too.”
“I believe she should be named a Standing O because Kathleen doesn’t think of blindness as a deficit. She learned the skills she needed to live independently and in control of how she wanted to live her life and did not give herself any limitations. Some sighted people can’t do that. She always has a smile on her face and is always ready for the next challenge and willing to help others at any time.”
BOBBIE CHEH, 2024 Standing O
Kathleen Trutschel loves to be outdoors — biking, rowing, playing beep baseball, she said she loves new challenges. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Belinda Davis educates the community about health care resources
A fifth generation Ormond resident, her desire to help her community, especially seniors, inspired Davis to establish a nonprofit.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
EDITOR
MANAGING
No matter where she resides in the world, Belinda Davis said she is called to help.
That’s how important she said community is.
“I will not stay anywhere, or live or reside anywhere that I can’t help,” Davis said. “I feel that’s one of our purposes — to make sure that we help somebody or something with the community.”
A fifth generation Ormond Beach resident, her passion to help people in her community, especially seniors, inspired Davis to establish a nonprof-
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it in 2022. Healthier. Wealthier. Wiser. Inc. holds monthly “Lunch and Learn” events at the South Ormond Neighborhood Center aimed at connecting people in the community with health care resources, helping them navigate the system, manage chronic illnesses and providing the opportunity for health screenings.
Her nonprofit was founded after Davis — a medical social worker who previously worked for the state for about 30 years until her retirement in 2015 — went back to school at the University of Central Florida to obtain both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, following her own three children’s college graduations. She started working for AdventHealth, and then the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
She noticed that many people, especially the elderly, were very fearful and asked questions that she as a social worker could not find answers to.
Her initial thought to help? Start a
“She’s always educating the community at large with various activities through the year. Hosting free events and giving back. She’s very active in the community and passionate regarding the Ormond Beach community.”
TINA CARLYLE, 2024 Standing O
podcast, one called SOS: Saving Our Seniors. Her children shot down the idea.
“They say, ‘Oh no, Mama, you can’t limit it to senior citizens,’” Davis recalled. “If you’re going to do something ... just open it up to the public.”
And that’s how Healthier. Wealthier. Wiser. Inc. was born. It’s the three pillars that make up her mission. Living a healthy lifestyle — knowing the importance of nutrition, exercise, medication and regularly seeing a primary care provider — leads people to being wealthier, as they won’t need for costly medical procedures or medicine, Davis said.
“You can do more if you’re healthy,” she said. “You can live longer. You can enjoy life.”
And people are wiser if they listen to health care providers and take a holistic approach to their health, Davis added. Holistic health runs in her bloodline — her great-great grandmother Laura Rose, one of the earliest Black settlers in Ormond Beach, was known in town as the medicine lady for her use of natural remedies.
Davis said she thinks she got her passion for helping others from her ancestor.
“They say that she used to go from house to house and clean people’s
houses and cook for them at her house and take them food,” Davis said. “I said, ‘Well there it is.’ I must have gotten it from her.”
Davis was nominated as Standing O by Tina Carlyle, owner of Access Senior Resources and Consulting LLC, and 2024 Standing O nominee. In a statement to the Observer, Carlyle said Davis is always educating the community at large at her Lunch and Learn events.
“Hosting free events and giving back,” Carlyle said. “She’s very active in the community and passionate regarding the Ormond Beach community.”
At her Lunch and Learn event on Nov. 2, Davis was recognized by the Volusia County Council with a proclamation for her work as the executive director of Healthier. Wealthier. Wiser. Inc.
Davis said the recognition was a moment of realization that people are paying attention to the need for education in health care.
“If you don’t have a community base, you’re losing,” she said. “You’ve got to have a community base. You’ve got to go where the people are.”
Davis wants to be able to leave a legacy. While she was working on her degrees, she was also taking care of her grandson. He watched as she crossed the stage at graduation.
“I want them (her grandchildren) to say, ‘Yeah, my grandmother, she could’ve been in her Golden Years traveling,’... but for some reason, it wasn’t for me to do that,” Davis said. Because when you have a passion for something, Davis said, no one can do that thing better than you.
“If I wasn’t doing this, I probably would be making sandwiches and serving soup for the homeless, you see what I’m saying?” Davis said. “Or being somewhere volunteering. It’s a passion.”
Visit healthyiswealthy777.org.
Ormond Beach firefighter Nicholas Nates found purpose in fire service
Since becoming a firefighter seven years ago, Nates, a driver engineer, has become aware of just how much people rely on fire service.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
When Nicholas Nates decided to become a firefighter, he was searching for purpose.
He loved his job at the time — a big animal lover, Nates worked in a vet clinic. But he had a lot of friends in fire service that thought Nates fit the bill of a good fireman. Fast forward seven years, and Nates is now a driver engineer with the Ormond Beach Fire Department, and one on the pipeline for promotion after scoring the best in his agency’s officer test. But it’s helping people in his community, he said, that drives him.
“It’s cool to be able to help people that you just pass by every day, not knowing who these people are, and now you have a relationship with them because you’re helping them get by,” Nates said. “I’m very fortunate to get to do that part.”
He always tries to get to the station about 30 minutes before his shift, enough time to have a cup of coffee and wait until the crews are awake.
“I was always told if you’re on time, you’re late,” Nates said.
Since beginning his career in firefighting, Nates has become more aware of how much people rely of fire service, he said, from helping people who have fallen – he’s a paramedic as well — to being the first on the scene when an ambulance is called.
Nates has obtained nearly all of his Urban Search and Rescue Technician courses and is also one of the department’s Hazmat technicians. It’s this dedication to professional growth that has made him an asset to OBFD, said previous Standing O nominee Capt. Hunter Ramirez. Nates, he added, “has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to
“Nicholas has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence, a strong work ethic and a passion for the community as well as his team. His dedication to professional growth has made him a great asset to the department, whether organizing drills or mentoring less experienced personnel he has demonstrated a proactive mindset that has made him a great leader.”
CAPT. HUNTER RAMIREZ, 2024 Standing O
excellence, a strong work ethic and a passion for the community as well as his team.”
“He is someone who our new firefighters look up to and I am eager to see him continue to learn and grow in his role,” Ramirez said.
Nates said Ramirez is one of the people that has made an impact on him in the department. So have Carrie Davis, Dale Kelly, Travis Taft, David Randall and others.
“I try to surround myself with people that I want to be like,” Nates said. Davis was his first officer when he got hired in Ormond Beach. He worked under her for four years, and those were some of his best years, he said. Prior to OBFD, Nates worked for
a different department, but left because he said he felt like he was “just a number.” In Ormond, where he’s lived since 1999, his fellow firefighters are what he loves most, he said.
“From the administration, the chiefs that we have, the officers, the drivers, the firefighters, there’s not one person that wants to see you not succeed, and they will do anything they can to help you succeed,” Nates said.
When he’s not at work, Nates is usually at home spending time with his two black labs: Luke and Levi. Their faces are tattooed on his knees, each with a firefighting helmet, one with a shamrock for Davis, and the other labeled with Station 93, his favorite fire station.
Davis is hoping Nates will teach a class soon to instruct other firefighters on caring for animals involved in fires.
When it comes to mentoring, Nates said he always wants those coming after him to do better than he is doing now.
“I want them to pass me in things that I do,” Nates said. “I’m still the future of the department, but they are just as much as I am, and the better we are as a group, the better we are together.”
It’s about coming in every day and trying to improve, he said.
“I always try to give more than what I take from the department, and I think if you do that, you can leave a better place,” Nates said.
Belinda Davis, founder and executive director of Healthier. Wealthier. Wiser. Inc., said she hopes to leave a legacy of serving the community for her grandchildren.
Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach Fire Department Driver Engineer Nicholas Nates has obtained nearly all of his Urban Search and Rescue Technician courses and is also one of the department’s Hazmat technician. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
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Ormond Beach Police Athletic League Coach Avery Randolph said helping children is more than just his job. It’s his calling in life.
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Avery Randolph has spent his life building bridges.
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For decades, the Police Athletic League’s mission for youth was to “fill playgrounds, not prisons.” That’s what was in place at the national level when Ormond Beach founded its PAL program in 1996.
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“We wanted to build bridges to the next generation,” he said. “So we ended up changing our model here in Ormond from ‘filling playgrounds, not prisons,’ to building these bridges — so that our youth in the community doesn’t have to be afraid of coming in contact with police officers.”
Randolph, who is OBPAL’s athletic activities specialist, has worked for the city for 28 years. When he started working for the city, initially as an after school aid and tennis instructor for Leisure Services, he was a student at Bethune-Cookman University.
He had big dreams and big plans: The NFL.
Raised in Pahokee, a city on the banks of Lake Okeechobee, football was every young man’s dream, Randolph said.
“If there’s a young man out of Pahokee, Florida, that tells you he didn’t want to be a football player, they’re lying,” he said.
But for Randolph, life took a different turn. He became a father at the age of 19, and didn’t get a chance to play college football, though he did play semi-pro football with the Daytona Speed for two seasons. That led to an opportunity to play arena football with the Orlando Predators — but a bad concussion made him reconsider. Physically, he said, he knew something had changed and he didn’t want to risk his health further.
He joined OBPAL in 1998, two years after his daughter was born. At the time, he had been considering joining the military. Then he met his wife, and Randolph said he knew then he wasn’t going anywhere.
“It became exciting,” Randolph said. “The more I came to Ormond and the more I spent time with the young kids and the staff here in Ormond, even at the Police Department, I fell in love with Ormond and this area,” Randolph said.
Shortly after starting working for OBPAL, Randolph began coordinating the basketball travel program, assisting with the Youth Leadership program and other OBPAL events. In 2016, he was honored by the Florida PAL program for his dedication to local youth and his enthusiasm as master of ceremonies for the Florida PAL cheerleading competition.
The Ormond Beach Police Department also honored him in 2023 as its Civilian of the Year.
OBPAL Director Lisa Messersmith, who was a 2024 Standing O nominee, said in a statement to the Observer that Randolph is always ready to help with any PAL or outreach activity — from OBPD’s National Night Out to OBPAL’s annual golf tournament.
“Mr. Randolph’s enthusiasm for youth is a tremendous benefit to the Ormond Beach community,” she said. “He is dedicated to supporting OBPAL youth and often attends their sport events on his own time to cheer and support the team.”
Coach Avery, as kids call him, is also well known at Ormond’s schools.
“He visits students at their school to encourage them to continue to make positive decisions,” Messersmith said. “He is a valued member of the PAL team and the Ormond Beach community.
Coach Avery’s knowledge and caring heart help him build trust with youth and families in Ormond Beach.”
It’s those relationships with the community that have kept him working for OBPAL, Randolph said. They’re his favorite thing about the job.
“I can say that the people of Ormond Beach treat me as family,” he said. “I’m a household name in the Ormond Beach community, and it’s a good thing. I try to do my best to uphold a standard and be truthful with the community and with their children.”
He doesn’t do it alone.
Messersmith and the rest of the OBPAL team, as well as the leadership within the Ormond Beach Police Department have contributed to the program’s success.
And the program’s success is measured by the impact it has on the kids.
“I’ve seen some kids go off — they become great football players, great basketball players, doctors, lawyers, productive citizens,” Randolph said. “But the most [impactful] thing is them coming back to the place where they grew up, and no matter where they are in life, they say ‘Thank you, Coach Avery.’ They say thank you with a hug, a kiss, an ‘I love you.’”
OBPAL pours blood, sweat, tears and hours upon hours on the kids. If a mom calls in the early hours of the morning because her child is missing,
and wants his help to find him, he gets out of bed and goes.
“These kids, they believe in me as a person, and I believe in them more,” Randolph said. That’s what was instilled in him by his coaches, high school teachers and family members.
“I’m not different from anybody else,” he said. “But it was God’s intention to put me in the right place, and that was Ormond Beach.” He raised four children of his own right out of the South Ormond Neighborhood Center. That building, he said, has been a haven for him. As it has been for the thousand of others that have come through it as well.
“We’re still trying to build these bridges,” Randolph said. “And we’re hoping that nobody tears these bridges down. I think we’re going to continue to build these bridges for as long as we possibly can — because it’s needed. Everyone should be able to have the same opportunity.”
“Mr. Randolph’s enthusiasm for youth is a tremendous benefit to the Ormond Beach community. He is dedicated to supporting OBPAL youth and often attends their sport events on his own time to cheer and support the team. ... Coach Avery’s knowledge and caring heart help him build trust with youth and families in Ormond Beach.”
LISA MESSERSMITH, 2024 Standing O
Coach Avery Randolph says OBPAL kids believe in him — but he believes in them more. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond fitness coach Hailey Nolin wants to make people’s lives
Helping others was the inspiration for the local CrossFit coach to launch her own fitness and nutrition coaching business in 2021.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
Hailey Nolin loves to be a “yes” girl. She loves to say yes when help is needed — when someone asks her to find a solution to a problem, whether it be a matter of fitness, nutrition or just daily life. It’s about helping making their lives better and easier, she said. “I know that I love when
“I want to list all the adjectives to describe her character and personality: creative, compassionate, quirky, honest, resilient, curious, bubbly, optimistic, ambitious, frugal, and fun. Although she is all those things and so much more, it really comes down to how Hailey makes me feel. She gives me hope.”
ASHLEY
people do that for me, and they say, ‘What can I do to help you?’” Nolin said. “That just means so much to me. It means the world to me, even if they don’t do anything. It’s the thought that matters, and the weight is lifted off my shoulders just by someone thinking to ask me that question.”
Helping others was the inspiration for her to launch her own fitness and nutrition coaching business in 2021. A coach at East Ormond Beach CrossFit, Nolin said she loves to help educate people on healthy lifestyles.
In November, she quit her full-time job to focus all her time on her business.
“It really just fuels my fire to help others in whatever they need in their life,” Nolin said. “The reason I do oneon-one coaching with people is because everybody’s different.”
Fitness has always been a part of her life. Growing up, she was consistently on different sports teams — gymnastics, basketball, weightlifting, the latter of which was thanks to her stepdad, who encouraged and trained her in the sport.
After graduating from Seabreeze High School, Nolin took up CrossFit, which led to her interest in nutrition. As she was regularly doing such
a high-intensity workout, she found she needed to eat more food.
It made her passionate about teaching others not to be afraid of food. After all, her favorite food group is cookies.
“When people come to me and they want food advice, if I say that to them, they’re almost shocked and then they don’t know what to do with that information,” Nolin said. Her love of food also connects her to her late grandfather, who died about four years ago. When she was a kid, she would walk to her grandparents’ house every day after school. Her grandfather was Sicilian, and a cook good.
“Every time I think of picking up produce, I think of him,” Nolin said. “Because I think, ‘Oh my gosh, he could do so many things with this tomato.”
Previous Standing O nominee Ashley Young, who nomi-
nated Nolin for this year’s recognition, said Nolin is always in a good mood. Describing her as creative, compassionate, quirky, honest and optimistic, Nolin is “always encouraging and an absolute ray of sunshine,” Young said.
“You’re almost waiting for her to slip-up … but there isn’t a mean bone in her body,” Young said. “I love being around her and want to be like her. So happy to have Hailey in my life.”
When she meets new clients for her business, she always asks them to do a “destination postcard,” a visualization of where they want to be at the end of their fitness journey. What does hers look like?
“I think that my destination postcard would like me being happy, which I’m happy now, but I want to continue to be happy,” Nolin said. “... I think would have me swimming, being able to be healthy and feel good — my joints feel good, no ailments, no pain.”
Nolin’s boss at EOB CrossFit recently told her most people only have the ability to make a strong impact on about four people. Nolin wants her number to be closer to 100, or even more than that. Helping her community through fitness and nutrition gives Nolin purpose, she said. “It makes me feel like I’m contributing to this small town that we live in, in a good way,” Nolin said. Visit Haileynolin.com.
Hailey Nolin quit her full-time job in November to focus all her time on her business. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
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Seabreeze three-sport athlete Kirsten Glaenzer inspires after injury
The senior uplifts her teammates with a high five, some positive feedback and a whole lot of cheering.
MICHELE MEYERS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Seabreeze senior Kirsten Glaenzer decided to become a three-sport athlete and run cross country her last year in high school. She figured it would enhance her fitness for all her sports.
“Cross country is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she said. “It’s so mental. Personally, I’m not a very long distance runner, but it really taught me to push myself. I loved my team, and that really helped.”
Glaenzer’s goal was to make it to the cross country state championships in Tallahassee in November. Pre-season soccer practice started in October, so she pushed herself to run six miles at cross country practice then head over to the soccer fields. She said she began to experience pain in her left leg but did not want to get behind in her sports so continued to run. She was finally diagnosed with a stress fracture in her fibula. She was on crutches when the district meet for cross country happened.
“It’s been one of the hardest things, especially being injured my senior year,” she said. “They are starting indoor season for track, and it’s hard because I’m missing out on it. Especially soccer. This is my last year playing, and I might not get to play again with my team. I keep telling my team that it just matters so much this year to work their hardest. I’m trying to keep everyone uplifted.”
Seabreeze girls head soccer coach Eli Freidus has had Glaenzer on his team for four years. He said she has always been a hard worker and was always at practice. When she found
out she would not be able to play, she never stopped going to the practices and games.
“She is the world’s nicest kid,” he said. “She is the sweetest kid in the world. Always smiling, never negative. That’s just who she is. It’s in her DNA. She is everybody’s favorite kid.”
Freidus said she is a team leader and involved in every discussion. This season, there are nine freshmen on the varsity squad. Glaenzer was not always available to attend pre-season fitness training due to the demands of cross country but always made sure to stop by to meet her young teammates and help them feel comfortable.
“I was really impressed with how she just kept trucking through the setbacks that she has had this year,” Freidus said. “It would have been easy for her to feel sorry for herself and just go away, but she never did. When she found out she wasn’t going to be able to play, she was very emotional, but later that day she came to practice. She is there helping in any way she can, every day.”
Former soccer teammates Arianna and Mackenzie Roy convinced Glaenzer to try out for track her sophomore year. The team placed fifth at the state championships in the 4x800 meter relay.
Seabreeze head track and field coach Matt Coleman said he worked with Glaenzer’s mother Stephanie Glaenzer at Pathways Elementary, where he is a third grade teacher. Stephanie currently works for Deltona Middle School as the ESE assistant principal. Her father, Kurt Galenzer, is a Florida Highway Patrol state trooper.
“She is the epitome of what you want in a high school athlete,” he said. “She works hard, supports others and knows what she wants.”
Last year, she ran her best times at the District 6-3A meet in the 400 meters (1:03.35) and 800 meters (2:31.19) placing fifth and fourth,
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respectively. At regionals, she finished 18th and 14th, respectively. Coleman said she is focused on making it to states her final season. He said she has also been actively talking to college coaches about running at the next level. She has had offers to run at two smaller Division 1 schools — Morehead State University in Kentucky and Saint Bonaventure in New York. Due to the cost of out-of-state tuition, Glaenzer said
she is looking closer to her Ormond Beach home even though her dream school is the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.
“I love to surf and hike and be outside, and it’s so gorgeous there (University of Hawaii at Mānoa),” she said. Glaenzer and her mom backpacked 65 miles through the Havasupai Indian Reservation in the Grand Canyon last summer. She said she
Kajuan Curry takes Buc pride to a whole new level
The reigning Mr. Mainland brings laughter, love and unconditional support to the Buccaneers’ campus.
MICHELE MEYERS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Senior Kajuan Curry is the reigning Mr. Mainland, and he is taking his job seriously.
According to Mainland athletic director Terrence Anthony, whether it is a volleyball, basketball or soccer
game, basically anything happening on campus, Curry is there. “School spirit is big for me,” Curry said. “I know a lot of people from different teams, girls and boys. I go support them, scream at the games for them, be lit and everything. My drive is I just like being very supportive and helping out. It just motivates me. I love that.”
In March, Curry won the Mr. Mainland competition with a performance that included an energetic dance routine. Kiera Williams was crowned Miss Mainland. Curry said since he was the second contestant he knew he had to set the tone.
“I felt like dancing would get the crowd hyped and energized,” he said. “All those that won the title in the past, were never-forgotten faces on campus, still to this day. Having that opportunity motivated me to be remembered after I graduate. I will always be recognized as the ‘Littlest’ Mr. Mainland to earn that title.”
Curry was born in Miami, then moved with his mom, Lisette Dawkins, to North Carolina. He moved to Daytona Beach to live with his father following his mother’s death in 2020. He said it took him and his father time to build a relationship.
“Me and my dad repaired our relationship through long talks and having to understand each other in many aspects, such as, I have a future goal in sports, and he never played sports, so he never understood,” he said. “He’s a wonderful father today, and we get along pretty good.”
Campbell Middle School was the first school Curry attended in the area. He started high school at Atlantic, where he played football for coach Jerrime Bell, who is now Mainland’s coach. Curry said Bell became one of his mentors.
“He was a great role model,” Curry said. “He showed me how to step up and be more of a man, just be great at everything I do, not doubt myself.”
Bell said Curry is an outstanding young man.
“K.J.’s bubbly personality is infectious,” Bell said. “Even when his peers are long gone, you’ll catch him staying behind helping the cleaning crew or the AD clean up afterwards.”
Following his sophomore year, Curry transferred to Mainland. Even though his father, Kajuan Curry Sr., gave him a football at age 3 and he started playing soccer at age 7, he did not play football or soccer his first year at Mainland.
“Exposure-wise, moving to Mainland helped a lot because I won so many achievements — I was a really productive person on the track,” he said. “I grew stronger relationships and bonds with this school than I did at Atlantic, sadly, because I was still in my development stage. When
“It would have been easy for her to feel sorry for herself and just go away but she never did. When she found out she wasn’t going to be able to play, she was very emotional, but later that day she came to practice. She is there helping in any way she can, every day.”
must get her love for traveling from her mom. Glaenzer wants to get a business marketing degree in college and work online so she can travel the world.
“Traveling is so important because it shows you how small you are in the world,” she said. “I want to learn from different people. I love meeting different people. That’s my favorite thing.”
For four years, Glaenzer has been in Seabreeze’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. This year she is taking honors classes and is dual-enrolled at Daytona State College.
As soon as her college and high school GPAs merge, she will begin applying to colleges. Florida Atlantic University and Coastal Carolina University have already given her times to hit in order for her to make their track teams.
“Whether Kirsten makes it to states or not is not what I will remember about her,” Coleman said. “The same thing goes whether she becomes a college running legend or not. Her overall attitude, positive outlook on life and ability to cohesively work with a team is what I will always cherish about my time coaching her in high school.”
I got here, I started becoming more mature.”
He began his track career after he was introduced to Anthony, who is also the head track and field coach. Anthony said when they were introduced, Curry claimed he was going to be his fastest guy. Eventually, he began calling Anthony “Pops.”
“When we got on the track last year, he wanted to try everything,” Anthony recalled. “He wanted to be in the 100, he wanted to run the 200, he wanted to run the 400, he wanted to run the 800. He did everything and everything he did he did with such moxie and had such a great attitude about it. He made everybody want to be around him.”
At the District 6-3A meet, Curry won the 800 meters in 1:59.22, becoming the first Mainland track athlete to break two minutes. He went on to set a personal record (1:58.86) at regionals in the 800 and placed third. Curry, Drayden Wood, Ezaiah Shine and Khalil Wilmore won the 4x400 meter relay at districts, placed second at regionals and went on to place ninth at the Class 3A state championships.
“I was always a 100/200 running type of guy,” Curry said. “T.A. (Anthony) made me become an 800 runner. After I placed third at regionals, I thought I could be really good at this race. It’s a love-hate relationship, but the second lap is always going to give you that kick. You have to fight through it. It’s about who wants it more.”
This soccer season, he has been helping Mainland soccer coach Officer Danny Peralta, who recently asked Curry to join the team and finish out the season with them.
“A.J. is a better person than he is an athlete. He supports every organization on our campus. I don’t think you can find one person on campus that will say anything bad about him. If they do, all they’ll say is, ‘Man we can’t get him to stop talking’.”
TERRENCE ANTHONY, Mainland athletic director
“A.J. is a better person than he is an athlete,” Anthony said. “Everybody loves this kid. He supports every organization on our campus. I don’t think you can find one person on campus that will say anything bad about him. If they do, all they’ll say is, ‘Man we can’t get him to stop talking.’” Curry said Anthony became an even bigger role model when he got to Mainland.
“T.A. always cared for me and provided for me,” Curry said. “He took me under his wing. He’s like my second father. I thought I was already hot stuff at what I used to do. He always told me I could be 10 times better and he showed me. It motivated me.”
Seabreeze three-sport athlete Kirsten Glaenzer. Photo by Michele Meyers
ELI FREIDUS, Seabreeze girls head soccer coach
Mainland three-sport athlete Kajuan Curry. Photos by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Kajuan Curry makes the catch as Belleview's Keondre Fillmore is called for a facemask penalty.
OPINION
Flooding issues in Volusia County
Dear Editor:
I have been following County Council meetings for years. I’ll never forget a meeting I attended in 2019 when a homeowner from DeLand stated he’d been asking the council for over a year to look at flooding in his neighborhood that keeps increasing as more homes are built. I have seen that homeowner, joined by others throughout the county, pleading with the council to do something. Chairman Jeff Brower recently brought intense
BRIEFS
Ormond woman to serve 12 years in prison after toddler drowned in retention pond
An Ormond Beach woman whose 3-year-old son drowned in a retention pond last year after he was left unsupervised for several hours was sentenced to serve
scrutiny to this issue by suggesting a moratorium on new construction. Not unexpectedly, the council did not want to even discuss this, but admirably Vice Chair Troy Kent proposed asking staff to provide input on improvements to the county’s obviously overwhelmed stormwater system, a solution that gives the council the opportunity to accept their responsibility. As homes repeatedly flood, their value decreases, as will the county’s tax base. These problems will only get worse as we experience more flooding due to more frequent and intense rainfall events,
12 years in prison on Friday, Dec. 13.
Myra Santiago, 24, was arrested in April 2023, on aggravated manslaughter and child neglect charges after police report she left her son, Aziryh, alone for four hours in her unit at the San Marco Apartments in Ormond Beach. The toddler was seen running toward the pond on a neighbor’s security camera around 6:46 a.m. Police arrived at the apartment complex at 1:44 p.m. after receiving a call
stronger hurricanes, and less ability for stormwater to drain due to sea level rise (and concurrent rising rivers and groundwater table).
A moratorium is drastic but not as drastic as losing your home, and there are many solutions to the flooding issues in between a moratorium and doing nothing: revitalize older areas with existing infrastructure; buy vacant land for stormwater storage “parks”; managed retreat; and no more building in vulnerable areas, to name a few. I implore the County Council to do what is in the best interest of their constituents.
PATRICIA GERTENBACH
Ormond-by-the-Sea
about a drowning.
During the investigation into the incident, police discovered that Santiago — who had initially claimed that a neighbor had watched Aziryh the night before while she was out of the home — had left the boy alone for about four hours. She returned between 1 and 2 a.m. and was asleep until 1:45 p.m., at which point she noticed her son was not in the apartment.
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
Broadwater home sells for over $1.1 million
Ahouse at 8 Broadwater Drive in the Broadwater subdivision was the top real estate transaction for Dec. 7-13 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. The house sold on Dec. 12, for $1,125,000. Built in 2001, the 4/3.5 house has two fireplaces, a pool, spa, outdoor kitchen with a barbecue and 3,996 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $900,000.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
Condos
The condo at 2730 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 2030, sold on Dec. 11, for $220,000. Built in 1990, the condo is a 2/2 and has 871 square feet. It last sold in 2021 for $260,000.
ORMOND BEACH
Arbor Lakes
The townhome at 2 Arbor-
YOUR TOWN
Pilot Club donates bicycle helmets kids
The Pilot Club of the Halifax Area participated in the Day-
vue Trail sold on Dec. 10, for $200,000. Built in 1986, the townhome is a 3/2.5 and has 1,496 square feet. It last sold in 2023 for $214,300.
Archer’s Mill
The house at 342 Rover Road sold on Dec. 9, for $379,990. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,034 square feet.
Cherokee Trails
The townhome at 19 Cherokee Trail sold on Dec. 10, for $185,000. Built in 1981, the townhome is a 3/3 and has a fireplace and 2,064 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $162,000.
The townhome at 21 Cherokee Trail sold on Dec. 10, for $185,000. Built in 1981, the townhome is a 3/3 and has a fireplace and 2,198 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $219,500.
Laurel Oak sThe house at 717 Fleming Ave. sold on Dec. 9, for $260,000. Built in 1983, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,144 square feet. It last sold in 1983 for $53,000.
Plantation Oaks
The house at 1409 Sunningdale Lane sold on Dec. 11, for $545,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,281 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $275,000.
John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.
tona Beach Children’s Christmas Party on Friday, Dec. 13, by providing bicycle helmets for the children attending the annual event hosted by the Daytona Tortugas and Daytona Beach City Commissioner Paula Reed. A total of 170 children were fitted with new helmets and each child also received a goodie bag filled with safety
tips, plus safety reminders using comic and coloring/ activity booklets, courtesy of the Pilot Club’s BrainMinders program and the Florida Department of Transportation.
Pilot Club members fitted helmets for ages 3-12, which were obtained free from FDOT through PedBike, Florida’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Resource Center.
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Pilot Club of the Halifax Area members recently helped fit helmets to Daytona Beach children. Courtesy photo
YOUR TOWN
VCS recognized with District Administration’s Resilience Award
Volusia County Schools has been awarded the 2025 Resilience Award by District Administration, a resource for K-12 district leadership, according to a press release.
The award honors the district’s “exceptional leadership in hurricane preparedness and its commitment to student safety, educational continuity and emergency preparedness,” the press release states. It celebrates the leadership by the Volusia County School Board, Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and the VCS team.
The award highlights Volusia County Schools for: Implementing comprehensive emergency response systems enhancing student safety measures across a diverse school district; maintaining educational continuity during weather-related challenges; building a resilient school community serving more than 60,000 students; leading successful hurricane preparedness and response efforts . The 2025 Resilience Award was presented at the District Administration Superintendents Summit.
Three Starlets perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Three members of the Flagler Palm Coast High School Starlets performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Starlets Captain Brooke Berrios, a senior, was a dancer for the Macy’s Great American Marching Band. Juniors Kaleigh Labazzetta and Mya Wright were flag performers for the Macy’s Great American Marching Band.
“Again, the girls headed to New York City for the week as they learned the parade routine,” Starlets coach Lauren Albert said. “This year was super special since they
were able to be part of the opening act with Billy Porter. Unfortunately, it rained the entire parade which made it for a very cold day. The girls did great.”
As part of their trip, they were able to see the Rockettes at their Christmas Spectacular performance and got a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, Albert said.
Salty Grass Band to perform at the Ormond Beach Library on Jan. 12
The Salty Grass Band, known for its traditional bluegrass, Americana standards and gospel music, will be performing in the Ormond Beach Library auditorium at 2 p.m. on Jan. 12.
This is a rescheduled performance from September, according to an announcement from the Friends of the Ormond Beach Library.
The Salty Grass Band has performed in local venues in Barberville, Port Orange and New Smyrna Beach. The program, which is free, is sponsored by the Friends of the Ormond Beach Library.
OBPD’s Santa on Patrol wishes community a merry Christmas
Santa and Mrs. Claus spread holiday cheer around Ormond Beach as part of Ormond Beach Police Department’s Santa on Patrol initiative.
OBPD’s Community Outreach officers escorted Santa and Mrs. Claus as they greeted citizens on Dec. 16, Dec. 18 and Dec. 20. This year’s stops included The Childrens House of Ormond Beach, the Coquina Center, the Nova Community Center, Simone’s Salon, SoNapa Grille and Pine Trail Elementary.
The outreach program was first launched in 2014.
Security First unveils vintage fire truck float in Christmas parade
At Ormond Beach’s 33rd annual Home for the holidays parade on Dec. 14, Security First Insurance presented a
float featuring a vintage “toy” fire truck adorned with giant Christmas lights made from recycled 2-liter bottles and topped with a working, lifesize wind-up key. The parade was themed “Santa’s Toyland.” Security First’s new float made its debut along the 1.5-mile parade route, accompanied by over 60 people, including team members and their families, according to a press releas.
“We are thrilled to be part of this wonderful community event,” Melissa Burt DeVriese, president of Security First Insurance, said in the press release.
Matanzas celebrates girls soccer Senior Night with win
The Matanzas girls soccer team celebrated Senior Night with a 7-0 victory over Crescent City on Dec. 19. Seniors Mila Carvajal and Naomi Cordero each scored a goal, while senior Emma Alves had an assist.
Three sophomores scored the other goals: Isabella Hopkins (three goals, one assist), Kaylin Henthorn (two goals) and Sienna Gutierrez (one goal). Freshman Carsyn O’Linn had two assists. Freshman goalie Ella Forbes recorded her fifth clean sheet. The Pirates improved to 7-4. Their next home game is Jan. 9 against DeLand.
FPC’s Mya Wright, Brooke Berrios and Kaleigh Labazzetta performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Courtesy photo
Lora@LoraFickett.com
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
DEBORAH TREUR Beachside Elementary PAGE 2B
ANN BUSSE Pathways Elementary PAGE 3B
KELLI CHEHAITLI Tomoka Elementary PAGE 3B
DAVID BELL Hinson Middle PAGE 4B
DENISE BLUMBERG Mainland High School PAGE 4B
LAUREN HUHTA Ormond Beach Elementary PAGE 2B
SANDRA GILBERT Pine Trail Elementary PAGE 2B
ASHLEY MARTIN Ormond Beach Middle PAGE 4B
KIMBERLY GRIFFITH Seabreeze High PAGE 4B
TEACHERS
OF THE YEAR
DEBORAH
TREUR
Beachside Elementary
Deborah Treur says seeing students working hard to better themselves is a rewarding experience.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up.
This saying has carried Deborah Treur through her 19-year teaching career — from teachers quitting midyear, teaching through the COVID-19 pandemic, the merger between Osceola and Ortona Elementary and subsequent move, and administration changes.
“Change will happen; how you deal with it tells a lot about what you believe,” Treur wrote in a statement to the Observer.
Treur, who currently teaches fifth grade, is Beachside Elementary’s Teacher of the Year.
She became an educator thanks to her parents’ guidance. From when she was young, her parents had her teach Sunday School classes in high school and Vacation Bible School. As she got older, she said, she was unsure of what direction to take, but her parents started her on the path to teaching.
“My parents are the hardest working people I know,” Treur said. “They worked tirelessly and constantly persevered. Their influence shapes who I have become. Parents influ-
ence their children, and I hope I have done the same for my own children and the students I am blessed to come into contact with every year.”
Treur grew up in Connecticut. Her teaching career began at Warner Christian Academy in South Daytona, and after two years, she moved to teach in public schools, at Palm Terrace Elementary, where she taught gifted students in kindergarten through second grade.
A mom of two sons, she took a break from teaching for a while. When she reentered the workforce, she started by teaching third grade at Osceola Elementary.
“Knowing that the students in my classroom are the future, I feel a responsibility to prepare them for their next level of school and life,” Treur said. “It is incredibly reward-
ing when they understand that I am there for them and work hard to better themselves.”
Treur said the nomination for Teacher of the Year is an honor, as she loves serving her fellow colleagues and being nominated alongside other hardworking educators is humbling. She wants to make her school proud that she is their Teacher of the Year representative.
What keeps her motivated?
“I listen to and surround myself with encouraging people and sing my praise worship in the car at full blast,” Treur said. “Receiving words of encouragement from friends, family, colleagues, parents, and students who understand the mission of making students’ paths in education or life better keeps me motivated.”
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
LAUREN HUHTA
Ormond Beach Elementary
Lauren Huhta advocates for students with exceptionalities.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
One of Lauren Huhta’s childhood memories that has influenced her as a person and educator involved a playground.
She was with her twin cousins, both of whom are autistic and have intellectual disabilities. Someone at the park, she recalls, asked her what was “wrong” with them.
“I remember being so taken back because I never considered anything being ‘wrong’ with my cousins,” Huhta said in a statement to the Observer “I was raised that my cousins only had ‘differences’ and just needed extra time and help.”
Huhta knew from an early age that she was going to be a teacher. She also became an advocate for her cousins — a path that led to her working in Exceptional Student Education. Huhta, who graduated from Volusia County Schools, is now on her 11th year of teaching, all of which have been in ESE support facilitation.
“Being an ESE teacher has been extremely challenging over the past couple years with the increase of paperwork demands and workload,” Huhta said. “What keeps me motivated is seeing my previous students come back to visit, especially for the ‘senior walk’ with their caps and gowns. I know my students
have had to work extra hard and it truly makes my heart happy seeing their perseverance develop into success.”
Huhta, who is Ormond Beach Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, works with students in all elementary grade levels, supporting them in the general education classrooms with reading and math skills.
Huhta is not the only educator in her family. Her paternal grandmother earned a master’s in elementary education and worked as a guardian ad litem. In 2019, Huhta and her father, who was adopted, found his biological parents on Ancestry DNA and discovered both were educators too.
Teaching has its ups and downs, Huhta said. At the end of last school year, she almost left the ESE field because of the paperwork demands and workload, but opted to stay at least for this school year. She is open to other positions however, from working with gifted students with exceptionalities to helping remediate students close reading
learning gaps. As she has a master’s degree in reading education and is certified to teach gifted education, Huhta said she still wants to pursue teaching positions that involve helping students with different learning needs.
Being nominated as OBE’s Teacher of the Year, she said, makes her feel humbled and honored.
“Ormond Beach Elementary is a small, special school with a tight-knit community of educators with knowledge and expertise,” Huhta said. If she could share a piece of wisdom with students, it would be to follow Maya Angelou’s quote: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
“I want my students to know how important it is to never give up on dreams and goals, never give up on yourself, keep persevering, and advocate for yourself,” Huhta said.
Deborah Treur is in her 19th year of teaching. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Lauren Huhta is now on her 11th year of teaching, all of which have been in ESE support facilitation. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
ANN BUSSE
Pathways Elementary
Ann Busse loves to help students discover the best way for them to learn.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Children don’t all learn in the same way, so for Ann Busse, it’s very important to provide differentiated instruction.
In fact, as an Exceptional Student Education support facilitation teacher at Pathways Elementary, Busse said her favorite thing about being an educator is teaching different strategies and providing accommodations that help students learn. “I have a poster that says, ‘It’s OK not to know, but it’s not OK to not try.’” Busse said in a statement to the Observer. “There are going to be some areas you need extra help in and other areas you are going to be able to help others in. I always tell the students to come to groups with a good attitude and be ready to learn and have fun.”
Busse has been teaching in Volusia County at Pathways for six years. Prior to that, she taught in Palm Beach County for 19 years. She’s always been an ESE teacher. She also volunteers with Provision Packs, a
local nonprofit that helps provide food to children in need.
When she was a student at Palm Beach Atlantic University, she took a class on varying exceptionalities and that led her to majoring in education. In her role as an ESE support facilitation teacher, she goes into classrooms and teaches small groups throughout the day. This year, she teaches reading and math small group interventions.
“You will always see me traveling throughout the school with my rolling cart filled with all my supplies for the day,” Busse said.
The nomination as Teacher of the Year came as a surprise. Busse said she was honored that her colleagues nominated her and that she feels blessed to work with such great teachers.
“It’s great to be recognized, but I really just love the kids and teaching,” Busse said. “Over my years of teaching, I have had so many teachers and instructional coaches pour into me and I’m very appreciative.”
Busse’s mother is an educator as well; she has been a professor at Stetson University for over 45 years.
Busse said she’s amazed by her interactions with her students and colleagues.
“I grew up watching her give her time to others and it has influenced
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
SANDRA GILBERT
Pine Trail Elementary
Sandra Gilbert says teaching is about learning for educators, too — not just learning for students.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Sandra Gilbert’s favorite thing about teaching is seeing her student’s faces light up when they grasp a concept they were previously struggling with.
It’s the best feeling, she said in a statement to the Observer “Throughout the year I collabo -
rate and plan with other teachers and brainstorm ways to reach students,” Gilbert said. “Teaching is about learning as an educator as much as it is about the learning of students.”
Gilbert, who is an Exceptional Student Education support facilitation teacher at Pine Trail Elementary, works with students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Being nominated as Teacher of the Year, she said, makes her feel flattered that her colleagues think she is deserving of the honor.
“I work alongside so many caring, dedicated, and talented people,” Gilbert said. “They all motivate me every day.”
She’s worked at Pine Trail Elemen-
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
KELLI CHEHAITLI
Tomoka Elementary
Kelli Chehaitli treasures the opportunity to contribute to humanity through teaching children in school.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
Before Kelli Chehaitli was a teacher, she was a volunteering parent at Tomoka Elementary School, where her daughters attended. As they went on to middle school, Chehaitli knew she wanted to reenter the workforce, and knew she wanted her work to be purposeful, she said in a statement to the Observer.
“In my opinion, nothing seemed more meaningful than to teach,” Chehaitli said. “I knew it would give me the chance to pay forward the gift of education that had been given to my own daughters by so many stellar teachers right here in our Volusia County public schools. I wanted to be part of that.”
Now in her 10th year of teaching, Chehaitli teaches math and science to fifth grade gifted students
tary for 20 years. It’s “home,” she added.
“Being nominated has renewed in me that my contribution has had a positive impact in our school for both students and colleagues,” Gilbert said.
She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Dowling College in New York, and later her’s master’s degree in special education from Long Island University. If she could share one piece of wisdom with students, it would be to never give up.
“I realize that things can be hard sometimes, but it won’t always be that way,” Gilbert said. “I struggled in school when I was younger. With the support of great teachers and family, I was able to work, put myself through school ... and have the most important job of being a teacher.”
When she’s not at work, Gilbert said she enjoys spending time with her husband, three children and friends. She also enjoys reading, doing puzzles, crafts and cooking.
at Tomoka Elementary, where she was named this year’s Teacher of the Year. She is also one of five teachers named as a finalist for the district’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.
Teaching comes with the responsibility of nurturing the educational and social emotional needs for other’s children, which makes it a challenging profession, Chehaitli said.
“Parents, families and children trust in me to provide the tools needed for success in secondary and postsecondary education and in life,” Chehaitlli said. “I stay motivated by remembering that each day I’ve been gifted the opportunity to contribute to the future of humanity.”
But her favorite thing about being a teacher, she said, is that she gets to work with children every day.
“They teach me so much, they are wise beyond their years, and they keep me thoroughly entertained!” she said.
In her classroom, she displays the words of her college microbiology professor, Dr. Ram Nayar: “Think positive always.”
When Chehaitli was his student, he wrote an exam question in which he referred to her as “Dr. Kelli Chehaitli.” That made her realize that he
believed her to be a good student — and a smart one at that.
“That was a profound feeling and single-handedly the most influential factor on my approach to teach-
“I strive to
me greatly,” Busse said. “I try to find something positive in each student and make a connection. Students know when you care.”
Pathways Elementary ESE Support Facilitation teacher Ann Busse and a few of her students. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Sandra Gilbert has been teaching at Pine Trail Elementary for 20 years. It’s “home,” she said. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
ing,” Chehaitli said.
build my students’ educational esteems in similar ways that Dr. Nayar once built mine. That simple exam question changed my personal view of
myself and my life’s trajectory. I hope that I can do the same for my students, particularly those who have never felt as though they were ‘smart’ enough to succeed in school.”
Kelli Chehaitli has the words of Dr. Ram Nayar, her college professor, up on her classroom wall: Think positive always. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
DAVID BELL
Hinson Middle School
David Bell believes every student has a talent and gift.
JARLEENE
ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
When David Bell taught high school theater, he once had a senior student cast in a leading role who was failing several classes. He talked to the principal to see if the student should be pulled from the show.
“She said, ‘No,’” Bell recalled in a statement to the Observer. “‘You and this show are probably the only reasons he’s even coming to school. If you take that away, we may never see him and there will be zero chance of him graduating.’ He was brilliant in the show and was able to make up his work and graduate.”
That moment has influenced the way Bell, Hinson Middle School’s Teacher of the Year, approaches educating students. A piece of wisdom he would share with student is to never give up — and teachers won’t either.
“Don’t ever let someone else decide what you are good at or not good at,” Bell said. “Every student is talented and gifted at something, you just have to find that passion and never stop believing that you are good enough.”
Bell, a graduate of the University of Florida, has been teaching for 16 years. Currently, he teaches theater at Hinson, as well as the journalism/yearbook class. He decided to become a teacher thanks to his oldest sister, who owned and oper-
ated a preschool when he was in elementary and middle school.
“I remember spending so much time there, after school and on teacher duty days, and holidays,” Bell said. “Even at a young age, I really enjoyed interacting with the kids, leading games and activities and lessons with them, even putting on little plays with them.”
As a high school student, he had a great theatre teacher and band director who let students know much they cared — while making learning and school fun and interesting. They are his inspiration. Recently, one of Bell’s former students whom he taught and directed in middle and high school made her Broadway debut in the musical,
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
“Sunset Boulevard.”
His favorite thing about being a teacher is finding creative ways to teach different concepts and skills.
“It is rewarding when a kid that struggles finds a way to succeed because we didn’t give up and found a fun new way to help him or her demonstrate their knowledge and skills,” Bell said.
Being nominated as Teacher of the Year is one of the greatest honors there is as a teacher, he said.
“It validates what we do each day and being recognized by my colleagues means the world to me because it means that they notice that I am trying to make a positive difference in the lives of the children we serve,” Bell said.
DENISE BLUMBERG
Mainland High School
Denise Blumberg loves to help students overcome obstacles.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
MANAGING EDITOR
Denise Blumberg didn’t start her career in education. But it was students who led her to the field in the end.
In her early 20s, Blumberg worked in home health care, primarily caring for elderly patients diagnosed with longterm illnesses. It’s that job, she said in a statement to the Observer , which taught her the importance of patience, empathy and resilience. Then, she applied for a job in Volusia County, teaching high school students with long-term and short-term illnesses over the phone.
“During this time, the students in the program opened my eyes,” Blumberg said. “They taught me as I discovered my passion for teaching, helping students overcome obstacles, and helping them succeed academically.”
Blumberg is now in her 24th year of teaching. As an Exceptional Student Education teacher at her alma matter, Mainland High School, she works with juniors and seniors in their English Language Arts classes, as well as teaches the driving portion of Driver’s Ed after school and administers the test at the end of the semester course.
A native of Daytona Beach, she has taught at Mainland
High School since 2010. Being nominated as Mainland’s Teacher of the Year has given her a renewed sense of purpose and pride in why she chose to enter, and stay, in the field of education, she said.
“Teaching can be challenging at times, and it’s easy to lose sight of our impact amid the demands and challenges of our daily responsibilities,” Blumberg said. “Being recognized has reminded me of the value of our work and reaffirmed my commitment to supporting and inspiring students. All of our efforts make a difference!”
TEACHERS
OF THE YEAR
ASHLEY MARTIN
Ormond Beach Middle School
Ashley Martin tries to be a positive part of her students’ day.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
Ashley Martin believes it’s important for students to know they can all be successful.
She always knew she wanted to be a teacher, Martin said in a statement to the Observer
As she grew up, she realized she wanted to help older students — she wanted to help them in their path toward the future, and she often reminds them of real-life examples so they know even the most successful people in history often have failed before reaching their accomplishments.
“I always strive to instill a growth mindset in my students,” Martin said. “There are so many opportunities for them to try in the classroom and receive feedback on their efforts. If they need improvement, their attempt provides a teachable moment to help them be successful on the next try.”
Martin, who teaches seventh grade civics at Ormond Beach Middle School, is in her 10th year of teaching, having started her career at Campbell Middle School in 2014. In addition to teaching, Martin also coaches rowing with middle school students from throughout the county.
Each school year brings a new set of experiences from which to learn and grow, Martin said.
A Spruce Creek High School grad, the Teacher of the Year
said she enjoys working with students and always tries to be a positive part of their day by showing kindness and empathy.
“Our school recently earned an A grade, so specifically being nominated this year, it felt extra special to know that my colleagues recognized my efforts in helping students perform well on their state tests,” Martin said.
One memorable experience from the recognition, she said, was a speech by Superintendent Carmen Balgobin.
TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Her favorite thing about being a teacher is watching students flourish in the community as engaged and productive citizens, she said.
“I enjoy guiding them through essential milestones, whether they are seeking employment, applying to college, or planning for their future,” she said. “Supporting my students as they reach their goals and make meaningful contributions to society is one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.”
While teaching in the Hospital Homebound Program in her early teaching career, she worked with a high school student that was battling cystic fibrosis. His resilience, she said, was astounding.
“He constantly reminded me that his personal goal was to earn his high school diploma before his illness progressed,” Blumberg said. “His dedication to completing high school stood out and taught me the importance of perseverance and empathy, reinforcing that I should never give up on students, regardless of their circumstances.”
If she could share one piece of wisdom with her students, it would be to “invest in yourself.”
“Your education is one of the most valuable things you can achieve because it’s yours,” Blumberg said. “You earn it through your effort, dedication, and determination. It’s a foundation that stays with you, opening doors and giving you the tools to create your desired future.”
“She stated that often times when asked what you do for a living, teachers will say ‘I’m just a teacher,’” Martin recalled. “However, it’s important to recognize the hard work that is being put in every day, beyond contract hours, the relationships that are built with students and families. It’s not just a job, it’s a profession that requires a lot of dedication, passion, and not all are cut out for it! It’s important to take pride in being an educator.”
KIMBERLY GRIFFITH
Seabreeze High School
Kimberly Griffith shares her love of ASL with her students.
JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR
After Kimberly Griffith took American Sign Language in high school, it became her dream to work as an interpreter.
And she did do that — a journey that eventually brought her to Volusia County. At that time, she was working one-on-one with deaf and hard-of-hearing students at different districts. While she loved her work, she said in a statement to the Observer, she realized she wanted to have the ability to impact more than one student a school year, as well as share her love of learning ASL and passion for being involved with the deaf community.
She thought the best way to accomplish that was to become a classroom teacher.
“Now, when my students have that ‘lightbulb’ moment of remembering an ASL term or they share an experience they had practicing ASL with a deaf or hard-of-hearing person at work or outside of school, I am able to see the results of my hard work,” Griffith said. “It is an amazing feeling to witness my students diving deep into sign language and discovering that love of learning ASL for themselves.”
Griffith, who is Seabreeze High School’s Teacher of the Year, currently teaches ASL
Level 1 and Level 2 to students in all high school levels. She’s in her sixth year of teaching, and all have been at Seabreeze helping students learn ASL.
Griffith’s favorite thing about teaching is watching students learn, oftentimes by practicing with classmates.
“When I see the students laughing, smiling, practicing, and asking questions — I know that is why I became a teacher,” she said. “I love to see the students enjoy the learning process and producing new knowledge from a language they chose to learn.”
Griffith said it’s important to her to live life to the best of her ability every day. If she could share some wisdom with students, it would be to be responsible for their own education and life.
“I hope the best for all of my students in their future lives and careers,” Griffith said. “I hope to see each individual become successful in their own way. Part of being a successful adult is taking charge of your own life, having the confidence to make your own decisions, and recognizing your education as an important part to your life and what you will be able to do in the future. The higher quality of education an individual has, the more doors that open for them in life.”
Being nominated as Teacher of the Year makes her feel honored, she said, because her school has many hardworking educators. She also joked she was looking forward to using her special designated parking spot.
As the only ASL teacher at Seabreeze, and one of only three in the district, sometimes she feels alone on her own “island.”
“However, this experience has made me realize that while there may not be many ASL teachers, I still have many colleagues and fellow teachers who care about me and support me,” Griffith said.
“This year, when I walk into the office or around the halls, many teachers are coming up to me to simply say, ‘Hi!’ or ‘Congratulations on being Teacher Of The Year!’ I feel recognized and more welcomed and supported than ever on my school campus. It has been reassuring and inspiring.”
David Bell has been teaching for 16 years. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ashley Martin, a seventh grade civics teacher at OBMS, is in her 10th year of teaching. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Mainland High School’s Teacher of the Year, Denise Blumberg, has been teaching for 24 years.
Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Seabreeze High School ASL teacher Kimberly Griffith has been teaching for six years. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Christmas wishlist: OBPD hosts annual Shop with a Cop event
Ormond Beach Police officers volunteer to help children selected by their schools embark on a $100 holiday shopping spree.
EMMA BRUGNA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sounds of excited children filled the aisles of the Ormond Beach Walmart as toys began to fill their shopping carts.
The Ormond Beach Police Department held its eighth annual Shop with a Cop event on Saturday, Dec. 21 in partnership with Walmart. Each year, Ormond Beach Police officers volunteer to pair up with children selected by their schools to embark on a $100 shopping spree for the holidays. This year, 28 children participated, with 25 of them being sponsored through Walmart and the remaining children sponsored by citizens in the community that donated directly to OBPD for the initiative.
This year’s participants came from Ormond Beach Elementary, Pathways Elementary, Pine Trail Elementary, Tomoka Elementary and Ormond Beach Middle School.
Astro Skate of Ormond Beach provided the bus for the children to take to Walmart from the Police Department.
Cpl. Carlos Ortiz pushes Kaydrian in his shopping cart to enter Walmart as the eighth annual Shop with a Cop officially begins.
Amanda and Officer Lauren Matero
Harmony and Capt. D.W. Smith get partnered up and are excited to start the eighth annual Shop with a Cop event on Saturday, Dec. 21. Photos by Emma Brugna
Officer Saunders and Ja’Variah wait in line to check out after enjoying their shopping spree.
K9 Officer Justin Hyatt and Melody head to check out following the eighth annual Shop with a Cop event.
COMICS
Non Sequitur
Nancy
Mother Goose
The
In the Bleachers
Cornered
Ziggy
Brothers
SECOND INSERTION NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF FLORIDA IN AND FOR VOLUSIA COUNTY GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION CASE NO. 2021 31502 CICI LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. CAROL FRANCES DAVIS A/K/A CAROL DAVIS, et al., Defendant. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Summary Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered October 25, 2024 in Civil Case No. 2021 31502 CICI of the Circuit Court of the SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT in and for Volusia County, Deland, Florida, wherein LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC is Plaintiff and Carol Frances Davis a/k/a Carol Davis, et al., are Defendants, the Clerk of Court, LAURA E. ROTH, ESQ., will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash electronically at www. volusia.realforeclose.com in accordance with Chapter 45, Florida Statutes on the 15th day of January, 2025 at 11:00 AM on the following described property as set forth in said Summary Final Judgment, to-wit: LOT 21, COUNTRYSIDE PUD UNIT XII-A, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 41, PAGE 170, 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. If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding,
Jeffrey Quentin Blough a/k/a Jeff Quentin Blough, et al., are Defendants, the Clerk of Court, LAURA E. ROTH, ESQ., will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash electronically at www.volusia.realforeclose. com in accordance with Chapter 45, Florida Statutes on the 15th day of January, 2025 at 11:00 AM on the following described property as set forth in said Summary Final Judgment, to-wit: Lot 15, ROWLADER’S FIFTH ADDITION, according to the plat thereof as recorded in Map Book 5, Page 14, 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. 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 1 (800) 955-8770. By: /s/ Robyn Katz Robyn Katz, Esq. McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff 225 East Robinson Street, Suite 155 Orlando, FL 32801 Phone: (407) 674-1850 Fax: (321) 248-0420 Email: MRService@mccalla.com Fla. Bar No.: 146803 23-05713FL Dec. 26, 2024; Jan. 2, 2025 24-00641I
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