Palm Coast Observer 2-16-23

CITY WATCH

Stormwater Department asks for rate hike

Palm Coast’s stormwater rates could go up $11 in the next fiscal year and continue increasing over the next several years in order to offset inflation.

The Palm Coast City Council heard the city’s biannual stormwater report at its Feb. 14 workshop as a part of budget strategic planning.

WILLIAMS

Community Center parking options

The Palm Coast City Council is exploring options for expanding parking at the Community Center.

A two-phase option for new parking spaces was proposed at a Feb. 14 workshop. The spaces would be across the street from the Community Center on Clubhouse Drive.

Seventy spaces could be added to the open lot between Fire Station 22 and Florida Health Care pharmacy on Palm Coast Parkway, Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill said. If still more parking is needed, phase two would memorialize Fire House 22 and add 42 spaces to that lot, Berryhill said.

That would expand Community Center parking by 112 spaces.

“We don’t have enough parking. It’s really that simple,” Vice Mayor Ed Danko said. “I think 70 additional spaces would be greatly appreciated. I don’t know if we need to go further than that.”

Parks and Recreation

Director James Hirst said staff also asked permission to use the parking lots of nearby businesses outside of business hours. Florida Health Care agreed, he said, if the city added the usage to insurance coverage.

Carl Cote, Palm Coast director of stormwater and engineering, said in the report that the Stormwater Department has seen a major increase in costs because of inflation, delaying capital projects.

“Our pipes are failing faster than we anticipated,” Cote said. “[And] our construction costs for projects are coming in way higher than we originally anticipated.” City staff contracted with Raftelis Financial Consultants to conduct a rate study. Henry Thomas, vice president of Raftelis, said that rate increases the city adopted after a 2018 rate study had been intended to enhance operations and speed capital projects and repairs.

Residents now pay $22.27 per month for stormwater, and the rates have been steadily rising since 2013.

Cote said the recent rate increase of 8.2% for fiscal year 2022 didn’t cover what city staff had thought it would.

“That just covered inflation,” he said. “That didn’t cover anything else in our budget.”

Cote said city staff had projected costs for five major capital projects, but only three could be completed, because of the financial constraints.

The two projects that were left out were drainage improvements for the K Section and replacing the P-1 Weir.

“Our metal pipes are at the end of age already,” he said. “We’re on borrowed time right now.”

Even after an unexpected $1.2 million extra in revenue from fiscal year 2022, operation expenses and required transfers exceeded the planned amount by $1.9 million, Thomas said.

To address the Stormwater Engineering Department’s cost deficits, Thomas said, the department is proposing a three-part priority plan for the City Council to consider for the next fiscal year’s budget.

The three priorities are a tiered description of necessary funding, starting from the most basic needs in priority one. The funding would come from a mix of grants, loans and increasing revenues.

Priority one is to continue to fund the city’s maintenance needs, Thomas said, and includes funding $55.6 million over five years for new equipment loans, personnel, maintenance and capital projects.

Priority two would fund $40.7 million in major capital improvement projects. Of that, the study assumes that $38.1 million would come from additional loans, Thomas said.

Priority three adds $3.5 million in new equipment loans and $2 million for personnel per year, up to fiscal year 2027 — bringing personnel costs for all three priorities to $5.1 million per year for the five years.

Raftelis recommended an $11.37 rate increase for the start of fiscal year 2024, beginning on Oct. 1, 2023, and gradually increasing over the next several years. By fiscal year 2027, if the rate hike is approved, residents would be paying $45.16 per month — more than double the current amount.

The proposed rate increases would fund all three priorities, but the City Council would not be obligated to approve all three parts: It could instead approve just one or two.

The initial 2024 fiscal year rates

BY THE NUMBERS

$22.27

residents’ current stormwater rate

$11.37

the proposed initial stormwater increase for fiscal year 2024

$45.16

the bill residents could end up with in fiscal year 2027 if the City Council approves all three priorities. If they just approve priority one, it would be $34.73 by 2027; if one and two, $40.48.

would increase only $5.58 for the first two priorities. Priority one alone would go up to $34.73 by the 2027 budget, and priorities one and two would rise to $40.48.

Mayor David Alfin, who had thought the pipes were supposed to last closer to 100 years instead of the average 50-year lifespan, was concerned about the city’s “very old bones.”

“The only thing that really scares me is the mention of infrastructure failure,” Alfin said.

City prepares contracts for new fire stations

Palm Coast may soon move forward with replacing one fire station and building another.

Eric Gebo, a city architect, on Feb. 14 presented a resolution to approve project construction management and design services contracts to the City Council for three individual projects. The contracts are for the new Fire Station 26, replacing Fire Station 22 and upgrading Fire Station 25.

Fire Station 22 will be moved less than a mile east of the existing Fire Station 22, to 350 Palm Coast Parkway, Gebo said.

The new Fire Station 26 will serve the area south of State Road 100 and west of Seminole Woods Boulevard. The new station will be on a 27-acre combined parcel on Seminole Woods Boulevard, central to service needs, Gebo said, and would allow for future expansion or additional buildings on the lot.

Fire Station 25, on Belle Terre Parkway, would receive new bay doors, and the facility would be converted from propane to natural gas. The contractors would also perform a future needs assessment on the station during the work.

SchenkelSchultz

Architecture was selected for design services and Wharton-Smith, Inc., for the construction management services agreements.

The new fire stations will be funded by fire impact fees, while Station 25’s updates will be funded with capital projects funds, Gebo said.

Design services will cost just under $362,000 collectively, and the construction management contracts will cost just under $65,000, collectively, Gebo said.

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SIERRA

STAFF WRITER

Palm Coast Utility Department.

‘Now is the time’

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin delivered the annual State of the City address on Feb. 9. An edited transcript of his speech is below.

As I again welcome everyone both in attendance here at the Community Center and those who are watching us at home or listening to us on the radio, I would like to reiterate our message this evening:

Now is the time to plan and build our future together.

As I look across this room, I am seeing that the power of Palm Coast lies in our collective collaboration between residents, city staff, and elected officials. Our culture at City Hall is to listen so that we can better serve our mutual present and future needs.

This year, will mark the 24th year since the citizens of Palm Coast determined that they were prepared to take the lead in governing themselves by voting to become an official municipality in Florida.

Over the years, we’ve watched Palm Coast transform from a small rural town to a multi-generational community, building together on our strengths and working hard to meet our difficult challenges.

As Palm Coast’s fourth mayor, I’ve had a ringside seat to witness many of the struggles, the humanity, the effort and the effectiveness of the knowledge and compassion that motivates people in our city. We step up where and when we are needed. Our employees who work at City Hall, the fire stations, Community Center, or water treatment plants keep services moving forward. Our residents who work at schools, large and small businesses, medical facilities, or factories – from home, on job sites or in vehicles –keep us informed of their concerns and needs. Their instincts and input are the center of our daily work and decision-making.

CITY PRIORITIES

When we work together, there is no limit to what we can do in our city, county, region, state and nation.

Last year, after personally witnessing the dedication and fervor of nearly 6,000 military personnel onboard the USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier, I initiated a proclamation for the city of Palm Coast and the Naval warship to become sister cities. Our proclamation affirmed that, as sister cities, our two vast communities of residents will continue to share educational opportunities, common resources, and connections to value integrity and accountability in actions and decision-making. I felt such optimism for my city while onboard this carrier.

It made me feel so grateful for the outstanding military veterans who found their way to live here in Palm Coast over the years. It is our duty to stay connected to Palm Coast’s finest and to salute their service.

Closer to home, I am proud to tell you that our relationships last year with Flagler Beach, Bunnell and the County are united and strong — more so, I would say, than any other time in our history.

In 2022, your Palm Coast government worked intently with Flagler County to align our priorities with the Florida Legislative delegation. These priorities focus on public health and safety, community resiliency, infrastructure, conservation, and open space.

You may ask, “How do legislative priorities help Palm Coast residents?” The answer is simple: when city and county government priorities align, the state of Florida is more

likely to recognize our collective needs and be supportive by awarding us more funding.

Hurricanes were another priority in 2022. While we were fortunate to avoid a direct hit from both Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, our area sustained damage and flooding to certain neighborhoods — especially for residents living in the Woodlands. Noting a possible issue, our IT and Stormwater Departments sat down together to quickly develop models capable of predicting flooding conditions. Their efforts helped to give advance warning to Woodlands residents, who could then determine whether or not to evacuate.

During the recovery phase of these storms, our public works, stormwater, engineering, utility and fire departments joined for an “allhands-on-deck” approach to ensure the appropriate resources were available in areas across neighborhoods that needed the most assistance.

While emergencies are just one example, your city officials understand that advanced preparation plays a critical role in addressing most issues that face a community and its population. Our proactive position on restoration and rebuilding projects every year across the city makes a difference in the quality of life for all of us.

As our city manager, Denise [Bevan], likes to say, “We are a young city with old bones.” And she’s absolutely correct. That’s why we must take the steps necessary to fortify those old bones to keep Palm Coast standing straight and tall.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The milling and resurfacing project at Belle Terre Parkway and Royal Palms Parkway was given the green light after an independent consulting firm surveyed the roadway and determined it needed significant

repair.

Also in 2022, our incredible staff completed a massive utility maintenance project on Florida Park Drive. This project reconstructed a section of our sanitary sewer system and built a new lift station in a location that will reduce future traffic interference when maintenance is needed in the future.

Other roadways scheduled for milling and resurfacing in 2023 are Belle Terre Parkway, Seminole Woods Boulevard, Sesame Boulevard and Easthampton Boulevard. While these projects are paramount in maintaining our roads, utility infrastructure and preserving the quality of life that our residents have come to expect, we are sensitive to the fact that they can be inconvenient for our residents.

However, it is critically necessary for us to maintain our roads and utility infrastructure to keep you safe. Projects that may take weeks or even months to complete are being done for the betterment of everyone and often to prevent a much more severe problem from occurring down the line.

It is important to the city to look into every matter that is brought to our attention by our residents. We are committed to listening to your concerns and working toward a solution together. Many of these solutions may have a financial or environmental impact that makes a quick solution impractical. While it may take time to resolve the issue, we are determined to find a resolution that will benefit our community. We value the input of our residents and believe it is vitally important to work together to build a better future for Palm Coast.

In addition to those restoration efforts, I am happy to say that other large-scale enhancements are underway to support our vision of a Palm Coast where everyone can enjoy a superb quality of life regardless of age or physical capabilities.

When we think about why so many people moved to Palm Coast in recent years, I’m certain the answer points straight to our splendid parks and recreation. When it comes to sharing beauty, fun and relaxation with family and friends, we have the epitome of why people move to Florida: magnificent trails, wildlife, exciting recreational activities and an abundance of sunshine to enjoy it all.

I am so excited about the 2022-23 leisure enrichments we’re offering.

WESTWARD This coming year in Palm Coast promises much more progress to make us all truly proud. Certainly, we are all anticipating the opening of a beautiful new AdventHealth Hospital on Palm Coast Parkway, staffed with new physicians, nurses, and technicians, possibly trained here in Town Center. And where will these new medical professionals and their families want to live?

In 2023, we’ll see the beginning stages of the inauguration of our new westward frontier movement. Much like our nation’s pioneers who advanced west to capture the opportunity for new land, likewise, Palm

Coast residents will soon be looking west of U.S. 1. The prospect of living the Florida dream in our abundant community will eventually draw folks to the new homes, services and shopping that will be offered as we expand into this new frontier.

It will take time and effort to expand to the westward boundaries of Palm Coast. That’s why it’s crucial to review our current Comprehensive Plan to successfully map out future planning for our next decades of growth. Comprehensive planning is an important tool that your City Council uses when guiding our future development toward a safe, pleasant and sustainable environment.

And this is where we need you — our citizens — as our partners. In the coming months, you’ll be encouraged to attend meetings or complete surveys or mailers to let us know how you feel about planning and building our future together. You will have ample opportunity to speak up and have your own ideas documented, and your own dreams realized.

In the coming months, professional facilitators, along with city staff, will be assisting with the plan evaluation and update. Whether you’ve lived here for a decade, a year, a month, a week, or a day, if you decide to share your feedback with us, I guarantee you’ll look at Palm Coast in a more profound way than ever before.

DEDICATION

The city of Palm Coast is home to some of the most selfless and dedicated individuals I’ve ever met — those who go above and beyond to serve others. These individuals embody the spirit of service and volunteerism, and it is through their tireless efforts that our community is able to thrive, which is why at this time, I would like to take a moment to recognize three incredible residents who stood out in 2022 and thank them for their outstanding contributions to our community.

First and foremost, I want to recognize and congratulate the winner of our Public Service Award, recently retired Fire Chief Jerry Forte, an exemplary hero in our community.

Jerry dedicated 32 years of his career to serving the city with the Palm Coast Fire Department, including the last several years as fire chief.

Jerry started with the city as a volunteer in 1990 and worked his way up.

In October of 2022, Jerry accepted

his next assignment — retirement. He has always put the safety and wellbeing of our citizens first, and his leadership and expertise have been invaluable to our community. Jerry, your service and commitment to the community and the Palm Coast Fire Department have not gone unnoticed, and we are grateful for the legacy you leave behind.

Next, I am pleased to announce that the Citizen of the Year Award goes to Pastor Charles Silano, a true leader in our community. Pastor Charlie has made an invaluable contribution through his work with the Grace Community Food Pantry and for initiating the first Food-athon that raised over half a million dollars for those in need in our community last year. The Grace Community Food Pantry serves 3,500 local families each month and provides enough food to feed a family for a week. In addition to the food pantry, Pastor Charlie is also chairman of the Open Door Re-entry and Recovery Ministry, which provides housing to people overcoming substance abuse addiction. His compassion and selflessness serve as an inspiration to us all, and we are grateful for his dedication to making a difference in the lives of those around him.

And finally, I am honored to present the Next Generation Award to Emma Stanford. Emma has made a significant impact on our community through her work with Emma Loves K9s, Inc. At just 11 years old, Emma had a heart for first responders, and especially their canine partners. She developed a non-profit to raise money to help provide necessary resources for K-9 handlers, including veterinary care for retired K9s, which is generally the responsibility of the handler who adopts the K9 when they retire. In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 226 with Emma by his side. The bill provides up to $1,500 a year in reimbursements for the medical care of retired police dogs. Emma’s dedication to improving the lives of our four-legged friends is truly inspiring, and she is a shining example of our bright future.

As I close our presentation, I can’t help but feel my heart and soul going back again to October on the Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier and the optimism I felt. I’m reminded again of how our mutual interaction and connectivity on that ship personified our calling for the common good. This hopefulness reminded me of what we have together here in Palm Coast. It has built our allegiance to each other. It has been life-changing and life-strengthening.

When you climb back into your car tonight, I hope you will take home a richer connection to your fellow residents. Might you feel a bit more at peace? A little more confident in the Palm Coast’s future is more sustainable because of our support of one another?

I do hope so. I will always believe that without each of you , there is no us. Thank you so much again for attending our State of the City event, and I look forward to engaging with each of you in 2023 while we plan and build our future together.

Central Park in Palm Coast’s Town Center

Palm Coast City Manager Denise Bevan speaks at the 2023 State of the City address.

Recently retired Fire Chief Jerry Forte, right, accepts the Public Service Award from Mayor David Alfin, left.

Photos courtesy of the Palm Coast city government

“Much like our nation’s pioneers who advanced west to capture the opportunity for new land, likewise, Palm Coast residents will soon be looking west of U.S. 1.”

DAVID ALFIN, mayor

Growth, infrastructure, westward expansion feature in 2023 State of the City address.

‘It’s your fault’: Flagler Beach city manager fired

William Whitson was voted out in a 4-1 vote on Feb. 9, with Commissioner Jane Mealy dissenting.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Flagler Beach City Manager William Whitson has been fired.

City commissioners voted 4-1 at a Feb. 9 meeting to terminate Whitson’s contract on April 10, placing him on administrative leave effective immediately. Commissioner Jane Mealy was the only dissenting vote. Whitson’s contract allows for a 60-day phase-out period when terminated without cause, with 20

weeks of severance beginning after that.

City Attorney Drew Smith said Whitson was willing to stay on until the next commission meeting, but the commission decided instead to ask Rick McFadden — Flagler Beach’s chief building official and the former interim city manager — to temporarily step up until an interim city manager is appointed.

Chair Ken Bryan suggested that former Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron step in as interim city manager, but other commissioners weren’t ready to make that commitment without discussion.

“Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” Bryan said to McFadden.

“With the understanding that by Tuesday, we’ll have someone one

COMMISSION NARROWS SEARCH TO THREE

The Flagler Beach City Commission narrowed its interim city manager choices down to three candidates — Katrina Powell, John Drago and Michael Abels — at a workshop on Feb. 13.

The commission will hold a town hall at 4 p.m. Feb. 23 for residents to meet with the candidates before the 5:30 p.m. commission meeting. Rick McFadden, the city’s chief building officer, will serve as acting city manager until an interim is chosen.

OVER

CONTROVERSY

CAMERON

The commission heard from five candidates, including former County Administrator Jerry Cameron, at the Feb. 13 meeting.

Earlier that day, news service FlaglerLive.com had released an article stating Cameron had been lobbying for the city manager position and that the Flagler Beach Business Bureau, also known as FB3, had been assisting him.

FB3 acknowledged to the Observer that it had spoken with commissioners to advocate that they hire Cameron.

“We did express our frustrations with Mr. Whitson as city manager and we actively sought his termination when speaking with several city commissioners,”

FB3 President and Oceanside Beach Bar & Grill co-owner John Lulgjuraj said in a message sent to the Observer on behalf of FB3. “We also advocated that the commission hire former Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron as an interim city manager, during a critical time for the city.”

Lulgjuraj added in a later statement, “Furthermore, I have a right and a responsibility to voice my concerns to city commissioners and to directly communicate problems with solutions as our Flagler Beach Business Bureau has done in the past.”

But Chair Ken Bryan was the only commissioner to place Cameron among his top three candidates, with Powell and Abels as his other two choices.

Both Cameron and Bryan denied that Cameron had been reaching out and meeting with commissioners to replace Whitson, and at the start of the meet-

ing, Bryan denied that Cameron had been “lobbying” him for a job.

“Mr. Cameron did not lobby to me, I’m going to make that clear,” Bryan said. “I called Mr. Cameron myself. … I called him to ask him for help.”

Several residents and City Commission candidates asked the commission to take more time before choosing an interim, especially since some resumes for candidates who spoke were not available before the Feb. 13 meeting.

“I want this person to be successful,” Commissioner Deborah Phillips said. “I don’t want to rush anything.”

“I’ve never seen a position this important in which there wouldn’t be an opportunity to at least meet [or] look at the resumes,” said attorney Scott Spradley, a candidate for City Commission.

Commissioner James Sherman suggested holding a town hall with shortlisted candidates. Four of five commissioners and the mayor all listed Powell, Abels and Drago.

The three candidates will meet with department heads and commissioners before the Feb. 23 town hall and commission meeting.

Powell said she served as city manager in Longwood from 2009-2011, in Fort Meade from 2005-2007 and in Hamtramck, Michigan from 2014 to 2017. She was appointed to the Hamtramck position by the Michigan Department of Treasury after that city was declared to be in a state of financial emergency.

Drago — who said he is only interested in the interim position — was the city manager in Longwood from 1999-2009, just prior to Powell. He said he also served as city administrator for Winter Springs from 1997-1999 and for Okeechobee from 19861997. He serves on the vice chair of Orange County Board of Zoning Adjustment.

Abels has a doctorate in public administration and most recently served as city manager in DeLand, from 1999-2008. He then taught public administration at the University of Central Florida until 2016 and at Stetson University as an adjunct from 2016-2021.

way or the other.”

The City Commission later met in a workshop on Feb. 13 to speak with potential interim city managers, narrowing its choices to three.

Whitson had been hired as city manager in February 2021, after the position sat open for almost a year.

Since then, he has faced criticism for a series of city administration missteps: City staff this past year did not coordinate with the vendor who handles the city’s annual July 4 fireworks show early enough for the vendor to produce the show, which was ultimately canceled. The city also did not submit an application for a large annual grant program, and commissioners had criticized Whitson’s handling other initiatives, including the rollout of an employee pay raise.

Over the previous summer, the commission held a performance review for Whitson, and evaluated him as meeting standards, but with room for improvement.

Commissioners and Mayor Suzie Johnston on Feb. 9 reviewed their initial evaluations of Whitson, and most said they have seen some improvement.

“It takes the residents holding his feet to the fire and putting his job on the line to get that needle moved,” Johnston said. “I can see an improve-

ment, but I want to know why it takes so much clamor to get that done.”

Whitson’s response, like many over previous meetings, referenced a lack of staff and an overabundance of projects.

But Johnston said that although staffing had been thoroughly discussed at a recent commission meeting, the city’s website still advertises just three vacancies, while every department is understaffed — and none of those positions have been advertised elsewhere, either.

Whitson faced particular criticism from Bryan.

Bryan said he sees a lot of things around the city that are not getting done — projects like the renovation of the front of the commission building, and an employee pay rate analysis and raise. He called the lack of progress “inexcusable.”

“I don’t want to hear the excuse ‘I don’t have staff,’” Bryan said. “It’s your fault.”

Bryan said it was also inexcusable that job positions are not being filled or advertised, especially in such cases as the position vacated by former

City Planner Larry Torino, whose retirement had been in the works for a long time.

Projects will be delayed because of the lack of staff, Bryan said.

“We need to do better,” Bryan said. “I don’t care whose responsibility it is at this point, but the bottom line is, Mr. Whitson, it’s yours.”

Commissioner Eric Cooley spoke of several items he said needed improvement, but he and Commissioner James Sherman focused on the employee pay raise analysis delays. The commission had prioritized pay raises over the summer, but the analysis of market-competitive pay rates is expected to be finished at the end of February.

“That, I find to be egregious,” Cooley said.

Mealy, aside from supporting Whitson’s continued tenure, said she felt it would be a bad idea to remove the city manager amid all the work being done.

“I think we would be doing more harm than good,” she said.

Several others, including members of the public, felt otherwise. Sherman said the city needs someone in the city manager position to be assertive. The city has given Whitson tools and resources, Sherman said, but has not seen results unless he is in the hot seat.

“This is not a personal decision,” Sherman said. “This is just what I think is best for us to move forward.”

-David M.

Courtesy photos

City Manager William Whitson, left, and City Attorney Drew Smith

“It takes the residents holding his feet to the fire and putting his job on the line to get that needle moved. I can see an improvement, but I want to know why it takes so much clamor to get that done.”

SUZIE JOHNSTON, mayor

“I don’t want to hear the excuse, ‘I don’t have staff.’ It’s your fault.”

KEN BRYAN, Flagler Beach City Commission chair

Volusia County School Board ratifies agreement with AFSCME

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

The Volusia County School Board unanimously approved a one-year collective bargaining agreement between the district and the union representing support services employees on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

The agreement with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 79, Local 850, also known as AFSCME, includes salary schedule changes and rate increases.

AFSCME treasurer Carol Sawyer thanked district staff for this year’s negotiations.

“We had two sides of the table that were working back and forth,” Sawyer said. “We were doing it together. We were cordial. There was no fighting.”

In addition to new salary schedules, the bargaining agreement also included an annual allowance or reimbursement for shoes for bus operators, attendants, custodians, School Way Cafe employees, transportation mechanics and other support services employees.

School Way Cafe employees who oversee certain programs will also receive more pay per hour, by between 50 cents and $1.

Mark West, chief human resources officer for VCS, said the agreement was ratified at an 89% rate.

School Board Chair Jamie Haynes said that by mid-April, the support services employees will receive allowances for their uniforms and shoes, as well as their retroactive pay.

“I think we’re all very excited that we’re at this point tonight, and we now get to move forward,” Haynes said.

Firefighters contain 130-acre wildfire

wildfire mitigation specialist for the Forest Service.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

Florida Forest Service wildland firefighters and local fire departments contained a 130-acre wildfire in the area of Clyde Morris Boulevard, south of Hand Avenue, by 11 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9.

The Florida Forest Service does not know how it started, said Julie Allen, wildfire mitigation specialist for the Florida Forest Service. The Forest Service led the wildfire response and was continuing to improve containment lines around the area on Feb. 10.

“Now that it is safe to do so, we will have our wildland firefighters out here seeing if they can determine a cause of this fire,” Allen said.

According to the Florida Forest Service’s Facebook page, the fire was first reported as a 15-acre fire in the afternoon, and later in the evening as a 60-acre fire. Firefighters were able to protect 75 homes — the

wildfire occurred close to the rear of the Cypress Trail and Birchwood subdivisions off Clyde Morris Boulevard — with seven dozers, two brush units and local fire departments on the scene. Police and fire departments from Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach and Volusia County Fire Rescue assisted.

Some incorrect claims circulated on social media that the wildfire was a result of a prescribed burn, in which officials intentionally set fire to an area to improve or maintain the natural habitat.

“This was definitely a wildfire,” Allen said, adding that the priority of the agency was to protect the homes nearby.

The fire was the second fire in the area within a week. Two fires burned about 28 acres of land between Cypress Trail Drive and Oak Street near Ormond Beach on Monday, Feb. 6. Those fires, however, were determined to have been human-caused, Allen said.

“However, we do not know if it was accidental or purposeful,” Allen said.

“So our agriculture law enforcement and our local law enforcement are investigating the cause.”

Unlike western states like California, Florida doesn’t have a “fire season.” The state can burn year round.

PRESCRIBED BURN VS. WILDFIRE

Florida is a fire-dependent ecosystem, said Julie Allen, wildfire mitigation specialist for the Florida Forest Service. When there was no development, the state would burn naturally, and the fire would help trees grow.

“Last night, I was telling some of the residents in the community — I said, ‘Listen, in the morning, I want you to grab a cup of coffee, sit on your back porch and watch the spectacle of all of these beautiful animals that will come and feed on the ash from that fire,’” Allen said. “Because it is filled with so many beautiful nutrients that they love, and that’s what they depend on.”

The state holds periodic prescribed burns to maintain the ecosystem.

“Just like when you go to your doctor, there is a prescription, there is a plan,” Allen said. “There are so many incredible details that go into planning a purposeful set of parameters into applying fire to the ground.”

On Feb. 6, the district had announced it had struck a bargaining agreement with the Volusia United Educators teachers union regarding instructional salaries.

VUE President Elizabeth Albert said at the School Board meeting that the agreement will be ratified on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Instructional personnel will be receiving a total package of $11.7 million.

“We do believe that package is a robust package, and we do feel that we met part of our goal of acknowledging the salary compression for mid-career and veteran teachers,” Albert said. “Of course, we can always do more, and so we’ll look to do that in the coming year. We’re eager to do the same thing for support.”

The agreement with the union includes salary schedule changes and rate increases.

“I think we’re all very excited that we’re at this point tonight, and we now get to move forward.”

JAMIE HAYNES, School Board chair

The Florida Forest Service does not know how the fire started, said Julie Allen,

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Local fire department and Florida Forest Service firefighters work to contain a 130-acre wildfire near Ormond Beach the evening of Thursday, Feb. 9.

COPS CORNER

JAN. 29

WOMAN REPORTS THEFT

MONTHS LATER

6 p.m. — 100 block of Matanzas Woods Parkway, Palm Coast Residential burglary. Three months after it happened, a woman who recently moved to Palm Coast reported several moving totes had been stolen from her truck.

The totes contained many items, the woman said, but the main valuables included a ham radio, two compact telescoping fishing rods, a double-edged, foldable fishing knife and the woman’s birth certificate and expired passport.

The woman said she believed the items were stolen three weeks after she moved to the area in mid-August, according to an incident report.

She said she’d arrived home and taken a nap; when she came outside a couple hours later, she found two plastic moving totes in her driveway that had been in her truck before she took her nap.

She said several other totes were missing from the truck as well. She did not remember if it had been locked. She told the deputy she had waited to report the theft because someone would have had to register the radio to use it.

FEB. 1

SODA ISN’T WATER

2:17 a.m. — 600 block of West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach

Battery touch/strike. Police arrested a 39-year-old transient man who shoved a gas station employee after she asked him to pay for his soda.

According to a police report, the man was seen at the drink machine filling up a water cup with soda. After shoving the employee, he fin-

ished his drink, threw it away and left the store.

The employee flagged down police, who found the man. He told officers he hadn’t had money to pay for the drink.

He was taken to jail. The gas station supervisor declined to press charges for shoplifting.

FEB. 2

BURGLAR BLUNDER

5:18 p.m. — Intersection of Alabama Avenue and Maryland Avenue, Daytona Beach

False name given to law enforcement officer. A deputy spotted a man slumped over his bicycle in the grass. A second deputy was notified of the incident over the radio and responded.

The man wasn’t moving, deputies noted — at least, at first. When they got closer, the man woke up and told them he was under the influence of fentanyl. Deputies summoned medical personnel, who cleared the 36-yearold Ormond Beach man at the scene.

While waiting for the medical personnel, however, deputies asked the man for his name. The man gave them a false identity, then later admitted that it was false. He told them he gave them a fake identity because he believed his local police department was looking for him: The man had broken into a car and stolen a cellphone and cigarettes on Jan. 18.

He was taken to jail.

FEB. 5 MAN BREAKS INTO GAS STATION, LEAVES DEBIT CARD AS PAYMENT

2:25 a.m. — 100 block of Matanzas Woods Parkway, Palm Coast Armed burglary, petit theft.

A Cocoa Beach man was arrested by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies less than two hours after breaking into a gas station because he left behind his debit card — on purpose.

In surveillance footage from

the gas station, the man was seen entering from the back of the store and stealing dog food, water, antifreeze, oil, cigarillos and an electronic tobacco device, according to his arrest report.

One of the responding deputies also recognized the man from a vehicle fire that had occurred across the street from the gas station earlier that day.

When deputies found him, the man said he had wondered how long it would take them.

He admitted to breaking into the gas station’s back door with his knife, according to the report. He told deputies he had meant to get there earlier to buy food for his dog, but arrived after the gas station had closed.

He said he left the debit card behind so he could pay for the items when the store opened in the morning. He was arrested instead.

FEB. 11

PLAYING DEFENSE

8:22 p.m. — 1500 block of West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach Battery on a law enforcement officer. A 24-year-old Holly Hill woman pushed and attempted to restrain a police officer who was chasing her and a man for shoplifting $129 worth of merchandise from a local big box store.

The officer had “partial control” of the man when the woman placed a shopping cart in between the two, put her hands on the officer and told the man to run, according to a police report. She followed suit.

The woman and the man, along with a third man involved in the shoplifting, were all soon caught. The woman claimed that she hadn’t known that the person she pushed was an officer. The officer was wearing a uniform, the report notes. All three people were taken to jail.

Palm Coast man charged with rape of a child

An 18-year-old Palm Coast man has been charged with raping one younger relative and exposing himself to another.

Gabriel Figueroa was arrested by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Feb. 8 in connection with multiple sexual battery incidents between 2015 and 2019, all with a victim who was a minor. He was also charged with exposing his genitals to another minor in a 2020 incident.

Both victims are relatives of Figueroa, who was 12-16 at the time, while the victims were 7-10 years old, according to his arrest report.

Sheriff Rick Staly said he hopes Figueroa’s arrest will bring the victims closure.

“I commend the braveness of the victims to come forward, and I hope this arrest helps them heal from the trauma,” Staly said, according to a press release from the FCSO.

The FCSO began investigating in December when detectives received delayed complaints about the sex crimes.

The FCSO Major Crimes Unit and Problem Area Crime Enforcement Units worked with the State Attorney’s Office during their investigation of Figueroa, Staly said. Figueroa admitted to the crimes, according to the press release.

He has been charged with two

BRIEFS

Motorcyclist killed in crash on North Nova Road

A 60-year-old Daytona Beach man died after a minivan crashed into his motorcycle at the intersection of North Nova Road and Sterthaus Drive in Ormond Beach on Saturday, Feb. 11.

The minivan — which was being driven by an 88-year-old Ormond Beach man — was trying to make an illegal left turn from Sterthaus Drive to go southbound onto North Nova Road when it pulled out in front of the motorcyclist, identified as Rutledge Wayne Boushell, and crashed into him, according to the Ormond Beach Police Department.

Boushell was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center, but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. The driver of the minivan sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to the hospital.

The crash investigation is ongoing, according to police. Those with information on the incident may contact

felonies: lewd and lascivious exhibition with offender under 18, victim under 16; and sexual battery with offender under 18, victim under 12.

Three teens arrested over December armed robbery

Volusia Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested three suspects in the armed robbery of an Ormond-bythe-Sea gas station convenience store in December. The final suspect was taken into custody on Friday, Feb. 10.

According to the VSO, a masked suspect entered the Speedy-Mart at the Chevron gas station at 1716 Ocean Shore Blvd. at around 9:47 p.m. on Dec. 19. The suspect brandished a gun at the clerk and demanded money, which he received before fleeing.

Detectives used surveillance video from the area, license plate readers, cell data and other evidence to identify 18-year-old Even Stidham and 19-year-old Tyler Evans and Bradley Fahey as persons of interest in the case.

The investigation revealed that the three men planned the robbery together, according to the VSO.

Stidham was arrested on Jan. 20, Evans was arrested on Jan. 27 and Fahey was arrested on Feb. 10. All three remain at the Volusia County Branch Jail on charges of principal to robbery with a firearm and pos-

Officer Rick Taylor at rick.taylor@ ormondbeach.org or 386-677-0731.

Man dies in car accident while holding open door

A 51-year-old man died in a car crash Feb. 9 while hanging onto the open side door of a pickup truck driven by a 14-year-old boy.

The crash happened at 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 9 at Clove Avenue and Rosewood Street in the Daytona North area of Flagler County.

The victim, from Budd Lake, New Jersey, was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 14-year-old driver, from Bunnell, was uninjured.

The pickup truck had been heading west on Clove Avenue with the man hanging on to the open driverside door while standing on the running boards as the truck was moving.

The 14-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle, driving onto the north shoulder of Clove Avenue.

The man was thrown from the truck, according to the FHP report.

session of a firearm by a delinquent. Stidham was also charged with providing false information to law enforcement during a felony investigation.

Man charged with beating child over candy

A Palm Coast man has been charged with felony child abuse after allegedly beating a child with a belt for eating candy.

The man, 25, was arrested from a home on Wellwood Lane in Palm Coast on Feb. 8 and charged with felony child abuse. He posted bail the following day, but an order of no contact was issued to keep him from the victim.

A Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputy had responded to a call from Rymfire Elementary School about a 5-year-old student with a large, red and swollen injury on his right cheek, according to an arrest report.

The anonymous reporter, who sees the boy every morning, said he did not have the bruise the day before, the report said.

The deputy and a child protective investigator interviewed the boy at the school. He told them his stepfather hit him in the face with the buckle of a belt when the stepfather caught him eating candy when he was not supposed to, according to the report.

The boy said he was in his parents’ room watching YouTube and eating candy on the bed when his stepfather caught him, the report said. The

The crash remains under investigation.

First responders rescue man from burning car

A man was pulled out of a burning car after it crashed into a semi-truck in the early hours of Feb. 12.

The crash occurred at 3 a.m. in front of the Tom Gibbs Chevrolet on State Road 100 in Palm Coast. The sedan caught fire from the impact, and Flagler County Sheriff Office deputies and bystanders worked together to get the driver out of the car, according to a press release from the FCSO.

One deputy used a fire extinguisher as another deputy and citizens helped free the driver before the car was engulfed, the press release said.

The driver and his passenger — found lying in the road next to the vehicle — were both taken to the hospital, one as a trauma alert.

“I commend our deputies and the citizens that assisted and likely saved the driver’s life,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. Flagler County Fire Rescue arrived

boy said his stepfather grabbed a belt and whipped him with it on his knees, backside and face.

The boy told the deputy he is frequently whipped by his stepfather. When the deputy interviewed the boy’s two sisters, one also said they are all “whooped” with the belt when they are disciplined; she said she was in the room with her brother during the beating but did not see it because she did not look.

The other sister denied the whippings and claimed she did not know how her brother was disciplined the night before, though she heard him crying.

The FCSO deputy met with the boy’s mother and stepfather at their home at around 3 p.m. The mother said she was not home the night before and did not know about the bruise on her son’s face, though she knew he had been in trouble. She said she had not seen him that morning.

When the deputy talked to the stepfather, he denied ever using a belt on the boy and said that the 5-year-old fell and hit his face two separate times. But he could not say when that was; the stepfather said the boy was clumsy, according to the report.

The stepfather arrested for felony child abuse and taken to the Flagler County jail.

Man charged with three felonies after shooting inside home

A man who fired a gun inside a home on Saturday, Feb. 11, has been

soon after the man was freed, and extinguished the flames.

Law enforcement teams up against distracted driving

Flagler County law enforcement departments will team up once a month in a coordinated effort called Operation: Wreck-LESS.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Flagler Beach Police Department and Bunnell Police Department are all participating in Operation: WreckLESS to address distracted driving, speeding and intersection violations, according to an FCSO press release.

High visibility, plus education and strict enforcement, are key to reducing crashes, according to the press release.

The first day of the operation was Feb. 9 and included 148 traffic stops. One hundred warnings and 50 traffic citations were issued, according to the press release.

“I want to thank our enforcement partners for their high visibility enforcement,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Sadly, we ended the day with a

charged with three felonies. Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies and a SWAT team responded at about 5 p.m. to reports that a man had fired a gun inside a home on Cute Court in Palm Coast, according to a press release from the FCSO.

The man, 53, was later arrested and charged with two counts of shooting inside a dwelling and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

The man’s wife had called the FCSO after he shot the weapon through the back of the house, according to his arrest report.

She told deputies that he had been upset about his mother’s death and had not threatened her with the gun.

Deputies were able to have her safely leave the home. When the man initially refused to comply with deputies, the FCSO’s SWAT and Crisis Negotiations teams responded.

Neighboring residents were told to shelter in place during negotiations.

The man eventually left the home, still refusing to comply with deputies.

Deputies used “non-lethal defensive weapons” to take him into custody without injury, the press release said.

“Great job by our deputies, negotiators and SWAT team de-escalating and ensuring this volatile and dangerous situation ended safely without anyone getting hurt,” Sheriff Rick Staly said.

traffic fatality that likely could have been avoided. Remember, don’t drive ‘wreck-less.’”

FCSO launches 911 live video technology

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is using new software that lets 911 callers connect a live video feed to dispatchers.

The software app is called “Prepared Live,” according to a press release from the FCSO. It lets dispatchers text a link to the caller, who can choose to let the application connect to their camera for a live video feed connection.

The software would also let dispatchers text a caller who may be in a hostile situation, according to the press release.

Callers could also share their GPS location from their phone.

Dispatchers have been trained on the program and can use it with cell phone callers’ permission.

“In an emergency, people may not be thinking clearly. This technology will allow for our dispatchers to get a more thorough understanding of what is going on in the field,” Sheriff Rick Staly said.

Residents question proposal for 300 homes on former golf course

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

Three-hundred homes. Roughly 600 more cars. One shared entrance and exit.

“This is a community trying to be built within a community,” Tomoka Oaks resident Michelle Zirkelbach said. For the past two years, Tomoka Oaks residents have been paying close attention to what’s been happening on their former golf course, located at 20 Tomoka Oaks Boulevard.

When developers Carl Velie, Ray Barshay, Sheldon and Emily Rubin bought the property in April 2021 and indicated that they wanted to build houses on the approximately 147-acre golf course, residents went on high alert.

And on Wednesday, Feb. 8, as representatives of Triumph Oaks of Ormond Beach I, LLC presented preliminary plans for the Tomoka Reserve development during two neighborhood meeting sessions at Temple Beth-El, residents questioned the proposed density, how it would impact traffic, and claims from the project’s engineers that the proposed subdivision would be compatible with Tomoka Oaks, despite having smaller lot sizes.

“Compatible means to get along with in harmony,” Zirkelbach said. “And mathematically, compatible means to be congruent, and congruent means coinciding on all points.”

DENSITY DISPUTE

The developers are seeking a rezoning of the golf course property to a Planned Residential Development designation. The land is currently zoned Low Density Residential, which allows for 4.3 homes per acre. With the rezoning to a PRD, the developers said, the proposed unit count would become a maximum density of 2.03 units per acre,

according to the project narrative submitted to the city.

Jake Stehr, with Zev Cohen and Associates, said the proposed development is below the existing density of Tomoka Oaks.

“We feel like we’re really trying to match what’s around us, and we’re doing this in a couple different ways,” Stehr said. “Obviously, we’re not coming in with the same units that you’re seeing. We’re coming with a more modern footprint, coming with park spaces distributed throughout the development. We’re really trying to have a site that celebrates existing landscapes and allows for outdoor recreational opportunities.”

In addition to single-family homes, the development could have quadplexes.

Stehr added that the developers will be increasing the vegetation in the buffers, with the minimum buffer length being 50 feet.

A total of 17%, or 29 lots, will have that minimum buffer. The remaining 172 proposed lots along the development’s edges would have buffers of between 50 and 125 feet.

In addition, 22% of the site would be dedicated as open space, while another 11% would be used for dry retention ponds.

Residents, however, distrusted the developers’ numbers. One resident pointed out that the numbers in the project’s narrative submitted to the city, particularly concerning the Tomoka Oaks subdivision, were different than the ones presented during the meeting.

At the meeting, engineers said that Tomoka Oaks’ density, with about 550 homes, was 2.6. The project narrative said it was 2.82.

“So I don’t have confidence in your numbers,” resident Carolyn Davis

said.

Cobb Cole attorney Rob Merrill, representing the developers, directed residents to talk to Ormond Beach city staff about the numbers.

“Our intent in coming up with this plan in large part was based on trying to match the density you guys had, or be less than your density,” Merrill said. “That’s the plans we brought forth, the way we’ve calculated it. Everybody can differ about mathematics.”

The residents murmured in disagreement.

TOO MANY CARS

To address future traffic generated by the proposed development, the developer will add a new traffic signal at Tomoka Oaks Boulevard and North Nova Road.

“Do we really think a traffic light is the solution?” Tomoka Oaks resident Caryn Baker asked. “... I don’t think anybody here believes that a traffic light is going to solve the additional traffic that we’re going to have to deal with.”

Sans Lassiter, president of LTG Engineering and Planning, said yes: Based on simulations, a stop sign wouldn’t work at Tomoka Oaks Boulevard and North Nova Road, but a traffic light would, and simulations showed that queues to exit the subdivisions on Tomoka Oaks Boulevard wouldn’t extend past the Escondido condominiums.

Residents said that there would be too many cars using Tomoka Oaks Boulevard once the development is built out. If the developer constructs 300 homes, and each home has an average of two cars, there will be 600 more cars on the current two-lane residential street.

“You’ve got a rotary that you guys

are creating, then you are indicating to us that you’re going to have just a simple intersection, a crossintersection with stop signs right [at Tomoka Oaks Boulevard],” Tomoka Oaks resident Tom Fitzgibbon said. “Now, that will not handle the volume of traffic.”

The only other way to exit or enter Tomoka Oaks is through The Trails.

Lassiter said they are looking at existing traffic conditions as well as projected conditions, and that the traffic analysis isn’t complete yet.

“We’re going to have to do an updated analysis at the time that we come in for concurrency and final approvals,” he said.

Tomoka Oaks resident Mary Greenlees asked if the developers were sure they didn’t want to sell the former golf course property.

“You guys have a long road ahead of you,” she said. “The momentum is building. Your legal accounting, traffic engineering fees are building up.”

LOT SIZES CHALLENGED

When it comes to proposed lot sizes, engineers said the lots adjacent to the buffers will all be 80 feet by 140 feet.

Merrill said the developers were trying to be mindful of lot sizes, but several residents pointed out that the average lot in Tomoka Oaks is much larger, particularly in width.

Resident Missy Herrera said some lots in Tomoka Oaks could face two or three houses in their backyard.

She argued against the developers’ statements that their lot sizes are compatible because the square footage is similar.

“You guys are playing games with numbers,” Herrera said. “But the reality is, we’re talking about

100-foot lots (in Tomoka Oaks) and you’re manipulating things to say, ‘Oh, we’re less dense.’ The reality is it’s not less dense. We’re going to be looking at a solid wall of houses with 14 feet between them.”

Merrill responded that no one was playing games, and that the developers now understood width was more important, though he said Tomoka Oaks residents would likely not see into the backyards of the new development due to the buffer and setbacks.

“Although most communities, people do live in each others’ backyards, but we understand that in this case, it used to be a golf course,” Merrill said. “So we get it. We understand.”

Dennis Bayer, an attorney representing the Tomoka Oaks Homeowners Association, said he felt like he was in “Groundhog Day” during the meeting.

“We’ve talked about the 100foot widths a year and a half ago when we first met,” Bayer said. “We talked about the design on Tomoka Oaks Boulevard. I really would like to emphasize we need to see some more specifics at this point in the game before going forward.” Issues the HOA had raised months ago, Bayer said, are still unaddressed. Picking up on the fact that the developers are proposing a pickleball court for the new subdivision, Zirkelbach asked the developers if a court measuring 30 feet by 60 feet would be just as suitable for the sport as one measuring 10 feet by 180 feet.

“Are they both compatible for playing pickleball? The answer would be no, Mr. Merrill, you and I both know that,” she said.

Photo by Jarleene Almenas Tomoka Oaks resident Tom Fitzgibbon speaks during the first session of a neighborhood meeting about the development of the Tomoka Oaks golf course.

The developers held two neighborhood meeting sessions on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Courtesy of the city of Ormond Beach

The developers are proposing to build 300 homes on the former Tomoka Oaks Golf Course property.

Flagler County & the City of Palm Coast invite residents to attend a public forum regarding the Parks & Recreation Master Plan Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Palm Coast Community Center from 5:30-7pm.

City OKs pre-annexation for BJ’s Wholesale

the Flagler Executive Airport. The intersection has drawn traffic complaints in the past.

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin asked city staff at a Feb. 7 meeting to prepare an assessment of the traffic consequences of the development before the council agrees to annex.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Palm Coast City Council has approved a pre-annexation agreement for a 30-acre property slated to become a shopping center featuring a BJ’s Wholesale Club with its own gas station.

The shopping center — called Cornerstone at Seminole Woods — sits on the corner of State Road 100 and Seminole Woods, next to a Race Trac gas station and near

“I’m not asking for a traffic study, I’m asking for staff’s opinion,” Alfin said.

The land is now in the county government’s jurisdiction, and the developers are moving through the county’s review and approval process.

Palm Coast Planning Director Ray Tyner said the county and the developers are working through potential impacts in the site plan approval process.

The BJ’s will be the largest retail store in Cor -

nerstone, filling the main 102,004-square-foot lot. Five smaller storefronts will line S.R. 100, according to the development plans.

The Flagler County Planning and Development Board and the County Commission reviewed and approved initial development, signage, landscaping, lighting and parking space plans in September 2022.

The pre-annexation agreement that the council approved will let the development use city water before the annexation, Senior Planner Jose Papa said.

Once the property ownership is transferred from current owners Flagler Pines Properties and Flagler Airport Industrial to BJ’s and Seminole Woods Investments, the

new owners will file an annexation petition with the city.

The council can then consider that request, Papa said, after BJ’s and Seminole Woods Investments request a water service connection from the city.

The pre-annexation agreement is not a binding agreement to annex, City Attorney Neysa Borkert said.

The development’s use of city water is also dependent on the council approving a utility agreement with BJ’s and Seminole Woods Investments. Jay Livingston, an attorney representing both applicants, said that they had received the utility agreement for signing that morning.

“It’s in the process of being signed and returned,” Livingston said.

Construction starts on new trailhead, rec center

Palm Coast broke ground on a new Southern Recreational Facility and Lehigh Trailhead project on Sunday, Feb. 12.

The groundbreaking took place outside the tennis complex on Belle Terre Parkway.

Several City Council members attended, alongside Flagler County commissioners and members of the county’s Tourism Development Council.

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin said the recreational facility would not be possible without the county’s help.

“Our coordinated actions created the foundation for this recreation center to unlock the growing potential for more leisure activity in our region, for both our own residents and for tourists and visitors,” Alfin said.

County Commission Chair Greg Hansen said there are 150 miles of trails in the county, and many of them are within the city of Palm Coast.

“The citizens of our great county don’t care if they’re in a city or county park,” Hansen said. “All it takes is coordination.”

The projects are on 63 acres.

The trailhead enhancements and new facility will serve as a source of revenue for the city and county — for instance, by hosting the city’s 12th annual tennis tournament, Tourism Development Director Amy Lukasik said.

“[This] will boost the local economy as we host events,” she said.

The facility and trailhead will feature: 12 pickleball courts, restrooms, locker rooms, a kitchen and dining space, a lobby/balcony space, a patio, two multi-purpose rooms available to the public, a community garden, a dog park, an exercise trail, trailhead rest-

LLC, LOCATED BETWEEN CANAKARIS STREET AND EAST CANAL STREET IN THE CITY OF BUNNELL LIMITS FROM “PUBLIC (PUB)” TO “INDUSTRIAL (IND)”; PROVIDING FOR LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT; PROVIDING FOR ASSIGNMENT OF THE LAND USE DESIGNATION FOR THE PROPERTY; PROVIDING FOR SERVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR RATIFICATION OF PRIOR ACTS OF THE CITY; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION AND DIRECTIONS TO THE CODE CODIFIER AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE as may be legally permitted on the day of the meeting. Instructions on how to participate by electronic or other means, if legally permitted, would be found on the City of Bunnell’s website at www.bunnellcity.us on the homepage. The public is advised to check the City’s website for up-to-date information on any changes to the manner in which

rooms and a new parking lot.

Alfin said the recreation center will be the “ultimate place to play” in Palm Coast.

The additional pickleball courts are a response to the demand the current facilities have seen since 2014, Alfin said.

“And right next door, the Lehigh Trailhead will offer the completely balanced blend of natural environment and superb recreation amenities,” he said.

The Southern Recreational Facility is expected to cost $10,597,858, according to the city’s capital projects dashboard. A $739,000 grant from the TDC will cover part of the project cost, according to a city press release. The rest will come from park impact fees and a contribution from the State Road 100 Community Redevelopment Agency.

The Florida Department of Transportation has approved

a $1.24 million grant for the Lehigh Trailhead project, which is expected to cost $2.75 million.

The Southern Recreational Facility and Lehigh Trailhead are a part of the second phase of the city’s recreation master plan, according to the press release. The first phase, built in 2008, included the tennis complex’s 10 clay courts. Gilbane Construction and Paul Culver Construction will be working on the Southern Recreational Facility and Lehigh Trailhead projects, respectively.

Alfin said the enhancements support Palm Coast’s “glorious lifestyle.”

“We’re strengthening family connection here. We’re strengthening our local economy here,” Alfin said. “[This is] a triumph for all of Palm Coast.”

ADMINSTRATIVE ACTIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF MAPS BY REFERENCE; REPEALING ALL CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR NON-CODIFICATION AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE as may be legally permitted on the day of the meeting. Instructions on how to participate by electronic or other means, if legally permitted, would be found on the City of Bunnell’s website at www.bunnellcity.us on the homepage. The public is advised to check the City’s website for up-to-date information on any changes to the manner in which the meeting will be held and the location. The failure of a person to appear during said hearing and comment on or object to the proposed Ordinance, either in person or in writing, might preclude the ability of such person to contest the Ordinance at a later date. A copy of all pertinent information this ordinance can be obtained at the office of the Bunnell Customer Service Office, 604

E. Moody Blvd. Unit 6, Bunnell, FL 32110. Persons with disabilities needing assistance to attend this proceeding should contact the Bunnell City Clerk at (386) 437-7500 x 5 at least 48-business hours prior to the meeting.

NOTICE: If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Commission on this matter a recording of the proceeding may be needed and for such purposes the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. (Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes)

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The projects are part of the second phase of Palm Coast’s recreation master latest plan.

Palm Coast and Flagler County officials and contractors use their gold shovels at the groundbreaking.

A 30-acre parcel of land is expected to shift from Flagler County’s jurisdiction to Palm Coast’s.

Photo by Sierra Williams

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Development, real estate + business news

Eat

to the beat: Blues and Brews is now open

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

Ormond Beach has got the blues — delivered in the most delicious of ways.

In January, residents James and Rosie Yagielo opened Blues and Brews at the former beachside location of Dimitri’s Deck Bar and Grill at 790 S. Atlantic Ave. The couple sought to fill a need they discovered when they moved to Ormond from Key West two years ago: to have an in-town blues bar that consistently showcases local and traveling acts.

“The goal is to have [people] come in, eat dinner, see some great blues music and have a nice night,” Rosie Yagielo said. “We have a more mature neighborhood here, so the blues is right up their alley.”

It’s a business plan the couple had in mind for a decade.

The Yagielos purchased the building in August 2022. After about $200,000 in renovations, they celebrated opening their first restaurant with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 19.

Rosie Yagielo has been in the hospitality industry for 40 years, so when it came to opening her own business, she leaned on her experiences opening restaurants for others.

And part of that experience included finding the right chef. The Yagielos found him in Zachary Mims, the former chef at Frappes Italian Grille, which used to be their favorite restaurant.

On the restaurant’s final night before closing, they’d spoken to Mims and mentioned they had just bought the old Dimitri’s building.

Mims knew it well. He used to eat there after catching a few waves on the beach. After a short sabbatical, he reached out to the Yagielos and said he wanted to be a part of their vision for Blues and Brews.

“We filled a niche in the town that was itching to be filled,” Mims said.

Mims said he’s excited to be working at Blues and Brews, with its wide selection of food — from “flatbread beach pies” to crab legs and various sandwiches.

“This is a music venue on the

A Full Service Real Estate Firm

beach,” he said. “It’s kind of like a dream come true for some chefs.”

Most bands play 6-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, though the restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The Yagielos are focusing on catering to the locals — both residents and music acts — with Blues and Brews. One local band called Grindstone Sinners will play once a month at Blues and Brews.

BIZ BUZZ

BUSINESS BROKER HIRES NEW FRANCHISE DIRECTOR

We Sell Restaurants, a business broker franchise firm based in Palm Coast, has hired Brent Greenwood as its director of franchise development.

Greenwood, who previously served as franchise director for Firehouse Subs for 15 years, will identify franchisees for We Sell Restaurants and work with franchisors to establish relationships, according to a news release from the company.

GAS PRICES DOWN, BUT COULD GO UP

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Florida dropped 10 cents in the past week, but the trend might not continue as European sanctions on Russian oil take hold.

“Crude oil and gasoline futures prices jumped 9% last week, almost completely erasing the losses that led to the two-week drop at the pump,” AAA auto club spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a prepared statement. “This could cause falling pump prices to plateau, or possibly inch higher in the coming weeks.”

AAA said the average price Monday in Florida was $3.39, below the national average of $3.42.

“We play the music through the speakers upstairs when the band is playing,” James Yagielo said. “And course, we have sunset and ocean views up there as well.”

Rose Yagielo said she’s been listening to blues music all of her life. It’s her genre.

“It’s got the beat,” she said. “Everybody has the blues. You either have the blues, you’re singing the blues or you’re listening to the blues.”

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis with the fuel-savings app GasBuddy, also cautioned that the prices could face an uptick in coming days.

“I’d expect increases to start again soon down the road with Russia cutting its oil production to retaliate against sanctions,” De Haan said in a Twitter post Saturday.

The lowest average prices in Florida were in the Panhandle, with motorists paying $3.20 in the Panama City area and $3.26 in the Pensacola area. The highest average price was in the West Palm Beach area at $3.61, according to AAA.

— The News Service of Florida

HALIFAX PLANTATION OPEN HOUSE

• Property Management

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6 Flanders Lane, Palm Coast

Friday, Saturday and Sunday - February 17th, 18th & 19th 1pm to 3pm

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

• Commercial Sales and Leasing

Come see this beautifully maintained three bed, 3 full bath pool home in the Palm Harbor neighborhood. The home offers over 2,400 lsf with formal living and dining rooms, eat in kitchen with plenty of storage, granite, stainless steel and open to family room. Large lanai with low maintenance pool. $498,000

Pristine best describes this custom built 3 bedroom Stoughton home with 2,550 lsf. The interior is loaded with custom features that you must see to appreciate while the exterior has a solar or gas heated pool/spa overlooking a lake with large lanai area for entertaining. Looking forward to giving you a private tour! $630,000

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Real Estate Services of Palm Coast

Old Kings Common • 7 Old Kings Rd. N. • Palm Coast, FL 32137 386-445-1000 www.realestateserv.com

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

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Located in the Staples Shopping Center

Rosie and James Yagielo had dreamed of opening a blues bar for 10 years.

Chef Zachary Mims and Blues and Brews owners Rosie and James Yagielo

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Palm Coast’s saltwater canals should be maintained

The city will likely need spot dredging in some canals to remove sediment and siltation, resident Felix Gallo writes.

FELIX GALLO

Editor’s note: The following text was emailed to Palm Coast City Council members and the city administration, and also to the Observer for publication as an opinion article.

Dear City Council:

I applaud you and the city staff for a well thought out and thorough plan of initial action by hiring Taylor Engineering to survey our 26 miles of city-owned saltwater canals.

As someone who just recently “retired” after 25-plus years of service for municipal government in the fields of transportation, utilities and flood control (South Florida Water Management District), I would like to take this opportunity to provide some thoughts on the issue at hand.

THE ISSUE

What I observe is that we have sediment entering the canal prism via two points.

1. Sediment from failed seawalls (or lack of seawalls from undeveloped parcels). This sediment at the canal bottom will tend to be more localized.

2. Sediment and silt entering from point sources such as the many fresh water drainage connections we have. Some of these connections are “dry” and only add sediment during a storm, and others are constant drainage.

This drainage carries suspended solids that settle out in the bottom of the saltwater canal once the energy (velocity) of the water drops. These solids tend to settle close to

AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL SOCIETY MARKS PROGRAM’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

The African American Cultural Society is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Youth Black History Program.

This year’s program will include a play centered around Juneteenth and what it might have felt for enslaved people to suddenly be told they are free, said Jeannette Wheeler, chairperson for the program’s committee.

Each year, the program follows a theme and features speakers, music and dancing, as well as a performance, Wheeler said, all in the goal of educating the community’s Black youths of their roots.

The program’s main goal is to teach them to have pride in their heritage, she said.

“We are so proud to meet this milestone,” Wheeler said.

The celebration will begin at 4

the discharge source until a storm event causes them to be disturbed and transported further out into the canal system.

Since the last bathymetric study in 2005, we don’t know how much siltation has been added, where and if we have reached the siltation limit of the canal (elevation of -6.0 feet as per as per the city’s Engineering Design Standards).

Based on my observations, my opinion is that we will need to spot dredge in certain reaches of some canals to remove the sediment and siltation in order to maintain the safe navigation area, which is typically the center section of the canal only, and NOT the 20 feet out from the bank or seawall on either side, as this is clearly the adjacent property owners responsibility.

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

The failing seawalls (or lack of seawalls), I believe, is an issue that can rectified through existing ordinances and regulations as they pertain to the elimination of material entering the canals.

Private property owners have an obligation to maintain their property so that soil erosion does not create a need for a city-funded maintenance operation.

Proper erosion and sediment control upstream in the drainage basins will not only prevent silt loading in fresh water canals, it will reduce the introduction of suspended solids to the saltwater canals.

FUNDING FOR DREDGING

The city does have a line item in the approved budget for “saltwater canal maintenance,” but I suspect this might be only for endwall or culvert repair and not dredging.

Stormwater fees increased 46% in 2012 and are expected to rise in 2024, with tens of millions of dollars going towards stormwater projects but none towards possible saltwater canal sediment and silt

p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the AACS Cultural Center and Museum at 4422 U.S. Highway 1 North in Palm Coast.

ASTRONAUT SPEAKS TO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS

Don Thomas, a four-time space shuttle astronaut, landed on the Imagine School at Town Center campus on Jan. 27.

Thomas spoke with middle school students about his journey to become an astronaut, his experiences spending 47 days in total in space, and the future of NASA space missions, according to ISTC seventh grade science teacher Joan Soldano.

BOYS PLANT

BLACKBERRY BUSH AT TEMPLE BETH SHALOM

Brandon Grief and Luke Ferraro planted a blackberry bush in the Children’s Garden behind Temple Beth Shalom in Palm Coast to celebrate the biblical holiday Tu B’Shvat, which initiates the planting season as designated in the Bible.

removal (present or future).

Most C Section and F Section waterfront homeowners agree that we pay into the stormwater fee budget, and as the canals are “waters of the city” and listed as part of the stormwater infrastructure, the dredging of these canals should come out of that budget.

The maintenance operation can be phased by critical needs and time so as to not overwhelm a budget or sound fiscal policy. Forming any sort of a Municipal Service Benefit Unit to tax a specific neighborhood for a service that they already pay a fee for would in effect be double taxation for the same service.

SUMMARY

The 26 miles of saltwater canals are listed as part of the inventory of the stormwater system, as they carry

freshwater drainage and stormwater runoff out to the Intracoastal Waterway.

These canals serve the purpose of stormwater conveyance and navigational use and by ordinance are governed by the city.

While there might be generic comments made about “dredging the surface below the water does not affect the stormwater system,” deferred maintenance and sedimentation will eventually be a major issue for both the stormwater system and navigational safety.

I ask the council that while you “look west” as part of the westward frontier movement, that you don’t forget about the east and the part of Palm Coast that attracted so many people to move here and enjoy their homes with the expectation that the city will be good stewards of our existing tax dollars.

PalmCoastObserver.com

PALM COAST

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Publisher John Walsh, jwalsh@palmcoastobserver.com

Managing Editor Jonathan Simmons, jonathan@palmcoastobserver.com

Senior Editor Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@ormondbeachobserver.com

Associate Editor Brent Woronoff, brent@palmcoastobserver.com

Staff Writer Sierra Williams, sierra@palmcoastobserver.com

Design Editor Hailey McMillan, hailey@palmcoastobserver.com

Media Director Holly Oliveri, holly@ormondbeachobserver.com

Senior Media Specialist Susan Moore, susan@palmcoastobserver.com

Advertising Coordinator Jessica Boone, jessica@palmcoastobserver.com

Office Coordinator Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@palmcoastobserver.com

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VETERAN OF THE WEEK

YACHT CLUB HOLDS CHANGE OF WATCH CEREMONY

The Matanzas River Yacht Club held its 38th Change of Watch ceremony at the Elks Club with an buffet luncheon on Feb. 1. New officers were installed for the

Peggy Hengeveld

 Branch of military: U.S. Army

 Dates of service: 1978-2006

 Rank/occupation: Colonel, Army Nurse/66H  Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

year 2023. The new officers are as follows:

Commodore: Ann VorndranVice

Commodore: Liz PohlRear Commo-

dore: Jim SimsFleet Captain: Chris

VorndranSecretary: Susan BlakeT-

reasurer: Karen RyanPast Commo-

dore: Gail Peterson.

Peggy Clancy Hengeveld’s assignments were with 103rd Medical BN, 108th Combat Support Hospital, and Joint Forces Headquarters, Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Her military nursing career provided an opportunity to use her nursing skills in many different ways, from operating a medical station that provided care to sick and injured soldiers to a medical clinic supporting physical examinations for flight exams, new recruit exams and re- enlistment exams. Later in her career, she spent time with injured soldiers at Walter Reed Military Hospital after they returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today she is a nurse volunteer at the Flagler Free Clinic and also serves as the current president of Flagler County Chapter of the Military Officer Association of America (MOAA). Hengeveld embodies the MOAA motto, “Never stop serving.”

NEED HELP WITH VETERAN SERVICES?

For information about benefits available to veterans and other support organizations 386-313-4014.

The Matanzas River Yacht Club holds its 38th Change of Watch ceremony.

Brandon Grief and Luke Ferraro

Photo courtesy of Felix Gallo

Sediment accumulation in a Palm Coast canal

Imagine School at Town Center seventh grade science teacher Joan Soldano with astronaut Don Thomas and seventh grader Caleb Kempfer

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Two-time C-H-A-M-P

Mitchell

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Mitchell Spencer Edelstein said 16 rounds in the Flagler Schools Spelling Bee felt like 30.

So, it was only fitting that the championship word was “stamina.” Edelstein, a 12-year-old eighth grader at Buddy Taylor Middle School, won the Spelling Bee on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Buddy Taylor for the second year in a row.

“It’s amazing. Winning two times in a row is even more special than winning one year,” said Edelstein, who goes by Spencer. “I feel over the moon, because I felt I got to win this. This was my last year to compete in a spelling bee, since I’m in eighth grade, so I was like, I had to win this. And I made it happen. It was great.”

Teddy Totten, a fifth grader at Christ the King Lutheran School, finished second. Totten spelled such words as “gargantuan,” “flourish” and “centipede,” but he misspelled “affluent,” giving Edelstein a chance to win with the final word.

Last year, the bee went just five rounds. This year it went 16 rounds. The competitors were given a total of 105 words.

“It felt more like 30 (rounds),”

Spencer said, “because you had to wait up there for all the kids to spell the word. It’s really tense. It’s nervewracking.”

When word pronouncer Chris Stefancik, Flagler Schools’ coordinator of assessment and accountability, announced the final word, Spencer broke into a big smile.

“The last word was ‘stamina,’ and honestly I thought it was pretty easy,” he said. “So, I was excited, because I was like, ‘Let’s go. I’m going to get this. I’m going to win.’”

Spencer advances to the First Coast Regional Spelling Bee in Jacksonville on March 31. The regional

winner advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, on Memorial Day week.

Last year, Spencer fin ished sixth at region al. The word that knocked him out was “bogo.” He said the competition went to a dictionary for late-round words and bogo was an acronym he did not know.

“But I was still proud to be there,” he said.

Spencer said he has been studying a halfhour to an hour every day for the past few months after he won his school’s bee.

“But today, I was like, this is the day of the Spelling Bee. Ever since I woke up, whenever I got a chance, I opened the Spelling Bee list,” he said. “It has like 25 pages, so I just had to take every opportunity I got today to study, and in the end, I knew all of them.”

Among other words Spencer spelled were “cowlick,” “forfend,” “bedlam,” “venue” and “lumbar.”

He said cowlick was a word he and his mom went over, so he knew it immediately.

“We looked up the definition, and it was a word I remembered,” he said. “I want to thank my parents, especially, because they helped me review for this. Without them it would have been way harder.”

Spencer is not just a speller. He

does well in all his subjects, his parents, Cheryl and Mitch, said. He has skipped two grades and has been dual enrolled at Daytona State College since the beginning of the school year.

“He took six credits last semester, and he’s taking six credits now,” Cheryl Edelstein said of her son. “He made the President’s List (last semester), and now he’s taking college pre-calculus.”

Cheryl said Spencer is registered to take the SAT next month.

SCHOOL SPELLING BEE WINNERS

1. Puthiheureka Men, Belle Terre Elementary School, 5th grade

2. Larry Covington, Bunnell Elementary School, 5th grade

3. Sophia Campbell, Old Kings Elementary School, 5th grade

4. Brighlynn Urbaez, Rymfire Elementary School, 5th grade (wearing NYC sweatshirt in photo below)

5. Jasmine Soler, Wadsworth Elementary School, 5th grade

6. Alexander Belisnskiy, Buddy Taylor Middle School, 6th grade

7. Savannah Brown, Buddy Taylor Middle School, 7th grade

8. Mitchell Spencer Edelstein, Buddy Taylor Middle School, 8th grade

9. Alyssa Rogers, Indian Trails Middle School, 6th grade

10. Jaeden Gorcheck, Indian

Trails Middle School, 7th grade

11. Rafaella Ribeiro, Indian Trails Middle School, 8th grade

12. Sophia Zambrano, iFlagler, 6th grade

13. Teddy Totten, Christ the King Lutheran School, 5th grade

14. Evren Kabir, Christ the King Lutheran School, 6th grade

15. Alexander Langer, Imagine School at Town Center, 5th grade

16. Adylyn Kirks, Imagine School at Town Center, 6th grade

17. Maya Rowicka, Imagine School at Town Center, 7th grade

18. Kaitlynnan Libby, Imagine School at Town Center, 8th grade

16 school winners attended the district competition.

Spencer Edelstein, from Buddy Taylor, wins Flagler Schools Spelling Bee for second consecutive year.

Photo by Brent Woronoff

Spelling Bee champ Mitchell Spencer Edelstein with teaching and learning specialists Kristin Frank and Celeste Ackerman, who was the emcee for the evening.

Mitchell Spencer Edelstein, Spelling Bee champ Photos

Adylyn Kirks, a sixth grader at Imagine School Town Center, finished third at the Spelling Bee. Sophia Campbell, a fifth grader at Old Kings Elementary School, was fourth.

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, FEB. 16 NY NY DUELING PIANO

SERIES

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: MetroHealth Stadium at Pictona, 1060 Ridgewood

Ave., Holly Hill

Details: The Holly Hill Community Redevelopment Agency is presenting the NY NY Dueling Pianos series, a comedy-based, high-energy performance by pianists singing and playing tunes from Jimmy Buffett, Garth Brooks, Maroon 5, Billy Joel, Tom Petty and more. Tickets cost $15-$25. This will be the first

of five shows at the Metro Health Stadium. Subscription packages are available. Contact the ticket office at 386-492-3277 or visit hollyhillevent.com.

‘NATURE’S ARTISTRY’

When: 6-8 p.m.

Where: The African American Cultural Society, 4422 N. U.S. Highway 1, Palm Coast

Details: The Flagler Beach Camera Club is hosting Mary Jean and Joe Campanellie for a discussion of photographic techniques. See their work at campanellies.com.

‘THE NEAR DISASTER OF JASPER AND CASPER’

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-

Saturday Feb. 16-18; 3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 19

Where: City Repertory The-

atre, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast

Details: See this solo show performed by award-winning actor Jason Woods about a man named Jasper who seeks his true family, and while doing so, runs into a blunt witch, a talking dragon and a purpose. Tickets cost $30 for adults; $15 for students. Visit crtpalmcoast.com.

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

WINTER 2023 INTERFAITH

SHARING CONFERENCE

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

Where: First United Methodist Church of Ormond, 336 S. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Join First United Methodist Church of Ormond for the Winter 2023 Interfaith Sharing Conference, whether you are looking for an opportunity to serve in the community, have a service to share or would like to learn more about available resources. For more information, contact Frank Johnston at Fjohnston@ firstunited.org, phone the church at 386-677-3581, Ext. 311, or contact Sue Odena at

407-760-2304 or at carepartneratourladyoflourdes@ gmail.com.

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD

COUNT

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

Details: The Environmental Discovery Center and the Halifax River Audubon invite the community for The Great Backyard Bird Count. There will be games, challenges with prizes, information booths, bird count and viewing stations, guided walks and more.

MEET THE AUTHOR

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

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

Details: The Ormond Beach Historical Society welcomes local historian and author Robert Redd, who will share his latest book, “Hidden History of Civil War in Florida.”

SUNDAY, FEB. 19

TOUR DE FLAGLER RIDE

When: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Bings Landing, 5862 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Palm Coast

Details: Take part in Trek Bicycle Ormond Beach’s 33mile ride down the Mala Compra and Graham Swamp trails. Helmets are required. Lights are recommended. Recommended for intermediate and advanced riders. Free. Go to

TRIBUTES

Hermann Peter Paarmann

Hermann Peter Paarmann of Palm Coast passed away on Monday, January 9, 2023 at the age of 74.

“Pete,” as he was called by his siblings, was born on November 14, 1948 in Palermo Italy – five years after the allied invasion. His childhood in Sicily shaped his many quirks, including his frugality and his unique taste in food (sardine sandwiches were a favorite snack). “Pete” and his siblings would cause mischief around town, making their way through the beaches of Mondello, mountain town of Monreale, and the morbid Capuchin Catacombs (where he and his brother Art may be responsible if some skeletal remains in the crypts lack their original skull). His intellect and curiosity were apparent at an early age when he taught himself to fix radios, to earn money for the family.

While Hermann was an American citizen from birth through his father, he did not move to the US until the age of 16. Speaking little English he found work at a local Italian restaurant in Clinton, Iowa. Through sheer determination, he taught himself English and joined the United States Navy, where he proudly served as both an enlisted and reserve Sailor for 12 years. He cherished his time traveling the world alongside Art on the USS Raleigh, USS John W. Weeks, and USS Power. During this time, he earned his bach-

elor’s degree from Illinois State University and upon his honorable discharge, he found his home in Virginia where he enjoyed his career with Dominion Energy as a skillful electrical engineer. He met his wife, Lynn, while bicycling in Maymont Park in Richmond, VA and they married on December 19, 1981.

Hermann had a deep love for his country, the sea, bicycling, literature (Mark Twain was a fan favorite), and tinkering with machines. He had questionable taste in music (the soundtrack at home typically cycled between operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, a bargain bin album of ABBA’s greatest hits, and his own acapella rendition of “I’m Henry VIII I Am” by Herman’s Hermits). As a true Italian, Hermann had impeccable fashion sense, proudly donning bungee cord belts and sandals made

from velcro sneakers with cut out toes (please note the comment about frugality).

Hermann is preceded in death by his father, Arthur Paarmann, mother, Nella Gervasi, and sister, Flora Carrubba. He is survived by wife Lynn Paarmann, daughter Emily Paarmann, brother Arthur Paarmann (Diann), sister Dolores Paarmann, and nieces and nephews.

Hermann will be interred with military honors at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery and a Celebration of Life will be held in his honor at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations be made in his honor to the Livestrong Foundation or the Wounded Warriors Project.

Heritage Funeral & Cremation Service of Bunnell, FL assisted with arrangements. www.HeritageFlagler.com

eventbrite.com/e/trek-ormond-beach-tour-de-flaglerride-tickets-431119980467.

20TH-ANNUAL YOUTH

BLACK HISTORY PROGRAM

When: 4 p.m.

Where: The African American Cultural Society, 4422 N. U.S.

1, Palm Coast

Details: The African American Cultural Society is celebrating 20 years of making a difference in local youths. Free event. Call Youth Black History Committee Chair Jeanette Wheeler at 386302-0441 for donation and scholarship award information. Donations are also accepted at aacspalmcoast.org.

MONDAY, FEB. 20

STATIONARY BIRD

WATCHING

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: St. Joe Walkway/Palm

Coast Linear Park, 31 Greenway Court, Palm Coast

Details: Bring a chair and observe some local birds. Event is presented by the Flagler Audubon Society. A few spare binoculars will be available.

Free.

NARFE LUNCHEON

When: 11:30 a.m.

Where: Houligan’s, 1643 U.S.

1, Ormond Beach Details: The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Ormond Beach Chapter 2247, will meet for lunch at Houligan’s. The program will provide information on federal income tax and answer questions and concerns. For more information email billdenny105@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22

INTERNATIONAL QUILT

SHOW

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 22-24; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25

Where: Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach

Details: The American Quilters Association is having an international quilt show

at the Ocean Center, where international contest quilts in seven categories will be exhibited. Cash awards will total $54,000, with the Best of Show receiving $10,000. The show is sponsored by the Racing Fingers Quilt Guild. Admission for one day is $12 for an AQS member and $15 for a nonmember. Admission for two days is $21 for an AQS member and $27 for a nonmember. Multiday admission is $28 for an AQS member and $35 for a nonmember. Visit racingfingersquiltguild. com.

ONGOING EXERCISES FOR THE

MATURING

BODY

When: 10:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays

Where: First Baptist Church Of Palm Coast, 6050 Palm Coast Parkway, Palm Coast

Details: Presented by Synergy Senior Fitness, attend upbeat classes with Senior Fitness Specialist Artie Gardella. Classes are ongoing. Insurances that cover fitness accepted, or a donation for those with no coverage. Visit Synergyseniorfitness.com.

MOAS EXHIBITIONS

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Where: Museum of Arts and Sciences, 352 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach

Details: Want to spend a day looking at fine art? The Museum of Arts and Sciences has the following shows on display: “Every Girl Deserves Flowers,” “Minor Masterpieces: Porcelain Painted Scenes from the Collection,” “Magical: The Art of Susan Zukowsky,” and, “Selections from the MOAS Contemporary Art Collection.”

File photo

Children take part in activities during last year’s Great Backyard Bird Count at the Ormond Beach Environmental Discovery Center.

Court-ship: Six couples married on courthouse steps

Clerk of the Court Tom Bexley renewed the Valentine’s Day tradition after two years of COVID

cancellations.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler County Clerk of the Court Tom Bexley knew the pandemic was hard on his own marriage.

Surviving hard times was the theme of his speech to the six couples who got married on the Flagler County courthouse steps on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

Bexley has been presiding over the mass wedding ceremony since 2018. But this year’s affair, under a brilliant blue sky, was the first since 2020. The event was canceled the past two years because of COVID-19.

Bexley said normally his speech is all sunshine and flowers and rainbows. This year, he told the couples that marriage is not easy.

“A marriage, as most of us understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment that is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into the desired hope that it will last forever,” Bexley said. If you are having more good days than bad, you are on the right path, he said.

During the pandemic, Bexley said, he and his wife explored what their new norm was, and at times it was difficult.

“You have to figure out what your path is going to be through the darkness,” he said after the ceremony. “We’re all coming out of a haze into a better day.”

He told the six couples, “The part that gives me hope is the fact that you are standing before me and all of us, the fact that you met each other during a recession and a plague, became friends and lovers and are now about to the take the leap and pledge yourselves to one another for life.”

Before the six couples were united in matrimony, seven married couples renewed their vows on the courthouse lawn.

Roberto and Jean Lopez got married in the mass ceremony. They have been together for five years.

“We love each other very much,” Roberto said. “Finally, we’re mar-

ried, and we’ll be together for the rest of our lives.”

Mark and Alexandra Castro and their family dressed in shades of purple. Even Alexandra’s hair was violet. They met three years ago on Valentine’s Day.

“It’s our anniversary,” they said.

It will be forever.

It is not unusual for clerks of the

court to perform mass wedding ceremonies, Bexley said, since they are the ones who issue marriage licenses.

Bexley’s staff has made it a mission to make the event a beautiful affair, providing gift bags to couples and refreshments after the ceremony.

The records department receives the applications and processes and issues the licenses, the IT department creates decorative certificates.

“Everybody’s involved,” Bexley said.

They don’t use any public funds on the event, Bexley added. The staffers spend their own time and money to make the Valentine’s Day ceremony as memorable as any wedding should be.

“When we started this, it spoke to Toni Hollingworth (a deputy clerk in the finance division),” Bexley said. “All year long, she sees items that look nice, and she picks it up for the gift bags.”

The other couples who were married in the ceremony were Rickie and Beverly Slater, Patkey and Judith Harris, Jenni Doyle and Maria Micciche and Daniel MacNeil and Tara Kusak.

At its peak, the Valentine’s Day ceremony included over 20 couples, Bexley said. But after two years off, the office has to work harder to get

the word out, he said.

“Every year, we want to make it more elaborate,” Bexley said.

“Please turn and face the crowd,” Bexley told the couples at the end of the ceremony. “I’m excited to present Flagler County’s newest married couples and partners for life. It has been a privilege and honor for me to preside over this ceremony today.”

Jenni Doyle and Maria Micciche

James Scofield Jr. and Lisa Scofield renew their vows. James is a security guard at the courthouse.

Alexandra and Mark Castro had a purple theme.

Roberto and Jean Lopez have been together for five years. On Velentine’s Day, they got married alongside five other couples on the steps of the Flagler County courthouse.

Patkey and Judith Harris

Rickie and Beverly Slater

Flagler County Clerk of Court staff made the wedding ceremony possible: Dana MacDonald, Ashley Eddy, Stephanie Tolson, Clerk of Court Tom Bexley, Sydney Stachurski, Nihole Buckles and Toni Hollingsworth.

The Flagler Youth Orchestra string quartet played at the wedding ceremony on the courthouse steps. Students: Jack Lisenby, Gabriella Williams, Austin Williams. Teachers: Joe Corporon (FYO’s artistic director) and Victor Rivera

Queens of the mat

Matanzas cruises to girls district wrestling title.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Matanzas High School dominated the District 3 girls wrestling meet Wednesday, Feb. 8, as the Pirates set their sights on a state championship next month.

Matanzas won its district for the second year in a row, defeating second-place Middleburg by 60 points, 206-146. The Pirates had five district champs and qualified 11 of their 12 wrestlers for regional.

The Region 1 championships, like the district championships, will be at Matanzas on Feb. 18.

Mariah Mills (110 pounds), Christina Borgmann (120), Tiana Fries (125), Brielle Bibla (130) and Ani Brown (235) all won district titles for the Pirates.

Brown was the only 235-pounder to weigh in, so she won her trophy without having to wrestle a match.

Saiomy Cabrera, who qualified with a third-place finish at 135 pounds, wrestled four matches. In the semifinals, she was pinned in 4:31 by Clay’s Aubrianna Apple, who is ranked No. 2 in the state. While Apple won the district title with four consecutive pins, Cabrera came back with pins in the consolation semifinals and consolation final.

The Pirates’ other regional qualifiers were Gabby Proctor (second, 140 pounds); Kendall Bibla (second, 145); Bella Tietje (second, 155); Brooklyn Watt (second, 170); and Autumn Jarvis (third, 115).

“The girls came in prepared, laser focused,” Matanzas coach Mike Fries said. “Our big point scorers looked sharp. They continued to do what we’ve been doing all year.”

The Pirates have five wrestlers who are ranked among the top five in the state in their weight classes: Brielle Bibla, first; Borgmann, third; Kendall Bibla, third; Mills, fourth; and Tiana Fries, a defending state champ, fifth.

Flagler Palm Coast tied for sixth in the team standings with Gainesville Buchholz. Both teams had 36 points. The Bulldogs only have two girls wrestlers, but they were both runners-up at district.

They both lost to ranked wrestlers in the finals. FPC’s Joslyn Johnson lost to ninth-ranked Sklya Fisher of Middleburg in the 105-pound title

match, while Ana Vilar lost to No. 1 Brielle Bilba in the 130-pound final.

The toughest weight class at the district was 145 pounds, which featured four top-10 wrestlers: No. 1 Katherine Stewart of Bartram Trail, third-ranked Kendall Bibla, fourthranked Aryan Benson of Tocoi Creek and ninth-ranked Josie Sagasser of Ponte Vedra.

Kendall Bibla pinned Benson in 2:22 in the semifinals but lost to Stewart in the final by a 5-4 decision.

“I would have liked to see Kendall win her (finals) match,” Mike Fries said. “We gave up some silly points to (Stewart). But that’s something we can correct over the next couple of weeks. It really matters in March, not now.”

Stewart got out from the bottom position twice in the third period. Her reversal out of one of those was the difference in the match.

“The girl stood up to her feet,” Mike Fries said. “And instead of mat returning her, (Kendall) kind of pulled her on top of her, and (Stewart) reversed her and got the two points. And we lost by one, so that’s the match right there. It’s just tight-

ening up on the basic stuff in those tight matches against those really good girls.”

The Pirates are expected to bat

tle with Freedom High School of Orlando for the state championship March 2-4 in Kissimmee. Freedom is the reigning state champ. Matanzas finished third last year, one point behind Ponte Vedra.

With four returning state medalists (Tiana Fries, first; Mills, third; Tietje, sixth; and Borgmann, eighth) and the addition of the Bibla sisters, who both placed at state for Tocoi Creek last year, the Pirates like their chances to win the team title.

“We’re going to win a state championship, hopefully,” Mike Fries said.

The Pirates are in the toughest of the four regions in the state, so Freedom, in a different region, could come into state with more qualifiers.

“They tend to qualify more than us,” Fries said. “That’s always a killer at the state level, but I think (we should have) a lot of potential finalists, a lot of potential placers, and we’re going to come in ready to rock and roll.”

DISTRICT 3 GIRLS WRESTLING

120: Christine Borg mann, Matanzas.

125: Tiana Fries, Matanzas.

130: Brielle Bibla, Matanzas.

135: Aubrianna Apple, Clay.

140: Olivia Richie, Ponte Vedra.

145: Katherine Stewart, Bartram Trail.

155: Ava Burre, Bartram Trail.

170: Paige Stewart, Bartram Trail.

190: Cheyenne Cruce, Bartram Trail.

235: Ani Brown, Matanzas.

Photos by Brent Woronoff

The district-champion Pirates pose for a team photo with their five individual champs kneeling in the front row: Brielle Bibla, Christine Borg mann, Tiana Fries, Mariah Mills and Ani Brown.

Brielle Bibla won the 130-pound final.

Matanzas honored senior Bella Tietje before the district finals. From left, coach Mike Fries, Yvette and John Tietje, Bella Tieje, Christian Viaz and Matanzas Principal Kristin Bozeman.

Matanzas’ Saiomy Cabrera wins the consolation final at 135 pounds.

Boitan wins first pro title at Palm Coast Men’s Open

Former Baylor University player defeated Ignacio Monzon in three sets in the championship match.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Unseeded Gabi Adrian Boitan of Romania seemed to be on a roll with an easy first set victory in the singles final of the Palm Coast Men’s Open on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Palm Coast Tennis Center.

Then third-seeded Ignacio Monzon of Argentina won the second set

to tie the match, and Boitan needed a reset.

“I went to the bathroom and tried to tell myself that regardless if I win or lose, I need to do it on my terms,” Boitan, 23, said. “So, I have to go for it and go take it, because he’s not going to give it to me.”

Boitan became more aggressive and dominated the third set for a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 victory.

He won $2,160 of the $15,000 prize money. Tournament director George Henry, the Tennis Center’s supervisor, handed Boitan an oversized check.

Boitan might hold onto the display check for years to come as it repre-

sents his first professional tournament title.

“I’m happy I passed that threshold,” he said. “I’m excited.”

Boitan said he was more patient in the third set.

“I was using a lot of my dropshots and losing a lot of points in the second set,” he said. “The first set was good, but then I kind of over-used it, so I told myself, ‘I have to be a little more patient and just play to his backhand a little bit, because he’s not going to hurt me there.’ That just gave me more confidence and gave me more opportunity to get the points.”

Over 100 spectators braved a cold and windy afternoon to watch the final and were rewarded with an exciting match.

The tournament, which opened Feb. 6 at the Tennis Center, is a USTA Pro Circuit and ITF World Tennis Tour event.

This is the 12th year of the tournament.

Flagler County and the Tourist Development Council have partnered with Palm Coast in hosting the tourney, according to a city press release.

Boitan turned pro just last month, although he had a year of eligibility remaining at Baylor University. He compiled a 60-16 singles record at Baylor, including a 16-1 mark last season.

He had a college ranking as high as No. 9.

“I felt it was time for me to take the next step,” he said.

He entered the tournament with an Association of Tennis Professionals ranking of 746.

He said the tournament was his first time playing on green clay, which is faster than the red clay he is used to in Romania.

Boitan beat American Mac Kiger

Flagler County Basketball Program wraps up fall season

The youth league held championships in three divisions.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The gym at the Carver Community Center in Bunnell was packed with spectators as the Flagler County Basketball Program held its fall season championships on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Championship games were held in three divisions. In Division 3 (ninth to 12th grade), the Prospects defeat-

ed the Knicks 45-36. Curtis Murphy led the Prospects with 13 points. David Trujillo scored 10 points for the Knicks.

In Division 2 (sixth through eighth grade), the Wildcats edged the Tigers, 31-27. Mekhi Jones led the Wildcats with nine points. Chimale Thomas added six points. Derrick Smith scored a team-high 15 points for the Tigers.

In Division 1 (second through fifth grade), the Prospects defeated the Knicks 19-6. Evan Cordon scored 13 points for the Prospects. The league’s spring season starts March 11.

in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-4, on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Kiger won the doubles title with George Goldhoff over Monzon and fellow Argentine Francisco Comesana, 6-3, 6-4, on Feb. 10.

Monzon, 25, defeated sixth-seeded Gonzalo Bueno of Peru, 6-2, 6-2, in the other singles semifinal.

Monzon, who has an ATP singles ranking of 528 and a doubles ranking of 255, was playing in his first tournament in the United States.

The highest-ranked player in the tournament was Comesana, at 204.

On accepting the oversized check, Boitan complimented the venue, the tournament organization and the hotel accommodations.

“Hopefully, I’ll have a ranking that will allow me to play better tournaments,” he said. “But if not, I’ll for sure be back.”

Gonzalo Bueno of Peru gets ready to hit a backhand return against Ignacio Monzon in the semifinals.

Adrian Boitan hits a return in his semifinal match. Boitan defeated Ignacio Monzon in the final to win the $15,000 Palm Coast Coast Men’s Open on Feb. 12.

The Palm Coast Men’s Open finalists pose with the ball boys, tournament director and Tennis Center Supervisor George Henry (left) and Mayor David Alfin (rear).

Photos by Brent Woronoff

Derrick Smith shoots a free throw for the Tigers.

The Wildcats' Ka'mel Lang posts up against Tigers' defender Brody McGinty.

Shoulder surgery goes well for Mills

The three-sport star is expected to be out for at least six months.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Matanzas junior Jordan Mills was hoping to win a state wrestling championship this year. But that goal will have to wait for his senior season.

Mills underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to repair ligaments in his right shoulder on Thursday, Feb. 9, and is expected to be out of action for at least six months.

That means the three-sport star will also miss track and field season and all of the offseason activities for football, including spring and summer workouts and preseason camp. He hopes to be cleared in time to play in the first game of the 2023 season.

But Pirates football coach Matt Forrest said they won’t rush the defensive back/wide receiver onto the field.

“The No. 1 thing on our minds is we’re doing right for Jordan’s future, because he’s got a bright future when he leaves here,” Forrest said. “When he’s ready to compete safely, we’ll put him out there.”

Mills, who watched his sister, Mariah, win a district

wrestling title on Feb. 8, was optimistic about his surgery the next day.

“I feel everything happens for a reason,” he said. “The only thing we can control is attitude. So I try to keep a good attitude.”

Mills originally dislocated his shoulder during football practice in October. Hoping to avoid surgery, he had his shoulder immobilized and sat out the rest of football season and the beginning of wrestling season.

He finished second in the 170-pound class at the Class 2A state championships last season, matching his brother, Tyson, a senior last year who also finished second at state.

Hoping to take the next step this season, Jordan Mills returned to the mat on Jan. 7 for the Marine Corps Challenge tournament in Jacksonville. He won 14 matches without a loss heading into the 170-pound final at the Flagler Rotary tournament on Jan. 27 at Flagler Palm Coast. But he dislocated the shoulder again in the title match

FPC tennis team holds onto city trophy

with some talent.”

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Matanzas’ boys tennis team defeated Flagler Palm Coast 5-2 on Monday, Feb. 13, at the Bulldogs’ tennis courts. But Matanzas needed to be perfect to tie FPC for the City Championship Cup.

That’s because FPC’s girls were perfect, defeating the Pirates 7-0.

The Bulldogs’ combined 9-5 victory allowed them to retain the Cup for the eighth consecutive year.

Four of the Pirates’ five boys singles players are freshmen. Three of them won their matches, including Stan Valenteychik, who defeated Josh Thorpe at No. 1 singles, 8-3. Matanzas also won both doubles matches. Valenteychik and Daniel Faraj at No. 1 won the closest match of the day, beating Thorpe and Aaron Leiberman 9-8 (10-8).

Matanzas’ Owen Brady and Bradd Humphrey — the Pirates’ lone senior — won at No. 2 doubles.

against undefeated Elijah Penton of Winter Springs. The match was supposed to be a preview of this year’s state final.

Mills had a torn labrum as well as an uncommon humeral avulsion glenohumeral ligament lesion, know as a HAGL lesion.

Rachel Mills, Jordan’s mother, said the surgery lasted longer than expected, but the doctor said the repairs matched up nicely.

“We’re very pleased about that,” she said.

Jordan Mills said he had wanted to finish wrestling season, but his doctor told him he was almost guaranteed to dislocate the shoulder again and suffer additional damage if it wasn’t repaired.

“It’s better for him and his family’s peace of mind that it is reconstructed and fixed correctly,” Forrest said. “He’s going to have a lot of options when he leaves (Matanzas), because he’s not only a talented athlete, he’s great academically and he’s a great kid.”

Still, the coaches can’t remember the last time the Matanzas boys beat the Bulldogs.

“The boys finally beat FPC,” Pirates coach Jens Oliva exclaimed. “It’s been a long time. We’re lucky enough to have some freshmen come up

FPC’s Aaron Lieberman and Jack Mikutel won at Nos. 2 and 3 singles, respectively, for the Bulldogs’ only points. Brady won at No. 4, and FPC, which was missing three of its seven players, forfeited the No. 5 match.

The FPC girls had an easy time, losing just four games in seven matches. Ania Martynuk (No. 2), Taiana Leontayva (No. 4) and Marina Carlisi and Leontayva (No. 2 doubles) all won 8-0.

Anya Subachev (No. 1), Carlisi (No. 3) and Subachev and Martynuk (No. 1 doubles) all won 8-1.

The Bulldog girls improved to 3-0 on the season.

“From 1 to 8 we’re very strong,” said FPC girls coach Javier Bevacqua.

Matanzas won the boys match, but FPC’s girls swept the Pirates.

FPC No. 2 singles player Aaron Lieberman

Matanzas No. 1 singles and doubles player Stan Valenteychik

FPC senior Anya Subachev, the Bulldogs’ No. 1 singles player

Photos by Brent Woronoff

Jordan Mills in good spirits

Courtesy photo

“I feel everything happens for a reason. The only thing we can control is attitude. So I try to keep a good attitude.

JORDAN MILLS, Matanzas

junior

Pat Brown resigns as Seabreeze football coach

LINES

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Bucs’ season ends at 14-4

Mainland’s outstanding girls soccer season came to an end with a 4-0 loss to Winter Gardens Horizon in the regional quarterfinals.

The Bucs finished with a 14-4 record with two of the losses coming to Seabreeze, the sixth-ranked team in Class 5A.

This was the Bucs’ best season since they went 164-1 and won district in 2005.

Mainland will return top goal scorer Lauren Abrahams, a sophomore who netted 25 goals this season. But they will have to replace senior Annabelle Dougherty, who had 15 goals and 14 assists.

Horizon knocks off Pirates, ’Crabs

Horizon not only ended the Mainland’s girls soccer season, the Horizon boys soccer team also booted Matanzas and Seabreeze from the playoffs.

The Hawks defeated Matanzas 2-0 Feb. 8 in the Class 5A regional quarterfinals. The Pirates finished with an 8-6-2 record. Horizon (14-3-4) then beat Seabreeze (13-4-3) on penalty kicks in regional semifinals. Neither team was able to score through regulation and two overtime periods.

crossword

Seabreeze athletic director Brad Montgomery said that Pat Brown is such a quality coach that it was only a matter of time before he would take the next step and get a college job.

After four years as the Sandcrabs’ head football coach, Brown is taking that next step. He is expected to be announced as Valdosta State’s new receivers coach early next week.

Brown resigned at Seabreeze on Feb. 6, and Seabreeze placed an advertisement for a new coach in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s job listings.

Montgomery said he is accepting applications through Feb. 25 and hopes to hire a coach by March 2.

“We definitely want to have a new coach on campus as soon as we can,” he said.

Brown, who compiled a 20-21 record with the Sandcrabs, turned around a program that won a total of six games in the three seasons before he took over.

Brown’s first Sandcrabs team went 5-5 in 2019, a year after it won just one game. He led Seabreeze to the playoffs in 2020 with an overtime play-in victory against Gulf Breeze and was named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s District 9 Coach of the Year.

In 2021, he led Seabreeze to its first district championship in 14 years.

“When Pat interviewed with us, he was a standout,” Montgomery said. “Everything Pat said he’d do with the program, he did. He said he would make sure the kids in (our) zone would want to play for Seabreeze, he would get good coaches in and he would establish the program as one of the best in the county. He did all of those things.”

Brown said he is most proud about getting ineligible players when he got Seabreeze back on the football field and eventually in graduation gowns.

“There were 13 players who were academically ineligible who were already here or transferred in when I got here,” Brown said. “We put a plan in place to get them eligible, and most of them graduated. Two of them graduated early. If these kids aren’t graduating, their chances for success diminish significantly.”

Brown said he informed his players he was leaving on Feb. 6.

“That was the toughest part,” he said. “The positive thing was a lot of the kids were real understanding. I built a lot of relationships here. I coached several brothers, such as the Campbells — Dimitri, Eli and Denali. I’m not going to see Denali all the way through (high school), but possibly I’ll see him as his college coach.”

Twenty-one of Brown’s players at Seabreeze have gone on to continue their football careers in college, including three players who signed letters of intent on Feb. 1. More play-

ers are expected to sign in upcoming weeks, he said.

Brown is a former receiver at Rutgers and Bethune-Cookman universities. He played at B-CU in 2010 and returned to Daytona Beach after playing pro football for a couple of seasons in the Canadian Football League and overseas in Germany.

Before he was hired at Seabreeze, he was the defensive coordinator at Father Lopez for two seasons.

He is looking forward to the next stop in his coaching career.

“I’m definitely excited to have a new and different challenge,” he said. “Valdosta State has a rich history of winning championships and contending for championships year in and year out. I want to have the best wide receiver room, and I want to recruit the best players to our program.”

Battle for Daytona

Mainland’s boys wrestling team went 3-0 at the inaugural Battle for Daytona duals tournament on Feb. 7 at the Bucs’ gym.

Mainland defeated Florida School for the Deaf and Blind 40-39, Seabreeze 42-36 and Atlantic 66-0. Seabreeze went 2-1 with wins over Atlantic, 75-0, and FSDB, 42-36. Mainland and Seabreeze each had three wrestlers win all three of their matches. Brian Harris (132 pounds), Josh Stubbs (170) and Josh Newman (182 and 195) all went 3-0 for the Bucs. Newman had three pins. For Seabreeze, River Gray (126), Carson Frasier (138), Jackson Pruett (195) and Pedro Sierra Bonilla (220) won all three matches. Pruett had three pins.

Region qualifiers

Mainland qualified five wrestlers to the Region 1 girls wrestling tournament Feb. 18 at Matanzas, while two Seabreeze wrestlers qualified. Mainland’s Cheyene Wigley, ranked fourth in the state at 235 pounds, won the District 4 title. Katherine Meza Perez (190) and Jah’Mya Hill (155) were runners-up; Jazlynn Golder (115) took third. Ariel Workman (130) also qualified for the Bucs. Islene Gonzalez placed third at 190 pounds for Seabreeze. Caitlyn Cavalluzzo (125) also qualified for Seabreeze.

Matanzas prevails

Matanzas defeated Tocoi Creek 46-40 in a home boys weightlifting match on Feb. 7. Cole Hash, lifting at 199 pounds, totaled 600 pounds in traditional competition, the highest of the night. Aiden Schissler totaled 465 pounds in the 139-pound class. Maison Leonard (119) and Aiden Try (129) also won titles for the Pirates, who improved to 3-0.

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

“R ZPVJ URHO BODJSUHB SPWD VPSGTB

HS ZPSJ HBOH XBV JOX CGXH O HVPLVU, XVPXRHRIV, FVOGHRKGW BGEOP FVRPT.” ZRE PSIOZ

“XTFM LV ANLMIBVJLY TI ALNM.” – VHVDI

VTISDR / “OM XTFM ZMUDHVM LS’V SJM TIXW SNHM DBFMISHNM.”

Puzzle One Clue: K equals F Puzzle Two Clue: Z equals B

ILPPL RLTFDIIL

“EYBJ VPYIC-LZB RYPVKJ IAOJ MJ IOB

NMDK JY TK O DMH. M GYIKH JAOJ M IYLNH CKGKP RYPVKJ.”

“JAK BMEZBYCB” APKOJYP EOJJ VPYKCMCV

Puzzle Three Clue: R equals F

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

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

File photo by Michele Meyers

Pat Brown resigned as Seabreeze’s football coach to take a college assistant’s job with Valdosta State.

“When Pat interviewed with us, he was a standout. Everything Pat said he’d do with the program, he did.”

BRAD MONTGOMERY, Seabreeze AD

SPLIT PEAS by Sam Koperwas and Jeff Chen, edited by David Steinberg

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A condo on the ocean leads the pack in sales

Acondo in Ocean Hammock was the top real estate transaction for the week of Jan. 5-11 in Flagler County in the Multiple Listing Service. Wesley Key, of Bloomington, Indiana, sold 700 Cinnamon Beach Way, Unit 633, to Julie Cancilla, of Buford, Georgia, for $695,000. Built in 2004, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,344 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $635,000.

GRANT REAL ESTATE EDITOR

Condos

Rachelle Dodson, individually and as trustee, sold 140 Avenue de la Mer, Unit 1701, to Robert and Cheryl Swanson, of Palm Coast, for $680,000. Built in 2006, the condo is a 3/2.5 and has 2,014 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $410,000.

Belle Terre

Robert and Lauren Gibbs, of Afton, Virginia, sold 66 Pebble Beach Drive to Jonathan and Taylor Lewis, of Palm Coast, for $290,000. Built in 1979, it is a 2/2 and has 1,041 square feet. It sold in 2016 for$89,900.

Fairways Russell and Amu Hewitt, of Palm

Coast, sold 12 Lyndenhurst Lane to Antonio and Variuce Pacheco, of Palm Coast, for $339,500. Built in 2004, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,607 square feet.

Grand Reserve

Gail and Henry Olcott, of Palm Coast, sold 50 Lob Wedge Lane to Jean Breton and Carole Germain, of Ontario, Canada, for $430,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,042 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $310,000.

Grand Reserve and Golf Club D.R. Horton Inc. Jacksonville, of St. Johns, sold 764 Grand Reserve Drive to Jimmy Tirado, of Bunnell, for $356,990. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2.5 and has 2,206 square feet.

Huntington Woods Donald and Jean Hunt, of Daytona Beach, sold 14 Huntington Place to Gregory and Grace Williams, of Ormond Beach, for $360,000. Built in 2017, the house is a 3//2 and has 2,235 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $272,000.

Indian Trails Alan Timmerman and Debra Kidd sold 57 Bickford Drive to Stephen and Lauren Zoutman, of Palm Coast, for $395,000. Built in 2018, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,044 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $238,900.

Palm Coast Communities LLC sold 8 Ballenger Lane to Edward and Persie Gonzalez, of Palm Coast, for $358,900. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,821 square feet.

Lehigh Woods Brynn Vrabel, of Palm Coast, sold 20 Rocking Horse Drive to Randolph and Mary Burke, of Palm Coast, for $319,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has a swimming pool and 1,377 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $137,000.

Not in Subdivision

Herbert Mulack, individually and as trustee, sold 18 Favy Lane to Anthony Bonavita IV and Alexandrea Townsend, of Poughquag, New York, for $449,900. Built in 1995, the house is a 4/2 and has a swimming pool and 2,192 square feet.

Charles and Janice Barone, of Palm Coast, sold 9 Port Royal Drive to Lynne and John Kaprocki, as trustees, for $380,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,833 square

feet. It sold in 2019 for $234,600.

Jose and Maria Bento, of Palm Coast, sold 31 Fircrest Lane to Gary and Paula Preston, of Palm Coast, for $375,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2.5 and has 2,104 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $213,000.

Southern Impression Homes LLC, of Jacksonville, sold 35 Birchwood Drive to John Scott, of Meridian, Idaho, for $354,900. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,617 square feet.

Southern Impressions Homes LLC, of Jacksonville, sold 73 Pickering Drive to Joe and Aida Goncalves, as trustees, for $320,368.

Roger Leverton, of Palm Coast, sold 58 Bennett Lane to Joshua and Kelliann York, and Jennifer York, of Palm Coast, for $315,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,074 square feet.

Brenden and Mary Rittenberry sold 65 Pritchard Drive to Sonly Ken, of Palm Coast, for $315,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,901 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $280,000.

OP Gold LLC, of Chandler, Arizona, sold 32 Buffalo Bill Drive to Amanda Reardon, of Palm Coast, for$308,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,677 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $288,000.

Marcio da Costa and Marcia Olinda, of Southington, Connecticut, sold 9 Reidel Lane to Rad Pad Rentals LLC, of Jacksonville, for $273,000. Built

in 2004, the house is a 5/2.5 and has 2,928 square feet. It sold in 2008 for $155,000.

Angelo and Lucy Turano, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, sold 60 Folson Lane to Rocco Castellano, of Palm Coast, for $264,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,353 square feet. It sold in 1987 for $88,500.

Palm Harbor

John and Josephine Glennon sold 11 Feilding Lane to Darren and Trisha Block, of Palm Coast, for $449,900. Built in 1989, the house is a 4/3 and has a swimming pool and 2,128 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $400,000.

Pine Lakes

Robert and Gladys Hannweber, of Palm Coast, sold 9 Wagner Place to Kennie Howard, of Palm Coast, for $320,000. Built in 1985, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, swimming pool and 2,393 square feet.

Sawmill Creek Holiday Builders Inc., of Melbourne, sold 9 Ridge Road to Lawrence LeSage and Larry Mack, of Palm Coast, for $334,379. Built in 2022, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,885 square feet.

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

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WAYNE

REAL ESTATE

ORMOND BEACH

Halifax Plantation pool home tops the sales list

Ahouse in Halifax Plantation was the top real estate transaction in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-theSea for the week of Jan. 1-7 in the Multiple Listing Service. William and Janice Glennie, of Burlington, Vermont, sold 3621 Galway Lane to Iwona Pawezka, Janusz Pupiec and Angelika Pupiec, of Staten Island, New York, for $614,000. Built in 2000, the house is a 3/2 and has a swimming pool and 2,059 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $287,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Cypress Trail

Michael and Jennifer Colman, of Valdosta, Georgia, sold 225 Cypress Trail Drive to Dennis and Martha Ogburn, of Ormond Beach, for $528,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,735 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $450,000.

Brian and Gloria Donley, of Tucson, Arizona, sold 283 Cypress Trail Drive to Barak and Lisa Baker, of Ormond Beach, for $495,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,308 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $340,000.

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Not in Subdivision

Stetson University Inc., of DeLand, sold 1635 U.S. 1, Unit 217, to James and Karen Robey, of Daytona Beach, for $156,000. Built in 2005, the condotel is a 2/2 and has 1,117 square feet. Park Place

Armstrong Family Properties One LLC, of Sanford, sold 19 Park Terrace to Victor and Yelena Geppert, of Glenview, Illinois, and Aleksandr Polevoy and Irina Polevaya, of Morton Grove, Illinois, for $260,000. Built in 1985, the townhouse is a 2/2.5 and has 1,429 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $235,000.

Rio Vista Gardens David and Martha Blumenauer, individually and as trustees, sold 605 Orchard Ave. to NDTCO, as trustee, for $362,470. Built in 1976, the house is a 4/3.5 and has 2,318 square feet.

Tomoka OaksRoss Manella, as representative, sold 42 N. St. Andrews Drive to Robert Cook and Donna Klein, of Ormond Beach, for $340,500. Built in 1964, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,694 square feet.

Tomoka Oaks North

Heather Hanley, of Ormond Beach, sold 640 N. Nova Road, Unit 513, to Anna Balogh and Tamas Miklos, of Ormond Beach, for $140,000. Built in 1976, the condo is a 1/1 and has 748 square feet.

Village of Pine Run Albert Marzilli, of Ormond Beach, sold 1 Needles Lane to Trista Anderson, of Ormond Beach, for $540,000. Built in 1978, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, swimming pool and 1,665 square feet.

Woodmere South Amanda and Russell Klotz, of Ormond Beach, sold 711 Lindenwood Circle to Eliessa Caplan and Ruth Kruger, of Ormond Beach, for $369,900. Built in 1973, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,758 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $240,000.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Danaland Development LLC, of Ormond Beach, sold 6 Friendly Circle to Rich and Julie Anderson, of North Branch, Minnesota, for

$525,000. Built in 1962, the house is a 2/2 and has a swimming pool and 1,621 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $240,000.

Michael and Linda Sherm, of Belle Mead, New Jersey, sold 124 Sandpiper Ridge Drive to John and Olena Elsea, of Orlando, for $515,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/2 and has a swimming pool and 1,524 square feet.

Gilberto Caquias-Gonzalez and Carlos Caquias, of Ormond Beach, sold 63 Margaret Road to Cheryl and Milton Howard, of Ormond Beach, for $305,000. Built in 1959, the house is a 2/1 and has 729 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $129,900.

PORT ORANGE

Michael and Antoinette Wagoner sold 1893 E. Spruce Creek Blvd. to Ruth Johnson, of Port Orange, for $590,300. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace, swimming pool and 2,120 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $469,900.

D.R. Horton Inc., of Orlando, sold 48 Bella Lago Circle to Tamaris Irizarri and Francisco Guzman, of Port Orange, for $321,720. Built in 2022, the house is a 2/2.5 and has 1,624 square feet.

Ginny Cutter, individually and as trustee, sold 1439 Chamale Lane to Phillip Dwinal, of Oak Hill, for $265,000. Built in 1985, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,096 square feet.

Louise Gagnon, of Port Orange, sold 4483 Hidden Village Drive to

PUBLIC NOTICES

FIRST INSERTION

Judgment, to wit: LOT 4 AND THE NORTH 20 FEET OF LOT 5, BLOCK 54, MOODY’S SUBDIVISION, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 1, PAGE(S) 24

answered regarding the Bidding Documents for this Project. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is encouraged but not mandatory.

All bids shall be submitted electronically to the FGUA via the DemandStar website (demandstar.com). Paper copies of bids hand delivered to the FGUA shall not be considered.

Toni Brinklow and Tandi Kennison, of Port Orange, for $235,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,134 square feet.

William and Joyce Clark, of Thomasville, Georgia, sold 3552 Forest Branch Drive, Unit A, to Yuliya Marinova, of Brooklyn, New York, for $160,000. Built in 1988, the townhouse is a 2/2 and has 1,144 square feet.

Michael and Gabrielle Sergent, of Port Orange, sold 980 Canal View Blvd., Unit K4, to Stephen Slowinski, of Port Orange, for $150,000. Built in 1984, the condo is a 2/1.5 and has 1,024 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $88,000.

South DaytonaShawn and Heide Hurd, of Daytona Beach, sold 2839 Regent Crescent Drive to Ronald Mirabel, of Daytona Beach, for $310,000. Built in 1997, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,344 square feet. It sold in 2012 for $110,000.

Altered Properties LLC, of Daytona Beach, sold 715 Steele Ave. to Stacey Rhodewait, of Daytona Beach, for $302,500. Built in 1960, the house is a 3/1.5 and has 1,400 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $195,000.

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST is the Plaintiff and THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHERS WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF DOROTHY D. MOORE, DECEASED; MARK D. MOORE; GREGORY I. MOORE; HALIFAX HUMANE SOCIETY, INC are the Defendant(s). TOM W. BEXLEY as the Clerk of the Circuit Court will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash at https://flagler.realforeclose.com, at 11:00 AM, on March 17, 2023, the following described property as set forth in said Final

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2023 CP 000082 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF JOSE M. LOPEZ (A/K/A

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, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste D-305, Deland, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096. Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. Dated this 6 day of February, 2023.

By: \S\Danielle Salem

Danielle Salem, Esquire Florida Bar No. 0058248

Communication Email: dsalem@raslg.com ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487 Telephone: 561-241-6901 20-083431 - MaM February 16, 23, 2023 23-00021G

No bid shall be considered unless it is made on the Bid Form which is included in the Bidding Documents. The Bid Form will be provided electronically as both a PDF document and an Excel spreadsheet. Bids may be submitted on either the PDF document or the Excel spreadsheet.

One contract will be awarded for all work to be performed pursuant to this invitation to bid. Bidding Documents may be examined in the office of: Florida Governmental Utility Authority Operations Office, 280 Wekiva Springs Road, Suite 2070, Longwood, FL 32779-6026, Telephone (407)629-6900.

Or FGUA LADY LAKE OFFICE, 510 HIGHWAY 466, SUITE 104, LADY LAKE, FL 32159, Telephone (352) 633-9700.

Prospective bidders may obtain the Bidding Documents in downloadable PDF file format, from the DemandStar website at https://www.demandstar.com/app/buyers/bids/408705/ details Bid Documents will be made available by the close of business on Monday, February 20, 2023.

Each bid submitted via DemandStar shall include a photocopy of a cashier’s check or a Bid Bond in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the total Bid to be retained as liquidated damages in the event the successful Bidder fails to execute the Agreement and file the required bonds and insurance within ten (10) calendar days after the receipt of the Notice of Award. Original Bid security shall be submitted separately to Florida Governmental Utility Authority Operations Office, 280 Wekiva Springs Road, Suite 2070, Longwood, FL 32779-6026, Telephone (407) 629-6900 and received prior to the deadline for receipt of Bids identified above.

The successful Bidder shall be required to furnish the necessary Performance and Payment Bonds, as prescribed in the General Conditions of the Contract Documents. All Bid Bonds, Performance and Payment Bonds, Insurance Contracts and Certificates of Insurance shall be either executed by or countersigned by a Florida licensed agent of the surety or insurance company doing business in the State of Florida. Further, the said surety or insurance company shall be duly licensed and qualified to do business in the State of Florida. Attorneysin-fact that sign Bid Bonds or Performance and Payment Bonds must file with each bond a certified and effective dated copy of their Power of Attorney. In order to perform public work, the successful Bidder shall, as applicable, hold or obtain such contractor’s and business licenses, certifications and registrations as required by State statutes and local ordinances.

Before a contract will be awarded for the work contemplated herein, the FGUA shall conduct such investigations as it deems necessary to determine

postpone the award of the contract for a period of time which, however, shall not extend beyond 90 days from the bid opening date.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT, IN AND

Improvements, Flagler County

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will hold a public meeting regarding project plans on State Road (S.R.) 11 on Wednesday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will include information about two projects: 439156-1 involves intersection improvements at the intersection of S.R. 11 and County Road (C.R.) 304, and 447082-1 is a project to repave S.R. 11 from the Volusia County line to U.S. 1 in Bunnell. The purpose of the projects is to enhance traffic operations and safety. The Department is evaluating a roundabout as a potential safety solution at S.R. 11 and C.R. 304. FDOT is offering multiple ways to participate in the live meeting.

Virtual: Join from a computer, tablet, or mobile device for free and listen to the live presentation over the internet. Advance registration at http://bit.ly/3GYYhXk is required. Participants will receive an email with information about joining the meeting online. Please note, Internet Explorer cannot be used to register or attend this webinar. If joining online, please allow adequate log-in time to view the presentation in its entirety.

Phone (Listen Only): Join the meeting in listen-only mode by dialing 1-866-901-6455 and entering the passcode 246-541-017 when prompted.

In-Person Open House: Attend in person at the Haw Creek Community Center, 9257 C.R. 304, Bunnell, FL 32110 anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to view a looping presentation and project exhibits. If attending in person, please remember to follow all safety and sanitation guidelines. If you are feeling unwell, please consider attending the meeting virtually or by phone.

All meeting materials and the presentation will be available on the project website at www.cflroads.com/project/439156-1 before the meeting. Information on the resurfacing project is also available at www.cflroads.com/project/447082-1.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or persons who require translation services (free of charge), should contact Joseph Fontanelli by phone at (386) 943-5234, or via email at Joseph.Fontanelli@dot. state.fl.us at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us by using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-9558770 (Voice).

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status. Persons wishing to express their concerns relative to FDOT compliance with Title VI may do so by contacting Melissa McKinney, FDOT District Five Title VI Coordinator at Melissa.McKinney@dot.state.fl.us.

For more information, please contact FDOT Project Manager Joseph Fontanelli at (386) 943-5234, email at Joseph.Fontanelli@dot.state.fl.us, or U.S. mail at Florida Department of Transportation, 719 S. Woodland Blvd., MS 542, DeLand, FL 32720. February 16, 2023 22-00021F

RED

INFORMATION & RATES: 386-447-9723

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- Monday at Noon

Cash, Check or Credit Card

The Palm Coast Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only.

*All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.

*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Palm Coast Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Items Under $200

ROADMASTER MT FURY bicycle, 15 speed, purple, $70 wheelbarrow $40, Kenmore Vacuum cleaner $10 814-574-6387

TARGUS TSB 212 Laptop Backpack. New, tags, 12 compartments, warranty, $65. (386)316-9990.

TEETER INVERSION table, nearly new, blue/grey with extras $195 386-445-4136

Announcements

EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 21, 2023, Chiamaka Iheme, MD will no longer see patients at AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Palm Coast located at 120 Cypress Edge Drive, Suite 202, Palm Coast, FL 32164. Patients should have received communication regarding transition of care. If you are a patient and did not receive communication or have additional questions, please call the of ce at 386-586-4462.

SALE & BAZAAR

St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church 303 Palm Coast Parkway NE

Friday, February 17th 8am-3pm Saturday, February 18th 8am-2pm

Clothing, tools, jewelry, household items, books, crafts, Silent Auction.

Autos for Sale 2015 CATERPILLAR 420F

vinyl couch with cushions, 8’, indoor or outdoor $200 386-627-4792

EXERCISE MACHINE, small elliptical, like new $50, Flat steel cart w/5 spare wheels $40

386-346-5117 or 239-671-2580

FREE LARGE 2 piece dining room hutch, assembled height 74”

386-445-7714 leave message

LEAF BLOWER, mulcher, vac, powerful $30, jigsaw $30, leave message 386-615-8230

TABLES 3 VINYL TOP DESK OR WORKBENCH $50 EACH (937)470-2631

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

4 WINDSOR DRIVE, Tomoka Oaks, Multi-family 2/17&2/18, 9am-3pm, bikes, mens clothing, rugs, furniture, jewelry, sports equipment, Michael Jordan tennis shoes, tools, household.

NEIGHBORHOOD YARD Sale, Commander Court, PC, 2/18, 9am-2pm, stained glass, shing & boating supplies, small appliances, christmas decor and much more!