Palm Coast Observer 3-30-23

expedition, with a historic result.

“We have discovered what appears to be a bicuspid of a mature velociraptor,” said Pat Miself, second assistant to the vice treasurer of Archeologists for the Preservation and Promotion of Palm Coast. “It is proof, at long last, that the Intracoastal Waterway must be drained and explored fully.”

Photo by Susan Flores on

Photo by Saad Alaiyadhi on

CITY WATCH

Economist warns of potential minor recession

The nation could be looking at a minor recession, though Florida could see little to no effect from it, according to a University of North Florida economist.

Chung-Ping Albert Loh is the associate dean for faculty, administration and research at UNF. He has a doctorate in economics and was once again invited to brief the Palm Coast City Council on the region’s economic conditions.

Loh told the City Council at a March 28 meeting that the economy is in a “weird situation,” historically.

Council asks for less red tape for small businesses

City Council members have asked city staff to develop a more streamlined process for people who are opening a business in Palm Coast, cutting back on red tape.

Vice Mayor Ed Danko said the city needs to be responsible and follow the law, but the process can’t be difficult for businesses and developers.

“We have to make it easier for people to come here,” Danko said. “I think we really need to trim it back.”

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri agreed.

“This is the heart of our community, our small businesses,” she said. “It’s very evident that small businesses really run our community.”

The comments came as the council heard presentations about the Strategic Planning Process, or SAP, at a March 28 budget meeting. budget meeting.

Assistant City Manager

Lauren Johnston and other staff members had held oneon-one listening sessions with council members before the workshop.

The United States economy has high inflation rates, he said, to the point that the Federal Reserve Bank has hiked interest rates to combat it.

At the same time, the labor market is going strong, he said — people are getting jobs and being paid more.

Because of the odd contrast, Loh said, he conservatively predicts the interest rate hikes will eventually cause a modest or short recession.

Florida, though, is doing better economically than the nation as a whole, Loh said, and might not be as affected as the rest of the country if a recession happens.

“So, here in Palm Coast,” Mayor David Alfin said, “we may suffer more than some, but we will fare better than most.”

“That’s a right assessment,” Loh said.

INFLATION

Though increased inflation could still push the U.S. into a minor recession, Loh said, inflation rates have peaked.

“By peaked, I mean the highest rate is behind us,” Loh said. “Now we

are trying to bring it down.”

But high rates are likely to continue until they drift back down, he said.

Inflation rates are at an overall 8-10% increase from pre-pandemic levels, Loh said. As of February, food in the U.S. had the highest inflation rate, sitting between 8-10%, while energy — the most likely good to fluctuate — had the lowest, somewhere near 5%, according to Loh’s data.

The Federal Reserve Bank ideally wants to keep inflation at 2%, Loh said. Since rates are still high, the Federal Reserve will likely continue to increase interest rates to combat it, he said.

EMPLOYMENT

Labor force participation has returned to pre-pandemic levels, Loh said.

“The unemployment rate in the nation is at a near-historical low,” he said.

The U.S. has a 2.7% unemployment rate, while Florida has a 2.5% rate, Loh said. Using data from the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach Metropolitan Statical Area, Loh looked at local changes. Flagler County and Palm Coast are now hovering at around a 3% unemployment rate.

The industries that are seeing downturns in employment rates from November to January are goods producing, construction, financial activities, education and health services and leisure and hospitality. Most of those downturns are seasonal trends, Loh said.

“We don’t necessarily have to worry from December through January,” he said. “A drop in employment is typically expected.”

BY THE NUMBERS

INFLATION

8-10%

The nation’s average inflation rates compared to the pre-pandemic rates, with food sitting at the highest increase as of February

UNEMPLOYMENT

2.7%

The nation’s unemployment rate. This is a near-historic low.

2.5%

Florida’s unemployment rate

3%

Flagler County’s and Palm Coast’s unemployment rates.

In December 2021, the county and city were averaging almost 4.5% unemployment.

CONSUMER SPENDING

Consumers are, on average, also feeling optimistic in Florida about the economic situation, Loh said. That is expressed in their continued spending.

Loh’s information on consumer and business sentiment comes from a survey called the Jacksonville Economic Monitoring Survey, conducted by UNF.

Vice Mayor Ed Danko asked if people are spending and putting themselves into debt instead of saving.

Residents he has spoken with are not feeling optimistic, he said.

“They feel overwhelmed by the prices of everything from food to fuel,” Danko said. “I don’t see much optimism here.”

Loh said that the survey is based on an average, but he also explained that surveys like this are based on how people are feeling.

“They feel good about it, whether it’s realistic or not,” he said.

Resurfacing program needs funding

Palm Coast’s Pavement Management Program needs more funding, Palm Coast Director of Stormwater and Engineering Carl Cote told City Council members at a March 28 meeting.

“A lot of these [projects] have been in the works and are ongoing,” Cote said.“ ... This fund can not maintain the need for resurfacing the roadways in terms of what [the roads] need to be at.”

Cote said staff will come back to the council with a special, in-depth presentation identifying the needs of this program, including a 25% increase in costs over the last year.

In May 2022, Cote told City Council the city’s Pavement Condition Index had been rated 75 out of 100 in 2021, down four points from its 2017 rating. He also said then — and again at the March 28 meeting — that costs for repairs to the road increase dramatically as time goes by.

“This, in my opinion, is a need,” Mayor David Alfin said. “Carl has told us in the past that this expense could accelerate dramatically if you were to keep it down the road.”

The lack of funding has led the city to defer some projects — projects like parkway beautification and entry and neighborhood signs — while staff prioritizes the available funds.

“You can’t kick this can down the road any further,” Vice Mayor Ed Danko said.

The Pavement Management Program is funded from the county’s fuel tax and some of the state taxes money that is allocated to the city. The state requires at least 22.64% of those funds to used for street maintenance. Cote said the city used 45% for fiscal year 2023.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

“They feel overwhelmed by the prices of everything from food to fuel. I don’t see much optimism here.”

ED DANKO, Palm Coast Vice Mayor

The Flagler County Cattlemen’s Association sponsored the event and hosted a barbecue dinner to packed stands and a full list of competitors.

Chicken run

MICHELE MEYERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Cheers rang out in the rodeo arena as the calf riders got ready to face the fierce bullsin-the-making. The excitement of the day was palpable as the calves prevailed amid tears and laughter.

The crowd had gathered at the Flagler County Fairgrounds for the 66th annual Cracker Day to enjoy family, some good old-fashioned competition and a barbecue dinner provided by the sponsor — the Flagler County Cattlemen’s Association.

According to the association, the first Flagler County Cracker Day was held in the early 1940s and was the first in Florida history. It was a day of games which included sack and horse races, barrel racing and pole bending.

In 1952, Flagler County Cattlemen’s Association President Rob Deen and Secretary Lyman Gage hosted a barbecue for families and friends living in Flagler, Volusia and Putnam Counties. It has remained a cornerstone of the event ever since.

Today, the feast is prepared by Randy Buckles and his crew, who cook 3,500 to 4,000 pounds of beef

the night before the event. The day of the event, the meat is sliced and served with coleslaw, baked beans, bread and a drink.

The day includes Rough Rider games first thing in the morning, followed by a rodeo at noon which includes junior and senior bull riding, break-away roping, steer saddling, ribbon roping, chute dogging, mutton busting, sack racing, buddy pick-up, barrel racing and kids activities — chicken chase, pig chase and boot races.

Eighteen-year-old Madi Godwin has been riding horses since she was 6 years old and has been barrel racing for two years. This was her first rodeo.

“My horse really didn’t want to go to the second barrel,” she said. “He knows barrels, he’s just stubborn. I actually had fun. I’m really glad I wasn’t as nervous as I used to be.”

The Flagler County Cattlemen’s Association sponsors the annual Cracker Day to provide an enjoyable family-friendly day for all.

RODEO RESULTS

Junior bull riding Bulls won

Breakaway roping Trevir Barry

Steer saddling Boys and girls

exhibition teams

Ribbon roping Curtis and Savannah Culligan

Chute doggin’ Lane Cody

Mutton bustin’ Tucker Greenfield

Buddy pickup Alyssa Roberts and Tajah Thomas

Sack race Tajah Thomas and Alyssa Roberts

Calf ride Calves won

Senior bull riding Layton Stevens

Barrel Race

First: Melanee Bryans, Second: Lexy Henry, Third: Debbie Keyes, Fourth: Rikki Cohen

Breakaway roping is a popular event for all ages.

There were plenty of children’s events at Cracker Day, including pig and chicken chasing.

Kids 8 and under tried riding sheep in the “mutton busting” event.

The steer ended up getting the better of the men’s steer saddling team. It eventually ran off with the saddle.

Tucker Greenfield waves to the crowd after he wins the “mutton busting” event.

Austin McCray proposes to Destinee Heard during the sack race.

The calves won the junior calf riding event. There were no riders who rode for six seconds.

Barrel racer Ruby Harris tears through the second barrel.

School Board speeds vote on superintendent

A vote on Cathy Mittelstadt’s contract, previously scheduled for April 18, has been moved up to April 4.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The vote that will decide

Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt’s future with the Flagler County School District has been pushed up.

The School Board had previously scheduled a discussion of Mittelstadt’s contract for an agenda workshop on Tuesday, April 4, with a vote set at its regular board meeting on April 18.

But at a March 28 information workshop, board member Will Furry asked for and received consensus from his fellow board members to schedule a special meeting following the April 4 discussion to have an immediate vote.

Furry said he wanted to move the date up because of media reporting about discussions on the superintendent’s contract, which expires on June 30.

“In light of a lot of things going on in the media surrounding Superintendent Mittelstadt’s contract, I’d like to get a consensus today to have a special meeting on the fourth to have the vote on the fourth. By then we should be ready to make that decision,” Furry said.

Furry said it was also fair to let the superintendent know what the board members’ intentions are.

“To wait another two weeks, I don’t think is necessary,” he said.

Board member Christy Chong agreed to move up the vote, while board member

Sally Hunt — who noted that she has been trying to move up the discussions since a Feb. 7 School Board retreat — said, “To be honest, I’m really good either way.”

But Hunt’s support was the third board member’s consent Furry needed to schedule the special meeting for April 4.

The board could decide to renew Mittelstadt’s three-year contract, push the decision down the road by extending her current contract, or decide to hire a new superintendent.

Hunt recently told the Observer that she has concerns about Mittelstadt’s leadership.

Furry said he won’t need more than one more week to make his decision.

Board Vice Chair Colleen Conklin asked Furry when community members would have a chance to weigh in with their opinions if the special meeting immediately follows the board’s April 4 discussion about Mittelstadt’s contract.

“I think it’s been weighed in quite a bit,” Furry said. “It’s very clear. The community has been vocal. We’re going to have it [the meeting] noticed. It won’t be behind the scenes. It will be open and transparent.”

Furry said community members will be able to voice their views during the public comment period at the special meeting.

Hunt said her only reservation was that April 4 is already jam-packed with School Board meetings. She also said that Furry’s assertion that he’ll be ready to make a decision by April 4 implies that he has already made that decision.

“Ms. Hunt,” Furry said, “I don’t need anybody to correct my words. I said I will be ready to make that decision on the fourth. If there are others of you that can make that same statement, then I don’t think

it’s necessary to extend the inevitable beyond that day.”

Mittelstadt is scheduled to have one-on-one meetings with each School Board member before April 4, and the board members are scheduled to hand in their evaluations of the superintendent to Board Attorney Kristy Gavin prior to the meeting.

CONTRACT ISSUE OVERSHADOWS MEETINGS

While Mittelstadt’s contract was not on the agenda for either the workshop or the board meeting on March 28, it seemed to be the elephant in the room throughout the combined eight and half hours of the two meetings.

During public comment at the workshop, Greg Blose´, the president and CEO of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, issued a statement of no-confidence from the chamber’s board of directors in Mittlestadt’s ability to lead the district (see sidebar at right).

Hunt asked at the afternoon workshop to suspend the rules of the evening’s board meeting to add an agenda item requesting that she be removed as the board liaison for Wadsworth Elementary School, whose principal, Paul Peacock, had set up a February meeting between Hunt and former Flagler Palm Coast High School Principal Dusty Sims in which Hunt asked Sims if he would be interested in serving as Flagler’s superintendent should the position become open.

(Sims, the Department of Education’s lead state executive director for school improvement, told the Observer that he replied, “The position is not open, so the conversation can go no further.”) The board approved Hunt’s request, and Board Chair Cheryl Massaro volunteered to take over as

Wadsworth’s liaison.

At the evening meeting, the board voted to deny an appeal of a grievance Peacock had filed against Mittelstadt and the district after Peacock was removed from the district’s bargaining team. Peacock had alleged that he wasn’t paid properly for his service as a negotiator, but the board ultimately agreed with Mittelstadt that he’d been paid in full.

Mittelstadt’s approval of a district review committee’s decision to retain the challenged book “Sold” in the two high schools was also appealed to the board. In a split vote, the board sided with Mittelstadt and the district.

CHAMBER: NO CONFIDENCE IN SUPERINTENDENT

Greg Blose´, president and CEO of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce read a statement to the School Board of no confidence in the superintendent as voted by the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

"We expect great relationships and trust between administration, faculty, staff, students, families and community members. We are not satisfied this has been accomplished in our district under the current leadership of Superintendent Mittelstadt,” he said. “Therefore it is the Chamber's Board of Directors' position of no confidence in Superintendent Mittelstadt. The Palm CoastFlagler Regional Chamber of Commerce welcomes a change in leadership, as superintendent of Flagler Schools."

Editor’s note: Observer Publisher John Walsh is a member of the Chamber's board of directors.

The board voted 3-2 to retain the challenged book about human trafficking.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

When it came time to discuss her position on whether to retain the challenged book “Sold,” Flagler School Board Chair Cheryl Massaro asked the two student School Board members to give their opinions.

Matanzas High School representative Isabella Tieje had prepared her remarks.

“Democracy is based on the free flow of ideas. Some people may not agree with the ideologies and ideas presented in these books, but they have the option (to not read them). Why are they taking the options away from the students?” Tietje said. “It’s the parents’ responsibility to monitor their kids, not the responsibility of our School Board.”

Flagler Palm Coast representative Roymara Louissant said the issue has been much talked about in her school.

“I feel like there are alternative ways to go about a parent not wanting your child to read a certain book that doesn’t hinder the intellectual ability of another student,” she said. “I feel like another thing these books provide a student is (an opportunity) to learn more about empathy, which is something that I feel a lot of students need growth on. Not just students, but us as a society as a whole.”

In a 3-2 vote, the board agreed with a district review committee’s decision to retain

the book on high school library shelves. “Sold,” by Patricia McCormick, is a novel about a young girl sold into sexual slavery in India.

Board members Will Furry and Christy Chong said the book does not belong in schools.

“This book is very explicit,” Furry said. “It deals with childhood rape and torturing their genitalia.”

Furry said a victim of human trafficking spoke at his church once and delivered a heartbreaking story without being explicit.

“It’s not what you’re saying, but how you say it,” he said.

Board member Sally Hunt voted with Massaro and Colleen Conklin to retain the book, but Hunt said there should be a warning label on the front. The revised motion carried.

“Sold” was the first of the books challenged by members of the Moms for Liberty Flagler Chapter to reach the board after a joint school committee and a district review committee voted to retain the book. Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt accepted the district committee’s decision. Conklin said it was “one of the most powerful stories” she’s ever read. Massaro said she found the book enlightening.

“(Human trafficking) is happening in Flagler County,” Massaro said. “Is it a high school book? Absolutely. I think it’s valuable. There may be books that we’re going to move out in the future, but this book has value. It has literary value, it has educational value, because it can teach some of our young ladies not to trust everybody, to ask questions, to make sure they know what they’re doing.”

COPS CORNER

MARCH 16

DON’T BE SUSPICIOUS

3:51 p.m. — Mahogany Street, Bunnell

Sex offender—failure to register address change. Deputies arrested a registered sex offender at a traffic stop for failing to change his address.

Deputies became aware of the suspect the day before when he stopped to speak with a corporal at Canal Avenue and Rosewood Street, the man’s arrest report said. The suspect spoke with the corporal about a trespass warning he received, and, in the process, told the corporal he was a registered sex offender.

After the suspect left, the corporal looked the man up and saw he was registered as a transient living in Ormond Beach, but had not been reporting in as required, the report said. After tracing the suspect’s license plate, the corporal realized the man’s truck had not crossed back into Volusia since March 7. The next day, the suspect was pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign, and deputies arrested him.

enforcement. A 32-yearold Daytona Beach woman was arrested after she gave police her twin sister’s name instead of her own during a traffic stop.

An officer had spotted a vehicle driving without headlights down East Granada Boulevard, which led to the traffic stop, according to a police report. The driver provided police with his passport, but couldn’t show evidence of having a driver’s license. The officer then spoke to the passenger, who gave the officer an ID card for her twin sister.

What the woman didn’t know was that her twin was speaking with a neighboring police agency and telling officers that her twin sister was driving her car. The woman was taken to jail.

HIDING IN

PLAIN VIEW

3:47 a.m. — 1400 block of Kilrush Drive, Ormond Beach DUI. A deputy was patrolling the area near a subdivision when he spotted a car parked in the driveway of a house listed for sale. He had seen the same car driving around the subdivision trying to evade him about a half-hour earlier.

The deputy approached the parked car and spoke with the driver, a 25-year-old Ormond Beach man, according to a law enforcement report.

MARCH 19

BODY DOUBLE

11:12 p.m. — 200 block of S. Atlantic Avenue, Ormond Beach

False name given to law

When asked what he was doing, the man said he had pulled into the driveway because he saw the deputy patrolling the area.

The deputy asked him where he lived, and the man gave him an address within the subdivision.

As they spoke, the deputy noticed a “very strong odor of alcohol” coming from the car, and saw that the man’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy. There were several empty beer cans in the back seat.

The man agreed to perform a series of field sobriety exercises, and failed them. He was taken to jail.

MARCH 22

NEW ‘NEIGHBOR’

9:30 p.m. — 2000 block of Oak Place, Flagler Beach Burglary, criminal mischief. A Flagler Beach woman was arrested for burglary in a home she said had been rented out to her for a few weeks.

But the home belongs to a couple that lives in Canada, and the suspect had to remove the front doorknob to get in. Neighbors called the property manager because they saw the lights on, according to the woman’s arrest report.

The manager held the woman there until officers arrived. The owners told police over the phone that neither they nor anyone they knew had given the woman permission to be there, acording to the report.

The suspect admitted to the officers she removed the doorknob from the front door. Inside the home, the suspect had already started moving in: Her wallet and several other belongings were found inside. The woman was charged and taken to the county jail.

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CRIME REPORT BIZ BUZZ

Man arrested in killing of pet cat

A 61-year-old man strangled his family’s pet cat and stabbed it with a box cutter, killing it, according to Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

The man, who had recently been released after an involuntary psychiatric hold, is charged with aggravated animal cruelty causing death.

The man’s wife had called deputies to the family’s Lee Drive home at around 1 a.m. March 23.

Deputies found the cat in a pool of blood in its litter box, a belt around its neck, according to the man’s arrest report.

The man’s wife told deputies she’d awoken because she heard her cat’s cries. She followed the sound to the shut bathroom door and realized that her husband and the cat were inside.

She said her husband told her through the door not to come in because the cat was going to hurt her. She went to the porch to stay away from her husband. When she came back inside, she saw blood on the floor but could not find her cat.

Though she told deputies she had not feared for her safety, she grabbed a knife as a precaution while she waited on the patio, according to the report.

The man was scratched and blood-smeared when deputies spoke with him. He admitted that he’d strangled and stabbed the cat and placed it in the litter box, according to the arrest report.

The man told deputies the cat was going to hurt his wife.

A few weeks before the incident, the man had been taken to a mental health facility under the Baker Act, which allows for people deemed a threat to themselves or others to be held temporarily for

BRIEFS

psychological evaluation.

Deputies who responded to the cat killing found that the man met Baker Act criteria again, due to harming the cat and wanting to harm himself.

Deputies filed paperwork for a Baker Act.

The man was taken to the county jail.

Man accused of threatening landscapers

A Palm Coast man was arrested on March 22 after landscaping employees said he waved an AR-style gun at them and threatened to slit their throats.

The landscapers told Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies at the scene on Westford Lane that the suspect, 53, threatened them multiple times before they called law enforcement, according to the suspect’s arrest report.

They said they had been working when the man came out of his home and yelled that he was going to slit their throats.

The man then went back inside his garage, and one employee said he could hear the sound “the slide of a firearm loading.”

The suspect then came out of the garage with the gun and began waving it at the workers, threatening to shoot them if they came near him, according to the report.

The landscapers left until deputies arrived.

Deputies set up a perimeter around the man’s home and arrested him when he tried to leave. The suspect refused to speak to deputies without an attorney and was taken to jail.

The man has been charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

Palm Coast Egg’Stravaganza set for April 1

Palm Coast’s Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Egg’Stravaganza will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 1 at Central Park in Town Center.

The event will have arts and crafts, balloon art, face painting, refreshments, carnival games, pictures with the Easter Bunny and opportunities for children to earn treat-filled eggs by completing activities. Central Park is located at 975 Central Ave. in Palm Coast. In the event of weather, the celebration will be relocated to Park Street.

For more information, go to palmcoastgov.com/events.

Marine Science Center reopens bird hospital

With a better understanding of the avian flu and protocols to increase the safety of birds and staff, the Marine Science Center has reopened its bird hospital and resumed admission of sick and injured birds.

Staff is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week to accept bird patients at the hospital at 4965 S. Peninsula Drive in Ponce Inlet.

“The Marine Science Center Bird Hospital is a crucial resource for the community and its native wild birds,” Bird Hospital Manager Tracy Dawson said. “With the reopening, we are once again able to provide expert care for sick and injured wild birds.”

All new birds will be screened for avian flu before entering the bird hospital and will undergo a quarantine period before release into the flight enclosure.

The bird hospital had been closed since February 2022.

CHILDREN’S BUSINESS FAIR RETURNS

The Daytona Beach Children’s Business Fair returned on Saturday, March 25, and featured local young entrepreneurs.

The fair took place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Riverfront Esplanade at 355 N. Beach St.

Children created a product or service, developed a brand and built a marketing strategy to open for customers at this one-day marketplace.

The children are responsible for the setup, sales and interaction with customers.

“This annual event promises to be fun for young and mature folks alike,” Local entrepreneur Hyatt Brown said in a press release prior to the fair.

The fair was presented with assistance from the Riverfront Esplanade, Daytona Chamber of Commerce and Halifax Health.

REDLINE ATHLETICS OPENS AT ONE DAYTONA

Redline Athletics celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, March 24.

The national sports performance brand specializes in comprehensive athletic development and speed and agility training for athletes.

It is located next to Pink Narcissus.

Elements of Design also recently joined One Daytona and will open on March 27.

The furniture and lighting showroom offers gifts, home décor, and design consulting services.

Located in the same building as Guitar Center, Elements of Design at One Daytona will be the company’s second location in Volusia County.

A Costco Wholesale is also expected to open at One Daytona in 2024, next to the CMX Daytona Luxury Theatre.

GREENPAL EXPANDS TO ORMOND BEACH

An app that connects homeowners with lawn care professionals launched this week in Ormond Beach. Using the GreenPal app, homeowners can list their lawns with a preferred service date and lawn care needs, and vetted lawn care professionals can then bid on their properties based on Google aerial images and other lawn details provided by the homeowner, according to a press release.

Homeowners will then select who they wish to service their yard. Visit yourgreenpal.com/local/lawn-care-ormond-beach-fl for details.

INTRACOASTAL BANK EMPLOYEE PROMOTED

Tara Gugliara has been promoted to assistant vice president/assistant manager of the Volusia Banking Center for Intracoastal Bank,according to a March 21 press release.

Gugliara has held a variety of roles for Intracoastal for the past six years and has been active in local organizations including serving as an ambassador for the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.

INTRACOASTAL BANK EARNS FIVE STAR RATING

Bauer Financial Inc. has recognized Intracoastal Bank with its highest rating of five stars based upon the bank’s financial condition as of the fourth quarter that ended on Dec. 31, 2022.

Bauer Financial has also listed Intracoastal Bank on its Recommended Bank Report, according to a press release.

“We are thrilled that Intracoastal Bank continues to be recognized as one of the safe and strongest financial institutions in the Country,” Intracoastal Bank President Ryan Page said.

Come to Cuddle: Palm Coast’s new pet groomer opens for business

Cuddle Pet Grooming’s mission is to be inclusive for every dog, store owner Tom Bruno said.

SIERRA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

Cuddle Pet Grooming in Palm Coast is now open for all of the city’s furry family members.

“I wanted to open a place that included everybody, that included all dogs, all types,” store owner Tom Bruno said. “We don’t turn anybody away here.”

Bruno held a soft opening for Cuddle Pet Grooming in February, but the store had its grand opening on Saturday, March 25. The store hosted a small adoption event outside the storefront in conjunction with the Flagler Humane Society.

Cuddle Pet Grooming is

open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Sundays set aside for appointment-only cases that need extra help or attention. It is in the City Market Place shopping plaza at 160 Cypress Point Parkway, A111.

Bruno said the shop’s goal is to be inclusive to all — pets and people alike. He said that in his experience and the experience of his friends and family members, big-box groomers aren’t always friendly to the animals or even to the customers, or limit which types of dogs they accept.

Not at Cuddle Pet Grooming: Bruno said it is Cuddle’s policy to accept all breeds.

Even if the dog in question is aggressive to other dogs, own-

ers can book appointments on Sundays, Bruno said.

Cuddle Pet Grooming offers the full range of services, he said: dog washing, nail clipping and grinding, teeth brushing and more.

It isn’t just dogs that the groomers work with, either. Bruno said the store takes cats as well, and can accept some exotic pets like rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets — just call ahead to check.

Cuddle Pet Grooming also accommodates its customers: The store has two ADA-accessible, self-service grooming stations at $15 for 15 minutes.

Store Manager Katie Grim

said the atmosphere at Cuddle

Pet Grooming is very different from other grooming stores she’s worked at before, where restrictions prevented staff members from connecting with the animals.

“I got told multiple times, ‘You just got to push through and spend less time hanging out with the dogs,’” Grim said. “And I didn’t like that.”

Grim said that Bruno’s store is completely different, prioritizing the dogs’ comfort over everything else.

“We cuddle all the babies,” Grim said. “Our time may take a little longer, but that’s because we make sure the dog is comfortable the entire time.”

Groomer Elena Krakhmalnikova recently came to Florida after escaping the war in Ukraine.

She said she loves working around all the different kinds of dogs that come to Cuddle.

“It’s very interesting because you can meet ... all different pets,” she said. “And I love to work on big dogs. I love big dogs.”

Krakhmalnikova said she forms a connection with each dog she cares for. She and

Grim even sing to the animals as they care for them, to calm them down.

“I’m enjoying my work, and it is the best place,” Kra-

khmalnikova said. “We want to have 10, 20, 30 dogs a day — and cats. Every pet.”

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Elena Krakhmalnikova pets Karen Clark’s dog, Oliver.

Elena Krakhmalnikova with her daughter Alice, 5, pet Chloe, held by store manager Katie Grim. Chloe belongs to Connie Logan, a customer at Cuddle Pet Grooming.

Photo by Sierra Williams

Pet groomer Elena Krakhmalnikova, store manager Katie Grim, and store owner Tom Bruno at Cuddle Pet Grooming.

Deep-sea beaked whale washes up on Flagler Beach in rare stranding

The whale was euthanized by a SeaWorld veterinarian. Beaked whales that strand are already dying, scientist Wendy Durden said.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A deep-sea whale that washed up on the shore near Gamble Rogers Park in Flagler Beach was euthanized after five hours stranded on Friday, March 24.

The whale — a 15-foot, adult female beaked whale — became stranded on shore at around 2 p.m. Local beachgoers and nearby marine volunteers tried to keep the mammal hydrated and cool while they waited on rescue teams to arrive, placing wet towels and pouring sea water on her.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute staff arrived at around 3 p.m. Unfortunately, Hubbs research scientist Wendy Durden said, on the rare occasions that deep-sea beaked whales are found stranded on shore, the animals are most often already dying.

“They are not rehab candidates,”

Durden said. “It [was] a matter of keeping her comfortable.”

The animal did not have any external injuries beyond old, healed scars on her underside, likely from shark encounters, Durden said.

Durden said beaked whales are not rehab candidates because there are no facilities that can accommodate the environment and diet that a beaked whale needs.

SeaWorld veterinarian Dr. Stacy DiRocco arrived at around 7 p.m. She said she assessed the mammal’s condition and ultimately decided to euthanize it.

“I think the best thing we can do is give it a peaceful end to its life,” DiRocco said.

DiRocco said she gave the whale anesthesia first to put her to sleep and then a combination of medications to euthanize. The whale died quickly, she said.

“It is my responsibility and my job to try to give her a peaceful, respectful and humane end to her life,” DiRocco said.

Vacationers Marie Hesse, Anita Bennett and Linda Montague, who are all staying at Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area and come from different states, were among the beachgoers who stepped in to help keep the whale comfortable while waiting for SeaWorld staff to arrive.

Hesse said she initially thought the mammal was a dolphin but could quickly tell something was wrong.

“It wasn’t acting right,” Hesse said. “It wasn’t swimming like a dolphin. … It just kind of stayed flat and kind of floating on the water.”

Hesse said they tried to help right away, but Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers told them to steer clear.

“Then the sea started just pum-

meling [her] in,” Hesse said. “It was so sad.”

Bennett said that finally someone from either the park or from Hubbs let them help. Bennett said she was tasked with keeping track of the animal’s breathing. All three women said they were just glad they could try to assist.

“It was an extraordinary feeling to be able to try to help and see something like this,” Montague said. “This is rare.”

The whale’s carcass will be taken to a SeaWorld laboratory in Orlando for a complete necropsy, where researchers hope to learn more about the whale’s situation and her species in general, Durden said.

Beaked whales are deep-diving creatures that live very far offshore, Durden said.

This area has seen stranded beaked whales before, but it is rare.

Because the whales live in such deep waters, Durden said, researchers don’t know much about them.

The Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute responds to all whale and dolphin strandings in Brevard, Volusia and Flagler Counties. The institute is notified by FWC.

Durden said that if anyone ever sees a stranded, injured or dead marine animal, they should call the 24-hour FWC hotline at 1-888-4043922.

Lenten/Easter Season

Theme: A Time For Spiritual Renewal

Palm Sunday - April 2, ONE Communion worship experience Bishop Tom Berlin preaching Music by the Praise Band & Voices of Faith @ 9:30 a.m.

April 3, 4, & 5 - Music & Meditation in the sanctuary from noon - 12:30 p.m.

Holy Thursday - April 6, Rev. Ronald Paige Music by the Chancel Choir & Praise Band @ 5 p.m.

Good Friday - April 7, Cantata - The Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross by the Music Ministry Department @ 5 p.m.

Easter Sunrise - April 9, New Campus, 6500 Belle Terre Pkwy.

Dr. Kevin M. James, Sr.

Music - Hymn & Praise Songs @ 6:30 a.m.

Easter Sunday - April 9, Current Campus, 5200 Belle Terre Pkwy.

Dr. Kevin M. James, Sr.

Music by the Chancel Choir & Praise Band @ 8 & 9:30 a.m. Palm

All are invited to attend.

Methodist Church 5200 Belle Terre Pkwy Palm Coast, FL 32137 www.palmcoastchurch.org

As the tide came in, SeaWorld rescuers and volunteers tried to move the whale further up on the beach. She was estimated to weigh around 3,000 pounds.

A beaked whale washed up on shore in Flagler Beach by Gamble Rogers State Park on March 24.

“It is my responsibility and my job to try to give her a peaceful, respectful and humane end to her life.”

DR. STACY DIROCCO, SeaWorld veterinarian

“It was an extraordinary feeling to be able to try to help and see something like this. This is rare.”

LINDA

MONTAGUE, Flagler Beach visitor

Photo by Sierra Williams

LETTERS

No need for prayer at meetings

Dear Editor: I write this brief letter to express the opinion that the proposed City of Palm Coast meeting invocation policy is ill-advised, unnecessary and counterproductive to good governance. This initiative isn’t really about prayer at all. It is about the imposition of an authoritarian policy dressed up as the “will of the people.”

FPC STARLETS WIN GOLD MEDAL

The Flagler Palm Coast High School varsity Starlets dance and colorguard team won a state championship on Friday, March 24, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

The Starlets won the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit AA Class Harlow Division championship.

“It was quite an emotional evening,” Starlets head coach Lauren Albert said, adding that tears flowed when the Starlets were announced as the champions.

“Countless hours of practice had paid off,” Albert said. “This is the first time in school history to have a gold medal earned at the FFCC championships, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group. Our show, ‘Recovery,’ could connect with everyone in the audience, the up and down feelings you can have in any given moment and the idea to keep going — things will always get better.

“Starlet alumni, band directors, Starlet coaches and Starlet team members rushed the floor to hug and cry happy tears that we had finally accomplished this huge goal,” Albert added.

Albert said another colorguard director said that was the most

Those few who claim the breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation by demanding prayer at City Council meetings need to revisit their own scripture, lest they be branded as hypocrites.

The current policy of a few moments of silence before a meeting is compromise enough. Leave it at that.

LAUREL ROBINSON,

Co-Founder,

Citizens for Truth and Justice in Education

Editor’s note: This letter was sent as an email to the Palm Coast City Council and also submitted to the Observer as a letter to the editor.

genuine response to winning he had ever seen, Albert said.

“Their love for each other and their team was in full picture that evening,” she said.

The Starlets varsity team includes: Tianna Leadon, Abigail Perez Ramirez, Vanessa Arredondo-Alamilla, Madison Berrios, Devynne Martz, Madilyn Winternheimer, Melody Proctor, Kaylee Bliss, Amirah Pinto, Daisy Arredondo-Alamilla, Olivia DeCruz, Madyson Mirza, Aleigha Bennett Cauley and Kaileah Egasan.

The show was choreographed by Starlet alumni, which made it even more special, Albert said.

The choreographers included Amari Hollins, Sydni Leon (current member of the USF World Colorguard Team), Vasthi Malvoisin (former UCF Pegasus colorguard member) and Keith Neal (current UCF Pegasus Open Team member).

The Starlets also made school history this season by competing in the Winter Guard International regional event. “This will help us begin our path to compete in Ohio for the WGI championships in the coming years,” Albert said.

FPL ACCEPTING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

Florida Power and Light is accepting scholarship applications for high school seniors across 10 counties, including Flagler and Volusia. FPL will be offering two types of

Hurray for Rob Smith

Dear Editor:

Wow! Kudos to Flagler Beach Sanitation Supervisor Rob Smith for being a leader in pushing forward a recycling initiative in Flagler Beach. Good for the citizens and good for the planet. That is the kind of leadership that serves the public. Maybe Palm Coast could lure him into helping us improve the recycling here.

ANNMARIE BRENNAN

Palm Coast

scholarships, a FPL press release said. The first is the NextEra Energy Scholarship for Black students in a Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering program. FPL is also offering a STEM education scholarship for FIRST — For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology — robotics students. Recipients must have at least one year of experience in a SECME program in Brevard, Broward, Escambia, Flagler, Hendry, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Seminole or Volusia, the press release said. The scholarship will award $5,000, renewable for three years while the student is working full-time on a bachelor’s degree. Ten students will be awarded the scholarships.

DEATH NOTICE

PHILOMENA (PHYLLIS)

ELIZABETH ROTUNNO

Philomena (Phyllis) Elizabeth Rotunno, 94 years young, went to be with the Lord on March 23, 2023. Phyllis' arrangements have been entrusted to Clymer Funeral Home & Cremations. Please visit www.clymerfuneralhome.com for her obituary and funeral details.

“If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.”

—Winnie The Pooh

VETERAN OF THE WEEK

Publisher John Walsh, jwalsh@observerlocalnews.com

Managing Editor Jonathan Simmons, jonathan@observerlocalnews.com

Senior Editor Jarleene Almenas, jarleene@observerlocalnews.com

Associate Editor Brent Woronoff, brent@observerlocalnews.com

Staff Writer Sierra Williams, sierra@observerlocalnews.com

Design Editor Hailey McMillan, hailey@observerlocalnews.com

George Hanns

 Branch of military: U.S. Army

 Dates of service: 1963-1966

 Rank/occupation: Sergeant/Intelligence Specialist

 Hometown: Chicago, Illinois George Hanns is a man who needs no introduction in Flagler County: He was a county commissioner from 1992 to 2016. Hanns enlisted in the Army two days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and served three years in Germany as an intelligence specialist. It was during the Cold War, and intelligence gathering in Eastern Europe was as critical as any period in history. After his honorable service, Hanns returned home to Chicago and apprenticed as a carpenter, a trade he’d work in for 20 years before moving to Flagler County. He’s been a longtime member of the American Legion and VFW Post 8696, where he served as an All-American Commander. Hanns carries a camera wherever he goes and attends events large and small, taking photos, mingling with the people, and spreading good cheer and patriotism. Hanns posts hundreds of pictures from local events on his Facebook page, giving everyone who couldn’t attend a flavor of what they missed. In 2017, the covered bridge at Princess Place Preserve was named “George Hanns Bridge” in honor of his dedicated service to the citizens of Flagler County.

Media Director Holly Oliveri, holly@observerlocalnews.com

Senior Media Specialist Susan Moore, susan@observerlocalnews.com

Advertising Coordinator Jessica Boone, jessica@observerlocalnews.com

Office Coordinator Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@observerlocalnews.com

SUBSCRIBE

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LETTERS

Send letters to jonathan@ observerlocalnews.com. The editor may make changes for clarity and length. Include first and last name and city of residence. Palm Coast Observer LLC P.O. Box 353850 Palm Coast, 32135

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Air Support

Warbirds Over Flagler gave hundreds of visitors the opportunity to view military aircraft from World War II to the present on Saturday, March 25, at the Flagler Executive Airport.

The event saluted veterans and included vendors, food booths, music and a chance to meet pilots and learn about the historic vintage aircraft. Visitors also got the chance to watch the aircraft take off and fly over the airport.

–BRENT WORONOFF

Kritika Vincent of Palm Coast, a flight instructor, took in the sights at Warbirds Over Flagler.

Maverick McGinnis, 4, with sister Macy, 9, and mom Caitlyn, tries on a firefighter hat. Flagler County Fire Rescue’s community paramedics gave out the hats to children.

Jhoseline and Michael DaSilva of Palm Coast, with daughter Isabella, 2. “Isabella loves airplanes,” Michael said. “Maybe we’ll have a pilot in the family.”

Flagler County Fire Rescue’s FireFlight helicopter tows an American flag.

Tim and Christine Glancy, owners of CT Signs and Novelties, sold military and patriotic memorabilia at Warbirds Over Flagler.

Lt. j.g. Paul McClanahan answers questions about the Navy Squadron HSM 50 Valkyrides’ MH-60 Romeo helicopter.

Paramedic Tracy Farmer, of Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Community Paramedicine program.

A fly-over starts the festivities at the Warbirds Over Flagler on March 25 at the Flagler Executive Airport. Photos by Brent Woronoff

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

RV SHOW USA

When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ThursdaySunday, March 30 to April 2

Where: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Attend this four-day RV event where you can view and select a new or used RV, adventure van or towable from nearly 200 on display. Free parking and admission. Visit rvshowusa.com/event/daytonabeach-rv-show.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

FLORIDA HISTORY AND CULTURE

FESTIVAL

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

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

Details: The Ormond Beach Historical Society is hosting this festival featuring booths from museums, authors, artists, historical artifact collectors and exhibitors offering items for sale. Folklorist Diane Jacoby will also tell the story of the life of a 16th-century Spanish noblewoman, Dona Maria de Menendez. There will be free food, coffee, water and a cash wine bar.

EASTER PARTY AND EGG HUNT

When: 10 a.m.

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

Details: Tomoka United Methodist Church is hosting a free Easter party and egg hunt for children preschool age through 5th grade. There will be a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny, plus snacks, games and more. The egg hunt will be divided into three age groups and is and safe for small children. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

EGG’STRAVAGANZA

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

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

Details: Take part in the city of Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Department’s Egg’Stravaganza, featuring arts and crafts, face painting, carnival games, photos with the Easter Bunny and more. Local organizations are giving out eggs and hosting booths to provide activities for children.

April 1, and Sunday, April 2

Where: One Daytona, 1 Daytona Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Attend this fine art festival featuring both juried artists and non-juried artisans. There will be live entertainment, a kids zone, student art on display, a chalk art competition and the 2023 U.S. National Art Battle Championship. Visit onedaytona.com.

10TH ANNUAL DUCK RACE

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

Where: Tomoka Outpost, 2099 N. Beach St., Ormond Beach

FAMILY FARM FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Florida Agricultural Museum, 7900 Old Kings Road N., Palm Coast

Details: The Family Farm Festival will have interactive activities, agricultural education, a pioneer farm experience, farm animals, food trucks, wagon rides and more. Tickets cost $8 for children and $10 for adults in advance; $10 for children and $12 for adults at the door. Visit floridaagmuseum.org.

FORT WILBUR RABBIT RESCUE

SPRING EVENT

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Gerber Jeweler, 1500 Ridgewood Ave., Holly Hill

Details: Fort Wilbur Rabbit Rescue is partnering with Gerber Jeweler for a spring event featuring a photographer taking free photos with rabbits, plus meet-and-greets with bunnies. There will also be snacks and drinks. Call 386-673-6446.

ONE DAYTONA ART FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,

Details: More than 1,000 rubber ducks will race in the Tomoka River for prizes in this event by the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia. There will be photo opportunities, chance to bid on ducks decorated by local artists, face painting, games and more. Proceeds will benefit the School Readiness program. Visit elcfv.org/duck-race.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN FLAGLER

MEETING

When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Cypress Knoll Golf and Country Club, 53 Easthampton Blvd., Palm Coast.

Details: The American Association of University Women Flagler will host Michael Butler as its guest for its meeting. Butler, a professor of history and chair of humanities at Flagler College, will speak on the topic, “What is academic freedom and why does it matter?” The presentation costs $5 to attend, or $20 with lunch. Visit flaglercounty-fl. aauw.net.

ORMOND BEACH GARDEN

CLUB’S ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW

AND TEA

When: 1-3:30 p.m.

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Join the Ormond Beach

Garden Club for its annual Flower Show and Tea. This year’s theme is “Springtime in Paris.” There will be a flower arrangement demonstration and raffles, as well as arrangements and jewelry available for purchase. Snacks will be provided. Admission costs $5. Visit facebook.com/RockfellerGardens.

ART WALK

When: 3-7 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach MainStreet

Arts District, 128 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

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

MONDAY, APRIL 3

‘LAND CONSERVATION IN VOLUSIA COUNTY’

When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Public Library, 30 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach Details: Join the League of Women Voters of Volusia County for a discussion on protecting land in the county, the history of preservation and what challenges are faced today. Free and open to the public. A dinner at Lulu’s will follow. Please RSVP to Jeanne Tanke at jeanne622lwvvc@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5

HOPPY EASTER EVENT

When: 10 a.m. to noon

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

Details: Celebrate Easter at this family-friendly event presented by Halifax Health. Take part in face painting, spring-theme crafts, a meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny, musical entertainment, balloon twisting and more. The festivities will take place near the splash pad. Free and open to the public.

THURSDAY, APRIL 6

SPRING BIRD WALKS WITH JOAN

TAGUE

When: 8 a.m.

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

Details: Join Master Naturalist Joan Tague, of Halifax River Audubon, for a casual bird walk along the trails in Central Park. Bring water. Walking shoes and sunscreen are recommended.

ONGOING ORMOND BEACH ART GUILD

SPRING EXHIBIT

When: April 4-27

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: See the Ormond Beach Art Guild’s spring exhibit at The Casements, featuring paintings in several mediums. Most are available for purchase. The Casements is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. For more information, call Marilyn Dorinson at 386-274-9963 or Maureen Bridger at 386-846-5517. For a preview of the works, visit The Casements’ Facebook page.

‘THE WAY I SEE IT’

When: through April 22

Where: Art League of Daytona Beach, 433 S. Palmetto Ave., Daytona Beach

Details: See this exhibit featuring abstract, surrealist and impressionist art by Florida artists. Visit artleague.org.

VOLUSIA

COUNTY SENIOR SOFTBALL

When: 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays

Where: Derbyshire Park and Sports Complex, 849 Derbyshire Road, Daytona Beach

Details: This 50-and-older mens senior softball league is now forming. It’s both recreational and competitive. Call Joe Daly at 954-732-0992 or visit nsbseniorsoftball.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: “A Treasury of Indian and Persian Miniature Paintings,” and “Sensations: Florida Artists Group Statewide Exhibition.”

THE FINE ARTS

SPRING VIBE Sarasota artist Vig Mayol will be representing Florida in the U.S. National Art Battle Championship, to be held for the first time at One Daytona on Saturday, April 1, during the One Daytona Art Festival. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mayol discovered her talent for painting when she was young, according to a statement she sent to the Observer. A mixed media artist, she teaches classes and workshops at

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art institutions including Ringling College Continuing Studies, Art Center Sarasota and the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Mayol will be fighting for the national Art Battle title with some of the most talented artists in the U.S. The event will take place from 6-11 p.m. in Victory Circle at One Daytona. It is free and open to the public.

–JARLEENE ALMENAS

When: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m. Monday through Wednesday, multiple sessions June 5 to Aug. 9

Where: 52 Bovard Ave., Ormond Beach

Cost: $99 per day, or $199 for three days

Age: 8+

Details: Surfari instructors will teach students all the skills needed to have fun catching waves and surfing. Students are grouped according to their ability level and experience, with a four-to-one student to instructor ratio, while instructors help students catch the best waves. Use of a surfboard is included.

Contact: Rick Gehris, 386-2993609, rick@surfarisurf.com or surfarisurfshop.com.

VINCE CARTER YOUTH

BASKETBALL ACADEMY

When: 8 a.m. to noon, July 20-23

Where: 1255 West International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach

Cost: $175.00 per camper with a 15% discount for sibling(s) of a paid camper

Age: 7-17

Details: Vince Carter’s summer camps help students develop of good habits and performance. Vince participates daily in the academy, helping aspiring players hone their skills. Campers will be placed in teams by age and ability. They will be taught basketball skills, teamwork and life skills while having fun

Campers receive a team picture with Vince, one autographed item of their choice, and various giveaways and recognitions.

Contact: Michelle V. Carter/Ann Smith, 386-239-8215, embassy1@ bellsouth.net, or vincecarter15.com.

SEASIDE TRAINING CENTER

When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for 10 weeks, June 5 to Aug. 11. Select Monday, Wednesday, Friday option or Monday-Friday option

Where: 4431 Eastport Parkway, Port Orange

Cost: $195 for three days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday only) or $275 for five days (Monday-Friday)

Age: 5-12

Details: Come to Seaside Training Center for a summer of physical fitness, confidence building, friendships and gymnastics. Each week of camp will have a different theme, with instructional gymnastics, group games, arts and crafts, and field trips on and off-site. Field trips are only available to five-day campers and are included in the price. All fiveday campers will receive a camp shirt to be worn on all field trips as well as a drawstring backback.

Registration opens April 3 and is first-come, first-served. There are 30 spots available for five-day campers and 10 spots available for three-day campers.

Contact: Jamie Hensley, office and operations director, 386-7601445, acedaytonagymnastics@ gmail.com, acegymnasticsdaytona.com.

PALM COAST SOCCER CAMP

When: 8:30 to 11:30 daily, June 2630 (session 1) or July 24-28 (session 2)

Where: Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Dr. Palm Coast Cost: $75

Age: 8-12

Details: Don’t get a yellow card in fun this summer; sign up for soccer camp! Campers will increase their soccer skills while reinforcing the fundamentals. All skill levels are welcome. Camp begins each day at Pavilion 3. Registration opens at 10 a.m. April 15.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386986-4741. Register at https://bit. ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST GOLF CLINIC SUMMER CAMP

When: 9-11 a.m. Monday through Thursday for three sessions: June 5-8, June 19-22, and July

ship and friendly competition. Open to all skill levels. Multichild discount is available. Deadline to register is one week prior to the start of each clinic.

Taught by LPGA Professional, Class A, Donna Serino. Participants will need to bring a water bottle and snack each day.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-4653. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

TENNIS SUMMER CAMP

When: 8:30 a.m. to noon on weekdays; multiple sessions available from June 5 through July 28

Where: Palm Coast Tennis Center, 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast

Cost: $175

Age: Varies by session

Details: Tennis and so much more!

Campers will enjoy fun games, activities, and age-appropriate drills that teach the basics of the game. Players should wear athletic clothing, sneakers, a hat/visor, bring a refillable water bottle, lunch, and snacks. Registration required.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-2550. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

ART

VERTIFIT AERIAL ARTS

When: Dates and times vary

Where: 880 Airport Rd. Ormond Beach Cost: $25 per class, or packages

available Age: 8-17

Details: Circus Arts Classeslearn unique and beautiful per-

forming arts!

Contact: Barrie Michaels, 516-6954077, Barrie@VertiFit.com, VertiFit. com.

MUSICAL THEATER CAMP

When: 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, July 10-28. Performance Dates: 7 p.m. July 28, and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. July 29. Auditions are 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 29. All campers must attend the audition date.

Where: Flagler Playhouse, 301 E. Moody Blvd. Bunnell

Cost: $250

Age: 8-17

Details: Musical Theater campers will be learning movement/choreography, voice and acting for the musical HONK! JR. HONK! JR. follows “Ugly,” who hatches looking quite a bit different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice, and despite his loving mother’s protective flapping, Ugly’s odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from his family and neighbors. When Ugly is separated from the farm and pursued by a hungry cat, he must find his way home. Along his harrowing yet hilarious journey, he not only discovers his true beauty and glorious destiny, but also finds love and acceptance in all its forms.

Contact: Monica Clark, 386-5860773, boxoffice@flaglerplayhouse. com, boxoffice@flaglerplayhouse. com.

RELIGIOUS

CAMP MONTGOMERY

When: June 12 - July 28

Where: 88 SE 75th St, Starke

Palm

Cost: $150-$1,215

Age: 6-18

Details: Offering overnight camps, day camps, and family camps, Camp Montgomery offers a chance to make lasting friendships, explore the outdoors, and encounter God in nature.

Contact: Nora Corbett, rebekah@ montgomerycenter.org, montgomerycenter.org/about/summer.

KID’S ADVENTURE WEEK- FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ORMOND BEACH

When: 8:45 a.m. to noon, June 19-23

Where: 336 S. Halifax Dr., Ormond Beach

Cost: $40

Age: Kindergarten to fifth grade (2022-2023 school year)

Details: Children will enjoy an interactive, energizing, Bible-based good time as they are called together to serve God. After a high-energy opening assembly time, they will make their way to the Bible Story Station. The students will expand on what they’ve discovered by making their own art projects at the Craft Station, singing new songs at the Music Station, exploring the wonders of God’s creation at the Science Station, playing games at the Recreation Station, and enjoying tasty treats during snack. Along the way, they will hear about our mission project. A T-shirt and all supplies are included in fee. Scholarships are available.

Contact: Caitlin Bookwalter, CBookwalter@firstunited.org, firstunited. org.

CAMP GAN ISRAEL DAYTONA

BEACH

When: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July

Where: 1860

N. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach

Cost: $150 - $250 per week

Age: Entering kindergarten to entering eighth grade

Details: Camp Gan Israel is dedicated to enriching the lives of children from diverse Jewish backgrounds

and affiliations through a stimu lating camping experience.

CGI of Daytona Beach is part of a large and fast-growing network of day camps with innovative ideas and creative activities to provide enjoyment and inspire children to try new and exciting things.

Contact: ettyfarkash@gmail.com, 386-672-9300 Ext. 123, cgidaytonabeach.com.

CAMP GAN ISRAEL DAYTONA BEACH (MINI GAN)

When: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 3-27

Where: 1079 W. Granada Blvd. Ormond Beach

Cost: $150 - $250 per week

Age: 18 months - 4 years

Details: Camp Gan Israel is dedicated to enriching the lives of children from diverse Jewish backgrounds and affiliations through a stimulating camping experience. CGI of Daytona Beach is part of a large and fast-growing network of day camps with innovative ideas and creative activities to provide enjoyment and inspire children to try new and exciting things.

Contact: ettyfarkash@gmail.com, 386-672-9300 Ext. 123, cgidaytonabeach.com.

GENERAL

STEM CAMP AT INTEGRAL ACADEMY OF PALM COAST

When: June 5 through Aug. 4

Where: 2 Pine Lakes Parkway North, Suite 1, Palm Coast Cost: $50-$275 per week, depending on the program/camp

Age: 5-11

Details: Joins Integral Academy for 10 weeks of fun and learning experience at the STEM camps and Academic programs. Integral Academy also offers tutoring in math and reading for students in grades K-12.

Contact: Marina

Jarova, 386-302-5710, integralmathacademy@gmail.com, integralacademy. org/summercamps.

PALM COAST FUN IN THE SUN SUMMER CAMP

When: 7:30 a.m. drop off; activities from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Weeks vary based on grade level. Go to bit.ly/42ES241 for full schedule.

Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast

Cost: $95

Age: Kindergarten through fifth grade (based on the grade the student just completed)

Details: Campers’ day will be filled with age-appropriate and fun-filled themed activities, such as arts and crafts, stories, recreational games, nature hikes, swimming, field trips, and special guest presentations. Field trips are scheduled weekly on Wednesdays and are included in the price of camp.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, Register at https://bit.ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST FIREFIGHTER KIDS

CAMP

When: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. June

12-16 (Session 1, ages 7-10) or July 10-14 (Session 2, July 10-14)

Where: Fire Station 25, 1250 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast Cost: $60

Age: 7-10 (session 1) or 10-12 (session 2)

Details: Calling all junior firefighters, get ready for some four-alarm fun! Campers will become one of the crew at Fire Station 25, where they will get to use real fire equipment. They will learn firefighting techniques, the concept of CPR and first aid, home and fire safety, and how to use a fire extinguisher.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-2300. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST ROBOTICS CAMP

When: 8 a.m. to noon on weekdays, July 10-14

Where: Buddy Taylor Middle School, 4500 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast Cost: $60

Age: Third grade through fifth grade

Details: Campers will spend their days learning how to code and compete among themselves to accomplish challenges with their robots. Plus, they’ll get to spend time in the pool and play some field games, too.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. April 3.

Contact: City fo Palm Coast. Register at bit.ly/42ES241.

PALM COAST TEEN ADVENTURE

CAMP

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, June 12-16 (session 1) and July 17-21

(session 2)

Where: Palm Coast Aquatics Center, 339 Parkview Drive, Palm Coast

Cost: $150

Age: Grades 6-8

Details: Campers will embark on 5 exciting field trip adventures plus spend time at the Palm Coast Aquatics Center. Say goodbye to summer boredom and hello to adventure. The full lineup of trips for each session will be updated soon.

Contact: City of Palm Coast, 386-986-4741. Register at bit. ly/42ES241.

ORMOND BEACH SUMMER CONNECTION

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, June 12-July 7 (session 1) and July 10-Aug. 4

(session 2)

Where: Joe and Elwillie Daniels South Ormond Neighborhood Center, 176 Division Ave.

Cost: $256 (residents) or $389 (non-residents)

Age: 6-12

Details: Enjoy the city of Ormond Beach Leisure Services Department’s 2023 Summer Connection Day Camp. Registration opens April 3.

Contact: City of Ormond Beach, 386-676-3250, ormondbeach.org/lsregistration.

ENVIRO CAMP

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, June 5-30 (session 1) or July 10-24 (session 2)

Where: 601 Division Ave., Ormond Beach

Cost: $115 per week

Age: 7-11 as of April 1

Details: Learn about earth, air, water and fire in this camp held by the city of Ormond Beach. All Volusia County residents are eligible. Campers may only register for a maximum of one four-week session. Campers may select individual weeks from each session, but campers may not register for the same week twice.

Week 1, EARTH: Explore the element of Earth and the Florida wildlife connected to it! Week 2, AIR: Weather and climate, birds, insects, travel, recreation, pollution — let’s learn how vital the element of Air is! Week 3, WATER: Fresh water, salt water, wetlands and marshes, rivers and lakes — learn how important the element of Water is to the Sunshine State. Week 4, FIRE: From early humans to present day, learn how fire has shaped our world and the human experience. Registration opens at 8 a.m.

April 1.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Florida Board Riders’ Florida Cup championship competition came to a close on March 25, with the Space Coast and Jacksonville chapters heading to the national competition in California in May.

Surfers competed at the Flagler Beach pier over the course of the day. Flagler Board Riders, the local chapter, was in second place going into the championship but ended in third place.

Flagler Board Riders is one of the smallest groups in the area, Head Coach Bob Lindsley said, but still managed to hold its own during the competition.

“To be standing here with these guys shows that we are pretty dedicated to what we do,” Lindsley said. “And we’re a real strong crew.”

Each of the five competing teams also recognized a MVP: Flagler Board Riders Treasurer and Executive Director Kelly Brasol was Flagler’s

Riding the tide

Florida Cup finishes out in Flagler Beach. The Flagler Board Riders took home third place in the championship.

choice.

“We couldn’t do it without her,” Lindsley said.

The Board Riders competed across seven divisions: under 14, 15-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and the open women’s division. The Flagler Board Riders took first in the 15-19 bracket and placed second in the under-14 division.

Brasol said the Flagler Board Riders did a great job overall against the other chapters. They were honored just to be able to stay in second place ahead of St. Augustine through the season, she said.

“To consistently stay in second place for the entire season shows it wasn’t a fluke,” Brasol said. “We really brought the talent. We brought the camaraderie.”

In 2022, the Flagler Board Riders had finished fourth in the district. Even though they finished third this year, Lindsley said, their surfers did a great job.

“We’re doing really well for a small club,” Lindsley said. “I mean, we’re really happy with our performance.”

More importantly, Lindsley said, the competition and the local chapter help bring the community together. Brasol worked with the city and local businesses to support the competition.

Brasol said community businesses stepped in to support the championship: A1A Burrito Works set up a taco bar to feed the staff, judges and competitive surfers, and 7-Eleven donated drinks food.

“Residents of Flagler County win when businesses and events come together to attract visitors,” she said. “It trickles into the entire town.”

And it was the community support and that brought the championship to Flagler Beach — beyond the waves, of course. Florida Board Riders founder Dane Jeffries said Flagler Beach has the perfect surftown atmosphere. “You cannot think of a better environment and stadium, atmosphere,” Jeffries said. “The whole town is so responsive to our event.”

The Flagler Board Riders performed amazingly in the competition, Jeffries said, even though they had a few fumbles.

FLAGLER BOARD RIDERS GIVES SCHOLARSHIPS

The Flagler Board Riders gave two Board Riders $1,000 scholarships ahead of the championship cup on March 25.

The Jamie Ridgewell Legacy Scholarship went to Gavin Coluccio, to be used for trade school.

Coluccio intends to use the scholarship to get his captain’s license, club Executive Director Kelly Brasol said.

Lucy Noble, who is attending college in the fall, was awarded the Donna Cianciulli Memorial Scholarship, The scholarships are in honor of their name sakes, members of the surf community who had a long-lasting impact, Brasol said.

Ridgewell was a local surf coach and mentor to the community, and Cianciulli was a mother to two local surf ers and a Flagler County school teacher.

“When we started this thing, it

Blaize Carrol surfs a wave for the Flagler Board Riders’ 20s division team.

Kelly Brasol, executive director of the Flagler Board Riders, received the MVP award for the team. Pictured on the right is Flagler Board Riders Head Coach Bob Lindsley.

Dane Jeffries, founder of the Florida Board Riders, holds the championship

“To consistently stay in second place for the entire season shows it wasn't a fluke. We really brought the talent. We brought the camaraderie.”

KELLY BRASOL,

Flagler

Board Riders executive director

Photos by Christine Rodenbaugh

The Space Coast Board Riders took home first place in the Florida Cup championships.

St. Augustine’s Bethany Zelaslzo surfs in the open women’s division.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast softball player Hannah Kurek ended the March 16 game against Heritage of Maryville, Tennessee, with a three-run homer. Against St. Johns Beachside, on March 22, the senior hit a walk-off of a different variety.

Dog Days

FPC’s softball team improved to 10-0. The Bulldogs defeated Beachside 12-2 in five innings with the 10-run rule.

Kurek’s single in the fifth inning scored Aun’Yale Howard to put the Bulldogs ahead 12-2 and end the game on the 10-run rule.

FPC remained undefeated at 10-0, matching last year’s win total. They improved to 11-0 on March 28 with a 14-0 vicotry over Menendez. The Bulldogs were 10-10 last season.

FPC has not had a winning season since 2017 and was winless just four years ago. They are taking their newfound success in stride.

“We’re just going with the flow,” Kurek said. “We have a group of girls that are a lot more willing to work. And as we keep winning, it makes us want to work even harder.”

The Bulldogs credit their coaching staff, led by second-year head coach Yessy Paneto.

“Our coaches are all fantastic,” senior Kylee Burns said. “I feel like this season, we’ve come together more as a team. We’ve gotten very close. We’ve taken practices very seriously. We’ve been practicing really hard, which is why we’re undefeated now.”

Burns went 3-for-3 with a double against Beachside. She drove in three runs and scored three runs.

The Bulldogs were missing two starters against the Barracudas (3-5) but didn’t miss a beat.

FPC led 3-2 in the middle of the fourth, then scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning to put the game away.

Aliya Buckles led off the fourth inning with a triple to the left-field fence, and after Sanai Figueredo reached first on an error, Aubrey Garofolo smashed a two-run triple.

I

KYLEE BURNS

Kurek added an RBI-single in the inning, and Burns lined a two-run double to center.

Bulldogs pitcher Alexis Laura gave up a two-run homer to Beachside’s Mallie Meadows in the second inning but did not allow a runner past second base the rest of the game.

ADDED DIMENSION

Howard scored the winning run in the fifth after legging out her second infield hit of the game. The junior moved to shortstop from her normal outfield position to fill in for senior Bailey Holmes, who was on a spring break trip.

Howard did not play for the Bulldogs last year, but she did play for the Texas Blaze 16U Florida-Johnson club team.

Instead of playing high school softball, she decided to try track and field team and the pole vault. In her first season learning the event, she wound up posting the second-best vault in school history at 9 feet, 6.25 inches.

She also placed third in her weight class at the state weightlifting championships. This year, the all-around athlete is back playing softball with the Bulldogs and providing the team an added dimension with her speed.

“I wanted to play with the seniors this year,” she said. “I knew it would be a special season.”

The Bulldogs have been moving up the state rankings to No. 35 overall and 11th in Class 7A. They travel to Spruce Creek on Thursday, March 30, for what could be their toughest test so far.

The Hawks are led by pitcher Julie Kelley, who threw a five-inning 12-0 perfect game with 13 strikeouts

against DeLand on March 23.

“She is one of the fastest pitchers we’ll see,” Burns said. “She has a lot of movement, so we’ll have to learn how to adjust and read the ball. During practice our coach will bring out the pitching machine and put it up really high and put like rise ball, drop ball, down the middle, and just make us only swing at the good pitches. So, we’ll practice with the really fast machine.”

And they’ll keep doing what they’ve been doing all season.

“We’re just taking it day by day,” Burns said.

Left fielder Aliya Buckles (9) leads off the fourth inning with a triple to the left-field fence.

FPC coach Yessy Paneto speaks to her players after the game.

First baseman Madison Cercy watches the pitch.

FPC’s Madison Cercy fouls off a pitch.

Aun’Yale Howard (21) scores the 12th and final run for FPC in the fifth inning. The Bulldogs won by the 10-run rule.

Photos by Kenz Ojeda

feel like this season, we’ve come together more as a team. We’ve gotten very close. We’ve taken practices very seriously. We’ve been practicing really hard, which is why we’re undefeated now.

Barreling through life

She’s a barrel racer, steer wrestler, mechanic and a race car driver. Michelle Silcox is a force to be reckoned

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Horse power or horsepower?

It is tough for barrel racer

Michelle Silcox to choose.

With a mom who was a barrel racer who operated a horse rescue, along with a dad who is a mechanic, owns his own automotive shop and is a drag racer, it is no surprise that Silcox is passionate about both.

As the proud owner of three horses and three Mustangs, she can be found either at a local rodeo or the Orlando Speed World test driving one of her cars.

“My husband likes his horsepower in cars, and I like my horsepower in horses,” mom Melinda Silcox said. “Putting them both together is kind of a little dangerous.

When Michelle rides her horses, she says she lives her life 16 seconds at a time, and when she drives her race car, she says she lives her life a quarter mile at a time.”

Silcox was raised on a 2-acre property in Bunnell that her parents have owned for 23 years.

When Michelle Silcox was 2 months old, her mom began taking the infant along on horseback rides, and by the time she was 2 years old, she began riding on her own after she told her mom she could do it.

“She was born that way,” Melinda said. “Nothing in life can bring that child down.”

Silcox was 9 when her mom gave her one of her rescue horses, and she began practicing barrel racing in her backyard.

“I learned barrel racing on a rescue horse, with two lawn chairs and a cone in my backyard,” she said. “Cali was my heart horse. She completely started the obsession.”

She began barrel rac -

TRIBUTES

Karyn Jacobs

1943-2023

On Sunday, March 5th, Karyn Jacobs passed away peacefully at the age of 79, with her family at her side. Karyn was predeceased by her parents, Marianne Cooley and Leonard Johnson and her sisters Nancy Ely and Sharyn Thimmesch. She is survived by her husband, Jim Jacobs, her sons Michael of Orlando, FL and Timothy (Megan) of Norwell, MA, and grandsons Henry and Calvin. She was loved beyond measure and will be greatly missed.

Karyn was born and raised in Enumclaw, Washington where she lived and attended high school. After graduating, she moved to Seattle with her sister Sharyn, and held several jobs, including being the first female computer operator at the Boeing Company. She met her future husband Jim and was married in a joint ceremony with her twin sister Sharyn on September 3, 1966. After marriage, Karyn lived in various places from Santa Monica, California to Stamford, Connecticut, where her first and second sons were born, respectively. She also spent time in Tampa, Florida and Wilton, Connecticut before finally moving to Palm Coast, Florida in 1999, where she lived for more than 23 years in the Hammock Dunes community.

ing competitively 10 years ago with the Flagler County Rough Riders, who state online that their mission is to “help members and their families in the areas of equestrian competition and encourage good sportsmanship.”

Silcox set her goal to earn a Grand Champion belt buckle by the age of 23. Last year, she reached her goal at the age of 19.

Silcox recently participated in the Cracker Day Rough Riders games and rodeo. She competed in chute dogging — a form of steer wrestling — breakaway roping, poles, Texas weaves, slingshot and barrel racing. It was her second time wrestling a steer, which she had gotten into because there were not enough participants, and her first time roping, which she had never done with a live cow.

“Poor Moon was terrified of cows,” Melinda said. “But when Michelle entered the arena, she was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do my job.’ As soon as Michelle calmed down, Moon calmed down. This horse came straight off the track in Ocala. She was a racing horse.”

Currently, Michelle Silcox works five days a week at RideNow Powersports in Daytona Beach, rides five days a week, splits the livestock responsibility with her mom and

“I learned barrel racing on a rescue horse, with two lawn chairs and a cone in my backyard. Cali was my heart horse. She completely started the obsession.”

MICHELLE SILCOX

trains in a variety of equestrian sports. Her dad, Ralph Silcox Jr., also taught her how to work on her own cars, so she gets phone calls from her friends at all hours asking for her mechanical expertise.

“It’s a lot of things,” she said. “It’s hard to find people that can keep up with me.”

Silcox would like to be a professional barrel racer and is interested in attend -

ing college for the sport. She is looking at a rodeo college in Texas. Her parents have always taught her to follow her dreams and believe anything is possible.

“Your dreams are not going to chase you; you need to chase your dreams,”

Melinda Silcox said. In May, Michelle is picking up her next challenge — a $125, untouched, wild mustang.

“Her grandmother and everybody says that she is a horse whisperer,” Melinda said. “A friend of ours told her to try to tame one of the wild mustangs. I asked her if she was going to take on the wild mustang, and she said she was going to try. Well, I guess I’ll start building fences.”

September 10, 1935

– March 11, 2023

It is with great sadness that the family of Ruth Jane Humen, 87, announces her unexpected but peaceful passing at the Stuart Meyer Hospice Center in Palm Coast, FL on March 11, 2023. She is at rest with her Lord after an eight year struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Karyn was an avid traveler and always looking for fun things to do with her family and friends. Her wanderlust provided countless special memories that will be cherished forever. When her husband Jim retried, they put their belongings in a storage unit and moved onto their boat where they travelled up and down the Atlantic Coast for two years, exploring different towns and waterways while meeting up with friends along the way. She traveled to countless countries, including a 50th anniversary cruise which lasted for ~30

days and took her on many adventures with her beloved husband Jim.

She was very involved in the Catholic Church, having volunteered and served in parishes ranging from Incarnation Church, in Tampa to Santa Maria Del Mar in Flagler Beach, Florida. Her faith was very important to her and she also spent more than 20 years volunteering for hospice and other faithbased organizations.

A Celebration of Life Mass will be held at the Santa Maria Del Mar Catholic Church, Flagler Beach on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 11:00 am, followed by a reception in the church social hall. CELEBRATION

Ruth “Ruthie” was born in Morristown, NJ to Andrew Wallace and Grace Keating (nee Thompson) Cowan on September 10, 1935. She married twice, first to Theodore Ostapko and then Nicholas Humen. She was the proud mother to 6 children: Laura Grace Ostapko, Roy A.Ostapko (Dewi), Nicholas Humen (Ann), Laura Mary DeMerritt (Tom), Rebecca Humen and John Humen (Cindy).

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Nicholas Humen and daughter, Rebecca Humen. She is survived by an ever growing family of 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. In 2005 she moved with her daughter, Laura Grace, to Palm Coast, FL to be closer to her only sister, Peg Anderson (Russ) and her son, Roy (Laura Ann).

Ruth held a variety of jobs from professional dress maker and seamstress, to

Ruth held a variety of jobs from professional dress maker and seamstress, to clerk and bookkeeper but her most passionate job was always her role as a homemaker and mother.

clerk and bookkeeper but her most passionate job was always her role as a homemaker and mother. If she wasn’t cooking or baking, she was in her gardens creating her sanctuaries. When she retired to Palm Coast she brought her gardening skills to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park as a volunteer at the “plant bench”. She lived in New Jersey, California and Florida and traveled extensively in the Middle East and Europe with her husband

Nick.

Sometimes in the process of the disease it becomes necessary for a committed team to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Ruth’s family would like to extend a sincere thank you to the staff of Grand Villa of Palm Coast who was devoted to providing Ruth with a safe haven and caring home in her last months. They truly became extended family.

Ruth will be missed by her family, neighbors and friends and remembered for her kind and gentle ways. Heritage Funeral and Cremation Service is assisting the family. A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will be conducted at a later date in Morristown, NJ.

Her faith was very important to her and she also spent more than 20 years volunteering for hospice and other faith-based organizations.

Ruth Jane Humen

Michelle Silcox and her horse Moon try breakaway

“...When Michelle rides her horses, she says she lives her life 16 seconds at a time, and when she drives her race car, she says she lives her life a quarter mile at a time.”

MELINDA SILCOX, Michelle’s mom

By Luis Campos

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Puzzle One Clue:X equals Y Puzzle Two Clue: D equals V Puzzle Three Clue: J equals V

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CATCH-ALLS by David Karp, edited by Jeff Chen

Photos by Michele Meyers

Left: Michelle Silcox tries “chute doggin'” for the second time.

Right: Steer wrestler Michelle Silcox is surprised she wrestled the cow to the ground.

Michelle Silcox leads her cousin Gracie Silcox on Moon in the barrel race.

FPC 4x400 SECOND AT FPC RELAYS

Flagler Palm Coast’s 4x400

boys relay team finished second at the FSU Relays with a time of 3:18.98 on March 25.

It was the fastest time among state teams. Hoover, Alabama, won the event in 3:17.84.

The Bulldogs improved on their winning time of 3:21.35 at a rainy Bob Hayes Invitational the previous week.

Other top 11 finishes for FPC at the FSU Relays: Ashton Bracewell, seventh in discus (47.37 meters); Isaiah Joseph, seventh in the 400 hurdles (55.82); Dennis Murray, ninth in the 400 (49.29); 4x800 relay, ninth place (8:18.77); and Drew Droste, 11th in shot put (14.9 meters).

BIG YEAR FOR MAINLAND’S COLUBIALE

Mainland flag football quarterback Ava Colubiale had a tough act to follow replacing Alexis Wilson, who passed for 1,894 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. But Colubiale is ahead of Wilson’s passing yards pace with 1,457 through seven games. Colubiale threw four touchdown passes in a 27-6 win over Celebration on March 24, giving her 15 TDs for the season.

Two Matanzas wrestlers earn honors

Christina Borgmann and Tiana Fries earned All-American honors. Borgmann placed fourth in the 120-pound weight class. Fries placed eighth in the 126-pound class.

Mariah Mills finished among the top 12 wrestlers in the 107-pound class, falling one match short of joining her teammates as an All-American.

The three Matanzas sophomores wrestled under the umbrella of Mike Fries’ Legend Athletics club team.

Each weight class had over 40 wrestlers from around the country competing.

Borgmann followed her state runner-up finish by advancing to the consolation finals at the national tournament, defeating two state champions along the way.

“She did a great job. She shot well, she had a great top game in the tournament. She was able to ride a lot of the girls out. She listened well to the game plan and pulled off some good wins,” Fries said. “She wasn’t nervous, she had a clear head and she just executed correctly.”

Tiana Fries was coming off a fifthplace finish at the state championships a year after winning a state title as a freshman.

She was a little off her game on the first day at nationals, her father Mike Fries said.

She won two of three matches on

CRONK ALLAMERICAN IN FOUR EVENTS

Flagler Palm Coast High School graduate Micayla Cronk, the most decorated swimmer in Flagler County history, earned All-American honors in four events at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships March 15-18.

Photos by Rachel Mills

Tiana Fries (126 pounds), Mariah Mills (107 pounds) and Christina Borgmann (120 pounds) with coach Mike Fries at High School Nationals in Virginia Beach.

Day 1. With the score tied 2-2 in her first match, she pinned her opponent with 14 seconds left. She won her next match in triple overtime.

“I don’t think she took one shot (shooting in on an opponent) the whole day,” Mike Fries said. “On the second day, she had to win three matches to be an All-American. And man, she came out with all cylinders firing, taking good shots, good setup, good defense.”

Tiana Fries pinned Hailey Kagle, a state champ from California, in overtime, to clinch a spot in the top eight. Mills was winning her quarterfinal match when she made a simple error, Mike Fries said.

“It’s college rules,” he said. “As

long as any part of the body is in the circle, (the match is) still going. Mariah was out of bounds, so she kind of stopped wrestling. The girl dove at her legs and took her down. It was just a little mistake. But that girl ended up going to the finals. Mariah wrestled a heck of a tournament.”

All three wrestlers needed to win one match to receive All-American honors and two of them did, which made the moment bittersweet, Mike Fries said.

“It’s hard when three girls go, and they all ended up in the same place,” he said. “Mariah lost a tough match and the other two won, so now you’re celebrating them and Mariah’s still upset about her match. It happened so quick. So, it’s real heartbreaking. You just wish they all could have gotten that All-American status, which is huge.

“As young as these three girls are to come out and do what that did was very impressive,” he said. “It just shows how hard they’ve been working.”

Fries is planning to help coach a combined team of local Legend Athletics wrestlers and wrestlers from a club team in Virginia at the NHSCA National Duals tournament on Memorial Day weekend in Virginia Beach.

The University of Florida sophomore swam the freestyle anchor leg on the 400yard medley relay team that broke a UF school record with a time of 3:28.36. The Gators finished seventh in the event. It was one four All-American relay finishes for Cronk. She also won All-American honors in the 200 freestyle relay (seventh place), the 400 freestyle relay (eighth) and the 800 freestyle relay (sixth). Cronk’s anchor split of 1:43.53 on the 800 relay was the fastest UF split in the event. Cronk also competed in three individual events, finishing 28th in the 100 and 200 freestyle events.

SEABREEZE’S LONG HONORED

The Ormond Beach Lions Club honored Seabreeze High senior Cole Long as its Student Athlete of the Month on March 23.

Long is a standout basketball player and swimmer. He was named MVP of the boys’ basketball team and was a member of Seabreeze’s 200-medley relay team, which finished 15th at the Class 2A state swimming championships.

Long has a 3.92 GPA and is a member of the Seabreeze Surf Club and the Spirit Club. He was also the Sandcrabs’ homecoming king.

He plans to earn his associate’s degree at Daytona State College and then transfer to Florida State. He plans to study business and real estate.

3BR, 2BA home features formal dining room, formal living room & spacious kitchen w/ breakfast nook. Master suite w/ private master bath and large walk in closet. Family room opens to your covered lanai, inground swimming pool and private wooded area behind home. Located on a quiet culde-sac. 600 SF heated garage. MLS#1104064 $425,000 Call Buzzy Porter at 386-405-1000.

STEPS FROM THE BEACH! 3BR, 2BA well maintained home features over 2,400 living square feet. There is also a detached 3-CG. Oak hardwood floors throughout entire home, large living area, dining room, office/den area, kitchen with granite countertops and tons of cabinet and counterspace. Home also has a fenced in backyard. MLS#1106664 $489,000 Call Buzzy Porter at 386-405-1000.

Updated 3BR, 3BA, 3rd floor unit. Large double unit, open split bedroom floor plan. Two balconies w/ oceanviews. Master suite w/ private bath. All baths have been updated including one with safe step walk in shower. Spacious kitchen has been updated w/ granite countertops and SS appliances. Automated hurricane shutters. MLS#1104068

$695,000 Call Buzzy Porter at 386-405-1000.

The oceanfront home of Hawaiian Tropic founder Ron Rice, this 12,000 sqft oceanfront estate is now on the market for the first time! A commanding presence on A1A, the grounds encompass a full acre lot with 200 feet of beach frontage.

Situated on a highly desirable stretch of Ormond Beachside along with other multimillion-dollar residences, the home sits high on the no-drive beach making it your private oasis. Expansive outdoor decking links 3 pools, 2 oceanfront owners suite and more. $4,999,900 Call Bill Navarra 386-334-9991

LPGA BEACHSIDE OCEANVIEW CONDO

ORMOND GREEN

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR SIDE

LINES

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All-Americans Christina Borgmann (fourth place) and Tiana Fries (eighth place) hold up their plaques and certificates at High School Nationals in Virginia Beach.

REAL ESTATE

House on John Anderson is top seller

Ahouse in Ormond Beach Plaza was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 12-18 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Gary Bowie and Kadie Black, of Nashville, Tennessee, sold 3212 John Anderson Drive to Carmen Browne, as trustee, for $1,900,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/3 and has two fireplaces, a pool, a boat dock, an outdoor fire pit and 3,593 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $1,085,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Beau Rivage Shores

John Erickson, of Crestwood, Kentucky, sold 129 Beau Rivage Drive to Tara Buckley, of Toms River, New Jersey, for $405,000. Built in 1971, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,453 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $385,000.

Condos William and Hazel Kuczmera, individually and as trustees, sold 395 S. Atlantic Ave. Unit 503 to Phillip and Sherrill Westbury, of Ormond Beach, for $550,000. Built in 1982, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,824 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $350,000.

Daytona Pines

David Linwood Hart and Timothy Allen Hart, of Holly Hill, sold 1317 Avenue D to Valery Dragone and Joseph Dragone Jr., of Ormond Beach, for $169,000. Built in 1985, the manufactured home is a 3/2 and has 1,568 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $23,000.

Halifax Plantation Joanne Kurtz, Bernadette Leonard, Julie Blackburn and Fred Preik, of Ormond Beach, sold 3021 Monaghan Drive to Larry and Deborah Hildebrandt, of Ormond Beach, for $395,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,818 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $208,000.

Herrick Townsites Laura Ureta and Bryce Merritt, of Ormond-by-the-Sea, sold 566 S. Ridgewood Ave. to Ryals Cunningham, of Ormond Beach, for $250,000. Built in 1953, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,344 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $170,000.

Hunters Ridge Marjorie and Varun Bhogal, of Pacifica, California, sold 46 Abacus Ave. to Alfred and Helga Fulbright, of Ormond Beach, for $490,000. Built in 2014, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,694 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $4291,200.

Northbrook Painted Leaf LLC, of Rancho Palos

Verdes, California, sold 1300 Wandering Oaks Drive to Whitney and Tyler Steppello, of Ormond Beach, for $399,900. Built in 1979, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,941 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $150,000.

Not in a subdivision Nils Bogetveit, of Boulder, Colorado, sold 361 S. Atlantic Ave. to Mark Bender, of Ormond Beach, for $1,400,000. Built in 1949, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a beach walkover and 1,900 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $807,500.

Ormond Beach Park

Kenneth Paul and Leah Lightsey, of New Smyrna, sold 504 Wild Olive Ave. to Richard Potts, of Ormond Beach, for $415,000. Built in 1967, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,495 square feet. It sold in 2002 for $139,000.

Plantation Bay

Arthur Marr Jr. and Kay Felderman, of Ormond Beach, sold 1285 Harwick Lane to Kathryn BarrettJohnson, as trustee, for $530,000. Built in 2012, the house is a 4/2 and has a fireplace and 2,412 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $350,000.

River Oaks Merl and Teresa Trimmer, of Ormond Beach, sold 305 River Vale Lane to Angelo Cianciatto, of Ormond Beach, for $478,000. Built in 2018, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,383 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $296,100.

Rogers Park Sarah Willis, of Ormond Beach, sold 82 Rogers Park Drive to Jerry and Carolyn Russell, of Ormond Beach, for $245,000. Built in 1955, the house is a 2/1 and has 1,072 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $84,500.

Rosemont James and Penny Agenbroad, of Debary, sold 42 Benjamin Drive to The Sara J. Truhlar Revocable Trust, of Port Orange, for $375,000. Built in 1962, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,416 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $267,000.

Trails North Forty Jack and Olga Beckwith, of Ormond Beach, sold 202 Deer Lake Circle to Nancy DeLuca, as trustee, for $415,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/3 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,294 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $210,000.

Cary and Kristin Watkins, of Ormond Beach, sold 134 Deer Lake Circle to Rian and Mina Kubannek and Harold Kubannek, of Ormond Beach, for $394,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,738 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $241,300.

Woodmere Thomas and Christina Remigio, of Ormond Beach, sold 831 East Lindenwood Circle to Morgan Crosbie and Alicia Silverbloom, of Denver, North Carolina, for $380,000. Built in 1975, the house is a 3/2 with a pool and has 1,794 square feet. It sold in 1998 for $108,888.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Standefer Investment Company, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, sold 1239 Ocean Shore Blvd. Unit 8-F-6 to Marianne and Daniel Winfield, of Ormond Beach, for $434,900. Built in 1984, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,699 square feet. It sold in 1996 for $156,000.

Candy Weaver, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, sold 27 Tarpon Ave. to Glenn and Karen Osborne, of Ormond Beach, for $400,000. Built in 1970, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,329 square feet. It sold in 2007 for $239,000.

CCH BIZ, LLC, of Daytona Beach, sold 1209 River Breeze Blvd. to Christopher Shuster, of Daytona Beach, for $481,000. Built in 1956, the house is a 3/3 and has 1,695 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $350,000.

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

907 Garrison Dr - St. Augustine, FL 32092

3BR/2BA 10 foot ceilings, Plantation Shutters. Corian Countertops. RENT READY! Community offers beach access, pools, tennis & more! $599,900

This charming 3 BR/2.5 BA is rent ready! FULLY FURNISHED short-term rental property on Rohde Avenue. 4 dedicated parking spots, located near historic downtown St. Augustine. $799,000

This South Hampton 4BR/3BA beauty has it all! New roof in 2019. hardwood floors throughout and 10' ceilings with crown molding. A RATED SCHOOL DISTRICT. Golf Community has 100+ acres dedicated to amenities. Low HOA! $569,000

Amazing Oceanfront Community! Call today for your Beach Condo Investment. Summerhouse sits on 25 Acres with 4 heated pools! Resort Style Complex with a on site rental office. Call today for units available!

3BD/2BA sits on 1/2 an acre lot with a fully fenced in backyard and HEATED POOL. Tile flooring throughout & a full 2 car garage! $489,000

3BR/2BA built in 2020 by Mastercraft. Located in Villages of Valencia Community. Screened in back lanai! Community pool, clubhouse & trails! $524,900

2BR/2.5 BA Located in highly desirable Cypress Bay Community. Built in 2048 this townhome features an open concept kitchen! Both bedrooms are suited with their own private full bath & walk in closet! 1 car garage & move-in ready!! $284,500

Photo courtesy of Adams Cameron and Co. Realtors

The house has two fireplaces, a pool, boat dock and 3,593 square feet.

RED

INFORMATION & RATES: 386-447-9723

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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

16 gallon, wet/dry vac.

HOOVER

12 pc. attached tools, blower $49 386-852-9116

LARGE DOG kennel, excellent condition, $65 OBO 386-437-7058

LIFESTYLER 550 Exercise Stationery Bike $125.00 or best offer (386) 597-7196

LIGHT WOOD 3 sectional cabinet and shelves 44”H x 72”L $150 386-676-1363

CORNING WARE, blue corn ower pattern, 4 piece set with lids $135 386-562-2540

EASTER DECORATIONS baskets, bunnies, beautifully decorated eggs and so much more! $1-5 814-574-6387

EASTER DECORATIONS, baskets, plastic eggs and much more! Fill a big box for $8 386-672-5545

ELECTROPEDIC ADJUSTABLE Electric Bed white ower design $150 (386) 585-7991

EXERCISE MACHINE, small elliptical, like new $35, at steel cart $35 386-346-5117 or 239-671-2580

FULL SIZE Atherton Home convertible futon sofa bed, color chocolate, barely used. 914-980-4870.

SOFA/CONSOLE TABLE slate top. 48 X 20 & 28 inches high. Black $100 (386) 283-4802

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

WERNER EXTENSION ladder, 24 ft. extension, excellent condition $175 386-446-0034

Announcements

EFFECTIVE MARCH 31, 2023, Sharrell Cooper, 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