Palm Coast Observer 4-27-23

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CITY WATCH

Road resurfacing could cost $12

It will cost $12.2 million annually just to maintain Palm Coast’s roads in their current condition, a city staff member told the City Council at an April 25 workshop.

Palm Coast Stormwater and Engineering Director Carl Cote told council members that the 2023 budgeting process is at a “critical” point for the city’s roads.

But the issue of deteriorating roads — and the ever-increasing cost of fixing them — has been on the city’s radar for years.

Walkway along Belle Terre to open in July

Renovations to a busy stretch of walkway along Belle Terre Parkway are set to be completed by the end of July.

The walkway extends from Pritchard Drive to Buddy Taylor Middle School and has been under renovation since March 2022, when the older walkway was deemed compromised. The walkway serves as a daily route for many BTMS and Wadsworth Elementary school students, according to a press release from the city of Palm Coast.

The walkway had been under reconstruction due to an unstable foundation when the city realized the problems were more extensive, and expanded the scope of the project, according to the press release.

Several complications, including storm pipe damage from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, delayed the renovations, according to the press release.

Project Manager Carmelo Morales said he is confident the project will be completed in the coming months.

Crews are preparing to install the new walkway and have recently reinstalled lighting, according to the press release.

“These roadways didn’t start to fail just in this past year or two,” Mayor David Alfin said. “This has been in process for a long time.”

Cote said the city can’t wait to address the problems, or the city will be doing “full-deck repairs” instead of just resurfacing.

“Once the roadway gets to a certain deterioration point, it deteriorates very quickly, because you have water getting through the cracks, getting into the base,” Cote said. “You have heavier vehicles that can cause additional cracking.”

Currently, the resurfacing program only has funding for about $2.2 million in work per year, Cote said.

If the city does not act on the problems now, he said, in five years, it will cost $52 million to bring the roads up to standard.

Transmap, a roadway data gathering and analysis company, surveyed the city’s roadways in 2017 and graded them 79 out of 100 on the Pavement Condition Index, a “satisfactory” level.

Transmap completed a second survey of the city’s roadways in October 2021.

That survey showed that the city had dropped four points on the PCI, to 75.

Cote said Transmap called the drop a “remarkable quality decrease.”

Transmap said that if the city doesn’t increase funding for road repairs, the next four years will bring a nine-point decrease in quality, Cote said.

And it will only get worse faster, he said.

“Spending money, I think, is now a good investment to avoid even more

million per year Fire Department fielded 13,000 calls in 2022

placing too heavy a burden on taxpayers.

Between 2003 and 2012, the city used a half-cent fuel tax to help pay for road repairs.

Alfin instructed the city manager to reach out to the county for information on that process, but also asked staff to look for alternative funding sources.

Cote’s presentation included a few funding possibilities, including utility taxes or dedicating some ad valorem tax money to the resurfacing program. But residents are already likely to see an increase on their stormwater bills.

The council agreed to look at all the options first. That includes cutting “wants” in order to pay for “needs,” Vice Mayor Ed Danko said.

The Palm Coast Fire Department fielded 13,194 calls for service in 2022.

Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill gave the City Council an overview of the department’s operations at an April 25 City Council workshop.

That data included a breakdown of service calls over the city’s five stations. Of the 13,000 calls the department responded to in 2022, Fire Station 25 had the most, at over 4,000.

expensive repairs in the future,” Cote said.

Palm Coast has 542 miles of roadways. The new Transmap survey rated 60% of those roads as “satisfactory” and another 30% as “fair,” though some roads registered a “poor” rating — like Matanzas Woods Parkway, an arterial roadway, which rated 47 on the PCI.

Already, the city can see the impact of the degradation.

In 2021, the city had 175 work order calls for potholes.

Already in 2023, there have been 122 work order calls for potholes. Cote said the city predicts 244 call by the end of this year.

Council member Nick Klufas, who has been on the City Council since 2016, said the resurfacing program has been underfunded even since he joined the council.

It’s hard to see the issues, he said, when the roads look fine on the surface.

“During economic downturns, when you have great-looking roads, it’s very easy to not maintain the street repaving programs,” Klufas said.

LiDAR analysis alerted the previous council to just how bad the issues were, Klufas said.

The council now cannot afford further delays, Alfin said. The problem is how to pay for the dramatic increase is road work costs without

“I think we’re going to have to make some difficult, hard choices this year,” Danko said. “Because we have to come up with the money ... to keep our roads good. I don’t think we have a choice.”

BY THE NUMBERS

$2.2 million

The amount of money the city’s resurfacing program has for annual expenses

$12.2 million

What the resurfacing program needs, annually, to maintain city roads’ current conditions

$52 million

What it would cost in five years to repair and maintain the city’s roads if they aren’t fixed now

75

The city’s 2021 Pavement Condition Index rating from Transmap. A 75 is considered “satisfactory,” the same rating the state has overall, but it’s a four-point decrease in four years

Future Fire Station 26 will be located in the south part of the city, south of the airport. That area is now served by the county’s Fire Rescue Station 92.

But, Berryhill said, data shows that some areas in that service area are too far away for fast response.

“It’s alarmingly too far to drive in some places,” he said. The PCFD’s goal is to have a response time of under seven minutes at least 85% of the time, Berryhill said. In 2022, the department responded to calls in under seven minutes 72% of the time.

Part of the problem is traffic, and part is how far people live from a station, the chief said. Regardless, Berryhill said, he and his team are practicing to reduce response times.

Berryhill said the department has concerns about recruitment and equipment acquisition and repair costs. The cost of equipment, Berryhill said, has risen 12-14%, and there are delays in delivery.

“Our fleet does a great job of keeping our trucks in service,” he said, “But the supply chain constraints and the raising cost of parts ... sometimes we just hold our breath when something breaks on a fire truck.”

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Golden anniversary

Palm Coast Fire Department celebrates 50 years of service.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Community members and firefighters past and present attended the Palm Coast Fire Department’s 50th anniversary celebration at Fire Station 21 on Saturday, April 22.

Mayor David Alfin, Florida Rep. Paul Renner and Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill were among the speakers at the ceremony.

Alfin read a letter of congratulations from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“It is my honor to extend greetings to the firefighters and the community of Palm Coast as you celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Palm Coast Fire Department,” the letter said. “As the parent of three young children, the First Lady and I appreciate the first responders who work day and night to keep our communities safe. Thank you for your unwavering service and sacrifice to the community and our great state.”

The Palm Coast Volunteer Fire Department was formed on April 3, 1973, with 28 firefighters. Over its first two years, the department responded to two calls. Last year, Flagler County’s first responders responded to 13,344 medical and fire calls.

Over the years, Berryhill said, the PCFD has responded to serious wildfires in 1985, 1998 and 2011, as well as to hurricanes, tornadoes, industrial fires, plane crashes, train derailments and fuel tank explosions.

“But what makes the department special is how our firefighters recognize that your emergency is never routine,” Berryhill said.

Renner, the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and a Palm Coast resident, spoke briefly.

“We know you always have our back,” he said. “Congratulations on a great 50 years, and to another 50.”

Alfin said the community’s praise and respect for the department’s dependable service has grown stronger over the decades.

“We continue to admire (the fire-

fighters’) fortitude and heroism under the most intense, stressful conditions imaginable,” he said.

But, he added, the department’s contributions to the city are not limited to emergency response.

“The Palm Coast Fire Department has also been a leader in community outreach and education, providing programs and events that have helped to build a stronger relationship between the department and the people it serves, from fire safety education for children to CPR training for citizens,” Alfin said.

PUMPER RETURNED TO PCFD

A 1959 American LaFrance pumper truck was parked behind the stage during the celebration. The fire engine has been returned to the department from Flagler County Fire Rescue. It was originally acquired in 1978 as the department’s second engine.

“I’m happy that it’s back,” said retired Batallion Chief Ron Petrillo. With former Palm Coast Fire Chief Howard Peiffer, Petrillo described the history of the engine, which was refurbished in 1988, saving the department $70,000 on a new pumper.

“It had a standard transmission. The clutch was very, very hard to operate,” Peiffer said, noting that “Save the clutch,” became a catchphrase.

The American LaFrance pumper will be used for community events and as a caisson in the event of a firefighter death, Peiffer said.

Kathy Reichard-Ellavsky, the

LETTER FROM DESANTIS

Dear Friends:

Congratulations! It is my honor to extend greetings to the firefighters and the community of Palm Coast as you celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Palm Coast Fire Department. The brave men and women who put everything on the line to protect life, property and the environment from the devastation of fire impact the lives of Floridians every day and they deserve our full support.

As the parent of three young children, the First Lady and I appreciate the first responders who work day and night to keep our communities safe. Thank you for your unwavering service and sacrifice to the community and our great state. Best wishes for your continued safety and success.

RON DESANTIS Governor

Palm Coast Historical Society and Museum president, presented the department with an enlarged duplicate poster of Garfield the cat wearing firefighter gear and a PCVFD fire helmet with the caption, “Rather Be Fighting Fires?”

Jim Davis, the cartoon character’s creator, signed and dedicated the poster to the Palm Coast Volunteer Fire Department in response to the “Black Friday” fires in 1985 that destroyed 131 homes.

The original poster was donated to the Historical Society by former PCFD Fire Chief Michael Beadle and is displayed in the museum in Holland Park. The larger poster will hang inside the Palm Coast Community Center, Reichard-Ellavsky said.

PCFD Deputy Fire Chief Bradd Clark, who served as the celebration’s master of ceremonies, announced that the department will be burying a time capsule this year at Station 25.

The capsule will contain a portrait of department members, plans for the original fire station — Station 22, which is still in service — blueprints for the latest firefighter apparatus and the department’s 50th anniversary challenge coin, which “symbolizes the present and honors the past,” Clark said.

The capsule will be unearthed at the department’s centennial celebration in 2073, Clark said.

In his closing remarks, Clark saluted the department’s former and current members and thanked city and county officials and community residents for their support.

“Citizens, you’re in our organizational chart,” he said. “You’re at the top. You matter the most. We serve you.”

Volunteer firefighter Joseph Sheehan celebrates the department’s 50th anniversary with his children Ava, 7, Jaxton, 5 and Joe, 9.

House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast holds his daughter as he speaks.

Master of Ceremonies Bradd Clark

FCSO Master Deputy Nancy Malheiros, left, has a laugh with Palm Coast Fire Department volunteer Jim Lee, a retired New York City Fire Department firefighter.

Melanie DiMartino sings the national anthem.

Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill speaks at the anniversary ceremony.

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin speaks during the ceremony.

Palm Coast Historical Society and Museum

President Kathy M. Reichard-Ellavsky presents a Garfield poster to the fire department.

“We continue to admire (the firefighters’) fortitude and heroism under the most intense, stressful conditions imaginable.”

DAVID ALFIN, mayor

Lt. Patrick Juliano, the department’s public information officer, organized the event.

Photos by Brent Woronoff

FPC employee donates bicycle to student OKES teacher wins monthly Gannett award

up.”

Audrey Dixon, Parker’s mother, said they couldn’t fix the bike, and for the next two weeks, Parker walked to school.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Vanessa DeMatteis is a little embarrassed by all of the attention she’s received.

DeMatteis, a food services employee at Flagler Palm Coast High School, donated a bicycle to a student who volunteers in the cafeteria before school.

Parker Dixon does not live far from school. But he has relied on his bicycle for transportation to and from school for nearly two years.

In late February, a vehicle hit his bike while he was riding to school in the early morning darkness. He was not injured, but his bike was damaged beyond repair.

“He hit my bike after giving me permission to move over,” Dixon said of the driver. “I flipped and I almost hit my head. The chain got messed

Jodi Lane, the manager of the FPC Bulldog Café, started taking up a collection to buy Parker Dixon a new bike.

DeMatteis told her there was no need for that. She had an extra bike at home she could bring in.

“I happened to have a couple of bikes in my garage that weren’t being used,” DeMatteis said.

DeMatteis had never even met Dixon. She arrives at school at 8:15 a.m. By that time, Dixon is in class. She met him the day she brought in the bike. A picture of them together with the bike got distributed on social media.

“I’m kind of embarrassed by all of this,” she said. “I meant nothing to come of this. He’s a sweet kid. I’m glad he has transportation. That’s what’s important.”

Dixon has been volunteering with food services since Feb. 4, he said, adding that he had also volunteered in the cafeteria at his old school in Alabama when he was a freshman. Now a senior, Dixon will continue to work in the Bulldog Cafe this summer as a sub, and hopefully that will lead to a full-time job in the fall, Lane said.

“Parker is a really good kid, and it seems like this is what he wants to do,” Lane said.

“Everyone enjoys having him here.”

DeMatteis said it was actually her personal bike that she gave to Dixon.

“It’s OK,” she said. “I don’t need a bike.”

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Chris Knox, a fourth grade teacher at Old Kings Elementary School, was surprised last week to receive a $5,000 check from Gannett Media Group, the parent company of the News-Journal, for winning Gannett’s National Amazing Teacher Award for April.

Also last week, Knox learned that he has been nominated for the Florida Council For The Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award.

OKES Assistant Principal Tara Ossler said Knox is truly deserving of both awards.

“I’m extremely proud but not surprised,” she said. “He is a rock star.”

Teaching writing and social studies are his passions in the classroom, Ossler said.

He uses fun and innovative techniques, and his students don’t even realize they’re learning.

“I try to infuse a lot of creativity and critical thinking,” he said.

His students build interactive adventure stories on Google Slides. At different points in the stories, the reader can pick one of two paths, with each path taking the story in a different direction. The students create story text and illustrations for each slide.

“The requirement is they have to have at least four endings, which is a minimum of seven slides,” Knox said. “Most of them go beyond that.

I’ve had students go up to 50 slides to make their story go the way they want it.”

As they learn how to build the stories, they are also learning basic-level coding.

“A lot of times they figure out how to build some things into it that I haven’t thought of,” Knox said.

Knox also teaches social studies in a way that captivates his students’ imagination, Ossler said.

“He has the ability to create a learning environment that’s thought-provoking for the students,” she said. “It’s almost like he’s telling a story about an old friend of his that is so real, it sticks with them. He challenges them to examine and question the world around them and to see how the past is connected to the present.”

Knox also uses the site breakoutedu.com, dividing

his class into groups to collaborate on escape room-like puzzles where they read clues to try to open locks on a box.

“The clues are all centered around reading standards,” Ossler said. “They are extremely challenging. I was with a group (of students), and I was stumped. Within the activity, he fosters teamwork, letting them know it’s OK to agree and disagree. It’s OK to fail. It builds resilience, which is sometimes lacking in the classroom.”

Knox is also on Old Kings’ textbook review committee and social studies review committee. He’s collaborated with the literacy coach on applying the state’s new rubrics to classroom instruction and scoring student’s writing, and he mentors interns and new teachers, Ossler said.

“He’s seen as a leader on campus,” she said.

Knox has been a teacher in the Flagler County School District since 2004, teaching previously at Bunnell and Rymfire elementary schools. He has been teaching at Old Kings for six years.

He said he plans to incorporate the Gannett award into his travel budget.

“I love to travel,” he said.

“I have a trip planned in the summer for eight days in Jordan.”

After Parker Dixon’s bicycle was damaged, Vanessa DeMatteis gave him her own.

Chris Knox has his fourth grade students creating interactive stories and applying social studies lessons to the real world.

Courtesy photo Parker Dixon and Vanessa DeMatteis

Courtesy photo

Old Kings Elementary School teacher Chris Knox received a $5,000 award as Gannett Media Group’s National Amazing Teacher for April.

“I try to infuse a lot of creativity and critical thinking.”

CHRIS KNOX

Autism resources come to Town Center

Awareness festival offers information, activities for families of kids with autism.

ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Vincent’s Clubhouse held its first Autism Awareness Festival and Resource Fair on Saturday, April 22.

The fair took place at Central Park at Town Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring booths from autism resource vendors, community resources and businesses, food vendors and local shops.

“What’s special about our festival is that there are three of our retail vendors who are small business owners with autism,” Vincent’s Clubhouse co-founder Erica Flores said. Vincent’s Clubhouse, a local nonprofit, offers summer camps for kids with autism and other sensory disorders.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Mobile Com mand Station, the Flagler County Fire

Department and the Bunnell Police Department made special appearances.

There were performances by the Vincent’s Clubhouse Flagler Cheer Team — whose members are all cheerleaders from the Special Olympics — the FunCoast Down Syndrome Association’s DownRight Dancers, and Xenia’s Dance Along.

The organization held a ceremony at noon to thank Flagler County Schools Exceptional Student Education teachers for their work for special needs children.

Flores and her husband, Hector, had founded Vincent’s Clubhouse in 2016 after their own son, Vincent, was unable to attend summer camp because general summer camps wouldn’t provide the extra care and attention a person with autism needs,

By the summer of 2017, Vincent’s Clubhouse hosted its first summer

“What’s special about our festival is that there are three of our retail vendors who are small business owners with autism.”

ERICA FLORES

camp for children with disabilities, Flores said.

“We started out with summer camps for children with autism and special needs, but from there we have grown exponentially because of all of the need in the county,” Erica Flores said. “So, we started with a small group of parents and educators who were invested in trying to provide more services here in the county and we grew from there.”

Since 2017, Vincent’s Clubhouse organization has hosted events for holidays and summer, programs for children and adults with special disabilities, programs for parents with children that have special disabilities, and support groups, Flores said.

Bennet Johnson, Melea Cortmon, Kevin Ortiz and Andrew Ward, of Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services

Keaton Wilburn shows off his award after his performance with the DownRight Dancers.

— 300 block of N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach Loitering or prowling. Police arrested a 40-year-old St. Augustine man who was held at gunpoint by a citizen after getting into an unlocked car.

The man told officers that he had been walking in the area, searching for somewhere to sleep. When he found and entered the unlocked car in the parking lot, he said, he “was just getting a feel for it.”

Police also spoke to the citizen, who said he had received an alert about movement captured by the front camera of his business. He said he called 911 and went to investigate.

The St. Augustine man was taken to jail.

APRIL 21

GUMMIES ON THE MIND

5:53 p.m. — Intersection of West Granada Boulevard and North Orchard Street, Ormond Beach DUI. A crash between a car and a public bus led to the arrest of a man who had eaten one too many THC gummies, according to a police report.

Police responded to the scene of the crash where the bus driver reported that he

had been stopped when the car hit the bus at a “relatively low rate of speed.” There were no injuries.

Officers discovered that the driver of the car, a 65-year-old man from Ohio, was diabetic. Paramedics found that the man’s blood sugar was dangerously high. His passenger was also reported to be going in and out of consciousness though she wasn’t diabetic herself. Both were taken to the hospital.

Once there, the man agreed to speak with an officer and said that he had gone to a marijuana dispensary the day before and bought a pack of THC gummies. Both he and his passenger tried them. Because he didn’t “feel anything at first,” he took more, then he and his passenger left the hotel to get pizza.

A search of his passenger’s personal items turned up a small foil wrapper full of cocaine, which the man admitted they both used in addition to the THC gummies.

He was taken to jail.

PRE-PAID THEFT

1:18 p.m. — Pine Cone Drive, Palm Coast Shoplifting. A man arrested for allegedly stealing a firearm from a pawn shop said he tried to pay for it by leaving $200 cash on the counter.

The pawn shop on Palm Coast Parkway reported that a .32 caliber revolver had been stolen just after noon.

Deputies found the suspect, 26, less than half a mile away, without the firearm, according to his arrest report.

The man said he’d stolen the gun and left $200 on the counter because he feared he wouldn’t pass the background check.

He’d thrown the gun into the shallow end of a nearby pond, and showed deputies where he’d tossed it, according to the report.

APRIL 22

NAME EXCHANGE

10:02 a.m. — 100 block of South Nova Road, Ormond Beach Obstruct officer by disguised person. Police responded to a local shopping plaza after people reported that a suspicious person was asking people for alcohol in the parking lot.

The reporting officer spoke with the suspect, who initially gave him a false name and insisted it wasn’t showing up in the officer’s database because the suspect’s ID was from Texas, according to a police report. Police, however, were able to confirm his real identity using a fingerprint.

The man, 45, was not from Texas — he was from Ormond.

He apologized and said he used his brother’s name because he was scared, according to the police report.

The man had an open warrant for his arrest. He was taken to jail.

The Spring Arts Festival is this Saturday, April 29 at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation from 11am-3pm. Browse a selection of handcrafted pieces, displayed by the artists themselves. Come on down!

Three to See

CRIME REPORT

10-year-old arrested over toy gun at school

A 10-year-old Wadsworth

Elementary student has been arrested after he allegedly brought a realistic-looking airsoft gun to school on April 18.

The school’s assistant principal caught the student showing the gun to friends before school began, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The student was taken to the principal’s office, where his bag was searched and the airsoft gun was found.

The orange tip of the gun had been removed, the press release said, making it look like an authentic semiautomatic pistol. A school resource deputy arrested the student, who has been charged with carrying an airsoft gun under the age of 16.

The student was taken to the county jail for processing, then released to his parent, the press release said.

“This situation could have ended up a lot worse. Thankfully the assistant principal was alert and took action before someone could get hurt,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We don’t like arresting children, but the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has a zero tolerance to weapons and threats on school campuses.”

Third person arrested over threats to sheriff

Another Internet forum user who posted an online death threat against Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has been arrested, this time in Connecticut, where he’s in custody pending extradition to Volusia County.

Cristhian Zapata, 23, posted to 4Chan on April 7: “I will kill Chitwood, mark my words.”

The Central Florida Intelligence Exchange flagged the post for investigation and traced it to a home in Ansonia, Connecticut.

Zapata’s sister told Ansonia police detectives her brother was always on his computer, often participating in extremist chat rooms and talking to people about “conspiracy theories and white supremacist ideology,” according to a police report. She also said her brother was fascinated with Adolf Hitler.

When police spoke with Zapata, he admitted to posting the threat and said he’d heard about recent events in Florida, including other online threats to kill Chitwood.

Zapata, arrested by the Shelton Police Department, is the third person arrested for making death threats against Chitwood on 4Chan.

BRIEFS Two hospitalized in Matanzas Woods crash

A four-car crash on Interstate 95 shut down all lanes of the road just after 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, near mile marker 294.

Five people were involved in the crash, but only were taken to the hospital, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

The crash began in the northbound lanes when a motorcyclist drove onto the right shoulder to bypass traffic, the report said. The motorcyclist hit an abandoned vehicle on the shoulder, sending debris across the northbound lanes, the report said.

An SUV with one occupant — a 26-year-old man from St. Cloud — ran over the debris and flipped, rolling over multiple times and coming to a stop in the southbound lanes. Another southbound SUV hit the debris from the first SUV, ran off the roadway and onto the right shoulder and caught fire. All three individuals in that SUV were uninjured.

The motorcyclist was taken to Halifax Hospital with serious injuries, and the St. Cloud man was sent to AdventHealth Palm Coast with minor injuries.

Woman dies in six-car crash on I-95 near Ormond

A 25-year-old woman from Orlando died as a result of a six-vehicle crash on I-95 near State Road 40 on April 21.

The woman was a passenger in a sedan driven by a 28-year-old Orlando man who failed to maintain his southbound lane and struck the right side of an SUV traveling in the center lane, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Orlando man collided with a second sedan, which crashed into another SUV and was struck by a semi-truck.

The sixth vehicle, an SUV, swerved into the median to avoid a crash but was struck by the second sedan.

The Orlando man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. His female passenger died. Neither wore a seatbelt.

Three more people, including the 20-year-old driver of the second sedan, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Palm Coast man, 23, killed in Orlando crash

A 23-year-old Palm Coast man was killed in an Orlando car crash April 23 when a teen driving a stolen vehicle crashed into the 23-year-old’s Toyota.

The incident happened at the intersection of Dean Road and the State Road 408 off-ramp just after 4:30 a.m.

The other vehicle — a stolen Hyundai SUV driven by a 15-year-old — was speeding and ran a red light, hitting the driver’s side of the Toyota, which overturned, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Palm Coast man died at the scene. The Hyundai had six passengers, ranging from 13 to 16 years old.

Four are in serious, but not life-threatening, condition, according to the FHP report.

The crash is still under investigation by the FHP.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of the Hyundai.

Missing woman found dead in submerged car

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a body found in a car pulled from a retention pond near Palm Harbor Parkway was that of a woman who had earlier been reported missing.

Erica Bergeron, 49, went missing on April 20. She was last seen leaving the Palm Coast Lanes bowling alley.

On Monday, April 24, FCSO deputies and dive teams pulled a rental Toyota Camry Bergeron was believed to have been driving from a pond near Palm Harbor Parkway and Cris Lane.

The Toyota had one occupant — a white, female, 49, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. The FCSO confirmed that the body was that of Bergeron on April 25.

“Sheriff Staly and FCSO extend our deepest condolences to the Bergeron family,” the post read.

Bergeron’s Toyota had been driving northeast on Palm Harbor Parkway, southeast of Cris Lane when it swerved off the road, hit a tree and veered into the retention pond, the FHP report said.

Man pulled from submerged vehicle dies

A man who was pulled from his submerged vehicle by first responders and bystanders after a car crash last week has died of his injuries.

The driver had crashed into the retention pond at the Interstate 95 exit ramp on Palm Coast Parkway on April 16.

A public information officer at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on April 24 that the man has died, despite life-saving measures attempted by first responders at the scene.

The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle.

TRIBUTES

Barbara M (Picard) Howson

Planning Board OKs 750-unit development

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A proposal to add 750 homes at the Palm Coast Park development in northwestern Palm Coast was among the developments that won the Palm Coast Planning Board’s support during a meeting on April 19.

Other measures approved by the Planning Board would add 180 homes to land off Seminole Woods Boulevard, create a new subdivision in Town Center and amend the Coquina Shores Development of Regional Impact.

The city’s Planning Board approved all four of these major developments and alterations. Some must go to the Palm Coast City Council for final approval.

Barbara M (Picard) Howson, 85, of Providence RI and Palm Coast FL passed away peacefully on 3/31/23 after a brief illness.

Barbara was the youngest child of her late parents

Zephir C Picard & Eva (Gould) Picard. Always the life of the party, she was dedicated to her passions. These included her family, her careers in retail and real estate, and travelingespecially cruising. She had a wonderful way of making even the most mundane event feel special. Barbara was predeceased by her brothers Alfred, Donald, & Norman Picard, her husband John “Jack” Howson, daughter Debra Howson & grandchild Isaiah Howson. She is survived by her son Michael, her daughter Lori (Howson) Aliano, son-in-law Stephen,

her 2 grandchildren Eric Aliano & Stephanie (Aliano) Shuping, grandson-in-law

Zachary, her siblings Roger Picard & Irene (Picard) Ethier as well as many nieces and nephews whom she absolutely adored.

Funeral services will be held at a future date as Barbara wanted her ashes to be interred with her husband Jack at Bushnell National Cemetery in Florida. The family is in the process of scheduling their joint celebration of life at Bushnell.

PALM COAST PARK REQUESTS 750 ADDITIONAL HOMES

The developer of Palm Coast Park, Byrndog PCP, requested two amendments to the community’s development plans.

The amendments would add 750 residential units, decrease the office building area by over 51,000 square feet, decrease commercial space by 105,000 square feet and increase industrial space by 300,000 square feet.

Byrndog’s representative, Michael Chiumento, said the language of Palm Coast Park’s development plans was meant to allow flexibility.

“It was always intended to develop and more as the community developed,” he said. “It always provided for flexibility of moving things around.”

The changes will bring the total number of residential units in the development to 6,454 units, almost 3,000 more than initially planned. In 2004, when it was originally approved, Palm Coast Park

was set to have 3,600 residential units and 3.2 million square feet of non-residential building area.

This amendment, if approved by City Council, would be the ninth amendment to the Palm Coast Park Development of Regional Impact.

COQUINA SHORES TO REDUCE NUMBER OF RESIDENCES

The proposed development called Coquina Shores sits on just over 500 acres of land on the north side of State Road 100, a quarter mile east of Old Kings Road.

The developer’s requests would reduce the number of residential units planned for the land.

The property was originally approved as a development of regional impact in 2006, and was entitled to 2,411 residential units, 80,000 square feet of non-residential building area and 150 hotel rooms, according to Planning Board meeting documents.

The latest amendment would, if also approved by City Council, limit development to 750 units and change the land use designations from mixed use and conservation to residential and conservation, eliminating all non-residential building.

The project’s density would be 1.48 units per acre. Jay Livingston, representing the applicant, JX Palm Coast Land, LLC, said the new plan would actually increase conservation land by 10.9 acres.

The Planning Board approved both the land use and rezoning requests 6-0.

180 LOTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OFF

SEMINOLE WOODS

The Planning Board also gave its approval for two requests

BY

THE NUMBERS

PALM COAST PARK DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL IMPACT

750

The number of additional units the developer is asking to build

6,454

The development’s expected number of homes if the requested additions are approved

3,600

The original number of homes approved for the development in 2004, before more recent changes

COQUINA SHORES DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL IMPACT

750

The total number of homes the developer now expects to build

from a developer seeking to build 180 units on 41 acres on the east side of Seminole Woods Boulevard and just over half a mile south of Sesame Boulevard.

The Future Land Use Map designation for the property is currently greenbelt, but the developer is asking to change it to residential and change the zoning to single-family residential.

At a previous Planning Board meeting, the developer submitted a request to build 200 units on the land. Since then, the developer has agreed to reduce the number of units to 180.

The lots would be a minimum of 50 feet wide, and the development would also have

2,411

The original number of homes approved for the development

505

The number of total acres in the development

SEMINOLE WOODS

180

The number of proposed single-family homes at the development

41

The number of acres in the development

NEW SUBDIVISION AT TOWN CENTER

333

The number of proposed single-family homes at the development

195

The number of acres in the development

multiple retention ponds. The Planning Board voted 6-0 to approve the land use and rezoning requests.

NEW SUBDIVISION IN

TOWN CENTER

A new, 333-lot subdivision may be built in Town Center.

The property, situated at the end of Royal Palms Parkway on the west side of Interstate 95, totals almost 195 acres. Lot sizes vary, but all will be at least 40 feet wide. The subdivision is also expected to include an amenity center, kayak launch, waking paths and pocket parks. The Planning Board unanimously approved a subdivision master plan for the development.

Always the life of the party, she was dedicated to her passions.

Ormond Burger Week to begin on Sunday

The event will feature 14 competitors for the title of Ormond’s ‘Best Burger.’

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

It’s time to beef up, Ormond Beach.

Ormond Burger Week, a new weeklong event, will begin on Sunday, April 30, and run through Sunday, May 7. A total of 14 restaurants that are part of Ormond MainStreet in the downtown will compete for the title of “Best Burger” in town, with the win to be determined by diners’ votes. Each burger will cost $10 — sides are extra — and those who wish to participate must download a passport or pick one up at one of the participating locations. Each restaurant will stamp your passport once you’ve ordered their official burger. At the end of the week, you can drop off

your passport, containing your vote, at one of the drop boxes at any participating restaurant.

Locals and visitors are in for some good burgers, said Carly Krajewski, of Realty Pros Assured.

“All of them are awesome,” she said. “[The restaurants] really put thought into it.”

Krajewski proposed Burger Week after being inspired by a similar event held in her sister’s town in Georgia.

“And it has become so popular that one of the restaurants sold up to 2,000 burgers in a week,” she said.

Krajewski and four others from Realty Pros Assured and Realty Pro Title approached Ormond MainStreet for help to create the event.

“It’s been a group effort, but Carly has done a lot,” said Skye Russell, another member of the Ormond Burger Week committee.

The committee hopes to expand participation citywide in future years. Restaurants are excited that the event will bring patrons, Krajewski said. Among the featured burgers, most of which are off-menu, are: Fletcher’s “The Stuffed Irishman,” Ormond Garage’s “Quesadilla Burger,” Frida’s “Birria Burger” and Neighborhood Scoop’s “Sweet Waffle Burger,” the

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?

Download your passport here. Visit ormondburgerweek.com for more information.

latter being the only one to cost $6.

“Try them all, if you can,” Russell said.

What does the winner receive? Bragging rights, above all, but also a trophy and recognition during a banquet to be hosted by real estate agent Bill Navarra.

“It just rounds up business for all the restaurants,” Krajewski said. “Then also, for patrons to choose restaurants to go to that they haven’t ever been before, even if they’re local ... it could make them come back for more.”

Ormond Garage: “Quesadilla Burger”

Neighborhood Scoop: “Sweet Waffle Burger”

Rosie’s Cafe at Dunn’s Attic: “Double D Sliders”

Jimmy Hula’s: “Jimichurri Burger”

Rose Villa: “Rose Villa Burger”

Fletcher’s Irish Pub: “The Stuffed Irishman”

63 Sovereign: “Bun Shaker”

Photos courtesy of Greg Hunter Photography 31 Supper Club: “Brie Berry Burger”

Pumphouse BBQ: “Pumphouse Cuban Burger” Peach Valley Cafe East: “Fiesta Burger”

Outback Steakhouse: “The Bloomin’ Burger”

Hull’s Seafood: “The ‘O’Mega Burger”

Grind Gastro Pub: “The Grind and Griddle Burger”

Frida’s Fresh Mex and Cantina: “Birria Burger”

PALM

LETTERS

Legislation could benefit pets, owners

Dear Editor:

As the executive director of Flagler Humane Society, I see firsthand that a nationwide shortage of veterinarians is putting a strain on pet owners and animal shelters. Even some emergency clinics have closed or shortened hours.

This dire situation can have a disproportionate impact on pet owners who already face barriers to accessing veterinary care — senior citizens, disabled individuals, busy working families, and those who live in rural areas or own nervous or aggressive pets.

In some cases, lack of accessible, affordable veterinary care can result in extended pet illness, animal suffering, or pets being relinquished to animal shelters.

Fortunately, the Florida Legislature is considering two creative solutions that could be implemented immediately to help alleviate the pressure on our veterinary healthcare system.

The Providing Equity in Telemedicine Service (PETS) Act (H.B. 1117/S.B. 1600) would remove regulations preventing the effective use of telemedicine for animals in our state.

Now more than ever, people are using telemedicine to access medical care—even for infants. It is time that veterinarians, pets, and pet owners had more freedom to benefit from safe, convenient telemedicine.

Another bill, S.B. 722/H.B. 719, would allow for volunteer veterinarians who are licensed and in good standing in another state to provide spay/neuter services under the responsible supervision of a Florida licensed veterinarian.

Both measures have unanimously passed the Florida House of Representatives under the leadership of longtime animal welfare cham-

BIZ BUZZ

VIDAL, SULLIVAN NAMED PARTNERS AT CHIUMENTO LAW

Michael Chiumento III, managing partner of Chiumento Law, has announced that attorneys Diane Vidal and Vincent Sullivan have been named partners of the Chiumento Law firm.

“Attorneys Diane Vidal and Vincent Sullivan both worked tirelessly and diligently to prove their vested interest in becoming partners of this firm,” Chiumento III said, according to a news release. “I can’t think of two better people to take on this responsibility of the firm and continue representing our clients.”

Vidal, who leads the firm’s Estate Planning and the Probate department, has been with Chiumento Law since 2018 and is triple barred in New Jersey, New York and Florida.

Sullivan, a Flagler County native, focuses on Real Estate and Consumer Defense and has been with the firm since 2017.

He is a Juris Doctor recipient of 2015 from Florida Coastal School of Law. Chiumento Law, a full-service law firm serving Flagler and Volusia Counties since 1973, focuses on personal

pion and Flagler County resident Speaker Paul Renner.

If the Senate passes this “pet deregulation” legislative package before May 5 and Gov. Ron DeSantis signs these important bills into law, more pets in the Sunshine State could get the veterinary care they need.

AMY WADE-CAROTENUTO Ormond Beach

‘No-confidence’ vote by chamber served developers, not students

Dear Editor:

It would be impossible to find another local leader with the integrity, wisdom, knowledge and understanding of our Flagler County School Board’s Dr. Colleen Conklin.

Yet, Dr. Conklin, in her recent statement on the role of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce in the “no-confidence” vote with regard to the renewal of School Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt’s contract, misses the mark. She is too young to have heard the voice of the Watergate scandal’s “Deep Throat” admonishing all of us, even here in far-off Flagler County half a century later, to “Follow the money!”

In spite of outward appearances, the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce intervention into the superintendent’s contract renewal had nothing to do with student achievement, test scores or even staff turnover. The chamber had the good sense to hide the fact that its advocacy for a vote of “no-confidence” was almost entirely motivated by the desire to punish Mittelstadt for her steadfast commitment to robust, yet fair and equitable, impact fees.

Those fees are paid to offset the cost of building new schools of excellence in Flagler County. Those fees are paid by developers and builders who provide, through their

injury, litigation, estate planning, and real estate law, can be reached at legalteamforlife.com.

WING CHUN KUNG FU SCHOOL OPENS IN BUNNELL

The Dragon Institute, a Wing Chun Kung Fu school, has opened in Bunnell.

The school is owned and operated by Sifu Adam Williss, a 2010 U.S.

Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee and seventh-generation Ip Man lineage holder with 28 years of experience in Wing Chun, according to a news release.

Williss, who recently moved from California, will teach all classes directly.

Classes are offered to adults, teens and children 5 and up. For more information, go to dragoninst.com/palmcoast or call

JASON CORREIA JOINS

COLDWELL BANKER PREMIER PROPERTIES

Jason Correia has joined Coldwell Banker Premier Properties as a sales associate at the Palm Coast office, according to a news release

“We’re happy to have Jason as part

dues, the lifeblood of the chamber. The chamber was protecting those developers and builders from paying fair impact fees and instead laying the burden on each and every one of the ordinary citizens of Flagler County.

Further, the chamber has fired a shot warning all future candidates for the position of Flagler County School Superintendent that when asked about impact fees, they best provide an answer that satisfies the chamber rather than those of us who take pride in the quality of Flagler County Schools.

MERRILL SHAPIRO

Palm Coast

Editor’s note: The chamber’s president and CEO, Greg Blosé, acknowledged in an interview with the Observer that the impact fee dispute was one factor in the chamber’s decision to issue a statement of “no confidence” in Mittelstadt, but said it was not the primary one. Merrill Shapiro has organized a change.org petition asserting that the chamber’s involvement in the impact fee fight constitutes a conflict of interest that the chamber should disclose when addressing school district matters.

Disclosure: Observer Publisher John Walsh is a chamber board member and was involved in the drafting of the chamber’s no-confidence statement.

Superintendent’s nonrenewal wasn’t about performance

Dear Editor:

A disservice has been done to the children and taxpayers of Flagler County.

Let’s be clear about one thing. This was not about the children or education in Flagler County. This was about a group of powerful business people angry at the impact fees negotiated by the superintendent, for the benefit of the school system.

of our team,” said Tom Heiser, Broker/ Manager, at Coldwell Banker Premier Properties.

Coldwell Banker Premier Properties is located at 211 St. Joe Plaza Drive in Palm Coast. For information, call 386445-5880.

PALM COAST STUDENT WINS COCA-COLA SCHOLARSHIP

Michael de Beauvoir, a Palm Coast resident, and sophomore at Daytona State College, has been selected as a 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship for the Fall 2023 semester, according to a news release from DSC. De Beauvoir, a criminal justice major, was selected from more than 2,400 applicants based on scores he earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and administered by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

“I want to thank my parents for their encouragement and support, my teachers at Matanzas High School and professors at Daytona State for their guidance and advice,” de Beauvoir said, according to the news release. “I would also like to thank PTK President Yireh Martinez and my advisor

It was a shameful display of political influence and backroom dealings. In her long-winded rant, School Board member Sally Hunt repeatedly mentioned her relationship with chamber board member Michael Chiumento, affordable housing, and other irrelevant matters and made her herself out to be a victim of public opinion, while conveniently ignoring the factual, publicly available record of her behind-the-scenes dealings with disgruntled employee Paul Peacock. She said little if anything about education and the impact this would have on the children.

School Board member Christy Chong attempted to justify her vote with statistics about employee changes, conveniently overlooking that some of those changes were due to promotions, retirements and reassignments to maximize effectiveness. School Board member Will Furry, well, for his level of participation he may have as well have phoned in his vote.

As for Mr. Blosé and “the chamber,” where have they been all along while the board and the superintendent dealt with the two years of COVID turmoil? It is relevant to note that the superintendent came on board in 2020, and yes, COVID is relevant, not an excuse.

Additionally, Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt had to deal with two difficult board members during her tenure. Has anyone forgotten Woolbright and McDonald, and their divisive actions?

The bottom line is that these three, new and inexperienced board members were unable to clearly state any failures or deficiencies in Ms. Middlestadt ‘s performance. The search for her replacement will take many months a cost the taxpayers dollars that could be better spent improving our schools. It was a witch hunt and and they succeeded, to the detriment of our community.

EDITH CAMPINS Palm Coast

Hana Anderson of the PTK chapter at Daytona State College for their effort in encouraging me and supporting me in my academic pursuits. I owe all my success to all of them.”

De Beauvoir was also selected for Daytona State’s Outstanding Student Award and was chosen in February for the 2023 Phi Theta Kappa All-Florida Academic Team.

SUNCOAST ROOFERS SUPPLY OPENS SHOP IN FLAGLER BEACH

Suncoast Roofers Supply has opened at 465 Roberts Road in Flagler Beach.

The national chain has over 600 branches across the United States, branch manager Billy Grimsley said.

“We’re here to service the market and bring value to the community,” Grimsley said.

The business offers roofing supplies and ventilation products, including skylights and a variety of commercial roofing supplies, according to its website.

It also offers delivery, consulting and showrooms.

The store is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Send business news to Jonathan@ observerlocalnews.com.

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

Director of Engagement Kaitlyn Stier, kstier@observerlocalnews.com

Senior Media Specialist Susan Moore, susan@observerlocalnews.com

Advertising Coordinator Jessica Boone, jessica@observerlocalnews.com

Operations Manager Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@observerlocalnews.com

Circulation Coordinator, Draven Owens, dowens@observerlocalnews.com

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VETERAN OF THE WEEK

Edward Beier

 Branch of military: U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force

 Dates of service: 1962-1992

 Rank/occupation: Special Agent/U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Navy Combat Photographer  Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Edward Beier, a Vietnam veteran, served eight years in the Navy as a combat photographer, graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and transferred to the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1992 as a special assistant to the commander, Office of Special Investigations (OSI).

He received the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal. Beier retired in 2007 from Marriott after working for 15 years as a marketing executive. He and his wife, Ophelia, moved to Palm Coast in 2007. Ophelia, an Army veteran, retired from the Department of Defense and is a Pentagon 9-11 survivor.

Edward Beier serves as the sergeant-at-arms and officer of the American Legion Post 115 and leads the American Legion Honor Guard.

The Flagler Humane Society is located at 1 Shelter Drive on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Adoption fees vary based on the animal, and the shelter has both dogs and cats up for adoption.

Anyone who is interested in adopting or has questions about the process can contact the Flagler Humane Society at 386-445-1814 or apply online at flaglerhumanesociety.org.

Darla is a 3-year-old female terrier mix. She has been a resident at the shelter since Oct. 31.

He served over three years on the city of Palm Coast Beautification and Environmental advisory Committee, worked for Flagler Schools as a substitute teacher for over nine years and enjoys working part-time at Publix.

NEED HELP WITH VETERAN SERVICES?

For information about benefits and support organizations for veterans, call 386-313-4014.

Four-year-old male dog Linkin has been at the shelter just over a month.

December, a 7-year-old male, joined the shelter at the end of March.

PETS UP FOR ADOPTION

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Local Muslims celebrate Eid

Islamic Center of Palm Coast marks the end of the fasting month.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Islamic Center of Palm Coast celebrated the festival of Eid al-Fitr on Friday, April 21, at the Palm Coast Community Center.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month-long sunrise-to-sunset fasting of the Islamic month of Ramadan.

The participants feasted and prayed during the morning to afternoon event. Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin stopped by in the morning to join the celebration and deliver a message of unity.

The Islamic Center is located in the Amaral Professional Center at 4721 E. Moody Blvd.

The members of the Islamic Center are a diverse group, including Muslims from Egypt, Uzbekistan, Chechnya, Morocco and other nations, senior member Nabeel Ansari said. The membership also includes locals who converted to Islam.

“They are representatives of our community,” Ansari said.

“We’re positive neighbors,” said Shuhrat Yosin, the Islamic Center’s president. “We all live together in Palm Coast, and we treat each other with respect.”

RETURNING TO HER ROOTS

One Islamic Center member who converted, Sandra Shank, now known as Fatima Shank-Bah, said she is a descendent of a slave, Lillie Rutledge, who had 11 children with her master, Joseph Rutledge, and is listed on WikiTree as Rutledge’s wife.

A former president of the BunnellFlagler Beach Satellite Rotary Club, Shank-Bah became friends on social media with Rotarians from other countries, including an African who invited her to visit him in The Gambia.

As her plane was taxiing down the runway when landing in Senegal, Shank-Bah said she heard a voice she identified as that of her great, greatgrandmother, Lillie.

“The voice said, ‘I did not make it back home, my dear granddaughter, but you did.’ I just began to weep,” Shank-Bah said. “I had no idea that Allah had taken me back to my original roots, my first direct encounter with Islam. I was a Christian for 30 years. Allah used a diverse humanitarian organization to connect me back to my roots.”

Shank-Bah is now married to her African friend, Madoll Bah, who will be moving to Bunnell, ShankBah said. She has also connected to a distant cousin, David Rutledge, a descendent of Joseph Rutledge. “I emailed him and he emailed back within hours, saying, ‘This is a miracle. I’ve been praying to find my Black relatives,’” Shank-Bah said.

Fara Abdurazzakoba and Mark Ayupov with baby Amina

A colorized and enhanced image of Shank-Bah’s great-great-grandmother, Lillie Rutledge, was given to Shank-Bah by her cousin, David Rutledge.

Nisbat Shaw, Fatima Shank-Bah, Bushra Liaquat, Khadija El Maghary and Taybah Khawaja all converted to Islam.

Nabeel Ansari, a senior member of the Islamic Center of Palm Coast, speaks at the Eid al-Fitr celebration.

Muhamed, the acting imam, leads celebrants in prayer at the Palm Coast Community Center.

Aliya, 2, with her grandma, Farida Ghieva

Brother Tariq Khawaja, the Islamic Center’s muezzin, issues the call to prayer.

Islamic Center of Palm Coast President Shuhrat Yosin, acting Imam Muhamed and Vice President Abudallah Ospanoff

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 27

SWING INTO SPRING CONCERT SERIES

When: 6:30-8 p.m.

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: See Diamond Dupree perform at The Case ments as part of the the city of Ormond Beach’s Swing into Spring con cert series. There will be a food truck. Free event. Call 386-6763216.

FRIDAY, APRIL 28 54TH ANNUAL MAYOR’S GOLF TOURNAMENT

When: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Halifax Plantation Golf Club. 3400 Clubhouse Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: The Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce is hosting this annual golf tournament. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Visit ormondchamber.com.

FAMILY ART NIGHT

When: 4:30-6:30 p.m.

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

Details: The city of Palm Coast’s Parks and Recreation Department is

Registration is recommended. Visit palmcoast.gov/Events/Home.

7:30 p.m. Friday and Sat urday, April 28, 29, May 5 and 6; and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30 and May 7 City Repertory Theatre, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, See this drama by Arthur Miller that tells the story of the Keller family and the challenges to their moral integrity. Tickets cost $20 for adults; $15 for students. Visit crtpalmcoast.

SATURDAY, APRIL 29 PALM COAST SPRING

ARTS FESTIVAL

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Palm Coast Arts Foundation, 1500 Central Ave., Palm Coast Join the Palm Coast Arts Foundation for a day of handcrafted art, crafts and more, presented in partnership with the Flagler County Cultural Council.

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

TIMELESS TREASURES

SALE

When: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Prince of Peace Church Social Hall, 600 S. Nova Road, Ormond Beach

Details: The Prince of Peace Church Council of Catholic Women is sponsoring a sale of new and gently used jewelry, beadwork, candles, crafts and more. There will be raffle items and baked goods available. Free

PLANT, BOOK AND JEWELRY

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Temple Beth Shalom, 40 Wellington Drive, Palm Coast

Details: Peruse annuals, perennials, herbs, orchids and home-grown heritage tomatoes in the plant section of this sale. There will be late edition hard- and soft-cover books, and vintage and costume jewelry collected from estate sales. For

When: 2:30 p.m.

Where: News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St. Daytona Beach

Details: The DSC and Civic Orchestra will perform a concert featuring singer Lionel Marcaux and pianist Allessandro Fonseca. The orchestra will perform selections such as Beethoven’s Andantino from his 5th Symphony; Gliere’s Russian Sailor’s Dance; Puccini’s Nessun Dorma; Strauss’ Blue Danube; Josh Groban Gold; and Star Trek.

THURSDAY, MAY 4

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.

PALM COAST SONGWRITERS

FESTIVAL KICKOFF SHOW

When: 5 p.m. Thursday, May 4

Where: Daytona State College Palm Coast Amphitheater, 545 Colbert Lane, Palm Coast

Details: See performances by Styles Haury and Chris Wallin, Casey Beathard and Tucker Beathard, and Wynn Varble and Brice Long, during this free kickoff show. The festival will run daily May 4-7. Visitpalmcoastsongwritersfestival.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3

PLANET PROTECTORS:

PIGMENTS FROM THE GARDEN

When: 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Memorial Art Museum, 78 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Children ages 9-12 will learn two techniques for making pigmented paints with scraps of fruits and vegetables in this eco art program. The program is led by Diamond Johnson, OMAM’s curator of youth programs. Adults do not need to be present for the one-hour class. All supplies are included with tuition, which costs $12 for muse um members and $15 for nonmembers. Visit www. ormondartmuseum.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 men’s senior softball league is now forming. It’s both recreational and competitive. Call Joe Daly at 954-732-0992 or visit nsbseniorsoftball.com.

EXERCISES FOR THE MATURING BODY

When: 10:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays First Baptist Church of Palm Coast, 6050 Palm Coast Parkway, Palm Coast

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

MOAS EXHIBITIONS

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday Where: Museum of Arts and Sci

ONGOING ‘BARNUM’

When: urdays, April 28, 29, May 5 and 6; 2 p.m. Sundays April 30 and May 7

Where: Moody Blvd., Bunnell

Details: the story of P.T. Bar num, told in a musical

DERMATOLOGY

Sweet race! Ormond Beach Police hosts Donut Dash to benefit PAL

Four runners were inducted into the Daytona Running Series Hall of Fame: Gary Bell, Katie Perkins, Taylor Rybicki and Karly Rybicki.

No stomachaches were reported at the annual Donut Dash, as 5k run/ walk participants enjoyed Krispy Kreme donuts before the race, in support of Ormond Beach Police Athletic League, on Saturday, April 22, in The Trails Shopping Center.

OBPD Chief Jesse Godfrey welcomed the runners before the starting horn and thanked them for supporting PAL programs.

Fifteen-year-old Hunter Shuler, of Daytona Beach, finished first overall, with a time of 17 minutes, 11 seconds, a pace of 5:32. The overall female champion was Shannon Jones, of Ormond Beach.

The race was the final in the 20th Daytona Running Series, and trophies were given out after the event.

Among the honorees was male overall champion Julius Dayandante, of Ormond Beach.

Four runners were also inducted into the series Hall of Fame for earning trophies in five seasons in a row. Gary Bell, 79, and Katie Perkins, 37, were honored, along with two siblings, who were the youngest ever inducted: Taylor Rybicki, 10; and Karly Rybicki, 12. Taylor and Karly’s parents, Rebecca and Kevin Rybicki, are also members of the Hall of Fame.

Full results of the Donut Dash are available at racesmith.com.

Hunter Shuler (490), of Daytona Beach, finished first overall, with a time of 17 minutes, 11 seconds, a pace of 5:32.

Ron Welborn and Liz Welborn, of Ormond Beach

Clif Rinaldi, neighborhood improvement officer with the Ormond Beach Police Department

Above: Liam, London and Lindsey Hamilton; and Merit, Alyssa and Madison Labrie, all of Ormond Beach Right: Dave Laetsch and Nancy Dumont, both of Ormond Beach, moved here from Maine six years ago and have participated in the Donut Dash each year.

Capt. Hunter Ramirez and firefighters Vann Meadows and Garrett Fiske, of the Ormond Beach Fire Department

Photos by Brian McMillan

Battle tested

“The guys have really stepped up to the plate. The big thing I preach is you play seven innings, you get three outs an inning. Don’t stop till the last out.”

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast came from behind to win its first two games in the Five Star Conference tournament. The Bulldogs almost did it again in the conference championship game.

Down 4-1 in the top of the seventh inning, Connor May doubled. May and Cody Clymer scored on an error as FPC pulled to within one run. But the Bulldogs’ rally would end there as Creek took home the Five Star championship trophy with a 4-3 victory Thursday, April 20, at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

“The guys have been playing well all year. They really have,” said firstyear FPC coach Kyle Marsh, whose squad fell to 12-11. “I challenged them with a tough schedule, and they took it head on. They’ve been showing up.”

But they were facing one of the hottest teams in the state in the Hawks (15-8), who won their 11th straight game. FPC became just the fourth team during that stretch to score more than one run against the Hawks.

“Marsh has done a great job over there,” Creek coach Matt Cleveland said. “Those guys are so hard to beat. Every time we’ve played them, they’re tough as nails.”

The Hawks have now beaten the Bulldogs two out of three times this season. Marsh led Spruce Creek to a state championship in 2012, and the Hawks seem poised to make another deep playoff run this year.

Creek starter Shane Lavin allowed one run on three hits in five innings against the Bulldogs. Reliever Devon Crown allowed two unearned runs in the seventh.

Bulldogs starter Kevin Maya gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk in 5.2 innings. He gave up basesempty triples to Gavin Williams in the fourth and Jake Hall in the sixth, and both players wound up scoring. Hall’s run on a passed ball turned out to be the difference in the game.

“I think Kevin Maya threw amazing,” Marsh said. “I think he had his stuff working. He was throwing strikes, and he gave us a chance to win.”

FPC took an early 1-0 lead against Lavin on a first-inning RBI single by freshman Carson Flis. But the lefty shut the Bulldogs down over the next four innings.

FPC got to the conference championship by scoring four runs in the sixth to upend University 12-10 and then putting together another fourrun inning to defeat New Smyrna Beach 7-5.

“The guys have really stepped up to the plate,” Marsh said. “The big thing I preach is you play seven innings, you get three outs an inning. Don’t stop till the last out. And tonight, I don’t think they did. I think they were ready to play all seven innings. We just have to clean up some things defensively and get back to working on approach at the plate. But the guys are definitely going in the right direction.”

The Bulldogs play their final regular-season game on Friday, April 28, at DeLand. They will likely host a first-round district game on May 1.

Next level: FPC’s Bailey Holmes, Matanzas’ Chloe Baker sign to play college softball

Holmes signed with the College of Central Florida; Baker will play at Southeastern University.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Nineteen is a special number for Flagler Palm Coast softball player Bailey Holmes. It’s always been her jersey number. It was her father’s number when he played softball, and her younger brother Bryson’s number on his baseball teams.

So, there was no doubt that her signing ceremony at the school would be on April 19.

The Bulldogs’ shortstop and leadoff hitter will continue her softball career at the College of Central Florida in Ocala.

While Holmes had officially signed earlier, Matanzas shortstop Chloe Baker wanted to officially sign in front of her teammates.

So, Baker signed a softball letter of intent with Southeastern University on the Pirates’ infield after a game on April 18.

“I wanted to keep that a special moment,” she said. “I wanted it to be here, because this program and these girls mean a lot to me.”

Holmes said College of Central

Florida coach Mike Lingle emailed her after watching her travel team play in a showcase event. Lingle invited her to work out with the team in January and made Holmes an offer that day.

CCF is one of the top junior college programs in the country. The Patriots are currently ranked eighth in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I poll, with a 45-11 record.

“I liked his coaching skills,” Holmes said of Lingard. “The whole coaching staff is nice and the girls are super, super nice. It’s close to home, and it’s a very competitive program. I felt like it was the best fit for me. I’ll get a lot more one on one attention, and from there I can move on (to a four-year school).”

Holmes started playing softball when she was 4 and was on a travel team at 6.

Her older sisters, Cody and Autumn, both played softball, but Bailey is the first person in her family who will play a sport in college.

Holmes is hitting .549 for the Bulldogs with two home runs and a team-leading 27 runs scored. FPC is 13-3 with one regular-season game remaining.

Holmes and Baker are both versatile fielders. Holmes is expected to be a utility player for the Patriots.

Baker said she will probably play in the outfield for Southeastern, which is an NAIA-affiliated school in Lakeland. Baker began her high school career as a right fielder and has also played second base and third base in addition to shortstop for Matanzas.

The Fire advanced to the NAIA World Series last year and are currently 29-13 and 17-4 in the Sun Conference. “I love the school,” Baker said. “It’s a beautiful campus. Coach (Kayla)

Watkins has a really good heart for her kids and wants to see them succeed, not just as a softball player, but as a whole person. So that attracted me to the school.”

Baker, who is batting .319 with 22 runs scored, was honored along with Alyssa Lugo on senior night April 24. She said moving on will be bittersweet.

“I’m going to miss it here,” she said. “I’m excited about SEU and my next journey, but I love this place and I love this program and I love

these girls. They’re a special group. I’m really grateful to coach (Sabrina) Manhart.”

Manhart said Baker is the backbone of the team.

“She has a will to do things the right way, both on the field and in the classroom,” Manhart said. “She’s just a great example of what we want our kids to strive for, and we’re very, very proud to see her moving on to play at the next level.”

FPC fights to the end in 4-3 loss to Spruce Creek in Five Star Conference title game.

Dalton Schell watches the flight of the ball off the bat.

Connor May (6) hit a double and scored two runs for the Bulldogs.

Carson Flis drove in the Bulldogs’ first run.

Kevin Maya gave up two triples to the Hawks. Both players would score.

FPC shortstop Bailey Holmes with her parents Dana and Randy at her signing ceremony on April 19

Photo by Brent Woronoff

“I wanted to keep that a special moment. I wanted it to be here, because this program and these girls mean a lot to me.”

CHLOE BAKER, Matanzas shortstop

Photos by Brent Woronoff

KYLE MARSH, FPC baseball coach

The senior captain stepped up his game after the Bulldogs graduated a couple of their top scorers last year.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Setting a school record for goals this year was no big deal for Flagler Palm Coast lacrosse midfielder Dylan Toriello.

The Bulldogs lost a couple of their top-scoring threats last year, so they needed him to pick up the slack, he said.

“I’d say I had more opportunity with the ball this year,” he said. “We graduated a bunch of seniors, so there was a little more reliance on me and a couple of the other guys.”

Toriello scored 75 goals in 17 games. According to MaxPreps stat leaders, only four players in the state scored more goals than Toriello did this season.

“He’s a senior captain, and he really stepped up to the table this year,” senior attackman Carson Kettman

said. “He’s stepped up the goalscoring and the assists.”

Toriello said he could not have scored so many goals without his teammates’ help.

“Them knowing to move over a little bit or take an extra step or call something out just to draw attention to themselves makes it a lot easier for me to do what I’m supposed to do,” he said.

His cavalier attitude about his scoring prowess might help explain why he is so good.

“His playing style is very hard to guard, because he’s so free,” Kettman said. “He plays like nothing. It’s so simple for him, because he’s been playing his whole life. He’s just very loose.”

As a midfielder, Toriello is involved in nearly every facet of the game — getting ground balls, assisting his teammates and defending as well as scoring.

“Being a lacrosse player isn’t only if you can score or not,” he said. “It’s more about being able to see the field and to put yourself and your teammates in good position. A big part of it is manipulating defenses to make it easier for you and your teammates. Of course, if you have the

ball, your first thought is to go to the goal, because that’ll either give you a goal or it’ll draw somebody to you and leave somebody else open to get a goal.”

The Bulldogs had other talented goal scorers, such as Jordan Gales and Daniel Zsizsek. As a midfielder, Toriello had more opportunities to handle the ball, and he was always comfortable doing it. That came from years of practice.

He’s played for a bunch of club teams, he said. And when he’s home, he’s usually hitting the wall or playing catch with his buddies.

“I was fortunate to have some neighbors that played or are on the team, so we’d go in the backyard and shoot around,” he said.

He got his neighbor, Steven Birdsong, the Bulldogs’ goalie, into lacrosse when they were 9.

“His dad had a store (that sold lacrosse equipment) for a bit, and they still have a lot of stuff. They have a net and all that stuff in the backyard,” Toriello said. While Toriello would be an asset to a number of college teams, he won’t be attending college, he said. He plans to get his heavy equipment operator’s license to operate bull-

dozers or skid steers.

“I’m going to do trade school (at Flagler Technical College) and continue with that, because I’m already into it now,” he said.

He’s hoping to also get a men’s league team together with some of his graduating teammates.

“Of course, I’m going to miss lacrosse,” he said. “But I think we’re

Photo by Brent Woronoff Dylan Toriello set a school record with 75 goals this season.

going to start up (a team) and play in the local tournaments. We’ll do the Great Pumpkin Shootout and the Veterans Day Invitational (at the Indian Trails Sports Complex).” While he won’t be playing for the Bulldogs anymore, his name will likely be in the school’s record book for a long time.

Women who share fishing record, separated by 40 years, get together to fish

Laura Cutter reached out to Cathy Sanders, who tied Cutter’s 40-year-old Georgia record for Florida pompano.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The two women who share the Georgia Saltwater Game Fish women’s record for Florida Pompano got together earlier this month — to fish.

Cathy Sanders, of Palm Coast, tied Laura Cutter’s 40-year-old record when she caught a 12-inch, 1-pound,

Courtesy photo

7.68-ounce pompano on St. Simons Island, Georgia, in October.

Cutter was 19 in 1982 when she caught a 1-pound, 7-ounce pompano. Her charter boat captain knew that not many Florida pompano were caught in Georgia, so he checked to see what the women’s record was and found that nobody had put in for it before. He did the paperwork for Cutter, whose name at the time, before she married, was Laura Cheeks.

Cutter still has the certificate hanging on the wall in her home in Titusville. She walked past it recently and wondered if her record still stood. She Googled it and found news stories about Sanders. Cutter saw that Sanders runs a surf-fishing

charter business, Fishin’ Girl, and decided to book a day with Sanders in Flagler Beach.

Sanders said that when she saw Cutter’s Facebook message, all she could do was stare at it for several moments.

“It was surreal,” Sanders said. “To see she actually found me and reached out to me. She said, ‘Hey, I’m the lady whose record you tied.’”

Cutter had never surf-fished before and wanted to learn, so she booked the charter for her 60th birthday, on April 6. Cutter’s husband and a friend of Cutter’s who lives in Jacksonville joined the group in the south Flagler Beach area.

Both Cutter and Sanders caught

a keeper Florida pompano, among other fish.

Sanders recorded the experience on YouTube.

“We caught a bunch of fish,” Sanders said. “She had a blast.” As they fished, Sanders asked Cutter if she still had her certificate for the record. Indeed, she had brought it with her. The two of them posed together holding up their certificates for the same record, separated by 40 years.

To watch Cathy Sanders’ YouTube video of the experience, go toyoutube.com/watch?v=3Zy-GB5QiuI. To learn more about Fishin’ Girl, go to fishin-girl.com/.

By Luis Campos

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Laura Cutter holds up a Florida pompano she caught on April 6 with Cathy Sanders, left.

Toriello finishes his FPC lacrosse career with a school-record 75 goals

LINES

Daytona throws a parade for state champs

The city of Daytona Beach honored the state champion Mainland High School girls basketball team with a parade through downtown on Thursday, April 20.

“Mayor Derrick Henry wanted to do a parade to celebrate the accomplishments of the girls basketball team and our other programs,” Mainland athletic director Terry Anthony said.

INSHORE WINNERS

Winners at the Flagler Sportfishing Club's 27th Inshore Spring Classic

Tournament on April 22: Trout — 1. John Music, 2 pounds, 4 ounces, $550;

2. Chris Lilly, 2 pounds, 2 ounces, $400; 3. Randy Szlosek, 2 pounds, 0 ounces, $300; 4. Mike Luke, 1 pound, 12 ounces, $200.

Redfish — 1. Gene Van Dorpe Sr., 6 pounds, 14 ounces, $550; 2. Dawson Hanson, 6 pounds, 12 ounces, $400; 3. DePriest Andrew, 6 pounds, 12 ounces, $300;

4. Jeff Voegtle, 6 pounds, 6 ounces, $200.

Flounder — 1. Brian Sousa, 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $550;

2. Lee Grasso, 2 pounds, 12 ounces, $400; 3. Chris Lilly, 2 pounds, 8 ounces, $300;

4. Wyatt Moor, 2 pounds, 6 ounces, $200.

Flagler Slam: Lucas Terry, $350, Draw. Most spots (redfish): Dallas Moore, 7 spots, $200. CCA Raffle: Jett Voegtle, 1 live redfish donation raffle, $300.

FPC STANDOUTS

FPC's boys soccer team announced it had a team GPA of 3.53, with 18 of 22 players holding a GPA over 3.0 and six players with a GPA over 4.0.

The Mainland High School Champs Parade started at the Brown & Brown Insurance building on North Beach Street, with over 50 school and community organizations riding in vehicles and walking behind banners to Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The basketball team rode in the back of a Daytona Beach Police Department high-water rescue vehicle.

The crowd that lined the streets followed the participants into the ballpark for a ceremony. Girls basketball coach Brandon Stewart, Henry, Principal Joseph Castelli and Anthony were among the speakers. Stewart led the Bucs to the school’s first-ever girls basketball championship. The city also honored Mainland’s football and boys basketball teams, which were both state runners-up, and wrestlers Cheyenne Wigley and Mya Hill who won medals at the state girls wrestling championships. City commissioners, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari

DSC’S SASNETT STEPS DOWN

Daytona State College assistant men’s soccer coach Joe Avallone is the program’s new head coach, replacing Bart Sasnett, who has stepped down.

Sasnett has been the Falcon’s head coach since the program’s inception in 2016.

“It has been an incredible honor to help build this program and coach so many amazing student athletes,” said Sasnett, who is moving to Georgia, where his wife, Cortney Dowdle, will be director of admissions at Rabun Gap Nacoochee School and Sasnett will be the school’s men’s soccer coach and assistant athletic director. Sasnett compiled a record of 91-23-7 in seven seasons at DSC. His teams advanced to the national tournament four times, won three Southeast District championships and three region championships. Avallone has more than 30 years of coaching experience. He is co-founder and director of coaching for the Florida Kraze/Krush Academy and played professionally with the Orlando Lions for six seasons.

Young and Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Balgobin participated in the festivities.

THOMPSON TO JOIN AD HALL OF FAME

Former Bethune-Cookman

University athletic director Lynn Thompson will be inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics Association (NACDAA) Hall of Fame.

Thompson will be a member of the 2023 class, which will be recognized June 12 at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando.

Thompson served as B-CU’s athletic director for 31 years, from 1991 to 2021, when he was named strategic advisor for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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Photos by Brent Woronoff

Mainland High boys basketball coach Joe Giddens is ready for a parade.

Mainland High football players prepare to take their places.

REAL ESTATE

Ocean Hammock house tops sales list in Flagler County

Ahouse in Ocean Hammock was the top real estate transaction for March 8-14 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Lilli Miles, as trustee, sold 3 Flagship Drive to Robert Colavolpe, as trustee, for $960,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a pool, a hot tub, and 3,666 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $523,000.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos

Donald Longo and Maria Pula Longo, of Palm Coast, sold 500 Canopy Walk Lane, Unit 533, to Jeffrey and Kathleen Tuman, of Ocala, for $370,000. Built in 2003, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,238 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $235,000.

Vastola Properties, LLC, of Palm Coast, sold 300 Canopy Walk Lane, Unit 342, to John Vivona, of Palm Coast, for $415,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,377 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $275,000.

Belle Terre Adams Homes of Northwest Florida, Inc., of Pensacola, sold 14 Primrose Lane to Lori Ann Nieves, of Palm Coast, for $352,900. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,755 square feet.

Conservatory At Hammock Beach Bellagio Custom Homes, LLC., of Palm Coast, sold 407 Bourganville Drive to Justin and Lauren Gigliello, of Palm Coast, for $635,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,277 square feet.

Cypress Knoll George and Rose Torosian, of Palm Coast, sold 5 Evanston Place to Michael and Cynthia Rathburn, of Palm Coast, for $475,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool and 2,056 square feet.

Fairways Patricia Kountchev, of Bend, Oregon, sold 5 Laramie Drive to Glen and Kimberly Luxenberger, of Palm Coast, for $330,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,304 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $175,000.

Grand Haven Thomas and Barbara Reilley, of Palm Coast, sold 16 Saint Andrews Court to Mark and Jean Hoffman, as trustees, for $525,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 4/2.5 and has 2,548 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $252,000.

Las Casitas Danita Wright and Pat Francis, of St. Jonhs, sold 68 Las Casitas Blvd. to Linda Jeanne Wickes, as a trustee, for $579,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,236 square

feet. It sold in 2021 for $385,600.

Lehigh Woods ZZMZ Caspian LLC, of Orlando, sold 1 River Place to Siow Lee Yen, of Palm Coast, for $349,900. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,555 square feet.

Regina Stover, of Palm Coast, sold 1 Ramble Way to Angel McKinleyPaige and Samir Paige, of Palm Coast, for $334,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,585 square feet. It sold in 2003 for $113,500.

Seagate Homes, LLC, of Palm Coast, sold 21 Rae Drive to Angel Reguero, of Palm Coast, for $399,900. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,832 square feet.

Los Lagos at Matanzas Shores Leann Michelle and Anthony Almeida, of Flagler Beach, sold 26 Los Lagos Blvd. to Edward Whiteman and Carol Denise Copenhaver, of Palm Coast, for $592,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,450 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $486,300.

Palm Harbor 15 Fernon Lane, LLC, of Palm Coast, sold 15 Fernon Lane to Marina Elias, of Palm Coast, for $282,400. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,272 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $185,000.

Joseph Allen Krier and Rosanne Marie Dunn, as trustees, of St. Augustine, sold 41 Cherokee Court West to Deborah Renee Scherr, of Longboat Key, for $670,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool, a boat dock, a fireplace and 2,461 square feet.

Caspian Investments 1 LLC., of Orlando, sold 20 Flemingwood Lane to Cynthia Michelle Neace, of Palm Coast, for $377,100. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,555 square feet.

Desmond and Betty Vaughan-Pope, of Palm Coast, sold 32 Clermont Court to Roger Cressey, of Palm Coast, for $850,000. Built in 1997, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a boat dock, an outdoor kitchen and

STATE BRIEF

2,561 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $315,000.

John Joseph Katt, of Palm Coast, sold 69 Courtney Place to Thomas and Jessica Allred, of Palm Coast, for $332,000. Built in 1977, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,743 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $219,000.

Pine Lakes Joan Carol Correll, of Flagler Beach, sold 5 Westbriar Lane to Robert Degrigoli, of Palm Coast, for $330,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,048 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $205,000.

Mark and Maria Kalaj, of Palm Coast, sold 52 Woodbury Drive to Michael Denney and Jennifer Depaz Denney, of Palm Coast, for $305,000. Built in 1990, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,052 square feet. It sold in 2000 for $99,800.

River Club/ Grand Haven Paul and Cynthia Tetreault, of Palm Coast, sold 16 River Park Drive South to Annmarie and Thomas Murray, of Bangor, Maine, for $476,000. Built in 2004, the townhouse is a 2/2 and has 1,828 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $298,400.

Savannah Square

Albert and Annabelle Yonick, as trustees, sold 52 Lafayette Lane to Fernando Ulloa and Tracy Pollaccia, of Glen Oaks, New York, for $288,500. Built in 2001, the townhouse is a 3/2 and has 1,469 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $173,500.

Seminole Woods

James and Dorothy Martin, of Port Orange, sold 3 Seagrit Court to Wayne and Karolyn Quianthy, of Palm Coast, for $279,900. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool with a deck and 1,116 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $165,000.

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

House passes renter fee proposal

In an issue shadowed by soaring rental costs across the state, the House on April 13 passed a heavily debated bill that could lead to landlords collecting monthly fees instead of security deposits from renters.

The House voted 89-22 to approve the bill (HB 133), which supporters said would provide an option to help renters get into apartments without having to come up with potentially thousands of dollars in upfront money.

But opponents said the fees would not be capped and that renters wouldn’t be able to eventually recoup the money, like they might with security deposits.

“This is a poor tax, plain as day,” Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, said.

Supporters disputed such characterizations, saying the fees would be optional for landlords and renters. Bill sponsor Jim Mooney, R-Islamorada, also said such fee arrangements are already being used and that the bill would place “guardrails” on the practice.

“This is not a tax on the poor,” Rep. Tiffany Esposito, R-Fort Myers, said. “This is an option for them, for everyone to have access to housing.”

A similar Senate bill (SB 494) was approved by the Rules Committee and is ready to go to the full Senate. Under the bill, landlords would be able to offer the option of paying monthly fees instead of security deposits, though landlords would not be required to do so. Renters would decide whether to pay the fees or deposits. Also, renters who choose fees could subsequently decide to pay security deposits and end the fees.

Based on other areas where fees are used, Mooney said a renter would pay an average $25 monthly fee on a $1,500-a-month lease.

–JIM SAUNDERS, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHER WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF CALVIN KENNETH EDWARDS, DECEASED, et. al. Defendant(s), TO: THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHERS WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF CALVIN KENNETH EDWARDS, DECEASED, whose residence is unknown if he/she/they be living; and if he/she/they be dead, the unknown defendants who may be spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees, and all parties claiming an interest by, through, under or against the Defendants, who are not known to be dead or alive, and all parties having or claiming to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the mortgage being foreclosed herein. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that

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