Palm Coast Observer 5-4-23

Citizens Academy graduates 53rd class

The 53rd class of the Palm Coast Citizens Academy graduated during the May 2 City Council meeting.

The Citizens Academy is a seven-week course that teaches residents about the city’s departments. The class met on Monday evenings from 6-9 p.m.

This graduating class had 33 members. Each received a certificate. The academy is free, and the city offers two course sessions. The next session begins in September.

Mayor David Alfin said he had attended the Citizens Academy 10 years prior.

“I’m so proud of all [33 of you],” Alfin said. “This is really magnificent.”

Heighter becomes board liaison

Also at the City Council meeting, council members appointed council member Cathy Heighter as the council’s liaison to the Flagler County Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board.

The board oversees the public transportation system for disadvantaged citizens in Flagler County.

Youth teams seek a level playing field

On an average day, it would seem out of place for kids to play ball on City Hall’s front lawn.

But youth teams from Palm Coast played pick-up games in front of City Hall on May 2 before filing into the building to have their voices heard at the City Council’s business meeting.

Jarrod Maxwell, president of the Mad Dogs flag football team, said he brought parents, players and coaches from youth teams to speak about the poor state of the city’s fields.

“What I want doesn’t matter; what City Council wants doesn’t matter,” Maxwell said. “It’s what these kids need and want. They need a safe place to play.”

Almost a dozen people spoke about the fields during the meeting’s public comment period, and 100 more filled the meeting room, cheering loudly after each speaker.

Parents and coaches asked repeatedly for the City Council to address the issues at the city parks — especially Ralph Carter Park.

Ralph Carter Park, at 1385 Rymfire Drive, serves multiple youth sports teams.

It is one of only two city parks with lighted sports fields, and is the park most used by the local youth teams, Maxwell said.

Dozens of youth organizations use Ralph Carter Park, he said, with over 1,000 kids getting on the field during the year.

“So, when you take 1,000 kids throughout the year, and you put them in one park, well, it’s going to ruin the fields,” Maxwell said. “It creates a lot of divots, a lot of holes, a lot of unsafe areas out on the field.”

Safety was a major concern for the parents and coaches who spoke during public comment — from a lack of available parking at Ralph Carter, to the holes on the fields.

William Roberts, a Mad Dogs coach, told the City Council that there have been several knee and ankle injuries on his team just within a year. Matthew Struhar, vice president of Mad Dogs, said he severely injured his own leg on the fields, and, over three months later, it still isn’t the same.

“The fields have gotten progressively worse over the years,” Struhar

said.

The state of fields is not the only safety concern, Maxwell said. The park — like many Palm Coast areas — doesn’t have enough parking. That means families with young kids have to walk down and cross a busy street just to get to the field, he said. Maxwell said the city has been throwing seeds on the grass hoping it will grow, but seeds won’t fix the problems.

The city closed Ralph Carter Park on May 2 for the remainder of the football season because of the recent concerns, Parks and Recreation Director James Hirst said.

Hirst said the city transitions the grass coverage every fall and spring. But this year, because of weather conditions and increased traffic, the grass isn’t growing.

The problem isn’t the lack of grass, Maxwell said — it’s that water doesn’t drain properly when it rains.

Hirst said safety is a priority for Parks and Recreation, but some issues — like drainage or adding lighting — require projects that are more involved than the department can immediately handle.

“If there’s conditions that we can control, we will fix them immediate-

ly,” he said. “A lot of things are more of the capital project kind of area.”

Staff does do routine inspections, he said. He encouraged residents to tell Parks and Recreation about any problems they find.

Dell Arneaud, owner of Winnerz Circle Youth Sports, said he has canceled multiple practices and games at Ralph Carter Park due to poor field conditions after it rains.

Ralph Carter Park, Arneaud said, is the most accessible park for his teams. It’s in a central location, has lighting and is the largest of the other available city parks except for Indian Trails Sports Complex — which, he said, is often fully booked.

Arneaud said he wants the city to put a plan in action that can help kids now — like adding a turf field or addressing the drainage and safety problems.

Neither Arneaud nor Maxwell expected an immediate response from the city, but they want the city to improve safety at the fields: more lighting, more parking and better grading at Ralph Carter Park.

“It’s nice that we have the ideas,” Maxwell said. “But now it’s time to actually put things to work.”

Stormwater rate decision delayed

The Palm Coast City Council will wait to vote on whether to increase the city’s stormwater rates, the council decided at a May 2 meeting.

Although city staff members have reduced the maximum proposed increases from $23 over a five-year period to $17 over a five-year period, City Council members want to consider adding a requirement that the City Council review and approve rate increases every year, while the current proposal is for a five-year plan.

The proposed rate increase has been before the council at two previous workshop meetings. The council directed staff to rework the proposed rate hikes each time. They did. Each version of the proposal broke the rates down into tiered options with increases over a five-year period. The first tier covers only basic maintenance, while the fifth includes recommended staffing and equipment additions.

The proposal presented at the May 2 meeting eliminated tier five and capped the most costly optional increase to $16.83 over a five-year period. The least costly increase, covering just maintenance and operations, would be $9.93 over five years.

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri said she would also like to explore capping any further rate increases, barring emergencies, after these increases are finished.

“In my mind,” she said, “this is this is a lot of money for stormwater.”

Council member Nick Klufas said a cap could make it harder for future City Councils to address unforeseen problems.

The council will discuss the potential rate hikes again at the workshop at 9 a.m. May 9.

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PUBLIC NOTICES

The Palm Coast Observer meets the legal requirements to publish legal notices in Flagler County, per F.S. 50.011. The Ormond Beach Observer meets the legal requirements to publish legal notices in Volusia County, per F.S.50.011.

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Photo by Sierra Williams

Mad Dogs Flag Football President Jarrod Maxwell speaks before the meeting.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A healthy collaboration

Volusia and Flagler’s joint Community Health Plan outlines ways to tackle priority issues.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

In 2022, the health departments in Volusia and Flagler counties collaborated for the first time to identify key public health concerns in the community. Now, they have a new roadmap to address those concerns.

On April 11, DOH-Volusia and DOH-Flagler announced their joint 2023-2025 Community Health Improvement Plan in collaboration with AdventHealth, Halifax Health, Flagler Cares, One Voice for Volusia, Flagler County, Volusia County, the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia and SMA Healthcare. The plan, known as CHIP, outlines initiatives to address the three health priorities identified in last year’s assessment: access to behavioral health services, economic and social barriers and system infrastructure.

“There were a lot of bright minds and great effort by the health care professionals in our two communities putting this together,” said Bob Snyder, administrator of the Department of Health in Flagler County.

DOH-Volusia Administrator Stephen Civitelli said in a news release that he was thankful for the collaboration from residents and stakeholders who provided feedback on local health priorities.

According to the CHIP, 1,115 people in Volusia and 615 people in Flagler responded to community surveys. There were also 50 stakeholder interviews, and 150 people took part in 14 focus groups.

“The completion of the CHIP is an important step for the Department of Health and our community partners to evaluate the strengths of our local public health systems and opportunities for advancing health priorities,” Civitelli said.

A

REOCCURRING ISSUE

While the new CHIP is the first to encompass both counties’ needs, Flagler and Volusia have had individual health improvement plans in the past. Access to behavioral health services has been a key need for a long time, said Carrie Baird, CEO of Flagler Cares.

“Definitely, for both communities, substance use and mental health have been ongoing concerns,” Baird said.

Among the shared behavioral health priorities outlined in the plan are mental health outpatient services for both adults and children, including those with special needs; initiatives to prevent suicide among target populations, such as youths; substance use disorder treatment programs; and improving mental health and substance use disorder transition care for released inmates.

According to the collaborative community health assessment, Flagler County has 5.3 licensed psychologists per 100,000 people — 25% the statewide rate of 23.4 per 100,000. Volusia has about half the statewide rate, at 11.2 per 100,000. The assessment also reported that the number of licensed clinical social workers in both counties is lower than the statewide average.

Fentanylrelated overdose death rates increased by 768% in Flagler between 2013 and 2019, and by over 250% in Volusia.

Fentanyl-related overdose death rates increased by 768% in Flagler between 2013 and 2019, and by over 250% in Volusia.

“In our care here in Flagler, our opioid mortality rate is the eighthhighest in the state of Florida,” Snyder said. “So this has been this reoccurring issue that keeps popping up, that needs to be addressed.”

The CHIP identifies three strategies — each broken down into smaller objectives — to address the need. The first is to continue to implement the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORe) model in both counties, with the immediate target of enrolling 50 people in medication-assisted treatment in Flagler County and helping 50 others in Volusia through the Drug Abuse Response Team Outreach by June.

“The plan is technically active since the beginning of this year,” said Ethan Johnson, assistant director of DOH-Volusia. “Every single objective in there is almost on a different timeline, in terms of when it’s being completed. So the workout outline in the plan is happening right now.”

The CORe grant, Snyder said, is an example of coordinated action between the counties to address

“I think in the past, we maybe shied away from tackling any of the big issues head-on. We tried to do things that felt more comfortable, more like activities that we were already working on. But I really do think that this plan that we've presented for Volusia and Flagler, we're taking some of those big issues and we're effectively directly trying to work on them in a collaborative way."

CARRIE BAIRD, CEO, Flagler Cares

opioid use disorders. He also noted that SMA Healthcare has opened a new care center in Bunnell.

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

A lack of affordable housing presents an economic and social barrier in both counties. That’s a big problem to tackle, Snyder said.

“Affordable housing is lacking in both Volusia and Flagler County,” Snyder said.

The community assessment reported that 35.8% of Flagler homeowners and 33.3% of Volusia homeowners are considered “costburdened,” spending over 30% of their household income on household costs. For renters, that percentage increased to 54.7% in Flagler and 56.6% in Volusia.

The CHIP aims to add 150 affordable housing units in Volusia County by December 2025. The effort will be led by the county in partnership with the Volusia-Flagler Coalition for the Homeless, according to the plan. Other Volusia-specific priorities include initiatives to support households living in poverty and increase the percentage of people with health insurance. Childcare was identified as a need for both counties.

SYSTEMIC CHANGES

The third priority, system infrastructure, is new to CHIP — at least in the plan’s specifics, Baird said.

“We’ve talked about the idea that the way our helping, safety-net systems are set up oftentimes is as much of a problem as the problem that people are trying to seek help for,” Baird said.

The CHIP tackles that head-on, she said, to look at how people access services, support and information. The system of care should exist for the convenience of the customer, not the other way around, she added.

What does that look like in both counties? In Flagler, the priority is to create initiatives to make the community aware of available health care resources. In Volusia, it’s addressing the systemic barriers to health insurance: The assessment reported that an estimated 11.5% of adult residents had no health insurance between 2015-2019, according to census data. For Volusia children, the percentage was 6.4%.

Both counties identified the need for systems to improve information sharing between schools, the judicial system, health care providers and public health departments.

Johnson said the CHIP advocates for an initiative to create a “no wrong door” community, meaning that health care and community service staff can provide support and direction to the people they encounter.

“I think that’s really connected to this huge turnover that’s happening in the social service, human service, health service industry with frontline staff,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of new people, a lot of young people, a lot of people who’ve retired within the last three years, so we’re going through ... a retraining of how the work happens at the local level.”

NEW STRATEGIES

Baird said she was pleased with the different perspectives involved in developing the plan.

“I think in the past, we maybe shied away from tackling any of the big issues head-on,” Baird said. “We tried to do things that felt more comfortable, more like activities that we were already working on. But I really do think that this plan that we’ve presented for Volusia and Flagler, we’re taking some of those big issues and we’re effectively directly trying to work on them in a collaborative way.” Baird said it’s sometimes challenging to get several agencies to work together on the same issue — but that’s the kind of work all of the partners and agencies should be doing.

A lead organization and partnering group has been assigned for every objective in the plan, Johnson said. If other organizations offer services or have an interest in any of the outlined areas, Snyder said, he would

FOOD INSECURE POPULATION IN 2019

71,190, or 13.3%

17,820 or 18.7%

Total population Children

13,350, or 12.2%

3,430 or 18.2%

Volusia Flagler

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

SUICIDE RATES

The suicide rate in Flagler County from 2018 to 2020 was higher than the statewide average, at 21.6 deaths per 100,000, compared to 14.3 statewide.

Volusia's suicide rate was 19.9 for 2018-2020.

love to have them join.

“We would welcome their input and welcome their energy and ideas on how we can better address these three priority areas,” Snyder said.

“In our care here in Flagler, our opioid mortality rate is the eighth-highest in the state of Florida. So this has been this reoccurring issue that keeps popping up, that needs to be addressed.”

BOB SNYDER, administrator, Florida Department of Health in Flagler County

“The completion of the CHIP is an important step for the Department of Health and our community partners to evaluate the strengths of our local public health systems and opportunities for advancing health priorities."

STEPHEN CIVITELLI, administrator, DOH-Volusia

Volusia County Council to pursue ‘stupid motorist’ ordinance

The ordinance, inspired by Arizona’s ‘stupid motorist’ law, would target drivers who bypass barricades to enter flooded streets or highways.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

SENIOR EDITOR

The Volusia County Council voted 4-2 on Tuesday, May 2, to consider enacting an ordinance to recoup emergency response costs caused by drivers stranded on flooded streets during declared states of emergency.

The ordinance, inspired by Arizona’s “stupid motorist” law, would target drivers who bypass barricades to enter flooded streets.

County Councilman Danny Robins raised the topic at the council’s March 7 meeting, saying he hopes approving something similar to Arizona’s law would deter people from driving into floodwaters during storms.

Motorists who become stranded after driving onto flooded streets blocked with a barricade should be held accountable for the expense of getting them out of those situations, Robins said.

“You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,” Robins said. “I want our people to be focused on the people that need it, not people making bad decisions with mommy and daddy’s four-wheel drive truck that they think they can get across the Taylor Road, Spruce Creek overflow there.”

According to a county memo, local governments in Florida have limited leeway to enact traffic regulations, are preempted by the state from assessing additional fines, fees, surcharges, or costs for violations, and cannot impose most fees for first responder services.

Under state law, the county may charge no more than $500 for a

Port Orange mayor to run for county seat

to offer,” Burnette said. “As far as Volusia County, I think that we need to work on ... I say, ‘Unify Volusia.’”

Elected Officials, which is working to create a transportation subcommittee.

county ordinance violation, Assistant County Attorney Maureen Sikora said.

If the council opts not to draft a county ordinance, Sikora suggested, the council could press the Legislature to enact a law similar to Arizona’s.

But the council did not support that method.

County Councilman Troy Kent and County Chair Jeff Brower voted against a motion to direct county staff to pursue the ordinance.

Kent, who criticized the law’s name and called it sensational, said he hasn’t heard residents complaining about a need to charge people for getting stranded on flooded streets.

“Pun intended, I think it would be stupid to waste any more time on it, because of state law,” Kent said.

Councilman Jake Johansson, who voted in favor of pursuing the ordinance for discussion, said he could see problems arising when distinguishing between gross negligence and people who make bad decisions under duress during an emergency.

Brower said he didn’t feel like the county needed the ordinance.

“I think that the stupid consequences of the action are probably its own worst penalty,” Brower said.

Robins said the county could include language in an ordinance to allow officers to pursue violations at their discretion.

“So it’s another tool in their tool belt for these occasions where it’s just blatant disregard and puts human life and public property in jeopardy,” Robins said.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette filed on May 1 to run for Volusia County Council chair in the 2024 elections.

Burnette has served on the Port Orange City Council since 2010, holding the mayoral office since 2016. Due to the city’s term limits, his final term will conclude in December 2024, leading him to think about what he would do next, Burnette said. So, he decided to run for Volusia County Council.

“I still feel like I have something

Burnette, a lifelong Volusia resident, is a loan officer with The Mortgage Firm. According to a news release announcing his bid for council chair, he is also a longtime volunteer for Volusia County Schools and has served on the local Salvation Army Advisory Board, where he chairs the finance committee, since 2004. He served two terms as president of the Volusia League of Cities and is a member of the Florida League of Cities board of directors.

Some of the countywide issues he’s eyeing include supporting public safety and more proactively addressing infrastructure needs, something he’s advocated for as a representative on the Roundtable of Volusia County

“I honestly believe that the collaboration between the cities and Volusia County right now is near an all-time high,” Burnette said. “And we need to leverage that right now as best we can moving forward to continue to move the needle forward and get things done.”

Burnette said he is fully invested in making sure the community succeeds, and that he would like to walk away from his job as mayor leaving the community better.

“At the end of the day, if we can make a positive impact on that, if we have strong, safe communities where people feel a part of it, then I consider that success,” Burnette said.

Medical scholarship honors late Ormond firefighter

OBSERVER STAFF

AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach has renamed a scholarship in honor of Ethan Wilson, an Ormond Beach firefighter who died in February after a surfing accident.

The scholarship, given out by the hospital’s medical staff, will now be called the Ethan Wilson Memorial Scholarship, according to a news release. Wilson, of New Smyrna Beach, donated his organs upon his death.

“Our goal is to honor a hero, and shine a bright light on his service to the community,” said Dr. Peter Riga, medical director of the emergency department at AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach, who led the effort to rename the scholarship.

Wilson is survived by his wife, Ashley Wilson, and their 5-month-

old son, Coast. The timing of the renaming is significant, the hospital stated, because April 28 was Wilson’s birthday, and April is National Donate Life Month.

“Our whole family is honored, and so glad that Ethan’s legacy lives on,”

Ashley Wilson said. “Ethan was a servant-leader, and we are proud and grateful to have him recognized this year, and every year going forward.”

This year’s scholarships went to

five local high school seniors heading to college with plans for a medical career. Each will receive $1,000 per year for each year of college.

Among the recipients was Alyssa Capel, who will go to the University of South Florida in the fall.

“It means the world to me to be able to serve like Ethan did,” Capel said. “I just hope to carry on his legacy of service and lift others up like he did.”

Don Burnette has served on the Port Orange City Council since 2010.

This year’s scholarships went to five local high school seniors.

Courtesy photo

Scholarship recipients Alexandra Riga (Bishop Moore High School), Lauren Taylor (Spruce Creek High School), Alyssa Capel (Seabreeze High School), Ashley Wilson and baby Coast Wilson, Danielle Robinson (Mainland High School) and Kage Johnson (Oviedo High School)

“I think that the stupid consequences of the action are probably its own worst penalty.”

JEFF BROWER, County Council chair

School Board agrees to delay superintendent hire to Jan. 1

The board continued to discuss the future of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, placing a vote on the May 16 agenda.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Flagler County School Board has agreed to stretch out the timeline for hiring a new superintendent. The board is also moving toward a decision that may change the makeup of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club.

At its May 2 agenda workshop, the board discussed again whether to continue operating the club as a hybrid school and public facility or

“The public now sees me as a swing vote. I find that pretty annoying. I appreciate the public comment. This is your community, don’t get me wrong.”

SALLY HUNT, board member

YOUR TOWN

MATANZAS STUDENTS

TAKE PART IN VYSTAR’S

REALITY FAIR

VyStar Credit Union hosted a Reality Fair at Matanzas High School on April 24-25.

Matanzas business and VyStar teacher Jeremy Schaefer and his students, who run Matanzas’ VyStar branch, helped plan and volunteer at the event.

do away with memberships, close the club’s gym and keep the pool open as a student-focused facility. The board is slated to vote on the issue at its May 16 business meeting.

Board members agreed to extend the timeline for hiring a new superintendent to Jan. 1, 2024.

Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt’s contract will run out on June 30.

In a 3-2 vote on April 4, the board chose not to renew her contract.

The board decided on April 18 to sign a contract with the Florida School Board Association to have that organization conduct a national search for a new superintendent.

The FSBA is also conducting searches for several other school districts that are replacing their superintendents.

Board member Colleen Conklin suggested giving the FSBA a timeline for Jan. 1, rather than the Oct. 1 date the board discussed on April 18. It would be a more appropriate time for a new superintendent to break with their current district, Conklin said, adding that she would not want to hire a superintendent who would leave their district in the middle of a semester.

Board member Christy Chong said she would like to see the board take its time and hire somebody that all board members can agree on.

Career and technical education students got a dose of reality by having to figure out a budget given real-life scenarios that included an occupation, gross salary, marital status, family size and credit score. They had to calculate taxes and expenses.

On the second day of the event, they walked around to booths set up at the media center to shop for real estate, cars, insurance and more.

Students were more than a little surprised at the cost of real life.

Send community news to Sierra@ observerlocalnews.com.

Board Attorney Kristy Gavin said extending the timeline will make the FSBA’s job easier with its busy schedule, “because everyone wants that superintendent yesterday.”

The board had agreed at its April 18 workshop to offer Assistant Superintendent LaShakia Moore the position of interim superintendent. Gavin said the board would be creating a contract with her that, among other things, would protect her job status so she would be able to return to her current position after a new superintendent is hired. Conklin said Moore has indicated that she will be able to redistribute her current responsibilities among her team while she fills in as superintendent.

Gavin distributed the district’s superintendent job description to the board members.

She said the board could discuss any changes during its information workshop on May 16, then vote on them during the business meeting that night.

One change Conklin said she would like to see is extending the superintendent’s contract from three years to four or five. That would break the three-year cycle which has caused so much turnover. Mittelstadt, who was hired in 2020, is the district’s fifth superintendent since 2010.

The problem, Conklin said, is that new board members come in with the superintendents having just one year left on their contract. The board’s three new members — Chong, Sally Hunt and Will Furry — all looking for new leadership, voted to replace Mittelstadt.

The agreement with the FSBA will be presented to board members at the May 16 workshop, and they could approve it that night, Gavin said.

The board will also vote on the future of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club during that meeting. The decision will likely be by a 3-2 vote, with two board members entrenched on each side.

Furry and Chong would like to see the district end memberships, close the gym and keep the pool open for

school swim teams, other organized groups that currently use the facility and any new groups that want to rent it out and hire lifeguards.

That scenario would cost the district an estimated $81,425 a year, according to district staff.

Conklin and Board Chair Cheryl Massaro would like to keep the current model with public memberships for pool, gym and tennis use. Under that model, with the staffing it would require, the district estimates a loss between $163,500 and $177,803.

But Conklin and Massaro said the loss would be much less if the district advertises for new members.

During public comment, several club members lobbied the board to continue to allow individual memberships to use the club’s facilities.

One person mentioned board member Hunt by name, which is against board policy, appealing to her as the board’s swing vote.

Hunt objected, noting the rule that the board can only be addressed as a group.

“The public now sees me as a swing vote. I find that pretty annoying,” she said, adding, “I appreciate the public comment. This is your community, don’t get me wrong.”

Massaro then told the speakers to refrain from addressing specific board members.

Courtesy photo Matanzas students Jed Davis and Caleb Staggs calculate their budgets at VyStar Credit Union’s Reality Fair.

Screen shot courtesy Flagler Schools Board member Colleen Conklin suggested stretching the timeline to hire a new superintendent and extending the contract to four or five years.

MONDAY MAY 8TH

American Legion Flagler Post 115

Monthly Meeting

When: 6:00pm

Where:

DETAILS:

Coast, FL 32137

Flagler Post 115 monthly meeting will feature a potluck dinner and update of coming events. Flagler Post 115 needs a building to hold our meetings in. Donations are very welcome.

COPS CORNER

APRIL 24 GRUMPY GRANNY

9:45 p.m. — First block of Kingswood Drive, Palm Coast Resisting arrest without violence. Deputies arrested a 66-year-old woman who was refusing to cooperate.

The woman was in a gas station attempting to find a new charging cord for her phone by taking the cables out of their boxes and trying them, according to her arrest report. When the store clerk told her she couldn’t do that, she told the clerk, “Call the police.”

When deputies arrived, the woman identified herself by handing a deputy an expired Washington, D.C. ID card issued in the 1980s, according to the report. The woman refused to allow the deputy to take her fingerprints or photo for identification. Deputies arrested her.

APRIL 25

DONUT DO THIS

2:52 p.m. — First block of Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach Reckless driving. Police were dispatched to the scene of a hit and run after a man doing “donuts” in the parking lot of a historic structure crashed into a light pole.

Security footage showed the car enter the grass parking lot before performing “donuts” in multiple directions, according to a police report.

control and hit the light pole, which was not damaged.

But the man, later identified by his license plate as a 29-year-old from Ormond Beach, continued doing donuts until he almost hit a fence, then drove off.

When police attempted to locate him, they instead found his mother’s fiancé, who told officers the man dropped off his vehicle at a repair shop after allegedly running into coquina rock.

Police eventually located the man, who told them his actions were “due to lust for a girl,” according to the report. He was taken to jail.

APRIL 26 THE ROYAL TREATMENT

2:10 p.m. — 1000 block of Mason Avenue, Daytona Beach

Assist agency. A 41-year-old Daytona Beach man was taken to the local police department by a neighboring agency for a breath test after he was arrested for drunk driving.

The man “had extreme difficulty standing unassisted,” according to a police report. When officers tried to get him out of an officer’s patrol vehicle, the man tried to lie down in the back of the patrol car with his shorts around his ankles. Eventually, officers got him into the station.

During the observation phase before the breath test, the man praised and thanked officers, saying they were “treating [him] like a princess,” accord ing to the report. He admitted to driving drunk, but was never hostile or aggressive toward the officers. Instead, he offered to take care of them if they swung by his

workplace. Following the breath test, which confirmed that the man was drunk, the man was taken to the arresting officer’s police department.

APRIL 28

THE MAN WHO CRIED WOLF

8:29 p.m. — 6600 block of Tangerine Avenue, Bunnell False report of a crime. A man was arrested for falsely reporting a crime — his third such charge in five months. Deputies were called out to the man’s home in Bunnell because he claimed his “old lady” had a gun and was threatening to shoot him, according to his arrest report.

The woman, though, told deputies that she had not owned a gun in several years. She said she had been avoiding the man because he was in a bad mood, even leaving the porch while he was there — a claim the couple’s Ring camera footage confirmed.

The woman told deputies that the man sometimes makes false reports when he is drunk.

The man’s arrest history showed he had been arrested twice since December for making a false report of a crime, among other charges. Deputies ultimately arrested the man instead of the woman and took him to jail.

On Monday, May 29 the City of Palm Coast will host a Memorial Day Ceremony to honor the men & women who gave their lives in service to this country. It begins at 8am at Heroes Memorial Park.

Robbery suspect shot eight times by clerk

in critical condition.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A Palm Coast robbery suspect was shot eight times by a store clerk in Georgia after allegedly committing three armed robberies in two days.

The suspect, Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan, from Douglas, Georgia, is in critical condition, according to a press release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident involved seven law enforcement agencies before it came to an end in

CRIME REPORT

FPC student arrested over threat to kill

A 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested April 27 for allegedly threatening to kill two

BRIEFS

Daytona airport to host fraud awareness event

Have you ever been approached with a fraudulent offer or been a victim of identity theft?

Learn about the latest fraud trends and resources to protect yourself by attending a fraud awareness event at the Daytona Beach International Airport.

The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, May 16, in the Dennis McGee Room on the second level of the airport.

Representatives from the AARP Fraud Watch Network and the Volusia Sheriff’s Office will provide information.

“We’ve had a few recent incidents with people coming to the airport to pick up someone they met online, who was supposedly being detained at our airport, only to find out it was a potential scam,” said Joanne Magley, airport manager of air service, marketing and customer experience.

“There was another incident

BIZ BUZZ ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR JOINS THE OBSERVER

The Palm Coast and Ormond Beach Observer team has added a new member: Kaitlyn Stier, director of engagement. Stier has over 15 years of industry experience, having worked in marketing since she was 18 and in events for the last 10 years.

Before joining the Observer Stier worked for the last six years at several Gannett papers, including the Daytona Beach News-Journal and Florida Today.

Stier has lived in Flagler County for most of her life: She first moved to the county in 1998 and graduated from

Kingsland, Georgia.

The FCSO responded to an armed robbery at a gas station in the 6100 block of State Road 100 just before 3:30 a.m. on April 28, according to an incident report. Jordan is accused of stealing $205.77 in merchandise, gas and money.

Jordan came into the store and told the cashier to give him everything in the cash register, according to the report. He did not have a gun in his hand, but told the cashier, “Do not make me pull it out,” and gestured toward his waistband.

After Jordan filled his tank and left, the Florida Highway Patrol and law enforcement

students he said had been bullying him.

The student sent a photo to other students through Snapchat April 25 with a caption threatening to kill his “opponents,” according to a press release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

One of the students named in the Snapchat message showed it to the school’s dean, who reported it to the school resource deputy.

of someone coming to pick up a puppy they bought online that was supposed to be arriving on a flight — but again, no puppy. These things happen more than many people think, and it’s the reason we want to help inform the public of what to look out for.”

Reserve a spot at tinyurl. com/DAB-Fraud-Awareness.

Ocean Center director dies

officers from several sheriff’s offices pursued him north on Interstate 95 into Georgia, where the Camden County Sheriff’s Office took over pursuit.

As Jordan exited I-95 in Kingsland, Georgia, Kingsland Police Department officers used stop sticks to stop the car, according to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

At about 4:20 a.m., Jordan ran into a convenience store in Kingsland, flashed his gun and took the clerk’s car keys, according to the press release.

Jordan took the clerk’s car to flee, but then turned around and drove through the store’s

When the deputy spoke to the 15-year-old suspect, the teen admitted that he’d sent the message, but said he didn’t mean it, according to his arrest report.

He told the deputy he believed the two students he’d threatened had flushed his belongings down the toilet during gym class on April 25.

The 15-year-old was arrested and charged with making written threats to kill.

instrumental in finding ways to keep the Ocean Center alive through the pandemic, and was excited to lead its continued growth,” County Manager George Recktenwald said. “Aside from being an outstanding and dedicated employee, he was a sincere and kind individual, always willing to listen and go out of his way to help someone.”

The county offered condolences to Riddle’s family and has mobilized its critical incident stress management team to assist team members.

Fire Department puts out kitchen fire at Kawa Sushi

front entrance. The clerk shot Jordan after he got out of the car and began to chase the clerk and a customer in the store, according to the FCSO press release.

After taking Jordan to the hospital, FCSO deputies discovered that there was an April 27 warrant for his arrest out of Coffee County, Georgia — also for armed robbery.

“I commend the Georgia store clerk that put a swift end to this dirtbag’s crime spree,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “If he survives his injuries, he should spend a long time in prison.”

He has been turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the press release.

“Bullying is never acceptable, and making threats to settle the score is not a joke and will always be taken seriously,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “If you are a bully, stop it. You could be the impetus to a school shooting.”

The crew received an alert at the scene that the sprinkler system at Kawa Sushi, which shares a wall with the Pizza Hut, had been activated. Firefighters found Kawa Sushi filled with smoke, with a fire in the kitchen.

The sprinklers contained the fire to the kitchen, and the PCFD extinguished the fire. The restaurant had minimal fire damage, but heavy water damage from the sprinklers. A cooking instrument is believed to have started the fire. PCFD Engines 21, 22 and 23 responded, alongside Ladder 25, Battalion 25, fire police and Flagler County Fire Rescue 21.

Ocean Center Director Tim Riddle died on Friday, April 28, according to a news release from the Volusia County Government.

Riddle joined the county in August 2017 as deputy director of the Ocean Center and was promoted to director in June 2020.

“Tim was truly an asset to the county and was

The Palm Coast Fire Department discovered a fire at Kawa Sushi April 28 while responding to a smoke complaint at the Pizza Hut next door. No one was injured.

The incident occurred at 1:52 a.m. in the Belle Terre Crossing shopping center, according to a social media post from the PCFD.

The initial complaint came from the Pizza Hut, but firefighters found that the smoke smell was coming from the air conditioning unit.

the Palm Coast and Ormond Beach Observer team,” Stier said. “I’m impressed by the dedication to local content and extremely proud to be a part of it.”

EXIT REALTY WELCOMES NEW TEAM MEMBERS

Flagler Palm Coast High School.

A mother of four, she is raising her own family here.

Stier will be continuing her career at the Observer by connecting the community with the Observer’s media products, including events and promotions.

Stier said she is excited to begin new projects, highlight niche topics — like top entrepreneurs in the workplace — and partner with local businesses and organizations via media sponsorships.

“I’m delighted to have joined

EAST COAST POOLS AND SPAS WINS FSPA AWARD

East Coast Pools and Spas has won a 2023 Florida Swimming Pool Association Design Award.

The company won the silver award for the “Residential Pool Vanishing Edge” category.

Local EXIT Realty-affiliated offices have announced that the following individuals have joined their teams of real estate professionals:

„ Beverly Gadson has joined EXIT Beach Realty, located at 1650 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Ormond Beach.

„ Stephanie Giumenta has joined EXIT Realty First Choice, located at 4871 NW Palm Coast Parkway, Unit 3 in Palm Coast.

The FSPA Design Awards program is an annual event that gives FSPA members a platform to showcase their work designing and constructing pools, spas and water features, according to a press release.

The entries are evaluated for workmanship, design integrity, aesthetic appeal, functionality and safety. The awards are divided into categories customized for unique features of Florida pool construction. Winners are chosen by a volunteer committee of pool and spa industry professionals.

The suspect is

Tim Riddle

Photo courtesy of Florida Swimming Pool Association Tom Gilbert, left, accepts the silver award on behalf of East Coast Pools and Spas.

Kaitlyn Stier

Photo courtesy of the PCFD The Kawa Sushi kitchen fire is believed to have been caused by a cooking instrument.

Volusia County Schools to end Plus One program

VUE President Elizabeth Albert opposed the change, saying the program provides 95 more hours of learning annually per school.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

Next school year, Volusia County Schools will end a program that provides up to an hour of extra instructional time per day at five Title 1 schools. The district said it wants to let schools use their federal funding to address other needs.

The teachers union, Volusia United Educators, opposed the decision in a press release and at a School Board meeting on Tuesday, April 25.

VUE president Elizabeth Albert said the Plus One program — currently in place at Starke Elementary, West Side Elementary, Palm Terrace Elementary, Holly Hill School and Turie T. Small Elementary — provides 95 extra hours of academic learning per year at each school.

The program provides 30 minutes of learning time for students daily, and an additional 30 minutes of planning time for instructional staff.

“The reduction of academic classroom learning time by this amount is more than concerning to me and the teachers and staff members I serve,”

Albert said. “It has been shared with me that the data does not support the continuance of the program. However, what reasonable expectation is there that improvements, or just the maintenance of the current level of learning, will occur with less classroom learning time?”

The district is proposing to replace the Plus One program with tutoring, but Albert said not all students will be able to benefit from tutoring.

Title 1 schools receive federal financial assistance due to their high number of children from lowincome families.

“If our focus is on remediating learning loss and filling the gaps that have been created by almost three years of interrupted learning due to COVID, then please allow additional time to remain in place,” Albert said.

“We cannot say that every minute counts if we are willing to take so much of it away.”

According to VUE, the Plus One program costs about $2 million. It started as a pilot program in Volusia County in 2003 at Woodward Elementary for single-gender classes, which no longer exist.

When Volusia County School Board member Ruben Colon asked for more information on the program, Deputy Superintendent Rachel Hazel said that the state withdrew funding for Plus One programs two years ago, but VCS opted to continue the program in the schools with the

DISTRICT, UNION AGREE ON TUTORING PAY

Volusia County Schools Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin presented Volusia United Educators with a memorandum of understanding to increase pay for hours teachers spend tutoring.

The agreement, which was signed by both parties on Friday, April 28, raises the compensation teachers receive for all tutoring offered before, during and after school to $35 per hour.

Previously, the hourly rate for tutoring offered before and after school was $30 per hour.

highest share of students in poverty.

The district isn’t cutting the program to save money, Hazel said.

“The money is Title 1 money,” she said. “So that money goes back to the schools, back into the Title 1 budget, which must be used to support students.”

District staff also told the board that VCS is using federal money for before- and after-school tutoring and transportation for tutoring and summer programs.

A tutoring program would involve 45 minutes of learning time with a 15-minute planning period.

Superintendent Carmen Balgobin added that the district plans to use

“Volusia County Schools is thrilled that VUE has come to the table with us to increase opportunities for teachers to be compensated for the vital services they provide every single day,” Balgobin said. “In addition to the increased hourly rate teachers received in the last contract, this increase demonstrates our dedication to teachers, who provide outstanding educational opportunities to the county’s students.” This change will go into effect in the 2023-24 school year.

federal coronavirus relief funding for tutoring and clubs, as well as collaborative planning.

“We’re looking at $1.6 million that will be assigned to those schools specifically for either collaborative planning or additional instructional minutes with students, whether it’s remediation or acceleration, or schools can choose to do both,” Balgobin said.

This is an annual operational decision, not a School Board decision, School Board Chair Jamie Haynes said.

Since the district has been offering the program only at the five schools with the highest poverty ranking,

Bob Snyder honored at Boy Scout Golden Eagle Dinner

The Department of Health’s administrator in Flagler County was selected for the annual community leadership award.

OBSERVER STAFF

Bob Snyder, the health officer/ administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Flagler County, was the honoree at the Flagler County Boy Scout Golden Eagle Dinner at Hammock Dunes Resort on April 19.

“This is meaningful to me because Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts were a big part of my life growing up in Hyde Park, New York,” said Snyder, who earned the Boys Scouts’ highest

rank of Eagle when he was just 13.

The dinner is the premier fundraising event for the Boy Scouts. Each year, the event honors a community leader. Snyder was chosen as this year’s honoree by the event’s nominating committee.

Snyder moved to Flagler County in 1997 with his wife, Michele, to oversee planning for the hospital which is now AdventHealth Palm Coast. He

some of the schools on the list would be dropping the program based on the latest ranking data, she said. The change will give schools a more flexible use of Title 1 funds.

“A couple years ago, the whole plan changed, and it was no longer an hour’s worth of instruction during the day that was systematic and pinpointed,” Haynes said. “... And so, I think we just have to look at all of it.”

School Board member Carl Persis said there’s mixed evidence on keeping elementary-age children in schools longer, and that he’d rather see teachers at Title 1 schools be paid more.

“I think they should just be paid more for the same hours of any other school,” Persis said.

VCS has 47 Title 1 schools for the 2022-2023 school year.

VUE’s press release calls the district’s decision to stop the Plus One program “ill-conceived and shortsighted.”

“The consequences of this action will lead to disruption and uncertainty for our education professionals, students, families and communities,” Albert said in the release. “It is no secret that VCS has struggled to retain teachers and staff. The decision to end Plus One will cause many to once again wonder if VCS is where they want to be.”

has been associated with the Health Department for the past nine years.

Bob and Michele Snyder have been involved as coaches, chaperones and event organizers with the Special Olympics.

Bob Snyder serves on several boards, including the Flagler Beach Rotary Club, Healthy Start, Flagler Volunteer Services, Early Learning Coalition, United Way Cabinet and the Northeast Florida Health Planning Council. He is a founding board member of Flagler Cares.

Bob Snyder

Flagler Beach now recycles ‘film plastics’

The city has partnered with a company that will pay for recycling of plastic bags, Ziplocs and more.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Flagler Beach is adding some plastics back into its recycling stream.

The city has partnered with the company NexTrex, which will pay the city for film plastics and turn them into decking boards.

The city held a ribbon cutting for its first recycling receptacle on April 27. Residents will be able to begin recycling on May 15.

“There’s no third party there,” Sanitation Supervisor Rob Smith said. “So all the revenue that this brings in will continue to help keep our garbage bill $10 to $15 a month less than, hopefully, over the bridge.”

Smith said the city is starting with only three receptacles for now — at City Hall, the Flagler Beach Pier and the city’s library — but could expand as needed.

Residents can recycle grocery and produce bags, newspaper sleeves, stretch film and pallet wrap, ice bags, cereal bags, bubble wrap, plastic shipping envelopes, dry cleaning bags, Ziploc and other resealable food storage bags and polyethylene films labeled 2 and 4.

The plastic must be clean and dry, according to a NexTrex informational brochure handed out at the ribbon cutting.

Residents will not be able to recycle items like frozen food bags, prewashed salad mix bags, laminated film, cheese bags or degradable bags.

“The most important part of this is that we all work together and do the right thing, because the contamination kills the whole program,” Smith said.

If people contaminate the receptacles with non-recyclable items, all of the properly recycled items must be thrown out, he said.

That is also the case with the city’s other recycling items, and Smith and

his team work hard to educate people to reduce contamination.

“Our contamination rate citywide — it’s somewhere around 3-5%,” he said. “The nationwide contamination rate hovers between 17 and 40%.”

Smith has been driving changes to the city’s recycling process.

When he began working as sanitation supervisor for the city, he found that the city was paying a lot of money for companies to take recycling, only for the recycling to end up in a landfill.

Since then, he has worked to bring the city’s recycling process in house.

Currently, Flagler Beach recycles aluminum, tin, cardboard and glass in addition to the new film plastics.

For Earth Day in 2022, the city began operating “Big Blue,” one of the only glass recycling machines in the area.

“We’re bringing in income every month; every month the numbers go up,” Smith said. “They don’t go crazy, but they go up four or 5% every month.”

Smith worked with then-City Commissioner Ken Bryan to make the NexTrex agreement happen.

The two were attending an annual recycling conference in Bonita Springs in the summer of 2022 when they met NexTrex representatives.

Sea turtle nesting season begins

PAT

Sea turtle nesting season officially started May 1, but somebody forgot to tell the turtles.

“We had just completed the ribbon cutting for Big Blue,” Bryan said. “So Rob said, ‘You know, we’ve got to find some other things to do.’”

Bryan collected his own film plastic over a few weeks and brought the bundle with him to the ribbon cutting to show how much film plastic one individual can accumulate.

He said he normally takes the plastic to one of the stores that offer film plastic recycling, but now he’ll be taking it to one of the city’s receptacles.

“Now we’re going to have people right here in our own city that can not only dispose of their plastic bags and plastic products right here, but we can also generate a revenue stream for Flagler Beach,” he said.

Smith also announced that he is working with the city to create an additional receptacle location — which would also serve as an education center — next to the Flagler Beach Police Department. While that plan is still in progress, Smith said, he already has volunteers lining up to help, and hopes to open it in the next couple of months for a few days a week.

“The only way to do this is to get education out to the public,” Smith said. “It’s important that we do baby steps and work towards everything going the right way.”

BOAT SUPER CENTER

Volusia County-managed beaches already had three sea turtle nests by the start of the season. The first was laid by a leatherback sea turtle on March 29. The other two were laid by Kemp’s Ridleys, the world’s smallest and most endangered species of sea turtle.

With water temperatures warming quickly, hundreds of sea turtles will be emerging from the surf to lay eggs on the beach in the next few months.

After incubating in the sand for about two months, tiny hatchlings will break free of their eggshells and make an often-treacherous crawl to the ocean, dodging predators, holes, trash and beach furniture.

“Our goal is to make Volusia County beaches a safe and inviting place for humans and sea turtles,” said Jaymie Reneker, Volusia County’s sea turtle Habitat Conservation Plan program manager. “We encourage residents and visitors alike to respect our wildlife. The largest impacts even a single person can make are keeping our beaches clean, dark and flat. We encourage everyone to let the night provide the light on our coastline.”

Beach recovery from the 2022 hurricane season is underway and will continue through the nesting season.

Coordination of all construction projects is being handled by Volusia County’s Environmental Management and Coastal divisions alongside partners from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Visit volusia.org/beachcleanup.

PROTECTING HATCHLINGS

Residents and visitors can help save sea turtle lives by following these tips:

„ Do not touch or disturb sea turtles or their nests.

„ Do not disturb the dune system. Do not walk on the dunes.

„ When driving on the beach, use designated lanes and parking areas. Beach driving hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the nesting season.

„ Do not use flash photography at night.

„ Do not use cell phones to light your way at night.

„ Use only red LED flashlights; they are less visible to turtles.

„ After a day at the beach, flatten sandcastles, fill in holes, and take your chairs and equipment with you.

„ Dispose of trash and recyclables in proper receptacles.

„ Do not use fireworks.

„ If a turtle appears to be in immediate danger, notify a lifeguard or Beach Safety officer or call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-3922.

Nesting season runs through Oct. 31. On average, more than 580 nests are laid in Volusia County. Last year’s season was the highest on record, with 1,427 nests counted.

Photo by Sierra Williams Flagler Beach Sanitation Supervisor Rob Smith with Mayor Suzie Johnston and former City Commissioner Ken Bryan at a ribbon cutting for the city’s new film recycling program

KUEHN VOLUSIA COUNTY COMMUNITY INFORMATION

With water temperatures warming quickly, hundreds of turtles will be emerging from the surf to lay eggs on the beach.

Photo by Jolo Diaz/Pexels.com

Army Corps estimates May 2024 start for dune project

The project needs one million more cubic yards in sand, plus more access easements for work crews.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The United States Army Corps of Engineers project in Flagler Beach could begin in May 2024, using four times as much sand as originally expected in 2014.

County Engineer Faith Alkhatib and Jason Harrah, a senior planner with the Army Corps, gave a joint update on the beach renourishment project at a Flagler County Commission meeting on May 1.

A new, tentative schedule is in place, but because continued erosion has degraded the original work staging areas, more temporary construction easements are needed before work can begin.

The Corps of Engineers originally planned to stage equipment at the water tower in Flagler Beach, Harrah said, but Hurricanes Ian and Nicole have eroded that area, and it is no longer accessible for equipment.

“Now, at extremely low tide you have 3 or 4 feet of water hitting the edge of the dune,” Harrah said. “Plus, there’s about a 10-foot vertical drop there that wasn’t there before.”

To avoid damaging equipment, the Corps will need to build up the beach with sand fill just to access the southern portion of the project.

The county will bear 100% of that cost, Harrah said, because the contract requires the county to provide access to the land.

The Corps of Engineers provided several options for staging at the southern edge of the project, but Alkhatib said the best option for the county will likely be to get temporary

staging access from the Pebble Beach Homeowners Association and build up the beach from there.

The county will also need a temporary construction access easement from properties along the north side of the county.

Not including the staging costs, the project totals almost $32.3 million, of which the county is responsible for $11.3 million.

The county has $14.3 million in grant money that will cover that portion, but the Pebble Beach staging option will cost an additional $5.5 million.

In total, the county will need to find almost $2.5 million to cover the rest of the construction staging costs.

If everything goes as planned, the new tentative construction start date will be May 2024 with construction complete by January 2025, depending on weather.

But the schedule can’t be finalized, Harrah said, until the Corps of Engineers has the easements it needs for the staging area.

The Army Corps project has been in the works for over 20 years now: An initial study for the project began in 2002.

The project was first approved in 2014 to place 330,000 cubic yards of sand on a 2.6-mile stretch in Flagler Beach, from 6th Street to 28th Street. Since then, the county has experienced five major hurricanes and continued erosion.

Before the renourishment project could begin, the county needed to obtain access easements for all of the properties along the length of the project.

Some property owners resisted signing, and the county didn’t secure the final easement until April 2023.

BY THE NUMBERS

2.6 miles

the total length of the Army Corps project in Flagler Beach

1.3 million cubic yards

the amount of sand needed to bring the dunes to 19 feet in height and add a 40-60-foot berm down to sea level.

$32,243,000

The total cost of the project, without the added staging area Sixty-

STATE BRIEFS

five percent of this is covered by the federal portion of the project

$16,785,050

The estimated cost of the staging area combined with the 35% the county is responsible for in the renourishment project.

$14,312,700

The remaining grant money the county has for dune renourishments.

$2,472,350

The county’s remaining balance for the project

The project will also ensure a 40to 60-foot berm — the section of the beach where people can lay their towels, between the sea and the dune — with more berm extending into the ocean.

The Corps of Engineers’ fill density is high, Harrah said, so that the fill will last between renourishments, which are scheduled for once every 11 years during the 50-year contract.

Emergency sand deposits from FEMA only build up the dunes to 6 cubic yards of sand per foot of beach, while the Alkhatib said, while the Corps of Engineers’ standard is 90 cubic yards per foot of beach.

While the county will be responsible for maintaining the area between scheduled renourishments, the Corps of Engineers will return after storms to monitor and fix any damage, Harrah said.

“We build back to the same template,” he said. “It’s 100% federal [funds.]”

Tax package gets bipartisan backing

The Florida House on Thursday, April 27, unanimously approved a wideranging $1.38 billion tax package that would include savings for shoppers and businesses, as leaders work out differences with the Senate.

The House bill (HB 7063) would offer shoppers expanded sales-tax “holidays” on back-to-school items, hurricane supplies, summer activities and tool purchases.

Most of the tax-holiday plans match what is included in a Senate version of the tax package (SB 7062). Both versions also would provide tax exemptions on items such as diapers, adult incontinence products, gas stoves, Energy Star appliances and oral-hygiene products. House and Senate leaders could reach an agreement on a tax package as they finish negotiating a budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Senate takes aim at ‘step therapy’

The Florida Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would allow Medicaid beneficiaries with “serious” mental illness to avoid a drug practice known as step therapy.

Step therapy generally involves requiring a patient to try one type of medication to determine if it is effective before being able to try a more-expensive drug.

The bill would let Medicaid beneficiaries with conditions such as bipolar disorder, major depressive disorders and schizophrenia avoid step therapy if their physicians submit documentation about the medical necessity.

The Corps of Engineers pulled the project for a redesign in January, and now, Harrah said, the same area needs 1,300,000 cubic yards of sand.

“The beauty of our projects — once you complete an initial construction, you’re in the federal program for 50 years,” he said.

Harrah said the Corps of Engineers’ standard is to bring the dunes up to 19 feet in height, level with State Road A1A.

The county is placing or planning to place emergency sand along several sections of the county’s shoreline. Harrah said that won’t interfere with the Army Corps of Engineers project.

“The more sand we get out here, the better,” Harrah said. “It’s going to make the federal project last longer.”

“I think this is a major step forward in how we are dealing with a significant (mental health) crisis that we have,” bill sponsor Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, said.

An identical bill (HB 183) is pending in the House Health & Human Services Committee — THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Photo by Sierra Williams County Engineer Faith Alkhatib, alongside Army Corps of Engineers Senior Planner Jason Harrah, gave county commissioners an update on the longawaited renourishment project.

“The more sand we get out here, the better. It's going to make the federal project last longer.”

JASON HARRAH, senior planner, Army Corps of Engineers

Fix infrastructure before adding more homes

Dear Editor:

The April 27 issue of the Observer has a very interesting front page. I hope everyone saw what I mean.

The top headline concerns the approval of literally thousands of additional houses, added to the thousands already approved.

Directly under that headline was another article about how the roads in Palm Coast are falling apart.

Does anyone see the problem here? Our roads and other infrastructure are at a “critical point,” as the article says. So here’s a good idea: Let’s add upward of 10,000 new dwellings (which means about 20,000 new vehicles) and not do much to maintain and repair our roads.

Anyone who attempts to travel in or around the city early in the morning or in the late afternoon hours already experiences the vastly increased amount of traffic.

The article says that Palm Coast has 542 miles of roadways. In reality, Palm Coast has basically two

main roads, Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway/Boulevard. The remainder are neighborhood streets.

Trying to funnel all those vehicles onto two roads is a foolish idea and very poor planning. If it is going to cost $12 million per year just to maintain, and the city only has $2 million budgeted for it per year, we will never get caught up.

Adding salt to the wound, they figure that five years from now it will cost $50 million to repair the roads. But, hey, here’s another great idea: Let’s put up $50 million for a new arts center.

It seems like anytime a developer wants to build here, the Planning Board approves it, whether or not it is a good thing for the city. The builders build, then they can move away and not have to live in the mess they created, and the city and residents suffer.

It’s our own fault though. We are the ones who continually put real estate agents and developers on the City Council and planning boards. Building and developing is what they do.

Whatever happened to the idea that Palm Coast was a nice small retirement community? The City

Make yourself at home

Council and planning boards obviously want this city to become a sprawling, blighted major urban area, and our voice be damned.

ED MUMMERT

Palm Coast

Road condition report is no surprise

Dear Editor: After experiencing for the last few year the ever-increasing numbers of cars, trucks, and heavy equipment on Palm Coast roads, it was no surprise but very disappointing that the city road engineer needed a consultant’s report to tell him that the roads are “at a critical point.” Hearing this made me wonder, “Who’s minding the store?” This situation didn’t happen overnight. A consultant’s report should have been done years ago because projections at that time would have shown we were headed right where we are now. This highpriced analysis only told us what anyone and everyone had been seeing for years — huge increases in traffic and crumbling roadways. The same goes for stormwater.

The guest is always right

Reuniting with friends makes daily routines feel like celebrations

BRIAN MCMILLAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

YOUR TOWN

LAZOS DE AMOR DONATES 36 BLANKETS FOR THE SICK

The Lazos de Amor campaign has collected 36 blankets for donation so far in 2023.

The blankets were blessed by the Rev. Rob Trujillo at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church on April 13 and donated. A third of the blankets went to the local hospital, another third to the church’s parishioners and the

PETS UP FOR ADOPTION

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.

Twice in the past few weeks, my family played host. And that means we let people get away with anything. For example, I usually avoid Silly String at any cost. I would climb a tall mountain to escape from it. I would certainly be opposed to spending my hard-earned money to buy multiple bottles of it and let 15 small children spray it all over my patio. And yet, because those small children were guests at Luke’s 5-year-old birthday party, I made sure everyone had the chance to make a mess, which I cleaned up with a smile on my face.

remainder to those sick or in need in the community, according to a press release from the campaign.

The blankets are made by volunteers from the Hispanic Club and the Portuguese American Cultural Center. The blankets are donated to those with a myriad of illness, including cancer, diabetes, addiction or depression.

John Merced Sr., who began Lazos de Amor, also known as “Healing Blankets,” recently received one to support him while he receives chemotherapy treatments for cancer, the press release said.

To donate blankets, or yarn to create blankets, contact Maria Elizabeth Frazão Pereira at 386-446-0356.

Similarly, I usually tell my own children to drink water from the tap, rather than giving them water bottles. But when family friends visited for the weekend recently, I happily handed them bottles of water, knowing that they would, in many instances, drink 13% of the water and leave the bottle on the counter for me to pick up later.

In both cases — after the birthday party and after our friends had left — I felt tremendous gratitude, not because the house was quiet again but because of the good memories we were able to make in my home. I found myself looking forward to

POWER OF THE PURSE LUNCHEON NETS ALMOST $31,000

The Women United Flagler’s annual Power of the Purse luncheon raised $30,790 for women and children in Flagler County.

Linda Mahran, president of Women United Flagler, said they sold out of all 160 seats two weeks ahead of the April 24 luncheon. This was the organization’s 15th annual Power of the Purse but its first one back in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“The community was ready to come back in person,” she said. Mahran said the luncheon in-

Anyone could have seen this coming.

Now they want to pay for the massive stormwater and road repairs in the fee environment. It’s government by fees. This isn’t like the entry fee at Washington Oaks Park; big fee increases are completely inappropriate for the utility bill.

These issues require immediate attention by the City Council and city manager. The city has a Planning, Landscape Architecture, Stormwater, and Road Departments, all with highly paid employees. If the stormwater and road repair needs are indeed the fiasco that we are seeing, then somebody has not been doing their job.

Any type of city expansion plans should be put on hold immediately and indefinitely for at least two years so city resources can be focused on doing the best job possible to remedy this problem and get our roads, our drainage, our sense of well-being, and our city back in order.

JEFFERY C. SEIB Palm Coast

seeing everyone again. In the case of the visit from our family friends, who had flown to Florida from out of the state, I was already starting to plan the next reunion. But then I realized that, someday, my wife, Hailey, and I will spend lots of money and travel time just for the chance to be around the same dinner table again with our own children as adults, re-enacting the old routines and rhythms of life that we are acting out now when they’re children.

Someday, these routines will feel sacred, not stressful.

Someday, I will hand my grandchildren bottles of Silly String, if that’s what will make them happy.

Do I need to wait?

Or can I make tonight’s dinner and dishes and bedtime routines feel more like a reunion?

cluded a raffle, a silent auction and a $5 bargain bin of nice, gently used purses. Attendees who won, depending on the raffle or auction, walked away with either one of six designer purses — each sponsored by a different local business — or one of 60 baskets filled with items donated from local businesses.

The theme of this year’s luncheon was “April showers brings...” and the luncheon itself was decorated with centerpieces and displays donated by Art Among the Flowers, Mahran said.

The money raised from the luncheon will be donated to local nonprofits in Flagler County that support women and children.

PALM COAST

Observer

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

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Publisher John Walsh, jwalsh@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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Locally Owned / Publishers of The Palm Coast Observer Palm Coast Observer, LLC P.O. Box 353850 Palm Coast, 32135

VETERAN OF THE WEEK

James Farrell



Branch of military: U.S. Air Force (retired)

 Dates of service: 1956-1979



Rank/occupation: Master Sergeant / Aircraft Loadmaster  Hometown: Freeport, Long Island, New York

Ernie, 9, is

GARDEN OF THE MONTH

Racano and LaFlamme’s yard wins Garden Club award

Walmart and bring them back to life.

LaFlamme also likes to spend his free time working in the garden and watering.

James Farrell is a veteran of the Vietnam War and in the Air Force as an aircraft loadmaster. Aircraft loadmasters custom load aircraft before any flight. From calculating proper weight distribution to providing passenger comfort throughout the flight, these specialists ensure everything and everyone is safe and secure on flights all over the world. Farrell primarily worked aboard the C-5 Galaxy, which is among the largest military aircraft in the world and can fit six Greyhound buses in its cargo hold. The C-5 has been transporting troops and equipment since 1968. Farrell is also the survivor of a USAF C-130 plane crash in Japan on May 20, 1959. Among his many awards, Farrell is the recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Air Medal. He lived in South Florida for a long time but relocated to Palm Coast in 2022. He is an avid golfer and a new member of American Legion Post 115 in Flagler County.

NEED HELP WITH VETERAN SERVICES?

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

added 60 Asiatic lilies, 60 gladiolas, multiple color sunflowers, white Casablanca and red stargazer lilies.

Michael Racano and Charles LaFlamme’s garden on Arrowhead Drive has been recognized by The Garden Club at Palm Coast as the May 2023 Selection of the Month. Racano and LaFlamme’s moved from Rhode Island to Palm Coast in 2013, when they retired. Racano was a caterer and made floral arrangements, and LaFlamme was a director of nurses.

Racano is always working in the yard and propagates his own plants. He likes to buy reduced plants at

They make their own fertilizer by blending vegetables and fruit peels and use coffee grounds and eggshells on the lawn.

This curb appeal landscape was discovered at the end of March, and we were amazed by the abundance of flowers and the diversity of plants.

The front bed has many zinnias, bush daisy, firecracker, phlox, roses, amaryllis, lantana, dusty miller, pansies, coleus, potato vines and milkweed. Racano and LaFlamme recently

Over time, they have created and recently expanded their backyard with leftover pavers and other materials left by contractors.

They have two gorgeous red and pink bougainvillea in pots, drift roses, dianthus, and red calibrachoa parviflora.

They have a pagoda with several hanging pots. They even have an orange flowering nasturtium: They make pesto with the leaves and use the blossoms in salads.

Nothing goes to waste in their gardens!

a male retriever and beagle mix. Gus, 12, is a laid back, outgoing, male terrier mix.

Freja, 7, is a very loving and playful terrier and American pit bull mix.

Flagler’s Fifth Grade Science Night provides fun and learning

Students’ projects were on display, and activities ranged from a land drone obstacle course to the game show, “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grade Scientist?”

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Students and their parents crammed into the Buddy Taylor Middle School/ Wadsworth Elementary School cafeteria on Wednesday, April 26, for Flagler Schools’ second annual Fifth Grade Science Night.

The fifth graders’ science projects were on display, and there were 16 hands-on student activities related to the Florida Statewide Science Assessments.

Heidi Alves, Flagler Schools’ science curriculum specialist, said 138 fifth graders were involved with science projects this year — four times as many as last year.

“They are all full science experiments with controlled variables and data collection,” she said.

Every fifth grader at Old Kings Elementary School created a science project, Alves said. The school held a science fair and sent its top 16 projects to Science Night.

Alves said the district has encouraged fifth graders to create science projects to get them used to the regional and state science and

engineering competitions for sixth through 12th graders.

Some of the activities at Science Night included the Museum of Arts and Science Star Dome, EmbryRiddle Aeronautic University’s land drone obstacle course, marine conservation art from the Guy Harvey Foundation, Diamond Del’s mineral mining, making simple closed electrical circuits, renewable and non-renewable resources from the

Florida Green School Program, and Whitney Lab and Marineland’s Animal Adaptation.

Matt Araujo’s fifth-grade class at Old Kings Elementary ran the game show, “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grade Scientist?”

All of the questions were from previous Statewide Science Assessments, which fifth- through eighthgrade students will take May 8-19.

Blake Neal, Embry-Riddle’s STEM

Outreach coordinator, brought a variety of drones to show children, and volunteers from Flagler Palm Coast High School’s National Honor Society ran Embry-Riddle’s land drone obstacle course, with young students handling the controllers.

“Drones are the future of aviation and STEM technology,” Neal said. “Hopefully, we’re getting kids inspired to lead the way in the new industry.”

Photos by Brent Woronoff

Adam Fenty-Graifer, a fifth-grader at Old Kings Elementary School, hosted his school’s “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grade Scientist?” game show.

Christina Sica, a math and science teacher for the STEM Academy at Wadsworth Elementary School, shows students how to connect small Snap Circuits.

Blake Neal, of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s STEM Outreach program, provided lessons on drones to students at Fifth Grade Science Night.

Volunteers Ella Raffo, of Indian Trails Middle School; and Angelina Manjarres, of the Flagler Palm Coast High School National Honor Society, show the chart that students at their table used to identify types of minerals.

A challenge in motion

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

Being a dancer is hard work.

And 18-year-old Anjali Khanna knows that. The Ormond Beach resident dances for several hours a week after school, on top of the seven hours of

rehearsal on Saturdays at Ormond Ballet.

It’s hours of learning routines, developing techniques, and doing it all with a smile.

Khanna makes it look easy, though she insists dancing doesn’t come naturally to her.

“I’ve been able to become my best

Ballet’s other senior student, Taylor Falb, of Seabreeze High School, who will also play the role of “Giselle” in the namesake ballet.

Boutros said she always tries to make her seniors’ solos carry a special meaning.

“It’s also a gift from us to them and then to their families and audience,” Boutros said.

In the fall, Khanna will be attending the University of Florida, where she was accepted into the honors program, to pursue a degree in biology. She hopes to become a doctor. Dance, however, will likely still play a role in her life, she said.

Khanna said dance has taught her discipline. She started dancing when she was around 5 years old.

“It’s something that you have to keep working at,” she said. “It’s not going to happen in one day. You’re not going to improve coming one time. ... You’re not just going through the motions, but like really putting your heart and soul into it.”

UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS

“GISELLE”

When: 7 p.m. Friday, May 5 and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6.

Where: The Coliseum at 176 N. Beach St. in Daytona Beach.

Details: Tickets cost $30. Call Ormond Ballet at 386-222-2871

“AN EVENING UNDER THE STARS”

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 6 and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 7.

Where: The Coliseum at 176 N. Beach St. in Daytona Beach.

Details: Tickets cost $30. Call Ormond Ballet at 386-222-2871

Anjali Khanna said dance has taught her discipline.

Anjali Khanna will be playing the role of Myrtha in “Giselle.”

Photos courtesy of Jeremiah Garner

YOUR NEIGHBORS Think small

BRIAN MCMILLAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When you own a small business, you get it. Magdalena Piekarz, owner of Elite Dance and Travel, had a graduation event with her own business the night before, so she didn’t plan on participating with a booth on April 29, at the Small Biz Expo, at Central Park in Town Center. But she went to the event anyway.

“We love to support local business,” Piekarz said.

Reanna Schultz walked around the lake with her children and handed out slips of paper with the name of her business on it — King Kong Junk Removal, which was launched just two days earlier.

“We just got a trailer done and got a couple jobs already,” Schultz said. Meanwhile, Joe Chaney and Joe Smith, of McElfresh Roofing and Solar, showcased their offerings for new roofs. The company has offices in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, but is getting more and more business in Palm Coast. In this city,

they said, it’s expected that people will maintain their homes and keep property values up. In Smith’s experience, Palm Coast is a rare city in Florida, with no “bad section” of town. He said Palm Coast is more receptive to small businesses than anywhere else he can think of in the state.

The Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce put the event on, thanks to the efforts of President and CEO Greg Blosé, who also was master of ceremonies. CareerSource Flagler Volusia and the city of Palm

Coast also helped make the event possible, with Flagler Health Care Plans as the main sponsor. About 130 businesses had booths. “Small businesses are 80%-90% of our local jobs in this community, so we’ve got to treat them as real economic partners, and work on making sure they’re successful in our community,” Blosé said. “People can relate to small businesses. It’s America. You risk money, you’re out there trying to do business, and you work hard, and, hopefully, you’re rewarded for it. It’s not guaranteed.”

Photos by Brian McMillan

Magdalena Piekarz and Oksana Ivanov visited the event on April 29. Piekarz is owner of Elite Dance and Travel, which hosted a graduation for 45 students the night before.

Janie Gilbert is an events volunteer for the Flagler Humane Society.

Eden Forguson owns Garden of Eden Esthetics, at 25 Old Kings Road N.

Family Life Center Domestic Violences Services Advocate Tanya Harper, volunteer Lynn Student and Sexual Assault Services Advocate Joy Hammang

Kailey, Troy, Reanna, Hayley and Lily Schultz

Nathaniel Tallent, with family members Emily, C.J. and Barbie, attended the Fernandes Realty event, hosted by Denise Fernandes.

Irina Schilkina, Solomon, Ivan Repov and Varvara

Town Center event celebrates small businesses of Palm Coast.

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, MAY 4

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. Visitpalm coastsongwritersfestival.com.

DSC SYMPHONIC BAND CONCERT

When: 7:30 p.m.

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

Details: See the Daytona State College Symphonic Band perform. Tickets cost $10 for adults; $5 for children.

FRIDAY, MAY 5

‘FLAGLER SPRING FLING

OUTREACH’

When: 1-4 p.m.

Where: Cattleman’s Hall at the Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell

Details: The Flagler County Health and Human Services Department is hosting an outreach event for information on local agencies and services, as well as assistance for food and haircuts, provided by Grace Food Pantry. Visit facebook.com/ FlaglerCountyGovernment.

SATURDAY, MAY 6

ARBOR DAY EVENT

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central Park at Town Center, 975 Central Ave., Palm Coast Details: The city of Palm Coast is hosting its 18th annual Arbor Day

event. Residents may receive a free tree as well as guidance on proper pruning, placement and other techniques. To get a free tree, bring a non-perishable human or pet food item to trade. There will also be a Monarch butterfly release at 11 a.m. in addition to a petting zoo, arts and crafts activities and a kid’s costume contest at 10:30 a.m. Free admission. Visit palmcoast.gov/events for more information.

ART IN THE PARK

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 6; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 7

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: The city of Ormond Beach Department of Leisure Services and the Ormond Memorial Art Museum are presenting the 49th annual Art in the Park, which will showcase 100 artists and crafters. There will also be a kids craft zone, food trucks, entertainment and an art display by local Girl Scouts. Free admission. Visit ormondbeach.org.

HOW-TO FESTIVAL

When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

Details: Volusia County Public Library branches will host local experts, hobbyists and professionals who will provide interactive instruc tional assistance at this festival. Learn how to create a carica ture, perform CPR, play disc golf, buy a house and more. Visit volusialibrary.org.

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.

SUNDAY, MAY 7 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PANCAKE BREAKFAST

When: 8 a.m. to noon

Where: Social Hall at St. Brendan Catholic Church, 1000 Ocean Shore Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: The Father Eamonn Gill Council 13018 Knights of Columbus will serve its famous pancake breakfast in the Social Hall. The meal includes all the pancakes you can eat, scrambled eggs, a sausage link, orange juice and endless coffee. The breakfast costs $6 for adults; children under 12 eat free. All are welcome.

BEL CANTO SINGERS SEASON

FINALE

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church, 105 Amsden Road, Ormond Beach Details: The Bel Canto Singers of Daytona will present its final concert of the 2022-2023 season. The singers will present Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living” and Craig Hella Johnson’s “Considering Matthew Shepard.” Tickets cost $15 for adults. Students with a valid ID get in for free. Visit BelCantoDaytona. org.

MONDAY, MAY 8

CIVIL DISCOURSE/COMMON

GROUND

When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Public Library, 25 S. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details: Join Civil Discourse in looking at what is wanted for the community and how to go about creating change. Send an email to billdenny105@gmail.com to join the Civil Discource email list. The group also welcomes feedback or suggestions by email at linda@bluegreenalgae.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

PROBUS CLUB OF PALM COAST

MEETING

When: 11 a.m.

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

Details: Probus, a social club for retired and semiretired men and women, meets the second Wednesday of each month with a guest speaker and social activities outside the meeting for members with specific interests. This month’s speaker is John Subers, director of the AdventHealth Foundation, who will an update on hospital services and the new hospital in Palm Coast. All are welcome to the meeting to explore the benefits of joining the club. For information, contact Larry Wright, Palmcoastprobusclub@ gmail.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 11

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 THE CASEMENTS CAMERA CLUB’S 10TH ANNUAL SPRING

EXHIBIT

When: May 10-24

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Come out to The Casements to see the club’s annual spring exhibit, featuring both black and white images as well as colored photographs, and vote for your favorite. The image with the most votes will win a “public choice” ribbon. The Casements is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

‘ALL MY SONS’

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6; and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 7

Where: City Repertory Theatre, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast

Details: 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.com.

‘BARNUM’

When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, May 5 and 6; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7

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

Details: See “Barnum,” the story of P.T. Barnum told in a musical portrait, at the Flagler Playhouse. Tickets cost $30 for adults; $25 for students. Visitflaglerplayhouse.com.

EXERCISES FOR THE MATURING BODY

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

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

Details: 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 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: “It’s a Kite Thing: Florida Women’s Arts Association,” “A Treasury of Indian and Persian Miniature Paintings,” and “Curiosities from the Collection.”

ALL MY SONS

“All My Sons” is not Arthur Miller’s most famous play. But Miller might not have written “Death of a Salesman” if not for the success of “All My Sons.”

Miller wrote the post-World War II drama as a last-ditch effort at successful playwriting after his “The Man Who Had All the Luck” closed after just

four performances on Broadway. “All My Sons” ran for 328 performances in 1947 and won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award.

City Repertory Theatre’s final three performances of Miller’s play will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 5-6, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 7. The play stars Thomas Muniz as

Joe Keller, Anna Hobbs as Ann Deever (together in the scene pictured), Gaston King as Chris Keller and Julia Davidson Truilo as Kate Keller.

Tickets for “All My Sons” at City Repertory Theatre are available at crtpalmcoast.com or 386-585-9415. –BRENT WORONOFF

Photo by Mike Kitaif

Throw down

Throwers help lead FPC boys track and field team to district title.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Senior Ashton Bracewell was a hurdler on Flagler Palm Coast’s track and field team last season. But after gaining 40 pounds for football, he had outgrown the sprint events and decided to try discus.

Now, he’s a district champ and the fourth-ranked discus thrower in the state in Class 4A heading into the Region 1-4A track meet on Friday, May 5, at the University of North Florida.

Bracewell will have lots of company at the regional. The Bulldogs are sending 16 boys and nine girls to the meet. FPC’s boys team won seven events on the way to claiming the District 3-4A championship April 26 at Sal Campanella Memorial Stadium.

The girls finished fourth and won one event — the 4x400-meter relay — in an exciting finish.

The boys scored 157 points to win their 13th district championship.

Sanford Seminole (130) was the runner-up with Lake Mary (102), Oviedo Hagerty (65) and Spruce Creek (63) rounding out the top five.

Winning the district trophy was not the goal but a welcome stepping stone for the Bulldogs, who expect to be in the hunt for the Class 4A state championship May 20 at UNF.

“We’re a top-five team,” coach Dave Halliday said after the Bulldogs hoisted the district trophy. “We had a good day across the board. The main thing was qualifying everybody that needed to get through. I don’t really worry about winning (district and

region). If we win the trophy, great. If we finish second to Niceville (at regional), I don’t care. I want to beat Niceville in three weeks (at state).”

BULLDOGS SWEEP THROWING

EVENTS

FPC’s throwers amassed 56 of the boys’ 157 points and would have placed sixth if they were a team by themselves. In addition to Bracewell, who threw a personal record 47.98 meters (157 feet, five inches), Jake Blumengarten led a Bulldogs’ sweep of the top three places in shot put.

Elijah Thero won javelin to give FPC the titles in all three throwing events.

Blumengarten won shot put with a toss of 15.39 meters (50 feet, 6 inches). His Florida Relays mark of 16.42 meters ranks fifth among Class 4A shot putters. Drew Droste (second, 14.34 meters) and Colby Cronk (third, 14.32) will be joining Blumengarten in the regional shot put competition.

Blumengarten also qualified in discus with a fourth-place finish.

Blumengarten and Bracewell are both first-year discus throwers.

“Coach Halliday told me to try it out,” said Bracewell, who will be a preferred walk-on for Florida State’s football team next season. “It took a good month or two to learn the form. It was getting it down with constant reps. I went from low 38 (meters) to 40 and now 47.”

Bracewell said he “ripped his finger open” in warmups, but still threw pretty well.

Thero, a junior who is a first-year track and field athlete, won javelin with a throw of 43.56 meters, which converts to 142 feet, 11 inches. That is over nine feet short of his PR, set at the FSU Relays.

“I’ll have to do well (at regional) to qualify for state, but I think I can do it,” he said.

MURRAY WINS; 4X400 RELAY

ADJUSTS

The other FPC boys’ event winners were D.J. Murray in the 400-meter dash, Zach Spooner in the 3,200, the 4x800 relay team and Gerod Tolbert in long jump.

Murray ran his fastest 400 of the season with a time of 48.57 seconds. He said he’s been working on the first half of the race in practice and has been competing in fewer events to be stronger in the 400 and the 4x400 relay.

“The 400 and the (4x100) are back-to-back,” he said. “After that, I felt a little bit dead. So, I’ve been focusing on running a good, clean 400 open and still have enough for the 4x4. Coach Halliday has us on a really good workout plan.”

FPC’s boys 4x400 relay is ranked fourth in the state. With Tolbert filling in for the injured Monte Curry, Isaiah Joseph, Murray, Tolbert and D.Z. Stewart finished second to Sanford Seminole, which is ranked No. 1 in the state.

Brandon Kalasnik will likely take over the third leg at regional if Curry isn’t healthy, Halliday said. KALASNIK ACES 800 EVENTS

Kalasnik, a 400 runner the past two seasons, has been transitioning to the 800 and is now ranked ninth in Class 4A in that event. The senior is the anchor runner on the 4x800 relay, which is ranked second in 4A. Kamron Davis, Joseph, Peyton Woodward and Kalasnik won district by over 16 seconds with a time of 7:57.09. Kalasnik (third, 1:54.96) and Davis (fourth, 1:56.11) also qualified in the 800, both with PR times.

“When I was deciding I would do the 800 this season, I didn’t expect this at all,” said Kalasnik, who hugged his teammates and then his parents at the finish line.

The top two finishers in the 800

DISTRICT STANDINGS

BOYS

FPC DISTRICT CHAMPS

BOYS

Discus: Ashton Bracewell

Shot put: Jake Blumengarten

Javelin: Elijah Thero

Long jump: Gerod Tolbert

400: D.J. Murray

3,200: Zach Spooner

4x800: Kamron Davis, Isaiah Joseph, Peyton Woodward, Brandon Kalasnik

GIRLS

Matanzas wins three district events, qualifies 16 for region track

Eight boys and eight girls advanced to the regional for the Pirates.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Matanzas qualified 16 track and field athletes for the regional and won three events at the District 4-3A championships April 26 at St. Augustine High.

“Everyone qualified who we expected to qualify,” Matanzas coach Tim Kane said. “Last year we absolutely crushed our district meet, and then we got to region and were a little flat. We expect to do a lot better, team-wise.”

The Region 1-3A meet is scheduled for Thursday, May 4, at the University of North Florida.

Jordan Youngman overcame a sprained back to qualify in three events. She won the 400-meter hurdles, finished second in the 100 hurdles and ran anchor on the district-champion 4x400 relay.

Olivia Gaines won long jump with a leap of 4.94 meters (16 feet, 2.5 inches). The junior also qualified in triple jump with a personal-record 10.85 meters (35 feet, 7.25 inches) to finish fourth.

Evanne Miller qualified in the 400 with a personal record 58.62 seconds for a second-place finish.

Sierra Howard placed second in the 800 with a time of 2:20.36, just .23 of a second behind Fleming Island’s Kaitlyn Scherer. Howard is ranked eighth in the state in Class 3A in the 800.

Kane said Howard got beat in the 800 for the first time this season

“We were very surprised she was able to get through the meet, but she’s a really tough athlete.”

TIM KANE, Matanzas coach, on hurdler Jordan Youngman

other than in the ultra-competitive Florida Relays.

“It was a tight race, but she’s ready to run against this girl again at region,” Kane said.

Howard, Miller and Luise Sommer joined Youngman on the winning 4x400 relay team, running a 4:02.78.

The Pirates’ Jayden Wright, Destini Burgess, Stella Dayton and Gaines qualified in the 4x100 relay with a third-place finish in 51.68 seconds.

For the Matanzas boys, Bradyn Cox threw a personal record 154 feet, 7 inches in discus to finish sec-

ond behind the top-ranked discus thrower in Class 3A, Ponte Vedra’s Nathan Lebowitz. Cox is ranked fourth in 3A.

Chandler Lane (fourth place, 1:02.22) qualified in 400 hurdles, and freshman Jordan Theus-Vales (fourth, 137 feet) qualified in javelin.

The Pirates also qualified two boys relays. Dominic Nocero, Aiden Langford, Clayton Vogel and Sho’Marion Gaines placed third in the 4x100 (44.48 seconds), and Sophathan Phan, Lane, Vogel and Langford finished third in the 4x400 (3:33.46).

Sho’Marion Gaines, who has been suffering from a quad injury, just missed qualifying in both the 100 and 200, missing fourth place by .03 of a second in the 100 with a time of 11.65 and running 23.62 in the 200, just .31 of a second behind fourth place.

Youngman crashed into a hurdle the week before districts and was still sore on the day of the meet, Kane said. But she won the 400 hurdles by .03 of a second with a time of 1:06.11. In the 100 hurdles, she ran a 16.64, just .23 of a second behind winner Sasha Crowe of Ponte Vedra.

“We were very surprised she was able to get through the meet, but she’s a really tough athlete,” Kane said. “If you beat her, it’s because you’re better than her, not because you gave any more effort than she does.”

Brandon Kalasnik ran third behind the top two 800-meter runners in Class 4A to qualify for regional.

Freshman Arianna Slaughter ran a personal record in the 3,200 and is one of nine FPC girls moving on to regionals.

Gerod Tolbert finished fourth in the triple jump, won the long jump and was one of three FPC athletes to qualify for regional in three events. Isaiah Joseph and Summer Barnes were the others.

1. FPC 157; 2. Sanford Seminole 130; 3. Lake Mary 102; 4. Oviedo Hagerty 65; 5. Spruce Creek 63; 6. Lake Brantley 53; 7. Oviedo 48; 8. Apopka 29; 9. University 25; 10. DeLand 15; 11. Lake Howell 15 GIRLS

1. Sanford Seminole 118.5; 2. Lake Mary 94; 3. Spruce Creek 89; 4. FPC 80; 5. Lake Brantley 72; 6. DeLand 54; 7. Hagerty 48.5; 8. University 48; 9. Apopka 38; 10. Oviedo 37; 11 Lake Howell 20

— Hagerty’s Miguel Pantojas and Apopka’s Noah Musselwhite — are ranked first and second in Class 4A.

“In previous races, I would go out too fast or too slow,” Kalasnik said. “But this race had two of the nation’s fastest, so I said, ‘Let them take me for a ride,’ and I just had to dig deep in my heart to finish.”

Tolbert set a PR with a long jump of 21 feet, 10 inches. Robert Harris also qualified with a second-place finish. Harris jumped a personal record 21 feet, 8.75 inches. Tolbert also qualified in triple jump with a fourth-place finish.

Joseph finished second to Lake Mary’s Markel Jones in the 400 hurdles in 55.17 seconds, just over a second behind Jones. The two hurdlers may face each other two more times this season. Jones is ranked fifth in Class 4A, while Joseph is ranked eighth.

FPC senior Ethan Sproull also qualified in the 400 hurdles with a personal record 58.72 seconds for

fourth place. SPOONER SCORCHES FINAL FOUR LAPS Spooner’s plan was to stay with Hagerty’s Jonathan Leon for six of the eight laps in the 3,200 race, and then pass him. That’s exactly what he did.

“We just took it out too slow,”

Spooner said.

Spooner ran a 4:50 for the first 1,600 meters and a 4:32 in the last half of the race, which is just about six seconds off his PR in a 1,600 race.

Spooner’s time of 9:22.71 was less than a tenth of a second off his personal record. Leon, who is ranked third in Class 4A with a PR of 9:11.07, finished second in 9:33.94.

FPC sophomore Braedyn Wormeck finished third with a 9:53.07 and will join Spooner at regional. It was Wormeck who began speeding up the pace, taking the lead on the third lap.

Spooner will be making his second trip to regionals. He also advanced as a sophomore two years ago when he was with Matanzas. He currently has the eighth best time among Class 4A runners.

With a faster pace, Spooner believes he can shatter his PR.

“I know if I stick with the guy in front of me, I’ll beat him, because I have the fastest kick on the track,” he said.

‘WE WEREN’T GOING TO RUN IT AT ALL’

FPC’s girls 4x400 relay team almost

didn’t run. One of the runners, Mimi Jeffers, was injured in the 400 and was replaced by freshman Karina Marcelus, who ran in the 400 hurdles about an hour earlier.

The rest of the team — Fabiola LaPlante, Cassidy De Young and Summer Barnes — was shuffled with Barnes running anchor for the first time.

“Everybody was tired. It was a long day, and we were scrambling at the last minute to find people to run,”

FPC girls coach Alycia Williams said.

“But they put it all together.”

Barnes passed Sanford Seminole’s Amirah Nock in the final meters to give the Bulldogs the gold medal by .15 seconds.

The Bulldogs crushed their PR by seven seconds with a 4:04.31 as both Marcelus and Barnes ran under a minute.

“When I got the baton, I just knew how close we were,” Barnes said.

“When I heard everybody cheering, I said, ‘I can pass her.’ I always hold

back; today I gave it my all. I remember leaning (at the finish). It was the best feeling.”

“I was so proud of her,” Williams said, “because she didn’t give up. She just knew what she had to do, and she put it all together. They all put it together.”

Barnes also qualified in two other events. She finished third in the 100 (12.61) and fourth in the 200 (25.59). “We didn’t plan on winning today,” LaPlante said. “We weren’t going to run it at all.”

Jada Dotson also qualified in the 100 with a fourth-place finish. Haley McLeer finished third to qualify in pole vault.

Maya Tyson placed second in shot put, and Zoey Gotera placed third in javelin to move on.

Freshman Arianna Slaughter ran a PR 12:18.51 to finish fourth in the 3,200 and cried as she realized she’ll be running in regionals.

June

Photos by Brent Woronoff

“We had a good day across the board. The main thing was qualifying everybody that needed to get through.”

DAVE HALLIDAY, FPC coach

Even without helmets, new coach happy to run first football practice

Daniel Fish had to alter practice on May 1 when helmets were late arriving, but that didn’t diminish his enthusiasm.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE

EDITOR

Daniel Fish’s first practice as Flagler Palm Coast’s head football coach didn’t go exactly as planned.

The Bulldogs’ helmets did not arrive in time for the opening day of spring practice on May 1.

Live contact is not allowed for the first five days of practice, but not having helmets puts more restrictions on practice.

“We had to alter practice. It’s something you don’t want to deal with on the first day of practice when you’re a new program,” Fish said.

But Fish could not hide the smile on his face. The new coach was happy to get started.

Fish was hired on March 29 to replace Robert Paxia, who resigned on Feb. 23 after two seasons with the Bulldogs to become the head coach at Winder-Barrow High School in Georgia.

Fish, 28, had been the head coach at Father Lopez for the past three seasons.

The Bulldogs have lost a few players.

Four-star linebacker prospect Rodney Hill and defensive back Ely Gilyard both transferred to Mainland.

Quarterback D.J. Murray did participate in the first day of spring practice. Murray is also practicing for the regional track and field meet on May 5.

The Bulldogs will travel to Jacksonville Riverside for a spring game on May 25.

FPC quarterback D.J. Murray throws a sideline pass on the first day of spring practice.

Quarterbacks work on fundamentals on the first day of FPC’s spring practice.

Kavi Tulsian makes a move in a one-on-one drill.

Photos by Brent Woronoff

FPC coach Daniel Fish had to run his first practice without helmets.

Tight end DeFalco provides imposing presence for Pirates

After playing most of two football seasons for FPC, Daniel DeFalco returns to play for Matanzas.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Daniel DeFalco started his high school career at Matanzas. Now he’ll be ending it there. DeFalco started his football career with the Pirates as a quarterback. Now, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound ris-

ing senior is a Division I tight end prospect.

“It’s a lot different having a big guy over there to go against every day,” Pirates middle linebacker Cole Hash said. “I mean, it’s a pleasure. I’m glad to have him back. I love him. He’s like a brother to me, always has been.”

DeFalco transferred to Flagler Palm Coast before his sophomore season after he was moved to defense.

“I wasn’t familiar playing defense, and I actually wasn’t really that good,” he said. When he got to FPC, the new coaching staff moved him to tight end, where he blossomed. He trans-

ferred back to Matanzas near the end of last season, and he’s happy to be back.

“Everyone here likes to bring each other together,” he said. “They like to build people up, not tear them down. There aren’t groups of people that hang out. If the team hangs out, everyone hangs out together.”

When DeFalco was with the Pirates three years ago, Hash said, he was about 6 feet tall.

“He’s grown a lot,” Hash said. “I look up to him now, like physically look up to him. He’s a challenge for me every day, which is a blessing.”

Matanzas coach Matt Forrest said

DeFalco will move around a lot on offense — at slot and H-back as well as on the line.

“He’s going to be all over the place,” Forrest said. “We play multiformation and sets, trying to get the defense off-balanced. The knowledge he got when he played quarterback here, he’s retained, and that’s definitely going to make him more versatile.”

When Hash, who won a state weightlifting championship last month, moves over to offense, he and DeFalco will provide opposing teams with mismatches.

“They’ll complement each other,” Forrest said. “They’ll be on the same side, on opposite sides. It gives our offense lots of options to get the ball to our playmakers.”

DeFalco is excited about his multiple roles, whether it’s playing H-back lead blocking for the running back or catching passes out of the backfield or running routes out of the slot.

“It’s helping me get ready for the next level of ball,” he said. “I’m on

the line too with my hand down.”

He has Division I offers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Rhode Island. He’s also talked to Georgia Southern, Penn, Yale, New Hampshire, Carson-Newman and, most recently, Georgetown. DeFalco said he’s working with quarterback Dakwon Evans to get their timing down. Evans missed most of last season with a broken collar bone. Forrest said it took the rising senior about 10 minutes to shake off the rust after he was cleared.

While most schools were starting spring practice on May 1, the Pirates already had a week under their belt, starting on April 24 after petitioning the FHSAA to start early to avoid practicing during finals week.

“It makes sense for us,” Forrest said. “It gives (the players) an extra week off going into summer conditioning.”

Matanzas will play host to Nease in a spring game at 7 p.m. on May 18.

celebrity cipher

By Luis Campos

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

“EUNK UNVVAXAM KZ DZYS UNXM?” “PK

FZK UPK WD N CPSSZS.” “UZE’M KUNK

UNVVAX?” “P BZRK CD KACVAS NK CDRABI.” EAR NXMASRZX’R

“CZZXSPRA GPXFMZC”

Puzzle

“WU RSJ ELGF FS LXYWCNC LGRFYWGB

PHCXWLO WG OWUC RSJ YLNC FS ESDA, ESDA LGV FYCG ESDA PSIC ISDC.”

VLNWV ZCXAYLI

“CFL UFS’H XRPWWC OPZR HF DPC KLVO

MORS CFLX ORPUWTSR TD ‘UXPB ALRRS XFJD JLXBRX NTSB.’”

IFLXSPWTDH MTWWTR BRTDH

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

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

Matanzas coach Matt Forrest huddles up with his players during spring practice on May 1.

Tight end Daniel DeFalco returns to Matanzas.

Photos by Brent Woronoff

NEXT-LEVEL THINKING by Rich Katz and Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen

Mainland flags down Orlando Jones in regional

Mainland’s flag football team has relied on its passing game all season. In its Class 1A regional quarterfinal at Orlando Jones on April 26, the Bucs shifted.

They rushed for 130 yards, including a game-clinching 18-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ava Colubiale in the closing minutes as Mainland (12-5) defeated Jones 13-6 to advance to the regional semifinals.

The Bucs were scheduled to play at Fort Pierce Lincoln Park (13-2) on May 3.

After losing in the regional quarterfinals the past two years, the Bucs were able to get past the first round with a stout defense against the athletic Tigers.

Colubiale hit Kassie Stoner with an 18-yard touchdown pass early, and the duo connected again for an extra point. The Bucs protected their 7-6 lead by keeping the ball on the ground. Colubiale and Kamryn Williamson intercepted passes to help the cause.

Through 17 games, Colubiale is ranked ninth in the state in passing with 3,205 yards and 37 TDs.

Former FPC coach Javier Bevacqua is back

Javier Bevacqua walked around Flagler Palm Coast High School’s 800 gym instructing his players in practice drills.

Bevacqua stepped down as FPC’s varsity girls basketball coach in 2021 after winning 239 games in 13 seasons. Two years later, he’s back in familiar surroundings doing what he loves.

Bevacqua started an AAU program, Coach Bevacqua Basketball, in February and now has four teams.

“My love for the sport brought me back to the grassroots,” he said during an April 27 practice.

His daughter, Giada, who is in seventh grade at Indian Trails Middle School, also had a hand in his return. She kept telling him that she wanted to play basketball.

“Finally, my wife said, ‘When are you going to get the hint?’ Bevacqua said. “So I said, ‘I guess I’m going to start a travel team.’ I looked around, and I felt I could be the best teacher for her.”

What started with one 13-andunder girls team has in two months turned into four teams — 14U girls, 13U girls, 14U boys and high school girls. There are 10 players on each team.

FPC girls basketball head coach

Anthony Wagner coaches the 14U girls team; FPC assistant coach

Thomas Dailey coaches the high school team; Bevacqua coaches the 13U team and shares coaching duties for the boys team with his nephew, former FPC basketball player Michael Bevacqua.

Javier Bevacqua said he distributed flyers and kids showed up.

“A lot of parents trusted what I did in high school,” he said.

Bevacqua compiled a record of 239-119 at FPC and led the Bulldogs to nine playoff appearances, four district championships, four regional championships and one final four appearance.

He stepped down after becom -

ing an ESE support facilitator at the school, which demanded more of his time.

His Coach Bevacqua Basketball players come from all over the county. “I’m doing this to develop kids in Flagler County, to have them ready for high school, whichever high school they go to,” he said.

Each team practices twice a week and travels to tournaments.

Paiden Hickman, who plays for her team at Indian Trails Middle School, is on CBB’s 13U team.

“I thought it would be cool to play on a travel team,” she said. “A lot of my friends are on the team, and I’ve made new friends. It’s fun to go to different places and stay at hotels.”

Giada grew up participating in her father’s basketball camps and watching his FPC teams play, so she knew what to expect when she signed up.

“He’s fierce,” she said. “He corrects us.”

The 13U team won its division at the Insider Exposure tournament at Mainland High School in March. It also advanced to the championship

game at the Dynasty Hoops tournament in Orlando.

Bevacqua teaches fundamentals, starting each practice with two or three “dynamic warmups,” such as a ladder drill to improve footwork, with hopes that the players work on the same drills at home.

“It’s the only way to get fundamentally sound,” he said. He teaches the same style he taught to his FPC teams and to his teams in Brooklyn, New York, for 10 years before that.

“We teach man-to-man principles (on defense). We play man-to-man in our games. We put pressure on the ball and try to get out in transition,” he said.

While the players enjoy the tournament trips, the competition will prepare them for the future, Bevacqua said.

“If they have aspirations to play high school or college ball, they need to see what high-level basketball is like,” he said.

For more information on Coach Bevacqua Basketball, email bevacquaj@flaglerschools.com.

Bulldogs advance to district final

FPC advanced to the final of the District 1-7A baseball tournament with a 15-5 victory over tournament host Jacksonville Atlantic Coast on May 1 and a 5-3 win over Sandalwood on May 2.

The Bulldogs (15-12) will meet Creekside at 7 p.m. Thursday at Atlantic Coast High School for the distirct championship and an automatic berth in the playoffs.

Matanzas advanced to the District 5-5A baseball semifinals with an 11-1 victory over Mainland on May 1 but lost to but managed only two hits in a 4-0 loss to Pine Ridge on May 2 to end its season. Pine Ridge will face Seabreeze in the district title game on May 4 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. Seabreeze defeated Deltona 4-2 on May 2. In softball, Mainland defeated Matanzas 7-0 in the District 4-5A semifinals at Daytona State College. Mainland pitcher Bella DeJulio struck out 11 and allowed just two hits. The Bucs will play top seed Deltona at 6 p.m. May 4. FPC lost to West Port 1-0 on May 2 at Spruce Creek in a District 2-7A semifinal.

Dell stays in Houston

Mainland High School grad Tank Dell was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft on April 28 by the Houston Texans. The Texans traded up to pick the University of Houston receiver with the 69th pick.

Mainland athletic director Terry Anthony, who coached Dell in high school, posted on Facebook: “To say I’m proud would be an understatement. Congratulations Tank Dell. You’ve earned everything coming your way. Go do what you do best.”

COURT OF PALMS CONDO

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BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Photo by Brent Woronoff Coach Javier Bevacqua, left, with his nephew Michael Bevacqua, talks to the players on his 13U girls team.

“My love for the sport brought me back to the grassroots.”

JAVIER BEVACQUA

REAL ESTATE

Condo

in Hammock Dunes sells for over $3 million

Acondo in Hammock Dunes was the top real estate transaction for March 15-21 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Scott and Lorraine Caucci, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, sold 28 Porto Mar, Unit 604, to Kevin and Eileen Van Fleet, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, for $3,025,000. Built in 2007, the condo is a 4/4.5 and has 4,948 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $2,100,000.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos Gina and Thomas Marino, of Palm Coast, sold 85 Ave. De La Mer, Unit 703, to Gregg and Deborah Lord, of Upland, California, for $1,390,000. Built in 2006, the condo is a 4/3.5 and has 2,690 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $1,175,000.

Brea Ann Weiss, as a trustee, sold 7 Ave. De La Mer, Unit 701, to Michael Packard, as a trustee, for $1,699,000. Built in 2003, the condo is a 4/3.5 and has 2,840 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $1,499,000.

Joshua Nanci, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sold 105 Ave. De La Mer, Unit 801, to Sorin and Olivia Zdrahal, as trustees, for $625,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/2.5 and has 2,014 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $622,300.

Daniel and Jennifer Vinovich, of Crown Point, Indiana, sold 200

Ocean Crest Drive, Unit 418, to David and Lisa Moore, of Windermere, for $670,000. Built in 2003, the condo is a 3/3 and has 1,676 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $405,000.

Belle Terre D.R. Horton, Inc., of St. Johns, sold 109 Persimmon Drive to Matthew Baucom, of Palm Coast, for $315,500. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,862 square feet.

Kimberly Kangos, of Palm Coast, sold 10 Bayside Drive to Taylor Kassidy Pario and Patrick Ryan LoNigro, of Palm Coast, for $345,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a dock and 1,879 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $118,000.

Lee Tracy Watson, of Palm Coast, sold 33 Brigadoon Lane to Gary Norman Sayers, of Costa Mesa, California, for $258,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 1/1 and has a pool and 974 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $143,000.

Cypress Knoll Andre and Morgan Kujawa, of Palm Coast, sold 4 Edge Lane to Glenn and Karen Brodwater, of Toms River, New Jersey, for $500,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool and 2,394 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $316,000. Elvira Agapito, of Stratford, Con-

necticut, sold 20 Essex Lane to William Eldredge, of Palm Coast, for $365,000. Built in 2000, the house is 3/2 and has 1,820 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $162,000.

Hammock Dunes

John Wilhide, as a trustee, sold 16 Madeira Court to Scott and Jamie Milanovich, of Palm Coast, for $775,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool, a fireplace and 2,511 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $490,000.

Indian Trails

Mark St. Leger, Gregory St. Leger, Jacqueline Roy, and Monique Wallace, of Palm Coast, sold 48 Bird of Paradise Drive to Brian and Cynthia Ronan, of Palm Coast, for $280,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,538 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $135,000.

Lehigh Woods

Janet Mizoguchi, of Cape Coral, sold 19 Reinhardt Lane to Matthew Roland, of Palm Coast, for $399,900. Built in 2019, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,704 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $263,000.

Matanzas Woods

Erick Sterling, of Las Vegas, Nevada, sold 50 Londonderry Drive to John Haaf and Tina Marie Torres, of Palm Coast, for $295,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,523 square feet. It sold in 2012 for $82,000.

Palm Harbor

Robert and Beverly Merolle, of Waterbury, Connecticut, sold 5 Center Place to Wesley Key, of Bloomington, Indiana, for $345,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool, a fireplace, and 2,177 square feet. It sold in 1987 for $15,000.

James Harkness, of Palm Coast, sold 36 Fairhill Lane to Irina Abramyan and Yuliya Ashkinazi, of Palm Coast, for $539,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 2,008 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $550,000.

Pine Grove

D.R. Horton, Inc., of St. Johns, sold 1 Pinto Lane to Julia Elizabeth Nor-

berg, of Palm Coast, for $392,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,363 square feet.

Pine Lakes Palm Coast Communities, LLC, of St. Simons Island, Georgia, sold 96 Westgrill Drive to John and Candice Biggerstaff, of Palm Coast, for $419,900. Built in 2023, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,295 square feet.

Ted and Fe David, of Palm Coast, sold 2 Saw Mill Court to Pawel Krawczyk, of Palm Coast, for $282,800. Built in 1993, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,068 square feet. It sold in 1994 for $123,200.

Sawmill Creek Holiday Builders, Inc., of Melbourne, sold 14 Ridge Road to Julie Rose Christiansen, of Palm Coast, for $350,200. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,477 square feet.

Seminole Woods Adams Homes of Northwest Florida, Inc., of Pensacola, sold 20 Seven Wonders Trail to Robert Uffmann and Debora Leigh Frank, of Palm Coast, for $400,900. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,265 square feet.

Quail Hollow Stanley and Jayne Taylor, as trust ees, of Port Orange, sold 50 Kathleen Trail to Geraldine Cantalupo and Gina Franco, of Palm Coast, for $385,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,845 square feet.

Dennis and Joyce Plet, of Waunakee, Wisconsin, sold 5 Zenith Court to Tyler Bauer, of Palm Coast, for $309,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,592 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $87,000.

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

SECOND INSERTION NOTICE OF ACTIONCONSTRUCTIVE SERVICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION CASE NO. 2022 CA 000810 ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS INC., Plaintiff, vs. THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, 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 an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property: LAND SITUATED IN THE TOWN OF BUNNELL IN THE COUNTY OF FLAGLER IN THE STATE OF FL. LOTS 7 AND 8, BLOCK 28, TOWN OF BUNNELL, AS PER MAP RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 1, PAGE 2, PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY. FLORIDA has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on counsel for Plaintiff, whose address is 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida 33487 on or before/(30 days days from Date of First Publication of this Notice) and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition filed herein. THIS NOTICE SHALL BE PUBLISHED ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO (2) CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court at County, Florida, this day of 4/20/2023 Tom Bexley CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT (SEAL) BY: /s/ Amy Perez DEPUTY CLERK ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, AND SCHNEID, PL ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487 PRIMARY EMAIL: flmail@raslg.com 22-069454 April 27; May 4, 2023 23-00066G

SECOND INSERTION NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION CASE NO. 2022 CA 000805 REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC, Plaintiff, vs. CARLENE M. MAHAN A/K/A CARLENE MAHAN, et

al. Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated March 23, 2023, and entered in 2022 CA 000805 of the Circuit Court of the SEVENTH Judicial Circuit in and for Flagler County, Florida, wherein CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC is the Plaintiff and CARLENE M. MAHAN A/K/A CARLENE MAHAN; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT are the Defendant(s).

TOM W. BEXLEY as the Clerk of the Circuit Court will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash at https://flagler. realforeclose.com, at 11:00 AM, on May 26, 2023, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to wit: LOT 6, BLOCK 88, PALM COAST MAP OF ROYAL PALMS SECTION 32, ACCORDING TO PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 10, PAGES 54 THROUGH 66, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA.

Property Address: 42 ROBINSON DR, PALM COAST, FL 32164

Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis pendens must file a claim in accordance with Florida Statutes, Section 45.031. IMPORTANT

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES

ACT. If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration, 101 N. Alabama Ave., Ste D-305, Deland, FL 32724, (386) 257-6096. Hearing or voice impaired, please call 711. Dated this 24 day of April, 2023.

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

Attorney for Plaintiff 6409 Congress Ave., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487

Telephone: 561-241-6901

Facsimile: 561-997-6909

Service Email: flmail@raslg.com

By: \S\Danielle Salem Danielle Salem, Esquire Florida Bar No. 0058248

Communication Email: dsalem@raslg.com 22-080616 - SaR April 27; May 4, 2023 23-00065G

COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION CASE NO. 18-2022-CA-000039

NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC

D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff, vs. THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, BENEFICIARIES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES AND ALL OTHERS WHO MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF CLARA E. DURRANCE, DECEASED, et al.

LOT 11, BLOCK B, FLAGLER VISTA, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK2, PAGE 3, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA. Property Address: 805 DEEN ROAD, BUNNELL, FL 32110 Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, other than the property owner as of the date of the lis SECOND INSERTION

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2023 CP 000162 Division 48 IN RE: ESTATE OF JOAN S. MANSOUR Deceased. The administration of the estate of Joan S. Mansour, deceased, whose date of death was December 15, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 East Moody Blvd. Bunnell, FL 32110. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is May 4, 2023. Personal Representative: /s/ Christopher Chartier Christopher Chartier 20 Rymsen Lane Palm Coast, Florida 32164 Attorney for Personal Representative: /s/ Diane A. Vidal Diane A. Vidal, Attorney Florida Bar Number: 1008324 CHIUMENTO LAW 145 City Place, Suite 301 Palm Coast, FL 32164 Telephone: (386) 445-8900 Fax: (386) 445-6702 E-Mail: DVidal@legalteamforlife.com Secondary E-Mail: Proserv@legalteamforlife.com May 4, 11, 2023 23-00067G FIRST INSERTION NOTICE TO CREDITORS (Summary Administration) IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 7th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA, PROBATE DIVISION Case Number: 2023 CP 189 IN RE: THE ESTATE OF GERMAN CUBILLOS Deceased. TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS OR DEMANDS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE: You are hereby notified that an Order of Summary Administration has been entered in the Estate of German Cubillos, Deceased, File Number 2023 CP 189, by the Circuit Court for Flagler County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 1769 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell, FL, 32110; that the Decedent’s date of death was February 27, 2020; that the total estate consists of the Decedent’s homestead protected property worth approximately $236,700.00; and that the names and addresses of those to whom it has been assigned by such order are: Diana Lavelle 14 Courtney Place, Palm Coast, FL 32137 Ricardo Cubillos 3391 Austin Avenue, Wantagh, NY 11793 ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED THAT: All creditors of the estate of the Decedent and persons having claims or demands against the estate of the Decedent other than those for whom provision for full payment was made in the Order of Summary Administration must file these claims with the court WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702. ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The first publication of this notice is May 4, 2023. Person Giving Notice: Diana Lavelle, 14 Courtney Place, Palm Coast, FL 32137 By: Stacy Geiger, Esq. Florida Bar Number: 0015711 Geiger Law, PLLC Post Office Box 352951 Palm Coast, FL 32135 (386) 264-6937 telephone Attorney for Petitioner stacygeigeresq@yahoo.com May 4, 11, 2023 23-00068G SECOND INSERTION NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Notice is hereby given that on 5/12/2023 at 10:30 am, the following mobile home will be sold at public auction pursuant to F.S. 715.109. 1988 PALM HS PH092033A & PH092033B . Last Tenants: ROBIN C. BLOOM, AUTUMN HARRIS, AND CELINA FIORINO and all unknown parties beneficiaries heirs . Sale to be at MHC BULOW PLANTATION LLC, 3345 OLD KINGS RD, FLAGLER BEACH, FL 32136. 813-282-6754. April 27, May 4, 2023 23-00085F SECOND INSERTION NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Notice is hereby given that on May 12th at 10:00am the following storage unit B4 at Optimum Storage Solutions, Bunnell Fl, 32110 3363 N State St. leased to Dale Faucheaux will be auctioned online at www.storagetreasures.com. April 27, May 4, 2023 23-00088F FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under The Florida Self Storage Facility Act Statutes (Section 83.801-83.809). The undersigned will sell at public sale by competitive bidding on TUESDAY MAY 23, 2023, at 12PM on Lockerfox.com. Where said property is stored at: iStorage Bunnell, 2303 N State St, Bunnell, FL 32110 Name: Unit # Contents Alan Hite C003 Furniture, Tools, Bike Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase by cash only. All purchased items are sold as is, where is, and must be removed at the time of the sale. Sale is subject to cancellation if settlement between the owner and obligated party is settled. Bunnell iStorage 2303 N State St Bunnell, FL 32110 May 4, 11, 2023 23-00091F FIRST INSERTION Notice Under Fictitious Name Law According to Florida Statute Number 865.09 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the Fictitious Name of ACE AUCTIONS ALL located at 25 Plainview Dr. Unit A, in the City of Palm Coast, Flagler County, FL 32164 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 1st day of May, 2023 Bellas Business Consultants LLC May 4, 2023 23-00092F FIRST INSERTION Notice Under Fictitious Name Law According to Florida Statute Number 865.09 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the Fictitious Name of Garden Goddess located at 8 1st Ct, in the City of Bunnell, Flagler County, FL 32110 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 2nd day of May, 2023 Ashleigh Lucero May 4, 2023 23-00093F FIRST INSERTION Notice Under Fictitious Name Law According to Florida Statute Number 865.09 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the Fictitious Name of Flagler Sun & Seed located at 712 S Ocean Shore Blvd, in the City of Flagler Beach, Flagler County, FL 32136 intends to register the said name with the Division of Corporations of the Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated this 2nd day of May, 2023 WeAllSucc, LLC May 4, 2023 23-00094F PUBLIC NOTICES THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2023 Find your notices online at: ObserverLocalNews.com, FloridaPublicNotices.com and BusinessObserverFL.com FLAGLER COUNTY LEGAL NOTICES Additional Public Notices may be accessed on ObserverLocalNews.com and the statewide legal notice website, FloridaPublicNotices.com SUBSEQUENT INSERTIONS 382171-1 ObserverLocalNews.com A NEW & AFFORDABLE OPTION PUBLIC NOTICES The Palm Coast & Ormond Beach Observers now qualify to publish public and legal notices. For rates and information, call 386-447-9723 SUBSCRIBE TODAY The Observer delivered to your driveway Call 386.447.9723 TAKE NOTICE CALL 386-447-9723 TO PLACE YOUR NOTICE TODAY SAVE TIME Email your Legal Notice legal@palmcoastobserver.com

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Puzzle

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