Palm Coast Observer 6-8-23

CITY WATCH

City won’t apply for EV charge station grant Council

The Palm Coast City Council has decided not to apply for a grant that could bring public electric vehicle chargers to Palm Coast, even though electric vehicle chargers are part of a city Strategic Action Plan priority.

Chief Sustainability and Resiliency Officer Maeven Rogers presented an opportunity at a June 6 council meeting for Palm Coast to apply for a Florida Department of Transportation grant that would make EV charging stations publicly accessible.

2023 Holiday Boat Parade route lengthened

The Palm Coast Yacht Club will be lengthening the parade route for the 2023 Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade for the parade’s 40th anniversary.

The new route is more than a mile longer than the usual one. A shuttle bus service will also be provided this year to make the parade more accessible, according to a press release from the Palm Coast Yacht Club.

The route will now begin at Cochise Waterway and head south past the Cimarron and Club House Waterways, sailing under the Hammock Dunes Toll Bridge. It will continue past St. Joe Walkway and Waterfront Park before turning around at the Grand Haven gazebo to return to home port, according to the press release.

Residents will be able to park at the Palm Coast Community Center, and buses will take them to European Village to view the parade.

The parade will be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 9 and is dedicated to Al Krier, a parade champion and community activist who died in December 2022. Krier’s boat — donated to the Yacht Club by his family — will lead the parade.

Several council members had concerns about local demand for the stations and government involvement in private enterprise.

One of the City Council’s Strategic Action Plan priorities — which were unanimously approved at a May 2 City Council meeting — is to collaborate with community partners to “provide electric vehicle fastcharging stations across multiple locations in the city.”

The priority item also directs staff to explore ways to “add revenues for street improvements … through user fees for EV charging stations.”

Rogers said she specifically researched the grant because of that priority item and because of comments by City Council members about the need to find ways to earn revenue from EV charging stations.

Vice Mayor Ed Danko has suggested at several previous meetings that the city should look for ways to charge electric vehicle owners for road maintenance, similar to how gas vehicles pay a gas tax at the pump.

But in terms of this grant, he said

he had concerns about government getting involved in the private business sector, despite the grant coming from a Department of Transportation program.

“I don’t think we should compete with free enterprise,” Danko said. “I just don’t see us being a business like that.”

Danko said part of his concern is that the city government could potentially undercut private businesses like gas stations by offering charging stations.

If the council applied before the June 13 deadline and received the funds, the grant would cover 80% of the costs to install the chargers, with the city responsible for the remaining 20%. From there, the program would pay for the maintenance of the stations for the next five years.

The chargers would not be free to use, Rogers said, and the council would have had to determine the price at the electric pumps at a later date. Her proposal identified three locations for a total of 11 charging stations.

Since most residents have charging stations in their homes, Rogers said, these public stations would likely mainly be used for tourists or for residents who need a quick charge while out and about.

Ultimately, Mayor David Alfin said, there wasn’t enough data or time for him to feel comfortable approving an application.

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri agreed. She said she had concerns that there was not a large enough demand to warrant spending taxpayer dollars on the energy costs.

Rogers said that no matter what, the city would be able to break even on the costs.

“We will get a return on investment; they will pay for themselves,” she said. “How high ... of an investment is to be determined.”

Rogers said the council also had different options available to pay its 20% of the cost, including partnering with a private entity to cover the costs and splitting revenue later.

“These private [charging] companies are very excited about these opportunities,” Rogers said.

Council member Nick Klufas is the only member of the council that owns an electric vehicle. He pointed out that charging stations would be listed on maps for electric vehicle drivers looking for places to fill up.

“It’s just an underserved priority right now,” Klufas said.

Rogers was trying to form a coalition with the other local municipalities while applying for the grant. Rogers said they had approached the Flagler County Commission, Flagler County School District, Daytona State College, city of Flagler Beach and the city of Bunnell, with all but Flagler County showing interest in the application.

Rogers and Holly Albanese approached the Flagler County Commission at its June 5 meeting to ask for the commission’s participation in the application and a letter of support. While the commission did ultimately agree to sign a letter of support in a 4-1 vote, it voted 3-2 against joining the application.

Commissioner David Sullivan, who voted against the letter and joining the application, had concerns similar to Danko’s. Sullivan said that if EV chargers become in demand the private sector would supply them, just as it does with gas stations.

delays decision on development

The City Council voted on June 6 to delay a decision on whether to amend the Palm Coast Park Master Planned Development, citing questions about the benefits of requiring one tract to be designated for industrial use. The proposal is slated to return to the council on June 27.

The proposed amendments to the Palm Coast Park MPD, which is in northwestern Palm Coast off U.S. 1, made up one of three development applications the council considered on June 6. The original application asked the city to shift some of the industrial, office and commercial designations on certain tracts to allow for more residential space.

Tract 17 was one of those tracts. It is owned by the city and designated for flex use, meaning that it could become commercial, office, institutional, industrial or residential space.

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri initially asked the council to consider requiring that tract 17 remain available for only industrial or institutional use. She said that since one of the city’s priorities is diversifying income, the city should use the space for business. Tract 17 already has much of the infrastructure necessary for industrial and institutional use, Pontieri said. “This is a low-hanging fruit for the city of Palm Coast,” she said. “This is an investment.”

Mayor David Alfin and Vice Mayor Ed Danko expressed concerns about how long it could take to draw private businesses to the space.

The remaining council members felt that they needed more information before deciding. The council unanimously decided to table the vote until June 27.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

“We will get a return on investment; they will pay for themselves. How high ... of an investment is to be determined.”

MAEVEN ROGERS, chief sustainability and resiliency officer

“I don’t think we should compete with free enterprise. ... I just don’t see us being a business like that.”

ED DANKO, Palm Coast vice mayor

“It’s just an underserved priority right now.”

NICK KLUFAS, City Council member

Soar like a penguin

Flagler Playhouse presents ‘Annie,’ its first Penguin Project show.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Playhouse President Jerri Berry first heard about the Penguin Project on a virtual conference during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Dr. Andy Morgan started the project in 2004 to give children with disabilities an opportunity to get involved with the performing arts.

Morgan, a pediatrician and college professor who specialized in treating children with disabilities, combined his profession with his passion. He had been involved with community theater for over 30 years.

Berry saw the parallels between herself and Morgan. She is a behavioral interventionist at Bunnell Elementary School. And before that, she was an Exceptional Student Education teacher. Like Morgan, she also has a passion for the theater.

She was hooked by the idea.

“It’s marrying both of my lives,” she said of the project. “I said we need to have it here. We asked to become a chapter. That became my mission.”

The Flagler Playhouse is now one of five Penguin Project chapters in Florida and is one of more than 50 nationwide. The Playhouse will be presenting its first Penguin Project show — “Annie Jr.” — on June 9-11.

The Penguin Project produces modified versions of Broadway musicals. The roles are played by young artists with developmental disabilities ranging from Down syndrome to cerebral palsy to visual and hearing impairments.

The project got its name because penguins can’t fly, but their spirits soar.

Each artist is joined on stage by a peer mentor who helps with lines and emotional support. They rehearse for four months.

There will be 18 artists and 15 mentors on stage at the Playhouse when

PENGUIN PROJECT

What: Annie Jr.

When: 7 p.m. June 9, 7 p.m. June 10, 2 p.m. June 11.

Where: Flagler Playhouse, 301

E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell

Tickets: $20. www.tix.com/ ticket-sales/flaglerplayhouse/2181

“Annie Jr.” opens at 7 p.m. Friday, June 9.

“Some of our students are flying solo, and we have a few swing mentors, who help when available,” said Berry, who is the show’s production coordinator.

THEATER VETERAN

Annabelle Kocher is playing the role of Annie. At 10 years old, the Palm Coast resident is a theater veteran. She usually performs with the Children’s Musical Theater in Ormond Beach.

Annabelle has played the lead role of Matilda in “Matilda the Musical.” She played Peggy in “Camp Rock,” and has had some ensemble roles.

“In Pinocchio, I was a star,” she said. “Like, literally, a star.”

Annabelle has autism spectrum disorder. With the old diagnosis, she would probably be classified with Asperger’s Syndrome, said Annabelle’s mom, Rosanne Kocher.

Annabelle started performing in plays when she was 5 years old.

“Annabelle started in theater when she was very young, because she had a skill of being able to memorize things very easily,” her mom said. “We tried to find something that would work for her, because not everything always works for everybody. She just took right to it, and it brings out a side of her that you don’t see when she’s not on stage.”

Annabelle recently won the elementary division in the Flagler Youth Talent Show for her performance of “Naughty,” from Matilda. Her close friend and her peer mentor in the Penguin Project, Bianca Wright, finished third in the talent show.

Annabelle was asked if theater has helped her with her autism.

“If there wasn’t theater, it definitely wouldn’t be as good for me,” she said. “But I do love doing art, like painting, like making bracelets, like stuff like that. Even theater is art, like any kind of art really. I love art.”

Rosanne originally brought Annabelle to Flagler Playhouse to be a mentor in the project.

“I thought it was just amazing, the change I saw in her doing theater, and we wanted to help spread that to other children with disabilities,” Rosanne said. But they needed an Annie, and the show must go on.

YOUNG MENTORS

Micah

Kemp,12, who attends Indian Trails Middle School and plays the apple seller, Sandy the dog, and Mr. Pugh.

Micah said he’s been wanting to be in a play for a while.

“It’s a different experience,” he said. “It’s better for people easing into plays. You still have to learn their lines and know where they have to be. You have to learn how to help people with their disabilities. You also get to have fun and be social.”

Jackie Olson, whose daughter, Haley, plays Duffy, Annette and the usherette, said the mentors are the kids who are going to grow up to be doctors, teachers, therapists and nurses.

“When you don’t know about special needs, that’s when you see the bullying and isolation and noninclusion,” Olson said. “(The mentors) are familiar with it and adjust.”

CHALLENGES AND HUGS Director Marisa Glidden and choreographer Noel Bethea say the project poses challenges, but they are well worth it.

“Just the leaps and bounds that we’ve seen, and these kids coming out of their shell and shining their light, has been amazing,” Glidden said. Bethea said she has had to rethink how to present material, but the kids in the show work hard and come prepared.

“You’re learning that everybody has different talents, and to highlight those talents is so important because it builds self-esteem. It builds confidence. And most of all, you come out of here and you’re having a bad day; after rehearsal, you have so many hugs and people patting you on the back. The love, it just fills your bucket,” she said.

Marie Vetro said her daughter, Natalie, 17, who has cerebral palsy, has never been involved in a production before. She plays Star-to-Be and the orphan, July. And she has a solo, in the song, “N.Y.C.”

“She is blooming in the produc-

“We tried to find something that would work for her, because not everything always works for everybody. She just took right to it, and it brings out a side of her that you don’t see when she’s not on stage.”

ROSANNE KOCHER on her daughter, Annabelle’s, love for theater.

tion,” Vetro said. “When I see Natalie perform that way, it just melts my heart. I’m just glad the Penguin Project came into our lives.”

The signature dance number of the Penguin Project is to the Journey song, “Don’t Stop Believin.’”

“Every night I’m overcome with emotion watching the happiness (when the kids dance and sing to the song),” Berry said. “I just love this project.”

Evensen, 10, is a peer mentor. His uncle, Keaton Wilburn, is one of the artists. Micah’s artist is Corbyn

Haley Olson plays Duffy, Annette and the usherette.

Courtesy photo by Mike Kitaif

Photos by Brent Woronoff

Lacy McCampson, Noah Arazchvili, Marina Donadio and mentor Lucia Martins (sitting) at a dress rehearsal for the Flagler Playhouse’s Penguin Project show, “Annie Jr.”

Courtesy photo by Mike Kitaif

AdventHealth cuts ribbon on new hospital’s medical office building

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway is scheduled to open in two months. On Friday, June 2, AdventHealth held a ribbon cutting for the 30,000-square-foot medical office building next to the new hospital.

The 100-bed Palm Coast Parkway hospital will be AdventHealth’s second hospital in Flagler County, joining AdventHealth Palm Coast, which is located off State Road 100. The new hospital is scheduled to open on Aug. 2.

Because of the county’s continued growth, a second hospital was necessary, said Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of AdventHealth Palm Coast and the health system’s Flagler/St. Johns market.

“We are doubling the size and bed capacity of the county,” BalesChubb said. “We’ve often been a little bit over-capacity, especially in the emergency department. We try to accommodate the needs of the community, and with an additional 24 emergency rooms over here, we’ll be able to absorb those needs.”

Wally De Aquino, the CEO of the new hospital, said doctors will begin

seeing patients in the medical office building in mid-June.

“It is truly a special day for us to be here,” De Aquino said at the ribboncutting ceremony. “It wasn’t too long ago, we were doing the groundbreaking ceremony. It feels like it wasn’t too long ago, but it was actually September of 2021. We were in the midst of Covid, so it was a virtual program celebration. But we are blessed today to be in person here celebrating the opening of this beautiful building, which will be the cornerstone for this campus.”

The Palm Coast Parkway hospital will have several specialties including urology, gynecology, cardiology

and gastroenterology.

Many doctors and staff members toured the medical office building for the first time on June 2.

“My jaw dropped when I walked through,” said Dr. Jessica Marshall, a general surgeon who is currently practicing at the S.R. 100 hospital. “I’ve been eager to get in the door. Everything is just beautiful, and we’re going to have state of-the-art equipment.”

The orthopedics suite in the medical office building has an X-ray machine in the middle to make it convenient for patients who see doctors there, De Aquino said.

Doctors will be moving into the medical office building in phases with the first few coming in this month, De Aquino said.

“There’s a few more that are coming between August and September, and we’re still looking for one or two more for the other suites that we have available. We are having conversations with them already,” he said.

The new hires be will split between the two hospitals, with some physicians who are currently at AdventHealth Palm Coast moving to Palm Coast Parkway.

“The opportunity for us is not

“The opportunity for us is not only to recruit and bring great talent to Flagler County, but to also have a building to support the physicians right next to the hospital. It’s a big deal.”

WALLY DE AQUINO, AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway CEO

only to recruit and bring great talent to Flagler County,” DeAquino said, “but to also have a building to support the physicians right next to the hospital. It’s a big deal. So it’s the beautiful start of a great journey here in Flagler County.”

The new hospital will be able to withstand a Category 4 hurricane, De Aquino said. Its operating rooms will have 600 square feet of space, 150 square feet more than the ORs at AdventHealth Palm Coast.

“As technology changes and we start using more and more robots in our ORs, they need more square footage,” Bales-Chubb said. “It’s not that they can’t be accommodated in the existing hospital, but this allows for additional space to accommodate additional technology.”

AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway was designed during COVID-19, so many design elements, especially those affecting airflow, were implemented with COVID in mind, De Aquino said.

“This medical office building is just the beginning of a journey,” Bales-Chubb said at the ribbon cutting. “We are dedicated to expanding our services and reaching even greater heights in the future.”

Officials cut the ribbon in front of the medical office building at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway.

AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway is scheduled to open on Aug. 2. The medical office building is on the right.

Doctors will be able to see their patients in the building attached to the AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway hospital.

Photos by Brent Woronoff

District loses track of Youth Orchestra bank account, plans audit

Current district staff members had not realized that the account was an internal account set up by a former superintendent.

BRENT WORONOFF JONATHAN SIMMONS

Eighteen years ago, Flagler Schools Superintendent Bill Delbrugge set up a school district bank account for the program that is now called the Flagler Youth Orchestra.

Sometime between then and now, as the district administration and its financial services staff turned over, the school district forgot it possessed that account — and therefore stopped auditing it, even though all district accounts are supposed to be audited annually.

Now the district is playing catchup, planning an audit of the account for this year and the previous three years. But while the failure to audit the account annually was a school district error, the accusatory manner in which it’s been spoken about led the Youth Orchestra’s program director, Cheryl Tristam, to note there are people in the community who would take any opportunity to smear her husband — Pierre Tristam, the editor of the local news website FlaglerLive.com and the author of frequent opinion columns and news stories criticizing local elected officials, including School Board members.

“There is a faction of people in this community who would discredit my husband any way they can,” Cheryl Tristam said.

Before the revelation that the district had lost track of the FYO account became public at a June 6

School Board meeting, the Observer received news tips suggesting that there were improprieties with the FYO account and stating that recent financial records showed that the account, for which Cheryl Tristam is a signer, had been making payments to FlaglerLive. That accusation does not appear to be true: Although financial records obtained by the Observer show transactions between the FYO account and FlaglerLive, they are from FlaglerLive as income into the FYO account, not as expenses. The account labeled the transactions as FlaglerLive advertisements for the Youth Orchestra’s concert program pamphlets.

QUESTIONS

The fact that the FYO account is actually a school district bank account came to the attention of current school district staff in midMay.

Flagler County School Board member Will Furry had posed a series of questions about the financial structure of the Flagler Youth Orchestra Strings Program to Cheryl Tristam during a workshop on May 16 as the board discussed renewing the district’s memorandum of understanding with the orchestra program.

Furry and board member Christy Chong asked Cheryl Tristam about the tax status of the organization, what oversight the school district has over the program, what kind of entity the FYO is and where the money it raises goes.

Furry later said he was not satisfied with the answers.

“There’s a lot of questions I asked,” Furry said in a June 5 phone interview. “And maybe untruthful is too strong, but I don’t feel like I received accurate answers to my questions.”

“I contacted Ms. Tristam and told her we needed to take oversight of this account. ... We’ve contacted our auditors. They recommended a 100% transactional audit ... a full-blown audit.”

“I would suggest an outside counsel to review the structure of this to be certain we are in compliance of corporate and tax law. This is really messy.”

WILL FURRY

So, Furry said, he asked the district for three years of financials on the program.

DISTRICT OVERSIGHT

Cheryl Tristam made an error at the May 16 workshop: In response to one of Furry’s questions, she said the FYO’s bank account “was like a booster account.”

In fact, the account, established by Delbrugge 18 years ago in the name of Friends of the Flagler Youth Orchestra, is a Flagler Schools internal account, using the district’s Employment Identification Number.

Since nobody currently employed by Flagler Schools knew about it, the district is now employing its outside auditor to do a 100% transactional audit on the account over the past four years.

“I contacted Ms. Tristam and told her we needed to take oversight of this account,” Chief Financial Officer Patty Wormeck told the board at a Tuesday, June 6, workshop. “Keri (Whitmore, the district’s director of finance) and I went to close the account, but there are outstanding transactions. Now, Keri and I are the only signers on that account. We’ve contacted our auditors. They recommended a 100% transactional audit ... a full-blown audit.”

Tristam has been cooperating with the district. She provided records of the account.

TRANSACTIONS

On May 16, after Furry posed his series of questions to Cheryl Tristam at that afternoon’s School Board workshop, former School Board member Jill Woolbright submitted a

public records request to the district for the account’s financials over the past three years.

The Flagler Youth Orchestra has been providing instruction and organizing concert performances for the past 18 years. This past year, 350 Flagler County students participated in the strings program, including 212 elementary school students. The participants formed five orchestras.

The district paid about $70,000 to cover most of the salaries for two full-time staff members — Tristam and Artistic Director Joe Corporon — and five part-time instructor/conductors. The FYO paid the remaining $18,290 for salaries and covered all other expenses through ticket sales, fundraising and advertising in the concert programs.

During the June 6 workshop, Furry asked if the records showed payments from the Flagler Youth Orchestra account to FlaglerLive.

District staff members initially, incorrectly, said yes. But Tristam messaged board members and board Attorney Kristy Gavin during the meeting, noting that all transactions involving the news site were deposits from FlaglerLive to the Youth Orchestra for advertisements in the Youth Orchestra’s programs.

The account’s records for the past three years showed this to be the case. In this past year, FlaglerLive bought two ads, totaling $375, on concert programs.

The FYO also advertises on FlaglerLive, but receives its ads on the website for free, Cheryl Tristam said.

EXTERNAL REVIEW

When the FYO account was set up in 2005, Pierre Tristam was an editorial writer and columnist for the Daytona Beach News-Journal. FlaglerLive was not founded until 2010. His name was listed on the FYO account along with Cheryl Tristam’s and Delbrugge’s.

“Pierre and I went to the bank with Bill Delbrugge to set up the account. At that time, we were volunteers. That’s why both of our names were on the account,” Cheryl Tristam said in a phone interview after the June 6 workshop.

Delbrugge’s name was never taken off the account, she said. Neither was Pierre Tristam’s.

“The account was set up by the highest-ranking school district employee,” Cheryl Tristam said. “In 2006, the year ended with 150 kids (in the strings program). I was not anticipating that. I went to Bill Delbrugge and said, ‘This is a job. I need to be compensated.’ And I was hired as a (contract employee). At that point, I asked to have Pierre’s name removed from the account. As of yesterday, I learned it was still there.”

The address on the account was the Tristams’ home address. Cheryl Tristam said she has always worked from home and does not have an office at Indian Trails Middle School, where the FYO students gather twice a week for classes.

“I’ve never had office space. Most of that time, we’re sharing band rooms, chorus rooms, recently the cafeteria,” she said.

Furry said he had received a lot of misleading answers at the previous workshop.

Aside from Cheryl Tristam saying the account was “like a booster account,” board members Cheryl Massaro and Colleen Conklin had said, erroneously, that the account was being audited.

“I asked Ms. Tristam, ‘How did you get access to this account?’ And she said, the schools,” Furry said. “I found out she was the only signer on this account. Cheryl Tristam does not work for Flagler Schools.”

Tristam works for the district as a 1099 contractor, not as a full-time employee receiving benefits.

Furry proposed at the June 6 workshop that the district conduct a further investigation into the program after the audit, which Wormeck said is likely to be completed sometime in July.

“I would suggest an outside counsel to review the structure of this to be certain we are in compliance of corporate and tax law,” he said. “This is really messy.”

Because Friends of the Flagler Youth Orchestra is not an actual

PATTY WORMECK, Flagler Schools CFO

COPS CORNER

MAY 27

DECLUTTERING

5:44 p.m. — 300 block of South Atlantic Avenue, Ormond Beach Unarmed burglary. A 37-yearold Daytona Beach man suspected of breaking into an Ormond Beach home told police that not only was he friends with the homeowner, but he had been organizing the homeowner’s property and putting items in a black trash bag for disposal. Police had responded to the home after the victim no tified them that he had found the man on his back porch

with items strewn around — items he usually keeps inside his house, according to a police report. The suspect began walking along the beach, where police approached him. When asked to provide his personal information, the man told the reporting officer a false birth date, claiming he had forgotten it. He also told police that he was friends with the homeowner, whom he said invited him over to “organize and paint,” according to the report. The victim, who wanted to pursue charges, determined that the man likely entered the home through the basement. Police found that the suspect was carrying methamphetamine. He was taken to jail.

MAY 28 CHARGE TO CREDIT

2:50 p.m. — 100 block of Cypress Point Parkway, Palm Coast Shoplifting. A Palm Coast man has been charged with 12 counts of shoplifting after allegedly skipping items during checkout.

A loss prevention employee at a large department store contacted the Sheriff’s Office about the suspect, according to the suspect’s arrest report. The employee told deputies that the store had surveillance footage of the suspect either skip-scanning items during checkout or scanning different, lower-priced tags in place of the correct price tag.

The suspect allegedly did this over 12 different visits to the store from March 24 to May 16. In all, the man is accused of shoplifting $158

worth of merchandise, the report said.

Among the items he allegedly either switched tags on or skipped entirely were: men’s swim trunks, instant ramen, frozen pizza rolls, cold medications and tampons. Loss prevention staff could identify him because the man paid for some of the items with a credit card, the report said.

MAY 29 SUNKEN TREASURE

11:17 a.m. — first block of Thomas Road, Palm Coast Grand theft. A woman’s missing boat was recovered just a day after it was reported missing: It was found submerged in the water behind her home.

The woman reported the boat stolen on May 28, just after 8 p.m. At the time, she told deputies that the 55-pound boat with a transom-mount trolling motor had last been seen the night before on her dock’s lift, according to an incident report.

The next day, the woman’s neighbor told her he found the boat submerged in the water by her dock, the report said. The woman told deputies that she believed the craft may have been sunk by wakes from boats passing by on the Intracoastal.

MAY 31 WINE DRUNK

11:27 a.m. — Intersection of Jefferson Street and South Yonge Street, Ormond Beach DUI. Two sips of wine and some cake — that’s all a 59-year-old man from Virginia told local police he’d had to eat and drink when the officer stopped the man’s car because the man wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

But the reporting officer noted that the driver’s speech was slurred and that he was moving slowly as he produced his documentation, according to a police report. That’s when the officer spotted an open bottle of wine in the car’s center console.

The man agreed to perform a series of field sobriety exercises, which he failed. He told police he had been driving to South Daytona, but he didn’t know what street he was on nor which direction he was heading, the report states. He claimed he’d eaten some cakes from a gas station convenience store around midnight, and that he had “started drinking at 11 a.m. and stopped drinking at 11 a.m.”

The man told police that he couldn’t feel the effects of the wine, and admitted to taking cocaine earlier that morning. He was taken to jail.

FT-BRV0007861-02

Man arrested after crashing into fire hydrant, attacking deputy

The suspect, 52, grabbed the crotch of a deputy who tried to restrain him, according to the FCSO.

OBSERVER STAFF

A drunk 52-year-old Palm Coast man crashed into a fire hydrant June 1 then attacked a deputy by grabbing and squeezing the male deputy’s genitals, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies had responded to the crash scene at a RaceTrac gas station at the intersection of State Road 100 and Old Kings Road at about 3:55 p.m. after a bystander reported the crash.

The bystander found the suspect, Frank Clement Jr., slumped in the driver’s seat of a Ford Ranger and helped him out of the truck, according to Clement’s arrest report.

The bystander later told deputies that Clement had begged him not to call 911, then approached the bystander “in a way to make [the bystander]

CRIME REPORT

Man points gun at neighbor over use of his driveway

A 60-year-old Palm Coast man was arrested May 27 after he allegedly threatened to shoot his neighbor because a car visiting the neighbor’s house backed into the man’s driveway. Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the first block of Wood Ash Lane when the 60-year-old man, Terry Vetsch, called about the incident, according to his arrest report.

Vetsch told deputies he saw a Ford Escape backing into his driveway from a security camera, and immediately grabbed

BRIEFS

Officials issue algae alert for Bull Creek

The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County has

his gun and went outside.

Vetsch banged on the car’s window and yelled at the driver.

The driver told deputies that he had been visiting with Vetsch’s neighbor and backed into Vetsch’s driveway while moving the car.

Vetsch and his neighbor, a woman, began arguing, and when Vetsch started walking back to his property, the neighbor followed him, the report said.

Vetsch then turned around and pointed his gun at the neighbor’s head from inches away and threatened to kill her, the report said.

Vetsch told deputies that he pulled the gun because

issued an alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins found in a May 30 water sample north of the Bull Creek Fish Camp. This alert is in response to a water sample taken on May 30, according to a news release from the Health De-

back away,” according to the report.

When deputies arrived, water was pouring from the hydrant into a swale, and Clement’s dog was running around near the crash scene, an arriving deputy’s body camera footage shows.

The deputy asked Clement what was going on, and Clement said, “I’ve been drinking,” according to the report.

The deputy told Clement to lean against his truck, and Clement did so, but then started walking toward the deputy.

the neighbor was yelling and waving her hands in his face, the report said. Vetsch has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Women charged with beating girl with broomstick

Two women were arrested on May 29 after allegedly beating a 15-year-old girl with a broomstick.

The women — the mother and the aunt of the victim — told deputies that the teen had been helping put away party supplies at their home on Pine Haven Drive when she accidentally knocked a sliding closet door off its track, according to their arrest reports.

partment.

The Health Department has advised residents and visitors to take the following precautions:

nDo not drink, swim or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.

nWash your skin and

When the deputy told Clement to step back, Clement replied, “F--- that,” and approached the deputy with a clenched fist.

The deputy put a hand on Clement’s chest to get him to back up, but Clement swung at the deputy, saying “Put your hand off me,” then swearing at the deputy as the deputy tried to restrain him, the video shows.

As the deputy tried to radio for other deputies, Clement grabbed the deputy’s groin and twisted, according to his arrest report. The deputy

The teen told Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies she argued with her mother over the door, but then went into her bedroom. Her aunt followed her in and slapped her for being disrespectful, the teen told deputies.

The teen said she hit her aunt in the chest with a piggy bank in self defense, and her mother came into the bedroom and began striking the teen with a broom handle.

The teen said her mother and aunt both began to pull her hair and hit her with their hands and the broom.

Deputies noted in the arrest reports that the teen had visible injuries on her legs, foot, hands and cheeks.

clothes with soap if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.

nKeep pets away from the area. Waters where there are algae blooms is not safe for animals.

Pets and livestock should have a different source of water

nDo not cook or clean dishes with algae-contaminated water.

Boiling it will not eliminate the toxins.

Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe.

Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well.

Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

punched Clement in the face several times until Clement fell to the ground, yelling, “I’m sorry, man.”

Other deputies arrived and helped handcuff Clement.

A witness later said that it looked like Clement had been reaching for the deputy’s gun during the fight, according to the news release.

Clement was treated at AdventHealth Palm Coast then taken to the county jail.

He faces felony charges of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with vio-

lence as well as a misdemeanor charge of DUI with property damage.

“Getting drunk, driving a vehicle, and crashing is bad enough, but then attacking a deputy sheriff will only land you in jail with even more charges, including felony charges,” Sheriff Rick Staly said, according to the news release. “Being drunk makes you do stupid things. This time he gets to sit in jail and think about his actions. Fortunately, our deputy was not seriously hurt defending himself from his attacker.”

Youth Orchestra bank account

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5A

booster group, but just a name on a Flagler Schools account, the district’s annual memorandum of understanding with the FYO is “basically an MOU with ourself,” Furry said.

“Most people I’ve talked to thought it was a separate entity,” Furry said. “That’s concerning. We have a duty to make sure this structure is acceptable from a tax perspective. The way it looks to me, Cheryl Tristam is the sole proprietorship, because they’re raising the money. ... We have to tighten the screws.”

Cheryl Tristam said the account has actually been “on the district’s radar” for a considerable length of time.

“I would get an email each year for the reconciled balance on the account, so they were going to file a report,” she said.

Around 2014, she stopped receiving those emails, she said. But she thought that at that point the district was viewing the account’s statements online, because “it was their account.”

During the workshop, Pierre Tristam sent an email to the Observer and news website AskFlagler, suggesting that Furry is using Cheryl Tristam “to get at me and FlaglerLive” because of his articles denouncing Furry for Furry’s stand on School Board issues.

Furry said Pierre Tristam was deflecting.

“When you discover 15-plus years of unaudited accounts with two signers, he is turning

away from a situation that he is a signer on an account that is going to his home address,” Furry said.

In his email, Pierre Tristam said, “FlaglerLive was never the beneficiary of any advertising from FYO, nor payments. It was the reverse. FlaglerLive has routinely advertised in concert programs to support FYO, specifically paying FYO $975 since 2018.”

He went on to say he volunteered for the FYO “a lot in the early years” when he was still working for the NewsJournal.

“I had no idea my name was on any accounts (I suspect Bill put it there: we worked closely in those days; it was requested to be removed in 2006), but I never signed anything,” Pierre Tristam wrote.

Cheryl Tristam said she suspects the audit will find no issues with the account because she has always kept detailed records, but she anticipates the auditors will want procedural changes. She is concerned about the future of the Flagler Youth Orchestra.

“I live and breathe this program,” she said. “I refer to it as my third child. Just like with the account, I haven’t been given a lot of direction on how to run this program. I’m very proud of it. Every year we’ve had 75 to 125 kids on scholarships. We’ve had 10, 11, 12 kids use the same instrument. That kind of tickles me that one instrument has touched that many kids’ lives.”

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Development, real estate + business news

Unity Prosthetics renovation to make facility more holistic

Locally minded coffee shop has been owner’s dream

businesses.

Balmer said keeping things local is her goal. She hosts monthly pop-up shops for local vendors.

JARLEENE ALMENAS SENIOR EDITOR

Ormond-by-the-Sea resident Todd Sicilia has spent the better part of his life out on the water. Surfing is addicting, he said. Once you start, it’s hard to stop.

But for two and a half years, surfing — along with his other active hobbies, skateboarding and mountain biking — were put on hold after a drunk driver crashed into his motorcycle at the top of his street on Dec. 10, 2008.

“That’s when things changed,” Sicilia said. “I was just carrying on with a regular evening, and a drunk driver changed that.”

For the two and a half years after that moment, doctors worked to save his left leg. But when he got a bone infection, doctors gave him an option: undergo more surgeries, or amputate.

“So I asked the doctor, ‘What day is good for you to amputate?’” Sicilia recalled.

During the time he was in a wheelchair, he’d remembered watching on TV how veterans from the Afghanistan War ran marathons on prosthetic legs. To amputate, Sicilia said, was an easy decision to make.

That’s how he met John Jump.

BEYOND CLINICAL

Jump, prosthetist and clinical director of Unity Prosthetics and Orthotics in Daytona Beach, has been helping amputee patients for about 25 years.

He started working with prosthetics when he was in high school after a friend lost a leg in a car crash. Jump knew the family that made his friend’s prosthesis, so when his friend had an appointment, Jump went along.

At the time, Jump was working summers as a gravedigger, and one day, he was offered a job helping to make prosthetics — for an extra 25 cents an hour and the promise of working under air conditioning.

And when it came time to decide what he wanted to do for his future, he decided to apply for prosthetic-orthotic school because he enjoys helping people get up and get going after crashes or illnesses change their lives, he said.

“It’s just a huge setback, obviously,” Jump said. “... But you’re helping out people.”

Since March, Jump has been revamping his clinic at 1320 Mason Ave. to better serve his patients.

He formed a vision a couple years ago that went beyond the standard clinical space to fit prosthetics. He wanted a place where amputees could hang out, meet each other and create a support system, since prosthetic appointments often last several hours.

“I think what I realized was that I wanted it to be more of a healthy, or holistic or a wellness-type environment,”

Jump said. “And I was in what this building used to be, and it just felt like confinement.”

Once completed, his new practice will have a gym, kitchen, resource room, onsite fabrication lab and a room specific to upper extremity prosthetics.

“There’s other people that do this in the community — we know that,” Jump said. “... But the goal is we want to be accessible to the people who need our services.”

Aside from having a full clinical staff, to Jump, that also means creating a space that is pleasant for amputees to spend time in.

Jump hopes to complete the renovations this month and hold an open house for the community from 12-6 p.m. on Friday, June 23.

REGAINING MOBILITY

As soon as he was fitted with his prosthetic, Sicilia was walking with crutches. He soon graduated to a walking with a cane and within a month was able to walk on his own.

About six months later, he was back on his surfboard. He stood up and rode a wave right away, he said. He’s now been surfing for 52 years. He also still rides a motorcycle and skateboard.

“I am living my best life with my new normal,” Sicilia said. “These are the cards I was dealt. This is the hand I’ve gotta play.”

Sicilia said he can’t say enough good things about Jump and Unity prosthetics — and he’s looking forward to the renovated facility.

“In my opinion, John is just fantastic,” he said. “He’s very personable. He knows what he’s doing. He listens if you have issues.”

Jump said he appreciates when clients like Sicilia send him photos of themselves doing activities they enjoy — whether that’s surfing, riding a motorcycle or going on vacation with their families.

“They trust you enough they want to share these exciting moments in their life with you,” Jump said. “It’s kind of cool.”

ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Shelby Balmer has dreamed of opening a coffee shop since she was young. In January 2021, she did so in Ormond Beach with Pine to Palms.

“Since I was around 15 years old, I thought, ‘One day I’m going to move to Florida and open a coffee shop, and use coffee beans from back home,’” Balmer said.

Balmer is from Washington state, and regularly visited her dad in Florida before moving here. But every time she visited, she missed the coffee from Washington.

Now, all the coffee beans she uses are shipped weekly to Ormond Beach from Olympia, Washington — a journey that inspired the name of the shop.

Before opening Pines to Palms, Balmer was an aesthetician, but that work started to cause her eyestrain.

A doctor told her that if she ever wanted to heal, she needed to take a break and let her eyes rest, she said.

That pushed her to open her coffee shop at 1450 U.S. 1, Suite 400, in Ormond Beach.

Two years later, Pine to Palms is not only a coffee shop but a venue to aid other local

TRIBUTES

Joe Cranford 1937-2023

“We like to make sure we only have three or four vendors at a time to really spotlight each of those individual businesses, because I know what it’s like to start from literally nothing,” Balmer said. “This is a big way for me to try to help others out.”

The shop offers coffee, Italian sodas, lemonade, tea and tea lattes as well as Lotus, a natural energy drink made from lotus flower extract, cascara, green coffee beans, super fruits and other botanicals.

The most popular drink on the menu, Balmer said, is the white mocha, which is made with Ghirardelli white chocolate powder.

In keeping with her mission to support local businesses, Pine to Palms also sells baked goods from Kneading More Sweets, an Ormond Beach bakery.

The collaboration between the two business started around a year ago, said Kim Fairweather, owner of Kneading More Sweets.

“[The collaboration] is wonderful because you get to meet new people, and Shelby and I have developed a friendship,” Fairweather said.

Inside the coffee shop, there’s also a small boutique Balmer created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The boutique started online, but after Balmer opened the shop, she started adding some of her designs there, beginning with a single rack and

progressing to occupy a whole section of the shop.

“I love going to Pines to Palms, not just for the drinks but for the atmosphere,” said Emily Stepniak, a frequent customer. “All of the baristas welcome everybody with open arms, and they give great drink suggestions. The fact that they remember what type of drinks are my favorite just blows my mind.”

Balmer said she cherishes her customers and staff and wants to always make them feel welcome.

“They (the customers) could come in one time, not see me for a week and most likely, nine times out of 10, I’m going to remember that drink, remember they came in and supported me and my dream,” Balmer said.

Alfred A. Cunningham (Al)

September 27, 1946 - May 9, 2023 (76 yrs)

Joe was born on July 18, 1937 in Downsville, Louisiana to the late Albert Cranford and Mabel Henry Cranford. He was a graduate of Downsville High School, class of 1955. Joe worked as a supply clerk & union representative for Eastern Airlines for over 35 years. He was married to Margaret “Meg” Visnosky and they shared a wonderful life together until her passing in 2001. Joe moved to Palm Coast in 2005 from Homestead, Florida. He enjoyed current events, law and politics, fixing and doing everything for himself and keeping a well-manicured lawn.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife Meg Cranford on October 12, 2001. He is survived by his niece, Karen Whisonant of Norcross, GA & a large number of friends

in our community. Joe requested that there be no services for him. He will rest with his wife in Miami, Florida. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joe’s name to Boys Town, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010 or at boystown.org

The family of Mr. Cranford have entrusted his arrangements to Clymer Funeral Home & Cremations.

DONATIONS: In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joe’s name to Boys Town, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010 or at boystown.org

Late of Palm Coast, Florida and Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Born in Macfield, Westmoreland, Jamaica, passed away at home leaving behind his Mother: Zella Richards, Brothers: David, Errol (Junior), and James (Peter); Sisters: Alda, Norma, Shirley (Patsy/Mel), Claudette, Laura, and Coral; as well as a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and other relatives and friends that will miss him dearly.

A celebration of his life will be held at Heritage Funeral and Cremation Service, Bunnell, Florida, USA on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at 1:00 pm EST. A link to experience the service virtually can be found at:

https://www.heritageflagler. com/obituaries/AlfredCunningham-3/#!/ Obituary

Joe Cranford, 85, of Palm Coast, FL passed away on Saturday May 27, 2023.

He enjoyed current events, law and politics, fixing and doing everything for himself and keeping a well-manicured lawn.

John Jump, clinical director of Unity Prosthetics and Orthotics in Daytona Beach, has been helping amputee patients for about 25 years.

John Jump began working in the prosthetics industry as a technician while he was in high school.

Todd Sicilia started surfing

after he was fitted with his new prosthesis.

Todd Sicilia said the decision to amputate his leg came easy after two and half years in a wheelchair.

The name Pines to Palms represents the journey Shelby Balmer — and her coffee beans — have made from Washington to Florida.

Photo by Alexis Miller Shelby Balmer, owner of Pines to Palms

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Construction for roundabout at Cody’s Corner could begin in late 2023

An FDOT team also told the Flagler County commissioners that construction on two buried seawalls could begin in the fall.

SIERRA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

Construction to turn the Cody’s Corner intersection into a roundabout could begin later in 2023.

The Flagler County Commission heard updates on several Florida Department of Transportation projects at the commission’s June 5 meeting.

The project to improve the Cody’s Corner intersection at State Road 11 and County Road 304 will be rolled into a resurfacing and improvement project that stretches from the Volusia County line at S.R. 11 to U.S. Highway 1.

The Cody’s Corner intersection has been the site of six fatalities and multiple injuries since 2014, even after the state added extra lights, rumble strips and additional signage, said Jack Adkins, FDOT District 5 director of Transportation Development.

FDOT has conducted two studies since 2015, and both recommended a roundabout for the intersection, he said.

Safety studies on modern roundabouts show that they are phenomenal, Adkins told the Observer

“If you have a crash, you’re not calling an ambulance,” he said. “At worst, you’re calling a tow truck.”

FDOT has been working to place a roundabout at that intersection for several years.

Adkins said FDOT has worked to accommodate residents’ concerns and educate residents on the safety benefits of roundabouts.

Adkins told the Observer that roundabouts are common in England, but relatively new to the U.S.

Unfortunately, he said, roundabouts have a controversial reputation from a few instances of bad design.

“Bad designs lead to bad feelings,” Adkins said.

The proposed Cody’s Corner roundabout design would keep the access points for the Cody’s Corner convenience store on the westbound lane of C.R. 304 on the western side of the intersection, and the southbound lane of S.R. 11 on the north side of the intersection.

It would also have lighting, pavement markings, a landscaped center island with truck aprons to allow more maneuverability for semitrucks, and an access point to the residential road parallel to north S.R. 11 on the east side of the intersection.

SEAWALL CONSTRUCTION

COULD BEGIN THIS FALL

The FDOT team also told county commissioners that the joint county and FDOT A1A Strike Team could soon begin work to add two buried

BRIEFS

Pot proposal tops signature requirement

Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana have surpassed a required number of petition signatures to place the initiative on the 2024 ballot, according to the state Division of Elections.

seawalls, referred to as “secant walls,” along two sections of State Road A1A. The secant walls would be designed to prevent erosion.

FDOT Strategic Initiatives

Manager Catalina Chacon said the strike team has selected a designer and contractor.

“Right now, their focus is securing a permit through [the Department of Environmental Protection],” Chacon said. “We anticipate we can start mobilizing as early as fall of this year to begin construction on these walls.”

Chacon said the team is meeting weekly with the Federal Highway Administration about federal funding opportunities.

The first secant wall will straddle the Volusia-Flagler County line near Gamble Rogers State Park and be about 1.25 miles long, Chacon said.

The second will be in Ormond-by-the-Sea from Sunrise Avenue to Marlin Drive, another 1.25 miles.

Flagler County already has one buried secant wall on the north side of Flagler Beach, built in 2018 after Hurricane Matthew.

Chacon said the wall was exposed during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, but it has since been reburied.

The agency’s website showed that the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which is sponsoring the measure, had submitted more than 967,000 valid signatures for the initiative.

Committees have to submit 891,523 valid signatures for placement on the ballot.

While the proposal has topped the signature threshold, it still must clear another major hurdle — Florida Supreme Court approval.

The court reviews ballot initiatives to ensure they address single subjects and are not confusing to voters.

Justices in 2021 twice rejected recreational-marijuana proposals, but backers of the current measure said they relied on guidance from the court’s rulings when crafting the “Adult Personal Use of Marijuana” initiative.

Attorney General Ashley Moody, who last month sent the proposal to the court for review, signaled she will argue the measure doesn’t meet legal requirements to go before voters.

The court asked the proposal’s opponents to submit briefs by June 12 and gave supporters until July 5 to respond.

Final briefs are due July 12. Oral arguments have not been scheduled.

Trulieve, the state’s largest medical-marijuana operator, has contributed more than $38 million to the recreational-marijuana effort.

“Our investment demonstrates our firm belief that Floridians are ready to experience the freedom to use cannabis for personal consumption; a freedom which is currently enjoyed by more than half of America’s adults,”

Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said in a statement Thursday.

“With over 965,000 validated signatures from nearly every part of our state, it is clear these voters share that belief. We are thrilled the campaign has made this milestone and look forward to seeing this initiative on the ballot next November.”

To pass, the proposed constitutional amendment must receive approval from 60 percent of voters.

— THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Trash pickup schedule changes in Flagler County

Unincorporated Flagler County residents have a new solid waste collection schedule, according to a news release from the county government.

The schedule went into effect June 1. For details on the new schedule, view the county’s webpage at flaglercounty.gov/departments/ solid-waste.

“The Flagler County Solid Waste Division contracts with Waste Pro to collect household waste, recyclables, and yard waste for the unincorporated areas in the county,” Flagler County General Services Director Mike Dickson said, according to the news release. “Ultimately, things will run more smoothly, but it will affect a small percentage of the unincorporated Flagler County population.”

Waste Pro manages garbage and recycling collection for unincorporated Flagler County.

Those with service in unincorporated Flagler County may contact the following

with questions or concerns:

nAdditional Information: 386-313-4179

nBilling Information: 386313-4183

nWastePro: 386-586-0800.

Residents living in a city or town can reach out to the administrative offices below with questions or concerns:

nCity of Bunnell residents: 386-437-7500

nCity of Flagler Beach residents: 386-517-2000

nCity of Palm Coast residents: 386-986-2360

nTown of Beverly Beach residents: 386-517-2000 (provided by city of Flagler Beach).

Ham radio clubs to test emergency capabilities

Local amateur radio operators will represent our community in the American Radio Relay League’s annual Field Day on June 24-25.

Hams associated with the Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club, Flagler Emergency Communications Association and Flagler County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) will gather at then Hammock Community Center at 79 Mala Compra Road to operate multiple ham radio stations for 24 hours beginning starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 24, according to a news release.

The annual Field Day event involves more than 40,000 hams throughout North America.

The public is welcome to visit the local Field Day site to learn more about ham radio, local clubs and hams in our own neighborhoods, according to the news release. There will be opportunities to operate radios under the supervision of Federal Communications Commissionlicensed radio amateurs. No advance arrangements are necessary, and the event is free.

‘Session of the century’

Credit Florida lawmakers for going big with legislation that will change Florida for the better.

But more significant than the number of bills passed are a few landmark laws that have the ingredients to change the state’s educational foundation and Florida’s economy.

Topping that list of landmark legislation:

be regarded as transformative. But the above bills are singled out to illustrate how this year’s Legislature is different from those of previous years in at least two respects:

with better traditional school offerings and invigorated magnet schools.”

Let the competition begin.

INCREASED FREEDOM

MATT WALSH

Amonth has passed since state lawmakers closed their 2023 session, and now the fog is lifting to bring into clarity what they did.

We know lawmakers didn’t raise our taxes — ya-hoo.

Nor did they really reduce taxes for everyone. They continued their annual game of “look at us, we cut taxes” — that is, with a laundry list of sales-tax holidays (more on that in our next installment).

And it’s probably a safe guess most Floridians know Gov. Ron DeSantis, angling for his quest of the presidency, continued his culture war against wokeness. With the support of his fellow supermajority Republicans in the House and Senate, DeSantis prioritized more legislation designed to squelch the spread of the destructive ESG, DEI and transgender movements.

While that legislation predictably attracted the attention and ire of the leftist press and TV talking heads, Florida’s lawmakers actually did so much more. So much, in fact, the James Madison Institute, the state’s premier think tank, dubbed it “the session of the century.” Not just for Florida, but for all 50 state legislatures around the country.

Bob McClure, president of the institute, says state lawmakers all over America are taking cues from Florida as the model for good policies that produce economic prosperity and protect and promote liberty.

When Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch, addressed a group of James Madison Institute supporters last week, Gregory, not one to be hyperbolic or effusive, echoed McClure: “It was the session of the century for the country,” adding, “We did more this year than we did in my previous four years combined.”

Indeed, whether you’re a Republican, Democrat or Independent, the breadth and scope of all they accomplished was stunning. Historic. We’ll predict: Decades from now the 2023 legislative session will be recognized as an apex for the Legislature, a turning or trigger point in Florida’s cultural and economic direction.

The numbers tell one story. In DeSantis’ first legislative session in 2019, the Legislature passed 171 bills. In the most recent session, it passed 317 — the vast majority of which will become law. It would take days for even a savvy policy wonk to wade through and understand the new requirements of so many new laws that will touch so many aspects of Floridians’ lives.

BRIEFS

Volusia County Court Judge Belle Schumann to retire

• HB 1, universal school choice. This will end public education as we’ve known it — and it will do so for the better. Universal choice will give 3.3 million Florida K-12 students about $8,000 a year in tax money vouchers and the freedom to choose a public or private school and other educational services.

• HB 837, tort reform. Rep. Gregory estimates the provisions of this complicated legislation will save every Florida family at least $5,000 a year, simply because of a reduction in liability lawsuits against businesses. For decades, Florida has been regarded as “Legal Hell,” a result of previous laws that provided an economic boon to trial lawyers. But now lawmakers have turned off that legal spigot.

Those milestone changes to the state’s education and legal systems were historic because lawmakers have been chiseling away for 25 years at seemingly immovable obstacles in pursuit of visions that were often regarded as dreams that would never come true. But they did it.

A sampling of other new legislation that can be considered transformational:

n The ban on abortions after six weeks, except in the cases of rape, incest, human trafficking or medical necessity.

n Not requiring a concealed weapons license to carry a concealed weapon.

n The elimination of Enterprise Florida, its associated economic development groups and the millions of dollars it dispensed in subsidies to attract corporations.

n The expansion of Kidcare, the state and federally subsidized health insurance for children, a measure estimated to enroll 16,000 children next year at a starting cost of $10 million for Floridians and $25 million for federal taxpayers and sure to grow as entitlements do.

n Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $700 million bill designed to increase affordable housing via incentives and subsidies to builders and scaling back local zoning restrictions.

n The easing of the teacher certification process.

OUTSIDE THE MARGINS

With the passage of more than 300 bills, there are many others that can

One: Typically, lawmaking is plodding, incremental and in the margins; rarely bold or dramatically disruptive to the status quo. Entrenched institutional and societal ways of business are often impenetrable fortresses, even when they’re failing. That’s the nature of government.

Two: Typically, legislative bodies spend most of their sessions creating more laws that expand government interventionism. And with each intervention, the citizenry loses more of its freedoms.

If you go through the 300 bills Florida lawmakers approved, the vast majority are injecting more regulations and expanding government to solve perceived problems. The Kidcare and affordable housing legislation are two examples.

But with universal school choice and tort reform, this year’s Legislature went outside the margins, went big and bold and actually did something that few lawmakers ever do: increased citizens’ freedoms.

EDUCATION HOLY GRAIL

With school choice, Florida reached the Holy Grail. The late economists Milton and Rose Friedman must be dancing in their graves, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is seeing the seed he planted becoming an oak.

The Friedmans first proposed school vouchers as a way to improve public education in the mid-1970s. That idea finally began sprouting in the late 1990s. Gov. Bush sparked the revolution in 1999 in his first term. Alarmed then that Florida’s public schools ranked near the bottom nationally, Bush was determined to upend that embarrassing status.

The thrust of his new education initiatives focused on accountability, introducing statewide testing and a grading system for schools and districts. But one small seed of his initiative was a school voucher program that would allow children in failing schools to transfer to better schools. The choice door opened ever so slightly.

Ever since then, Florida has been the national leader in spreading school choice options and spreading more freedom. “This is the next iteration of parental choice,” Bush told us. “Parents will ultimately be able to customize their children’s learning experience with hybrid offerings.”

Bush also believes this expanded choice won’t be the death of public education. Instead, it will inspire public school districts to “respond

GOVERNOR WILL STILL BE PAID

Asked if Gov. Ron DeSantis will continue to receive all of his $210,000 annual state salary while campaigning for president, Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern replied to the Observer in an email:

“The governor remains serving

University and her law degree from Florida State University. She was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1984 and was appointed Volusia County Court Judge by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2005. She was elected/reelected without opposition in 2006, 2012 and 2018.

As a County Court judge, Schumann presided over county court cases including misdemeanors, traffic, civil and small claims. She is credited with spearheading the creation of the Volusia County DUI Court program and received the Chief Justice Award for Excellence in 2018.

Tort reform also increases Floridians’ freedom. Trial lawyers say otherwise, because they argue the laws will now protect businesses and deny poor and middle-class Floridians who can’t afford lawyers access to justice. The increase in freedom comes from having $5,000 more in every family’s checking account.

More freedom: Ability to carry a concealed weapon without having a license.

More freedom: Elimination of corporate incentive subsidies. For every tax dollar used to subsidize or lure corporations to relocate to Florida, those are dollars taken out of the pockets of everyday Floridians and, often times, out of the pockets of existing businesses that end up at a competitive disadvantage to the subsidized corporate newcomer.

More freedom: Relaxing teacher certification requirements. This will give schools the freedom to tap the expertise of Florida’s welleducated but noncertified retirees.

Finally, how is a ban on abortions after six weeks more freedom? It’s giving unborn children the freedom to live.

HOW AND WHY?

Underlying the historic breadth and depth of legislation adopted in this year’s session are the questions of “how?” — how they did it, and why? — why were they able to push through so much?

An obvious answer is supermajorities. Republican have that in the House and Senate, rendering Democrats virtually powerless to stop whatever is on the Republicans’ agenda.

But the answer to those questions goes deeper than that. Republicans have controlled the House, Senate and governor’s office for two decades. But unlike in previous years, this time around there was an essential ingredient: strong and almost complete alignment on the issues among the top three leaders — Gov. DeSantis, President Passidomo and Speaker Paul Renner.

The three of them had multiple meetings over multiple months prior to the session, Renner told us. And in those meetings they “reiterated that we were going to try to do it a different way. It was not necessarily an explicit joint plan, but it was an ‘everybody wins’ approach.”

Renner explained how things were different this year versus, say, 2022 and 2021, when businessman Wilton Simpson was Senate president and lawyer Chris Sprowls was speaker.

moved.’ It was a traditional belief then that everything had to be leveraged — ‘If you want this, I’ve got to get something for it,’ a trading out of priorities of ‘I’ll do this for you, if you do this for me.’”

But there was one other ingredient: “It goes back to having people going big,” Renner said. DeSantis has said in many speeches and in his book, “Be willing to take bold stands.”

Renner is of the same mind.

“That was my overarching goal — to get as much accomplished as we could during my (two years) as speaker. I wanted to make sure that every big problem that could be solved was solved.”

He added: “There is certainly more to be done.”

Passidomo declined to comment.

THE NEXT SESSION

Renner and Gregory already have priorities for the 2024 session. Near or atop the list: infrastructure.

Renner and Gregory both said given the amount of tax money the state is taking in with rapid population growth, the state’s infrastructure needs — roads, bridges, sewer systems, water treatment — will be an essential priority. Renner is forming a strategy commission to determine Florida’s needs 20 and 30 years from now.

Renner also listed health care costs and solving the shortage of physicians and nurses, adding, “Child welfare needs to be fixed.”

Better funding for the state’s overburdened court system is likely to be a high priority as well. As Gregory told the James Madison audience: “When the courts don’t have enough resources, that’s justice delayed and justice denied.”

FREEDOM COMES WITH RISKS

After watching the Legislature for 40-plus years, we’ve observed the standard post-session assessments. Lawmakers go back to their districts and tout how wonderful they are and how they passed more laws to fix problems that were created by previous laws.

The media, in turn, pecks away at the politicians for what they failed to do or how they kowtowed to sacred-cow special interests. And the constituents go “ho-hum.”

This time, it’s different. No one, of course, knows at this point what the unintended consequences will be of, say, universal school choice, tort reform, the six-week abortion ban, the concealed carry gun law, or, for that matter, the 300 other bills that will become law.

the people that he was elected to serve.”

When we emailed Redfern a second time, saying he did not answer the question, Redfern replied again:

“Ron DeSantis is still the governor of Florida. Hope that helps.”

We’ll ask you: Could you do your job 100% and still run for president? — MW

can attest, she is incredibly intelligent and dedicated to the rule of law,” Chief Judge James Clayton said. “She has always had the courage to follow the law in her rulings, even if it was unpopular. But most importantly, she has been a source of wisdom and guidance to those who were smart enough to seek her counsel. She will be missed.” Shumann’s position will be filled by gubernatorial appointment.

Two injured after SUV veers off I-95

Volusia County Court Judge Belle B. Schumann is retiring, effective June 30. Schumann received her undergraduate degree from Stetson

Before joining the Court, Schumann worked in the State Attorney General’s office for over 20 years. “As those of us who know Belle

Two Jacksonville residents were hospitalized after their car swerved off Interstate 95 in Palm Coast and struck a tree the morning of June 2. The driver, a 53-year-old man, was heading south in a sport utility vehicle with a 66-year-old woman

“I would point to a commitment that we made to each other to pass each other’s priorities as the No. 1 reason why we accomplished so much,” Renner said.

“Essentially, we made all those priorities the common priorities of the House, Senate and governor’s office. And that flowed down from the top to our leadership teams to the members.

“In times past,” he said, “you saw things devolve based on personality conflicts, egos or ‘If I don’t get what I want, your bill is not going to get

in the passenger seat when the car veered onto the right shoulder of the road at about 7:11 a.m. and hit a tree near Mile Marker 294, according to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol. Rescuers extracted the passenger from the vehicle. She sustained serious injuries, while the driver sustained minor injuries. Both were taken to Halifax Hospital, according to the news release.

FCSO’s inmate GED program celebrates first graduate

A Flagler County inmate became the first to graduate from the General Education Development program offered at the jail by Flagler Technical College on May 31. Easton Perez, alongside other FTC

But whether you like or dislike Florida’s Republican controlled Legislature, the governor, Senate president, speaker and Republican lawmakers deserve positive recognition. They did what few politicians do: They went outside the margins and went bold — with the belief they will be changing Florida and Floridians’ lives for the better.

We hope, and we believe, history will prove them right.

When a former teacher told Gregory she worried about the effects of school choice on the state’s public education system, Gregory said he understood her concern. But then he added a comment that applies universally: “Freedom comes with risks.” Risks worth taking.

graduates, walked across the stage at the Flagler Auditorium to accept his diploma at FTC’s May 31 graduation ceremony.

The program gives inmates the opportunity to earn their high school equivalency diploma, according to a press release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Rick Staly said education can help inmates turn their lives around.

“We are incredibly proud of Easton Perez and all of the inmates who will follow in his footsteps to complete their GED in the future,” Staly said. “We greatly appreciate our partnership with Flagler Technical Institute and thank the GED instructors that made this opportunity possible.”

The Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility also offers vocational and substance abuse programs for inmates, the press release said.

Volusia County Court

Judge Belle B. Schumann

MY VIEW

A critical component of resiliency: stormwater fees

Stormwater fees will rise starting in October. Here’s what the city will pay for with your additional 20 cents per day.

DAVID ALFIN PALM COAST MAYOR

As I’m sitting at my desk deliberating how to approach this topic with you, I’ve decided to begin with a question:

What is the single word that strikes the most fear in the hearts of our residents? Flooding.

We cringe at the awful images on TV of flooding in other Florida neighborhoods and homes. We are astounded by the torrents of driving rain that can fall here in short periods of time. We expect our city government to act on the principle that it’s easier and less expensive to prevent stormwater problems

YOUR TOWN

PROBUS CLUB TWINS WITH COASTAL NEW ZEALAND CITY

The Probus Club of Palm Coast has “twinned” with the city of Waikanae, New Zealand, according to a news release from the club.

Waikanae, pronounced “why can I,” is a coastal city on New Zealand’s northern island about 30 miles north of Wellington, with a population of approximately 15,000.

The name “Waikanae” is a Maori word meaning “waters of the grey mullet,” and the city lies at the foothills of the Hemi Matenga, head of the Waikanae River, which snakes through sandy beaches, according to the news release.

The city is a popular retirement and beach holiday destination, with the Tasman Sea surf beach great for swimming and beachcombing, and a balance of nature and cultural activities.

Probus clubs are nonprofit, non-

BIZ BUZZ

ADVENTHEALTH

through proper planning than it is to rebuild flooded properties.

For these reasons and many others, your City Council will continue to support a proactive approach to stormwater management.

Decades ago, ITT Corporation designed our infrastructure to maintain stormwater flow and drainage with 1,222 miles of swales, 177 miles of ditches, 58 miles of freshwater canals, and 14 floodcontrol structures.

The system, though simple in design and dedicated to the principles of a green environment, has proven to be resilient and protected our community from an ever-present threat of storm-related disaster.

And if you’re new to Palm Coast, please know that those trenches across your front lawns are called swales. They collect excess water, naturally filter it, and channel it into storm drains and out to the Intracoastal Waterway. Full swales are a good thing, holding stormwater and keeping it outside your front door.

Over the years, we’ve prudently invested in mechanisms that maintain flow and drainage, but we’ve now reached the point where frequently fierce storms and forecast growth threaten the “bones” of our aging system. It’s more important

political, nonfundraising social clubs for retired and semi-retired men and women. The Probus Club of Palm Coast meets at the Social Club of Palm Coast on the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m.

The speaker on June 14 is Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill.

All are welcome to attend. For information, contact Larry Wright at palmcoastprobusclub@gmail.com.

MIKE PIETROSANTE NAMED WOODCARVER OF THE YEAR

Mike Pietrosante has been named the 2023 Woodcarver of the Year for the Palm Coast Parks and Recreation Woodcarving Program.

Pietrosante was awarded a plaque for the honor on May 23 during the group’s regular meeting at the Palm Coast Community Center.

Howard Hawrey, a longtime woodcarver and the program’s former director, chooses the winner every year. Hawrey said he chose Pietrosante for both his skill and his willingness to help others.

“Mike has done a lot of carvings,” Hawrey said. “He’s really progressed over the last four or five years.”

than ever that Palm Coast update, upgrade and smartly plan its future.

Beginning Oct. 1, Palm Coast citizens will see their stormwater fee increase on utility bills — from $22.27 to $28.34.

This is an increase of $6.07 per month, or 20 cents per day.

Much like your own daily budgeting, the operating costs of doing business in the city of Palm Coast continue to rise.

So here is what we plan to pay for in 2023/24 with your twenty cents:

 Increased cost of pipes and contract services

 Cost of chemicals for aquatic weed control for canals, ditches, and lakes

 Major Roadway Pipe Lining or Replacement projects at Belle Terre Parkway near Kathleen Trail and Seminole Woods Blvd at the Iroquois Canal

 Minor Roadway Pipe Lining or Replacement Projects in the P, S, B, W, and F sections

 Addition of an in-house freshwater canal and weir maintenance crew and equipment in the second half of the upcoming fiscal year. This upgrade will help maintain, inspect, and mow weir sites and pump stations to keep them properly maintained. It will also immediately address emergencies.

 Addition of a second ditch crew to work in tandem with our existing two swale rehabilitation crews to address ditches in the same areas at the same time.

 Preparation for a new in-house concrete/asphalt crew that will complete pipe replacement projects as our pipes are beginning to fail at a higher rate. This will result in less impact on citizens, including fewer road closures.

 Addition of a stormwater specialist staff member to more timely address permit inspections and citizen inquiries.

 Every single property owner in palm coast whose land drains into our system will pay their fair share.

This includes:

 Commercial and retail businesses

 New developers who have been approved to build in Palm Coas

 Golf courses

 Owners of rental properties (condos, apartments, duplexes

 Homesteaded and non-homesteaded properties

Your City Council will review the stormwater fees every year to ensure that every tax dollar is invested wisely to protect our homes and lifestyle.

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

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Staff Writer Sierra Williams, sierra@observerlocalnews.com

Design Editor Hailey McMillan, hailey@observerlocalnews.com

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VETERAN OF THE WEEK

Harry Gilman

 Branch of military: U.S. Army

 Dates of service: 1978-2000  Rank/occupation: Lieutenant Colonel/Chaplain

Hawrey said he chooses the award winners based on a quote from Salvador Dali that a true artist is one who inspires others. Hawrey said Pietrosante is always willing to help teach others during meetings, shar-

ing tips and tricks of the trade. The program meets every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center. Meetings are free for all to attend, but participants must bring their own materials.

Hometown: Bridgeton, New Jersey

NAMES

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

AdventHealth has named Clifton Scott chief operating officer at AdventHealth Palm Coast and AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway, effective June 18.

Scott will oversee the existing hospital on State Road 100 and the new one that is under construction on Palm Coast Parkway. The new hospital is expected to open to patients on Aug. 2; its medical office building will open on June 12, according to a news release from AdventHealth.

Scott has worked for AdventHealth for 15 years and was most recently the vice president of ancillary services at AdventHealth Daytona Beach. He will fill the COO position previously held by Wally De Aquino, who recently became president and CEO for AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway.

“It is an exciting time in the Flagler County and St. Johns communities, and I am looking forward to this next

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.

step in my career,” Scott said, according to the news release. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to support the opening of a second hospital in Flagler County. AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway will provide additional convenience and comprehensive care to the community.”

WE SELL RESTAURANTS MOVES TO NEW OFFICE SPACE

We Sell Restaurants, a restaurant brokerage firm, has a new office space at 6 Meridian Home Lane in Palm Coast, according to a new release from We Sell Restaurants. The Hammock Professional Park Building will be the company’s new headquarters.

We Sell Restaurants cited record growth as the reason for its relocation to the new headquarters. The new location features approximately 4,000 square feet of office space and a conference room for franchisee training.

Previous tenants of the office building included a small school for special

needs children; We Sell Restaurants partnered with Parkview Church volunteers to re-home the school’s leftover furniture and supplies, according to the news release. For more information on We Sell Restaurants, go to wesellrestaurants. com.

SMA HEALTHCARE ADDS TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Palm Coast City Council member Cathy Heighter and Loretha TolbertRich have joined SMA Healthcare’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.

The term for each board member will be two years, according to a news release from SMA.

“We are thrilled to welcome these two highly accomplished women to our Board of Directors,” said CEO Ivan Cosimi. “We know they will bring insight, guidance and expertise to our Board and will help our organization continue the progress it has made.”

Heighter was elected to the Palm

Coast City Council in November 2022 and volunteers in the community, especially in support of veterans and their families.

Tolbert-Rich has worked in healthcare, law enforcement and corrections and serves on the board of directors of Advent Health Ocala and Shiloh Church.

Jasmine, a 9-year-old, female

mix

After watching the 1955 movie “A Man Called Peter,” based on the life of a preacher who served as chaplain of the United States Senate, and seeing the mentorship of the pastors of his childhood church, Chaplain Harry Gilman knew from the age of 12 that he would be a preacher. He would earn his bachelor’s degree in the Bible, Master of Divinity from Seminary, and a doctorate in theology. Chaplain Gilman served churches in New Jersey and Ohio for 10 years, and then, while playing golf with a Navy recruiter, it was suggested he consider serving as a military chaplain. About a year later, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army as a captain in the Chaplain Corps and sent to his first assignment at Fort Bliss, Texas, providing religious care to a training brigade. He would be assigned in Germany twice, with a tour at Fort Gordon, Georgia in between. One of his most rewarding assignments was as chaplain to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, (The Old Guard), at Ft Myer, Arlington, Virginia, the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, serving since 1784. There, he pastored 1,022 soldiers that comprise the official ceremonial unit and escort to the president. One of his collateral duties was as backup chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery, where he provided religious support to 452 funerals during his four-year tour. Later he was chaplain at Fort Lee, Fort Leavenworth, and Fort Belvoir before retiring to Flagler County in 2000 with his wife, Marlene. They will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary this July. Almost immediately upon arriving in Flagler County, he was asked to be chaplain to the local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. Over his entire career and in retirement, he has provided pastoral care at over 1,600 funerals. He is an active presenter for Veterans in the Classroom, chaplain to the county’s Memorial and Veterans Day ceremonies, and was Flagler County’s 2016 Veteran of the Year.

Mike Pietrosante

terrier

Yonder, a 5-year-old male cat

Handsome D, an 8-year-old mixed breed

Cathy Heighter

Loretha Tolbert-Rich

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Dancing to the ’90s

The Mia Bella Academy of Dance performed its Spring Recital on Saturday, June 3, at the Flagler Auditorium. The academy’s dancers, from 2 years old to senior students, performed 40 dance pieces under the theme, “We Love the ’90s.” Studio Owner/Director Brie Valenti-Crane and her faculty and staff also honored the academy’s seniors and presented awards. For more information on Mia Bella, go to miabelladance.com.

–BRENT WORONOFF

Petite Ballet (ages 8-11) students perform “Bye, Bye, Bye,” choreographed by Lindsey Gaynor.

Mini Ballet (ages 5-7) students dance to “Childhood,” choreographed by Tristen Stanley.

Companion & Me, choreographed by Tristen Stanley, features two dancers and their “Companions.”

Mini Jazz (ages 5-7) students dance to “Let’s Get Loud,” choreographed by Mekenzie Messamore.

Hippity Hoppers (ages 2-4) Skylar Bennet, Jett Crane, Blaire King, Mateo Salazar and Stella Tran, with assistants Olivia DiGuglielmo and Serenity Maynard, dance to “Ghostbusters,” choreographed by Tristen Stanley.

Senior soloist Bradleigh Crow dances to “Yesterday,” choreographed by Brie Valenti Crane.

“This is How We Do It” Teen Hip Hop, choreographed by Mekenzie Messamore

“Fade Into You” performed by Teen Contemporary (ages 12 and up), choreographed by Tristen Stanley.

Senior Breanna Fleischer dances to “Nature Boy” in a solo performance choreographed by Brie Valenti Crane.

Photos by Brent Woronoff

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 8

OPENING RECEPTION OF ‘IMAGINATION: LARGER THAN LIFE!’ EXHIBIT

When: 6 p.m.

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

Details: Join OMAM to celebrate the opening of “Imagination: Larger than Life!” The summer exhibit features the art of storytelling as told through mixed media sculptures by Jeffrey Kennedy, ink and watercolor illustrations by Mary Wentzel and works from three MicheLee Puppets productions. Meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments and hear Polynesian-style music performed live by Otila on the ukulele. Free and open to the public. Visit bit.ly/imagination2023.

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

MOVIES IN THE PARK

When: 8:30-10:30 p.m.

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

Details: Bring your blanket, lawn chairs and picnic baskets and watch “Space Jam,” rated PG, at Central Park. This event is presented by Palm Coast Parks and Recreation.

ANNIE JR.

When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 9 and 10; and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 11

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

Details: The Penguin Project, a program for children with disabilities, will present “Annie Jr.” at the Flagler Playhouse. Tickets cost $20. Visit flaglerplayhouse.com.

MONDAY, JUNE 12

CIVIL DISCOURSE/COMMON GROUND

When: 5:30 p.m.

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

Details: Join Civil Discourse/Common Ground for its next meeting, either in-person or on Zoom. The group is looking for suggestions on what is wanted at the community level and how to go about creating change. Email billdenny105@gmail.com for a Zoom invitation. The public is invited to send feedback or suggestions to linda@bluegreenalgae.com.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP WITH STEWART JONES

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

Where: Ocean Art Gallery, 197 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Attend a watercolor workshop with plein air artist Stewart Jones. Learn how to paint a rocky beach scene. No drawing required. Workshop costs $75 per student. All supplies are included. Call 386-3179400 to reserve a space.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

VETERANS CREATIVE EXPRESSION WORKSHOP: PATRIOTIC WREATH

When: 11 a.m.

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

Details: Veterans and active service members are invited to tour the museum’s current exhibit and create a patriotic fabric wreath during this free program. A spouse or other family members (16 or older) may attend the workshop as well. All participants must register in advance. Spots are limited. Visit ormondartmuseum.org.

TWO-DAY ACRYLIC WORKSHOP

WITH SCOTT HIESTAND

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

Where: Ocean Art Gallery, 197 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Learn how to paint acrylic landscapes with local plein air artist Scott Hiestand in this two-day workshop, to be held on Wednesday and Thursday, June 14 and 15. Workshop costs $100. Supplies cost $20, if needed. Call 386-317-9400 to reserve a space.

PROBUS CLUB OF PALM COAST

When: 11 a.m. to noon

Where: Social Club of Palm Coast, 51 N. Old Kings Road, Palm Coast Details: This is a social club for retired and semi-retired men and women who meet monthly with a guest speaker of interest. This month’s guest speaker is Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill. The Club will also tour Station 25 on June 22. All are welcome to attend. Contact Larry Wright at palmcoastprobusclub@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

ORMOND BEACH AREA

DEMOCRATIC CLUB MEETING

When: 7 p.m.

Where: 56 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach Details: The June meeting of the Or-

mond Beach Area Democratic Club will feature social visiting beginning at 6:30 p.m. before the meeting starts. The focus of the meeting will be to promote awareness of local, state and national issues, as well as responsive ways to put American democratic values into action. Likeminded nonmembers are welcome to attend as guests. Visit ormondbeachdems.org for more information.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

REEL IN THE FUN

When: 9 a.m.

Where: Neptune Avenue beach approach, Ormond Beach

Details: Register for this free catchand-release kids’ fishing tournament by Wednesday, June 14. Open to city of Ormond Beach residents only, ages 4-12. Call 386-676-3250.

ONGOING INSPIRATIONS AND

Wealth

The

REFLECTIONS

When: June 4 through July 15

Where: Expressions Art Gallery, 2298 Colbert Lane, Palm Coast

Details: See this exhibition featuring artists Suzanne Barrett and Louise Kennedy. There will be an opening reception from 1-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4.

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,” “Unfolding the Universe: The James Webb Space Telescope,” and “Caribbean Indigenous Resistance.”

Built Around You.

File photo by Jarleene Almenas

Aurora Zoeckler and Lily Garvey participate in a Reel in the Fun tournament in 2020. File photo by Jarleene Almenas

Surfers of all ages and experience levels came out to the first Her Turn Surf Festival in Flagler Beach on June 2-3.

The surf event for women began with a kickoff party at 4 p.m. June 2 at Wadsworth Park. The morning of June 3 started with yoga on the beach, then competitions starting at 8 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony.

The ceremony included awards for top positions in each division, with cash prizes for the pro events and the “My board, My choice” division.

–OBSERVER STAFF

Carla Cline was thrilled after her heat.

Members of Charleston She’s on Edge Surf Club Mary Hamilton, Sabrina Cooley and Nadia Klincewicz enjoy the beach between heats.

Delaney Spruill, 15, walks down the beach before surfing her heat.

Micah Spruill paddles in her heat.

Candice Griffin makes

Her Turn Surf Festival founder and co-organizer Heather Tran laughs after making an announcement.

Summer fun league

High school players pick up the pace in 7v7 games.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Flagler Soccer High School 7v7 summer league continues to grow each year. In its 2018 debut, the league had four teams with a total of 33 players.

This year, there are a total of 270 players participating on 20 teams — eight girls teams, eight varsity boys teams and four JV boys teams. The teams represent Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns counties.

The summer league opened its seven-week regular season on Saturday, June 3, at Indian Trails Sports Complex in Palm Coast. High school teammates play together, but their teams are not affiliated with their schools.

Flagler Palm Coast’s girls team has two entries in the summer league — the Hat Trick Girls and the Clean Sheet Crew. The FPC boys also have two teams entered, with the Royal Palms Soccer Club providing team shirts.

Matanzas also has two boys teams entered. The Seabreeze girls and Matanzas girls each have one team entered.

Gavin Ginnane, who operates both the Flagler Soccer adult 7v7 league and the high school league, said with a smaller field and fewer players, everyone has the opportunity for more touches on the ball.

“It’s fast-paced. Counter attacks can happen pretty quickly because it’s a small field,” Ginnane said.

Playoffs follow the regular season with every team guaranteed to play at least eight games during the summer, said FPC boys coach Ramtin Amiri, who runs the high school league.

Seabreeze girls soccer coach Eli

Freidus said the league appears to be more competitive this year. Last year, there were just four girls teams.

“This is really good for foot skills and movement off the ball,” Freidus said. “It’s also good for fitness. You play full blast for five minutes, and then you’re off the field for five minutes. It’s fun.”

FPC JV girls coach Cat Bradley, who coached both of the Bulldogs’ girls teams, agreed that the league is a fun way to develop skills and give some incoming freshmen a chance to play with the older players.

“We do a lot in the summer. We condition three times a week and we lift weights,” Bradley said. “So, this is fun, but the girls are also super competitive. They were ready to go the day after we lost in districts.”

Nevaeh Battle, played for FPC’s Hat Trick Girls, which drubbed a Crescent City team 14-1.

From left, FPC’s Camila Gonzalez, Savannah O’Grady, Natalie Neal and Sam Jennings warm up.

FPC goalie Teagan Paulo kicks the ball downfield.

FPC assistant girls coach Cat Bradley coached both teams on the league’s opening day.

Seabreeze’s Chloe Frank in goal

FPC goalkeeper Natalie Neal warms up before the game.

Seabreeze’s Ellison Kelson and Kylie Watson warm up before their game.

“It’s fastpaced. Counter attacks can happen pretty quickly because it’s a small field.”

GAVIN GINNANE

Photos by Brent Woronoff

By Luis Campos

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

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Complete

FPC’s Hailey Sammons goes airborne for the ball.

FPC’s Aron Binkley with the ball

Matanza’s Aiden White and Alex Diaz celebrate a 4-3 win by their team, the Mangoes Chupadas.

FPC’s Hailey Sammons with the ball

Seabreeze’s Kylie Watson controls the ball.

FPC’s Isabella Kummernes, right, makes a move on two Crescent City players.

WRONGFUL

by Sam Koperwas and Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen

REAL ESTATE

Condo in Hammock Beach sells for $1.7 million

Ahouse in Hammock Beach was the top real estate transaction for April 20-26 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Jay Todd Bush and Catherine Bush, of Palm Coast, sold 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Unit 812, to John Petersen and Mary Ellen Petersen, of Greensboro, Georgia, for $1.7 million. Built in 2003, the condo is a 4/4.5 and has 3,264 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $1.1 million.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos Michael and Debra Hayek, as trustees, sold 600 Cinnamon Beach Way, Unit 534, to Michael Coletta and Linda Weaver Coletta, of Palm Coast, for $760,000. Built in 2004, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,682 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $54,500.

Jack and Sandra Harmon, of Beverly Beach, sold 2450 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 118, to Benjamin and Elizabeth Graves, of Orlando, for $640,000. Built in 2007, the condo is a 3/3 and has 1,749 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $442,000.

Bridget Healy, as trustee, sold 300 Canopy Walk Lane, Unit 335, to Victoria Dagnall, of Palm Coast, for $448,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,712 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $354,400.

Lisa Cowley, of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, sold 2001 Palm Drive, Unit I104, to Mary Louise Hurd, of Flagler Beach, for $325,000. Built in 2004, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,482 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $227,500.

Nancy Cain and Barry Peters, of Palm Coast, sold 32 Captains Walk

to Judy Troncoso, of Palm Coast, for $364,000. Built in 1990, the condo is a 2/2.5 and has 1,565 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $241,600.

FLAGLER BEACH

Bulow Woods Wesley Adam Beard and Anna Renee Beard, of Flagler Beach, sold 6 Bulow Woods Circle to Robert and Amy Herdman, of Flagler Beach, for $690,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 5/4 and has a pool, a hot tub, a separate guest house and 2,931 square feet. It sold in 2006 for $500,000.

PALM COAST

Forest Park Estates

Louis Figliolia and Rosemarie Marie Figliolia, of Ormond Beach, sold 22 Clementina Court to David and Dianna Fahrenkrug, of Scottsdale, Arizona, for $732,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/3 and has 2 half baths, a pool, a fireplace and 3,091 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $460,000.

Grand Landings

Dream Finders Homes LLC, of Jacksonville, sold 108 Nighthawk Lane to Michael Joseph Aucella and Melissa Ann Aucella, of Palm Coast, for $339,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,622 square feet.

Hidden Lakes Mary Skrtic, of Palm Coast, sold 47 Graham Woods Place to Robin Dicicco, as trustee, for $470,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,818 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $289,200.

Lehigh Woods Holiday Builders, Inc., of Melbourne, sold 28 Richmond Drive to Robert Matthew Strunk, of Palm Coast, for $297,000. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,552 square feet.

D.R. Horton, Inc., of St. Johns, sold 21 Round Thorn Drive to Robert James Dosiak and Dawn Marie Morvillo, of Palm Coast, for $325,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,862 square feet.

Matanzas Woods Langdon, LLC, of Elmsford, New York, sold 68 Langdon Drive to Robert Michael Johnson and Susan

Mary Johnson, of Palm Coast, for $374,900. Built in 1998, the house is a 6/4 and has a fire pit and 2,227 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $260,000.

Monterrey Jeffrey and Wanda Bowman, of Daytona Beach, sold 18 Madeira Court to Michael and Debra Hayek, of Palm Coast, for $720,000. Built in 1992, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,183 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $464,500.

Not in a subdivision Marcus Reddix and Kenya Veliz, of Palm Coast, sold 38 Rymshaw Drive to Bennett and Stephen Schultz, of Palm Coast, for $289,500. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,284 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $210,000.

D.R. Horton, Inc., of St. Johns, sold 71 Beacon Mill Lane to Felice and

Lillian Priante, of Palm Coast, for $396,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,363 square feet. Pine GroveBrite Legacy, LLC, of Orlando, sold 9 Poppy Place to Kevin and Lois Maisel, of Palm Coast, for $415,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/3 and has 2,306 square feet.

Palm Harbor CPFL Holdings LLC, of Miami, sold 80 Farmsworth Drive to Rudy and Tara Lopez, of Zionsville, Pennsylvania, for $425,000. Built in 1994, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,976 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $200,000.

Zander Burger Real Estate, LLC, of Palm Coast, sold 27 Clarendon Court South to Jessica Geier, of Ontario, New York, for $797,900. Built in 1977, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool, a hot tub, a boat dock, a boat lift and 1,764 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $232,000.

Steven and Kathleen Semler, of Palm Coast, sold 10 Fairhill Lane to Carol Lynn London, of Palm Coast, for $600,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a hot tub and 1,840 square feet.

Pine Lakes Maria Joy Pereira and Bryan Joseph Pereira, of Palm Coast, sold 32 Woodward Lane to John and Tracy Mountain, of Granby, Connecticut, for $473,400. Built in 1996, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 2,040 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $330,000.

Judson Eugene Alexander and Felicia Alexander, of Palm Coast, sold 8 Village Circle to Chuan Duc Ho and Thuy Thi Nguyen, of Palm Coast, for $405,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,399 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $390,000.

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

Photo courtesy of Carlene Reardon/Trademark Realty Group

The condo has 3,264 square feet of living space.

REAL ESTATE

A house beachside tops sales list in Ormond Beach

Ahouse on the beachside was the top real estate transaction for April 23-29 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Lawrence and Denise Page, of Kenockee, Michigan, sold 353 S. Atlantic Ave. to Ronald and Diane Lessnau, of Ormond Beach, for $2,576,300. Built in 1993, the house is a 4/5.5 and has a gas fireplace, pool, tiki bar and 5,967 square feet of living space. It sold in 2020 for $1.5 million.

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos Bonny Kay Rogers Meyer and Carla Gay Rogers McDougal, of Ormond Beach, sold 640 N. Nova Road, Unit 115, for $165,000. Built in 1976, the condo is a 2/2 and has 932 square feet. It sold in 2007 for $120,000.

William Melle, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, sold 10 Lynnhurst Drive, Unit 2100, to Kenneth Doyle Phillips, of Johnson City, Tennessee, for $151,000. Built in 1971, the condo is a 2/1.5 and has 1,055 square feet. It sold in 1976 for $27,500.

Eileen Clyne, of Ormond Beach, sold 203 S. Orchard St., Unit 9D, to Mary Denise McLellan, of Ormond Beach, for $206,900. Built in 1985, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,083 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $120,000.

David and Winnifred McQueen, of Palm Coast, sold 2700 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 417, to Phillip Matthew Kyle and Emily Kyle, of Livonia, New York, for $343,000. Built in 1986, the condo is a 2/2 and has 925 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $140,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Breakaway Trails James Mitchell Grant and Sherry Grant, of Ormond Beach, sold 128 Black Hickory Way to Gabriel and Renata Gozzoli, of Ormond Beach, for $510,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 1,931 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $307,500.

Brookwood Jo Ann Jordan, of Ormond Beach, sold 95 Mayfield Circle to David Parag, of Palm Coast, for $280,000. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,689 square feet. It sold in 2006 for $249,000.

Halifax Plantation

Suzanne and Roger Browne, of Greenville, South Carolina, sold 3906 Tano Drive to Catherine and Kevin Jullion, of Ormond Beach, for $485,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,648 square feet. It sold in 2002 for $229,000.

D.R. Horton, Inc., of Orlando, sold 1332 Middle Lake Drive to Jeffrey Scott Risner and Rita Risner, of Ormond Beach, for $358,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,828 square feet.

Mary Przybyla, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, sold 1533 Kilrush Drive to Daniel Skidmore and Debra Jean Skidmore, of Ormond Beach, for $625,000. Built in 2003, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool, a hot tub and 2,550 square feet. It sold in 2002 for $65,000.

Not in a subdivision

Double Trinity LLC, of Ormond Beach, sold 588 Cameo Drive to Tyrell Lee Evans and Mary Kate Evans, for $229,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,560 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $98,000.

Matthew and Deborah Weinberg, of Ormond Beach, sold 2341 Lipizzan Trail to Kyle Kozlansky, Amara Marie Kozlansky and Glen Kellogg, of Palm Coast, for $875,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 4/3.5 and has 2 fireplaces, a pool and 2,808 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $146,000.

Oak Forest 1417 Oak Forest, LLC, of Daytona

Beach, sold 1417 Oak Forest Drive to Shawn and Lindsey Brooks, of Jacksonville, for $975,000. Built in 1978, the house is a 5/3.5 and has a fireplace, a pool, a boat house, a boat dock and 3,194 square feet. It sold in 2003 for $600,000.

Plantation Bay

Leashia Bruce-Paine and Andrew Paine, of Ormond Beach, sold 424 Long Cove Road to George Cox and Colleen Evans, of Ormond Beach, for $435,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 2/2.5 and has 2,046 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $374,000.

Riverbend Acres Richard Delaney, as trustee, sold 268 Treeline Lane to Kathryn Bodiford, of Ormond Beach, for $1,350,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 3/3.5 and has a fireplace and 5,242 square feet.

The Trails South Forty Dennis William Johnson and

Margaret Joan Kaufman, of Ormond Beach, sold 204 Sage Brush Trail to Gaylord Price Jr. and Ann Kashmer, of Ormond Beach, for $380,500. Built in 1984, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,743 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $155,000.

Tymber Creek

Michael Filegar, Ashley Filegar, Jeffrey Filegar and Todd Filegar, of Ormond Beach, sold 365 Tymber Run to Chad and Sarah Anderson, of Ormond Beach, for $325,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 3/1 and has a fireplace and 1,946 square feet.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Kevin Goodin and Ruth Ann Barron, of Jenatte, Pennsylvania, sold 5 Eucalyptus Circle to Samuel Tory Bjorklund and Naomi Ruth Bjorklund, of Ormond Beach, for $499,000. Built in 1962, the house is a 4/3 and has 2 fireplaces, a pool, and 2,156 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $249,900.

Doreen White, of Ormond Beach, sold 30 Capistrano Drive to Betty Dunkel-Hernon, of Ormond Beach, for $660,000. Built in 1989, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace, a pool and 2,028 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $285,000.

Ann Marie Osnato, as trustee, sold 60 River Drive to Sunny Dog D, LLC, of St. Augustine, for $239,000. Built in 1952, the house is a 2/1 and has 902 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $30,000.

John Peoples, of Ormond Beach, sold 19 San Jose Circle to Janet and Robert Ecochardt, of Rochelle, Virginia, for $400,000. Built in 1969, the house is a 2/2 and has a pool and 1,266 square feet. It sold in 1993 for $75,000.

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

Well maintained ICI-built home that exudes luxury and comfort. 3BR, 2BA, and a 2-CG. Spacious formal living room and dining room. Private master suite with private master bath. The large screened-in lanai has a summer kitchen, inground salt water pool, and heated spa make outdoor living a breeze. MLS#1108937 $589,000 Call Buzzy Porter 386-405-1000.

Beautiful 3 bed 2.5 bath family home. Located on a large corner lot w/ gorgeous golf course views!! New windows in 2023, laminate flooring in 2021, and a new screen porch in 2021. The bright open kitchen has plenty of cabinets and counter space. $425,000 Call Bill Navarra 386-334-9991.

Extraordinary Hanger Home 4BR, 4BA, 2-CG at Spruce Creek Fly In. Beautiful kitchen with high-quality cabinetry and granite countertops. Large owner’s suite with luxurious bathroom and opens to the lanai. Stunning outdoor oasis with a lap pool, spa, waterfalls, fire bowls and gourmet outdoor kitchen. MLS#1109380 $1,975,000

Call Buzzy Porter 386-405-1000.

one with safe step walk in shower. Spacious kitchen has been updated w/ granite countertops and SS appliances. Automated hurricane shutters. MLS#1104068

$635,000 Call Buzzy Porter at 386-405-1000.

The oceanfront home of Hawaiian Tropic founder Ron Rice, this 12,000 sqft oceanfront estate is now on the market for the first time! A commanding presence on A1A, the grounds encompass a full acre lot with 200 feet of beach frontage. Situated on a highly desirable stretch of Ormond Beachside along with other multimillion-dollar residences, the home sits high on the no-drive beach making it your private oasis. Expansive outdoor decking links 3 pools, 2 oceanfront owners suite and more. $4,999,900

Call Bill Navarra 386-334-9991

The house has 5,967 square feet of living space

Spouse, Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, or Other Claimants Defendant(s). NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to order rescheduling foreclosure sale or Final Judgment, entered in Civil Case No. 2019CA-000173 of the Circuit Court of the 7th Judicial Circuit in and for Flagler County, Florida, wherein JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Plaintiff and James T. Miley are defendant(s), I, Clerk of Court, Tom Bexley, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash AT https://flagler. realforeclose.com/, AT 11:00

FIRST INSERTION NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE IN THE CIRCUIT

to an Order or Final Judgment entered in Case No. 2018 CA 000321 of the Circuit Court of the 7th Judicial Circuit in and for FLAGLER County, Florida, wherein, THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE HOLDERS OF CWALT, INC. ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2005-24, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-24, Plaintiff and HARRIS, WILLIAM R, et. al., are Defendants. Tom Bexley, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller will sell to the highest bidder for cash at http://flagler. realforeclose.com/, at the hour of 11:00

A.M., on the 30th day of June, 2023, the following described property: LOT 16, BLOCK 50, PALM COAST, MAP OF WYNNFIELD, SECTION 23, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 8, PAGE(S) 23 THROUGH 38, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA. Any person claiming an interest in the surplus from the sale, if any, must file a claim per the requirements set forth in FL Stat.

45.032.

IMPORTANT

If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to access court facilities or participate in a court proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance.

To request such an accommodation, please contact Court Administration in advance of the date the service is needed: Court Administration, 125 E. Orange Ave., Ste. 300, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, (386) 257-6096.

to discuss any topics presented to the board for consideration.

Copies of the agenda may be obtained from the District Manager, Vesta District Services, 250 International Parkway, Suite 208, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, Telephone (321) 2630132, Ext. 193.

The meeting is open to the public and will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Florida law for community development districts. The meeting may be continued in progress without additional notice to a date, time, and place to be specified on the record at the meeting. There may be occasions when Staff and/or Supervisors may participate by speaker telephone.

Pursuant to provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in the meeting is asked to advise the District Manager’s office at least forty-eight (48) hours before the meeting by contacting the District Manager at (321) 263-0132, Ext. 193. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the Florida Relay Service at 711, for assistance in contacting the District Manager’s office.

A person who decides to appeal any decision made at the meeting, with respect to any matter considered at the meeting, is advised that a record of the proceedings is needed and that accordingly, the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

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

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

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