7 minute read
Summer doldrums: the battle with boredom
My oldest three children are savvy enough not to verbalize their boredom.
I was in the middle of something, so I told him that his sister, Kennedy, would be home in about 10 minutes.
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“I’m more bored than that,” he said.
Now, imagine the horror of the summer boredom multiplier effect.
that it’s summer, he has an extra five or six hours to kill every day.
BRIAN MCMILLAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
My 5-year-old son, Luke, was in VPK during the school year, so he would have a few hours at home with just Mom and/or Dad, before any of his four older siblings arrived home. Usually, we are working, so we’re not the best playmates. One day he tapped me on the hip and said, “Do you want to play a game? I’m bored.”
BIZ BUZZ
Palm
COAST CRUMBL
Cookies To Open On June 16
Palm Coast’s first Crumbl Cookies location will open on June 16.
The Palm Coast Crumbl Cookies at 250 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Unit 207, next to Metro Diner in the Island Walk shopping plaza is owned and operated by Tanner and Karli Reaveley.
It will open at 8 a.m. June 16, according to a news release from Crumbl Cookies. The grand opening week menu will contain six of Crumbl’s 275+ weekly rotating flavors, including the
YOUR
TOWN
FCSO DIVISION CHIEF GRADUATES FROM FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Policing Division Chief Jonathan Welker graduated from the 286th session of the FBI’s National Academy on June 8.
The National Academy is a prestigious training course held at the FBI’s training academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Sheriff Rick Staly, who graduated from the academy’s 177th session, attended Welker’s graduation ceremony in Quantico, according to a
Every morning, Luke gets up and races around the house, working on his to-do list, which includes things like cleaning his room and straightening up an area of the house. I’d like to think that his motivation is to be helpful and because he is learning that cleanliness is the first step on the path to productivity, but I know better. For him, cleanliness is the first step on the path to video games.
We limit his video game time to about 45 minutes, and after that, he goes back to being bored. Books? Toys? Games? Boring, boring, boring.
And to make matters worse, now award-winning Milk Chocolate Chip.
Orders will be in-person for the first five business days, with delivery, curbside pickup, catering, and shipping available through the Crumbl App and online at crumblcookies.com starting Wednesday, June 21.
Crumbl is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on Sundays.
INTRACOASTAL BANK EARNS BAUER ‘SUPERIOR’ RATING
Bauer Financial Inc. has recognized Intracoastal Bank with its highest rating
press release from the FCSO.
Welker and Staly are the only two FCSO employees who have attended the academy.
“This is a great honor for Chief Welker and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office,” Staly said. “The FBI National Academy is considered the ‘West Point’ of law enforcement.” of five stars.
Welker was one of 238 law enforcement officers across 47 states, the District of Columbia and 25 countries to attend the 10-week course, which teaches advanced communication, leadership and fitness, the press release said.
Those invited to the academy must have at least 21 years of experience and a proven track record of professional accomplishments.
He’s not the only one. But my oldest three children are savvy enough not to verbalize their boredom. Their teenage survival instincts have taught them to drift silently from room to room, couch to couch, avoiding eye contact with either parent. Because there’s only one thing worse than being bored, and that’s being conscripted.
One day recently, I played tag with Luke, darting around furniture, staying just ahead of him. He started trash talking, reminding me that my real-life agility was as poor as my performance in Mario Kart.
“You’re so slow, Dad!” he said.
I should have been mature enough to ignore the insults, but I felt that I had to defend my honor.
“Why can’t you catch me, then, huh?” I asked.
“I can!” he said, picking up the pace.
The rating was based on results from the bank’s financial condition as of the first quarter that ended March 31, and indicates that Bauer Financial considers Intracoastal Bank to be a superior financial institution, according to a news release from Intracoastal Bank.
HIJACKERS TO REOPEN ON THURSDAY, JUNE 15
Hijackers Restaurant will reopen for business on Thursday, June 15.
The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hijackers was bought in early May by Quantum Cowboys, LLC,
The next time he tagged me, I left the room. Finally, he wandered into my bedroom.
“Dad, where are you?” he asked.
“In the bathroom,” I responded.
“But, but, but — you’re it!”
When we resumed the game, I was hoping that his older siblings would soon join in and take over, but there they sat, like the children in “The Cat in the Hat,” apparently waiting for a more entertaining reason to interrupt their couch routines.
“I need a break,” Luke said finally, and he collapsed on an arm chair, exhausted.
Running Luke to the point of exhaustion isn’t a bad outcome, I decided.
Motivating everyone else will be another challenge, but I have an idea that should work: “Time for a family meeting on goal-setting, everybody! Make goals, or your goals will be set for you.” which is co-owned by Jamie Bourdeau and Joseph Wright.
“We are thrilled to be able to serve our customers at a place they have always loved,” Bourdeau said, according to a press release. “This is an exciting time for Flagler County, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday.”
Hijackers will have the same hours as it did under its previous owners, according to the press release. Starting June 15, Hijackers will be open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The restaurant is keeping its shrimp special, the playground behind the restaurant, happy hour drink specials and several fan-favorite menu items.
The Flagler Palm Coast High School Starlets held a fundraising car wash on June 10 at AutoZone on State Road 100, with 25 girls participating.
The Starlets are FPC’s color guard and dance team.
Money raised by the summer car washes goes toward Starlet team fees, keeping the fees paid by each team member as low as possible.
The girls sell car wash tickets for $5, with the proceeds going directly toward their fees.
Additional cars that drive in without tickets help offset other costs to the Starlet and FPC marching band programs.
The Starlets perform with the marching band during football season, present dance performances at basketball games and other events, compete in color guard competitions around the state and present the annual Starlet Showcase — featuring all styles of dance, from jazz to hip hop — in the spring.
SPORTFISHING CLUB DONATES $5,000 FOR DISABLED VETERANS
The Flagler Sportfishing Club has donated $5,000 to Disabled American Veterans, according to a news release.
The donation was made possible through proceeds from the club’s Spring Classic Fishing Tournament.
“We are incredibly proud to support the Disabled American Veterans through this donation,” Flagler Sportfishing Club President Capt. Adam Morley said, according to the news release. “Our club recognizes the immense sacrifices made by our veterans, and we are committed to standing alongside them in their journey towards reclaiming their well-deserved benefits. We believe that this contribution will make a
Courtesy photo meaningful impact on the lives of disabled veterans, helping them regain their independence and thrive in the communities they have fought to protect.”
For more information on the Flagler Sportfishing Club and its charitable initiatives, visit flaglersportfishing.com.
GARDEN CLUB INSTALLS
New Officers
The Garden Club at Palm Coast held its annual picnic and installed new officers on May 8 at the VFW Post 8696 at 47 Old Kings Road North.
The club’s new officers are:
President: Denise Garcia
Vice President: Julia Rossi
Secretary: Judy Rodriguez
Treasurer: Jenny Scott
3 Year Director: Kenetha Kilmurray
2 Year Director: Marie Fabozzi
1 Year Director: Margie BradyDani
Little and Kenetha Kilmurray gave the club’s annual scholarship presentation.
Scholarships were awarded to the following three students:
Lilly Achias, Flagler High School
Jessica Neal, Flagler High School
Abby Amaturo, Matanzas High School
For information on Garden Club membership and the club’s community activities, go to gardenclubatpalmcoast.org.
Friedrich Hayek
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Senior Media Specialist Susan Moore, susan@observerlocalnews.com
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VETERAN OF THE WEEK
Mike Connors
Branch of military: U.S. Army
Dates of service: 1972-1994
Rank/occupation: Armor Officer
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Mike Connors is a distinguished military graduate from the University of Miami, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He later earned a master’s of business administration from the University of Alabama. As an Army officer, he is a graduate of the Armor Basic Course, Infantry Advanced Course, Comptroller Course, Inspector General Course and Command and General Staff College. Connors performed in armor and armored cavalry units and served as an exchange officer with the British Armored Corps in the Tactical School at Bovington Camp, United Kingdom, teaching tactics to British armor and cavalry regiments. Connors was an investigations officer in the office of the Inspector General (IG) at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, where he conducted several sensitive investigations, one of which was used as the model to teach new IGs at the Department of the Army IG School. He managed the $1.7 billion weapons and tracked combat vehicle appropriation for the director of the Army budget at the Pentagon. Conners was the professor of military science at the University of Kentucky, which was recognized as the number one school in the brigade. Following his honorable military service, he was an estate planner for Merrill Lynch in Daytona Beach, followed by 17 years as a business teacher and basketball coach at Pedro Menendez High School in Saint Johns County.
