Palm Coast Observer 03-28-24

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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

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

Continued from PAGE 1A ... or not.

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LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 28

NATURE WALKS WITH URBAN

FORESTER CAROL

When: 10-11 a.m.

Where: Linear Park, 31 Greenway Court, Palm Coast

a snake

by a Central Florida Zoo expert. Free. Register at parksandrec.fun.

HALIFAX GENEALOGICAL

SOCIETY MONTHLY MEETING

AND PROGRAM

When: 1:30 p.m.

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

Details: Halifax Genealogical Society President Patricia Peoples will present, “Finding Your Ancestors’ Irish Townland and Building the Jigsaw Puzzle.” Guest registration is free.

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

YOGA OUTDOORS

When: 10 a.m.

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

Details: The Environmental Discovery Center is hosting a free outdoor beginner level yoga class by Kim Latford. Chairs available. Mats recommended. Space is limited. Call 386-615-7081.

‘DANCE TO THE MUSIC’

DANCE PARTY

When: 6-10 p.m.

Where: African American Museum and Cultural Center of Florida, 4422 U.S. Highway 1 N., Palm Coast

Details: Attend this dance party with Soulfire. The theme and attire is “through the decades.” Tickets cost $25 and include a spaghetti dinner. Call 609-304-9412.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

12TH ANNUAL SPOONBILLS AND SPROCKETSCYCLING TOUR

When: 6-9 a.m.

Where: Hammock Community Center, 79 Mala Compra Road, Palm

Coast

Details: Cycle 15, 37, 62, or 100 miles for the Spoonbills and Sprockets Cycling tour, to start at the Hammock Community Center. There is also a 25-mile e-bike ride option with Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance. Race registration starts at $60. Visit spoobillsandsprockets. com.

67TH ANNUAL FLAGLER COUNTY CRACKER DAY

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Flagler County Fairgrouds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell

Details: Celebrate Cracker Day with your friends and family. See bull riding, steer riding, sack races and more. Rodeo begins at noon. Admission costs $20 per person and includes lunch, to be served between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Children 3 and under are free.

‘GENEALOGY IN THE LIBRARY’

When: 1-4 p.m.

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

Details: The Halifax Genealogical Society is hosting a free, one-on-one research assistance program for anyone interested in researching family history. The volunteers convene in the Sandpiper Room in the library. To register, contact halifaxgensociety@gmail.com.

EASTER AT THE TRAILS

When: 1-3 p.m.

Where: The Trails Shopping Center, 254 N. Nova Road, Ormond Beach

Details: Get your picture with the Easter Bunny and enjoy J’s Mini Donuts, face painting, balloon twist artist, bounce houses and other activities. Visit Burntwood Tavern, J&B; Jewelers, Talbots, and Stretch Zone to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt and search for the golden egg to get a prize. Visit Dairy Queen for a free ice cream cone and Five Star Pizza for a free slice of pizza.

EASTER EGG DYEING

AT KIDS CREW

When: 3-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30

Where: Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa, 200 Ocean Crest

Drive, Palm Coast

Details: The resort is hosting an egg dyeing event for all guests and members. Activity costs $15 per dozen. Confirm a spot by calling the Kids Crew at 386-246-5661 by March 23.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31

ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT

When: 11 a.m. to noon

Where: Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa, 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Palm Coast

Details: Attend this complimentary egg hunt for guests and members of the resort. The egg hunt is taking place on Champions Event Lawn. Guests bring their own baskets. The egg hunt is divided among age groups.

MONDAY, APRIL 1

PALM COAST ASTRONOMY CLUB

When: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Where: Flagler County Public Library, 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Palm Coast

Details: The Palm Coast Astronomy Club’s next meeting is themed, “The light bending property of gravity.” Anyone interested in astronomy is invited to attend. The meeting room is located immediately to the right after entering the library.

TUESDAY, APRIL 2

TECHNICOLOR!

OPENING RECEPTION

When: 1-2 p.m..

Where: Gallery 202, Daytona State College Building 530, 1200 International Speedway Blvd., Daytona

Beach Details: See art by the 2024 “Photography and Art” class at the University of Central Florida. The exhibition, titled “Technicolor!” will feature colorful, vibrant student work. The exhibit will tun through April 24. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4

YOGALATES

When: 10 a.m.

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

Details: The Environmental Discovery Center is hosting a free beginner level yogalates class by Victoria Bennett. Chairs available. Mats recommended. Space is limited.

Call 386-615-7081.

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

FREE FAMILY ART NIGHT: “TEXTURED TURTLES”

When: 5:30-7 p.m.

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

Beach Details: Take part in this month’s project, inspired by exhibiting artist Antoinette Slick. Work together with your family to create a “textured turtle” with art instructor Linda King. All art supplies provided. Free admission. No art experience is needed and all ages are welcome.

MOVIES ON THE HALIFAX

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a showing of “The Princess and the Frog,” rated G. Movies are weather-sensitive. Call 386-6763216 for rainout information.

Saturday, April 6World War II Air Bases and Coast Guard

STATIONS IN NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA

When: 10 a.m.

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

Beach

Details: Speaker Robert Mattson will provide an overview of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard bases and facilities in northeast Florida just prior to and during World War II. Free program hosted by the Ormond Beach Historical Society.

16TH ANNUAL TURTLE FEST

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

Where: Veteran’s Park, 101 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Flagler Beach

Details: The Volusia/Flagler Turtle Patrol will hold its annual Turtle Fest, which is its primary fundraiser. Activities will include face painting, turtle races, live music, entertainment, vendors, and food and beverages for sale. If possible, a rehabilitated turtle will be released on the beach midafternoon. Free admission.

AUTISM AWARENESS FESTIVAL AND RESOURCE FAIR

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

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

Details: Join Vincent’s Clubhouse for its second annual Autism Awareness Festival and Resource Fair. There will be a bounce house village sponsored by Premier Chiropractic, a kid zone, food trucks, local community resources, games and entertainment. Free admission.

ORMOND ART WALK

When: 3-7 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach MainStreet Arts District, 128 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 7

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PANCAKE BREAKFAST

When: 8 a.m. to noon

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

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

11TH ANNUAL SPRING FESTIVAL AND PLANT SALE

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Flagler Palm Coast High School, 5500 State Route 100, Palm Coast

Details: The festival, hosted by theGarden Club at Palm Coast, will feature vendors selling plants, flower arrangements and hosting demonstrations. There will be crafts, music, kids activities, food trucks and raffles.

Lots of vendors - inside and outside. Wide variety of plants, flower arrangements, demonstrations, Crafts of all types. Music, Kid’s Activities, Food Trucks, Raffles, and Tons of Fun for all!

Send entertainment or nonprofit community events to Jarleene@ observerlocalnews.com

School Board ends memberships at Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club

The facility will be student-focused with pool memberships ending June 30, and the gym closing by the end of the year.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

With Flagler County School Board

Chair Will Furry saying it is “time to stop the bleeding,” the board voted 3-2 on Tuesday, March 26, to convert the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club into a student-use only facility.

Christy Chong made the motion to close pool memberships on June 30, the end of the district’s fiscal year, and terminate gym memberships including contracts with health insurance companies.

Two of the insurance contracts run until the end of the year, so gym members through those companies will be able to continue to use the gym through Dec. 31. Chong’s motion directs the district to negotiate earlier exits with the insurance companies if possible.

“It’s a very sad day,” said Cheryl Massaro, who voted against the motion, as did Colleen Conklin.

Sally Hunt voted with Furry and Chong to close the club’s gym and convert the pool for school district

BY THE NUMBERS

$351,758

Budgeted operating expenses for the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club for 2023-24 $175,000

Budgeted total revenue for the facility for 2023-2024

$176,758

Projected deficit for the facility for 2023-2024

$175,184

Facility’s deficit in 2022-2023

$79,000

Projected

use and rental only. The Flagler Fluid Swim Team and the Synchro Belles will continue their agreements. Flagler Palm Coast High School’s swim team will also continue to use the pool for practice and meets. The Matanzas High team swims at the Frieda Zamba Pool at the Palm Coast Aquatics Center.

The board had voted on May 16, 2023, to give the district a chance to increase club revenue by attracting new members, raising rates and adding a pool option for insurance members. The insurance companies paid the district $72,252 last year for their members’ gym usage. The board voted 3-2 last year for a deadline through the summer, with assessments to be made on a periodic basis and closing the club in December if the operating deficit was not significantly reduced.

‘WHAT’S A COUPLE MORE MONTHS?’

At a March 5 workshop, district staff presented an update with the facility’s projected deficit of $176,758 for the 2023-2024 year. That is even more than last year’s loss of $175,184.

But Massaro said the projected loss

does not take into account a likely spike during the summer months and implored her fellow board members to keep the pool and gym open to members through the summer.

“To cut the pool out to our residents, our community members and our children who don’t have pools seems ludicrous to me,” Massaro said. “It’s unfair to the members. This community is asking us, what’s a couple more months? We had a plan, and now we want to change it. … I’m not opposed to close it when we go through the process. At least let kids get through the summer, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

But Furry said the pool will still be accessible to the community through group rentals.

“There will be programs that kids can access during the summer time, I’m sure,” he said. “There just won’t be a membership club anymore after this. And we won’t be hemorrhaging money in the six figures every year.”

The club currently has an operating budget of $351,758. Without memberships and no staff on site, the facility’s expenses would still be $79,000. Furry said that expense would be an investment for the dis-

Flagler Sheriff: 37 more deputies needed

The Flagler County Commission and Palm Coast City Council will need to come to an agreement on level of service and cost.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

To keep up with the county’s rapidly growing population, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office needs 37 more deputies.

The problems facing the Flagler

“This is a fast-growing county, as you know, and the quality of life depends on the first responders.”

RICK STALY, Flagler Sheriff

County Commission and the Palm Coast City Council are not just about the need for more deputies, but also how the cost of new deputies would be split among the commission and the city of Palm Coast. Sheriff Rick Staly said he is often caught in the middle between the two boards’ competing interests.

“If you can come to an agreement on what the ratio is,” Staly said, “then everybody knows what the expectations are.”

Staly said Flagler County and Palm Coast staff have been working with Flagler County Sheriff’s Office administrators for close to a year to develop an in-depth analysis on FCSO deputy staffing needs in the coming years. Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston presented the results of that analysis at a joint workshop meeting on March 20 to the Flagler County Commission and Palm Coast City Council.

The report analyzed the number of calls for service the FCSO receives in Palm Coast and unincorporated Flagler County. Because Flagler Beach and Bunnell have their own police

trict’s students. Conklin said the district still has to maintain the pool, but without memberships it will no longer receive revenue.

PHASING OUT MEMBERSHIPS

With the gym closed, the facility could operate without staff. The swim teams and any rental groups would provide their own lifeguards. But an employee will have to be on staff at the gym for the rest of the year as memberships are phased out.

Joshua Walker, Flagler Schools’ supervisor of human resources, said new pool memberships will be sold as long as they expire by June 30. Current memberships that go beyond that date will be pro-rated and refunded, he said.

“We still have to have discussions on a refund procedure and what memberships are available moving forward,” Walker told the Observer.

“The big thing is communicating to all members and all stakeholders what it will look like moving forward.”

In addition to club memberships that cost up to $420 a year for an adult to use the gym, tennis courts, pool and sauna, the club has insurance members through companies that have various contracts.

ASH Silver&Fit; and Active&Fit; have contracts with the district through the end of the year. The ASH contracts require a 90-day notice that they will be terminated on Dec. 31. The Renew Active contract also runs to the end of the year and requires a 120-day notice that it will be terminated.

Florida Health Care can be terminated at any time upon a 90-day notice, and Optum can be terminated at the end of a 120-day notice. The approved motion directs the district to negotiate with the insurance companies for an earlier exit.

The Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club was built in 1979 by the ITT Corporation and later gifted to the School Board. The district has been operating the facility in the red for years.

“Originally, the idea was a jointuse facility,” Conklin said. “The community would benefit from it and the school district would ben -

VOTERS’ GUIDE CONTEST

Gabriel Guzman, a Flagler Palm Coast digital design student, won the 2024 Flagler County Voter’s Guide Cover Design Contest, Kaiti Lenhart, the county’s supervisor of elections, announced at the March 26 School Board meeting.

The guide provides valuable election information.

“Everywhere we go, we hand these out,” Lenhart said.

This is the ninth straight year an FPC student has won the contest. Students are very engaged in the contest, using their digital design lessons in a real-world use, Lenhart said.

efit from it.”

Conklin noted that the operations budget never came out of K-12 money. “That would have been illegal,” she said.

When the board discussed the possibility of ending memberships a year ago, a parade of members beseeched board members to keep the gym open. But on March 26, only a handful of members, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, spoke at the workshop and business meeting.

Email Brent Woronoff at brent@ observerlocalnews.com.

BY THE NUMBERS

departments, calls in those areas were factored out.

The report showed that FCSO deputies spend, on average, two hours on one call for service.

Deputies’ shifts are in 12-hour intervals, and the FCSO is proposing a 67% obligation rate, which means deputies would spend roughly 67% of their shifts responding to calls and the remaining time on proactive patrols.

“The reason you don’t want 12-hour obligated time handling calls is because then you become strictly a reactive law enforcement agency and not proactive,” Staly said.

According to the data in the report, in one 24-hour period, the FCSO would need a minimum of 71 deputies to support the number of calls received and still allow time for proactive patrols, Johnston said. That number also takes into consideration time off requests and vacation time.

Based on the number of calls for service received each year — over 43,000 — and the 67% obligation rate, Johnston said, that breaks down to 308 calls for service per deputy per year as a standard level of service.

At that level of service, the FCSO is at a deficit of 37 deputies for its current population. And that is not including future growth, Staly said.

“This is a fast-growing county, as you know, and the quality of life depends on the first responders,” Staly said.

Staly also pointed out that the report does not include support staff like 911 dispatchers, administrators, court and detention staff.

Ideally, to be caught up over the next several years, Staly said, the Sheriff’s Office would receive funding for 12 new deputies in both fiscal year 2025 and 2026, plus another 13 deputies in fiscal year 2027.

But, for those positions to be funded, the county and Palm Coast need to come to an agreement on who pays how much and what level of service is acceptable.

Over 80% of the calls for service are for Palm Coast, Staly said, and

37 new deputies are needed to catch up with the county’s growing population and maintain the level of service.

67% obligation rate is how much time a deputy spends on-shift responding to calls for service. In a 12 hour shift, this means roughly eight hours are spent responding to calls.

121 minutes on average is how long a deputy spends on a call

Johnston’s presentation recommended both boards adopt the 308 calls per deputy per year service rate.

City Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri said she would like to see how other, similar-sized municipalities deal with levels of service.

“I would like to adopt a level of service,” she said, “… to have a metric that we can consistently go by year after year.”

A lower level of service would decrease the number of new deputy positions required, but also lower proactive patrol time. Once a level of service is decided on, then comes the decision of how to fund the positions. While there are multiple options to fund new deputy positions, the most common would be dedicating a portion of the city’s

49,631

calls for service for Palm Coast and unincorporated Flagler County were received in 2023. In 2019, those areas had 43,385 calls for service.

308 calls for service per deputy per year is the level of service city, county and Sheriff’s Office administrators recommend to keep a higher quality of service.

131,439 is Flagler County’s estimated population as of July 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau

or county’s millage rate, or implementing a half-cent sales tax.

Both boards are entering the beginning of the fiscal year 2025 budget discussions.

Commissioner Leann Pennington said regardless of the county’s crime rate, so long as the population increases the number of calls for services will also increase. If the county is going to have sustained growth, she said, there needs be a commitment to funding the needed positions in incremental ways.

“Growth needs to be serviced,”

Pennington said. “The calls don’t stop — the growth drives the calls. So regardless of type of crime rate or anything like that, you’re going to have the calls coming in, so he [Staly] has to be properly staffed for that.”

Flagler County School Board Chair Will Furry said, “It’s time to stop the bleeding.”

Photo by Brent Woronoff

Kaiti Lenhart

CITY WATCH

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Palm Coast to host

litter clean

up on April 28

Palm Coast invites residents to help “Keep Palm Coast Clean” in a litter pick-up event on April 28. Volunteers will meet the Public Works Department, 1 Wellfield Grade. Litter pick-up will be from 8 a.m. to noon. along earmarked roadways, including Palm Coast Parkway, Belle Terre Parkway and Belle Terre Boulevard, a city press release said.

From noon to 1 p.m. there will be a closing ceremony and awards for participants, including the “Litter Warrior Award” for the person who collects the most trash. Every volunteer will receive a certificate of completion and be acknowledged as a “LitterFree Ambassador.”

Transportation to the cleanup areas will not be provided, but the city will provide litter-ready gloves, eco-friendly trash bags, refreshments and necessary safety measures for a successful cleanup day, the press release said.

Individuals or groups interested in volunteering can email to Solidwastedivision@ palmcoastgov.com. For more information, call 386-9862360.

PCFD has responded to 8,000 calls since Oct. 1 Council,

The Palm Coast Fire Department has answered almost 8,000 calls for service since Oct. 1, 2023, Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill said.

In an overview presentation to the Palm Coast City Council on March 26, Berryhill said that PCFD received and responded to 7,983 service calls since fiscal year 2024, which began on Oct. 1. In the calendar year of 2023, the department responded to over 15,000 calls for service and in fiscal year 2023 — spanning Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 31, 2023 — it responded to 14,300 calls.

The fire department has a response-time goal of reaching a call in less than 7 minutes, at least 85% of the time. In the calls received between Oct. 1, 2023 and March 2024, Berryhill said, the fire department has made it to the scene in less than 7 minutes 82.3% of the time. Once there, 80% of fires were contained to the room of origin and 29.5% of cardiac arrest victims were able to be resuscitated on-site.

“We want to be a model fire department,” Berryhill said. “We want to be something that people can look to and emulate. And if we’re not doing that, we want to know about it.”

The presentation was one of several year-to-date overviews on city departments. Berryhill said since the PCFD just received two new fire engines this year the fire department will not be requesting any new engines or staffing positions.

Instead, the department will be finalizing designs and beginning the construction process of its two new fire stations, Stations 22 and 26, in fiscal year 2024 and 2025 and planning to purchase replacements for the fire engines Engine 22 and Tower 24 in fiscal year 2026.

To be more prepared for the purchases, Berryhill said, the PCFD is planning to save for the purchase of the new fire engines with a capital improvement plan.

If the department did not change its approach, he said, the recent changes in the fire engine market meant that the PCFD could expect to spend $750,000 to replace Engine 22 and around $2 million to replace Tower 24.

“What our plan is, is that you won’t notice, from a budgetary standpoint, that we’re making big purchases, because we’ve done such a great job of [planning],” Berryhill said.

COUNCIL OKs PROMENADE APARTMENT, RETAIL BUILDING FOR TOWN CENTER

The Palm Coast City Council has approved the Promenade, a retail and 204-unit apartment building designed for Town Center.

The council voted 4-0 to approve the development’s application at its March 19 meeting, with Vice Mayor Ed Danko absent from the meeting. The project is planned for the 17.35 acres on the southwest corner of Central Avenue and Bulldog Drive, directly across from Central Park at Town Center.

After 20 years, this will be the first “true mixed-use building” in Town Center’s development, senior city planner Phong Nguyen said.

“The intersection of Central Avenue and Bulldog [Drive] was anticipated to be the epicenter of the four corners of the Main Street, which now we call it Central Avenue,” Nguyen said.

Property owner PC Town Center Development II submitted a site plan for the Promenade that outlines retail and commercial space along

the Promenade’s first floor, with floors three through four all housing apartment units. The apartments will be one or two-bedrooms, ranging from 655 to 1,163 square feet, and the site will have 521 parking spots.

The Promenade’s mixed-use space will create a “downtown” atmosphere that is walkable and pedestrian friendly for both visitors and residents, a Palm Coast press release said.

The Promenade will have 67,000 square feet of commercial use and four of those store fronts are planned for restaurants, said Frank Mendola, director of Real Estate Development with Persimmon Capital Group, representing the property owner. The buildings themselves will be made with concrete, which is more resilient, he said.

“The concrete block is more efficient to build in the sense that it’s faster,” Mendola said. Council member Nick Klufas said he was excited to the addition of more diverse housing options for Palm Coast residents.

“This is something that I think a lot people are looking for, and I’m happy that it’s coming to Palm Coast,” Klufas said. City staff members are currently reviewing building permits for the Promenade.

Planning Board approves next phases in Sawmill Branch

A 488-acre development in Palm Coast has received approval from the City Council and the Palm Coast Planning Board on its next phases.

The Sawmill Branch development — located west of U.S. 1 and 1.5 miles north of Matanzas Woods Parkway — is a large, seven-phased Master Planned Development.

The City Council approved a final plat for Sawmill’s Phase 2B in a 4-0 vote on March 19. The final plat is for 252 units across the 124 acres. A final plat for Phase 2A of the development was approved by the council in January. Phase 2A will have 246 single family homes, for a total of almost 500 homes in the Sawmill Branch Phase 2 alone.

The developer is required to build a “spine road” connecting Sawmill Branch’s multiple phases, which will later be called “Sawmill Branch Boulevard.” The road must be completed before occupancy certificates can be issued for homes in a completed phase, city planner Estelle Lens said.

The Palm Coast Planning Land Development and Regulation Board approved the application for Sawmill’s Phase 3 in a 6-0 vote. Phase 3 will have 278 single family lots across 143.34 acres, with 6,000-square-foot lots. City planner Phong Nguyen told planning board members that the developer has plans to begin construction on Phase 3 early 2025.

Sawmill Branch’s master plan was originally approved in 2011 and is part of the Palm Coast Park Development of Regional Impact, along U.S. 1 near Matanzas Woods Parkway.

“I can’t sleep- my spouse’s SNORING keeps me awake!”

As an audiologist, my job is to care for my patient’s hearing health in a variety of different ways. While treating patients with hearing loss is how I spend the majority of days in clinic, I also counsel patients with other health conditions that may affect their hearing KEEP their hearing normal. One of the complaints I get quite often from spouses and family members is that they have trouble sleeping due to their partner’s snoring. Sleep is an important part of staying healthy, and prioritizing good quality sleep is one easy way to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, especially as we age.

In fact, sleep is one of the three pillars of health, along with nutrition and physical activity. The health benefits of sleep include supporting weight management, increasing immunity, reducing risk of injury, and boosting memory and learning. Studies show that adults should get seven to eight hours of sleep- and it’s not just getting enough sleep, but the quality matters as well. If you have a spouse or loved one that is keeping you up or interrupting your sleep, that will affect the quality of your sleep over time and will lead to not feeling rested when you wake. It’s not healthy to have “broken sleep” (where you wake several times a night) or too short of a period of sleep, because

sleep supports all aspects of normal brain function.

In my clinic and as a tinnitus specialist, I often have patients present with moderate to severe tinnitus, which can also cause sleep issues. Part of comprehensive tinnitus management includes counseling on healthy sleep habits. I find that often when my patients start getting enough quality sleep, it lessens the severity of their tinnitus. For the spouse who has trouble sleeping due to noise- whether that is a

spouse’s snoring, or someone else in the house watching tv, or even the dog yelping in its’ sleep (yup, my dog has actually woken me up chasing rabbits in her sleep!), custom sleeping plugs may the answer. While you can get disposable sleeping plugs at the pharmacy, many of my patients complain they aren’t comfortable or that they don’t stay in their ears. At Palm Coast Hearing Center, we can do a brief otoscopic exam of your ears to make sure they are healthy and take earmold impressions to make you a set of custom sleeping earplugs. These earplugs will often last a lifetime with proper care and are made of a softer comfortable material that stays put in your ears as you sleep. You can wear them and sleep on your side and they are comfortable and effective at keeping you from waking. Don’t wait another day-

if you are having trouble sleeping, give us a call and we will be happy to get you sleeping soundly with a set of comfortable CUSTOM sleeping plugs!

At Palm Coast Hearing Center, our mission is to not only provide the best quality hearing care possible, but also to educate the community and help all patients make informed decisions so they can

get the care they need and deserve. Want to learn more about hearing health? Visit our website at palmcoasthearingcenter.com and click the “About” button, then “Helpful Articles”. You can also schedule an appointment online. We also have a second location to serve you in Ormond Beach at www. ormondhearingcenter.com.

Visit our website at palmcoasthearingcenter.com and click the “About” button, then “Helpful Articles”. You can also schedule an appointment online. We also have a second location to serve you in Ormond Beach at www.ormondhearingcenter.com..com.

PCFD Firefighters in a training exercise. Photo courtesy of the PCFD

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Campbell steers Bony Booty’s

Diane Campbell’s message to her late brother was ‘I’m gonna rock this thing.’

A year ago, Diane Campbell sat by the St. Elizabeth

there.

Brian Daley died on March 23, 2023. About three years earlier, he had asked Campbell if she would be willing to start a beach rental business with him in Flagler Beach. He would deliver the beach chairs, umbrellas and tables, and she would do the rest.

Campbell, who was still living in Atlanta at the time, agreed.

Daley was the creator and

inspiration behind Bony Booty’s Beach Rentals. Now he was gone.

Campbell didn’t know whether to continue the business, so, sitting in the columbarium, she posed the question to her late brother. “I sat there and I was like, ‘Dude, what do you want me to do with this now?’ Of course, there’s a lot of grief and just a sense of feeling alone in it, not knowing if I want to do it without him,” she said. “But before I left the columbarium, I said, ‘You know what, bro? I’m gonna rock this thing.’ I’m gonna do it because I know he would want that. He would want me to continue to do it.”

Campbell has become the face of Bony Booty’s, wearing a pirate hat to events.

Rex Galindo, who owns the Flip Flop Shops franchise in Flagler Beach, is Bony Booty’s new operations partner.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Hammock Beach home tops sales list in Flagler

Ahouse in Hammock Beach was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 1-7 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Joseph Corcoran, of Ormond Beach, and Eileen Corcoran, of Palm Coast, sold 203 Aspen Way to Julia and Forrest Hahn, of Palm Coast, for $785,000. Built in 2016, the 3/3 house has 2,526 square feet.

Another partner, Elizabeth Hightower, who lives in Georgia, does the books.

Bony Booty’s supplies rentals to Flagler County beach goers in two ways. With the Concierge Line, it delivers rentals to custom -

ALEXIS MILLER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos

Robert and Dorothy Van Dyke, of Babylon, New York, sold 52 Club House Drive, Unit 105, to Carl Lehmkuhl, of Palm Coast, for $195,000. Built in 1977, the condo is a 2/1.5 and has 1,127 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $136,000.

PALM COAST

Fairways

ers on the beach. “They tell us which walkover they want it,” Campbell said. With the Comfort Line, customers pick up a backpack at the Flip Flop Shops at 214 Moody Blvd. They cater to visitors who stay at hotels or Airbnb’s.

Daley and Campbell came up with the name of the business based of the pirate theme because of Flagler County’s proximity to St. Augustine.

“We were looking for something that was relatable to people. We knew it was a fun business,” she said “We were just hashing out all these names, and you know, booty and pirates go together, stealing the booty. And bony, kind of skull and crossbones,” Campbell said.

And the inside joke, Campbell said, was that Daley had a bony butt.

He was all in, she said. He acquired a skeleton mascot

that he named Ms. Salty.

“He had a motorcycle and he wanted to put (Ms. Salty) on the back,” Campbell said. Campbell is keeping it “all piratey.” Outside of the business she dresses up in pirate garb as a volunteer with Seawolf Privateers, which raises money to support foster children.

Campbell and her husband, Dan, moved to Florida in 2021, and she began networking and doing events for the business while Daley delivered the rentals. Then in 2022, Daley got sick. “It was a downward spiral,” Cambell said. “He welcomed the new partner in. He was in Rex’s shop and said, “Thank you for all you’re doing. I can’t wait to get back out there. He could barely walk at that point. He was so weak.”

Campbell knows her brother would be pleased with Bony

Booty’s now.

“We’re renting earlier in the season than we ever have. We’re getting some really good traction. We’re getting some good connections,” she said. “And we’re bringing in new products.”

The business won a grant last December from the Professional Women of Flagler County to do a video production. Campbell is also looking forward to the opening of the Compass by Margaritaville Hotel next year.

“We want to be their go-to,” she said. “We’re literally not 50 yards from them.

“We want to serve the community,” she said, “because people need it. Not everybody can take their chairs up and over the walkovers onto our soft sand. I think it’s a beach service and a tourism service that people can benefit from.”

Indian Trails

Gladys Robinson and Sanuel Giuliano, of Palm Coast, sold 180 Beechwood Lane to Letisia Aguirre, of Palm Coast, for $355,000. Built in 1986, the house is a 4/2 and has a fireplace, a pool and 1,854 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $165,000.

Seagate Homes, LLC, of Palm Coast, sold 9 Burma Place to Ruth Hutches, of Palm Coast, for $412,900. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,208 square feet.

Yakov and Galina Sheynberg, of Hewlett, New York, sold 13

Donald Janes Jr., of Arcata, California, sold 91 Lancelot Drive to Mark and Whitney Morrison, of Palm Coast, for $350,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,829 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $350,000.

Birchbark Lane to Duarte and Cidalia Correia, of Seekonk, Massachusetts, for $310,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 4/2 and has 1,504 square feet.

Dimitry and Ines Sapir, of Palm Coast, sold 69 Bruning Lane to Maria Benavente, of Palm Coast, for $285,000. Built in 1996, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,128 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $220,000.

Palm Harbor

Ned Michael and Wendy Lee

Michael, as trustees, sold 6 Fernwood Lane to Margaret Wood, of Sanford, Maine, for $250,000. Built in 1974, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,056 square feet. It sold in 2007

for $145,000.

Louis and Rhonda Stermer, of Henderson, Nevada, sold 3 Clarendon Court South to Dayton Eric Hall and Carol Hall, of Palm Coast, for $470,000. Built in 1984, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a boat dock and 1,200 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $364,000.

Louis D’Urbano, of Cocoa, sold 12 Farrington Lane to Elizabeth Walsh Stewart, of Palm Coast, for $285,000. Built in 1976, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,536 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $173,000.

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

Diane Campbell with her brother Brian Daley, who died on March 23, 2023 Courtesy photo

County, district focus on SRD funding sources

The two staffs will continue to have conversations, Superintendent LaShakia Moore said.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

A meeting between Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore and Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito focused on uncovering all avenues possible to fund the district’s school resource deputies, not about the county ending or reducing its $1 million a year contribution to help pay for SRDs on each of the district’s nine campuses. Moore told School Board members at a March 26 workshop that she, Chief Financial Officer Patty Wormeck and Chief of Technology Ryan Deising met with Petito and

county staff on Petito’s invitation.

Petito asked for the meeting in a letter to Moore on Feb. 13, saying the county “can no longer sustain annual legacy expenditures that are not directly aligned with our strategic plan or mandated by state statute…”

Legacy expenditures are ongoing financial commitments that were made by previous commissions.

Moore said the crux of meeting was identifying dollars available to the county and school district such as community grants that would help ensure future funding for school officers.

“We have a commitment from staff to staff to always work together on identifying funds,” Moore said.

The county and school district share the roughly $2.1 million cost for the SRDs.

At the School Board’s business meeting that evening,

Indian Trails Middle School sixth grader Velentina Mondragon stood before the board during public comment to voice her concerns about defunding the SRD program.

Moore reiterated in her closing remarks at the board meeting that the two staffs did have a conversation about what funding opportunities could be available and that the county “has been a great partner for many, many years” in helping fund safe school officers.

She thanked Valentina for coming to the meeting and asking her question. Moore said that not only will the district make sure that it will continue to have law enforcement officers on the campuses, but it will make sure that it will have “our law enforcement officers on our campuses.”

Board member Colleen Conklin said during the workshop that going back to the

1990s, school resource officers were fully funded by the county.

“This should be a community effort,” she said. “It should not just fall on the school district. That is a shared responsibilty to keep our schools safe.”

Conklin also asked Moore if the topic of the county’s contributions for the George Washington Carver Community Center and the Flagler County Youth Center came up.

Moore said that nothing was implied that the county was not committed to the recently signed interlocal agreement.

“We will come back and continue to have the conversation,” Moore said. “But it is not appropriate for staff to make decisions that should rest in the hands of elected officials (the School Board and the Board of County Commissioners).”

Students win Future Problem Solving awards

FLAGLER SCHOOLS

Flagler Schools sent 178 students to the Future Problem Solving state competition in Orlando with 40 advancing to the International Conference on June 5-9 at Indiana University.

Here’s a look at each of the schools that participate and their award winners at state:

FLAGLER PALM COAST

FPC coaches Melissa Castaneda, Danielle Moss, Anabella Giuliano and Zach Lavigne took 52 students to the state competition and scored several wins.

Ava Mello, Arianna Slaughter, Victoria DaSilva-Carvalheira and Liam Lafferty won first place in Global Issues Team Writing Senior Division and will advance to the international competition.

Samantha Newell placed third in Global Issues Problem Solving individually and Desmond Akmentins placed fifth place. Lafferty also placed third in Scenario Writing.

Annabelle Machado, Abigail Blumengarten, Lily Ames, and Jack Mikutel placed first in the Presentation of Action Plan Senior Division. Kyra Baldwin, Ella Oshri and Jack Gilvary placed third; Eva Sites, Hannah Zublionis, Laura Herrera and Grace Brocksmith placed fourth; Summer Barnes, Veronica Matsikh, Emma Coates and Nigel-Ginola Njok placed fifth.

Kashvi Sagar placed second in Multi-Affiliate Global Issues Competition (MAGIC) Team Writing Senior Division. Aria King and Skylar Carroll placed second in the Middle Division. MACIC competitors are assigned to a team with students from different regions.

MATANZAS Flagler Schools Instructional Technology Specialist Amy Kopach coached the 15-member Matanzas High School team.

Lily Lisowski, Olivia Chochev, Eva Luis, Megan Rhee, Brianna O’Malley and April Goebel took first place in Community Problem Solving with the Spill the TEA project. Project WON came in second with team members Tony Pacilli, Carter Ives, Landen Cangialosi, Dmytro Sanchenko, Cline Hansen and Will Wells. Both teams have been invited to compete at the International Conference. In the CmPS individual Individual Project category, Ava Anderson took second place with her The Real Superheroes project.

Ava Muldoon took first place in Scenario Writing Senior Division for The Edge of It All project. She was invited to compete in the International

competition.

Olivia Chochev won first place with team members from other regions in MAGIC Team Writing Senior Division.

INDIAN TRAILS Indian Trails Middle School had the largest local contingent at the event with 77 students. Beth Blumengarten, Neil Kopach and Hannah Anderson coached the students.

The team of Wesley Kopach, Kendall Willis, Paris Milton, Dempsey Manhart, Liam O’Connor, Jorge Guerrero, Gavin Albertson and Arlo Bottinelli placed first in Community Problem Education with an invitation to the International competition for Project BOSS — Bring On Student Start Ups.

Alena Karanas, Americo Amaral, Cedrick Barrameda, Holden Carleton, Giles Platt, Jacob Gibson, Oliver Esquivel Novek, Ryan Jaeger, Sydney Mahon, Xavier Cejudo and Adriana Berti took second place in Community Problem Solvers Education FPS².

Tyson Landon placed first and earned an invite to the International competition in

the CmPS Middle Division Individual category with his Arrive Alive project.

In Civic & Culture, Maddy Aguilar, Eliana Mendez, and Emily Rhee placed third with Project Clean Sweep.

In Global Issues, Anabella Glasco, Brenden Scarbough Sanders, Emily Rhee and Will Skutens placed first in the team Junior Division. Giles Platt placed fourth in the individual Middle Division.

In MAGIC Team Writing Junior Division, Lucien Guadagno took first place and Anthony DeMaio placed fifth.

In the Middle Division, Heidi Apfelbach and Ella Forbes took first place, Dempsey Manhart and Siena Bailey took second place, Harshvardhan Lochab and Jordan Wilson took third place, Emma Ball and Xavier Camacho took fourth place, Allie Brown and Imani Halyard took fifth place and Mary Grace Seward, Kate Collins took sixth place.

In the Presentation of Action Plan Middle Division, Sydney Mahon, Holden Carleton, Jacob Gibson, Ryan Jaeger, Americo Amaral and Mary Grace Seward placed sixth. In Scenario Writing Middle Divi-

sion, Ryan Jaeger took sixth.

BUDDY TAYLOR MIDDLE

Buddy Taylor Middle School coaches Erica Scudder and Brandy Tew-Womack took 16 students to the state competition.

RYMFIRE ELEMENTARY

Coaches Caryn Taylor, Judy White, Amber Acosta and Colleen Welsh took 18 students to the event. Nine have been invited to the International competition.

Kenan Davis, Elissa Griffin, German Kabaloev, Evelyn Sheifer and Elisei Volkovskiy placed first with an invitation to the International competition in Community Problem Solving with their project Vocab Lab.

Jaycob Griffin, Alijah Pressley, Gia Rego and Ryan Shugart place second in Community Problem Solving and were invited to compete in Indiana with their project WINS — Welcoming New Students.

In MAGIC Team Writing Junior Division, Kenan Davis placed first, Clyde Moore placed second and German Kabaloev placed fifth.

CRIME REPORT

Bunnell police arrest two for recent shooting

Two

COPS CORNER

MARCH 20

NO CAMPING

8:05 p.m. — 2100 block of Coconut Boulevard, Flagler County Petit theft, burglary. Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a man after he broke into his landlord’s camper to charge his phone.

The camper is on the same property as the home the suspect was renting from, according to the man’s arrest report. The landlord called the Sheriff’s Office and told deputies the suspect knew he was not allowed in the camper.

Deputies found the suspect inside the home and he admitted to being inside the camper. The suspect said he pushed in the camper’s air conditioner and crawled through the window to get inside.

The suspect said he did all this to charge his phone, the report said, but fell asleep

a BPD press release said.

The camera footage showed a fight break out between Henderson and another man, with others watching the fight.

The 19-year-old victim — who was standing across the intersection, watching the fight — was shot twice, once in the armpit and the other in the abdomen, and he was flown to a trauma center.

The victim’s mother told BPD her son sustained “devastating internal injuries” that required several surgeries and the removal of one of the 19-year-old’s kidneys, the press release said. Jefferson was arrested on March 25. Henderson was arrested on March 22.

while waiting for the phone to charge.

The suspect has been charged with burglary and petit theft.

DISTURBING THE PEACE

8:15 p.m. — First block of Putnam Avenue, Ormond Beach Breach of peace. A 54-yearold Ormond Beach woman was arrested for screaming profanities in a local neighborhood.

When officers arrived at the residence, the woman was yelling “at a loud volume” at another woman, who was leaving with a bicycle, according to a police report. Two neighbors told police that only the woman screaming profanities was disturbing the peace.

Neighbors also said they witnessed her driving erratically in the neighborhood and that she “was acting in a very disturbing manner” that evening. The woman, who is a caregiver of an elderly resident at the home, is soon to be evicted due to causing past issues at the home, ac-

BRIEFS

Old Kings Road to be closed at US 1 for months

Old Kings Road will be closed at Highway U.S. 1 by the Florida Agricultural Museum for several months to accommodate road construction for a roundabout. The closure began on March 25.

There is a marked detour at Matanzas Woods Parkway that motorists are instructed to use. Alliant Engineering designed the roundabout, which has been approved by the Florida Department of Transportation, for the developer of Sawmill Creek, D.R. Horton, according to Wimpée. The project should take about four months to complete.

cording to the police report. Police also found mail and some items belonging to the elderly resident scattered on the roadside of the intersection of Putnam Avenue and North Beach Street.

Police arrested the woman, who declined to provide a statement. The other woman involved was trespassed from the home.

AFTER-HOURS ACCESS

9:57 p.m. — 600 block of South Yonge Street, Ormond Beach Burglary of a unoccupied structure. Police arrested a 26-year-old Ormond Beach woman who was suspected to be living inside a storage unit.

Police responded to a local storage facility after a couple saw a woman and a man enter the property by cutting some of the chain link fencing, according to a police report. The couple told officers that they saw the man leave afterward, but not the woman. When a search of the area outside the facility didn’t result in their discovery,

Solar traffic beacons coming to Palm Coast school zones

Palm Coast’s Public Works

Traffic Division is working to upgrade and install new solarpowered traffic beacons in local school zones.

The project will include seven new beacons and upgrade one existing beacon at Indian Trails Middle and Belle Terre Elementary, add four new beacons and upgrade another three at Buddy Taylor Middle and Wadsworth Elementary and upgrading two beacons at Rymfire Elementary.

The work will be completed in the coming weeks, a city press release said. The work will be done inhouse by the traffic division,

police began searching for damaged locks or open storage units inside.

The woman was found inside a storage unit without a lock. The woman said she had been evicted from her storage unit the day before. Though officers found an air mattress, the woman denied living in the unit. She said she had come in to clear out the unit.

When asked about the fence, the woman eventually admitted to coming in through the fence since it was after-hours. She said that the fence was already cut but held together with metal clips, which she removed to enter the property.

The woman was arrested and taken to jail.

MARCH 22 SEIZE AND DESIST

3:45 a.m. — 4600 block of Belle Terre Parkway, Bunnell Resist arrest, loitering. A Bunnell man arrested for loitering near a local church pretended to sleep and then faked a seizure after he was confronted by a Sheriff’s Of-

saving the city over $120,000. Flashing school zone beacons are required by state law and the new solar-powered ones will with functionality and keeping the city in compliance with regulations, the press release said.

Palm Coast traffic signal technician Matthieu Johnson said the installation will also help with maintenance as it sends real-time status updates to technicians.

“These beacons aid in keeping our motorists, pedestrians and students safe and any way that we can provide a more efficient manner of doing that is something we see as a win-win for the community,” Johnson said.

Send Palm Coast news to Sierra@observerlocalnews. com.

fice deputy.

The deputy was conducting an overnight security check when he saw the suspect leaning over behind the church’s fence messing with something, the man’s arrest report said. Because of an uptick in vandalism at church parking lots, the deputy drove up to the suspect and turned on his overhead lights.

The suspect immediately laid down and pretended to sleep, the report said. When the suspect refused to identity or explain himself, the deputy arrested him.

The suspect was placed in the patrol car and began to shake like he was having a seizure.

The deputy believed the suspect was faking it, the report said, because the man continued to talk through the shaking and had a normal breathing and pulse rate.

The suspect was taken to the hospital where hospital staff gave him the all-clear to be booked in the county jail.

YOUR TOWN

CHICKEN PANTRY CLOSES AFTER 68 YEARS

Bunnell’s historic Chicken Pantry restaurant has closed its doors after 68 years.

The Chicken Pantry, located at 602 E. Moody Blvd., first opened in 1956. A social media post on Monday by FlaglerRestaurants.com announced that the Chicken Pantry had closed. EstateSales.org is advertising a short-notice auction for the entirety of the Chicken Pantry’s restaurant contents, including grills, friers, tables, and its iconic rooster memorabilia, amongst other decor.

The auction will be held online on Friday, March 29 at 11:30 a.m. at EstateSales’s website. The Observer could not reach the Chicken Pantry for comment in time for publication.

PALM COAST ARTIST JOINS FC3

Flagler County Cultural Council nominates Lawson Glasergreen — a Palm Coast resident, national and international visual artist, and project manager — to the board of directors.

“We are excited you join us as we embark on our Board iniatives and work on planning for the future,” FC3 Co-Chair Nancy Crouch said. FC3’s mission is to advocate, support and foster collaboration for the arts and humanities in Flagler County.

Glasergreen looks forward to offering his experience to FC3.

“Lawson’s unique career trajectory as an activist, project manager, and artist has taken him all over the globe, from Central America as Peace Corps volunteer to eight months in the frozen, windblown desert of Antarctica, said Beren Goguen, of the Colorado State University Office of Engagement and Extension.

Glasergreen completed a Pan American Highway 40year experience from Antarctica to Alaska in 2023.

Goguen wrote an article about Glasergreen in 2023, titled “Staying Vibrant Through Art and Service.” To read, visit https://engagement.source.colostate.edu/ staying-vibrant-through-artand-service.

Lawson Glasergreen

Make yourself at home

Quarters for green rubber junk? Step right up

Luke’s adventures in Walmart, featuring coin-op happiness machines.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

In today’s age of credit cards and tap-to-pay, there is something alluring about a purely mechanical procurement process: coin-op toy machines.

This is what inspired Luke, my 5-year-old son, to accompany my wife, Hailey, and me on a recent trip to Walmart. Usually, he only comes if we promise to buy doughnuts at the end. Today, a fistful of quarters was burning a hole in his pocket.

At the entrance, there they were: about 10 different machines designed to swallow your savings whole. The bottom row promised gumballs for a quarter apiece. But he

wanted the toys on the second row.

“Those are two quarters each,” Hailey told him.

Luke was dejected, sensing — even without knowing too much about math — that his toy haul was no longer a paradisiacal bounty but instead a carnival-game gamble.

But Hailey had planned ahead, saving the day. “That’s why I gave you some of our quarters, so you would have enough,” she added.

“Wait, what?!?” I asked. “Who approved this?”

But it was too late. Luke had stepped right up.

He slipped two quarters into the slots. He turned the crank, and presto! Like magic, he now had a little grotesque piece of junk: a green, rubbery face of a creepy old man that can perch on your pinky.

The rest of the trip to Walmart went downhill from there. Luke held onto several other quarters for several aisles, but then exclaimed, “Ugh!”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

He pointed to a clothing rack full of men’s basketball shorts, and it was clear: One of his quarters had rolled under the display.

As I crawled on the floor with my

cell phone flashlight to help him look, he let out another “Ugh!” Down went another quarter, rolling away, this time under a pallet of potato chips in the middle of the walkway. Just like that, a whole green-rubber face’s worth of quarters had disappeared. He was, again, devastated. But there was more to it. As I studied the expression on his face, frozen under the bright Walmart lights, I saw that he was also a little afraid — of displeasing me.

In that moment, I wished I could be a little more like Hailey, a little more willing to forget about practicality and instead freely donate a few quarters to the coin-op happiness machine.

We gave up on finding the quarters and finished our shopping, only to find another row of coin-op contraptions on the way out. And, after one of them inexplicably “ate” the first quarter, Luke put in two more and came away with another gem: a dinosaur that is split open down the spine so that it can be stretched by the neck and flung through the air like a rubber band, like a quarter hurtling through space, never to be seen again.

VETERAN OF THE WEEK

Susanne Kerper

 Branch of military: U.S. Air Force

 Dates of service: 1968-1972

 Rank/occupation: Sergeant / Administration Specialist

 Hometown: Norristown, Pennsylvania

Operations Manager Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@observerlocalnews.com

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EVENTS

Dycke’s 24 years of service

Art Dycke is retiring. He has collected and written Palm Coast’s history, stemming from its time as an ITT development to today. My view

ELAINE STUDNICKI

PALM COAST HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The year is 2000, the beginning of a new millennium and a new city. Over 60% of the citizens recently voted to move into the future with a unique identity. Palm Coast, no longer the child of ITT, will grow into a beautiful city with a multiethnic population and 103,000+ residents at the time of this writing. The founding fathers, our first City Council, recognized the need to protect our environment, encourage business growth, and secure our future — and collect our history. Enter Art Dycke.

For the last 24 years, Art, with a team of volunteers, has collected, organized, written and presented our history. His collation of material from the ITT years, the first 30

years of Palm Coast, resulted in a research library, a museum, two books and numerous Historian newsletters that narrate the stories, events and people of our past.

Throughout that time, there were good times and tentative times.

For many years, the Palm Coast Historical Society had no home. They vacated no fewer than seven locations before opening an office and museum in Holland Park. Still, the history was gathered and written for the future.

I’ve known Art for 14 years and became his co-historian in 2018. Watching Art, I realized there is a true sense of dedication when someone loyally performs a fulltime volunteer job after their retirement. It’s certainly not uncommon for this to happen in Palm Coast.

Art’s history began in New York. Art E. Dycke was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1934. He would teach in Ardsley, New York, for 38 years, raise a beautiful family and retire to Palm Coast in 1993 with his lovely wife, Louise. He was an adjunct faculty in history, economics, and government for Daytona Beach

College on their Flagler Palm Coast Campus and he volunteered to be the city of Palm Coast historian. His “Historians” can be found on the historical society website. https://palmcoasthistory.org/ historiansnewsletters/.

Art began and ended his Historian commitment with a reliable co-historian. In 2000, it was Margaret Davie, a long-time citizen of Palm Coast, and in 2018 it was me. We have chosen to retire, again, together. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve, the people we met, the bonds forged, and the history documented. We’ll see where our future takes us. Surely it will be historic! Thank you, everyone, for your dedication to our history and contributions to our city, our home.

Susanne Kerper enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as an administrative specialist. She was assigned to Shepard Air Force Base, Texas; Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan; and Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, where she supervised the administrative staff for the commander of the 66th Strategic Missile Squadron, Strategic Air Command.

While in the Air Force, she met and married her late husband Julius, who everyone, including her, called “Abe”, due to his renowned honesty. Kerper received an honorable discharge and earned the National Defense Service Medal. She is past vice commander of American Legion Post 248 in Pennsylvania. While living in Pennsylvania she helped establish a foster grandparents program. Kerper and her husband moved to Florida and raised two daughters and a son in St. Augustine, while she worked as an accountant and office manager for the largest real estate company in the region.

When the kids were grown Kerper and her husband relocated to the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina, where she worked as a government contractor for the Internal Revenue Service. Kerper’s husband Abe passed away three years ago, and she then moved to Bunnell to be nearer to her children. She spends her time making quilts and caring for her two beloved cats.

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CORRECTION

The March 14 veteran of the week served in the Navy, not the Army.

DEATH NOTICES

Mr. Vincent J. Caratozzolo, 80, of Palm Coast, died surrounded by family on Monday, March 18, at Kindred Hospital in Green Cove Springs, Florida.

Daryl B. Kenison, 75, of Palm Coast, (formally Bridgon, Maine) died on Friday, March 22, at his residence surrounded by family.

Art Dycke has retired from the Palm Coast Historical Society. Courtesy photo

329

Observer

INSIDE HEALTH MATTERS

„ How to raise a healthy, active child PAGE 2B

„ Caring for children’s teeth PAGE 2B

„ How to protect against illness PAGE 2B

„ Tips for caring for your mental health PAGE 3B

„ Snapsnot of Alzheimer’s in Florida PAGE 3B

Doctor-Recommended Health Goals

Doctors say you can make the biggest impact with small, incremental tweaks to your routine. – STATEPOINT

1.

2. Tweak your diet.

Include more water and less sugarsweetened beverages. Replace processed foods — especially those with added sodium and sugar — with nutritious, whole foods. Stock your fridge and pantry with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats and poultry.

4. Get screened.

Estimates based on statistical models show that since April 2020, millions of screenings for breast, colorectal and prostate cancer

6. Watch for prediabetes symptoms

One in three American adults has prediabetes, a condition that can lead to Type 2 diabetes if left unmanaged. However, healthy eating and exercise can help delay or even prevent it. Learn your risk by taking a simple two-minute self-screening test at DoIHavePrediabetes.org. This resource also features helpful lifestyle tips that can help you reverse prediabetes.

9. Correctly use prescriptions

3. Get up to date on your vaccines

A number of respiratory viruses circulating this winter can be serious and even life-threatening, so the annual flu shot and the updated COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months and older are recommended. Vaccines are also available to protect older adults from severe RSV. New tools to protect infants during RSV season include maternal vaccination and monoclonal antibody immunization. If you have questions, speak with your physician.

may have been missed due to pandemic-related care disruptions. Check in with your physician. If you’re due for preventive care, tests or screenings, make an appointment. These measures are designed to keep you healthy and help your doctor spot certain conditions before they become serious.

7. Restrict alcohol intake

If consuming alcohol, drink only in moderation. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines that as up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, and only by adults of legal drinking age.

8. Quit smoking

Your health care provider can offer resources and guidance for quitting tobacco and nicotine. Declare your home and car smoke-free.

Follow your doctor’s instructions when taking prescription drugs – especially opioids. Always store and dispose of medications safely to prevent misuse. Whenever prescribed antibiotics, take them exactly as directed. Not taking the full course can lead to antibiotic resistance, a serious public health problem, and will not make you feel better if you have a virus, such as a cold or flu.

LOOKING TO FEEL

BETTER? CONSIDER

ADDING AN IRON

SUPPLEMENT

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional shortfall globally, including in the United States, where it is estimated that 1 in 5 people need more iron to function properly. This holds true across all age ranges and physical conditions, but most notably this is the case for women of childbearing age.

WHY YOUR IRON LEVELS MATTER

Without sufficient iron, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin – the substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen to tissues and organs. Iron deficiency can also exacerbate many health conditions, especially cardiac, pulmonary and circulatory problems, and it plays a critical role in conditions like restless leg syndrome, ADD/ADHD, celiac disease, and Crohn's disease.

That said, the symptoms of less severe iron deficiency can be harder

10. Manage mental health

5. Manage blood pressure

High blood pressure, often referred to as hypertension, can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke, and it affects millions of Americans. Visit ManageYourBP. org to understand what your blood pressure numbers mean and what you can do to get your blood pressure under control.

“It is quite common to set big-picture, ambitious health goals. But the good news is you don’t have to make major changes in one fell swoop; small, positive health choices made right now can have long-lasting effects.”

Good mental health is part of good overall health. Manage your stress, get sufficient sleep, exercise and seek help from a mental health professional when you need it.

to pinpoint. They include:

• Tiredness or lethargy

• Weakness

• Irregular heartbeat or shortness of breath

• Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness

• Unusual food cravings and appetite changes

• Appearance issues like thinning hair, pallor, dark circles, or brittle nails

• Behavioral issues like excitability, inability to focus, or irritability, especially in children

CHOOSE WISELY

Adding an iron supplement is an easy way to address a host of pressing issues, but buyer beware – not all iron supplements are created equal. Even those who know they need iron may not take supplements because they are notoriously bad-tasting and can cause significant gastrointestinal distress. The supplement market is also largely unregulated, resulting in many companies producing inferior products or making unsubstantiated claims about effectiveness.

HOW CAN YOU FIND THE BEST SUPPLEMENT FOR YOUR FAMILY?

The short answer is to ignore the marketing hype and trust medicine. Follow your doctors’ advice and look for an iron supplement that has been clinically proven.

From enhancing your appearance and providing an immune system boost to giving you the stamina and focus you need to complete tasks with confidence, adding an iron supplement can improve your overall health and wellbeing.

— STATEPOINT MEDIA

New report: How to raise a healthy and active child

Genetics play a role, but here are some tips for helping your child.

Many factors can encourage a healthy lifestyle for your child, and help prevent obesity and other illnesses that can extend into adulthood.

At a time when few children and adolescents meet the recommendations for nutrition and activity, a new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, “The Role of the Pediatrician in the Promotion of Healthy, Active Living,” offers guidance to help optimize a child’s health regardless of their weight, as well as strategies based on the best science that can also help prevent obesity at every stage, from infancy through adolescence.

PRACTICAL TIPS

„ Learn about good nutrition. Visit MyPlate.gov for great ways to take a team approach to planning and making meals so that kids have an active role in what they eat. The site takes into account cultural traditions, giving examples of healthy meals that include familiar foods.

„ Reach for water. Sugary drinks such as 100% fruit juice, sodas, sports drinks and fruit drinks, account for 24% of added sugar intake in the U.S. diet in people 1 year and older. Consumption contributes significantly to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, childhood obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other health risks, according to USDA statistics. Ideally, aim for one sugary drink or fewer per week. Bonus:

drinking water cleanses teeth and gums, preventing cavities now while setting the stage for lifelong dental health.

„ Limit ultra-processed foods. It may not be realistic to avoid ultra-processed foods altogether, but try to limit their access and help children and adolescents learn the benefits of eating whole foods like fruits and vegetables. You can also talk with them about the health risks of too much “junk food,” which is generally loaded in sugar and salt, doesn’t increase feelings of fullness, and prompts overeating.

„ Adopt a family media plan. Everyone benefits from sensible screen time limits that make room for healthy activities. Engage kids in creating a plan for the whole family.

„ Move more. It can be challenging to get up and move more, but when you make it a priority, kids benefit. Organized sports aren’t the only option. Your family can also enjoy walking, biking, swimming and dancing. Indoors, you can try active gaming or online fitness classes to

strengthen muscles, build coordination and release tension.

„ Manage stress. If your schedule is jammed with so many commitments that there’s no room for healthy downtime, consider what you can let go. Rest rebuilds the body’s systems after the challenges of a tough day or week, so reserve time for it.

„ Lean on support. Not all neighborhoods have safe places for children to play and walk to school, or offer nutritious and affordable food nearby. Additionally, factors like racism, toxic stress, housing or food insecurity and safety risks can impact your child’s health. Creating a safe environment at home, and leaning on the support of schools, health care systems and the wider community can create a healthier life for your child. One important resource is your pediatrician. Talk to them about ways to support an active, healthy lifestyle for your child.

For more tips and resources, visit healthychildren.org.

— STATEPOINT

How to protect against illness

Caring for children’s teeth brings peace of

mind

for families

Tooth decay is the most common preventable chronic disease among children in the U.S.

If left untreated, tooth decay can negatively affect a child's physical and social development, as well as their school performance.

As a parent or caretaker, there are steps you can take to protect your child’s oral health. Through the dental health benefits provided through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, children will have access to oral health care.

SCHEDULE ROUTINE CARE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that a child’s first pediatric dental visit occur before their first birthday and that as they get older, they see the dentist twice a year for cleanings, X-rays and treatment.

Regular dentist visits can help identify and treat potential issues early. Use the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid

Services “Find a Dentist” tool to find dental providers in your area that accept Medicaid and CHIP.

HEALTHY HABITS AT HOME

Helping your children brush their teeth twice a day and flossing regularly can keep cavities, gum disease and tooth decay at bay. During pregnancy, you can even positively impact the health of your baby by taking care of your own teeth and gums.

MEDICAID AND CHIP

Medicaid and CHIP cover more than 39 million children in the United States. Enrollment is open year-round. Dental care is just the beginning: You can also get help with preventive care, emergency care, behavioral health care, vision, vaccines, prescriptions, and pre- and postnatal care.

In most states, children up to age 19 with family income up to $80,000 per year (for a family of four) may qualify. Visit InsureKidsNow.gov.

Provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

— STATEPOINT

With only 8% of children and 21% of adults reporting receipt of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, less than half the population reporting receipt of a flu vaccine and just 20% of adults 60 and over reporting receipt of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, it’s no surprise that rates of respiratory illnesses are at elevated levels this season.

The American Lung Association recommends the following to help prevent severe illness:

„ Wash your hands.

„ Cover your cough and sneeze.

„ Keep your distance.

„ Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

„ Get up to date on vaccinations. Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. RSV vaccination is recommended for adults 60 years of age and older after having a discussion with their healthcare provider. Maternal RSV vaccination is recommended as an option to help prevent babies from developing severe RSV illness and is given during weeks 32-36 of pregnancy during September through January. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.

„ Consider monoclonal antibodies. If you have an infant or are an expectant parent, ask your healthcare provider.

„ Seek treatment. Antiviral medications are available. For more resources, visit, lung.org/viruses. — STATEPOINT

Adobe Stock photos

Seven tips for how to stop worrying and start living

Take a break, and focus on the facts of your situation.

GUEST WRITER

Do you find yourself worrying about everything that is going on around you?

HOW TO DISCUSS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WITH OTHERS

It can be frustrating to struggle with your mental health and to get your family and friends to understand where you are coming from.

Here are six suggestions on how to deal with the people you know regarding your mental health situation.

1. Listen to the professionals: Your friends may mean well, but when it comes down to it, the professionals are aware of your circumstances more than anyone.

2. Don’t argue with others: It is not your job to worry about how others may view your circumstances. Focus on managing your mental health rather than trying to get everyone’s approval.

3. Choose your friends wisely: Distance yourself from those who won’t make an effort to help understand what you are going through. You need to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. If you have problems or issues with a par-

It can be very tiring and depressing to constantly worry about your family, your job, your health, and everything else that is happening. Having things out of your control is very scary. As a result, here are seven tips on how to overcome the cycle of worry and fear in your life.

1. Focus on the facts of your situation; not your thoughts: When people are stressed out, they rely on their fearful and depressing thoughts.  Your fearful thoughts are exaggerated and are not based on reality. When you are anxious, focus on the

ticular person, then its best to keep your distance and hang out with those people are more supportive.

4. Attend a mental health support group: There are many mental health awareness support groups in any given area. Many hospitals, churches, and counselors in your area will be able to provide you with a list of these organizations. These groups will be aware of your situation and can give you additional advice regarding your concerns.

5. You are not alone: There are millions of people around the world who struggle with their fears, anxieties, and depression. Many of your relatives and friends more than likely struggled with anxiety and stress sometime in their life. Do not feel that you are alone.

6. Your goal is to get better: Focus on how you can handle the anxieties and stresses in your life rather than arguing with others who are giving you a difficult time. This isn’t a public relations event where you need to get approval from everyone. This is your life.

facts of your current situation and not on what you think.

2. You can’t predict the future : Remember that no one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you are afraid of does happen, there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage.

For example, you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything.

3. Take a break : Take a deep breath and try to find something to do to get your mind off your anxieties and stresses. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper, watch TV, play on the computer, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This will distract you from your current worries.

4. Take it one day at a time : Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or month, focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems.

5. Learn how to manage your thoughts : Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense.

6. Things change over time: Regardless of your circumstances, your current situation will not stay the same. Everything changes over time. Knowing that your situation will improve will help give you the confidence that things will get better.

7. Get some help: Some-

times, it helps to be able to talk to someone about your stressful situations. Talking to a trusted friend, counselor, or clergyman can give you additional advice and insights on how to deal with the fear of the unknown. Remember that there is nothing wrong in asking for assistance. Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear” which covers a variety of techniques that can improve your mental health. For more information, visit http://www.managingfear. com.

STAN POPOVICH

Photos by Sierra Williams

Ethan Hong takes an Easter egg from public works employee Lee Thomas.

Siblings Walley Louis and Charlene with family Mimosa Allen (right) and Marie (left).

Sisters Josephina and Jezzel Saravia blowing bubbles

Addison Bull tries her hand at a basketball game.

Josefina Watson got her face painted at Egg’Stravaganza.

Dr. Dennis Alter honored at Flagler County’s Golden Eagle Dinner

The orthopedic surgeon and former hospital chief of staff has served Palm Coast for 32 years.

his family 32 years ago. He was a unanimous choice by the steering committee to be this year’s honoree, said Bob Snyder, the chair of the committee that organizes the dinner with Central Florida Council Field Director Halvern Johnson and District Executive Angie Huber.

The Golden Eagle Dinner is an annual fundraising event for Flagler County’s Boys Scouts. The goal this year, Snyder said, is to raise $45,000.

“We are keeping the Boys Scout movement in Flagler County prosperous for years to come,” Snyder said. “There are wonderful opportunities for both boys and girls in scouting. I was an Eagle Scout myself. I loved all the fun and adventure that scouting provides.”

Snyder, the former administrator at the Flagler County Health Department, was last year’s honoree. He said Lisa Gardner, the wife of Flagler County Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, tabbed Dr. Alter for the honor at the end of last year’s Golden Eagle event.

“Lisa pointed to Dr. Alter and said to Jay, ‘There’s your honoree for next year,’” Snyder said. “Jay shared that with the committee.

“Dr. Alter is a perfect choice,” Snyder added. “He’s a well known community leader, highly respected. He’s held leadership positions, has done community service and philanthropic activities for his church (St. Thomas Episcopal) and the hospital.”

Dr. Alter was chief of staff twice at AdventHealth Palm Coast, formerly

Florida Hospital Flagler, chief of surgery and vice president of the medical staff. He and his wife, Laurie, were named Humanitarians of the Year in 2016 by the hospital’s foundation. They award the Alter Family Leadership Scholarship each year to a college-bound senior.

Dr. Alter provided free sports physicals to high school athletes who needed them in the 1990s, and early 2000s. Eventually, more doctors and nurses got involved, and AdventHealth now offers free sports physicals and ECG screenings to all Flagler Schools students in sixth through 12th grade.

“I did them personally in the locker room,” Dr. Alter said. “The coach would call me, and I’d go into the locker rooms and look at Johnny’s knee or whatever.”

AIR FORCE ONE TO PALM COAST

Dr. Alter grew up in Boca Raton. He met Laurie, who is from Fort Pierce, when they were undergraduates at Florida Southern College in Lakeland in the late 1970s. They both went on to the University of South Florida where Laurie received her master’s in business administration and Dennis received his medical degree.

In order to afford medical school, he took an Air Force scholarship and went into active duty upon graduation. He interned at Andrews Air Force Base and then became a flight surgeon. The squadron he was assigned to included Air Force One.

“My job was to be the doctor on the missions. And so I traveled with the White House (staff),” he said. “It was crazy. I was just a kid. There’s dedicated presidential medical people. But I was in charge of the aircraft and all the people on the aircraft as far as setting up. So, we’re going to this country, here’s what’s endemic there. Here’s what I’ve got to pack in my bag to protect my people. I literally traveled all over the world.”

After one year, he accepted an orthopedic residency at Bethesda Naval Hospital.

“You can imagine, everybody in that hospital is Navy — white uniforms,” Dr. Alter said. “And I got my

blue uniform on. Talk about standing out like a sore thumb.”

After four years in orthopedic residency at Bethesda — the last year as chief resident — and two years as an orthopedic surgeon at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, he and Laurie decided to move back to Florida to raise their young family. They settled in Palm Coast, then a small but growing community.

“I saw a lot of good things happening here,” he said. “It was like nothing’s here, and they’re going to make a town here, make a city here. So we really liked the situation.”

Dennis and Laurie have five children and eight grandchildren, and they all live in Florida.

“They’re in Tampa, St. Pete, St. Augustine and here, so we can gather on very short notice. So it’s really been wonderful. And I still love what I do,” he said. “I’ve been doing it a long time. I don’t take call anymore, so it’s really manageable, but the reality is emergencies still happen.

I’m responsible for the people I take care of, so it’s not a nine to five job either.”

When he was on call, he’d work 100 to 120 hours a week, he estimates, and he used his free time helping raise his family and serving the community, which went hand in hand. He sponsored T-ball teams. He was on the sidelines for Flagler Palm Coast High School’s football games, serving as team doctor.

“(Moving here) was all about family, quality of life,” he said. “And thank God we did that, because all my kids are great people. This job takes a lot of effort and energy and time, but you really make a difference. I’ve spent a lot of time taking care of people in the community. And it’s super rewarding.”

To donate to the Flagler County Boys Scouts, go to https://www. cflscouting.org/ged/ and click on Flagler dinner.

“This job takes a lot of effort and energy and time, but you really make a difference.”

DR. DENNIS ALTER

Dr. Dennis Alter in his office at 21 Hospital Drive in Palm Coast. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Jeep enthusiasts host Jeep parade for Palm Coast girl with terminal illness

Four-year-old Veda

Ulrich has Sanfilippo Syndrome, a degenerative, terminal illness similar to Alzheimer’s.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Local Jeep enthusiast Charlie Brown said he came home one day and found his wife, Sarah, crying over a video describing 4-year-old Veda Ulrich’s fight with a terminal genetic condition called Sanfilippo Syndrome.

Veda was diagnosed with the terminal genetic illness Sanfilippo Syndrome in September 2022, at just 2 years old. Children with Sanfilippo typically die of the disease in their early teens, though it varies. There is no cure, and no FDA-approved treatment.

Sarah Brown said she and her husband really sympathize with the Ulrich family: both husband and wife

work in the health care fields, and their daughter is also just 4 years old.

“Just to see what this family is going through in our community — we wanted to find a way to support them,” Sarah Brown said.

Charlie Brown said his wife turned to him and asked if there was anything he and his Jeep friends could do.

And there was.

He said over the last three weeks, he has been reaching out to local Jeep enthusiast organizations — Daytona Jeep Club, Volusia Jeep Club, MidFlorida Jeep Club — and organized a Jeep parade for Veda on March 23.

Charlie Brown reached out to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office while planning the parade, and Sheriff Rick Staly and several deputies decided to join in the fun.

Sanfilippo Syndrome is a terminal neurodegenerative genetic illness, caused by a missing enzyme, according to the nonprofit Cure Sanfilippo Foundation’s website. It affects 1 in every 70,000 births.

Sanfilippo Syndrome is simi -

“Just to see what this family is going through in our community — we wanted to find a way to support them.”

SARAH BROWN

IMAGINE SCHOOL’S ROBOTICS TEAM TO COMPETE AT WORLDS

Imagine School at Town Center’s robotics team finished in second place at the FIRST LEGO League Florida State Championship.

The Championship was held in Palm Beach over the March 9-11 weekend. The Electro-Lions’ second

place win has secured the team a spot at the FIRST LEGO League World Championship in Houston, Texas, an Imagine School press release said.

The competition will take place April 17-20, according to the competition’s website.

The FIRST — “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” — LEGO League World Championship is a prestigious event that brings together the best young minds in robotics from around the globe, the press release said. The competition challenges teams to design, build, and program robots

using LEGO Spike Prime technology to perform complex tasks. This event not only tests the technical skills of the participants but also fosters teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills.

The Electro-Lions’ success story is a testament to their dedication, teamwork, and the power of STEM education, the press release said. As they gear up for the World Championship, they carry with them the hopes and dreams of their community, ready to make their mark in the world of robotics. Send stories to sierra@observer localnews.com.

lar to Alzeihmer’s, but in children. Children diagnosed with Sanfilippo reach a peak in learning new skills — usually around 2 or 3 years old, the Foundation’s website said — and then begin to decline, losing their skills and mobility until they are unable to walk and need a feeding tube.

The Ulrich family, in conjunction with the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, launched a fundraiser called Saving Veda for a new clinical treatment trial for the genetic illness. So far, Saving Veda has received almost $33,000 in donations, as of March 24.

Charlie Brown even secured a $500 donation to the Saving Veda fundraiser from Jeep Beach, a large, annual Jeep-enthusiast event in Daytona Beach.

Christin Ulrich, Veda’s mother, said she had not expected such a turnout.

“Honestly I thought it would be, like, a few jeeps,” Ulrich said.

And, she said, she had no idea Staly and FCSO deputies would be joining in until just a few days prior to the parade.

Staly said he made sure he could attend the parade once he heard what and who it was for. The Sheriff’s Office has been a part of similar, special-occasion parades since the COVID-19 pandemic, Staly said.

“I don’t think there’s any better way to show community sup-

DONATING TO SAVING VEDA

The Ulrichs have launched a fundraiser in conjunction with the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation called Saving Veda.

Anyone who wants to donate can do so at SavingVeda.com

The goal is to raise $500,000 to fund the clinical trial of a new treatment for Sanfilippo Syndrome. Go to CureSanfilippoFoundation.org to learn more about Sanfilippo and other ways to help.

port for a family than an event like this. And the sheriff’s office is glad to be able to participate,” he said. “We hope it brightens the family’s day a little bit.”

Ulrich said she’s grateful for both the support from everyone who attended and the donation to the Saving Veda fundraiser. They’re hoping the fundraiser will pick up speed and gain more traction and awareness, especially with Staly’s support as well.

“We understand times are hard for people,” Ulrich said. “But we’re hoping that the more and more and more it gets out there that we will get the funds that are needed [for the clinical trial]. Because without it, Veda doesn’t have a shot.”

WOMEN SUPPORTING STUDENTS

University Women of Flagler presented Flagler Habitat for Humanity with their Non-Traditional Student Grant of $1,000, on March 20. These funds will be used by one or more of their homeowner women in Flagler County who need to complete their technical training, education, or certification for a job or career.

are (left to

standing) UWF members Phyllis

ORMOND FAMILY’S CARD GAME RECOGNIZED

A card game released by an Ormond Beach family received an honorable mention for best new board or card game at the annual Playthrough Gaming Convention held in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 16-17.

The category featured 35 new games this year, according to a press release. Josh and Breana Akerberg, of Mandatory Family Fun LLC, brought the card game “Bare Foot -N- Wild” back into production after realizing their family’s favorite game was no longer available for purchase. The game — a 2-6 person canastastyle card game — had a limited release in 1986 in Central Florida.

As the award was announced, the judges at Playthrough 2024 highlighted the ease of learning the game, strategy, and the risk/reward components, the press release notes.

“We are incredibly humbled and excited to be recognized like this,” said Josh Akerberg, chief fun officer at Mandatory Family Fun. “All of the

games featured at Playthrough ‘24 were top notch. We’re especially thankful to L.K. Turnbeaugh, the creator, for entrusting us to carry on her legacy.”

Bare Foot -N- Wild is sold online at barefootnwild.com and at local bookstore Fern & Fable, located at 51 W. Granada Blvd.

Most of the Jeep owners left gifts for Veda with the Ulrich family.

The Ulrich family look at a card the Jeep organizations made for 4-year-old Veda Ulrich. Photos by Sierra Williams

One participant of the Jeep parade left Veda a diorama with toy Jeeps on it.

Front row: Caleb Cook, Addison Herndon, Quinn

Photo courtesy of

Pictured

right

Erno, Jean Seavey , Kay Forest, and seated Jo Dervan UWF President and Lindsay Elliott, Executive Director, Flagler Habitat for Humanity.

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RAMSHACKLE by Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen

By Luis Campos

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The Fusco Brothers

Mainland hires former Buc Jerrime ’Squatty’ Bell to be new head football coach

Bell replaces Travis Roland, who led the Buccaneers to a state championship last season.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

When the Mainland High School head football coaching position opened last month, Jerrime “Squatty” Bell asked his wife if he should apply. She told him to go for it. How could she not?

“Mainland is a dream job for me,” Bell said. “I’ve been a Buc my entire life.”

Bell was named the Buccaneers’ head coach on March 20, three weeks after Travis Roland stepped down to take the head coaching position at Georgia powerhouse Camden County High School.

Roland led the Bucs to the Class 3S state championship in December.

Bell was the head coach at Atlantic High School in Port Orange the past three years. He led the Sharks to a district championship and a playoff appearance this past season.

Bell played on the defensive line for the Bucs from 1998 to 2001 and graduated from Mainland in 2002. He becomes the third consecutive Mainland football coach who also played for the team. Scott Wilson, who graduated from Mainland in 1997, coached the Bucs from 2010 to 2020. Roland, who graduated from Mainland in 2004, coached his alma mater the past three seasons.

Mainland athletic director Terry Anthony said Bell’s familiarity with the program played a part in his selection, but it wasn’t the deciding factor. “We received about two dozen resumes and then we selected a few candidates that we thought would be a good fit for this program, and he stood out above the rest,” Anthony said. “Him knowing the area and having that Buc pride in his blood played a little bit into it. But the thing

that stood out the most is he’s proven now. He’s proven that he could take a program and build it up.”

The Bucs have made the playoffs in 30 consecutive seasons. They were state runners-up in 2022 before winning the championship last year. Bell knows all about Mainland’s legacy as well as the school’s high expectations.

“The talent pool is great. The feeder programs are tremendous,” Bell said. “Mainland is one of the best jobs in the state.”

The Bucs are losing eight Division I signees from their state championship team, but Bell said the talent pool at Mainland is never going to dry up.

“We’ll have a lot of young talent and a lot of senior experience (next year),” Bell said. “I’ll be able to lean on the senior leadership to keep the program running at a high level.”

Bell coached Pop Warner football, one of Mainland’s feeder programs, for several years. He was the offensive coordinator at Calvary Christian in Ormond Beach in 2012 and was an assistant coach at Treasure Coast High School in Port St. Lucie for seven years before taking over a 1-6 team at Atlantic in 2021. He said he will keep all of the assistant coaches on staff if they want to stay. “Why get rid of a championship staff?” he said. Roland served as the team’s offensive coordinator last season. Bell said he has a few options to bring a new offensive coordinator aboard. If they don’t work out, he said, he can lead the offense with help from his offensive assistants. He has served as a coordinator on both sides of the ball at Calvary and Treasure Coast.

Two late touchdowns lead to win for Mainland flag football

The Bucs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 20-8 victory against Atlantic.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Recent offensive struggles have been a concern for Mainland’s flag football team. But after beating Atlantic 20-8 on Thursday, March 21, at the Buccaneers’ home field, Mainland’s players are confident they can repeat last year’s run to the final four.

The Bucs scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Sharks to end a four-game losing streak.

“We finally got some things clicking,” Mainland coach Ethan Simpson said. “The defense gave us some short yardage situations that gave us an opportunity at the end to score some points. I’m proud of the effort of the girls.”

Mainland gave up a touchdown and a safety to trail 8-0 early, but Adrianna Mallumaci caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter to make it 8-7 at the half, and Kiera Williams and Mallumaci each caught touchdowns in the final three minutes to put the

game away. Mainland improved to 5-4 heading into spring break. The Bucs’ 20 points were the most they have scored since their first two games of the season when they beat Deltona 27-6 and Sanford Seminole 21-6 on Feb. 20-21.

“We just needed something to kick us into gear to play like Bucs, so this game really brought that for us,” Williams said. “It was just great energy, great vibes from the home crowd.”

Mallumaci jumped high to catch the Bucs’ final touchdown from quarterback Brielle Jackson. Mallumaci then added the extra-point catch.

“I know we’ve been going through stuff, but we knew we need to bring the old Mainland Bucs back,” Mallumaci said. “We’re hoping to go farther than the final four this year. We’re trying to be state champions.”

The Bucs’ defense has been solid all season. They held Five Star Conference champ Spruce Creek to a total of 20 points in two losses, and they have allowed more than 13 points in a game just once.

“We started off 4-0, and we played some really good teams in Spruce Creek and New Smyrna — well-coached teams in the area,” Simpson said. “We played with

them, but for some reason on offense, we haven’t been able to finish lately. So this is encouraging going into spring break to give us a win.”

After the break, Mainland ends the regular season at Apopka on April 3 and at home against Lake Mary on April 4.

“I know we’ve been going through stuff, but we knew we need to bring the old Mainland Bucs back. We’re hoping to go farther than the final four this year. We’re trying to be state champions.”

ADRIANNA MALLUMACI

“They’ve put up a lot of points with the spread system,” he said. “But we may add the single wing to our rhino package for short yardage situations.” Bell will finish the school year as a staff member at Atlantic, but after spring break he plans to come over to Mainland after school to run a voluntary off-season conditioning program for the players. In May, he’ll run spring practice.

“There were some very good resumes,” Anthony said. “But it takes a special type of person to run this program. I think he’s the perfect guy for us right now, and I think the future is bright for us.”

Bell ran a single-wing offense at Atlantic and Treasure Coast. The Sharks rushed for 268.8 yards per game last season. But he said he will keep the spread offense that Wilson and Roland ran with the Bucs.

SIDE LINES

FPC AT FSU RELAYS

FPC’s girls 4x100 relay team placed fifth at the Florida State University Relays on March 22.

The team of Aun’Yale Howard, Olivia Gaines, Jada Dotson and Summer Barnes ran a 48.80, which is the second fastest time in school history behind the schoolrecord 48.39 they ran at the North Florida/South Florida Challenge at the Bulldogs’ track on March 9.

Elijah Thero placed seventh in boys javelin with a personal record 172 feet, 11.25 inches. Maya Tyson placed eighth in girls shot put at 37 feet, 7.75 inches.

MILLS TOP THREE IN TWO EVENTS

Jordan Mills, who joined the Matanzas track team late this season after winning a state wrestling championship, placed among the top three in two events at the Dr. Phillips Panther Invitational on March 22.

Mills, who missed all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery, placed second in the 400 hurdles with a time of 57.61 seconds and third in the 110 hurdles with a 15.18. Both times were personal records. His times are currently ranked 19th in the 400 and 13th in the 110 in Class 3A.

PIRATES SOCCER SKILLS CAMP

Matanzas’ new Pirates Boys Soccer Inc. booster club is hosting a three-day soccer skills camp for boys and girls in grades 3-8 on May 29-31 (Wednesday-Friday), 8:30-11:30 a.m. each day. Matanzas soccer coaches and players will lead the camp, which will include technical and tactical skill training, competitive drills and scrimmages. Each camper will receive a camp T-shirt.

Cost is $100.

To register go to https://bit. ly/3IYDraI.

Email Brent Woronoff at brent@ observerlocalnews.com

Former Mainland High defensive lineman Jerrime “Squatty” Bell is the Buccaneers’ new head football coach. Courtesy photo

Adrianna Mallumaci scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Kiera Williams (8) rushes the quarterback while Kaitlin Barba (1) and Cadence Haley (23) stay back in pass coverage. Photos by Brent Woronoff

Cronk commits to N.C. State

The FPC defensive end chose the Wolfpack after making a spring practice visit.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Flagler Palm Coast defensive end Colby Cronk will have one less worry heading into his senior football season this fall – deciding where to attend college.

The junior, who has received at least 13 Division I football offers so far, has committed to North Carolina State.

“I am extremely excited to announce that I am 100% committed to NC State,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on March 22. “Thank you to all the colleges that have recruited me, it’s been an honor. Time to put in the work!”

Cronk told the Observer that N.C. State “is the right school for me for sure.” He announced his decision a day after returning from his second unofficial visit to the school.

“When I went up there I wasn’t planning on committing, but after I got there I was sold,” he said.

meetings and watch how they analyze film. It’s just D-line specific. When we do it, it’s the whole defense.”

What separated the Wolfpack from the other schools that have offered him was the coaching staff and the engineering department, Cronk said.

“The coaching staff is awesome,” he said. “And the academic part, I was able to meet with one of their engineering professors and got some information about their opportunities.”

Cronk led the Bulldogs with 75 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback sacks and 46 quarterback hurries last season.

TRIBUTES

Robert Allen Hudson

October 17, 1949 - March 15, 2024

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Robert Allen Hudson on March 15th, 2024. Robert, a distinguished veteran of the US Army 1st Battalion 92nd Field Artillery Regiment, leaves behind a legacy of service, sportsmanship, and kindness.

Born on October 17th, 1949, in the tranquil town of Lennon, Michigan, Robert, fondly known as “Bob,” was the cherished son of the late Luella Jean and William Chester Hudson. He grew up in Lennon, where he spent his early years before graduating with honors from Durand High School. Following this achievement, he continued his academic journey at Ferris College.

School.

On his first visit to the Raleigh, North Carolina, university in January, he piggybacked on a Junior Day visit to nearby Wake Forest. This time, he was invited back to watch spring practice.

“The first time I was only able to see the football facility, which is awesome of course, but I wasn’t able to see the campus at all,” he said. “This time I was able to see everything. I was able to see how (defensive line coach Charley Wiles) coaches. Their practice schedule is very similar to ours at FPC, which is also very intriguing. I was able to sit in on a couple of D-line

Duke, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Iowa State, South Florida and Florida International were among the other schools that have offered him. Cronk is slated to become the first Flagler County football player to sign a letter of intent with a powerfive football conference team directly out of high school. Others have transferred to power-five schools.

“I just have to worry now about getting better and playing football,” Cronk said. “I’m really happy with the decision, I’m really excited to be a part of the Wolfpack.”

During his high school years, Robert was a standout athlete, demonstrating prowess in baseball, basketball, and cross country. His exceptional talent in pitching led his fastpitch 4H Softball Team to victory in a state championship. Following graduation, Robert dutifully served as a private in the renowned “Brave Cannons” battalion during the Vietnam War from 1970 to 1975.

A steadfast fan of the Detroit Tigers, Robert found joy in sports, whether perfecting his swing at golf courses like Curry Golf Course in Midland, Michigan, or engaging in friendly yet spirited tennis matches at the Greater Midland Tennis Center. His passion for sports was matched only by his commitment to helping others, often seen donning a cap and running shoes, ever ready to lend a hand to those in need.

Robert’s unwavering kindness, patience, and generosity endeared him to family, friends, and neighbors alike. His profound impact on the lives of those he touched, both on and off the field, will be forever cherished and remembered.

Robert is survived by his loving sister, Janice Jean Robbins, and his nephew, Tracy Lee Robbins, along with Tracy’s wife, Gena Brodie Robbins. His spirit lives on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know him.

Upon his return, Robert embarked on a career journey, first with the Grand Trunk Western Railroad and later with General Motors, where he dedicated many years of diligent service. Upon retirement, Robert split his time between Michigan and Florida, drawn to the warmth and proximity to his beloved sister, Jan. In Crescent City, Florida, he devoted himself to nurturing young athletes as a volunteer coach for the girls’ tennis team at Crescent City High

In honoring Robert’s memory, let us carry forward his legacy of service and compassion, embodying the values he held dear. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Colby Cronk stands during the national anthem before a home football game against Tocoi Creek on Oct. 27. File photo by Brent Woronoff

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