Palm Coast Observer 04-04-24

CITY WATCH

Palm Coast encourages residents to conserve water

Ahead of April as Water Conservation month, Palm Coast has revamped its Water Tips page online, offering residents more guidance on water conservation strategies. Conserving water is crucial not only for protecting our environment but also for significantly reducing utility bills. By adopting simple yet effective water-saving practices, residents can play a vital role in preserving our natural resources while cutting down on monthly expenses, a city press release said.

The updated tips page includes information on how to detect and prevent leaks, a section helping residents understand their utility bills and even a playlist of songs under four minutes to help encourage shorter showers, the press release said. The page also provides conservation suggestions for the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and garden.

Deputy Utility Director Peter Roussell emphasized the significance of Water Conservation Month. Simple changes can greatly reduce water usage, he said.

Acting city manager switch attempt fails City Council approves

A motion to appoint the former county administrator Jerry Cameron as acting city manager failed without a second during the City Council’s April 2 meeting.

Vice Mayor Ed Danko made the motion, stating that Cameron has plenty of experience where Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston does not. He said that while Johnston did a great job in her role as assistant city manager, he didn’t believe she was ready to be acting city manager.

“We need to bring in somebody from the outside, somebody with a fresh perspective,” Danko said.

This is not the first time Cameron’s name has returned to the scene of city management. In February 2023, former Flagler Beach Commission Chair Ken Bryan suggested Cameron step in as interim city manager after the commission had fired William Whitson as its city manager.

Cameron did make the short list of Flagler Beach’s interim city manager applications, but lost out after news service FlaglerLive posted a story that Cameron had been lobbying for

the city manager position with the assistance of the local Flagler Beach Business Bureau.

Johnston was installed into the temporary position on March 19 after former City Manager Denise Bevan was abruptly fired from her position in a 3-2 vote.

At the end of the meeting, council member Theresa Carli Pontieri made the motion to install Johnston in the role, explicitly stating Johnston could return to her assistant city manager position later on. Danko was absent from the vote as he had left the meeting early, immediately following Bevan’s firing, to campaign at the Palm Coast library.

At the April 2 meeting, the council adopted Johnston’s acting city manager contract 3-2, with Pontieri, Mayor David Alfin and council member Nick Klufas voting for it and Danko and council member Cathy Heighter voting against.

Pontieri did initially request the contract be altered to remove the ability to fire Johnston from the position without cause. She said her motion from the March 19 meeting explicitly stated that Johnston would hold the position and be able to return to her old one later on.

“We made a motion that Lauren Johnston remain acting city manager until we hire a permanent city manager,” Pontieri said.

The contract, however, does account for the motion. City Attorney Anthony Garganese said the city charter grants the council the right to hire and fire a city manager, with or without cause. He said it did not make sense for the council to hamstring itself when the contract specifically outlines that Johnston would return to her role as assistant city manager if relieved of the acting position.

“These are critical things in our community to move our community forward. I’m here to help make sure that the work gets done.”

LAUREN JOHNSTON, acting city manager

“It’s [the contract] all about not terminating her employment with the city, but relieving her of her duties as acting city manager at the discretion of the city council,” Garganese said.

Danko said he did not think Johnston had the experience for the position, and did not want to see Johnston “fall into the same trap” that Bevan did and be hired on as the permanent city manager.

“Someday you will be highly highly qualified to be city manager,” Danko said to Johnston. “That day is not today.”

But the contract also covers that.

Under Section 2 of the contract where it outlines Johnston’s employment and duties, subsection D writes that Johnston “acknowledges that her position as Acting City Manager is a temporary assignment and that the City Council is actively recruiting for the City Manager position.”

While the council could hire Johnston into the full time position, as it did with Bevan in 2022. Johnston’s contract was ultimately approved without changes to the firing clause.

Council member Nick Klufas said that, regardless of the with- or without cause stipulations, he believed the council should workshop and discuss any future hirings or firings of city manager, instead of making decisions “on site.”

“I think it would probably be prudent for the city to act in a way where we have to have a discussion amongst our city council before we [take action],” Klufas said.

Alfin said he is working with the Florida League of Cities on gathering a list of hiring firms for the council to use in its search for a new city manager. The list will be presented at an upcoming workshop.

Garganese, Weiss D’Agresta & Salzman, P.A. for their dedicated support over the years, the press release said.

Email Sierra Williams at Sierra@observerlocanews. com

Vice Mayor Ed Danko. File photo.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE COMMISSION

How does the National Association of Realtors settlement impact Volusia/ Flagler real estate industry?

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Last month, the National Association of Realtors announced a $418 million settlement in a litigation related to broker commissions, and it may upend the entire industry.

Or, it may not. As part of the settlement, which is subject to court approval and is slated to go into effect in July, real estate listing agents will no longer be able to communicate offers of compensation for buyer broker services on the Multiple Listing Service platform — but, local Realtors said that doesn’t mean such offers will go away entirely, and as such, the impacts of the settlement are still to be determined.

“In our area, [commissions] have always been negotiable,” said Bill Navarra, broker and co-owner of Realty Pros Assured. “I don’t know how much of an overall effect this is going to have because, even with the times that have changed and the influence of Zillow and all these different websites, the use of Realtors has increased, and not decreased, over the years.” The settlement aims to make the commission negotiations more transparent, said John Adams, president of Adams, Cameron and Co. Realtors. The process, he said, likely won’t change significantly.

“Things can continue essentially as status quo, so that buyer’s agents are being compensated by sellers,” Adams said. “But also, there will be a lot of instance where buyer’s agents are being compensated by buyers, which is fine, as long as there’s not financing involved.”

NEW PRACTICE

Prior to the settlement, the standard practice for agents was this: The listing brokerage would pay a buyer’s agent a percentage — commonly half of the 5% to 6% of the commission for every sale. Essentially, the seller would end up picking up the tab for both agents’ commissions.

Commissions in the United States are much higher than what home buyers and sellers pay in other countries. Americans now spend about $100 billion a year on commissions, Steve Brobeck, a retired executive director of the Consumer Federation of America, told the New York Times.

With the settlement, that could dip as low as $20 billion, he said.

Under the settlement, sellers’ agents will no longer be able to make

offers of commission to buyers’ agents on the MLS platform, which could lower commissions, especially to buyers’ agents. Sellers could still pay the buyer’s agent, but they won’t be required to. So the burden could fall on the buyer.

Sam Perkovich, the broker-owner of ParkSide Realty Group in Palm Coast, said she is still trying to figure out how the changes will play out.

“I’m sitting home today listening to a bunch of seminars to see if anybody else knows anything more. Most of them are just saying, ‘We’re going to have more answers in May when we resolve some of this,’” Perkovich said. “What we have found out is that we can still offer (buyers’ agents) compensation on our own individual websites and our own listings.”

But buyers will be required now to enter into written agreements with their agents, and according to the NAR, these will “help consumers understand exactly what services and value will be provided, and for how much.”

“What’s changed is they want more clarity by having a contract with the buyer,” Adams said. “... They want those things not to be in the Multiple Listing Service, which is neither here nor there. It doesn’t mean that anything dramatic changes. It just means that it’s not advertised in the same way it was.”

Agents will have to see how the changes play out, he said. It’ll likely make transactions a bit more difficult. “It’s going to be a little more complex for a home buyer or a home seller, but that’s OK,” Adams said. “We can get past all that.”

While some sellers may be paying smaller commissions, Navarra said buyers may find themselves with less opportunities for “good representation.”

“If they’re paying for a buyer’s agent, I definitely think they’re going to be interviewing them, just like a seller interviews their agents,” Navarra said.

IMPACT TO VETERANS, FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS

Local agents do worry about negative consequences to two groups of buyers: veterans and first-time home buyers.

Veterans who rely on Veterans Affairs loans may find themselves in a tricky real estate position. The VA loans are prohibited to be used to pay any real estate commission fees.

“It’s already tough enough to find them a great property with the difficulty of their financing,” Navarra said. “And now this element is going to make it even harder.”

First-time home buyers who use a Federal Housing Administration loan also have a limit for commission fees.

Perkovich said first-time buy-

ers in general will be most affected, because they usually have little left over in their budget.

“They’re just saving diligently so they can buy a house as a rule,” she said. “I mean, that’s not across the board, but it’s going to be a tough go for them.”

Toby Tobin, a Palm Coast real estate agent and publisher of the real estate website, GoToby.com, said agents may offer more ala carte pricing in the future, replacing straight commissions.

“That will be a trend that we will see over time,” he said, “even on the seller’s side. I will say, ‘OK, I’ll list your house but I won’t charge you 3% for my half of [6%]. What I will do is I’ll charge you $350 to put your listing up, I’ll charge $50 to put a sign in your yard. You want an open house, that’s $200. For food and beverages at the open house, that’s another $125.’ So, it will be more of a pay as you go.”

Perkovich and Tobin said more buyers are trying to do their house shopping online through sites like Realtor.com or Zillow.

“One agent I spoke with said, ‘I can see myself saying, “Pick your house. For a fee I will help you negotiate contracts and pricing,”’” Tobin said. “Because real estate agents generally are going to be more equipped to do that for the buyer or seller.”

Buyers who decide to forgo an agent will have no representatives other than the listing agent, Perkovich said “If it’s a good listing agent, they’re probably in good hands,” she said. “But there’s a better chance that they might not be in good hands with every listing agent. So now we’ve got to have an inspection. Well, who do we call for that? Oh, there’s something wrong with the inspection. How do we negotiate that? Is that seller’s agent negotiating in our best interest?”

Tobin expects more buyers and sellers to hire real estate attorneys.

“I think lawyers will become part of more transactions which will take some of the load or revenue away from agents and title companies,” he said. “There are several states, New York State is one of them, that requires a lawyer represent the buyer and the seller.”

PROPERTY VALUES STILL HIGH

Will home prices go down as a result of the commissions change?

Navarra said no.

“The market bears what the market bears,” he said. “... Even though the cost to sell might be reduced, still the value of the property and demand for the property, is still very high right now.”

Tobin agreed.

“I’ve read reports that this is going to reduce home prices. I don’t see that happening. The price of the home is market driven,” Tobin said.

Adams said that a seller who opts not to pay a commission to the buyers’ agents may be limiting their pool of prospective buyers to the very wealthy, investors or those who are buying homes in cash.

“They’re eliminating a lot of potential buyers that would be good buyers if they’re not working through the system,” Adams said. “So they could take that price off, but they’re also taking away their earnings.”

As for real estate agents, any time there is a change in the industry, there will be people who leave, whether it be because they’re unwilling to learn a new system or are reluctant to change, Adams said.

“Do I think that they’re going to get out over fees or how they make their money? I mean, only if they really don’t have the training and they don’t have the guidance to show them how to succeed in a changing environment,” he said.

Tobin said there will likely be fewer part-time agents.

“I think the number of real estate agents who seem to exist for one or two deals a year is probably going to drop, so the number of agents will drop,” he said.

‘A PERIOD OF OPPORTUNITY’

Real estate, Navarra said, has never been more complicated than it is today. He said he could see a decline in the number of agents as a result of the upcoming changes to the process. On the other had, he does feel there will be stronger agents left in the industry.

“My hope is that this does not affect everybody from having great representation that they deserve because home ownership is the American dream,” Navarra said.

Perkovich said Realtors will survive, but she is concerned about the buyers and sellers.

“Realtors are professionals and overall very organized, and we’ll get through this,” she said. “But education for the public to me is going to take way longer than July.”

Adams said he believes the settlement will bring a “period of opportunity” for agents.

“Those that understand this, and those that work within the changing guidelines are going to excel,”

Adams said. “And I think that those that don’t aren’t going to continue practice, and that just spells opportunity for people to be successful in the business.”

While the business may change, Tobin said, in the end, the high commissions Americans pay might not go down.

“When you add up all the pieces, ala carte, paying lawyers in some cases, I think you’ll look back five years from now and say, ‘well we’re paying different people, maybe at different points of time through the transaction, but in the end we’re still probably spending 5 or 6%.”

“My hope is that this does not affect everybody from having great representation that they deserve because home ownership is the American dream.”

BILL NAVARRA, broker and owner of Realty Pros Assured

“I’ve read reports that this is going to reduce home prices. I don’t see that happening. The price of the home is market driven.”

Toby Tobin, Palm Coast real estate agent

Adobe Stock

‘It’s an intervention to mitigate the cost of claims that we’re currently receiving,’ Moore said.

County School Board will vote on whether to add an inhouse health care center to its employee insurance plan. The school district’s insurance committee has recommended that the board agree to a proposal by Everside Health to establish and run the health center.

“It’s an intervention to mitigate the cost of the claims that we’re currently receiving (in the district’s self-insurance plan),” Superintendent LaShakia Moore said. Board members discussed their options for the third time at an agenda workshop on Tuesday, April 2. Moore told the board that the district will have to increase premiums this year for Flagler Schools employees and their families who are on the health insurance plan regardless of whether or not the health care center is approved.

Claims have been cutting into the district’s insurance reserve fund. Last year, the district came within $100,000 of its health care budget and that window is only going to get smaller, Moore said. “What’s happening is we’ve we’re having to budget more and more because our claims are higher and higher each year,” Moore said.

In February, Brown & Brown, which runs the district’s self-insurance plan, estimated that costs this year

would exceed the current fund by 10%. Due to fewer claims in January and February, Human Resources Chief Bob Ouellette said, it now looks like costs will be over by 8%.

A health care center will cost over $800,000 after the first year in startup costs, operating and financing expenses, medication and labs, but it is expected to cut down insurance claims each year with a projected cumulative net savings of over $4 million by year five.

The district now projects it will have to increase insurance funding by 12% next year without the health center, 14% with a health center based on a repurposed district or campus site or 17% with a health center in a leased space.

The health center would be free for all employees and their families on the district’s insurance plan. It would include a provider and two medical assistants and be open 40 hours a week. It would provide primary care, pediatric care, acute care (sprains, strains and aches) and chronic condition management and have an onsite lab and pharmacy.

“When we first started presenting this, a large percentage of our our individuals who are enrolled in our insurance plan did not have a primary care physician,” Moore said. “So this will help to provide primary care for those individuals as well. It’s also going to allow for us to cut down the cost we have for our drug tests through DOT. This is going to allow for those to go through this health clinic. It’s also going to help us with our new employees when they come in and have to do their drug screening.”

SORRENTINO FINALIST FOR FLORIDA SCHOOL EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Flagler Schools’ Employee of the Year Jimmy Sorrentino is a finalist for the state award, the district announced on April 2.

Sorrentino, a campus advisor at Buddy Taylor Middle School, is one of five finalists for the Florida School Employee of the Year award.

Sorrentino, who also coaches four sports at Buddy Taylor, is in his second year at the school after retiring from the landscaping business.

The other finalists are Terri Bagby of Brevard County, Jennifer Fries of Floirda Atlantic University, Edward Lanza of Marion County and Doris Cabrera-Jerez of Palm Beach County.

The board will also vote on whether to increase district contributions to the insurance plans by 5% to mitigate the premium increases for next year. Most of the employees who are on the plans currently pay $88.66 a month for the standard plan for employee only. For an employee plus spouse, that jumps to $1,010.19 a month. The health care center would replace a clinic contract with AdventHealth that expired in August.

District administrators and Everside representative Shannon Mason said a key to the health center’s success is educating employees about its benefits.

Acting city manager: ‘I’m here to help however I can’

For Lauren Johnston, it’s business as usual, regardless of the change to her title.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston said she gets her passion for working in public service from her father, who has worked as a finance director for a small-town Georgia school district for 18 years.

Johnston said she didn’t expect to become the acting city manager when former City Manager Denise Bevan was abruptly fired from the position on March 19. She leads a busy life, juggling community organizations with studying for her master’s degree in emergency management and, most importantly, spending time with her husband CJ and two young children Cole, 6, and Maddie, 2. But Johnston said she’s here to serve her community however she’s needed to.

“At the end of the day, it has to be done,” Johnston said. “These are critical things in our community to move our community forward. I’m here to help make sure that the work gets done.”

Johnston has worked at Palm Coast since May 2007. She rose through the ranks in the Parks and Recreation department to become its director in 2019, and later on, share the chief of staff position with Bevan. In 2022, Bevan became city manager and appointed Johnston as her assistant city manager.

Johnston said coming up through city leadership with a Parks and Recreation background gives her a different perspective than others.

For one, it has made her much more communityfocused, she said, and gave her a better understanding of the community’s needs.

“It helped me be the boots on the ground,” she said. “I love being ingrained in the community.”

Since taking over as acting city manager on March 19, Johnston said that, overall, there hasn’t been much of a transition. She and Bevan had worked closely together over the years, she said, even before their tenures as city manager and assistant city manager.

Now there is just more work and one fewer person. But Johnston said she is confident the administrative side of things will not be a problem because of how well city staff works together as a team.

The main changes she said she’s seen is her increased interactions with the City Council directly and all the extra emails. Even if there were challenges with the change, she said, she prefers to see those as opportunities to learn and grow.

“A huge passion of mine is being faced with a challenge and then create an opportunity out of it,” she said.

So it’s business like normal for Johnston. She’s focused, she said, on preparing for the upcoming budgeting season, the Strategic Action Priority talks and staying connected to the her community.

And when the next city manager is chosen, she said she will be happy to step down.

“That’s important for me to work and support that person, right, because they’re helping us move our community forward,” she said. “I’m here to help however I can.”

Personally, she said, she’s hopeful the city will hire a firm to find a new city manager, independent of the city’s staff. A firm would help take pressure off the staff to find a suitable candidate in the midst of all of the city’s ongo-

ing projects.

Overall, she said, she hopes the future city manager’s expertise and experience will help support the council’s vision of Palm Coast as a vibrant, safe, beautiful and well-kept city. Regardless of the position she holds at the city, Johnston said she’s going to continue supporting the city she and her family loves. “I’ve spent my most of my adult career here and want to continue working here,” she said. “I have seen it grow and, you know, I want it to be somewhere where my kids love to be.”

Commission adopts first stormwater master plan

The county has already taken the next steps and commissioned a financial analysis study to determine the best way to fund the program.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Flagler County Commission has adopted its first stormwater master plan and is already taking steps to begin design work on the first several projects.

That next steps is commissioning a financial study to analyze the best way to fund the program. The stormwater master plan outlines a proactive response to stormwater management concerns in the county. The county hired the firm Geosyntec Consultants in December 2021 to create the plan alongside county staff. Geosyntec consultant Mark Ellard told the county in a March 4 workshop meeting that the stormwater plan

would need a budget of $2.3 million per year.

The $2.3 million per year allows for a five-year maintenance schedule, Ellard said. Stormwater currently has a budget of $1.1 million which is funded in part by the county’s gas tax.

The commission unanimously adopted the master plan and approved the request for the study at the county’s April 1 meeting.

The county already has $2.2 million in grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act that must be designated for a project by the end of 2024 and used by 2026.

The first three projects on the list are in the Rima Ridge development area of unincorporated Flagler County. The county wants to reduce the flooding severity and frequency in the area by by improving and installing new stormwater infrastructure.

The fourth project on the list is restoring the Malacompra canal. That project, county engineer Hamid Tabassian said, is estimated to cost around $8.8 million to construct.

Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston. Photo by Sierra Williams

CRIME REPORT

Whitfield has never had complaints filed against her at work.

“Ms. Whitfield is a valuable member of the Human Resources Team and the county,” Wu wrote.

Palm Coast woman arrested for firing shots into the ground

Bunnell man arrested for threatening two with shotgun

A Bunnell man was arrested after he allegedly threatened two people with a shotgun at his home on Railroad Street.

On Thursday, March 28, just after 11 p.m., Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and uniformed detectives with FCSO’s PACE Unit responded to a residence in Palm Coast’s W-section after neighbors reported hearing screams and a gunshot.

whereabouts,

report said.

was originally charged with stalking and unauthorized installation of a tracking device, but the State Attorney’s Office filed an intent not to prosecute the stalking charge on March 8, according to Flagler County Clerk of Court documents. Flagler County Human Resources Director Pamela Wu wrote in an email that

COPS CORNER

MARCH 10

CIVIL MATTER

3:19 p.m. — 100 block of Interchange Boulevard, Ormond Beach Trespassing. Police responded to a local hotel after receiving a call about a 68-year-old woman from Montana hurling racial slurs and yelling at staff over $2.

When officers arrived, the woman was still standing in the lobby and was trying to talk to them, according to an incident report. Police instructed her to wait outside as they spoke with the manager, who informed them she wanted the woman trespassed.

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Bunnell Police Department officers arrested Joseph Cavallaro, 28, on March 31 after a 30-minute standoff. Cavallaro has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Cavallaro’s arrest report. The two victims told law enforcement officers that they had arrived at Cavallaro’s RV trailer home in the 400 block of Railroad Street to pick up one of the victim’s possessions inside the trailer. Cavallaro was waiting for them outside, one victim said, and when she told him what the two were there for, he racked his shotgun and told them to “Go for it,” the report said. When law enforcement arrived on the scene, Cavallaro had barricaded himself inside the trailer. After 30 minutes and multiple attempts to get Cavallaro to leave the trailer, the man walked out of the RV with his hands over his head.

The woman later told police that she wished to be refunded about $2, and raised her voice at police when officers suggested she try to take the matter in a “civil direction,” the report states. Police then informed her she needed to leave the property. The woman refused and was detained. While police were able to handcuff her, she would not let go of her purse. Staff declined to press charges in the end and “all parties agreed that there was a miscommunication amongst themselves,” the report states. The woman was released and police explained to her why her actions that night were wrong.

MARCH 25 IN THE CAN 2:28 a.m. — 500 block of East Moody Boulevard, Flagler

After deputies arrived, they heard another gunshot but could not determine the direction it was fired or if it was shot at them. However, they observed a woman standing in the front yard of the residence holding a handgun. She was quickly disarmed and taken into custody without incident.

The residence was cleared and deputies used K9s to locate evidence used in the shooting. Deputies also checked with the surrounding neighbors to ensure there were no injuries or damage to their homes or property. The subject admitted to firing two rounds but stated she shot into the ground believing intruders had entered her home. She also claimed they had tortured her for several hours. However, after completing a thorough investigation, detectives determined that no such incident had occurred, and she was likely having a mental health episode. She was detained under the Baker Act and transported to the hospital. Criminal charges are pending.

County Petit theft. A woman walked into a gas station and stole two 12-packs of soda, but decided to pay for one singleserve mixed drink on her way out of the store.

Video footage shows the woman walk into the store and place the sodas — totaling $17.12 — in a large bag before grabbing the drink she paid for. A store employee followed the woman outside and told her if she didn’t return the stolen sodas, she would have to call the police.

Sheriff’s Office deputies found the woman at her home, but did not find the sodas. Nearby surveillance footage saw the suspect hand off her bag of sodas to a man waiting for her across the street from the store.

Bunnell, Flagler County break ground on road connecting SR 100 to US 1

Bunnell also broke ground on a new administration and Police Department building, also on Commerce Parkway.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Flagler County and Bunnell officials celebrated 20 years of work on Monday, April 1, when the county and city finally broke ground on the road that will connect State Road 100 to Highway U.S. 1.

“I did not see that this road would ever get built,” Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson said. “As time has gone on, the dream has resurrected itself. We worked through the nightmare of negotiations and funding. And here we are today: a beautiful dream.”

Commerce Parkway currently begins at S.R. 100 at the Wendy’s and then turns into Sheriff E.W. Johnston Drive as it curves around west toward the county government buildings. The expansion project will extend Commerce Parkway south along the east side of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Operations Center and continue for 1.7 miles until it connects to U.S. 1.

The road will have two undivided 11-foot lanes with 8-foot roadside shoulders, five feet of which will be paved, a Flagler County press release said. There will be open drainage swales on both sides of the roadway and a 5-foot sidewalk along the eastern side. The total rightof-way will be 80 feet, and it will be flanked on both sides by 15-foot easements.

The final project cost is just over $12 million, County

Commissioner Andy Dance said. Half of that money comes from $6.8 million in state funds Bunnell received in 2022 from the state legislature. Work on Commerce Parkway should be completed in August of 2025. The idea for an expansion began almost 20 years ago. Robinson credited the idea to the Oar family, and specifically Carol Oar, who donated funding and right of ways to bring the project to fruition.

“We wouldn’t be standing here today if it wasn’t for Carol Oar and her dedication,” Robinson said. “… I can’t wait until I can walk the 1.7 miles and pop up on U.S. 1 and see the beauty of the country we live in through those woods.”

Charlie Faulkner, a friend of the Oars and the former chief engineer of the project on behalf of the Oar family, said the idea of the parkway was always to help Bunnell prosper.

“They wanted Bunnell to grow,” Faulkner said. “They wanted it to be prosperous.”

City manager Alvin Jackson said the expansion will add opportunity for a mixture of commercial, retail, light industrial and residential development along the 1.7mile road.

“Organically, what is happening, is that this is going to become the economic center for the city,” Jackson said.

Already, interested parties have reached out and are working on permits or designs

for land along the expanded Commerce Parkway, he said. “When you talk about a walkable community, the whole intent is for individuals to be able to work in this area and walk home,” Jackson said.

Dance said during the groundbreaking ceremony that this has been a long time in the making, and the work of multiple people and organizations.

As the project completes, he said, the county will see the area along the new Commerce Parkway “bloom” with development, especially as it is centered around the county government buildings, the FCSO Operations Center and the site of a future library and administrative building.

“That’s going to really bring

life to this corridor,” Dance said. “... Any services that the public will need will be available right here in this area.”

Just up the road from where work on Commerce Parkway has begun, Bunnell also broke ground on its new city administration complex on April 1.

The 19,000-square-foot building will sit directly across from First Baptist Church of Bunnell on Commerce Parkway. The facility will be home to the city administration offices, the Bunnell Police Department and a meeting hall and comes with a $10.5 million price tag, according to the city’s website.

The building will be completed in the summer of 2025.

“We’ll push a little, hopefully,” Robinson said.

The city has been renting space at a strip mall at 604 E. Moody Blvd. since 2021, when it was forced to move after leaks and mold were discovered in its building at 201 W. Moody Boulevard.

The Bunnell Police Department has been operating out of a modular office trailer behind the county emergency management building since 2022. BPD Chief David Brannon said that while the space has been enough to get by, it doesn’t have the facilities a police station needs.

“To see this, the groundbreaking occurring, after months and months of assisting the team and developing a design for the building, it is very exciting,” Brannon said.

BRIEFS

Palm Coast, FCSO partner for distracted driving awareness month

The city of Palm Coast and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office are collaborating to bring awareness to National Distracted Driving Awareness Month this April. According to the National Safety Council, on average, nine people are killed each day due to accidents caused by distracted driving — over 3000 per year.

In 2023, distracted driving caused two Flagler County fatalities and was responsible for 586 crashes, over double the 281 crashes recorded in 2018, the press release

said. Texting tops the list of distractions and is against the law in Florida, but distracted driving is as any potential distraction that can compromise an individual’s ability to operate a vehicle. That includes eating, drinking, operating a radio, talking or any other hinderance that takes a driver’s eyes or mind off the road.

The distracted driving awareness efforts are part of a greater initiative promoting roadway safety and awareness as Flagler County prepares for significant construction along State Road 100.

Student art show reception to be held on April 7

The Expressions Art Gallery on Colbert will have a

TRIBUTES

Col. Robert (Bob) Alex

January 13, 1937 - April 3, 2023

Bob Alex, and his wife, Edna, a certified social worker in New Jersey and Florida, were married for 53 years at the time of her passing in 2017.

They left New Jersey to settle in Palm Coast, circa 2007, and were the parents of three sons: Joshua, Eliott, and Kevin. The latter two are Palm Coast residents. His dedication to his family, his businesses, and commitment to the United States Air Force Civil Air Patrol were well known in the state of New Jersey, using his skills as a radio and TV communicator to advance the cause of the U.S. Air Force Civil Air Patrol, and its many statewide community activities.

He rose through the ranks to receive the highest state military grade of Full Colonel Wing Commander reporting directly to the governor of that state!

Bob’s education included acceptance and graduation from the very prestigious Stuyvesant High School, graduating in 1955, in New York, later attending the New York University School of Communications Arts.

After settling in Palm Coast, he was active in the performing arts, associating with the Flagler Auditorium, now the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, and the Palm Coast Arts Foundation.

Colonel Alex, for many years, was a member of the Palm Coast/Flagler

TRIBUTES

Carol Jean Keserauskis

1948 - 2024

Carol Jean Keserauskis, 76. Passed away on March 21, 2024, in Palm Coast, Florida.

Carol was born Carol Jean Hays to the late Victor Carol Hays, Sr. and the late Jean A Dauber.

She is survived by her loving husband, Dennis Keserauskis; siblings Victor (Marvis) Hays, Charlie (Vonda) Hays and Bonnie (Troy) Hays; Cousin Sue (Al) Froman; and nieces and nephews: Doris Hays, Charlie (Chrissy) Hays, Nicholas (Heidi) Hays, and Autumn (Shane) Sluder.

Carol was a graduate of Mainland Senior High School in Daytona Beach, Fl. She put herself through college working and going to school. Carol earned advanced degrees from Stetson University in Deland, FL.

Carol was an artist and taught art for many years before becoming a media specialist. She touched many lives working with students. Carol retired after many years working at Woodward Elementary.

Carol married the love her life Dennis Keserauskis. She and her husband Dennis had a passion for nature and camping in God’s creation. They enjoyed sailing on the Oceans and kayaking throughout North America.

Carol was a Christian with hope of God’s great resurrection (1 Thes 4:16-18). We share that hope and look forward to the day when we will see Christ (1 Corinthians 13:12) and see

reception for its student art show from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 7. Expressions on Colbert is located inside Grand Living Realty, 2298 Colbert Lane, Palm Coast. The show features art by Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high school students.

Meet the shows’ up-andcoming young artists and their teachers at the reception. The show will continue at Expressions through May 4. Other than the reception, the gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FDOT holds ‘walk and talk’ event on A1A in Ormond

The Florida Department of Transportation held a guided walk with local officials on

County Economic Development Council and was involved on numbers of plans that aid in the development and improvements in varied areas of commerce.

As an active member of “Angels Flight,” he used his vast experience as a former Civil Air Patrol wing commander, assisting in providing emergency flights to distant, specialized medical centers in Flagler and contiguous counties in Florida.

The unveiling of his plaque will take place at Craig Flagler Palms Funeral Home & Flagler Memorial Gardens, on April 5, 2024, at 10:00am, grave side.

Carol again.

A memorial service will be held for Carol on April 14th at 3:30pm at: Madison Campus Seventh-Day Adventist Church 607 Larkin Springs Rd Madison, TN 37115

https://www.madisoncampus.org/

Heritage Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting the family.

Carol will be missed by all who loved and knew her, but we know she is in the safe care of the one who gave His only son for her (John 3:16).

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Carol Jean Keserauskis please visit our Sympathy Store.

March 27 to highlight the recent safety enhancements completed on A1A in Ormond Beach. FDOT’s $4.1 million pedestrian safety project added eight new mid-block crosswalks on A1A from south of Milsap Road to East Granada Boulevard. Of the eight crosswalks, seven were equipped rapid flashing beacons. An overhead pedestrian hybrid beacon was added at the new crosswalk at Rockefeller Drive. The speed limit was also lowered from 35 mph to 30 mph. An FDOT project team member led participants on a 1.4 mile walk along the sidewalk to learn about the improvements. Participants were joined by Walker, the mascot of Alert Tonight Florida, a pedestrian safety initiative by FDOT.

Flagler opens registration for CERT class

Flagler County’s Emergency Management is hosting a free class that teaches basic disaster and emergency response skills. The class is Flagler County’s Community Emergency Response Team and begins on April 22. Visit www.FlaglerCounty.gov/ emergency and then selecting “Volunteering & Training” from the menu.

Flagler Beach to increase multiple impact fees

Water and wastewater fees are going up, and the city will be adding new impact fees.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

In the first of two votes, the Flagler Beach City Commission voted, at its March 28 meeting, to increase its water and wastewater impact fees and add impact fees for police, fire, library and parks and recreation services.

But the decision was not without pushback. Flagler Home Builders Association Executive Officer Annamaria

Long submitted a letter to the City Commission outlining several concerns she had with how the study was conducted, by consulting firm TischlerBise Inc.

“I really do wish that the study was performed better and resulted in realistic fees,” Long wrote in her response to the commissioners.

The vote passed 4-1, with commissioner Rick Belhumeur dissenting because the study did not include mobility fees, a one-time fee developers pay to mitigate traffic impact on a city’s transportation system.

If adopted, the changes would be implemented on Oct. 1, in line with the city’s new fiscal year.

The police, fire, library and parks and recreation fees are based on a building’s square footage and whether a home is residential or non residential.

For residential homes between 1,101 and 1,500 square feet, a developer will need to pay $717 in police impact fees, $849 for fire, $193 for library and $850 for

parks and recreation. For nonresidential buildings the price varies depending on what type of development it is — commercial, office, industrial or institutional. For police, the impact fee ranges from $381 to $1,911 per 1,000 square feet.

For fire, it’s $451 to $2,261, and for parks and recreation, between $539 and $1,628. The library impact fee only applies to residential units. The administrative fee will range from $3 to $9.

Water connections will also increase. A 1-inch connection will increase by $832 for potable water and $1,208 for wastewater, totaling $5,022 and $6,356, respectively.

Long, who reviewed the original study in November, said there are still incorrect calculations within the study, according to the letter she sent the city.

“At a taxpayer price tag a $50,000, I find mistakes unnecessary,” Long said in the meeting. “It shouldn’t be happening, it’s unacceptable.”

Long also said she was concerned about how the the calculations were determined, including calculating population growth based on land and a 2,700-unit development that are not yet annexed into the city.

She also had specific concerns about how TischlerBise determined the rate of the new impact fees. Her letter pointed out that the parks and recreation fees do not use acreage but park amenity costs in determining the fee schedule.

The Flagler Beach commissioners did not address Long’s concerns during the meeting, but Commissioner Eric Cooley thanked her for her dedication in reviewing the study.

Walker, mascot of Alert Tonight Florida, and City Manager Joyce Shanahan. Courtesy photo

Parkview celebrates Easter in new auditorium

Parkview Church also hosted an Easter egg hunt on March 30 with 20,000 hidden Easter eggs.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Over 4,000 people attended Parkview Church’s Easter services in the church’s new, 700-seat auditorium.

two age groups and hid 20,000 inside the premises.

The opening of the new auditorium also marked the closing of the 400-seat auditorium building’s lobby, which will be undergoing renovations as part of the church’s next stage of expansions. The smaller auditorium is now a space for families to drop off their children during services and has key-card security entrances.

Kiwanis Club serves sponsors

teachers, employees dinner

‘The whole school system is basically our constituency,’ club President Warren Mudd said.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

they should perform service to their community as well as service to their parents and service to themselves, but don’t forget your community,” Mudd said.

Parkview’s community celebrated the grand opening of its new auditorium with two Good Friday services on March 29 and five services dedicated to Easter on Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31. Parkview Communications Director Cassandra Hartman said it was a great opening weekend and Easter service. “It was incredible,” Harman said. “It was chaotic and insane in the best possible way; but it was just incredible.” Hartman said at the 4 p.m. service on March 30 alone over 1,000 people were in attendance for Parkview’s annual Eggstravaganza Easter egg hunt. The egg hunt, held indoors, was a safe place for families to bring their children to celebrate the holiday, she said. “We recognize that a lot of people will visit on Easter, either from out of town or from the community that aren’t regular attendees,” Hartman said.

YOUR TOWN

FC3 SECURES $50,000 GRANT FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

The Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) has partnered with the Flagler County Education Foundation to award five $5,000 scholarships this year to high school seniors who are planning careers in the arts.

Through a grant submitted by FC3, The John W. Kurtich Foundation has awarded the Education Foundation $50,000 for student scholarships, half to be distributed this year and the other half next year.

The John W. Kurtich Foundation

With the extra space, the Parkview Family Ministries’ 75 volunteers were able to split the egg hunt into

honors the legacy of its namesake by awarding scholarships to students in artistic disciplines of music, theater, architecture, and visual arts, according to a press release. The Kurtich Foundation also funded “Winged Victory” placed in front of the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center on the public art Turtle Trail.

A check for $25,000 was presented to Education Executive Director Teresa Rizzo on March 27.

“Through relationships with other granting organizations such as the John W. Kurtich Foundation, financial resources for students seeking a career path in the arts are particularly important as they pursue their dream,” Nancy Crouch, co-chair of FC3, said. “Music, theater, dance, set design, architecture, digital media and the humanities all play an important role in our society and

Part of the second phase of Parkview’s planned is expansion is turning the smaller sanctuary into a space just for the church’s Family Ministries.

“We are going to be turning that original sanctuary, making it just a little bit more, you know, kid friendly and turning that into their space,” Hartman said.

The second phase of construction includes installing a kid play area in the smaller area’s lobby alongside a cafe area, expanding the parking available and adding covered outdoor seating. Hartman said in a previous interview with the Observer that construction will finish in either late 2024 or early 2025.

we are pleased to help provide some assistance.”

CELEBRATION OF EAGLE ARTS SCHEDULED AT BUDDY TAYLOR

The Celebration of the Eagle Arts showcasing the works of Buddy Taylor Middle School visual arts students is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 12 in the school cafeteria. Admission is free; donations are welcome. There will be door prizes and giveaways. Eagle chefs will be selling treats.

Jennifer Brooks, Buddy Taylor’s visual art teacher, is presenting the art show. With a Flagler County Education Foundation Beaver Toyota Teacher Grant of $5,985, Brooks was able to purchase standing art display panels for the show.

677-6455 Building faith strengthens our community. Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. He died to pay for the sins of the world. He was resurrected to give us the free gift of eternal life. There is no deed you can do to earn it. Salvation is through faith in Jesus alone.

The Flagler Palm Coast Kiwanis Club was the presenting sponsoring at the Night of Legends, the Flagler County Education Foundation’s annual dinner honoring Flagler Schools teachers and employees of the year, on March 25 at Channel Side in Palm Coast.

The partnership is a natural, club President Warren Mudd said.

“The Kiwanis International’s mission worldwide is to serve children and the window of time is slightly pre-K to graduating seniors. That’s our wheelhouse. The whole school system is basically our constituency, and we have a presence on every campus,” Mudd said.

The Kiwanis sponsors the Terrific Kids program at every Flagler County elementary school for fourth and fifth graders “to embed in them that

The club will give out 14 academic scholarships and 10 technical education scholarships, totaling $67,000, to Flagler County high school seniors this year. Its non-profit Kiwanis Foundation RV and Boat Storage business on 100 Kiwanis Way, Palm Coast, drives the club’s charity budget of $165,000, Mudd said.

The club also helps establish relationships. On Wednesday, April 3, two Matanzas High School Kiwanis Athletes of the Month will go to Bunnell Elementary School to talk to an assembly of about 50 students who qualified through the elementary school’s Positive Behavioral Intervention Solutions program. The interaction is part of Matanzas’ MentorSHIP program.

“The student athletes are stepping up to the challenge of helping younger students to recognize positive changes they can make in their attitudes and behaviors,” Kiwanis club PR Chairman Ann Babcock said.

Thea Hartman at Parkview Church’s Easter egg hunt. Courtesy of Cassandra Hartman

BUSINESS OBSERVER

Old Dixie Motel new site plan details 64-unit hotel with pool and restaurant

The current owners have appealed a demolition order filed by the county.

The owners of Flagler County’s Old Dixie Motel on Old Dixie Highway have appealed a demolition order and filed a new site plan with the county outlining plans for the dilapidated hotel.

It is “a more significant effort than they’ve made,” County Attorney Al Hadeed said at the end of a Flagler

County Commission meeting on March 18. The appeal and application puts a halt to the demolition notice Flagler County sent the owners, 2251 S. Old Dixie Highway, LLC, on Feb. 13. The demolition order was first reported on by FlaglerLive.

The application for the hotel — located at 2251 S. Old Dixie Highway — details a two-story, 64-unit hotel with a restaurant and pool on the 6.38-acre site. According to the application documents, the owners plan to name it the Henry Hotel.

The review committee’s job is to review applications and give staff feedback of what needs to be addressed before an application can move forward. The applicant then

will resubmit the application with the requested revisions. This is the owner’s second application submission, Hadeed said, and while the owners have addressed some issues, staff still had areas of concerns.

The engineering department alone provided a list of 16 individual items in its staff comments of needed updates to the application, including providing a survey, grading plan, tree survey and a demolition plan for some of the buildings. Flagler County has been attempting to have hotel brought up to code or torn down for over five years, and it filed a lawsuit against the hotel’s previous owners for their negligence of the property in 2021, according to

Palm Coast Colour Collective business marketplace returns after four years

The Colour Collective is a subset of Naturals of Palm Coast, an organization that highlights the success of black women in business.

Coast’s Colour Collective, a marketplace event showcasing local black-owned businesses, held its first event in four years on March 30. The marketplace is a subset of

Naturals of Palm Coast, an organization focused on highlighting and celebrating the success of black women in business. Naturals’ founder LaToya Taite-Headspeth said the marketplace event featured a variety of female entrepreneurs — from beauty and artists to virtual assistants and small business owners.

“Our motto is ‘support, swap, shop,’” Taite-Headspeth said. “We come together to be in a supportive environment, encouraging one another. We come to swap information, but we also swap products. … So the Colour Collective is actually that shop piece.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the Colour Collective had just finished its third annual marketplace event. Four years later, TaiteHeadspeth said she was nervous at first planning the come-back event, but it felt good returning to the grind. In the end, Taite-Headspeth gathered 30 local business-women — and even some men — at the African American Cultural Center to show off their products and services.

“It’s just such a beautiful time of connection and networking and just, you know, pooling resources together and collaboration,” TaiteHeadspeth said. “I would say it was

truly a success.”

The Colour Collective and Naturals of Palm Coast are spaces where women of color can really shine, she said. Outside of Black History Month, Flagler County and the cities don’t have enough visible representation, even outside of the business networking world, she said.

“Even, say, picking up picking up the paper. I don’t see myself,” she said.

“If we’re highlighting Flagler County, let’s highlight all of Flagler County,” she said. “It should just be a no brainer. If should just be a given. We’re here.”

Later in the fall, Taite-Headspeth said she plans to host the next marketplace event. As she organizes more events, she said she hopes even more people will attend.

“We can all shine at the same time,” she said. “And so just creating that space creating that platform is just vital.”

Most of the entrepreneurs who attended the Colour Collective marketplace were from the Flagler County and Palm Coast communities. And it’s important, Tiate-Headspeth said, that every part of the county’s community is highlighted.

New York restaurateur teams up with Bill Jones to resurrect Alexander’s in Ormond

Restaurateur Joe Oliva is opening a new steakhouse in the downtown.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Longtime Ormond Beach residents may recall the days of Alexander’s Cafe. Some may even remember it as Alexander’s Blue Note Supper Club. Now, after 27 years, Alexander’s is making a comeback in town.

Restaurateur Joe Oliva is officially opening Alexander’s Prime — a steakhouse, located at the restaurant’s original location at 123 W. Granada Blvd.— the week of Monday, April 8. It’s a space last occupied by Frappes Italian Grille, which closed in 2022 when its owner retired. Oliva has been in the restaurant business for 35 years, mostly in New York City.

The restaurant has been in the works since October, when Oliva’s son met Mayor Bill Partington at a party. He mentioned Oliva was looking to open a restaurant in the area, and after a few conversations, Oliva connected with local developer Bill Jones and his representative Dorian Burt. A couple days later, Oliva got on a plane to meet Jones and the deal

was hammered in a day.

“The restaurant business is always risky, but when I saw the facility — I met Mr. Jones and Dorian and the kind of people that they were — you don’t get deals like this in New York,” Oliva said. “So we said, ‘OK, we’ll take it. Take a chance. We’ll do one more.’”

Alexander’s will offer prime dryaged steaks, but Oliva said he’s hoping to have something on the menu for everybody: hamburgers, pastas, seafood, with a wide range of pricing. He wants the restaurant to be a place patrons can enjoy for the every day and for special occasions.

“I don’t want people to say, ‘Oh, that’s only a place you can go for your anniversary,’ because that’s not true,” Oliva said. “You can come in the dining room and sit at the table and have a hamburger. ... We’re going to have the menu run the gamut in pricing so it’s not out of anybody’s realm to come out.”

THE ORIGINAL RESTAURANT

Jones purchased the original Alexander’s Cafe in 1987. He had moved his manufacturing company, Metra Electronics, to the area in 1986, and at the time, Jones said there weren’t many businesses open in the downtown. But, he and his wife used to eat

at Alexander’s.

When Jones heard the cafe was going to close because the original owner was going to lose his lease, Jones decided to buy it. Together with John Cunningham, whom he brought in as a managing partner, they turned Alexander’s into a nightspot in Ormond Beach.

“I think there was a void and it was a necessary place,” Jones said. “We had some of the best clientele coming in there. We hired a French chef and we started putting out some really good products ... And people responded to it.”

Alexander’s continued its presence in the downtown until 1997. Jones was operating the restaurant on his own by then, and his manufacturing company was starting to expand. The building at 123 W. Granada Blvd. was the only place he owned in the downtown at the time, and Bobby and Meryl Frappier were looking to relocate their restaurant, Frappes Italian Grille. When they approached Jones about renting the business, Jones agreed.

Meryl Frappier continued to run the restaurant after her husband’s death in 2018, and in 2022, when she decided to retire, Jones was left wondering what to do with the building once again.

“I got this crazy, wild idea to just resurrect Alexander’s again and bring it back,” Jones said. Meeting Oliva, he said, was “kismet.” Jones said they were meant to find each other.

“It was like deja vu and I just liked him right away,” Jones said. “... This guy’s got amazing, amazing experience in the business. I think I made the right decision and he made the right decision, so I think it’s going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

RESTAURANT WITH CHARACTER

Oliva has always loved old buildings. In the past, he worked in restaurants that have a connection to GeorgeWashington.

So when he saw what Jones had done in the building — the restoration of the building to look more like the original Alexander’s with its art deco fixtures and decorations, details that trickle down to the exit signs — he was impressed.

Jones is also showcasing some of his favorite “offbeat” art pieces he’s collected, particularly George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog series.

“This has definitely got some character,” Oliva said. Initially, he was worried about being able to find staff. But a

Facebook ad generated about 150 responses in two days.

“I got an excellent staff,” Oliva said. “ ... I was very impressed with the people that came in.”

Oliva said he remembers what Granada Boulevard looked like 25 years ago. His kids used to summer with his mom in Lake Mary, and when he had some time off and visited, they’d often drive through the area to go to the beach.

“It was a disaster,” Oliva said. “You didn’t notice anything. You just wanted to get off the street and get over the bridge. [Jones] brought all this back to life, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

Jones is not a restauranteur. He said he calls himself a “restaurantee.”

“Meaning that I’ll go in and I’ll build the stage,” Jones said. “I’ll build the the theater, but then I want to find somebody that can run it, appreciate it and make it work.”

There’s better ways to make money than restoring buildings in the downtown, Jones said, but they’re not as much fun or rewarding.

“Nothing makes me happier than when I see customers walk in a place like that and they smile at the artwork, they enjoy what they’re eating, the atmosphere,” Jones said. “That’s my reward.”

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Waterfront house is Flagler County’s top seller

Ahouse in Palm Harbor was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 8-14 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Daniel Zimbelman and Lisa MacDougal, of Palm Coast, sold 32 Cheyenne Court to Anita Bell, as trustee, for $920,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 3/2 and has a boat dock, a pool and 2,124 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $350,000.

PALM COAST

Beach Haven

David and Juniata Corson, of Palm Coast, sold 10 Laughing Gull Lane to Norma Caple, a trustee, for $717,000. Built in 2015, the house is a 4/2 and has 2,190 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $381,100.

Grand Haven

Ormond-by-the-Sea home sells for over $600,000

Ahouse in Ormond-by-the-Sea was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 18-24 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea.

William Bell II and Barbara Bell, of Cincinnati, Ohio, for $450,000. Built in 1974, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,828 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $315,900.

Tomoka Oaks

Justin Robert Parsons and Brook Parsons,

Ronald Jackson Flora and Kathy DeShazer, of Bloomington, Indiana, sold 80 Riverview Bend South, Unit 822, to Kimberly Ann Brock, of Palm Coast, for $310,000. Built in 206, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,461 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $144,000.

Jennifer Payne Price, of Palm Coast, sold 110 Club House Drive, Unit 301, to Daniel Zimbelman and Lisa MacDougal, of Palm Coast, for $539,900. Built in 2004, the condo is a 3/3 and has 2,414 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $400,000.

Celia Rosa, of Palm Coast, sold 101 Palm Harbor Parkway, Unit A212, to J & J Holdings Group LLC, of Palm Coast, for $166,600. Built in 2005, the condo is a 1/1.5 and has 670 square feet. It sold in 2023 for $190,000.

Hembury Lane to Gregory Licata, Jr., of Palm Coast, for $217,500. Built in 1985, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,098 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $105,000.

Cecil James Parris and Elizabeth Schuck Parris, of Brevard, North Carolina, sold 41 Lagare Street to Theodore Harris Horton and Brenda Sumner Horton, of Palm Coast, for $656,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a fireplace and 2,671 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $352,500.

Hidden Lakes James and Phyllis Bowling, of Palm Coast, sold 143 Arena Lake Drive to Judy Jensen, as trustee, for $524,000. Built in 2015, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,946 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $44,000.

Matanzas Wood

sAnthony and Colleen Carnevale, of Palm Coast, sold 42 Laramie Drive to Kevin James Macedo, of Palm Coast, for $273,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,209 square feet. It sold in 2018 for $137,000.

Pine Lakes Camar and Marica Fraser, as trustees, sold 47 Westglen Lane to Vanessa Buendo and Antonio Allen Buendo, of Palm Coast, for $300,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,070 square feet. It sold in 2001 for $110,400.

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

Mark and Louann Cornell, of Ormond Beach, sold 110 Beau Rivage Drive to John McCartney Jr. and Teresa Cordeiro, of Ormond Beach, for $625,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,238 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $395,000.

ALEXIS

Condos Joel and Sarah Richwagen, of Belle Isle, sold 89 South Atlantic Ave., Unit 701, to William Pape, of Ormond Beach, for $422,500. Built in 1979, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,200 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $445,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Chelsea Place

Navin and Sunita Deshpande, of Sebring, sold 109 Chelsea Place Ave. to Thomas and Gillian Batay-Csorba, of Daytona Beach, for $585,000.

Built in 2017, the house is a 4/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,498 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $460,000.

Mary Parker, of Ormond beach, sold 377 Nottinghill St. to Jon and Kelli Poissant, of Plattsburgh, New York, for $465,000. Built in 2017, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,829 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $315,000.

Gardens at Addison Oaks

Hayden Boyd, of Tampa, sold 51 Bella Vita Way to Lynda and George Parker, of Ormond Beach, for $259,000. Built in 2019, the house is a 2/2.5 and has 1,636 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $195,000.

Saddlers Run

Jared McConnell and Elizabeth Anne McConnell, of Ormond Beach, sold 67 Saddlers Run to Jewell and Nicholas Racel, of Ormond Beach, for $410,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 2,293 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $299,900.

Southern Pines

Charles and Catherine Carpenter, as trustees, sold 33 Chrysanthemum Drive to Chrisann and Ronald Joson, of Ormond Beach, for $460,000. Built in 2008, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,215 square feet.

Standish Shores

Gregory Prol, of Miami, sold 214 Standish Drive to

Mary Ellen Unson, of Ormond Beach, sold 11 Eagle Drive to Jean Francois Rault and Lavern Rault, as trustees, for $415,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace and 1,999 square feet. It sold in 2002 for $162,500.

Twin River Estates

Jeffrey and Karla Lantz, of Sanford, sold 30 Twin River Drive to Timothy Gerald Peteri and Christine Anne Peteri, of Ormond Beach, for $475,000. Built in 1974, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool, a dock, and in-law suite and 1,902 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $445,000.

Ormond By the Sea

Not in a subdivision

Brenda Mitchell, of Derwood Maryland, sold 2689 John Anderson Drive to Cody Bramlett and Priscilla Denault, of Ormond Beach, for $505,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 5/3 and has a pool, a fireplace and 2,088 square feet. It sold in 1997 for $138,000.

Roberta Heights

Larry Campbell and Mary Lou Campbell, of South Daytona, sold 140 Laurie Drive to Bryan Matthew Pro, of Vacaville, California, for $300,000. Built in 1956, the house is a 2/1 and has 794 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $77,700.

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

Ask the mayor

Why can’t the city just say no to huge developments?

home. The same regulations apply to large-scale developers. They can procure a property of their choice and build what they want, as long as they adhere to the correct zoning.

Anyone who builds in Palm Coast must follow the same regulations and procedures set forth by our city.

DAVID ALFIN PALM COAST MAYOR

“Why can’t the City Community Development Department just say no to all these builders who come here to build huge new developments? Or why can’t we have them just scaled back so they have to build fewer homes, apartments or townhomes?”

Many of us who moved to Palm Coast purchased property to build our own special places to live. We were each entitled to purchase our property, zoned for the specific use of possibly a home, duplex or town-

One important factor you should know is that Palm Coast’s Land Development Code determines specific regulations that govern how a land use can be developed. Guidelines such as setbacks, landscape buffers, utility and stormwater requirements and architectural standards must be applied. Our LDC determines the maximum sizes, heights, etc. for each property, based on its zoning classification.

Developers must demonstrate through their site plan application that they are following our regulations. These applications are reviewed by both City community

development specialists and an appointed Board. Their plans will not be approved unless all Land Development Code requirements have been achieved. Additionally, it might be helpful to understand the state of Florida’s Bert Harris Private Property Rights Protection Act. It states that “when a specific action of a governmental entity has burdened an existing use of real property, the property owner is entitled to compensation for the actual loss to the fair market value of the real property caused by the action of the government.”

It provides property owners protection against any government regulation that affects their ability to attain the reasonable investment expectations for the existing use of their property. There’s plenty of legal jargon to comprehend here. Litigation and parameters will always be components of property

rights that both governments and developers in Florida must consider during the building process.

The bottom line is this: The City of Palm Coast cannot and would not inform developers if they can purchase property here or which property they can choose to acquire. We can direct them to follow our Land Development Code that specifically regulates what and how they plan to construct. Structures in Palm Coast are never constructed indiscriminately. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are solely that of the author in his personal capacity and do not necessarily represent the opinions or the views of the city of Palm Coast or the Palm Coast City Council.

Email your questions or letters to the editor, to brian@observerlocalnews. com.

Why close Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club?

get paid; I doubt it. The ill informed recently voted for an $8,000,000 sales tax for the schools but that wasn’t enough so they shut down the gym. These people can’t run a two-bit gym and you expect them to run a multimillion dollar school system.

DREAM ON.

DOUGLAS

R. GLOVER Palm

trio is Will Furry; Will

a page on the net titled “a few words about me.” He says he moved to Flagler in 2013. He is a Realtor and a Christian who “serves the needs of people in the community.”

What needs did you serve when you shut down the Swim and Racket club that served the needs of this community for over 30 years? Did it make you feel good; will the millions of dollars that were wasted on the gym now be spent on bringing the education level up to standard in Flagler county?

The purpose of education is to prepare youngsters for adulthood. Being proficient in math at 33%, in reading at 50% and science at 54% isn’t good enough but in our schools it’s good enough to get a diploma; 90% graduation rate; amazing!

The people on the school board make over $40,000 per year for a waste of over $200,000 a year; would they be there if they didn’t

LETTERS

Paradise lost for profits

Dear Editor:

With the closing of the legislative session, we are witnessing what happens when city leaders’ priorities are skewed by special interests. Some of the foremost experts in urban development and land use optimization have been shouting from the rooftops for years about how to properly use our most vital resource ... our available lands.

Density within cities should be focused on the city center. Municipalities, along with counties’ tax base expansion, are better served when they invest their dollars in pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use development in the urban core, rather than urban sprawl.

For more than two decades our residents have been promised a thriving downtown business district with the civic activities associated with properly planned communities. Urban sprawl only adds to the increasingly congested roadways with little resources being dedicated to solving the problems that currently exist. Our city leaders’ priorities for the last two years have been to create more urban sprawl while neglecting our failing existing infrastructure.

While they stated that the city’s budget priorities given to the state government were not ranked in any particular order, it’s apparent that their requested funding and received funding were skewed for urban sprawl. First on their list of priorities was continuing to support transportation access to the west, while funding for the expansion of Wastewater Treatment Plant #1 was

Coast Editors note: Chris Stefancik, Flagler Schools coordinator of assessment and accountability, clarifies that student performance percentages are not the same as proficiency.

“Last year, 54% of Flagler Schools’ full-year enrolled students, in grades 3-10, earned a performance level 3 or higher on the end-of-year statewide standardized assessment for reading,” Stefancik wrote in an email to the Observer “What does this mean? It does not mean that only 54% of our students are able read, instead it’s a number that attempts to quantify the skills, abilities, and knowledge our students have in the areas of English language reading conventions, comprehension, and mechanics. ... “I want to stress that, no matter the metric used and our current level of attainment, there is always room for improvement and growth,” Stefancik said.

Visit https://bit.ly/43I5vsA.

at the bottom of the list.

On the governor’s desk right now is a budget that allocates approximately $80 million for the Matanzas Woods Parkway/Palm Coast Parkway Loop Road. At the bottom of the list is Wastewater Treatment Plant #1 which will receive $1 million of the $35 million requested for expansion. This comes at a time when just a couple of weeks ago, our city council was and continues to toy with the possibility of raising our water bills to pay for needed expansion of the treatment facility.

For the time being, the city council has agreed to raise the impact fees on developers, with the mayor being the lone dissenting vote against. Rapid development has, as you know, impacted our water systems.

You are witnessing a windfall for developers, while the existing residents are left with the aftermath of a city that is getting too big for its britches. Not to mention that Palm Coast will receive no money for the improvements on Old Kings Road, north or south in this year’s budget. A vital road in our transportation network which needs to be expanded.

We continue to see flooding in existing residential neighborhoods due to poorly managed planning. Our road system, stormwater system, and water treatment systems decline ... all in the name of profits disguised as “progress”.

Furry responds: Club weakened district’s financial health

Dear Editor:

On March 26, the Flagler County School Board voted 3-2 to end the money-losing membership club known as Belle Terre Swim & Racquet Club, effective June 30, 2024. I want to clarify that the pool itself is not closing but is being transitioned to a student-focused facility with community access through educational programs and facility use rentals. The gym will close as soon as insurance and membership contracts can be terminated, but not earlier than June 30.

For years, this club has been hemorrhaging six-figure losses, mounting to a staggering projected $169,000 operational loss for 2024 due to decreased membership, minimum wage increases, inflationary operational costs, and insurance memberships that paid pennies on the dollar for each visit to the club, which equated to about 75% of memberships. These losses do not include past and future capital expenses that have been spent or will have to be budgeted to maintain this over 40-year-old facility. K-12 dollars cannot be spent to support non-K-12 programs. The BTSRC is not a K-12 program but rather a community program.

Don’t lose SRD funding

Dear Editor:

When I heard that the funding for school resource deputies is in jeopardy, my heart sunk. I was in shock.

I used to live in Broward County.

On February 14, 2018, I was watching the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting live. The shooting was 30 minutes from my school. That could have been me.

I don’t want that tragedy to happen not only in Flagler County, but nationally. We need to know that our schools are protected and by taking away funding for the resource officers, you are taking away the trust that the parents had in the local government.

Parents drop their kid off trusting that their child will be protected and safe. (School Resource Deputies) make sure that the school is always protected, even after school. They also play

Therefore, any losses must be offset by other community programs such as extended day, summer camp, etc. In prior years, any fiscal year losses for the BTSRC were offset by the profit from the extended day program, paid for by our hardworking parents who need someone to care for their children.

This club was donated by ITT to the school district many years ago for community use. As Palm Coast has grown, the private sector has presented many fitness options that provide a superior experience compared to BTSRC, making it difficult to compete in this marketplace.

Speaking for myself as your District 2 School Board member, it is my view that Flagler Schools should not be in the health club business. We are in the business of education and should not be engaged in programs that distract us from our core mission. I was elected as a fiscal conservative, and it is clear to me that the year-over-year six-figure losses from the BTSRC have siphoned valuable revenue from non-K-12 programs that could have been better spent to advance education and has also contributed to the erosion of our general reserve funds, weakening our school’s financial health. It’s time to stop the bleeding.

WILL FURRY Chair Flagler County School Board

& 4/6, 8am-5pm, HUGE 2 family sale, furniture, too much to list!

YOUR STUFF HERE!

30+ Sales and a Food Truck Saturday April 06, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM - , Sunday April 07, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM - Rain or Shine Tymber Creek SBDV Gym equip, jewelry, wheelchair, electric scooter, cash register, music memorabilia, duck mounts, strollers, crib/toddler bed, toys, collectibles, electric replace, furn, TVs, CD's, DVD's, Regal boat & trailer, Mexican style sink, power tools, comics, speakers, polaroid instant photo booth, peacock wicker chair, Christmas tree. Tymber Creek SBDV off Granada in Ormond Beach, pass I-95, right at Walgreens (Tymber Creek Rd) 1st SBDV on right.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Rodeo & barbecue

Cowgirls and cowboys compete at the 67th annual Flagler County Cracker Day

“Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” recorded by Elle King and Miranda Lambert, emanated from the fairground speakers as people piled into the arena seats in anticipation of the 67th annual Flagler County Cracker Day rodeo on Saturday, Mar. 30.

Event sponsors, the Flagler County Cattlemen’s Association, prepared a barbecue meal of sliced beef, coleslaw, baked beans, bread and a drink which was included with the entry fee. Leftover meat was sold for $10 per pound following the event. People arrived from all over to enjoy a hearty meal and watch cowboys and cowgirls compete.

Announcer George DeLoach’s familiar voice boomed throughout the stadium as he welcomed everyone to the event. He said his foray into the career began when he was a bareback bronc rider and a steer wrestler in Lakeland, Florida. Thirty-eight years ago, he was scheduled to compete but the rodeo was delayed 20 minutes. The announcer had not arrived yet. He said he told the officials they needed to get started because he had to drive to Mobile, Alabama that night to compete in a rodeo the next day. After 10 more minutes, he went into the box and started announcing.

DeLoach announced the rodeo while competing in his events. After he finished, he asked for any steer wrestling winnings to be mailed to him and said his goodbyes. During the intermission, the sheriffs’ department had notified the rodeo organizers that their announcer had been hospitalized following an automobile accident. They told DeLoach he could not leave.

“They said we’ve got to have an announcer,” he said. “I told them that I’m not an announcer and they said, you just proved you were tonight.”

The Palatka resident has been announcing ever since and has had a radio show on Bass Capital Radio for the past 14 years. He said Cracker Day is what Florida is all about — the originations of cattle in the state over 500 years ago and the subsequent skills necessary to help the people, cattle and business thrive.

“I think it’s a fantastic event,” DeLoach said. “(I’m going to keep announcing) until they bury me, probably. I love it. Love the people.

Rodeo people are family.”

2024 Flagler County Cracker Day queen Laci Westbrook prays before the start of the 67th annual Flagler County Cracker Day rodeo.

Rider Jessica Boyd (left) carries the Florida state flag with her daughter Paisley Boyd during the opening ceremony.

A calf leaps away from breakaway roping competitor Kelsey Barber during the 67th annual Flagler County Cracker Day rodeo.

Cowboy Garrett Ellington works in ‘crappy’ conditions as he attempts to rope a bull that refuses to leave the stadium. Photos by Michele Meyers

Bullriders compete in the junior (16 years old and under) and senior (17 and older) bullriding events

Riders Kylie Terrell and Kenzie Adams race into the arena as they welcome the crowd

LOCAL EVENTS

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

‘DIE FLEDERMAUS’

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 5 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 7

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

Details: Stetson Opera Theatre is presenting Johann Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus” on the 150th anniversary of its premiere. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online or at the box office. A champagne toast and live music to celebrate the opera’s anniversary at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5 costs an extra $25. Visit https://www.tickettailor. com/events/stetsonuniversityschoolofmusic.

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 weathersensitive. Call 386-676-3216 for rainout information.

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

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 the Garden 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.

SADDLE UP FOR ST. JUDE

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

Where: Iron Horse Saloon, 1068 U.S. 1, Ormond Beach

Details: Bikers are invited to participate in this Poker Run & Music Fest to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Poker Run starts at 10 a.m. There will be live music, a live auction, silent auction, a bike show, and a cornhole tournament from 12-4 p.m. Entry costs $10 a hand.

28TH ANNUAL SPRING

HERB FAIRE

When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Bailey Riverbridge meeting house, 1 N. Beach St., Ormond Beach

Details:

The Seaside Herb Society will celebrate everything herbs at the 28th annual Herb Faire. There will be plants and baked goods for sale, as well as live music and local vendors. Cash only. For more information, call Denny Lee Snyder at 443-497-0044. Visit seasideherbsociety.com.

CARE CUPBOARD FOOD PANTRY DRIVE

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

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

Details: Held during the 11th annual Spring Festival and Plant Sale, Care Cupboard Food Pantry is inviting the community to bring nonperishable items to help stock the food pantry.

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. Activi-

TRIBUTES

John J. Schwartz

August 27, 1928 - March 8, 2024

John J. Schwartz, 95, of Palm Coast, FL, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2024. He was born August 7, 1928, in Yonkers, NY.

John attended Manhattan Prep, where he was a three-sport athlete, and spent summers as a camp counselor at Camp Riverdale, Adirondack, NY, where his lifelong love of hiking and the outdoors began. He graduated with a BA in Political Science from Manhattan College. As a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, he served as a platoon leader during the Korean War, and as a reservist until 1959.

In 1954, John joined the FBI as a Special Agent in Indianapolis and Gary, IN. While stationed in San Francisco, CA, John met his future wife, Therese Scullion. They were married in 1958 in Chicago, IL, thus beginning a long, happy marriage and raising four children. John was then transferred to the New York office, primarily working in foreign intelligence. In 1969, he was assigned to FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and held supervisory positions in the Intelligence and General Investigative divisions. He was then designated the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Houston, TX and Newark, NJ offices. His final position was in New York as Special Agent in Charge of the Foreign Counterintelligence – Soviet Division. Upon retirement from the FBI in 1980, John served as VP of Intertel, a private security firm in New York.

In 1984, John and Therese retired and moved to Palm Coast. Always an active man, John enjoyed gardening, swimming, jogging, and playing tennis, well into his 80s. He was an avid reader of history and politics as well as The New York Times, which he read daily into his 90s. John and Therese were Eucharistic Ministers at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton RC Church. He was affiliated with the Former SA-FBI Greater Daytona Beach Chapter, and served as Commander of the Flagler/Palm Coast Chapter of the Military Order of World Wars. The foundation of John’s life was

ties 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 mid-afternoon. Free.

FIFTH EDITION OF ONE DAYTONA ART FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7

Where: One Daytona, 1 Daytona Blvd., Daytona Beach

Details: Attend this free juried art festival featuring marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey. There will be artists, crafters, live art demonstrations at Gallery500, and a meet-andgreet with Harvey from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. Bob Ross painting workshops will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 6, and 11 a.m. Sunday, April 7, for $75, including all materials. Visit danwillcoxart.com/classes.

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

threefold: his Catholic faith, love of family, and duty to country. He loved visits from his children and grandchildren, and other family and friends, and traveled extensively in the US and Europe, and to Japan and Korea.

John is predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Therese, his parents John and Nellie (Higgins) Schwartz, and siblings Vivian Gluck, Veronica Lyons and Edmund Schwartz. He is survived by his children, Christine (William Corbett), Paula (Fabio Girelli-Carasi), Alaine Lee (Nam), and John (Noreen Carver); and grandchildren, Francesca and Chiara Carasi-Schwartz, Allison Loomis (Patrick), Megan Lee, Hogan and Jonah Carver, and great-granddaughter Naomi Loomis, and nieces and nephews.

John lived at Brookdale Palm Coast Assisted Living for over four years and our family is grateful for the care and community life that he and our mother received there. During the past six months, he was also cared for by the wonderful team from Halifax Health-Hospice.

His memorial service will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church on May 14, 2024 at 11:00 am.

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

Angel Lowden, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and more on the first Saturday of each month for art openings and art events.

ORMOND BEACH ART

GUILD SPRING EXHIBIT AND RECEPTION

When: 5-7 p.m.

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: See the Ormond Beach Art Guild Spring 2024 exhibit. The opening reception will have light fare, wine and bottled water. Guild member Marian Devore will play the piano. Free event. The exhibit will be on display through April 27. For more information, call 386-846-5517.

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.

FAMILY FARM FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: The Stage at Town Center, 7900 Old Kings Road N., Palm Coast

Details: The Florida Agricultural Museum will host its annual Family Farm Festival. Tickets cost $10 in advance for adults and $8 for children; $12 for adults and $10 for children on the day of the festival. Visit https://floridaagriculturalmuseum.ticketspice. com/family-farm-festival.

JEWISH HERITAGE

FESTIVAL

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

Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: The eighth-biennial edition of the Jewish Heritage Festival will feature musical performers, vendors, kids activities including camel rides, a petting zoo, matzah baking and more. There will also be a Holocaust Memorial and a Jewish Hall of Fame. Free and open to the public. Visit JewishHeritageFestival.com.

ORMOND BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE

When: 1-3 p.m.

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

Details: The Ormond Beach Historical Society will welcome visitors and aim to inspire new members to volunteer. There will be complimentary refreshments and door prizes.

Reception for Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas High Schools

STUDENT ART SHOW

When: 1-3:30pm

Where: Expressions Art Gallery on Colbert inside Grand Living Realty, 2298 Colbert Lane, Palm Coast

Details: Attend this reception and meet some up-andcoming young artists and their teachers from Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast high schools. The show continues through May 4.

MONDAY, APRIL 8

THE GARDEN CLUB OF PALM COAST MONTHLY MEETING

When: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

AARP MEETING

CHAPTER 1057

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Ormond Unitarian Universalist Church, 56 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach

TRIBUTES

Dawn E. Sargent

1949 - 2024

Dawn E. Sargent, 74, of Palm Coast, FL passed on peacefully at her home March 19th, 2024. She was the wife of David Sargent, with whom they shared 54 wonderful years of marriage. Dawn was born in Beloit, WI to George and Lorraine Whaley. She graduated from Beloit Memorial High School in 1967. She spent many years as a Stay-at-Home Mom, and then worked at Beloit Corporation and Valmet/Metso over the years. Dawn enjoyed reading and volunteering throughout her life. She is survived by her loving husband David Sargent, their 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, Dawn asked for donations to

TRIBUTES

Joëlle Karen Rice

February 25, 1947 - March 11, 2024

Joëlle Karen Rice, 77 of Palm Coast, FL, passed away on March 11, 2024. She was born on February 25, 1947, in Paris, France to the late Robert Hall and Paulette Vimond Hall.

Joëlle graduated from Albert Einstein High School in 1965. She married William Wesley Rice on July 4, 1999, in Columbia, Maryland. She was a manager in the Republican Cloakroom, United States House of Representatives for 34 years. She loved family, her puppies, croquet, golf and bocce. Joëlle and Wes moved to Palm Coast in 2001 from Columbia, Maryland.

Joëlle is survived by her husband of 24 years, William Wesley Rice; son, Shane Hall; stepsons, Craig Rice, Donnie Rice; step-daughter, Hollie Einolf; brothers, Michael Hall, Frankie Hall, Kerry Hall; grandchildren, Zachary Einolf, Sean Rice, Oliver Rice. Joëlle is preceded in death by her father, Robert Hall; mother, Paulette Hall; brother, Patrick Hall. Joëlle will be inurned at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery on April

Details: The meeting’s guest speaker will be Victoria Fahlberg, executive director of First Step Shelter. An optional $5 light lunch will follow. For more information, call Chapter President Jeff Boyle at 386-341-9013.

CITIZENS FOR ORMOND BEACH

When: 5:30 p.m.

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

Details: The Citizens for Ormond Beach’s program will provide an update of ongoing actions regarding the fuel terminal proposed to be built on Hull Road. The public is invited to this informative session. For more information, email billdenny105@ gmail.com.

SUNDAY, MAY 5 PATHWAYS 5K AND COLOR FUN RUN

When: 4 p.m.

Where: Pathways Elementary School, 2100 Airport Road, Ormond Beach

Details: Join this 5K Color Run or 1-mile Color Fun Run. The deadline to register is April 15. Visit https://www. pathwayspta.org/color-run.

Details: The club will hold its general membership meeting. Arrive at 11:30 a.m. for a plant sale and to enjoy lunch with fellow club members. The gathering will begin at noon, and the meeting at 1 p.m. The guest speaker will be Kelli McGee, of the Riverside Conservancy. Email Margaret Corder at magpiecorder@ yahoo.com.

St. Jude’s Research Hospital for Children or Florida United Methodist Children’s Home. A memorial at Bridges United Methodist Fellowship in Bunnell, FL will be announced at a later date.

11, 2024.

A celebration of life will take place at Grand Haven Village Center on Friday, April 12, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

The family of Mrs. Rice entrusted her arrangements to Clymer Funeral Home & Cremations.

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In the Bleachers Cornered Ziggy

The Fusco Brothers

Sanding ovation

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

High school beach volleyball had been a one-school sport in Flagler County over the past two years. This season, Flagler Palm Coast has joined Matanzas in offering the girls sport played on sand courts.

On Thursday, March 28, FPC played host to Matanzas at Wadsworth Park, and walked away with a 4-1 victory over its more established rival.

The last time the teams played, the Pirates defeated the Bulldogs 4-0 on March 1 at DME Academy in Daytona Beach. Since that loss, and a 5-0 loss to district leader Spruce Creek on the same day, FPC’s No. 1 pair — Lily Puritis and Kenna Kirshy — have won six matches in a row even as the Bulldogs’ other pairs have been experiencing growing pains.

Upstart FPC topples Matanzas in beach volleyball

SCORES

FPC 4, MATANZAS 1

No. 1: FPC (Lily Puritis, Kenna Kirshy) def. Matanzas (Paige Duckworth, Bailey Londono, 2-1.

No. 2: FPC (Kaitlyn Ebding, Sophie Campbell) def. Matanzas ( Bristol Foley, Carly Owens), 2-1.

No. 3: Matanzas (Jaeda West, Olivia Chochev) def. FPC (Ava Sheifer, Morghan Mackey), 2-0.

No. 4: FPC (Maxie Puritis, Alyssa Cruz) def. Matanzas (Maddie Terry, Fiona Vandurra), 2-0.

No. 5: FPC (Taci Cook, Addison Cataldo) def. Matanzas (Myranda Valdez, Brianna O’Malley), 2-0.

“It’s not easy being the greenest team in the district,” FPC coach Nicole Puritis said.

The coach was not talking about the color of the Bulldogs’ uniforms. No one on the team had played beach volleyball before this season; that includes Lily Puritis, who will play indoor volleyball at Coker University in South Carolina next season. Lily’s mom, Nicole Puritis, who is also the Bulldogs’ indoor volleyball coach, has never coached beach volleyball before.

“I’m just as green to beach as the team is,” Nicole Puritis said.

Kirshy and Lily Puritis defeated Matanzas’ Bailey Londono and Paige Duckworth 19-21, 21-15, 19-17 to clinch the team victory. FPC improved to 2-7 with the win. (The Bulldogs had defeated Stanton Prep

4-1 on March 4 for their first victory in program history.)

After Londono and Duckworth won the first set, Puritis and Kirshy tied it up. They received a little extra motivation during a timeout when Nicole Puritis informed them that FPC had won the Nos. 2 and 4 pairings and a win at No. 1 would clinch the team victory. The third set, which is a 15-point game, went to extra points as neither side could win two points in a row until the FPC tandem finally closed it out. “We wanted it really bad,” Lily Puritis said. “A lot of people underestimate us because of our record as a school. It’s nice to prove them wrong.”

Kirshy said she and Puritis have

DISTRICT 7 STANDINGS

Spruce Creek 9-0, 5-0 (district)

New Smyrna Beach 5-1, 1-0

Atlantic 5-3, 4-2

DeLand 3-3, 3-2

Matanzas 3-8, 2-5

Seabreeze 2-4, 2-6 Flagler Palm Coast 2-7, 1-2

“It’s not easy being the greenest team in the district.”

steadily improved since the beginning of the season as the two seniors have learned the nuances of the beach game and began to mesh as partners.

“Beach is a lot harder than indoor volleyball and a lot more work,” Kirshy said. “But I think it’s a lot more rewarding.”

LACK OF COURTS

The Pirates were missing a couple of players, including talented freshman Keri Petro, who normally teams with either Duckworth or Londono at No. 1. They were also missing one of their three coaches, Dawn Moses, who is the Pirates’ indoor coach and started the beach program at Matanzas two years ago. Moses, the director of indoor club volleyball at DME, was in Atlanta for a club tournament.

Matanzas fell to 3-8 with the loss. Like their county rivals, the Pirates’ roster this year includes a lot of newcomers to the sport.

“It’s good to see them learning and applying and saying, ‘This is a lot more fun than indoor volleyball,’” said Buddy Krueger, who coached the Pirates with Andrea Puckrein against FPC.

At beach volleyball matches, coaches have a diminished role. Players call their own timeouts, which are the only times coaches are allowed to talk to the players.

“For a lot of them, this is new,” Puckrein said. “They’ve shown so much growth, using new techniques and new strategies. And it’s nice to see them advocate for themselves, calling their own timeouts and calling themselves out when there’s a mistake. It’s good to see them show their independence.”

Both Flagler County programs are new to the sport compared to most of their Volusia County counterparts, who have had established programs long before the FHSAA sanctioned

beach volleyball ahead of the 2022 season. One Volusia team, New Smyrna Beach, has won back-toback FHSAA state championships. The problem in Flagler County is a lack of sand volleyball courts. Matanzas and Seabreeze play their home matches at the multiple-court facility at DME. Some of the other schools in the district, like New Smyrna, have sand courts on their school campuses. Matanzas held its senior-day match at the two-court venue at Wadsworth Park the past two years. This year FPC is playing its home matches and is holding its practices at Wadsworth, while Matanzas practices at the single court at Holland Park.

“The county is not charging us (for use of the Wadsworth courts),” Nicole Puritis said. “They provide the nets and adjust the lines before every match. They’ve been great.

“Beach volleyball is a booming sport,” she added. “We just had to keep up with the times, offer what other schools are offering. We have four freshmen. By the time they’re seniors, hopefully they’ll be ready to play in college.”

FPC’s Nick Groth, Matanzas’ Cole Hash are top weightlifters heading into regionals

Matanzas won a team title, qualified 15 lifters; FPC qualified 12; Seabreeze eight; and Mainland three.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Two weeks after he won two Five Star Conference titles at 183 pounds, Flagler Palm Coast senior Nick Groth won two district titles — at 169 pounds. Groth dropped 13 pounds for the postseason and added three more school records at 169 pounds after setting three records at 183. Groth won both the Olympic and traditional titles at 169 at the District 3-3A championships March 27 at the FPC gym. His 545-pound Olympic total and 590-pound traditional total are both tops in the state in Class 3A heading into this weekend’s regional championships.

Spruce Creek won both district titles. FPC placed third in Olympic competition and fifth in traditional. The Bulldogs qualified 12 lifters

REGIONAL QUALIFIERS

REGION 1-3A

Flagler Palm Coast (District 3-3A): 119: Cody Strawser (2nd Olympic, 325; 2nd traditional, 365). 129: Alex Huynh (7th Olympic, 255, 8th traditional, 315). 154: Dylan Harmer (6th Olympic, 385). 169: Nick Groth (1st Olympic, 545; 1st traditional, 590); Dylan Bennett (2nd Olympic 450; 4th traditonal, 465). 183: Landon Gates (6th Olympic, 370); Joey Ortiz (7th Olympic, 360). 199: Josh VerasPleasant (5th Olympic, 385). 238:

for the Region 1-3A meet April 6 at Navarre High School in the Panhandle. Matanzas won the District 5-2A Olympic championship and finished third in traditional at St. Augustine High. Five Matanzas lifters won individual district titles. Cole Hash,

(4th

5th traditional, 500).

435);

REGION 2-2A

Matanzas (District 5-2A): 119:

Maiison Leanard (1st Olympic, 270; 1st traditional, 330). 129: Jaden Sao (1st Olympic, 325; 1st traditional, 385). 139: Aiden Try (2nd Olympic, 285; 6th traditional, 340); Brady Putis (4th Olympic 260). 154: Ian Knuff (3rd Olympic, 340; 4th traditional, 410); Jeff Powell (4th Olympic, 320); Jayce Rajai

the defending Class 2A state champ in traditional at 199 pounds, won both district titles at the same weight class. His 645-pound traditional total is tops among all lifters in his weight class in Class 2A. His 505-pound Olympic total is tied for fifth best.

The Pirates’ other district champs

(5th traditional, 380). 169: Seth Clarke (2nd Olympic, 350; 4th traditional, 450); Johnathan DrewKulak (3rd Olympic, 360; 5th traditional, 430). 183: Thomas Laryworn (6th Olympic, 305). 199: Cole Hash (1st, Olympic, 505; 1st traditional, 645). 219: Jordan Theus-Vale (2nd Olympic, 385; 1st traditional, 445); Will Yeomans (3rd Olympic, 315). 238: Ahmad Louis-Charles (2nd Olympic, 380; 1st traditional, 570); Amir Tariq (3rd Olympic, 375; 5th traditional, 490). Unl.: Jackson Satterfield (4th Olympic, 410; 4th traditional, 515); Asim Tariq (3rd Olympic, 410; 5th traditional, 510).

were Maison Leanard (both titles at 119 pounds), Jaden Sao (both titles at 129), Jordan Theus-Vale (219-pound traditional) and Ahmad LouisCharles (238-pound traditional).

Seabreeze’s Ezra Williams won the 183-pound Olympic title at the District 5-2A meet. Mainland’s Elijah Walker won the

Seabreeze (District 5-2A): 119:

Trevor Madero (4th traditional, 235). 129: Vincent Pederson (3rd Olympic, 250; 4th traditional, 295). 139: Dean Hayes (3rd Olympic, 275; 5th traditional, 345); Brandon Figueroa (4th traditional, 355). 154: Tyler Watts (5th Olympic, 315). 183: Ezra Williams (1st Olympic, 425). Keith Arbogast (3rd traditional, 530). Unl.: Luke Cloer (5th Olympic, 370).

Mainland (District 8-2A): 119: Ray Tatro (2nd traditional, 275). 169: Nygel Allen (3rd traditional, 510). Unl.: Elijah Walker (1st, traditional, 740).

District 8-2A traditional title with a 740 total, tops among all Class 2A lifters.

FPC’s Lily Puritis dives to hit the ball which landed in the Pirates’ court for a Bulldogs’ point. Photos by Brent Woronoff

Bailey Londono (19) bumps to teammate Paige Duckworth.

Matanzas’ Fiona Vandurra gets ready to serve.

FPC beach volleyball players celebrate with Kenna Kirshy and Lily Puritis after the Bulldogs’ No. 1 pair won a three-set victory to clinch their team’s win over Matanzas.

NICOLE PURITIS, FPC beach volleyball coach

Joseph Casanova

Olympic, 440;

Unl: Matt McFall (5th Olympic,

Brayden DePotter (7th Olympic, 425; 4th traditional, 590); Tra’vel Adams (5th traditional, 580).

Bulldogs blank Matanzas 20-0 in flag football on FPC’s senior night

Sophomore Nereyda Campos had her hand in all three FPC touchdowns on offense and defense.

EDITOR

ASSOCIATE

Flagler Palm Coast flag football player Nereyda Campos said she “was hungry for the ball.” Giavanna Piazza was hungry to score a touchdown against her former teammates.

Piazza scored on a second-quarter touchdown pass from Campos, and Campos added two consecutive pick-sixes in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs a 20-0 victory over Matanzas on Friday, March 29, on FPC’s senior night.

Piazza, a junior, played for Matanzas the past two seasons and said she had this game marked on her calendar all season. She wound up scoring her first touchdown of the season, as Campos spotted her streaking down the left sideline.

“It’s my old team and I really wanted to score, so it felt great,” Piazza said.

It would be the only offensive touchdown of the game. But Campos, a sophomore, scored twice on defense on consecutive possessions late in the third quarter. The plays were almost identical.

With Matanzas deep in its territory, Campos rushed into the backfield, intercepted a pitch to the run-

ning back and ran in for the score. Then, when the Pirates got the ball back, Campos did it again.

“She’s fast. Their whole defense is fast,” Matanzas coach Phillip Haire said. “We were putting people there and we still couldn’t block her.”

MATANZAS’ STEVENS IS EXTRA PERFECT

Matanzas junior softball pitcher Leah Stevens pitched an extrainning perfect game against Pedro Menendez High School on March 28 in St. Augustine. Stevens faced 24 batters in eight innings and struck out 21 of them, while not allowing a hit or a walk. The Pirates won 1-0 on a walk-off sacrifice by Ruby Fogel. Stevens, who did not play softball last year after suffering from a rare type of stroke caused by a blood clot in her brain, has a 0.41 earned run average in 51 innings. She has 119 strikeouts while allowing 10 hits and 17 walks. She has not allowed a hit in five of her eight games in the circle.

She has pitched three comple-game no-hitters, including the perfect game. The Pirates (10-1) defeatedFlagler Palm Coast (8-5) 5-2 on April 2, at Matanzas.

FPC RELAY RUNNERS NOW OWN TWO RECORDS

Flagler Palm Coast’s 4x100 girls relay team of Aun’Yale Howard, Olivia Gaines, Jada Dotson and Summer Barnes broke the school earlier this season. At the Florida Relays in Gainesville on March 30, the quartet gained another school record, this time in the 4x200. With Dotson leading off and Gaines running anchor, the Bulldogs’

runners ran an FPC record time of 1:45.21 to finish 14th at the elite meet.

Thrower Colby Cronk had the best performance for the Bulldogs at the University of Florida’s Percy Beard Track, placing second in boys shot put at 53 feet, 10.5 inches and fourth in discus with a personal record 161 feet, 5 inches.

Kamron Davis placed eighth in the boys 800 with a PR time of 1:55.74 and then helped the 4x800 relay team with Jack Gilvary, Ayden Peterson and Evan Williams run 8:03.92, slicing over 11 seconds off their time at the Bob Hayes Invitational on March 16.

The Bulldogs will host the Five Star Conference track meet on Thursday, April 4.

LOCALS STAND OUT AT EMBRY-RIDDLE TRACK MEET

Several locals placed among the top three at the Embry-Riddle Running Elements Classic on March 30. Among girls, Matanzas’ Jordan Youngman won the 400 hurdles in 1:05.77 while also placing second in high jump (4 feet, 9.75 inches), fifth in 100 hurdles and eighth in the 4x800 relay. Matanzas’ Sierra Howard (800, 2:21.01) and Nina Rodriguez (steeplechase, 8:15.79) and Seabreeze’s Emma Uneda (triple jump, 34 feet, 1.25 inches) took home second-place medals. Seabreeze’s Tabitha Hick, Cydney Rivard, Aliana Martin and Kalease Heggins placed third in the 4x100. On the boys side, Mainland’s Seth

Jasmine Santana and Natalie Patel-Holmes caught extra-point passes from Campos after the first and third touchdowns.

Campos said she was inspired to play flag football by her brother, Tyler Irigoyen, a former FPC football player who went on to play noseguard at Ohio Northern University from 2019 to 2023.

“I started playing flag football for the Mad Dogs when I was 11,” she said. “And I’ve just loved it ever since.”

FLAG FOOTBALL DISTRICTS

DISTRICT 5-2A

Matanzas, Flagler Palm Coast, DeLand, New Smyrna Beach, Spruce Creek, University. Quarterfinals, semifinals at higher seeds, April 8, 10. Championship at New Smyrna Beach Sports Complex, 6 p.m. April 11.

DISTRICT 11-1A

Seabreeze, Mainland, Atlantic, Crescent City, Deltona, Pine Ridge, Taylor, Deltona Trinity Christian. At Ormond Beach Sports Complex, April 9-11. Championship, 7 p.m., April 11.

Rose won the 800 (2:00.83) and also won the 4x800 with Kajuan Curry, Jack Mathis and Khalil Wilmore. Mainland throwers won both the shot put and discus events. Antonio Wilson had the longest shot at 44 feet, 4.25 inches. Demond Noelien threw a 144-10 to win discus. Noelie was also third in javelin. Seabreeze freshman Taevon Orr won the long jump with a leap of 20-7.25.

Mainland’s Marquis McCants placed second in long jump (20-1). Jontrell Edwards was the runner-up in the 100 meters (10.97), Wilmore placed second in the 400 (51.24) and Ezaiah Shine placed second in the 200 (22.71). Matanzas’ Jordan Mills placed third in the both hurdles events, and Seabreeze’s Hunter Shuler was third in the 3,200.

PALM COAST OFFERS FREE PICKLEBALL LESSONS

The city of Palm Coast is celebrating

National Pickleball Month by offering residents free “Welcome to Pickleball” sessions as the new Southern Recreation Center, 1290 Belle Terre Parkway. The facility features 12 outdoor pickleball courts. At the Welcome to Pickleball sessions, certified instructors will teach beginners the rules of the game. The sessions will be held Tuesday and Firday mornings (8-9:30 a.m.) and Wednesday afternoons (1-2:30 p.m.). Additionally, residents eager to play pickleball at Holland Park can do so by checking out pickleball nets

The Bulldogs honored seniors Jasail Jackson, Esther Vitalien and Shannell Madden at halftime. They improved to 5-4 with the victory and end the regular season on Thursday, April 4, at University. Matanzas (3-7) will have its senior night on Monday, April 1, when the Pirates play host to Pine Ridge at 5:30 p.m. Their final two regular season games will be on the road against Crescent City (April 2) and Trinity Christian Academy of Deltona (April 4).

free of charge from the Palm Coast Community Center.

HONOR FOR MICHAEL MCDONOUGH

Ormond Beach Middle School eighth grader Michael McDonough will be

Olivia Gaines, Jada Dotson, Summer Barnes and Aun’Yale Howard already had FPC’s 4x100 school record. At the Florida Relays, they broke the school’s 4x200 record too. Courtesy photos

FPC quarterback Nereyda Campos tries to avoid Matanzas defender Leilah Goodwin (1).

FPC’s Jasmine Santana leaps to make a catch.

Matanzas junior Aaliyah Jones-Boney throws a pass.

Coach Tony Coates with seniors Shannelle Madden (9), Jasail Jackson (6) and Esther Vitalien (0) on Flagler Palm Coast’s flag football senior night. Photos by Brent Woronoff

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