Palm Coast Observer 04-11-24

Palm Coast City Council seeks a more accurate estimate for the cost of dredging saltwater canals. PAGE 4A

CITY WATCH

Touch a Truck takes over Town Center on May 11

Palm Coast’s fourth annual Touch a Truck event will take place on May 11 in Town Center with over 75 vehicles from participating agencies.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Palm Coast families will be able to come out and have an interactive, educational experience with a variety of utility vehicles and equipment. This year’s theme is “Connecting Our Worlds to the Future,” a Palm Coast press release said.

A range of agencies are participating in the event, including the Palm Coast Public Works, Stormwater, Utility and Fire Departments, Flagler County Fire Rescue, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the East Flagler Mosquito Control District, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida National Guard. Attendees of all ages will be able to hop in the driver’s seat of various work vehicles, from dump trucks, to helicopters to fire trucks. The event is free and the first hour, 10-11 a.m. will be a designated “horn-free” hour “to ensure a great experience for everyone,” the press release said. Park Street, Lake Ave., and part of City Place will be closed for the event.

City looks to raise development application fees

Palm Coast is looking to update its Land Development application and rental registration fees for the first time in over a decade.

The council decided in 2023 to review its Land Development and Site Permitting and Inspection fee schedules, which were adopted in 2009. The fees have not been updated since, senior planner Phong Nguyen said.

Nguyen said staff is proposing a 43.4% increase to the existing fees — this, he said, matches the changes to Consumer Price Index since 2009. By that percentage, the fee for a technical site plan for a commercial building of 10,000 square feet or less, for example, would increase from the current fee of $400 to $574.

Staff also suggested the addition of several new administrative fees, including charging developers the actual cost of second party surveyor fees and the attorney fees for reviewing plats, land-transaction agreement and deed/easements.

Community Development District creation and modification applications would each cost $15,000 and annexation applications $1,000. Applications for license agreements and right-of-way use agreements would be $75 now, and application to build a Development of Regional Impact would now cost $1,150 plus $36 per acre, excluding conservation lands. Nguyen said the city’s 14-year-old fees places Palm Coast on the lower end of the scale compared to surrounding municipalities. The revenue of the fees for both Land Development and rental properties will go into the general fund, he said.

Mayor David Alfin did ask about

how the increase of these fees would impact homebuyers, but Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo said that the additional costs of these fees would be spread across a subdivision-worth of houses. The actual impact on individual buyers would be “nominal,” he said.

The Land Development fee increases still would not cover the cost of staff but, Deputy Chief Development Officer Ray Tyner said, that is typical for municipalities because the developments are also an investment in the community.

“There’s not one municipality or county in the state of Florida, that I know of, that their application fees cover the cost of their planning division or their development fees,” Tyner said.

The annual rental registration fee — which was instituted in 2004 when there were just 800 rental properties — was increased from $5 to $35. Palm Coast has over 8,800 rentals and would bring in around $317,000 from the $35 annual fee, Tyner said. The $5 fee was bringing in approximately $45,000 annually.

In comparison, rentals in unincorporated Flagler County are required to pay the county $400 for an initial application, $200 for renewals, $50 to transfer a rental and $50 to modify an application, according to a council December presentation on updating the registration fee. Heighter said she felt the $35 was still low and recommended it go up to $50. Instead, in an effort to avoided a potential impact to renters, the council agreed to Theresa Carli Pontieri’s suggestion to review the rental registration fee every four to six years.

BY THE NUMBERS

$35

will be the cost of the of the city’s annual rental property registration. This is up from $5, the fee rate that was instituted in 2004.

8,837 rental properties are in Palm Coast. The city had 800 rental properties in 2004.

$400 is how much Flagler County charges to register a rental property. It is $200 to renew a registered rental property.

43.4%

increases will be implemented to current land development and site permitting and inspection fees. For example, a technical site plan for a commercial building of 10,000 square feet or less, for example, would increase from the current fee of $400 to $574.

Among the general increase, the staff is also proposing the council implement the following new administrative fees:

$15,000 for Community Development District creation and modification applications

$1,000 for land annexation applications

$1,150

plus another $36 per acre of non-conservation land for Development of Regional Impact buildout applications.

$75 for license agreement and right-of-way use agreements.

London Waterway excavation begins

Palm Coast’s Stormwater and Engineering department recently began major excavation efforts as part of the London Waterway Expansion project.

The project will increase stormwater storage capacity and provide water quality benefits in the city’s London, Jefferson and Belleaire waterways, located in the L and B Sections, a Palm Coast press release said. The project scope includes clearing a 19-acre site creating a 13-acre pond, two boardwalks that will extend into the pond, two tree islands and natural vegetation planted along the perimeter to provide natural aesthetic. The project began in November with surveying, installing fencing and erosion control and clearing the 19 acres of land between Leaver Drive and London Drive. It is funded through a three sources: a grant from the St. Johns River Water Management District, American Rescue Plan Act funds, and the general Stormwater Management fund, the press release said.

To save money on other projects, the dirt from the London Water Expansion will be used in Phase 2 of the Southern Recreation Center and in the development of a new Stormwater Maintenance facility.

City partners with animal rescue

Palm Coast is recognizing Animal Cruelty Awareness Month by partnering with an animal rescue to bring awareness to the issue. The rescue — Saving Missing Animals Response Team Animal Rescue — is the creation of Palm Coast resident Caroline Johnson. SMART provides rescue, rehab, foster and permanent home efforts to local dogs.

Palm Coast City Council members Vice Mayor Ed Danko, Theresa Carli Pontieri and Mayor David Alfin alongside City Attorney Neysa Borkert. Photo by Sierra WIlliams

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A whole new ball game

Bunnell police chief puts a focus on building community engagement and public trust.

The first thing Bunnell Police Department Lt. Shane Groth does when he begins his assigned patrol in the South Bunnell area is roll down the windows of his departmentissued, unmarked patrol truck.

It’s for two reasons, he said. First, so he can listen for sounds of distress, but also so he can interact with the residents.

“I stop and talk to people a lot of the time,” Groth said.

It took a long time for him to build these relationships, he said.

On every street, every few houses, one or several of South Bunnell’s residents are standing outside. Groth greets every single one, some with just a wave and others by name with a smile and a few minutes of chit-chat.

All officers are encouraged to do so, Groth said. The officers even carry around miniature foam footballs to hand out to kids and — time and crime permitting — throw a few rounds with the kids.

Sometimes, the officers organize an improptu pick-up game of basketball. On April 5, as the sun began to set, Groth and Officers Alex Kilpatrick and Mike Fansler played a 3-on-10, free-for-all match at the end of South Bacher Street. A regular occurrence, Groth said.

Getting to know the community, and letting the community get to know them, is part of a recent focus on community engagement for the Bunnell Police Department.

BPD Chief David Brannon said he has made community engagement efforts a large part of his goals to improve the relationship between Bunnell residents and the police.

But are all the events, the “hellos” from patrol cars and games with the kids really working?

Brannon said that when violent crimes happen in Bunnell, it can be hard to get residents to talk about what they have witnessed, out of fear of retaliation, or because of family ties to the suspect.

“By our actions is how we’re going to build trust with any community,” Brannon said. “So if we’re out here, maybe ignoring or not paying attention to the crime that’s going on and not being thorough ... that sends a bad or negative signal to the community.”

As an 11-year veteran of BPD — the longest employed person on BPD’s force, he said — Groth has seen the changes that a focus on community engagement has made for officers’ relationships with residents.

“It’s a completely different agency than it was two years ago,” Groth said.

BUNNELL’S HISTORY OF SEGREGATION

Flagler County was the last county in Florida to desegregate, Flagler County Historical Society President Ed Siarkowicz said. It desegregated in 1970 after a federal mandate forced the county to do so.

Bunnell was formed in the early 1800s after Alva Bunnell began sawmill and lumber businesses that were so successful the Flagler Railroad added a stop at the mill. With the development of the mill and, later on, agricultural land, Siarkowicz said, African Americans became residents in Bunnell.

After the housing boom in the early 1900s, he said, when the county was still segregated, Black residents had their own neighborhood built on the south side of East Moody Boulevard.

Many people at the time referred to that South Bunnell area by a racial slur, he said.

“They basically called it ‘N-Town,’” Siarkowicz said.

The once-segregated South Bunnell area has begun to integrate over the years, but the decades of racial boundaries can take a long time to fade. Jearlyn Ministries Pastor Jearlyn Dennie said Flagler County’s racial history is partly why Bunnell’s Black residents have had trouble trusting its police force in the past.

“The only way to fix that is community policing, and getting to know your community and for them to get to know you,” Dennie said.

THE STEPS TO BUILDING TRUST

Brannon just celebrated two years at the Bunnell Police Department. He said one of his first initiatives was to increase community engagement with Bunnell residents through a variety of avenues.

BPD officers began attending and hosting more community events, and officers are encouraged to interact with residents on their patrols, both in and out of their patrol cars. One of the first things he did, Brannon said, was create a Facebook page for the BPD to help keep residents informed and up-to-date.

That page, he was proud to say, recently hit the 4,000 followers mark, while Bunnell has a population of just over 3,500 people.

Accountability is another way Brannon works to build trust. BPD officers are required to wear body cameras that are turned on during every criminal interaction. Every week, Brannon said, he and another officer will randomly audit body camera footage and review that week’s cases. If there’s a discrepancy, the incident is carefully reviewed and questioned.

City Commissioner Tonya Gordon is a born-and-raised Bunnell resident. She is on her second term as a commissioner and has seen the tenure of several BPD chiefs.

Brannon, she said, is the first BPD chief to actively be involved with the community.

“Before, different chiefs didn’t really do any activities or get involved with the community,” Gordon said. Brannon is involved, she said.

Taking the initiative to get to know the community shows the officers see the Bunnell residents as actual people, Gordon said, and not just as police officers, as threats.

“It shows they care,” she said.

In truth, Groth and Brannon both said, Bunnell does not deserve the high-crime stereotype that has developed. Most of the residents’ families have lived here for generations, Groth said, and are just trying to get by.

“People say we have these crime issues, and we really don’t,” Groth said. “A lot of the crime we have, it’s solved relatively quickly.”

But building trust is easier said than done.

Dennie said that BPD’s historically high turn-over rates — including in its leadership, with Brannon being the third police chief between 2014 and 2022 — makes it hard to trust new officers before the community gets a chance to know them.

“It’s important to have those long standing officers to build those community relationships,” she said.

“Because those that are in and out and think it’s a stepping stone to something else, [they’re] not going to build that trust in the community.”

Groth is a well-known and respected face, Dennie said, so it isn’t surprising Bunnell residents would greet him with smiles. A real picture of how residents feel about the officers would be how they react to the newer officers.

KEEPING FAITH

Brannon told the Observer that Bunnell’s crime rate is down 27.5% in 2023 from 2022. He attributes that decrease to a combination of proactive enforcement and community engagement. The hard-earned trust and communication can be fragile, though. Groth knows this first hand.

He’s built up a rapport with the residents in South Bunnell, but the job come first, occasionally souring relationships when he has to arrest someone’s grandson or friend.

Groth said he believes, and hopes, the community knows that he tries to do his job the honest, “right way,” but it is difficult when everyone in the South Bunnell community is family, or friends, or knows the suspect and is afraid of retaliation.

Honesty is the key, he said.

“It’s just being honest with people and treating them the way you would want somebody to treat your mother or your dad or brother or sister,” Groth said. “Just being human with them.”

Then, there are the other ways the community’s trust could be damaged, like with the increasing involvement of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Offices Police Athletic League at the George Washington Carver Community Center, the last remnant of what was once Bunnell’s only Black high school.

Dennie said that the addition of the extra law enforcement presence at the Carver Center — a community space that has housed multiple birthdays, weddings and memorial services — was decided upon against the community’s wishes, which in turn made the community feel irrelevant, she said.

Dennie said she has heard from the community that it makes people nervous to think someone could enter the center and have unwanted run-ins with law enforcement officers.

Of course it’s possible, she said, that over time the community will accept that their presence is benign — that the sole reason PAL and the FCSO are at the Carver Center is to foster positive community engagement through sports programs.

Dennie said she hopes that PAL is a success at the Carver Center. She also hopes that the BPD officers can use their positive relationships with the community to help bridge the gap between residents and other law enforcement. Email Sierra Williams at sierra@ observerlocalnews.com.

“By our actions is how we’re going to build trust with any community.”

DAVID BRANNON, Bunnell Police Chief

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Bunnell Police Department Lt. Shane Groth lifts a young teammate high in the air to make the next basket. Bunnell Police Department Officers Alex Kilpatrick (right) and Mike Fansler (left) play ball with the kids of a South Bunnell neighborhood.

Bunnell Police Department Lt. Shane Groth attempts to steal the ball during a pickup basketball in a South Bunnell neighborhood. Photos by Sierra Williams

Scott McDonald running for mayor Ty Miller files to run for City Council’s District 1 seat

McDonald said his priorities include infrastructure, public safety and economic development.

OBSERVER STAFF

Palm Coast resident Scott McDonald is running for mayor in the 2024 election. McDonald said in his biography on the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections website that he is running because he is “passionate about making it the best place possible for all of our residents.” He owns Flagler Fungi, a local business that sells gourmet mushrooms to local farmers markets.

McDonald is committed to making Palm Coast a leader in technology innovation, the biography said, with a focus on solving many of the city’s challenges, like traffic congestion, climate change and affordable housing. McDonald said he would also make infrastructure, public safety, education and economic development his priorities.

“I am running for Mayor because I believe that Palm Coast has the potential to be one of the best places to live in the United States,” McDonald said. “I have the experience, the skills, and the vision to lead our city into the future.”

Miller pledges to preserve Palm Coast’s quality of life and support first responders.

Florida native and Palm Coast resident Ty Miller is running for the Palm Coast City Council District 1 seat.

Miller announced his candidacy on April 2. The seat is currently held by Vice Mayor Ed Danko, who is running for the Flagler County Commission.

Miller is committed to preserving the quality of life in Palm Coast, a press release from the Ty Miller campaign said. As a combat veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a project manager for a leading technology company, he will bring a “unique blend of experience, leadership and dedication to public service.”

Miller’s platform focuses on three main pillars: preserving the city’s quality of life, supporting law enforcement and first responders and fiscal conservatism.

“Having served my country and community in various capacities,” Miller said, “I am committed to ensuring that Palm Coast remains a safe, prosperous and vibrant place to live, work and raise a family.”

Council prioritizing saltwater canal dredging

The next phase would cost an estimated $45,000 and provide a more accurate overall estimate for dredging the canals.

Palm Coast’s City Council has agreed to add the next phase of the saltwater canal dredging project to its fiscal year 2025 Strategic Action Priorities.

The SAP items provide a guideline for city staff to design the next year’s budget around and can include a mix of general initiatives like improving economic resiliency and specific projects — like the saltwater canal dredging.

Palm Coast selected the consulting and engineering firm Taylor Engineering to survey the city’s canal system in early 2023 after some canal-front property owners said shallow water depths make it hard for them to get their boats to the Intracoastal, especially at low tide.

Taylor Engineering spent weeks conducting a bathymetric survey to measure the depth of all 26 miles of saltwater canals. The main canals are still about 8 feet deep, but residential canals that branch off from them may only measure 2-6 feet deep at the centerline because of a buildup of sediment on the canal bed, a Taylor Engineering consult told the City Council last August.

According to the study, approximately 13 miles of canals are shallower than 6 feet at the centerline.

Restoring them to the 6-foot depth could cost an estimate of $10 million to $20 million, Stormwater Engineer Carmello Morales said. Dredging the canals to 8 feet would be more, an estimated $28 million to $58 million.

Conducting the survey was the first phase of the plan. Phase 2, Morales said, would establish a dredging depth, evaluate the canal and review the canals’ original design, among other tasks.

This phase is estimated to cost $46,500, Morales said, but would

also provide a better understanding of how much work would need to be done and, therefore, more accurate cost estimates.

Phase 3, the design and permitting phase, would cost another $309,000 and Phase 4, the project bidding phase, another $115,000. Phases 2-4 combined would cost almost $471,000. None of that includes the actual cost of dredging the canal, which has the multi-million-dollar estimates.

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri asked Morales if — should the council later on approve a further contract with Taylor Engineering — the city could pull out of the contract after finding out the more accurate dredging cost estimates in Phase 2. Pontieri said her concern would be entering into a $471,000 contract only to not complete the project because of the high dredging costs. Morales said he would need to confirm with Taylor Engineering, but didn’t see any reason why that would not be possible.

The problem is funding sources for this type of project are limited, Morales said. When Vice Mayor Ed Danko said Morales about federal, state or other grant funding resources, Morales said most of those grants are for areas that need water quality improvements or have other disadvantages.

“In a nutshell our city’s salt water canals are a little bit too good to qualify for some of these [grants],” he said. “That’s a little ironic, because

we’re identifying areas as potentially needing dredging. But there are some opportunities out there, but it’s challenging.”

Staff and Taylor Engineering would continue to pursue those grants, he said, as well as look at other potential sources of funding.

Staff also put together a fivequestion survey for residents to fill out about any issues they’ve seen along the canal.

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri requested staff add a question about how residents living on the canals would feel about being a part of a special assessment to help pay for the maintenance of the canals.

“We need to really start considering whether or not a special assessment for people living on the canals is what needs to occur,” Pontieri said. Pontieri said she wanted to get the public’s opinion on the idea and gather more information on the topic.

“There could be a lot of residents that live on the canals that say, ‘Hey, I don’t mind being assessed, just dredge my canals,’” she said.

The council did agreed though that the maintenance of the canal is still under the city’s responsibility to care for and should remain on of the city’s priorities.

“I still see it as our responsibility, though, to do that maintenance if it’s needed,” Danko said. “It’s been neglected in the past.”

File photo

CARMELLO

OBSERVER STAFF

Scott McDonald Ty Miller

Hospital offers free sports physicals

Flagler Schools students in grades 6-12 are eligible to attend AdventHealth’s May 15-16 event at FPC.

OBSERVER STAFF

For the third year in a row, AdventHealth is providing free pre-participation sports physicals in Flagler County.

The physicals will be provided from 5-9 p.m. May 15 and May 16 at Flagler Palm Coast High School’s gym for student athletes in grades 6-12, as well as JROTC cadets, fire academy students and band members in all schools in the school district.

Students are asked to register at FSSportsPhysicals.com.

A link to required paperwork can be found within the registration process and within the confirmation email.

Walk-ins will be allowed based on availability but advance registration is requested to maintain a proper flow during the event.

“We are currently screening 20 students every 10 minutes,” said Erik Nason, AdventHealth East Florida Division’s senior manager of sports medicine for partnerships. There will be four stations with professional health care providers who are specialized in their assigned screening areas: vitals, musculoskeletal screenings, medical screenings and electrocardiograms.

“This event is not just a partnership (between Flagler Schools and AdventHealth), but an experience that our AdventHealth team members are passionate about,” Nason said. “Last year we served 476 student athletes during our sports physical event, which is about 43% of Flagler Schools student athletes. Of those 476 students, 130, or 27% in attendance, stated that they do not have a primary care physician.

Nason said this means the event may be the first time in a year some students see a health care provider.

“Our hope is that these screenings will decrease the risk of significant injury or illness due to an underlying condition that typically could be missed,” Nason said.

There are 720 slots open for registration. AdventHealth’s goal is to increase attendance to at least 660 students athletes, which would be about 60% of student athletes in grades 6-12, Nason said.

The free ECG screenings are not required for participation by Flagler Schools but are highly recommended. Separate registration is not needed. AdventHealth provided ECG screenings to over 1,400 Volusia and Flagler county students last year, with 38 showing cautionary signs of abnormal heart rhythm and five determined to be high risk. One of the high-risk students, Seabreeze High School athlete Brogan Kelly, underwent open heart surgery in June.

“When the surgeon said our son’s condition could result in sudden death, the thought was unimaginable,” Barbara Kelly said in an AdventHealth press release. “Our son seemed to be so healthy. We were in shock.” Brogan Kelly was cleared to wrestle six months later. He is now gearing up for spring football season.

“It’s so nice not to have to worry about my heart anymore,” he said. “I think it’s important that all student athletes get a heart screening in addition to the physical, because you don’t really know what condition your heart is in. And, in the end, it could save your life.”

Ormond students view solar eclipse

An eighth grade science teacher at Hinson Middle used the eclipse as a teaching opportunity to reinforce the space unit curriculum for her students.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

In 2017, Hinson Middle School eighth grader George Mijalli tried to see the total solar eclipse using a cereal box. It didn’t work, he said. So this time, he was prepared with his solar eclipse glasses. “I failed,” Mijalli said. “This is redemption.”

Mijalli was one of eighth grade science teacher Akrisza Kemp-Brown’s students who took part in viewing the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Though Florida was not in the eclipse’s path of totality, residents were still able to see a partial eclipse. For Kemp-Brown, the eclipse provided a learning opportunity for her students.

“This was a part of the space unit for the eighth graders, so it’s so much different than just showing them a Powerpoint or showing them a video,” she said. “For them to be able to come out here and truly see what I was saying is true ... is so amazing for them.”

Eighth grader Rohan Kasturi said the eclipse helped reinforce how important the atmosphere is. He also said he looked forward to seeing the sun — through his glasses, of course.

“I wonder what color it looks,” Kasturi said.

Fellow classmate Teagan Erwin said he was looking forward to seeing the sky darken a bit.

“That’s the only time you can see the corona,” Erwin said. The corona is the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere.

Mijalli said he looked forward to experiencing the eclipse.

“It seems like a once-in-alifetime thing,” he said.

Being in the path of totality, Kemp-Brown said, would be amazing. But even seeing a partial eclipse is a bonus for her and her students.

“A lot of times, the ques-

FLAGLER KEPT ELEMENTARY STUDENTS INDOORS FOR ECLIPSE

While others stepped outside on April 8 to view a solar eclipse, Flagler Schools made the decision to limit outside activities for some students.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth’s moon passes between the sun and Earth and the April 8 eclipse was the last solar eclipse until 2045, according to information on the Flagler Florida Department of Health website. The eclipse only covered about 70% of the sun in Flagler County, starting at 1:35 p.m. and ending at 3:46 p.m.

Protective eyewear was needed in order to safely view the eclipse; according NASA’s eclipse-viewing guidelines, staring directly at the sun for any length of time can cause serious eye damage.

Because of the danger, Flagler Schools decided to keep its elementary school students indoors during the eclipse, according to an April 2 press release.

tion that so many of them ask is, ‘Why are we learning this? When are we ever going to use this?’” she said. “... For them to be able to go home and talk to their family about the experience that they had, I feel like that’s a big takeaway.”

Hinson Middle School eighth graders look up for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

CRIME REPORT

but found that the passenger, Derrick Davidson, 42, had a warrant for his arrest from Hillsborough County for unpaid child support, the press release said. Additional FCSO deputies arrived and Davidson was arrested and taken to the county jail.

BRIEFS

Volusia County Council Chair is head of rail commission

Palm Coast’s P Section, a Flagler Sheriff’s Office press release said.

On April 6 just after 11 a.m., the victim told deputies that a man who had driven by the for-sale home multiple times in a gold SUV pulled up to the residence and followed her inside the home.

She told him the open house was not open yet but the suspect did not leave instead asking questions about the home and then telling the woman it was dangerous for a woman to be on her own. She asked him to leave and offered a handshake on his way out and the suspect grabbed her hand and pulled her into a kiss.

The woman struggled to get free and told him to stop. The suspect let her go, taking one of her business cards on the way out.

FCSO deputies identified the suspect, Carlos Da Silva, 78, from his license plate. Da Silva initially denied being in the area but eventually admitted to following the woman into the home and hugging her before leaving, the press release said.

Deputies arrested Da Silva and he has been charged with burglary and assault.

Flagler Sheriff arrests Hillsborough fugitive while driving home

Sheriff Rick Staly arrested a Hillsborough County fugitive on his way home from an event on Sunday, April 7.

Staly had just pulled into his neighborhood when he heard over dispatch of a possible drunk driver in a U-Haul truck nearby on State Road 100. After returning to S.R. 100, Staly found the U-Haul and stopped the truck for a traffic violation, a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office press release said.

During his investigation, Staly found the driver was not impaired

Ormond Beach man arrested for setting shed on fire

Ormond Beach Police arrested a 43-year-old man on Tuesday, April 2, for setting a shed on fire on two different days.

Police report that Joseph Bartlett was seen at around 9:25 a.m. coming out of a shed on fire in the 500 block of Collins Street. and when police approached him, he claimed he owned the manufactured home property and could “burn down the trailer if he wants to,” according to his arrest report.

Barlett, who was trespassed from the property on March 4, is homeless, police noted. Bartlett told police that he started the fire because it was his property.

There was a previous fire in the shed on March 30, and another fire in the first block of Collins Street as well. Police asked Bartlett if he had lit fires in the area previously, and he said he had lit one a few days prior in the same location of the shed. Bartlett was charged with arson and trespassing.

On Tuesday, April 2, Ormond Beach Police responded to a call about a shed on fire in the 500 block of Collins Street. Courtesy photo

Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower has been elected chair of the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission, which is composed of five local SunRail partners: Volusia, Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties and the city of Orlando. SunRail, a weekday commuter rail system that runs from DeBary

COPS CORNER

MARCH 23

SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS

11:27 p.m. — 1200 block of Scottsdale Drive, Ormond Beach

Resisting officer without violence. A 39-year-old Ormond Beach man was arrested after causing a disturbance in his neighborhood while drunk.

Upon arriving, police report the man told them he had drunk “three, four or five shots” hours before, but was unable to stand straight, had glassy eyes and slurred speech, according to his arrest report. He became argumentative when officers asked if there was someone who could take care of him until the alcohol was out of his system.

The man told them he would not be leaving his house, nor would he be going to jail.

Police responded that they just wanted him to call a trusted adult, and that they would leave once the person arrived. Because the man was not willing to call anyone, officers decided to take him into custody under the Marchman Act, at which point the man resisted.

As they walked him to the patrol car, the man began to yell racial slurs and profanity at the officers. He was taken to jail.

APRIL 3

THIRD TIME IS NOT THE CHARM 3:35 p.m. — 1500 block of West

to Poinciana, spans 49 miles and services 16 stations. This summer, a station will open in DeLand, adding 12.2 miles to the SunRail corridor. Brower has served on the commission since 2021, most recently as vice chair. “This is a critical time for Volusia County’s involvement with the Rail Commission as we negotiate and vote on the transition from FDOT funding to the partners funding operations and maintenance,” Brower said. “It will also be helpful as we prepare to open the DeLand SunRail

Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach Petit theft. A 38-year-old Deltona man apologized and said he would not steal again after he was caught trying to leave with over $260 worth of groceries by a big box store loss prevention employee.

The employee told police he watched the man due to the large number of items in is cart, according to a police report. After the man passed all the registers, the employee asked to see his receipt. The man replied, “I’m sorry, please let me go, I will not do it again,” the report states.

Police detained the man, at which point he declined to answer questions. He said he was on probation for petit theft, and had two prior convictions.

He was taken to jail.

APRIL 5

“BIKE”-TRACKING

10:19 p.m. — 2600 block of East Moody Boulevard, Bunnell Loitering. A police officer was patrolling when he noticed a light flickering in a parking lot near an auto parts shop.

The light turned out to be a man peering into locked cars with his cell phone’s flashlight, but the man began to walk away once he noticed the officer’s unmarked police car, according to an arrest report.

The officer immediately flashed his emergency lights and walked up to the man.

When asked what he was doing, the man first said he was looking for a place to get warm and then said he was looking for his lost bicycle that

Station which stands to be a beautiful addition to the system. As chair I will be able to plan the agenda with FDOT District 5 Secretary of Transportation John Tyler.”

The Florida Department of Transportation, which has operated SunRail and paid its expenses since 2014, will continue to do so through Dec. 31.

At that time, the local partners will take over operations and costs in phases.

he had left in the area a few days prior, the report said.

He could not explain to the officer why he chose to look for the bike at 10 p.m. instead of during the day. The man was arrested for loitering or prowling, the report said.

APRIL 7

CRYING OVER SPILLED ALCOHOL

1:37 a.m. — 100 block of North Ocean Shore Boulevard, Flagler Beach Disorderly conduct. A police officer on patrol received a call about a brawl happening in the parking lot of a bar, only to find the argument started over a spilled drink.

The fight started when two men who were hanging out together at the bar began to leave, an arrest report said.

One man reached out to give the other a handshake and the other man knocked a woman’s drink out of her hand. The suspect then began shouting that the first man was picking fights with women, so the first man left and got into his car. That’s when the second man punched the first, the report said.

Employees separated the second man from the first, who did not fight back.

Although the victim did not wish to press charges, the first man would not stop yelling or causing a scene, so the deputy placed him under arrest for disorderly conduct, the report said.

YOUR TOWN BUSINESS OBSERVER Rockefeller’s aims to be Ormond’s new hotspot

the library will host Adult Knowledge Trivia at 1-2 p.m. Participate in a group of five or less or as a team of one. No signup is necessary. To learn about other library events, go to www.flaglercounty.gov/ departments/library

TEMPLE

Karen Tashman performed her first Sabbath service as the new rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom Palm Coast on Friday, April 5. Rabbi Tashman replaces Rabbi Rose Eberle who has relocated to Kentucky.

In a message on Temple Beth Shalom’s website, Tashman said, “I have worked in Jewish communal service for over 40 years. ... With a background in Jewish education prior to my rabbinic training, I have been honored to offer Jewish education through a variety of modalities for all ages. ... Over these many years I have been privileged to provide leadership to Jewish communities in New York, Georgia and Florida in congregational, summer camp, day school and senior services settings.”

Temple Beth Shalom, 40 Wellington Drive, is an unaffiliated egalitarian congregation.

Rockefeller’s, located at 142 E. Granada Blvd., has hosted almost 100 events and themed nights since opening in December 2023.

JARLEENE

ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

Since opening in late December, owner Slate Gray’s vision for Rockefeller’s in Ormond Beach has been to create a place for locals to hangout.

The restaurant, located at 142 E. Granada Blvd. in Fountain Square Village, has hosted almost 100 events and themed nights already, he said, ranging from networking opportunities to EDM dance nights.

“We’ve pretty much had three, four, five events a week since we’ve opened up,” Gray said. “... It always feels like we’re either finishing or in the middle of, or starting a new event. We’re all about the community.”

Prior to becoming Rockefeller’s, a name Gray chose to pay tribute to Ormond’s history, Gray used to own a smoothie bar in the same space. When he decided to close the smoothie bar, he thought he’d have Rockefeller’s up and running in about three months.

It took a year instead. Gray spent a portion of that time visiting different restaurants and bars in Orlando to find inspiration. Ormond has never had a lot of nightlife, Gray said.

“If the city is going to keep growing, then why not have a place where we can go and spend a night late at — a safe place,” Gray said.

Rockefeller’s serves beer and wine, as well sangria, wine-based cocktails and mocktails. As for food, Rockefeller’s offers tacos on Tuesdays for Taco Tuesday, and other small plates. A full kitchen is coming soon,

and the restaurant will offer pizza, burgers, chicken sandwiches and other street eats. An outdoor deck is also in the works for Rockefeller’s, and once that’s built, the business will be open for lunch and dinner.

Gray co-owns Rockefeller’s with his father, Kevin Gray. He said people come to Rockefeller’s to socialize — whether they’re his son’s age, or his.

“We’re catering to both crowds,” Kevin Gray said. “We’re catering to my crowd and catering to his crowd.”

Rockefeller’s.

Slate Gray said he liked that Rockefeller’s is providing people with a place to go to after frequenting a local restaurant.

“I like people not having to leave Ormond Beach to have a good time,” Slate Gray said. Once the deck and kitchen are in place, Rockefeller’s will give people a place to go to both day and night, Kevin Gray said.

The live music has been “killing it,” he added. On April 16 at 7 p.m., local musician Tim Rivers will perform at

“This is really what Ormond Beach needed,” Kevin Gray said. “... There’s just been a ton of people that just come in and then they’ll come back the next night.”

Slate and Kevin Gray, the father-son duo behind Rockefeller’s in Ormond Beach. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Karen Tashman is the new rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom Palm Coast. Courtesy photo

Mike Cavaliere, who wrote “The Humorist, Adventures in Adulting & Horror Movies”, was one of the local authors who participated in Book Fest 2024 at the Flagler County Public Library in Palm Coast. Photo by Brent Woronoff

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Beachfront home is Flagler County’s top sale

Ahouse in the Sunrise beach subdivision was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 15-21 in Palm Coast and Flagler County.

Ira Mitchell Work and Onetha Elaine Work, of Nashville, Tennessee, sold 1915 North Ocean Shore Blvd. to Richard and Lydia Wurz, of Flagler Beach, for $1,035,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a fireplace and 2,246 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $660,000.

to Margretta and Michael Franklin, of

for $318,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/3 and has 1,927 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $390,000.

Indian Trails Yelena Sharapova, of Los Angeles, California, sold 123 Burroughs Drive to Richard Tapia, of Palm Coast, for $370,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/3 and has a fireplace and 2,958 square feet. It sold in 2013 for $155,000.

Matanzas Woods Anibal Arrascue and Patricia Quiroz Ugaz, of Palm Coast, sold 224 London Drive to Laura and Richard Riccardi, of Palm Coast, for $355,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,734 square feet.

INB Fund 1 LLC, of Orlando, sold 30 Lynbrook Drive to Judit Harvath and Richard Douglas, of Palm Coast, for $374,900. Built in 2023, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,753 square feet.

Not in a subdivision Nikola and Suzana Dodic,

of Orlando, sold 25 Ryecroft Lane to Grace Elizabeth Stehle, of Sanford, and Mary Boyles, of Divide, Colorado, for $272,000. Built in 1999, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,264 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $253,000.

Ocean Hammock Thomas Generazio, Jr., a trustee, sold 7 Driftwood Lane to James Foster and Nancy Bustos, of Palm Coast, for $865,000. Built in 2007, the house is a 2/2 and has a fireplace, a pool, an outdoor kitchen and 2,465 square feet.

Palm Coast Country Club Cove

Howell Ross Bennett and Johnnie Bennett, of Palm Coast, sold 5 Clark Lane to Michael Edward Lemay and Susan Catherine Lemay, of Palm Coast, for $269,000. Built in 1972, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,216 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $215,000.

Pine Grove

Opendoor Property Trust I, of Tempe, Arizona, sold 42 Primrose Lane to Thomas McGarry and Patricia Joyce McLaughlin, of Fort Worth, Texas, for $380,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has a fireplace, a pool, a hot tub and 2,470 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $416,500.

Sea Colony David and Teresa Cox, of Palm Coast, sold 26 Bedford Drive to Sandra Jo Thompson and Ronald Wayne Thompson, of Alachua, for $330,000. Built in 1987, the house is a 2/2 and has a pool and 1,200 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $180,000.

Plantation Bay home in Ormond sells for $1.6M

Ahouse in Plantation Bay was the top real estate transaction for Feb. 25 to March 2 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea.

Jose Lago and Gloria Toro, as trustees, sold 1217 Castlehawk Lane to Karyn Matthies and Walter Adams, III, as trustees, for $1,675,000. Built in 2014, the 4/4 house is has a pool, a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen and 4,216 square feet.

ALEXIS MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos Michael and Anna Boyle, as trustees, sold 2700 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 216, to Arthur Cullen Hammond and Elenora Hammond, of Atlanta, Georgia, for $244,000. Built in 1986, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,025 square feet. It sold in 1986 for $69,900.

ORMOND BEACH Breakaway Trails Venkata Ram Prasad Thota and Swathi Kumari Peddisetti, of Leander, Texas, sold 215 Black Hickory Way to Jonathan and Melissa Stoddard, of Ormond Beach, for $650,000. Built in 2014, the house is a 4/4.5 and has 3,025 square feet. It sold in 2014 for $348,700.

Halifax Plantation Bruce Benedict, as trustee, sold 3178 Connemara Drive to Ronald Vedova, as trustee, for $490,000. Built in 2017, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,918 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $312,000.

Salvatore Tardibuono Jr. and Kathleen Denise Tardibuono, of Daytona Beach, sold 2868 Monaghan Drive to Steven Mootin and Gabrielle Emard, of Ormond Beach, for $620,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, a hot tub and 2,339 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $495,000.

Ormond Shores

Nancy and Joshua Perdue, of Ormond Beach, sold 117 Ormond Shores Drive to Amy Cirelli and Daniel Gagne, of Ormond beach, for $400,000. Built in 1981, the house is a 5/4 and has a fireplace, an in-law suite and 2,371 square feet. It sold in 2019 for $320,000.

Standish Shores Gloria LaFontaine, of Holly Hill, sold 194 Standish Drive to Tara Passoni, of Ormond Beach, for $455,000. Built in 1970, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,893 square feet. It sold in 1999 for $104,500.

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA

Coquina Key Eugene and Kim Long, of Ormond Beach, sold 108 Coquina Key Drive to Douglas and Jean Schreiber, of Ormond Beach, for $740,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool, a hot tub and 1,968 square feet. It sold in 2007 for $360,000.

Ormond Beach Plaza Kelly and Rafael Perez, of Ormond Beach, sold 4 Bass Drive to Joshua Paul Bruner and Shawna Lee Bruner, as trustees, for $895,000. Built in 2020, the house is a 3/2.5 and has 1,781 square feet.

Maria Coroneos, of Ormond Beach, sold 10 Spanish Pine Way to Keith Daniel Webster and Katherine Brill Webster, of Ormond Beach, for $770,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 5/5.5 and has a pool and 4,000 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $535,000.

Hickory Village Michael and Kathleen Haddican, of Pearl River, New York, sold 3 Thomas St. to Nancy Perdue, of Ormond Beach, for $300,000. Built in 1985, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,164 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $260,000.

Oak Forest Daniel and Geraldine Curtis, of Parker, Colorado, sold 1410 Overbrook Drive to Lance and Kristine Tucker, of Ormond beach,

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

Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report for $450,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool, a fireplace and 2,028 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $470,000.

Ask the mayor

Mayor: Save time, text concerns to Customer Service

“Is there some way to talk to customer service without having to wait so long on the phone?

I know you guys are busy, but so am I, and I only have a half

LETTERS

Blame shouldn’t fall on city manager

Dear Editor: The termination of the city manager in the city of Palm Coast, or any city for that matter, is a critical undertaking. The now fired manager Miss Bevan had more experience in Palm Coast government than all the council members combined. The head-spinning rapid rate of growth, the enormous drainage mess, and the snail’s pace and paralysis of road widening and new road construction is due to the city council’s policies of low funding levels for roads and drainage and a $105 million dollar appropriation for a completely new road west of U.S. 1. That money would go a long way to curing our ills in the Palm Coast right here right now.

The approval of all funding for all these things was done, not by the city manager, but by the mayor and council members. It’s not the city manager’s fault just because it’s an election year and an outside consulting firm hired by the utility department calculates a monetary shortfall and concludes their report with calls for immediate fee increases.

Many have called for the city council to slow things down a little until our drainage, our roads, everything, can catch up, without a huge hit on residents’ quality of life. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, are

MILKINS, PARKER GARDEN IS SELECTION OF THE MONTH

Jeff Milkins and Steve Parker’s garden at Foxhall Lane in Palm Coast has been honored as The Garden Club at Palm Coast’s April 2024 Selection of the Month, thanks to its vibrant colors and lush greenery. Having moved from Reading, Pennsylvania in May 2022, the couple transformed their retirement project into a breathtaking tropical paradise. The front of their home showcases Sago palms, Hawaiian Ti Plants, Mammy crotons, bromeliads, red bougainvillea, crinum lilies, and red mandevillas, creating a stunning entryway. An impressive agave in the center of the driveway and pink mandevillas near the garage further enhances the visual appeal. The backyard, however, is where their garden truly becomes a tropical oasis. An orchid house with over 100 plants of more than a dozen varieties, alongside blooming pink azaleas, yellow Shrimp plants, Fire Bush, red pentas, Indian Hawthorn, Golden Dew Drops, and Elephant Ears, creates a rich tapestry of colors and textures. The pool area features an orange bush lily from Pennsylvania, white bromeliads, poinsettias, and Vanda orchids,

hour on my lunch break to call. There’s got to be a more efficient way to report an issue. Help please.”

All of us know how difficult it is to have to wait on the phone for service. There’s never enough time in a day to accomplish everything important to us. Our city’s Customer Service department staff recognizes this problem and has just added a new convenience that will make everyone’s life a little easier. Anyone experiencing a utility emergency, trash concerns, pep tank problems — or just about any-

you better off now? Charles Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Which is it going to be? If we meet our needs and solve our problems together, city staff, manager, council, and residents, then we will have the city we all can be proud of. It’s a goal worth working towards.

JEFFERY C. SEIB Palm Coast

Welcome, now empty your wallet

Dear Editor: The Observer’s Feb. 22 article by Toby Tobin indicated that current residents of Palm Coast are favored by the property tax system over newcomers, and Greg Blose´’s article of March 7 agreed, saying, in effect, that new residents are needed to help pay our bills. Both cited impact fees on new developments as providing needed revenue.

In the same March 7 issue, an article stated that the City Council was increasing impact fees as fast as legally allowed. At its meeting on that subject, a citizen urged the Council on, saying “Developers can pay this.” (Of course, developers pay for nothing, if they can help it. They simply pass on all costs to their customer homebuyers. Of course, the increased home prices add to our national unaffordable housing problem.)

After the developer (I mean, the new residents) pay the impact fees, one might expect the city to wel-

blending memories of home with tropical beauty. Jeff and Steve’s garden is a testament to their passion and commitment to beautifying their slice of Palm Coast.

The Garden Club meets monthly on the second Monday of the month at 1:00 p.m. at the 51 Club, 51 Old Kings Road, Palm Coast, September through May. The plant sale is open to the public 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m.

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON HOLDS EASTER SERVICES

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church saw a record-breaking 6,017 people attend its six services throughout Easter weekend on

thing — can call Customer Service at 386-986-2360 either during or after regular business hours. Rather than wait in the queue, they can opt to instead send a text. A prompt will instruct you how to text your case to reach a field technician quicker. This program has become quite popular. Just during the first weekend it was introduced, we had 87 residents text their concerns to the city and every week since we began offering this assistance, more and more residents have used it. It’s one of our newest innovations designed to provide residents with more pro-

come those new residents as new neighbors, right? Oh no! The city, having assumed (by annexation) authority over the area, permitted (thereby encouraged) new residents to move in, and extracted onerous fees from them, now segregates them, for all future maintenance, from the rest of the community. It still taxes them, just like the current residents (only at higher rates, due to tax favoritism). It just declines to provide the services (infrastructure, streets, etc.) for which such taxes normally pay. That is, the city takes the money and runs, abdicating the duties it assumed by virtue of its expansion. Power without responsibility, what a concept!

And it gets worse. Since the city declines any responsibility for its new streets, forever, the newcomers must permanently pay for it themselves. To do so, a perpetual involuntary association is imposed on them, the HOA. Yes, I said, “involuntary.” The homebuyer does sign a “covenant” when he joins, but the alternative is to lose access to most of the housing market (since most developers now impose an HOA at purchase).

Truly voluntary associations are fine, but effectively involuntary HOA’s have become a nationwide blight, an extra layer of little private governments (you know, to replace the official governments who wish to avoid dealing directly with their citizens).

New homebuyers do not realize what joining an HOA really entails, until they have committed them-

March 30 and 31.

Two of the Masses on Easter, March 31, were standing-room only, according to a press release from St. Elizabeth’s Pastor Jose Panthaplamthottiyil. During Lent, the parish also received over 2,000 confessions and, during the Easter Vigil Service, welcomed 13 catechumens — a conversion to the faith by baptism — and 24 candidates into full communion with the church.

The St. Elizabeth team extended its thanks to the following for their part in the celebrations: Music Director Lindita Kosavo and the choir; business manager Elizabeth Foran; the liturgical team of lectors, sacristans, Extraordinary Ministers of Communion, and altar servers; Jose Valverde and members from the Knights of Columbus and Men’s Club for the church decorations; and Dennis Boucher and his team of golf cart drivers; Ron Cowles and his team of Greeters; Jaime Burns and the ushers; Greg Gully and his team for lighting a fire inside the church for the blessing of the fire, ensuring the safety and beauty of our Easter Vigil Service.

OLD KINGS ELEMENTARY NAMED SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

The Florida State Board of Education has recognized Old Kings Elementary School as a School of Excellence, Flagler Schools has announced. A School of Excellence designa-

active support from the city. We have been and always will continue to be committed to search for the best ways to serve our customers. Email your questions or letters to the editor, to brian@observerlocalnews.com.

selves (forever). Human nature insures that every community has its share of busybodies who seek power over their neighbors. They naturally gravitate to HOA’s, particularly to their boards of directors. Once ensconced thereon, they often fail to limit themselves to collecting the necessary dues, but display a disturbing tendency to meddle with the members’ property and even their personal affairs, even imposing fines, property liens, etc. (This is all perfectly legal).

Constitutional restraints protect against intrusion by government, not by private associations. After all, you signed up, (sort of). This whole process by which cities tax property and expand their communities is apparently technically legal, or the state would intervene and cities could not get away with it. But there can be a big difference between legal and ethical. And this process is not only unethical, it is a racket.

The fact is that, between ‘’nimby’’ current residents, local government abjuring its responsibilities, developers complicit in the exploitation of their customers, and HOA’s proclivity for oppression, we receive our ‘‘newbies’’ (defined as anyone who arrived in Palm Coast at least one day after you or I did) with more harassment than hospitality. This should induce shame, not satisfaction.

ANTHONY TEAGUE Palm Coast

tion is achieved when a school’s percentage of possible points earned in its school grade calculation is in the 80th percentile or higher for at least two of the last three school years, according to a press release.

Qualifying schools retain the designation for up to three years, at the end of of which it can renew its designation, according to state statutes. The Board of Education announced the designation at its meetings in Tallahassee on April 5.

OKES is one of only 88 schools statewide to be newly designated as a School of Excellence, according to the press release.

REALTY EXECUTIVES DONATES UNDERWEAR TO FAMILY LIFE CENTER

Realty Executives Oceanside has donated 268 pairs of brand new children’s and women’s underwear to the Family Life Center.

For the second year in a row, Realty Executives Oceanside’s “Drop Your Drawers” event collected brand new, unused underwear through March 31. Underwear is the least donated but one of the most needed items at women’s shelters, a Realty Executives press release said.

“It’s important to us as an organization to support the work that the Family Life Center provides the community we live and work in,” broker Bruce Vinnick. “Executives were generous in their donations and we couldn’t be happier to support them with this donation.”

YOUR NEIGHBORS Celebrating different abilities

The Autism Awareness Festival provided resources and a fun day.

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Dozens of families with autistic children toured the 40 resource vendors at the second annual Autism Awareness Festival and Resource Fair presented by Vincent’s Clubhouse on Saturday, April 6, at Central Park in Town Center.

Others were there just to enjoy the fun on a sunny day.

The event, which is held during National Autism Acceptance Month, included a bounce house village, a sensory friendly kids zone, the Fun Coast Down Syndrome Association’s Down Right Dancers, food trucks, music, games and activities.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Center and a Flagler County Fire Rescue engine were also present.

“We have a lot of new vendors this year,” said Erica Flores, the president

The “I Am Me” project made it possible for Sarah Wallace to attend prom.

Matanzas High School senior Sarah Wallace has wanted to attend prom since she was a freshman, but she couldn’t afford to go.

Thanks to Cyril and Aisha Stubbs’ Strategically Aligning Lives Together organization, Wallace was able to attend Matanzas’ junior and senior prom on Friday, April 5, at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach. Through SALT’s “I Am Me” project created to help under-

privileged girls in Flagler County attend their prom, Wallace received a new prom dress and shoes; accessories; a corsage; tickets; and a complete makeover including hair, nails and full makeup. “She was basically treated like a queen all day,” Aisha Stubbs said. Wallace was recommended by Matanzas teacher Janel Walker, Stubbs said. “She was so deserving,” Aisha Stubbs said. “We only had one applicant from Matanzas because their prom is so early, but we were going to do Sarah anyway, because she deserved it. We want them

to apply, but it’s not a competition. As long as we have a dress and shoes to accommodate, we’ll do that.” Stubbs said they actually bought two dresses for Wallace, because they weren’t sure if the first would arrive on time.

“Everything was picked out personally by her, all brand new stuff,” Stubbs said. Stubbs said they will also treat one or more deserving Flagler Palm Coast students to a similar package. FPC’s prom is May 3 at Hilton Daytona Beach.

and founder of Vincent’s Clubhouse. “The Social Security Administration came from Daytona Beach and Sound Wave Music Therapy came from Jacksonville.” Flagler Schools had information about its Exceptional Student Education and transition programs. Dr. Kimberli Halliday, the school district’s director of ESE, and her team answered questions and handed out pamphlets. Halliday said the most popular question asked was, “My child was tested, what do I do next?” Anthony Marchetta, who is blind and autistic, had a display of his Nitro’s Keychains. “I look at my disability as a different ability,” he said. At the booth next door, Kelsie Hosler displayed her Kelsie’s Creations artwork.

The Bikers Against Child Abuse

Daytona chapter — serving Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and southern St. Johns County — displayed a couple of motorcycles next to their booth. The organization is in 47 states and 18 countries. Flores founded Vincent’s Clubhouse in 2017 to host summer camps for children with autism and other sensory disorders.

She came up with the idea for the non-profit after her own son, Vincent, was unable to attend summer camp with his cousins because it was not equipped to meet the needs of children with autism.

Since hosting its first camp, Vincent’s Clubhouse has expanded to offer inclusive social events, support groups and advocacy programs.

“Currently we are working to raise enough money so we can have our own building to allow us to serve even more children and young adults with special needs in our community,” Flores says on the organization’s website, vincentsclubhouse.org.

This year’s prom theme was “Meet Me in the Moonlight.”

Erica Flores (left), president and founder of Vincent’s Clubhouse, with Michelle Lang.

Alex Ellis, Asher Ellis, Brenda Roberson, Ava Ellis, Addie Ellis and Evie Ellis. “There’s a lot of information here for help and support,” Evie said.

Back row: Vincent’s Clubhouse Camp Director Bill Bianco, volunteer Hannah Zublionis of Flagler Palm Coast High School. Front row: Fund Development Coordinator Yvonne Bianco, volunteer Olivia Rabbat of Matanzas High.

Mason Sousa, of Palm Coast, plays with the water table. Photos by Brent Woronoff

The Down Right Dancers perform. The troupe is from the Fun Coast Down Syndrome Association in Palm Coast.

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 11

HALIFAX GENEALOGICAL

SOCIETY APRIL MONTHLY MEETING AND PROGRAM

When: 1:30-3:30 p.m.

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

Details: Linda Vivian will present, “Who Will Tell Your Story?” Free guest registration. Visit halifaxgensociety. org.

‘WOMEN UNITED

FLAGLER PRESENTS’

When: 5:30-7 p.m.

Where: Project WARM, 301 Justice Lane, Bunnell Details: Women United Flagler, an affinity group of Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties, in collaboration with Women Assisting Recovering Mothers and Flagler OARS, invites the community to its free April educational event, featuring Dr. Pamela Carbiener and nurse practitioner Chloe Singleton to speak on hormone replacement therapy, menopause and basic screenings. Attendees are welcome to bring a baby item for Project WARM. Light refreshments will be served. Space is limited. Register at https://bit.ly/WUFPresents.

VICTOR WAINWRIGHT AND FRIENDS

When: 6 p.m.

Where: 31 Supper Club, 31

W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Grammy-nominated blues artist Victor Wainwright will perform at 31 Supper Club. Tickets cost $100. Visit www.31supperclub.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 12 SPRING FESTIVAL

When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, April 12-13

Where: Bridges United Methodist Church, 205 N. Pine St., Bunnell Details: The Bridges United Methodist Fellowship invites the community to attend its annual Spring Festival. There will be a rummage sale, food, entertainment and community resource booths. For more information, call 386437-3258.

YOGA OUTDOORS

When: 10 a.m.

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

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

MURDER MYSTERY DINNER SHOW FUNDRAISER

When: 6-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13

Where: Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast, Details: The Seawolf Privateers will hold another Murder Mystery Dinner Show, called “Murder on the High Seas.”

The fundraiser will support Flagler County foster children and their families. Dinner will be provided by Carrabba’s on Friday, April 12, and Outback on Saturday, April 13. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Visit seawolfprivateers.org/ fundraisers.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

YARD SALE

When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Tomoka United Methodist Church, 1000 Old Tomoka Road, Ormond Beach

Details: Peruse a large selection of items: Clothes, tools, books, music, linens, kitchen items, decorative items, small furniture, toys and more. The sale will be held inside the church.

SPRING SIP ‘N STROLL

When: 1-4 p.m.

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

St., Ormond Beach

Details: Join the Ormond Beach Historical Society for an afternoon of sipping cocktails and visiting area restaurants and shops. Play in the poker walk and draw cards at participating businesses for prizes. Tickets cost $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Proceeds will benefit OBHS children’s projects, educational programs and community events. Visit https://www.ormondhistory. org/sip-n-stroll.

‘GENEALOGY IN THE LIBRARY’

When: 1-4 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach Regional Public Library, 30 S.

Beach St., Ormond Beach

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

DAYBREAK: ‘THE MUSIC AND PASSION OF BARRY MANILOW’

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, 5500 E. Highway 100, Palm Coast

Details: This show is led by veteran musician and pianist Joe Hite, who will bring to life classics like “Mandy,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” and “Copacabana.” Tickets start at $54. Visit flaglerauditorium. org.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14 FOUNDERS ART SHOW

When: 1-4 p.m.

Where: The Founders Club at Plantation Bay, 301 Plantation Bay Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: See Plantation Bay artists showcase their talents during this art show. No reservations necessary. Admission is complimentary to Plantation Bay residents and members.

MONDAY, APRIL 15

NARFE CHAPTER MEETING

When: 11:30 a.m.

Where: Houligan’s, 1653 U.S. 1, Ormond Beach

Details: The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Chapter 2247 of Ormond Beach will meet for lunch. The program will be from Assisted Living Made Simple. For more information, email billdenny105@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

NATURE WALKS WITH URBAN FORESTER CAROL

When: 10-11 a.m.

Where: Linear Park, 31 Greenway Court, Palm Coast Details: Join Palm Coast Urban Forester Carol for a na-

ture walk as she talks about the local flora and fauna. This walk will feature a snake presentation by a Central Florida Zoo expert. Free. Register at parksandrec.fun.

TURTLE TALK: A SEA

TURTLE’S JOURNEY

When: 1-2 p.m.

Where: Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreational Area, 3100 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach

Details: Learn about the important role sea turtles and how actions can help preserve these turtles for generations to come. All ages are welcome. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Entrance into the park costs $5 per vehicle.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

FLAGLER SPORTFISHING

CLUB SPRING

CLASSIC TOURNAMENT

When: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Where: Bing’s Landing, 5900 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Palm Coast

Details: Flagler Sportfishing Club is hosting its annual spring classic tournament, benefiting Disabled American Veterans. There is a mandatory captains meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 18. The tournament check-out will take place from 7-8 a.m. under the 100 bridge, and weigh-ins from 3-4:30 p.m. at the South Pavilion of Bing’s Landing. Entry fee is $75 per angler and includes one raffle ticket. Visit flaglersportfishingclub.com.

13TH ANNUAL ORMOND

BEACH CELTIC FESTIVAL

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21

Where: The Casements, 25

Riverside Drive

Details: Ormond MainStreet’s Celtic Festival is returning to Ormond’s two downtown parks along the Halifax River. There will be live music, Highland Games, clans and Celtic societies. Admission costs $12 each day for adults in advance; $15 at the festival

STEP

TRIBUTES

Mick Walker

January 5, 1944 - April 3, 2024 STEP

5,

A

(Grass) Walker. He grew up in Silver Spring and Wheaton, MD. He attended Mackin High School, Montgomery College, and The University of Maryland where he studied studio art. Mick was a talented painter and was also passionate about fishing and cars. He worked as a mechanic for many years, eventually owning his own business in College Park, MD. Mick later worked for SAIC at The Department of Energy as a technical analyst. Upon his retirement in 2003, he moved to Florida where he fulfilled his lifelong dream of living on the water. Mick was a man of deep faith, and an active and well-respected member of his church communities. He will always be remembered for his love of family, loyalty to his friends, sense of humor, and as our “Mr. Fix It.” He was our Superman. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Lewis Walker Jr. He is survived by his wife Karen Walker; Janet Walker, the mother of his children: Dawn Riesett (Brian), Victoria Walker, and Christine Hess;

and his grandchildren, Marc Hess, Benjamin Riesett, and Helena Riesett. He is also beloved by his two stepdaughters; Sharon Bellino (Mark) and Laura Stewart; and grandchildren Andrew Bellino and David Bellino.

Services were held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 2024 in Florida at Trinity Presbyterian Church. A separate service will be held in Maryland at The Pastorate of St. Francis-St. Mary & Holy Family Catholic Community. The family requests that any donations in memory of Mick go to: Trinity Presbyterian Church, 156 Florida Park Dr N, Palm Coast, FL 32137, or Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 East Ohio Street, Suite 500, Chicago, Illinois 60611.

gate. Children 12 and under are free. Two-day passes are available for $18. Free parking. Visit ormondbeachmainstreet.com.

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Washington Oaks Garden State Park, 6400

N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Palm Coast Details: Celebrate Earth Day with Washington Oaks. There will be a DJ, live entertainment, arts and crafts, vendors, kids activities, environmental education, plant sales and more. Entrance into the park costs $5 per car.

FLAGLER VEGFEST

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell Details: Join Jacksonville Business Connections for the Flagler VegFest, an event committed to educating the community about plantbased lifestyles. Free event and parking. There will be vegan vendors, food, as well as music, a bounce house and face painting. This event takes place alongside the Flagler Spring Market. Contact jaxbizconnections@gmail.com to volunteer, speak or organize demonstrations. To be a vendor or sponsor, visit https:// bit.ly/3U6Plq9.

FLAGLER SPRING MARKET

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Flagler County Fairgrounds, 150 Sawgrass Road, Bunnell Details: Attend the Flagler Spring Market, presented by 4-H and FFA Livestock. Features several local vendors, food, a bounce house and face painting. Free admission and parking.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

ENGLISH TEA PARTY ON THE PATIO

When: 2-4 p.m. Where: Gallery of Local Art, 108 S. Central Ave., Flagler Beach

APRIL20TH,2024 11AM-2PM

6500BELLETERREPARKWAY

APRIL20TH,2024 11AM-2PM 6500BELLETERREPARKWAY (386)445-2344

RibbonCuttingCeremonywillbeat11:00amwithMayorAlfinforour GrandOpeningatPalmCoastChristianAcademy!Withexcitinggames, face-painting,balloonart,andcateredlunch,thisisaneventyouwont wanttomiss.

RibbonCuttingCeremonywillbeat11:00amwithMayorAlfinforour GrandOpeningatPalmCoastChristianAcademy!Withexcitinggames, face-painting,balloonart,andcateredlunch,thisisaneventyouwont wanttomiss.

Thankyousomuchforyoursupportforourschool!

Thankyousomuchforyoursupportforourschool!

6500BELLETERREPARKWAY (386)445-2344 GrandOpening

APRIL20TH,2024 11AM-2PM

RibbonCuttingCeremonywillbeat11:00amwithMayorAlfinforour

Thankyousomuchforyoursupportforourschool!

Charles Michael (Mick) Walker of Palm coast, FL (formerly of Frederick, MD) passed away on April 3, 2024 in Jacksonville, FL. Mick was born in Washington, DC on January

1944 to Lewis

and Thelma

Art on the wall

One Daytona hosts fifth edition of art festival.

JARLEENE ALMENAS MANAGING EDITOR

More than 130 artists and vendors, from as close as Ormond Beach and far away as California, participated in the fifth edition of the One Daytona Art Festival on Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7.

Headlined by marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey, this year’s festival also featured a live mural competition between six artists, Bob Ross Painting workshops and live music by Classern Quartet.

“The One Daytona Art Festival is celebrating its fifth anniversary and we’re proud to have such a great lineup of local, national and international artists joining us for this important milestone event,” said Roxanne Ribakoff, president of One Daytona, in a press release.

One Daytona also donated $8,000 to both the Volusia County Schools and the Daytona State College Foundation.

An awards ceremony was held in the afternoon of the festival’s first day.

„ Deborah Berry, of Daytona Beach (Medium: Photography)

„ Lauren Cowen, of Port Orange (Medium: Mixed Media)

„ Brittany Fowler, of Melrose (Medium: Watercolor)

Digital Art Competition (For Daytona State College students)

„ First place: “Connected”

Turtle Fest 2024 releases 90-pound rescued loggerhead

The turtle, named Snoqualmie, was critically anemic and emaciated when she was found in St. Johns County.

SIERRA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

The 2024 Volusia-Flagler Turtle Fest celebrated the release of a rescued, 90-pound loggerhead sea turtle.

The 16th annual Turtle Fest took place in Veteran’s Park in Flagler Beach on April 6. Sea turtle enthusiasts celebrated with local artists, bounce houses, live performances, educational booths and turtle and tortoise exhibits.

It took four Turtle Patrol volunteers to carry the rescued turtle, named “Snoqualmie,” down the beach to the water’s edge.

Snoqualmie — called “Sno” by the volunteers — was found in St. Johns County on Dec. 2, weighing just 51 pounds, according to Turtle Patrol Volusia’s Facebook page. She was extremely anemic and emaciated and received IV nutritions and multiple blood transfusions at the Marine Science Center.

The Turtle Fest is the VolusiaFlagler Turtle Patrol’s primary fundraiser each year and serves as an education outreach opportunity for

It was an amazing experience, she said.

“I would be back every year if they will have me,” King said.

Mary Wentzel, of Ormondby-the-Sea, showcases her watercolor art.

Nahea Hands, of Ormond Beach, had her clay pottery on display. Photos by Jarleene Almenas

Katie Granis Belton and Jennifer Granis, of Flagler Beach, man the booth for Jennifer Granis’ art.

Mary Ellen, of Ormond Beach, showcases her mixed media art. Turtle Patrol volunteers bring the rehabilitated sea turtle down the beach. Photos by Sierra Williams

Turtle Patrol volunteer Murph Borno holds up a sign about the rehabilitated sea turtle release.

One tortoise “raced” around an enclosure. Turtle Patrol volunteers Jean Rust, Ginger Pinholster, Caszandra Brooks and Ginny McLeod.

Joy King is a local artist who only recently began to showcase her artwork. The Turtle Fest was her second showing.

Carolyn Kovacs, with a local branch of University of Florida’s Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, educates attendees about sea turtles.

Logan Williams, 5, pets a turtle.

local environmental organizations, according to the Turtle Patrol’s website.

Joy King was one of several local artists to set up tables at the Turtle Fest and showcase their work. King said the Turtle Fest was only her second event as an artist and she was glad to be a part of something that supports an important cause.

Mother Goose

In

Power meets speed

FIVE STAR STANDINGS

4.

Mainland’s Emmanuel Yisrael, FPC’s Colby Cronk and FPC’s 4x100 girls relay runners were among standouts at the Five Star Conference track meet.

BRENT WORONOFF

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Mainland won the boys championship at the Five Star Conference track and field championships on April 5, while the host team, Flagler Palm Coast, finished second in both the boys and girls team standings.

“Any time we come to Five Star, it’s a challenge for us, because a majority of the schools are in a bigger classification that us,” Mainland coach Terry Anthony said. “So we gauge ourselves against ourselves.”

Following are highlights from the meet:

YISRAEL DOUBLES UP ON

HURDLES

After winning the 400-meter hurdles, Mainland senior Emmanuel Yisrael collapsed onto the grass and crawled halfway across the infield toward his backpack, which he then used as a pillow.

“This race (the 400 hurdles) is excruciating,” he said while still lying on his back.

Yisrael had won the 110 hurdles earlier with a personal record of 14.67 seconds, almost a full second ahead of his teammate, Marquis MaCants, who placed second in 15.57.

But this was the first time Yisrael had run the 400 hurdles all season. He finished in 59.20 seconds. FPC’s Corinthian Watson was second in 1:02.26.

“I don’t really practice the 400 hurdles a lot,” Yisrael said. “I was chasing 58 (seconds), but my main goal with the 400 is to get a time, so I can show college coaches both of my times (for the two events).”

Normally, Yisrael focuses on his own lane, but he said he was motivated in the 110 race when McCants

Summer

Gabrielle Lett

Jada Dotson

beat him to the first hurdle. “That pushed me, because I know he’s been trying really hard to catch me,” Yisrael said. “It caught me by complete surprise. When I felt that pressure, it started clicking.” His 14.67 is tied for the sixth fastest time in Class 3A, and it is just just .14 of a second behind the third fastest. McCants had a big day of his own. He won both the long jump (20 feet, 10 inches) and the triple jump (43 feet, 10 inches). His 110 hurdles time was a PR. Two days later at the Spruce Creek Last Chance Meet on April 6, McCants posted a PR in his triple jump with a winning leap of 44 feet, 1.25 inches. FPC’s Watson placed second in triple jump at the Five Star (41 feet, 8 inches), while FPC’s Cody Newton placed second in the long jump with a PR leap of 20 feet, 9 inches.

SEE TRACK PAGE 6B

SPRUCE CREEK MEET

Matanzas’ Evanne Miller and Jordan Youngman each won three events at the Spruce Creek Last Chance Meet on April 6 to lead the Pirates to the girls team title.

Mainland won the boys title and finished second in the girls standings. The Matanzas boys placed third. Miller won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races. Youngman won the 100 and 400 hurdles and the high jump.

Also placing first in girls events were:

Mainland’s Taliyah Nixon (1,600), Seabreeze’s Kirsten Glaenzer (800), Matanzas’ Lupita Galeano (3,200) and Bryonna Bowdry (discus) and Mainland’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.

First-place winners for the Mainland boys included: Kajuan Curry (800), Marquis McCants (triple jump), Emmanuel Yisrael (long jump), Zion Noralus (high jump), Madden Santiago (shot put), Demon Nolien (discus) and the 4x400 relay of Khalil Wilmore, Curry, Drayden Wood and E’Zaiah Shine. Seabreeze’s Chandler Mitzo won javelin, while Hunter Shuler won the 1,600 and the 3,200.

Sandcrab Arianna Tilley competes in girls shot put.

competes

Mainland’s Marquis McCants walks on air to a first-place finish in the boys long jump.

FPC’s Arianna Slaughter (right) hands off to Jayden Wright (left) in the girls 4x400 meter relay.

BOYS 1. Mainland 165

Mainland’s

(left), FPC’s

Barnes (second from left), FPC’s

and Spruce Creek’s Sanaii Gaines (right) sprint in the first heat of the girls 100 dash.

Flagler Palm Coast junior Colby Cronk used the spin technique for the first time in throwing the shot put. The result, he said, was a gamechanger.

Cronk threw a personal-best 17.56 meters (57 feet, 7.5 inches) to win the event by nearly eight feet.

“I was pretty happy with it,” said Cronk whose previous best was 16.54 meters, using the glide technique at FPC’s East Coast Classic on Feb. 23. He broke his own school record by almost four and a half feet.

“I had been splitting reps between the glide and the spin (in practice),” he said. “The spin is more of a technique thing. You don’t have to power it. It’s pretty nice. My goal was to try to hit 17 (meters).”

The junior has the top mark in the state among Class 4A shot putters by more than four feet, and he is second overall among all state shot putters.

“I want to win the (Class 4A state championship),” he said. “but I’m going to try to get No. 1 in the state.”

Cronk was not as happy with his performance in discus, where he finished third behind Mainland’s Demond Noelien, who threw a PR 48.92 meters (160 feet, 6 inches). Cronk fouled three times after throwing 48.14 (157 feet, 11 inches).

He threw 52 meters but stepped over the circle. He has the fourth-best throw in Class 4A at 49.20 meters.

“I really want 50,” he said.

FACE PLANT AND A WIN

Jada Dotson’s lip was hurting after the girls 4x100 race, but the FPC senior was still smiling as her relay team won its second race of the season.

Dotson fell face first on the track as she was handing the baton to anchor runner Summer Barnes. Barnes never paused and finished the race with a winning time of 49.20 seconds, crossing the finish line by more than two seconds ahead of second-place Pine Ridge.

“I felt her fall, but I just had to keep running,” Barnes said.

Dotson said she just lost her balance on the handoff.

“I was trying to reach, and it was pulling me forward,” she said. “But we got the handoff, that’s the most important part. I knew Summer wasn’t going to look back.”

It was a big day for the Bulldogs’ 4x100 runners. Olivia Gaines, who ran the second leg, also won the long jump with a school-record 17 feet, 9 inches.

“My steps were a little rocky at the beginning, but coach (Alex) Giorgi-

was 5 or 6 (years old),” her father Sherman Barnes said.

PR FOR MAINLAND SPRINTER

anni told me how to adjust my steps on the runway and helped me to a PR.”

Aun’Yale Howard, who ran the first leg in the 4x100, also won the triple jump with a leap of 35 feet, 8 inches, a personal record by more than three feet. Gaines placed second behind Howard at 35 feet, 4 inches. Seabreeze’s Emma Uneda was third at 35 feet, 3.25 inches.

“Something clicked,” Howard said. “I PR’d by almost a whole meter. I’m excited.”

Barnes, meanwhile, won the 200 meters with a time of 26.23 seconds and finished second in the 100 meters (12.39 seconds), one spot ahead of Gaines (12.68).

Barnes also earned another second-place finish, running anchor on the 4x400 relay. The Bulldogs ran a personal-record 4:18.02 with Jayden Wright running the first leg, followed by Cassidy De Young, Arianna Slaughter and Barnes.

Barnes’ parents said she has loved to run since she was little.

“She was running 5Ks when she

Mainland senior E’Zaiah Shine won the boys 100 meters with a personalrecord time of 11.07 seconds.

He also helped the Bucs’ 4x100 relay team (with Jontrell Edwards, Corey Hill and D.J. Murray) and the 4x400 relay (with Khalil Wilmore, Kajuan Curry and Drayden Wood) win their races. And Shine placed third in the 200 meters with a time of 22.03 seconds.

“I wanted to PR in the 100,” he said. “I want to get faster every time I go out.”

The 4x400, which the Bucs ran in 3:34.60, was the last race of the day, just two events after the 200 meters.

“The 4x4 is obviously tough after the 200,” Shine said. “I don’t know how I do it, but I do it.”

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS

Also winning events were FPC sophomore Ayden Peterson in the 800 (2:01.53), Mainland senior Zion Noralus with a PR in the high jump (6 feet, 3.5 inches) and FPC junior Maya Tyson in girls shot put (26 feet, 1.5 inches) and discus with a PR of 110 feet, 5 inches.

Mainland’s boys 4x800 relay of Curry, Wilmore, Jack Mathis and Seth Rose placed second in 8:20.07. For FPC, Tanner Cauley-Bennett placed second in pole vault (PR, 12 feet, 5.5 inches), Kamron Davis was second in the 400 (PR, 50.89), Elijah Thero was second in javelin (168 feet, 8 inches) and Zoey Gotera was second in girls javelin (PR, 94 feet, 9 inches).

Seabreeze sophomore Hunter Shuler placed second in the 3,200 with a time of 10:29.66 and third in the 1,600 with a 4:41.74.

A year ago at Five Star, he set personal records in both events (4:38.08 in the 1,600 and 10:03.26 in the 3,200).

“Cross country was such a big disappointment. I was sick the whole time,” Shuler said. “Track has definitely been a big step up, but I’ve kind of been a little stuck lately. I need to be sub-10 (in the 3,200) before districts. I need to get my 1,600 time under 4:30, because I want to go to states this year.”

Two days later, Shuler won both events at the Spruce Creek meet, running 4:39.91 in the 1,600 and 10:33.44 in the 3,200.

GAME-CHANGER FOR CRONK

LINES

Bucs’ Walker leads state lifters

Mainland’s Elijah Walker is the top seed in the unlimited weight class heading into the Class 2A state weightlifting championships April 20 in Lakeland. Walker won the Region 2-2A traditional championship with a 715-pound total.

Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas each qualified three lifters for state. FPC’s Nick Groth won both the traditional and Olympic titles at 169 pounds in the Region 1-3A meet. His 545-pound Olympic total ranks first heading into the Class 3A championships April 19. His 580-pound traditional total ranks third.

FPC’s Cody Strawser (119 pounds) qualified in the traditional (370 total), and Dylan Bennett (169 pounds) qualified in Olympic (460 total). Matanzas senior Cody Hash, the reigning Class 2A state traditional champ at 199 pounds, placed second in traditional (635 total) and third in Olympic (515) at the Region 2-2A meet. Matanzas 119-pounder Maison Leanard placed third in region in both Olympic (260 total) and traditional (320). Jaden Sao placed second in traditional (410 total) and third in Olympic (345) in the 129-pound class to advance.

Mills, Borgmann win national wrestling titles

A year ago, Mariah Mills wrote down a couple of wrestling goals and then put the book away. “Wrestling state champ 2024” and “national champ 2024,” she wrote.

Now she has accomplished both.

Mills, a Matanzas High School wrestler, and Christina Borgmann, a Flagler Palm Coast High school wrestler, each won national titles on Sunday, Aug. 7, at the NHSCA High School Nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Borgmann won six matches to win the girls 126-pound championship, while Mills, who received a bye as the top seed, won five matches to win the girls 107-pound championship.

“High school Nationals is the biggest folkstyle wrestling tournament there is for high school kids,” said David Bossardet, FPC and the Flagler Wrestling club’s head coach.

Mills was one of three wrestlers representing coach Mike Fries’ Legend Athletics club to win All-America honors. The others were her brother Jordan and Fries’ daughter Tiana.

Jordan Mills placed third in the senior 182-pound class to become an All-American for the first time.

Tiana Fries placed seventh in the girls 145-pound class to become an All-American for the third straight year.

Last month, Mariah and Jordan Mills became the first brother and sister duo to win FHSAA state wrestling championships in the same year. Mariah, who lost in the “blood round” last year at High School

Fries.

Borgmann did not show as much emotion after winning her final, 4-0 over Ella Hughes, a Georgia state champion.

“She didn’t celebrate. That’s the kind of girl she is,” Bossardet said. “She was happy she won, but I think she expects to win. She’s a true student of the sport. She watches a lot of film and asks a lot of questions. After practice, she works on the things she isn’t comfortable with.”

Borgmann also won a state championship last month and placed third at the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals on March 17 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

“I think she’s getting stronger, maturing as a wrestler,” Bossardet said. “She’s competing in more high-level competitions.”

Both Borgmann and Mariah Mills are returning next year for their senior seasons.

FPC holds on vs. Seabreeze

Seabreeze scored four runs in the top of the seventh but came up short in a 5-4 baseball loss at Flagler Palm Coast on April 8. Jordan Gonzalez got the win to improve to 3-3. Gonzalez gave up one hit and no runs in five innings. Mason Sanders and Zane Barron each drove in two runs in the seventh for the Sandcrabs (8-11). Cody Clymer and Nole Hemmerle each had two RBIs for the Bulldogs (8-10).

Nationals — falling one win short of achieving All-America status — checked her final box.

“I never placed at a national tournament like this,” she said. “I’m so excited.”

She defeated Maddie Ripley of Maine — a runner-up last year’s High School Nationals — by a 5-4 decision in the semifinals. She then decisioned Alicia Serratos of Santa Ana, California, 4-1 in the final.

“There were a lot of good girls in my bracket,” Mills said, “Girls who had beaten me before.”

After winning the final, she jumped up, raised both her arms in the air and ran over to hug Coach

Jordan Mills reinjured his shoulder at the end of his quarterfinal match and then lost in the semifinals. With his shoulder hurting, he was unsure whether he would continue in the consolation bracket, but when his name was called he answered and gutted out his final two matches, his father, Abe Mills, said.

He won a 5-4 decision over Tayshaun Glover of Greensboro, North Carolina, in the third-place match. Tiana Fries won an 8-7 decision over Ciyanna Okocha of Louis, Virginia, in the seventh-place match.

Autumn Jarvis, Ani Brown and Jazzy Golder also competed with the Legend Athletics team. Jarvis went 2-2 in the 120-pound class.

Alexa Calidonio, Joslyn Johnson, Trey Twilley, T.J. McLean and Kevin McLean also competed with Flagler Wrestling. Calidonio advanced to the blood round in the girls 165-pound class. Johnson went 1-2 in the girls 100-pound match. Twilley went 3-2 in the boys freshman 126-pound class. T.J. McLean went 1-2 in the junior 113 pound class, and Kevin McLean went 3-2 in the middle school 105-pound class.

FPC and Seabreeze were scheduled to play each other two more times before the end of the week — at Seabreeze on April 10 and at Spruce Creek in the first round of the Five Star Conference tournament at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 13. Seabreeze is also scheduled to play at Matanzas at 7 p.m. April 12.

Kelley shuts down Matanzas softball

University of Kentucky signee Julie Kelley silenced Matanzas’ bats in Spruce Creek’s 8-1 softball win on April 8 at the Pirates’ field. Kelley, of Ormond Beach, allowed two hits and one earned run in seven innings to lower her earned run average to a minuscule 0.13. The Hawks improved to 123, while Matanzas fell to 11-2.

Flag football districts

FPC defeated Matanzas 25-6 in a District 5-2A flag football quarterfinal on April 8 to advance to the semifinals where they were knocked out by Spruce Creek 12-0. The District 11-1A semifinals were scheduled for April 10 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex with Seabreeze and Mainland on opposite sides of the draw. The championship game is scheduled for April 11.

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Christina Borgmann with coach David Bossardet. Borgmann won the 126-pound girls championship at the NHSCA High School Nationals wrestling championships. Courtesy photo

Mariah Mills shows off her national championship bracket and plaque and AllAmerican certificate. Photo by Rachel and Abe Mills

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