Palm Coast Observer 07-04-24

Photo by Michele Meyers

Jeff Annon, Rich Cooper

CITY WATCH

Christmas Come True to host fundraiser July 12

The Palm Coast City Council has designated July as “Christmas Come True Month.” Christmas Come True was founded by Nadine King in 2009, and it supplies families in need with everything their children could need for Christmas. In 2023, the nonprofit supplied 460 Flagler County children with Christmas presents.

Multiple events will fundraise for the upcoming season. The first is a comedy dinner on July 12 at the Elks Club on Old Kings Road. Visit https://christmascometrue. org/events/. King also runs the thrift store Begin Again Home Goods, which provides basic supplies like beds, furniture.

“The high cost of living has resulted in many more families suffering a devastating loss of income; Christmas In July events will enable Christmas Come True to provide additional assistance ... to those high risk families,” the proclamation read.

“We’ve got ... just four months to get everything together to be able to help these families,” King said.

Holland Park splash pad reopens

The James F. Holland Park splash pad is fixed and reopened to the public.

Communications and Marketing Director Brittany Kershaw told the Observer that the park officially reopened on July 3 with the city’s Party in the Park event ahead of the county’s Independence Day Celebrations. The park has been under repair since November as the Saboungi Construction company Parks and Recreation Director James Hirst said construction finished about two weeks prior.

“We are very confident that we should be good for a while,” Hirst said.

The park will have routine maintenance schedule, which will include shutting the splash pad to inspect all the parts. The splash pad will be open 9 a.m. to dusk, and will be open throughout the year from March to December, and be closed during the cooler months.

The closure during winter will also be when the city conducts more indepth inspections to ensure the park is still running smoothly, he said.

The only big change to the splash pad is the flooring, Hirst said, which has been entirely replaced with the construction.

The city awarded Saboungi a $2.7 million contract to fix the splash pad last October, with contingency funds costing another $300,000. The city originally invested $5 million in the splash pad.

It opened in May 2021 but closed that October because the “pouredin-place,” or PIP, surface material, cracked and peeled, becoming a trip hazard.

The city decided to sue the companies involved in the pad’s construction in November 2022 after Trevor Arnold, the attorney leading the case for the city, said mediation between the parties had reached an impasse.

Mayor David Alfin said he was very excited for the reopening. The city has managed to keep the legal proceedings separate from the construction project to fix the splash pad, he said, and now it is ready for the public to enjoy again. “I have arranged to make it the hottest summer I possibly can, so that people will enjoy that fresh cool water in a very safe environment,” Alfin quipped.

Stricter codes for short-term rentals?

With the veto of a bill that would severely restrict municipalities’ ability to regulate short-term vacation rentals, Palm Coast is looking to implement a new ordinance implementing restrictions for short-term rentals in the city.

On June 27, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed Senate Bill 280, known colloquially as the short-term rental bill. In his veto message, DeSantis said the bill would have prevented municipalities from passing and enforcing “virtually all local regulation of vacation rentals.”

The issue of short-term rentals has been a hot topic in Palm Coast for years. At the July 2 Palm Coast City Council meeting, Mayor David Alfin asked City Attorney Marcus Duffy about implementing a new ordinance.

“The solution has to be longlasting,” Alfin said. “My desire is that what we end up with becomes a model for the region for the state.”

Duffy said that, while there are still

restrictions from the state, the city would be able to implement a new ordinance with additional restrictions so long as it does not prohibit the rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rentals.

Over a dozen members of the public had formed a coalition and spoke at the June 2 City Council meeting to demand more restrictions for shortterm rentals, from specific code violation ordinances to restricting the number of occupants.

Many of the residents who spoke wanted more enforcement from Code Enforcement and from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

“I believe that as currently structured, our code enforcement is ineffective in addressing this,” C-Section resident Cameron Orr said.

The Palm Coast City Council asked Duffy and staff to return with research and a drafted ordinance on how the city could implement various restrictions specific to shortterm rentals.

Council member Theresa Carli Pontieri asked Duffy and staff to look into the legalities and costs of creating a dedicated section of code enforcement for short term rentals, requiring the owners to tell the city where their rental is advertised and the legality of preventing registered sex offenders renting the short-term rentals.

Pontieri also suggested that the city change its code enforcement policy where short-term rentals are considered. On the whole, she said, the code enforcement department works to get residents under compliance, instead of levying fees right away.

Pontieri suggested code enforcement take a more aggressive approach with short-term rentals.

The item is tentatively scheduled to return to council on Aug. 13.

“We want to make sure we do this right,” Duffy said. “And so in doing this, it does take time.”

Palm Coast seeks to expand ability to take out loans

Palm Coast is looking to update its charter to extend the city’s ability to enter financial contracts.

The city’s charter currently limits the council to loan contracts that are within a 36-month time frame or within a $15 million limit. Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo said the policy limits the city’s ability to pay for capital projects, public private contracts or respond to emergencies.

“Recently, capital projects are more and more expensive, and so this has a significant limitation on your ability to pay for capital projects,” Delorenzo said.

The ordinance changing the charter, by law, requires the Palm Coast City Council vote to approve the ordinance twice and then it will be added to the Nov. 5 general election ballot for approval by the voters.

The changes would allow the city to secure loans using future impact fees or enter into public private partnerships — like the one needed to build a proposed sports complex in west Palm Coast, which was proposed last December.

But that is just one way it could impact the city. DeLorenzo pointed out that, as it currently stands, if the city were severely damaged in a storm — say, if City Hall were destroyed — the city would not be able to enter into a contract to fix the damage if the contract were longer than 36 months or exceeded $15 million. And $15 million today does not go as far as $15 million from 1999, he said. On first vote, July 2, the council approved the ordinance 4-0, with council member Cathy Heighter absent from the meeting.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

New and improved. Courtesy photo

Seven weeks till the primary: meet, greet, vote (for fun)

County, city candidates on growth, conservation at Tiger Bay

While voters got to meet their candidates ahead of the primary, the Supervisor of Elections Office presided over a straw poll.

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Flagler County residents had a chance to ask their would-be representatives questions on the community’s hot topics: growth, taxes, infrastructure and land conservation.

The event, hosted by Flagler Tiger Bay Club and held at the Palm Coast Community Center, included candidates from almost every city, county and state office up for election. Approximately 70% of local offices are decided in the primary election, according to a Tiger Bay notice of the

event

event.

Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart also hosted a voter registration drive and a straw poll while voters met with candidates. A straw poll is an unofficial ballot meant to test opinion.

See the results of the straw poll for the county and city offices on the right. For School Board results, see the story on the bottom of this page. What follows is a sampling of candidate and resident comments at the event.

EVENT ATTENDEES FAVOR

DANCE, RICHARDSON AND CARNEY IN STRAW POLL

Lenhart announced the results of the straw poll at the end of the June 27 meet and greet.

On the county level, meet and greet attendees favored incumbent Andy Dance for the District 1 seat over Fernando Melendez with 63% of 220 votes. For the District 2 seat, Kim Carney narrowly beat out Palm Coast City Council member Nick Klufas with 47% of the vote to his 44.5%. Bill Clark was a distant third, at 8% of 200 votes.

For District 5, the straw poll showed Pam Richardson overwhelming 73% of 219 votes, to Palm Coast Vice Mayor Ed Danko’s 27%.

Danko was one of the few candidates to who did not attend the meet and greet. In a statement he sent to the Observer ahead of the event, Danko said the “unscientific, statistically invalid, and meaningless poll” put candidates in the awkward position of having to stack the poll with their supporters instead of focusing on engaging with voters.

“It is unfortunate that Tiger Bay has turned what should have been an excellent opportunity, for both the public and candidates to meet, into a ‘straw poll circus side show,’” Danko’s statement read. “Undoubtingly, this sham straw pole will be reported on by some media as being fact, which clearly it is not. While this straw poll may not be illegal, in my view, involving the Supervisor of Election’s office gives the appearance of possibly being unethical, and thus I have chosen not to attend this event.”

Dance, as Flagler County Commission chair, said he was primarily asked about the beach management

TIGER BAY STRAW POLL RESULTS

Unscientific. Just for fun. Still interesting?

PALM COAST MAYOR

CITY COUNCIL

plan and residents’ concerns over a special taxing district.

“It’s great because we’re getting additional feedback,” he said, “which is what we want.”

PALM COAST COUNCIL, MAYOR RACES CLOSELY DIVIDED

The Palm Coast mayoral race has the most candidates involved: incumbent Mayor David Alfin and residents Mike Norris, Peter Johnson, Alan Lowe and Cornelia Downing Manfre.

Of 221 votes, Alfin won 34% of the vote, Norris 27%, Johnson 16%, Manfre 11% and Lowe 10%.

The District 1 seat has four candidates: Ty Miller, Jeffery Seib, Shara Brodsky and Kathy Austrino. Miller and Austrino took most of the 193 votes, with 36.1% and 35.6% of the votes, respectively. Brodsky received 17% and Seib 11%.

Miller said the meet and greet was a great way to meet the candidates.

“You can’t knock on every door in the city, so it’s good to be able to meet people face to face,” he said.

Growth and infrastructure were the main issues voters were asking him about, he said, but, for him, those are symptoms of the city’s unbalanced revenue. Right now, he said, the city’s revenue is primarily funded by residential property taxes.

“It’s not a one-year fix,” he said. Being more welcoming to commercial growth will balance the revenue problem and, in turn, fix the infrastructure concerns.

SCHOOL

BOARD (see below)

Seib said during the event he mostly had questions from residents on the city’s major topics — growth, taxes and infrastructure and preserving the city’s green spaces.

Seib, who is a regular at the City Council meetings, has always made it clear that preserving the city’s environment was one of his priorities.

“My policy is beautiful and livable,” Seib said, “because a city that integrates nature is a great city.”

The District 3 seat has Dana Mark Stancel, Ray Stevens and Andrew Werner splitting 199 votes. Werner came in first with 44%, Stevens in second with 30% and Stancel third with 25%.

Werner said the Tiger Bay event was an excellent way to hear the concerns of all of Palm Coast residents. He had the opportunity to meet people who both agree with his stances and that challenged him.

“You have people from all walks of life, all different sections of the city here in one place,” he said. “So you get to hear the different perspectives that come from the different areas.”

SOME FLAGLER COUNTY VOTERS WANT FRESH PERSPECTIVES

Palm Coast resident Carole Holden said this election would be her first since she moved to the county. She used the meet and greet, she said, as an opportunity to get to know the candidates’ priorities.

“The most important question I’ve been asking tonight is, if you’re

elected and you could only accomplish one goal while you’re in office, what would it be,” she said. “Because then I know where their heart is.”

Flagler resident Denise Calderwood said she was looking for younger or fresh candidates, ones who weren’t already connected to the establishment.

For Palm Coast mayor, she said she will support Cornelia Downing Manfre’s campaign because of Manfre’s diverse experience.

“I believe that she can speak to and be able to separate a lot of the issues because of her ... diverse knowledge [and] broad background,” Calderwood said.

Other attendees such as Bruce and Carol Stone were already pretty confident in how they would vote. The Stones said they were planning to vote for Norris for mayor and Adam Morley for District 7’s Senate seat.

Bruce Stone, who attends Palm Coast City Council meetings and has been an advocate for safety on Florida Park Drive and Cimarron Drive, said he doesn’t believe Danko or Klufas should be in the County Commission seats.

Carol Stone said it’s less about the party line for her and more about what the candidates stand for.

“I wish we had more of a ‘of the people, for the people’ kind of thing,” she said.

Look for the Observer’s Election Guide, to be published in mid July.

School Board: guardian program, parents’ rights, friction on board

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Three Flagler County School Board candidates mingled with would-be voters at the Flagler Tiger Bay Club’s Candidate Meet and Greet on June 27 at the Palm Coast Community Center.

District 3 candidate Derek Barrs said the guardian program was one of the main topics he was asked about.

District 5 candidate Vincent Sullivan said a lot of people asked him about how his partnership in the Chiumento Law firm would affect his decisions as a School Board member.

Lauren Ramirez, who is running against Sullivan in District 5, was the third School Board candidate in attendance. Ramirez is the owner of Salus Medical Training and the mother of four children who attend Flagler Schools.

Sullivan practices in the areas of real estate, foreclosures and consumer defense. He said, “A lot of parents just want to know that I’m not here to help developers.”

“I’m here to help kids,” he said.

A graduate of Matanzas High School, Sullivan has been a member of the Flagler County Education Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2020.

An attendee who did not want to be identified said she is concerned about Sullivan because “Chiumento

is involved with so many land deals.”

Sullivan said when he made the decision to run, Chiumento Law

Managing Partner Michael Chiumento III said, “I’m going to be your biggest hurdle.”

“(Chiumento) said, ‘You have to do what you have to do,’” Sullivan said.

“There’s an appearance, and we understand that,” Sullivan said, adding, “This is my hometown. I’m not doing this for a cash grab.”

Ramirez said one of her focuses is helping Flagler Schools become an A district again. She said one of the factors that dropped the district to a B rating was its Exceptional Student Education scores.

Ramirez, who is a parent of an ESE student, said she would like to see all teachers, particularly ESE teachers, have more time in their day. One way to do that, she said, is to have vetted volunteers take on some recess and lunch duty shifts.

“Teachers love our students. They have a passion for teaching them, but they don’t have enough time in their day,” Ramirez said.

Barrs, who has 33 years of experience in law enforcement, is running against Janie Ruddy for the District 3 seat. Ruddy, a former Rymfire Elementary School Teacher of the Year, has 13 years of teaching experience and is currently the director of professional learning for a special education software and curriculum company.

Ruddy was in Ireland with her husband celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. She said in a text that they had booked the trip several months back. “I was very disappointed about missing the opportunity,” she wrote.

Marshaun Hyman, a Palm Coast management consultant, said one issue that’s important to him is solving the friction among board members.

“I think there’s a lot of division on the School Board,” he said. “I’m looking for people who are going to build bridges.”

Barrs is an associate vice president at HNTB, a transportation infra -

structure company. He is a former Florida Highway Patrol chief and deputy sheriff in Madison County. Barrs said he is in favor of the guardian program as an augment to the School Resource Deputy program. Sullivan also said he supports the guardian program.

Barrs said the questions that he fielded the most were about his background.

“He shared who he was as a person, and that resonated with me,” Hyman said of Barrs.

Patrick O’Grady, who is a neighbor of Barrs’, said Barrs listens to all sides of an issue.

Barrs also said he supports parents’ rights and what’s best for their children, Helen McWilliams said she had not finished her research for the District 3 candidates but said parents’ rights is important to her.

“Parents need to be involved in the schools,” she said. Ramirez and Barrs

by Brent Woronoff

Shara Brodsky is running for the Palm Coast City Council District 1 seat. Photos by Sierra Williams

Jeffery Seib is running for the Palm Coast City Council District 1 seat. Pictured: Seib and his wife, Kathleen.

Kathy Austrino, a candidate for the Palm Coast City Council District 1 seat, and her husband, Dominic.

Ty Miller is running for Palm Coast City Council District 1. Pictured: Miller and his wife, Jaclyn Miller.

Flagler County steps back from special assessment tax for beach project

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Flagler County will not be implementing a special taxing district for its beach management plan this year.

Coastal Engineering Administrator Ansley Wren-Key told the Observer in an interview that the county has decided to slow down its approach to the beach management funding plan. For now, she said, a smaller, undetermined portion of funding will be set aside from the upcoming fiscal year 2025 budget, but that will be done without adding any additional taxes.

“What we want the public to know is that we’re taking a step back,” Wren-Key said. “We’re not trying to implement this [special taxing district] to go into effect this year.”

Most likely, any funding for the beach management plan for next year will come from a combination of the county’s general fund budget, the Tourism Development Council’s

bed tax and whatever grant funding the county can qualify for, she said. Exactly how much is set aside this year will be determined as the 2025 fiscal year budget is solidified.

On June 3 and 10, Flagler County staff presented two options to implement a tiered special taxing district that ultimately had coastal residents paying more into the beach management fund. The beach management fund would cost $7 million to $9 million to maintain.

Right now, the county is a few years off from immediately needing the funding for its four-phased beach management plan.

Wren-Key said Phase 1 of the plan — which is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project — already has its funding set aside. Likewise, she said, the funding for Phase 2 — the shoreline from Seventh Street North to Varn Park — is available to the county through special legislation funding passed after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

the county will focus on maintaining them.

Flagler County received $35 million from that legislation, Wren-Key said. Most of it will go toward Phase 2 and the design and studies needed for phase 3. Phase 3 extends from Varn Park to Washington Oaks Park, while Phase 4 will finish out the rest of the county.

The county needs funding to renourish phase 3 and design, study and implement phase 4. After that,

After all of the county’s shoreline is renourished, the county will need to have access to a reliable funding source to upkeep the beaches.

Originally, County Administrator Heidi Petito said in the June 3 presentation that delaying choosing a funding mechanism could cause county residents to need to pay more or delaying the management plan.

But, Wren-Key said, “there’s a lot of different options that are on the table right now.” The funding options include

potentially dedicating millage — residents’ property taxes — during the budget sessions, implementing a half-cent sales tax, applying for state grant funding, special taxing districts and, depending on any future storms, potentially additional Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.

“We’re still trying to figure it all out,” Wren-Key said.

In the two presentations pitching a special taxing district, the consultant primarily focused on special taxing districts.

But no decisions will be made this budget season, Wren-Key said. The county has decided to slow down and refine exactly how much is needed and how much should come from each municipality.

“We have realized that we need to meet with all the municipalities and discuss it with them,” she said. “We’re going to take this a little bit slower and move forward step by step.”

Mayoral candidate fights back against accusation of racist message

Peter Johnson: ‘This is fraudulently pretending to be me in an effort to disparage my name [and] using disgusting racial terms in the process.’

SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Palm Coast mayoral candidate Peter Johnson has come under fire after a Facebook message showing him allegedly using a racial slur has surfaced online.

But Johnson denies ever sending the messages and said the message has been faked in order to discredit his campaign for mayor. The mes -

sages in the screenshot show an anonymous person — all identifications have been removed from the page — criticizing Johnson for destroying feral cat feeders in 2023.

Johnson’s alleged response uses swear words and the N-word slur at the messenger.

Johnson said he first became aware of the screenshot when a local news media outlet approached him in March about it.

He said he has always denied sending the messages and immediately filed a police report with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

“This was completely fraudulent,”

Johnson said.

The FCSO sent the police report to the Observer. It was filed on March 14, when Johnson first became aware of the message, with a followup report on June 20.

Johnson said he also went to the local Federal Bureau of Investigation office, but was told the issue is not under their jurisdiction.

But Community Cats of Palm Coast Director Jessica Myers said in an interview with Bunell Pastor Jearlyn Dennie on the WNZF radio show “Today with Pastor J” that she had spoken with the person who received the emails. She said she posted half the messages in a private Facebook group and the respondent was able to finish the message.

Myers declined to interview with the Observer following her “Today with Pastor J” interview.

The alleged messages refer to an incident between between Johnson and a Community Cats volunteer in July 2023 over a feral cat feeder that Johnson had destroyed in a city trail. A volunteer replaced the broken

feeder a few days later after the first was broken, and was confronted by Johnson.

In the body camera statements from Johnson and the volunteer, Johnson allegedly got in the woman’s face and began recording her for replacing the feeders. The woman also swiped in Johnson’s face, but not hitting him, and pulled out her pepper spray, though she did not use it, according to statements from both parties.

Ultimately, no charges were filed against either Johnson or the volunteer. It wasn’t until after the altercation that Johnson filed to run in the mayor race.

Myers said in the interview she was willing to step down from her position at Community Cats if it meant she could step in and prevent Johnson from becoming mayor.

“I said, ‘I’m going to do whatever I have to do, even if that means stepping down as director of Community Cats,’” she said. Myers also asked in the interview that, if the messages were faked, why hadn’t Johnson made a public statement against it?

When asked, Johnson said it was because he didn’t want to give “baseless rumors” any semblance of credibility by acknowledging them.

The FCSO deputy for the incident wrote in his report that “a possible fake account was created to discredited Peter because he is running for mayor.”

“This is fraudulently pretending to be me in an effort to disparage my name [and] using disgusting racial terms in the process,” Johnson said. “It is unacceptable.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began staging for the renourishment’s first phase on July 1. Photo by Sierra Williams

Ex-county engineer sues Flagler County

Faith Alkhatib alleges discrimination because of her Palestinian ethnicity over her 18 years of employment.

SIERRA

WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

A former Flagler County engineer has filed a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the county over her termination after almost two decades of employment.

Faith Alkhatib — once the face of the county’s work with emergency beach renourishment and the U.S. Army Corps project — worked at Flagler County in various positions for the last 18 years. In the fall of 2023, Alkhatib filed for a medical leave of absence and was ultimately terminated on Dec. 5, when she was denied an extension and did not return to work.

Now, over six months later, she has filed a lawsuit alleging the county unjustly terminated her employment, citing discrimination because of her Palestinian ethnicity and retaliation for multiple discrimination complaints. During her tenure at the county, Alkhatib, according to the lawsuit, filed multiple complaints with the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the Whistleblower Act.

Among Alkhatib’s demands, the lawsuit seeks “judgment again the defendant” for each violation, reimbursement for Alkhatib’s attorney’s fees and costs and “all legally-available general and compensatory damages and economic loss” to Alkhatib, including interest.

The lawsuit was filed on

May 23 and Flagler County’s attorney has yet to file a response to the claims. The Observer reached out to both Alkhatib and County Attorney Al Hadeed for comment, both deferring questions to their attorneys for the case.

Hadeed said the county’s insurance carrier assigned the case to attorney Susan Erdelyi of Marks Gray Law Firm in Jacksonville. Erdelyi declined to comment on the case except to say the county’s response would be made through the court process.

“We will respond. We’re just going to respond in a court process where rules of evidence apply,” Erdelyi said.

Alkhatib’s 15-page lawsuit — filed on her behalf by her lawyer, Tallahassee attorney Marie Mattox with Mattox Law — details almost two decades of allegations where Flagler County employees passed Alkhatib over for promotions in favor of less qualified candidates and excluded her from meetings on projects under her purview. It lists multiple Flagler County employees as party to the discriminatory conduct, including former County Administrator Jerry Cameron, current County Administrator Heidi Petito, Human Resources

Director Pam Wu, Assistant County Engineer Hamid Tabassian, Deputy County Administrator Jorge Salinas and others.

The lawsuit alleges the above individuals and others in the county government created an environment of “isolation, harassment, racism, toxicity, hostile work environment, and other problems for departments, employees, and [Alkhatib].”

The lawsuit also states that not only was Alkhatib discriminated against, but at several points in April and May 2023, she was pressured by county administrators to illegally dispose of sand left in a county parking lot, despite multiple state, federal and local laws regulating the process.

Additionally, Alkhatib states that her complaints filed with the Human Resources department were not investigated or followed through, the lawsuit said, including several sexual harassment complaints.

In June 2023, Alkhatib filed for a 12-week leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act. Her request was approved, but not used until late August. She was approved for leave to November and later received approval to extend that leave through November, the lawsuit said. Alkhatib requested a second extension in November but was denied an FMLA extension.

In late November, Alkhatib was emailed that she was expected back at work on Nov. 27, but was not told what the consequences would be if she did not. When she didn’t return, the lawsuit said, Alkhatib was “wrongfully terminated under the guise that she resigned which Defendant [Flagler County] alleged took place after [Alkhatib] failed to return to work.”

Former county engineer Faith Alkhatib. File photo

JUNE

1:33

responded to a

after receiving an anonymous call regarding a vehicle that had been running with the lights on for two hours. When police arrived, they discovered the vehicle was unoccupied, according to a police report. The keys were in the ignition.

Officers tracked down the vehicle’s registered owner and responded to her home; however, no one answered the door, and it appeared that no one was currently living at the home. There was a construction dumpster in the driveway, police noted, and signs that the home was being renovated.

Police were able to obtain phone numbers for the vehicle’s owner, her brother and father from her employer, but were unsuccessful in contacting her.

JUNE 24

MAILBOX SURPRISES

8:11 a.m. — 700 block of South Fleming Ave., Ormond Beach Suspicious incident. An Ormond Beach resident called police after he found a small

can of Coca-Cola in his mailbox. The soda was accompanied by a note written on a paper towel stating, “Sorry for your troubles.”

The citizen told police that he believed his neighbor was to blame, and that he had received other items in his mailbox throughout the weekend — a headless statue and a lamp, according to a police report.

The citizen believed that this was all caused by an argument over a garage sale. Police spoke with the neighbor, who “adamantly denied” putting anything in the citizen’s mailbox, according to the report.

JUNE 28

WHAT GOES AROUND

4:13 p.m. — 600 block of East Moody Boulevard, Flagler County False police report. A Naples, Florida woman called police to report her bicycle was stolen, only for the cops to find she had stolen the bicycle in the first place.

The woman told police that she had ridden her bicycle — a pink beach cruiser — to a nearby store while waiting on a friend to finish eating lunch, according to an arrest report. She left the bicycle unsecured outside the store and returned to find it gone.

Surveillance footage from the store showed a man riding off with the bicycle. Police were searching for the

suspect in a nearby neighborhood when they were notified the suspect had returned to the store.

The suspect told the officers that the bicycle was actually his and it had been stolen from him at the neighboring gas station, the report said. Surveillance footage from the gas station showed the man parking his bicycle behind the gas station and the woman stealing the bicycle.

The man chose not to file any criminal charges for the original theft. The woman was arrested for filing a false report.

JUNE 30

EXTENDED STAY

9:33 a.m. — Flagler County Battery. A Starke, Florida man attacked a hotel clerk when his wallet went missing and the clerk told him he’d have to wait to get the surveillance footage of his room.

The clerk told the suspect he couldn’t access the cameras and that the suspect would have to wait for the manager to come in the following day. Enraged by this answer, the suspect jumped the counter and grabbed the clerk, an arrest report said.

The suspect immediately let go of the clerk when he realized what he was doing and left the lobby area. Deputies arrived and arrested the suspect on a battery charge. His wallet is still missing.

BRIEFS

Palm Coast man charged with sexual battery on a minor

A 48-year-old Palm Coast man was arrested after allegedly molesting an underage girl.

Michael Travis Stephens, 48, was arrested on July 1 on two felony charges of sexual battery of a minor and child abuse. Stephens lives with the victim and her mother.

At around 6 a.m., the victim and her mother were in the home’s garage when Stephens came into the room, according to an arrest report.

The victim told Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies she was sleeping when she woke up to Stephens touching her thighs and whispering in her ear.

She said she was afraid, so she pretended to be asleep at first but attempted to get up when he tried to pull down her pants, the report said.

The victim said her mother had secretly called the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and that’s when deputies arrived on scene and “banged” on the door.

The girl said she secretly opened the garage door and that’s when she and her mother ran screaming from the garage to a neighbor’s home, the report said. Stephens refused to coop-

erate with law enforcement, stating multiple times that he “did not do anything wrong.” He also made several openended threats, the report said, before locking himself inside his home. Deputies were eventually able to take Stephens into custody.

According to Flagler County Clerk of Court records, Stephens has no prior history in the county. He is being held in the Flagler County jail on $125,000 bond.

Kitchen

fire

breaks out in Palm Harbor Grill restaurant

A kitchen fire broke out in the Palm Harbor Grill restaurant on June 29.

Palm Coast Fire Department units responded to the scene and found the kitchen fire extended into the restaurant’s exhaust fan system and up to the building’s roof, according to the PCFD. No injuries were reported and firefighters were able to contain the fire.

The fire caused minimal damage to the restaurant, a PCFD Facebook post said.

The Palm Harbor Grill, a Portuguese restaurant, is one of several businesses in The Shopps at Palm Harbor plaza. The Observer was not able to confirm if the Grill has temporarily closed or is open at regular hours by the time

of this publication.

Palm Coast Fire Department celebrates John Peacock for 25 years of service

The Palm Coast Fire Department celebrated Lt. John Peacock for 25 years of service to the Palm Coast Fire Department.

Peacock joined the fire department in June 1999 after obtaining his firefighter and EMT certifications.

Before his firefighting career, he served in the Air Force and worked as an EMT for Flagler County Ambulance in 1998. Promoted to lieutenant in 2004, Peacock has been an integral part of the extrication competition team and the technical rescue team.

Growing up in Crescent City, Peacock was surrounded by the fire service. His father, Allen, has been a significant figure in the Crescent City Fire Department since 1982, eventually becoming fire chief and fire marshal for Putnam County. Peacock’s mother Judy, sister Stacey, and Uncle Robert serve in Crescent City, and uncles Dave and Ronnie serving in West Virginia.

“Lt. Peacock has had an exemplary 25-year career,” PCFD Chief Kyle Berryhill said. “We are all grateful for the opportunity to have served under his leadership.”

New chairman: Stay positive about growth

New board chair, board members, plus business awards at Palm Cast-Flagler Regional Chamber’s annual meeting.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

Michael Chiumento was sworn in as volunteer board chairman at the fourth annual Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce celebration June 26, at Channelside.

“I missed a meeting, so now I’m in charge,” Chiumento quipped.

He continued by encouraging the business community to stay positive about the future and not repeat negative narratives — “jibber jabber, especially in political season” — about growth.

“We are in a huge inflection point,” Chiumento said. “ … Growth is going to happen.”

That growth will lead to jobs that could enable the next generation to remain in the community.

The chamber, which has grown to 230 members, is moving its headquarters to the City Centre building, which also houses Chiumento Law, President Greg Blose announced.

Garry Lubi, of SouthState Bank, will move from board chair to immediate past chair. He shared Chiumento’s optimism. He said he has lived in this community for 17 years. “I believe the next 17 are going to be more miraculous than ever,” Lubi said.

Lubi also praised Blose for the creation of the LEAD program, the first class of which graduated at the event. Lubi thanked John Walsh, Chiumento and Chelsea Herbert for their leadership, especially while Lubi was recovering from a health scare.

AWARDS

For the first time, the chamber recognized individual businesses with awards, as follows:

Distinguished Service Award: Stephanie Ellis, Flagler County Education Foundation 2024 Small Business of the Year: Dr. Erika Equizi, Premier Chiropractic Community Impact

Award: Lisa Byer, New York Life

Elected Official of the Year: Nick Klufas, Palm Coast City Council

Entrepreneur of the Year: Chelsea Herbert, 4C’s Trucking and Excavation; Poppy’s True Market; The Landing Strip Member of the Year: Denise Bales-Chubb, AdventHealth Three new board members were also installed at the ceremony: Laura Gilvary, Intracoastal Bank; Rich Cooper, Foundation Risk Partners; Jeff Annon, Southern States Management Group.

Equizi’s rise to success: Small Business of the Year

The Palm CoastFlagler Chamber of Commerce selected Premier Chiropractic as its 2024 Small Business of the Year.

BRIAN

MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

In July 2021, Dr. Erika Equizi needed to make some extra money while her new business, Premier Chiropractic, was getting started. So she decided to get a part time job with Mark Woods, of Fun Coast Bartending, and serve at community events.

In June 2024, Equizi was at another community event, but this time, she wasn’t serving as bar tender: She was being honored with the Business of the Year Award by the Palm Coast Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s been a tremendous change,” Equizi said, as she spoke to me near the bar at Channelside, where the chamber’s annual event was held, on June 26. “Three years ago, I was actually here, working for Mark.”

Woods reflected on seeing Equizi’s journey as a business owner.

“She did a few events for us, until she eventually got a little too busy,” Woods said. “I think it’s great [to see her succeed]. From behind the bar at these kinds of events, I see her making these connections. It’s paid off for her. She has an authenticity about her. She’s very personable and knowledgeable.”

Equizi grew up in Tampa

and Jacksonville, received her undergraduate degree from The University of South Florida in Psychology, then attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange.

Equizi is active in many groups around Flagler County, including BNI Prestige Partners, as well as Professional Women of Flagler County. In fact, she was the 2022 Business of the Year from PWFC and is now the secretary of the board.

“I’ve grown tremendously because of everyone in this town, because of the love and support of the community,” Equizi said.

The most credit, though, goes to her staff, she said. When she sat down in the audience after receiving her award from the chamber, Equizi said, “the first thing I did was text my staff, making sure they know they matter.”

Dr. Autumn Quinn began working for Equizi in November 2022.

“What makes Dr. Erika successful is her personality — it’s who she is as a person,” Quinn said. “She’s very caring. She’s very open. She will have a conversation with you for 20 minutes, an hour, whatever the scenario is. She will get to the root cause of whatever is wrong with the patient. She will talk to you about other things to help you through life.”

If someone needs emergency treatment, Quinn said, “She’s there in a heartbeat.”

Premier Chiropractic moved to 108 Flagler Plaza Drive, near Winn Dixie, in 2023. Call 386-585-4441. Email brian@observer localnews.com.

Keynote speaker Tom Leek and new chamber chairman Michael Chiumento.

Dr. Erika Equizi and Greg Blose. Photo by Brian McMillan

Nick Klufas

Stephanie Ellis. Photos by Brian McMillan

Chelsea Herbert

Kelsie Lombard and Lisa Beyer.

BRIEFS BIZ BUZZ

Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park receives grant

Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Florida State Parks Foundation. According to a press release, It is one of 10 Florida State Parks citizen support organizations selected to receive the small grant award for 2024.

The grant, matched with Friends’ funds, will be used to purchase a safe and reliable pickup truck to help park volunteers perform tasks across the park’s 144 acres.

“We are extremely grateful for this funding opportunity,” Greg Wilson, the Friends of the park’s board president, said. “As a beachfront park, our vehicles deteriorate quickly. With this award, (Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park) is pleased to be able to provide a vehicle to help the park continue its mission of protecting and interpreting our beautiful natural environment here in Florida.”

The Florida State Parks Foundation is a nonprofit that supports and helps sustain the Florida Park Service, its 175 parks, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers. The grants are used to enhance visitor experiences, accessibility features and park improvement efforts.

Friends of Gamble Rogers State Park received a $5,000 grant from the foundation in 2023 that went towards the purchase of a golf cart used for park maintenance.

The group’s mission is to support Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area and North Peninsula State Park through fundraising, community involvement, educational outreach, and enhancements of park resources.

Last year, 156 Friends members supported park projects including Sea Turtle Patrol, Shuck and Share, Pepper Pickers, Butterfly Garden and general maintenance. New members are welcome! For more information visit frogrs.com or email membership@friendsofgamblerogersstatepark.com.

Volusia County’s Youth Water Safety Initiative offers free alarms to families

Volusia County will distribute free door and pool-motion alarms starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 28, at six locations to improve water safety for households with children. The giveaway includes a four-pack of window/door alarms that emit a sound when a door or window opens and pool alarms that activate with water surface disturbances. Each household can receive one set of each alarm type.

Residents of Volusia County who are at least 18 years old and willing to complete the necessary paperwork are eligible to receive the alarms. When collecting the alarms, applicants must provide proof of residency, such as a driver’s license, mortgage documents, rental lease, or utility bill. The individual picking up the alarms must also reside in the household using them. There are no income requirements to qualify for an alarm.

The alarms will be available at six regional libraries on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies run out. No appointments or reservations are being provided. Distribution sites include:

Daytona Beach Regional Library, 105 Jackie Robinson ParkwayDeLand Regional Library, 130 E. Howry Ave.Deltona Regional Library, 2150 Eustace Ave.New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie FreewayOrmond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St.Port Orange Regional Library, 1005 City Center CircleThe Volusia County Council endorsed this initiative during its May 21 meeting in an effort to prevent accidental drownings, the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 in Florida. In addition, the council approved funding for the Volusia Flagler Family YMCA and the Daytona Beach Parks and Recreation Department to offer free or reduced-rate swim lessons to income-eligible children this summer. Parents interested in enrolling their children in swim lessons can contact the YMCA or the Daytona Beach Parks and Recreation Department.

Children’s Business Fair features over 20 local youth entrepreneurs

The second annual Children’s Business Fair featured over 20 young entrepreneurs from 6-year-olds to teenagers.

The fair was held on June 29 at the Palm Coast Community Center where the children were responsible for all parts of their business displays, from the setup to sales with customers.

The businesses displayed hand-made jewelry, baked goods, live plants and bulbs, car detailing services, handmade paracord bracelets, original artwork and other amazing products for purchase, a Culinary Wellness press release said.

“We continue to support our young entrepreneurs in this community and organizing this event provides them that opportunity,” said Maria Delgado, the founder of Culinary Wellness. “We’re so proud of each and every kid vendor that participated in this oneday marketplace and thankful to the community that came out to support them today.”

The Children’s Business Fair was available to children within Palm Coast and the surrounding areas and was sponsored by the non-profit Remembering Heroes, the press release said.

Six participants also received award certificates with gift cards for one of three categories: “Most Business Potential,” “Most Original Idea” and “Best Presentation at the Children’s Busi-

ness Fair.” All were treated to a surprise pizza lunch with snack boxes and treats, provided by Palm Coast realtor

Donna Dorst and businesses Charcuterie Dreams and Leilani’s Sweetery, the press release said.

Chick-fil-A Palm Coast team members receive scholarships

Chick-fil-A Palm Coast Operator Glen Efford recently surprised five Chickfil-A team members with Remarkable Future Scholarships.

The team members were awarded checks disguised as giant sauce containers that totaled $12,500.

The scholarship recipients were Tyler Haywood, Alexandra Khoriakov, Maria Maglalang, Mariah Siebert and Aiden Martin. This is Siebert’s fourth year receiving the scholarship, Maglalang’s third year and Khoriakov’s second year.

Efford said he is fortunate for the lasting impact these team members have left on his restaurant and its guests.

“We are so proud of these outstanding young people because they represent the best of our youth today,” Efford said. “Each one of them possesses a true servant’s heart, and they display care in everything they do, both in the restaurant and in their community. Simply put, they are remarkable.”

In order to qualify for the scholarship, team members must show involvement in the community, have an influential role within the restaurant and be recommended by senior leadership.

New Skechers store coming to Palm Coast

Palm Coast will soon have its first Skechers store.

The name-brand shoe store will open its first location on July 11 in the Island Walk Shopping Plaza at 250 Palm Coast Parkway, according to Skechers’ website. The store front is located on the west side of the plaza.

This is Skechers’ first store in the Flagler County area. According to the website, the store will be open 11 a.m.7 p.m. on Sundays and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

New RC racing drift track to have day camps for kids

A local remote control car racing track will be hosting summer day camps in July for kids ages 8 to 16.

The Baka Drift RC Track is a new local fun spot for kids and adults that opened in May. RC drifting originated in Japan in the 1990s and replicates the drifts seen on professional race tracks, a Baka Drift press release said. “RC car drifting is one of the most exciting things you can do with your radio-control vehicle,” the press release said. “It’s fun, challenging, and recreates a full-size racing maneuver that drives spectators wild.”

Baka Drift will have two summer camps: the first from July 15-19 for ages 8-12 and from July 22-26 for ages 13-16. It also hosts a RC drift school for kids ages 8-16 on Sundays.

The RC drifting camp will teach kids sportsmanship and responsibility while also exposing campers to STEM learning and improving hand-eye coordination, creativity and imagination, according to the Baka Drift website.

The camps will go from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and those interested can register online. The store is regularly open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for general access, and open for adults only from 6-10 p.m. Baka Drift offers memberships, day access, beginner lessons and other packages, with more information available at BakaDriftRC.com.

Baka Drift is located at 4601 East Moody Blvd., units D3-4, Bunnell. The store takes inspiration from Japan with scale buildings along the tracks, the press release said.

Chick-fil-A Palm Coast scholarship

winners Tyler Haywood, Alexandra Khoriakov, Maria Maglalang, Mariah Siebert and Aiden Martin. Courtesy photo

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Oceanfront home is top seller in Flagler County

Ahouse at 2943 N. Ocean Shore Blvd. in Flagler Beach was the top real estate transaction for May 9-15 in Palm Coast and Flagler County. The home sold on May 9 for $1,275,000. Built in 1988, the oceanfront house is a 3/3 and has one fireplace, a private beach walkover and 2,177 square feet. It sold in 2001 for $575,000.

GRANT MCMILLAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condos

The condo at 3580 S. Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 209, sold on May 15 for $325,900. Built in 1982, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,358 square feet. It sold in 2022 for $323,000.

The condo at 1400 Canopy Walk Lane, Unit 1425, sold on May 15 for $300,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/2 and has 1,712 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $233,000.

The condo at 400 Cinnamon Beach Way, Unit 331, sold on May 9 for $840,000. Built in 2005, the condo is a 3/3 and has 2,003 square feet. It sold in 2020 for $479,000.

FLAGLER BEACH

Rio Mar

The home at 1421 N. Central Ave. sold on May 15 for $475,000. Built in 1997, the home is a 4/3.5 and has one fireplace and has 2,737 square feet. It last sold in 2012 for $340,000.

Fuquay

The home at 1620 S. Fla-

gler Ave. sold on May 15 for $1,100,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and has 2,305 square feet.

PALM COAST

Palm Harbor

The home at 35 Collindale Court sold on May 10 for $950,000. Built in 2002, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,864 square feet.

The home at 15 Cherrytree Court sold on May 10 for $778,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,105 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $458,000.

The home at 42 Cortes Court sold on May 15 for $740,000. Built in 1980, the house is a 4/2 and has a pool and 1,903 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $665,000.

Cypress Knoll

The home at 37 Elder Drive sold on May 15 for $560,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool, one fireplace and 2,173 square feet. It last sold in 2012 for $205,000.

Toscana The home at 114 New Leatherwood Drive sold on May 13 for $860,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a pool and 2,712 square feet.

Grand Haven The home at 13 Riverbend Drive sold on May 10 for $845,000. Built in 2006, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool and 2,663 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $460,000.

The home at 56 Osprey Circle sold on May 13 for $765,000. Built in 2004, the house is a 4/3 and has a large patio, heated spa and 2,806 square feet. It last sold in 2007 for $585,000.

The home at 11 Osprey Circle sold on May 3 for $735,000. Built in 2005, the house is a 3/2.5 and has a pool and 2,558 square feet.

The home at 9 Ibis Court N. sold on May 10 for $565,000. Built in 1998, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,811 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $465,000.

Hidden Lakes The home at 29 Graham Woods Place sold on May 9 for $610,000. Built in 2021, the house is a 3/2 and has a pool and 1,993 square feet.

Matanzas Woods

The home at 53 Londonderry Drive sold on May 13 for $540,000. Built in 2001, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool and 2,515 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $324,000. Toby Tobin, of gotoby.com, contributed to this report.

John Anderson Drive home sells for $1.38M

Ahouse at 401 John Anderson Drive was the top real estate transaction for May 9-15 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. The home sold on May 14 for $1,380,000. Built in 1960, the house is 5/4 and has a pool and 2,885 square feet. It sold in 2021 for $770,000.

GRANT MCMILLAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Condo

The condo at 2860 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 5030, sold on May 10 for $343,000. Built in 1990, the condo is a 2/2 and has 1,056 square feet. It last sold in 2017 for $210,000.

The condo at 10 Lynnhurst Drive, Unit 103, sold on May 10 for $205,000. Built in 1974, the condo is a 2/2 and has 930 square feet. It last sold in 2004 for $95,000.

ORMOND BEACH

Hunter’s Ridge

The home at 36 Meadow Ridge sold on May 9 for $343,000. Built in 1993, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,815 square feet. It last sold in 2000 for $128,000.

Woodlands

The home at 29 Woodlands Blvd. sold on May 9 for $250,000. Built in 1979, the house is a 2/2 and has 1,551 square feet. It last sold in 2001 for $76,000.

Ormond Lakes

The home at 5 Deerskin Lane sold on May 9 for $485,000. Built in 1998, the house is a

4/2 and has a pool and 2,391 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $323,500.

Halifax Plantation

The home at 1336 Arklow Circle sold on May 10 for $725,000. Built in 2024, the house is a 4/2.5 and has 3,221 square feet.

The home at 2884 Monaghan Drive sold on May 10 for $440,000. Built in 2022, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,839 square feet.

The home at 4050 Campa Lane sold on May 10 for $691,500. Built in 1992, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool, heated spa and has 2,940 square feet. It last sold in 2022 for $600,000.

Park Place

The home at 37 Park Place sold on May 10 for $268,900. Built in 1981, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,436 square feet. It last sold in 2012 for $60,000.

Silver Pines

The home at 1749 Valencia Avenue sold on May 10 for $282,500. Built in 1971, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,179 square feet. It last sold in 2009 for $89,900.

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Plantation Bay The home at 29 Newhaven Lane sold on May 10 for $424,900. Built in 2020, the house is a 3/3 and has 2,136 square feet.

Royal Dunes

The home at 200 Royal Dunes Circle sold on May 10 for $740,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 4/3 and has a pool and 1,967 square feet. It last sold in 2015 for $332,000

Creekside

The home at 33 S. Laurel Creek Court sold on May 10 for $652,410. Built in 2013, the house is a 4/3.5 and has a pool and 2,669 square feet. It last sold in 2019 for $335,800.

Aqua Vista The home at 3 Water Oak Circle sold on May 13 for $415,000. Built in 1963, the house is a 3/2 and has 1,762 square feet. It last sold in 2013 for $165,000.

Triton Beach The home at 108 Pinecrest Avenue sold on May 13 for $417,000. Built in 1960, the house is a 3/2 and has 2,649 square feet. It last sold in 2004 for $245,000.

Kingston Park The home at 1854 John Anderson Drive sold on May 15 for $1,030,000. Built in 1962, the house is a 3/3 and has a pool, heated spa and 2,432 square feet. It last sold in 2020 for $725,000.

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

PALM COAST

ORMOND BEACH

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fireworks are illegal in Palm Coast ... right?

Sheriff's Office ignores illegal fireworks

Dear Editor:

The 4th of July is just around the corner and although it remains illegal to use and store fireworks in the city of Palm Coast, that illegality will be ignored by both inconsiderate lawbreaking neighbors and our sheriff’s department. Although the sheriff is tasked with enforcing the fireworks ordinance and taxpayers pay for that responsibility, there is no history of any citations, arrests or even confiscations in that Department’s records for many years, if ever. And this is irrespective of the hundreds of complaints called in each year. In the past, the sheriff has responded to the perceived dereliction of enforcement duties by contending deputies must observe the ignition of the fireworks to conform

with misdemeanor legalities. So be it. But that should not be an insurmountable task.

The extreme pervasiveness of the illegal activity, the brazenness of the offenders and the great number of complaints, surely offers enough potential for successful and proper ordinance enforcement. So, the sheriff, who is darn good at catching drug dealers and wanted fugitives, to claim his deputies can never find just one person lighting a fireworks fuse is simply not credible. And that begs a question. Could it be that the sheriff just doesn’t really care?

ROBERT GORDON Palm Coast

FCSO enforces laws as written

Dear Editor: Each year on Independence Day, our community cele-

TRIBUTES

Nancy I. Peta

June 17, 1950 - June 19, 2024

Nancy I. (Lesniak), 74, of Old Mystic, CT and Flagler Beach, FL., died on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.

Born on Long Island, NY she was the daughter of the late Henry and Josefa (Swoboda) Lesniak. She spent her childhood years growing up in New London County, eventually moving to Mystic where she has lived for the past forty years. She was a graduate of Yale University and was an APRN for several local area hospitals up until her retirement.

She is survived by her husband, Leonard (Len) Peta; her two sons, Adam Peta of Palm Coast, FL and Christian Peta and his wife, Hadley, of Stonington; two grandchildren, Josie Mae and Lorenzo Peta; several nieces, nephews and numerous cousins. She is also survived by her two brothers-in-law, James Peta of New Hartford, CT and Peter Peta and

TRIBUTES

Lynn Ernest Stein

August 18, 1943 - June 4, 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lynn (“Moto”) Ernest Stein, “a large, sweet soul”, at the age of 80. Lynn died peacefully at his home with family on June 4, 2024, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He had been lovingly cared for by his devoted wife, Suzanne. He is survived by his three daughters, Emily Dorothy, Karyn Evelyn, and Sarah Elizabeth, and three grandchildren, Urayoan Xavier, Imogen-Sue Evelyn, and Sage Alamae. He is survived by his sisters, Evelyn Benjamin, Carolyn Wright, Marilyn Delaguila, and Gwendolyn Baldo. His brother, Edward Stein, predeceased him. Lynn was born on August 18, 1943, in Flushing, NY to Edward and Evelyn Stein. He grew up in Patchogue, Long Island and was the youngest of six children. He was much loved by his family and many nieces and nephews and was always the life of the party.

Lynn was true to himself and led by example. He led a life of service to his family, his community, and his country, believing he was part of something larger. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Physics from SUNY Geneseo, an MBA from NYU Business School, and a law degree from Albany Law School. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Marines (1965-69) during the Vietnam War as a Marine Flight Navigator. He worked as an attorney for General Electric (GE) and, subsequently, the Bank of Boston. He started out as a corporate lawyer, but later opened his own practice in the

brates with fireworks, resulting in letters to the editor and social media posts about the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office not enforcing the laws. But remember: Law enforcement does not make laws. The men and women of the Sheriff’s Office enforce the laws as our elected bodies have written them, not as the sheriff would like to see them written.

Subject to local ordinances, the sale and purchase of fireworks is legal in Florida. Flagler County does not have an ordinance restricting the sale of fireworks. The City of Palm Coast controls the sale of fireworks but it still does not prohibit the sale of fireworks.

As for igniting or using fireworks, Flagler County ordinance only limits the use of fireworks in public parks and recreational areas. There are no other restrictions. The City of Palm Coast does limit the use of fireworks within the city limits to individuals

his wife, Yolanda, of FL. A private burial will be held at St. Patrick Cemetery in Mystic.

The Mystic Funeral Home is handling her final arrangements.

small town of Princess Anne, Maryland. He was also a member of the Rotary Club, volunteered for the Board of Elections, and sang in the church choir.

Lynn loved the outdoors, adventure, and travel. In his youth, he hitchhiked and rode his Indian motorcycle across the U.S. He later explored Thailand and Malaysia with his family. After retiring at the age of 65, he spent 10 years traveling around the U.S., Mexico, and Central America with his wife in their truck camper. He loved camping, the beach, and the ocean.

He instilled in his daughters a love of nature and learning. He will be deeply missed by his family and lovingly remembered by many. The legacy of his love, light, and laughter will continue to live on in our hearts and memories.

with a permit. A violation of these ordinances is a civil infraction, or the offense may be charged as a misdemeanor. However, under Florida law and with few exceptions, law enforcement cannot arrest for misdemeanors or issue civil infractions that did not occur in their presence. The use of fireworks is not an exception under Florida law. This means that, unless the illegal use of fireworks occurred in the presence of a deputy sheriff, we cannot arrest or cite the offender.

Instead, if the person reporting and witnessing the violation of law is willing to sign an affidavit and testify in court, a deputy sheriff will take a report and file a charging affidavit with the State Attorney’s Office. Then,

the State Attorney’s Office will decide whether to file charges. So, the issue is not that we will not enforce the ordinances and laws concerning fireworks. Rather, we are handcuffed by the Florida Legislature that makes it impossible to enforce the fireworks law and ordinances as written.

If you have concerns, I encourage you to contact your local and state representatives. Until the law is changed, our deputies have been handcuffed to solve this quality-of-life issue when you call us about illegal fireworks exploding in your neighborhood.

MARK STROBRIDGE

FCSO Chief of Staff

Dear Editor:

Your recent article, “Public to decide on future franchise fees,” stated that they need to come up with funding for infrastructure.

Well, here’s some advice: Berlin, New Hampshire, got a government grant from all that infrastructure money that they approved to put in heated sidewalks. The total amount was $19.5 million. The residents were unhappy with this and said, with that amount of money, they could’ve torn down the town and rebuilt it, because it is such a small town.

Why don’t we get off our chairs and submit paperwork for a government grant for our infrastructure?

TERRY

WEBB Palm Coast

Editor’s Note: According to a May 16 city press release, the total cost of road projects planned over the next three years will be $229 million, which includes $127.88 million from state funds, $67.55 million from FDOT projects, $1.6 million from local agency program funds, $3.75 million from developer contributions and $28.27 million from city impact fees collected during development. Brittany Kershaw, Palm Coast’s director of communications and marketing, said, “We are consistently going after all grants that meet our project needs,” but added that even with grant funding, the city still has an obligation to pay for a portion of the projects.

Make yourself at home

(Re)discovering Disney

The scene couldn’t be more somber. Snow White, apparently dead, though still perfectly beautiful, lies on a bed, surrounded by her only friends at an intimate funeral. As organ music warbles in the country cabin, pearly tears roll down the cheeks of the seven dwarves, like the wax dripping down the candles in the foreground. Even Grumpy is overcome, sobbing into his hands as he turns from our view. The animals, who had pranced at Snow White’s feet earlier in the film, now peer in from the window, shut out, in the rain. Not a word is spoken. Fade to black.

“No way that’s the end!” my 6-year-old son, Luke, said in disbelief, as he watched the movie for the first time recently. He was right, of course: Prince Charming arrives! And thus, another generation had discovered the power of the early Disney movies. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was originally released Dec. 21, 1937, an astounding 87 years ago.

CORRECTION

to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 PALM COAST

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Another night, it was my children’s first watch of “The Jungle Book,” which was released 30 years later, in 1967.

It’s full of serious themes: belonging and isolation, the struggle against nature, the struggle within.

Luke was through with the heaviness, though. When I asked him about his favorite part of the movie, it was an easy choice: “The Bare Necessessities,” the comic relief of Baloo teaching Mowgli how to live, through jazz.

I was amused to think that “The Jungle Book” was released 13 years before I was born; therefore, to me, it’s always been ancient history. By that same logic and timespan, however, a movie like “Madagascar” would be ancient history to Luke, since it was released in 2005, or 13 years before he was born.

As Luke drifted off to sleep under his blanket, the moonlight striping his little frame through the blinds, I imagined my own father looking at me as a little child, after I first experienced “The Jungle Book,” a movie that didn’t exist when he was a child.

Somehow, some movies both stop time and also speed it along, turning the hearts of the children to their fathers, the hearts of the fathers to their children, as we turn out the lights and also exclaim, “No way that’s the end!”

Last week's edition reported that the home at 45 Rollins Drive was the top sale in Flagler Couty; this was incorrect. A home at 529 Cinnamon Beach Lane sold on May 3 for $1.4 mllion.

BRIAN MCMILLAN PUBLISHER

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Aloha, old friend

Ormond Beach, Palm Coast surfing pals reconnect after 44 years apart.

JARLEENE ALMENAS

MANAGING EDITOR

Glenn Steinberg went from booth to booth at Ormond Beach’s Art in the Park festival in early May.

“Do you know David Hettel?” he asked every artist and vendor.

Steinberg had just moved to Palm Coast on April 30, and he was trying to find contact information for his friend, Hettel, who is an Ormond Beach artist and surfer. Steinberg said he hadn’t been successful in finding him online at that time. And he struck out at the festival. But, one day soon thereafter, he found Hettel’s website. Steinberg, who is also an artist himself, filled out an order form.

Hettel said he was excited when he saw it.

“I thought, ‘Oh somebody ordered something from my website,’” Hettel said. “And then I saw it was Glenn, and I’m like, ‘What’?”

The last time they saw each other in person was when they said goodbye in 1980 at the Honolulu airport. And here his friend was, reaching out 44 years later. Hettel called him immediately.

“I was so happy to hear from him,” he said. “It was such a kick.”

BONDING THROUGH ART

The late ‘70s in Hawaii for Hettel and Steinberg was full of lots of good waves, colorful art and cheap

LOCAL EVENTS

THURSDAY, JULY 4

STARS AND STRIPES PARADE

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: North 6th Street to South 6th Street along A1A, Flagler Beach

Details: The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach will present its annual parade, following its traditional route, for the Fourth of July. Free.

MUSIC IN THE PARK

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Veterans Park, 101 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Flagler Beach

Details: DJ Vern will provide music for the Fourth of July. This is part of the United Flagler 4th celebrations.

CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY PRESENTS ‘CELEBRATE AMERICA’

When: 1-2:30 p.m.

Where: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 5400 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast

Details: The Choral Arts Society will present this concert on the Fourth of July. Free, but donations are accepted to assist in providing scholarships to local college-bound students. Visit casfl.org.

UNITED FLAGLER 4TH

When: 6-10 p.m.

Where: Flagler Executive Airport, 201 Airport Road, Palm Coast

Details: Flagler County residents and visitors are invited to the United Flagler 4th Community Celebration, hosted by Flagler County Govern-

dinners at Sizzler.

Hettel moved to Hawaii in 1976 with the sole mission to surf. A friend of his, who was also a surfer, invited him to move to Oahu. His friend had just started a new beach concession business, and told Hettel he had a job and a place to stay if he moved.

So Hettel moved and started selling Hawaiian Tropic on the shores of Waikiki Beach.

At the time, Steinberg frequently sold his art on Kalakaua Avenue, across Waikiki Beach. He moved to Oahu in 1975 after he was captivated by Hawaii’s beauty.

“I was traveling around the world and Hawaii was my last stop,” Steinberg said. “I just fell in love with it.”

Steinberg is a Vietnam War veteran, having served in the Army. When he got out, he said he wanted to do something positive for the world.

Art became that something positive.

“It took me 15 years of being a terrible artist before I really started to find that I wanted to do, ‘Colors and fun,’” he said.

His art is what Hettel’s eye. He recalled that Steinberg had a painting depicting the inside of a bathroom in an old house with a checkerboard floor. It was whimsical and it was fun.

The pair started talking and hit it off on the shores of Waikiki. They became fast friends in a short period of time, bonding over surfing, drinking beer on the beach, talking about art and goofing off.

And, “chasing wahines in bikinis on Oahu,” Steinberg said. “Yahoo!”

ment and the cities of Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell. Gates open at 5 p.m. and fireworks start at 9 p.m. There will be vendors, a beer garden, kids’ activities and a main stage with a DJ. At 7 p.m., local officials will recite the Declaration of Independence.

CITY OF ORMOND BEACH’S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

When: 8-9:30 p.m.

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Join the city of Ormond Beach for its annual Fourth of July fireworks display. Fireworks at 9 p.m. There will be music and food trucks. Call 676-3241.

FRIDAY, JULY 5

RED, WHITE & BOOM

Where: 8 a.m. Friday, July 5, to 2 p.m. Sunday, July 7

Where: Florida Cracker Ranch, 797 County Road 200, Bunnell

Details: Celebrate the Fourth of July all weekend long. Gates open at 8 a.m. on Friday, July 5. There will be live music with the Cam Wheaton band and food truck vendors including Cool Beans Barbecue, Sassy’s Lemonade, Dean’s Oyster Bar and Wild Thorne Dairy. There will be a free kids zone. Come explore over 1,200 acres of ATV trails. Tickets, which include camping, cost $40 in advance and $65 at the gate. Visit flaglerbroadcasting.com.

SUMMER CLASSES FOR KIDS

When: 12-2 p.m.

Where: Art Among the Flowers, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite A114,

CATCHING WAVES

When the pair starting hanging out in Oahu, Steinberg was a beginner surfer. Hettel, who grew up in the local area with its surfing legends and abundance of surf lesson opportunities, was a lot more experienced.

“Out of the kindness of his heart, he actually let me go surfing with him,” Steinberg said.

Hettel took him out to Oahu’s North Shore and let him borrow his roommate’s board. Which, Steinberg broke.

“I snapped the nose off,” he recalled.

That’s not hard to do, Hettel said. But it is pretty unusual.

“Everything has to go just right in the wrong way,” Hettel said.

Hettel and Steinberg didn’t stay

Palm Coast

Details: Looking for something fun for your kids to do this summer?

Art Among the Flowers is offering classes for children ages 7-16. All classes will include a tour of the flower shop, exploring and learning about the different plants and flowers, and then hands-on learning a different technique with a professional instructor. Children also get to take their creations home. This class will teach them to design a flower arrangement with fresh-cut stems in a wicker basket. Class costs $25. Visit artamongtheflowers.com.

MOVIES ON THE HALIFAX

When: 8:30 p.m.

Where: Rockefeller Gardens, 26 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Details: Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a showing of “The Little Mermaid,” rated PG. Movies are weathersensitive. Call 386-676-3216 for rainout information.

SATURDAY, JULY 6

SHARE WITH THE MAYOR

When: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Palm Coast City Hall, 160 Lake Ave., Palm Coast

Details: Engage with Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin at this weekly event, to be held every Saturday morning at the outdoor seating area by the flagpole and garden at City Hall.

ORMOND ART WALK

When: 3-7 p.m.

Where: Ormond Beach MainStreet Arts District, 128 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach Details: Join Ocean Art Gallery,

pursued that and started his own company, Primal Colors Paint & Design.

He decided to focus on his own art around three to four years ago, and during the month of June, he was Frame of Mind’s featured June 2024 ArtWalk artist, with his work on display inside Gold Leaf Coffee.

RESTORING A CONNECTION

After reestablishing contact, Steinberg and Hettel went out to lunch in Palm Coast. Then, a couple days later, Steinberg drove down to Ormond and Hettel took him down to Ponce Inlet.

“We didn’t stop talking for like two and a half hours,” Hettel said.

Hettel is hoping to get Steinberg back on a surfboard. He also got Steinberg’s 3-year-old grandson Archer a boogie board.

“He’s got me watching surfing stuff right now,” Steinberg said. Steinberg said he feels close to Hettel again, which he said is cool because not every friendship is like that.

“He was a great friend,” Steinberg said. “He was a great guy to hang out with. ... We had a lot of fun.”

To learn more about Hettel’s art, visit davidhettelart.com. To learn more about Steinberg art, contact ArtbyGlenn@gmail.com or call 425 275 6972.

in contact for the 44 years they were apart. Once Facebook launched, they did connect on the social media website and exchange a few messages — they spoke about their marriages, children, about how Steinberg was living in Seattle (he moved away from Hawaii in 1994).

“But when I knew we were moving to Palm Coast, I was so excited, because I knew he lived in Ormond Beach,” Steinberg said.

When Hettel moved back home in 1980, he started taking art courses at Daytona Community College, now Daytona State University. He took on any job that related to the arts, from airbrushing surfboards to screen printing.

In the late ‘90s, when decorative faux painting became popular, he

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

KATE MOSEMAN BOOK

SIGNING EVENT

When: 3-7 p.m.

Where: Fern and Fable Books, 51 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach

Details: Meet local author Kate Moseman and get your book personally signed. Moseman is the author of the “West Side Witches,” “Midlife Elementals” and “Supernatural Sweethearts” series. Free event.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE DINNER

When: 7:30 p.m.

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

Details: Enjoy dinner and a front row seat to watch the firework show starting at dusk at Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa. Atlantic Grille is offering a prix fixe three-course diner for $65 per person. Reservations required. They can be made at opentable.com.

MONDAY, JULY 8

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: THE GREAT JUNGLE JOURNEY

When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, July 8-12

Where: First Baptist Church of Palm Coast, 6050 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Palm Coast

Details: Explore answers to Biblical questions while on a jungle adventure. The camp is open to children in pre-K to eighth grade. Free. Register at fbcpc.org.

TUESDAY, JULY 9

‘ON MY WAY TO K’

When: 10 a.m. to noon

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

Details: WUCF is hosting a pop-up experience at the Ormond Beach library. Families are welcome to stop by and grab a guidebook, experiment with different activities and learning tools featured in the book, and take home a PBS Kids Summer Learning Pack.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

AARP ORMOND CHAPTER 1057 MEETING

When: 10 a.m. to noon

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

Details: This month’s guest speaker will be Michael Pyle, an attorney, author and local historian. An optional $5 light lunch will follow. For more information, call President Jeff Boyle at 386-341-9013.

PROBUS CLUB OF PALM COAST

When: 11 a.m. to noon

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

Details: This is a social club for retired and semiretired men and women meeting monthly with a guest speaker on a topic of interest with other social events during the month. This month’s guest speaker is Lauren Johnston, Palm Coast assistant city manager. Free meeting. All are welcome to attend. For more information contact Larry Wright at palmcoastprobusclub@gmail.com.

Glenn Steinberg sells his paintings in Oahu in the late 1970s. Courtesy photos David Hettel, of Ormond Beach, in Oahu in the late 1970s.

Glenn Steinberg and David Hettel have reconnected after over four decades apart. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

"Birds of Paradise" by Glenn Steinberg

“Surfer, Punta Blanco” by David Hettel

YOUR TOWN

Palm Coast Portuguese American Cultural Center celebrates Portugal Day

Palm Coast’s Portuguese Americans celebrated Portugal Day in style with a traditional flag raising followed by traditional food, drink and dancing.

future home west of Ormond Beach.

Also at the meeting, members of Pop Smoke K9, a nonprofit that trains service dogs, spoke about their mission is to help stop veteran suicides by providing veterans with post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma with a trained service dogs to help them live a more productive life after the military.

Also, long-time and very active member Dr. Maria Barbosa receivedthe President’s Legacy award. Five children’s books, with her name printed inside, will be given in her honor to the library at Rymfire Elementary School.

The flag-raising event was in two parts. Members of the Portuguese American Cultural Center met with Mayor David Alfin and Sheriff Rick Staly at Palm Coast City Hall to raise the Portuguese flag and the United States flag, according to a press release from the PACC. Then, on June 8, the flags were raised again at the PACC celebration of Portugal Day.

After the flags were hoisted, Alfin, Staly and other spoke to an audience of over 200 people, the press release said. The celebration included live entertainment, traditional food and drink and traditional dancing from the folklore group Rancho Corações de Portugal.

Portuguese Catholic community, local choir raises $15,000 for St. Elizabeth Ann SetonAt the first organized Portuguese Lunch held on Father’s Day, the Portuguese Catholic Community and Choir of Our Lady of Fatima raised $15,000 for St. Eliza-

beth Ann Seton Church in Palm Coast’s Capital Campaign.

The fundraiser and Father’s Day party drew out many locals in support the campaign, a Portuguese Catholic Community press release said. An auction and raffle were held at the fundraiser, raising $13,000 along. Local Fred Hackney donated an additional $2,000.

The Rev. Jose Panthaplamthottiyil of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was touched by the presence and generosity of the community and thanked everyone in attendance, the press release said.

Mayor David Alfin and Sheriff Rick Stall with members of the Portuguese American Cultural Cultural Center at the flag raising. Courtesy of the PACC

The youth group “Juventude do PACC.”

Non Sequitur

Nancy

Mother Goose and Grimm

The Duplex

In the Bleachers

Cornered

Ziggy

The Fusco Brothers

SPORTS

Beach ball

Bucs advance to final at King of Beach 7v7 tourney; Seabreeze QB transfers to FPC.

MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

High school football teams from around Florida converged on the practice fields at Bethune-Cookman University to battle it out in the King of the Beach 7v7 tournament on Friday, June 28.

Flagler Palm Coast, Mainland, Matanzas and Seabreeze joined the fray in a test of skills and athleticism.

Twenty-three schools participated, including teams from as far away as North Miami High School, Terry Parker of Jacksonville and Pace High School in the Panhandle.

Pool play ran in the morning with every team getting an opportunity to be matched against each other in a roundrobin tournament.

The day ended with single elimination games followed by semifinals between Sanford Seminole and Coconut Creek Monarch and Mainland vs. Leesburg.

Sanford Seminole took the King of the Beach title.

Mainland was 2-1 in pool

“Summer is a time for them to work and to learn the playbook and get better — bigger, faster, stronger. Summer is a time for them to position themselves so that when we start fall camp, they’ll be ready to win that spot or earn the starting role.”

play. In the single elimination round of 16, the Bucs beat Rockledge then Merritt Island in the quarterfinals and Leesburg in the semifinals. Mainland lost 24-16 to the Seminoles in the final.

Mainland head coach Jerrime Bell said the 7v7 camp was the last one of the summer for his team. The Bucs attended camps at the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida. He said he has seen a lot of growth in his players since the beginning of June.

“We have a very young team since we lost 29 seniors,” he said. “I saw a lot of leadership qualities come out of guys we are going to depend on in the fall. We got put in a lot of adverse situations at the camp. I could see them communicate well and encourage each other and we wound up making it all the way to the championship. That showed me that we are heading in the right direction mentally and physically.”

Bell said the teeam’s biggest standout during 7-on-7 circuit was wide receiver Phillip Moore. At the B-CU camp, he scored 12 touchdowns in three games and a total of 22 for the day.

“He was unguardable,” Bell said of Moore. “I think the difference between this year’s team and last year’s team is that offensively we are spread out more. We have a lot of kids that can do some amazing things in an open field with a ball in their hands. We have a couple of great outside receivers that attack the ball very well.”

Both Mainland and Seabreeze have new starting quarterbacks. Junior Sebastian Johnson will take over for D.J. Murray Jr. while the Sandcrabs tested two quarterbacks at B-CU — Jayce Gainer, a backup in the spring, and Zachary Voltaire who is new to the position for Seabreeze.

Seabreeze head coach Mike Klein said 7-on-7 camps give coaches an opportunity to put players in different positions which is difficult to do during the football season.

“I tell the kids, we are not going to have starters from the summer,” Klein said. “Summer is a time for them to work and to learn the playbook and

get better — bigger, faster, stronger. Summer is a time for them to position themselves so that when we start fall camp, they’ll be ready to win that spot or earn the starting role.”

Klein said Hayden Hayes, who started at quarterback in the spring game, has decided to transfer to FPC.

“I give the young man credit for the way he handled it in a very mature way,” Klein said. “He was very up front. I appreciated how he and his family handled it. I told him to take this next week and pray about it. The right decision for him will be made clear. He handled it very well. I was very proud of him. It was refreshing.”

Hayes, who recently received an offer from the University of Memphis, said there were many factors that came into play regarding his departure from Seabreeze. It took him a while to make his decision to transfer.

“I’m just trying to do what I think is best for me and my future,” he said. “That’s all any of us can do.” He has been with the Bulldogs for about two weeks and said the B-CU 7-on-7 experience was a great opportunity for them to get better as a team.

“So far, what I know is that it is a team full of talented guys who care about winning and want to put in the work to get where we want to go,” he said. “Nothing in this game is a given. I want to be able to compete for a spot as it brings out the best in me as a player. I’m confident in my abilities to get the job done and I know it will happen.”

FPC offensive coordinator Jake Medlock, who has been playing quarterback for the Arena Football League’s Albany Firebirds, said he was in the middle of playing the season when he got a phone call from Hayes.

“I was shocked,” Medlock said regarding Hayes’ transfer. “It was very exciting to get him. He’s a leader and a very athletic, big-armed kid — a great young man which I’m even more excited about. He’s just going to bring competition and, to me, competition brings success to a football team.”

Medlock said head coach Daniel Fish has laid out a blue-

print for success for his players to follow which includes grueling off-season weight room workouts. He said the kids have bought into the plan.

Medlock said big contributors to the upcoming season will be slot receiver Robbie Dailey, defensive end Colby Cronk, running back Marcus Mitchell, wide receiver Mikhail Zysek, quarterback Cole Walker and tight end Roman Caliendo who just picked up an offer from B-CU during the 7-on-7 camp.

“I’m looking forward to getting back with the guys — looking forward to a great season,” Medlock said. “We are really, really strong as a team. Looking forward to seeing what happens.”

Seabreeze’s T.J. Sampson catches a pass against Rockledge.

A Pace player catches a touchdown pass as Matanzas’ Jaden McCoy tries to knock it down. Photos by Michele Meyers

Mainland’s Christian Cooper warms up before the 7-on-7 game against Blanche Ely High School of Pompano Beach.

MIKE KLEIN, Seabreeze head football coach

Flagler Palm Coast's Braden Simmons warms up before the game against Terry Parker High School of Jacksonville.

SIDE LINES

Baseball all-star teams

The Palm Coast Little League’s Senior League AllStar team won its first game at the state championships in St. Cloud. The PCLL Seniors defeated Venice 11-2 on June 29, but fell to Port St. Lucie and North Springs the next two days. The Ormond Beach Youth Baseball 10U all-stars placed fourth out of nine teams at the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken state championships in Lake City. Ormond Beach went 2-2 in the tournament.

Ormond’sl 11U team and the Flagler Babe Ruth Baseball 9U team competed in their state tournaments at the Flagler County Fairgrounds. Both teams were eliminated after two games. “We won district championships two out of three years (in 9U and 11U),” said Chad Parsons, Ormond’s 11U coach. “We fought. Hopefully they enjoyed themselves. It’s something to build on. We have one more year before we move to the big field.” Flagler Babe Ruth Baseball hosted three of the state tournaments with Ponte Vedra winning 9U, Jacksonville Beach winning 11U and Lutz winning 18U.

Pirates’ patriotic workout

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Michael “Hammer” Bordelon, died in 2005 from injuries incurred in Iraq when a car bomb exploded near his military vehicle.

The Matanzas High School football team honored Bordelon on Thursday, June 27, with its annual Red, White and Blue workout.

For the fourth straight year, the Pirates did a CrossFit Hero Workout of the Day, honoring a fallen hero.

The Red, White and Blue Workout ended Phase 1 of the team’s summer workout schedule. Since Phase 1 ends in the week leading up to the Fourth of July, the team celebrates with a cookout and a game of Pirate Ball (a modified version of Ultimate Frisbee using a football) following the morning workout. They wear red, white and blue workout clothes as they honor a fallen veteran.

“This workout has a lot more meaning for us,” quarterback Caden Burchfield said.

The Pirates’ modified “Hammer” workout consisted of five rounds of a 400-meter run (a lap around the track), then barbell exercises of five

power clean reps, 10 front squats and five jerks (lifting the weights overhead from the shoulders) followed by 20 pushups face-to-face with a partner.

The players had 90 seconds of rest time between each round.

After describing the workout, coach Matt Forrest told the players, “For us to be able to do what we do, to play football, to go to school, to have access to education and access to all the things that we have in this country, there is a long line of people that have fought and paid the ultimate price.”

“If you forget about the sacrifices that people made to get you to this point,” Forrest said, “then how can you progress and make things better in the future? Remember the sacrifices that people made for you, what they did in order to propel you forward. Be appreciative and don’t forget.”

In addition to honoring First Sgt. Bordelon, the day’s activities was a chance for the players to bond, quarterback Jackson Lundahl said.

“The workout is the highlight, but we have a lot of bonding as well,” he said.

During Phase 1 of their summer schedule, Matanzas players worked out in the mornings Monday through Thursday. They spent about 50 minutes of weight training, 25 minutes of track speed work and 25 minutes “on the farm.” The farm is an area outside of the weight room where they flip tractor tires and push sleds.

The day after the Red, White and Blue workout, the Pirates competed in Bethune-Cookman University’s Kings of the Beach 7v7 tournament. After that, they have a week off before Phase 2 of the summer schedule begins followed by preseason practice which kicks off on July 29. Lundahl and Burchfield plan to spend part of their off week working on throwing dynamics.

We do some individual training and we do some training together,” Burchfield said. “We try to make each other better.”

Matanzas

hires boys golf coach

Ethan Buchanan got his first golf course job when he was 12. He picked range balls, watched golf carts and helped out in the pro shop when needed at the Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland, North Carolina. His compensation was a new set of clubs.

“They said if I helped out, the clubs were mine. We couldn’t afford a new set. I’m a lefty and the clubs I had were half lefty and half righty,” he said.

That job began a career in golf, interrupted by a nineyear stint in the Air Force. Buchanan was hired last week as the new boys golf coach at Matanzas High School.

Buchanan was an assistant golf pro in North Carolina as well as at Pine Lakes Golf Club and Grand Haven Golf Club in Palm Coast in the past two years. He has also coached high school golf and basketball in North Carolina. He moved to Florida after serving in the Air Force. But being a golf pro again just wasn’t the same, he said.

“I missed coaching more than I missed being a golf pro,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan is looking forward to leading the Pirates and hopes to land a full-time job as a PE teacher or even in a support position, he said.

“Hopefully something will open,” he said. “It’s hard to recruit (students) from the outside.”

Halliday honored to be a finalist

Three Florida track and field and cross country coaches were finalists for Coach of the Year honors at the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s Awards Banquet on June 26 in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Flagler Palm Coast’s David Halliday was a finalist for the second time for National Boys Track Coach of the Year. Minnesota coaching legend Scott Christensen, won the honor. Winter Park’s Kristin Williams was named National Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year. Oviedo Hagerty’s Jay Getty was one of the eight finalists for Boys Cross County Coach of the Year.

“Honored to be selected and join these coaches who are the top in their profession,” Halliday wrote in a Facebook post. Halliday’s teams have won three state championships during his 30year coaching career. Soccer camps

FPC Youth Soccer Camp, July 8-11, ages 5-13, half-day ($75) and full-day ($150) options. Register at https://tinyurl. com/dbj6hpaf. For info, email amirir@flaglerschools.com Matanzas Soccer Camp, July 17-19, 5-8 p.m., grades 3-8, $115. Register at https:// july-mhs-soccer-camp. cheddarup.com. For info, email piratesoccerboys@ gmail.com.

By Luis Campos

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INFINITY POOL by Adam Simpson, edited by Jeff Chen

BRENT WORONOFF ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Frank Giovanucci is ready for Matanzas’ Red, White and Blue workout. Photo by Brent Woronoff

FPC’s David Halliday (right) with Hagerty cross country coach Jay Getty and Winter Park cross country coach Kristin Williams. Courtesy photo