PTOO 01 2021

PORT ORANGE

Observer

Your athletes PAGE 4-5

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VOLUME 4, NO. 5

‘He made you feel

• JANUARY 2021

Detective recognized as

important’

Officer of the Year

Remembering Tom Russell OrmondBeachObserver.com

INSIDE SPRUCE CREEK STUDENT WINS STATE AWARD

Ryan Mihalko, a Port Orange resident, has worked on some of the hardest cases for OBPD.

Pranav Swaminathan analyzed farming challenges in Florida for his award-winning speech PAGE 6

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

I

f Ormond Beach Police Detective Ryan Mihalko isn’t at the station, he doesn’t have to worry about missing a case. The files will be waiting for him on his chair.

Mihalko, who has been in law enforcement for 12 years, loves his job. He knew for a long time that he wanted to be a police officer, having always liked the idea of standing up for others. As a detective on the small police force, he has a lot of freedom to do investigations. He travels where the cases demand, and spends hours working on a variety of different kinds of cases, from credit card fraud all the way up to homicides.

Kelley, Denys celebrated at final meeting The new County Council, with Chair Jeff Brower, will be sworn in on Jan. 7.

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

After 20 years serving in local government, Volusia County Council Ed Kelley has struck the gavel for the final time.

SEE OFFICER PAGE 2 Detective Ryan Mihalko said he’s a nerd at heart.

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

SEE KELLEY, DENYS PAGE 3

Local Postal Customer

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YOUR TOWN

Courtesy photo

Knights of Columbus Council 8086 members Roger Packard, Marty Librizzi, Pat Santovasi, Dave Dollieslager, Ted Morrell, Tony Manzolillo, Ernie Jackson, Tim Walters, Jim Baskin and Paul Hoffmann prepare the coats for delivery.

Students at seven schools in the Port Orange area will be a little warmer this winter, thanks to the annual Coats for Kids drive conducted by the Knights of Columbus Our Lady of Hope Council 8086.

Despite having its fund-raising opportunities drastically curtailed due to the pandemic, the Knights managed to raise enough funds to purchase nearly 400 winter coats and jackets, which were distributed by more than a dozen Knights to deserving students in elementary, middle and high schools in the area. The main source of the funding came from the Knights’ annual Duck Derby.

PORT ORANGE OBSERVER

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JANUARY 2021 PORT ORANGE

Officer of the Year: Port Orange’s Mihalko Investigations come with a lot of work.

“On the road, at the end of the day, your cases are done,” Mihalko said. “You go home, tomorrow’s a fresh day of calls. Here, the pile always is there.”

He has a couple of arrests warrants taped up on his cubicle, one of which is from the 2019 Ormond Beach child homicide case he investigated. It’s one of the cases that contributed to him winning Volusia County’s Crime Stoppers Officer of the Year.

His cubicle is decorated with superheroes, namely Batman.

Mihalko said he’s a nerd at heart, and growing up, Batman was his favorite hero.

“For him, it’s always persevering to do good,” Mihalko said. “Through all the trials and tribulations that you go through, there’s always that urge to do right, and that’s something to really take home for me.”

CASE CLOSED

Mihalko remembers responding to the June 2019 call for Daemon Scott, a 5-month-old boy who died at the hospital from injuries police believe to have been the result of child abuse by his parents, both of whom were charged and arrested for his death.

He originally thought he was responding to a child neglect case, but when he arrived at the scene, he recalls that something didn’t feel right. He was warned that Scott was very injured, but still, the image is burned in his

brain, he said.

“It was by far 100% pure, uncut nightmare fuel,” Mihalko said.

As a father himself, this was the most difficult case he’d ever worked. When you think of working a homicide, Mihalko explained, you think about crimes of passion or perhaps rival criminals. You don’t think of a child meeting that fate.

The second case that earned him the recognition of Officer of the Year was the sexual battery of a young woman at the River Grille in Ormond Beach in February of this year. The suspect turned out to be a registered sex offender, someone Mihalko described as a “serial rapist.” That case necessitated the help from multiple agencies to close.

With cases like this, Mihalko recognizes the need to take care of his mental health. He tries not to bring his stress home with him, but if he does, his wife is his rock.

When he’s not spending time with his daughter, helping solve her crises when she gets locked out of her iPad, Mihalko decompresses through video games and cooking. His wife bought him a cookbook for their anniversary.

“Just the little things, and it keeps you grounded,” Mihalko said. “It helps push you through, because you can’t dwell on it.”

A TEAM EFFORT

When City Manager Joyce Shahanan told the City Commission at its Dec. 1 meeting of Mihalko’s award, she indicated he would be humble about it.

“He will tell you that it’s a

AdventHealth marks ‘milestone week’ of COVID-19 vaccinations

“He will tell you that it’s a whole department effort, but we really appreciate all of his work on that.”

JOYCE SHAHANAN, City Manager

whole department effort, but we really appreciate all of his work on that,” Shanahan said.

She was right. Mihalko stresses that it’s due to the entire team that they’re able to close cases. The strength of law enforcement lies in being able to work together.

“You cannot be the lone wolf, the one-man army,” Mihalko said. “You are a part of the team, and if you don’t have that, you will never do successful cases like this. You can’t.”

Every Batman needs his Robin.

Mihalko said you need a good team to make a good case, and afterward, keep those good cases closed. Everyone on the team has strengths and they bear the grim aspects of their job together.

On his upper right arm, Mihalko sports a tattoo of the Joker’s face bisected by the Bat Signal.

“Greatest hero and the greatest villain going at it,” he said.

Capping a fast-moving and historic week in medical history, AdventHealth leaders shared optimism, celebrated triumphs, and continued their focus on administering vaccines to help conquer COVID-19.

“This has been a historic week for all of us,” said Dr. Vincent Hsu, epidemiologist and AdventHealth’s infection control officer.

“We look forward to a time when our lives can return to as normal as possible.”

After receiving its first shipment of Pfizer vaccines earlier in the week, AdventHealth began an organized process of inoculating frontline health workers at its AdventHealth Orlando and Celebration locations. That effort will now expand to other parts of Central Florida.

“On Monday we will be opening a third distribution site at AdventHealth Daytona Beach to make it easier for our people in Volusia and Flagler counties to receive the vaccine,” said Dr. Steven R. Smith, AdventHealth’s chief scientific officer. “We’ll have plenty of vaccine for people who have signed up already.”

A second potential vaccine by Moderna awaits FDA authorization, which could come soon. The Moderna vaccine, said Smith, seems to be efficacious among diverse populations, including race and ethnicity.

Observer “If we are 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

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PORT ORANGE OBSERVER

JANUARY 2021

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Kelley, Denys celebrated

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

I

f you spend $100 at a locally owned store, $68 stays in your community. If you spend $100 in a mega-online retailer, $43 stays in your community.

This statistic by Independent We Stand, a pro-small business organization, is the reason Ormond Beach MainStreet Executive Director Julia Truilo states supporting small businesses is so important for the community.

With 217 businesses in the downtown district — which spans from Orchard Street to A1A — momand-pop shops account for 80% of these businesses.

Ormond Beach is lucky, Truilo said. While that same split might be commonly found in towns of 10,000 people or less, that may not always be the case for towns with populations hovering in the 40,000s like Ormond.

So, when the news broke that the Christmas parade would not be happening due to COVID-19, MainStreet got together with the city’s Leisure Services and tried to come up with a way to bring business to the downtown. Truilo credits the idea of “Merry and Bright on Main Street” to Leisure Services, particularly Stefan Sibley.

“The holiday season, for every business everywhere, is a huge part of their annual income,” Truilo said. “We wanted to be sure that folks remembered that these stores are here for them.”

Merry and Bright on Main Street, which runs until Saturday, Dec. 19, featured a contest for businesses in the downtown district to decorate their storefronts in order to win prizes. Judging took place on Saturday, Dec. 12, and the first place winner who took home $2,000 for their decorations was Dunn’s Attic. Second place went to Geri Westfall Real Estate, which won $1,000, and the third place prize of $750 was awarded to Elements of Design.

The Neighborhood Shop took home an honorable mention.

Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and the City Commission also rode through the downtown as part of the event.

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Palm Coast Observer, LLC

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

The Neighborhood Shop won an honorable mention during the Merry and Bright on Main Street event.

P.O. Box 353850

Lighting the

downtown

As support for small businesses continues, ‘Merry and Bright’ event awards prizes to downtown businesses

EMPLOYMENT UP 2,600 JOBS SINCE APRIL

Hank Adams, Geri Westfall and their son Ricky.

LIGHTING UP DOWNTOWN

MAINTAINING THE CULTURE

It took Hank Adams, of Geri Westfall Real Estate, about three days to put together the display in the front porch of his and his wife’s business. Last year, he also decorated for Christmas, and contest or no contest he was going to decorate this year. In fact, the second place winner almost didn’t enter, but decided to give it a go at the end.

Adams enjoyed seeing other businesses decorate their storefronts, especially as some have challenges regarding space and can’t do much more than decorate their windows. While he was working on his own display, which features inflatables, Christmas music and a slew of blue lights, he said people stopped by and paused for a minute. It was never about the contest, Adams said.

“When people stop there and they listen to the music and they look at it, and they smile — that’s why,” he said.

It was always his wife, Geri Westfall’s, dream to have a business in downtown. Come January, the couple will celebrate their second year of achieving that.

He has plans for next year’s display and hopes the city and Main Street continue to hold this competition annually as a way to bring more vibrancy to the downtown district during the holidays.

What does economic development look like for Ormond Beach?

Truilo said that’s a question Main Street is discussing.

There aren’t many big box retailers in the downtown, nor national chains. You can count those on your fingers and toes, Truilo said. That’s partly attributed to the district’s focus on design guidelines and emphasis of redevelopment, she explained, which often discourages those seeking a “cookie-cutter” building process.

It’s also because the culture surrounding the shop local initiative is active. The Small Business Saturday event last month was very successful, Truilo said, as the community has a real desire to support these businesses.

It’s something Main Street has been working toward these past 25 years.

“It’s a lot of messaging over 25 years,” Truilo said. “First that we can do it and now that we have it, that we should conserve it.”

2020 has been a difficult year for many, but Truilo said having the opportunity to take an evening stroll through the downtown to look at the decorations can be refreshing.

“If we can preserve this, I’d love to see us grow it and have more businesses participate,” she said.

In 2019, Ormond Beach’s employment peaked at 19,911 jobs. It hit a 10year low of 15,954 in April 2020. Since then, recovery has been relatively swift as businesses reopened in the summer months, and the most recent labor report from the state shows that the city’s employment totaled 18,606 in October.

City Economic Development Director Brian Rademacher said he was optimistic, but one thing to keep in mind is that employment data is a lagging indicator of the economy’s welfare as it is always a month behind.

There’s no guess as to when Ormond will return to 19,000 jobs, since much of that is contingent upon the COVID-19 vaccine and future outbreaks.

However, Rademacher said companies have adapted to working under CDC guidance and having part of their workforce work remotely. The county grant programs assisting businesses, of which Ormond businesses received 524 totalling $1.5 million, also helped.

“Again, cautiously optimistic as we see the businesses getting back to business and hiring more, and hopefully we’ll continue to see that moving forward into 2021,” Rademacher said.

In the city, 19% of employment in the city is under service occupations, a category which includes mom and pop shops. The largest percentage, 39%, is management and businesses which is made up of the larger insurance companies such as Security First. The second largest industry in the city is sales and office, accounting for 26.87% of employment.

Rademacher said his hopes for 2021 is to continue to develop the workforce, find ways to improve the local supply chain of manufacturer to rely less on the import of materials and keep track of the shifting dynamics in the workfore as employers rely on remote workers.

The council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 15, marked the last for Kelley and fellow County Councilwoman Deb Denys, who were issued proclamations by Volusia County to commemorate their years of public service.

Kelley began his political career in 1993 as an Ormond Beach City Commissioner, where he served until 1997, and then 2005-2009 before becoming mayor of the city in 2010. He served in that role until 2016 when he ran for County Council chair. Earlier this year, he opted out of running for a second term.

Denys served on the Volusia County School Board from 1994 to 1998, and then was elected to the council in 2013, where she has since served representing District 3. Upon Kelley’s announcement that he wouldn’t run for re-election, Denys resigned her District 3 seat to run for chair against Jeff Brower, who won the November election.

Regardless of her loss, Denys remained optimistic for the future of the county.

“Volusia County, our better days are yet ahead,” Denys said. “I really believe that.”

The proclamation made in her honor highlighted her advocacy for clean water, being the former chair of the Indian River Lagoon Council, and mentioned her efforts to bring more aerospace industry into Volusia, as well as her work with regional transportation issues and projects.

In turn, Kelley’s proclamation shone a spotlight on his leadership following the local recovery efforts for three hurricanes, his service on boards such as the Volusia Water Alliance, and his efforts in building bridges in the community through strengthening the county relationship with cities, chambers of commerce, regional organizations and residents.

Kelley’s son, Brian Kelley, singer of the Florida Georgia Line, attended the meeting and spoke fondly of his memories with his father back when he ran for the Ormond Beach City Commission.

He said his father got their family excited to be involved in their community.

“It’s incredible,” Brian Kelley said. “You’re a legend. Thank you. You’ve done so much for so many over the years. You’ve made Ormond Beach, Volusia County, a much more beautiful, safer, amazing place.”

Their colleagues on the council lamented the loss of institutional knowledge with their departure, and stressed the time and responsibility involved in serving on the council. Councilwoman Billie Wheeler denounced claims of corruption, which were part of the narrative during the recent election.

“Not one of us has ever, ever stepped over that line,” Wheeler said.

The new council, to be sworn into office on Jan. 7, 2021, will have both opportunities and challenges in the future and will be poised to take them on, Kelley said during his closing remarks. He said he had no regrets regarding his decisions, and that they did what he always wanted to do: leave Volusia better than it was before.

“We served for one reason, and that was to serve the people,” Kelley said.

PORT ORANGE OBSERVER

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JANUARY 2021

YOUR ATHLETES IN ACTION PHOTOS FROM DECEMBER

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Spruce Creek's rival game with FPC ends in a draw

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JANUARY 2021

Atlantic High School topped Matanzas in a game last month, 44-34.

Emanuel Preston and Corey Mcdonald.

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De’jhonte Mcdanials.

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PORT ORANGE OBSERVER

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JANUARY 2021

Spruce Creek student wins state award Pranav Swaminathan analyzed farming challenges in Florida for his award-winning speech.

BRIAN MCMILLAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Pranav Swaminathan, a senior at Spruce Creek High School, recently won the Florida Farm Bureau Statewide youth public speaking contest.

“It has been a tremendous journey for me to win this title after six years of consistent effort and determination,” he said. “It was a huge journey competing with

PRANAV SWAMINATHAN’S SPEECH From fields of zucchini being plowed in the south, to ripe, juicy tomatoes being left to rot in the west, we Florida farmers are no strangers to challenges!

My name is Pranav Swaminathan, and today I am going to talk about three major challenges Florida agriculture is facing.

Let us start with the most recent, Supply Chain Disruption.

Supply chain disruption due to the Coronavirus is a huge agricultural challenge that Florida Farmers are facing right now!

Due to the virus business closures happened during peak growing season. Miami agricultural manager Charles Lapradd says that “a lot of produce grown is geared towards restaurants, cruise lines, hotels, and events! Those sales contracted to almost nothing!!”

“Without restaurants, hotels,

eight people in the county, then eight counties at the district, and eight districts at the state.”

Swaminathan’s speech was based on the assigned theme: “What are three major challenges that you feel Florida agriculture is facing?” His five-minute speech highlighted supply chain disruption, existential threats and competition from neighboring countries as the three biggest challenges.

and other outlets to sell their produce to, farmers in many cases can’t afford to pick their fruits or pull their vegetables from the ground,” says American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duval. Millions of pounds of Florida produce were rotting in fields while food banks scrambled to meet a massive surge in demand!

Commissioner Nikki Fried says, “Everybody has seen those pictures in Florida and across the country of gallons of milk being poured out, fruits and vegetables being plowed under due to a shortage of workers and places to deliver food!”

Now let us move on to No. 2: Existential threats.

Mealybugs munching on citrus, Fruit Flies feeding on fruits, the Giant African land snail slurping on squash unnoticed while our farmers are hard at work?

The most recent challenge facing Florida citrus farmers is the Lebbeck Mealybug. About

the size of a grain of pepper, this small creature has been shown to cause severe infestations, fruit distortion, and crop damage, which makes the crop unavailable to be marketed. As of June 2, 2020, the mealybug has been documented in 11 counties mostly on commercial citrus groves.

Exotic fruit flies are among the most destructive pests in the entire world, especially in Florida. The aptly named fruit flies take host in most of Florida crops, which includes fruits, vegetables, and citrus.

Another one of Florida’s worst pests is the giant African land snail, which is a slow-moving goliath that consumes over 500 different varieties of plants.

Finally, No. 3: Cheap competition from neighboring countries.

Judges, let me ask you a question; When was the last time you saw a fresh-from-Florida banana?

Most of the time in stores, I see more imported produce

Courtesy photo

Pranav Swaminathan and Volusia County Farm Bureau President Lee Nordman.

than what is grown here. We all know the saying “Avocados from Mexico.”

Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried recently stated in a press conference that Florida farmers have lost over $3.7 billion since 2000 due to Mexican imports. Florida agriculture also has suffered more than 37,000 jobs lost due to unfair foreign trade practices. Can you believe the value of imports from Mexico has increased a staggering 736% from 1993 to 2020?

When I recently spoke to Miami farmer Sam Accursio, he said that while he and other Florida growers were plowing their squash under, the Mexican produce industry was exporting around 3.15 million pounds of zucchini and yellow squash into Florida per day.

These imports do not include countries such as Peru, Honduras, Costa Rica and Chile. The list is ever-growing.

“As a result, Florida growers are buried in volume and

crushed by price,” says Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.

In conclusion, the farmer must be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.

Now is the time! Challenges can be an opportunity!

Judges, as consumers, we have the greatest power to save our farmers. Where you spend your money defines the statement of who you support.

Now, let us come together to buy fresh, local produce instead of imported.

How about a delicious dessert plate with blueberries from Brevard, citrus from Clermont, mangoes from Miami (not Mexico) and juicy winter strawberries from Plant City? Mmm … That sounds good.

There’s a very good saying: “Tough times don’t last; however, tough farmers do.”

So keep calm and farm on.

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PORT ORANGE OBSERVER

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JANUARY 2021

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BUSINESS OBSERVER Home inventory drops

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BACK ON MARKET!! Meticulously maintained home, located in the well sought-after community of Hunter’s Ridge. This oneof-a-kind home is situated on an over-sized corner lot, offering ample space for children to play. MLS#1078658 $359,000 Call Jen Haines 360-878-1443.

A bright 2 bedroom, 2 full bath airy condo that’s more than just an apartment. Waterway West is a lifestyle that you will be sure to enjoy. Outside, the scent of fresh brewed coffee drifts from the café across the street. Inside, an open kitchen featuring clean white cabinets, white appliances, a ceiling fan and a window.

MLS#1077688 $285,000 Call Leslie Wackerman 386-846-2549.

What’s old is brand new again, take a glimpse back to the vintage Daytona while enjoying the modern efficiencies of never lived in brand new construction. This magnificent Victorian spans over 3 stories wrapped in over 1,290 square feet of paver patios & balconies. Made easily accessible by the luxury elevator. MLS#1075084 $699,900 Call Heather Leek 386-562-7371.

Nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac, backing up to the preserve within the highly desirable CROSS CREEK neighborhood this 4 bedroom, 3 bath gem offers tranquil living while being close to everything. MLS#1076263 $362,000 Call Leanne Galliher 386-507-1917.

Great neighborhood conveniently located in the heart of Daytona Beach. Walk through the inviting front courtyard into your spacious 3 bedroom/2 full bath home. Front living room and bonus room with closet. Working from home? This bonus room makes a great office. MLS#1078556 $185,000 Call Valerie Toia 386-366-3637.

This is an Amazing Location and an Incredible opportunity to own your very own Beachside Oasis. Whether you are looking for a retirement home or an investment opportunity, live in this 2 bedroom 2 bath condo full time or rent it out weekly or monthly, whatever you desire. MLS#1078616 $229,900 Call Kevin Rybicki 386-547-9445.

MUST SEE! Come spend your time on this Charming beach side condo with a wonderful 4th floor ocean view and Daytona beach’s iconic landmarks. Located in the heart of Daytona Beach and steps from the Boardwalk, the Convention Center, and Ocean Walk; the Complex has an oceanfront swimming pool. MLS#1073857 $97,900 Call Enas Roman 386-295-2167.

Welcome home! This 3-bedroom, 1-bath home is situated on a 50x105 lot with no homeowner association. Completely remodeled with a new roof, new AC, new hot water heater and new appliances. Terrazzo floors throughout the entire home, with fresh paint throughout. Inside laundry room with built in folding table.

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EAGLE ROCK This wonderful 5 Acre Buildable lot is located in the Gated Equestrian community of Eagle Rock. The lot is partially cleared and base fill has been added to create a driveway. All lots in the community are a minimum of 5 acres. MLS#1074013 $139,999 Call Tyler Renick 386-631-4854.

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“Inventory levels fell harder than usual this year as we headed into the holiday season,” said Daytona Beach Area Realtor Ron Wysocarski, Broker and CEO of Wyse Home Team Realty in Port Orange, “The fact so many homebuyers found a deal to close when there were so few homes to choose from is a testament to the intensity of buyer demand right now.”

The area’s low inventory levels fell by another 9% from October to November, according to MLS.  November 2020 Inventory: 1420 single family home listings were active at some point during the month  November 2019 Inventory: 2228 single family home listings were active at some point during the month Wyse Home Team Realty also analyzed data for key areas where homebuyers shop. The reports show median sales prices were unusually high in Ormond and New Smyrna during November.  Ormond Beach: 123 sales, $320,000 median sales price.  Mainland Daytona (Including Holly Hill and South Daytona): 61 sales,$196,000 median sales price.  Beachside (Ormond By The Sea to Ponce Inlet): 53 sales, $302,000 median sales price.  Port Orange: 67 sales, $295,000 median sales price.  New Smyrna Beach: 71 sales, $399,500 median sales price.

This Concrete Block Florida home is nestled in the heart of Holly Hill!; and features 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and sits on a corner lot with room to park your RV or boat. The home is perfect for first time home buyers and students because it is located close to Embry Riddle and Daytona State College. MLS#1069683 $124,000 Call Jim Tobin 386-405-4411.

PORT ORANGE

CORPORATE OFFICE - 386-677-SOLD (7653) 900 West Granada Blvd., Ste. 3, Ormond Beach, FL 32174

Inventory levels fell hard as home sales remained sky high across the Daytona Beach area in November.

For the month ending on Nov. 30, the Daytona Beach Area Multiple Listing Service reported that 438 existing single-family homes (detached) were sold in the greater Daytona Beach area with a median home sales price of $270,128. That’s more than 20% higher than home sales in November 2019.

With the inventory of available homes for sale falling another 9% from October’s desperately low numbers, the median price for homes bought and sold in November also was up, MLS reports show. The median sales price remained level with the median sales price in October, and it was up 11% over November last year.

Year to date, home sales are up by over 4.5%, compared to the first 11 months of 2019. And the median sales price for the same period was up by more than 7.5% over last year.  November 2020: 438 sales, $149,140,270 sales volume, $270,128 median sales price.  November 2019: 363 sales, $100,871,432 sales volume, $242,500 median sales price.

RIDGECREST

AdventHealth hosted a food and toy drive across their five hospitals in Volusia/Flagler counties.

All of the toys and school supplies as well as nonperishable food items collected through the week (Nov. 13-20) were donated to Food Brings Hope.

Embry-Riddle Athletics Department helped pick up the items collected at each hospital. Food Brings Hope is very grateful for these strong community partners.

MARKETING DIRECTOR, WYSE HOME TEAM REALTY

SEABRIDGE NORTH

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Food Brings Hope was the recipient of donations from the AdventHealth Week of Caring. Every year, during the Week of Caring in November, AdventHealth employees demonstrate their service standards outside the walls of the hospital by volunteering their time and talents in the community.

While AdventHealth employees were not able to come together in person this year, they came together in spirit.

HEATHER SCOFIELD

HEART OF DAYTONA BEACH

ADVENTHEALTH’S WEEK OF CARING EVENT BENEFITS FOOD BRINGS HOPE

In November, 438 homes were sold in the Daytona Beach area, with a median price 20% higher than 2019.

COMPLETELY REMODELED

Courtesy photo

Ida Babazadeh, outreach representative, marketing and public relations, AdventHealth; ERAU Eagle; Mitchell VanSumeren, director of sports marketing and promotions, ERAU; and Judi Winch, executive director, Food Brings Hope.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis embarked on a mini-tour to drum up support for protecting large and small companies from COVID-19 lawsuits, an issue likely to move forward in some form with business-lobby support during the 2021 session.

Patronis was in Gainesville on Tuesday, Altamonte Springs and West Palm Beach on Wednesday, and has at least two more appearances next week where he will continue to decry the threat of “trial lawyers” looking to cash in on the crisis.

“We’re already seeing trial balloons go up as litigation is developing, with McDonald’s, with Walmart, with Amazon, all facing litigation due to COVID-19,” Patronis complained while at Blue Gill Quality Food in Gainesville with local Republican legislators.

“We’ve got an environment unfortunately, where sue-and-settle tactics become part of the norm,” Patronis, whose family has long owned a restaurant in Panama City Beach, continued. “You get some activist judges, and ultimately what you’ll see is the cost of business going up. You’ll see interest rates go up as the floodgate of lawsuits come in from, you know, attorneys that go after smaller businesses.”

So far, 21 states have enacted some sort of liability shields for businesses against coronavirusrelated lawsuits.

as sales skyrocket

Country living close to the city! Come check out this totally renovated 3 bedroom 2 bath home on over 2 acres in Port Orange.

No HOA! This home has been remodeled top to bottom. New kitchen with granite counter tops new appliances new AC new well new bathrooms the list goes on and on. MLS#1078501 $369,900 Call Michael Williams 386-689-2462.

ALLANDALE

FLORIDA CFO ON LIABILITY TOUR

Don’t let the square footage scare you... this spacious 3 bedroom 2 bathroom home offers great space for a starter home or a retirement home. Plenty of space for entertaining in the fenced in yard with a fire pit. This home is minutes from Daytona Beach as well as shopping in Port Orange. Don’t miss out! MLS#1078334 $200,000 Call Jennifer Waldo 813-415-7227.

PORT ORANGE OBSERVER

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JANUARY 2021

WE CAN CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

YOUR TOTAL HEALTH NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS HEALTH TESTING AND TREATMENT 1435 Dunn Ave., Suite #101 Daytona Beach, FL 32114 (386) 274-7651 cancommunityhealth.org

Dr. Dana Barnes

Dr. Mohammed Reza

347760-1001

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