PORT ORANGE
Observer
STATE CHAMPS PAGE 9
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • APRIL 25, 2019
VOLUME 2, NO. 16
INSIDE CITY’S OWN AMBULANCE
Medic 73 has responded to 17 calls in its first week of service. PAGE 4
Higher sales tax for better roads? Panel of officials addresses questions about the half-cent sales tax. PAGE 3
SPECIAL CITY ELECTION
Candidates for the District 1 City Council seat shared their reasons why you should vote for them. PAGE 6
The need for speed
HONORING VETERANS
Veterans wrapped in Quilts of Valor at organization’s first golf tournament in Port Orange. PAGE 13
A tour of the past month of events in Port Orange, including the Spring Fair and Food Festival at City Center.
YOUR TOWN, PAGE 12 APRIL 25,
2019
HEALTH
MATTERS
You are what you eat
Palm Coa
st’s Clean Eats Kitchen PAGES 2B3B
Farmers mar
ket in Port Oran
PAGES 4B-
Ormond man
PAGE 6B
5B
starts Life is
ge
Ketaful
SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
Businesses to pay more to remove trees Tramont and Wiles think a tree mitigation bank would penalize business owners too harshly.
Photo by Zach Fedewa
YOUR TOWN 35 YEARS OF VOLUNTEERING
INSIDE
Egg-static Easter
Madi’s garden Madi’s Garden reminds students at Cypress Creek Elementary School about their classmate.
PAGE 13
PAGE 11
TANYA RUSSO STAFF WRITER
Removing trees unnecessarily will mean higher costs for developers, after the Port Orange City Council voted to amend its code — but not all council members felt it was worth the cost to businesses. The vote was 3-2 on April 2, on the first reading of an ordinance to amend the Land Development Code for tree removal in commercial developments. Mayor Don Burnette said staff recomSEE TREE PAGE 5
When Mary Wittmeyer started volunteering with the Port Orange Volunteers in Police Service through the Police Department, Mayor Don Burnette was a junior in high school. Whittmeyer was recognized by the city and the Police Department for 35 years of volunteer service at the City Council meeting on April 16. Chief Thomas Grimaldi presented Wittmeyer with a service pin.
Photo by Zach Fedewa
Megan Ohman participates in the sensory-friendly Easter egg hunt on April 6 at Buschman Park in Port Orange.