PLANTATION BAY OBSERVER
OrmondBeachObserver.com
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JULY 2016
5
Portuguese holiday celebrated Palm Coast joined Portuguese communities around the world in celebration of Dia de Portugal. JACQUE ESTES COMMUNITY EDITOR
Portuguese Honorary Counsel Caesar DePaco stepped outside his home in Plantation Bay to greet his guests on Friday, June 10. The morning brunch was in celebration of Portugal Day, the country’s day of independence. The flag of Portugal was raised in the courtyard of the home by DePaco and Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts, and followed by the singing of the Portuguese National Anthem. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect we would have
the Portuguese Consulate in Palm Coast,” Netts said. “But I am not surprised. I’m a regular guest at the Portuguese American Club, and all of their events are always well attended.” The Portuguese Consulate opened in Palm Coast in April 2015. Prior to that the consulate had been in Orlando. DePaco said Florida has an estimated 150,000 Portuguese residents, with at least 10,000 living in Palm Coast. DePaco was joined by his wife, Deanna Paovani-DePaco, who is expecting the couple’s second child in September, and daughter, Valentina. Portuguese Congresswoman Mara Joao Avila, his in-laws, Guilo Padovani, general consulate, and Judy Padovani, and Father Antonio dos Santos from Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church in Flagler Beach, were just some of the dignitaries in attendance. County Commissioner Frank
Meeker, who attended with his wife, Debbie, described DePaco as a “down-to-earth” type of man. “His wife is going to be out of town next week,” Meeker said. “He didn’t know what he was going to do in her absence. So he is going to come over to our house for a game of chess.” Many of the same people gathered again, on Friday evening, at the Open House of the Portuguese Consulate’s new offices on the first floor of the Chiumento building in Town Center.
Photos by Jacque Estes
Caesar DePaco slices the cake at a reception on Friday, June 10. Next to him is his wife, Deanna Padovani-DePaco, Manny Viegas, and Father Antonio dos Santos.
DID YOU KNOW? The Portuguese celebrate Dia de Portugal, their national holiday, on June 10. The date commemorates the death of Luis de Camoes, known for the national poem of Portugal – Lusiadas. The epic poem depicts the achievements of the Portuguese in world explorations in the 16th century. Portugal was conquered by Spain in 1580, the same year Camoes died. Portugal regained its independence on Dec. 1, 1640. The country’s national day has been celebrated on June 10, ever since.
Caesar DePaco, with his wife Deanna Padovani-DePaco, and their daughter Valentina at the Portuguese flag raising ceremony. Mayor Jon Netts is on the left and Portuguese Congresswoman Mara Joao Avila is to the right.
Portuguese Secretary of State of Community visits Portuguese Consulate in Palm Coast Palm Coast Consulate is the nearest location to obtain official documents without going to Washington, D.C. JACQUE ESTES COMMUNITY EDITOR
The third floor office of the Portuguese consulate in Palm Coast was filled with dignitaries and members of the Portuguese American Club in Palm Coast, many in colorful folklore dress, all gathered to welcome Secretary of State of Portuguese Communities Abroad, Jose Cesario, and the new Honorary Consul, Caesar DePaco. The consulate at 145 City Place, officially opened on April 1, 2015, is a little bit of Portugal right in Palm Coast. As with all American consulates and embassies, the area they occupy is sovereign soil. “Right now you are on Portuguese soil,” Consulate Assessor Eddie Branquinho said. The group anxiously awaited the arrival of Cesario, DePaco and Congresswoman Maria Joao Avila, one of two elected representative in the Portuguese parliament for citizens living abroad, to officially open the consulate and introduce the new Consul. Cesario spoke in Portuguese
to those gathered, slipping into English for the benefit of the few present who did not speak the language. “It is very important for our government to be here with you,” Cesario said. The increase in the Portuguese community in Palm Coast and Florida is being credited in part to a shift in retirement destinations. “There are more Portuguese who after working in the U.S. are not returning to Portugal to retire, but moving to Florida,” DePaco said. The consulate office is one of 16 in the United States, including the embassy in Washington, D.C. Palm Coast is the only consul in the state that can provide passports, birth and death certificates and other legal documents. The nearest office to Palm Coast to obtain documents is in Washington, D.C. Visas are not available because they are not required to travel to Portugal. “We are a country that gets along with other countries,” Cesario said. Accompanying DePaco was his
Photo by Jacque Estes
Portuguese American club members Marco Branquinho, Maria Pereia, Maria Amelia and George Daconceicao, stand in front of the flag of Portugal with Consulate Assessor Eddien Branquinho (center).
wife, Deanna Padovani-DePaco, their six-year old daughter, Valentina, and Padovani-DePaco’s parents. The DePaco’s will initially split their time between their home in New Jersey and Palm Coast to accommodate Valentina’s schooling, but a full-time move is expected. DePaco has a PhD in Psychology, and was a psychologist in Jersey City when he came to
this county in 1994. He is also the founder and CEO of a family business, Summit Nutritionals, manufacturers of nutritional and nutraceutical raw materials. The consul will be moving to the first floor of the same building this fall increasing the Portuguese consulate office space to 3,000 square feet.