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Avalon ‘will move forward’ JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Though ultimately slated to be a 10,000-home development with 1 million square feet of commercial retail by 20145, the Avalon Park project will start by constructing 3,250 homes and 200,000 square feet of commercial retail by 2030, a goal split in two phases for the former Minto Communities land parcel south of State Road 40 near Breakaway Trails. Ormond Beach Public Works Director Shawn Finley said that equates to about 400 new homes a year, from the time the project breaks ground in 2022. Some in the Ormond Beach community hoped the project, which is under the jurisdiction of the city of Daytona Beach, could be stopped, perhaps by the city of Ormond Beach declining to provide utilities, as outlined in a 2006 settlement with Daytona Beach. This is not possible. “The Avalon Daytona project will move forward,” Finley said. The area west of I-95 in Ormond Beach falls within Ormond Beach Police’s patrol zone 7, which experienced 2,950 calls for service from January to mid-November of this year. In comparison, citywide, OBPD reported 78,273 calls for service for the same time period. Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said he is planning to add more officers and remap patrol zones based on calls for service. And with more people moving into the area as a result of the project, Ormond Beach Fire Chief Richard Sievers said the proposed station to be built within Avalon Park will be a benefit to the community.
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Brewing for change Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Beach resident Corrie Herbruck opened the nonprofit Beautiful Gate Cafe four months ago.
“It’s more than just coffee. It’s making an impact in both the community and in the world.”
JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Corrie Herbruck knew from a young age that she wanted to make an impact. But she didn’t initially think she would do so through coffee. Herbruck, of Ormond Beach, opened Beautiful Gate Cafe at 142 N. Nova Road four months ago, with the aim to create a nonprofit coffee shop to support both local and global humanitarian efforts. She hopes her cafe serves as a welcoming space for people
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temple. The disciples healed him, and the beggar went with them inside the temple. On the side of the cafe’s bar is a quote from Acts 3:6: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you.” For Herbruck, that passage represented her passion in helping others through faith. After college, Herbruck attended a Living Hope International ministry-based training school in Mexico for two years where she worked with orphans, refugees and helped offer different forms of humanitarian aid. She later
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Matthew McLendon, manager at the International Speedway Boulevard branch of Bank of America, recently presented a check to Leslie Giscombe, founder of the African American Entrepreneurs Association, for $5,000. The bank became a corporate member of the AAEA in March 2021. For more information on the AAEA, see their website at www.aaeassociation.org.
Mainland’s girls basketball team faced Spruce Creek in a showdown.
Photos by Brent Woronoff
Tia Dobson (10) runs the offense for Mainland.
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from all walks of life — a place of refuge where people may find fellowship. “It’s more than just coffee,” Herbruck said. “It’s making an impact in both the community and in the world.” The concept of the cafe was inspired by the third chapter of the book of Acts in the Bible. Herbruck, who majored in Biblical studies in college, said her business name derives from the passage where two of Jesus’ disciples were heading to the temple for prayer, and noticed a crippled beggar at the “Beautiful Gate” of the
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Spruce Creek’s Parris Thompson guards Mainland’s Lauren Stewart
he Mainland girls basketball team knew there’d be nights like this. The Buccaneers assembled a killer schedule to prepare themselves for the state playoffs. So after suffering their second loss in five games, they weren’t hanging their heads. Mainland (3-2) suffered a 50-38 loss to Spruce Creek on Nov. 29 on the
• DECEMBER 2021
took a trip to Turkey where she assisted with refugee camps. It was a heartbreaking experience, Herbruck said, but at the same time, it inspired her to immerse herself in a new culture. She longed to learn more. “As soon as you entered their house, tea was on the table and everything,” Herbruck said. “We came there to offer aid, right? But they’re offering way more to us than we could ever.” Beautiful Gate Cafe has touches from Herbruck’s travels, from a floor seating area to the placemats adorning table tops. In December 2020, Herbruck almost moved overseas, but after some prayer, she said she realized she needed to stay stateside. Herbruck made the decision to open a coffee shop the following month, and while initially she was hoping to open her nonprofit cafe in a bigger city, she eventually decided to remain in her hometown. “When we came across this place with my parents, I was like, ‘OK this is the one. I don’t know why,’” Herbruck recalled. “Everything fell into place.” Since opening, she’s gotten the chance to speak to people from as far as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Philippines, and business has been picking up in the last month. While Herbruck selects a specific mission to support every month, Beautiful Gate Cafe — which makes all of its syrups and alternative milks in-house — is a partner with Rapha International, a Missouri-based nonprofit that works to end the trafficking of women and children. “The whole goal and mission here is to encourage our young generation to be passionate examples of the one,” Herbruck said. “And who is the one? That’s the one that’s lost, and that’s also the one that found us, which is Jesus.” Visit beautifulgatecafe.com
Hawks’ home court. “Our goal is to get to states, so this game doesn’t faze us,” said Mainland senior guard Nyasia James. Creek scored the first 11 points of the game and stayed in front the rest of the way. The home team opened up a 20-point lead (45-25) midway through the fourth quarter, but the Bucs went on a 10-2 run to pull within 12 points with 1:30 left. That would be as close as they would get the rest of the way. “We’ve had some good shooting nights, but tonight we were off,” Mainland coach Brandon Stewart said. A large crowd watched two of the best teams in Volusia and Flagler counties. The Hawks (3-1) feature Tyja Beans and Kiana Bean, who each averaged in double figures last year, and sophomore forward Ya’niya Lawson, who scored a game-high 20 points against Mainland. The Bucs are led by sophomore guard Tia Dobson and Flagler Palm Coast transfer Lauren Stewart, a 6-foot senior forward, who has received interest from Division I programs. Mainland’s other loss came in the season opener to private-school powerhouse Montverde Academy. The Bucs have two other privateschool powers on the schedule in Kissimmee Central Pointe Christian (Dec. 3) and IMG Academy (Jan. 29). They also play a couple of teams that advanced to the state final four in their classifications last year in St. Augustine (Dec. 21) and Wekiva (Jan. 11). “This just shows us what we need to work on,” James said.