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School Board raises teacher starting pay Board members said they’d like to raise veteran teachers’ pay next year. JONATHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

The Volusia County School Board voted 5-0 at a Jan. 25 meeting to approve a collective bargaining agreement with the teacher’s union, the Volusia United Educators. But even as they did so, some School Board members acknowledged that pay raises resulting from the state Legislature’s move to increase new teachers’ pay have also largely left out mid-career and veteran teachers. The state in 2020 pushed districts to work to raise teacher starting salaries to $47,500. Volusia County’s new contract does that, increasing the base salary for a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree to $47,500, up from $44,335 in the 2020-2021 school year. But the state set aside little money to increase the salaries of teachers who’d been teaching for years, leading to a situation in which some midcareer teachers in some districts are not making much more than the new hires receiving the $47,500 minimum. “We do have work that still needs to be done,” Volusia United Educators Union President Elizabeth Albert said at the meeting. “You know that we’ve got to do better for our mid-career and veteran teachers as far as salary goes. I have heard your commitment to doing that now that we’re at the $47,500.” The district also needs to work to raise staff salaries to $15, she said. “The pathway to $15 for our support [staff], that’s very critically important that we lay that out, and it would be wonderful if we could get there before 2026,” she said. Shane Story, a second-year teacher, told the board that he felt things were heading in the right direction, but that he had voted against ratification of the contract because he felt it did little to help the more experienced teachers who’d mentored him and other new teachers. “Think about how you would feel if you spent that much time in a position, and you look down and see somebody that just got here yesterday, and they’re making almost what you make. That’s depressing,” Story said. “Why would you stay in the same field, or why would you stay in the same county?” School Board member Jamie Haynes acknowledged the problem, then noted that the district’s ability to raise salaries is limited because of the way the state constrains school district budgets.

W O R T H O A O T H O U S A N D O W O R D S O A Ormond Beach mother stays connected with son through online word puzzles JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Despite a physical distance of over 1,000 miles, one Ormond Beach woman and her son have never felt more connected. And it all started with the COVID-19 pandemic and an abundance of acrostic puzzles. At 8 or 9 years old, Peter Galea recalls, he began receiving monthly issues of Games Magazine, and he and his mother, Judy Eaton, would do puzzles together, long before the internet granted access to such things with the click of a mouse. A love of word puzzles has always been a shared passion, and Eaton said that Galea often claims that his parents made him play Scrabble before he knew what letters were. Still, almost four decades later, puzzles are what brought them closer in the middle of a pandemic when so many were feeling isolated. Galea, now 47, had the idea in March 2020 to complete one of New York Times’ acrostic puzzles online every day with his mother as a way to make sure neither would get lonely during the initial shutdowns. A software engineer in Austin, Texas, Galea ensured his 83-year-old mother in Ormond Beach downloaded the software AnyDesk on her computer so that she could see him typing in the answers to the acrostics as they spoke on the phone. Now, the pair have completed all of the available acros-

tic puzzles by the New York Times since 1999. That’s over 550 puzzles. “It’s kind of cool,” Galea said. “We didn’t set it out this way. We thought it was going to be a temporary thing as the pandemic started — two weeks or a month or whatever — but we’ve just really enjoyed it. As the quarantines have ebbed and flowed and things like that, we’ve just kind of kept going.” For Eaton, it’s been a wonderful way to communicate. “Even though he’s in Texas and I’m in Florida, we’re more connected than we have been, and we both love puzzles — we’ve always done them individually — so it’s a perfect thing to be doing together,” she said. WORDSMITHS

What makes acrostic puzzles different from your average crossword? An acrostic involves figuring out a quote by using crossword-style clues, where each letter in the quote corresponds to a letter in one of the clues. The more clue answers

you figure out, the more letters you’ll reveal in the quote. “It’s a back-and-forth process, jumping between the clues and the quotes, and we’ve always just kind of enjoyed that — the using of two different skills to solve the puzzle,” Galea said. The New York Times’ acrostic puzzles are available online, starting with the Sept. 12, 1999, puzzle, and are published bi-weekly. When Galea and Eaton got started, they never thought they would finish them all, but on Monday, Jan. 10, they finally caught up. Each of them have their own areas of expertise to help solve the clues in the puzzles. Galea is well-versed in the computer science and technology side of things, and Eaton is good with biology. “So we each have a trove of useless facts that occasionally are very helpful,” Eaton said. As they reached the end, she worried about their daily conversations coming to an end when there were no more puzzles to solve, but Galea reassured her he had no plans on stopping. They would just

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Judy Eaton, 83, said she felt grateful that her son suggested doing an acrostic puzzle every day to ward off the loneliness of the pandemic.

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Peter Galea said he remembers doing word puzzles as young as 8 or 9 years old with his mom.

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need to find a different kind of puzzle — maybe the puns and anagrams or the cryptic crossword. “I genuinely just enjoy hanging out with my mother,” he said laughing. “It’s been really nice doing something fun together.” ‘LIKE A BIG GIFT’

Their communication wasn’t always as constant as it is today. Galea lived in Thailand as a scuba diving instructor for seven years, and the conversations he was able to have with his mother were few and far between. The different time zones posed a difficulty, and so did the spotty internet. So when the uncertainty of the pandemic was setting in, and Galea suggested doing daily puzzles together, Eaton felt grateful. With her volunteering, at AdventHealth Daytona Beach and Meals on Wheels, and her mahjong playing groups coming to a pause, it beat doing puzzles alone in her home during the shutdowns. “He’s my only son, so you know, there’s a lot of pressure on him, but I knew I was just very grateful that he was going to do this,” she said. “It seemed like a big gift.” Galea also spends time every day playing online cribbage with his father, who lives in Miami. It’s a little way to connect with his parents, but it’s made a difference. “It’s too bad it took a pandemic to get that to happen, but it’s certainly been a silver lining of the pandemic,” he said. Galea said he looks forward to the activity every day — to hear how his mom is doing, and what her day has been like so far. “I guess doing a crossword puzzle is sort of a silly little thing, but it’s just some little activity, and it takes 15 minutes, and it’s something fun,” Galea said. “It gives a little bit of routine to the day as well, and it gives some connection. If you can find something like that, like my mom and I have, then I would recommend it.”

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DAYTONA WEST OBSERVER

THE

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HAZARD Ormond Beach resident recognized as Florida’s Hazmat Responder of the Year

JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The spark from the torch ignited the gas. “It shot out burning hot methane, both up and out of the vent, and then down and out through one of the pipes,” Volusia County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Heather Lorimor recalled. She was part of the response team for the Bethune Point Wastewater Plant explosion in 2006, when two city of Daytona Beach employees died and another was seriously injured after using a torch to remove a steel roof from above a storage tank containing methanol. Though she now says she loves her job and finds it to be exciting, there was a time when Lorimor heard the term “hazmat” and could barely muster up enough energy to express her disinterest. “I didn’t want anything to do with it,” the Ormond Beach resident recalled. “I was like, ‘Meh.’ I was — and most people are when they get into [fire service] — they’re all about fire stuff. They’re all about the EMS part. For me, I really didn’t want anything to do with hazmat.” But yet here she is, 17 years later, leading the county’s hazardous materials team and loving every minute, a passion that was recognized on Jan. 19, when she was named the state’s Hazmat Responder of the Year at the Ocean Cen-

ter during the ninth-annual Hazardous Materials Training Symposium. And it all started thanks to a professor. CHANGING COURSE

After Lorimor graduated from Seabreeze High School in 1999, her plan was to study architecture. It was something she had pursued in high school, and at the time, it seemed like the right path. Just before she left to study at Florida International University in Miami, however, her friend asked her to join her in volunteering with the Flagler County Fire Department. Since she was leaving town, Lorimor declined, but when she came home for Christmas vacation, one of the volunteer fire chiefs called her and suggested that if she was interested, she could volunteer only when she was home from college. This time, Lorimor accepted, and it was a decision that changed everything. She fell in love with the fire service. With the wildfires of 1998 recent in her memory, she decided to transfer to Daytona State College to pursue a fire science technology degree. There, she met Marcel Demuynck, the professor for her hazmat courses. He always tried to ingrain a focus on hazardous materials training in his students, and Lorimor was no exception. “He wasn’t wrong, by

Above and bottom right: Every year, the Hazardous Materials Training Symposium holds a hazmat competition.

Courtesy photos

Volusia County hazmat techs go through their quarterly training.

“Our job is to make sure that every citizen, every visitor that comes to this area and every firefighter in this area knows that we’ve got their back, for whatever they need.” HEATHER LORIMOR

any means,” Lorimor said. “Hazmat teams throughout the country have just grown everywhere, and people have really understood and seen the need for it.” Still, at that time, the classes were just requirements she needed to take to graduate and become a firefighter. She began volunteering with Volusia County Fire Rescue in 2000 and was hired in 2003 after completing her degree. It wasn’t very long until the team leaders with the county’s hazmat team approached her, having noticed that she had taken hazmat courses. They bugged her about joining their team, but Lorimar was stationed at the fire station at the Daytona Beach International Airport and didn’t want to leave. She had an inkling that if she became a hazmat tech, they would reassign her to the team’s Station 15 at the Fire Services Training Center, a tiny station at the time. Lorimor recalls that it was “like a closet,” with a pair of Murphy beds, a refrigerator and a desk. But the team leaders were relentless, and she folded. In 2004, Lorimor became a hazmat tech. She was imme-

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Volusia County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Heather Lorimor and retired Clay County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Richard Knoff

diately reassigned to Station 15. Fifteen years later, in 2019, she was chosen to lead the team as a lieutenant. HAZMAT CALLS

Once Lorimor went through hazmat tech school, she realized she actually enjoyed it. She liked the technical aspects of the job and how specialized the training was. Most of what she and her team respond to are fuel spills — jack-knifed or rolled semi-trucks with fuel tanks either on their trailers or in their cabs that need to be offloaded before the vehicle is towed. The county’s hazmat team also responds to propane emergencies and incidents where facilities with extremely hazardous substances have experienced leaks or valve issues. “In all honesty, we don’t run hazmat calls all the time, like heavy hazmat calls,” Lorimor said. “But when we do, and when they go well, and when I have my team members come up to me and they’re getting out of their suits — they’re drenched in sweat — and they’re like, ‘I love my freaking job,’ that makes me so happy because it’s that excitement that I can see in my team members that motivates me to do my job.” When a bad hazmat call comes in, though, her team does have to be prepared for the worst. Lorimor and the county’s hazmat team spent a few days on the scene helping the U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigate the incident, monitor the air, and recover one of the bodies. “Our job is to make sure that every community, every citizen, every visitor that comes to this area and every firefighter in this area knows that we’ve got their back, for

whatever they need,” she said. SMALL FAMILY, LARGE IMPACT

If Lorimor ever found Demuynck again, she would thank him. Working with hazardous materials may not have been what she envisioned herself doing, but it is her calling now. As vice chair of the Florida Association of Hazardous Materials Responders, she’s been involved with the Hazardous Materials Training Symposium since its inception. Anything she can do to help her team or others teams across the state improve their service to the public, she will gladly do. After all, the hazmat tech community is pretty tight-knit. “If you look at how many firefighters are in the whole country, and you look at how many are hazmat techs, it’s a very small percentage,” Lorimor said. “It’s like a whole other family. The support that we all give each other through the different things that I’m involved with, is just phenomenal.” Being recognized as the state’s Hazmat Responder of the Year is something Lorimor didn’t expect; she never feels like she’s doing enough in her job. There are always more goals to accomplish, and new ideas she wants to see come to fruition. But nevertheless, she is grateful for the award. “It’s rewarding for me to know that people have seen what I do and appreciate that,” she said. “I’m not one that needs awards or ‘atta-boys’ or things like that. I need to know that we’re valued, and that we’re appreciated and that we’re supported, and that’s what they did for me with that. The people that I love and appreciate in the hazmat world showed me that, and that means the world to me.”

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DAYTONA WEST OBSERVER

FEBRUARY 2022

Back to business Conklin Davis Center continues to serve the blind after merger Jan. 1. JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

For the last year, the Conklin Center has been going through a metamorphosis. Repairs. Renovations. New staff. More programs. A shared vision. The Conklin Center closed in March 2020 after its contract termination with the Florida Division of Blind Services, reducing the nonprofit’s funding by 60%. But board members couldn’t let their clients — who, in addition to being visually impaired, have other disabilities — go without the ongoing support they were accustomed to that allowed them to live independent lives. So in their search for a solution, they looked to a merger with the Center for the Visually Impaired. The merger was official as of Jan. 1, 2021, and the center reopened two months later as the Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired, with President and CEO Ronee

David at the helm of the organization. David was the director for CVI prior to the merger. “When the [Conklin] center lost its contract, the Center for the Visually Impaired just stepped in and continued to provide the help for those people,” David said. The center relaunched its residential program in July 2021, and though initially there were some reservations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, David said the program has run smoothly. The center has 16 dormitories and three one-bedroom apartments, with nine students currently living on campus. As a result of the merger, the center now serves over 500 people a year in Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and Brevard counties through its various programs, such as its blind babies program, senior independent living program and vocational rehabilitation. “There are not too many agencies that have this level of such comprehensive programs,” David said. WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES

When it came to reopening the center to students, taking care of the property was a major undertaking. “The grounds here are extensive,”

Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Conklin Davis Center for the Visually Impaired CEO and President Ronee David and Board Secretary Nancy Epps.

said Nancy Epps, secretary of the center’s board. “They’re over seven acres, and we had volunteer work days. Several of our board members came and did a lot of the work.” Board members took down trees, cleared the nature trail in the rear of the building, repaired a waterfall feature and cleaned out the pond. Inside, they painted walls, put down new carpet on the lobby, and are working to renovate the first of the three apartments for students. The board is also hoping to obtain a Community Development Block Grant from the county to purchase a new air conditioning system. New staff members have been added in the last six months as well. Epps said several of the employees

Links to past become issue in elections fight Two dozen groups filed lawsuits challenging the GOP-backed 2021 law. DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Post-Reconstruction history, firsthand narrative and statistics have laid the foundation this week in a legal challenge to a state election law that plaintiffs say will curtail Black and Hispanic Floridians’ ability to cast ballots and register to vote. The 2021 law (SB 90) was part of GOP leaders’ efforts nationally to make it harder for people to vote by mail after former President Donald Trump’s election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Although Trump handily won in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis championed the election-law changes and the Republican-controlled Legislature passed the measure despite the objections of Democrats, elections supervisors and voting-rights groups. The League of Women Voters of Florida, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, Disability Rights Florida and two dozen other groups filed lawsuits challenging the measure. While the plaintiffs maintain that the law is intended to make it harder for Black and Hispanic residents to vote, Republicans contend the changes are necessary to ensure election integrity. The trial, which began Monday, Jan. 31, in federal court in Tallahassee, focuses on several parts of the law dealing with mail-in ballots and third-party registration groups, which plaintiffs say minority voters rely on more heavily than whites when signing up to vote. Testifying for the plaintiffs on Wednesday and Thursday, Northwestern University political science professor Traci Burch said legislators knew the proposed election-law

changes would adversely Black and Latino people more than white voters when they signed off, adding that lawmakers rejected amendments intended to “mitigate that disparate impact.” Burch said she analyzed the legislation in the context of a “chain of incidents of racial discrimination that has proceeded unbroken” since the post-Civil War era. Burch argued there’s been no “natural stopping point” in that trend even since the Voting Rights Act was passed more than a half-century ago, prompting questions from Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker. “How does the motivation of folks in 1865 or 1965, many of whom are no longer living, inform me as to what the legislators who passed Senate Bill 90 were doing?” Walker asked. “Help me to understand why I’m going to look to the long arc of history as opposed to the arc that would apply to those that actually made decisions in this case.” Today’s actions are “past dependent,” Burch responded. “Past politics and past policies and actions shape ideology,” she said. The plaintiffs’ witnesses also disputed Republican lawmakers’ arguments the changes were necessary to ensure election integrity, arguing that no evidence exists that widespread fraud took place in Florida and pointing to DeSantis’ and other GOP leaders’ praise of the state’s handling of the 2020 presidential election. Republican lawmakers pushed through the changes as Trump and his allies spread unfounded allegations of “fraud” in states that the former president lost to Biden. As the plaintiffs laid out their case this week, Walker at times appeared skeptical of the argument that the 2021 legislation was designed to target people of color expressly. The trial is taking place as Republicans proposed adding more identification requirements for mail-in ballots.

went through the center in the past, and being blind and with other disabilities, are able to connect with the students. “We have a very high success rate for employment, which is unique in the handicap community at large,” Epps said. “We have about an 85% historic rate, whereas the general handicap community is about 25%30%.” HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR

Looking forward to what 2022 will bring, the center aims to continue to offer programs and classes to prepare their students to enter the workforce. The center offers a workshop with Metra Electronics, a Holly Hillbased manufacturer, where students

learn to assemble components. Eight are employed with the manufacturer. The center also has plans to develop an art program for the blind, with the hopes of introducing art exhibits in the future. An art studio space was created in the building, and tactile art from local artists lines one its hallway. David said she would love to start programs for cycling, dance, and other creative outlets for students. “We want them to have varied interests, just like sighted people do,” David said. “Everybody has their own interests other than work, so we want to help cultivate that in the blind students, and some of them have not had those opportunities.”

Madison Miller named Nonstop flights to Teacher of the Year D.C. offered Miller, from Chisolm Elementary, was selected from 70 nominees representing schools countywide.

The weekly flights to DCA will be every Saturday in March and April.

NANCY GONZALEZ

JOANNE F. MAGLEY

INFORMATION SPECIALIST, VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOLS

MARKETING, DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Madison Miller, from Chisholm Elementary, is Volusia County Schools’ new Teacher of the Year. Miller, Chisholm’s Teacher on Assignment, started her career at the New Smyrna Beach school and continues to thrive there. Miller was selected from 70 nominees representing schools countywide and was one of five finalists for the district award. She will now represent Volusia in the state Teacher of the Year program. The VCS Teacher of the Year ceremony, held Sunday, Jan. 23, at the Ocean Center, was an event attended by honorees and friends of public education. It was presented by AdventHealth, official healthcare champion of VCS, and was co-hosted by FUTURES Foundation and Volusia County Schools. Miller succeeds Citrus Grove Elementary School art teacher Frank Garaitonandia, who was Volusia County’s 2022 Teacher of the Year and a top-five state finalist. Madison Miller is a product of Volusia County Schools and continued her post-secondary education in Volusia. Her undergraduate degree is from Daytona State College, and she’s currently completing a second master’s degree from Stetson University. “My goal in my career is to continue that legacy of support,” Miller said. “... My career has focused on those without support: students in

American Airlines has announced that it will extend weekly, nonstop flights servicing Daytona Beach International Airport to and from Washington Reagan National Airport through April 2022. In December, the airline announced it was adding the new D.C. destination for Saturdays in March; the airline has now extended flights through April, with tickets going on sale Saturday, Jan. 29. “This is great news for tourism in Volusia County, and equally exciting for our residents who now can take advantage of direct flights to our nation’s capital for an extended time,” said Joanne Magley, the airport’s director of air service, marketing and customer experience. “The route planners with American Airlines have told us the flights for March are already booked on average close to 50%, which is a very positive indicator for the airline. The planners have also said flights are likely to be extended through May as well, which goes to show the demand to travel directly to and from Daytona Beach.” The weekly flights to DCA will be every Saturday in March and April. On Dec. 16, American Airlines resumed its daily, non-stop service to Dallas-Fort Worth and Philadelphia. Those seasonal flights ran through Jan. 3 and will return for spring travel March 3 and March 27, respectively. American Airlines also offers multiple, daily nonstop flights to/from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Courtesy photo

Madison Miller, from Chisholm Elementary

poverty, students in crisis, minoritized students, and transient students. We are their support system. Through equity and efficacy, we can continue to be that support.” THREE RECEIVE ‘GUIDING PRINCIPLES’ AWARDS

Special awards were also presented to three teachers who represent VCS’ three guiding principles. Superintendent Dr. Scott Fritz presented the awards along with a $150 check from FUTURES to: Guiding Principle #1, Dedication to increased Student Achievement: Suzanne Boss, English Language Arts Teacher, Silver Sands Middle Guiding Principle #2, Commitment to Finding Solutions to Problems: Joseph Brennan, Social Studies Teacher, Deltona High School Guiding Principle #3, Mutual respect and positive relationships with all stakeholders: Vanessa Emers, Third Grade Teacher, Spruce Creek Elementary Sponsors of the Teacher of the Year celebration include presenting sponsor AdventHealth and vehicle sponsor Daytona Kia, Daytona Mitsubishi, and Diamond Suzuki.

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FEBRUARY 2022

Want to help save the manatees? Volusia’s Manatee Watch program is looking for volunteers.

“With the help of volunteers, we can help get a better understanding of how manatees are using Volusia County waterways,” said Debbie Wright, Volusia County’s manatee protection program manager. She added: “The Manatee Watch training is a great opportunity to learn all about Florida’s official marine mammal.” Howard and other observers have discovered manatees that have been hit by boats. Help from the team arrived shortly thereafter. “We see the animals on our boats frequently,” Howard said. “We’re out every day on the water, from 8 o’clock in the morning until 7 o’clock in the evening sometimes.” Now more than ever, manatees are facing hazardous living conditions, as food is becoming more scarce in the waters they inhabit. Manatees can weigh up to 1,800 pounds and must eat 10% of their body weight daily. “The problem is the pollution in the water right now,” Howard said. “It’s killing off a lot of the seagrass manatees naturally eat. They are purely vegetation eaters, so they’re always looking for some sort of greenery to snack on.” According to The News Service of Florida, 1,003 manatees have died in Florida waters in 2021, more than 10% of the estimated population of manatees in the state waters. Nearly twothirds of the deaths have occurred along the East Coast. Last year, the state recorded 637 manatees deaths. Manatee Watch coordinators will host two upcoming, free training sessions for those interested in becoming a volunteer. Advance registration is required; contact Chad Murch at ManateeWatch@volusia. org or call 386-736-5927, Ext. 12839. For more information about manatees and Manatee Watch, visit www. volusiamanatees.org. The next session will be held 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Marine Discovery Center, 520 Barracuda Blvd., New Smyrna Beach.

MIGRATION

BREEDING AND REPRODUCTION

ABBIE PACE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

shley Howard was helping lead a Ponce Inlet Watersports Eco Tour one day near a boat ramp in New Smyrna Beach when she and the passengers saw something disturbing: a young, dead manatee. “He was only 4 feet long,” she recalled. “He was a little guy.” She reported the death to the Manatee Watch program, and a team

Courtesy photo

Ashley Howard will soon be a captain and be able to lead her own eco tours.

The reproductive rate for manatees is low. Manatees are not sexually mature until they are about 5 years old. It is believed that one calf is born every two to five years, and twins are rare. The gestation period is about a year. Mothers nurse their young for one to two years, during which time a calf remains dependent on its mother. Source: savethemanatee.org

arrived to assess the situation. She learned that the manatee had likely been separated from its mother and strayed into cold water. “They don’t know which direction they should go to get away from the cold water,” she said. “Then they get cold stress, and they’ll get frostbite, kind of like we do if we were to go into the snow without shoes on. The tips of their flippers and their nose will get looking [frostbitten], and it’ll just stress them out, and their bodies can’t handle it. If it’s under 68 degrees, they don’t last very long. … There was no indication of any boat strike or entanglement.” Howard has admired manatees for years: The Florida native spends a lot of her time on the water helping guide eco tours. For the past four years, she

Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas — particularly where seagrass beds or freshwater vegetation flourish. Manatees are a migratory species. Within the United States, they are concentrated in Florida in the winter. In summer months, they can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts, but summer sightings in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are more common. West Indian manatees can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America, although distribution in these areas may be discontinuous.

has been paying close attention to the wellbeing of local manatees. As she watched the volunteers do their work that day, about one year ago, the team encouraged her to volunteer, and she agreed. “We’re on the side of things where it is sad, but it’s also an opportunity to research and see what happened and how we can prevent it in the future,” she said. Volusia County created the Manatee Watch program for individuals 16 years or older to observe and report the conditions of manatees in local waterways. Manatee Watch volunteers document sightings and sketch any specific markings or scars a manatee may possess. This process helps track the local manatee population.

MARGE ROSBY has moved!

DAYTONA WEST

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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BIZ BUZZ $15 MINIMUM WAGE FOR STATE WORKERS NOW? Senate President Wilton Simpson led the charge last year to increase the minimum wage for state workers to $13 an hour. This year, the Trilby Republican wants to boost it to $15 per hour starting Oct. 1 — four years ahead of when the minimum wage will reach $15 for all workers. The move would cost $1 billion in state funds and affect thousands of state workers and even more contractors. More exact estimates of how many workers would see a raise weren’t immediately available. Under Simpson’s plan, it would also affect workers for vendors for the state in the education and health care sectors, including all K-12 school personnel and nursing home workers. Simpson said low-paid workers providing critical services need a raise, especially as inflation increases the cost of living. “Look at what inflation is doing to all earners, but especially these low-wage earners,” Simpson told Florida Politics. “You’re talking about someone that drives your kids to school on a bus every day and they’re making $10, $11, $12 an hour.” “We have the cash this year to do it, so there’s no excuses,” he added. “If we don’t do it this year, it’s because we didn’t have the courage to do it.” Simpson acknowledged he likely wouldn’t be moving as “aggressively” on hiking the minimum wage for state workers if it wasn’t for the constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2020 that will boost the wage floor to $15 per hour by 2026. Doing it four years ahead of schedule will ensure the state can absorb the increased costs, he said. Amendment 2 increased the state minimum wage, which previously stood at $8.65 per

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hour, to $10 on Sept. 30. Each year on Sept. 30, the minimum wage will increase by $1 until 2026, when it hits $15 per hour. The minimum wage will be tied to inflation after that. The Senate plan will go beyond a simple hike to $15 per hour, though. State workers and contractors making between $15 and $25 per hour could also see targeted raises to boost their pay, although it will likely be up to the heads of state agencies to develop a plan to allot those funds. The move comes as several state agencies are struggling to retain and recruit workers, especially for positions with arduous work and low pay compared to similar positions in related fields.

WHAT’S DRIVING BUYER DEMAND IN FLORIDA?

What trends should consumers, Realtors and policymakers watch for when it comes to Florida real estate over the next year? Drivers for homebuyer demand include demographic shifts, changes in consumer housing preferences – like location, size and lot size, still-low mortgage rates and rapidly rising rental prices, Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor told more than 300 Realtors during the 2022 Florida Real Estate Trends summit last week. “The biggest wave of millennials are now in their mid-30s and they’ll be in prime homebuying years for some time to come,” O’Connor said. “And who are they buying from? The Gen Xers – and there are a lot more millennials than Gen Xers. And, here in Florida, retirees are a pretty big deal – combined with the millennials, that puts pressure on the market here.” Analysts are waiting to see what will happen with inflation and how that will impact interest rates long term, O’Connor added, noting that some predictions call for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage to

FEBRUARY 2022

be as high as 4.5% by the end of the year. “That’s what we experienced a few years ago, and if that happens, while it will certainly impact buyer demand and financing, we’ll see the market change and return to similar conditions,” he said. Homebuilding and supply will also be a factor to watch when it comes to buyer demand. “It’s a long-run problem; we have a long way to go when it comes to building,” O’Connor noted. “We need construction workers. Builders continue to face constraints, but have been building at the fastest pace in recent memory. However, high prices and low rates of starter home construction will remain a challenge.”

HOUSE LOOKS TO BOOST LAW OFFICER RECRUITMENT Bonuses of up to $5,000 that Gov. Ron DeSantis has sought to entice law-enforcement officers to Florida are moving through the House as part of a broader package focused on people who don badges. The House Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Jan. 31, to approve the measure (HB 3), which supporters say could help understaffed law-enforcement agencies and improve the morale of current officers. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, would establish a bonus program to provide one-time payments of up to $5,000 to newly employed law-enforcement officers in the state, along with bonuses for officers who adopt children. It also would set up a Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program to cover basic training tuition. “This bill is a small sacrifice to show our appreciation,” Leek said. Democrats lawmakers praised the package but requested more training for officers.

Rainbow Springs State Park - Dunellon, by Judy Speno

Local Color T

hirty-three members of The Casements Camera Club will showcase their work in the Southeast Museum of Photography beginning this month. The special photo exhibit highlights the natural beauty of Florida’s local, state and federal parks. The exhibit, entitled “Local Color: Discovering Unseen Florida,” will be on display in the Community space area of the museum through the end of April 2022. The Southeast Museum of Photography is located at 1200 West

Tomoka State Park - Ormond Beach, by Nancy Munier

International Speedway Blvd., in Daytona Beach, on the campus of Daytona State College. The gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays; and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays. “We invite the public to come out to the Museum and enjoy our members’ beautiful photographs of nature,” said Ans Van Beek Torkington, president of the Casements Camera Club. –MICHELE OLIVER

Central Park - Ormond Beach, by Neala McCarten

Two Days Only! Monday & Tuesday (Feb. 14th & 15th) 10am - 5pm

Winter Is Here!!!

55 Town Center Blvd Palm Coast, Fl 32164

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February 14th & 15th Monday & Tuesday 10:00AM - 5:00PM

Sanchez Park - Ormond Beach, by Skip Lowery

DAYTONA WEST OBSERVER

OrmondBeachObserver.com

FEBRUARY 2022

The Seabreeze Sandcrabs competitive cheerleading team take the floor in regionals

Seabreeze and Mainland competitive cheerleaders move on to state championship MICHELE MEYERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he Seabreeze and Mainland high school competitive cheerleading teams qualified to compete at the state championship semifinals in February after wrapping up the Region 2, Class 1A and 2 A meet held at Bishop Moore Catholic High School on Saturday, Jan. 22. This is the first year Seabreeze has had competitive cheerleading as part of its athletic program. The team is known for its presence on the sidelines at many of the Sandcrabs sporting events but not on a competitive level. “To be able to represent our sport on the competitive end and help bring a spotlight to Seabreeze at the FHSAA state championship is a huge deal,” coach Megan Lambert said. “As a first year competitive program, this team has accomplished so much. The team has talent and grit. It hasn’t been an easy road, but this team took the floor and left everything they had right there on the mat.” At regionals, the team placed 12th overall in the small varsity category and third in Class 1A. The Sandcrabs are part of an elite group of 11 teams traveling to the Exactech Arena in Gainesville where they will vie for the state championship on Feb. 2. Rivals include the New Smyrna Beach Barracudas whose team placed seventh overall at the regional meet. Seabreeze will then head to

the National High School Cheerleading Championships on Feb. 11-13. “Seabreeze cheer is here to stay,” said Lambert. “A fire has been lit. I can’t wait to see these girls compete at the state championship.” The Mainland Buccaneers have also taken their cheering to the next level. In their second competitive meet, they placed seventh overall at regionals in Class 2A in the large non-tumbling category and are headed to the state championship semifinals. Team captain A’mari Fernandez has been cheering with the team for four years and has been accepted to cheer with various colleges, the most recent being Bethune-Cookman University. She believes that the team always hits their dance routines and are extremely strong at the “cheer” aspect. Moving forward, the Bucs will be focusing on increasing the complexity of their stunts. “With semifinals, we got this,” Fernandez said. “Just got to get the nerves out, keep our trust in each other, our stamina, our smiles, our facials, everything. If we hit those, we are going to finals, and I’m confident in that.” Two additional Volusia County schools made the cut at regionals and are headed to the championships. The DeLand Bulldogs placed second overall in the Class 2A medium co-ed category, which automatically qualifies them for the finals. Spruce Creek placed third overall in the Class 2A extra large nontumbling category, awarding the Hawks a berth in the semifinals. The FHSAA State Championship were held at the Exactech Arena in Gainesville on Feb. 1-2.

Above: Buccaneer Cassidy Campbell leads Mainland’s competitive cheerleading team Below: Shekinah Thomas (back) and Kelsi Jenkins.

Talent and grit “As a first year competitive program, this team as accomplished so much. The team has talent and grit.” MEGAN LAMBERT, Seabreeze coach

The Mainland Buccaneers competitive cheerleading team qualified at regionals to compete in the State Championship semifinals.

Chelsea McQuarrie and Madison Gallagher smile as they execute team stunts.

Photo by Michele Meyers