DAYTONA WEST
Observer
Election Guide Find a quick way to compare the candidates for Volusia County chair on Page 6 of the Aug. 6 E-edition at www.OrmondBeachObserver.com.
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 1, NO. 11
FREE • AUGUST 2020
TURTLE TECH EmbryRiddle launches drone project to aid in sea turtle conservation efforts in Volusia JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
D
eena Delany loves sea turtles. It’s evident in the way she enthusiastically speaks about the different tracks each species makes on the beach, and in her accessories. She wears dangly silver earrings with sea turtles and in this era of COVID-19, even her mask is sea turtle themed. Delany is one of about 14 Ormond Beach residents who volunteer with the Volusia Sea Turtle Patrol, a group who monitors and documents sea turtle nests north of Ponce Inlet to Gamble Rogers State Park. During the May 1 to Oct. 31 nesting season, the Volusia Sea Turtle Patrol check for new nests every day, rain or shine just after 6 a.m., and keep an eye on existing nests as well. Usually, the volunteers, who lend their time once or twice a week, are done around noon, but with the high number of nests on Volusia beaches these last couple of years, that’s not always the case. Delany once documented 13 new nests in one day, the highest she’s ever had. “There’s days when we don’t get home until three o’clock in the afternoon,” Delany said.
Alicia Sanchez during a trip to Haiti with ProjectElev8.
Courtesy photo
VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERS Alicia Sanchez believes that volunteering, even through a computer screen, helps people gain a new perspective. See OrmondBeachObserver.com.
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SUSHI WITH A VIEW
Fugu now open in downtown Ormond Beach
Photos by Jarleene Almenas
Fugu General Manager Rosemary Neary, Executive Chef Frankie Hernandez, Owner Kirt Roberts and Sous Chef Marin Avila.
JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
There’s a new sushi restaurant in downtown Ormond Beach, and, coupled with views of the Halifax
River from its outdoor patio and a dining room covered in black light murals, the owner seeks to bring a unique experience to every person who walks in the door. Fugu Sushi restaurant owner Kirt Roberts has had a vision for what he wanted from the start, and he never compromised. The pufferfish sculpture overlooking the sushi bar played a big role in the ambiance he wanted to create, as well as being the namesake of the restaurant. “I wanted it to kind of look like a club and the focal point to be the sushi bar, and the fish over the sushi bar,” Roberts said. “That’s why that’s lit up the way it is.” Rest assured — no fugu, or pufferfish in English, is on the SEE SUSHI PAGE 4