Two businesses team up for back-to-school packpack giveaway. PAGE 5

JARLEENE ALMENAS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

BY THE NUMBERS

128

permits issued within the city last week, valued at just over $1 million. This included three garage sale permits.

889

early voting ballots cast at the Ormond Beach Library as of Aug. 11. Early voting ends on Aug. 15.

31.63

million gallons of reuse water produced last week.

20

Votran drivers have earned a safe driving award from the National Safety Council, the county reported.

Email Associate Editor Jarleene Almenas at jarleene@ ormondbeachobserver. com.

Courtesy of the city of Ormond Beach The blue lines represent the existing force main installed in 1990; the red line represents the new mains.

More wastewater improvements are in the works for the city of Ormond Beach, as the commission approved a $2.6 million bid award at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4, for the construction of new water mains in North U.S. 1.

The agenda item documents state that the installation of a new 12-inch water main along U.S. 1 from Airport Road to Broadway Avenue and another main from Hull Road to north of Destination Daytona were recommendations that came out of a hydraulic modeling report. In an email, Public Works Director Shawn Finley explained that this modeling program, updated every five years, show anticipated and peak flows being withdrawn for the system, allowing the city to plan for future improvements to meet current and projected demands.

He expects the project, which was budgeted for this fiscal year, will be complete sometime mid-summer 2021.

“Residents and business will see improvement in system pressure and water quality,” Finley said. “They should be able to expect that they do not see drops in pressure during higher use times, and will maintain their level of service without change as additional developments are connected.”

The bid was awarded to Hazen Construction LLC, of New Smyrna Beach, and includes a connection to the Holly Hill reclaimed system, allowing Ormond to receive its surplus.

“It’s almost time, if not already, perhaps to shift a little bit and start really planning on how we respond when COVID is present in our schools and in our classrooms, because it is going to happen.”

CARL PERSIS, school board member on reopenings. See Page 3. The Planning Board will meet on Thursday, Aug. 13, and there are four items on the agenda.

The first is a wall signage special exception for the Ormond Memorial Art Museum, which is in the process of expanding. The exception seeks to allow the museum to have five wall signs outside the building.

Two of the items are related to the property at 350 Clyde Morris Blvd., which seeks a comprehensive plan amendment and a rezoning. An assisted living facility and medical office could be built there.The fourth item is a special exception request to allow two electronic signs at the Mobil at 5 S. Yonge St.

These items were originally scheduled for the July 9 meeting, but weren’t heard since the board did not reach quorum.

VCSO dispatch is accredited

For the first time, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center has earned national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, joining less than 200 centers in the U.S., a press release said Aug. 6. The award was granted virtually on Friday, July 31, and comes after months of review and site assessments. VCSO, overall, is nationally accredited by the commission as well.

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Countdown to REOPENING

Volusia County Schools putting procedures in place for new school year

JARLEENE ALMENAS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Volusia County teachers returned to the classroom on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and while safety during the COVID-19 pandemic is still a concern with reopening, the school district continues to prepare to welcome students back on Aug. 31, at both virtual and brick-and-mortar schools.

And unfortunately, part of this year’s preparations includes figuring out what to do if a student or faculty member tests positive for the coronavirus.

“It’s almost time, if not already, perhaps to shift a little bit and start really planning on how we respond when COVID is present in our schools and in our classrooms, because it is going to happen,” said School Board member Carl Persis during the board’s meeting on Aug. 11.

Patricia Boswell, the Florida D e p a r t m e n t o f H e a l t h administrator for Volusia County, informed the board that the DOH testing sites will close to the general public on Aug. 21 to prioritize testing for schools, a decision she said she felt comfortable making since the Florida Division of Emergency Management will be opening a drive-thru testing site on Aug. 14 at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, located at 3150 E. New York Ave. in DeLand. Though she didn’t provide specifics of the testing site during the School Board meeting, the county issued a press release about the site later that day. Testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ThursdaysTuesdays, and an appointment is recommended.

In addition, Boswell said that DOH is drafting letter that will be used to notify people in case of an exposure at a school. The main piece of advice is still to stay home if you’re sick, or if you’ve been in close contact with someone who got COVID-19.

“When people are either not aware that they’re infectious or they’re not personally taking the responsibility that’s expected of them, and isolating, then that increases transmission,” Boswell said. If students are arriving to school sick, she said, they must be isolated. While the specifics on what would constitute an outbreak are still up for debate, Boswell said two cases of COVID at a school could likely fall within that definition. Publicity on outbreaks will be determined on a case-by-case basis, she added.

School Board member Linda Cuthbert asked if Boswell could advise them on whether or not schools are safe to reopen.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not my role as your health officer,” Boswell said. “I can provide guidance on how to make the schools as safe as possible for your staff, faculty and students.”

9,000 ONLINE STUDENTS

Students have three options for returning to school: They can go to a brick-and-mortar school, livestream with Volusia Live, or opt for enhanced Volusia Online.

That last option has over 9,000 students onboard so far. In a regular school year, Volusia Online’s student population hovers in the hundreds.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said the district is making it a priority to ensure Volusia Online will be ready to go on Aug. 31. The district has added another administrator and is planning to add more guidance counselors.

“There is no option not to be ready,” Balgobin said. “We must be ready.”

School Board member Jamie Haynes said the need to add dedicated faculty to Volusia Online is great. Three of the local universities — Bethune-Cookman, Stetson and Embry-Riddle — all

NEED TO BUY LAPTOPS FOR YOUR KIDS? HERE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS.

VOLUSIA LIVE

 Laptops or desktop device with an operating system of Windows 8.1 or above, or Mac OS 10.14 or above will work.  Minimum system requirements: 1.8 GHz Processor or better 128 GB hard drive 4 GB RAM memory  Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari browsers are supported

VOLUSIA ONLINE

 Traditional laptops and desktop devices are preferred, as iPads and Chromebooks don’t support all Flash and Java in the learning platforms.  Minimum system requirements: 250 GB hard drive 4 GB RAM memory  Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers are supported. Chrome is preferred.  You will need to enable JavaScript, Cookies, Flash and install Java have smaller school populations compared to Volusia Online this school year, she pointed out.

“Look at the sheer numbers,” Haynes said. “I want to know if anyone sitting here today thinks that they’re capable of opening a virtual school with over 9,000 kids without a team to help you do it.”

Balgobin agreed, explaining that she understands the staff that have been deployed to help out are not sufficient, and said she will be setting up weekly meetings with Volusia Online’s principal to stay on top of the issue.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The board also unanimously approved the submittal of two waivers to the state, asking to maintain its current state funding in Spring 2021 for public Volusia schools despite smaller class size — a side-effect of implementing the Volusia Live model — as well as waiving the school grade calculation for the 2020-2021 school year and enforcement of high-stakes testing. The board requests that the state instead use the testing results to establish a baseline measurement for future standardized testing.

“What we essentially are asking the Department of Education is to approve waivers that provide clear and consistent guidance on the operations of public schools this school year,” said Kevin Pendley, the district’s general counsel.

It’s yet another measure the district is hoping to implement to stave off non-health-related issues that could stem from the pandemic. But, Cuthbert said during her final remarks of the meeting that there are things out of the district’s reach.

“As much as our district has done everything to mitigate, has done everything to plan, put procedures and policies in place to address every issue, there is so much out there that we can’t control,” she said.

Persis said he’s often asked if it is safe to return to school. He responds that the district is trying to make schools as safe as possible.

“However, if you’re asking me, ‘Can you guarantee there will not be a COVID case at my child’s school?’ the answer is no,” Persis said. “Absolutely not. Let’s not kid ourselves or give any false expectation that it isn’t going to happen.”

The coronavirus has altered the future of the way education is delivered, said School Board Chair Ida Wright. Parents will now expect the different models. All they can do, she said, is look to the future.

“Things have changed,” Wright said. “We’re in a different world, but we have to embrace change and prepare for it.”

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S MASK MANDATE

Courtesy photo

Volusia County Schools continues to work on its mandatory face covering policy, and as of now, this is what the school response to students not wearing masks will look like:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

 Students reporting to school without a mask will be given one. Their parents will be contacted.  Students refusing to wear a mask will be placed in isolation with social distancing in place. Parents will be contacted, and a written warning will be issued.  Students refusing to wear a mask after being given one will be sent home. If the parent does not agree with the policy, the school social worker will be contacted.  After a third refusal, students will need to be picked up from school and enrolled in Volusia Live.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

 First offense will result in a warning, and a parent will be contacted. They will be given a mask, and if the student refuses, they will need to be picked up from school.  A second offense will result in parent contact. They will be given a mask again, and if the student refuses, they will be sent home to do Volusia Live for five days. (The board advocated reducing it to five days after the committee recommended for a 14 day period). A school re-entry meeting will be required upon return.  If the student commits a third offense, they will be enrolled in Volusia Live.

HIGH SCHOOL

 First offense will result in the school documenting the student’s name. The student will be given a mask, and if they refuse to wear it, they will need to be picked up by a parent.  A second offense will result in parent contact. They will be given a mask again.  The board recommended a third refusal to wear a mask result in the student’s enrollment in Volusia Live, like the middle school response.

Residential permits have increased compared to last year, thanks to home construction in three developments.

BRIAN MCMILLAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

In part thanks to the shift to an electronic submission and review process in 2015, the Ormond Beach Planning Department has weathered the COVID-19 storm well, according to Director Steven Spraker.

“The community’s building process was not slowed based on the pandemic,” Spraker said. “Based upon what is in the building permit process, it is expected that the issuance of building permits and inspections will stay steady through the remainder of the fiscal year.”

The number of permits, which range from commercial projects

Photo by Jarleene Almenas Publix, at The Trails Shopping Center, is 60% complete to residential fences, dipped in the period from March to May as compared with last year, but the number has increased in June and July.

“In a very unusual time, the permitting and the inspections have been relatively consistent,” Spraker added.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Residential permits have increased compared to last year, thanks to home construction in three developments: Gardens at Addison Oaks, which was annexed into Ormond Beach from Volusia County; Pineland, near Airport Road and Interstate 95; and Cypress Trail, on Clyde Morris Boulevard.

Two commercial projects are also underway: Salty Church, at 221 Vine Court, which is almost completed; and Publix, in The Trails Shopping Center, which is about 60% complete.

BUILDING FENCES

Many of the permits are “typical maintenance activity,” Spraker said, including roofing, mechanical change-outs, windows, doors and fences.

A1A Fence Co., which has been owned by Richard Jelm since 2003, is booked for the next eight weeks, in part due to the pandemic.

Jelm was born and raised in Ormond Beach and is the nephew of the late Harold Burr, who was police chief and fire chief simultaneously from 1981 to 1987.

Jelm said he’s had trouble find

BY THE NUMBERS $111.3 million

Total permit valuation at the city of Ormond Beach from October 2019 to July 2020

4,392

Total permits, October 2019 to July 2020

$17.4 million

Increase in permit valuation to date from fiscal year 2018-2019 to fiscal year 2019-2020.

375

Decrease in total number of permits to date from fiscal year 2018-2019 to fiscal year 2019-2020

$16.7 million

Total permit valuation in April 2019, thanks in large part to two permits: $5.7 million for Home2 Suites hotel renovation at 711 S. Atlantic Ave.; and $2.5 million in renovations at Oceanside Golf and Country Club.

ing people to hire, but also, he said, people are interested in improving their properties after being at home more often.

“People are sitting at home, looking at their rotted fences, and they’re calling me,” he said.

At the same time, Jelm said, the total amount of work has declined this year.

“People are scared to spend money right now,” he said.

Governor suggested that other players could be welcomed to play on Florida teams, if NCAA allows it.

JIM TURNER

THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, Aug. 11, continued to pitch the return of college and high-school sports as a safer environment for student-athletes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During an appearance at Florida State University with football players and President John Thrasher, DeSantis also said the state would welcome athletes from schools in other states and conferences not planning to play this fall.

“We want to make sure that folks know that we value the opportunities for our studentathletes in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.

“I asked President Thrasher and (FSU football coach Mike Norvell) about, hey, if some of these other conferences shut down, can we welcome their players to the state of Florida?” DeSantis continued. “I’m not exactly sure how the NCAA rules work on that. But I can tell you, if there’s a way, you know, we want you guys to be able to play as well.”

DeSantis’ news conference came as the Big Ten Conference and the Pac-12 Conference on Tuesday called off all fall sports, including football, because of health and safety concerns related to the pandemic. The Big Ten and Pac-12 were the first two major athletic conferences to take the step, though smaller conference also have called off fall seasons.

“As time progressed and after hours of discussion with our Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, it became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student-athletes to compete this fall,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said in a prepared statement.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott also pointed to challenges in keeping student-athletes from getting exposed to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

“Unlike professional sports, college sports cannot operate in a bubble,” Scott said in a statement. “Our athletic programs are a part of broader campuses in communities where in many cases the prevalence of COVID-19 is significant.”

DeSantis has been joined by other Republican leaders in backing the resumption of sports. His appearance Tuesday at FSU’s Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility came a day after President Donald Trump tweeted “Play college football!” Also, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis wrote a letter to every university president in the state urging them to support fall football.

— News Service staff writer Ana Ceballos contributed to this report.

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Cydney Reagan and Angelina Strickhouser were ready to distribute as many backpacks as they could during the giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 8.

PACKED & READY

Ormond, Port Orange businesses team up for back-to-school giveaway

JARLEENE ALMENAS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

With students going back to school on Aug. 31 — either virtually or in-person — two local businesses decided to team up to ensure children in need had the necessary supplies for learning.

On Saturday, Aug. 8, Reagan Realty in Ormond Beach and Alberto’s Pizza Shop in Port Orange held a drive-thru giveaway where they distributed over 400 backpacks containing necessary school supplies including notebooks, pencils, crayons and folders. It was an effort about a month in the making, with the aim to collect 500 backpacks for the community.

Angelina Strickhouser, who owns Alberto’s Pizza Shop with her husband, Alberto, said they surpassed that goal, having collected 564 backpacks. The giveaway ended up being bigger than she expected.

“There was a lot of love being spread and a lot of happy faces,” Strickhouser said. “It went great.”

Since the Strickhousers opened their restaurant two years ago, they’ve strived to serve the community by filling different needs, she explained. As her husband says, serving the community is just part of who they are now.

“I’m just inspired by the community,” she said. “That is the fuel for what we do.”

Initially, the goal was to collect 50 backpacks for local students, but when they collected that amount in just one night, the Strickhousers aimed for 150 backpacks. Then they received a call from Ormond Beach resident Cydney Reagan, of Reagan Realty, and she suggested they increase the goal to 500. She also sponsored the free pizza at the event.

As a kid, Reagan recalled that going back to school always came with the excitement for new school supplies — a new backpack, new notebooks, new folders. Regardless of what going back to school looks like for every family during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reagan said children still need supplies.

“Even if they’re home, it’s nice for them to be able to have a backpack that’s their own, and a designated space for their school stuff and have some sense of normalcy,” Reagan said.

Restoring a sense of normalcy is something she feels is “super important,” she said. Many families are impacted financially due to the coronavirus, and her heart is with the children who are also feeling the effects.

“It’s stressful for them, too,” Reagan said.

About 100 backpacks were left over after the giveaway, some of which will be picked up at Reagan’s office by families who couldn’t make it to the giveaway. Whatever school supplies are left over will be divided for donation to Ormond Beach, Port Orange and South Daytona schools.

Strickhouser thanked the community for the donations that made the giveaway a reality.

“Without the community helping us make this possible, we wouldn’t have been so successful,” Strickhouser said. “We may have done maybe the footwork, but it also took a team of servant hearts to have the same vision as we did to help the community.”

Courtesy photos Rosa Ruby, Nicole Chapman, Tammi Williams man the pizza table at the giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 8.

RIVIERA The Place Where Friends are Family

THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR RESIDENTS IS OUR TOP PRIORITY!

We have practices in place to ensure the continued well-being of our residents. We are moving towards beginning the re-opening process of our community cautiously. Many restrictions remain in place, in an effort to ensure continued health of our residents and staff.

Under the new procedures we have put in place to safeguard our residents:

• Riviera provides weekly shopping service to our residents to ensure their safety. • Our residents enjoy chef prepared meals which are now delivered daily to be enjoyed in the comfort and safety of their homes. • Modified outdoor entertainment is provided twice weekly. Residents can enjoy live musical performances from the comfort of their balconies! • Community elevators and common areas are sanitized continuously throughout the day with hospital grade sanitizer.