13 minute read
Sidelines
from OBO 11-19-20
Hendley Welch
Advertisement
The Mainland girls basketball team beat Lake Mary 61-49 in a home game Nov. 17.
Mainland took the lead early on and kept the Rams of Lake Mary at bay for a majority of the game. However, with constant battles for possession, Lake Mary began to creep up and take the lead for the first and only time of the game late in the second half. The Buccaneers responded, clawing their way back to tie the game for a short period. Once they broke the tie, Lake Mary did not tie or take the lead again for the rest of the game.
Prior to the game, seniors Isys Grady and Hendley Welch both signed their national letters of intent. Grady has plans to join the Spartans at UNC-Greensboro, and Welch will take her talents to Converse College.
The team will next travel to DeLand on Thursday, and then play Father Lopez on Saturday. Thursday’s game will see junior varsity with a 5:30 p.m. start time and varsity at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s schedule shows game times for 2:30 pm and 4 p.m.
Photos by Ka’Deem Wynn
Mainland fends off Lake Mary, 61-49
Isys Grady
Preparing for football playoffs
Mainland and Seabreeze high school football teams each won their playoff games Nov. 13 and will play again at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20. Mainland travels to Matanzas High School, while Seabreeze hosts Columbia.
Seabreeze won in dramatic fashion Nov. 13, going for a twopoint conversion in overtime. The final score was 21-20 at Gulf Breeze.
The Mainland Buccaneers won their game 24-21, at Gainesville on Nov. 13. According to the team’s Twitter account, touchdowns were scored by Kendrick Ruth, James Randle and Nick Antoine.
Quarterback T.J. Lockley threw two touchdown passes, and R.J. Turner had two interceptions. Other standouts included Charles Reid, Bryce Williamson, Lucas Williamson, Greg Mango, Lemondre Joe, kicker K.J. McCabe, Isaiah Morrison, James Randle and Marquel Williams.
Both Seabreeze and Mainland received byes in the first round. If both teams win again, they will face each other for the regional championship on Nov. 27.
Girls bowling
Kara Beissel, of Seabreeze High School, finished second in the state in the Bowling Championships Nov. 3. Her total of 857 in four games put her second to state champion Sierra Calo, of Bell Creek Academy High School, at 915.
Seabreeze’s Breanna Hass finished 27th in the state; Stacey Spaulding was 49th, Madison Kuenning 72nd and Isabella Fontanelli 121st. Seabreeze also won the district title as a team.
Boys bowling
Mainland High Schooler Adam Driver finished fourth in the state in the 2020 Bowling Championship, scoring 961 in four games. Other Mainland competitors were Kory Driver, who finished 7th, Walther Lents 51st, Coltan Hagan 125th, Charlie Quatrocci 130th and Luke Hagan 135th.
Seabreeze High School also sent bowlers to the state meet, with Spencer Mosher finishing 13th, Kirk Mowl 55th, Landan Kuenning 68th, Markus Anzola 73rd and Alex Grant 143rd.
Cross country
Tyler Herndon, a junior from Seabreeze High School, finished 44th in the 3A state cross country meet on Nov. 14.
Seth Augustynowski, of Father Lopez, finished 32nd in Class 1A, with a time of 17:14. This was his third state appearance and his fastest time at the course.
Girls golf
Amelia Cobb, of Seabreeze High School, finished 18th in the state golf tournament, shooting 76-84-160.
Boys golf
Seabreeze High School’s boys golf team finished 12th in the state at the tournament Oct. 27-28, at El Campeon. Matthew Hewitt was the team’s top finisher, shooting 76-81-157, tied for 25th place. Brandon Godfrey finished tied for 38th, Phillip Kamelgarn 70th, Ethan Norton 80th, Charlie Freeman 93rd.
Photo by Jarleene Almenas Cindy Freed Lescarbeau was named the Word Weaver International 2020 Writer of the Year at the recent Florida Christian Writers Conference.
Achieving a dream
Ormond resident recognized at Florida Christian Writers Conference
JARLEENE ALMENAS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
When Cindy Freed Lescarbeau was named the Word Weaver International 2020 Writer of the Year at the Florida Christian Writers Conference in October, she couldn’t believe it.
She looked to her husband Stephen and son Julian, who accompanied her for the awards ceremony, and they looked at her. It felt like a dream, she said. Despite her love of writing, Lescarbeau said she never expected to be recognized in this manner.
The Ormond Beach resident has been attending the annual writers conference for three years. She never formally studied writing, but she’s always had a passion for the craft. She wrote her first poem at 6 years old, and though she eventually went on to study fashion and found FREED Performing Arts, a local faithbased nonprofit performing arts studio, she kept writing. It made her happy, she said.
Then when the coronavirus pandemic struck, she was recommended by her doctor to stay home from the studio due to her kidney transplant, which saved her life in 2013. She continued to manage the studio remotely, but she also had something she hadn’t had in a while: extra time.
So, she decided to enter the conference’s writing contest. And because she wasn’t going to do this halfway, she decided to submit an entry for almost every category.
“The only thing I didn’t attempt was the novel, because I knew I didn’t have time for that,” she said laughing.
Lescarbeau spent one month studying the tools of writing before spending another month writing. Without the help of her husband and her editors Crystal Bowman and Lindsey Brackett, both whom she met at prior conferences, she would not have been able to achieve her goal.
She won five awards for her works at the conference, including an honorable mention for her poem “The Poem Factory,” third place for her early chapter
Courtesy photo Word Weavers International President Eva Marie Everson, Cindy Freed Lescarbeau and Taryn Souders, co-director of the Florida Christian Writers Conference.
book “The Crown of Dreams,” and second place for her flash fiction romance “Love at First Flight.”
Lescarbeau said she wants to encourage others who write for a hobby to follow their passion. She didn’t know she could one day write books, she said, and now, she has landed a contract with Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Jr. magazine. One of her works will be featured in one of the magazine’s 2021 editions.
Visit cindylescarbeau.com
Local news delivered right to your home.
LESS THAN $1 PER WEEK!
Hurry, offer ends soon!
Give the gift that keeps on giving for everyone on your list. The Observer is full of local news you can’t find anywhere else. It’s a convenient way to take care of your holiday shopping with gifts that will be appreciated every week of the year.
2 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE
1. Visit: PalmCoastObserver.com/subscribe 2. By phone: 386-338-5080
This year’s Ormond Beach Historical Society’s Holiday Tour of Homes will be virtual.
Screenshot courtesy of the OBHS
Historical Society to virtually hold 14th-annual Holiday Tour of Homes
One of the homes in this year’s tour was built in 1894.
JARLEENE ALMENAS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
This year’s 14th-annual Holiday Tour of Homes by the Ormond Beach Historical Society will have a little bit of everything — old, new, modern and traditional.
And, like many events this year, it will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one-hour video tour will be available starting Dec. 5 until Dec. 31. Tickets, which cost $15, can be purchased from the Ormond Beach Historical Society website, and instructions on how to view the video will be provided afterward. This is the Historical society’s primary fundraiser, and the tour’s chair, Joyce Benedict, said they are excited for the community to see the six featured houses from the comfort of their own homes.
Additionally, the video tour will showcase the decorated homes at night, something that has never been done since the tours began.
One of the homes in this year’s tour has never been made available to the public: Plantation Number Nine, a house built in 1894 by Chauncey Bacon on John Anderson Drive. The property originally spanned 172 acres as Bacon farmed various fruits. It earned its name because it was the ninth place Bacon looked to build his estate.
The video tour is an experiment, Benedict said, but they’re hopeful it will be a success as it helps to fund their efforts in taking care of the Anderson-Price Memorial Building as well as the MacDonald House, which they’ve been working with the city to restore. In addition, the Historical Society recently inherited another piece of history — the Nathan Cobb Cottage on Orchard Lane.
View a trailer of the tour by visiting ormondhistory.org/ virtual-tour-of-homes-2020.
Florida’s housing market shows strength amid pandemic
Real estate closed sales up 13% compared to 2019 in Florida
MARLA MARTIN
FLORIDA REALTORS COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Florida’s housing market reported strong gains in the third quarter of 2020 even as the coronavirus pandemic continued, with more closed sales, rising median prices, more new listings and more new pending sales compared to 3Q 2019, according to the latest housing data from Florida Realtors.
Closed sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 89,562 in 3Q 2020, up 13.7% from the 3Q 2019 level; closed sales of condotownhouse properties totaled 33,523, up 13.5% compared to 3Q 2019. Closed sales typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.
Quarterly data figures normally offer a good look into prevailing economic and market trends, according to Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor.
“On the heels of a weak spring buying season brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, closed sales of existing homes surged throughout the U.S. in the third quarter of 2020, and Florida was no exception,” he said. “And while the release of pent-up demand from spring certainly played a major role in this resurgence, it’s likely that the most important driving factor has been the record-low mortgage rates we’ve been experiencing.”
O’Connor pointed out that closed sales of Florida singlefamily homes were up 13.7% yearover-year overall in the third quarter, but all-cash sales were only up 1.7%.
“It appears that owneroccupant buyers and investors alike seem to be taking advantage of these low mortgage rates,” he said. “Condos and townhouse sales, which were hit particularly hard in spring, made a strong recovery in the third quarter as well, rising by 13.5% yearover-year. Across the state, single-family closings were up year-over-year in all 22 Florida metro areas, while condo and townhouse sales only failed to rise in two metros.”
The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in 3Q 2020 was $299,900, up 13.2% from the same time a year ago, according to data from Florida Realtors Research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. The statewide median price for condo-townhouse properties during the quarter was $215,000, also up 13.2% over the yearago figure. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.
To see the full statewide housing activity reports, go to Florida Realtors Media Center at http:// media.floridarealtors.org/
CROSSWORD
A LOSS INTO A WIN by Pao Roy; Edited by David Steinberg
©2020 Universal Uclick
ACROSS 1 In unison 6 Paths that grant upward mobility? 11 Most loyal 17 Colorful summer treat 18 “Otello” or “Rigoletto” 19 High-altitude atmosphere 20 Muddy child’s plea before being hosed off? 23 Sea cow 24 Goddess also called Discordia 25 Period of history 26 Reason sarcasm wasn’t detected? 28 Elitist sort 30 Gospel singer Andrews 33 ___ Geo 34 De Armas of “Knives Out” 35 Uninteresting grind 36 Dot on a monitor 38 Word after “child” or “method” 42 Metropolis with a trash problem? 48 Thing to swing 49 Bathroom, in Liverpool 50 Charles River sch. 51 El ___ (Spanish hero) 52 Track unit 54 Not good 56 PD alert 58 Pig with tusks 59 Cats and dogs 61 “Notes of a Native Son” writings 63 “That’s my cue!” 65 Feel sick 67 Cartoon mouse whose name sounds like a finger 68 Advice to a nervous floor polisher? 72 Jazzed 75 Handbag monogram 76 Per ___ (daily) 77 Cozy spot 81 Singer Yankovic 83 Divisible by two 85 Reactions to puppy photos 87 Attract, as a crowd 88 Whole bunch 89 401(k) relative 90 Intention 91 Edge of a canyon 93 M.A. seeker’s hurdle, often 94 Host’s question while pouring a gifted bottle? 101 Abyss 102 Marked, as a ballot 103 2,000 pounds 104 Classic muscle car 106 Sleepover attire 109 “Hard Knock Wife” comedian Ali 46 Sketch out 110 Civil rights activist Plessy 47 Virologist Jonas 113 Baby food? 48 Pollinating insect 118 In the style of 53 Singer with the first You120 South African people Tube video to hit 1 billion views 121 Vestige 55 Symbol of intense focus 122 Urgent need for a birth 57 Skewed view assistant? 58 ___ choy 126 Field for pro gamers 60 Personalized music gift 127 TV journalist Sawyer 62 Where “bagels” and “lox” 128 Billie who won five Gram- come from mys in 2020 64 D.C. suburb in Virginia 129 In the vicinity of 66 ___ Thomas, Soul Queen of 130 Itsy-bitsy New Orleans 131 Rolls-___ 69 Organization’s rules 70 Author Anais DOWN 71 Had office hours 1 Future oak 72 Hole-punching tool 2 “Illness” for soon-to-be grads 73 (Where’s my catnip?) 3 Declines to participate 74 Bitter part of an orange 4 “Stat!” 78 Works with pipes? 5 Fencing blade 79 Differ 6 Transylvania’s country 80 Female sheep 7 Gibbon, for one 82 Zone 8 Club ___ resort 84 Compete 9 High schooler’s big night 86 Round up, as livestock 10 Welcomed at the door 92 Story of Arachne, for one 11 Larger-life link 95 “Nothing Compares 2 U” 12 Proposal presentation singer Sinead 13 Oblivious 96 Little devils 14 Dine at home 97 Put in stitches 15 City south of Florence 98 Words from a bride 16 Hard journey 99 Famed Sarah Palin impres17 Day such as March 15 sionist 19 “You’ve said enough,” in 100 In a befuddled way a text 104 They might get you down 21 Portmanteau genre derived 105 Florida bay city from acid house 107 Thorpe who was the first 22 Org. in “Snowden” Native American to win an 27 Pentagram shape Olympic gold 29 “g2g 4 now” 108 Slyly mocking 31 Abbr. after a phone number 111 Beethoven’s “Fur ___” 32 Buddhist sect 112 Surge of adrenaline 37 Need for one making a 113 Small songbird stand? 114 Icon in online shopping 39 Beginner’s piano exercise 115 Golden rule preposition 40 Either half of Gemini 116 “___ a vibe” 41 Like a certain Freudian 117 Falco of “The complex Sopranos” 42 Cleveland team, informally 119 Lenovo competitor 43 Words from a bride’s father 123 Pale 44 By means of 124 Social connections 45 Longtime online brokerage 125 ___ de Janeiro firm CELEBRITY CIPHER By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
“NONFZJUN’L EMMFJEYK WJ GKEW YEU YJRN JAW JI LHP LWFHUXL HL VHIINFNUW IFJR EUJWKNF MNFLJU, SAW HW’L ETT OETHV.” – CHRRZ MEXN Puzzle One Clue: M equals P “Y XGHYCF JR EGBRDF. XGBX’A LHJSBSKZ NGZ TZ EGJHV EGBRDFA BHF NFYHV, SFEBWAF EGJHVA VFLYEX FTJXYJRA.” – OJRY TYXEGFKK
Puzzle Two Clue: D equals G © 2020 NEA, Inc.
SUDOKU Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
